The Origin And References Of The Hermesian Spurious Freemasonry.

Avings , the emblem of power , was the LIGHT or Love , —that mighty primordial Spirit , that brooded over the face of the Avaters at the creation of the Avorld , and subsequently pervaded and animated all created matter . Maurice * thus brieflexplains the

, y hierogram . " Jupiter is an imagined sphere ; from that sphere is produced a serpent . The sphere shows the divine nature to be Avithout beginning or end : the serpent his Word , which animates the world and makes it prolific ; his Avingsthe

, spirit of God , that by its motion , gives life to the Avhole mundane system . " Dr . Richardson explains it rather differently . He says , ivheu describing the gateAvay or porch leading to the temple of Lsis at Teutyra— "immediatly over the

, centre of the doonvay , is the beautiful Egyptian ornament usually called the g lobe , Avith serpents and Avings ; emblematical of the sun poised in the airy firmament of heaA'en , supported and directed in his course by the eternal Wisdom of the

Deity . On a monument at Thebes , t the g lobe is painted red , the serpent yelloAv , and the wings blue and red . NOAV red is a symbol of divine love . In popular language , hoAvever , it Avas an emblem of war and fighting , and was appropriated

to Mars ; but its secret meaning Avas a spiritual combat , by Avhich the initiated acquired their regeneration ; which was considered to be the combat of divine love

against human passion . Yellow or gold indicates Revelation ; and blue , the Air , or the breath of God . In some such sense the prophet may be understood Avhen the sacred canon was about to be closed , and he promises to them that fear the NAME OF GODthat the Sun of

Riht-, g eousness should arise with healing on his Avings ; - \ or in other words that divine love should send his Son to reveal the will of God for the salvation of man . And the figure of speech was in conformity with the universal belief of all nationsfor the

; Avinged globe or sun was the universal emblem of the deity ; and therefore the entire symbol bore the same reference in Egypt , as ihe cherubim amongst the Jews . § There were in many instances two serpents attached to the Avinged globe ; which

represented Osiris and Typhon , the good and evil power . In Persia they Avere feigned to contend for an egg , or in other Avords for the universal government of the world . From these contests sprang the doctrine of the world ' s eternity , or rather

an endless succession of worlds , Avhich is one and the same thing , for the sacred writings or traditions of each nation do not decide Avhich Avas the first Avorld nor which Avill be the last ; nor did they believe that the Supreme Being himself possessed

this knowledge . Hence several eminent men concluded that these Avorlds never had a beginning , and never will have an end ; that is to say , that the successive destruction and reproductions of the world resemble a great wheel , in Avhich we can

point out neither beginning nor end . Mr . Fosbroke says "The power of demonstrating the true meaning of these Egyptian figures , is wanting . Plutarch gives one meaning , Eusebius another , Clemens of Alexandria a third , Horapollo

a fourth , ; and therefore nothing can be acquired as to certainty by collating them . Among the Greeks a local mythology is often added to the general system ; " and Macrobius , Hyginus , and Ovid , differ from each other . In the Golden Legend may be seen , in the same manner , fanciful and arbitrary constructions ot the attributes of the Romish saints . " *

If this author had lived a few years longer he Avould have changed his opinion , and admitted the possibility of deci phering the hieroglyphics of Egypt . A great stride has been made towards the formation of a perfect code of interpretation ; and doubt but

I see no another age will complete the task . The caduceus of Mercury Avas an evident manifestation of the same symbol ; and Mercury Avas the Grecian Hermes , [ t consisted of a Avinged globe at the summit of

a rod entwined with serpents . It is said to have been an emblem of peace , and originated in Hermes laying his rod , ( which Avas in fact the Tautic cross , that , like the fabled Rod of Moses , had been transmitted from antediluvian times ) , betAveen two serpents which . vere fighting , Avhen they immediately became friends and tAvined themselves about the rod . f