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Article CYCLOPIAN REMAINS NEAR ROME. ← Page 3 of 3 Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Page 1 of 3 →
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Cyclopian Remains Near Rome.
Middle Ages , and referrible to the later period of republican Rome . "Within this we see , at different levels of the ascent , the remains of the much earlier fortifications , preserved to greater height than are any other similar structures of these Italian cities , and less ruinous than is the condition of most . The
first presented to view is the town s lower quarter , an extent of walls in enormous polygonal blocks , here 6 palms in thickness , and stretching 33 palms in length . But , in the hi gher quarter , are others , assumed , from the still vaster scale and more rudely irregular character of the stonework , ( here also
polygonal ) to belong to another , cincture of greater antiquity . Gell supposes these fortifications to be undoubtedly Pelasgic ; and Midler points out the evidence of different date in the characteristics of their higher and lower portions severally . Here , as at Alatri , the interstices between the enormous masses arewhere
, left wide , filled up by small irregularly shaped stones ; and , though far from equalling in extent the Oyclopian walls of the latter city , these of Cora give a still greater idea of power , of the ambition that animated their builders . But the latter place contains ruins of less mysterious antiquity , whose beauty will impress
most visitors far more than the stupendous proportions of those abori ginal structures . About half-way up the ascent we find a small church , built in a ruin called popularly "The Palace of Pilate , " but in reality a temple of Castor and Pollux , as evident from the names of those deities still distinctl y
read on frieze and architrave ; besides which members of its architecture remain only a Corinthian column and correspondent pilaster , in fluted travertine , belonging ( as inferred ) to an angle of the pronaos , and even these fragments but imperfectly seen , embedded in modern masonry . At the summit , reached by a fatiguing walk , is that celebrated and exquisite temple of
Hercules , deemed a perfect example of the Doric order in its fourth epoch , ivhich was admired by Raffaelle aud made the subject of a sketch by him , still extant ; by "Winckleman was referred to the period of Tiberius ; hut by others , who argue , from the archaic character of the inscription over th ; entrance ( see Mitller ' s "
Oampagna" ) , placed at date so early as the first Republican period . Of the peristyle still remain eight travertine columns , six ( including those at the angles ) in front , and two ( or four including the latter ) at the sides , the upper part , to about two-thirds , fluted ancl clothed with stuccothe lower part of the shafts cut in facets
, , these supporting a frontispiece , with frieze and architrave still entire , the only ruinous portion in this higher member being the apex of the triangular pediment . The columns have bases ( a detail so rarel y found in the li ' arly Doric ) , and this graceful pronaos rests on a hih basement of travertinebefore ivhich
g , stretches a grassy platform just at the brow of the hill , commanding one of the most extensive and glorious landscapes in Italy , —at least , in Central Italy . Within that peristyle stands the front wall of the cella , and its original doorway with marble jambs , above which runs the inscription . Behind extends
a long low church , St . Pietro , on whose walls we see a fragment of the temple cornice , and a beautifullychiselled marble altar serves to support the baptismal font , its four sides adorned with reliefs of rams' heads , festoons of fruit and flowers , and three heads of the sun god encircled by rays—not identical , but each of finel y-characterised features .
Masonic Notes And Queries.
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .
VOLTAIRE ' S ASSERTION RESECTING THE ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY . " Scrutator " asks whether Voltaire ' s assertion respecting the origin of Freemasonry has been generally adopted in France . Voltaire ' s words are , — "La franc maconnerie , n'est qu ' un amas de stupidites revees par un Anglais ivrogneet des foris . " My answer is in
, propagees par the negative . " Scrutator" should read the article £ Franc Maconnerie , " in the " Encyclopedic Universello . " There are , by-the-bye , in that article , two short passages relating to English Masonry in tho middle ages which some readers of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE may bo glad to see , and ivhich , therefore , I take this opportunity of communicating : — " En 132-7 , toutc la haute noblesse de
l'aiigletcrre so trouvait enrolce dans la confrerio maoonnique . " "En 1502 , Henri VII . pritl'institntion sons son patronage , et ouvrifc nne loge dons son propre palais . " Tho " Encyclopedic Univorsclle " is a very popular work . It is published in parts , ten sous each , and will shortly be completed . Upon inquiry it will , I am persuaded , bo found that . the article on our Craft is commonly
considered accurate . It is consequentl 3 ' _ plain that "Voltaire ' s assertion is disregarded . —CHARLES 1 URTON COOPER . ON KEEPING A SECRET . ( From the old Freemasons' Magazine . ) Ami let not wine nor anger wrest 'J'h' encrusted secret from your breast . FRANCIS ' S HORACE .
" The art of keeping a secret is a very necessary virtue in a man , for which reason the ancients painted in their ensigns tho figure of a Minautour to signif j' ( as it was related of that monster who was concealed in a very decent and retired labyrinth ) that in the same manner the counsel of a great man ( principally a secretary of state , and a chief of an army ) ought to be held the most sacred
possible , and not without a reason , since the best schemes are put in execution before the enemy can get intelligence of them . Should they be discovered , before execution , other projects must be embraced , for thoy become more dangerous to the authors , than to tho persons they wero intended against . There is nothing more rude and uncivil in any man , than to desire to know the secrets of
another . If we are desirous to keep them , it requires oututmost care so to do . If he comes with a design tobetray us , it is downright treachery : we ought to be as much on out- guard against a man who demands our secret , as against a highway-robber who demands our money . " Antigonus the Great was asked by his son , ' At what hour the camp would break up ? ' ' Are you afraid , ' replied the father , ' that you will be the only one who will
not hear the trumpet . ' The King Lysimachus asked Philippido , ' what he wished to have communicated to him ? ' ' What your Majesty pleases , ' answered he , ' provided they are no secrets . ' According to the accounts of Suetonius , Julias Ocesav never said , to-morrow we shall do this , or to-day we shall do that ; but only this , at this present hour , we shall do
so aud so ; to-morrow we shall see what is to be done . John Duke of Marlborough , in the wars of Queen Anne , perfectly imitated this example—the French could never get intelligence of his measures till after the execution . Cecilius Mctellus , being asked by one of his captains , ' at what time he would offer battle to tho enemy ? ' answered , 'If I imagined that my shirt knew the least of
my thoughts , I would burn it on the instant , and never wear another . ' Queen Olympins writing to her son Alexander , reproached him that he had not discretion sufficient in the distribution of his liberalities ; but , because Ephestion , his favourite , was present at the reading this letter , and that the secret was of consequence , Alexander , without enjoining him to secresy by word of month , made a motion of touching his lips with the royal seal . A favourite courtier being urged by his Prince , to know
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Cyclopian Remains Near Rome.
Middle Ages , and referrible to the later period of republican Rome . "Within this we see , at different levels of the ascent , the remains of the much earlier fortifications , preserved to greater height than are any other similar structures of these Italian cities , and less ruinous than is the condition of most . The
first presented to view is the town s lower quarter , an extent of walls in enormous polygonal blocks , here 6 palms in thickness , and stretching 33 palms in length . But , in the hi gher quarter , are others , assumed , from the still vaster scale and more rudely irregular character of the stonework , ( here also
polygonal ) to belong to another , cincture of greater antiquity . Gell supposes these fortifications to be undoubtedly Pelasgic ; and Midler points out the evidence of different date in the characteristics of their higher and lower portions severally . Here , as at Alatri , the interstices between the enormous masses arewhere
, left wide , filled up by small irregularly shaped stones ; and , though far from equalling in extent the Oyclopian walls of the latter city , these of Cora give a still greater idea of power , of the ambition that animated their builders . But the latter place contains ruins of less mysterious antiquity , whose beauty will impress
most visitors far more than the stupendous proportions of those abori ginal structures . About half-way up the ascent we find a small church , built in a ruin called popularly "The Palace of Pilate , " but in reality a temple of Castor and Pollux , as evident from the names of those deities still distinctl y
read on frieze and architrave ; besides which members of its architecture remain only a Corinthian column and correspondent pilaster , in fluted travertine , belonging ( as inferred ) to an angle of the pronaos , and even these fragments but imperfectly seen , embedded in modern masonry . At the summit , reached by a fatiguing walk , is that celebrated and exquisite temple of
Hercules , deemed a perfect example of the Doric order in its fourth epoch , ivhich was admired by Raffaelle aud made the subject of a sketch by him , still extant ; by "Winckleman was referred to the period of Tiberius ; hut by others , who argue , from the archaic character of the inscription over th ; entrance ( see Mitller ' s "
Oampagna" ) , placed at date so early as the first Republican period . Of the peristyle still remain eight travertine columns , six ( including those at the angles ) in front , and two ( or four including the latter ) at the sides , the upper part , to about two-thirds , fluted ancl clothed with stuccothe lower part of the shafts cut in facets
, , these supporting a frontispiece , with frieze and architrave still entire , the only ruinous portion in this higher member being the apex of the triangular pediment . The columns have bases ( a detail so rarel y found in the li ' arly Doric ) , and this graceful pronaos rests on a hih basement of travertinebefore ivhich
g , stretches a grassy platform just at the brow of the hill , commanding one of the most extensive and glorious landscapes in Italy , —at least , in Central Italy . Within that peristyle stands the front wall of the cella , and its original doorway with marble jambs , above which runs the inscription . Behind extends
a long low church , St . Pietro , on whose walls we see a fragment of the temple cornice , and a beautifullychiselled marble altar serves to support the baptismal font , its four sides adorned with reliefs of rams' heads , festoons of fruit and flowers , and three heads of the sun god encircled by rays—not identical , but each of finel y-characterised features .
Masonic Notes And Queries.
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .
VOLTAIRE ' S ASSERTION RESECTING THE ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY . " Scrutator " asks whether Voltaire ' s assertion respecting the origin of Freemasonry has been generally adopted in France . Voltaire ' s words are , — "La franc maconnerie , n'est qu ' un amas de stupidites revees par un Anglais ivrogneet des foris . " My answer is in
, propagees par the negative . " Scrutator" should read the article £ Franc Maconnerie , " in the " Encyclopedic Universello . " There are , by-the-bye , in that article , two short passages relating to English Masonry in tho middle ages which some readers of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE may bo glad to see , and ivhich , therefore , I take this opportunity of communicating : — " En 132-7 , toutc la haute noblesse de
l'aiigletcrre so trouvait enrolce dans la confrerio maoonnique . " "En 1502 , Henri VII . pritl'institntion sons son patronage , et ouvrifc nne loge dons son propre palais . " Tho " Encyclopedic Univorsclle " is a very popular work . It is published in parts , ten sous each , and will shortly be completed . Upon inquiry it will , I am persuaded , bo found that . the article on our Craft is commonly
considered accurate . It is consequentl 3 ' _ plain that "Voltaire ' s assertion is disregarded . —CHARLES 1 URTON COOPER . ON KEEPING A SECRET . ( From the old Freemasons' Magazine . ) Ami let not wine nor anger wrest 'J'h' encrusted secret from your breast . FRANCIS ' S HORACE .
" The art of keeping a secret is a very necessary virtue in a man , for which reason the ancients painted in their ensigns tho figure of a Minautour to signif j' ( as it was related of that monster who was concealed in a very decent and retired labyrinth ) that in the same manner the counsel of a great man ( principally a secretary of state , and a chief of an army ) ought to be held the most sacred
possible , and not without a reason , since the best schemes are put in execution before the enemy can get intelligence of them . Should they be discovered , before execution , other projects must be embraced , for thoy become more dangerous to the authors , than to tho persons they wero intended against . There is nothing more rude and uncivil in any man , than to desire to know the secrets of
another . If we are desirous to keep them , it requires oututmost care so to do . If he comes with a design tobetray us , it is downright treachery : we ought to be as much on out- guard against a man who demands our secret , as against a highway-robber who demands our money . " Antigonus the Great was asked by his son , ' At what hour the camp would break up ? ' ' Are you afraid , ' replied the father , ' that you will be the only one who will
not hear the trumpet . ' The King Lysimachus asked Philippido , ' what he wished to have communicated to him ? ' ' What your Majesty pleases , ' answered he , ' provided they are no secrets . ' According to the accounts of Suetonius , Julias Ocesav never said , to-morrow we shall do this , or to-day we shall do that ; but only this , at this present hour , we shall do
so aud so ; to-morrow we shall see what is to be done . John Duke of Marlborough , in the wars of Queen Anne , perfectly imitated this example—the French could never get intelligence of his measures till after the execution . Cecilius Mctellus , being asked by one of his captains , ' at what time he would offer battle to tho enemy ? ' answered , 'If I imagined that my shirt knew the least of
my thoughts , I would burn it on the instant , and never wear another . ' Queen Olympins writing to her son Alexander , reproached him that he had not discretion sufficient in the distribution of his liberalities ; but , because Ephestion , his favourite , was present at the reading this letter , and that the secret was of consequence , Alexander , without enjoining him to secresy by word of month , made a motion of touching his lips with the royal seal . A favourite courtier being urged by his Prince , to know