Masonic Notes And Queries.

a German professor and brother , with whom I became acquainted at Leipsic , ascribed the rise of modern Freemasonry to a literary club , of which Ashmole was a jjrincipal member . The club , in fanciful imitatatiou of the mediasval secret societies , used a system of signs ancl symbols borrowed from the Knights Templars and the Bosicrucians . What I stated in

the next place was , that a few weeks later another G erinan professor and brother , whom I met at Prague , regarded modern Freemasonry as derived from the Order of Eose Croix , of which Andre was either the founder or restorer . It was for this cause that Andre was held in great esteem by the lodges of

Germany . Consider the communication made by me to the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE last January , page 3 of the present volume ; see also the Errata , ibid , page 116 . The authors of the two books to which I there refer , suggest in relation to the Orders of Rose Croix and Freemasonry affiliation or idendity . —CHARLES PURTON COOPER .

THE HISTORY OE THE ROYAL ARCH . The history of the Eoyal Arch , according to the American system , is full of interest to companions of that degree . Dr . Albert Mackey delivered three lectures on it which , I am sure , will be acceptable to your readersfor whose benefit I send them . —Ex . Ex .

, [ There is no part of sacred history , except perhaps ihe account of the construction of the temple , which should he more interesting to the advanced Mason than that which relates to the destruction of

Jerusalem , the captivity of the Jews at Baoylon , and the subsequent restoration under Cyrus for the purpose of rebuilding " the house of the Lord . " Intimately connected , as the events which are commemorated in this period are , with the organization of the Eoyal Arch degree , it is impossible that any Mason who has been exalted to that degreecan thoroughly

under-, stand the nature aud bearing of the secrets with which he has , been entrusted , unless he shall have devoted some portion of time to the study of the historical incidents to which these secrets refer . The history of tho Jewish people from the death of Solomon to thefinal destruction of the temple ,

, was one continued series of civil dissensions among themselves , and of revolts in government and apostacies iu religion . No sooner had Eehoboam , the son and successor of Solomon , ascended the throne , than his harsh and tyrannical conduct so incensed the

people than ten of the tribes revolted from his authority , and placing themselves under the government of Jeroboam , the son of [ Nebat , formed the separate kingdom of . Israel , while Eehoboam continued to rule over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin , which thenceforth constituted the kingdom of Israel , whose

capital remained at Jerusalem . From thenceforward the history of Palestine becomes twofold . The ten revolting tribes which constituted the Israelitish monarchy , soon formed a schismatic religion , which eventually terminated in idolatry , and caused their final ruin and dispersion . But the two remaining

tribes proved hardly more faithful to the God of their fathers , and carried their idolatry to such an extent , that at length there was scarcely a town in all Judea that did not have its tutelary deity borrowed from the idolatrous gods of its pagan neighbours . Even iu Jerusalem , "the holy city , " the prophet Jeremiah tells us , that altars were set up to Baal .

Israel was the first to receive its punishment for this career of wickedness , and the ten tribes were carried into a captivity from which they never returned . As a nation , they have been stricken from the roll of history . But this wholesome example was lost upon Judea . The destruction of the ten tribes by no means impeded

the progress of the other two towards idolatry and licentiousness . Judah and Benjamin , however , were never without a line of prophets , priests , and holy men , whose teachings and exhortations sometimes brought the apostate Jews back to their first allegianceand for a brief period restored the pure theism

, of the Mosaic dispensation . Among these bright but evanescent intervals of regeneracy , we are to account the pious reign of the good King Josiah , during which the altars of idolatry throughout his kingdom were destroyed , the temple was repaired , and its regular service restored . It was

in the prosecution of this laudable duty that a copy of the Book of the Law , which had long been lost , was found in a crypt of the temple , and after having been publicly read to the priests , the ievites , and the people , it Avas again , by the direction of the prophetess Huldah , deposited iu a secret place .

But notwithstanding this fortuitous discovery of the Book of Law , and notwithstanding all the efforts of King Josiah to re-establish tlie worship of his fathers , the Jews were so attached to the practices of idolatry , that upon his death , being encouraged by his son and successor Jehoahaz , who was an impious monarch , they speedily returned to the adoration of

pagan deities and the observance of pagan rites . The forbearance of God was at length exhausted , and in the reign of King Jehoahaz , the series of divine punishments commenced , which only terminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of its inhabitants .

The instrument selected by the Deity for carrying out his desigu in the chastisement of the idolatrous Jews , was [ Nebuchadnezzar , King of the Chaldees , then reigning at Babylon , and as this monarch , and the country which he governed , played an important part in the series of events which are connected

with the organization of the Eoyal Arch degree , it is necessary that we should here pause in the narrative in which we have been engaged , to take a brief view of the locality of Babylon , the seat of the captivity , and of the history of the Chaldee nation , whose leader was the conqueror , of Judah .

" Few countries of antiquity , " says Heeren , ' * " have so just a claim to the attention of the historian as Babylonia , " The fertility of its soil , the wealth of its inhabitants , tlie splendour of its cities , the refinement of its society , continued to give it a pre-eminent renown through a succession of ages . It occupied a

narrow strip of laud , lying between the river Tigris on the east aud the Euphrates on the west , and extending about five hundred and forty miles west of north . The early inhabitants were undoubtedly of the Shetnitic race , deriving their existence from one common origin with the Hebrews , though it is still a question with the historians whether they originally came from India or from the peninsular of Arabia . f