The New York herald., 1920-01-04
Story of the Most Ancient Symbols of Masonry

"a with an angled cross bar. a crescent moon
at the apex and an eisht-rayed sun behind.
Examination of this gem OF which a plate
photograph is given in the Sotheby catalogue,
shows it to be clearly the conventional Masonic
model III the Square had been a trifle larger
the error would not have occurred of taking it
for mere "a" The place of origin was Con-
stantinople and the gem itself was of the Ro-
man period.
H. however. the Square and Compass SYMBOL
remarkable for Its rarity. 1t was rep
resented among ancient initiates by an equally
significant figure. that of the Squared Circle
II is to the Importance of this problem as the
supreme demonstration of cosmic law to- the
ancient seer, that the symbolic union of the
implements necessary to it's construction is due.
The Two Circles.
Modern geometers AT a loss to understand
the ardent enthusiasm which their ancient COM
peers carried to speculations upon the subject
Of the two circles, one equal in circumference
and one equal in to given square. The
great pyramid of Gizeh embodies Egyptian
knowledge of the first in massive stone.
The proportions which determine both Of
these problems are derived directly from the
them. as great musical compositions
variations upon single theme. are derived the
great and sacred name of God, Jehovah and
all of the salient features d.scoverable in the
scripture of our universe
This is the geometry which the ancient
charges make synonymous with Freemaconry.
The synthetic geometry OF Cosmos. expressing
itself in theorems rather than finalities
For instance. one does not find the square
and Circle problem ready solved. but one
finds countless natural objects which present
the problem the sole conceivable object OF
their various forms. In view of the fact that
these have significance to other intelli-
gences than those OF the human brain. what
can they be but signals across the void Of
space from infinite to finite mind?
SO the ancients must have taken them and
so they have attempted to transmit them to
us Here alone We have the answer to the
riddle of the suns, moons, triangles. maltese
crosses. oblong squares and other studiousy
peculiar cha rms and amulets which find in
every desecrated sepuchre OF ancient origin
Here we find that the dogmas of the great re-
ligions OF the past were not spectacular revela-
tions to astonished prophets but the result Of
years OF actual toll and experiment upon the
evidence presented by natural objects. that
they from mollusc to man. from atom TO Him
alayan peak the offspring of conscious
and contriving intelligence. 1t took man many
centuries to grasp the fact that mind and not
matter is the ultimate reality, but it was the
problem Of the Squared Circle which carried
his intelligence to the highest scale of divine
contemplation.
Among the array OF ancient geometers
who gave their rapt attention to the solution
OF this problem, none occupies more dis
tinguished place upon the pas ges OF history
than Archmedes OF Syracuse. who flourished
about b. C. 2s7-22, and during his career de-
termined the circumference OF the circle TO
approximate three and one-seventh times the
diameter We have already seen that the Jews
had anticipated his closer calculation OF 3.li15
times the diameter in their sacred name
"Elohim.' but graphic representation of the
Masonic adept pretty much the same thing that
the Square and Compasses do today, for We
find it sculptured the facades of countless
palaces temples and tombs: the umna ted
pages of the Book Of the Dead and upon
amulets without number. 1t has apparently
remained for the present writer to recognize
it's Masonic significance
On the Temple Walls.
1t consists of combined circle and oblong,
the dimensions of which latter are SKA, the
last figure IA" being shown to be the diam
eter of the circle by inscribing the latter