Great Father, or the male generative principle, was uniformly symbolised by a point within a circle. This emblem was placed by the Scandinavian priests and poets, on the central summit of a rainbow, which was fabled to be a bridge leading from earth to Heaven; the emblem, therefore, represented Valhall, or the supernal palace of the chief celestial deity. It is said in the Edda, that this bridge "is all on fire; for the giants of the mountains would climb up to heaven by it, if it were easy for any one to walk over it." The palace thus elevated was no other than the celestial system, illuminated by a central sun, whose representative on earth was Thor, a god depicted by Versteg n with a crowned head placed in the centre of twelve bright stars, ex ressive of the sun's annual course through the Zodiacal Signs. (Res. of Dec. Int. p. 74.)

Circumambulation.

The author, in conclusion of his course of lectures, among other remarks, observes:

"It was an ancient custom to use circumambulation during the performance of religious ceremonies. In Greece, while the sacrifice was in the act of consuming, the priests and people walked in procession round the altar thrice, singing the sacred hymn, which was divided into three parts, the Strophe, the Antistrophe, and the Epode. While the first part was chanted, they circumambulated in a direction from east to west, emblematical of the apparent motion of the heavenly bodies; at the commencement of the second part, they changed their course, and proceeded from west to east, pointing out their real motion; and during the performance of Epode, they remained stationary around the altar, a symbol of the stability of the earth, waiting for some propitious omen which might announce the divine acceptance of the sacrifice.

In Britain, the devotional exercises of the insular sanctuary were conducted on a similar principle. Ceremonial processions moved round it, regulated by the mystical numbers, and observing the course of the sun; sometimes moving slowly and with solemn gravity, chanting the sacred hymn to Hu; at others, the devotees advanced with great rapidity, using impassioned gestures, and saluting each other with secret signs. This was termed," the mystical dance of the Druids." The circular movement was intended to symbolise the motion of the earth, and to give an idea of God's immensity, which fills the universe.

The foundation stone of every magnificent edifice was usually laid in the north-east; which accounts in a rational manner for the general disposition of a newly-initiated candidate when, enlightened but uninstructed, he is accounted to be in the most superficial part of masonry. This stone, to which some portion of secret influence was formerly attributed, is directed in Alet's Ritual to be " solid, angular, of about a foot square, and laid in the north-east."

It was incumbent on the author, in the first place, to account in a rational manner for the origin of the custom of laying the foundation

stone of buildings in the north-east. As the whole machinery of the religion from which masonry is derived was founded on the movements of the heavenly bodies, there is doubtless an astronomical reason for this practice.

Now, we are told by Mr. Bryant, quoted by our author, that the "Egyptian astronomers taught that the creation of the world took place at the precise period of time when the sun rose in Leo." And admitting that this notion was got up when that constellation was situated in the north-east at the rising of the sun, this circumstance would naturally, in accordance with the Egyptian mode of worship, induce the custom of commencing magnificent edifices at the north-east corner, in imitation of that glorious luminary, believed by the Egyptians to be the Supreme Architect of the world. This, among a superstitious people, would be deemed a certain means of insuring their stability and usefulness.

Mr. Oliver has bestowed great labour in his researches into the original meaning and intention of the ancient pagan symbols, and shed much light upon the subject. But by endavouring to place freemasonry, or something like it, before the pagan mysteries, he has thrown a veil of darkness over the investigation, tending to bewilder his readers who have any wish to arrive at truth in this inquiry. By this course he expects to clear freemasonry from the imputation of having descended from what he considers a vitiated source, and, on the contrary, to show it to be derived from a pure institution, of which in his opinion, the mysteries are a corruption.

In this way he thinks to connect Christianity with ancient masonry, and consequently show that he, as a minister of the gospel, may without impropriety ally himself to the order. There is no need of this fastidiousness. Ancient masonry is a pure moral institution, but has no connection or relation whatever with Christianity. Its original dogmas are totally different; but these at present are not regarded, nor even known to the craft, who perform the ceremonies for mere sociability and pastime.

THE SECRET DISCIPLINE,

Mentioned in ancient Ecclesiasticl History explained.

A small but learned work, bearing this title, has lately been issued from the press, in this city, under a fictitious signature, edited by Samuel L. Knapp, Esq.

This author adduces many authorities, in addition to those before cited in this volume, which go to prove that the fathers of the church adopted the terms and ceremonies used in the ancient mysteries.

The following are extracts from the work:

St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, in 412, in his seventh book against Julian, declares, "These mysteries are so profound and so exalted, that they can be comprehended only by these who are enlightened. I shall

not therefore attempt to speak of what is most admirable in them, lest by discovering them to the uninitiated I should offend against the injunction not to give what is holy to the impure, nor to cast pearls before such as cannot estimate their worth." And elsewhere, "I should say much more if I were not afraid of being heard by those who are uninitiated; because men are apt to deride what they do not understand; and the ignorant, not being aware of the weakness of their minds, condemn what they ought most to venerate."

Theodoret, Bishop of Cyzicus, in Syria, 420, in the first of his three dialogues, that entitled "The Immutable," introduces Orthodoxus, speaking thus-"answer me, if you please, in mystical and obscure terms, for, perhaps, there are persons present who are not initiated in the mysteries." And in his preface to Ezekiel, tracing up the secret discipline to the commencement of the Christian era, says, "these mysteries are so august that we ought to keep them with the greatest caution."

To show that these mysteries were retained under ecclesiastical sanction to a still later period, I refer to the Seal of the ancient Abbey of Arbroath, in Scotland, and to the expianation given of it by the Rev. Charles Cordinet, in his "Description of the Ruins of North Britain," 2 vols. 4to.

"The figures sculptured on the seal marked INITIATION, evidently represent (says he) some formidable ceremony in a sacred place where a pontiff presides in state; one hand on his breast expressive of seriousness,

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the other stretched out at a right angle, holding a rod and cross, the badge of high office, while he makes some awful appeal respecting a suppliant, who, in a loose robe, blindfolded, with seeming terror kneels before the steps of an altar, while several attendants with drawn swords brandish them over his head," Mr. Cordinet intimates the resemblance of these figures to an engraving which made the frontispiece to a book about freemasonry: and then adds, that both bring to remembrance a description which Plutarch, in his famous essay "De Osiris," gives of the engraving of a seal which the priests of Isis used in their solemnities, -namely, that of a man kneeling with his hands bound, a knife at his throat, etc. "And (says he) it is not a little remarkable, which is more to the present purpose, in how many particulars the mysterious fate of Osiris, as recorded by the above celebrated author, corresponds with the account of Hiram; strong insinuation that the annals of the latter, however mutilated and defaced, have somehow or other been descended from the Eleusinian Mysteries, and that the Masonic rites of initiation into a lodge, are a faint sketch, an imperfect epitome, of the august ceremonies which took place at initiation into the secrets which hallowed the primeval fanes: and this high origin, when discerned, may have been at the bottom of that general respect which men of learning have avowed for them.

This subject, as an amusing research into antiquity, may be resumed; it only remains at present to specify that, Hiram coming forth in hallowed dignity of character from within the veil of the sauctuary; violated in the open temple of the world by the ignorant and profane; concealed for a time in awful secrecy; the want of his presence pathetically deplored; the ardent solicitude with which he is sought for; the acclamation of joy at finding him again; and consequent discovery of the word, almost of itself developes the secret which the personification had involved."

It does indeed develope the secret, that the Hiram of masonry is substituted for Osiris, one of the pagan gods of the mysteries. Mr. Cordinet understands what is meant by the lost word, which is declared in the royal arch degree, to be recovered, and proves to be the Logos, the second person of the ancient trinity, the lost sun.

"The rod and cross, the badge of high office," held by the pontiff, is precisely a copy of the measure of the Nile, which was originally put into the hands of a figure of Anubis, to indicate the rise of the inundation upon which mainly depended the subsistence, or temporal salvation of Egypt.

This pole or rod afterwards obtained, says Pluche, the name of Caduceus, or Mercury's wand, and was borne as a sceptre or staff of honour, indicating a sacred person. The figure(10), a cabalistic number, supposed, says, Bailey, to conjoin the virtue of all numbers," marked upon this copy, shows its original to have been a measure. Mr. Oliver observes, that "the amount of the points contained in the Pythagorean circle, is exactly ten, which is the consummation of all things.'

AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY.

"The spirit of innovation had seized all the Brethren. No man can give a tolerable account of the origin, history, or object of the Order, and it appeared to all as a lost or forgotten mystery. The symbols seemed to be equally susceptible of every interpretation, and none of these seemed entitled to any decided preference."—Professor Robison.

Proofs of the existence of the society of freemasons at certain remote periods, added to the occurrence of events that would naturally tend to create it, will point out its origin with sufficient accuracy for the present inquiry. No regular history of the order is attainable at this time, nor is it essential to our purpose.

It is highly probable, as asserted by Dr. Anderson, that many valuable documents relating to the society, were destroyed at the revolution of the order in 1717, by some scrupulous brethren, for fear that an improper use might be made of them.

I shall endeavour to show that the British Druids instituted this society, and the first consideration will be to point out the period when they were in a condition that required a resort to such secret means for the preservation and continuance of their religious rites.

We have seen that their open worship was entirely prohibited by the edict of Canute, who reigned from 1015 to 1035. Within those periods, therefore, this edict was issued: by which the very existence of the Druids in England was put at hazard.* Cut off from their favourite devotional retreat, no means was left them but to devise some mode to evade the scrutinizing eye of the ministers of the law.

"About the beginning of the fifth century, (says Lawrie,) Theodosius the Great prohibited, and almost totally extinguished the pagan theology in the Roman empire (Gibbon); and the mysteries of Eleusis suffered in the general devastation. (Zosim. Hist.) It is probable, however, that these mysteries were secretly celebrated, in spite of the severe ediots of Theodosius; and that they were partly continued during the dark ages, though stripped of their original purity and splendour: we are certain, at least, that many rites of the pagan religion were performed, under the dissembled names of convivial meetings, long after the publication of

It appears that paganism existed at this time not only in England, but in most of the other states of Europe. Dr. Lingard, speaking of Olave, king of Norway, says, "That prince was a zealous Christian; but his religious innovations irritated the jealousy of the pagan priests; and he was murdered in an insurrection of his subjects" [in 1028].