Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

PAGE . ROYAL ARCH MASONRY ... 1 ANNUAL PIC-NIC OF THE DUNEARN LODGE , BURNTISLAND 2 PAPERS ON

MASONRYNo . XIII . —Masonry and the Slave ... ... 2 INSTALLATION OP THE W . M . OP DE THURLAND LODCE , SHEEUNKSS 3 RAILWAY CARRIAGES 3 VISIT OP ST . JOHN ' LODGE , GLASGOW , TO AYR AND

KILWINNING ... 3 THE BUETT TESTIMOKAL FOND ... 3 MASONIC MISCELLANEA 3 THE CUAFTMetropolitan ... .. 4 Provincial ... ... ... 4

Ireland 4 & 5 ORDERS OK CHIVALRYRed Cross—Metropolitan ... 5 BIRTHS , MARRIAGES AND DEATHS G LICIIT ... ... ... fi PRESENTATION TO Bno . W . FARNFIEI . 7 FUNERAL OF THE R . W . BRO . JENNINGS P . G . W . ... 7 Co . 'IRKSPclNDEXCK

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls G MDLTUH IN PAIIVO , OR MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES 7 TUB ORDEI : OP ST . JOHN OF JERUSALEM 7 FUNERAL OF THE LATE BRO . JOHN SLAUGHTER ... 7 PROVINCIAL GUANO LOIXIK OP WORCESTERSHIRE ... 8 LILY CIIAITFR OF lticu . iOND S ANNUAL COMMUNICATION OF GRAND I . ODGTJ OF NV . W

YORK .. S , 9 10 MASONIC . IIEETINCS FOR NEXT WBEK 10 LIST OF AOHNTS 10 ADVEMISK . MENIS 10 , 11 & 12

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NOW HEADY , Cases to hold 4 copies of "The Freemason . " 1 / G . ' Cases to hold 52 copies of "The Freemason . " 2 / G . With Tins FIIKKM \ SON emblematicall y depicted , and other Masonic emblems in gold . To bo bad at tno Offlcos , 3 & 4 Little Britain .

Royal Arch Masonry.

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY .

BY THE SO > - OF SAI .. VTHII : I . . ( Continued . ) { The rights of translation anil reproduction reserved . ] Wo liavo selected such portion of S ' avary ' s

account us appeared most calculated to elucidate this mysterious hierogl yphic . The preceding extracts abound with interesting information , and display a considerable degree of learning and research , but the principal object for which thev j

were quoted , was to endeavour , if possible , to as certain its true ori gin . A learned commentator states his opinion upon this point . Wc submit it to the judgment of our readers , whether the term Tri ple Tail , may not be

Royal Arch Masonry.

derived from Thoth Trismegistiis , or Taut , three times great : and also , -whether , in its primary signification , it does not more immediately refer to the infancy , progress , and perfection of human knowledge , to which subjects ,

the Egyptian . symbol of the three Tlioths or Tauts evidently allude . If assent be given to this theory , which ( according to our judgment ) appears jjlausible , then we arrive at the true derivation , which as we have before stated , originates from

the Three Tauts or Mercuries , for as the Tau ( as it is called ) , the Cross "J" or Crux Ansata , was anions the E gyp tians a symbol of Mercury , so the Trip le Tau being a combination of three such crosses , evidently alludes to the Three Tauts , or to

speak without the assistance of allegory , to the three periods of the infancy , progress , and perfection of human learning ; we may suppose at least , that tin ' s was the meaning attached to it b y the ancient Egyptians . This derivation does

not alter its literal import as being the Symbol of Letters , nor does the circumstance of its being the symbol of the 'I hree Tauts affect its name or sound as the Tri ple Tau which its form indicates , the . letter Tau being of the same name and form

in the Kthiopic , Coptic , and probabl y the Ancient Samaritan languages ; so , that the propriety of calling it the Triple Tau , as being ioimed of three Tau ' s , or three "J "' , still cannot bo questioned ,

especially as among the ancient Jews , the Tau was considered as a character peculiarl y sacred , and which , as we shall presently sec , was used by them upon several remarkable occasions .

It has been supposed , that this emblem alluded to the disgm-ting J haliic worshi p so prevalent in the heathen world , but as we find traces of its existence among the Jews , we cannot suppose that it bore such a signification with them

indeed , wo have Mi / iiruit proofs of the contrary ftoin various parts ol their sacred writings . That iih symbolic meaning , might have bun degraded to such a purpose among the heathen nations ' , wc do nut deny , but we think fciiflicient

evidence has been adduced to piovo that in its origiti'il intuition , it imputed a far noblu meaning . "We cannot for a moment Mip | ose that the pure and Jlol y J ' cing who is the onl y proper

object of the worship of mankind , and who cannot look upon iniquity without abhorrence , would authorise . such a mode of worshi p among his peculiar people . In order that our assertions

Royal Arch Masonry.

may not remain unsupported by evidence we may quote a passage from the Scripture , with a comment from the pen of the learned Doctor Lowth , the father of Bishop Lowth , as further illustrative of this subject : — "And the Lord said unto him , go through the

midst of the city , through the midst of Jerusalem , and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that si g h and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof . " ( Ezekiel , ix , 4 . ) " Set a mark on their foreheads" —( compare Revelations , vii . 31 . ) The expression alludes to the custom of the eastern nations

to mark their servants in the forehead . ( Sec Grptius upon that p lace of the Revelation . ) The vulgar Latin renders the words , "Mark with tlielettter Thau the foreheads , " and it is very probable the ancient reading in the LXX . was rail eijficwv , though the present copies read TO- « ij / t « tov , ( see Iluetius , Demonst ,

Evmig . prop . 9 . ) It was ( he general opinion of the fathers that the ancient Samaritan letter , Thau , was made in the form of a cross ; and St . Jerome ( a very competent judge in this matter ) does attest the same in his commentary on this place . 'this opinion Scaliger rejects in his notes upon

Eusebins ' s Chroynicon , p . 109 ; but Bishop Walton defends it at large in his third Prolegomenon , n . 36 , and the dissertation upon the Ancient Hebrew Sides , in his apparatus to the Polyglot Bible , p . 36 . The Kthiopic letter Tawi or Tan , still retains the form of across : and the learned Ladolphus supposes that the

Kthiopic letters were borrowed from the Samaritans . The Coptic letter of that sound is in the same form . 'The modern antiquaries do all agree , that the Samaritan Thau was in the form of a Greek X . lint whether their authority be sufficient to outweigh that of St . Jerome , must be left , to the learned to judge . It is

observable that the High Trust was jn . oiiiled upon the forehead in the form of an X , as Seidell assures us , Lib . ii ., de Success , in Pontic , cap . 9 . The words of the learned Moutfaucon ( I'ulreograph , Orocc . Lib . ii ., cap . 3 ) decide this controversy in favour of the Ancients . "In minimis Sumuritanis ,

qua ) in iiiusicis oeeurrunt , Thau fin inn erueisexaratum frequentissime visitur : in quos si ine ' nlifsct Scaliger , Origenis et llieronymi testimonio reli ' . igatits non esset . " He tells us , " That in several Samaritan coins , to be found in the collections of medals , Ihe letter Thau is engraven in the form of a cross , which , if Scaliger

had seen he would not have , contradicted the testimony of Origcn and Jerome upon the subject . " He then proceeds to show that it was used b y various other nations of the Ancient "World , among some of whom , having lost its ori g inal import , it was regarded in the light of a magical

sign , or as a mysterious and powerful amulet , possessed of virtues calculated to protect them against the influence of evil spirits ; and this crroiieousand superstitious idea pervaded the minds of many of thu earl y christians , p irtuaihirl y those of the llonv . vn Catholic Communion , which belief

might havo g iven rise to the superstitious reverence of this symbol , especiall y as connected with the event of our Saviour ' s