THE BUILDER MARCH 1927
The New Atlantis and Freemasonry

By BRO. A. J. B. Milborne, Canada

AMONG the many theories of the origin of Freemasonry, is that which
advances the hypothesis that: it was the outgrowth of the plan of
Francis Bacon to accomplish a regeneration of mankind by the
introduction of a state of civilization similar to that depicted in
his The New Atlantis published in 1627.

This theory was advanced by Christopher Frederick Nicolai, a
learned German savant, in a work published in 1782 - 3 entitled, An
Essay on the Accusations Made Against the Order of Knights Templar
and Their Mystery; With an Appendix on the Origin of the Fraternity
of Freemasons. It has never obtained any acceptance at the hands of
Masonic students and critics, for the recognized existence, after
subjection to every literary and critical test, of The Old Charges
for two hundred years prior to the publication of Francis Bacon's
romance is sufficient evidence to refute it.

Nevertheless, bearing in mind the fact that many distinguished men
of letters and science founded the Royal Society a few years after
the death of Bacon with the object of disseminating scientific and
philosophical truths on the basis of his suggestions and the
further fact that members of the Royal Society were prominent in
the revival of the Craft which culminated in the formation of the
Grand Lodge in 1717, the consideration of The New Atlantis from a
Masonic standpoint is not to be neglected.

THE ALLEGORY

The New Atlantis is a narrative which deals with the fabled island
of Bensalem in the Pacific Ocean and the culture and customs of its
inhabitants. Its main feature, Solomon's House, is the embodiment
of Bacon's life-long dream of finding some method or system by
means of which scientific knowledge could be accumulated and used
for the amelioration of mankind, for he writes "among all the
benefits that could be conferred upon mankind, I find none so great
as the discovery of new arts, endowments and commodities."

The setting of the tale was suggested by Plato's myth of Atlantis,
contained in the Timaeus, and the writer has also drawn on the
Critias which contains a description of the origin and splendid
civilization of this fabled country. The New Atlantis gives us very
little information about the constitution of the country, its laws
or the structure of its society, for Bacon laid down his pen when
he had dealt with the many wonders of Solomon's House, not because
the chief interest of the story was then exhausted, but, as Rawley
writes in the Preface to the Latin version, "because he had many
other matters which deserved to take precedence of them" (i.e., The
New Atlantis and another unfinished work--the Dialogue Concerning
an Holy War). The form of government may be taken, however, as
being an ideal commonwealth though differing from the communistic
conception of Plato. Here, then, we find an analogy with the
Masonic Lodge which symbolically represents the universe and an
ideal government based on the brotherhood of man, with the
recognition of distinctions "necessary to preserve subordination."

THE DISTRESSED VOYAGERS

The romance opens with a description of the plight in which the
company of a ship finds itself. The ship had sailed some months
previously from Peru for China and Japan, and after five months of
favorable winds had been driven off its course by adverse ones. The
food supplies had become exhausted and sickness had broken out,
when the voyagers come in sight of land. They approach it and enter
a harbor, and are about to make a landing, when the inhabitants
make signs to them not to do so. In the reception of the voyagers
we find a ready compliance with the duty of rendering to our
fellows those kind offices which justice or mercy require, for
while the Bensalemites forbid them to land, they tell them to write
down their wants and they would "haue that, which belongeth to
mercy."

The narrative goes on to relate the written answer given to the
Bensalemites and that, three hours later "a Person (as it seemed)
of place" approached them in a boat and desired that some of the
visitors meet him upon the water, which was done, and the
subsequent interrogation "Are yee Christians ?" and the humble
confidence which it inspired bears a close analogy to our reception
of a candidate. After giving an oath "by the Meritts of the
Saviour" that they were not pirates and had not shed blood,
lawfully or unlawfully "within fourtie daies past" they were
informed that on the following day they would be brought to the
"Strangers' House" which was an institution akin to our modern
Quarantine Station, though not so irksome for the only limitation
placed upon the newcomers was to remain within doors for three
days, after which they might visit the city, though they were not
to go more than a mile and a half from the city walls without
special leave.

On the expiration of the three days the voyagers were visited by a
Christian Priest, who informed them that he was the Governor of the
Strangers' House, and offered them his services "both as Strangers,
and chiefly as Christians." He told them that the state had given
them permission to remain for six weeks, but that an extension
might be obtained, if desired, and that if they wished to trade
they would be fairly dealt with.

THE ARK CONTAINING THE SCRIPTURES

The next day the Governor of the Strangers' House came to them and
explains that by reason of their isolated position, the laws of
secrecy by which they were bound, and their rare admission of
strangers, the Bensalemites were well acquainted with the greater
part of the habitable world, but were themselves unknown, and goes
on to say, "Therefore because he that knoweth least, is fittest to
aske Questions, it is more Reason, for the Entertainment of the
time, that yee aske mee Questions, then I aske you." They then
inquire who was the Apostle of the Nation, and how it was converted
to the Christian faith, and the Governor, in reply, relates the
reception of a "small Arke, or Chest of Cedar" containing "all the
Canonicall Bookes of the Old and New Testament" and a letter
written by Saint Bartholomew in which he states that he had been
warned by an Angel to commit the Ark to the sea. This is probably
based on the tradition recorded by Eusebius, "the Father of Church
History," that Saint Bartholomew had left a copy of St. Matthew's
Gospel with the Indians.

The following day the Governor answers further questions as to how
the Bensalemites were so well informed of the world's affairs while
the world remained in ignorance of their existence, but he reserves
some particulars "which it is not lawfull for mee to reueale." He
tells of the great amount of navigation of the earlier days, the
intercourse of the various nations and then of the destruction of
the Great Atlantis. Proceeding, the Governor relates the
difficulties of "the poore Remnant of Humane Seed" which survived
the inundation, the history of King "Salamona" and the code of laws
which he put into force. "Doubting Nouelties" King "Salamona"
prescribed certain "Interdicts and Prohibitions" one of which
concerns the admission of strangers. Those who laid the foundation
of the Masonic Order have also given us certain regulations
regarding the admission of strangers, and, "doubting novelties"
have prohibited any change in our established usages and customs
which has received universal recognition as a primary landmark of
the order.

SOLOMON S HOUSE

The raison d'etre of the romance--the order or society of Solomon's
House--is next outlined. The Governor refers to it as "The Noblest
Foundation . . . that euer was upon the Earth" dedicated to the
study of the works and creatures of God--("the hidden mysteries of
nature and science" )--and named by King Solomon "finding himselfe
to Symbolize" after the King of the Hebrews. The method of
obtaining information of the outer world by the sending of Missions
of three of the fellows or brethren recalls to our mind the
despatch of the trusty fellowcrafts by King Solomon, divided into
three lodges, upon a certain mournful quest. The brethren of
Solomon's House are termed "Merchants of Light," which has its
parallel in the expression "Sons of Light" as applied to
Freemasons.

The voyagers now lived quite happily, and the narrator tells us
that they went abroad seeing what was to be seen in the city and
places adjacent "within our Tedder." "Tedder" is the middle English
form of the word "tether" and we find a similitude in the Masonic
cable-tow.

The Feast of the Family, granted to any man who lived to see thirty
descendants alive together "and all above 3 yeares old" is then
minutely described. In the description of the room in which the
feast is celebrated we find a symbolic emblem similar to one with
which Master Masons are familiar in the decoration of the "state"
of canopy over the chair in which the Tirsan as "the father of the
family" is termed is seated. The concluding part of the ceremony
attending the feast is the presentation to any of the Tirsan's sons
of "eminent Merritt and Vertue" of a jewel "made in the figure of
an Eare of Wheat" a symbol which we preserve in the Fellowcraft
degree to remind us of those temporal blessings of life, support
and nourishment which we receive from the Giver of all Good.

The rest of the book is taken up with a description of the customs
of the country and concludes with a full recital of the many
wonders of Solomon's House, a remarkable forecast of the inventive
genius of man.

It is generally conceded that one of Bacon's principal achievements
was the impetus given through this work to thought in England,
which resulted in the formation of the Royal Society not many years
after his death Glanville said that Solomon's House was a prophetic
scheme of the organization that has done so much for the
advancement of science, and Boyle, one of its earliest and most
famous members, spoke of an "in visible college" in his letters,
which probably referred to the beginnings of the Society before its
formal constitution in 1660. The attempt has been made to
definitely connect Bacon with the Speculative reorganization of
Freemasonry; the fact that some of the founders of the Royal
Society were Masons is certainly a curious coincidence, but whether
we can ever go further than this is doubtful.

