from the world." The symbolic ceremony of initiation is designed to illustrate and explain that to the mind purified by virtue is opened the way of knowledge to light and truth. The same great lesson, as one of the most important principles of Christianity, finds expression in that beautiful sermon from the Mount of Galilee, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Thus our First degree inculcates a morality founded upon unselfishness, and establishes as its real or essential philosophy, that pure morality is the basis of perfect education. The latest writers of the most advanced school of modern thought, dealing with the vital and press. ing questions of social reform, come with singular unanimity of opinion to the conclusion "That only on good unselfish instincts can a trustworthy morality repose," and "A perfect ideal education is that which habitually stimulates and inflames the good passions and discourages the bad." Thus, Ancient Freemasonry and Modern Sociology unite in the grand and noble purpose of serving the higher interests of our greater brotherhood-Humanity. In the Second Degree, under the symbol of the open porch, we typify the entrance to the temple of wisdom, inviting those to enter who have been purified in the outer courts, and introducing the Craftsman into the hidden mysteries of nature and science. Here step by step we ascend the winding stair of Masonic knowledge, seeking the light of wisdom which shines from above, until at length, after many trials, we enter the middle chamber of the temple of truth, where as true and faithful Craftsmen we shall receive the due reward of our labor, when we discover the mystic symbol-the trinity of purity, truth, and power-which denotes God, the Grand Geometrician of the Universe. This familiar allegory is an illustration of the search for truth, which distinguishes true scientific enquiry, and the gradual ascent through a pure morality to the highest wisdom, is a symbol of the perfect union of religion and science. The founders of our Craft, the magi of ancient Egypt, illustrated their great moral principles by symbols, of which the Pyramid is one great and enduring type which well represents our Institution.

With an unselfish morality as our fundamental principle, cherished

ever.

in our hearts, cultivated in our homes, taught in our schools, practiced in business, and exemplified in society we may rear our Pyramid of Science without fear of failure; for truth shall endure for Science alone fails to satisfy the nature of man. To seek the regeneration of our race by philosophy without morals is to reverse the Pyramid and ensure the disappointment of failure and ruin. But our principles thus securely founded will outlast the storms of conflict which may rage between superstition-calling itself religion, and error-vaunting itself as science, -as the grand old Pyramids have withstood the storms and ravages of time. As the thread to the crystal, so society requires some concrete forms about which to crystalize or unite. From time immemorial symbols and ceremonies have been successfully used to impress the senses and thus to open the gates of knowledge, the avenues of the mind. Our government by the symbols worn by the principal officers, is shown to be a morality based upon equity and administered with. justice; and every symbol, sign, and word used in our rites has its occult or hidden meaning, to discover which is well worthy the attention of every earnest member of the Craft. The lodge is our safe retreat, whither we escape from the trials and toils consequent upon the daily struggle for sustenance, place, and power, and where we work with brotherly love, relief, and truth-to rebuild the shattered fragments of human society into the grand ideal unity of social order, the Universal Temple of the Great Architect of the Universe. London Freemason.

INFLUENCE OF THE ART OF PRINTING ON MASONRY.

It is conceded that the invention of printing wrought a change in the moral and intellectual world akin to that produced in the physical world by the dawning of light upon darkness; but it is not generally known that it produced as great a revolution in Freemasonry, at first even threatening to destroy it, and almost accomplishing its work, while afterwards printing was brought into har mony with the institution, and made to contribute to its highest glory, and the truest interests of its initiates.

When printing was invented Freemasons were operative Masons. They had covered civilized Europe with the evidences of their skill. Germany, France, England, Scotland and Italy were dotted over

with the abbeys and cathedrals erected after their plans and by their hands. They even invented a style of architecture-the Gothic, and the noblest buildings of all time, full of the loftiest spiritual teaching, and almost animate with life, such as the cathedrals at Colonge, Strasburg, Amiens, Rouen, Salisbury, Durham, Canterbury and York, pointed men to the Grand Architect of the Universe, and were literally sermons in stone. That was a glorious era, when, in the midst of the "dark ages," a class of men-the Freemasons, rose above their surroundings, taught the world by deeds, not words, lifted the mind from the groveling things of earth to the eternal things of heaven, and by all that was beautiful, elevating and spiritual in art, symbolically taught their initiates, and measurably taught all men, that there is a higher life, a better world, a great hereafter, while at the same time they were mutually and charitably helpful to each other, and sincerely devoted to ameliorating their condition in this life, while having in view the hereafter.

But in a day a miracle was wrought. The art of printing was invented. Learning, which was before confined to the monasteries -the prerogative of the few, was spread over the world, the possession of the many. The sensuous language of art was largely superseded by the photographic and pictorial language of literature Object lessons in stone were disused: the mind displaced the hand. As Jarvis has happily phrased it, "Words obtained the ascendency over Art as the exponent of ideas." The days of the cathedral and the abbey were numbered. The vocation of the operative Freemasons was gone; there were no more cathedrals to be built.

Its ini

Freemasonry, however, was instituted when the world was young and was not made for one age, but for all ages. It could adapt itself to the changed circumstances of the world. tiates might be no longer technical architects and builders, but the symbolism which was theirs, and inherent in the Royal Art, was suited to all time, and to a membership composed either of operatives and speculatives together, or of speculatives alone. The result is the Freemasonry of to-day, the heir of the entire symbolism of ancient Freemasonry, of the moral attributes of the Fraternity, and of its sublime doctrine and practical exemplification of that blessed charity, which is "the greatest of the blessed three," the triune virtues.

The earthquake which wrecked the ignorance of the dark ages, which destroyed the manual vocation of the middle-age Freemasons, could not enter the sphere of morals and brotherly love, and shake its center, or any part of its circumference, and hence we are permitted, in spite of the invention of printing nay with its aidfor the earthquake has been harnessed, the art of printing has been made the means of dispensing "more Light" in Masonry-we are permitted to-day to teach the principles of the Ancient Craft with more power, more beauty, more efficiency than ever before.

Let no Freemason despise the art of printing. Masonic Craftsmen are all artists, and our sister art of letters has accomplished untold good for our Fraternity. The literature of Freemasonry is already so copious, so elevating, so enlightening, that whoever will may supplement the lessons of the Lodge room with self-culture. by the aid of books, Masonic newspapers and magazines, so as to derive therefrom an infinite fund of pleasure and instruction. Lustre has been shed upon the Craft by the writings of Woodford, Hughan, Gould, Lyon, Fort, Mackey, Oliver, and a score of other Masonic authors whose fame is world-wide. The emotional training of operative Lodges and the language of architecture have been superceded by the mental and moral training of Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons and the language of the printed page. Freemasonry now employs both types and types. The symbol used in the Craft are the types of moral ideas; the instructive and eloquent language of Masonic history and Masonic disquisitions are made permanent by the types which the printer's art invented.

The Freemason who rests satisfied with what he can learn of Masonry in the Lodge, fails to avail himself of other privileges to which as a Craftsman he is equally entitled. He ignores the fact that printing has been invented, that there is a rich literature in Freemasonry, that it lies open before him, and that he may, if he will, possess it and enjoy it. And this is a rare enjoyment. Brethren every day, we are glad to know, are more and more using both the eyes of the body and the eyes of the mind-in other words they are increasingly becoming reading and thinking Masons. Let the good work go on, until every brother own his own, it may be little, Masonic library, and regularly takes and reads at least one newspaper of the Craft.-Keystone.

merce.

KING SOLOMON AS AN ART PATRON.

The reign of David had been a brilliant period of growth and consolidation, of advance in civilization, wealth and culture; and Solomon inherited a territory, a people and an exchequer such as fell to the lot of no other ruler of the Jews. We who view him through the light cast on his character by the degradation of his later years, find him a repulsive rather than an attractive character, but to his subjects this radiant and beautiful young king, surrounded by the gorgeous magnificence dear to the Oriental heart, and already endued with unusual wit and wisdom, seemed to carry with him glad auguries of peace, magnificence and prosperity. It was not only that he was very beautiful in person, gracious in manner, brilliant and wise in speech, that he inherited in a great measure his father's poetic genius and love of music, but he devoted himself in an unprecedented degree to the internal government of his kingdom, and he possessed to perfection the Hebrew talent for comTrue, he early showed signs of the defects natural to men of his temperament; the sensuousness of the Song of Songs betrays a character naturally inclined to self indulgence and luxury, and his marriage with the daughter of the King of Egypt, contracted for reasons of State policy, suggests that even in his youth he regarded the obligation of religion lightly. The marriage was regarded with something like horrified surprise on the part of the Israelites, but it fulfilled its immediate purpose by cementing peace with Egypt, and promoting commerce in the linens and woolens of the Hebrews, who received in exchange the Egyptian war horses and chariots which Solomon, contrary to Hebrew tradition, deemed essential to the maintenance of peace. Some show of power was indeed necessary to secure the safety of a city overflowing with gold and jewels, as Jerusalem became in Solomon's later days; and that he restrained his people from warfare was rather because he placed a higher value on peace than because he had no occasion for war. For he allowed a new Syrian kingdom to arise at Damascus, far more dangerous to Israel than that of Soba which had been destroyed; and during his reign the Edomites regained the whole of their territory with the exception of the port of Elath, so that he bequeathed to his successor an insecure throne and a kingdom surrounded by formidable His wisdom expended itself chiefly in personal learning,