Masonic Celestial Mysteries.

the tenth , December . pil ' iD Tebeth is the Hebrew tenth month , and the tenth sacred sign is Capricornus , the winter tropic . With the Greek Capricornus is Pan , ancl the Pantheon of Rome was dedicated to the heathen gods . Tebeth is the

opening of the royal southern road of the sun ou the ecliptic . . TQQ means the house of the curvature and terminus . Ark and arch English mean alike segment of a circle . The Boman year of ten months gives 300 degrees or days ,

consequently the sign Capricornus , being the tenth , would imply the house of the termination of the curvature . In some old celestial charts the desrees

on the ecliptic are represented as little square cubes or cubits . 300 cubits are then the Roman year . In Mars the height of the sign Capricornus is always 30 cubits , and as the semidiameter of 300 is 50 , the breadth of Capricornus is 50 cubits

( Gen . vi . 15 ) . Then as this ark or arch of Capricornus implies 300 for curvature it must likewise include Cancer , and this will hereafter be exemplified . The southern gate of his majesty the sun Capricornus , may well be called the Royal Arch or

Royal Ark , and arch with logos may well be considered as arch-Bological , consequently the name is proper for an institute where Masons may study the wisdom of the ancients . Now although ark is an arch , nevertheless arch

is not an ark , for there comes rnj" ) Thebeth to explain the difference . Ark is decidedly a chest , just such an one as produced by Calmet . Indeed Cruden tells us that ark "is a chest or coffer

to keep things sure or secret . Thebeth is the ark of bulrushes of Moses , and it is the ark of Noah , and that Calmet confirms . The ark in the heavens is the box or chest , " ara " the Masonic pedestal on which covenants are established in

our lodges ( Deut . xxxi . 26 ) , ancl with compasses any Mason can push into the side of ara , the sacred volume . Above ara or Masonic pedestal are the compasses . Gircinus , the level Triangulum , ancl the square Norma Fuel idesand all these an initiated

, Mason can enclose with the book of the law in Thebeth , where they remain " sure ancl secret " until such time as required by the W . M . when rising in the east .

Masonic Discipline.—Xiii.

MASONIC DISCIPLINE . —XIII .

BY CRUX . In our last article upon this important subject , in which every brother , who earnestly desires that Freemasonry should progress in accordance with the spirit of the times , must feel a strong interest , we laid before our readers the outline and details

of a plan calculated to promote the advancement of the Craft , to raise its prestige , ancl to improve the working of the lodges belonging to the Order . It is of little or no real utility for Masons to fallfraternally foul of one another respecting the

origin of such and such a term , the truth or falsity of such ancl such a legend , or the pros ancl cons that might be stated in relation to any alleged Masonic occurrence .

Interesting and valuable as all researches regarding ancient Freemasonry undoubtedly are , ancl however deserving * of the attention , the support , and sympathy of the brethren they may be , yet they fail altogether to place our lodges upon that

strict and efficient footing , which it is to be hoped they will ere long posses . When one considers the absorbing interest with which a paper , a lecture upon some recondite Masonic subject is listened to ancl perused , ancl the apathy with which

thevery same audience and readers will witness the most atrocious blunders , the grossest dereliction of drill and discipline—perpetrated in open lod ge > it is scarcely possible to arrive at any other conclusion than that Masonry practically speaking is a defunct science . It is in vain to boast of our

former grandeur , u we take no care to preserve its living representative among us . The halo of antiquity , that formerly was considered an excuse for neglect of duty , contempt for honest labour ) ancl which permitted men to live in idleness at the

expense of their fellows , is fortunately a thing of the past , a receding shadow of byegone times . We all now honour a man for himself , as the laureate says—

" The grand old gardner and his wife Smile at the elaims of long descent . " If Freemasonry , regarded in any other light than that of a mere pastime , is to be benefited , it is only to be clone by taking it up as it exists at present , and introducing mildly but firmly ,

gradually but persistently , those alterations and modifications which are so urgently needed . There is no doubt that by a large number of brethren , the whole proceedings of a loclge , and in fact the whole system of Masonry , of which however they