Masonic Legend And Tradition.

the rituals of the present Freemasonry . Even traditions must have some basis for snpporti and ours may rest upon the snatches of early history , some of which are facts and some the vagrant fancies of busy brains . Some of them were unquestionably facts—many of them mere theories . Let me give you mine , in which recorded truth and fanciful legend are strangely blended . Solomon was about to construct a magnificent Temple at Jerusalem , the capital of his kingdom , in which God was to be worshipped according to certain forms , and with certain symbolic ceremonies . The Jews knew but little of the art of building ; but men must be had for this great undertakingworkmenarchitectsbuilderssuch as could ' hew

, , , , the architrave' from the cedars of Lebanon , and square great ashlars from the quarries , who could at least prepare the material from its nnshapen forms , and then it would be a comparatively easy task to erect the structure . But most of all did he need a ' cunning artificer , ' one capable of comprehending the whole plan of the building , of preparing designs and models for the workmen , and of superintending the construction of an edifice whose original designs were believed to have been furnished by the Supreme Architect of the Universe . "

We do not , we confess , quite follow Bro . Moore . The real " crux" has always been how to explain the fact , striking and clear in itself , that Jews and Syrians worked together at the building of the first Temple . According to Jewish theories and scri p ture teaching , such an union seems at first sight so anomalous as to be impossible . And yet no fact in history is more of a fact ! Dr . Hook , once vicar of Leeds , and afterwards Dean of

Chichester , alluded to this very fact as peculiar and striking . How , then , can we explain it ? Only , we say it advisedly , by our Masonic traditions , and by assuming that the mysteries of the " Gebalim " contained the realities of p rimaeval truth ? But then Bro . Moore continues : —

" The Tynans , composing a small kingdom on the sea coast , were renowned as architects . Tyre was but a short distance from Jerusalem ; while its king ( Hiram ) was on the most friendly terms with Solomon . To Hiram , therefore , overtures were made to supply workmen for the great enterprise , and a favorable reply received . The result was an agreement that , for certain considerations , Hiram should supply Solomon with the artists and builders that he needed . The letters which passed between these two neighbouring kings , in the progress of this negotiation , are still extant , and are invested with the seal of unquestioned authenticity . You may read this correspondence , still preserved in that old work

called the Bible—reverenced by Jew and Christian the world over . It is found in the second chapter of the first book of Chronicles , and its authenticity is reliable . It will there be seen that Hiram not only supplied the desired workmen for the forest and the quarries , but he found and furnished an artist of extraordinary skill—just such an one as Solomon needed . The king described him as ' the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan , and his father a man of Tyre , skilful to work in gold and in silver , in brass , in iron , in stone and in timber , in purple , in blue and in fine linen , and in crimson j also to grave any manner of graving , and to find out every device that shall be put to him . '

" This man , half Jew and half Tyrian , must have been a rare artist , of wonderful and varied genius . The Freemasons of a century or more ago , in arranging and adjusting the rituals of the degrees , seem to have taken this Tyrian artist under their special care , and , adding fancy to fact , arranged a tragedy as a novelist does his plot , and then passed it upon the neophyte as veritable historic truth ! Or , in completing the mystical structure , they may have borrowed some from the Dionysians to complete the ideal , half fact and half fiction , which they constructed from the story of the Tyrian . " The mysteries of the Dionysians were oriinallinstituted in honour of Bacchusand

g y , looked to Egypt , that land of mysteries , for their parentage . The ceremonies at the reception of a novice were solemn aud impressive , and , like the Third Degree in modern Masonry , well calculated to test the virtue and integrity of the candidate . More than three days were required in passing the terrible ordeal , and when he reached the object of his ambition , he was welcomed with shouts , and daily instructed in the doctrines and symbols of the association . This was not unlike the legend of the Third Degree , and it is not difficult to trace the relationship .

" In working out the analogies found in the foundation of our mysteries , it is not necessary to enter into a detail of the labours of those Tyrian artists , in conjunction with the men of Israel , in the preparation of the material for , and final completion of , the Temple which rose in almost unearthly grandeur on Moriah . Jew and Gentile wrought together , as though the achievement was designed to prefigure that o £ the Gospel in later times , when all were to be included in the privileges and blessings of a Temple equally as holy and still more spiritual . On this analogy the fathers founded another legend .