Table Of' Contents.

TABLE OF' CONTENTS .

TAGE . ROYAL An . cn MASONRY 1 REVIEWS 2 PAPERS ON MASONRYNo . VIII . —Masonry and Pre-Historic Masonry ... 3 POETRYThe Queen and tho Craft 3 Masonic Anthem ... ... ... ... 3

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS . THE CRAFT—Metropolitan , Provincial and Ireland ... i THE ROYAL ARCH—Metropolitan and Provincial ... 5 MAUK MASONRY—Metropolitan and Provincial ... 5 ORDERS OP CHIVALRY—Knights Templar—Metropolitan .. 5

Red Cross of Constantino—Ireland 5 WHITHSGTON LODGE OF INSTRUCTION , 862 ... ... 5 BIRTHS , MAKRIAGES AND DEATHS 6 THE NEGRO AND THE CRAFT G MULTUM IN PAUVO , OR MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES C EXCERPTS FROM A MASONIC CRAFT-BOOK ( j

INSTALLATION FKSTIVAL OF THE GREY FRIARS I . CDGE , READING , 1101 7 LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE 7 DOIIATIC CHAPTER OF INSTRUCTION ... 7 PLANTAOENKT PUECEPTORY OF INSTRUCTION 7 ORIGINAL

COIIUKSFONDENCURoyal Masonie Institution for Girls 8 Celestial Mysteries H Masoiiic Ritual 8 The Romish Anti-Masonic Bogle 8 Masonry and the Number Seven ... 8 PRESENTATION OF ADDRESSES TO SIR H . A . S . ADAIR ,

BART , R . W . P . G . M 8 THE ORIGIN OF FREEMASONKY AND MR . DENNEHY ... D ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION 9 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK < j ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRL 3 9 ROYAL ATIIELSTAN LODGE , 19 10 LIST OF AOBNTS 11 ADVEI 1 TISE . MENT 8 11 & 12

Royal Arch Masonry.

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY .

BY THE SON OP SALATUIKL . ( Continued . ) [ The rights of translation and reproduction reserved . } '" Thus saith Cyrus tho king , since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of the

habitable earth , I believe that Ho is that God which the nation of the Israelites worship ; for indeed lie foretold my name by the prophets , and that I should build him an house at Jerusalem in the country of Judea . ' This was known to

Cyrus by his leading the book which Tsaiah left behind him of his prophecies , for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision : — 'My will is that Cyrus , whom I have appointed to be king over many and great

Royal Arch Masonry.

nations , send back my people to their own land , and build my temple . ' This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished . Accordingly , when Cyrus read this and admired the divine power , an earnest

desire aud an ambition seized upon him to fulfil what was so written , so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Bab ylon , and said unto them , that he gave them leave to go back to their own country , and to rebuild their city ,

Jerusalem , and the temple of God , for that he would be their assistant , and that he would write to the rulers and governors that were in the neighbourhood of their country , Judea , that they should contribute to them gold and silver for the

building of the temple , and , besides that , beasts for their sacrifices . When Cyrus had said this to the Israelites , the rulers of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin , with the Levitcs and priests , went to Jerusalem—yet did many of them

stay at Babylon , as not being willing to leave their possessions—and when they were come hither all the king ' s friends assisted them , and brought in for the building of tho temple—some , gold , and some , silver , aud some a great many

cattle and horses . So they performed their vows to God , aud offered the sacrifices that had been accustomed of old time ; I mean this , upon the rebuilding of their city , and the revival of the ancient practices relating to their worship . Cyrus

also sent back to them tho vessels of gold which King Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged out of the temple , and carried away to Babylon . So ho committed these things to Mitliridates , the treasurer , to bo sent away , with an order to give

them to Sanabassar , that ho might keep them till tho templo was built , and when it was finished he might deliver them to the priests and rulers of

tho multitude , iu order to their being restored to the temple . Cyrus also sent an epistle to the governors that were in Syria , tho contents whereof hero follow : —

"' King Cyrus to Sissinnes and Sathrabuzanes , " ' Scndeth greeting , '" I have given leave to a 3 maiiyof the Jews that dwell in my country as please to return to their

own country , and to rebuild their city , and to build tho Temple of God at Jerusalem , on the same place where it was before . I have also sent my treasurer , Mitliridates , and Zerobabel , the governor of the Jews , that they may lay tho

Royal Arch Masonry.

foundations of the temple , and may build it sixty cubits high , and of the same latitude , making three edifices of polished stones , and one of wood of the country , and tho same order extends to the altar whereon they offer sacrifices

to God . I require also that the sacrifices for these things be given out of my revenues . Moreover I have also sent the vessels which King Nebuchadnezzar pillaged out of the temple , and have given thorn to Mitliridates , the treasurer *

and to Zerobabel , the governor of the Jews , that they may have them carried to Jerusalem , and may restore them to the temple of God . Now , their number is as follows : —Fifty chargers of gold , and five hundred of silver ; forty

Thericlean cups of gold , and five hundred of silver ; fifty basins , of gold , and five hundred of silver ; thirty vessels for pouring the drink offerings , and three hundred of silver ; thirty vials of gold , and two thousand four hundred of silver ; with

a thousand other larger vessels . I permit them to have tho same honour which they were usod to have from their forefathers ; as , also , for their small cattle , and for wine and oil , two hundred and five thousand and five hundred drachmas :

and for wheat flour , twenty thousand and five hundred aitabffl . And I g ive order that theso expenses shall be given them out of the tributes due from Samaria . The priests , also , shall offer the sacrifices , according to tho laws of Moses , in

Jerusalem ; and when they offer them they shall pray to God for the preservation of tho King and of his family , that tho kingdom of Persia may continunc . But my will is , that those who disobey these injunctions and make them void shall be

hung upon a cross , and their substance brought into tho King ' s treasury . ' And such was tho import of this epistle . Now the number of those who came out of captivity to Jerusalem wore forty-two thousand four hundred and sixty-two . "

It may be interesting at this stage of our history to glance at certain obsolete degrees , in which the name and character of Cyrus were commemorated to a greater extent than in modern Royal Arch Masonry .

In one of these degrees tho lodge-room represented the council chamber of Cyrus , king of Babylon , and was lighted by 70 lamps , to denoto the 70 years of tho Jewish captivity . Tho Muster represented Cyrus ; tho senior warden , Nebuzaradan ; tho junior warden , Mitliridates ;