John Yarker the Universal Hieroglyph Ancient Primitive Rite

5/14/2018 John Yarker the Universal Hieroglyph Ancient Primitive Rite

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. .' ~.RECAP I TULAT ION

MA SONRYOF ALL

011

;a meac rt pt to n a ub ~ x pla tl at lo tlO'

THE UNIVERSAL HIEROGLYPHOF THE MASTER OF MASTERS.

(Eos qui Diis apellantur rerum natures esse, nonfiguras, Deorum, Cieero.)

ORIENT OF MEMPHIS.X XXV III k ID CJJX XXX II.

From the Press o f Nousou , Rue de Olery , No.9.tTRANSLATED FROM TH E FRENCH BY JOHN YARKER, 33-96 .}

DUBLIN:PIlINTF:D FOR THE SOVEREIGN SANCTUA.RY, 33-95, OF ANCIENT

. 'AND PRIMITIVE MA.SONRY.

1883.


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NOTICE.The reader will find the accompanying plates painted

in' gold and in the colours which are proper to them, andmounted in triangular frames at the F. Piot, Gallery ofthe Palais Royal, 97.*

me~ct tp t iO l lOF THE

UNIVERSAL HIEROGLYPH.ADVERTISEMENT.

Freemasonry resembles the ancient Initiations. Thetrue origin of this Association is constantly exposed tothe researches of the historian, and the veil by which themysteries of the Order is carefully concealed, leaves tothe speoulations of the curious a great latitude, so thateach embodies from the Royal Art a special idea :-Morality, Physical Astronomy, Theosophy, Cabalism,Hermetic Philosophy, Medicine, Animal Magnetism, lireall seen in Freemasonry, wit'hout forgetting the elevatedsystem which has been 80 many times reproduced for theregeneration of the human species, We think that'amateurs in ' this kind of research will see with pleasurethe Universal Hieroglyph which we present to them, andwhich appertains to II?rade unknown in France. Theywill find conjoined all the suppositiona.ry hypotheses toexplain the Masonic' Symbols, and the study of the. different figures which compose it will not be fruitless asregards tha,ancient Mysteries.t

M. II IUBtriOl lSBro . Jacques Et . Marcou is , 33-97, in h is cor -respondence with Bro. Leon Hyneman, in 1858, several times mentionsthe name of the E . I ll. F. Piot, as posaessed of valuable 1 .1 880n ieworks.N.B.-The title page of the book from which this is transla ted

bears the signature of "P. Sadler, 1815." and th ? watermark ofthepaper is 1815. 't Our reade rs will notice tbe date-l~15-and will discover tbilt

this book is one explication ofthe Ritual of our Antient and PrimitiveMillion..,.. J.Y. '

THIS Hieroglyph has the form of an equilateral triangle,the first and most simple of the regular rectilineal figures,and which we know to have been employed by all ancientpeople to designate the generator-Fire.Ifwe divide each side of the triangle into three equal

parts and continue all the lines of intersection, it will befound divided into nine smaller triangles: three only ofthese equilaterals lire distinguished ill this design;they occupy the three angles of the large triangle.The space which is found between them forms a regular

hexagon, in the angles of which are traced the emblemsof the six planets, the sun being considered as occupyingthe centre of the hexagon,In this hex.agon is inscribed (circularly) the cord

(vinoulum commune) knotted in eighty-one knots, anumber which expresses the last of the Masonic compu-tations ." In the interior of this circle, which is an emblem ofperfection, is -traced the Grand Hieroglyph of Nature(a double triangle, with a head from which proceeds threebranches), which formed the base of all mysteries, of all'initiations, and which is found in all Theogonies, thehieroglyph on which rests the Gradeof M.-the firat, the


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6a ll Symbolic Cosmogonies, which agaiu ill themselves arenothing but an allegorical picture of the universal andperpetual generat ion of beings. '"Itwas to consecrate this for ever that the Mysteries

were introduced with their funereal rites. Accessi con-finium mortis =eaid Apuleius, et, calcato Proserpinsslimine, per omnia vectus elameuta, remeavi ; it is yet,again that to this physical truth is due the moral or,symbolic system of regeneration, the fundamental a im ofthe initiations of a ll ages. tThe space which the knotted cord separates from thehexagon is white; the border of the hexagon is blue in.. Osiris is sl ain by Typhon, who seizes him from a n ambush;

.Adonis through a sanguinary j ealousy; Elion by ferocious beas ts ;, Sommona Codon by a hog. Ormuzd i8 v .. nquished by Ahriman ;,Nehemiah by Armili us, Rnd he by the second Mes8iah. Abel is,RSsas sh;l Il ted by Cain; Ba lder by Hader the Blind. Allyrot iu8 i8slain by Mar8; Baeohus il torn to pieces by the gillnte. The,Assyrl!\ lls weep the deR,h of Tllmmu~ i the Soythians, t il e P h ce n i-dans, t hat ofAcmon; all nature that of the great Pan. Zohak Isvanquished by Pheridoun i Soura Psrpma by Soura Manier;Morasour by Dourga; Pra Souane by Sommona Codon, agains t"hom his son Thevatah revolts. Saturn mutilates and dethronesUranus iJupiter does the same wi th respec t to Saturn; Agdestie,,Atys, mutilate themselves; Chih dies in fecundating his wife.Snturn immolates his Bon Jahud; Indra, Thevatnh. Jesus dieson the cros s. The Turks themselves ce lebrat e the t ragic (howevernecessary) end of Hossein . Tho Mani chaens t hat of Man0JI, &c .In one word, i n n i l c o smo g o ul e s, the princi pal l egend turns on thedeath of an important personage, whoso death gi ves bi rth to theCrea tor or Regenera tor or tbe human race ., t ApulieuB, who was ini tiated into the Egypt ian ~Jysteries, ml l . kesPsyche to deseendinto Hades ; she succumbs to evi l fat e and dies-Jacebat immobilia et nihil aliud quam dormiena eodaeer. Loveresuscitates iter and gives her immortality-Sume, i nq u it , e t i 11 !m o 1 '-talis esto. We see tha] this was the formal system of regenerat ion;but all regenerat ion supposes ,lin anterior death, moral or physical,and one i s the emblem of the ot her, Chri stian rel igion presents tous the same ideas uuder the symbols ofor iginal Bin,of the universaldel nge, l ind of t he last judgment, as destruot ive principles; of theArk of Noah, of the 88crific,' of Abraham, of baptism, of the'pUaion of Christ, fil id ofthe Euclmrlst , liS regeneratl ve prlnelples,

with all the details indicated in the Bible, their, capitalsand the globes whioh surmount them; on these twoglobes, extending from one to the other, is placed alevel; the exterior outlines of the columns and the baseof'the pyr~mid (triangle) of which Iam going to speak,form a perfect square inscribed in the circle; thus, theser ies of geometrical f igures present an equilateral t riangledesignating the three principles of all beings, a circleindicating their union, formed by mixture, and its quad.rature, or the reduction of the mixtures into their fourelements, to orig inate a new creation.Between the two columns stands a pyramid whose

height is eq ual to the base, then it is inscribed in asquare. Like the great pyramid of Egypt, it has as itsmodel, 108 degrees: this pyramid, upright and white, isthe emblem of life, and at its apex ia an inscription (inHebrew characters) Areb Haohaiim {Terra viventium).Itisshad~d contrarywise, that is to say, at its lower

part; shewing more feebly at the top to indioate that thegross'and,te!;"restial emanations are purified iIi rising tothe higher regions. \In front of this pyramid, reaching half-way up, that is

to say, from, the 'line which indicates the middle of thesquare, 'is 'another' pyramid, black and reversed, whichwant of space has obliged us to shorten. It forms atomb. Itis in effect the image of death, and upon it isinscribed ( in Hebrew) Arets Scheol (Terra sepulchr i) ."This py! ;"a.midis placed over the first to proclaim that

death is the gate of life; that the .destruction of beings,that is, the disintegration of theit- constituent parts, theirfe rmentation, their dissolution , can alone bring about thegeneration of new entities, and that without these therecannot be any reproduction-Nisi granum frumenti cadensin terram mortuam fuerit, ipsum solum mallet; si eutemmortuum fuerit, multum fructum affe rt.It was this important'truth which formed the basis of Jt i s worthy of remark that the common prlmltivetomb presents

~ the eye the I lgure ofa reversed pyramid.

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From this death's head spring three roses, which isanothersymbol of reproduction. These three roses areof dilferentcolours-one of gold, with the stem and heartof purple; the second of silver, with the stem and heartof blue; the t~ird is natural, with the stem and heartblack and leaves green: these emblems will .be easily,recogn.ized by Hermetic Philosophers.. Behind the pyramid and tomb is placed a large can-delabra, a lighted taper, resembling the paschal taper:precious .l ight, terrestrial sun, inexhaustible source oflife, it is the image of that unalterable particle whichserves for the organization of matter, I mean the seed,this spark of inextinguishable fire, which freed from itsbonds by the disintegration of the constituent parts ofthe mixture, rushes into the centre of a fruitful womband gives life to a new. individual.In fine, across the entire diameter of the hexagon,

runs from South to North a large magnetic needle; itis tlie emblem of that universal fluid, common bond ofnature which enchains all bodies, produces all thephenomena of attraction, repulsion, affinity, antipathy,to which, through not knowing them well, has been attri-

8its three superior sides, and red in it a inferior ones,(alluding to red and blue Masonry).i the knotted cord is,of its' natural colour; the circumference of the circle isgreen, which is the colour of a Perfect Master and is thesY!pbol of life. The level is of wood, the columns a.re ofbronze, the upright pyramid of white marble, the other(reversed) of black marble.On the tomb are the letters M.B. ,* blood. colour;

and we moreover behold a death's head traversed~ith a branch of acacia of the thor~y species. t We have repented for some time that the word M-c is not

Hebrew; it is an error derived from another error. Besides, weought not to write it in one word, but in two words, MBh orMBa.! The first two words, MBh, are formed (ill Hehrew) and s ig'ni fy, Aedificantis putredo-or filiuB putr lf icat lonis, f rom (two Hebrew. roots). The latter two words, MBa, are formed (in Hebrew), andsignify-Percussio iuterfec tio aedlf icautie, from (two -Hebrewroots).The first interpretation mnch resembles that which we commonly

give to the word, and it conforms in a striking manner to theMasonio legend. The second will not appear leu nntural to thosewho' know the truth concea led under the Maaonic emblems. , For,under all the kncwn Jegends of the "Children ofthe Widow," theMaster may be tenned the Son of death, of which putrefaction 1 6the emblem and the resultant , &II it is, at the same time, the prin-clplo of lif e and the necessary condition to tbe deve lopment of allbeings. Finally, the third interpretation to which we thinkpre ference ought to be given, is, in pe rfect accord with the tragicend of Hiram, and it is that which haa been adopted by the Rose


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10 11bubed so many occult canses, a gas which without doubtis nothing but a modification of the igneous fluid, thegenerator, and of which what we call electric fluid isonly a perturbation.. Let us now pass to the smaller triangles; they alludeto the three worlds distinguished by the ancient philoso-phers, and they designate at the same time the variousapplications which have been made of the Royal Art.The triangle formed at the top of the large orie repre-

sents the architypal world, and consequently belongs toTheoaophic Masonry, to the Illuminated followers ofSweden borg, &c. The base of it is purple. At thehighest angle is the segment of a resplendent circle whichindicstes the inextinguishable fire of the celestial un-created light. 'Ve see there the Jod, or monogram ofthe di vinity, and lower still we read Ain Soph [non finis-without end). This inexhaustible light flows towardsthe lower parts, and always diverges until it separatesitself from the focus.Below tho segment of the circle, we see a Temple with

a vaulted dome to which we ascend by 21 steps ; it is. sustained by three twisted columns on which may beread the letters S.F. B. (Sageness, Force, Beauty), Thesethree columns are the emblems of the Trinity or the UD-created Triad, of the triple essence or principle of allthings. One is blue, tho other white, the middle one isred.Lower, ~e shewn the two great principles of all gene-

ration, the active and the passive, the male and thefemale, the sun and the mooll,. the sun representingcreated light, and which throws upon the moon somefertilizing rays, and both emit their seed as the productof this union; the flaming star, that son of the sun, thatHorua, that first matter, universal seed of all beings.The f laming star placed in the inter ior of the circle formsan equilateral triangle with the sun and moon, andrests on the summit of the pyramid which I havedescribed.

In the centre of this star we see the letter G,~'of which the curved part is white and the straight black,because this letter is, by its form, the emblem of theunion of Matter with Spirit, that is to say, with thegenerative fire. On the points of the star is the penta-gram of Jesus (Hebrew), true type of the quinary or ofthe Monad Creatrix in the midst of the four generativeelements.The segment of the circle, the sun, the flaming star,

the flame of the taper and one of the three roses, are ofgold, symbol of fire or light. Thus are found united inthis picture the f ive suns distinguished by all the rnytho-graphies uf antiquity: to wit-the unoreated and crea-tive light, designated by the segment of a circle; thecreated and generat ive light , which indicates the sun; theunique universal seed of all beings which the f laming starrepresents; the specified and pr imordial seed which gavebi rth to each mixture is designated by the flame of thetaper ; lastly, the second seed implanted in each mixture,and which, loosed from the chaos of putrefaction, giveslife to a new being of the same kind as the first, and isindicated by the golden rose... The letter G in the flaming star has been substituted for the

Hebrew Jod by modern Masons, and was origina lly the ini ti al l ett erof J.H.V.H. , or Jehovah, and i s oft en given as an abbrevia tl cn .In the cabal is ti c int erpret at ion the J od s igni fi es the princ ip le! em-played as a monogram, i~ becomes the natural hieroglyph o f t heUni ty of God.The formative Jod has produced the names Jovah, Jab, J HO,

Jon, Jave, Jou , JllWe, Jelos, Jacchua, Jo, Jeschuah, Jod, Isis, undmany other names of the Supreme Divinity . The Fr ench only havealtered the pronunciation o f J od, but it is found in the name whichtile northern peoples give to God-the English say God, the :Germans, Got~ i the Swedes, Gud, &0.Since I hnve named Isis, I will not h inder myself proposing

for the name of this divinity nil etomalogy which to me appearspreferable to nil the others: Iais, nb ~ '~, est, erit, Thisetymology entirely conforms to the definit ion which the inscriptionnt Sais gives 11 8 of the natu re of th is goddess- " Ego sum omne quodexstltit, est et aril, meumque peplum neme adhuc mortallumdetenit."


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12 13In the interior of the triangle formed by the SUlI,

moon, and star, is shown the Egyptian eye; this hiero-,lyph, so common in the antiquities of this nation and ofwhich no one, 80 far , has given the meaning, is composedof th~ eye properly so called and the wand of Oairis (.:!'!::)/..to which is joined the whip or flail of the same god V : - ) ,the junction appearing thuif. 'I'his hieroglyph, whichis known to resemble the seal of Osiris, presents a veryjust emblem of the universal power which Bees every-thing (the eye), whose authority extends over all (thesceptre), and which triturates, governs, and gives feareverywhere (the whip or f lail).At the base of the purple triangle is given the trigram

of God (Hebrew), Schaddai, sacred word of the 'Pheoso-phic Masons, and of several other grades.Let us now pass on to the second triangle, that which

i . a ; found at the bottom on the right side of the plate; thebase of it is sky-blue; it corresponds to the celestialworld, and at the same time to Scottish and Cabalistic)OIasolll'Y. The winged globe which we behold at the topis that Egyptian hieroglyph which represents the soul ofthe world. The globe is bluish, the wings alternatelyred and yellow, on the globe we read, Rouach Elohim(the Spirit of God) which borne first on the waters willd issipate chaos and distiuguish the elements.Underneath we see, on the equator, an elliptic arc.

This figure designs the ingenious hypothesis of the Knightof Louville and of Delormel, who believing that theywere assured' that the obliquity of the elliptic all theequator diminished insensibly, have supposed that thisobliquity was per iodical, and that ill course of a fr ightfulnumber of centuries the ecliptic effected an entire revo-lution on the equator. One can see in the work ofDelormel (The Great Period, or the Age of Gold), theconsequences flowing from this hypothesis, in the pro-gressive or igin of peoples, their civilisation, religions ,sciences, &c.We see below the two Masonic columns, one surmouuted

with the sun, and the other with a. flaming sta.r, theyare of white marble, symbolizing purity. We read on thecolumns the two letters A. S. (Amour, Sagesae), the twogreat principles adopted by Swedenborg, and which are.only the two generative powers , active and pass ive, maleand female. I would observe upon this subject, that itwas this duality of nature, united in the creative monad,this primitive androgyneity, which caused the Jews togive to the Divinity the plural names of Adonai, Elohim,&c. We know that all ancient peoples regarded theSupreme God as Androgynus.Between the two columns is the seal or pentacle of

Solomon, an apocryphal diagram, but consecrated by theCabalists.On the pedestals of the columns may be seen the Tables

of the Law, given amidst the fires of Mount Sinai, andthe pool, o ther emblems, of the generative principle.On the r ight and lef t of the columns are the Chandelier

with seven branche-s , and the brazen sea, other emblems ofthe same kind; they belong as is well known to theScotch Rite.At the two lower angles of the triangle, we behold

two figures employed by the Cabaliats to designata thegood and evil pr inciples, that is, Ooramaze and Ahr iman,or as they are termed by anagram, Sisarnoro and Senamira.These two principles are the two extreme points of uni-versa.l geueration, lif e and death, or generative and vivi-fying fire, and the combustible and dest ructive fire, whichtwo fires always make but one.Inasmuch as the higher triangle bears as its super-

scription the name of God, so do we see on this lower thename of Jesus, Mediator between God and man. Thevarious straight and curved lines which form this mona.gram represent the two natures of Christ; and to renderthis duality more sensible, the design is painted in white,the cross in black, and the intermediate part in grey.Lot us now pass to the last triangle; it represents the

elementary world, and corresponds, in dark profundity,


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with the degrees of Master, Elect; and, by its attributes,with Kadosch and Hermetic Masonry.At the top of the triangle, we behold the Tau, or Crux

Ansata, painted in blue, an Egyptian Hieroglyph, theemblem of fruitfulness, of the four generative elements,and, which amounts almost to the same thing, of thatwhich several authors have taken to be the radical emblemof the Phallus.Under this figure is a temple with nine vaults, whichare sustained on each side by as many columns.On "these vaults are engraved the characters of the

elements and those of the principal Hermet ic operat ions.In the door at the base upon a triangular pediment isthe Jehovah (!leb. J.B. V.H.) In front of the Temple isan altar mounted by seven steps (4+3); theae ateps arepainted with the seven colours of the work, on the steps islaid a poignard to show that it is only by opening the bodythat we can obtain the seed. The poignard belongs to thedegree of Elect.Upon the altar is a chalice filled with blood, from

which issues an ear of corn. This blood is vivified hy a.ray of the sun, reflected from a mirror which receives itfrom the star by a hole contrived in the vault. All thisis a Hermetic emblem too easily understood to needexplanation here. A little lower a red cross and are.versed crown sufficiently represent t ile Kadosh.The fa.mous plant MOLY,whose three roots were black,

the five lea.v~s green, and the four flowers white, representsthat part ofHermetic philosophy which treats of rejuve-nescence, and of the universal medicine, &e.Corresponding with the Sehaddai of the Archetype,

and the name of Jesus in the Celestial word, is traced a.tthe base of the triangle (in Hebrew) the name Adam,written in red, as the word signifies red. Thus we havein the three successive gra.des-God, Jesus, Adam, thethree principal monads, of whom one is the Generator ;the other the engendered and faithful being; and thecentral one the Regenera.tor-that is, the seed destined

to perpetuate beings. At the foot of the picture oppo-site the luminous triangle and between the foot of thetomb, we see the segment of a sombre and clouded sphere;it represents Chaos, and we read there-Tehom Rabbah(Abyssus ingens).The plate adjoining the one now fully described belongs

to the Venernble, or Chief of the Lodge, who is consi-dered to represent universal and creative power, just asamong the Egyptians the Hierophant was the image ofthe God whose worship he directed and even bore hisattributes. The hieroglyph appropriate to this Chiefco~ld not be too simple.We have seen that the upright pyramid was the emblem

of the exaltation of the gross and terrestrial particlestowards the higher region, and of their purificationbrought about by this ascension; ill the same manner,the reversed pyramid designs the action of celestinl in-fluences in inferior things, and their descent towardstheir. earth to bring about the fruitfulness of beings.Thus the second picture presents a reversed triangle;

the bottom of it is crimson colour, the border formed ofalternate black and white squares, with the exception offour little intervals which are blue. At the top of thetriangle we see the segment of an immense radiant sun,which segment must be formed of a single gold sheet j atthe lower angle of the triangle, another little segmentpainted in natural colours indicates the globe or earth onwhich a prolonged ray of the sun is striking. In thecentre of the sun , and at the extremity of the ray arcthe two lettersN n which correspond with the GreekAU.[Foll owi ng t hi s the book con tinued an explanat ion o f the Cubic

St one (1806), and ano ther of the Phi lo sophi cal Cros s (1806), butall they appear in our ritual and have been frequently reprintedw . will omit the deEcxiption of tbe Crofll!.l

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16

THE PH ILOSOPH ICAL OROSS.

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I c r n N J ' -III:; *= 1 mttj I : r L _ W Y J :~.~


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THE PH ILOSOPH ICAL GRO SS .

S 2 ' 1 1 .----'-- INlL:iJ : : : n : :

II ~ 1 m~ . . . . . . -'r---~ t:r V f . .I'--;---

1- --~ WVI ." " ' "


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J

,

THE CUBIC .STONE"o ~ THE

AIVTIENT ANfJ ?RINITIJ/ / ? ITE.

J.l.30 :J 'z ~ ~- :J: Lt J ~


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E X P L A N A T I O N O F T H E C U B I C S T O N E .THIS Stone is the essential foundation of our Order inas-much as it embodies the primitive conception of Scienceand Art, and it then becomes our duty to elaborate theseresearches in our ceremonies.

First Face.-This side is a square divided into 100equal divisions, of which the first 26 contain an alphabetof hieroglyphics; then follow .", compound vowels andletters, and after that 12 of hieroglyphic punctuation or8tops, interrogations, &c. ; after that we have 18 squaresof numerals or hieroglyphic figures from 1 up to 90. ,The remaining 40 squares contain the letters and nume-rals of the higher class of the Chapter degrees.At the head or Capital is the key to the first series of

letters. The two levels which you behold at the side,proclaim to you that knowledge renders a.ll men equal,and that talent elevates a man of ordinary station to alevel with the great ones of the earth.: The 12 stars of the outer edge refer to the 12months of the year.

Second Face.-The next face of this stone is a master-piec.e; it is divided into 81 equal parts or points, beingthe square of 9, though some use 100, in order to admitof a greater number of words: it is an arrangementembracing the greater part of our mysterious words. Tocomprehend this part begin with the letter at the base00 the first line to the left, and then take the letter inthe next square above it or in the first point of thesecont! line, thus forming the first syllable of the P. W.of the 40; then take the of the second point of thefirst line, and pass to the first point of the third line,whioh forms the second syllable of the first word. Fromthis point you proceed to read diagonally; the rest ofthe words wil l be formed by tracing the angle from thehighest left to the last right-hand line, descending fromthe last point on the left immediately above that with

B


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18 19which you commenced, and finally concluding with thepoints in the right-hand top corner. At this capital isa large triangle composed of 16 smaller ones, in which iscontained a sacred word composed of three others. Thedelta is an Egyptian. emblem of the Deity, and the wordhere referred to is the unpronounceable' name, the sacredtetra.grammaton or great name of Jehovah, which wasever placed in a delta. The cherubims at its side teach70U the divine nature of the ceremonies of these grades,or the Masonic dogma. of a sole Creator, of whom weought never to lose sight in al l our actions.At the sides are certain figures which are referred to

in our various ceremonies as the ages of an E.A., F.C.,and M.M., which further symbolise the art of computa-tion : the square of 3 is 9, which multiplied =27 ; thesquare of 5=25, multiplied =125; the square of1=9, multiplied =343; the s~uare of 9 = 81,multiplied = 729.

Third Face.-The study of the sublime science ofmathematics was confined to Initiates in the mysteries ofthe second degree; this science conducts to the develop-ment of the organisation of all nature, in the observanceof the course of the Bunand' moon and the periodicalorder of the seasons ; and this ancient system is repre-seated OD this side of our cubic stone.The four circles which you observe represent the four

regions of the earth; it was by the course of the BUnthat the four, cardinal points were discovered, or E_ W.N. S, j the four enclosed squares serve to indicate anglesof division for the seasons, and each represents a fourthof the solar yea.r or 91 days, which makes 364, to whichwas added one, and two more days inserted at definedperiods. If the centre is a triangle with the letter Jod,denominated the Grand All ; at the angles are the lettersS. S. M. The Magi decomposed air and matter, andthey held salt, sulphur, and mercury to be constitu-ents of all things, and embodied these principles in adel ta. which became the basis of their worship as repre-

Ii

Benting the supreme motive power, Gud or Jehovah thesoul of nature, They placed this triangle in the centreof divers circles and squares to indicate the vivifyingprinciple represented by the Jod, which extends its rami-fications through all nature. At the fonr corners are re-presented, "Essence,"" Immensity,"" Power,"" Unity."On the capital is a square intersected by lines, which

forms the key to the construction of the ancient aribh-metical figures, which as they are fully explained in thedegrees of our Sellate, need not be further particularizedhere. It iscut into fonr equal parts by a.perpendicular,horizontal, and diagonal line, and out of these may beconstructed the ten figures which form the vehicle of al larithmetical computations. You can equally extractfrom the figure the ancient angular alphabet. It isfrom the ancient Initiates of the Myateries that wederive the science ofarithmetic and its natural outcome,geometry, which led them to the study of the inhabitedworld, and induced them to try to search the labyrinthof immensity and to pierce the azure veult. The instru-ments decorating the capital are those employed in thestudy of mathematics and geometry.The twelve stars allude to the twelve signs of the

zodiac, into which the heavens were mapped by theHierophants of the Mysteries.

Eourtt: l I'ace.-Thia last face represents a great circledivided into 360 degrees which the sun overruns every24 hours. Within the circle you disl.iuguish three inter-laced triaugles which form 37 divisions, in which istraced the invariable order of all known principles, Tocomprehend this side it is necessary to commence withthe Grand All, or central triangle, representing to uaDivinity or the soul of nature. It is from this centralpoint that we BeBthe marvels which surround UB; andwe behold man placed upon thi~ vast universe to admirewith astonishment the infinity of the starry vault, incitinghis curiosity to the study of nature in all its parts, andto ascertain the movements of the heavenly bodies,


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From the central firesprings" Light," " Sound," "Body,"and thence, " Attraction," "Repulsion," "Circulation,"In decomposing light th~ Magi discovered three primarycolours, , .ed, yellow, blue; the others are all a mixtureo f two of these colours, for red and yellow gives orange,yellow and blue gives green, blue and red gives violet;white is not a colour, for it is light; black is a negation.Obher discoveries led to a knowledge of the three naturalkingdoms, the animal, vegetable, aud mi}ural, and theybelieved the world to be composed of a mixture calledearth, mingled with water and $a.lt. Those nine qualitiesare represented in the nine small triangles formed at theintersections of the larger.Thel!6 researches were advanta.geous, a.s they thereby

disoovered the" Infinity" of nature in its constantrenewal, and the omnipotence of that" Supreme .Being"of whom the sun had long been a symbol, from the"Chemity," or influence which it had upon vegetationin general. In aggregating knowledge man desired tomeasure a superfice, and he then perceived the necessity ofplacing a "Point" of departure, which, leading onwards,gave him the "Line," conducting to angles, and hereached exactly the" Surface" and the cube of differentbodies. He had the temerity to seek to measure time,and arrived at a system of its .. Divisability." Headmired the perfection of certain bodies and founddeformity in others, thus conceiving the idea of" Pro-portion.'J:. He saw that matter was either soft or hard,and thereupon he formed an idea of" Solidity." Allthese principles are represented in the second 9 triangles.The need of auatenance compelled mankind to oult ivatethe elltth, and" Agriculture" became a science, Shelterfrom the inclemency of the seasons was needed, and inorder to restrain the voracity of ferocious animals, theywere obliged to build cabins, out of which sprung"Architecture," which vanity perfected, The sight ofthe celestial bodies goaded man's curiosity, and led himto the study of "Astronomy," which science being culti-

J .fI

vated by the Magi, added greatly to the mysteries ofreligion, aud gave birth to "Metaphysics." The wind,frost, thunder, lightning, heat, and cold, gave man thedesire to ascertain the substance of air, which conductednaturally to "Physics" and physical experiment, a.ndproved to him that fire existed in all the matter which'composed the earth. Penetrated with these truths hestudied matter in general, took vegetables and mineralsand sought a ' knowledge of their properties; he foundmeans of decomposing them, and reached" Chemistry,"which led to the establishment of medical science andthe arrangement ofuseful doses and omission of whateverwas hurtful. By these discoveries the Magi acquired aatill greater veneration from the people, who oftenrendered them homage as demi-gods. Hand-in-handadvanced "Arithmetic," "Geometry," and "Mathe-matics." These important discoveries we find repre-sented in the outer or larger series of nine triangles..At the four corners of the stone are indicated those

arts drawn from Nature. Born with man and theanimal creation are voice and sound; the songs of birdsgave men the notion of harmony, which they termed.. Music," the first of the arts, and leading to harmonyin speech; i ts" Eloquence" was heard in the early poets,who employed it to Bing the glory of gods and heroes.Amongst the stones formed by nature man discoveredsome resemblance to animate beings, of which he madehousehold images, and afterwa.rds by imitating theseobjects in earth and wood, "Sculpture" began to appear,which naturally led to the perfecting of these creationsby colouring matter, and the art of II Painting" sprunginto being to please the eye; this art arrived the last,and became so pleasing that it was carried to a highstate of perfection.On the capital above the square are traced two semi-

circles, in which are indicated two principles, "Divinity"and" Nature;" with the true Mason both are synony-mous, for all nature is submitted to an organized and


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periodical change, announcing to us that there mus bea Grand Motor, which draws our veneration to Him, andforces us to admit that there can be nothing above Him.The symbols of the seven planets which decorate thecapital announce to you the great personages whoanciently governed the earth, and were afterwards placedin the heavens by those who admired them. The Su.nrepresents Apollo, the god of light, sciences arid arts-celestial l ight; the Moon represents the goddess Diana,the slater of Apollo, the darkness of intellect; Man, godof war, teaches us to combat vice; Mercury, the divinescribe, he carries the caduceus of eloquence and truth;Jupiter iR the emblem of divine power; Venm, goddessof beauty and mother of love; Saturn, god of time,incessantly destroying and renewing each day. Theattributes at the sides point out to us the sacrifices andoblations which were practised in the worships ofantiquity, and of which we yet conserve some usages.The twelve stars allude to the twelve cosmogonical

powers, which sprang from the Sole Author, and whichwere arranged by the Initiates of the Mysteries in,groups of threes.

Top.-The Flaming-star, or emblem of the three firstdegrees, in which is the letter G, or the Hebrew Jod, isa symbol of the Supreme Power, the source of all light,and is placed upon the top of the Stone. This summitrepresents to us heaven, the eternal sojourn of DivineProvidence; adored by Masons under the title ofT,S.A,O. T,U. The nine .stara which surround it repre-sent the nine months of Spring, Summer, and Autumn,the three Winter months being omitted, as by theancients they were given over to the powers of darkness.(N.B,-To adapt or rectify this Stone to the SENATE,

the first face would contain the secret oyphers of theSenate and Areopagus; the second face, the words ofth~ second series; the third face, the Hermetic Cross;the fourth face, the Mystic Ladder, To adapt it forthe COUNCIL, the first face would contain the secret

23cyphers qf a Conaistory and Council j the second, thewords of the third series; the third, three interlacedciroles ; the fourth, a pyramid surmounted by a sun).

ESSENTIAL NOTE.

11tI.IIi!4

The Masonsof the Regime, or French Rites, profess, to someextent, the same dogmas as those of the Oriental Rite, butihey vary entirely in their morleof teaching,in their ceremonies,and in their classificationor grades.The Knights RoseCroix of the French Rite can, however, be.triclly consideredas Candidates for the Order of the East; butto obtain promotion to the Higher Degreesof Masonry,theCandidates are supposedto receive additional instruction in theGrade of HoseCroix, in order that they may be in conformitywith the system of the Oriental Rite.Moreover,it is very much to bedesired that this last men-

tloned Oriental Rite should be tile only one adopted by theTarious MasonicLodgesand Chapters, as it is the true PrimitiveRite, the Ritepal' excelknce, w hieh hascomedownto uswithoutany alteration, and it istherefore the only Rite which is not aSchismatic Association.All the Gradescalled Superior, whether in the past, present,

or future, except those whichemanate from the Oriental Rite,or Orderof the East, which is, exclusive of every other JUte,the SovereignDlepeneator.i--are apocryphal grades, and deserveno confidence,The true Superior Grades are immutable. All the Superior

knowledge of the Oriental Ilite has always and invariably beenenclosed in the Sanctuary, and never yet has a Brother, who islInworthy of the name, penetrated it.But theMasonicTempleswhichhave beenopento the Disciples

have, unhappily, not enjoyed the same privilege. Indiscreetmasons instructed therein baveunveiled a portion of the classicaldocuments, They have caused the essence of the dogma tobecome known, and no doubt the various revelations whichhave been made upon the subject have afforded the firstmaterials of theColumns,or the SymbolicandCapitulary Gradesof the French Rite,-no matter in what number of degrees orunder whatdenominations.These French Grades have not always been so uniformly

cl.istributedas is the casewith the present practice, They haveeJumged very often, and are perhaps still threatened withfurther changes, it mAybe in the number ofdegrees, or it may

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24 25

be in the ceremonies, &c., &c., &c., as must necessnrlly happenin all institutions which have no unde rstood or legitimate origin,and cannot consequently have auy precise notions as to the aimand object of their existence. In expectation of new changes,the French Grades are designated by the following title s,-Ap-prentice j Companion i Master j Elect; Grand Scotch Elect;Knight of the East; Knight Mason; Sovereign Prince RoseCroix; Knight of the Eagle and Pelican. They have been fixedat the number of seven for some years by the Grand Orient ofFrance.The true Scotch Rite only gives the classical degrees. Thesedegrees do not go beyond that of Rose Croix. They amount to

:five degrees.The self-styled Scottish Rite has thirty three degrees and

more; but it does not hold its constitution from the GrandLodge of Edinburgh.Neither of these last Rites has any conformity as to dogma

'With the Order of the East,We think it useless to remind our readers that the Institution

of the Orient is the only one which can prove its origin, and aconstant exe rcise of its rights, by Constitutions whose authen-ticity it is impossible to question; by an uninterrupted series uffacts preserved in the Archives of the institution, and in severalpublic acts deposited in the national archives; and by itsparticular history and tltat of the Thrice Eminent Princes,Supreme and Sovereign Chiefs of the Order, who have held thereins from it.. founda tion to the presentday.All these facts will be published in chronological order, in II.

genera l history of the Institution, fur which dif ferent learned menare now working.

)

ME~IORANDA BY TRANSLATOR.In concluding the reproduction of this valuable little work, I

would point out some little details which may not strike the eyeof our ordinary readers .It claims for the name of the Rite which the book advocates

and especially in this last note, the title of Primitive Rite, andOriental Rite, and its Craft Members are termed Disciples. Itstates that this Rite has an uninterrupted and pure history fromearly times, and that the Grand Orient of France when ite stablished the Modern French Rite (A.D. 11B6), had sur repti-tiously obtained a kuowledge of its dogmas; and had correctedthe Seven Grades, to which they then limited the Grand Orient,upon what the Oriental Rite had taught them. Itc la ims a lso in1806 to be the Sove reign Dispensator of all High Grade Mnsourj-,. Lastly, this little work went to press in IB15 -ORIENT OFHIliLIOPOLIS.Now it is a literal fact that the Oriental Rite, properly so

called, was known in France from the very beginning of FrenchMasonry, and that several branches of it successlvely unitedwith the Grand Lodgeand Grand Orient. Again itwas at the veryperiod, 1815, when this work was issuing from the press, thatseveral Initiates of the old Oriental Rites of France and of,Egypt, (G. M. Ma.rcouis de Negre, the Baron Dumas, the Marquisde Laroque, Hyp. Labrunie, I. Pettit, Sam. Honis of Cairo, &.c., ),revi Ted the same under the title of Primitive or Oriental Rite,and Disciples of Memphis, It advances the same dogmas in itsceremonials as this book, and in ita history, word for word, thelame claims for its value as a Rite. Hence one of two things isevident, either this work ie one of their publications, or, ifissued by an independent branch, it proves the claims of ourRite and this book to be ancient and identical. After theintroduc tion of French Masonry into Egypt by the first Napoleonand its amalgama tion with the na tive occult Masonry, MehemetAli patronised the Lodges, and they kept up a correspondencein cypher, yet known to U8, with their European confreres .'I 'he Grand Lodge of France was chartered as a Craft Lodge

by England in 1125 ; in 1736, if not before, it had obtained theSeven degree. Rite of Heredom, or that alluded to in the" Essential Note" as the true Scotti sh Rite of 5. About 1136.ithad collected the Rite of Perfection of 25, which it reducedagain to 7 in A. D. 1186. At II. still later pe riod it acceptedthe Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. In 1862 it ratifiedand accepted our Rite.

JOHN YARKER.c


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J

THE CUBIC STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHICROSE CROIXFrance. The well-known and esteemed Chevalier St.Martin took up his system, and it was reproduced in theLodge of the Philadelphes at Paris. It had a libraryrich in Masonic and literary monuments, and its degreesreposed upon Chemistry and the occult sciences. It isfrom these Brethren that our own Rite is derived, sothat we are not an offshoot of any other Rite now prac-tised, but have come down independently from earlytimes. Napoleon the Grea.t and Kleber carried ourMasonry to Egypt in 1798, and after receiving initiationinto the Coptic Mysteries in the Pyramid of Cheops, byinvestiture with a ring at the hands of an ancient Sage,esbablished the Rite in that land. Sam. Houis of CairoWasthere initiated, and re-established the Rite in Francein 1815.I will now give you the traditional history and sym-

bolic teaching of the Oriental system. The degree ofRose Croix, or Rosy Oross, is of the highest antiquity,and has two aspects, the one historic, the other philo-sophic. There were Hermetic Philosophers who camefrom the E&IItto propagate their secret doctrines in theWest under a system of three degrees, with oaths andobligations of secrecy. At the close of the thirteenthcentury there existed at Padua an Alohemical Rite ofRose Croix. The savant Carburi of the Greek nationW&IIne of the last Sages of that respectable Iustitution.whosonght to finda panacea for all the ills of humanity.It is related that one Christian Rosen-Kreutz, who wasborn in 1387 t set out from Germany to travel ill theHoly Land. He had at Damascus some conferenceswith wise Chaldeans, from whom he learned the occultsciences, which he still further perfected in the Chaptersof Egypt and Lybia. In England the system was advo-cated by Dr. Robert Fludd, and the Masonic BrotherElias Ashmole himself informs us that he derived instruc-tion in ita Mysteries from Father Backhouse.The Order consisted primitively of three clasaee, and

26 27

OF THE ORIENTAL RITES.By JOHN YARKER, 33096 90.

.An Introduction which may be !J1'ven in a Chapter be/or eproceeding to explain the Cubic Stone, as given at pages17 to 23.

Ir is particularly noteworthy that prior to A.D. 1717,all the Secret Societies having any affinity with ourFreemasonry claimed an Oriental origin. The CraftFreemasona in the earliest times asserted all Egyptianorigin for their Constitutions as a Society of Geo-metricians. The Rosicrucians, from whom we deriveour High Grades, likewise put forward a claim to'I'rismegiatua, Thoth, or Hermes, the Egyptian Revelator,but more remotely with India. On previous occasions ithas been shown how the High Grade Bandthe Craft Gradesbecame connected prior to 1717, and that the descent ofthe Philosophical Degrees 1 ' 1 ' & 1 1 Oriental. Yet the EnglishGrand Lodge of 171'l was essentially Judaic, and allthat sprung from it. The leading propagators of theHigh Degrees on the Continent were the Stuart party,and for their system they claimed an hereditary deriva-tion from our Stuart kings &IIGralld Masters, andrecorded the same in their Charters; indeed, the wordHeredom. as applied to the Rosy Cross, or Eagle andPelican, signifies inheritance. It is, however, to BrotherMartinez Puschalis that the Oriental claims of Free-masonry, and of our Rite, is chiefly due. That Brotherwas born of poor parents in Portugal after the year1700, and whilst a youug man travelled over theTurkish Empire, including Constantinople, Arabia, andEgypt. In these countries he obtained initiation intothe religious Mysteries, and on his return importedwhat he had learned into the High Grade Masonry of

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28 29p!l.8sa.gefrom one to another WBS given only as therecompense of merit. To be admitted to the FirstGrade the neophyte must have possessed someprepara-tory instruction, and have rendered services to humanity.Its aim was to place the philosophical studies ofenlightened men under shelter from vulgar prejudice,and inspire the student with an ardent desire for per-fecting his own nature, by the practice of industry,benevolence, and all the virtues which inspire men withdelicate and generous sentiments, and the love of ourkind. The Rosicrucian was advanced to the SecondGrade when he had acquired. that happy dispositionwhich constitutes the truo Chevalier, the defender of thefeeble and oppressed, and when the soul was warmedwith enthusiasm for that ardent philosophy which hasproduced men who are revered in history, and whosesojourn on earth has been m~rked by great benefits.Entry to the Third Class of Adepts was accorded tothose who to wisdom of spirit added morality of heart,nobleness of soul, constancy and firmness of character,worthy of tbe regard of heaven and the love and admi-ration of the Brethren. Such still ought to be the aim. of our Rite.

In a similar manner the Oriental Rite of our BrotherMartinez Paschalis was divided into three series asfollows :-1... The Sanctuary of Masonic Secreta-the pm.ycr,

.the oath, the baptism,. in this Grade the Temple was

.hung in black, and it was lighted by a single lamp.2. The Sanctuary of Hermetic Secrets-the alliance;

union, joy; here the hangings of the Temple were of.celestial blue, and it was lighted by seven lamps.

3. The Sanctuary of 'I'heosophie Secrets-humanity,invocation, ligld; the hangings of the Temple were violet,.and it was lighted in the most brilliant manner.The arms of the Society were :-a sun in its brilliancy

.upon the top of a llyramid and the three columns

j,I, I

appertaining to the Egyptian Mysteries. A majesbicSphynx seated upon a monumental stone indicated thatthe Masonic Secrets are synonymous with the adorationof the S.A.O.T.U., the practice of the purest morality,and the knowledge of those sciences most useful to man.In the First Class the neophyte was taught that the

most wise of all men is he who knows himself, whoknows his interior and divine nature, and wbo feels,thinks, and acts in a manner conformably to that know-ledge; he who knows the forces of his body, the facultiesof the soul, and the development and perfecting of theseby the Useof the senses and reason, and learns how toemploy and direct them to the advantage of his ownnature. Man is not only an exterior being, materialand physical, but he is sensible, intelligent and moral,capable of sentiment, love, conception and reason. Theheart loves, tbe spirit conceives, intelligence knows andreasons. Enlightened reason makes known to UBT.S.A.O.T.U. 'I'he immortality of the soul is a lawengraven upon our hearts j by the soul we comprehendthat which is just and honest j the holiness of this lawinspires in us sentiments of natural justice towards ourkind, to flee vice and practise virtue. The true Masonis just even under injustice j he knows how to pardoninjuries and sustain with all his strength the sacredrights of humanity; he knows truth, establishes thetriumph of virtue over vice, of truth over error, and ofjustice over iniquity, To be admitted into this Classthe Mason should possess humility and clwrity as thebasis of his actions; can dour, that virtue of a soul sus-ceptible to good actions j sweetness, the clemency whichwe ought to exercise towards our kind; truth, which weought to hold sacred a .s a ray of the Divinity; temperance,which teaches us to place a bound upon our passions andflee all unruly excess j silence, which virtue we alight toobserve upou all Masonic rnyaberies and the faults of our.Brethren.

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In the Second Cl&88the aspirant was taught that thesecrets, mysteries, symbols, emblems, and allegories, arethe figures which recall to the spirib the dogmas upon. which Masonry has established its social basis. They arethe sacred language of divine genius which directs ourlabours. His attention was called to two semi-circles inwhich are indicated two principles-Divinity and Nature.He then received an explanation of the Beven planetskn'own to the ancients. The Knights who desire to taketheir oa.th have long and painful duties to fultil, obstaclesto vanquish, errors to combat, adversaries to overcome,and eternal war to sustain against ignorance and vice ;they allude to the persecutions reserved for the zealoterof justice, truth, virtue, and the enemies of wickedness.When the neophyte of the said Class arrives before

the south column he is asked whether he has faith thatin Masonry is found the deposit of all truths useful toman. Replying yes, he is asked-Why then, myBrother, do the sublime truths which have been trans-mitted to you remain so often barren and unfruitful 1"It is that the Sanctuary of Masonry is difficult to'reach and far from the workman; it is a science in att1ysterioua language, which has its Temple placed in themidst of the desert, which no profane can reach withoutbeing prepared by long and painful voyages. Morethan zeal is necessary to penetrate there; it ia necessarya.bove-all to have II. firm will to find the way, and a,uBtain'~d courage to follow even to the end. It istwenty centuries since one of our Sublime Masters saidto us-' There are many called, but few are chosen.'"Arrived before the western column, his conductor says,"Hope is the Staff of Life with which to traverse therude and grievous voyage of life; it is a Sa.geto conductus, a. friend to console us. Hope, holy child of heaven,lent by God upon earth, thy charm is powerful and thyvoice is sweet to the heart of the unfortunate. Thouappeareat and the night becomes radiant, Benign Hope,

, ,~.

s ,

31

tbe infant finds thee at its cradle, the man in the midstof his work, and the old man at the brink of the grave,'and finally after his long pilgrimage here below, andfatigued with his journey, thy finger points towardheaven. Be benign, 0 Ilops, for by thine aid we cometo acquire Science.' Carried to the eastern column, theconductor says-" Charity blesseth us. N ever do toanother that which thou wouldst not wish should bedone unto thee; behold Justice. Do for thy kind thatwhich thou wlshest should be done for thee; beholdCharity. Love T.S.A.O.T.U.-nature-humanity, lovethyself, love all men: behold the immortal law ofCharity. It is one, simple, immutable, universal j it isgraven upon all good hearts, on all enlightened spirits,in ineffaceable characters ; it is the light of humanity,and ought to be the code of all men. Behold these threefigures :-one is naked, the other covered with a ma.ntle,the third with a mask. They symbolize truth, wickedness,and hypocrisy. Associate with thy equals and thouwilt live content; sow not on sand, it is an ungratefulearth; thou art. but a rose-bush, become a tree; choosethy friends carefully; avoid all engagements whichcurtail thy liberty; encourage labour, and attach thyselfto healthy and ripe ideas."After receiving the baptism of Knights Roses Croix,

they make known to the Chevalier the origin of theOrder as historic and philosophic, and that their labourswere not alone confined to scientific studies; that ourorigin is lost in remote time, and that natural philosophywhich was the object of their search, is incontestablythe most primitive.It was then explained to the new Chevalier that the

Rose, Flaming Star, Jehrmah, and a pelican upon a cross,.are but so many emblems of the vivifying light whichinceasently renews itself, of the inextinguishable benevo-lence of the Divine Source, which from the centre of theUniverse gives laws, rules the course of the sta.rs, spreads


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fecundity upon the earth, and is prodigal of ornamentthat His children may be happy. The Ros by its unionwith the Cross expresses the mixed joys and pains oflife : the symbol indicates to us that our pleasures to belasting should have delicacy, and that they are of shortduration when delivered over to excess. The Pelican isthe emblem of the death and perpetual renewal of nature;it is a symbol of the earth which nourishes its children,o f a mother who fulfils her sacred duties, of a good fatherto his family, charity towards our Brothers. TheFlaming Star symbolizes the Bun, emblem of divinity;and the Armillary Sphere is the emblem of the exactaciences which are the objects of study of the Roses-Croix.If you wish to pUlsue gloriously your Masonic career,

disengage yourselves of all material ideas; study ourIymbols: allegory is the voice-of wisdom; purify yourhearts; BOW in the world the word of life; teach man-kind to perfect the useful arts, to love one another, andto lead those who wander from virtuous feelings;,instruct the ignorant, and assuage the pangs of thosewho euffer,Such, my Brethren and Knights, are the sublimetelLChingsof our Rite, and Iwill now explain to you this

Traoing-board or Cubic Stone before UII

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Documents

John Yarker the Universal Hieroglyph Ancient Primitive Rite