rect and irrefutable.

So the first created man.

Himself the centre of the system, he would regard Paradise as the limit of the habitable earth, and the expanse as the eternal residence of the omnipresent Deity. A little reflection however would soon bring him nearer to the truth. The garden of Eden was of a circular form, and the Tree of Life was placed in the centre;* now, as the fruit of this tree was reputed to convey the privilege of immortality, the centre would hence be esteemed the most honourable situation, and be ultimately assigned to the Deity, who alone enjoys the attributes of immortality and eternity; for Adam, in his progress to different parts of this happy abode, would soon conclude, that, however he might be deceived by appearances, he himself could not be a permanent centre, because he was constantly changing his position.

To this august Circle, the two forbidden Trees were the accompanying perpendicular parallel lines, pointing out God's equal justice and mercy. When Adam had violated the divine command, and eaten of the tree of knowledge, justice demanded that the threatened penalty should be paid. But here mercy interposed, and he was expelled from the abode of purity and peace, now violated by transgression, "lest he should put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and live for ever"† in a state of wickedness and sin. Hence arose + Genesis iii. 22.

Genesis ii. 9.

the Masonic Emblem of a Point within a Circle.

This emblem, united with the Masonic Ladder, was reduced to practice very soon after the universal deluge; and made the basis of a stupendous design which was intended to render man independent of his God, and prevent the misery of being dispersed and scattered abroad in private companies over the face of the earth.* In a former publication, I quoted a passage from Noorthouck's Constitutions, which assigns a square form to the celebrated Tower of Babel; but on more mature consideration, I am inclined to think that the opinion is erroneous. The first huts built for the habitation of man, are supposed by Vitruvius to have been erected on a circular base, as we know the cabins of the primitive Britons were, with a post in the centre to support the roof. This disposition is in perfect accordance with the principle referred to above; and the form might not sustain any material alteration before the flood; for the first colonisers of every country after the dispersion, used, with one consent, the same plan in the construction of their domestic edifices. The Tower of Babel may be supposed therefore to have partaken of this figure, not only from common usage, but also from its similarity to the spiral flame; for it was dedicated to the sun, as the great agent, according to the belief of these impious architects, employed in drying up the waters of the deluge. Verstegan

* Genesis xi. 4.

† Ant. of Freemas. p. 136,

has given a plate of this edifice in the Title Page to his Restitution of Decayed intelligence in Antiquities; and it is there represented as the frustum of a cone with seven gradations. Calmet has followed this author, and has given also an engraving with the same design. And indeed this was the most convenient form for the construction of such a stupendous work. According to Verstegan, "the passage to mount vp, was very wyd and great, and went wynding about on the outsyd: the middle and inward parte for the more strength beeing all massie; and by carte, camels, dromedaries, horses, asses, and mules, the cariages were borne and drawn vp and by the way were many logings and hosteries both for man and beast. And some authors reporte the space for going vp to haue bin soo exceeding wyd; that there were feildes made all along besydes the common passage or highway, for the nuriture of cattel and bringing foorth of grain, but how-euer it were, an almost incredible great woork, may it wel be thought to haue bin."*

Here then we have a superb specimen of the Point within a Circle, supporting the Seven Stepped Ladder, delineated in characters which cannot be mistaken; acknowledged by the whole race of men, and occupying their united and undivided energies, to confer upon it the indisputable qualities of magnificence and durability.

*Rest. Dec. Int. p. 4.

The primitive explanation of this mysterious emblem amongst the gentiles, did not widely differ from the elucidation still used in the Lectures of Masonry. The Circle referred to eternity, and the central Point to time, to shew that time was only a point compared with eternity, and equidistant from all parts of its infinitely extended circumference; because eternity occupied the same indefinite space before the creation of the world in which we live, as it will do when this world is reduced to its primitive nothing.

The

When mankind had transferred their adoration from the Creator to his works, they advanced specious reasons to justify a devotion to spheres and circles. Every thing great and sublime which was continually presented to their inspection, partook of this form. The Sun, the unequivocal source of light and heat, was a primary object of attention, and became their chief deity. earth, the planets, and fixed stars, proceeding in all their majestic regularity, excited admiration, and implanted devout feelings in their hearts. These were all spherical; as was also the arch of heaven, illuminated with their unfading lustre. The next progressive observations of mankind would be extended to the unassisted efforts of nature in the production of plants and trees; and these were found to exhibit, for the most part, the same uniform appearances. From the simple stalk of corn, to the bole of the gigantic lord of the

forest, the cylinder and cone, and consequently the circle were the most common forms assumed by the vegetable creation. Every fruit he plucked, every root he dug from the earth for food, was either globular, cylindrical, or conical, each partaking of the nature of a circle. If a tree were divided horizontally, the section uniformly exhibited the appearance of a Point within a succession of concentric Circles. The same will be true of an onion, a radish, and many other vegetables. Similar results would be produced from an inspection of animal bodies. The trunk is a cylinder; and the intestines, so often critically examined for the purposes of augury, presented to the curious enquirer, little variation from the general principle. Hence statues bearing these forms were subsequently dedicated the Olympic Gods; a Cylinder to the Earth, and a Cone to the Sun.*

In this figure, Nature, in her most sportive mood, appeared exclusively to delight. If a bubble were excited on the water, it was spherical; and if any solid body were cast upon the surface, the ripple formed itself into innumerable concentric circles rapidly succeeding each other, of which the body, or moving cause was the common centre. If water were cast into the air, they found that the drops invariably arranged themselves into a globular form. This uniformity was soon observed, and thought to be a preternatural indication of

* Porph, apud. Euseb. de præp. evan. 1. iii. c. 7.