is in the seventh stage, or climate, the pole was represented by a cone of seven steps. Hence, we find, the cause which induced the ancients, in the above latitudes, to venerate the numbers 7-8-9, was astro-geographical; and hence also we see the impossibility of making the astronomical numbers of a large empire agree with one capital.

"According to Herodotus, the Tower of Babel, which was in the latitude of 32 degrees, had a road-way up on the outside, which went eight times round in its ascent, so as to give the whole the appearance of eight towers, one above another. These were no doubt intended to commemorate the eight revolutions of the pole, which represented a serpent coiled eight times round a mountain. Besides the eight volved Tower of Babel, in the latitude of 32 degrees, we find at Pekin, a Tower of Porcelain ten stories high, thereby indicating its latitude to be 40 degrees; for in that situation, the north pole is so far elevated above the horizon as to admit ten xolves of the serpent.

"Again, in Egypt, we find the statue of Pluto with a serpent coiled six times round him, which represents the six volves of the pole of the ecliptic round the south pole of the earth; which shows that the statue must have been erected at or near Thebes or Elephantine. Thus we see, that from Pekin to Elephantine, the men of learning agree in coupling the histories of their countries with that of the heavens."— [Mytho. Astro, part 1st, p. 68.l

I am induced to add the following curious remarks of the same writer, as, in some measure, explanatory of the preceding.

"The stories of the Pagans concerning the ascension of their gods. into heaven, and their descent into hell, have produced in the minds of modern Europeans the most absurd notions, such as never entered the minds of the first astronomers, who divided the heavens into three grand divisions, in the most simple manner imaginable. They observed towards the north, that a circuit in the heavens always appeared above the horizon this they denominated one great empire; and as there is a point in the middle of it which is always stationary, this they made the seat of that empire, and subjected it to the government of a monarch, who could from his throne, that is the pole, behold all the nations of the earth, both by night and by day.*

"They could not but be sensible of that part of the vast concave that is forever hid from our sight, surrounding the south pole; this was distinguished as another grand division, and called the pit, in contra-dis

This notion doubtles gave rise to the custom of symbolizing the Deity by a circle with a dot in its center.-Edit.

Hence

tinction from the opposite, which was called the mountain. among the ancients, arose the epithets of Helios and Acheron, which meant nearly the same; as Ileh-on is the sun in his highest, which the Greeks pronounce Heli-os, that is, Elios, the most high. Acheron is generally translated hell. It is compounded of Achar, the last state or condition, and On, the sun. Achar-on, therefore, signifies the last state or condition of the sun, alluding to his annual disappearance in those constellations which were in the neighborhood of the south pole.

"We sec, by the precession of the equinoctial points, that while one sign is sinking into the bottomless pit, another sign is ascending into heaven, that is, rising up towards the pole. And as the inhabitants of the earth are insensible of its motion, they thought the pole of heaven revolved round that of the earth, describing a figure like a serpent coiled eight times; which would seem like a ladder with eight rounds, reaching from the earth up to the pole, that is, the throne of Jove. Up this ladder then the gods, that is, the signs of the zodiac, ascended and descended."—[Myth. Astr. part 1, p. 55.]

Most Excellent Master's Degree.

This degree is introduced in masonic books as follows:

"None but the meritorious and praiseworthy, none but those who through diligence and industry have advanced far towards perfection, none but those who have been seated in the oriental chair by the unanimous suffrages of their brethren, can be admitted to this degree of masonry.

"In its original establishment, when the temple of Jerusalem was finished, and the fraternity celebrated the cope-stone with great joy, it is demonstrable that none but those, who had proved themselves to be complete masters of their profession, were admitted to this honor; and indeed the duties incumbent on every mason, who is accepted and acknowledged as a most excellent master, are such as render it indis pensable that he should have a correct knowledge of all the preceding degrees."

This degree contains a detail of the ceremony in the celebration of the passage of the sun through the first celestial gate, the winter solstice, that is the twenty-fifth day of December, which, as we have seen, was commemorated as the birth day of the god Sol.- The sun was

+ An allusion to this idea seems to be made in the expression, "Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord ?" or as Cole, in his Freemasons' Library, has it, "scale the mount of God."

the key or cope-stone required to complete (or rather to form) the arch; and this raised by masons, is a symbol of that made by the sun in the heavens, and is commemorative of the commencement of his return to the upper hemisphere, in which that arch is formed. This degree, in some measure, anticipates the subject of the royal arch, in which the story of the finding of the lost sun, logos or word, is consummated.

For the purpose of opening the lodge, the brethren assemble round the altar, and form a circle, leaving a space for the master. All then kneel and join hands, and the master reads the following passages from scripture:

"Psalm xxiv. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory. Selah."

"2 Chron. vi. Then said Solomon, the Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have built a house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling forever. And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel."

As the master reads the words, "lift up your heads, O ye gates," each brother raises his head; and as he continues, "and the king of glory shall come in," he steps along a few steps towards the space left for him in the circle.

The foregoing passage from the Psalms is very appropriate to the object of commemoration in this ceremony. For, although the Psalmist alluded to the true God, the language made use of, would equally apply to the Pagan god, the sun. The Abbe Pluche observes, as before noticed, that the tongue and religion of the Hebrews, were originally the same as the Egyptians: and, notwithstanding the variations which afterwards took place between them, "the forms of prayer remained the same." So in this case, the expressions, the hill of the Lord; the king

of glory; the Lord mighty in battle, may be applied to the course of the sun; the veneration in which he was held, and his wars and victories over Typhon, the genius of evil. King, moreover, was one of the peculiar titles bestowed upon Osiris the sun. He was denominated says Pluche, "the leader, the king, the moderator of the stars, the soul of the world, the governor of nature." Besides, the term made use of above, Hazis or Hesus, and translated Lord, is a pagan name of the Deity, and answers, says the same author, to the Warts or Mars of the Sabines and Latins.

So the idea in Chronicles, of the Lord's dwelling in darkness, might anciently, among the pagans, have alluded to the sun, in the lower hemisphere, or enveloped in clouds for a time, in the tropic of Cancer.

The reading being ended, the master kneels, and joins hands with the others, which closes the circle. They then rise, disengage their hands, and lift them up above their heads; cast up their eyes, and then suffer their hands to fall by their sides.

This sign, it may be presumed, is intended to express admiration and gratitude for the return of the sun.

After some further ceremonies, the senior warden demands of the most excellent, if this be not the day set apart for the celebration of the cope-stone? Which being ascertained to be the fact, the brethren form a procession double file, and march six times round the lodge, against the course of the sun, singing the following song:

All hail to the morning, that bids us rejoice;
The temple's completed, exalt high each voice;
The cope-stone is finished—our labor is o'er,
The sound of the gavel shall hail us no more.

Companions, assemble on this joyful day,
The occasion is glorious, the key-stone to lay;
Fulfilled is the promise, by the ancient of day*,*
To bring forth the cope-stone, with shouting and praise.

Thy wisdom inspired the great Institution;

Thy strength shall support it till nature expire;
And when the creation shall fall into ruin,

Its beauty shall rise through the midst of the fire.

The key-stone is now brought forward, and two pillars or columns are set up, and an arch placed on them, made of plank, in imitation of block work; in the center of which is a mortice left for the reception of a key-stone, which the master takes, and, placing it in the arch, drives it down, by giving it six raps with his gavel.

This is a title given to Isis.

The ark, which all this time had been carried round by four of the brethren, is now put upon the altar, and a pot of incense placed on it.

The members all kneel, and while in this attitude the master reads the following passage of scripture: 2 Chron. vii. 1, 4. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house, and the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.

As the master reads the last clause of the above extract, a brother touches a piece of gum camphor to a candle, and throws it into the pot of incense, of the same combustible matter, which stands on the altar before the kneeling brethren, which immediately ignites and makes a very brilliant light.

Here the emblem of the restoration of the lost sun, is too plain to be mistaken. The reader may recollect the account, given in a former part of this work, of a similar ceremony in the ancient mysteries; in which, after great lamentation for the loss of Adonis or Osiris, the sun, there was also great joy at his finding. "It is said, that this lamentation was performed over an image in the night season; and when they had sufficiently lamented, a candle was brought into the