Mystic masonry, or, The symbols of freemasonry and the greater ...

INTRODUCTION.
The object of the author of this book is to show
the relation between Freemasonry and the Mysteries
of Antiquity. This much, at least, is implied by the
title of the book. That there is both a historical
and philosophical thread uniting these departments
of human thought and action is well known to
every intelligent student of Masonry, no less than to
all students of Symbolism and Mysticism. One traveler,
in the wilds of South America, records the fact
that he found there an ancient roadbed running
over mountain an(J valley for hundreds of miles.
By whom this ancient structure was built is a matter
of conjecture. It is now broken by time, with
great gaps here and there, and forest trees obliterating
its pathway, but 14; everywhere shows the designing
hand of man. In like manner when we undertake
to follow the landmarks than connect the
ancient wisdom with modern times, we must not
(xix)