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have any acquaintance with the mysteries such as I have 
alluded to in my treatise on the Druids/'’ reasons derived 
from this source will probably present themselves without 
difficulty. The enclosed garden, the tree of life, the serpent, 
and the woman, — the dark colour with which even the British 
females stained themselves, showing the Eastern origin of the 
rites, — the cherubim, the fiery flaming sword, the impending 
curse, death, and simulated resurrection ; the final attain- 
ment of the knowledge of good and evil ; the entire laying aside 
of shame,* in a reversion to other than Paradisaical inno- 
cence, the worship of the serpent still practised with myste- 
rious rites and orgies; do not all these things point to one 
original ? 
I think there can be but one answer to this question. 
I suspect that, even in the modern system of Freemasonry, 
there may be a hyper- exaltation of the tree of knowledge 
above the tree of life. How can the highest good be obtained 
but by the knowledge of the Christian “ mystery /’ in which 
are all the secret treasures of wisdom and knowledge. f (See 
Alford, Creek Test., iii. p. 215.) 
Nothing in the known history of mankind corresponds to 
the gradual progress of mankind from savagery, by slow 
steps to civilisation. We have, on the contrary, the remem- 
brance of the first happy home in Eden, — of the garden and 
river (to which the mysteries of Demeter had no obscure 
reference), of the ten patriarchs before the flood, of the lawless 
giants, and the time when the earth was filled with violence ; 
and then of the flood, called in Hebrew by a particular 
word — the Deluge. According to Babylonian tradition, arts 
and sciences had made great progress before this event ; so 
much so, that it was worth while taking special care to pre- 
serve them. Berosus relates that after the death of f A.r dates 
his son Xisuthrus (or as written on the baked tiles Sisit, 
f the escaped of the Deluge/) succeeded him. In his time 
happened the great Deluge ( Karci/cXuaymc ). The Deity, 
Cronus , appeared to him in a vision, and gave him notice 
that, upon the 15th day of the month, Desius, there would 
be a flood, by which mankind would be destroyed. He there- 
fore enjoined him to commit to writing a history of the 
beginning, procedure, and final conclusion of all things down 
to the present term, and to bury these accounts securely in 
the city of the sun, at Sippara.” After the flood, according 
to this account, they returned to Babylon, and, having found 
the writings at Sippara (near Babylon) they set about building 
* It will be understood that I allude here to the ancient world. 
f Coloss. ii. 3. 
