Classical Freemasonry,

it that the Greek philosophy came orig inally from Egypt , while Laertius , who certainly was no better informed , will allow foreigners to have had no share in it . He ascribes its orig in to Linus , * anct says , expressly , that Linus , the father of Grecian poetry , was the son of Mercury and the muse Urania ; and that he sung of the generation of the world ;

of the course of the sun aud moon ; of the origin of animals and the princip le of vegetation . He taught , says the same author , that all things were formed at one time and that they were jumbled together in a chaos . But we are told , upon even , better authority , that both Orpheus and Musams travelled into Egyptand infused the

, traditionary learning of a cultivated people into the minds of their own illiterate countrymen . The name of Orpheus , consecrated as it is by the veneration paid to it in all ages , from the remotest antiquity , bears the same relation to science in the earliest period of society , as that of Caesar or Alexander could be supposed to do to

war . He is handed down to us as a philosopher , who taught the knowledge of God , and laid down the rudiments of science ; as a lawgiver , who reformed his countrymen , or rather who brought a horde of savages to live in society ; as a priest , who instituted the worshi ]) of tho gods and the sacred rites of religion ; and finally , as a poet , unequalled in

harmony , sweetness , and energy . In these several points of view we propose to consider him as the orig inator of those mysteries whicli bear his name . And , in order to identify them with this great man , it will be necessary to review his character and writings . Orpheus nourished at the time when the celebrated Argonautic exepdition was undertaken , which renders him contemporary with thejudges of the Jewish nation before the regal government was established . The wonderful effects that are ascribed

to his lyre , and the power whicli he is said to have possessed over the minds of men in this early and uncultivated period , lead us naturally to suppose that his own mind must have not only received from nature a hig her share of intellectual qualities than others , but that these must likewise have been improved by experience and study . Accordingly , we are informed that both he and his pupil Musrens travelled into

Egypt , and , in that land of mystery and allegory , acquired the first princip les of that mythology which he afterwards taught , and which , developed into its full luxuriance , we regard with admiration as the hig hest effort of creative genius . Here it was that he learned first to sing of the generation of the godsof the birth of the giantsof the creation , of tho

, , world , and of tho origin of man . Ho sung , we are told , of the ether , as separated from nig ht ancl chaos ; of the light that first illuminated the world ; of love , as the operating princip le in this work , he distinguished a first cause from inferior ministers ; and , in order to impress these lessons more powerfully on the minds of his wondering audience , he

professed in all to bo inspired by the power of divine illumination . AVe must , however , acknowledge , that as authors are at a loss with regard to thc writings of Orpheus , so they differ still more from , each other in their account of his theology . By some he is allowed to be the father of Polytheism , on account of his deducing the generation of the cods . Othershoweverconsidering his doctrines as

myste-, , rious exhibitions of tho most sublime truths , affirm that he inculcated the belief of the divine unity and self existence ; insist , in proof of this , upon the esteem in which he was held by the Pythagorean and Platonic philosophers ; and assert , that his seeming belief of Polytheism arose from thc characters of the people whom he addressed , who were wholly

uncultivated , and whose attention , could only be arrested b y the objects of Reuse . These opinions , however apparently contradictory to each other , may yet , we think , be reconciled , especially when we consider that the Orphic philosophy was veiled in allegory . Upon this hypothesis , we need only suppose that Orpheus , as a poet , took the liberty of giving expression and action to the most import-rait of those objects

which he undertook to delineate ; and we may believe that he mig ht appear to have inculcated Polytheism at the time when be acknowledged the unity of God . Thus the names of Minerva , Mars , Apollo , Hermes , ke ., and the actions in which these are particularly engaged , will be considered only as various personifications of the attributes ascribed to the snjireme being , representing his wisdom , jioweruniversal

, intelligence , and that care with which ho superintends the government of mankind . This is the manner in which Homer appears to have contemplated the Deity and his perfections as the moral governor ofthe universe . AVhen displayed with such strength of colouring by a creative imagination , to a superficial mind they may appear as so many separate beings ;

whereas , when the veil is thrown aside , they are beheld as emanations from the supreme mind , which enlighten , indeed separately , the various departments of his government ; but which all of them centre , when traced to their source , in one complete and undivided original . If Orpheus was great as a poethe was still greater as a musician . AVhen the

, reformer of mankind tuned his lyre , and raised the minds of his hearers to the contemplation of those . sublime objects ; accompanying the researches of philosophy with the irresistible charms of melodious versification , they grew insensibly mild as they listened , ancl their thoughts wero exalted by the greatness of his subjects—their ferocity was subdued by the

sweetness ancl harmony ofhis numbers , ancl succeeding generations , astonished at the change which this divine poet had wrought upon the characters of mankind , fabled that he had taught the woods to dance , the streams to hang suspended , the tiger to leave his prey , and even the lion to become gentleobsequiousaud submissive

, , . 11 Silvcstres homines , sacer , interpresque Deorum Csedilms et victu fiedo dcterruit Orpheus ; Dictus ob hoc lemre tigres rabidosque Icones . " HOEACK .

. " The wood-born race of men when Orpheus tamed , From acorns and from mutual blood reclaim'd , The priest divine was fabled to assuage The tiger ' s fierceness and the lion ' s rage . " FRANCIS . 'Without , therefore , falling into the error of those who attempt to deduce from the inspired writings every absurdity

of mythology / and almost every stroke of excursive imagination , it may , we think , be supposed that the Greek poet , during his residence among the Egyptians , became acquainted with these twin arts of poetry and music , in which he excelled in their highest perfection , from models preserved by that cultivated people , but which had a Hebrew origin , and were originally appropriated to the worship of God , among a people consecrated to his service . Thus the " YMNOS or ' ' Sonsr of

Praise , ' of the Supreme Being , was originally introduced by Orpheus , and sung at the initiation of candidates into the sacred rites or mysteries . These mysteries were , at a remote period , in the highest estimation , and exercised an important influence over the intellectual development of mankind . Orpheus is said to have been taught his mysteries by the Id __ au Dactyliand to have introduced

, them into Thrace , whence they were gradually propagated throughout all Greece by his initiated followers . The nature of these mysteries is involved in an impenetrable veil of obscurity ; but there can be no doubt that they partook of the general character of all mysteries , inculcating a purer knowledge of religion than was compatible with the

superstitious observances then prevalent . On the union of these mysteries with the Bacchanalian orgies , they fell into merited contempt , and were at length gradually disused . The initiated in . these mysteries , as well as the persons employed to initiate candidates in them , were called , in some cases , Orpiheolelesla 1 ,.

The word mystery has been i : > y some traced to the Hebrew word , "to hide , " whence mystar , a thing concealed ; formed from , which is the Greek pvargpiav ; old French mestier ; English mystery : and old English mishtr , a trade or craft , llio IewtiUirj