Papers On The Great Pyramid.

as far as my slight second-hand acquaintance Avith his theories has shoAvn me , and Avhich saAV in the myths of the ancients glimpses of Primeval Truth , Avas not aE Avrong . Certainly Ave , Avho cling to the " old truths , " must lean rather to their vieAv than to that to Avhich Mr . Proctor refers as being held by some modern scientists , viz . that the Avhole tradition of the Deluge arose from a poetic fancy depicting the scenes of a grand drama in the starry skies . Mr . ProctorhoAvevertells us that at this period alonei . e . between 2100 and

, , , , , 2 , 200 years B . C ., could those consteEations have been conceived , Avhich used to appear painted on the dome-Eke ceEhig of the Egyptian astronomical temples , and Avhich he contends have been used by Homer in his description of the shield of Hercules * The circum-polar position of the Great Dragon being described in the

lines" The scaly horror of a dragon , coEd FuE in the central field , unspeakable , With eyes oblique retorted , that ascant Shot gleaming fire . " He declares in favour of Homer as the author of the description of the Shield of Hercules by comparing it Avith the description of the shield of AchiEes in the IEad , which

displayed" The starry lights that heav ' n ' s high convex crown'd The Pleiades , Hyads , ancl the northern beam , Ancl great Orion's more refulgent beam , To Avhich , around the cycle of the sky , The bear revolving , points his golden eye , StEl shines exalted . "

Let me UOAV request the Brethren to note the remarkable connection Avhich existed in the year 2170 B . C . betAveen midnight of the autumn and noon of the spring equinoxes . Professor Piazzi Smyth draAVS attention to this subject , pointing out that Avhat is generally caEed " the Vernal Equinox " is incorrectly so termed if Ave consider only tho best time for observing it . For Avhereas it is impossible to see Avhat stars the sun is amongst at noon , as the Greeks vainly attempted , yet the Architect of the Great Pyramid secured the same results by observing " the anti-sunor the point of the heavens opposite

, to the sun at midnight . Wherefore his time of the year for making his observations of those Taurus stars ( the Pleiades ) Avhich the sun is amongst in spring , is evidently in the autumn . "f Masons AVIE therefore observe that although the exigencies of the case required that the master buEder of this Avondrous pile should Avork at night to study the mysteries of the plan of the Great Architect of the Universe , yet there Avere reasons for giving to that

invisible noon culmination of the Pleiades in the spring , greater importance than its midnight crossing of the meridian in the autumn . At least it Avould appear so AA'hen Ave consider that in the year of the foundation of the Great Pyramid , and , as Ave contend , ot the Craft thereat , the Sun , and the Seven Stars Avere on the meridian at the same instant ; the centre of our Solar System , ancl the centre of the Stellar Systems AA'ere in a lme—the pointers of that wonderful time-measurer , Avhich , like the hands of a clock

pointing to noon , AviE not resume the same position until their set round has been accomplished . Having then , I hope , proved the Great Pyramid to be as remarkable in date as in position , in the next number I AviE endeavour to bring forAvard the leading characteristics of the bunders , and try to deduce therefrom who they Avere . ( To be Continued . )