From Dark To Light.

must condole with him at one time , and encourage him at another , hy which means lie will he led to continue his efforts to reach his higher destination . The disciple ivill then understand his real tendency , ivill feel his heart actuated by it , and although the idea only at times darts into his mind like the ray of a distant star , it is still his support in his road to development . Eor this end Masonry wisely hands us over to communion with mankind , and

tells its workmen that the foundation of their strength will be this brotherly love . Lastly wc arrive at thc crowning point of Masonry , the third method ivhich it employs to work out its important design of first instructing us in the right principles , and then placing us iu a position to become true Masons . It has been stated IIOAV sloiv is the progress of the human mind

, aud what little advance has been mado after thousands of years , and there is consequently little to encourage us in our aspirations ; but still wc continue striving , as if impressed ivith a sense of our higher destination . There must , therefore , be something of doubt in the human soul , of our having yet achieved the limit of our perceptions , and that is the real presence of the Divinity , together with the idea of our immortality . All experience obtained through

ourselves and others , leads us to thc truth of His existence , and man ' s soul then ascends to God whilst grovelling iu the same position , ivith good intentions , but no resolution , leaves him without the means of his OAVU development . This consideration AA'ill lead to a desire of becoming more perfect , which feeling subdues thc earthly propensity aud raises him upwards , and this point of perfectionlie looks to his God within his everlasting and better

, world . It is by education that man is brought thus forward , ancl encouraged to nourish within him those innate ideas of his own perfection . Hon- hard ivould it he to walk iu tin ' s direction , except these ideas were first impressed upon us ? Without sonic presentiment of their truth , IIOAV few Avould be inclined to believe in the Divinity and immortality , as this doctrine is not positively

demonstrated ; whereas with such a feeling in the human heart , every one , in Avhatever reli gion he may he imbued , sees that idea openly expressed , of which he had only a mere notion beforehand . It is true that the mysteries of faith arc only a part of the Freemason ' s instructions , but they are the root and foundation of all his legislation . After thus conferring this sacred knowledge upon us , what else is done by education ' . We are baptized and taught to believe in the faith

of our forefathers , and by that means save our souls ; but my attachments , ivhich were born with me , my brother mini takes from me and hands them over to perdition , because the faith of his forefathers is different from mine , aud hence arises the reverse of brotherly love . The faith of our forefathers is a hi gh sounding word , whicli rivets the mind ; oh , that it were not a war-cry and a banner too often stained with the blood of mankind

I Would not the scope of our education be better confined to teacli us to believe in One Almighty Father of all mankind , so that AA-C might look upon each other as brethren ? The faith in this Almi ghty Father of all is the contemplation of Himself in his Omnipotence , and whose love to men ivas manifested by His Son being made the mediator between Himself and mankind , so that all and every one mi ght as lost children , be again restored to their Heavenl y Father . This faith is that of Freemasonry , so little followed in the outer world . It allows the innate experience of God ' s presence to be arraduallv develoned and

strengthens man ' s faith in that direction ; whilst on the other hand it teaches him how little he can do of himself , ancl that all his hope must rest above , seeing that the hi ghest grade of wisdom he canarriye at on earth is the experience of his own ignorance . To bring about such a result is the object of the consecration of the Master Mason , whose desi gn is to create worthy disci ples of Freemasonry . The more he is humbled the more he will venerate thc hi

gh mission of the Master , who , whilst he teaches the folly of worldly ambition , opens to him here on earth a prospect of heaven to strengthen his faith and aspirations for that eternity of bliss towards whicli he is progressing . This faith is the grand result of our whole existence here , and the fruit of our earthly anil gradual development . The Master teaches this as the faith , from ivhich nothing must be taken aivay , neither must

anything he added to it , being truth in itself . The Mediator , Christ , whilst he lived ancl felt as man , could proclaim to us no other doctrine than that of man ' s regeneration and acceptance by his Almighty Father . It is thus said , and ivith truth , that he came to save that ivhich was lost . This faith is no other than that of true Freemasonry , which leads man through his earthly career in the right direction , till he arrives at the full enjoyment of his idea of bliss in

evcrlastinn- life . Lotus , therefore , hrethren , who are onl y at the beginning of the road , and have many difficulties to meet with on our journey ,

From Dark To Light.

take care to hold fast the principles of Masonry , which will lead tis as it were by the hand on our pilgrimage , over rugged ways to smooth paths , from conflicts to victories , from toil to recompense , and from " Dark to Li g ht . "

Art Knowledge Formed On The Study Of Nature.

ART KNOWLEDGE FORMED ON THE STUDY OF NATURE .

BV IJDlV . lllD Slllim , -ESQ . X ' . VI ' L ' UK' . S glorious forms , could they be copied literally , are far too perfect and lovely in themselves to be used as secondary things to any ivork of man . The humblest flower , as the wild geranium , that grows on every bank , ivould far outshine , for grace , elegance , and marvellous detail , the richest tracery that ever encrusted a Gothic ceiling . Hencemanthough he must

, , go to nature for his forms and colours , must adopt a wisdom taught hy experience , and he content with only a few of her beauties . The ornamentist is forced to select just as much as may give beauty to his works , and not put them to shame ; hut , whatever he takes he must hold sacred , and not trifle with ; so that , us far as he goes , all who have studied nature may recognize its truth . This 1 believe to he thc true origin of that treatment of

natural forms which is styled conventional , and which is a fundamental principle of all good design , and characterizes beautiful ornaments of all ages ; conventional treatment meaning an arrangement of natural forms , selected aud drawn according to certain arbitrary laws . Thus , thc cover of thc hook , which lost its proper character by decorating it with delicately painted flowers , might have been rendered beautiful in its usefulness by

tiie addition of a feiv simple lines , leaf like in their curves , but geometric and unobtrusive . I say geometric , because reducing lilies to 1 ' olloAv certain laivs is merely bringing them within the province of geometry , ivhich establishes such laws with accuracy and truth . This conventional treatment of natural forms has beeu accounted for in many ways ; some derive it from the example of thc ancients , others from a horror in thc artist of degrading

nature hy applying her forms unchanged to mean and interior offices . But I fear it is a less noble motive which forces us to strip nature of some of her glories , and fetter her with geometric forms . I fear it arises more from our secret vanity , Avhich is deeply wounded AA'hen wc sec tbe hardest work of our hands and brains obscured by the wealth of beauty in any of nature's works . ] S OAA ' , it might be asserted ivith seeming truth , that the copying

of any natural form , by man's handicraft , must necessarily be so imperfect as to require no conventional means of degrading it ; but admitting that the representation , however perfect , is iiir inferior to nature , yet , because it is man's greatest effort assisted by nature , it must still be far more perfect than man ' s ivork unassisted by nature , and therefore unfit to occupy the place of decoration . Having proved , then , the necessity for conventional treatment , and been convinced that the broad iield of heaven's work is the

great emporium from whence we must draw our knowledge , it is clear that the first step to acquire skill in designing fitly and grandly must be to acquire as intimate ancl accurate a knowledge of natural forms as our powers permit ; and if this is true of all such forms , it applies ivith greater force to that formjjwhich the universal voice of mankind lias proclaimed the noblest and most beautiful of all , namely , thc human form . The changes that take

place from youth to age in a leaf or branch , or ei-en in one of the lower animals , produce no great difference in our ideas of them through all the periods of their existence ; but in the human form , hoiv distinct are our ideas of childhood , manhood , ancl old age V Innocence ancl youth , strength and experience , Avisdom and informity , pass , one by one , across the lines of the face , which become archedstraihtcrookedor all three combined—as each

, g , , age and passion think , fit to impress them . A line in this case is more than a line , it is a short biographical history . It is a mere truism to say , that the perfect human form is the hi ghest manifestation of God ' s power upon earth ; ancl as this form is but the external covering of an infinitely complex structure of hones ancl muscles , ivhich change with every affection of the mind , it is almost impossible by any study thoroughly to understand it .

Hence , to draw the human figure well is at once the triumph and the test of the artist's skill . All great schools have founded their knoAvledge on it . History proves that it was _ thus the greatest ornameutists aimed at excellence . Thc ages which have been most illustrious in great artists were also those that heralded or commenced the best ages of ornamental art—as the ages of Phidias , Paul Veronese , aud Raphael . Hence the proof of my second ancl third propositionsnamely , that art knowledge should he acquired by all classes , and