symbol of the Lord of Evil under whose dominion was placed the seasons
of Autumn and Winter; and the figure of a box at the right hand,
represented the sacred ark in which, anciently, the symbols of solar
worship were deposited; but which is now used by the masons as a
receptacle for their papers.

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After, the promulgation, in the fifth century, of the edict by one of
the Emperors of Rome, decreeing the death penalty against all persons
discovered practicing any of the rites and ceremonies of the ancient
religion, a body of its cultured adherents, determining to observe them
secretly, banded themselves together into a society for that purpose.
With the view to masking their real object, they took advantage of the
fact that the square and compass, the plumbline, etc., were symbols of
speculative masonry in the temple form of Astral worship, they publicly
claimed to be only a trades-union for the prosecution of the arts of
architecture and operative masonry; but, among themselves, were known
as Free and Accepted Masons or Freemasons. In imitation of the ancient
mysteries they instituted lower and higher degrees; in the former they
taught the Exoteric creed, and in the latter the Esoteric philosophy,
as explained in our introduction. Inculcating supreme adoration to the
solar divinity the candidates for initiation were made to personate
that mythical being and subjected to the ceremonies representing his
figurative death and resurrection, were required to take fearful oaths
not to reveal the secrets of the order. To enable them to recognize
each other, and to render aid to a brother in emergencies, they adopted
a system of grips, signs and calls; and to guard against the intrusion
of their Christian enemies they stationed watchmen outside of their
lodges to give timely warning of their approach. Thus was instituted