The Fair Sex And Adoptive Masonry.

The Order of the Eastern Star has chosen from the Sacred Volume Queen Esther to represent the third degree of the sisterhood . The intelligence and skilfulness displayed by her in the important mission to King

Ahasuerus are proverbial , and will ever constitute a bright page in the annals of feminine . grace and courage . That she

averted the terrible visitation upon the Jewish people by ber influence no one can for a moment call in question . Some may assume that the fate of Haman was too

severe , but it must be apparent to most persons that the punishment was , under the circumstances , merited and well-approved by the people at the time , for it must be borne in mind that no sympathy can be

justifiably extended to men plotting the destruction of human life in order to gratify ambitious and evil passions . The case of Haman requires no particularization , having so frequently been explained in sermons

and other compositions . Moreover , I consider it quite irrelevant for me to reproduce the details ofthe history of Esther , as they are tolerably Avell known to Christian Avorshippers and others . Suffice it to say

that her qualities offer overwhelming evidence in support of the observations made in the first part of this article . I will no longer brook delay in placing before the reader the particulars of the third point of the signet belonging to the " female Masons . "

The Third Point.

THE THIRD POINT .

ESTHER , OR THE WIFE'S DEGREE . [ The Symbol of the Crown and the Sceptre . ] " Nobly she stands , a queen ; the glittering band , Mark of a royal state , beneath her hand : She points the silken robe with peerless grace , Pure as her soul and pallid as her face ; Then reaches to the sceptre , whence is drawn The kingly pardon she has bravely won . "

The scriptural illustration runs thus : — " Then said the King unto her , What wilt thou , Queen Esther ? and what is thy request ? It shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom . "

The point of the signet is coloured Avhite . The tinge is represented by the white lily , the plant being symbolical of the white garments worn by Esther . The emblems are the crown and sceptre . The officer presiding at the ceremony delivers a discourse , of which thc following is the

substance : — " The princip les and obligations of Freemasonry are fraternal , and we , as Master Masons , are taught to respect fidelity to kindred and friends . AVe arc introduced into Freemasonry by a friend , vouched for by a friend , conducted by a friend . Friendly

hands support us through life , close our eyes in death , and consign us tenderly to the bosom of mother earth . There is no offence in Masonry more degrading than a breach of friendship . Therefore , when wc find in history a person exalted in station , rich in this world's goods , learned and

beloved , who casts all these advantages aside in her fidelity to kindred and friends , we seize upon that character as our own . AVe adopt and protect it . We hail it as a Masonic character , and we claim whatever credit or honour may be associated with it . Such a character , forcibly delineated , we

discover in the Book of Esther , under the title of Esther . And wc have so surrounded thc efforts of that noble and heroic woman witheinblcms , lcgcnds , and tokens of recognition as to make of it a section in Adoptive Masonry . The history of Esther , as composing a degree of thc Eastern Star , is thus

given : Her husband , Ahasuerus , otherwise termed Artaxerxcs , was king of Persia , a monarch of vast power , a man faithful to his word , and devotedly attached to the queen-consort . Thc heroine Esther was a Jewish damsel of the tribe of Be njamin . The family had not returned to Judea after the permission given by Cyrus , and she was born beyond the

Tigris , about five hundred years before th e Christian era . Her parents being dead , Mordecai , her uncle , took care of her education . After Ahas uerus had divorced Queen Vashti , search was made throughout Persia for the most beautiful women , and Esther was one selected . She found favour in the eyes of the King , who married her with royal magnificence ,

The Third Point.

bestowing largesses and remissions of tribute on his people . Her matchless beauty having attracted the attention of the King , her virtues secured his love , but her wonderful genius gained his permanent admiration ancl respect . No woman has ever left behind her a better record of wisdom than Esther .

It is a standing tradition among her people that , as Solomon was to man , so was Esther to women , the wisest of her sex . The more intimately the King became acquainted with her mental powers , the more he respected them . There was no problem of

state so intricate that she could not aid him to solve . In time she became his confidant , and shared with him in thc greatness of the kingdom . These circumstances enabled her in a season of peril to save her nation from destruction . The enemies of the

Jews , who were numerous and powerful , had brought false accusations before thc King , and persuaded bim to utter an edict that , upon a fixed day , the entire race throughout all Persia should be exterminated . The chosen people of God were doomed to be extirpated from the face of the

country . The instrument to avert so great a calamity was the heroine Esther . No sooner did she learn this cruel edict than she promptly resolved to save her people , or perish in the same destruction . Thc King had often admitted his indebtedness to her counsels , and pledged his royal word to

grant her any request she might make of him , even ' to the half of the kingdom , ' and Esther now resolved to test his sincerity , and appeal to him , even at thc risk of her own life , to reverse the horrible edict . She attired herself in her white silken robes , placed a brilliant crown upon her head ,

gathered her maidens around her , and went boldly and in state to the palace of the King at Shushan . It was a day of grand council , a gathering of the governors , princes , and officers of Persia . The dependent nations had sent in their deputations to pay homage and tribute , and the royal guards

thronged the ante-chambers of the palace . It was a standing law of that place that none should enter the king ' s presence without summons , under penalty of death , and the sentinels , as the Queen passed , reminded her of this , and warned her ' of her danger . But she bade them stand aside , and so , pale but

firm , she passed through the vestibule into the great council chamber . The scene was magnificent . The King upon his throne of gold and ivory , the gorgeous equipages of his officers , and the splendour of the apartment itself , all made up a display rarely equalled and never surpassed . Through all the

crowd of courtiers Esther boldly passed , and amidst the deadly silence of the observers stood up before the King . Pale with fasting and sleeplessness , but not with fear , her cheeks emulated the whiteness of her silken robes . She fastened her eye fearlessly upon the King , who , angry at the violation of the

law , frowned sternly upon her . It was the crisis of her life . The wise woman felt it to be so , and at once reminded him of his former pledges by a method understood between them . She saw his golden sceptre bend towards her , and hastened to secure her pardon by coming forward , kneeling ,

and laying her hand upon it . Graciously said thc King , ' What wilt thou , Queen Esther ? and what is thy request ? It shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom . ' Thc admiring crowds applauded the generosity of their monarch , and as he placed her beside him on the throne gave

utterance to loudexprcssionsof admiration at her beauty , discretion , and favour with the King . The sacred narrative informs of the consummate tact with which Esther pursued theadvantageshe had gained . She achieved a complete success and saved the nation , which to this day keeps an annual festival in her honour . The colour white alludes to the silken

robes of Esther , emblematical of the spotless purity of her character . The emblem ofthe crown reminds us ofthe queenly state of Esther , and ofthe manner in which she hailed the notice of the King . The sign alludes .... The pass is used to recall the grand sacrifice and triumphant success of the heroic Esther . "

The subjoined lines are purposed as a tribute to Queen Esther : — " See , oh King , the suppliant one , Pale and trembling at the throne ! Sec the golden crown she bears , And the silken robe she wears ; Whiter , brighter than their sheen Is the woman ' s soul within .

Mercy ' s golden wand extend , While her gentle head shall bend , Meekly o ' er thy sceptre now , Pardon , favour , bounty show ; Naught in all thy broad domain Like the woman ' s soul within 1 " The fourth degree will shortly receive attention .

THE Freemasons in the Province of Warwick shire are raising a fund for the purchase ot a life boat to be called thc Lord Leigh .

The Past Master's Jewel.

THE PAST MASTER'S JEWEL .

By Bro . J . DANIEL MOORE , M . D ., F . L . S ., G . S . B . England . [ A Lecture delivered in the Lodge of Fortitude , No . 281 , Lancaster , 10 th May , 1871 , on the occasion of the presentation of a P . M . jewel to Bros . John Hatch , I . P . M ., and J . L . AVhimpray , Senior P . M . ]

The first duty of a Worshipful Master on his being installed in the high and honourable position of the chair of the lodge , is to invest the retiring Master with the collar and jewel of a Past Master , significant of the high rank and position amongst the rulers of the Craft which he is henceforth to

occupy . The form of the jewel is well known to you all , consisting as it does of a square , the distinctive bearing of the Master , with a pendant on which is represented the figure of the Forty-seventh Problem ofthe firsl Book of Euclid , denominated in schoolboy phraseology as "Pythagoras ' s Windmill . "

In noticing for a few minutes this evening the Past Master ' s jewel , I have chosen rather to dwell upon the pendant , thedistinctive bearing of aPast Master , than upon the square itself , as that implement will be more thoroughly considered in its position as one of the moveable jewels of the lodge , and the

symbol of the Master ' s office . The object to be enunciated in this figure is the fact that in any right-angled triangle , the square which is described upon the side subtending the right angle , is equal to the squares described upon the sides which contain the right angle , and the problem itself , from its

great utility in making calculations and drawing plans for building , has been designated the " carpenter ' s theorem . " The discoverer of the important principles involved in this enunciation was Pythagoras , who name is deservedly illustrious , amongst other reasons , for his profound researches and

discoveries as to the nature and properties of mathematical figures . Pythagoras , we are told , was the son of a sculptor , and was born at Samos B . C . 568 . His tutor , Pherecydes , of Syrus , was esteemed as one of the greatest men of his time , and the first who taught the immortality of the soul . On the

death of his master ( Pherecydes ) , Pythagoras travelled into Egypt in search of scientific knowledge , and gaining the confidence of thc Magi and priests , was indoctrinated into their mysteries and the interpretation of their symbolic writings , having previously undergone a most discouraging course of

rigid discipline . After studying thc customs and making himself Master of the sciences as taught in Egypt , at Thebes , Memphis , Crete , and Sparta , he returned to Samos laden with knowledge , which he was well calculated to turn to the greatest advantage . He then founded his system in his native

island , and so rigid were his regulations that a strict silence of five years was required before a candidate could be admitted to a knowledge of his system which was only attained after having submitted to a most searching examination . The mysteries inculcated under his immediate direction are

considered to be the most perfect approximation to the original science of Freemasonry which could be accomplished by a heathen philosopher bereft of the aid of revelation . Consequently , the members of our Fraternity are pleased to consider him , what he certainly was , in the true spirit of the words , an

"Ancient Mason . " Much ambiguity attends the reason for the figure of this proposition of Euclid being affixed as a pendant to the Past Master's jewel , and Dr . Oliver , in his learned and voluminous works on the subject of Freemasonry , scarcely gives it any mention . There is , however , but little doubt

that it is in some way associated with the name and acquirements of the distinguished philosopher by whom its application was discovered . Indeed , it is said that Pythagoras was so much elated at the discovery typified in this figure ( which has been aptly designated the Eureka of Pythagoras ) that lie

made an offering of an hecatomb , or sacrifice of a hundred oxen , to the gods , and Mackay , in his excellent Lexicon of Freemasonry , continues to inform us " that the devotion to learning which this religious act indicated in the mind of the ancient philosopher has induced Masons to adopt the

problem as a memento instructing them to be lovers of the arts and sciences . " This , then , is the best reason that I can give for its adoption as one of our symbols ; but , to my mind , something more is required in its teaching than that it should instruct Past Masters " to be lovers of thearts and sciences , "

as in the lecture on thc tracing-board ofthe second degree and elsewhere the Fellow-Craft Freemason is instructed in the seven liberal arts and sciences , and is enjoined to make them his future study , in order that he may be the better enabled to do his duty as a Mason and estimate the wonderful works

of the Almighty . The teaching of this figure Masonically , according to an ancient work on Freemasonry , refers to thc connection which exists amongst the members of our Fraternity with reference to their relation to each other in their several conditions of health and indigence , and , in fact , to the principles upon which our order is founded—