CUBICAL STONE. At the building cf the Temple ofJ erusalern, an unexpected and afflicting event occurred, which threw the Masons engaged in the work into the greatest confusion. The G. M. (H. A. B.) had sent to certain F. Cs. thirteen stones, and directed that with these they should complete a small square near the cape-stone, being the only portion of the fabric which remained unfinished. Every stone of the temple was formed into a square, containing five equilateral triangles, each equilateral triangle being equal to a cube, and each side and base of the triangles being equal to a plumb line. The space, therefore, which remained to be corn pleted was the last triangle of the last stone, and equal to the eighth part of the plumb-line, or I- of the circle, and of the triangle, which number is in Hebrew r the great name of the Almighty. The thirteen stones consisted of all the fragments which remained from the building, and comprised two cubes in two divisions. In the first was contained one cube in an entire piece, and in the second a cube in twelve parts : viz., 41 parts in
1 piece, 2 parts in 4 pieces, 1 part in 1 piece, and part in 6 pieces ; total 12 pieces. The F. Cs. carried the broken cube to S. K. I., who in conjunction with H. K. T. directed that they should placed along with the jewels of the Craft, on a cubic stone encrusted with gold, in the centre of a deep cavern within the foundations of the temple, and further ordered, that the door of this mysterious court should be built up with large stones, in order that no one in future should be able to gain admission into this mysterious apartment. At the re building of the temple, however, three F. Cs. lately returned from Babylon, in the course of their labours inadvertently stumbled upon this mysterious recess. They discovered the fractured cube, and carried the pieces to Z. J. H., who recognized in the four pieces the XXXX., and accordingly advanced the F. Cs. to a new order in Masonry for having accomplished this discovery