Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

PAGE ENCYCLOPEDIA METROPOLITANA ... 19 & 20 OBITUARYlira , the Count de Salis ... ... ... ... 20

KOSICRUCIAN SOCIETY OF ENGLAND 20 RED CROSS OF CONSTANTINE 20 ANCIENT AND PRIMITIVE RITE OF MISRAIM ... 20 ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION ... 21 ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS ... 21

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS ... 21 THE FREEMASONS' LIFE BOAT .. 21 LIFEBOAT SERVICES IN 1870 21 CANADA 21 & 22 THEATRICAL 22 THE CRAFTMetropolitan ... ... ... 22

Provincial ... ... ... ... ... 22 & 23 MARK MASONRYProv . Grand Lodge of Devonshire ... ... 23 Provincial ... ... ... 23 BIRTHS , MARRIAGES , AND DEATHS 24 OUR AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES ... 24 ^ 2 ^ MULTUM IN PARVO 25 & 26

ORIGINAL COR . RESPONDF . NCF . — Qualifications of Visitors to Lodges ... ... 26 "Bald Statements" 26 The "Rectangular Review" on "Freemasonry : its use and abuse" ... .. 26 Ancient Manuscripts ... ... ... 26 & : 27 TRINIDAD 27

POETRYStanzas ... ... ... 27 Lines .. ... ... ... ... ... 27 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 27 SCOTLANDThe Lodge of Edinburgh ( Mary ' s Chapel ) ... 2 S Province of Glasgow ... ... ... 28 & 29 Affiliation of Lord Rosslyn and the Lord

Provost 29 The Craft 2 y The Festival of St . John at Aberdeen ... -29 Red Cross Knights ... ... ... ... 2 0 Ark Mariners ... ... ... ... ... 09 MASONIC MISCELLANEA ... 29 & 30 LECTURE ON THE WAR . ' 30 ADVERTISEMENTS ..: ... 17 , iS , 30 , 31 , & 32

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BY BKO . C . G . FORSYTH . ( Continual from page 4 . ) As the Dionysiac artificiers flourished in Judca , or rather its vicinity , at the time of building the

Temple of Solomon , it may fairly be inferred that they assisted at the erection of that stately cdiiice , and the knowledge of some of their peculiar secrets may have been imparted to

their fellow-builders . About the year n . c . 300 , they were incorporated by command of King Pergamus , who assigned to them a settlement—Teos , where they had erected a superb temple

to Bacchus , the patron of their order . From the remnant of these Dionysiacs , probably , sprang some of the first trading Free-Masons , or early Christian architects , among whom , we are

told , were many Greeks . After the erection of the Temple , a confraternity of the Jews was formed , called the Kassideans or Assidcans , consisting of persons of rank and opulence ,

connected by secret tokens , and bound by solemn ties to preserve and keep up the Temple and the edifices connected with it . A company of them joined Mattathias and the Maccabies ,

their distinguishing characteristic being to fight zealously for their religion , and for the defence of the honour of the Temple . From them were derived the Essenes , a sect whose doctrines

inculcated the necessity of leading a pure and chaste life—discarding the luxuries of the world . None were admitted without a long and strict probation , and on their admission all were

obliged to engage by the most solemn oath to observe the laws of modesty , piety , and justice , and of humility to God and their rulers : to

preserve the books of their institutions , to keep carefully the names of the angels , and never to violate the secrets of the Order . This sect was not confined to the Jews , but persons of any nation or of any ran ' -., if otherwise qualified in

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a proper manner , might be admitted . There were , tvo classes , one practical , the other theoretical , calLu I ' mrapnia ; and of this last the principal society was formed at Alexandria . It does not appear that the Essenes particularly

applied themselves to the architectural art 01 science . ' Many of the primitive Christians had doubtless been instructed in the Pagan rites , and initiated therein , and belonged to some of the societies before mentioned . They would , perhaps ,

in some cases , in order to obtain a respite from persecution , symbolise their religious rites , borrowing for that purpose such of the Pagan usages as they thought suitable . Some of the early teachers of Christianity , adopting a

mistaken course in their zeal for conversion , would , in order to make a greater impression on the weaker part of their congregation , make use of such coincidences as struck them between the Pagan and Christian religion . Gregory

Nanzianzen relates the manner in which some of the popular Pagan rites were made thus subservient , as was thought , to the advancement of the Christian . When Pope Gregory the Great sent over St . Austin to convert the Anglo-Saxons in

the year 596 , he expressly instructed him to humourhis intended proselytes , and to accommodate to their forms as much as they could those of the Christians ; to convert their temples into churches , and the Pagan into Christian feasts .

This indulgence to the weaker disciples of Christianity , even in the time of the Apostles , met with just rebuke from them . St . Paul particularly warns the Colossians from mixing up any part of heathen devotion with Christian

worship , and St . John denounces the Church of Pergamus for practising heathen rites through fear of temporal inconvenience . The existence of such practices , however wrong , is thus proved ,

and may account for the preservation of many Pagan symbols , while others probably were retained by early Christian architects , who had obtained a knowledge of them from the beforementioned societies . In some cases the

fraternities of primitive Christians required proofs by certain signs and tokens previous to admitting any stranger to participate in their ceremonies , and it is stated in a French work on Freemasonry ( whic h gives Zovet Cullcs Rcligieuscs ,

for its authority ) , that there was in existence so late as 1751 a religious fraternity of Greek Masons in possession of the Constitutions of their Order so far back as A . D . 327 , when they officiated at the erection of the magnificent

Temple of Constantine the Great , and that their rules were similar to those of the priests of Memphis , so far as we have any knowledge of them . Some Masons rely for the great antiquity of their Order upon an old manuscript , said to

be 111 the Bodclian Library , in the handwriting of Lcland , being a copy of one still older in the handwriting of Henry VI . This attributes the introduction of Masonry into England to '' Peter Gower ( Pythagoras ) , a Grecian , who wacksynge

and becommynge amyghtye wyshacre , framed a grate lodge at Groton ( Crotona ) , wherefromme , yn procese of tyme , the arte passed into Engelande . " Without questioning the authenticity of this manuscript , which has never to my

knowledge been proved , as might easily be proved if it is in the Bodelian Library , we may shortly refer to the Pythagoreans , as the writer seems to lay some stress on their institutions . They were

originally formed into a society at Crotona by Pythagoras in the 6 th century before Christ , and possessed many forms and ceremonies in common with the Essenes . Pythagoras , as

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well known , had travelled much , and had studied most of the rites of the Pagan mysteries , many of which he adopted and applied to his own School of Philosophy .- The society founded by him obtained much repute , and spread over a

considerable part of the South of Europe ; but their tenets appear to have more reference to theoretical than to practical science . On the introduction of Christianity , considerable changes

would be introduced 111 sacred architecture . Temples formerly reeking with the blood of expiatory victims required in heathen worship , were replaced by churches for the adoration of Him whose sacrifice was the atonement for the

sins of all mankind ; and the gorgeous splendour of ihe Pagan rites was superseded by the simplicity of Christian worship . The ancient

priesthood would lose their power , but the architects or builders , whether Dionysiac artificiers or others , would in many cases adopt or ac . commodate themselves to the new mode of

building "required—would become Christians ; but they would still retain many of their peculiar symbols , although their society might be broken up as an integral body . When the demand for ecclesiastical architecture

increased , the architects or their descendants would again rise into distinction as a body ; and from them would probably spring the Freemasons , to whom we are indebted for the construction of the most celebrated churches ,

particularly those usually called Gothic , whether in England or on the Continent . In this way , also , it will be seen how they would obtain the signs and tokens of the earlier world , discarding those that were only applicable to the Pagan

mysteries , but preserving such of them as ' appeared to be connected with their science and adapted to the preservation of the secrets of the Fraternity from the world at large . The primitive Christians frequently made use of the

Heathen Basilica ? for their places of worship , being well suited for that purpose ; and their first churches were probably built upon a similar plan , until the erection , or , rather , rebuilding , of

the Cathedral of Sancta Sophia , in 532 , by Justinian , in the shape of a Greek cross , caused some change . In the first thousand years of Christianity a corrupted notion of Roman architecture prevailed , known by the names of Saxon ,

Norman , Lombard , & c . After that period the Gothic or Pointed style became gradually introduced . The cathedrals of Spires , Mentz , and Worms , partaking in a degree of both orders , were built about the beginning of the nth

century ; those at Bheims and Amiens 111 the beginning of the 13 th century ; and in 1277 the beautiful edifice at Strasbourg was commenced . A long list of intermediate churches might be given , if not foreign to the present essay ; but it

is necessary to mention Strasbourg Cathedral , as it is intimately connected with the Freemasons who had , at the date of its erection , become a large and renowned Society . That church was looked on as the wonder of the world : in fact ,

as a second Solomon ' s Temple . In progress with it , or immediately following , were the churches of Vienna , Cologne , Zurich , & c . The architects , with their assistants and pupils , formed associations ( as was the custom of the

Freemasons ') called I Kitten ( or lodges ) . At an assembly held at Ratisbon in 1459 it was agreed that a Grand Lodge should be formed at Strasbourg as the place of general assembly , and that the architect of the cathedra ! , for the lime being , should bo Grand Master ; and accordingly