THE RED CROSS INSTITUTED.

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of the Collegium Artificium' at Rome, and had attained the position of Magister or Master, of the College of Architects; and it was doubtless this early training which had sufficiently enlightened his mind to perceive the errors and absurdities of paganism, and caused him eagerly to desire a more complete knowledge of the unknown deity worshipped in those ancient mysteries. When he arrived at the Imperial dignity, not even the cares of empire or the responsibilities of command could erase those ideas, or restrain his profound researches after truth and wisdom. The manner of his conversion is thus described: One evening, the army being on its march towards Rome, Constantine-reflecting upon the fate of sublunary things and the dangers of his approaching expedition, and sensible of his own incapacity to succeed without Divine assistance-meditating, also, upon the various religious opinions which then divided mankind-sent up his ejaculations to Heaven for inspiration and wisdom to choose the right path to be pursued. T. G. A. O. T. U. heard his prayer, for as the sun was declining, there suddenly appeared a pillar of light in the heavens, in the shape of a cross, with this inscription: In hoc signo vinces-In this sign thou shalt conquer. So extraordinary an appearance created the utmost astonishment in the mind of the Emperor and his whole army. The Pagans deemed it a most inauspicious omen; but Constantine, being reassured by the visions of the night, at dawn of day caused a royal standard to be made like that which he had seen in the heavens, and commanded it to be carried before him in his wars, as an ensign of victory and ecclesiastical protection. Several Christian Masons among the soldiers, no longer fearing persecution, then came forward to avow their faith, and the Emperor, in order to commemorate the event, directed them to wear upon their armour a Red Cross with sixteen stars, denoting the sixteen letters of the mystic words. On returning to his capital, Constantine, with the assistance of Eusebius, opened a Conclave of Knights of the Order, and these valiant and illustrious men became

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ORATION ON DEDICATION.

afterwards the body-guard of their sovereign. The rose and the lily were adopted by our Royal Founder as emblems of the Divine Being he had learned to adoremystically representing the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley. Among the acts of Constantine, his encouragement of learning is conspicuous; he commanded the Scriptures to be carefully kept and frequently read in all churches; he also devoted the fourth part of his revenue towards the relief of the poor and for other pious purposes. His tomb, of grey marble, continues at Constantinople to this day, and even its present possessors retain a veneration for the memory of the illustrious Constantine. Three hundred years had the persecution of our brethren continued, when it ceased with this great Emperor, who laid a lasting foundation for the honour of the Christian name. Upon this account his memory will flourish in the minds of all good men and Christian Masons until time shall be no more.

ORATION.

(IN THE CEREMONY OF DEDICATION.)

Worthy and Eminent Sir Knights Companions, it has been customary among Freemasons, from the earliest period to the present time, to inaugurate with solemn ceremonies the erection of temples set apart for the celebration of their mystic rites; and we have, therefore, after the manner of our ancient brethren, assembled today within these walls to lay the foundation of a moral edifice, based upon the sublime principles of our knightly Order: faith, unity, and zeal.

We have unfurled to-day the banner of the Cross, the highest and holiest ensign ever lifted up for man to follow and to revere. We bear aloft the standard of our illustrious founder, whereon is delineated a faint resemblance of the sacred vision of old, which startled the solid phalanx of the Roman legion, and bowed the heads

THE LABARUMS.

of princes to the dust. With this divine symbol before us, the remote and marvellous past seems recalled from its shadowy grave. Again 'The Cross triumphant blazes in the sky; its influence as great, its inspirations as exalted in our own day and generation, as when Constantine, clad in resplendent armour, charged at the head of his warrior knights, and routed the host of the tyrant. The labarum, or device adopted by Constantine, was a monogram of the Chi and the Rho, the two first letters of Christos in Greek characters. This emblem was placed on the battle flags of the Roman empire, and in after years the Red Cross Banner led to victory those pious champions of the Cross who devoted their lives to the rescue of the Holy Land from its infidel oppressors.

Since the period of the Crusades, no less than thirtyfour princes of the Imperial House of Comines have been Grand Masters of our Fraternity; and the most illustrious men in England have been found amongst its rulers and sovereigns, and I trust this will ever be the case with an Order of Knighthood which the Abbé Giustiniani declared, in 1692, to be the most ancient in the world.

On this auspicious occasion, it may not be deemed inopportune briefly to consider the precepts that are taught, and the objects desired to be attained, by all who have entered sincerely into communion with our Christian Order.

FAITH is the first principle inculcated: a belief in the Omnipotent Ruler of the Universe, the Sovereign Father, the Eternal God. This belief, through the influence of the Spirit, teaches us to take up the Cross, and to follow the footsteps of the Lamb in perfect love, and in implicit obedience to His divine will. By these means alone we hope to rebuild in our hearts the mysterious temple of the triune God.

UNITY is the mighty chain by which we, as brethren, are bound together and enabled to achieve great things. It is the support and bond of friendship, the cement of brotherly love, the wondrous lever by which immortal Truth is raised out of the chasms of darkness, where

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THE INSPIRING WATCHWORDS.

error and superstition hold sovereign sway. Without unity, we cannot become a happy and prosperous community; let us, therefore, strive to preserve this vital principle by being kind and forbearing to all, by forgiving injury and overlooking injustice, by a readiness at all times to stretch forth a helping hand to the unfortunate, to sorrow with those overcome with grief, and to rejoice with those whose hearts are full of gladness.

ZEAL is the grand permeating fire of the soul, which stimulates our desires into action and animates our labours. Without zeal, the potent thoughts of sages, the profound ideas of philosophers, would remain in obscurity like the unhewn statue in the quarry; but kindled into light and life by this overmastering spirit, they assume shape and substance, and ripen into glorious realities.

Again,

Having thus directed your attention more particularly to the inspiring watchwords of our Conclave, I would further impress upon your minds that Charity and Truth are also essential attributes of the Order, and that we are bound to practise in our daily life the holy precepts taught by our Divine and Almighty Sovereign. I would entreat you to guard well the vestibule of our temple, and suffer none to pass its sacred threshold but brethren faithful and true, who have shown a Christian disposition towards their fellow-men, and whose future conduct, you feel assured, will reflect no discredit upon the Order.

Finally, Sir Knights, let us ever be found in the straight path of Integrity, Honour, Secrecy, and Virtue, wielding our mystic swords valiantly in spiritual warfare with sin; so that when the pilgrimage of life is over, and the boundless shores of eternity dawn upon the soul, imperishable Faith may illumine the darkness of death, and guide us to that celestial conclave of saints and angels, where the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley shall bloom for everlasting in the presence of the Most High.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE ROYAL ORDER OF SCOTLAND.

THE 'Royal Order of Scotland' really embraces two degrees, the H.R.D.M. (Heredom) and the R.C.Y.S. (Rosy Cross), the latter being the Order of Knighthood. How long the degrees have been worked it is impossible now to state, save approximately; but undoubtedly there is abundant evidence of the Royal Order being worked in England as early as any degree other than the Craft. Brother Hughan (the well-known Masonic historian), who visited Edinburgh in order to examine the records in the custody of the Order, was able to trace the degree back to the first half of the last century, there being four time immemorial Chapters in operation in the City of London, and the 5th bearing a date, was warranted December 11th, 1743. No. 6 was issued for Deptford, December 20th, 1744; and the 7th for the Hague, empowered to act as a Grand Lodge on July 22nd, 1750. At this time a Grand Lodge was held in London, and the one for the Hague was really constituted in London, giving the authority to a Brother William Mitchell. The list of Grand Lodges, &c., of the degree from Time Immemorial' (still in existence) being silent as to Edinburgh, would tend to prove that this city was the head-quarters of the rite about 1740, as so many have long claimed. Bro. D. Murray Lyon (Gr. Sec. of Scotland), historian of No. 1 Edinburgh, evidently favours an English origin for this quaint rite. Notice was given in 1750 that 'The nine clauses and additions, or extra characteristics, belonging to the Grand Chapter termed the Grand