Masonic Celestial Mysteries.

he undertook was to give the astronomical description of the heavens according to Fudoxus , and to relieve the dull monotony of a mere catalogue of constellations and stars by poetical language ;

and with great skill and ingenuity he has accomplished this undertaking . Mythology Eratus most beautifully blends with the celestial choir , and the loveij metaphors and illustrations can be readily understood by any reader having before

him a celestial globe or Atlas . The Masonic laws by which the constellations are ruled of course he does not give , but it is clear they were well known to him . or he could not have written as he has

done . Certain he was master of celestial mythology , and celestial mythology is but a stepping stone to celestial theology . All classic students formerly were , and some now are , instructed in mythology before they commence the study of

theology . Paul , in his invocation to the Unknown God of the Athenians , refers to their poets , and Dr . Lamb considers the following beautiful opening passage of the Phenominct , of Aratus is that to which the Saint move particular ** - alluded when he

said , " For in him we live , ancl move and have our being : as certain also of your own poets have said—for we are also his offspring . "

" Lot ns begin from Jove . Let every mortal raise His grateful voice to time Jove's endless praise . Jove fills the heaven—the earth—tho air : AVe feel bis spirit moving here and everywhere . Aud ive his offsprings are . He ever good Daily provides for man his daily food .

Ordains the seasons by his signs on high , Studding with gems of light the azure canopy . What time with plough or spade to break the soil , That plenteous score may bless the reapers' toil . What time to plant and prune the vine ho shews , And hangs the purple cluster on its boughs . To him—the First—the Last—all homage yield : Our Father—Wonderful—our Help—our Shield . "

Aratus takes us back with his astronomical knowledge to , say some , 200 before the Christian era . Aratus gives 44 constellations—20 north , 12 south , and the zodiacal 12- —and these 44 constellations are in every celestial chart now

published . Aratus is not the first that tuned his lyre to the heavenly choir ; indeed to attempt to trace the origin of the celestial host would be a hopeless task . The earliest poet we are acquainted with who mentions the constellations is Homer , and so

distant is his age considered that no one can form any just idea as to when he lived . In his description of Yulcan ' s shield he mentions : —

" The Pleiades—Hyads—with the northern train : And great Orion ' s more refulgent beam : To which around the axle of the sky The bear revolving points , & c . " PorE . The oldest Biblical writer is Job , who died

1558 B . C . Moses died 1451 B . C ., and Athens , where Aratus of Soli is said to have written his Phenomena , was founded 1556 B . C ., or three years before the death of Job . * Job , like Homer , mentions Orion and the Pleiades . ( Job , 9 , 9 ) .

Both are of Greek derivation , and yet Job is supposed to have been written in Hebrew , and not Greek . The constellations are known by their Greek names to the English . Aratus , in reference to the Pleiades , says : —

" All poets feign that one has passed away Alcyone—6 elceno—Merope Electro , —Taygeta and Sterope With Maia , honoured sisterhood . "

These are the very same names by which modem astronomers designatethe Pleiades . Aratus places the constellation near the left knee of Perseus , but in modern plates it is under his left foot , and in the neck of Taurus . Homer mentions

the celestial bear , but Job does not . The bear ' s first appearance in the sacred volume is in 1 st Sam . 17 v . 34 . Job mentions also Mazzarotb , the zodiac , ancl Arcturus ( Job , 38 , 32 ) . Aratus says of Bootes : —

" 'JJIong many gems more brilliant than the rest Arcturus glows upon his belted waist . Moderns have varied the figure of Bootes b y placing the left knee with Arcturus , but this alteration is evidently made to accommodate

certain celestial readings which could not otherwise be interpreted , and which need not be referred to here . Aratus , it would appear , was not always correct , for speaking of the Masonic pedestal or altar .

" Where Scorpio to tiie south his claw expands , Burning with constant fire an altar stands . f Few are the hours it shines to mortal eye—Short is its passage through the wintry sky . " The altar is not under the claw , but under the tail of Scorpio , and during the northern winter the sun is in or near the Scorpion , and conse-