The Arcana of Freemasonry (1915) - The Masonic Trowel

112 THE ARCANA OF FREEMASONRY
the true doctrines and secrets with them, some
one part, some another.
Also there were the Druids, the old High Priests
of Egypt, the Solar Mythos people, i.e. those who
reckoned time by the Sun's revolutions, who were
initiated up to the 33 , practising
all their rites and
ceremonies in France, in Central America, and in
these islands, until the edict of Canute scattered
them here, and forced them to meet in secret places
—on the highest hill, or in the lowest vale, or
any other secret place, the better to guard against
cowans and enemies. Also in America their altars
were thrown down, their Blazing Star was eclipsed.
All was given over to fire and sword. The remains
of their greatness still exist, to the everlasting
shame of their destroyers. But if you look for
any regular written history of the Order, you will
not find it. There are no records left to us—
but you may take it that from that time the socalled
Lodges in England and Scotland were
formed by a scattered few, who,
to avoid the
terrors of the law, and to keep their religious
rites and ceremonies pure and unsullied, as they
had received them from the parent source— old
Egypt—met in secret places and had resort to
private meetings. This, therefore, was one original
source. There were no records left, in these
islands, any more than there will be after another
twenty thousand years have passed, or less.