The Masonic Properties Of Numbers.

Solomon was seven years building the Temple , which was dedicated in the seventh month , the festival lasting seven days . The candlestick in the Tabernacle consisted of seven branches . The tower of Babel , according to ancient tradition , was elevated seven stories before the dispersion took

place . If Cain be avenged sevenfold , Lamecb should be avenged seventy and sevenfold . Abraham pleaded seven times for Sodom . Jacob served seven years for Rachel , and also , afterwards , a second period of seven years . Joseph mourned seven days for Jacob .

Laban pursued Jacob seven days' journey . The seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine , were foretold in Pharoah's dream by the seven fat and lean kiue , and the seven ears of blasted corn . The children of Israel were to eat unleavened bread for seven days . By the old law , man was to forgive his offending

brother seven times , but the tender mercy of the Saviour extended that forbearance to seventy times seven . To the children of Israel , every seventh year was directed to be a year of rest for all things ; and at the end of seven times seven years commenced the jubilee . They were to observe a feast seven days after the harvest of corn and wine ; seven days were they to keep

a solemn feast , as they had been blessed in the work of their hands . Every seventh year the land lay fallow . Every seventh year the law was to be read to the people . If they were obedient , their enemies should flee before them seven ways ; if disobedient , their enemies should

chase them seven ways . Amongst the heathens , also , the number seven was esteemed peculiarly sacred . Cicero , in his "Dream of Scipio , " calls it the "binding knot of all things . " ( Qui numerus rerum omnivnn fere nodus est ) . Plato , in his " Timceus , " taught that what he calls the " Soul of the World" was generated out of tbe number

seven . A few more instances of the heathen references to the number seven may not be uninteresting , though I fear , brethren , I have almost carried my observations on this symbol beyond the bonds of your patience . There were seven ancient planets . There were seven Pleiades , and seven Hyades . Seven altars burned continually before the god Mithras .

The Arabians had seven holy temples . The Hindoos supposed the world to be enclosed within the compass of seven peninsulas . The Goths had seven deities , viz ., the Sun , the Moon , Tuisco , Woden , Thor , Friga , and Seatur ; from whose names are derived our days of the week ; as Sunday , the day of the Sun ; Monday , the day of the Moon ; Tuesday ,

the day of Tuisco ; Wednesday , or Woden ' s day ; Thursday , or the day of Thor ; Friday , or Friga ' s day ; and Saturday , or the day of Seatur . In the Persian Mysteries were seven spacious caverns , ( corresponding to the Seven Ages of Man ) , through which the candidate had to pass . In the Gothic Mysteriesthe candidate had to meet

, with seven obstructions , which were called the " roads of the seven stages . " In fine , it is to be observed that in all heathen rites whatever sacrifices were always deemed most efficacious when the victims were seven in number .

I shall extend my remarks ou the number 7 no further ( though the subject is almost inexhaustible ) , for I fear lest I may have already wearied you , brethren , with the references already enumerated ; and therefore pass onto the consideration of the ogdoade , or number 8 .

1 st . —The ogdoade , or number 8 , symbolises perfection . And this probably because it is the first perfect cube in numbers , for 2 x 2 x 2 = 8 . 2 nd . —Considered as being compounded of the addition of four twos ( 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 ) it signifies friendship , prudence , counsel , and justice . 3 rd . —It appears to have been , by traditions now

extinct , a symbol of primeval law , which regarded all men as on an equality . 4 th . —The ogdoade was represented by the Gnostics under the form of eight stars , which , most probably , had reference to the eight Cabiri of Samothrace ; that is the eight gods worshipped in the island of Samothrace . These eiht Cabiri seem oriinally to have been Syrian

g g or Syro-Pha _ nician gods ; aud all that we know about them is to be found in a quotation by Eusebius from Sauchoniathon , which tells us that they were the children of Sydyk ( whom Faber and others suppose to have represented Noah ) , and that they were the early inventors of shipbuilding . Iu the days of Chronos ( or Saturn ) their descendants , while navigating thesea , ran aground

on Mount Casius , and there erected a temple . 5 th . —The Gnostic ogdoade referred , also , to the eight postulates of the Egypto-Phoanioian philosophy ; to tbe eight gods of Xenocrates ; and to the eight angles of the cubic stone . 6 th . —The number 8 , by its peculiar figure 8 ( or CD ) , indicates the eternal , uninterrupted , and regular

course of the Universe . I now proceed to speak of the novary , or number 9 , which was no less celebrated amongst the ancient schools than its root the number 3 . 1 st . —The number 9 , looked upon as produced by the multiplication of the number three into itself ( 3 * 3 = 9 ) was of great significancy amongst the ancient sages ; because , according to them , each of tbe three elements , which constitute material bodies , is ternary ; water containing earthly and igneous ( phosphorescent ) particles ;

and fire being tempered by globules of water , and by terrestrial particles , in the objects which feed it . No one of the three material elements being , therefore , entirely free from admixture with the other two ; all created things that are composed of these three elements ( whereof each is a triplicate ) , may be symbolised by the formula , three times three ( or 9 ) , which has consequently

become the hieroglyphic numeral for the " formation of all bodies terrestrial . " Hence , probably , the "Ninth Envelope" given to matter ; and so , also , every material extension , every line , whether right or curved , has for its representative sign , amongst the Pythagoreans , the number 9 . 2 nd . —The number 9 was sacred to the fine arts ;

because of their being represented by the Muses , nine in number . 3 rd . —The number 9 is the symbol of any circumference of a circle , no matter what matter be its radius ; because every circumference , or complete circle , consists of 360 mathematical parts , or degrees , and is represented hieroglyphically by 3 + 6 + 0 = 9 . Nevertheless , it is

remarkable , that ancient philosophers seem to have regarded this number with a sort of terror ; they considered it a bad prestige , as being the symbol of versality , change , and the frailty of human affairs . For this reason they avoided all numerals where the figure nine appears ; and chiefly the number 81 , the product of nine multiplied by itself .

4 th . —On the other hand , in one point of view , we find that the number 9 was , amongst the Greeks , called " teleios , " " perfect , finished ; " and this signification , seems to have been derived from the fact , that nine months is the proper period of gestation for the perfect production , of human beings . 5 th . —The Pythagoreans had observed tbe strange property , which the number nine has , of reproducing itself incessantly and entire in every one of its multiples ; thus offering to the mind a striking emblem of matter , which