Stonehenge-Why Was It Built?

which is the precise little difference observed in the Great Pyramid antechamber paving stones when squaring the circle of the solar year by boundaries and areas respectively , and which in this circle at Stonehenge gives one-tenth of the difference between the diameter of the Sarsens circle . . i- i i- , / n 6 a 6—1030 3 \ and the sum of the tenons distances I — ) = i 3 ' 23 .

Many other of Mr . Petrie ' s observed dimensions are very interesting , and seem to point to a certain unity af design , if not of execution , in this monument or temple ; but we must only now stay to consider the indications of the name Jan , the contracted form of the name of Israel ' s God as revealed to Moses , and , of course , only discoverable here by the number 15 contained in that name when written in Hebrew ; for Mr . Petrie dwells upon the fact of the total absence of all inscriptions at Stonehenge—not even a cross or symbol of any kind of religion whatsoever being detected there .

The oldest part of the work—viz ., the outer earth circles of bank and ditch—shew , as we have seen , evidence of diameters that differ from each other by 900 inches exactly ; and from comparison with other neighbouring features—viz ., tumuli and barrows , their radii , diameters and distances apart , also some parallel banks of his own discovery—Mr . Petrie concludes for a unit of 225 inches as near as may be , and this he declares to represent ten times what he calls a prehistoric mean unit of 22-51 inches , probably of Phcenecian orig in ,

As regards the earth circle , which is to all intents and purposes an outer court of this temple , we observe that its 900 inches of double breadth is precisely the number of inches ( formed either from 10 x 9 x 10 or 25 x 3 6 ) found in the outer courts respectively of the Great Pyramid and the Israelite tabernacle and temples ( see BANNER for 1890 ); the breadth indeed of the broad ring itself , which measured 450 inches across in every

part of the circumference , answers exactly to the height of the shafts of the two great pillars which ornamented the porch or outer court of King Solomon ' s temple , the renewed Boaz and Jachin , which were 18 cubits high apiece , and whose conjoined heig hts of 900 inches consequently—expressed in mathematically squared form alike the five and sixes in the name of the everlasting God of Israel ( 5 x 6 > ) , and also the prospective coalescence

of the two sticks—viz ., the yard . of 3 6 inches and the cubit of 25 inches representing Israel and Judah respectively ; while the celebrated pillars are also" represented in very good emblem by the two outlying stones placed in carefully accurate position as a pair upon this very earth circle . When we come to deal with the somewhat large alleged unit of 225 inches we at once perceive that it may be compounded of five English ells ,

although more probably it means nine sacred cubits ; but it certainly answers accurately to a memorial in inches of the name Jah , because it is the squared quantity of the Hebrew number contained in that name , 15 times 15 . And that this view of the builder ' s intention is probably correct is proved by a further observation of Mr . Petrie of the two

outlying stones placed near the earth circle as a pair , contemporaneously , he thinks , with the stone circle , and the distance apart of whose inner faces measures by original estimate 337 6 inches , or fifteen of Mr . Petrie ' s units ; that is to say , granting an inch of correction to what is onl y an estimate and say 3375 inches , and wc find these important stones mark a diameter in inches of 15 x 15 x 15 .

To sum up , it seems that the building was designed by a master mind , but was executed by people who were deficient in material resources , lacking both labour and stones sufficient to carry out the architect ' s full intention , which was to memorialise the true course of the solar year and the name of the God of Israel secretly , by means of the inch measure derived from the

earth ' s own axis , and imparted to man ' s knowledge originally , it cannot be doubted by the Creator Himself . It is a remarkable circumstance that none of the non-Israelite nations of old seemed to have grasped the fact of the scientific value of the inch , which is now found in sole custody of the British people .

They could observe what were evidentl y important surface quantities of inches and divide them by two or three , or the number of their fingers , as in the case of the Roman foot derived from the Great Pyramid Ante-chamber length ; and even in modem times we find the cultivated French people making the same mistake of devising a unit , by sub-divison of a portion of

tin imperfect circle boundary , instead of standing mentally at the centre of the circle and using the radius line for that purpose . But in this , as in some other matters , doubtless , it is true that the Lord showeth His Word unto Jacob only . 24 , Ludgate Hill , E . G ., June 22 nd .

Paraded Masonry.

PARADED MASONRY .

There is sonle talk of making a Masonic exhibition at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893 . Talk is cheap , and we see no particular objection to the zealous brethren who are interested in such a show talking

to their heart ' s content , but we protest against it assuming any tangible shape . What have we to show ? A machine for branding . An aged , longbearded , savage goat . A slippery pole with brethren ascending and de . scending . A valiant knight ,

" Armed at point exactly , cap-a-pe . " A R . A . M . with red banner of zeal . What of all these shall it be ? The Columbian Exposition is to celebrate a great event in the world's history that occurred four hundred and one years—pity it was not an even four hundred—before . It commemorates the name and exploits of a bold

seaman in those primitive clays , who braved the dangers of an untravelled sea and the hatred of a mutinous crew , and proved the existence of a country toward the setting sun . It will be made up of the coributions , more or less great and more or less interesting , of the whole world . There will be comparisons between the dead past and the wonderful active , living present . It

will show the advancement that has been made in science , in literature , in art , mechanics , and all that goes to make up the great world of to-day . No one can reflect for a moment upon the magnificent achievements of man in . the past few centuries without being amazed at what has been accomplished and wondering what will be in the future . The fact is , the world has just been born .

In all this magnificent result Freemasonry has shared its part . From a few travelling bands of accomplished builders , whose labours have astonished the world , and whose great structure have been the admiration of the cen-

Paraded Masonry.

turies , has grown the most powerful organization in the world . An army of builders , erecting temples more lasting than that of Solomon , more enduring than the Pyramids of Egypt . In the erection of these buildings , there is not heard the sound of axe , hammer , or other tools of iron ; but the still

small noise , builds stone upon stone , until "holiness to the Lord" is emblazoned upon the capstone of a completed temple of purity . We have no longer in our Society any use for the tool of iron—we are not operative Masons , as that term is understood , but speculative . We do not build temporal , but spiritual houses .

What has Masonry to put on exhibition along side of the Corliss Engine ? What have we to parade for competition with the progress made in physical science ? One good brother suggests that the literature of Freemasonry be gathered into one large bookcase to show how much has been written upon the subject . Suppose a wing of the great World ' s Fair building were set apart for that purpose , and all the cedars of Lebanon were made into one

vast case therein , and samples of everything that has been printed upon the subject of Masonry was exhibited , what would be the effect upon the curious world of profanes who would walk through the labyrinth of Grand Lod ge proceedings ? They would wonder what ghost stories were hidden within those cases . Those who expended a sober thought upon the subject would say " What fools these Masons be . " Then in another section of this great building might be shown the progress made in the aprons worn .

The embroidered and painted lambskin of a century ago , all bespangled with sun , moon , and stars , has evoluted through several stages until to-day the plain "linen " lambskin is worn by the brethren , and the "genuine " gold-laced , gold-tasselled is displayed by the dignitaries of the Craft . So has the lambskin progressed . Then we could show the progress made in the size and shape of the implement of power . We could also parade the

improvements in the square and compasses . All this might be very interesting , but what good would it do ? Would it not be a better exhibition of the true progress of Masonry to take the money that would be expended to make an exhibition at the World's Fair , and give it toward the endowment of the Masonic Home at Chicago , or the extension of the usefulness of the Masonic Library of Iowa ? The fact of the matter is , there is too much money

expended in parading Masonry . It is a great Institution , and its security in the past has been in "the attentive ear , the instructive tongue and the faithful breast . " If we had granite quarries to sell , or pine forests to dispose of it mig ht be well to ask the world to look upon our great advantages , but the great charity we dispense to our fellow men needs not such flagrant parading . To us it is as the Pharisee , who boasted that " he was better than other men . " Let the dignity of the Fraternity be sufficient to protect it against so unwise and foolish an exhibition . We do not need it . —New York Dispatch .

MASONS' MARKS . —Mr . George Godwin , the eminent architect and able editor of the " Builder , " was , though a non-Mason , one of the first to point out the existence of Masons' marks on all ecclesiastical and great national buildings . Others have written about them in England and Germany , Scotland and America ; and Bro . E . W . Shaw for many years devoted himself , as we have before remarked , to a patient study of them , and

remarkable collection of them , many thousand in number . His view was simply that the )' were the marks of the various Masons for a twofold objectthe recognition of individual work , and payment of individual work . He held that the marks could , by careful study , be distinguished ; and he used to point to some marks of French Masons in Fountains Abbey as somewhat different from English marks as a proof of this . In the main it is

quite clear , from the evidence of the Scottish Minute Books , and the statements of Mr . Street , in his work on Spanish Architecture , and others , that Bro . Shaw was quite correct , and that marks were handed down from father lo son , and that the marks of various members of one family could be distinguished by additional symbols . Bro . Shaw thought he could trace

the marks of the Master Mason , the Fellow , and the Apprentice . He even thought he could see what he termed " blind marks "—that is the marks of those who were not actually members of the lodge . It is very remarkable indeed that these marks are to be found in all countries—in the passages of the „ *— ... — — „ . „ _„ — ... — . „^ ... — , — 0

Pyramids ; on the underground walls of Jerusalem ; in Herculaneum ana Pompeii ; on Roman walls and Grecian temples ; in Hindustan , Mexico , Peru , Asia Minor—as well as on the great ruins of England , France , Germany , Scotland , Spain , Italy , and Portugal . Indeed , Didron thinks that

he discovers two classes of French marks : the first monogrammatic , as representing the overseers ; the other object symbols , as mallets , trowels , compasses , and the like , representing the inferior class of workmen . 'Ihe discoveries at Jerusalem seem to show that the marks were first of all , asE . y . Shaw pointed out , alphabetical , or based on the letters and numerals of the

language of the country in which the masons were working . Phoenicia ) letters and Hebrew letters have been found by Bro . Lt . Warren on the walls , just as they were painted before the temple was completed . All the earliei J LIOL CIO Lll ^ V HUlb UUUII . I . U ULIUI ^ . Lll ^ LU 1 HI- » H- .. cia l . UillUlUL ^ u . . » . »» *¦•- - .

marks seem to have been alphabetical , and the early Greek letters anc Phoenician characters , and propably Egyptian symbols , became the marks 0 the early builders . The Roman marks are apparently more symbolical aiu less alnhabetical , thoua-h later the " Runes " seem to have been merely usto

as marks . As art moved on , mathematical figures and religious symbols became more in vogue , and wefind the Cross and the Deltaand five-pointed stais , the Pentalpha and Hexapla , the hour-glass , as it is called ( two equi atera triangles joined at the apex ) , the cross on the triangle , two paralle 1 uj with a connecting line , like a great H , and , as we have before remarked , simple or floriated Cross . We think , therefore , as we have before nin r , ^ that the Masons' marks Hike all other earthly arrangements ) , developed .

time went on , from the alphabetical and numeralistic to the symbolical « . exoteric . It is but fair to observe here that what is called the Magi ^ Alphabet , as we have more than once mentioned in this C yclopaedia , . a very marked similarity to the Masons' marks ; indeed , it is not too 1 to say that all the letters of that Hermetic collection have their counter ?*

in Masons' marks . We still adhere to our own expressed op inion , bas the greater authority of E . W . Shaw , that especially in the Mediaeval ti ' if not at all times in the history of the building sodalities , the marks ^ outer tokens of an inner organisation : that , taken from goemetry , tney . „ _ i

stituted a sort of universal Masonic alphabet , which , with some na ^ variations , was a language the craftsman could understand ; that ' ) lS ) worked these stones and raised these wondrous buildings were Free ^ free of that Craft , Lodge , or Guild ; and that there was one comm ff t 0 be of sympathy among good men and craftsmen , and of friendly ai ^ jr found wherever the civilising fraternities set their feet and 0 P tnren . --lodges , still as dear to the honour of God and the welfare of the ore Kenning s Cyclopcedia of Freemasonry ,