Bro. Melville's Discoveries.

Bro . Melville considers his knowledge the rightful inheritance—the scientific domain —¦ the real and valuable secrets of the ancient Order of free and accepted Masons , and has decided that his brethren of the Order—and they alone—shall possess that knowledge .

This determination on the part of Bro . Melville merits of itself alone , without anything further , the kind consideration and gratitude of the whole universal brotherhood ; and they , perhaps , would do well to express to him , in some positive manner , their fraternal appreciation of hi ; i high princile . Bro .

p Melville asserts boldly that he has found the longlost precious jewel , the life and soul which the lodges have for ages totally ignored , and he desires to see itrestored to its proper place . Surely this is a hig hly praiseworthy desire , not to be laid by on the shelf . To return , however , to the communication received

by Bvo . Melville ; let us inquire what is probably meant by ordinary Masonry . In what does it consist ? 1 . A dress which anybody could wear . 2 . A learning and a repeating of something by heart which any commonplace man could do .

3 . In knowing a compass , a triangle , and a square , and repeating what he is verbally taught of their uses , without having the most remote idea of their real Masonic and scientific application . 4 . In seeing what is wrongly called a tracing-hoard ( which is no tracing-board at all ) ; in listening to

what is said about it , and learning , if he can , to say the same himself—without having the slightest idea of what a real Masonic scientific tracing-board is , to what purpose it is applied , and how to use the aame .

o . In talking about a triple * * * but having no more idea of the Masonic law for constructing one , or how to use it when constructed for him and put into his hand , than he would of constructing a beanstalk which should reach to the moon for Jack to climb up by , in order that he might better observe the

stars , and understand the positions and significations of the different constellations , which would be as much as could be expected of him if he were II M . Astronomer Royal , with the Greenwich Observatory at his disposition . 6 . In the practice of a few signsgesticulations

, , and modes of recognition , and other such like things , which any common-sense stone-cutter or bricklayer might learn in a few minutes . These merely exterior matters , however , we are taught by the authorities are the ordinary Masonry to which alone there is leisure to attend . But the

soul and life of the lodges—the real use of our Masonic instruments and symbols—the real scientific knowledge of the Craft , the unchanging laws by which their science is worked , " like the law of the Medes and Persians , which altereth not ;' ' the knowledge of the cycles of ages from which we obtain that

important Masonic number expressed by three figures in an arithmetical proportion whose sum is 9 , and without the correspondents to which a really scientific Mason can work nothing at all . These serious matters , dear brother , and hundreds more , are set clown as probably interesting questions which there is not leisure to attend to . As well might we be taught to amuse ourselves

with the dry shells of Barcelona nuts without discussing the kernels . As well might we be satisfied with the green sepals of a rose or a lily , and leave out of consideration the beautiful petals , the lovely odour , the functions of the stamens , the pistils and the pollenand also the very essence of the floweras

, , probable questions for which we have no leisure . And just as well , with good appetites for a little social intercourse , might we set down to a table to satisfy ourselves by chewing the corks , swallowing the bottles , and throwing away the wine , as another probable question not worth discussing .

We really do require the shells , the sepals , and the corks respectively for the sake of the kernels , the flowers , and the wine ; but we certainly do not require to be instructed to devote ourselves to the former and leave the latter out of the question . It could certainly never have been intended to give

us such advice , and the error must have arisen out of the total ignorance of the real Masonic science of which Bro . Melville at present is the only demonstrator and the sole possessor . We shall be indebted to the Ions and arduous studies and discoveries of

Bro . Melville for the right explanation and uses of our instruments , symbols , and customs ; for our knowledge of Masonic astronomy , and all the ancient monuments and scul p tured figures of 3 , 000 years ago , worked out with such consummate art , with such a combination of simplicity and science , and

with such admirable marvellous exactitude . None—not one of our Craft—from the lowest degree to the highest , and from the M . WG . M . himself to the uninitiated without—can give us the key to these secrets . They might even carry a metallic key about in a ceremonious manner , or place it upon an

altar ; but we must look in another direction for the real key of which the metallic is the emblem . The writer of the paper on the Assyrian astrolabe is willing to hand us the real scientific , astronomic , Masonic key ; but he will do it only Masonically , as any good brother should do .

It is not unworthy of notice , but , perhaps , even well worthy of remark that , between the hour of Bro . Melville being virtually told that his 30 years of accumulated scientific knowledge and discoveries

might with himself be laid by on the shelf as unworthy of the attention and intelligence of our ancient and noble Order ; between that hour , I say , and the present moment , a common-place accident , a simple , every day casualty , might have robbed us all of the golden key which he alone possesses . The falling of a chimney-pot on a windy day ; an ordinary bad

cold ; the plunging of a spirity phaeton horse ; a railway smash , or any other of the numerous evils that flesh is heir to , might have swept the whole of this knowledge clean away , and hurled it out of our reach beyond all possibility of recovery . And the prize , dear brother , may even yet suddenly elude our

grasp , unless we hasten to obtain possession of it in the rightful manner . It is valuable . Let us no longer hesitatingly lose further time about the matter . Bro . Melville has now for twelve whole months been modestly inviting the most intelligent of the brotherhood to look a little into the nature of his discoveries—for such they must be most certainly considered . Tet we do not seem hitherto to have