The History Of Freemasonry.*

sixth centuries , or is the fact of these analogies to be attributed to the coincidence of a natural process of human thought common to all human minds , and showing its outgrowth in symbolic forms ?" As to the real objects of the Mysteries , and the doctrines

they inculcated , in the absence of any certain knowledge of these , Bro . Gould gives in outline some of the theories that have been advanced at different times . These theories , it is well known , are very contradictory : but still , he remarks , " it is tolerably clear , that however much the mysteries

may have degenerated in tho course of time , or have become obscured by popular tradition or fanciful allegory , they were established in very early and semi-civilised times , and that they contained the germs of those great moral truths—possibly , indeed , the relics of a primitive

religion—but which we find implanted in the heart of man ( except in a state of savagery ) in all ages and countries . They seem to have been mimic representations of mythological incidents , joined with the giving of amulets as preservatives against future dangers , but as all ancient and

all false religions are corruptions of one great idea inherent in the human race , and possibly forming originally one primitive creed , in these ceremonies men must have seen or have thought they saw , traces of the teachings of a higher power , and more ancient faith . " And further on he

remarks , " Upon the whole , it seems fairly certain that the Mysteries tended to open up a comforting prospect in the life to come , " and again , " Taken as a whole , the effect was probably good , as awakening and keeping alive a sense of reverence and immortality . "

The rites and ceremonies are dismissed with a few

general , but sufficient , remarks . It is well to note that no doubt exists , as is pointed out to us , that in all the Mysteries , " the initiated possessed secret signs of recognition , " the reason of this being exemplified by a passage from Dr . Warburton ' s " Divine Legation , " which may very well be reproduced here .

" Motion , naturally significative , which enters at the eye , hath a much stronger effect than articulate sound , only arbitrarily significative , which enters at the ear . Language , as appears from the records of history , and from the remains of the most ancient languages yet remaining , was

at first extremely rude , narrow , and equivocal , so that men would be perpetually at a loss , on any new conception , or uncommon accident , to explain themselves intelligibly to one another . The art of enlarging language by a scientific analogy being a late invention , this would necessarily set

them upon supplying the deficiencies of speech by apt and significant signs . Accordingly , in the first ages of the world , mutual converse was upheld by a mixed discourse of words and actions : hence came the eastern phrase of the

voice of Hie sign : and use and custom , as in most other offices of 1 ife , improving what had arisen out of necessity into ornament , the practice subsisted long after the necessity was over . "

As Bro . Gould very judiciously remarks , in reference to the foregoing passage , " it is evident that , in the cultivation of this system of pantomimic gesture , it would become necessary to intermix with the gestures , naturally significative , other gestures made significative by institution , that

is , brought by arbitrary use , to have as determined and positive a meaning as the others , " and he gives as an example of this mode of speaking by action an old saying of Heraclitus , cited by Warburton , " That the king , whose oracle is at Delphi , neither speaks nor keeps silent , but reveals by signs . "

Another feature in connection with the mysteries is pointed out , namely , that as regards " emblems , symbols , types , " they " all have this in common ; they are the representatives of something else for which they stand , " and Dr . Stukeley is quoted as saying , that " The first

learning of the world consisted chiefly of symbols . The wisdom of the Chaldeans , Phoenicians , Egyptians , Jews , of Zoroaster , Sanchoniatho , Pherecydes , Syrus , Pythagoras , Socrates , Plato , of all the ancients that have come to our hand , is symbolic . " Some curious circumstances are

furnished in connection with this branch of the subject , of " the symbolism of the Mason ' s art" in the Chinese classics , Mr . Giles being his authority for the statement that , in the written language of the Chinese , curious Masonic expressions were in use more than seven hundred vcars before the

Christian era , or only about two hundred years after tho death of King Solomon , and he reproduces a quotation b y Mr . Giles from the works of Mencius , the great disciple f Confucius , which reads thus : — "A master mason , in

The History Of Freemasonry.*

teaching his apprentices , makes use of the compasses and the square . Ye who are engaged in the pursuit of wisdom must also make use of the compasses and the square . " It should be remarked , that the Chinese words for "compasses "

and " square" represent " order , regularity , and propriety , ' so that the meaning of the passage just quoted will be apparent . Mr . Giles , we are told , has also pointed out that in the oldest of the Chinese classics , " which embraces a

period from the twenty-fourth to the seventh century before Christ , there are distinct allusions to this particular symbolism . Of this , indeed , we have already spoken , in a

former volume of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE , in onr review of Mr . Giles ' s " Freemasonry in China , " to which , of course , we refer the reader who may be desirous of multiplying instances of these allusions and expressions . ( To be continued . )

Diary For The Week.

DIARY FOR THE WEEK .

We shall be obliged if the Secretaries of the various Lodges throughout the Kingdom will favour us with a list of their Days of Meetings , & c „ as we have decided to insert only those that are verified by the Officers of the several Lodges .

SATURDAY , 10 th FEBRUARY . 108—London , Ship and Turtle , Leadenhall-street 173—Phcenix , Freemasons' Hall , W . C . 198—Percy . . Tollv Farmers' Tavern , Southgate-road , N .. at 8 ( Instruction ) 1275—Star , ' Five Bells , 165 New Cross-road , S . B ., at 7 . ( Instruction ) 127 ft—niiTilpt . t Crmtts . Lamb Tavern , opposite Bethnal G . Junct ., at 8 . ( Inst . ) 1328—Granite , Freemasons' Hall , W . C . 1364—TCnrl of ZetlandRoyal Edward . Triangle , Hackney , at 7 ( Instruction )

, 1426—The Great City , Cannon Street Hotol 1448—Mount Edgcnu he , Swan Hotel , Battersea _ 1 S 84—Loyalty and Charity , Star and Garter , Kew Bridge 1607—Loyalty , London Tavern , Fenchurch Street 1612—West Middlesex , The Institute , Ealing „„ ... 1 R 24—Eccleston , King ' s Head , Etrary Bridge , Pimlico , at 7 ( Instruction )

1671—Mizpah , Albion Hotol , Aldersgate-street 1743—Perseverance , Imperial Hotel , Holborn Viaduct . 1839—Dnke of Cornwall , Freemasons' Hall . W . C . 1964—Clerkenwell , Holborn Viaduct Hotel , E . C . Sitin" nhnpter of Tmnrovement . Union . Air-street . Regent-st ., W ., at 8 M . M . 234—Brixton , Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , E . C . 1391—Commercial , Freemasons' Hall , Leicester

MONDAY , 12 th FEBRUARY . 5—St . George ' s and Comer Stone , Freemasons' Hall , W . O . 22—Loughborough , Cambria Tavern , Cambria Road , near Loughborough Junction , at 7 . 30 . ( Instruction ) 29—St . Albans , Albion , Aldersgate-street 45—Strong Man . George Hotel , Australian Avenue , Barbican , at 7 ( InsWuo . ) 58—Felicitv , Ship and Turtle , Leadenhall-street 69—Roval Naval , Freemasons' Hall , W . C 90—St . JohnAlbionAldersgate-street , E . C .

, , 136—Good Report , Inns of Court Hotel , Lincoln Inn Fields 174-Sincerity , Three Nuns Hotel , Aldgato , at 7 . ( Instruction ) 180—St . James's Union , Union Tavern , Air-street , W „ at 8 ( Instruction ) ISO—Industry , Bell , Carter-lane , Doctors-commons , E . C , at 0 . 30 ( Inst . ) 193—Confidence , Anderton' Fleet-street , E . C . 222—St . Andrews , 101 Qneen Victoria-street _ 518—Wellington , White Swan , High-s > eet , Deptford , at 8 ( Instruction ) 957—Leigh , Freemasons' Hall , W . C .

1237—Enfield , Market-place , Enfield 1425-Hyde Park , Norfolk Square Hotel , Praed Street , Paddington , at 8 ( Inst . ) 1489—Marq-. i ess of Ripon , Pembury Tavern , Amhurst-rd ., Hackney , at 7 . 30 ( In ) 1507—Metropolitan , Tbe Moorgate , Finsbury Pavement , E . C , at 7 . 30 ( Inst . ) 1571—Leopold , Gregorian Arms , Bermondsey 1 R 08-Kilbnrr ,, 46 South Molton Street , Oxford Street , W ., at 8 . ( Inst . ) 1623— "West Smithfield , Farringdon Hotel , Farringdon-street , E . C . at 8 ( Inst . ) 1 R 25—Trndesrar , Roval Hotel . Mile End-road , corner of Burdett-road . ( Inst . )

1657—Aldersgate , Castle and Falcon , Aldersgate-street , E . O . 1670—Adelphi , 4 Adelphi Terrace , Strand 1693—Kin csland , Canonbury Tavern , Canonbury , N ., at 8 . 30 ( Instruction ] 1789—Ubique , Masonic Hall , Air-street , W . 1790—Old England , Masonic Hall . New Thornton Heath 1805—Bromley St . Leonard , Vestry Hall , Bow-road , Bromloy 1891—St . Ambrose , Baron ' s-courb ' Hotel . West Kensington

R . A . 22—Mount Sion , Guildhall Tavern , Gre » ham-street R . A . 720—Panmure , Horns Tavern , Kennington R . A . 862—Whittington , Anderton ' s Hote ' , Fleet Street R . A . 933—Doric , 79 Whitechanel-road , at 7 . ( Instruction ) R . A . 1366—Highgate , Gatehouse Hotel , Highgate R . A . 1537—St . Peter Westminster , Freemasons' Hall , W . C K . T . 140—Studholme , Masonic Hall , Golden-squaro

40—Derwent , Castle Hotel , Hastings 75—Love and Honour , Royal Hotel , Falmouth 104—St . John , Ashton House , Greek-street , Stockport 151—Albany , Masonic Hall , Newport , I . W . 240—St . Hilda , Freemasons' Hall , Fowler-street , South Shields 262—Salopian , the Lion Hotel , Shrewsbury 292—Sincerity , Masonic Hall , Liverpool 296—Royal Brunswick , Freemasons' Hall , Surrey-street , SheHiold

297—Witham , Now Masonic Hall , Lincoln 382—Royal Union , Chequers Hotel , Uxbridgo . ( Instruction ) 411—Commercial , Flying Horse Hotel , Nottingham 491— St . Peter , Masonic Hall , Maple-street , Newcastle 502—Rectitude , Town Hall , Rugby 587—Howe , Masonic Hall , New-street , Birmingham 599—Druids of Love and Liberality , Masonic Hall , Redruth ( 165—Montague , Royal Lion , Lyme Regis

721— Independence , MnsonicChambers . Eastgate-row-north , Chester 724— Derby , Masonic Hall , Liverpool , at 8 . ( Instruction ) 79 "— Hanley , Hauley Hall , Dartmouth 820—T . ily of Richmond , Greyhound , Richmond , at 7 . 30 ( Instruction ) 393—Meridian , National School Room , Millbrook , Cornwall 949—Williamson , St . Stephen School , Monkivearmouth , Durham

1021—Hartmgton , Masonic Hall , Custom House Buildings , Barrow-in-FnrnesS 1009—United Brothers , Castle Hotel , Sonthsea il" 4—Pen tangle , Sun Hotel , Chatham 1221—Defence , Masonic Hall , Carlton-hill , Leeds 1233—Travellers , Queen ' s Hotel , Manchester 1 . 330—Fermor Hesketh , Masonic Hall , Liverpool 1436—Sandgate , Masonic Hall , Sandgate