Masonic Notes And Queries.

love , and charity . Freemasonry , therefore , does not possess great antiquity , but what of that ? On the other hand , its principles ( or the principles which it has adopted ) are so good , so noble and humanizing , that they have only to be known to he appreciated , and they may largely play their part in bringing in that good time which our worthy brother , whohas long since

gone—•¦ ' To the land o' the leal , " so nobly sang when—¦ ¦ — " Man to man , tho ivarld o ' er , Shall brothers be for a' that . " —PlCTUS . THE ORBER OP ST . J OTIS OV JERUSALEM .

The branch of this Order referred to by the colonial brother , "J , " is not in any manner allied to the Masonic Order called by the same title . If the brother will address a letter to me , at the office of this Magazine , stating what are the details ho requires , I have no doubt the Editor will do me the favour to have it forwarded to my address , which is known to him , and I will reply direct . —LUPUS .

PRIORITY OP BUILT STRUCTURES TO ROCK-CUT EXAMPLES . ET PlCrtJS . In tho Magazine for December 12 th , 1 S 6 S , page 471 , Bro . A . 0 . Hayc says , — " Pictus has rather startled me out of my propriety in saying that the rock-cut dwellings came up after the built-edifices .

up I always thought the contrary , and that the steps were cave , rock-cut , and built-up . " This idea of Ero . Haye's I consider a mistake , ancl I may observe en passant that most ancient rock-cut examples were either tombs or temples , not " dwellings " ( the houses being generally of a more temporary character ) ; but ,

be that as it may , the question is—does the priority belong to " built-up " or " rock-cut ? " ancl I most decidedly say that I believe in the existence of built structures long before any rock-cut examples could , or would , be executed ; for , before men could hew rockthey would require suitable tools & cand the

, , , amount of knowledge and experience necessary to cut out a rock-cut tomb , temple , or dwelling , would show that considerable progress had already been made in the arts . But , if rock-cut examples were the earliest ,

where have they all gone to ? And , as for early rockcut " dwellings , " where arc they ? They woidd not be liable , like wood , mud , or brick houses to quick decay . If there had been rock-cut" dwellings " before built structures , some of them would surely be extant to speak for themselves , but I know of none .

The fact is , rock-cut examples would be , at one time , a new-fangled notion , introduced by somebody longafter built structures had been in use . There ' is then the question of time , for , while tho rock-cutting was ' going on , the men would have to be sheltered ; but sheltered where ? unless in wooden housesor ones

, with earthen walls ancl wooden roofs , or bricks , or something similar , erected conveniently . As for caves , they would have to be discovered , and there would be considerable difficult y in finding them when and where they were required . However , let us see what history says about man ' s dwellingsThe first

. is Gen . chap . 2 , v . S— " And the Lord God planted a garden . " This gives the idea of an enclosed place . After the fall they had coats of skins from " coats " of skins the transition to " houses " of skins would be

quite simple ; a few branches of trees set up and covered with skins , ancl a house was formed , which would soon be improved upon . I reject the idea of Adam dwelling in a cave for any length of time ( even suppose he had discovered one ) for caves and dens of the earth were for animals ; but Adam was a

mannot such as can be found among the debased tribes of the earth—but a man who , although fallen , could yet remember the time when he held communion with the Great Creator of all . He would not therefore burrow in the earth like the beasts ; but , as the Lord of the Earth , his dwelling would be above it . Caves , as the .

habitations of man , are only fit for , and would be only used by savages , men who have become debased , or by those seeking shelter from their own fellows . However , it is remarkable how soon after the fall we read of " building , " for Gen . chap . 4 , v . 17 , — " And Cain knew his wife ; and she conceived , and bare Enoch ; and he-bidldcd a city , and called the name of

tho city after the name of his son , Enoch . Ihen several generations after , verse 20 , — " Tubal ; he was the father of such as dwell in tents . " This would show that they were now ( some of them , at least ) beginning to roam about . Then , verse 22 , — " Tubal-Cain , an instructor of every artificer in brass and

iron . " This shows a settled life , and advancement in the arts . Cain , as a husbandman , would have to settle down in a locality favourable for husbandry , aud would naturally build houses , as also barns , & c , for his produce ancl animals . The next " building " I would mention is that of JNToah , just before the flood ,

who erected a large wooden house capable of floating on the water . This erection we commonly know as the Ark—IMoali ' s Ark . Then , the first thing Woah did on leaving tho Ark , was , — " And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord . " Shortly after we read of tho building of tho celebrated Tower of Babel , made of burned bricks " and slime ( or bitumen ) had they for mortar . "

I now come to extant stone structures , and the first of these—the oldest stone monuments in existence made by man—is ( as almost all authorities coincide in saying ) the Pyramids of Egypt . I have imagined some of the oldest of them may have existed even before the flood ; but , if not , they come pretty close

to its date . Mr . James Ferguson says , — " Turning , then , to the Pyramids—tho oldest , largest , and most mysterious of all the monuments of man ' s art now existing . " He also says regarding them , — "With these cvidencies of extreme antiquity we are startled to find Egyptian art nearly as perfect in the oldest

pyramids as in any of the later , or , as it became afterwards , when all the refinement ancl all the science of the Greeks had been applied to its elaboration ; " ancl I may add another remark , interesting perhaps to some of the brethren . In Lower Egypt " all the pyramids—with one exception ( the pyramids of Saccara)—face exactly north , and have their entrances on that side . "

Mr . Philip Smith says , —" The great temples , tombs , and statues of . "Upper Egypt ( from which we gain our chief knowledge of the people ) were erected under the Theban Kings , who probably reached the acme of their power after the Exodus . But the Pyramids of Lower Egypt were seen by Abraham far across the valley of the " JNilc , as he approached the royal city of Memphis , with the same general outline