The Arcana of Freemasonry (1915) - The Masonic Trowel

122 THE ARCANA OF FREEMASONRY
of from generation to generation to the present
time ; the names changing, but not the esoteric
symbolism.
The originals on the top of the two columns
(see Fig. 15) were four lines, or cross sticks, i.e.
heaven and earth, as a square, represented at the
present day by the celestial and terrestrial globes.
The Egyptians at this period, not understanding
perspective, could only draw on the flat, and so
had to represent the ideas and beliefs as shown.
Later, they knew that the Earth was not square,
nor yet flat, but its true form.
The Brothers were not called Freemasons then,
but the operatives were called Craftsmen and Companions,
as witnessed in Ritual, Ch. lxxx. The
term Companion dates back as far as Totemic
Sociology, over three hundred thousand years ago.
The Priests of these were the first originals of
our Brotherhood. The Companions in Egypt were
a special and privileged body of Brothers who
occupied the seventeenth nome of Upper Egypt,
and these—and these alone—had certain special
duties to perform connected with the Temples. The
Chief of the Nome was the Head or High Priest,
and he was the first original of our Grand Master.
The Egyptian title was Ura-herp-Kem ; later a
higher degree was formed, when his title was
" The Most Illustrious," which means Master of
Masters (Ritual, Ch. xiv.). I note for your atten-