Masonry Universal.

MASONRY UNIVERSAL .

LONDON , SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 20 , 1 SC-J .

In another part of our Journal will be found two curious documents—the one a report from the Colonial Board , declaring that Parsees may certainly become members of the Order , and Hindoos , if their characters entitle them to the

privilege—a test which we regret is too often overlooked ivith regard to professing Christians . This document goes to widen the basis of Masonry as far as possible , ancl the other to which we have to direct attention to narrow it—it being a report

from a Committee of the English Grand Lodo-e of Mark Masons , showing that the Mark Degree is essentially Christian , and a - priori can only be taken by members of a Christian Church . There is not one word in that report that does not equally apply to Craft Masonry as it existed a

few years since , and as it still exists in many parts of the world ; and Ave can imagine no reason , for its publication , except it be to endeavour to sow discord ivhere nothing but brotherly love and charity should exist . That Craft Masonry ivas

formerly known as St . John's Masonry , and that St . John ' s Day is still kept as a Masonic festival not only abroad , but in many parts of the United Kingdom , is as notorious as the sun at noonday , and required no Committee of the Grand Ledge

of Mark Masters to inform us . If the members of that body cannot employ themselves in more useful inquiries , or in endeavouring , by their example and precepts , to extend the principles upon AA'hich our Order is founded , the sooner it is dissolved the better .

Architectural Reveries.

ARCHITECTURAL REVERIES .

THE AVIHDOAV . ( Concluded from page 364 ) We have seen the window feature steadily advancing in importance , and marking each epoch M'ith its reflex , more or less striking of the spirit of the time . It Avas , however , in the Christian

churches from the tenth to the fifteenth century , in our grand Mediaeval cathedrals , that the " window , " as a truly decorative and all important architectural feature , most grandly developed itself . In the earliest days of Christianity , the rites of the neiv religion had been performednot

, only in secresy , but in darkness , in the subterranean recesses of the Roman , catacombs . But when its influence had become all-powerful , these conditions were destined to be strikingly reversed in the glorious edifices that the genius of Christian

architects eventually reared as the temples of their religion . A Pagan writer , Longinus , in treating of sublimity of style in literary composition ( though he had a vast range of classical masterpieces at his command ) , cites as an example of the truly sublime expression of illimitable

power , a passage from the Jewish Scriptures" God said , Let there be light : and there was light . " It would almost seem as though those Christian architects had seized upon the same passage as their motto when , to admit a vast body of light into their vaulted naves and aisles , they

proceeded to construct those broad openings in their temple walls , which were eventually destined to become the chief glory ancl ornament of those wonderful structures . Unlike the castle , in which the external windows ivere deep and narrow—as through them might constantly be dreaded the visitation of a cloud of arrows , or dangerous masses of stone thrown upwards from the catapult

—the Christian temple could widen its window openings Avithout fear . The influence exercised by the Church was at ' that period nearly omnipotent over all classes . Churches were truly sacred buildings , even the vicinity of AA'hich was a sanctuary , the bounds of which could could not be

forcibly passed , even in pursuit of a criminal ivho took shelter within the ecclesiastical precincts . There ivas no necessity , therefore , to make security a consideration in the design and proportion of church windows . Consequently , in order to throw a sufficiency of light within the lofty

vaultings of a vast covered area , these featuressoon began to assume such proportions as rendered supporting mullionr . necessary ; and these , branching eventually at the top , so as to meet the great pressure of superincumbent wall above the wide opening , gradually grew into that exquisite window tracery ivhieh forms one of the crowning" beauties of the marvellous details of Gothic architecture .

ihe art of staining- _ mc _ painting" on glass having developed itself about the same time , these windows were gradually converted into fields for the pictorial illustration of the great story of Christianity ; ancl the churches thus became , as it were , spacious picture galleries , the paintings of AA'hich

were lighted as no paintings hacl ever been lighted before , for the light passed throug'h the pictures themselves to the eye of the spectator , giving their , a vivid brilliancy such as no pictorial representations had ever been endowed ivith at any former periodand producing a most striking effect

, , wliich , in a decorative point of view , had certainly never been equalled . Even classical art had never achieved such decorative splendour , not even in the highest period of their temple architecture , when a Phidias wrought , in gold and ivory , the celebrated Chryselephantine statuary of

the Parthenon and other Attic temples . The effect produced by the translucent pictures of the painted windows Avas , indeed , most brilliantly rich ; and at the same time most appropriate . The