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Article THE FREEMASON'S LEXICON. Page 1 of 7 →
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The Freemason's Lexicon.
THE FREEMASON'S LEXICON .
[ Trtuistatal crprestl // jar the F . Q . It . Continue I from Pane 410 , Vol . II . ) Grata Nepoa ader die Geheimnisse der Alter Mgyptiar Priester Grata Nepoa . Or the Mysteries of the ancient Egyptian Priests . — So were those secrets called in a work which was published in Germany in 1770 , but we have reason to doubt that there are more mysteries described in that book than ever were practised bthe ancient Egyptian
y priests . Those who wished to be initiated into those mysteries , it is said , must have a recommendation to one of the initiated , who again recommended him to the priests . They referred the aspirant from Heliopolis to the teachers at Memphis , and from thence to Thebes , ivhere he was circumcised , and left in a subterranean cavern some months to his own reflections , ivhich reflections he was obliged to write down , in order that the priests might be enabled to judge of his ability ancl the strength of
his understanding ; at the same time he was prohibited the use of wine and of different sorts of meats . He was afterwards brought to a cavern supported by Hermes pillars , where he hacl to learn by rote all the Proverbs , which were carved upon the pillars , and then the Thesmophorus whose duty it was to prepare and conduct the candidate , blindfolded him , bound his hands together , and conducted him to the door of an inhabited cavern , which door was opened on his conductor giving certain
knocks , and answering certain questions which were put to him from within ; after he had answered some questions which were put to him by the hierophant , he was conducted round the Birantha in the midst of an artificial storm of wind , rain , thunder , and lightning , ancl if he showed
no signs of fear , then the expounder of the law , called Menies , explained to him the rules ancl regulations of the Grata Nepoa , which he pledged himself to obey . He was then made to kneel on his bare knees before the hierophant , and , with the point of a sword at his throat , he took the oath of trust and fidelity , calling upon the sun , the moon , and the stars as witnesses of his oath ; the bandage was then removed from his eyes , he ivas placed between two square pillars , between which lay
a ladder , consisting of seven steps or rounds , behind which were eight doors of different metals . He was exhorted to conquer his prejudices and his passions , as they are the greatest enemies to human happiness ; to fix his thoughts upon the Godhead , and to endeavour to make all his words ancl actions acceptable to Him . The ladder , up the seven steps of ivhich he had to climb , was then explained to him to be a symbol of the wanderings of the soul ; he was instructed in the signification of the
names of the gods , and the causes of wind , thunder , and lightning ; as this first degree , in ivhich the initiated was called Pastophoris , was peculiarly devoted to explaining the hidden mysteries of nature , including chemistry ancl anatomy , to which was added instruction in decyphering the hieroglyphics . The word amour signified secrecy , and with this word the Pastophoris also received a peculiar grip and an apron called Xylon . After sufficient proofs of his proficiency in the first degreethe
Pasto-, phoris was initiated , after a very long fast , into the degree of Neocoris ; he was brought into a dark apartment ( Endymion ) , where his sensibility was put to various proofs ; after which he was conducted by the Thesmophorus into the assembly ; upon his entrance he was drenched with water by the stc ! ict : i ( water bearer ) . In order to frighten him there were a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemason's Lexicon.
THE FREEMASON'S LEXICON .
[ Trtuistatal crprestl // jar the F . Q . It . Continue I from Pane 410 , Vol . II . ) Grata Nepoa ader die Geheimnisse der Alter Mgyptiar Priester Grata Nepoa . Or the Mysteries of the ancient Egyptian Priests . — So were those secrets called in a work which was published in Germany in 1770 , but we have reason to doubt that there are more mysteries described in that book than ever were practised bthe ancient Egyptian
y priests . Those who wished to be initiated into those mysteries , it is said , must have a recommendation to one of the initiated , who again recommended him to the priests . They referred the aspirant from Heliopolis to the teachers at Memphis , and from thence to Thebes , ivhere he was circumcised , and left in a subterranean cavern some months to his own reflections , ivhich reflections he was obliged to write down , in order that the priests might be enabled to judge of his ability ancl the strength of
his understanding ; at the same time he was prohibited the use of wine and of different sorts of meats . He was afterwards brought to a cavern supported by Hermes pillars , where he hacl to learn by rote all the Proverbs , which were carved upon the pillars , and then the Thesmophorus whose duty it was to prepare and conduct the candidate , blindfolded him , bound his hands together , and conducted him to the door of an inhabited cavern , which door was opened on his conductor giving certain
knocks , and answering certain questions which were put to him from within ; after he had answered some questions which were put to him by the hierophant , he was conducted round the Birantha in the midst of an artificial storm of wind , rain , thunder , and lightning , ancl if he showed
no signs of fear , then the expounder of the law , called Menies , explained to him the rules ancl regulations of the Grata Nepoa , which he pledged himself to obey . He was then made to kneel on his bare knees before the hierophant , and , with the point of a sword at his throat , he took the oath of trust and fidelity , calling upon the sun , the moon , and the stars as witnesses of his oath ; the bandage was then removed from his eyes , he ivas placed between two square pillars , between which lay
a ladder , consisting of seven steps or rounds , behind which were eight doors of different metals . He was exhorted to conquer his prejudices and his passions , as they are the greatest enemies to human happiness ; to fix his thoughts upon the Godhead , and to endeavour to make all his words ancl actions acceptable to Him . The ladder , up the seven steps of ivhich he had to climb , was then explained to him to be a symbol of the wanderings of the soul ; he was instructed in the signification of the
names of the gods , and the causes of wind , thunder , and lightning ; as this first degree , in ivhich the initiated was called Pastophoris , was peculiarly devoted to explaining the hidden mysteries of nature , including chemistry ancl anatomy , to which was added instruction in decyphering the hieroglyphics . The word amour signified secrecy , and with this word the Pastophoris also received a peculiar grip and an apron called Xylon . After sufficient proofs of his proficiency in the first degreethe
Pasto-, phoris was initiated , after a very long fast , into the degree of Neocoris ; he was brought into a dark apartment ( Endymion ) , where his sensibility was put to various proofs ; after which he was conducted by the Thesmophorus into the assembly ; upon his entrance he was drenched with water by the stc ! ict : i ( water bearer ) . In order to frighten him there were a