Preface

by a Third Party.

If the following pages do not contain the true ontology Ontology: the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence, or reality. of Freemasonry: then I would be eager to learn in which of the countless writings that it has prompted a more definite concept of its essence is given.

If, however, all Freemasons, of whatever stripe they may be, will readily admit that the viewpoint indicated here is the only one from which—not a mere phantom original: "Phantom"; implying an illusion or a ghostly apparition without substance. reveals itself to a weak eye original: "blöden Auge"; in the 18th century, "blöd" typically described weak or dim physical eyesight rather than modern connotations of stupidity.—but rather healthy eyes perceive a true form: then there likely remains only the