The London Literary Union.

of heaven , they never enjoyed . Therefore , supreme Truth rejects their doctrines as the ephemera of a day of wrath and fear , when the- light of kindness burned dim , and misrule prevailed under the guise of reason . They are mere intellectualities—beautiful , wondrous , like glittering

icebergs , but as chilling and repulsive . Neither have those writers won our lasting esteem , or worthily earned the eternal diadem of Fame , whose lips are stained with the darkness of sensual things , whose language is a perpetual sneer against virtue , and order , and religion . They may be mighty spirits in

the republic of letters , but their mission is unfulfilled—the glory within them is not half revealed . Still less can -we bow down before court-adulatorsfriends of Csesar for Caesar ' s sake—whose pens are steeped in flattery of the prince , and scorn of the people . No matter what unhallowed genius such

may possess , they are not the ambassadors of Nature ' s gospel on the earth . Therefore , let them perish , unlaurelled , unlamented . But no such ephemeral honours await the advent of the true philosopher or poet . He ascends into the firrnameht of Fame ; not to twinkle as a dwarf-star , but to

illumine the ages with imperishable glory . The angels who bear him up far above the clouds of time and sense aro—unswerving faith , unchanging hope , unfaltering love . Yes , he who with meekness suffers wrong and injury , knowing that retribution slumbereth not—he who embodies in his creed the majesty

of Truth , becomes the immortal heir of Fame . His words are destined to penetrate into the labyrinth of our inner life , and to transfigure our darkened spirits in the splendour of his enduring wisdom . This is the Olympus of fame to which the truly great aspire , and not to the celebrity of a day , or

the laudations of tbe thoughtless crowd . Dowered with immortality and crowned with light , the great apostles of truth shine ever upon the world , teaching man that to be virtuous is to be wise , and that he who walks iu the paths of honour is the mightiest conqueror in life . "

The President was re-elected for the ensuing year , and the post of Treasurer , vacant by the decease of Bro . V . W . Bate , L . L . D ., was filled by the election of Dr . Chas . H . Rogers Harrison . The Hon . Secretaries appointed were Bros . W . R . Woodman , M . D ., and Angelo J . Lewis , Barrister-at-law .

Bros . Henry C . Levander , M . A ., Col . Fras . Burdett , and the Bev . W . B . Church , M . A ., were chosen members of the council . Bros . W . Carpenter , author of " Scientia Biblica , " W . H . Hubbard , Author of "Essays , " and D . G . Berri , author of " Monograms , " were elected Fellows of the Union ,

and Bros . G . Kenning ( proprietor of THE FREEMASON ) , F . Walters , and J . G . Marsh , members . On the proposition of the President , it was further resolved unanimously that Honorary Fellowships be conferred upon the following distinguished brethren , for services rendered to Masonic and

general literature : — - Beaumont , A ., of Paris . Evans , S .. of Boston , U . S . A . Goodall , Albert G ., of New York . Holmes , Ernra , of Hartlepool . Holmes , Robt . D ., of New York .

Hoonckx , Van G , of Brussels . Horner , J . A , of Burgh Castle , Norfolk . Hughan , AV . J ., of Truro . Irwin , F . G ., of Bristol . Lyon . D . Murray , of Ayr . Macoy , Robt ., of New York .

Marshall , Robt ., of St . John , New Brunswick . Moore , Dr . J . Daniel , of Lancaster . Moore , Col . W . J . B . McLeod , Laprarie , Canada . Morris , Rob , of Kentucky . Rebold , E ., of Paris . Schraitt , A ., of Jersey .

Yarker , jun . J ., of Manchester . A vote of thanks to Bro . G . Kenning , for according permission to report the transactions of the Union iu the columns of the THE FREEMASON , was then carried - , and a second vote of thanks to thii President terminated the proceedings .

THE forthcoming work by Bro . Wm . J . Ilughan will contain : —! . An article ou Masonic M . SS ., by Bro . Hughan . 2 . A reprint of the Constitution of the Freemasons b y the Grand Lodge of England , 1723 , being the first edition ( slightly abridged ) . 3 . A fac-simile lithograph reprint of Coles'

copperplate edition of the Constitutions , 1728 , from transfers from the ori ginal in Bro . Hughan ' s possession . Seventy copies only aro to be printed for sale , at 10 s . Cd . each , and 30 copies for presentation . The work will be dedicated , by permission , to tho M . W . G . M ., the Earl of Zetland . Subscriptions to be sent

to the publisher , Bro . Wm . Lake , Truro , stating name in full and Masonic position . AN analysis of the division list reveals the fact that out of 35 Peers who are prominent members of the Masonic Order , 22 voted for the second reading of the Irish Church Bill and 13 agaiust it .

Papers On Masonry.

PAPERS ON MASONRY .

BY A LEWIS . XII . —MASONRY AND THE MERIDIAN . " The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light -. thoy that dwelt in tho land of the shadow of death

upon them hath the light sinned . "—Isaiah ix . 2 . " Is not this written in the Book of the Upright One ( Jasher ) ? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven , and hasted not to go down about a whole dav . "—Joshua x . 13 .

An American lawyer , berit upon cross-examining a " witness from the sea , " said to him , " Now , Sir , you have prevaricated greatly . What are you ? " "A master of a vessel , " was the reply . " And you have pursued your calling for some years ? " "Just so . " " And now , " pursued the lawyer , " attend to me . I

presume you , too , have crossed the line ? " " I have , " answered the witness . " Now , be very particular . In what latitude and longitude did you cross it ?" " That I can ' t say , " was the answer of the steady and imperturbable mariner . " Can ' t say it , Sir ? You're on your oath ! " exclaimed the indignant lawyer . " Shall I tell you why ?'' replied the witness . "

Answer my question . ' pursued the lawyer . " I can ' t , " said the sailor . "Then , gentlemen , " triumphantly asserted the lawyer , turning to the jury , " I hold my client to be in the ri ght ; this witness is impenetrably stupid , he does not even know his own profession !" " Lay by , there , " said thc sailor , " I thought that every fool of a lawyer knew there was no latitude on the line !"

Nor is there anything but a meridional position for the sun in Masonry . There are , of course , technical reasons given for this , but , by analogy , many other beautiful illustrations of this symbolical truth might be given . Not onl y does the meridional altitude of the sun ever remain a symbolical fact in relation of

the universality of the principles of Masonry , but , in another sense , it is a type of the ever-existent energy of nature , which persistently and silently irradiates the universe from the most enormous cosmical body to the minutest atom or' germ cell . Light!—as science progresses , as the continued improvements in

optical instruments come to be made , and applied to the unsuspected wonders of the macrocosm and the microcosm , wo discover new worlds in which creative and infinite energy is giving existence and enjoyment to myriads upon myriads of forms possessing animation and the power of motion . There have been

upwards of 210 , 000 kinds of flies described ! Bound in tho chains of a cold and selfish theology for centuries of ages , man has held himself to be the sole end and aim of creation , the proud culmination of the works of T . G . A . O . T . U . Science , without denying the supremacy of man's intellect , evinced by

the actual existence of science itself , points out , in the great and little worlds , phases and forms of life and activity , which , for aught we know , may havo modes of thought and theories concerning their , to us minute , to them , infinite worlds . In no work with which I . am acquainted is this

more philosophically and humorously put than in Mr . Babbage ' s Philosophical Memoirs . He there describes a cosmogony , with all the cataclysms , revolutions , changes , physical and mental , of a universe of—cheese mites ! The dairy becomes the infinite universe , the churn and press the chaotic and

formative states , periodical convulsions of the cheese world occur ( when the dairymaid turns them over ) , they arc jolted in carts , prodded in the side with tasters , which lead to telescopic observations of the world beyond , and thc mental and physical peculiarities of the cheese mite and jumper aro excellently described .

If , therefore , we behold this untiring energy in the action of the great invisible Being , lending forms to each and all of his creation adapted to their wants and circumstances , can it not well bo understood that there is a symbolical meridional altitude to be

discovered in a corresponding endeavour "to work ceaselessly in well-doing . " The sun of charity stands ever above on hi gh to shine into dark places of want and sorrow , bidding us cleanse tho Anglican stable of society , and to eradicato misery and scatter happiness around .

It is the friendly and fraternal li ght which looks down upon us from the heavens , and though in nature the rotation of the earth ' s axis deprives us of its p hysical rays , we know that wherever the heart of man beats , and the enterprise of man has penetrated , there , too , with unvarying benevolence and

persistency , shines the sun of Freemasonry . Swedenborg , to whom I devoted a portion of my hist paper , always expresses , in his figurative language , that delight as the hi g hest enjoyment of angels in another world , which consists in the contemplation of the spiritual and celestial sun—the very symbol of the warmth of the love and stcdfastneM of T . G . A .

O . l . U . " In Him is no darkness at all . " In a certain sense , Masons , and those who pursue studies and perform duties of a cognate character , do enjoy that contemplation of the spiritual and celestial light or sun to which Swedenborg referred . Intellect is light , when the eyes of the mind are open to behold , and are not averted in thc discontented obstinacy of wilful

Papers On Masonry.

darkness . Some men , dissatisfied with the neverending squabbles about mere doctrinal exteriors , fly to the other extreme , and deny the existence of a creative power at all ; their Atheism to me is as unintelligible as it well can be . Philosophers have been found to deny the existence of motion . A quaint and learned bishop originated a theory as to the

nonexistence of matter , and whoso desires to see the best exposition of this latter phase of reflection should read its principles as interpreted by Mr . George Henry Lewis , in his admirable Biographical History of Philosophy . But no one has yet presumed to deny the existence of force—the energy which creates , developes , destroys , and recreates the infinite forms of matter . Dissatisfied thinkers of this class would do

well to turn to unsectanan Masonry , which , without the husks and shells of doctrine , promotes all that is truly beneficent in science . It has been objected that Masonry is a system , with a ritual , which , when once known , is invariable , and , hence , savouring of finality . But this would be

as unwise an objection as to say of tho key which unlocks the temple of knowledge that it is useless . Masonry , in itself , has enabled men of all ranks , under the steady ray of the meridional sun , to exchange thoughts , compare information , correct errors , and promote results . Hence , the scientific side of Masonry

is distinctly visible to the outside world in the works produced by a systematic study of various ranges of facts , undisturbed by the fatal and noxious effects of dogmatic ecclesiastical teaching . It is quite beyond the objects of Freemasons to keep from the general public the practical useful

results of their inquiries , and would be in flat contradiction to the principle of universal charity underlying the whole . This , therefore , is some answer to those who object to Masonry on the ground that it seeks to preserve for its disci ples any peculiar scientific secrets or series of secrets . As the physical sun shines alike

on the good and the wicked , so it does upon the Mason and the uninitiate , and if the latter choose to study physical science light of that kind is not denied him . Masons , however , have unquestionably done much towards scientific enli ghtenment , both as Masons and men .

The sun is always at thc meridian in Masonry Why , it necessarily must be , if we consider its sacred obligation of charity . If the sun possessed not its noonday power ; if it waned and slacked , or altered , the whole vitality of Masonic benevolence would undergo deterioration . In the words of Eliliu in Job

( xxxiv . 20 ) , " the people would bo troubled at midnight , and pass away . " This position of the sun , however , refers at the present day to more than the omnipresence of the energetic benevolence of T . G . A . O . T . U . In a strictly geographical sense it is also true , and it is

well that it is so . To the histories , we occasionall y hear of the presence of Masonic signs among savage tribes , I am not disposed to give that implicit credit that the reiteration of the statements ask . There would appear always , in the best attested instances to be traces of a pre-existing European or civilised

influence ; civilised , either according to Oriental or occidental methods . There is , in reality , so great a sameness in the legends to which we find the authority of " Captain C " or " Major B , " and soforth , attached , that , for my own part , I not unfrequently put these down ns pretty stories , derived

from a common substratum or skeleton of fact . Indeed , if we look back at the Masonic periodical literature of the last half century , we find a tendency towards anecdote of a repetitive kind constantl y manifested . Of course , this is partially to be charged to the fact that so much of Masonry is invariably or

necessarily withheld from publication , that Masonic magazines have been compelled very often to fill up with matter either of fiction popular or fiction philosophical . AVe have had a recent instance of the latter in " Celestial Mysteries , " now happily , it is to be hoped , concluded .

The rapid increase of Freemasonry , nnd the many important questions which have recently arisen in relation to Masonic jurisprudence and Masonic history , will , however , tend to lessen the necessity for what magazine writers call " padding"' for the future . At the head of this paper I have written two texts ,

which appeared applicable to the matter under consideration . The second requires some notice before I close these observations . Many explanations have been offered of the miracle ( as it is called ) of Joshua commanding thc sun to stand still . Into these I shall not enter . What is an evident imnossibility ,

freemasonry symbolically renders a fact . It is written in the Book of tho Upright One , such being the literal rendering of the name Jashar , or Jasher , from the Hebrew word ( Yod-Shin-Resh ) , ISHlt , with the Masoretic vowel point , Qamets twice repeated , laSIIaU , to walk strain / illy , uprightly , or to do good .

Ihe existence of any separate Book of Jashar has been a favourite battle-ground for critics , but , in our case , it is only necessary to use the obvious symbolic interpretation . It is , indeed , the Upright One—the true Mason , who can , without question , thus cause the sun of charity to stand still ; and long may it brilliantly shine at the meridian of Freemasonry