Freemasonry And Its Institutes.—Iii.

( Div . Leg . ) is as follows : — "Each of the pagan gods had , besides the public and open , a secret worship paid unto him , to which none were admitted but those who had been selected by preparatory ceremonies , called initiation . This secret worship was termed the mysteries . " It is true , says De Quiucey , that the meaning of the

Egyptian religious symbols and usages was kept secret from thc pcoprlc and from strangers . And in that sense Egypt may be said to have had mysteries ; but these mysteries involved nothing more than the essential points of the popular religion . Do Quiucey considered the mysteries as a quasi dramatic representation of reliious ideas restricted to a

fewprobag , bly forming his opinion from the mysteries , or more accurately , according to Mr . Collier , the " Miracle Plays" of the middle ages ; the early plays being throughout Europe exclusively religious . But the miracle play ivas nothing but a portion of reli gious doctrine represented in action—an amusement with a religious object . In the words of a celebrated modern

author , " the very history of nations in their fresh , vigorous , half civilized youth always shapes itself into dramatic forms ; while as the action of sober reason expands with civilization , to the injury of the livelier faculties and more intuitive impulses , people look to the dramatic form of expression , whether in thought or in action , as if it were the antidote to truth '

, instead of being itsabstract and essence . " Among a wild and semibarbarous peopde it was necessary to place before the uncultivated minds of the crowd some tangible object by which they mi ght become .. familiarized with , and enabled to form some definite ideas of the subject symbolically presented to them—hence jnost probably the dramatic

character ofthe mysteries . " The Egyptians , " says Clement of Alexandria , " neither entrusted their mysteries to every one , nor degraded the secrets of divine matters by disclosing them to the profane , reserving them for the heir apparent of the throne , and for such of the priests as excelled in virtue and wisdom . " The morality taught by the priests was pure and refined , but it had little influence ou the manners of the

people ; so also the secret doctrines or theology of the priests were rational and sublime , but the worship ofthe people was debased by tho most revolting and absurd superstitions . Sir G . AVilkinson , in his Manners ( end Customs of ihe Ancient Egyptians , says , "The Egyptian mysteries consisted of two degrees , denominated greater or " less ; and to

become qualified for admission into the higher class , tlie aspirant must have passed through those of the inferior degree . The priests alone could arrive at a thorough knowledge of the greater mysteries ; but so sacred were these secrets held , that many members of the sacerdotal order were not admitted to a participation of thornat alland those

, , alone were selected for initiation who had proved themselves A'irtuous and deserving of the honour . " In giving a sketch of paganism , therefore , an essential difference is to be made between thc religion of tlie learned and of the vulgar crowd . Aristotle ( Melaphys . ii . ) asserts " the existence oi' one only Godthe goodthe eternaland Supreme Being" and this

, , , ; was the general doctrine of tin : philosophers ! "All that multiplicity of gods , " says Cudworth ( Intellect . Sysi . iv . § 13 ) , " which makes so great a show and noise , was really nothing but several names and notions of one Supreme Deity , and no more was acknowledged hy the more intellent pagans . " Indeed this is borne out btho testimony we find in the

y Acts , when St . Paul found an altar on the Areopagus at Athens , with the inscription , "To tho unknown God . " The Eleusinian mysteries appear to have been instituted in order to purify the minds of the initiated from the grossness of tlie superstition held by the multitude , by inculcating tho unity of God , and the immortality of tlie human soul . Cicero

considers these mj'steiies as thc greatest benefit conferred on tho whole world b y Athens , when he says ( de Leg , ii . ) , " It Avas she Avho _ taught us not only to live happily , but to die Avith tranquillity , in the confidence of becoming yet more happy in a future state of existence . " Thc religion then , of

Freemasonry And Its Institutes.—Iii.

the enlightened pagans Avas pure theism , that of the vulgus profanum , polytheism . Tlie sixth . / Eneid of Virgil contains many particulars on this point , and of initiation . The most important ofthe mysteries were those of Mithras , celebrated in Persia ; of Osiris and Isis in Egypt ; of Eleusis in Greece ; and the Scandinavian and Druidical rites among the Gothic

and Celthic tribes . In all these various mysteries ive find a singular unity of desigu , clearly indicating a common origin , and a purity of doctrine as evidently proving that this common ori gin was not to be sought for in the popular theology of the heathen , world . It was believed that he who was initiated would not only enjoy more virtue and happiness

in this world , as being under the especial care of the gods , but that he would also gain celestial honours and hapjiiness iu the next . The punishment of revealing them was death . Horace says ( Lib . iii ., Carm . ii . 26 ) : — " Est et fideli tuta silentio Merces ; vetabo qui Cercris sacrum

. Vulgarit arcana ; , sub iisdem Sit trabibus , fragilemque meciim Solvat phaserum . " "There is likewise a sure reward for faithful silence . I will prohibit that man who shall divulge thc sacral rites of Ceres from being under the same roof with me , or from setting sail with mc in the same fragile vessel . " E . B . AV . ( To be continued . )

Peculiarities Of The Architecture Of The Egyptians.

PECULIARITIES OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE EGYPTIANS .

BY JOHN AVILSON 110 SS . THE architecture of the Egyptians is remarkable for its colossal proportions , the severity of its lines , the simplicity of its masses , and the gravity of its character , combined with those ideas of knowledge , poiver , and riches whicli aro imparted to it by the hieroglyphical sculpture with which it is so frequently embellished . Executed with blocks of stone

of a prodigious size and an excessive hardness , the architectural monuments of the ancient Egyptians seem to have been raised by a race of giants to last for ever . It seems as if that people had Avished at times , by their distribution of caves to useful purposes , to render the interior of mountains habitable . At times it seems as if they had wished to make

mountains themselves by laboriously but skilfully piling up rocks , and assembling them into regular masses , to be religiously consecrated to their gods , their chiefs and their illustrious dead . With them there was no repairing nor reconstructing ; for in erecting their edifices they always had in view but one object—indestructibility . Each age sought to be illustrated by some neiv work ; if it did not complete the work , the next age continued it with patience and

perseverance ; and ii it was not then finished , it was again bequeathed to further descendants . Time was of no moment among those pious builders , their edifices being devoted to time , the duration of which is infinite . All tho sculptures and all tho rich embellishments thafc adorned the sacred walls of the ancient Egpytians were symbolic either of reli gion or history , and ivere always full of

signification . It AA'as inscription held in veneration , because it was mysterious and inexplicable to the mass . It was not explained to the people except as a recompense for their labours and their docility , or as succour emanatin g from their gods when calamities afflicted them . Then priests and kings made a . voice issue at their will from their sacred Avails

or commanded them to remain dumb . Thence alone did they draw secrets of science , religious morals and principles of government , to use them for the interest of the state , to improve thc laws before they had yet readied that degree of perfection which made them common and beneficial alike to pontiffs , people , and nronarchs . What may then now appear

whimsical and grotesque iu , their architectural forms anel in their ornaments , were not so in those distant ages , ivhen usages and customs were knoivn which are noiv unknoAvn ,