The Three Pillars

Engraved illustration on the title-page of the 1659 English edition of Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis, published in London by Thomas Newcomb.

This 1659 publication of Bacon's New Atlantis was prefaced by Mr Bushell's Abridgment of the Lord Chancellor Bacon's Philosophical Theory in Mineral Prosecutions and letters to and from the king regarding Mr Bushell's mining for and extraction of gold. Bacon had a profound interest in and knowledge of mineralogy, from both a practical scientific and alchemical point of view, and several 17th century alchemical texts are believed to have originated from or been directly influenced by Bacon: hence the alchemical as well as scientifically practical tone of the Three Great Pillars of Freemasonry and Cabala that are depicted in the illustration.

The illustration portrays the Three Great Pillars rising above the waters of the great ocean, just as Atlantis is allegorised as rising above or out of the sea in the idea of a New Atlantis. The Old Atlantis was destroyed by a Flood and sank beneath the ocean: the New Atlantis is the old land reborn again, resurrected. The symbolism is profound. The name of Atlas, the Phoenix King of Atlantis, means 'mountain' or 'pillar', and is especially understood in the context of one that that rises from the sea, reaches up into heaven, and holds heaven and earth apart.

Atlas was represented in Atlantis by a sacred central mountain, topped with a temple and surrounded by three concentric circles of water, like Mount Meru of Hindu tradition. Atlantis represented a previous condition of the world, or that part of the world called Atlantis, which began as a paradise with humanity enjoying a golden age, but which then fell into corruption and disintegration, to be finally destroyed by a flood. The New Atlantis signifies the restoration of the world to a new paradisiacal state and golden age—which is what the Baconian project, 'The Great Instauration', is all about.

The 'pillar' of Atlas is traditionally understood as a triune pillar, or what is known as The Three Pillars or Great Pillars. They are also referred to as the Pillars of Atlas or Pillars or Enoch or Pillars of Hercules. Enoch was another name for Atlas. He was condemned to hold heaven and earth apart. Hercules was his brother, who temporarily bore the weight of heaven for a while so as to give Atlas a rest. All wisdom is supposed to be inscribed in and represented by the Three Pillars.

In the picture the right and left-hand pillars are each supported on a jewelled circular base, crowned with an arched crown and held by a right hand issuing from a cloud. The pillars are shown as having just emerged out of the water. The cloud with a right hand emerging is a traditional symbol of the 'cloud of glory' behind which God is concealed and from which the Divine Being stretches forth his right hand of mercy, compassion, generosity and friendship, by which all things are created, blessed, healed and redeemed or created anew. The central pillar is shown standing upon an urn-like vessel which forms its base. This pillar is represented as a double-pillar, one column standing upon the other. This complex central pillar is also depicted as a fountain, representative of the fountain (and tree) of life that is to be found in the centre of paradise.

The Latin motto inscribed in the banner across the top of the picture reads 'DUM PREMOR AT TOLLOM', which roughly translated means 'Yet to press down (is) but to raise up'. This is a profound philosophical statement, full of many levels of meaning, which is illustrated pictorially and symbolically by the fountain with the two pillars each side of it. These two pillars, held by hands, look like plungers. The inference is that as the plungers are pushed down into the water, they force the water up the central (hollow) pillar so as to create a fountain. The urn-like vessel acts as a pressure chamber to receive and temporarily store the water under pressure, so that a continuous stream of water can fountain upwards even whilst the plungers are being raised ready for their next plunge. In other words, it is a pump, but with meanings linked to the wisdom teachings and symbolism.

A secondary meaning of the motto suggests the cabalistic axiom that one should conceal some things whilst revealing others, and that this sets up the polarity necessary for the work of discovery and enlightenment to take place. This is the method that Bacon used and has left for us to enjoy and benefit from today.

Bacon's cabalistic method and 'Great Instauration' project is described in the book, Building Paradise. Bacon's public training in the art of discovery, demonstrated to us by means of a practical example that involves concealing and revealing, is described in the book The Shakespeare Enigma. Both books are by Peter Dawkins and available from the FBRT online bookshop. (See Publications.)

FBRT Friends receive regular essays and discussion papers on these and other subjects.