Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

AND HIS SECRET SOCIETY. 289
In answer to the question, " Whatte artes haveth the Maconnes
techedde mankynde?" we are told that they taught
agriculture, architecture, astronomy, numbers, music, poesy,
chemistry, government, and " relygyonne " (religion). To this
a foot-note
appends the remark, " What appears most odd is,
that they reckon religion among the arts, " and this appears to give
another hint of the double-meanings, and symbolism, and, perhaps,
of the cipher-system introduced, then as now, into religious
books, pictures, designs, and edifices.
But the nest note is even more suggestive. In reply to an
inquiry as to what the Masons conceal, we learn that " they
concelethe the arte of ffyndynge neue artes." Here our commentator
becomes more than usually communicative:
" The art of finding arts must certainly be a most useful art.
My Lord Bacon's Navam Organum is an attempt toward somewhat
of the same kind. But I much doubt that, if ever the
Masons had it, they have now lost it, since sofeiv new arts have
been lately invented and so many are wanted. The idea I have
formed of such an art is, that it must be something proper to be
employed in all the sciences generally, as algebra is in numbers,
by the' help of which new rules of arithmetic are and may be
found.
The Masons, also, are said to conceal the art of keeping secrets,
though what kind of an art this may be the commentator professes
not to know. They also conceal " the art ofchanges" (but
he knows not what it means) and " the facultye of Abrac. " Here
he is utterly in the dark. Lastly, Masons conceal their " universal
language. " The foot-note to this statement might be
supposed to be a mere transcription, either of some rough notes
or of verbal instructions given by Bacon himself:
" An universal language has been much desired by the learned
of many ages. It is a thing rather to be wished than hoped for.
. . . If it be true, I guess it must be something like the language
of the pantomines amongst the ancient Romans, who were said
to be able, by signs only, to express and deliver any oration intelligibly
to all men and languages."
Bacon makes many references to the silent language conveyed
19