THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 
23 
exercised by that divinity ; the same symbol in China denotes the 
supreme Lord or Ruler of the universe, and is in fact a part of the 
expression used to signify " God." We have here then one of 
the earliest inventions of man by which is denoted something 
" above " that which is visible to the eye, or "heaven." Now let 
us put this idea in stone — for I need hardly say that all the 
leading features in architecture are embodiments of simple ideas — 
and we find that the first and simplest effort to express the thought 
of heaven in stone would take the shape of the T ; or, from the im- 
possibility of constructing such a figure in permanence — the figure 
of the trilithron, or superimposed lintel on the two upright posts. 
Above this we find in Indian the chatta, or tee, as it is called, 
corresponding to the supernal world, denoted by the superimposed 
flame or spark. Now this may appear far-fetched and wire-drawn 
to some ; but I believe, from wide and impartial comparisons, that 
it is not so ; and I cannot but look upon the early forms of our 
own cromlechs and dolmens as attempts to represent the idea of 
the world in which we live, surmounted by another heaved up 
above it, and which we call heaven, to which the spirit of the 
departed hero buried beneath its canopy had gone after death. 
And then, with regard to the circle of stones surrounding this 
primitive structure, we here enter on another and a well-established 
line of argument derived from Eastern sources. It may not be 
generally known from what origin we derive our familiar word 
sovereign, in the sense of king. I may, by explaining this, 
illustrate the subject I have in hand. One of the earliest myths 
we derive from the East is, that there have arisen at intervals a 
series of universal rulers or monarchs, under whose benevolent 
sway the entire world has been brought into a state of peace and 
lasting prosperity. These universal monarchs, because they ruled 
over the world, were called Chalcravartins ; i.e. " those who pos- 
sessed exclusive sway within the circle of rocks supposed to 
enclose the world (or, sakwala)." The chakravartin means simply 
this, " the ruler in the circle." In process of time these chakra- 
vartins were divided into three sorts; viz., those possessed of 
undivided or unlimited sway, who were termed Suvarna ChaJcravar- 
tins (i.e. golden rulers) ; those possessed of a more limited power 
were called rulers of the copper circle ; and those of a less power 
still, rulers of the iron circle. It is possible this may have been a 
later invention ; but there can be no doubt that our own word 
