English Freemasonry is defined as 'a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols' - but what does all that mean? This three-part study traces the definition back to the work of William Preston (1742-1818). It shows how Preston used Aristotle as his starting-point to argue that Freemasonry teaches a philosophical approach to virtue, which it expresses allegorically through the story of the building of King Solomon's Temple...