This from the vulgar Branches must be torn, M ANCHISES, the great Preferver of the Trojan Name, could not have been difcover'd but by the Help of a Bough, which was pluck'd with great Eafe from the Tree; nor, it seems, could HIRAM, the Grand Master of MASONRY, have been found but by the Direction of a Shrub, which (fays the Diffector) came easily up. The principal Caufe of NEAS's Defcent into the Shades, was to enquire of his Father the Secrets of the Fates, which should sometime be fulfill'd among his Poerity: The Occafion of the Brethrens fearching fo diligently for their Master was, it seems, to receive from him the fecret Word of Masonry, which should be deliver'd down to their Fraternity in After-Ages. This remarkable Verse follows, Præterea jacet exanimum tibi corpus amici, Heu nefcis ! The Body of your Friend lies near you dead, MISENUS, that was murder'd and buried Monte fub Aerio, under an high Hill; as (fays the Diffector) Mafter HIRAM was. But there is another Story in Virgil, that stands in a nearer Relation to the Cafe of HIRAM, and the Accident by which he is faid to have been discover'd; which is this: PRIAMUS King of Troy, in the Beginning of the Trojan War, committed his Son Polydorus to the Care of Polymneftor King of Thrace, and fent with him a great Sum of Money: But after Troy was taken, the Thracian, for the Sake of the Money, kill'd the young Prince and privately buried him; ENEAS Coming into that Country, and accidentally plucking up a Shrub that was near him on the Side of an Hill, discover'd the murder'd Body of Polydorus, Æneid. III. By Dryden. Not far, a rifing Hillock flood in View, My Fright; and then thefe dreadful Words enfued: O fpare the Corps of thy unhappy Friend! The Agreement between these two Relations is fo exact, that there wants no fur ther Illustration, VII. We are told that a Sprig of Caffia was placed by the Brethren at the Head of HIRAM's Grave; which refers to an old Cuftom of those Eaftern Countries of Embalming the Dead, in which Operation CASSIA was always used, especially in preparing the Head and drying up the Brain; as Herodotus more particularly explains. The Sweet-Wood, Perfumes and Flowers, used about the Graves of the Dead, occur fo frequently in the old Poets, that it would he tedious to mention Metam. lib. 15. them. Ovid thus describes the Death of the PHOENIX. B Brother EUCLID's Letter to the Author Against unjust Cavils. Rother ANDERSON, after Thanks for printing the clever DEFENCE, by the Advice of our Brethren, I fend you this Epiftle, to answer fome lying, Cavils. But firft we would acknowledge, that Indeed, the Free Mafons are much obliged to the generous Intention of the unbiafs'd Author of the above Defence: Tho' had he been a Free-Mafon, he had in Time perceived many valuable Things fuitable to his extended Views of Antiquity, which could not come to the Diffector's Knowledge; for that They are not intrusted with any Brothers till after due Probation: And therefore fome think the ingenious DEFENDER has fpent too much fine Learning and Reasoning upon the foolish Diffection, that is justly defpifed by the Fraternity, as much as the other pretended Difcoveries of their Secrets in publick Nervs-Papers and Pafquils, all of a Sort ;. for all of 'em put together don't difcover the profound and fublime Things of old Mafonry; nor can any Man, not a Mason, make ufe of thofe incoherent Smatterings (interfpers'd with ignorant Nonfenfe and grofs Falfities) among bright Brothers, for any Purpose but to be laught at; our Communications being of a quite different Sort. Next, it is well known, That the Antiquity and Decorum of our Worshipful Fraternity have been envied by fome, who, very lately, have coalefced into Societies, in Imitation of the FreeMafons, and fome in Oppofition to them, tho' in vain; as the Gozmagons, who foon difappear'd, and Others are going. But But tho' we envy not the Profperity of any Sociey, nor meddle with their Tranfactions and Characters, we have not met with fuch fair Treatment from Others; nay, even Those that never had an Opportunity of obtaining any certain Knowledge of us, have run implicitly with the Cry, and without Fear or Wit, have vented their Spleen in accufing and condemning us unheard, untry'd; while we, innocent and fecure within, laugh only at their grofs Ignorance and impotent Malice. Have not People in former Ages, as well as now, alledged that the Free Mafons in their Lodges raife the Devil in a Circle, and when they have done with him, that they lay him again with a Noife or a Hub as they please? How have fome diverted themselves with the wild Story of an old Woman ber tween the Rounds of a Ladder? Only they should allow the Free-Mafons to laugh too in their Turn. Others will fwear to the Cook's red hot Iron or Salamander, for making the Indelible Character on the new made Mafon, in order to give him the Faculty of Taciturnity! Sure fuch Blades will beware of coming through the Fingers of the FreeMasons. Some have bafely calumniated the Fraternity as the Enemies of the FAIR SEX, in Terms not fit to be rehears'd, and unworthy of a Reply: But tho' in Lodge Hours Mafons don't allow of Womens Company (like many other Societies of Men) yet they make as good Hufbands as any other Men, according to their laudable Charges. Others wonder at their admitting Men of all Profeffions, Religions and Denominations: But they don't confider that Mafons are true oachidae, and require no other Denominations, (all other Diftinctions being of Yesterday) if the new Brother is a good Man and True: For Thofe of 'em that don't study Architecture, are often capable of encouraging the Craft, and help to fupport the poor decay'd Brethren. Have not fome rigid People been difpleas'd at the Admiffion of fome worthless Men? But if the Free-Mafons are fometimes deceiv'd about Mens Characters, they are not the only Perfons fo deceiv'd: Yet when a Brother is obnoxious to Cenfure, if they don't expel him, they endeavour to reform him. However, the Grand Lodge has taken due Care of That. Others complain that the Mafons continue too long in the Lodge, Spending their Money to the Hurt of their Families, and come home too late, nay fometimes intoxicated with Liquor! But they have no Occafion to drink much in Lodge Hours, which are not long; and when the Lodge is clofed (always in good Time) any Brother may home when he pleases: So that if any ftay longer and get intoxicated, it is at their own Coft, not as Mafons, but as other imprudent Men may do; for which the Fraternity is not accountable: And the Expence of a Lodge is not fo great as That of many a private Club. go Some obferving that Mafons are not more religious, nor more knowing, than other Men, are aftonif'd at what they can be converfant about in Lodge Hours! But tho' a Lodge is not a School of Divinity, the Brethren are taught the great Lessons of their old Religion, Morality, Humanity and Friendship, to abhor Perfecution, and to be peaceable Subjects under the Civil Government wherever they refide: And as for other Knowledge, they claim as large a Share of it, as other Men in Indeed, their Situation. Gg 2 Indeed, the antient Lodges were fo many Schools or Academies for teaching and improving the Arts of Defigning, especially Architecture; and the prefent Lodges ate often employ'd that Way in Lodge-Hours, or elfe in other agreeable Converfation, tho' without Politicks or Party Caufes; and none of them are ill employ'd, have no Tranfactions unworthy of an honest Man or a Gentleman, no perfonal Piques, no Quarrels, no Curfing and Swearing, no cruel Mockings, no obfcene Talk, nor ill Manners: For the noble and eminent Brethren are affable to the Meaneft; and Thefe are duly refpectful to their Betters in Harmony and Proportion; and tho" on the Level, yet always within Compass, and according to the Square and Plumb. Nor can it be denied, that a Fraternity fo ftrongly cemented, is more eligible and fafe than most Others; especially that there is no Fear of betraying Conversation: and that fince Masonry has been fo much countenanced by Great Men, there have been more fine Architects and more expert Fellow Crafts in Britain, than, perhaps, in all Europe befides. This appears by the ftately and regular Buildings throughout thefe lands, from the first Days of the Great Inigo Jones, the English PALLADIO; nor is the fine Taste abated in this prefent Reign of King GEORGE II. but is rather improved; witness the curious Houfe for the Bank of England, the South-Sea Houfe, the Front of the East-India Houfe, the Lord Talbot's fine House in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, the many ftately Fabricks in the Parishes of St. George Hanover and St.Mary la Bonne, and many more in and about London and Westminster, and other Towns and Cities, befides Country-Seats, raised in the good old AUGUSTAN ile; and fome alfo defign'd only, or begun, as the Lord MAYOR of London's New Palace, the admirable New Bridge at Westminster crofs the Thames, &c. all which difcover the English MASONS Grand Defign of rivalling fair Italy in Architecture, even those eminent Revivers of the AUGULTAN tile mentioned Part I. Chap. VII. May the ROYAL ART go on and profper, and spread itself from Pole to Pole, from East to Weft! As it certainly now does in all polite Nations, in spite of the Ignorant and Malicious. I am From our old Lodge, the HORN, in New Palace-Yard, Weftminfter, this 2d Thursday, or 9th Nov. in the Vulgar Year of MASONRY 5738. Your true and faithful Brother Euclid. While the BOOK was in the PRESS, The Author was kindly encouraged by the few following Brethren and Lodges, viz. -Hon. Charles Stanhope, Efq; Merchant. Former Stewards. -Mr. Henry Pude, Apothecary. Mr. George Garret. Mr. Lewis Philip Boitard. -Mr. William Renwick, -Mr. John Maddock, ---Sir Hugh Mac Bride, Baronet, of Mr. William Dodd, Attornies. Vintner the antient Lodge of Killwining.-Mr. Richard Skikelthorp, S -Sir John de Lange, Mafter of the-Mr. James Afkley, Punch-maker. Fountain-Lodge on Snow-hill -Daniel Hopkins, -Humphrey Primate, Efqs; -Richard Bowyer, ---Benjamin Taylor, -Mr. Thomas Defaguliers. ---Capt. Thomas Burgefs. - Mr. Samuel Greer. --Mr. Pat. Ramfay, Chirurgeon. ners. -Mr. Triftram Chambers, Upholder. -Mr. Erafmus King, Mathematician. LODGES |