Light.

a masculine form , repose for the space of lOOO ages ; after which period , the intention of creating other beings for his own wise purposes became predominant in the mind of the great Creator . Thus , observing the whole world involved in darkness , and submerged in water , he placed in them a seed , which soon became an egg , brilliant as the meridian sun . Out

of this egg Brahma was produced , after having remained a full year in actual absorption ; and he was thence termed an emanation of the Deity . The egg was afterwards divided into two parts , to form the concave or egg-like canopy of heaven and the earth . " Many eminent writers have thought that the darkness

that " rested on the lace of the waters" was the effect of heat ; thus Miller ( Mos . Yis . of Creation ) says , "Let us suppose that during the earlier part of this period of excessive heat , the waters of the ocean had stood at the boiling point even at the surface , and much higher in the profounder depths ; and furtherthat the

, half molten crust of the earth , stretching out over a molten abyss , was so thin that it could not support , save for a short time after some convulsion , even a small , island above the sea level . A continuous stratum of steam , that attained to the height of even our present atmosphere , would wrap up the earth in a

darkness , gross and palpable as that of Egypt of old , a darkuess through which even a single ray of light would fail to penetrate . " Rabbi Eliezer Askenasi ( mentioned by Bro . Dr . Olliver in his Notes to the Historic Landmarks ) following the opinion of Maiinonides , in his Guide , and Nachmanides , in his Com mentary , says that the darkness mentioned in Gen . I ., v . 2 , 3 , 4 , is the element of fire . God having made it

descend to that of air , it ignited and formed light . So that he holds the light of the first day to have been inflamed air ; this , he says , illuminated the semicircle of the heavens , the other half being in darkness ; but the light , following the rotary motion of the primum mobile , revolving from west to east , formed night ; and turning then from east to westfrom whence it

, came , it formed day . But this light being weak , and not sufficiently clear , it was necessary on the fourth day that the sun , as being more powerful , should be created to give light upon the earth . He corroborates this opinion'b y the above cited verse , "To give light upon the earth" meaning that the reason of a

, new creation being necessary , was because the first light was not sufficiently strong for that purpose . Plato sa 3 s , "the fire gave its lig ht amid the darkness , and air , earth , and water were separated from each other . " Thus , as I before stated , we know not what light—material light—issince neither the sages of

, antiquity nor the savants of more modern days can elucidate the mystery . There isj however , another way in which "light " may be considered by all men with utility , but more especially so by Freemasons , as applicable to our Eoyal Art . Let us again turn to the definition of

light given in the English dictionary ; we find that it is not only "the quality or action of the medium of sight by which we see , " but it also signifies "illumination of the mind , instruction , knowledge ; point of view ; direction in which the li ght , falls ; explanation ; anything that gives light . " In this second sense then

let us consider it , and let us endeavour to " throw a light" upon light . —E-. B . W-( To be _ continued . )

On Early Printed Books.

ON EARLY PRINTED BOOKS .

Mr . Tite , M . P ., recently read a paper before the Antiquaries' Society oil a fine collection of rare specimens , contributed , by the late Prince Consort , the author , and several other eminent collectors , The paper was divided into four parts : —Block Books , Early Printed Books , Horas , and Typographical curiosities . Speaking of block books , and referring more particularly to a copy of M .

Berjeau ' s Biblia Pauperum exhibited , Mr . Tite pointed out their obscurity to the unlearned , and expressed a doubt whether the uninstructed poor could derive much benefit from their pictures without having the several parts explained and the text read to them . If , however , it were possible to think that even before the Reformation there were pious aud zealous missionaries , who

travelled through forests and remote districts , carrying with them these rude prints , discoursing on them to the peasants , and then occasionally leaving one to be stuck on a cottage wall , we could at once understand how naturally the name of " The Poor Man's Bible" originated . Two other celebrated block books , the Ars Memorandi and the Historia Virginis Marice et Gantica Ganticorum ,

would require even more teachers rto be made intelligible . In speaking of the second division , early printed books , Mr . Tite confined himself chiefly to giving an account of such as were printed in this country , commencing with a short dissertation on The Oxford Booh . Of this book , said to have been printed in Oxford in 1468 , but without the name of the printer , there are eight copies in existence , and , according to the story related by Richard Atkins , this was one of the books printed by Corselis , or Corsellis , the workman whom Caxton and

Tumour enticed from the employment of G-uttenburg at Haarlem . Passing to Oaxton , Mr . Tite referred to the four exhibited specimens by this great father of British typography , the Lijf of our Lady , the Polycronicon and Image or Mirrour of tl ' ia World , and the Fayt of Amies and Ghyvalre , and then proceededto give a short account of the specimens exhibited . Mr . Tite next gave an account of

the origin of the LTeurcs Gothiaues , produced by the earliest Parisian printers . According to Burnet , soon after the introduction of printing to Paris , the booksellers of the city being very desirous of employing the art on some works likely to have a rapid sale , considered that those for which there would be the most general demand would be the books containing the devotions appointed

for the canonical hours of prayers , and required by religious persons of all classes ; but the people having been accustomed to recite their devotions from decorated volunes , recourse was had to the art of engraving on wood , which was first employed to improve or reproduce as nearly as possible the designs , first developed in the MS . Roiw , for the ornamentation of printed books .

Many of these printed Horm , Mr . Tite said , were often so well executed as to require an experienced eye to distinguish between a volume of genuine writing and illuminations and a well-painted book really printed on vellum . Originally these offices actually contained manuscript leaves , interspersed with illustrations engraved on wood almost in outline , which were printed on

stout vellum , aud subsequently painted with- strong opaque colours , heightened with lights and hatchings pencilled in gold , which made them very closely resemble coarse illuminations . At the commencement of the

different Hours and Services were placed large wholepage engravings , representing the same subjects , following in the same order as those which were painted in the larger miniatures of the manuscript offices . The type also was cut in exact imitation of the Gothic text , as it was writtten by the best scribes of the time , and even the printed matter was set with blanks for initials and

up paragraphs , which were inserted by the illuminators in gilded letters on coloured grounds . "With regard to the " typographical curiosities , " Mr . Tite said that the time had long passed away when the passion for collecting rare and p ' eciuiar books , without regard to then useful-