Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

280 FRANCIS BACON
accurate elucidation of those symbols which tend to embellish and
adorn the mind? Everything that strikes the eye more immediately
engages the attention, and imprints on the memory serious
and solemn truths. Hence, Masons have universally adopted the
plan of inculcating the tenets of their order by typical figures and
allegorical' emblems, to prevent their mysteries from descending to
the familiar reach of inattentive and unprepared novices, from
whom they might not receive due veneration. It is well known
that the usages and customs of the Masons have ever corresponded
with those of the ancient Egyptians, to which they
bear a near affinity. These philosophers, unwilling to expose
their mysteries to vulgar eyes, concealed their particular tenets
and principles of polity under hieroglyphical figures, and expressed
their notions of government by signs and symbols, which
they communicated to their Magi alone, who were bound by oath
not to reveal them. Pythagoras seems to have established his
system on a similar plan, and many orders of a more recent
date have copied the example. Every character, figure, and
emblem, depicted in a lodge, has a moral tendency, and tends to
inculcate the practice of virtue."
Here, as will be seen by and by, when we come to emblems and
hieroglyphic pictures, Freemasons are again adopting Bacon's
ideas and doctrines, and using his words, though their charm is
lost by dilution and paraphrase. No addition or alteration seems
to improve either his phraseology or his ideas; usually the copyists
limp after him in " what imitation they can borrow;" but even
where they most craftily prick in, or transfer to their own work
his beauties of language aud quaint conceits, it is still easy to
distinguish the original from the imitation, the pearls from the
beads, and at least one-third of Preston's Illustrations is, we
believe, taken directly from Bacon, perhaps originally dictated
by him.
The charge at initiation into the second degree again enforces
the study of the liberal arts, " especially of geometry, the basis
of our art; geometry and Masonry, originally synonymous terms,
being of a divine and moral nature, which, while it proves the
wonderful properties of nature, demonstrates the more important