were purely spiritual, for they lived almost solely on the spontaneous productions of Nature. The laws and motions of the celestial bodies constituted their chief study, and their usual amusement consisted in singing of psalms to God. Endued with that benign principle which we term CHARITY, the passions of envy, hatred, and revenge found no place amongst them; injustice and deceit were banished from their society; sincerity and plain-dealing were their distinguishing characteristics; and they lived, daily ripening for that state which is enlightened by the presence of God for evermore. To the purity of these SONS OF GOD, our most excellent patron, St. John the Evangelist, compared that of the Christian converts. He addresses them by the same appellation, and contrasts their conduct with that of the wicked, whom he compares with the unrighteous race of Cain.

Seth continued to preside over these sacred assemblies until the time of Enoch; and finding that the spirit of God was in that highly favoured individual, and that he excelled his brethren in wisdom and knowledge, he installed him Grand Superintendent in his stead; happy to leave the science under the direction of so excellent a protector.

** 1st Ep. iii., 1–12.

PERIOD II.

CHAPTER III.

On the Origin of the Arts and Sciences.

It has been already explained that Masonry is divided into two distinct parts, OPERATIVE and SPECULATIVE; the latter and most noble portion of which declined amongst the descendants of Ham and Japheth, when they renounced the worship of the true God, and degenerated into idolatry. They cherished, however, the former division, amidst all the fluctuations of their fortune, and diversities of modes of faith and worship. The corruptions which gradually debased the moral principle in man, did not check his ardour in the pursuit of science, or restrain the avidity with which he cultivated wisdom, and the love of every useful art. The Egyptians were celebrated for geometry, the Phoenicians for the perfection of their arithmetical calculations, the Chaldeans for their knowledge of astronomy, and the Cretans for music.

The Island of Crete, which was planted in the ages anterior to Abraham, so far excelled in the cultivation of the fine arts, that men of learning and research, from other countries, visited this people to reap the benefit of their improvements. Under the patronage and genial encouragement of their kings, they excelled not only in music, but also in medicine, and the arts of civil and social life; they carried the art of working in brass and metals to a greater perfection than any nation had done before them; they communicated their knowledge very freely to other nations who applied for it, and even appointed public teachers, whose office was to preserve their

3

Diog. Laert. 2 Diodor. Sicul. Zenop. de Institut. Cyri

acquirements pure and free from sophisticated adulterations. These teachers were appointed by an edict of the state, and heavy penalties were denounced upon any person who should attempt to give instruction in the sciences without this authority.4

Yet, even when mankind had degenerated into perfect religious indifference, and would scarcely acknowledge that God was the supreme architect of the world, or of the human structure, but deduced the original of all things from a fortuitous concourse of atoms, they still encouraged the fine arts, and advanced them to a high degree of perfection. Hence the age of Augustus, the most dark and ambiguous with respect to religion, was esteemed the brightest era of time with respect to the extent of human learning, and the perfection of human

science.

THE SEVEN LIBERAL SCIENCES,

Originally invented by Masons,5 were transmitted almost solely through their indefatigable zeal, before the invention of printing. These sciences were much cultivated by the idolatrous nations, though they erred in not applying their attainments to the knowledge and worship of the Supreme Creator and Governor of the world, which is the only true end of every scientific pursuit. The study of the seven liberal sciences constituted the

Thus Prometheus was condemned for inculcating the art of forging metals, without being duly invested with authority from the deputies legally appointed to grant it. (Plato in Protag.) He was pronounced a seducer of the people, and suffered banishment for violating the laws of his country.

A Record, which is preserved in the Bodleian Library, and was written about the latter end of the fifteenth century, thus particularizes the arts invented by Masons.

"Quest. Whatte artes haveth the Maçonnes techedde mankynde? "Answ. The artes, Agricultura, Architectura, Astronomia, Geometri, Numeres, Musica, Poesie, Kymistrye, Governmente, and Relygyonne.

"Quest. Howe commethe Maçonnes more teachers than odher menne?

"Answ. The hemselfe haveth alleine in arte of fyndynge newe artes, whyche arte the ffyrste Maçonnes receaved from Godde; by the whyche they fyndethe whatte artes hem plesethe; and the treu way of techynge the same. Whatt odher menne doethe ffynde out, ys onelyche bey chaunce."

usual course of instruction prescribed by philosophers for the higher classes of mankind, and this course was termed encyclopædia, or instruction in a cycle.

The high antiquity of these and other philosophical attainments, shews the avidity with which our ancient brethren pursued knowledge, even after they had deviated from the true worship of God. To trace these sciences back to their original may be counted an adventurous task; but if, amidst the doubtful evidence which remains of these times, we find strong presumptive proof that they were in the exclusive possession of Masons in the most early ages of the world, it will shew that Masonry is not a negative institution, but that it is of some actual benefit to mankind.

GRAMMAR

"Teaches the proper arrangement of words, according to the idiom or dialect of any particular people, and that excellency of pronunciation which enables us to speak or write a language with accuracy' agreeably to reason and correct usage.”

It is highly probable that there existed a great variety of dialects before the Flood, which would cause some general elements to be both useful and necessary for a beneficial intercourse amongst mankind. The migration of Cain into distant parts would separate his family from the rest of the world for some ages; and the exclusive pursuits in which they were engaged would materially alter the original language: for new wants and new acquirements would demand new names and phrases, which, being adopted from fancy or accident, would in a

The professors of the spurious Free-masonry, it must be admitted, were the most perfectly acquainted with the pursuits of human science. Dr. Willet says, "The heathen were the first inventors of almost all human arts; as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, of philosophy; Euclid, Archimedes, Ptolmæus, of the mathematics; Isocrates, Demosthenes, Cicero, of rhetoric; Homer, Pindarus, Virgil, of poetry; Herodotus, Thucydides, Livius, of history. Now, none of these professions are to be found among the pagans and infidels, but they flourish only among Christians. The learned books and writings of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Arnobius, Lactantius, Cyprian, Hierom, Augustine, with the rest, do evidently shew how the spoils of Egypt are now possessed only by the people of God.' (Hexapla in Exod., p. 165.)

"Lect. of Masonry. Vide Preston's "Illustrations."

few years change the character of the language altogether. The same causes would produce an alteration in the language of every tribe which lived separate from the general settlement of Adam; and repeated migrations doubtless took place, even during the life-time of that patriarch, from the rapid increase of the human race, under the advantages of antediluvian longevity, which, without intercourse, must, of necessity, produce so many radical changes in the primitive language, as to fill the world with new and different dialects, as infinite as the numerous tribes who might plant colonies in every part of the habitable globe.

Before the time of Enoch, neighbouring tribes had established a social intercourse with each other, which, by the invention of boats, might in some cases be extended to a considerable distance over the sea, having for its basis mutual wants and mutual conveniences. This intercourse rendered some simple medium necessary for the better interpretation of strange languages. An object so desirable became the universal study; and it was at length effected by Enoch, who invented an alphabet to perpetuate sounds, and with it adopted some general rules for fixing the character of language; and this was grammar, which had, indeed, been long used before such a science was actually known in its proper and specific form. Its essence was coeval with language; for the use of speech includes the art of arranging words in such order as to convey an intelligible meaning. The invention of letters would naturally inspire the idea of converting this faculty into a science; and hence its most simple elements may be ascribed to

Enoch.

This alphabet acquiring increased accessions of grammatical improvement before the translation of Enoch, was committed by that excellent Patriarch to Methusaleh, and by him to Noah, with whom it survived the Flood, and was transmitted by him and his sons to all the generations of the world. Noah carried his alphabet to China, where, in the hands of a jealous and suspicious people, it underwent changes without improvement. With the descendants of Shem, it continued to improve, until it arrived at the perfection which the Hebrew dialect so early attained. The Persian language was