tive what need would there be for the meeting of the senate for the purpose here stated.

Jamblichus, who, by the by, was a Pagan priest, and appears to be thoroughly versed in the metaphysical science of the gods, has clearly intimated who this Basileus of the mysteries was. In speaking of the one Supreme, he says "prior to truly existing beings and total principles, there is one god, prior to the first god and king, immoveable, and abiding in the solitude of his own unity. Who is father of himself, is self-begotten, is father alone, and is truly good."—(See Taylor's Trans. p. 301.)

The original of that part of the passage particularly alluded to is proton kai ton proton Theon kai Basileus; which Gale properly translates, prior etiam primo Deo, et rege [sole.] That is, prior to the first god and king, the sun. For it is well known that the sun was the first object of adoration among all the ancient nations, and he was styled the king or governor of the world.

The Supreme God, alluded to by Jamblichus, was called in Egypt, Kneph, of whom Plutarch says "the unbegotten Kneph was celebrated with an extraordinary degree of veneration by the Egyptian Thebans."

As a further proof of the erroneous opinion formed by our author on this subject, an appeal may be made to the practice of royal arch masonry, which I deem conclusive in this and similar cases. Here the hierophant or high priest is the presiding officer and the king holds the second rank, and presides only in the absence of the former. And the idea that this officer was ever the representative of an earthly monarch was never entertained by masons. No civil power has ever exercised any authority in the jodge; and although some of the royal family of England, and also of other countries have become members of the fraternity, they enter it like other men, on the ground of perfect equality. In short, the officer styled king, personates Osiris the sun, one of the divinities celebrated in the mysteries, the second person in the pagan trinity.

It is worthy of remark, and perhaps here is the most proper place to make it, that masonry conforms to the practice of the Egyptians, in prohibiting to slaves a participation of its mystic rites. It excludes also all those who possess any bodily defect. That a benevolent society, as the masonic institution is, should make a misfortune of this kind the cause of debaring admission to its social and friendly communion, admits of no justification; no mason can give a plausible reason for it.

It is an outrage against humanity. Any one who, in fighting the battles of liberty and his country, should have lost a leg or an arm in the conflict, would in vain apply for admission into this society. Every mason has sworn not to be present at the initia tion of a person thus situated. He is bound down with the adamantine chains of precedent, which has often perverted the plainest principles of justice and common sense. I do not believe there is a single mason who would not wish to get rid of this rule, but the fraternity entertain a religious horror against defacing the “old land marks”— The oaths, therefore, engendered in days of darkness and superstition, must remain the same to the end of time.

This circumstance alone is a strong proof of the origin of the order. The practice arises from a stupid adherence to the religious customs and observances of the ancient Egyptians. The mysteries, it has been seen, were deemed a sacred institution, and the most rigid investigation of character, and the severest trials were imposed upon the aspirants to its benefits. "No person, says De Pauw (in his Phil. Diss. on the Egypt. and Chinese,) who was born with any remarkable bodily imperfection, could be consecrated in Egypt; and the very animals, when deformed, where never used either for sacrifice, or in symbolical worship."

The Levites among the Jews were subjected to the same rigid discipline; no one that had the least bodily blemish could be admitted into the sacerdotal order.

"As to the admittance of the Levites into the ministry, birth alone did not give it to them; they were likewise obliged to receive a sort of consecration. Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, says God to Moses, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them; sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Then let them take a young bullock, etc. Numbers, viii. v. 6.

Nor was any Levite permitted to exercise his functions till after he had served a sort of novitiate for five years, in which he carefully learned all that related to his ministry. "From considering their order, we proceed to consider the manner in which the priests were chosen, and the defects which excluded them from the priesthood. Among the defects of body, which rendered them unworthy of the sacerdotal functions, the Jews reckon up fifty which are common to men, and other animals, and ninety which are peculiar to men alone. The priest whose birth was polluted with any profaneness, was clothed in black, and sent without the verge of the priests' court, but he who was chosen by the judges appointed for that purpose, was clothed in white, and joined himself to the other priests. And I know not whether St. John does not allude to this custom when he says, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life." (Rev. iii. v. 5.) They whose birth was pure, but who had some defect of body, lived in those appartments of the temple wherein the stores of wood were kept, and were obliged to split, and prepare it for keeping up the fire of the altar." (Rev. Adam Clarke's Hist. Anc. Israelites. Burlington Edit. p. 273, 279.)

There is a remarkable similarity in the institutions of the Egyptians, Jews, and Freemasons. The probation of four years was required after initiation into the lesser mysteries, before the candidate could be admitted to a participation of the greater. An entered apprentice in the lodge of Freemasons had formerly to serve seven years in that grade before he could be advanced. This extra time, however, arose from the necessity of adapting the rules of the order to the craft of masonry; it being the usual period required for apprentices in that and other mechanical trades. The members of the masonic fraternity also "formerly wore white during lodge-hours but at present the white apron alone remains."—(Smith.)

CHAPTER III.

AN

EXAMINATION

OF VIRGIL'S SIXTH BOOK OF THE ENEID: IN WHICH IT IS SHOWN, THAT THE ALLEGORICAL DESCENT OF ENEAS INTO HELL, IS NO OTHER THAN AN ENIGMATICAL REPRESENTATION OF HIS INITIATION INTO THE MYSTERIES.

We have seen in general, how fond and tenacious ancient paganism was of this extraordinary rite, as of an institution supremely useful both to society and religion. But this will be seen more fully in what I now proceed to lay before the reader; an examination of two celebrated pieces of antiquity, the famous Sixth Book of Virgil's Eneid, and the Metamorphosis of Apuleius. The first of which will show us of what use the mysteries were esteemed to society; and the second, of what use to religion.

An inquiry into Eneas' adventure to the shades, will have this farther advantage, the instructing us in the shows and representations of the mysteries; a part of their history, which the form of this discourse upon them hath not yet enabled us to give. So that nothing will be now wanting to a perfect knowledge of this most extraordinary and important institution.

For, the descent of Virgil's hero into the infernal regions, I presume was no other than a figurative description of an initiation; and particularly, a very exact picture of the spectacles in the Eleusinian mysteries; where every thing was done in show and machinery; and where a representation of the history of Ceres afforded opportunity of bringing in the scenes of heaven, hell, elysium, purgatory, and what. ever related to the future state of men and heroes.

As the Eneid is in the style of ancient legislation, it would be hard to think that so great a master in his art, should overlook a doctrine, which, we have shown, was the foundation and support of ancient politics; namely a future state of rewards and punishments. Accordingly he hath given us a complete system of it, in imitation of his models, which were Plato's vision of Erus, and Tully's dream of Scipio, Ágain, as the lawgiver took care to support this doctrine by a very extraordinary, institution, and to commemorate it by a rite, which had all the allurement of spectacle; and afforded matter for the utmost embel

lishments of poetry, we cannot but confess a description of such a scene would add largely to the grace and elegance of his work; and must conclude he would be invited to attempt it. Accordingly, he hath done this likewise, in the allegorical descent of Eneas into hell; which is no other than an enigmatical representation of his initiation into the mysteries.

Virgil was to represent a perfect lawgiver, in the person of Eneas; now, initiation into the mysteries was what sanctified his character and enobled his function. Hence we find all the ancient heroes and law

givers were, in fact, initiated.

Another reason for the hero's initiation, was the important instructions he received in matters that concerned his office.

A third reason for his initiation, was the custom of seeking support and inspiration from the god who presided in the mysteries.

A fourth reason for his initiation, was the circumstance in which the poet has placed him, unsettled in his affairs, and anxious about his future fortune. Now, amongst the uses of initiation, the advice and direction of the oracle was not the least. And an oracular bureau was so necessary an appendix to some of the mysteries, as particularly the Samothracian, that Plutarch, speaking of Lysander's initiation there expresses it by a word that signifies consulting the oracle: on this occount, Jason, Orpheus, Hercules, Castor, and (as Macrobius says) Tarquinius Priscus, were every one of them initiated into those mys. teries.

All this the poet seems clearly to have intimated in the speech of Anchises to his son:

"Carry with you to Italy the choisest of the youths, the stoutest hearts. In Latium you have to subdue a hardy race, rugged in manners. But first, my son, visit Pluto's infernal mansions, and, in quest of an interview with me, cross the deep floods of Avernus."

A fifth reason was the conforming to the old popular tradition, which said, that several other heroes of the Trojan times, such as Agamemnon and Ulysses, had been initiated.

A sixth, and principal was, that Augustus, who was shadowed in the person of Eneas, had been initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries.(Suet. Oct. cap. xciii.)

While the mysteries were confined to Egypt, their native country, and while the Grecian lawgivers went thither to be initiated, as a kind of designation to their office, the ceremony would be naturally described, in terms highly allegorical. This was, in part, owing to the genius of

the Egyptian manners; in part, to the humor of travelers; but most of all, to the policy of lawgivers; who, returning home, to civilize a barbarous people, by laws and arts, found it useful and necessary (in order to support their own characters, and to establish the fundamental principle of a future state) to represent that initiation, in which, they saw the state of departed mortals in machinery, as an actual descent into hell. This way of speaking was used by Orpheus, Bacchus, and others; and continued even after the mysteries were introduced into Greece, as appears by the fables of Hercules, Castor, Pollux, and Theseus's descent into hell. But the allegory was generally so circumstanced, as to discover the truth concealed under it. So Orpheus is said to go to hell by the power of his harp: that is, in quality of lawgiver; the harp being the known symbol of his laws, by which he humanized a rude and barbarous people. So again, in the lives of Hercules and Bacchus, we have the true history, and the fable founded on it, blended and recorded together. For we are told, that they were in fact initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries; and that it was just before their descent into hell, as an aid and security in that desperate undertaking. Which, in plain speech, was no more, than that they could not safely see the shows, till they had been initiated. The same may be said of what is told us of Theseus's adventure. Near Eleusis there was a well, called Callichorus; and, adjoining to that, a stone, on which, as the tradition went, Ceres sat down, sad and weary, on her coming to Eleusis. Hence the stone was named Agelastus, the melancholy stone. On which account it was deemed unlawful for the initiated to sit thereon. "For Ceres, (says Clemens) wandering about in search of her daughter Proserpine, when she came to Eleusis, grew weary, and sat down melancholy on the side of a well. So that, to this very day, it is unlawful for the initiated to sit down there, lest they, who are now become perfect, should seem to imitate her in her desolate condition." Now let us see what they tell us concerning Theseus's descent into hell. "There is also a stone," says the scholiast on Aristophanes, "called by the Athenians, Agelastus; on which, they say, Theseus sat when he was meditating his descent into hell. Hence the stone had its name. Or, perhaps, because Ceres sat there, weeping, when she sought Proserpine." All this seems plainly to intimate, that the descent of Theseus was his entrance into the Eleusinian mysteries. Which entrance, as we shall see hereafter, was a fraudulent intrusion.

Both Euripides and Aristophanes seem to confirm our interpretation of these descents into hell. Euripides, in his Hercules furens,