their adepts. But though it sounded well enough for the Freemasons to confess an alliance with the Greek philosopher so long as science and the knowledge of nature were amongst their objects, such an admission became manifestly absurd when the advancing intelligence of man rejected the visionary portions of alchemy; to keep pace with their age, they were obliged to abandon the old philosophy, and confine themselves to morals and the understanding of the Creator.

Other and no less serious objections crowd upon us as we advance in the enquiry. The grand secret of the Freemasons, derived, as they pretend, from Solomon, if not from Adam, should make them wiser, or better, than their neighbours, or it is worth nothing. Has it done so? Experience replies that the fraternity, like any other association of human beings, contains both bad and good men,—the worst, no worse than may be found elsewhere, and the best no better. In regard to art or science, as a body, they have taught mankind nothing; and in regard to religion, they surely do not pretend to the knowledge of a purer faith than is in the scriptures, or to a more perfect interpretation of them than is given to us by our numerous and well-paid clergy. Here is a dilemma from which there is no escaping, even if they could get over the difficulty of their secret producing no effect upon themselves or others, and therefore being perfectly worthless.

And what does all their talk of emblems amount to? Emblems can express nothing that may not be told as well by words, since by words after all they must be explained, and what then is gained by their use? mystery,nothing else, inasmuch as they will bear any meaning you choose to attach to them, and their value as the representative of ideas must entirely depend upon the knowledge of the interpreter. Is a man likely to become

more moral for wearing a white apron and white gloves, or for carrying about a white wand? will any one learn prudence from seeing that quality represented by “a blazing star, which is placed in the centre that every mason's eye may be upon it?"* or will "the level, the emblem of equality," or "the plumb, the emblem of integrity," inspire a deeper love for these qualities than the eloquence of words. It is true we often avail ourselves of this principle in teaching children; but then it is done to assist their memory, or to convey abstract truths to the mind through the medium of the eye. Thus the image of the archer may help out a child's recollection of A, as that of a bull may with more readiness call to its mind the letter B; this in fact is no more than a memoria technica, an artificial memory; but do grown-up men require such help to teach them morality? Mr. Oliver assures us that "the mason in his full clothing is

*

Oliver's Antiquities of Freemasonry, p. 177.

In the case of Frederick the Greek I am sorry to say it produced no effect whatever, though to be sure he was an awkward subject to try the experiment upon. In 1753, while he was yet only crown-prince, he was made by an especial deputation of Freemasons from Hamburg for that purpose, the first of these towns, where he then resided, not being fortunate enough to possess a lodge of its own. But the levelling system of the brotherhood would seem to have been ill-suited to the taste of the royal lion; he could not tolerate an "imperium in imperio ; " and when an upholsterer, who was occupied upon one of the palace-chambers, thought to recommend himself by giving the masonic sign of recognition, he turned his back upon the possessor of Solomon's wisdom and walked off. Another claim of the same kind was not more graciously received. During the Bavarian war of inheritance some Freemasons, who had a petition to address to him, were simple enough to accompany it with their masonic rank and titles. Their petition was immediately handed over to the authorities, and they were given to understand that they must not presume to use such titles out of their lodges for the future.-See Murr.

a striking emblem of integrity, and a perfect model of wisdom, strength, and beauty."* But is this walking emblem, wise, strong, and handsome, in reality, and are such wisdom, strength, and handsomeness, the result of his various amulets? if not, where is the use of all his badges? But the truth is that Freemasonry belongs not to our times. It was the fiction of a credulous age, when besides the vulgar religion, or popular mythology, the priests and philosophers had a secret system of their own, compelling the people under severe penalties to abide in ignorance while they kept all the light they could collect to themselves. It was not much to be sure, but what it was they retained and guarded with a barbarous and unrelenting jealousy. Such has been the case in all ages of which we have any record. The priests of Egypt had their hidden and undivulgable wisdom, an inner portion of their temple to which the multitude could never penetrate. The Jewish hierarchy had their Cabala, that knowledge, which, as they said, God had granted to them under a solemn command of secrecy, and denied to the rest of their fellow creatures. Zoroaster at their head, had one and another for the elect. The Eleusinian mysteries. Even Pythagoras bound his followers to silence. But we repeat it, the day of mysticism has gone by; and though it is only the first dawn of real knowledge that is breaking upon us, yet even in this early twilight men for the most part can see too plainly to be the dupes of such absurd pretensions. The very attempt however to continue them is an effort to perpetuate ignorance and error, and upon this principle the sooner the Freemasons lay aside their aprons and talk like the rest of the world the better.

*

The Indian teachers, with code for the multitude, Greeks boasted of their

Antiquities of Freemasonry, p. 175.

And now let me say a few words in justice to the despised and abused alchemists, whose relationship the Freemasons are so anxious to deny; they at least, amidst all their dreams and follies, had much practical knowledge, which is more than can be said of the Freemasons, simply considered as such, and were of service to mankind. If they did not find the philosopher's stone, they were not less the fathers of chemistry, and were much better informed in general than the world is willing to give them credit for. As one instance only, I will show from a writer of their own, that they had some notion, though perhaps not very precise or accurate, of the gaseous nature of water. In the ATALANTA FUGIENS, we read, " from coagulated (compressed) winds, which are nothing else but air, water is made, and from this, mingled with earth, proceed all minerals and metals."'*-And with this I conclude, though the history of the alchemists would admit of much curious investigation.

*Ex fumis autem, seu ventis, qui sunt nihil aliud quam aer motus, coagulatis fit aqua, ex qua cum terra mixta mineralia et metalla omnia."-ATALANTA FUGIENS. p. 14. Discursus I.-Qrto. Oppenheim, 1518.

THE MONTHS-JULY.

THIS month, which was the beginning of the Celtic year,* was called by our Saxon ancestors HENMONATH, i.e. foliage month, from the German Hain, a grove; HEYMONATH, i.e. Haymonth; and LIDA AFTERA, i.e. the Second Lida, or second month of the sun's descent, as June was named the LIDA ERRA, i.e. the first month of the sun's descent.† In proof of the correctness of the names thus given, Dr. Sayers refers us to an emblematical representation of the Saxon months on an ancient font belonging to the church of Burnham Depedale in Norfolk. GIULI AFTERA, i.e. January, is represented by a man drinking from a horn; SOLMONATH, i.e. February, by a person apparently sitting at the door of his house; LENCTMONATH, i.e. March, by a man digging; EOSTERMONATH, i.e. April, by a man employed in pruning; SEREMONATH, i.e. May, (apparently) by a person occupied in trimming a vine; WEEDMONATH, i.e. June, by a weeder;

* See Davies' Celtic Researches, p. 190.

For some of these names and derivations I am indebted to Dr. Frank Sayers in his DISQUISITIONS, p. 255, 8vo. Norwich, 1808. The venerable Bede (De Ratione Temporum) calls this month Lida only, and Verstegan confines himself to the name of HEYMONATH, which he says was given to it, "because therein they usually mowed, and made their hay-harvest."-Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, p. 67.