Cyclopean Masonry, And The Buildings Of Jerusalem.

the next step in the advance of architectural skill . It is found at Passargada ., in Persia , though of an inferior size , as late as the time of Cyrus ; and it is still used in the palace of Hyrcanus , near Bashan , about a century before the time of Herod ; but it disappears in the monuments erected in Jerusalem

in his time . At Baalbec and Hebron , it goes to an unknown date ; and in the Holy City it is found in the oldest parts of the city ancl Temple . That it immediately succeeded the earlier masonry found at the Golden Gate is evident from the presence of false joints made in the blocks , and simulating

the rebating , Avhich is the principal characteristic of this thirchstyle of megalithic masonry . From its appearance in tho Avails of the Temple inclosure , it must be referred to one of tAvo periods , — either to the time of Solomon , or to that of Herod ; and since it disappears from the monuments cf Herod ' s time , and is replaced by another and more advanced style , it can only be attributed to the time of Solomon .

The appearance of the rebated masonry gives two fresh indications of the truth of the theory that Jerusalem is to be classed amongst the cities of the giants . Iu the first place , it shows the antiquity of the former style , found at the Golden Gate , and refers it to an age previous to that of the Jewish supremacy in Palestine ; and secondly , the size of the stones themselves seems to indicate

some original gigantic style , from Avhich the present one Avas copied -. blocks of such a size that , as in Solomon's house and in the palace of Hyrcanus , in Bashan ( the stronghold of the giants ) , the AA'hole height of a lofty building Avas only equal to three courses , Avere above the strength of the

men of Solomon ' s time , AA'hen only a remnant of the giants remained , and these- for the most part destroyed by David ' s mighty men . And here , therefore , - skill and knoAvledge are first found taking the place of human strength . The great stones Avere cut and finished in the

mountain quarries , moved on rollers , and raised by means of leAvis-holes , as is still evident from their present appearance . But if it IIOAV required such labour and pains , AA'hy Avere such extraordinary dimensions still preserved ? What could have been the reason that such colossal blocks

should have been used in Palestine at a time Avhen other nations built their strongest AA'alls of brick , or of stones of ordinary size ? unless , indeed , the great monarch Avho first repaired the ancient Cyclopean Avails , Avhich his father DaA'id Avas unable to rebuild , Avas unwilling to be inferior in massive grandeur and strength even to the ancient race of the e-iants .

If Solomon Avere unwilling t ' o be surpassed by his predecessors , Herod AA'as not less so to be inferior to Solomon . He could not surpass , but he could equal , the enormous size of his Avorks . The beauty given to the Avails by the break in the plain surface formed by the rebating Avas perhaps necessary to tho unornamental archi-

Cyclopean Masonry, And The Buildings Of Jerusalem.

tecture of the HebreAv masons , Avho had copied the Avorks of Solomon , and thus made them thefoundation of a JeAvish style ; but with Herod a neAV spirit came in , and the rich mouldings and graceful orders of later Roman architecture forming sufficient ornamentation , he did away

Avith the irregular appearance given by the unequal lengths of the stones and the consequent irregularity of distance betAveen the vertical bands of the rebating , and , substituted a style of colossal Roman masonry , plainer , indeed , than the JeAvish , but more regular in its courses aud in its joints .

Thus arose the fourth gigantic style found at the present day at Hebron , Jerusalem , and Herodium , a city entirely built by Herod . The stones of this masonry are nearly square , and some even deeper than they are long . They are all perfectly plain , Avell grained and polished , and laid in beds

of equal depth , and not decreasing as they approach the top of the Avail , as in the JeAvish style . The joints are nearly at equal distances , and placed alternately in the courses , so that the masonry lias reached a state almost of perfection . Tho clumsy expedients of his predecessors Avere at the

same time laid aside by Herod , and domes and flat elliptical arches , bold viaducts , and vaulted roofs appear in their stead . Roman orders , Roman mouldings succeed the JeAvish styles ; great towers Avere built , fit to withstand the batteriug-rams of ancient AvarfareAvith solid bases ,

, to move one stone of AA'hich required the Avork of many days . In short , the colossal masonry has advanced by degrees until it has attained almost to perfection , and until it is only necessary to reduce its dimensions to find in it the masonry of modern times .

The fall of Jerusalem seems to be the close of its history ; aud , although Constantino ' s columns recalled those of the second temple , and the Avorks of Justinian are described as gigantic , yet the Avails of the former are only of ordinary proportions , and even the greatest Avorks of the latter fall far short

of the masonry of Herod and Solomon . Thus the history of Cyclopean masonry has been traced from the first rude stone fences of Tiryns and Mycenee , though the first advance of the Etruscan to the ornamental character ofthe Jewish , until it attains its highest point of perfection in the Roman of Herod . In doine- so it has been

gradually brought out that Jerusalem is to be classed amongst gigantic cities—a conclusion Avhich is confirmed by the words of Scripture , and Avhich gives additional interest and importance to the after-history of the Holy City . — Builder .

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IIE who backbites an absent friend , who does not defend liira Avhen another censures him , who affects loud laughs in company and the reputation of a fanny fellow , who can feign tilings he never saw , who cannot keep secrets , he is u dangerous man ; against him , boys , be on your guard . A TKUE man has as much strength in adversity as in prosperity . As , in the dark of the moon , she sways the tide as powerfully as in her full-orbed brightness .