other

honourable than the ftar and garter, or any order that could be conferred upon the candidate at the time of his initiation, or at any time thereafter, by king, prince, potentate, or any other perfon, except he be a mafon; and which every one ought to wear with equal pleasure to himfelf, and honour to the fraternity.

This fection clofes with an explanation of the working tools and implements of an entered apprentice, which are, the twenty-four inch gauge, and the common gavel.

The twenty-four inch gauge is an inftrument made ufe of by operative mafons, to meafure and lay out their work; but we, as free and accepted mafons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. Its being divided into twenty-four equal parts is emblematical of the twenty-four hours of the day, which we are taught to divide into three equal parts, whereby we find eight hours for the fervice of God and a diftreffed worthy brother; eight hours for our ufual avocations; and eight for refreshment and fleep.*

The common gavel is an inftrument made ufe of by operative mafons, to break off the corners of rough ftones, the better to fit them for the builder's ufe; but we, as free and accepted mafons, are taught to make use of it for the more

"The most effectual expedient employed by Alfred the Great, for the encouragement of learning, was his own example, and the constant assiduity with which he employed himself in the pursuit of knowledge. He usually divided his time into three equal portions; one was employed in sleep and the refection of his body; another in the dispatch of business; and a third in study and devotion."

Hume's History of England.

noble and glorious purpofe of divefting our minds and confciences of all the vices and fuperfluities of life, thereby fitting our bodies, as living ftones, for that fpiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

THE SECOND SECTION

Rationally accounts for the origin of our hieroglyphical inftruction, and convinces us of the advantages which will ever accompany a faithful obfervance of our duty: it maintains, beyond the power of contradiction, the propriety of our rites, while it demonftrates to the moft fceptical and hesitating mind their excellency and utility; it illuftrates, at the fame time, certain particulars, of which our ignorance might lead us into error, and which, as mafons, we are indispensably bound to know.

To make a daily progrefs in the art, is our conftant duty, and exprefsly required by our general laws. What end can be more noble than the pursuit of virtue? what motive more alluring than the practice of juftice? or what inftruction more beneficial than an accurate elucidation of fymbolical myfteries which tend to embellish and adorn the mind? Every thing that ftrikes the eye more immediately engages the attention, and imprints on the memory ferious and folemn truths: hence mafons, univerfally adopting this method of inculcating the tenets of their order by typical figures and allegorical emblems, prevent their myfteries from

defcending into the familiar reach of inattentive and unprepared novices, from whom they might not receive due veneration.

Our records inform us, that the ufages and customs of mafons have ever correfponded with thofe of the Egyptian philofophers, to which they bear a near affinity. Unwilling to expofe their myfteries to vulgar eyes, they concealed their particular tenets and principles of polity under hieroglyphical figures; and expreffed their notions of government by figns and fymbols, which they communicated to their Magi alone, who were bound by oath not to reveal them. The Pythagorean fyftem feems to have been eftablished on a fimilar plan, and many orders of a more recent date. Masonry, however, is not only the most ancient, but the most moral inftitution that ever fubfifted; every character, figure and emblem, depicted in a lodge, has a moral tendency, and inculcates the practice of virtue.

The Badge of a Mafon.

Every candidate, at his initiation, is prefented with a lamb-fkin, or white leather apron.

The lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence; he, therefore, who wears the lamb-fkin as a badge of masonry, is thereby continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct which is effentially neceffary to his gaining admiffion into the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the univerfe prefides.

THE THIRD SECTION

Explains the nature and principles of our constitution, and teaches us to discharge with propriety the duties of our respective stations. Here, too, we receive inftruction relative to the form, fupports, covering, furniture, ornaments, lights and jewels of a lodge, how it should be fituated, and to whom dedicated. A proper attention is also paid to our ancient and venerable patrons.

From east to weft, freemasonry extends; and between the north and fouth, in every clime and nation, are mafons to be found.

Our inftitution is faid to be fupported by wisdom, Strength and beauty; because it is neceffary that there fhould be wisdom to contrive, Strength to fupport, and beauty to adorn, all great and important undertakings. Its dimenfions are unlimited, and its covering no less than the canopy of heaven. To this object the mafon's mind is continually directed, and thither he hopes at laft to arrive, by the aid of the theological ladder, which Jacob, in his vifion, faw afcending from earth to heaven; the three principal rounds of which are denominated faith, hope and charity; and which admonish us to have faith in God, hope in immortality, and charity to all mankind.

Every well governed lodge is furnished with the Holy Bible, the Square and the Compass; the bible points out the path that leads to happiness, and is dedicated to God; the Square teaches us

to regulate our conduct by the principles of morality and virtue, and is dedicated to the Mafter; the compass teaches us to limit our defires in every station, and is dedicated to the Craft.

The bible is dedicated to the fervice of God, because it is the ineftimable gift of God to man; the fquare to the mafter, because, being the proper mafonic emblem of his office, it is conftantly to remind him of the duty he owes to the lodge over which he is appointed to prefide; and the compass to the craft, because, by a due attention to its use, they are taught to regulate their defires, and keep their paffions within due bounds.

The ornamental parts of a lodge, difplayed in this section, are, the Mofaic pavement, the indented teffel, and the blazing ftar. The Mofaic pavement is a representation of the ground floor of king Solomon's temple; the indented teffel, that beautiful teffelated border, or skirting, which furrounded it; and the blazing Star in the centre is commemorative of the ftar which appeared to guide the wife men of the east to the place of our Saviour's nativity. The Mofaic pavement is emblematic of human life, chequered with good and evil; the beautiful border which furrounds it, those bleffings and comforts which furround us, and which we hope to obtain by a faithful reliance on Divine Providence, which is hieroglyphically reprefented by the blazing star in the

centre.

The moveable and immoveable jewels alfo claim. our attention in this fection.

The rough afbler is a ftone as taken from the quarry in its rude and natural ftate. The per