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Show [ 3 ] The firft Piece of M A S O N I U that we know of, undet Divine Direction, was that of Noah's Ark, wherein Noah and his thice Sons Japhet, Shern-, and Ham, all Jfafons true, were prefer v'd from Deftru6tion, and afterwards communicated to their Children Geometry, and * the Art of Building j for we find that about 101 Years after the Flood, great Numbers of them aifembled in the Plains of Shinar to build a City and a large Tower, in order to make themfelvcs a Name, and prevent their Diiperfion} but G O D , for their Vanity,, by confounding their Speech, occafion1 d that which they endeavoured r«:a avoid. Yet they ftill carried with them the Knowledge ofMAsoNRY^ for Nimrcd, the Founder of the Affyrw an Monarchy, after the general Diiperfion, built the Cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth, and many others. And the learned Mathematicians in thofe Parts, who were call-d Magi, cultivated both.Geometry and M A S O N R Y , under-the Patronage of the Kings andgreat Men of the Ed ft. . The Confuiion of Tongues, which gave Pviie to the Nafons antient Practice of converting without fpeaking,. Kindred not the Improvement of M A S O N R Y in their ieveral Colonies j for the Defendants of Shem.in vljh, of Ham in Africa,, and of Japhet in Europe, left behind'' them fufficient Veftiges to demonftrate their great Skill-in M A S O N R Y. But of theie, the Ajfyriani and Egyptians feem'd to have made the greateft Progrels in the Royal Art, as the Walls of Babylon and the Pyramids. of Egypt evidently llicw, -which were two of the lev en Wonders of the World. Here we mail not forget the glorious Temple of Z)iana at Ephefus, one of the Wonders, which was fihifh'd unf-der the Direction of the Maftcr-Mafons jDrefiphon and Archiphron 5 nor the T o m b of- Maufelus, King of.cVr-ria, another, of the Wonders, which was built with great Magnificence, by order of his forrowful Widow. Artmifia^ and performed bv the four great Mafter-Ma- G i . foos> T* |