Stained Glass.—Ii.

of fire ; from his loins , even downward , fire—from his loins , even upward , as the appearance of brightness , as the colour of amber . And behold the g lory of the God of Israel was there . " A similar descrip tion , may be found in the 24 th chapter of Exodus , and the 17 th verse . * It is thus that the Deity is represented as the centre of

radiating light , or surrounded by luminous clouds . In a miniature of the tenth century Jesus is represented as coming to judge the world , being surrounded with clouds , and having above the following inscription : — "Domiuus in nubibus , et vident euni iuimici ejus el qui perpugerunt . " Tho glory is sometimes represented as a tongue or flame of fire resting

upon the head , but this should be confined to the Holy Spirit , it being in that shape that the Holy Ghost descended to the apostles . It is often used as a simple flame in this sense , but only as a nimbus , and without pretension to the term glory . Fire is , however , the especial attribute of God , for under his visible form God is light . At Mount Sinaiat

, the transfiguration , and at the burning bush , five represented " power , " the power of the Divinity . At the expulsion of Adam from the garden of Eden , power was also described by the two flaming swords , —and by fire , therefore , did the ancient artists most correctly delineate this especial attribute .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

I'llOil A SCOTTISH COliBESPONDEXT . 'THE antieut Mason Lodges of Scotland appear to have been almost exclusivel y of an operative character . This was clearly the case with regard to the Lodge of Edinburgh Marys Chapel , the Lodge of Glasgow St . John , the Lodge of Ayrthe Lodge of Stirlingthe Lod of Dunfermliife

, , ge , the Lodge of Dundee , the Lodge of Aitchison ' s Haven , the Lodge of St . Andrew ' s , the Lodge of Melrose , the Lodge of Kilwinning , aud others that might be mentioned . The Lodge of Glasgow St . John has a charter conferring on it important powers and privileges , granted by Malcolm . III ' ., King of Scotland , at Fordel , on the 5 th day of October , 1051 The Lod

-. ge of Edinburgh dates from 1513 , and almost , all the Lodges named were in existence previous to the year 1600 , as the signatures of their chief office-bearers appear at that date appended to a charter granted to the . Laird of Eoslin , renewing to him and his heirs all the powers and privileges which his forefathers had for several generations enjoyed as patrons and protectors of the Mason . <' raft within the realm of Scotland .

the old Lodges of Scotland being thus composed for the most part of operative Masons , it is natural to conclude that it was incumbent on each member to have a distinctive mark , which he should record in the books of the Lodge , and which he should inscribe ou his working tools , and particularly on the stones which he prepared for the buildings at which he

was employed . We accordingly find that at a meeting of the Masters of Lodges , convened at Edinburgh on the 28 th December , IS 9 S , by AVilliam Schaw , "Maister of Wsu-k" Lo his Majesty James VI , and general Warden of the Mason Craft in Scotland , it was inter alia statuted and ordained " That na Maister or Fallow of Craft be ressavit

nor admitted without the muner of six Maisteris and twa enterit Prenteisses , the Warclene of that Ludge being anc of the said six ; and that the day of the resavying of said Fallow of Craft or Maister be orderlie buikit , and his name and mark insert iu the said buik , with the names of his six admittors and enterit Prenteisses , " & c .

The advantage of a mark , and a lav / to regulate its use arc evident . B y referring to the books of the Lod ge the mark of each brother was known , and the newly entered workman was prevented from adopting a mark already appropriated by another . The operative , b y placing his * " Enit iiutem species Gloris Domini quasi iguis Aniens , "

mark on his tools , could readil y recognize thein when mixed with those of his fellow workmen , and could thus keep them from being used or claimed by others . By cutting his mark mi the stones which he squared or carved , they coidd at once be distinguished , anil the overseer was able to award to him either praise or blame , according as he had performed his

work . The marking of stones was carefully attended to by the antiont Masons of Scotland , as their marks are still found on most of the old baronial and ecclesiastical edifices of this country . The elegant monument erected by Anna of Denmark , Queen of James VI ., in the Abbey Church of Dunfermlineto the memory of William Schaw , already

, mentioned , contains the Mason marks of that distinguished member of the Craft . They are as follows : being most likely his ordinary and his official .- \ / 'Y /\ marks . _ /^ j ? We consider that it is a matter beyond ; """" dispute that the members of the old operative Lodges of

Scotland were required to take a mark , but the question to bo settled is—was any ceremony observed iu bestowing it ? The books of the old Lodges would most likely throw light on this subject ; but , unfortunately , access to these

documents cannot be very readily obtained . In the records ot the Lodge of Edinburgh it is frequently stated that the persons admitted as members took a mark , and paid a fee for obtaining this privilege . The marks of many of the members are consequently found in the books of the Lodge . This plainly and iucontrovertibly establishes the fact that

the Lodge of Edinburgh , long before the institution of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and long before the existence of a Eoyal Arch Chapter was heard ofj was in the practice of conferring marks upon its members ; but it leaves us still in the dark regarding the special rite or ceremony that was observed . This Lodge , about a hundred years ago , lost its

strictly operative character , and , from that time , it appears to have abandoned the practice of Mark Masonry . In the year 1707 , the Lodge of Edinburgh was split into two divisions . One comprised the Masters , and the other the Journeymen or Fellow Crafts . The Masters were superior in influence and authoritybut the Journeymen had a much

; greater portion of numerical strength . After an arduous and determined struggle , the Journeymen succeeded , by an appeal to the Lords of Council and Session , in obtaining aright to exist as a separate and independent society , " to communicate the Mason ' s word , and receive fees for the

same . For forty years the members of this now society Aveiit no farther in their Masonic working than , the degree of Fellow Craft . On the 27 th December , 1750 , James Dick , Gilbert Duncan , and William McLean , members of the Lodge Journeymen , were raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason , in . the parent Lodge of Edinburgh , Mary ' s Chapel , and these were the first Master Masons connected with the

Journeymen . Ihc fact that they and a large number o ( other Journeymen a short time afterwards were all raised without the payment of any fee , show that ah entire reconciliation had by this time been effected between the two Lodges . The founders of the Lodge Journeymen were evidently all

Mark Masons . ' . Che marks of a considerable number of them arc found in the records of the Lodge of Mary ' s Chapel— -the Lodge in which they wore all entered and passed , most of them towards flic close t . f the seventeenth century . Wc give a few of their murks as a specimen : —

-Hugh Morten ' s "T . Andrew Brodie ' s \ 7 \ * / f Andrew Put-vis ' s Vs ? tJehnFinla-ysah ' s / X ^"