Obituary.

Thomaston, Ga., Aug. 23d, 1846.

Ar a meeting of the Brethren of Morning Star Lodge, held in Thomaston, on Sunday, Aug. 23d, the following action was taken by the Lodge, upon the sad announcement of the death of our worthy and esteemed Br., Jas. R. Lowe, Esq.

Through the inscrutable dispensation of an all-wise Providence, our friend and Brother, JAMES RABUN LOWE, has been taken from us in the midst of active usefulness, with a seeming deceptive future that promised the fruition of whatever the noble and laudable efforts of genius could accomplish. At 3 o'clock, this good Sabbath morning, at the age of twentyfour years, eight months and twentysix days, he was called from loving, doting friends, the endearments of home, and affectionate relatives, to rest in the bosom of his God. We speak the words of sober earnestness and truth, and not of fulsome adulation, when we say, that Georgia never produced a young man of more inflexible integrity of character; that of the many we know and have known, perhaps few possessed in a greater degree those qualities and virtues calculated to make him an ornament to society, and the admiration of a very large circle of friends and acquaintances. We knew him from early boyhood to the period of his lamented death, and can cheerfully and truly say, (without suffering in the least a long, unbroken friendship to bias our judgment,) that we proved him and tried him, and found him honest and true, modest and reserved, affable and clever, intelligent and brave, and generous to a fault.

But yesterday he was among us, with the roseate hues of health decking a smiling face and finished person, that presented a contour of which he might have well been proud. Today, the icy hand of death has blanched that cheek and manly forin, and made them fit tenants of the dark, shadowy chambers of the tomb. But yesterday, the flashes of his genius sent from a mind stored with useful learning, an enlivening charm upon everything around him: today, like lightning upon the bosom of the cloud, they have disappeared and gone forever. But yesterday, a young and promising advocate in the profession of the law, today, those lips are closed, and his disembodied spirit stands in the presence of the Great Advocate of advocates. But yesterday, the sweet and gentle sounds of music stole softly upon our ear from his favorite instrument: today, its notes are hushed, and he tunes a harp of richest melody, where all is harmony and love.

Medical skill, the kind attention of friends, nor the patient resignation of the victim, could avert the blow of the fell destroyer.

Resolved, therefore, That this Lodge bows to the will of Heaven in profound grief and humiliation, in calling a bright ornament, a true and faithful Brother among us, from his labors on earth, to that refreshment prepared under an ALL SEEING EYE, where the great ARCHITECT of the Universe presides.

Resolved, That we deeply sympathize and condole with a fond father and affectionate brother and little sister, in their sad bereavements, and mingle with theirs our tears of sorrow and regret, for the irreparable loss we have all sustained in the death of our good Brother. Resolved, That we attend his funeral this day, at 4 o'clock, P. M., in a body, to pay the last debt which as Masons we can discharge.

Resolved, As a testimony and feeble tribute to the memory of one we truly loved and respected, we wear crape on the left arm for thirty days.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be furnished the Press for publication, and a copy transmitted to the disconsolate relatives of our friend and Brother.

[As the above was not received till a few days ago, we could not give it an earlier insertion.]

MASONIC CHIT CHAT.

THE GOTHIC MYSTERIES.-We give in the [ present number, the first of a series of papers on the Gothic Mysteries, from the prolific and able pen of our distinguished and learned Brother, the Rev. Dr. OLIVER. We cannot doubt that they will be acceptable to our readers generally,-particularly so to that portion of them who are fond of archaeological investigations.

It is our intention, in the present volume, to devote a considerable portion of our pages to the history and antiquities of the Institution, to bring to light many of the "valuable specimens" of workmanship of the ancient Craft, which now "lie buried among the ruins" of antiquity. We believe that in so doing, we shall subserve the true interests of our Institution, and add to the Masonic proficiency of at least some of our readers. We trust also in this way to be able to enhance the value of the forthcoming volume.

R. W. Br. Tappan, Deputy Grand Master of Mississippi, writes us that he some time since granted a dispensation for a Lodge to be held in the 1st Regiment Mississippi volunteers for Mexico.

We owe an apology to our private correspondents, for what may otherwise appear to them personal neglect. But when we say to them that, for twenty of the last thirty days, we have been under the influence of fever, and not able to hold a pen, they will excuse us. We are not certain that apology is necessary for any deficiency in the present number of the Magazine.

The committee on foreign correspondence in the Grand Lodge of Mississippi, give notice that the person holding the office of Grand Sword Bearer in the Grand Lodge of Texas, was expelled from Masonry in 1839. The Grand Lodge of Texas was, of course, ignorant of the fact, and will remove the cause of complaint.

Any Brother who will send us six new subscribers for the present volume, with the advance payment, shall receive the seventh copy for his services.

It is asked, by a Western corresponwho has been exalted in the U. States, where dent, whether a Companion R. A. Mason, the six preparatory degrees are required, would be at liberty to assist or be present at the R. A. is accounted the fourth degree? an exaltation in a foreign jurisdiction, where We answer in the affirmative; and our correspondent will pardon our frankness, when we say to him, that he has either forgotten, or not been correctly instructed in his ritual; for otherwise, the doubt involved in his inquiry, would not have arisen in his own, or suppose there is any very extensive misapthe minds of his Companions. We cannot prehension in relation to this matter, and do not, therefore, feel the necessity of enlarging upon the subject.

Our correspondent at Milwaukie, Wis., is informed, that the amount forwarded by him on the 12th Oct., is correct. Both the Brethren named have had the work for three

years. He will please accept our thanks.

The address of Br. Hathaway, at Pawtucket, was not received in season for the present number. It will appear in our next.

A LEAF FROM JEWISH HISTORY-ILLUSTRATIVE OF ROYAL ARCH MASONRY.

AFTER the death of Solomon, ten of the tribes revolted under Jeroboam, and formed the kingdom of Israel, of which Samaria was the capital. The two remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin, continued faithful in their allegiance to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, and constituted the kingdom of Judah, of which Jerusalem was the capital. And thus were founded the two separate and independent kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Israel soon fell into the grossest idolatry and licentiousness. Rehoboam, following the pernicious example of his adversary, apostatized from the true religion of his fathers: Judah also became weakened in her strength, and her people corrupt in their morals. It was in vain that a succession of inspired Prophets arose in both kingdoms, to plead with the people to renounce their errors and embrace the truth. Their efforts were unavailing. The progress of vice and impiety was unchecked. It was in vain that the Almighty threatened them with destruction. They regarded his threats and his admonitions with levity and indifference. The cup of their abominations was full. Israel fell before the strong arm of the Assyrian, and her rebellious children were scattered, no man can tell whither. A little while, and Jerusalem herself lay prostrate beneath the victorious sword of the Chaldean. Her Temple was plundered, her holy places were desecrated, the pride of her people made captive, her national independence sacrificed, and Judah became the tributary to an idolatrous power! Then began the seventy years captivity. Eighteen years afterwards, being the eleventh of the reign of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar again besieged and took the city, made the rebellious king prisoner, put out his eyes, and sent him to Babylon, where he died in confinement. His kindred, and all who participated in his crimes, received the punishment due

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to their iniquities. Nebuzaradon, the general of Nebuchadnezzar's army, to whom was entrusted the charge of utterly destroying Jerusalem, stripped the Temple of everything valuable, including the holy vessels, and the two brazen pillars, and set it on fire. The city and Temple were consumed; the walls and towers razed to the ground; not one stone was left upon another the principal inhabitants were either slain or carried into captivity, while the lower orders of the people were left in the country, to till certain portions of the land, to cultivate the vine, and to perform other servile employments. But the greater part of these fled into Egypt the same year, contrary to the advice of Jeremiah, and there miserably perished-thus completing the desolation of Judea, and the extermination of its inhabitants, conformably to the repeated threatenings of God, by his prophets, for the accumulated sins of the people.

It does not very distinctly appear how the captive Jews were employed while at Babylon. In this respect, the histories are deficient. We know, however, that Nebuchadnezzar carried away with him from Jerusalem, only the principal inhabitants, the warriors and artisans-leaving behind, the husbandmen and laborers, and the poorer classes in general. We know, also, that the artisans were employed by Nebuchadnezzar, in constructing extensive works, and in adorning his new capital,-that city which they so greatly improved as to render it the subject of his pride and boast-" This great Babylon which I have built." These artisans were probably Freemasons—the descendants of those who were present at the completion and dedication of the first Temple. One of the ablest Oriental scholars of which England can at the present time boast, says, in terms, that "the Jews, during their captivity in Babylon, cultivated Masonry with great diligence, and kept up a regular communication with each other, by means of Lodges which they had established in that city."* We see no

reason to doubt the fact. Indeed, to doubt it, would be to doubt that the Jews knew anything of Freemasonry. The truth of the one is involved in the other. If Freemasonry originated with the Jews-if it existed among them at the completion and dedication of the Temple-it remained with them when Jerusalem was destroyed, and they carried it with them to Babylon.t

The Jews remained in captivity 52 years after the destruction of the Temple, or 70 after Daniel and his companions were carried prisoners to Babylon. At the end of this period, Cyrus, through the intercession of Daniel, and in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, issued his royal proclamation, saying: "The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the king

*Rev. Geo. Oliver, D. D.

+Josephus attributes to Daniel great skill in architecture, and ascribes to him the building of the great Mausoleum at Ecbatana.

doms of the earth, and hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judea. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver and with gold, and with beasts, beside the free-will offering for the house of God, that is in Jerusalem." He appointed Zerubbabel governor of Judea, and restored for the service of the new Temple, five thousand four hundred gold and silver vessels, which had been taken from the old Temple, by Nebuchadnezzar. About fifty thousand of the Jews accepted the offer of Cyrus to return into their own country, and marched to Jerusalem under the banner of Zerubbabel. The others, being unwilling to leave the possessions they had acquired in Babylon, remained, at least, for some years longer, in Chaldea. It is probable that many of them never left it; for they were found there about the time of Christ, still in the possession of towns and districts. Among those who did return, there were probably many-we know there were some— who, fiftytwo years before, had witnessed the destruction of the first Temple.

Ezra tells us, that among the number who sought permission to go up with Zerubbabel, to Jerusalem, there were those who "could not show their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel;" and those, also, who "sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found." The Almighty, from the burning bush, communicated unto Moses certain words and signs, by which he was enabled to lead the children of Israel from their Egyptian bondage. In like manner Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the High Priest, and the chief of the fathers, tradition says, adopted words and signs, as marks by which the true descendants of Abraham should forever after be distinguished from those who "could not show their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel."

Their first care, on their arrival at Jerusalem, was to restore the sacrifices and to regulate the offices and orders of the Priests and Levites. Jeshua, the son of Jozedek, was at this time, the High Priest, and Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor, or, Masonically speaking, the King. The third person in rank seems to have been the Prophet Haggai, who probably officiated as Scribe.

The fact is not to be doubted, that on their first arrival at Jerusalem, they were compelled to dwell in tents. Judea had been made desolate; the city had long before been laid in ruins; the Temple had been destroyed. They were, therefore, necessarily driven to the primitive tent and