when the spirit had shuffled off this mortal coil, would dawn upon the soul, a perfect day, whose sun of light and joy should never set. A ware of the danger which would ensue, should the wicked and profane be permitted to enter the holy brotherhood, he ordained that no one should be initiated into the light of their mysteries unless he were a lover of righteousness and integrity. Having finished his labours, and received the solemn promise of the people that they would religiously adhere to them, his form was changed into an intense and dazzling speck of light, from which spread circle after circle, until the whole multitude were embraced in its folds, when it gradually blended with the arch of heaven and faded from their view. Awe-struck at the miraculous translation of their spiritual guide and father, they threw themselves upon the earth, and with one voice swore unwavering adherence to a system of morality so signally stamped as an emanation of "light" itself. The beard had ripened on the chins of many who at its advent were unborn, and still the system worked prosperously; producing rich fruits and budding prospects of future excellence. At that time there lived a man of large possessions, whose name was Negligence. Careless of the morrow, and in possession of large flocks which his young men tended, he lacked those qualities necessary to increase his stores, or even perpetuate that which had descended to him from his fathers. At the close of a summer's day he had sauntered some distance from his tents, and had entered a wood of considerable extent, when he was roused from his dreamy reveries by a startling danger. A large lion, maddened by hunger, was rushing upon him with dreadful roarings: his fate appeared inevitable; for with his usual thoughtlessness he was unarmed and without means of defence. With eyes starting from their spheres, he stood contemplating his approaching death, when a well-aimed shaft transfixed the monster at the moment of making the fatal plunge. His first impression was, that it was a bolt, thundered from heaven for his deliverance, but looking round he saw a mighty hunter of the seed of Cain, called Power, from whose practised hand had sped the shaft which saved him. Indebted to Power for life, Negligence expressed his thanks with warmth and entreated him to go to his tent, where he abode three days. From this occurrence an intimacy sprang up between them, the result of which was the initiation of Power into the mysteries of Masonicus. Power had six brothers, Pride, Self, Envy, Intemperance, Hypocrisy, and Lewdness, who, by him and Negligence were introduced into that order, whose purity ought never to have been exposed to the contamination of their presence. From the date of their admission a visible change was apparent in the manners of the hitherto healthy community. Luxury, with feasting and revelry, took the place of Temperance and Charity. * * * And there was a great feast in the land-and to it were gathered many--their brows were crowned with flowers, perfume played around them, music breathed its voluptuous swell, and their spirits mounted high and higher, as wit sparkled and beauty smiled approving. As thus they revelled in delight, an aged form tottered to the centre, and displaying, to all, the wants which embittered its being, prayed an alms of the glittering throng. Vexed at the interruption to their festivity, they bade the stranger begone, nor intrude her wants upon the atten tion of ears unwilling to listen or assist. At once the tattered garments fell from the limbs of the stranger, the wrinkles of age fled from her cheek, and a being of surpassing loveliness stood before them. Her form was clothed in the purest white, so light and ethereal it looked like the fleecy clouds that wanton round the summer's moon. Her light blue eyes shone with a starry lustre, and from her lofty brow the light locks flowed in soft luxuriance. The frown upon her features was scarcely seen, so benificently shone her loving spirit from her mild blue eye. "Profaners of the holy name ye bear," she cried, "desecrators of the holy ground whereon ye stand-know ye not, that without me ye are but as the sand of the desert, or the feather in the air: as the tree without the fruit, as the stalk without the ear! Hunger and thirst have importuned you, and ye have not said 'Be filled:' want and misery have sought you, and ye have not said 'Be comforted.' Hypocrites and dissemblers! think ye mere profession will do in the place of me or that the offering of the lip will suffice without the incense of the heart? Hypocrites and dissemblers, unless my holy fire be a living truth within you, ye are but as the flesh without the spirit; and the doom of the flesh is death." Abashed they bent their eyes to earth in confusion, and when they again raised them the beautiful vision had fled. At that moment Virtue entered the hall, having just returned from a victorious expedition against Sin and Ignorance. Acclamations rent the air, and with hearts still thrilling with the voice of Charity the merited reward was voted with enthusiasm. But theirs was the fate of the prodigal, they had not wherewith to carry out the good intent. Seizing the occasion, Prudence rose, and in vivid colours portrayed their errors. "In the arms of Luxury, in the bowers of riot and extravagance," said he, "have ye expended the revenues of Charity and wasted the muscle of your power: nothing now remains of the glorious means you once had, but the remembrance of follies to be repented of, and the consciousness of your inability to perform the noble purpose you now entertain. This comes of your admixture with the sons of the murderer; Negligence is at the root of the evil: you have through him admitted Self, Pride, Intemperance, and their kindred spirits among you, and until you purge yourselves of them the order will be but as the temple of the soul from which the animating spark has fled for ever. "Tis they who soften and loosen the cement, without which there can be no stability, and expel from the temple she hath reared, the priestess of the order, Charity." He ceased-but as the pattering of the rain upon the brow of Ararat, was the voice of Prudence in the councils of Folly. The influence of the vices, backed by Power, was too great to be shaken; and after the lapse of years, when the divine anger was made manifest by an awful visitation, Noah and his three sons alone escaped from the sweeping deluge of the all-destroying waters. Сато. THE FREEMASONS' LEXICON. (Continued from page 440, vol. III., N. S.) Goldgulden Goldthaler oder Johanisopfer. Gold Guilder, Gold Dollar, or St. John's offerings.-Those offerings are a remnant of the Union of the Strict Observance, which had derived them from the times of the ancient Order of Knighthood, and each Brother was bound to make one of those offerings to the Lodge on St. John's day. They are generally valued at one dollar and sixteen groschen, about four shillings. In many Lodges this St. John's gift is still customary. Grade oder Stuffen. Degrees.-Why are there degrees in Freemasonry? The reason why this question is asked by the men of the world, is because they are men and not schoolboys who are initiated, and because the whole of the Order could be communicated to them at one time. But still there are degrees, or steps, and truly for this simple reason, as there is no art or science which can be communicated at one time, so neither can Freemasonry; and although they are men of mature age who are initiated, yet they require to be proved step by step. Freemasonry is a science which requires both time and experience, and more time than many Masons, especially government officers or tradesmen, can devote to it; the only time they in fact can appropriate to this purpose being their hours of recreation. It is, therefore, good that it is communicated by degrees. Those degrees are communicated in the Lodge at the end of certain determined periods, or immediately after each other, according to the regulations of the Lodge, or the candidate's power of comprehension. Those who are accepted commonly remain two years apprentice, and one year Fellow Craft. Wieland was initiated in his seventy-second year, and to have allowed such a man to wait three years before he received the Master's degree would have been unjust. There are three St. John's degrees, and in England no more are legalised, as is also the case in many German Lodges. But there are many so called higher degrees, which are wrought in some Lodges. In Germany they amount to seven, and in France to three-and-thirty. Many other Lodges, instead of having higher degrees, have what they call degrees of knowledge (Erkentnissstufen). Von Grolman, Ludwig Adolph Christian.-Died Consistorial and Government Councillor at Giessen, the 25th of December, 1809. He wrought as W. M. of the St. John's Lodge, at the Three Golden Lions, in Giessen, also published anonymously a pamphlet in 1794, with the title, “ Final fate of the Order of Freemasonry.' 66 Grosse Logen oder Mutter Logen. Grand Lodges or Mother Lodges. By the former title we do not understand a Lodge which has a great number of subscribing members, or which has a large Lodge room, but the Direction or Government of a Union formed of many native and foreign Lodges, and as such Directories or Governments found or warrant new Lodges, so are they also called Mother Lodges. In the place where there is a Mother Lodge, there must also be several St. John's Lodges, and a selection of their members form the Grand Lodge without their ceasing to be members of the St. John's Lodges. It thus appears that the labours of a Mother or Grand Lodge must be quite different from the labours of a St. John's Lodge, which depends entirely upon the W. M. The labour of the Grand Lodge is according to the ritual of the first degree, and a Grand Lodge does not consist of a new or higher degree, but is an assembly of the W. M.'s, and other members of the St. John's Lodge, elected for the purpose of consulting for the general welfare of the Order, and forming rules and laws for the regulation of all the St. John's Lodges which depend upon it, and in settling all disputes and misunderstandings of the subordinate Lodges, or of individual Brethren who appeal to them, and also granting warrants to new Lodges where required. No one can be initiated into Freemasonry in a Grand Lodge; this must be done in a St. John's Lodge. On those days in which the members of the Grand Lodge are solely employed with the management of the Order, members of private Lodges cannot claim admittance, or if admitted, are not allowed to vote. But when they celebrate a festival every one, even an apprentice, is allowed to be present. No St. John's Lodge can elect itself into a Grand Lodge, but several of the former must unite, and they can then constitute themselves a Grand Lodge. Neither can any St. John's Lodge call itself a Mother Lodge, for she has no daughter. A Grand Lodge ceases to exist as a Grand Lodge when all its daughter-Lodges leave her, but it can still keep the predicate Mother Lodge, for she was a Mother. Grossmeister und Grossbeamte. Grand Master and Grand Officers. -The Grand Lodges have their own officers, at whose head stands the Grand Master. The other officers are the same as the officers of a St. John's Lodge, only the little word Grand is placed before their titles, as Grand Lecturer, Grand Secretary, &c. In England the Grand Master is generally a person of the highest rank, and in other countries many ruling princes have filled this office. Gruss. Salute.—As operative Masons and other mechanics have a so-called sign or pass-word, especially when upon tramp, so had we also formerly a proper form for saluting strange Brethren. At present the salutation from the Worthy and Worshipful Brethren of the Holy Lodge of St. John," &c. &c. is not required from a foreign Brother who paying a visit, because something more is demanded from him than this ancient method of legitimation. V. Gugomos, Freiherr.—Markgrave of Badenburg, Privy Councillor, &c., appeared as a Freemason in Upper Germany in 1775, and nothing more is known of him than that he gave himself out for an ambassador from the unknown chief, and called himself High Priest of the Holy Stool of Cyprus, Knight, Dux, &c. He assembled a convent and promised to raise spirits, transmute metals, discover the hidden treasures of the Knights of the Temple, and perform wonders of every description. His impositions being discovered by the Freemasons, he was obliged to fly, and afterwards publicly recanted. Hamburgh.-Grand Lodge of Hamburgh founded from London 6th of December, 1737. This Grand Lodge was united with London until 1773, then joined the Strict Observance, re-established itself with London, 5th of July, 1786, and so far was opened afresh 24th of August, 1786. But she was driven from her union with London through the events of the war, and the closing of the Continent to England, so that she was compelled to assume an independent existence, which was acknowledged by the Grand Lodge in London in 1814. To this grand Lodge, belong in Hamburg, VOL. IV. F St. John's Lodge, Absalom, founded 2nd October, 1740. St. George, zur grunenden Fichte, founded 24th Emanuel zur Maienblume, founded 6th July, 1744. Ferdinand zum Felsen, founded 1788, as a daughter of the Danish Union, and affiliated with Hamburg, 15th June, 1795. The following foreign Lodges work according to the ritual of this Grand Lodge, in Crefeld, 1; Cronstadt, 1; Dresden, 1; Gera, 1; Leipzig, 2; Lubic, 2; New Brandenburg, 1; Oldenburg, 1; Petersburg, 2; Reval, 1: Rudolstadt, 1; Weimar, 1; Zittan, 1; with the five in Hamburg, 25 Lodges. Grand Masters-1740, Luttman; 1759, Janisch, M. D.; 1786, Johan Gottfrica Exter, M.D.; 1799, Joh. Phil. Beckman, Doctor of Law ; 1814, Fried. Ludw. Schroeder, Proprietor of the German Theatre; 1816, Joh. Ande von Beseler. The Grand Lodge of Hamburgh is, if not the first, at least one of the most ancient Lodges in Germany. In the year 1733 Bro. Jacob Lyon, Duke of Strathmore, then Grand Master of London, granted permission to eleven German Brethren to form a Lodge in Hamburgh. The Grand Lodge, as well as her daughter Lodges, had formerly the common English Ritual, but since 1800 they have wrought by a Ritual prepared for them by the late F. L. Schroeder, and instead of the higher degrees they have historical degrees of knowledge which are communicated without initiation. This union formerly founded a considerable hospital for the sick. The Lodge Absalom struck a medal in 1742, upon which the close connection between the Arts and Sciences and Freemasonry is represented; on one side a Mason in Masonic clothing with a plumb-rule in his hand is leaning against a pillar; the inscription is, Labor Silentium Libertas; on the other side is a Pyramid, the ruins of dwelling-houses, and Masonic working tools, with the inscription, Connubia Scientiarum Honesta. In the same year a second medal was struck at Hamburg in answer to the accusation that the Brethren assembled at night. The light of the Sun and Moon shining upon the earth, while the eye of the Most High is fixed upon the labour of the Brethren, upon this side the inscription, Facies Supremi Eadem; the other side has the Masonic working tools. A third medal was struck on the formation of the Lodge of St. George. One side contains a beautifully wrought stone, over which a circle is suspended, with the inscription, Hinc forma Viresque; the other side shows the arms of the Lodge in a flaming star. A fourth medal was struck in 1776 in commemoration of the visit of Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick and Prince Charles of Hessia; the principal side contains the initials of the two princes, with the inscription, Virtus Conjuncta; the other side contains the arms of the Lodge Carolina, at the Three Stars, which was founded in that year, a crowned serpent wound into a circle, with the inscription, Præsentia Sereniss. Princip. XVIII., May, MDCCLXXVI. Sacrum. Hamb. A sixth medal appeared in 1745, representing a bursted Pomegranite, in which are many kernels, above this are two cross swords, over which hangs a hat, with the inscription ex summa; the other side has an eight pointed Star of the Order, in which is to be seen the Hebrew sign for Jehovah. A riband is extended over the star on which St. Andrew is represented hanging upon the cross. There is a |