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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 2 of 5 →
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Masonic Notes And Queries.
the concealment of the secrets by Enoch and their discovery by Solomon ; and as the sword of the east applies to the return of Zerubbahel and the re-discovery of such secrets , so in England there was , we are told by Dr . Oliver , formerly a legend called the " Stone of Foundation , " connecting these two degrees as one . Thus ( though it is possible it may be an
entirely distinct degree ) I take the Irish " Sword of Babylon" to be their version of the French "jjlword of the East . " The true Arch legend in the course of manipulation hy would-be authorities having disappeared in England , leaving only the portion appertaining to the Sword of the East . Further information would be highly esteemed
by—A-ORIGIN OE EREEMASONRY . Do not the traditions of Palestine , India , Egypt , and Persia all point to one general source ? before the dispersion of mankind—a few banding themselves together for mutual protection and the study of science . Thus the head of a colony carried away their ceremonies and means of recognition ; and after
studies produced the philosophical religious systems of the countries , which again reacted upon each other . The Jewish religion being an open system of Masonry , like that of Crete , the secret was strictly forbidden , for Ezekiel ( Sth Chap . ) denounces the mysteries of Isis and Orisis , as celebrated in a secret
subterranean within the temple at Jerusalem , by " seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel , " as well as the mysteries of Persia-, in which about twentyfive " soldiers of Mithras , " whom they represented as a son of man " worshipped (?) the sun , with their faces towards the East . " Did caste affect the ceremonies , as in the Templar Order ? Had each caste its distinct ceremonies ?—A .
ANCIENT EREEMASONRY . A friend has furnished me with the following copy of a MS . ( modernised ) taken from the original , which is in ' jthe Bodleian Library , in the handwriting of King Henry VI ., on Masonry , about the 14 th . or 15 th century , which I think will prove interesting . — J . J . E . P . M . 77 : —
, Q . —What might it be ? A . —It is the skill of nature , the understanding of the might that is therein and its sundry workings ; particularly the skill of reckonings , of weights and metages , and the true manner of forming all things for man ' s usechiefly dwellings and buildings of all
, kinds , and altogether things that make good to man . Q . —Where did it begin ? A . —It did begin with the first men in the East , which were before the first men of the West , and coming westerly , it hath brought with it all comforts to the savage and comfortless .
Q . —Who brought it westerly ? A- —The Phoenicians , who , being great merchants , came first from the East in Phoenicia for the convenience of trading both East and West by the Eed and Mediterranean Sea . Q . —How came it to England ?
A . —Pythagoras , a Grecian , travelled for knowledge in Egypt and Syria , where the Phoenicians had established Masonry , and obtaining entrance in all the lodges of the Masons he learned much , and returned and dwelt in Grecia Magna , waxing and becoming a mighty philosopher and greatly renowned , and he
formed a great lodge at Crotona and made many Masons , wherefrom in process of time the art passed into England . Q . —Do Masons discover their arts to others ? A . —Pythagoras when he travelled- to learn was first made ; and afterwards taught : even so should all others , being right ; nevertheless Masons have
always , in every time communicated to mankind such of their secrets as generally might be useful , they have kept back such only as would be harmful if they came into evil hands , such others as might not be beneficial without that instruction was joined to it in the lodge such other as binds the brethren more strongly together , by the profit and convenience to the fraternity itself .
Q . —What arts have Masons taught mankind ? A . —Agriculture , architecture , astronomy , geometry , numbers , music , poetry , chemistry , government , and religion . Q . —How is it that Masons are more learned than other men ? A . —They alone possess the of observing new
power arts , which arts the first Masons received from God , by which they discover what arts are pleasing to Him and the true way of teaching the same ; what other men find out * is only by chance , and therefore of little account , I imagine . Q . —What do Masons conceal and hide ?
A . —They conceal the art of finding new arts , and that is for their own profit and honour ; they conceal the art of keeping secrets , that so the world may nothing conceal from them . They conceal the art of wonder working and of foreseeing things to come
that so these arts may not he used by the wicked for an evil end . They also conceal the art of changes and the way of gaining the faculty of the above , the skill of becoming good and perfect without the helpings of fear and hope , and the universal language of Masons . Q . —Will he teach me those same arts ?
A . —Ye shall be taught , if ye be worthy ancl able to learn . Q . —Do Masons know more than other men ? A . —[ Not so ; they only have occasion and right to know more , but many lack capacity , and many more want industrywhich is absolutel for ob
, y necessary - taining all knowledge . Q . —Are Masons better than other men ? A . —Some Masons are not so virtuous as other men , but for the most part they are better than if thev were not Masons .
Q- —Do Masons love each other so much as has been said ? A .-Yes , verily , and it could not be otherwise , for good men and true , knowing each other ft > be so , love one another the more the better they know each to be .
ASHMOLE—ANDRE . —ORIGIN OE MODERN FREEMASONRY . " Omicron " is wrong in supposing me ever to have expressed an opinion that modern Freemasonry owes its origin either to Elias Ashmole or to John " Valentine Andre . It isindeeda subject whichlike
, , upon , many others , I have read a good deal , without , however , coming to any satisfactory conclusion . In the conversation to which Omicron alludes , what I stated , in the first place , was that more than forty years ago
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
the concealment of the secrets by Enoch and their discovery by Solomon ; and as the sword of the east applies to the return of Zerubbahel and the re-discovery of such secrets , so in England there was , we are told by Dr . Oliver , formerly a legend called the " Stone of Foundation , " connecting these two degrees as one . Thus ( though it is possible it may be an
entirely distinct degree ) I take the Irish " Sword of Babylon" to be their version of the French "jjlword of the East . " The true Arch legend in the course of manipulation hy would-be authorities having disappeared in England , leaving only the portion appertaining to the Sword of the East . Further information would be highly esteemed
by—A-ORIGIN OE EREEMASONRY . Do not the traditions of Palestine , India , Egypt , and Persia all point to one general source ? before the dispersion of mankind—a few banding themselves together for mutual protection and the study of science . Thus the head of a colony carried away their ceremonies and means of recognition ; and after
studies produced the philosophical religious systems of the countries , which again reacted upon each other . The Jewish religion being an open system of Masonry , like that of Crete , the secret was strictly forbidden , for Ezekiel ( Sth Chap . ) denounces the mysteries of Isis and Orisis , as celebrated in a secret
subterranean within the temple at Jerusalem , by " seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel , " as well as the mysteries of Persia-, in which about twentyfive " soldiers of Mithras , " whom they represented as a son of man " worshipped (?) the sun , with their faces towards the East . " Did caste affect the ceremonies , as in the Templar Order ? Had each caste its distinct ceremonies ?—A .
ANCIENT EREEMASONRY . A friend has furnished me with the following copy of a MS . ( modernised ) taken from the original , which is in ' jthe Bodleian Library , in the handwriting of King Henry VI ., on Masonry , about the 14 th . or 15 th century , which I think will prove interesting . — J . J . E . P . M . 77 : —
, Q . —What might it be ? A . —It is the skill of nature , the understanding of the might that is therein and its sundry workings ; particularly the skill of reckonings , of weights and metages , and the true manner of forming all things for man ' s usechiefly dwellings and buildings of all
, kinds , and altogether things that make good to man . Q . —Where did it begin ? A . —It did begin with the first men in the East , which were before the first men of the West , and coming westerly , it hath brought with it all comforts to the savage and comfortless .
Q . —Who brought it westerly ? A- —The Phoenicians , who , being great merchants , came first from the East in Phoenicia for the convenience of trading both East and West by the Eed and Mediterranean Sea . Q . —How came it to England ?
A . —Pythagoras , a Grecian , travelled for knowledge in Egypt and Syria , where the Phoenicians had established Masonry , and obtaining entrance in all the lodges of the Masons he learned much , and returned and dwelt in Grecia Magna , waxing and becoming a mighty philosopher and greatly renowned , and he
formed a great lodge at Crotona and made many Masons , wherefrom in process of time the art passed into England . Q . —Do Masons discover their arts to others ? A . —Pythagoras when he travelled- to learn was first made ; and afterwards taught : even so should all others , being right ; nevertheless Masons have
always , in every time communicated to mankind such of their secrets as generally might be useful , they have kept back such only as would be harmful if they came into evil hands , such others as might not be beneficial without that instruction was joined to it in the lodge such other as binds the brethren more strongly together , by the profit and convenience to the fraternity itself .
Q . —What arts have Masons taught mankind ? A . —Agriculture , architecture , astronomy , geometry , numbers , music , poetry , chemistry , government , and religion . Q . —How is it that Masons are more learned than other men ? A . —They alone possess the of observing new
power arts , which arts the first Masons received from God , by which they discover what arts are pleasing to Him and the true way of teaching the same ; what other men find out * is only by chance , and therefore of little account , I imagine . Q . —What do Masons conceal and hide ?
A . —They conceal the art of finding new arts , and that is for their own profit and honour ; they conceal the art of keeping secrets , that so the world may nothing conceal from them . They conceal the art of wonder working and of foreseeing things to come
that so these arts may not he used by the wicked for an evil end . They also conceal the art of changes and the way of gaining the faculty of the above , the skill of becoming good and perfect without the helpings of fear and hope , and the universal language of Masons . Q . —Will he teach me those same arts ?
A . —Ye shall be taught , if ye be worthy ancl able to learn . Q . —Do Masons know more than other men ? A . —[ Not so ; they only have occasion and right to know more , but many lack capacity , and many more want industrywhich is absolutel for ob
, y necessary - taining all knowledge . Q . —Are Masons better than other men ? A . —Some Masons are not so virtuous as other men , but for the most part they are better than if thev were not Masons .
Q- —Do Masons love each other so much as has been said ? A .-Yes , verily , and it could not be otherwise , for good men and true , knowing each other ft > be so , love one another the more the better they know each to be .
ASHMOLE—ANDRE . —ORIGIN OE MODERN FREEMASONRY . " Omicron " is wrong in supposing me ever to have expressed an opinion that modern Freemasonry owes its origin either to Elias Ashmole or to John " Valentine Andre . It isindeeda subject whichlike
, , upon , many others , I have read a good deal , without , however , coming to any satisfactory conclusion . In the conversation to which Omicron alludes , what I stated , in the first place , was that more than forty years ago