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On The Ancient Lodges, Or Places Of Initiation Into The Cabiric Mysteries.
inches square . I would not infer from hence that the corpses deposited there were of such a gigantic size as to fill up such large coffins ; though , at the same time , why should any men be so prodigal ot their labour as to cut these caverns into so hard a rock as this was , much farther than necessity required *? " The fact is , these caves were not except for the metaphorical death of the aspirant , but were
sepulchral , excavated by the Phoenician Cabiri themselves , as places of religious celebration . The following passage is still more decisive of the point . " On the other side of the first chamber was a narrow passage seven feet lona , leadinq into a third room , whose dimensions were nine feet m
' breadth , and twelve in length . It had eleven cells , of somewhat a less size than the former , ly ing at equal distances all round about it . Passing out of the first room , foreright , you have two narrow entrances each seven feet long , into a fourth room . This apartment was nine feet square ; it had no cells in it like the others , nor any think remarkable , but only a bench cut all along its side on the left hand . " Nile temple
Again : in the small island of Phile , in the river , was a dedicated to Osiris and Isis , where the remains of the former were traditionally said to have been deposited . " Throughout the whole of tins famous island , " says Mr . Maurice t , " where anciently the solemn and mysterious rites of Isis were celebrated with such distinguished pomp and splendour , there appeared to Mr . Norden to run subterranean that led down
passages . He attempted to descend several of the steps unto them , but ivas prevented by the filth and rubbish with which they were filled , from penetrating to any depth . It was in these gloomy caverns that the grand and mystic arcana of this goddess were unfolded to the adoring aspirant , while the solemn hymns of initiation resounded through the long extent of these stony recesses . It was there that superstition at midnig ht waved hig h her flaming torch before the image of Isis borne in procession ; and there that her chosen priests , in holy
ccstacy , chanted theii sweetest symphonies . " In Ireland , the purgatory of St . Patrick at New Grange has been pronounced a place of initiation ; and the following observations of a learned and intelligent writer on a grotto in Derbyshire , ivill require no further explanation to convince every impartial reader that it was appropriated to the same purpose . " With regard to the interior of the
Derbyshire cavern , I am persuaded , that any person who descends into it after having attentively perused the sixth hook of the Eneid , will be not a little surprised at its singular resemblance to the Hades of the Mysteries , though the terrific machinery , once introduced into it , exists no longer . You first enter into an immense and magnificent natural cave the whole of which , however , is perfectly visible by the dusky light
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Ancient Lodges, Or Places Of Initiation Into The Cabiric Mysteries.
inches square . I would not infer from hence that the corpses deposited there were of such a gigantic size as to fill up such large coffins ; though , at the same time , why should any men be so prodigal ot their labour as to cut these caverns into so hard a rock as this was , much farther than necessity required *? " The fact is , these caves were not except for the metaphorical death of the aspirant , but were
sepulchral , excavated by the Phoenician Cabiri themselves , as places of religious celebration . The following passage is still more decisive of the point . " On the other side of the first chamber was a narrow passage seven feet lona , leadinq into a third room , whose dimensions were nine feet m
' breadth , and twelve in length . It had eleven cells , of somewhat a less size than the former , ly ing at equal distances all round about it . Passing out of the first room , foreright , you have two narrow entrances each seven feet long , into a fourth room . This apartment was nine feet square ; it had no cells in it like the others , nor any think remarkable , but only a bench cut all along its side on the left hand . " Nile temple
Again : in the small island of Phile , in the river , was a dedicated to Osiris and Isis , where the remains of the former were traditionally said to have been deposited . " Throughout the whole of tins famous island , " says Mr . Maurice t , " where anciently the solemn and mysterious rites of Isis were celebrated with such distinguished pomp and splendour , there appeared to Mr . Norden to run subterranean that led down
passages . He attempted to descend several of the steps unto them , but ivas prevented by the filth and rubbish with which they were filled , from penetrating to any depth . It was in these gloomy caverns that the grand and mystic arcana of this goddess were unfolded to the adoring aspirant , while the solemn hymns of initiation resounded through the long extent of these stony recesses . It was there that superstition at midnig ht waved hig h her flaming torch before the image of Isis borne in procession ; and there that her chosen priests , in holy
ccstacy , chanted theii sweetest symphonies . " In Ireland , the purgatory of St . Patrick at New Grange has been pronounced a place of initiation ; and the following observations of a learned and intelligent writer on a grotto in Derbyshire , ivill require no further explanation to convince every impartial reader that it was appropriated to the same purpose . " With regard to the interior of the
Derbyshire cavern , I am persuaded , that any person who descends into it after having attentively perused the sixth hook of the Eneid , will be not a little surprised at its singular resemblance to the Hades of the Mysteries , though the terrific machinery , once introduced into it , exists no longer . You first enter into an immense and magnificent natural cave the whole of which , however , is perfectly visible by the dusky light