481 
MASONRY. 
order of men, whom he inftrufted in the fciences of the 
eaft, and to whom he imparted the myfteries and rites of 
the Egyptian, Syrian, and Ionian, afTbciations,_ Before 
any one was received into the number of his difciples, a 
minute and diligent enquiry was made into his temper 
and chara< 5 ter. If the ilfue of this enquiry was favoura¬ 
ble to the candidate, he bound himfelf, by a folemn en¬ 
gagement, to conceal from the uninitiated the mylieries 
which he' might receive, and the fciences in which he 
might be inlfrufted. The doftrines of charity, of tiniver- 
Tal benevolence, and efpecially of affeftion to the brethren 
of the order, were warmly recommended to the young 
difciples 5 and fuch was the influence which they had 
upon their minds, that difcord feemed to have been ba- 
niflted from Italy, and the golden age to have again re¬ 
turned. Strangers of every country, of every religion, and 
of every rank in life, were received, if properly qualified, 
ihto the Pythagorean aflociation. Like Free Mafons, they 
had particular words and iigns, by which they might dif- 
tinguifh each other, and correfpond at a diftance. They 
wore white garments, as an emblem of their innocence. 
They had a particular regard for the eaft. They advanced 
front one degree of knowledge to another. They were 
forbidden to commit to writing their myfteries, which 
were preferved folely by tradition. The Pythagorean 
fymbols and fecrets were borrowed from the Egyptians, 
the Orphic and Eleufinian rites, the Magi, the Iberians, 
and the Celts. They confided chiefly of the arts and fci¬ 
ences, united with theology, and ethics, and were com¬ 
municated to the initiated in ciphers and fymbols. To 
thofe who were deftitute of acute difeernment, rhefe hie¬ 
roglyphic reprefentations feemed pregnant with abfurdity ; 
while others, of more penetration, difeovered in them hid¬ 
den treafures, calculated to inform the underftanding, and 
purify the heart. This is remarkably the cafe among 
Free Mafons: their figns and fymbols are as much ridi¬ 
culed by the uninitiated, as they are venerated by thofe 
who, by diligence and attention, have learned to eftimate 
their value. 
An aflociation of this nature, founded upon fuch prin¬ 
ciples, and fitted for fuch ends, did not continue long in 
obfeurity. In a fhort time it extended over the kingdoms 
of Italy and Sicily, and was diffufed even through ancient 
Greece, and the iflands of the Egean Sea. Like other fe- 
cret focieties, it was vilified by malicious men, who were 
prevented from (baring its advantages by the weaknefs 
of their minds and the depravity of their hearts. Cha¬ 
grined with difappointment, and inflamed with rage, they 
often executed vengeance upon the innocent Pythagoreans, 
and even fet fire to the lodges in which they were affem- 
bled. But the difciples of the (age perfilted in that ho¬ 
nourable caufe in which they had embarked ; and, though 
the perfecution of their enemies drove them from their 
native land, they (fill retained for each other the fympa- 
thy of brothers, and often fnffered death in its molt ago¬ 
nizing form, rather than violate the engagements into 
which they had entered. 
From thefe obfervations, it is manifefl, that the Pytha¬ 
gorean and Mafonic inftitutions were fnnila'r in their ex¬ 
ternal forms, as well as in the objefts which they had in 
view ; and that both of them experienced, from contem¬ 
poraries, the fame unmerited reproach. Mr. Clinch, in 
his Ellays on Free Mafonry, (Anthologia Hibernica for 
1794.) lias enumerated, at great length, all the points of 
refemhlance between thefe two inftitutions. He attempts 
to prove, that Free Mafonry took its rife from the Pytha¬ 
gorean Fraternity ; but, though he has been fuccefsfu) in 
pointing cut a remarkable coincidence between thefe af- 
ibciations, he has no authority for concluding, that the 
former originated from the latter. In a mafonic manu- 
feript, preferved in the Bodleian library, in the hand¬ 
writing of Henry VI. it is exprelsly laid, that Pythagoras 
learned Mafonry from Egypt and Syria, and from thofe 
countries where it had been planted by the Phenicians ; 
that the Pythagoreans carried it ihto France ; and that it 
Vgl. XIV. Ho. 9S9. 
was, in the courfe of time, imported from that country 
into England. (Lives of Leiand, Hearne, and Wood, 
Oxford, 1772. Appendix to the Life of Leiand, N° vii. 
A copy of this manufeript may be feen in Mr. Prefton’s, 
and almoft every other, work on Free Mafonry.) This, 
indeed, is no direft proof of our opinion ; but it (hows us, 
at leaft, that the fame fentirnents were entertained about 
four hundred years ago by the fraternity in England. 
We (hall not here enter intoan elaborate comparifon of 
Free Mafonry with the feveral other fecret affociations 
which arofe during the dark ages ; but (hall direft our at¬ 
tention chiefly to its progrefs in England; into which 
country, Mr. Prefton fuppofes its introduflion to have 
been prior to the Roman invafion. There are, according 
to him, the remains ftill exifting of fome ftupendous works 
executed by the Britons much earlier than the lime of the 
irruption of the Romans. The Druids, he fays, retained 
among them many ufages fimilar to thofe of Mafons. I:# 
conformity to the ancient praftices of the fraternity, we 
learn, that they held their affemblies in woods and groves, 
and obferved the moft impenetrable fecrecy in their prin¬ 
ciples and opinions; a circtitnftance which we have reafon 
to regret; as thefe, being known onjy to themfelves, mult 
have perifhed with them. The Druids were the priefts of 
the Britons, Gauls, and other Celtic nations ; and were di¬ 
vided into three clafles : the bards, who were poets and 
muficians, formed the firft clafs; the vates, who were 
priefts and phyliologifts, compofed the fecond clafs; and 
the third clafs confifted of the druids, who added moral 
philofophy to the ftudy of phyfiology. As lfudy and fpe- 
culation were the favourite purfuits of thofe philofophers, 
it has been luggefted that they chiefly derived their fyftem 
of government from Pythagoras. Many of his tenets and 
doftrines feem to have been adopted by them. In then- 
private retreats, they entered into a difquifition on the ori¬ 
gin, laws, and properties, of matter; the form and magni¬ 
tude of the univerfe ; and even ventured to explore the 
moft fublime and hidden fecrets of Nature. On thefe 
fubjefts they formed a variety of hypothefes, which they 
delivered to their difciples in verfe, in order that they 
might be more eafily retained in memory ; and adminil- 
tered an oath not to commit them to writing. In this 
manner the Druids communicated their particular tenets, 
and concealed, under the veil of myftery, every branch of 
ufeful knowledge; which tended to fecure to their order 
univerfal admiration and refpeft ; while the religious in¬ 
flections propagated by them were every-where received 
with reverence and fubmillion. 
Mafonry is faid to have been encouraged by Csefar, and 
by many of the Roman generals who were appointed go¬ 
vernors in Britain ; but w-e have no exifting records con¬ 
cerning tlieir lodges and conventions, and but an imper- 
feft account of the cuitoms which prevailed in their af¬ 
femblies. 
The frequent wars which took place, obftrufted for a 
long time the progrefs of Mafonry in Britain ; and it did 
not revive till the time of Caraufius; (A. D. 286-293.) 
by whom it was patronized, and who collected a number 
of ingenious mafons from different countries, and ap¬ 
pointed his fteward Albanus-(afterwards St. Alban) prin¬ 
cipal fupei intendant of their affemblies. Lodges or con¬ 
ventions of the fraternity were now introduced, and the 
rites of Mafonry regularly praftifed. Albanus (bon ob¬ 
tained from his matter a charter to enable the Mafons to 
hold a general council, to eftablifh their own government, 
and to correft errors among themfelves ; Caraufius, at the 
lame time, commanding Albanus to preffde over them in 
perfon as Grand Mafter. 
By the departure or the Romans from Britain, the pro- 
grefs of Mafonry was greatly obftrufted, and it fell after¬ 
wards into abfolute negltft. This was occafioned, firft, 
by the furious irruption of the Scots and Pifts, which left 
no time for the cultivation of the arts; and atterwards, 
by the ignorance of the Saxons, whom the ill-advifed Bri¬ 
tons ctflied in as allies, but who foon became their maf- 
6 G ters, 
