The Great Pyramid And Freemasonry.

THE GREAT PYRAMID AND FREEMASONRY .

THE following letters have recently been published in the North Star , and in the hope that they may prove of interest to some of our readers we transfer them to our pages : — To the Editor of the North Star .

SIR , —They say the world is coming to an end . Whether it be so or not , sure enough it is time it did ; for it has got terribly on the twist . They say this is the age of science . They say what is not true . It is the age of impertinent assertion ; the age when men chew the oud of improved preconceptions ; the most completely unscientific

and irrational age since the days of Enoch . We are in the midst of a slipshod and slatternly generation , down at the heels in scientific method , out at the elbows in logical accuracy . That is tho reason why it has become possible for soientiflo oharlatanry to affirm the evolution of a man ( let alone a woman ) out of a marine ascidian ;

and why fools carry the argument to its bitter end , and say , There is no God . For example , we are informed by your reporter that it has been said that "Freemasons , of course , know perfectly well that the Great Pyramid was merely a spurious Masonio Lodge . " Why , " of course ?"

And how do they " know ?" I am a Mason . I have spent twelve years in the investigation of the innermost mysteries and traditions of Masonry , and in severe mathematical dissection of the complicated structure of the Great Pyramid . T have mixed much among all degrees of Masons . I have

come to "know perfectly well , " that one may traverse all the Lodges on the Grand Roll , frotn Lincoln ' s Inn Fields to Hong Kong , and find only the densest ignorance of the simplest elementary facts about the Great Pyramid . I challenge the Craft to produce three times seven men who "know perfectly well" what manner of thing this Pyramid is . I say that an many who affirms that it " was merely a spurious

Lodge , 'declares himself , without more argument , to be in deplorable darkness as to the very elements of the case . Three years ago I published a brief treatise ( "Origin of Freemasonry , " Kenning , Fleetstreet ) , in which I set forth the elementary facts ; and , as far as may be without lese" magonnerie , showed that the Great Pyramid is the very wOmb and mother of pure Masonry , as re-instituted by the Grand Master Shem himself .

I know a learned professor , a fellow of Queen ' s , Oxford , who once wrote of the author of some bookj that it was refreshing to meet with a man at this time of day who still believes that there ever was such a person as Shem , " notwithstanding the documentary evidence to the contrary . " He did not specify the " documentary evidence , "

whether , perchance , it might be of the nature of a " Tichborne trial , " to verify the identity of a claimant to the patriarchate of Shem . Well , this professor is a member of the Company for the Revision of the Old Testament . Perhaps at Shem he will cause to be inserted in the margin , " some ancient authorities . "

Meanwhile , your correspondent , the Reverend John Milner , like a good mason , has instinctively seized the true solution of the whole matter . Cheops was " native-born ; " but he not only knew " Shem himself , " it was Shem himself who designed , ordered , and conducted the construction of that , the first , and the only true , Pyramid , and

who constrained Cheops to provide the material and labour . No wonder the Egyptians hated Cheops , Pyramid , Shem , and all and sundry that had Five about it . Perhaps you will not care to have more of this . But the world is sorel y on the twist . The prophets prophesy falsely , and the people love very much to have it so .

I have the honour to be , Sir , your obedient servant , W . J . COCKBURN MUIR To the Editor of the North Star . SIR , —I have read with lively satisfaction the letter of Mr . Cockburn . Muir on the above subjectnotwithstanding the castigation he

, administers to me for having hastily said that the Great Pyramid Y »? " a spurious Masonic Lodge . " I was criticising the theory of the Astronomer Royal of Scotland , and hinting the direction in which we were to look for an explanation of the interior economy of the great building . I am perfectly willing to substitute " genuine " for

spurious , " and my criticism will be strengthened thereby considerabl y . Regarded in this light the Pyramid becomes a ten-fold more interesting relic of antiquity . I send forthwith for Mr . Muir ' s work on the " Origin of Freemasonry , " and am anxious to see what authority he has for supposing that it was "Shem himself" who designed the building . One cannothoweverexpect to find it in

, , any documentary evidence , " but possibly circumstantial evidence sumoient to justify so remarkable a theory . There is nothing im-Possible , or even improbable , in the notion itself , for Shem must certainly have been living at the time when the Pyramid was built , but now ne came to acquire such extraordinary influence over Cheops , is not easy to understand .

T ,,.,,, , . JOHN MILNER . Middleton-m-Teesdale , 8 th July 1881 . To the Editm- of the North Star . earrT '~ Ii ? StSte with anytnit ) g ] ike fulness tbe arguments for re . fnnw * Pyramid as a Masonicaliy-constructed building , and to n tail the RevMrMilner ' querieswould require not ¦¦¦ iiuuuci not

™! i \ V J ~ - . s , one lpffoi . k J . - « - » . " ... o Ljuoiieo , wuum reijuire the a- ma , ny ' mnch more s P ace than von can afford t 0 nnrt » SCnSS ^ . 0 f the 8 ub J - As this matter is of considerable imJ portance and interest to the Craft , permit me , first of all , by way Which nU M SUD Ject , to mention certain P yramid relations Masonrv mu 7 rec ° g nise as closely connected with pure . wy ^ ine north-east socket stone declares itself the " Master ' s

The Great Pyramid And Freemasonry.

stone " by being as big as the other three together . Every Mason knows at which corner to lay tho " foundation-stone" of a " building . " All tho work of the ulterior begins N . E . and finishes ( in the Coffer Chamber ) S . W . The Coffer is at the west end of the western , most Chamber of tho Pyramid . Tho altar of the Tabernacle and Temple was west to tho setting of tho sun of tho old dispensation ,

implying the hope and faith of tho great rising again of the Son of Righteousness . Every Master Mason must see what must have been tho symbolio purport of the Coffe-r , and in the west , if he knows anything of Hiram . The entrance to the Pyramid is north . So is also that of properly constructed Lodges . The dimensions and arrangements of tho

passages and chambers declare the three degrees in the plainest lauguage : The low , cramped entrance adit is the initiation to the First Degree—namely , the Grand Gallery , nearly 30 feet high . The short , low , oramped passage from the gallery to the Ante-chamber is the passing to the Second Degree ; and the longer and more cramped passage to the Coffer Chamber is the raising to tho Third Degree .

In the Temple ( the geometric and numerical system of which and that of the Tabernacle is identical with that of the Pyramid , which it conld not be were the latter a false and spurious thing ) , thenether . most chamber w & sfive cubits , and the third was seven . The Pyramid has five corners , five points . A Mason will now see the meaning of the formula ( here I must be careful ) , regarding the power of tho

" five points , " and why the tradition directs that tho act referred to be done by seven . The other Pyramids , unlike the Groat Pyramid , were sepulohres and built in imitation of the Great Pyramid externally . They could not imitate the interior , because no Egyptian or Cowan , saw it . Daring its construction by the Shemitic Grand Lodge it was "tyled . "

The Egyptians were compnlsorily employed in the erection of the exterior of the stupendous edifice . They groaned under a task whose purpose they could not understand , and the memory of the King by whom they were impressed for this service ( and who , as Mr . Milner points out , put down the idolatrous religion of the people ) , was

accordingly held in utter detestation . I have at the outset written thus generally in the hope of interest , ing not only Masons in particular , but even many of the general public , in a subject of the deepest import and extraordinary interest . Yours , & c . KlLWINNINO .

Quarterly Court Of The Girls' School.

QUARTERLY COURT OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

THE Quarterly Court of Subscribers to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was held on Saturday , at Freemasons' Hall . There were present Bros . Lieut .-Col . Creaton ( in the chair ) , Thomas Massa , John Symonds P . G . D ., Edgar Bowyer , A . H . Tattershall , Henry Smith Prov . G . Sec . W . Yorkshire , Frank Richardson P . G . D ., J . J . Berry , H . Massey , S . Rawson P . D . G . M . China , John E . Shand , F . Adlard , and F . R . Hedges Secretary . An amendment was pro .

posed to the minutes of last meeting by Bro . Thomas Massa , but as it was not seconded , the minutes were put and confirmed . The list of candidates for next election was declared as follows , on the motion of Bro . Frank Richardson , seconded by Bro . A . H . Tattershall : —Candidates , 24 ; vacancies , 10 ; and to fill up Lyncombe House , 5 j total vacancies , 15 . On the motion of the Chairman , seconded by Bro .

A . H . Tattershall , and by the recommendation of the House Committee , the rank of honorary Vice-President was conferred upon Bro . Wharton P . Hood , in recognition of his valuable services as honorary surgeon ; and on the motion of the Chairman , seconded by Bro . Henry Smith , the honorarium to the Chaplain was increased from

£ 25 to £ 35 per annum . Bro . Symonds asked whether a swimming bath could not be provided for the girls . The Chairman said the subject was under the consideration of the House Committee , but no definite resolution had been come to on it . A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings .

Quarterly Court Of The Boys' School.

QUARTERLY COURT OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

THE Quarterly Court of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was held on Monday , at Freemasons' Hall , Lieut .-Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer , in the chair , and Bros . F . Adlard , R , B . Webster , J . J . Berry , Charles Saunders , E . 0 . Massey , and F . Binckes ( Secretary ) , also being present . After the reading and confirmation of the

minutes some formal business was transacted , and the list of can . didates for next election was declared at the number of 65 , and twelve vacancies . The Court closed with the customary compliment to the chair .

Committee Meeting Of The Benevolent Institution.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE monthly meeting of the Committee of this Institution was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall . There were present Bros . Lieutenant-Colonel John Creaton Grand Treasurer , Treasurer of the Institution ( in the chair ) , S . Rawson , John Henry Leggott , William Clarke , Richard Herve Giraud , Raynham W . Stewart , John M . Stedwell , James Brett , Jabez Hogg , William Hale , William

Hilton , Lieutenant-Colonel H . S . Somerville Burney , Charles James Perceval , and James Terry Secretary . The minutes of the 8 th June were verified , and the Secretary reported the death of two male and two female annuitants . The Warden ' s report was read , and the report of the Finance Committee was received , adopted , and ordered

to be entered on the minutes . The Chairman was authorised to sign cheques . The petitions of one male and one female candidate were accepted . A petition to the House of Commons against the Charitable Trusts Bill was signed by the Chairman as Treasurer of the Institution .