General Ahiman Rezon

General
Ahiman
Rezon
by Daniel
Sickels
[1868]
Contents Start Reading
This is a collection of Masonic rituals, including ceremonies

related to the degrees of the Entered Apprentice, Fellow-
craft and Master Mason. It includes extensive treatment of
funeral rituals. There is musical notation for a number of
Masonic hymns. An appendix has a series of model
documents for various masonic situations. While it does not
disclose anything truly secret, the General Ahiman Rezon General Ahiman Rezon
and Freemason's...
gives us an insightful peek behind the veil of 19th century Daniel Sickels
Masonic pomp and circumstance. Best Price $21.90
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Title Page and Front Matter

Ahiman Rezon: Signification of the Term Privacy Information
Explanation of the Frontispiece

Preface
Contents
Introductory
Introductory
Origin of Masonry, and Its Advantages
Government of the Fraternity
The Lodge and its Government
Qualifications of Candidates
Admission of Candidates
Opening and Closing the Lodge
First Degree: Entered Apprentice
Illustrations
Symbolism of the Degree
Rite of Induction
Prayer at Initiation
The Symbolic Pilgrimage
Obligation of Secrecy
Rite of Illumination. Investiture of the Candidate
Charity the Chief Social Value
The North-East Corner
Working-Tools of an Entered Apprentice
Section II. The Preparation. Right Hand. Badge of a Mason
Section III: The Lodge
Lodge Meetings—Where Held
Form and Dimensions and Boundaries of the Lodge
The Covering of the Lodge
The Furniture of the Lodge
The Ornaments of a Lodge
The Lights of the Lodge. Moveable and Immovable Jewels.
Situation of the Lodge
Dedication of Lodges
Great Tenets of a Freemason
Charge to the Candidate
Charge, at the Initiation of a Soldier
Second Degree: Fellow-Craft

Illustrations
Symbolical Jewels
Working Tools of a Fellow-Craft
Operative and Speculative Masonry
Pillars of the Porch
Symbols of Peace, Unity and Plenty. Of the Globes.
The Winding Stairs
Of Order in Architecture
The Five Senses of Human Nature
The Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences
Emblem of Plenty Explained
Lecture on the Legend of the Winding Stairs
Third Degree: Master Mason
Illustrations
Working Tools of the Master Mason
Twelve Messengers—Acacia Tree—Letter G.
Funeral Dirge
Rites of Sepulture—Hebrew Customs
King Solomon's Temple
Emblems of Master Mason's Degree
Officers' Clothing and Jewels
Ancient Ceremonies
Introduction
Consecration of a New Lodge
Dedication and Constitution of a New Lodge
Installation of the Officers of a Lodge
Installation of the Officers of a Grand Lodge
Laying Foundation Stones of Public Structures
Dedication of Masonic Halls
Grand Visitations
Masonic Burial Services
General Directions
Service in the Lodge-Room
Service at the Church or the House of the Deceased
Service at the Grave
Regulations for Processions

Ritual for a Lodge of Sorrow
Service for the Consecration of Masonic Cemeteries
Masonic Calendar
Appendix—Masonic Documents and Forms of Trials

THE
GENERAL AHIMAN REZON

AND
FREEMASON'S
GUIDE:
CONTAINING
MONITORIAL INSTRUCTIONS
IN THE DEGREES OF
ENTERED APPRENTICE, FELLOW-CRAFT AND

MASTER MASON,
WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES, EMENDATIONS AND LECTURES.
TOGETHER WITH THE
CEREMONIES OF CONSECRATION AND DEDICATION OF NEW

LODGES,
INSTALLATION OF GRAND AND SUBORDINATE OFFICERS,

LAYING
FOUNDATION STONES, DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS,
GRAND VISITATIONS, BURIAL SERVICES, REGULATIONS
FOR PROCESSIONS, MASONIC CALENDAR, ETC.
TO WHICH ARE ADDED A RITUAL FOR A
LODGE OF SORROW,
AND THE CEREMONIES OF
CONSECRATING MASONIC
CEMETERIES.
ALSO, AN APPENDIX, WITH THE
forms of Masonic Documents, Masonic Trials,

etc.
BY DANIEL SICKELS, 33°.,

AUTHOR OF "THE FREEMASON'S MONITOR," SECRETARY
GENERAL OF THE SUPREME
COUNCIL, NORTHERN JURISDICTION, ETC.
NEW YORK:
MASONIC PUBLISHING AND

MANUFACTURING CO.,
482 BROOME STREET.
[1868]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, May 2007. Proofed and

formatted by John Bruno Hare. This text is in the public
domain in the United States because it was published prior
to January 1st, 1923. These files may be used for any non-
commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is
left intact in all copies.
Click to enlarge
Title Page
"I should say much more if I were not afraid of

being heard by those who are uninitiated; because
men are apt to deride what they do not
understand; and the ignorant, not being aware of
the weakness of their minds, condemn what they
ought most to Venerate."—CYRIL, OF
ALEXANDRIA.
ENTERED according to act of Congress, in the

year 1865, by
THE MASONIC PUBLISHING AND

MANUFACTURING CO.,
la the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the

United States for the Southern
District of New York.
Click to enlarge
Verso
Click to enlarge
Portrait of Daniel Sickels
TO
JOHN W. SIMONS,
PAST GRAND MASTER OF MASONS AND KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF
NEW YORK;
GRAND TREASURER OF THE GRAND ENCAMPMENT OF THE

UNITED STATES;
GRAND TREASURER OF THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW YORK;
SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTOR GENERAL, ETC., ETC.,
THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY
Dedicated
AS AN APPRECIATION OF HIS INDEFATIGABLE LABORS IN
THE CAUSE OF THE
SCIENCE OF FREEMASONRY,
AND AS A
SLIGHT TESTIMONIAL OF THE ESTEEM AND FRIENDSHIP

ENTERTAINED
FOR HIM BY THE
AUTHOR.
p. 5
AHIMAN REZON.
SIGNIFICATION OF THE TERM.
BY WILLIAM S.
ROCKWELL,
GRAND MASTER OF GEORGIA.
THESE two words have acquired a wide Masonic

celebrity. They constituted the title of the Book of
Constitutions, used by the division of
Freemasons, which separated from the Grand
Lodge of England in 1736, and have since
become the usual designation of such works in
this country. DERMOTT, in 1772, styled his
book the TRUE Ahiman Rezon, and he claimed
for his portion of the Order the practice of
Ancient Masonry. The inference is obvious that
there was a spurious work under this title then
extant. An inquiry into their meaning is,
therefore, not irrelevant.
I have met with no exposition of the signification

of this phrase, except in the edition first
published in South Carolina by Dr. DALCHO, in
1807, and reprinted, with additions, in 1822; and
afterward re-arranged and edited by Dr.
MACKEY in 1852; and, also, in the "Lexicon of
Freemasonry," by the last-mentioned
distinguished author.
The following is Dr. DALCHO'S definition in the

edition of 1822: "The Book of Constitutions is
usually denominated AHIMAN REZON. The
literal translation of ahiman is a prepared
brother, from manah, to prepare; and that of
rezon, secret. So that Ahiman Rezon literally
means the secrets of a prepared brother. It is
likewise supposed to be a corruption of achi man
ratzon, the thoughts or opinions of a true and
faithful brother."
There are several difficulties which seem to

render this definition inadmissible. The
derivations do not appear to be in accordance
with the structure of the Hebrew language (if the
words be Hebrew); and the phrase, with this view
of its derivation, has no grammatical
construction. The Hebrews were accustomed to a
species of inversion, which in our language has
no parallel: for example, the great work of
Jehovah would be in Hebrew ‫מעשה יהוי הנדוֹל‬,
literally, work of Jehovah the great. Now, if the
phrase under consideration was intended to
import "the secrets of a prepared brother," the
construction would have been, according to the
example just
p. 6
quoted, ahi rezon man. But there are further

objections to this rendering of the phrase into
English. True, ‫ מנה‬MNE, to divide, to number, in
its piel form, signifies to appoint, to constitute,
and, in that sense, to prepare; yet, in accordance
with the genius of the Hebrew tongue, it
undergoes a change in its vocalization. Its stem-
letter is doubled, and the vowel sound softened; it
is pronounced minnah, and its derivative should
be ahiminnah. In Chaldee, ‫ רז‬RZ signifies a
secret, and might be imported into the Hebrew,
but its plural is razin; besides, it is something of a
misnomer to call a published book "Secrets of a
prepared brother."
The last suggestion of Dr. DALCHO would seem

more plausible, if it were not open to the same
grammatical objection. MAN can not signify true
or faithful, unless derived from ‫ אמן‬AMN, and
then the compound word would be achiamon;
and if the ‫ א‬A of AMN suffered elision, it would
indicate a different radical, and if no elision took
place, the two letters ‫ י‬I and ‫ א‬A would not
coalesce, but the ‫ י‬I resumes its consonant sound
as in ‫ בנימין‬BNIMIN (which we sound Benjamin),
the vocalization would then be Abhjamon.
Dr. MACKEY thus renders it:—"This title is

derived from three Hebrew words—ahim,
brothers; manah, to select or appoint; and ratzon,
the will or law—and it, consequently, signifies
"the law of appointed or selected brothers."
It is true, that this definition more nearly accords

with what the book contains, than that proposed
by DALCHO; yet, there would seem to be no less
formidable objections to this view of its
signification. The verb ‫ מנה‬MNE, above referred
to by DALCHO, in Kal, (i.e., its active form)
means to appoint, but its radical meaning is to
number; it was one of the prophetic words written
by the spectral hand on the wall of Belshazzar's
banqueting-room. It is itself a derivative, and will
not rid us of the final ‫ ה‬E, and if it be any part of
the root of the word, we must read ahimanah. It
is just to notice, that the radical of this verb,
signifying something divided ‫ מן‬MN, from the
obsolete root ‫ מנן‬MNN, when in composition,
conveys the idea of a law, rule or precept, in
conformity with which something is done; as, for
example, ‫ מפי יהוה‬MPhI IHOH by command of
JEHOVAH (II. Chron. xxxvi. 12), but then the
grammatical construction would require some
other signification of rezon, and it should be
construed as an adjective, in conformity with the
example above quoted, and it might read ahi,
being the genitive singular (‫ אהי‬AHI,) the
"Supreme Law of a Brother."
p. 7
Click to enlarge
Frontispiece
EXPLANATION OF THE
FRONTISPIECE.
THE Tracing-Board, or Floor-Cloth of an Entered

Apprentice, here described, is a copy of a
reproduction of Bro. GEORGE OLIVER, D. D.,
in his Historical Landmarks of Freemasonry, as
follows " This was used in the early part of the
last century. It varies considerably from our
improved system, although we observe with
pleasure, that it contains the Ancient Landmarks
of the Order. It is an oblong square, between the
cardinal points; the Master is placed in the East,
with en altar before him, and the Wardens both in
the West, as was the custom in many of our
Lodges up to the time of the union in 1813. The
three lights are placed in the N. E., S. E., and S.
W. The two pillars, J. and B., are in the West,
inscribed 'Strength and Wisdom,' and are both of
the Corinthian Order; while the center of the
Tracing-Board is occupied by a Blazing Star of
five points, inclosing the letter G, and inscribed
Beauty. Between the two pillars ascending from
the west, are seven steps upon a Mosaic
Pavement; but the Tesselated Border, or Indented
Tessel, as it was called, is omitted. In the East,
West, and South, are portrayed three windows.
The W. Master's Tracing-Board is near the
Blazing Star, while the corresponding Immovable
Jewels are considerably higher up toward the
East—the one called the Brute Stone, * the other
the pointed Cubical Stone. † In the apex of the
latter, an ax is inserted. The East is distinguished
by a square, the South by a level, and the North
by a plumb-rule, or perpendicular. The whole is
surmounted by a cable-tow, or towline, as then
called, with a tassel at each end."
Footnotes
7:* This was also called the Broached Thurnel,

one of the original immovable Jewels, (according
to the English system,) and was used as symbol
for the Entered Apprentice to learn to work upon.
It was subsequently called the Brute Stone, or
Rough Ashlar.
7:† Now better known as the Perfect Ashlar.

p. 8
"How far any will be

guided by me I hope I
shall always know
myself so well as to
leave that to their own
choice. As to the
inutility of my
inquiries, and also the
impartiality of them,
here I confess myself to
wish (as I think what I
wish) they may be
good, not absolutely
terminating upon
myself, that the reader
will consider them with
as unbiassed a freedom
as I have written."—
SHUCKFORD.
p. 9
PREFACE.
"IN the present state of Freemasonry, dispersed as it is over
the whole face of the habitable globe, and distinguished by
an anxious inquiry, whether its reputed origin be well
founded, and whether its philosophy and the evidences on
which its claims to public notice are entitled to the implicit
credence of mankind, it is the duty of every Brother, so far
as his influence may extend, to furnish the means of
satisfying this ardent curiosity."—OLIVER.
AMONG the many beautiful and appropriate

definitions given to Freemasonry none is more
comprehensive than the one to be found in the
English lectures: "Freemasonry is a science of
morality, vailed in allegory and illustrated by
symbols."
Freemasonry, then, most prominently presents
itself to our view as a science of symbolism. In
the teachings of the ancient priesthood this
science was first developed. Among them it was
organized into a beautiful and impressive system,
in which the most profound lessons of Divine
Truth were taught in images of poetical form. It
was thus that the ancient philosophers
communicated all their instructions to their
disciples. Having these views of the purposes of
the institution, the undersigned has labored in the
vineyard of Masonic symbolism for the
advancement to a higher knowledge and an easier
elucidation of its beautiful mysteries by the aid of
symbols and moral illustrations.
p. 10
The great object sought to be attained in the

present volume is to give a more ample scope and
a freer use of terms, whereby the Masonic student
may become familiar with the great truths taught
in the science of Freemasonry. The frequent
applications of emendations and explanatory
remarks to the ritualistic text may be easily
understood by those who have been admitted into
its temples, while the profane will have a better
appreciation of its claims to something more than
a name.
The usual forms and explanations incident to a

complete monitor have been carefully revised,
and are, it is believed, correct.
A new feature, in compliance with a very

generally expressed want of the Fraternity, has
been added in the Ritual for a Lodge of Sorrow,
prepared by a well-known and distinguished
Masonic writer, which, it is thought, will be
welcomed as a most appropriate form for
celebrating the memory of the fraternal dead.
To those brethren who have, with uniform

kindness, favored me with their valuable aid I
acknowledge with thanks my indebtedness.
DANIEL SICKELS.
NEW YORK, Dec., 1865.

p. 11
CONTENTS.
AHIMAN REZON—signification of the 5

term
EXPLANATION OF THE FRONTISPIECE 7
INTRODUCTORY 13
Origin of Masonry, and its advantages 14
Government of the Fraternity 16
The Lodge and its Government 17
Qualification of Candidates 18
Admission of Candidates 19
Petition for Initiation 20
OPENING AND CLOSING THE LODGE 21
ENTERED APPRENTICE—Illustrations 29
Symbolism of the Degree 51
Rite of Induction 53
Prayer at Initiation 55
Symbolic Pilgrimage 56
Obligation of Secrecy 61
Rite of Illumination 64
Investiture of the Candidate 67
Charity the chief social virtue 67
Northeast Corner 69
Working Tools of an Entered Apprentice 69
SECTION II. The Preparation 72
Right Hand 73
Badge of a Mason 74
SECTION III. The Lodge 74
Lodge Meetings—where held 75
Form, Dimensions and boundaries of the 76
Lodge
Covering of the Lodge 78
Furniture of the Lodge 80
Ornaments of a Lodge 81
Lights of the Lodge 82
Movable and Immovable Jewels 83
Situation of the Lodge 85
Dedication of Lodges 86
Great Tenets of a Freemason 92
Cardinal Virtues 94
p. 12
Charge to the Candidate 99

Charge at the Initiation of a Soldier 101
FELLOW-CRAFT—Illustrations 103
Symbolical Jewels 119
Working Tools of a Fellow-Craft 120
Operative and Speculative Masonry 123
Pillars of the Porch 127
Symbols of Peace, Unity and Plenty 129
Use of the Globes 129
Winding Stairs 130
Order in Architecture 131
Five Senses of Human Nature 142
Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences 148
Emblem of Plenty explained 154
Lecture on the Legend of the Winding 159
Stairs
MASTER MASON—Illustrations 171
Working Tools of Master Mason 194
Twelve Messengers—Acacia Tree—Letter 197
G.
Funeral Dirge 198
Rites of Sepulture—Hebrew Customs 200
Erection of Solomon's Temple 204
Emblems of Master Mason's Degree 209
Officers’ Clothing and Jewels 220
ANCIENT CEREMONIES—Petition for a 223
New Lodge
Consecration of a New Lodge 225
Dedication and Constitution of a New 237
Lodge
Installation of the Officers of a Lodge 240
Installation of the Officers of a Grand 261
Lodge
Laying Foundation Stones of Public 281
Structures
Dedication of Masonic Halls 293
Grand Visitations 309
MASONIC BURIAL SERVICES 311
REGULATIONS FOR PROCESSIONS 344
RITUAL FOR A LODGE OF SORROW 345
SERVICE FOR CONSECRATING 375
MASONIC CEMETERIES
MASONIC CALENDAR 388
APPENDIX—Masonic Documents and
Forms of Trials
p. 13
GENERAL AHIMAN REZON

AND
FREEMASON'S
GUIDE.
INTRODUCTORY.
REEMASONRY is a moral
institution, established by
virtuous men, with the
praiseworthy design of recalling
to our remembrance the most
sublime TRUTHS in the midst of
innocent and social pleasures,—
founded On LIBERALITY, BROTHERLY
LOVE, and CHARITY. "It is a beautiful system
of MORALITY, vailed in allegory and illustrated
by symbols." TRUTH is its center—the point
whence its radii diverge, direct its disciples to a
correct knowledge of the Great Architect of the
Universe, and the moral laws which he has
ordained for their government. *
A proper administration of the various ceremonies

connected with the Ritual of Freemasonry is of
the highest importance, as these form the
distinctive peculiarity of the institution. In their
nature, they are simple; in their end, moral and
instructive. They naturally excite a high degree of
curiosity in a newly-initiated Brother, and create
an earnest desire to investigate
p. 14
their meaning, and to become acquainted with
their object and design. It requires, however, close
application and untiring diligence to ascertain the
precise nature of every ceremony which our
ancient brethren saw reason to adopt in the
formation of an exclusive system, which was to
pass through the world unconnected with the
religion and politics of all times, and of every
people among whom it should flourish and
increase. In order to preserve our ceremonies
from the hand of innovation, it is essentially
necessary that every officer should be thoroughly
acquainted with them, and that a firm
determination should exist among the Craft to
admit no change. A few words here or there may
not in themselves appear of much consequence;
yet, by frequent allowance, we become habituated
to them, and thus open the door to evils of more
serious magnitude. There is, there can be, no
safety but in a rigid adherence to the ancient
ceremonies of the Order. These ceremonies and
regulations are fixed by rules similar to those.
governing affairs in social life. Every Freemason
is required to bring his portion of good ideas, and
contribute to the perfecting of the ceremonies and
symbols, and to the edification of TRUTH, the
universal and eternal temple, which will one day
inclose all humanity within its precincts.
Footnotes
13:* To use the words of an elegant writer,

"Freemasonry is an institution, not, as the
ignorant and uninstructed vainly suppose,
founded on unmeaning mystery, for the
encouragement of bacchanalian festivity and
support of mere good. fellowship; but an
institution founded on eternal reason and truth,
whose deer basis is the civilization of mankind,
and whose everlasting glory is supported by those
two mighty pillars—SCIENCE and
MORALITY."
ORIGIN OF MASONRY, AND ITS
ADVANTAGES.
FROM the commencement of the world, we may

trace the foundation of Masonry. Ever since
symmetry began, and harmony displayed her
charms, our Order has had a being. During many
ages, and in many different countries, it has
flourished. No art, no science, preceded it. In the
dark periods of antiquity, when literature was in a
low state, and the rude manners of our forefathers
withheld from them that
p. 15
knowledge we now so amply share, Masonry

diffused its influence. This science unvailed, arts
arose, civilization took place, and the progress of
knowledge and philosophy gradually dispelled the
gloom of ignorance and barbarism. Government
being settled, authority was given to laws, and the
assemblies of the Fraternity acquired the
patronage of the great and the good, while the
tenets of the profession diffused unbounded
philanthropy.
Abstracted from the pure pleasures which arise

from friendship so wisely constituted as that
which subsists among Masons, and which it is
scarcely possible that any circumstance or
occurrence can erase, Masonry is a science
confined to no particular country, but extends
over the whole terrestrial globe. Wherever the arts
flourish, there it flourishes too. Add to this, that
by secret and inviolable signs, carefully preserved
among the fraternity, it becomes an universal
language. Hence, many advantages are gained:
the distant Chinese, the wild Arab, and the
American savage, will embrace a brother Briton,
and know that, besides the common ties of
humanity, there is still a stronger obligation to
induce him to kind and friendly offices. The spirit
of the fulminating priest will be tamed, and a
moral brother, though of a different persuasion,
engage his esteem: for mutual toleration in
religious opinions is one of the most
distinguishing and valuable characteristics of the
Craft. As all religions teach morality, if a brother
be found to act the part of a truly honest man, his
private speculative opinions are left to God and
himself. Thus, through the influence of Masonry,
which is reconcilable to the best policy, all those
disputes which embitter life and sour the tempers
of men, are avoided; while the common good, the
general object, is zealously pursued.
From this view of our system, its utility must be

sufficiently obvious. The universal principles of
the Art unite,
p. 16
in one indissoluble bond of affection, men of the

most opposite tenets, of the most distant
countries, and of the most contradictory opinions;
so that in every nation a Mason may find a friend,
and in every climate a home. *
Such is the nature of our institution, that, in the

Lodge, which is confined to no particular spot,
union is cemented by sincere attachment, and
pleasure reciprocally communicated in the
cheerful observance of every obliging office.
Virtue, the grand object in view, luminous as the
meridian sun, shines refulgent on the mind,
enlivens the heart, and heightens cool approbation
into warm sympathy and cordial attention.—
PRESTON.
GOVERNMENT OF THE
FRATERNITY.
THE mode of government observed by the

Fraternity will give the best idea of the nature and
design of the Masonic Institution.
Three classes are established among Masons,

under different appellations. The privileges of
each class are distinct; and particular means are
adopted to preserve those privileges to the just
and meritorious. Honor and probity are
recommendations to the First Class; in which the
practice of virtue is enforced, and the duties of
morality are inculcated; while the mind is
prepared for a regular progress in the principles of
knowledge and philosophy. Diligence, assiduity,
and application, are qualifications for the Second
Class; in which is given an accurate elucidation of
science, both in theory end practice. Here human
reason is cultivated by a due
p. 17
exertion of the intellectual powers and faculties;

nice and difficult theories are explained; new
discoveries are produced, and those already
known beautifully embellished. The Third Class
is restricted to a selected few, whom truth and
fidelity have distinguished, whom years and
experience have improved, and whom merit and
abilities have entitled to preferment. With them
the ancient landmarks of the Order are preserved;
and from them we learn the necessary instructive
lessons which dignify the Art, and qualify the
professors to illustrate its excellence and utility.
Such is the established plan of the Masonic

System. By this judicious arrangement, true
Friendship is cultivated among different ranks of
men, Hospitality promoted, Industry rewarded,
and Ingenuity encouraged.—PRESTON.
Footnotes
16:* On this principle, unfortunate captives in

war, and sojourners, accident. ally east on a
distant shore, are particular objects of attention,
and seldom fail to experience indulgence from
Masons; and it is very remarkable that there is not
an instance on record of a breach of fidelity, or of
ingratitude, where that indulgence has been
liberally extended.
THE LODGE AND ITS
GOVERNMENT.
1. THE room in which a certain number of

Freemasons assemble, for business connected
with the institution, is called a LODGE. The
assembly, or organized body of Freemasons, is
also called a Lodge, just as the word CHURCH is
expressive both of the congregation and the place
in which they meet to worship. A Lodge of
Freemasons, to be legally constituted, must be in
possession of an unreclaimed charter, granted by
the Grand Lodge in whose jurisdiction it is
situated; the Book of the Law; Square and
Compasses; the Book of Constitutions; a code of
By-Laws; its Officers, and a sufficient number of
members (not less than seven) to perform the
ceremonies pertaining to the Order.
2. The constitutional officers of a Lodge are the

Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior
Warden, Treasurer, Secretary, senior Deacon,
Junior Deacon, and Tiler. To which may be
p. 18
added, two Stewards, (sometimes called Masters

of Ceremonies) a Marshal, a Chaplain, and an
Organist.
3. A Lodge ought to assemble at least once a

month for work and instruction.
4. A Lodge has the right to do all the work of

Ancient Craft Masonry; to be represented at all
the communications of the Grand Lodge; to elect
and install its officers; to increase its numbers by
the admission of new members, and no member
can be forced upon a Lodge without its consent;
to make by-laws for its government; to exclude a
member, on cause shown, temporarily or
permanently; to levy tax on its members; to
appeal to the Grand Lodge or Grand Master from
the decision of its Master; to exercise penal
authority over its own members, and over all
unaffiliated Masons living within the limits of its
jurisdiction, and to change its time and place of
meeting within the town or city designated in its
warrant.
5. A Lodge under dispensation is a temporary and

inchoate organization of Freemasons, acting
under authority from the Grand or Deputy Grand
Master; is not entitled to representation in the
Grand Lodge; cannot elect or install officers; is
without power to frame by-laws, or adopt a seal.
QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES.
THE qualifications which are essential in those

who apply for initiation into the mysteries of
Freemasonry, are of two kinds, Internal and
External, *
p. 19
The Internal qualifications of a candidate are

those which lie within his own bosom, and are not
known to the world. They refer to his peculiar
dispositions toward the institution: his motives
and design in seeking an entrance into it. Hence
they are known to himself alone; and a knowledge
of them can only be acquired from his own
solemn declarations.
The External qualifications are those which refer

to his outward fitness for initiation, and are based
on his moral and religious character, the frame of
his body, the constitution of his mind, and his
social position. A knowledge of these is to be
acquired from a careful examination by a
committee appointed for that purpose.
The person who desires to be made a Mason must

be a man, believing in the existence of a Supreme
Being and of a future existence; at least twenty-
one years of age; of good moral character,
temperate, industrious, and capable of earning an
honest livelihood; he must come of his own free-
will and accord, uninfluenced by mercenary or
other improper motives; be of sound mind and
body; capable of reading and writing; not
deformed or dismembered, but hale and sound in
his physical conformation, having his right limbs,
as a man ought to have.
Footnotes
18:* It is true that the ritual of the first degree

says, that "it is the internal and not the external
qualifications which recommend a man to be
made a Mason;" but the context of the sentence
shows that the external qualifications there
referred to are "worldly wealth and honors." The
ritual, therefore, has of course no allusion to the
sort of external qualifications which are here to he
discussed.
ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES.
BY the regulations of the Fraternity, a candidate

for the mysteries of Masonry cannot be initiated
in any regular Lodge, without having stood
proposed one regular meeting, unless a
dispensation be obtained in his favor. All
applications for initiation should be made in
writing, at a regular meeting of the Lodge, giving
name, residence, age, occupation, and references,
in the following form:
p. 20
To the Worshipful Master, Officers and Brethren

of . . . . . . Lodge, No. . . . , Free and Accepted
Masons.
THE undersigned, unbiassed by the improper

solicitation of friends, and uninfluenced by
mercenary or other unworthy motives—prompted
by a favorable opinion of your ancient and
honorable institution, and a desire for
knowledge—freely and voluntarily offers himself
a candidate for initiation into the mysteries of
Freemasonry, and respectfully prays that he may
be admitted and become a member of your Lodge,
promising a cheerful conformity to the ancient
usages and established customs of the Order.
Was born in . . . ., is . . . years of age; occupation .

. . . ., and resides . . . . . .
A. B.
Recommended by . . . . . .
The petition, having been read in open Lodge; is

placed on file. A committee is then appointed to
investigate the character and qualifications of the
petitioner. If, at the next regular meeting of the
Lodge, the report of the committee be favorable,
the necessary preparations are made for his
admission.
p. 21
OPENING AND CLOSING THE

LODGE.
IN all regular assemblies of men who are

convened for wise and useful purposes, the
commencement and conclusion of business are
accompanied with some form. In every country in
the world the practice prevails, and is deemed
essential. From the most remote periods of
antiquity, it may be traced, and the refined
improvements of modern times have not totally
abolished it.
Ceremonies, when simply considered, it is true,

are little more than visionary delusions; but their
effects are sometimes important. When they
impress awe and reverence on the mind, and
engage the attention by external attraction to
solemn rites, they are interesting objects. These
purposes are effected by judicious ceremonies,
when regularly conducted and properly arranged.
On this ground, they have received the sanction of
the wisest men in all ages, and consequently could
not escape the notice of Masons. To begin well, is
the most likely means to end well; and it has been
properly remarked, that when order and method
are neglected at the beginning, they will be
seldom found to take place at the end.
The ceremonies of OPENING and CLOSING a

Lodge with solemnity and decorum is, therefore,
universally admitted among Masons, and which
differ in each of the degrees; but differ so slightly
as not to affect their general character. They must,
therefore, be considered in reference to the
several purposes which they are designed to
accomplish.
To conduct these ceremonies with propriety,
ought to be the peculiar study of every Mason,
especially of those who have the honor to rule in
our assemblies. To persons who are dignified,
every eye is naturally directed for propriety of
conduct and behavior; and from them other
brethren, who
p. 22
are less informed, will naturally expect to derive

an example worthy of imitation. From a share in
these ceremonies no Mason can be exempted.
This is the first request of the Master, and the
prelude to all business. No sooner has it been
signified that the Lodge is about to be opened,
than every officer repairs to his station, and the
intent of the meeting becomes the sole object of
attention.
A Lodge must always be opened on the Third

Degree, and in due form, for the transaction of
any business, except that of initiating or passing a
candidate into the mysteries of the first and
second degrees. The first business after opening,
if it be a regular communication, is the reading of
the minutes of the preceding communication, for
the information of the brethren. The minutes of
the proceedings of the evening should, also,
always be read before the Lodge is closed, that
the brethren may know that they have been
properly recorded, and then duly approved.
The Lodge should always be opened and closed

with prayer.
PRAYER,
TO BE USED AT OPENING.
MOST holy and glorious Lord God, the Great
Architect of the Universe, the Giver of all good
gifts and graces! Thou hast promised that, "where
two or three are gathered together in thy name,
thou wilt be in their midst, and bless them." In thy
name we have assembled, and in thy name we
desire to proceed in all our doings. Grant that the
sublime principles of Freemasonry may so subdue
every discordant
p. 23
passion within us—so harmonize and enrich our

hearts with thine own love and goodness—that
the Lodge at this time may humbly reflect that
order and beauty which reign for ever before thy
throne.—Amen.
Response by the brethren.—So mote it be.
ANOTHER PRAYER,
WHICH MAY BE USED AT OPENING.
GREAT Architect of the Universe! in thy name

we have assembled, and in thy name we desire to
proceed in all our doings. Grant that the sublime
principles of Freemasonry may so subdue every
discordant passion within us—so harmonize and
enrich our hearts with thine own love and
goodness—that the Lodge at this time may reflect
that order and beauty which reigns for ever before
thy throne.—Amen.
Response.—So mote it be.
In addition to the Prayer, the following CHARGE

may be given:
The ways of virtue are beautiful. Knowledge is

attained by degrees. Wisdom dwells with
contemplation; there we must seek her. Let us
then, brethren, apply ourselves with becoming
p. 24
zeal to the practice of the excellent principles

inculcated by our Order. Let us ever remember
that the great objects of our association are, the
restraint of improper desires and passions, the
cultivation of an active benevolence, and the
promotion of a correct knowledge of the duties
we owe to God, our neighbor, and ourselves. Let
us be united, and practice with assiduity the
sacred tenets of our Order. Let all private
animosities, if any unhappily exist, give place to
affection and brotherly love. It is useless parade to
talk of the subjection of irregular passions within
the walls of the Lodge, if we permit them to
triumph in our intercourse with each other.
Uniting in the grand design, let us be happy
ourselves, and endeavor to promote the happiness
of others. Let us cultivate the great moral virtues
which are laid down on our Masonic Trestle-
board, and improve in every thing that is good,
amiable, and useful. Let the benign Genius of the
Mystic Art preside over our councils, and under
her sway let us act with a dignity becoming the
high moral character of our venerable institution.
Or the following ODE may be sung:

p. 25
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AIR—Dundee.
Within our temple met again,
With hearts and purpose strong,
We'll raise our notes of grateful praise,
With union in our song.
Around our altar's sacred shrine

May Love's pure incense rise,
Bearing upon its mystic flame
Our music to the skies!
PRAYER,
TO BE USED AT CLOSING.
SUPREME Architect of the Universe, accept our

humble thanks for the many mercies and blessings
which thy bounty has conferred on us, and
especially for this friendly and social intercourse.
p. 26
[paragraph
Pardon, we beseech thee, whatever thou hast seen continues]
amiss in us since we have been together; and
continue to us thy presence, protection, and
blessing. Make us sensible of the renewed
obligations we are under to love thee, and as we
are about to separate, and return to our respective
places of abode, wilt thou be pleased so to
influence our hearts and minds, that we may each
one of us practice, out of the Lodge, those great
moral duties which are inculcated in it, and with
reverence study and obey the laws which thou
hast given us in thy Holy Word.—Amen.
CHARGE,
TO BE USED AT CLOSING.
BRETHREN: You are now to quit this sacred

retreat of friendship and virtue, to mix again with
the world. Amidst its concerns and employments,
forget not the duties you have heard so frequently
inculcated and forcibly recommended in this
Lodge. Be diligent, prudent, temperate, discreet.
Remember that around this altar you have
promised to befriend and relieve every
p. 27
brother who shall need your assistance.

Remember that you have promised to remind him,
in the most tender manner, of his failings, and aid
his reformation; to vindicate his character, when
wrongfully traduced; suggest, in his behalf, the
most candid and favorable circumstances. Is he
justly reprehended? Let the world observe how
Masons love one another.
These generous principles are to extend further.

Every human being has a claim upon your kind
offices. Do good unto all. Recommend it more
especially to the household of the faithful.
By diligence in the duties of your respective

callings; by liberal benevolence and diffusive
charity; by constancy and fidelity in your
friendships, discover the beneficial and happy
effects of this ancient and honorable institution.
Let it not be supposed that you have here labored
in vain, and spent your strength for naught; for
your work is with the LORD and your
recompense with your GOD.
Finally, brethren, be ye all of one mind; live in

peace, and may the God of love and peace delight
to dwell with and bless you!
p. 28
The following ODE may be sung at closing:
Click to enlarge
AIR—Sicilian Hymn.
Now our social labors closing,

Homage of the heart we pay;
Each in confidence reposing,
Kindest thoughts that ne’er decay.
Let us each, in Time's commotion,

Heav’nly light and truth implore:
Thus we'll pass life's stormy ocean,
Landing on a happier shore.
CLOSING BENEDICTION.
MAY the blessing of Heaven rest upon us and all

regular Masons! May brotherly love prevail, and
every moral and social virtue cement us!—
Amen. Res.—So mote it be.
p. 29
FIRST DEGREE.
ENTERED
APPRENTICE.
p. 30
"There are many prominent emblems in this

degree, teaching, first, the propriety of
maintaining regularity of life, and attending to the
due improvement of time, by conforming to the
prescribed rules, for which eight hours are allotted
to repose, eight to labor, and eight to the service
of GOD. Secondly, the cleansing of our hearts
and minds from every vice, is inculcated, thereby
fitting our bodies as living stones for that spiritual
edifice built by the Grand Architect of the
Universe. There are many other emblems in this
First Step, representing human life as being
chequered with good and evil; pointing to the
comforts and blessings that surround us, and
impressing upon our minds the necessity of a
reliance on Divine Providence. Our imperfect
condition by nature is likewise adverted to, and
the state of perfection to which we hope to arrive
by virtuous education, aided by the blessing of
GOD upon our own endeavors, and a due
observance of the Holy Scriptures, as pointing out
the whole duty of man. Indeed, everything in this
degree is adapted to impress upon the mind of the
candidate the necessity of maintaining purity of
life and conduct, in order to ensure a happy
immortality."—STONE.
p. 31
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DEGREE OF ENTERED
APPRENTICE.
Symbolism of the Degree.
THE first, or Entered Apprentice degree of

Masonry, is intended, symbolically, to represent
the entrance of man into the world, in which he is
afterwards to become a living and thinking actor.
Coming from the ignorance and darkness of the
outer world, his first craving is for light—not that
physical light which springs from the great orb of
day as its fountain, but that moral and intellectual
light which emanates from the primal Source of
all things—from the Grand Architect of the
Universe—the Creator of the sun and of alt that it
illuminates. Hence the great, the primary object of
the first degree, is to symbolize that birth of
intellectual light into the mind; and the Entered
Apprentice is the type of unregenerate man,
groping in moral and mental darkness, and
seeking for the light which is to guide his steps
and point him to the path which leads to duty and
to Him who gives to duty its reward.
FIRST LECTURE.
THE first step taken by a candidate, on entering a

Lodge of Freemasons, teaches him the pernicious
tendency of infidelity, and shows him that the
foundation on which Masonry rests is the belief
and acknowledgment of a Supreme Being; that in
Him alone a sure confidence can be safely placed,
to protect his steps in all the dangers and
difficulties he may
p. 52
be called to encounter in his progress through life;
it assures him that, if his faith be well founded in
that Being, he may confidently pursue his course
without fear and without danger.
Every candidate, previous to his reception, is

required to give his free and full assent to the
following interrogatories, in a room adjacent to
the Lodge:
1. Do you seriously declare, upon your honor,

that, unbiased by the improper solicitation of
friends, and uninfluenced by mercenary motives,
you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a can-
date for the mysteries of Freemasonry?
2. Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, that

you are prompted to solicit the privileges of
Freemasonry by a favorable opinion conceived of
the institution, a desire of knowledge, and a
sincere wish of being serviceable to your fellow-
creatures?
3. Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, that

you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient
usages and established customs of the Fraternity?
SECTION I.
MASONRY was originally an operative society,

and in that form those who worked as ENTERED
APPRENTICES were styled the first class; but in
Speculative or Freemasonry, the degree of which
we are now treating is regarded as the first of the
Order. Its reception places the novitiate in
possession of
p. 53
the Masonic alphabet, and discloses to him the

fundamental principles of this time-honored
institution. This section is sub-divided under three
heads, viz:
1st. THE CEREMONY;
2d. ITS MORAL; and
3d. ITS NECESSITY and

CONSISTENCY.
A full and perfect knowledge of this section is

indispensably necessary to every Mason who
would be serviceable to the institution, and would
avail himself of its privileges and its enjoyments.
THE ENTRANCE.—The preparations to which

the candidate must submit, before entering the
Lodge, serve allegorically to teach him, as well as
to remind the brethren who are present, that it is
the man alone, divested of all the outward
recommendations of rank, state, or of riches,
which Masonry accepts, and that it is his spiritual,
or moral worth alone, which can open for him the
door of the temple.
As Masons, we are taught never to commence any

great or important undertaking, without first
invoking the blessing of Deity.
The trust of a Mason is in God, as a basis which

can never fail, and a rock which can never be
shaken. Nor is it a mere empty profession; for it is
borne out and illustrated by our practice. We open
and close our Lodges with prayer; the same
formula is used at the initiation of candidates; and
no business of any importance is conducted
without invoking the Divine assistance on our
labors; and the blessing of God cannot be
expected to follow any man's profession, unless it
be verified by a good and virtuous life.
THE RITE OF INDUCTION.
WE are convinced by long and extensive

observation that Masons need a truer and deeper
insight into the nature of our esoteric work. We
do not think our beautiful and truth-glowing ritual
and our sublime symbolism are quite understood
by the mass of the Brotherhood. It is true all are
affected, in a certain degree, by them; it
p. 54
could not be otherwise: but many fail to discover

the grand truths which are inculcated therein.
Symbols are of no practical importance, if we
have lost the sense they were intended to convey;
and rites are puerile, if they do not immediately
lead the mind to the consideration of tangible
ideas and immortal verities. Our ceremonies are
moral and philosophical lessons; and, earnestly
studied and rightly understood, will be seen to be
pregnant with mighty meanings.
Thus expressive and full of significance is the

RITE or INDUCTION.
The induction of the Neophyte into the Order of

Freemasonry, his first entrance into the sanctuary
of the illuminated, is for him a step of momentous
importance and solemnity. There are few
candidates, we believe, who can approach the
portals of the mystery-shrouded Lodge without
much trepidation of heart, and a feeling of
mingled awe and fear. Consequently, the
induction is effected by the performance of
certain appropriate symbolical ceremonies, all of
which are remarkably and eloquently suggestive
of the new life, duties, and obligations he is about
to assume, and to which he is on the point of
binding himself voluntarily, absolutely, and
without reservation, for ever.
In ancient Egypt, the Neophyte was presented

with a cup of water, and addressed in these
words:—"Aspirant to the honor of a divine
companionship! seeker after celestial truth! this is
the water of forgetfulness. Drink!—drink to the
oblivion of all your vices—the forgetfulness of all
your imperfections; and thus be prepared for the
reception of the new revelations of Truth, with
which you are soon to be honored." Although
modern Freemasonry does not retain this
particular ceremony, it preserves the spirit of it,
by other forms, not less expressive and
instructive. The candidate is directed to close his
eyes on the Past—to lay aside the trappings and
vestures of the outward world—the symbols of
traffic and war—all that reminds one of the
selfishness and discords of life—and turn his face
towards the dread unknown—the mysterious
Future.
The RITE OF INDUCTION, therefore, signifies

the end of a profane and vicious life—the
palingenesia (new birth) of corrupted human
nature—the death of vice and all bad passions,
and the introduction to a new life of purity and
virtue. It also prepares the candidate, by prayer
and meditation, for that mystic pilgrimage, where
he must wander through night and darkness,
before he can behold the golden splendors of the
ORIENT, and stand in unfettered freedom among
the Sons of Light.
p. 55
The Rite is intended, still further, to represent

man in his primitive condition of helplessness,
ignorance, and moral blindness, seeking after that
mental and moral enlightenment which alone can
deliver his mind from all thralldoms, and make
him master of the material world. The Neophyte,
in darkness and with tremblings, knocks at the
portals of the Lodge, and demands admission,
instruction, and light. So man, born ignorant, and
helpless, and blind, yet feeling stirring within him
unappeasable longings for knowledge, knocks at
the doors of the temple of science. He interrogates
Nature, demands her secrets, and at length
becomes the proud possessor of her mysteries.
Finally, the RITE of INDUCTION refers to the

supreme hour of man's worldly life, when, laying
aside all earthly wealth, and pomp, and rank, and
glory, and divested of his mortal vesture, he
passes alone through the grim darkness of the
tomb, to stand before the GRAND ORIENT of
the immortal Land.
"Through death to life I and through this vale of

tears,
And thistle-world of mortal life, ascend
To the great Banquet, in that world whose years
Of bliss unclouded, fadeless, know no end."
PRAYER,
AT THE INITIATION OF A CANDIDATE.
VOUCHSAFE thine aid, Almighty Father of the

Universe, to this our present convention; and
grant that this candidate for Masonry may
dedicate and devote his life to thy service, and
become a true and faithful brother among us.
Endue him with a competency of thy divine
Wisdom, that by the influence of the pure
principles of our art he may be better enabled to
p. 56
display the beauties of holiness, to the honor of

thy holy name.—Amen.

THE SYMBOLIC PILGRIMAGE.
THE institution of Freemasonry—reaching

backward until it loses itself among the
mythological shadows of the past, its grand ritual
and eloquent language of signs and symbols,
originating in those distant ages—offers a field
for exploration which can never be thoroughly
traversed. Transmitted to us by remote
generations, it is plain that, before we can, in any
degree, appreciate Freemasonry, or understand the
significance of its mysteries, we must go back to
the Past, and question the founders of the Order.
We must learn in what necessities of human
nature, and for what purpose it was created. We
must discover the true genesis of our rites, and
become familiar with the ideas which the Fathers
intended to shadow forth through them, and
impress upon the mind. It is not enough for us to
accept the letter of the ceremonial, and perform it
blindly, interpreting its meaning in whatever way
fancy or imagination or convenience may dictate.
We should know what the Ancients meant to say
through it: what truth each rite and each symbol
represented to their minds.
From age to age, through countless generations,

these Rites have read their sublime lessons of
wisdom and hope, and peace and warning, to the
"Sons of Light." These same lessons, in the same
language, they read to us to-day. But do we see in
them what they did? Do they impress us as they
impressed them? Or do they pass before our eyes
like a panorama of some unknown land, which
has no delineator to tell us what or where it is, or
give us any intelligible notion regarding it?
Accepting the symbol, have we lost its sense? Our
Rites will be of little value to us if this be the
case. It is our duty, then, to make Freemasonry
the object of a profound study. We must consult
the Past. We must stand by the sarcophagus of the
murdered, but restored Osiris, in Egypt; enter the
caverns of Phrygia, and hold communion with the
Cabiri; penetrate the "Collegia Fabrorum" of
ancient Rome, and work in the mystic circles of
Sidon. In a word, we must pursue our researches
until we find the THOUGHT that lay in the minds
of those who created the institution and founded
our mysteries. Then we shall
p. 57
know precisely what they mean. We shall see in

them a grand series of moral and philosophical
dramas, most eloquent and instructive, gleaming
with sublime ideas, as the heavens glow with
stars. And, finally, we shall discover that our
Rites embrace all the possible circumstances of
man—moral, spiritual, and social—and have a
meaning high as the heavens, broad as the
universe, and profound as eternity,
The Rite of the Wanderer, or the Symbolic

Pilgrimage, is entirely puerile and unmeaning,
unless we have learned in what ideas it originated,
and what its authors intended to represent by it.
Happily, this is not a difficult task. In Egypt,
Greece, and among other ancient nations,
Freemasonry was one of the earliest agencies
employed to effect the improvement and
enlightenment of man. CICERO tells us that "the
establishment of these Rites among the Athenians,
conferred upon them a supreme benefit. Their
effect was to civilize men, reform their wild and
ferocious manners, and make them comprehend
the true principles of morality, which initiate man
into a new order of life, more worthy of a being
destined to imortality."—Consequently, the
mystic journey primarily represented the toilsome
progress of Humanity, from its primitive
condition of ignorance and barbarism to a state of
civilization and mental enlightenment. The
Neophyte, therefore, wandering in darkness over
his winding way, meeting with various
obstructions and delays, was a typo of the human
race, struggling onward and upward by devious
stages, from the gloom and darkness of the savage
state to the light, intelligence, and comforts of
civilized life.
This symbolic journey is also emblematical of the

pilgrimage of life, which, man soon enough
discovers, is often dark and gloomy, surrounded
by sorrow, and fear, and doubt. It teaches him that
over this dark, perplexed, and fearful course lays
the way to a glorious destiny; that through night
to light must the earth-pilgrim work his way; that
by struggle, and toil, and earnest endeavor, he
must advance with courage and hope until, free of
every fetter, and in the full light of virtue and
knowledge, he stands face to face with the mighty
secrets of the universe, and attains that lofty
height, whence he can look backward over the
night-shrouded and tortuous path in which he had
been wandering, and forward to sublimer
elevation—to more glorious ideals, which seem to
say to him, "On, on for ever!"
Such, then, is the grand and inspiring lesson

which this Symbolic Pilgrimage is perpetualy
repeating to the brethren. Let them study
p. 58
it well, and labor with faith; for it announces a

progress in science and virtue, which will reach
through eternity.
The Lodge, when revealed to an entering Mason,

discovers to him a representation of the world; in
which, from the wonders of Nature, we are led to
contemplate the great Original, and worship him
for his mighty works; and we are, thereby, also
moved to exercise those moral and social virtues,
which become mankind to observe, as the
servants of the Great Architect of the world, in
whose image we were formed from the beginning.
The following passage of Scripture is rehearsed

during the ceremony:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for

brethren to dwell together in unity.
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that

ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that
went down to the skirts of his garment.
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that

descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there
the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for
evermore.
"The great teaching of this Psalm is Brotherly

Love, that virtue which forms the most prominent
tenet of the Masonic Order. And it teaches the
lesson, too, precisely as we do, by a symbol,
comparing it to the precious ointment used in the
consecration of the High-Priest, whose delightful
perfume filled the whole place with its odor. The
ointment was poured upon the head in such
quantity, that, being directed by the anointer in
different ways in the form of a cross, it flowed at
length down the beard, and finally dropped from
the flowing skirts of the priestly garment.
p. 59
"The fifteen Psalms, from the 120th to the 134th,

inclusive, of which this, of course, is one, are
called by the Hebrews 'songs of degrees,' because
they were sung on the fifteen steps ascending
from the court of Israel to the court of the women
in the Temple."
Click to enlarge
Behold! how pleasant and how good,

For brethren such as we,
Of the Accepted brotherhood
To dwell in unity!
’Tis like the oil on Aaron's head
Which p. 60 to his feet distills;
Like Hermon's dew so richly shed
On Zion's sacred hills!
Click to enlarge
For there the Lord of light and love

A blessing sent with power;
Oh, may we all this blessing prove,
E’en life for evermore!
On Friendship's altar, rising here,
Our hands now plighted be,
To live in love, with hearts sincere,
In peace and unity.
It is the duty of the Master of the Lodge, as one of

the precautionary measures of initiation, to
explain to the candidate the nature and design of
the institution; and while he informs him that it is
founded on the purest principles of virtue; that it
possesses great and invaluable privileges; and
that, in order to secure those privileges to worthy
men, and worthy men alone, voluntary pledges of
fidelity are required; he will at the same time
assure him that nothing will be expected of him
incompatible with his civil, moral, or religions
duties.
* * * * * * *
p. 61
THE OBLIGATION OF SECRECY.
ONE of the most notable features of

Freemasonry—one, certainly, which attracts,
more than any thing else, the attention of the
profane world—is that vail of mystery—that
awful secrecy—behind which it moves and acts.
From the earliest periods, this has invariably been
a distinctive characteristic of the institution; and
to-day, as of old, the first obligation of a Mason—
his supreme duty—is that of silence and secrecy.
Why is this? Why did Freemasonry, in the
beginning, adopt the principle of secrecy, as a
vital one? and why has it so persistently adhered
to it, through all the changes that have swept over
the earth, and transformed all things else?
The enemies of Freemasonry, like THOMAS

PAINE and others, pretend that they have found
the origin of Masonic secrecy in the fact that the
esoteric doctrines of the Order were antagonistic
to the prevailing opinions, and therefore could not
safely be professed before the world. Hence,
according to them, the retiring into silence and
secrecy was simply an act of cowardice, to escape
the danger that might follow the open and honest
promulgation of an unpopular doctrine! Some
distinguished Masonic writers have also—strange
as it may appear—professed the same theory. We
must nevertheless pronounce it an exceedingly
shallow and unphilosophical one. The obligation
of secrecy does not owe its origin to any such
cause. That origin must be found, and can only be
found, in the intrinsic value and divine excellence
of the principle of secrecy itself. Among the
ancients, silence and secrecy were considered
virtues of the highest order. The Egyptians
worshiped Harpocrates, the
p. 62
god of secrecy, raised altars in his name, and

wreathed them with garlands of flowers. Among
the ancient Romans, too, these virtues were not
less esteemed; and a distinguished Latin poet tells
us, "Est et fideli tuta silentio merces:"—"for
faithful silence, also, there is a sure reward."
Mystery has charms for all men, and is closely

allied to the spiritual part of man's nature. The
entire fabric of the universe is founded on
secrecy; and the great Life-force which vivifies,
moves, and beautifies the whole, is the
profoundest of all mysteries. We cannot, indeed,
fix our eyes on a single point in creation which
does not shade off into mystery, and touch the
realms of Eternal Silence. As the fathers of
Freemasonry discovered that all life and beauty
were elaborated in Night and Mystery, they made
the Institution, in this respect, conform to the
divine order of Nature. In the Pythagorean
Freemasonry, silence and secrecy were religious
duties, and held to be the most fruitful sources of
intellectual and moral improvement. A
distinguished modern writer * repeats the same
idea in quaint but forcible language:—"Thoughts
will not work, except in silence; neither will
virtue work, except in secrecy: Like other plants,
virtue will not grow, unless its roots be hidden,
buried from the light of the sun. Let the sun shine
on it—nay, do but look at it privily thyself—the
root withers, and no flowers will glad thee."
In the grand mythology of ancient Scandinavia,

there is a remarkable myth, called the Yggdrasil-
Tree, or Ever-blooming Ash, whose top rose to
the highest heavens, and whose roots struck down
through the regions of everlasting gloom and
night. From age to age, its branches, loaded with
benedictions, spread out over all worlds, the
delight of gods and men, diffusing life and beauty
and fragrance through the universe. And all this
glory, and these capabilities to bless, were the
fruit of the mysterious and secret labors of the
sacred Nornas, who perpetually watered its roots
from the deep-hidden wells, and thus preserved its
vigor and vitality.
The Yggdrasil-Tree is a beautiful symbolical

representation of Freemasonry, and illustrates
well the character of Masonic secrecy. Like that
tree, in the youth of Humanity, the Mystic Order
arose among the nations of the earth, and its ever-
green branches spread over the world; and, by the
vital power of its secret ministry, it diffused order,
and beauty, and virtue, and civilization over all
lands.
p. 63
Another reason why Freemasonry regards secrecy
as a fundamental principle is, because a unity,
harmony, and strength can be secured thereby,
which cannot be obtained in any other way.
Secrecy has a mystic, binding, almost
supernatural force, and unites men more closely
together than all other means combined. The
common possession of a secret by a considerable
number of people, produces a family-feeling.
There is something profoundly mystical in this,
no doubt; but it is, nevertheless, a fact. Suppose
two men, strangers, traveling in a distant country,
should by some accident be brought together for a
few brief moments, during which they happen to
be the involuntary witnesses of some terrible
deed, a deed which circumstances demand shall
remain a secret between them for ever. In all the
wide world, only these two men, and they
strangers to each other, know the secret. They
separate; continents and oceans, and many
eventful years, divide them; but they cannot
forget each other, nor the dread mystery which
binds them together as with an iron chain. Neither
time nor distance can weaken that mighty bond.
In that, they are for ever one.
It is not, then, for any vain or frivolous purpose

that Masonry appeals to the principle of secrecy,
but, rather, because it creates a family-feeling,
insures unity, and throws the charm of mystery
and poetry around the Order, making its labors
easy and its obligations pleasant.
IN the beginning, God created the heaven and the

earth. And the earth was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And
the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters. And God said, Let there be light. and
there was light.
* * * * * * *
Light is one of the requirements of a candidate at

his initiation; and the material light which is
afforded him is succeeded by an intellectual
illumination, which serves to enlighten his path
on the journey from this world to the next.
Footnotes
62:* THOMAS CARLYLE—Sartor Resartus.

p. 64
THE RITE OF ILLUMINATION.
THE RITE OF ILLUMINATION is a very

ancient ceremony, and constituted an important
feature in all the mysteries of the early ages. In
the Egyptian, Cabirian, Sidonian, Eleusinian,
Scandinavian, and Druidical Rituals, it held a
prominent place, and in them all represented the
same ideas. It marked the termination of the
mystic pilgrimage through gloom and night, and
was emblematical of that moral and intellectual
light which pours its divine radiance on the mind
after it has conquered prejudice, and passion, and
ignorance, with which it has so long been
struggling.
The prevailing notion of all those Rites was, that

man, society, humanity could arrive at the Perfect
only by the ministry of gloom and suffering; that
the soul's exaltation and highest enlightenment
could be approached only by the dark way of tears
and sacrifice. The Rite of Illumination indicates
the triumphant conclusion of man's conflicts,
sacrifices, and trials; announces that he has found
that LIGHT for which he has so persistently
sought—that Truth which alone can give dignity
to his life, freedom to his spirit, and repose to his
soul, and which is the grand recompense for all
his journeyings, labors, and combats.
The particular act which now distinguishes this

illumination is, comparatively, modern, but is,
nevertheless, deeply significant and instructive. It
refers to that point of time when "God said, 'Let
there be light,' and there was light." The loftiest
imagination is utterly powerless to paint a picture
of the unspeakable glory of the scene, when the
sun, for the first time, poured down his light in a
golden deluge on the earth, hitherto a chaotic
mass, plunged in eternal night!—when ocean,
lake, and river, hill and valley, smiled and
sparkled in the new-born splendor! Yet this Rite
does not commemorate that event simply as an
historical, material fact, but rather because it
symbolizes the release of the soul from darkness,
and ignorance, and sin—from the chaos and
confusion of a sensual and selfish life—and its
establishment in the light and glory of virtue and
knowledge.
The emblems peculiar to this Rite are the Bible,

Square, and Compasses, the Burning Triangle, or
the three lighted Tapers illuminating the altar.
These all have exclusive reference to the leading
idea of the ceremony, viz: the release, from
moral, spiritual, and intellectual darkness. Hence
the first three of these emblems are called the
Great Lights of Masonry, and the latter the Lesser
Lights.
p. 65
"Through Night to Light! and though, to mortal

eyes,
Creation's face a pall of horror wear,
Good cheer! good cheer! the gloom of midnight
flies,
And then a sunrise follows, mild and fair."
These lines of the great German beautifully and

forcibly illustrate the sublime thought which
underlies and shines through this Rite. We cannot,
of course, enter into any particular descriptions of
it, or give any special details thereof, but the
above suggestions are all that the intelligent
brother will need to assist him to a thorough
comprehension of the whole.
—"isasin oi ntemueménoi."—"The initiated know

what is meant."
The three * * * * * * * * * * * are the Holy Bible,

Square, and Compasses.
The Holy Bible is given us as the rule and guide

of our faith and practice; the Square, to square our
actions; and the Compasses, to circumscribe our
desires, and keep our passions in due bounds with
all mankind, especially with the brethren.
The Holy Writings, that great light in Masonry,

will guide us to all truth; it will direct our paths to
the temple of happiness, and point out to us the
whole duty of man.
The Square teaches us to regulate our actions by

rule and line, and to harmonize our conduct by the
principles of morality and virtue.
The Compasses teach us to limit our desires in

every station, that, rising to eminence by merit,
we may live respected and die regretted.
p. 66
The three * * * * * * * * * * * * are the Sun,

Moon, and Master.
* * * * * * *
The MASTER represents the sun at its rising, that

he may open his Lodge, and employ and instruct
the brethren in Masonry; to whom it is his duty to
communicate light, forcibly impressing upon their
minds the dignity and high importance of
Freemasonry, and zealously admonishing them
never to disgrace it.
The Senior Warden represents the sun at its

setting, and his duty is not only to assist the
Master, but to look after certain properties of the
Lodge, to see that harmony prevails, and that the
brethren have their just dues before being
dismissed from their labors.
The Junior Warden represents the sun at meridian,

which is the most beautiful part of the day, and
his duty is to call the brethren from labor to
refreshment, and see that the means thereof are
not perverted by intemperance or excess, but so
regulated that pleasure and profit may be shared
by all.
That ancient and spotless ensign of Masonry, the

LAMBSKIN, or WHITE APRON, * is presented
in behalf of the Lodge and the Fraternity in
general.
It is an emblem of innocence, and the badge of a

Mason; more ancient than the Golden Fleece † or
Roman Eagle; ‡ more honorable than
p. 67
the Star and Garter, * or any other Order that can

be conferred upon the candidate at the time of his
initiation, or at any future period, by king, prince,
potentate, or any other person, except he be a
Mason * * * * *. It is hoped you will wear it with
pleasure to yourself and honor to the Fraternity.
The investiture of the candidate with the apron,
among the primitive Masons, formed an essential
part of the ceremony of initiation, and was
attended with rites equally significant and
impressive. This badge received a characteristic
distinction from its peculiar color and material.
With the Essenian Masons, it was accomplished
by a process bearing a similar tendency, and
accompanied by illustrations not less imposing
and satisfactory to the newly-initiated neophyte.
He was clothed in a long white robe, which
reached to the ground, bordered with a fringe of
blue ribbon, to incite personal holiness, and
fastened tightly round the waist with a girdle, to
separate the upper from the lower parts of the
body. With feet bare and head uncovered, the
candidate was considered a personification of
Modesty and Humility, walking in the fear of
God.
In the course of this section is exhibited a

beautiful and impressive illustration of one of the
grand principles of the institution, and concludes
with a moral application.
Footnotes
66:* An Entered Apprentice's Apron should be a

pure white lambskin, from fourteen to sixteen
inches wide, and from twelve to fourteen inches
deep, with a fall about five inches deep; square at
the bottom, with sharp angular corners, and
without device or ornament of any kind.
66:† The Order of the Golden Fleece has ever

been ranked among the most illustrious and
distinguished Orders of Knighthood in Europe. It
was instituted on the 10th of January, 1429, at
Bruges, by PHILIP III. Duke of Burgundy, the
most puissant prince of his age, on the occasion of
his marriage with ISABELLA, daughter of King
JOHN I. of Portugal.
66:‡ There is no such Order as the Knights of the

Roman Eagle. The expression (which is an
unhappy one) probably refers to the fact that the
Eagle was the standard of the ancient Roman
empire.
* * * * * * *
CHARITY is the chief of every social virtue, and

the distinguishing characteristic of Masons. This
virtue includes a supreme degree of love to the
great Creator and Governor of the Universe,
p. 68
and an unlimited affection to the beings of his

creation, of all characters, and of every
denomination. This last duty is forcibly inculcated
by the example of the Deity himself, who liberally
dispenses his beneficence to unnumbered worlds.
It is not particularly our province to enter into a

disquisition of every branch of this amiable
virtue; we shall only briefly state the happy
effects of a benevolent disposition towards
mankind, and show that charity, exerted on proper
objects, is the greatest pleasure man can possibly
enjoy.
The bounds of the greatest nation or the most

extensive empire cannot circumscribe the
generosity of a liberal mind. Men, in whatever
situation they are placed, are still in a great
measure the same. They are exposed to similar
dangers and misfortunes: they have not wisdom to
foresee, or power to prevent the evils incident to
human nature: they hang, as it were, in a perpetual
suspense between hope and fear, sickness and
health, plenty and want. A mutual chain of
dependence subsists throughout the animal
creation. The whole human species are, therefore,
proper objects for the exercise of charity.
Beings who partake of one common nature ought

to be actuated by the same motives and interests.
Hence, to soothe the unhappy, by sympathizing
with their misfortunes, and to restore peace and
tranquillity to agitated spirits, constitute the
general and great ends of the Masonic institution.
This humane, this generous disposition, fires the
breast with manly feelings, and enlivens that spirit
of compassion which is the glory of the human
frame, and which not only rivals, but outshines,
every other pleasure the mind is capable of
enjoying.
All human passions, when directed by the

superior principle of reason, promote some useful
purpose; but compassion towards proper objects
is the most beneficial of all the affections, and
excites the most lasting degrees of happiness, as it
extends to greater numbers, and tends to alleviate
the infirmities and evils which are incident to
human existence.
Possessed of this amiable, this god-like

disposition, Masons are shocked at misery, under
every form and appearance. When we behold an
object pining under the miseries of a distressed
body or mind, the healing accents which flow
from the tongue mitigate the pain of the unhappy
sufferer, and make even adversity, in its dismal
state, look gay. When our pity is excited, we
assuage grief,
p. 69
and cheerfully relieve distress. If a brother be in

want, every heart is moved; when he is hungry,
we feed him; when he is naked, we clothe him;
when he is in trouble, we fly to his relief. Thus we
confirm the propriety of the title we bear, and
convince the world at large that BROTHER,
among Masons, is something more than a name.
The newly-initiated brother is then conducted to

his proper station, * * * * * * * * *, where he
receives his first lesson in moral architecture,
teaching him ever to walk uprightly before Clod
and man.
Footnotes
67:* The Order of the Garter was instituted by

King EDWARD M. In 1344; and though not the
most ancient, is one of the most famous of the
military orders of Europe. SELDEN says that it
"exceeds—in majesty, honor, and fame—all
chivalrous orders in the world." The Star and the
Garter are the insignia bestowed upon and worn
by a Knight.
THE NORTH-EAST CORNER.
IN the important ceremony which refers to the

north-east corner of the Lodge, the candidate
becomes as one who is to all outward appearance
a perfect and upright man and Mason, the
representative of a spiritual corner-stone on which
he is to erect his future moral and Masonic
edifice.
This symbolic reference of the corner-stone of a

material edifice to a Mason when, at his first
initiation, he commences the moral and
intellectual task of erecting a spiritual temple in
his heart, is beautifully sustained when we look at
all the qualities that aye required to constitute a
"well-tried, true, and trusty" corner-stone. The
squareness of its surface, emblematic of
morality—its cubical form, emblematic of
firmness and stability of character—and the
peculiar finish and fineness of the material,
emblematic of virtue and holiness—show that the
ceremony of the north-east corner of the Lodge
was undoubtedly intended to portray, in the
consecrated language of symbolism, the necessity
of integrity and stability of conduct, of
truthfulness and uprightness of character, and of
purity and holiness of life, which just at that time
and in that place the candidate is most
impressively charged to maintain.
Working-Tools of an Entered Apprentice.
THE TWENTY-FOUR-INCH GUAGE
Is an instrument used by operative masons to

measure and lay out their work; but we, as
p. 70
[paragraph
Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make continues]
use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose
of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-
four equal parts, is emblematical of the twenty-
four hours of the day, which we are taught to
divide into three equal parts; whereby are found
eight hours for the service of God and a distressed
worthy brother; eight for our usual vocations; and
eight for refreshment and sleep.
The Twenty-four-inch Guage is to measure and

ascertain the extent of an edifice. Hence we derive
a lesson of instruction. It recalls to our mind the
division of the day into twenty-four hours, and
directs us to apportion them to prayer, labor,
refreshment, and repose. It may be further
considered as the scale which comprehends the
numerical apportionment of the different degrees,
according to the several Lodges.
THE COMMON GAVEL
Is an instrument made use of by operative masons

to break off the corners of rough stones, the better
to fit them for the builder's use; but we, as Free
and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of
it for the more noble and glorious purpose of
divesting our hearts and consciences of all the
vices and superfluities of life; thereby fitting our
minds, as living stones, for that spiritual
building—that house not made with hands—
eternal in the heavens.
p. 71
The Common Gavel is an important instrument of

labor, without which no work of manual skill can
be completed; from which we learn that skill
without industry will be of no avail, and labor is
the lot of man; for the heart may conceive, and the
head devise in vain, if the hand be not prompt to
execute the design.
Masons are called moral builders. In their rituals

they declare, emphatically, that a more noble and
glorious purpose than squaring stones and hewing
timbers is theirs—fitting immortal nature for that
spiritual building not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens. It is said that the construction of the
pyramids of Egypt employed the labor of one
hundred thousand men for many years, but it was
only to build monumental piles, beneath whose
shadows kings might rest. These pyramids are
only temples for the dead; Masons are building
one for the living. The pyramids were only
mausoleums in which the bones of the mighty
dead might repose in imperial magnificence;
Masons are erecting a structure in which the God
of Israel shall dwell for ever. The pyramid shall
crumble away, till not one stone shall be left upon
another; but who shall count the years of
immortality, the life-time of the soul, which is
fitted for its place in the heavens? Who can define
its outlines, or fathom its depths, or measure its
journey! It is a stream which grows broader and
deeper as it flows onward. An angel's eye cannot
measure its length, nor an angel's wing travel to
its farthest boundary. When earth's proudest
monumental piles have crumbled away, and that
sand been scattered by the desert winds, and the
glory and greatness of earth shall be forgotten,
then will the immortal be pluming its wings for
loftier flights. It is a fountain whose sources are in
the Infinite, and whose placid waters flow on for
ever—a spring-time that shall bloom, educating
immortal mind for the present, the future, for all
ages—is acknowledged to be one of the essential
objects of Masonic labors. The builder builds for
a century; Masons, for eternity. The painter paints
for a generation; they, for everlasting years.
p. 72
SECTION II.
IN this section is fully explained the symbolic

meaning of the ceremonies that take place in the
first. Without this explanation, the mind of the
novitiate would still be. in darkness; all would be
mysterious and incomprehensible. When these
ceremonies are explained by an intelligent and
competent teacher, the mind is favorably
impressed with the beautiful system; the mystery
is unvailed, and the candidate discovers that his
progress is replete with instruction, and that the
assertion is confirmed, that every character,
figure, and emblem, depicted in a Lodge, has a
moral tendency, inculcates the practice of the
noblest virtues, and furnishes sufficient proof of
the definition, that "Freemasonry is a system of
morality, vailed in allegory and illustrated by
symbols."
THE PREPARATION.
* * * * * * *
Various passages of Scripture are referred to in

this section -as explaining the traditions of
Masonry.
"Cut wood out of Lebanon, and bring it on floats

by sea to Joppa; and carry it up to Jerusalem."
"And the house was built of stone, made ready

before it was brought thither; so that there was
neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron
heard in the house, while it was building."
"For to confirm all things, a man plucked off his

shoe, and gave it unto his neighbor: and this was
testimony in Israel."
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall

find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
PRAYER.
Bending the knees, in adoration of JEHOVAH, is

one of the most ancient customs among men. We
are taught, as Masons, never to commence any
great or important undertaking without first
invoking the blessing and protection of Deity.
p. 73
The right hand has in all ages been deemed an

emblem of fidelity, and the ancients worshiped
Deity under the name of Fides, or Fidelity, which
was sometimes represented by two right hands
joined, and sometimes by two human figures,
holding each other by the right hands.
The joining of right hands was esteemed, among

the Persians and Parthians, as conveying a most
inviolable obligation of fidelity. Hence, when
King ARTABANUS desired to hold a conference
with his revolted subject ASINEUS, who was in
arms against him, he dispatched a messenger to
him with the request, who said to ASINEUS,
"The king hath sent me to give you his right hand
and security,"—that is, a promise of safety in
coming and going. And when ASINEUS sent his
brother ASILEUS to the proposed conference, the
king met him, and gave him his right hand; upon
which JOSEPHUS remarks: "This is of the
greatest force there with all these barbarians, and
affords a firm security to those who hold
intercourse with them, for none of them will
deceive, when once they have given you their
right hands; nor will any one doubt of their
fidelity, when that once is given, even though
they were before suspected of injustice."
VALERIUS MAXIMUS tells us that the ancients

had a moral deity, whom they called FIDES. Her
temple was first consecrated by NUMA. . . .
FIDES was a goddess of honesty or fidelity; and
the writer adds, when they promised any thing of
old, they gave the right hand to pledge it, as we
do, and, therefore, she is represented as giving her
hand and sometimes her two hands conjoined.
CHARTARIUS more fully describes this, by
observing that the proper residence of faith or
fidelity was thought by the ancients to be in the
right hand; and, therefore, this deity was
sometimes represented by two right hands joined
together; sometimes by two little images, shaking
each other's right hand: so that the right hand was
by them held sacred, and was symbolically made
use of in a solemn manner to denote fidelity.
p. 74
Badge of a Mason.
The LAMB has, in all ages, been deemed an

emblem of innocence; the lambskin is, therefore,
to remind him of that purity of life and conduct
which is so essentially necessary to his gaining
admission into the Celestial Lodge above, where
the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.
The Apron, in ancient times, was a universally-

received emblem of Truth. Among the Grecian
mysteries, the candidate was invested with a
white robe and apron. In Persia, the investiture
was exceedingly splendid, and succeeded to the
commission of Light. It consisted of the girdle, on
which the twelve signs of the Zodiac were
depicted; the tiara, the white apron, and the purple
tunic.
SECTION III.
THIS section fully explains the manner of

constituting, and the proper authority for holding a
Lodge. Here, also, we learn where Lodges were
anciently held; their FORM, SUPPORT,
COVERING, FURNITURE, ORNAMENTS,
LIGHTS, and JEWELS; how situated, and to whom
dedicated, as well in former times as at present.
A Lodge is an assemblage of Masons, duly

congregated, having the Holy Bible, Square, and
Compasses, and a Charter or Warrant, authorizing
them to work.
p. 75
Where Held.
Lodge meetings, at the present day, are usually

held in upper chambers—probably for the better
security which such places afford. It may be,
however, that the custom had its origin in a
practice observed by the ancient Jews, of building
their temples, schools, and synagogues on high
hills, * a practice which seems to have met the
approbation of the ALMIGHTY, who said unto
the Prophet EZEKIEL, "Upon the top of the
mountain, the whole limit thereof, round about
shall be most holy." Before the erection of
temples, the celestial bodies were worshiped on
HILLS, and the terrestrial ones in VALLEYS. †
At a later period, the Christians, wherever it was
practicable, erected their churches on eminences.
Hills or mountains were always considered the

peculiar abode of the Deity; and hence the
Masonic tradition, that our ancient brethren held
their Lodges most frequently on the highest of
hills. The veneration for hills or secret caverns
induced the construction of temples for divine
worship in such situations. The custom was
p. 76
initiated in the early ages of Christianity; for our

ancient churches are usually erected on hills, and,
beneath the foundations of those which are
cathedral or collegiate, crypts were commonly
constructed for private devotion and other secret
purposes.
Footnotes
75:* The Noachidæ met on the summit of high
hills, to practice their simple devotions, which
were commemorative of their preservation amidst
the destruction of mankind by the Universal
Deluge, and of the promise that the world should
never again be subjected to a similar judgment.
75:† In imitation of the primitive practice, but

with a much more innocent purpose than the
worship of idols, before Freemasons possessed
the convenience of well-formed Lodges, our
ancient brethren used to assemble on the highest
of hills or in the lowest of valleys, because such
situations afforded the means of security from
unlawful intrusion.
Form and Dimensions of the Lodge.
Its form is * * * *. Its dimensions, from east to

west, embracing every clime between north and
south. In fact, its universal chain of friendship
encircles every portion of the human family, and
beams wherever civilization extends.
The form of a Lodge should always be an oblong

square, in length, between the east and the west;
in breadth, between the north and the south; in
height, from earth to heaven; and in depth, from
the surface to the center. This disposition serves
to indicate the prevalence of Freemasonry over
the whole face of the globe, guarded by its laws,
and ornamented by its beautiful tenets. Every
civilized region is illuminated by its presence. Its
charity relieves the wretched; its brotherly love
unites the Fraternity in a chain of indissoluble
affection, and extends its example beyond the
limits of the lodge-room, to embrace, in its ample
scope, the whole human race, infolding them in
its arms of universal love. The square form was
esteemed by our ancient operative brethren as one
of the Greater Lights, and a component part of the
furniture of the Lodge. The double cube is an
expressive emblem of the united powers of
darkness and light in the creation.
* * * * * * *
The Boundaries of the Lodge.
The Masonic Lodge, bounded only by the

extreme points of the compass, the highest
heavens, and the lowest depth of the central
abyss, is metaphorically supported by three great
pillars,
p. 77
which are denominated WISDOM, *
STRENGTH, † and BEAUTY: ‡ because there
should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support,
and beauty to adorn all great and important
undertakings. The universe is the temple of the
DEITY whom we serve: Wisdom, Strength, and
Beauty are about His throne as pillars of His
work; for His wisdom is infinite, His strength is
omnipotent, and His beauty shines forth through
all His creation in symmetry and order.
As the work of building the temple at Jerusalem

was conducted by the wisdom of SOLOMON, the
strength of Mutant, king of Tyre, and the beauty,
or cunning workmanship of HIRAM ABIFF, so
the labors of the Lodge are supported by the
wisdom, strength, and beauty of the three
presiding-officers, who occupy the prominent
stations in the East, West, and South; thus locally
forming a triangle,
p. 78
which is a sacred emblem, and unitedly

constituting one chief governor, by which the
affairs of the Lodge are conducted, and without
the presence of all three, or their legally-
appointed representatives, no Lodge can be
opened for the transaction of business, nor can
any candidate be legally initiated therein.
Footnotes
77:* WISDOM is represented by the Ionic

column and the W. M.; because the Ionic column
wisely combines the strength without the
massiveness of the Doric; with the grace, without
the exuberance of ornament, of the Corinthian;
and because it is the duty of the W. M. to
superintend, instruct, and enlighten the Craft by
his superior wisdom. SOLOMON, king of Israel,
is also considered as the column of wisdom that
supported the temple.
77:† STRENGTH is represented by the Doric

column and the S. W.; because the Doric is the
strongest and most massive of the Orders, and
because it is the duty of the S. W., by an attentive
superintendence of the Craft, to aid the W. M. in
the performance of his duties, and to strengthen
and support his authority. HIRAM, king of Tyre,
is also considered as the representative of the
column of strength which supported the temple.
77:‡ BEAUTY is represented by the Corinthian

column and the J. W,; because the Corinthian is
the most beautiful and highly finished of the
Orders, and because the situation of the J. W. in
the S. enables him the better to observe that bright
luminary which, at its meridian height, is the
beauty and glory of the day.—Thus, by the united
energies of these three presiding-officers, the
system is adorned and established firm as a rock
in mid-ocean, braving the malignant shafts of
envy and detraction; its summit gilded with the
rays of the meridian sun, though stormy winds
and waves beat furiously on its base.
The Covering of the Lodge.
Its covering is no less than the clouded canopy, or

starry-decked heaven, where all good Masons
hope at last to arrive, by the aid of that theological
ladder * which JACOB, in his vision, saw
extending from earth to heaven; the three
principal rounds of which are denominated
FAITH, HOPE, and CHARITY; which
admonishes us to have faith in GOD, hope in
immortality, and charity to all mankind. The
greatest of these is CHARITY: for our faith may
be lost in sight; hope ends in fruition; but charity
extends beyond the grave, through the boundless
realms of eternity.
p. 79
FAITH is the foundation of justice, the bond of

amity, and the chief support of society. We live
by faith; we walk by faith; by faith we have a
continual hope in the acknowledgment of a
Supreme Being; by faith we are justified,
accepted, and finally saved. Faith is the substance
of things hoped for—the evidence of things not
seen. If we—with suitable, true devotion—
maintain our Masonic profession, our faith will
become a beam of light, and bring us to those
blessed mansions where we shall be eternally
happy with God, the Grand Architect of the
Universe.
HOPE is the anchor of the soul, both sure and

steadfast, and enters into that within the vail; let a
firm reliance in the Almighty's faithfulness
animate our endeavors, and teach us to fix our
hopes within the limits of His promises, so shall
success attend us. If we believe a thing to be
impossible, our despondency may render it so; but
he who perseveres, will ultimately overcome all
difficulties.
CHARITY is the brightest gem that can adorn our

Masonic profession. Happy is the man who has
sowed in his breast. the seeds of benevolence, the
produce thereof is love and peace: he envieth not
his neighbor; he listeneth not to a tale, when
reported by slander; revenge or malice has no
place in his breast; he forgives the injuries of
men, and endeavors to blot them from his
recollection. The objects of true charity among
Masons are, merit and virtue in distress; persons
who are incapable of extricating themselves from
misfortunes in their journey through life;
industrious men, who, from inevitable accidents
and acts of Providence, have fallen into ruin;
widows, who are left survivors of their husbands,
by whose labors they subsisted; orphans in tender
years, left naked to the world; and the aged,
whose spirits are exhausted, whose arms are
unbraced by time, and thereby rendered unable to
procure for themselves that sustenance they could
accomplish in their youthful days. This is Charity,
the Keystone to our mystic fabric.
Hail, balm-bestowing CHARITY!

First of the heaven-born:
Sanctity and Sincerity
Thy temple still adorn:
Communing with Mortality,
The humble but thou dost not scorn.
Thou art, in bright reality,
Friend of the friendless and forlorn.
With joy-induced alacrity,
Supplying want, assuaging woe. p. 80
To every home of misery
Thy sister-spirits smiling go;
Dispelling all despondency,
Their blessings they bestow—
Like angels in the ministry
Of holiness below.
Footnotes
78:* Standing firmly on the Bible, Square, and

Compasses, is a ladder which connects the earth
with the heavens, or covering of the Lodge, and is
a simile of that which JACOB saw in a vision
when journeying to Padanarum, in Mesopotamia.
It is composed of staves or rounds innumerable,
which point out as many moral virtues; but
principally of three, which refer to Faith, Hope,
and Charity: Faith in the Great Architect of the
Universe; Hope in salvation; and to be in Charity
with all mankind, but more particularly with the
brethren. It reaches to the heavens, and rests on
the volume of the sacred law; because, by the
doctrine contained in that Holy Book, we are
taught to believe in the wise dispensations of
Divine Providence; which belief strengthens our
faith, and enables us to ascend the first step. This
faith naturally creates in us a hope of becoming
partakers of the blessed promises therein
recorded; which hope enables us to ascend the
second step. But the third and last, being Charity,
comprehends the whole; and the Mason who is
possessed of that virtue, in its amplest sense, may
justly be deemed to have attained the summit of
the science.
The Furniture of the Lodge
Consists of the Holy Bible, Square, and

Compasses. The Bible is dedicated to the service
of God, because it is the inestimable gift of God
to man, * * * *; the Square to the Master, because
it is the proper Masonic emblem of his office; and
the Compasses to the Craft, because, by a due
attention to their use, they are taught to
circumscribe their desires, and keep their passions
within due bounds.
The Square is given to the whole Masonic body,

because we are all obligated with it, and are
consequently bound to act thereon. As it is by the
assistance of the Square that all rude matter is
brought into due form, so it is by the square
conduct of the Master that all animosities are
made to subside, should any unfortunately arise in
the Lodge, and the business of Masonry is thereby
better conducted. The ungovernable passions and
uncultivated nature of man stand as much in need
of the Square and Compasses to bring them into
order, and to adorn us with the beauty of holiness,
as those instruments of Masonry are necessary to
bring rude matter into form, or to make a block of
marble fit for the polished corners of the temple.
The following appropriate illustrations of the

three Great Lights of Masonry may be introduced
with beautiful effect:
As more immediate guides for a Freemason, the

Lodge is furnished with unerring rules, whereby
he shall form his conduct.
p. 81
[paragraph
The Book of the Law is laid before him, that he continues]
may not say, through ignorance he erred;
whatever the Great Architect of the world hath
dictated to mankind, as the mode in which he
should be served, and the path in which to tread,
is to obtain his approbation; whatever precepts he
bath administered, and with whatever laws he
hath inspired the sages of old, the same are
faithfully comprised in the Book of the Law of
Masonry. That book reveals the duties which the
Great Master of all exacts from us: open to every
eye—comprehensible to every mind. Then who
shall say among us, that he knoweth not the
acceptable service?
The Rule, the Square, and the Compasses, are

emblematical of the conduct we should pursue in
society. To observe punctuality in all our
engagements, faithfully and religiously to
discharge those important obligations which we
owe to God and our neighbor; to be upright in all
our dealings; to hold the scales of Justice in equal
poise; to square our actions by the unerring rule of
God's sacred word; to keep within compass and
bounds with all mankind, particularly with a
brother; to govern our expenses by our incomes;
to curb our sensual appetites; to keep within
bounds those unruly passions which oftentimes
interfere with the enjoyments of society, and
degrade both the man and the Freemason; to
recall to our minds that, in the great scale of
existence, the whole family of mankind are upon
a level with each other, and that the only question
of preference among Freemasons should be, who
is most wise, who is most good? For the time will
come, and none of us know how soon, when
death, the great leveler of all human greatness,
will rob us of our distinctions, and bring us to a
level with the dust.
The Ornaments of a Lodge
Are the MOSAIC PAVEMENT, the INDENTED

TESSEL, and the BLAZING STAR.
The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the

ground-floor of King Solomon's Temple; the
Indented Tessel, * of that beautiful tesselated
p. 82
border or skirting which surrounded it. The

Mosaic Pavement is emblematical of human life,
checkered with good and evil; the Indented
Tessel, or Tesselated Border, of the manifold
blessings and comforts which constantly surround
us, and which we hope to enjoy by a firm reliance
on Divine Providence, which is hieroglyphically
represented by the Blazing Star in the center.
As the steps of man are tried in the various and

uncertain incidents of life; as our days are
checkered with a strange contrariety of events,
and our passage through this existence, though
sometimes attended with prosperous
circumstances, is often beset by a multitude of
evils; hence is the Lodge furnished with Mosaic
work, to remind us of the precariousness of our
state on earth: to-day, our feet tread in prosperity;
to-morrow, we totter on the uneven paths of
weakness, temptation, and adversity. While this
emblem is before us, we are instructed to boast of
nothing; to have compassion, and give aid to
those who are in adversity; to walk uprightly, and
with humility; for such is this existence, that there
is no station in which pride can be stably founded:
all men, in birth and in the grave, are on a level.
While we tread on this Mosaic work, let our ideas
return to the original, which it copies; and let
every Freemason act as the dictates of reason
prompt him to live in brotherly love.
Footnotes
81:* The Indented Tessel is a border of stones, of

various colors, plead around the pavement, cut or
notched into inequalities resembling teeth.
The Lights of the Lodge.
A Lodge has three symbolic lights:—one in the

East, one in the West, and one in the South.
* * * * * * *
The fixed lights of the Lodge were formerly

represented by "three windows, supposed to be in
every room where a Lodge is
p. 83
held; referring to the cardinal points of the

compass, according to the antique rules of
Masonry." There was one in the East, another in
the West, and another in the South, to light the
men to, at, and from labor; but there was none in
the North, because the sun darts no rays from
thence. These constitute the symbolic situations of
the three chief officers. Hence it is affirmed that
"a Lodge is, or ought to be, a true representation
of King SOLOMON'S temple, which was situated
north of the ecliptic; the sun and moon, therefore,
darting their rays from the south, no light was to
be expected from the north; we, therefore,
masonically, term the north a place of darkness."
The Master's place is in the East, to call the
brethren to labor; the Junior Warden is placed in
the South, to cheer and encourage them at their
work; and the Senior Warden in the West, to
dismiss them from their daily toil.
This description of a Masonic Lodge will be

found to embrace a perfect picture of the universe,
both in its attributes and its extent. The sun
governs the day, the moon the night, and the stars
illumine the spangled canopy of heaven; while the
earth is spread with a carpet of natural mosaic
work, beautiful to the eye, and administering to
the necessities of man.
A Lodge has six jewels; three movable and three

immovable.
The immovable jewels are the SQUARE,

LEVEL, and PLUMB. *
The Square inculcates morality; the Level,

equality; and the Plumb, rectitude of conduct.
The movable jewels are the ROUGH ASHLAR,

the PERFECT ASHLAR, and the TRESTLE-
BOARD. †
p. 84
The Rough Ashlar is a stone as taken from the

quarry in its rude and natural state. The Perfect
Ashlar is a stone made ready by the hands of the
workmen, to be adjusted by the working-tools of
the Fellow Craft. The Trestle-board is for the
Master-workman to draw his designs upon.
By the Rough Ashlar we are reminded of our rude

and imperfect state by nature; by the Perfect
Ashlar, of that state of perfection at which we
hope to arrive by a virtuous education, our own
endeavors, and the blessing of God; and by the
Trestle-board we are also reminded that, as the
operative workman erects his temporal building
agreeably to the rules and designs laid down by
the Master on his Trestle-board, so should we,
both operative and speculative, endeavor to erect
our spiritual building in accordance with the
designs laid down by the Supreme Architect of
the Universe, in the Great Book of Nature and
Revelation, which is our spiritual, moral, and
Masonic Trestle-board.
The Trestle-board is for the Master to draw his
plans and designs upon, that the building may be
constructed with order and regularity. It refers to
the Sacred Volume, which is denominated the
Trestle-board of the Grand Architect of the
Universe, because in that Holy Book he has laid
down such magnificent plans and holy designs,
that, were we conversant therein and adherent
thereto, it
p. 85
would prepare us for that building not made with

hands, eternal in the heavens.
Footnotes
83:* They are called Immovable jewels, because

they are always to be found in the East, West, and
South parts of the Lodge, being worn by the
Master, Senior Warden, and Junior Warden.
83:† Such is the generally-acknowledged division

of the jewels in the Lodges in this country; but in
the English Lodges, the reverse is the case. There,
the Rough and Perfect Ashlars and the Trestle-
board are the immovable jewels, and the Square,
Level, and Plumb are the movable, because they
descend from one set of officers to their
successors.
Situation of the Lodge
The Lodge is situated due East and West. *
* * * * * * *
Dr. OLIVER assigns the following reasons why

the Tabernacle is considered as the type of a
Freemason's Lodge: "It was an oblong square,
and, with its courts and appendages, it represented
the whole habitable globe. Such is also the extent
of our Lodges. The former was supported by
pillars, and the latter is also sustained by those of
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. They were
equally situated due east and west. The sacred roll
of GOD'S revealed will and law was deposited in
the Ark of the Covenant; the same Holy Record is
placed in a conspicuous part of our Lodges. The
altar of incense was a double cube, and so is our
pedestal and stone of foundation. The covering of
the Tabernacle was composed of three colors, as a
representation of the celestial hemisphere; such,
also, is the covering of a Freemason's Lodge. The
floor of the Tabernacle was so holy, that the
priest's were forbidden to tread upon it without
taking off their shoes; the floor of the Lodge is
holy ground."
CALCOTT says that MOSES, "foreseeing the

difficulties which he would have to encounter
before he should arrive in the promised land, and
having already experienced the instability of the
Israelites, caused the Tabernacle to be erected
east and west, to excite in them a firm reliance on
the omnipotence of that GOD who had then lately
wrought so great a miracle in their favor, by
causing a wind
p. 86
to blow first east, and then west, whereby they
safely escaped from the Egyptians upon dry land,
even through the midst of a sea, which,
nevertheless, overwhelmed and totally destroyed
their pursuers. And as they were liable to meet
with many distresses in their sojournment in the
wilderness, so, as oft as they should behold the
situation of the Tabernacle, their faith might be
strengthened, and, by a firm reliance on
ALMIGHTY GOD, they might be enabled to
proceed with resolution and cheerfulness. And as
the Tabernacle was at that time to be a constant
exhortation to them, from that great instance of
omnipotence, to confide in GOD under all their
embarrassments, so the Temple, afterwards built
by SOLOMON, in the same form and situation,
was to be a lasting monument to their posterity of
the mighty works the LORD had performed in
conducting their forefathers out of their captivity
into the promised land. And this, also, may be
deemed a very sufficient reason why places for
Christian worship, after the pattern of the said
Tabernacle and Temple, have ever been, and still
are, generally erected in the same manner; for, as
human creatures, we, as well as our forefathers,
stand in need to be continually reminded of our
weakness, and a necessary constant dependence
on an Omnipotent and All-gracious Being."
Footnotes
85:* Our Lodges are situated due East and West,

because all places of Divine worship, as well as
all well-formed and regularly-constituted Lodges,
are, or ought to be, so situated; for which we
assign three Masonic reasons:—1. The sun, the
glory of the LORD, rises in the East and sets in
the West; 2. Learning originated in the East, and
from thence extended its benign influence to the
West; 3. The last and grand reason, refers to the
situation of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The
nature of the Lodge—its form, dimensions, and
supports—its ground, situation, and covering—its
ornaments, furniture, and jewels—all unite their
aid to form a perfect code of moral and
theological philosophy; which, while it fascinates
the understanding, improves the mind, until it
becomes polished like the Perfect Ashlar, and can
only be tried by the Square of GOD'S word and
the unerring Compass of conscience.
Dedication of Lodges.
Lodges were anciently dedicated to King

SOLOMON, as he was our first Most Excellent
Grand Master; but Masons professing
Christianity, dedicate theirs to St. JOHN the
Baptist and St. JOHN the Evangelist, who were
two eminent patrons of Masonry; and since their
time, there is represented in every regular and
well-governed Lodge a certain Point within a
Circle—the point representing an individual
brother; the circle, the boundary-line of his
conduct to GOD and man, beyond which he is
never to suffer his
p. 87
passions, prejudices, or interests to betray him, on

any occasion. This circle is embordered by two
perpendicular parallel lines, representing those
Saints, who were perfect parallels in Christianity,
as well as in Masonry; and upon the vertex rests
the Holy Scriptures, which point out the whole
duty of man. In going around this circle, we
necessarily touch upon these two lines, as well as
upon the Holy Scriptures; and while a Mason
keeps himself thus circumscribed, it is impossible
that he should materially err.
"But though past all diffused, without a shore

His essence; local is his Throne, as meet
To gather the dispersed, as Standards call
The listed from afar; to fix a point,
A central point, collective of his sons,
Since finite every nature but his own,
* * * * * * *
If earth's whole orb by some dire distant eye
Were seen at once, her towering Alps would sink,
And level’d Atlas leave an even sphere.
Thus earth, and all that earthly minds admire,
Is swallow’d In Eternity's vast round,"—YOUNG.
"Whether we regard this symbol in the purity of
its legitimate interpretation, or consider the
unlimited corruption which it sustained in its
progress through the mysteries of idolatry, the
general principle will be found equally
significant. It was originally the conservator of a
genuine moral precept, founded on a fundamental
religious truth; but innovation followed
innovation, until this degraded symbol became the
dreadful depository of obscenity and lust.
"The use of this emblem is coeval with the first

created man. A primary idea which would suggest
itself to the mind of ADAM, when engaged in
reflections on his own situation, the form of the
universe, and the nature of all the objects
presented to his view, would
p. 88
be, that the creation was a circle and himself the

center. This figure, implanted without an effort,
would be ever present in all his contemplations,
and would influence his judgment to a certain
extent, while attempting to decide on the
mysterious phenomena which were continually
before him. To persons unacquainted with the
intricate philosophy of Nature, as we may fairly
presume ADAM was, this is the plain idea
conveyed to the senses by a superficial view of
Nature's works. Ask an unlettered hind of the
present day, and he will tell you that the earth is a
circular plane; and perhaps he will have some
indistinct notion that the expanse above his head
is spherical, but he will assuredly look upon
himself as the common center of all. This is
consistent with the general appearance of things;
for, if he look around, be finds the horizon, unless
intercepted by the intervention of sensible objects,
equally distant from the point of vision in all its
parts. And the experiment uniformly producing
the same results, whether made by night or day,
he relies on the evidence of his senses, and
pronounces his own judgment correct and
irrefutable. So the first created man. Himself the
center of the system, he would regard Paradise as
the limit of the habitable earth, and the expanse as
the eternal residence of the omnipresent Deity. A
little reflection, however, would soon bring him
nearer to the truth. The garden of Eden was of a
circular form, and the Tree of Life was placed in
the center. Now, as the fruit of this tree was
reputed to convey the privilege of immortality,
the center would hence be esteemed the most
honorable situation, and be ultimately assigned to
the Deity, who alone enjoys the attributes of
immortality and eternity; for ADAM, in his
progress to different parts of this happy abode,
would soon conclude that, however he might be
deceived by appearances, he himself could not be
a permanent center, because he was constantly
c89}hanging his position.
"To this august Circle the two forbidden trees

were the accompanying perpendicular parallel
lines, pointing out GOD'S equal justice and
mercy. When ADAM had violated the divine
command, and eaten of the tree of knowledge,
justice demanded that the threatened penalty
should be paid. But here mercy interposed, and he
was expelled from the abode of purity and peace,
now violated by transgression, 'lest he should put
forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and
live for ever' in a state of wickedness and sin.
Hence arose the Masonic emblem of a Point
within a Circle."
p. 89
* * * * * * *
"When mankind had transferred their adoration
from the Creator to his works, they advanced
specious reasons to justify a devotion to spheres
and circles. Every thing great and sublime, which
was continually presented to their inspection,
partook of this form. The sun, the unequivocal
source of light and heat, was a primary object of
attention, and became their chief deity. The earth,
the planets, and fixed stars, proceeding in all their
majestic regularity, excited admiration, and
implanted devout feelings in their hearts. These
were all spherical, as was also the arch of heaven,
illuminated with their unfading luster. The next
progressive observations of mankind would be
extended to the unassisted efforts of Nature in the
production of plants and trees; and these were
found to exhibit, for the most part, the same
uniform appearances. From the simple stalk of
corn, to the bole of the gigantic lord of the forest,
the cylinder and cone, and consequently the
circle, were the most common forms assumed by
the vegetable creation. Every fruit he plucked—
every root he dug from the earth for food—was
either globular, cylindrical, or conical, each
partaking of the nature of a circle. If a tree were
divided horizontally, the section uniformly
exhibited the appearance of a Point within a
succession of concentric circles. The same will be
true of many varieties of vegetables; and similar
results would be produced from an inspection of
animal bodies. The trunk is a cylinder; and the
intestines, so often critically examined for the
purposes of augury, presented to the curious
inquirer little variation from the general principle.
Hence statues bearing these forms were
subsequently dedicated to the Olympic gods; a
Cylinder, to the earth; and a Cone to the sun.
"In this figure, Nature, in her most sportive mood,

appeared exclusively to delight. If a bubble were
excited on the water, it was spherical; and if any
solid body were cast upon, the surface, the ripple
formed itself into innumerable concentric circles,
rapidly succeeding each other, of which the body,
or moving cause, was the common center. If
water were cast into the air, they found that the
drops invariably arranged themselves into a
globular form. This uniformity was soon
observed, and thought to be a preternatural
indication of divinity; for if Nature assumed one
unvarying character in all her works, that
character must be an unquestionable symbol of
the GOD of Nature. Hence the Circle, with its
center distinctly marked, became a most sacred
emblem with every nation of idolaters; adopted
perhaps from the same symbol used by their
p. 90
forefathers on the plain of Shinar; referring

primarily to the immeasurable expanse occupied
by infinite space; a proper type of eternity, but
now justified by a reference to the works of
Nature. This was the general belief, though the
expression varied in different ages and among the
inhabitants of different nations.
"The tribes contiguous to Judea placed a Jod (‫ )י‬in

the center of a circle, as a symbol of the Deity
surrounded by Eternity, of which He was said to
be the inscrutable author, the ornament, and the
support. The Samothracians had a great
veneration for the Circle, which they considered
as consecrated by the universal presence of the
Deity; and hence rings were distributed to the
initiated, as amulets possessed of the power of
averting danger. The Chinese used a symbol
which bore a great resemblance to that which is
the subject of this annotation. The Circle was
bounded north and south by two serpents,
(equivalent to the two perpendicular parallel lines
of the Masonic symbol,) and was emblematical of
the Universe, protected and supported equally by
the Power and Wisdom of the Creator. The
Hindoos believed that the Supreme Being was
correctly represented by a perfect sphere, without
beginning and without end. The first settlers in
Egypt transmitted to their posterity an exact copy
of our Point within a Circle, expressed in
emblematical language. The widely-extended
universe was represented as a circle of boundless
light, in the center of which the Deity was said to
dwell; or, in other words, the circle was
symbolical of His eternity; and the perpendicular
parallel lines by which it is bounded, were the two
great luminaries of heaven, the sun and moon; the
former denoting His virtue—the latter His
wisdom. And this idea was generally expressed by
a hawk's head in the center of a circle, or an
endless serpent inclosing an eye.
"But the most expressive symbol to this effect

used by any people who had renounced the true
religion, was the famous emblem of
PYTHAGORAS, who contrived
not merely to express the only
one GOD, residing in the midst of
eternity, but united with it an idea
of the divine Triad, and blended
emblems of regeneration,
morality, and science. For this purpose he added
to the central Jod nine other Jods, disposed about
the center in the form of an equilateral triangle,
each side consisting of the number FOUR. The
disciples of PYTHAGORAS denominated this
symbol Trigonon-mysticum, because it was the
conservator of many awful and important truths.
p. 91
"1. The Monad, or active principle.
"2. The Duad, or passive principle.
"3. The Triad, or world proceeding from

their union.
"4. The sacred Quarternary, involving the

liberal Sciences, Physics, Morality, etc., etc.
"Of this remarkable emblem, a full explanation

may be equally interesting and instructive.
"The symbol of all things, according to

PYTHAGORAS, was one and two. One added to
two make three; and once the square of two make
FOUR, which is the perfect Tetractys; and
1+2+3+4=10, the consummation of all things; and
therefore the amount of the points contained
within the Pythagorean Circle is exactly TEN.
Hence, because the first four digits added into
each other made up the number ten, this
philosopher called the number four πάντα
ἀριθμὸν, all number, or the whole number; and
used it as the symbol of universality. * To
ascertain, however, the entire meaning of this
symbol, it will be necessary to take the numbers
included within the Circle in their natural order,
and hear what hidden mystery the philosophy of
PYTHAGORAS attached to each.
"The number ONE was the Point within the

Circle, and denoted the central fire, or GOD;
because it is the beginning and ending—the first
and the last. It signified, also, love, concord,
piety, and friendship; because it is so connected
that it cannot be divided into parts. Two meant
darkness, fortitude, harmony, and justice; because
of its equal parts; and the moon, because she is
forked. THREE referred to harmony, friendship,
peace, concord, and temperance. All these, and
many other virtues, depended on this number and
proceeded from it. FOUR referred to the Deity:
for it was considered the number of numbers. It is
the first solid figure; a point being 1, a line 2, a
superficies 3, and a solid 4. It was also the
Tetractys; a WORD sacred among the
Pythagoreans, and used as a most solemn oath;
because they considered it the root and principle,
the cause and maker, of all things." * * * *
p. 92
"The Point within the Circle afterwards became a

universal emblem to denote the temple of the
Deity, and was referred to the Planetary Circle, in
the center of which was fixed the sun, as the
universal god and father of nature; for the whole
circle of heaven was called GOD."
* * * * * * *
"SERVIUS tells us it was believed that the center

of a temple was the peculiar residence of the
Deity; the exterior decorations being merely
ornamental. Hence the astronomical character
used to denote or represent the sun, is a Point
within a Circle; because that figure is the symbol
of perfection. The most perfect metal, gold, is also
designated in chemistry by the same character.
"With this reference the Point within a Circle was

an emblem of great importance among the British
Druids. Their temples were circular, many of
them with a single stone erected in the center;
their solemn processions were all arranged in the
same form; their weapons of war—the circular
shield with a central boss, the spear with a hollow
globe at its end, etc.—all partaking of this general
principle; and without a circle it was thought
impossible to obtain the favor of the gods."
Footnotes
91:* The sum of all the principles of

PYTHAGORAS is this:—"The Monad is the
principle of all things. From the Monad came the
Indeterminate Duad, as matter subjected to the
cause of Monad; from the Monad and the
indeterminate Duad, numbers; from numbers,
points; from points, lines; from lines, superficies;
from superficies, solids; from these solid bodies,
whose elements are four—Fire, Water, Air, and
Earth—of all which transmuted, and totally
changed, the WORLD consists."
The three great tenets of a Freemason's profession
inculcate the practice of those truly commendable
virtues, BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF, and
TRUTH.
BROTHERLY LOVE.
By the exercise of Brotherly Love, we are taught

to regard the whole human species as one
family—the high, the low, the rich, the poor—
who, as created by one Almighty Parent, and
inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support,
and protect each other. On this principle, Masonry
unites men of every country, sect, and opinion,
and conciliates true friendship
p. 93
among those who might otherwise have remained

at a perpetual distance.
Brotherly Love or Friendship is regarded by

Freemasons as the strong cement of the Order;
without this high moral virtue, the Fraternity
would soon cease to exist. By Brotherly Love, we
are to understand that generous principle of the
soul which regards the human species as one
family, created by an All-wise Being, and placed
on this globe for the mutual assistance of each
other. The man who is actuated by the pure
principle of Brotherly Love, will not desert his
friend when dangers threaten or misfortunes assail
him. When he is calumniated, he will openly and
boldly espouse his cause, and endeavor to remove
the aspersion. When sickness or infirmity
occasion him to be deserted by others, he will
seize the opportunity, and redouble all the
affectionate attentions which love suggests. No
society can exist for any length of time, unless
Brotherly Love prevail among its members. To
"dwell together in unity," is the life and support of
the great Masonic institution.
RELIEF.
To relieve the distressed, is a duty incumbent on

all men, but particularly on Masons, who are
linked together by an indissoluble chain of sincere
affection. To soothe the unhappy; to sympathize
with their misfortunes; to compassionate their
miseries, and to restore peace to their troubled
minds, is the great aim we have in view. On this
basis, we form our friendships and establish our
connections.
Relief flows from brotherly love, as free, pure,

and refreshing as the mountain air. It dries up the
gushing fountains of grief, banishes want from the
abode of a distressed brother, and pours the oil of
joy into the wounded hearts of the widow and the
orphan.
p. 94
TRUTH
Is a divine attribute, and the foundation of every

virtue. To be good and true, is the first lesson we
are taught in Masonry. On this theme we
contemplate, and by its dictates endeavor to
regulate our conduct. Hence, while influenced by
this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown
among us; sincerity and plain dealing distinguish
us; and the heart and the tongue join in promoting
each other's welfare, and rejoicing in each other's
prosperity. *
Truth is the foundation of all Masonic virtues; it is

one of our grand principles; for to be good men
and true, is a part of the first lesson we are taught;
and at the commencement of our freedom we are
exhorted to be fervent and zealous in the pursuit
of truth and goodness. It is not sufficient that we
walk in the light, unless we do so in the truth also.
All hypocrisy and deceit must be banished from
among us. Sincerity and plain dealing complete
the harmony of a Lodge, and render us acceptable
in the sight of Him unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no secrets are
hid. There is a charm in truth, which draws and
attracts the mind continually towards it. The more
we discover, the more we desire; and the great
reward is wisdom, virtue, and happiness. This is
an edifice founded on a rock, which malice cannot
shake or time destroy.
The * * * * are explained, in connection with the

four cardinal virtues, FORTITUDE, PRUDENCE,
TEMPERANCE, and JUSTICE.
p. 95
FORTITUDE
Is that noble and steady purpose of the mind,

whereby we are enabled to undergo any pain,
peril, or danger, when prudentially deemed
expedient. This virtue is equally distant from
rashness or cowardice; and should be deeply
impressed upon the mind of every Mason, as a
safeguard or security against any illegal attack
that may be made, by force or otherwise, to extort
from him any of those valuable secrets with
which he has been so solemnly intrusted, and
which were emblematically represented upon his
first admission into the Lodge, and * * * *
In the absence of this virtue, no person can

perform his duty, either to GOD, his neighbor, or
himself, in an acceptable manner. He will be too
much overwhelmed with the cares and troubles of
the world to find leisure or resolution to protect
himself from the enticing machinations with
which he will be continually beset during his
progress through life; and may be led
unintentionally to rend asunder the sacred ties of
brotherhood which unite men of all parties,
religions, or politics, by forfeiting the confidence
trustingly reposed in him, and thereby becoming
the victim of his own weakness.
PRUDENCE
Teaches us to regulate our lives and actions

agreeably to the dictates of reason, and is that
habit by which we wisely judge and prudentially
determine on all things relative to cur present
p. 96
as well as to our future happiness. This virtue

should be the peculiar characteristic of every
Mason, not only for the government of his
conduct while in the Lodge, but also when abroad
in the world. It should be particularly attended to,
in all strange and mixed companies, never to let
fall the least sign, token, or word, whereby the
secrets of Masonry might be unlawfully obtained,
and * * * * *
Prudence is among the most exalted objects that

demand every Mason's special attention, for it is
the rule which governs all other virtues. She
directs us to the path which leads to every degree
of propriety, inciting us to the performance of
worthy actions, and, as a guiding-star, lighting our
steps through the dreary and dark-some ways of
this life.
TEMPERANCE
Is that due restraint upon our affections and
passions, which renders the body tame and
governable, and frees the mind from the
allurements of vice. This virtue should be the
constant practice of every Mason; as he is thereby
taught to avoid excess, or contracting any
licentious or vicious habits, the indulgence of
which might lead him to disclose some of those
valuable secrets which he has promised to
conceal, and never reveal, and which would
consequently
p. 97
subject him to the contempt and detestation of all

good Masons.
This virtue should be the constant practice of

every Freemason, while its opposite should be
carefully guarded against. At the shrine of
Intemperance, how many victims are daily
offered!—Blooming youth and hoary age have
alike bowed before it. They continue offering
libations on the unhallowed altar, until their
fortunes are wasted, their credit lost, their
constitutions impaired, their children beggared,
and that life which might have been usefully and
honorably employed, becomes a burden to the
possessor.
JUSTICE
Is that standard, or boundary of right, which

enables us to render to every man his just due,
without distinction. This virtue is not only
consistent with divine and human laws, but is the
very cement and support of civil society; and as
justice, in a great measure, constitutes the really
good man, so should it be the invariable practice
of every Mason never to deviate from the
minutest principle thereof. * * *
The exercise of this principle incites us to act

toward others, in all the transactions of life, as we
wish they would act toward us; and as, in a great
measure, it constitutes real goodness, it is
therefore represented as the perpetual study of an
accomplished Freemason. Without the influence
of justice, universal confusion would ensue;
lawless force would overcome the principles of
equity, and social intercourse would no longer
exist.
Here may be given some general instructions

peculiar to Freemasons, relative to the manner in
which Entered Apprentices
p. 98
serve their * * *, and how represented * * *;

together with a few observations regarding the
comparison between it and clay, etc., and
concluding thus:
Our Mother EARTH alone, of all the elements,

has never proved unfriendly to man; the bodies of
water deluge him with rain, oppress him with hail,
and drown him with inundations. The air rushes in
storms, prepares the tempest, and lights up the
volcano; but the earth, ever kind and indulgent, is
found subservient to his wishes. Though
constantly harassed, more to furnish the luxuries
than the necessaries of life, she never refuses her
accustomed yield; spreading his path with flowers
and his table with plenty; though she produces
poison, still she supplies the antidote, and returns
with interest every good committed to her care;
and when at last he is called upon to pass through
the "dark valley of the shadow of Death," she
once more receives him, and piously covers his
remains within her bosom: this admonishes us
that from it we came, and to it we must shortly
return.
Such is the arrangement of the different sections

in the first lecture, which, with the forms adopted
at the Opening and Closing of a Lodge,
comprehends the whole of the first degree of
Masonry. This plan has the advantage of
regularity
p. 99
to recommend it, the support of precedent and

authority, and the sanction and respect which flow
from antiquity.
Footnotes
94:* In the ancient mythology of Rome, TRUTH

was called the mother of VIRTUE, and was
depicted with white and flowing garments. Her
looks were cheerful and pleasant, though modest
and serene. She was the protectress of honor and
honesty, and the light and joy of human society.
CHARGE TO THE CANDIDATE.
BROTHER: As you are now introduced into the

first principles of Masonry, I congratulate you on
being accepted into this ancient and honorable
Order:—ancient, as having subsisted from time
immemorial; and honorable, as tending, in every
particular, so to render all men who will be
conformable to its precepts. No institution was
ever raised on a better principle or more solid
foundation; nor were ever more excellent rules
and useful maxims laid down, than are inculcated
in the several Masonic lectures. The greatest and
best of men, in all ages, have been encouragers
and promoters of the art; and have never deemed
it derogatory to their dignity to level themselves
with the Fraternity, extend their privileges, and
patronize their assemblies. There are three great
duties which, as a Mason, you are charged to
inculcate:—to GOD, your neighbor, and yourself.
To GOD, in never mentioning His name but with
that reverential awe which is due from a creature
to his Creator; to
p. 100
implore His aid in all your laudable undertakings,

and to esteem Him as the chief good; to your
neighbor, in acting upon the square, and doing
unto him as you wish he should do unto you; and
to yourself, in avoiding all irregularity and
intemperance, which may impair your faculties,
or debase the dignity of your profession. A
zealous attachment to these duties will insure
public and private esteem.
In the state, you are to be a quiet and peaceful

citizen, true to your government, and just to your
country; you are not to countenance disloyalty or
rebellion, but patiently submit to legal authority,
and conform with cheerfulness to the government
of the country in which you live. In your outward
demeanor, be particularly careful to avoid censure
and reproach.
Although your frequent appearance at our regular

meetings is earnestly solicited, yet it is not meant
that Masonry should interfere with your necessary
vocations; for these are on no account to be
neglected; neither are you to suffer your zeal for
the institution to lead you into argument with
those who, through ignorance, may ridicule it.
p. 101
At your leisure hours, that you may improve in

Masonic knowledge, you are to converse with
well-informed brethren, who will be always as
ready to give, as you will be to receive,
instruction.
Finally, keep sacred and inviolable the mysteries

of the Order; as these are to distinguish you from
the rest of the community, and mark your
consequence among Masons. If, in the circle of
your acquaintance, you find a person desirous of
being initiated into Masonry, be particularly
careful not to recommend him, unless you are
convinced he will conform to our rules; that the
honor, glory, and reputation of the institution may
be firmly established, and the world at large
convinced of its good effects.
CHARGE,
AT THE INITIATION OF A SOLDIER.
BROTHER: Our institution breathes a spirit of

general philanthropy. Its benefits, in a social point
of view, are extensive. In the most endearing ties,
it unites all mankind. In every nation, wherever
civilization extends—and not unfrequently among
the wild savages of the forest—it opens an asylum
to a
p. 102
brother in distress, and grants hospitality to the

necessitous and unfortunate. The sublime
principles of universal goodness and love to all
mankind, which are essential to it, cannot be lost
in national distinctions, prejudices, and
animosities. The rage of contest and the
sanguinary conflict have, by its recognized
principles, been abated, and the milder emotions
of humanity substituted. It has often performed
the part of the Angel of Goodness, in ministering
to the wants of the sick, the wounded, and the
unfortunate prisoner of war. It has even taught the
pride of victory to give way to the dictates of an
honorable connection.
Pure patriotism will always animate you to every

call of your country to repel an invading foreign
foe, or in subduing the rebellious intentions of
those within the limits of our own land who
become faithless to the high duty of a citizen. But
should you, while engaged in the service of your
country, be made captive, you may find
affectionate brethren where others would only
find enemies.
The institution also demands that you shall be a

quiet and peaceable citizen, true to your
government, and just to your country; yielding
obedience to the laws which afford you
protection.
In whatever country you travel, when you meet a

Mason, you will find a brother and a friend, who
will do all in his power to serve you; and who will
relieve you, should you be poor or in distress, to
the utmost of his ability, and with a ready
cheerfulness.
p. 103
SECOND DEGREE.
FELLOW-CRAFT.
p. 104
"The Second, or Fellow-Craft's Degree is

rendered interesting by those scientific
instructions and philosophical lectures which
characterize latter parts of the mysteries; though
both of these Degrees were made to tend to the
glory of that God who had given such wonderful
faculties to them, and to the welfare of their
fellow creatures."—ARCHDEACON MANT.
p. 105 p. 106
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p. 107
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p. 114 p. 115
DEGREE OF FELLOW-CRAFT.
IF the object of the first degree be to symbolize

the struggles of a candidate groping in darkness
for intellectual light, that of the second degree
represents the same candidate laboring amid all
the difficulties that encumber the young beginner
in the attainment of learning and science. The
Entered Apprentice is to emerge from darkness to
light—the Fellow-Craft is to come out of
ignorance into knowledge. This degree, therefore,
by fitting emblems, is intended to typify these
struggles of the ardent mind for the attainment of
truth—moral and intellectual truth—and, above
all, that Divine truth, the comprehension of which
surpasseth human understanding, and to which,
standing in the Middle Chamber, after his
laborious ascent of the Winding Stairs, he can
only approximate by the reception of an imperfect
and yet glorious reward, in the revelation of that
"hieroglyphic light which none but Craftsmen
ever saw."
___________
SECOND LECTURE.
MASONRY is a progressive science, and is

divided into different classes, or degrees, for the
more regular advancement in the knowledge of its
mysteries. According to the progress we make, we
limit or extend our inquiries: and, in proportion
p. 116
to our capacity, we attain to a less or greater

degree of perfection.
Freemasonry includes within its circle almost

every branch of polite learning. Under the vail of
its mysteries is comprehended a regular system of
science. Many of its illustrations, to the confined
genius, may appear unimportant; but the man of
more enlarged faculties will perceive them to be,
in the highest degree, useful and interesting. To
please the accomplished scholar and ingenious
artist, Freemasonry is wisely planned; and, in the
investigation of its latent doctrines, the
philosopher and mathematician may experience
equal delight and satisfaction.
To exhaust the varied subjects of which it treats,

would transcend the powers of the brightest
genius; still, however, nearer approaches to
perfection may be made; and the man of wisdom
will not check the progress of his abilities, though
the task he attempts may at first seem
insurmountable. Perseverance and application
remove each difficulty as it occurs; every step he
advances, new pleasures open to his view, and
instruction of the noblest kind attends his
researches. In the diligent pursuit of knowledge,
the intellectual faculties are employed in
promoting the glory of GOD and the good of
man.
The first degree is well calculated to enforce the

duties of morality, and imprint on the memory the
noblest principles which can adorn the human
mind. It is, therefore, the best introduction to the
second degree, which not only extends the same
plan, but comprehends a more diffusive system of
knowledge. Here, practice and theory join in
qualifying the industrious Mason to share the
pleasures which an advancement in the art must
necessarily afford. Listening with attention to the
wise opinions of experienced Craftsmen, on
important subjects, he gradually familiarizes his
mind to useful instruction, and is soon enabled to
investigate truths of the utmost concern in the
general transactions of life.
p. 117
From this system proceeds a rational amusement;

while the mental, powers are fully employed, the
judgment is properly exercised; a spirit of
emulation prevails; and all are induced to contend
who shall most excel in promoting the valuable
rules of the institution.
SECTION I.
THE first section of the second degree accurately

elucidates the mode of introduction into that
particular class, and instructs the diligent
Craftsman how to proceed in the proper
arrangement of the ceremonies used on the
occasion. It qualifies him to judge of their
importance, and convinces him of the necessity of
strictly adhering to every established usage of the
Order. Here he is intrusted with particular tests, to
enable him to prove his title to the privileges of
this degree, while satisfactory reasons are given
for their origin. Many duties, which cement in the
firmest union well-informed brethren, are
illustrated in this section; and an opportunity is
given to make such advances in Masonry as will
always distinguish the abilities of those who have
arrived at preferment.
The Square is an important emblem in this degree.

The Fellow-Craft is instructed, on his entrance,
that this symbol should be the rule and guide of
his conduct with all mankind, but especially with
a brother Mason.
The following passage of Scripture is rehearsed in
this degree:
"Thus he showed me: and behold the LORD stood

upon a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-
line in his hand. And the LORD said unto me,
Amos, what seest thou? and I said, A plumb-line.
p. 118
[paragraph
Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumb- continues]
line in the midst of my people Israel; I will not
again pass by them any more."—Amos vii. 7, 8.
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AIR.—What Fairy-like Music.
Come, Craftsmen, assembled, our pleasure to share,

Who work by the Plumb, and remember the Square;
While trav’ling, in love, on the Level of time,
Sweet hope shall light on to a far better clime.
p. 119
We'll seek, in our labors, the Spirit Divine,

Our Temple to bless, and our hearts to refine;
And thus to our altar a tribute we'll bring,
While, joined in true friendship, our anthem we sing.
See Order and Beauty rise gently to view,

Each Brother a column, so perfect and true!
When Order shall cease, and when temples decay,
May each fairer columns immortal survey.
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
The three allude to the three * * *,

which are the Attentive Ear, the Instructive
Tongue, and the Faithful Breast.
THE SYMBOLICAL JEWELS.
THE three VIRTUES—symbolically designated

"the three Precious Jewels of a Fellow-Craft"—
are, if considered from the true point of view, of
no mean importance, and are well worthy to be
styled "Jewels."
Silence, Secrecy, and Fidelity—rightly

understood—are supreme virtues. In silence, the
Divine Thought moves through the Eternities,
creating and adorning; filling the material world
with forms of beauty and glory, and
communicating to the moral and spiritual the
elements of ever-expanding perfection.
In silence and secrecy, Nature also performs her

mysterious labors, and creates that inspiring
grandeur and blooming loveliness which ever
attracts the attention and charms the vision of
man-
p. 120
The human mind, too, withdrawn into silence and

secrecy, by attention and meditation, elaborates
those grand thoughts—clothed with creative
energies—by which man, through Philosophy,
Science, and Art, becomes the sovereign of the
material world, and demonstrates his close
relationship to the unseen and immortal Powers.
Let, then, the Fellow-Craft wear these precious

jewels proudly; for they are worthy of his love.
Let the attentive ear gather up all those lessons of
wisdom which Nature, History, and the World are
perpetually proclaiming; and, retiring into the
Divine Silence, let the adept study them with
solemn earnestness. Let Fidelity—loyalty to Truth
and Virtue—having its root in the deep recesses
of the faithful heart, bind him eternally to the
Good, the Beautiful, and the True, which will
crown him with joy on earth, and make him
illustrious when he shall be admitted to the "Inner
Chamber" of the Temple on high.
The Working-Tools of a Fellow-Craft are the
PLUMB, the SQUARE, and the LEVEL.
The Plumb is an instrument made use of by

Operative Masons, to try perpendiculars; the
Square, to square their work; and the Level, to
prove horizontals: but we, as Free and Accepted
Masons, are taught to make use of them for more
noble and glorious purposes:—the Plumb
admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several
stations before GOD and man, squaring our
actions by the Square of Virtue, and ever
remembering that we are traveling upon the Level
of Time, to " that undiscovered country, from
whose bourne no traveler returns." * * *
p. 121
The symbols of those instruments used by

architects are unknown to common observers,
who merely see in them the simple Square, the
Level, and the Plumb; but Free and Accepted
Masons recognize them as emblems of certain
moral principles and religious duties, which, if
followed out as they should be, would render all
men valuable members of society. The Square, as
an emblem of morality, teaches us to square our
lives and actions by the unerring laws of GOD'S
Word, and to regulate our conduct according to
the doctrine laid down by our divine Creator; to
preserve a lively faith in his Holy Gospel, which,
in the most impressive manner, teaches us to live
in brotherly love with all mankind. The Level is
an emblem of equality; and reminds us that, in the
sight of GOD, all men are equal; that He causes
the sun to shine on the poor man's cottage, as well
as on the king's palace; with Him there is no
distinction, unless we so far forget our duty as to
neglect and disobey the divine commands. The
Plumb, signifying uprightness, reminds us to
observe justice and equity in all our dealings on
earth; so that, through the great mercy of GOD,
we may hope to obtain an entrance into the Grand
Lodge above, held in that temple not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.
SECTION II.
THE second section of this degree has reference

to the origin of the Institution, and views
MASONRY under two denominations—
OPERATIVE and SPECULATIVE. These are
separately considered, and the principles on which
both are founded, particularly explained. Their
affinity is pointed out by allegorical figures and
typical representations. The period stipulated for
rewarding merit is fixed, and the inimitable moral
to which that circumstance alludes is explained;
the creation of the world is described, and many
other particulars recited, all of which have been
carefully preserved among Masons, and
transmitted from one age to another by oral
tradition.
Circumstances of great importance to the

Fraternity are here particularized, and many
traditional tenets and customs
p. 122
confirmed by sacred and profane record. The

celestial and terrestrial globes are considered with
a minute accuracy; and here the accomplished
Craftsman may display his talents to advantage in
the elucidation of the ORDERS OF
ARCHITECTURE, the SENSES of human
nature, and the liberal ARTS AND SCIENCES,
which are severally classed in a regular
arrangement. In short, this section contains a store
of valuable knowledge, founded on reason and
sacred record, both entertaining and instructive.
OPERATIVE MASONRY.
We work in Speculative Masonry, but our ancient

brethren wrought in both Operative and
Speculative. * They worked at the building of
King SOLOMON'S temple, and many other
sacred and Masonic edifices.
By Operative Masonry, we allude to a proper

application of the useful rules of architecture,
whence a structure will derive figure, strength,
and beauty, and whence will result a due
proportion and a just correspondence in all its
parts. It furnishes us with dwellings and
convenient shelters from the vicissitudes and
inclemencies of seasons; and while it displays the
effects of
p. 123
human wisdom, as well in the choke as in the

arrangement of the sundry materials of which an
edifice is composed, it demonstrates that a fund of
science and industry is implanted in man, for the
best, most salutary, and beneficent purposes.
SPECULATIVE MASONRY.
By Speculative Masonry, we learn to subdue the

passions, act upon the square, keep a tongue of
good report, maintain secrecy, and practice
charity. It is so far interwoven with religion, as to
lay us under obligations to pay that rational
homage to the Deity, which at once constitutes
our duty and our happiness. It leads the
contemplative to view, with reverence and
admiration, the glorious works of creation, and
inspires him with the most exalted ideas of the
perfection of his Divine Creator.
MASONRY, OPERATIVE AND
SPECULATIVE.
FOR a considerable time previous to the building

of SOLOMON'S Temple, the Societies of
Sidonian Architects and Builders had become
celebrated throughout the ancient world. A
company of these masons and architects, under
the superintendence of HIRAM, the Widow's Son,
was sent by the King of Tyre to SOLOMON, to
assist in the erection of that stately edifice. At this
period commences the history of Masonry among
the Jews. Thus introduced into Judea, it flourished
greatly under the protection of SOLOMON and
some of his successors; but it was also, in the
course of years,
p. 124
subject to bitter persecutions, gross

misrepresentations, and fierce denunciations. The
exclusive and stern Hebrews were slow to
appreciate fully its catholic and benign spirit, and
its great value as an industrial agent.
Even at this period, we have reason to believe, the

Sidonian Order was not entirely an operative
society, but rather was a mixed body, consisting
of both operative and speculative Masons. In the
formation of its rituals, it had drawn largely on
the Rites of the Orphic, Cabirian, and Isianic
Mysteries. The speculative character finally
triumphed over the operative, and the ancient
Order of Hiram was transformed into the Order of
the Essen, or Breast-plate, or the Essenian
Brotherhood.
At an early period the Sidonian Masons had

planted their societies in Rome, and in the reign
of NUMA POMPUAUS were highly favored by
that monarch. These societies were there known
under the name of Colleges of Builders and
Artificers. After Christianity had subdued the
pagan world, these "Colleges of Builders," or
societies of Operative Masons, were engaged in
erecting cathedrals, churches, and other public
edifices, and continued, in unbroken succession,
down to A. D. 1717. In 1459 they held a general
convention of the Crafts at Ratisbon, and decided
to institute a Grand Lodge at Strasburg, and that
the architect of that cathedral, for the time being,
should be, ex officio, Grand Master.
These Lodges also preserved the ancient rituals,

which gave them a speculative or philosophical
character; and thus we find that the history of the
Order of Operative Masons in Europe reproduces
that of Sidonian Masonry in ancient Judea. As
that Order culminated in the Essenian
Brotherhood, so the Order of Operative was in
1717 transformed into that of Speculative
Masonry.
That Speculative Masonry is the offspring of the

ancient corporations of Builders and Masons,
there cannot be a doubt. It possesses all the
venerable forms of those old societies, their
rituals, and their language of signs and symbols.
The instruments of the builder's art—the Gavel,
Twenty-four-inch Gauge, Trowel, Level, Plumb,
Square, Compasses, Spade, Setting-Maul, etc.—it
retains, and applies them to moral uses. They
have become the most significant and instructive
of emblems. All Freemasons are familiar with
their symbolical interpretations, and appreciate
their beauty and the force of their teaching. The
Free or Speculative Mason is also a builder, but
not of material edifices. He is, or should be, the
constructer of a Temple, more glorious than that
of SOLOMON—
p. 125
a Temple of Virtue, of Honor, of Charity, Purity,

and Knowledge; and these implements of the
Operative Mason's art, in their emblematic use,
indicate the labors he is to execute, the dangers he
is to encounter, and the preparations he is to make
in the great work of uprearing that spiritual fabric
wherein his soul may find peace for evermore.
* * * * * * *
This section also refers to the origin of the Jewish

Sabbath, as well as to the manner in which it was
kept by our ancient brethren.
In six days GOD created the heaven and the earth,

and rested upon the seventh day; the seventh,
therefore, our ancient brethren consecrated as a
day of rest from their labors, thereby enjoying
frequent opportunities to contemplate the glorious
works of creation, and to adore their great
Creator.
THE six days of creation are technically known

among Freemasons as the "Grand Architect's Six
Periods." These important periods in the world's
history may be more particularly illustrated as
follows:
Before the Almighty was pleased to command

this vast world into existence, the elements and
materials of creation lay blended together without
distinction or form. Darkness was on the face of
the great deep, and the spirit of GOD moved on
the surface of the waters. The Almighty, as an
example to man, that all things of moment should
be done with due deliberation, was pleased to be
six days in commanding it from chaos to
perfection. The first instance of his supreme
power was made manifest by commanding light;
and being pleased with this new operation, he
distinguished it by name, calling the light DAY,
and the darkness he called NIGHT. And, in order
to keep this same framed matter within just limits.
p. 126
the second day was employed in laying the

foundations for the heavens, which be called
firmament, designed to keep the waters that were
within the clouds, and those beneath them,
asunder. Ou the third day, he commanded those
waters within due limits, and dry land appeared,
which he called EARTH; and the mighty
congregated waters he called SEA. The earth
being yet irregular and barren, GOD spoke the
word, and it was immediately covered with a
beautiful carpet of grass, designed as pasture for
the brute creation. Trees, shrubs, and flowers of
all sorts, succeeded in full growth, maturity, and
perfection. On the fourth day, the two grand
luminaries, the SUN and moots, were created; the
sum to rule the day, and the MOON to govern the
night. And the sacred historian informs us that
they were ordained for signs, seasons, days, and
years, The Almighty was also pleased to
bespangle the ethereal concave of heaven with a
multitude of stars, that man, whom he intended to
make, might contemplate thereon, and justly
admire his majesty and glory. On the fifth day, he
caused the waters to bring forth a variety of fish
for our use; and, in order to imprint on the mind
of man a reverential awe of his divine
omnipotence, he created the other inhabitants of
the mighty deep, which multiplied exceedingly
after their kind. On the same day, the Almighty
caused the birds to fly in the air, that man might
delight his eyes and ears—with some for their
beautiful plumage, and others for their melodious
notes.
On the sixth day, he created the beasts of the field

and the reptiles which crawl on the earth. And
here we may plainly perceive the wisdom, power,
and goodness of the Grand Geometrician of the
Universe, made manifest throughout the whole of
his proceedings. He produced what effects he
pleased without the aid of their natural causes—
such as giving light to the world before he created
the sun and moon, and making the earth fruitful
without the influence of the heavenly bodies. He
did not create the beasts of the field until he had
provided sufficient herbage for their support;
neither did he create man until be had furnished
him with a dwelling, and every thing requisite for
life and pleasure. Then, to dignify the work of his
hands still more, ho made man, who came into the
world with greater pomp than any creature which
preceded him. They came but with a single
command. GOD spake the word, and it was done.
But at the formation of man, we are told, there
was a consultation, in which GOD said, Let us
make man. He was immediately formed out of the
dust of the earth. The breath of life
p. 127
was blown into his nostrils, and man became a

living soul. In this one creature, there is a
combination of every thing throughout the whole
creation—such as the quality and substance of an
animate being, the life of plants, the senses of
beasts; but, above all, the understanding of angels;
formed after the immediate image of GOD,
thereby intimating to him that integrity and
uprightness should ever influence him to adore his
Creator, who has so liberally bestowed on him the
faculty of speech, and further endued him with
that noble instinct called REASON. The
Almighty, as his last and best gift to man, created
WOMAN. Under his forming hand, the creature
grew—man-like, but of different sex—so lovely
fair, that what seemed fair in all the world,
seemed now mean: all in her summed up—in her
contained. On she came, led by her Heavenly
Maker, though unseen, yet guided by his voice,
adorned with all that heaven could bestow to
make her amiable.
"Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye,

In every gesture dignity and love."
The Almighty, having finished the sixth day's

work, rested on the seventh. He blessed, hallowed,
and sanctified it. He thereby taught man to work
industriously six days, but strictly commanded
him to rest on the seventh, the better to
contemplate on the beautiful works of creation—
to adore him as their Creator—to go into his
sanctuaries, and offer up praises for life and every
blessing he so amply enjoys at his bountiful
hands.
Footnotes
122:* Freemasonry is to be considered as divided

into two parts—the Operative and Speculative;
and these are again subdivided—that is, Craft
Masonry—into three distinct branches: the
Manual, the Instrumental, and the Scientific. The
Manual consists of such parts of business as are
performed by hand-labor alone, or by the help of
some simple instruments, the uses whereof are not
to be learned by any problems or rules of art, but
by labor and practice only; and this is more
particularly applicable to the brethren of the first
degree, called Entered Apprentices.
The Pillars of the Porch.
For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits

high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits (lid
compass either of them about.—I. KINGS Vii. 15.
Also he made before the house two pillars of

thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that
was on the top of each of them was five cubits.—
II. CHRON. iii. 15.
And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set

upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one
chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the
other chapiter was five cubits.—I. KINGS vii. 16.
The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,

and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height
of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen
work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round
p. 128
about all of brass: and like unto these had the

second pillar with wreathen work.—II. Kiwis xxv.
17. *
THE TWO BRAZEN PILLARS
WHICH ornamented the porch of

King SOLOMON'S Temple, were
fluted, with sixteen flutes each, a
hand's breadth (about four inches) in
depth. Their shafts were eighteen
cubits high (I. KINGS vii. 15;
Click to enlarge JEREMIAH lii. 21), about thirty feet
seven inches; the circumference of the

shaft at the base was fourteen cubits, twenty-three
feet eleven inches (LXX. version I. KINGS vii.
15), giving a diameter of about seven feet seven
inches. At the top, the circumference was twelve
cubits, giving a diameter of six feet eight inches
(JEREMIAH lii. 21; I. KINGS vii. 15). They were
surmounted by chapiters; the chapiters were
composed of seven wreaths of twisted brass, set
perpendicularly on an abacus of seven sides,
crowning the shaft of each pillar. These wreaths
were three cubits high (II. KINGS xxv. 17); upon
four of these wreaths, in a trapezoidal form was
suspended a latticed Net-work of brass and
copper, colored yellow and red; around the curved
bottom of which was a brass fringe, ornamented
with two
p. 129
rows of brazen Pomegranates, fifty in a row (I.

KINGS vii. 18; II. CHRON. iv. 12; JEREMIAH
lii. 23). The pomegranates being arranged ninety-
six on a side (JEREMIAH lii. 23), two of the
pomegranates hung on each point of suspension;
and eight to the cubit for twelve cubits (LXX.
version JEREMIAH lii. 22), which was the entire
length of the cycloidal arc of the net-work from
one point of suspension to the other. Within the
net-work was set a hollow Lily of silver, with six
pointed leaves; the height of the points of the lily
above the abacus was four cubits (I. KINGS vii.
19). This lily circumscribed a SPHERE of brass
(II. CHRON. iv. 12), whose diameter was exactly
equal to the diameter of the top of the column
(LXX. version L KINGS vii. 20), whose superior
convex surface reached an elevation of five cubits
above the abacus, making the whole height of the
chapiter five cubits (I. KINGS vii. 15; IL
CHRON. iii. 15; JEREMIAH lii. 21).—Symbols
of Freemasonry, esoterically considered, by W. S.
ROCKWELL, P. G. M. of Georgia.
Footnotes
128:* The discrepancy as to the height of the

pillars, as given in the book of Kings and in
Chronicles, is to be reconciled by supposing that
in the book of Kings the pillars are spoken of
separately, and that in Chronicles their aggregate
height is calculated: and the reason that, in this
latter book, their united height is placed at thirty-
five cubits, instead of thirty-six, which would be
the double of eighteen, is because they are there
measured as they appear with the chapiters upon
them. Now, half a cubit of each pillar was
concealed in what Dr. LIGHTFOOT calls "the
hole of the chapiter;"—that is, half a cubit's depth
of the lower edge of the chapiter covered the top
of the pillar, making each pillar apparently only
seventeen and a half cubits high, or the two,
thirty-five cubits, as laid down in the book of
Chronicles.—In a similar way we reconcile the
difference as to the height of the chapiters. In I.
Kings and II. Chronicles the chapiters are said to
be five cubits high, while in II. Kings their height
is described as being only three cubits. But it will
be noticed that it immediately follows in the same
place, that "there was a wreathen work and
pomegranates upon the chapiter round about."
Now, this expression is conclusive that the height
of the chapiters was estimated exclusive and
independent of the wreathen work round about
them, which was two cubits more, and this, added
to the three cubits of the chapiter proper, will
make the five cubits spoken of In all other parts of
Scripture.—MACKEY'S Manual of the Lodge.
THE SYMBOLS OF
Peace, Unity and Plenty
Are introduced, and their moral application

explained.
OF THE GLOBES.
The Globes are two artificial spherical bodies, on

the convex surface of which are represented the
countries, seas, and various parts of the earth, the
face of the heavens, the planetary revolutions, and
other important particulars.
THE USE OF THE GLOBES.
Their principal use, besides serving as maps to

distinguish the outward parts of the earth, and the
situation of the fixed stars, is to illustrate and
explain the phenomena arising from the annual
revolution and the diurnal rotation
p. 130
of the earth around its own axis. They are

invaluable instruments for improving the mind,
and giving it the most distinct idea of any problem
or proposition, as well as enabling it to solve the
same. Contemplating these bodies, we are
inspired with a due reverence for the Deity and
his works, and are induced to encourage the
studies of Astronomy, Geography, Navigation,
and the Arts dependent on them, by which society
has been so much benefited.
The Winding Stairs.
The door for the middle chamber was in the right

side of the house; and they went up with winding
stairs into the middle chamber.—I. KINGS vi. 8. *
THE SYMBOLICAL STAIRWAY, which leads

front the ground-floor to the Middle Chamber of
our mystic house, consists of fifteen steps and
three divisions. The divisions, we perceive, differ
in the number of their steps, each having an odd
number—"three, five, and seven." While there is
no positive evidence that these divisions have any
particular reference to Ancient Craft Masonry, yet
the lessons taught us, as we ascend, should
impress upon the mind of every Freemason the
importance of discipline, as well as a knowledge
of natural, mathematical, and metaphysical
science It also opens to him an extensive range of
moral and speculative inquiry, which may prove a
source of peculiar gratification.
Reference is here made to the Masonic

organization into three degrees—the Entered
Apprentice, the Fellow-Craft, and the Master
Mason; and to its system of government by three
officers—the Worshipful Master, the Senior
Warden, and the Junior Warden.
Footnotes
130:* Vide Lecture on the Legend of the Winding

Stairs, pp. 159-170.
p. 131
The ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE are next

considered and explained.
OF ORDER IN ARCHITECTURE.
By order in architecture is meant a system of all

the members, proportions, and ornaments of
columns and pilasters; or, it is a regular
arrangement of the projecting parts of a building,
which, united with those of a column, form a
beautiful, perfect, and complete whole.
OF ITS ANTIQUITY.
From the first formation of society, order in

architecture may be traced. When the rigor of
seasons obliged men to contrive shelter from the
inclemency of the weather, we learn that they first
planted trees on end, and then laid others across,
to support a covering. The bands which connected
those trees at top and bottom are said to have
given rise to the idea of the base and capital of
pillars; and from this simple hint originally
proceeded the more improved art of architecture.
The first habitations of men were such as Nature

afforded, with but little labor on the part of the
occupant, and sufficient only to satisfy his simple
wants. Each tribe or people constructed, from the
materials that presented themselves, such
habitations as were best suited to this purpose,
and at the same time most convenient.
p. 132
[paragraph
We thus find, in countries remote from other continues]
nations, und where foreign influences did not
exist, an architecture at once singular, and as
indigenous as the vegetation itself. The hypogea
of the borders of the Indus, the Nile, and the
Ganges—the temporary tents of the nomadic
tribes of eastern Asia—the oaks of the Grecian
forests, fashioned by the ingenuity of man into the
humble cabin (the prototype of the principal
Grecian order)—are indubitably the primitive
styles of the Egyptian, the Grecian, and the
Oriental structures. Anterior to the discovery of
printing, the monument was the tablet upon which
the various races chronicled for posterity the
annals of their history. In the simple, unhewn
altar, we recognize the genius of religion: we
trace in it the germ of the development of human
intelligence; it bespeaks faith, ingenuity,
ambition. The ancient Babel, and the altars of
Scripture—the monuments of Gilgal and Gilead
of the Hebrews—the Celtic Dolmens, the
Cromlechs, the Peulvens or Menheirs, the
Lichavens, (the Trelithous of the Greeks,) the
Nurhags, the Talayots, and the Tumuli, (the Latin
Mercuriales,)—are all symbols of pristine faith.
With the pagan devotee, the art was made to
conform to the moral attributes of the character of
the deity in whose honor the monument was
erected. With the Greeks, various styles of
structure were thus instigated, from the early
polygonal formations of the Phoenicians, at
Astrea and Tyranthus, to the perfections of
design, the imposing Doric, the graceful Ionic,
and the magnificent Corinthian orders. Each
nation, at every age, possessed its symbolic
monuments, revealing its conception of the
attributes of the Infinite, with the exception of the
Persians, who, as we learn from the Zend Avesta,
worshiped in the open air, and who, according to
HEEODOTUS, possessed no temples, but revered
the whole circuit of the heavens; and the
Assyrians, whose Magi interpreted the silent stars,
and worshiped the sun. Among such monuments,
we must reckon, as the chief, the Temple of
SOLOMON, that sublime conception of the spirit
of immateriality, true type, in its massive
splendor, of a higher and purer belief; at Elora,
the temple of Indra, sacred to Swargas, the god of
ether, which, according to the Puranas, was
designed by Wisvakama, the stapathi, or architect
of the heavens. In China, the ancient Tings, Taas,
and Mikosi, were temples of the gods, and the
mias, in Japan and Siam, were sacred structures.
The Pyramids were symbolic emblems of the
metempsychosian creed of Egypt. The Djebel
Pharouni, the pyramids of Rhamses, the temples
of Isis end Osiris, and the Memnon, bespeak
p. 133
(in their colossal size) a vast and boundless faith.

Athens possessed her Parthenon, over whose
magnificence presided Minerva Archegetea, and
Rome her Pantheon, "shrine of all saints and altar
of all gods." Ancient Cordova had her mosque, on
which the Moors spent the riches of their oriental
taste. Modern Rome possesses her basilica of St.
Peters, on whose sublime structure, amid the
visible decadence of classic art, MICHAEL
ANGELO lavished his genius.—Of the early
achievements and of the progressive steps of the
science of architecture, there remain but
fragments, though sufficient, with the assistance
of history, to teach us their antiquity. The epochs
of advancement can be traced progressively from
the early elements of structure to the more
perfected styles; and throughout the whole globe
remains of edifices will be found which proclaim
an early possession of certain degrees of
architectural knowledge.—The most ancient
nation known to us who made any considerable
progress in the arts of design is the Babylonian.
Their most celebrated monuments were the
Temple of Belus, the Kasr, and the hanging
gardens which Nebuchadnezzar built for his
Lydian bride, the wonderful canal of the Naher
Malca, and the Lake of Palacópos. An idea of the
colossal size of the structures they once composed
can be formed from the dimensions of their ruins.
The material employed in cementing the burned
or sun-dried bricks—upon which hieroglyphics
are to be traced—was the mortar produced by
Nature from the fountains of naphtha and bitumen
at the river Is, near Babylon. No entire
architectural monument has come down to us
from the Assyrians, whose capital was
embellished with the superb Kalla, Ninoah, and
the Khorzabad; nor from the Phoenicians, whose
cities—Tyre, Sidon, Arados, and Sarepta—were
adorned with equal magnificence; nor from the
Israelites, whose temples were wonderful
structures; nor from the Syrians, the Philistines,
and many other nations. Our want of thorough
knowledge concerning the architecture of these
Oriental nations is attributable partly to the
innumerable devastations which have taken place
on this great battle-field of the world; but to the
perishability of the materials that were
employed—such as gypsum, alabaster, wood,
terra cotta, and brick, with which their ruins
abound—we must likewise attribute, in part, this
ignorance.
The massive temples of the Hindoos at Elora,

Salsitte, and the Island of Elephanta, seem in their
awful grandeur like the habitations of giants, on
whose land some divine malediction has fallen.
The Hindoos, in these colossal structures with
their endless sculptured
p. 134
panels, their huge figures, and their astounding

and intricate excavations, evince a perseverance
and industry equaled only by the Egyptians. Their
pagodas, towering in the air, are likewise
wonderful architectural achievements, quite as
admirable as their hypogea. The Indian structures
are remarkable for their severe and grotesque
appearance. Their temples—whether of
BRAHMA, the creator of all; VISHNU, the
preserver of all; or of SERB or SHEVA, the
destroyer of all—exhibit a striking embodiment of
the attributes of the deities in whose honor they
were erected.
A remarkable resemblance to the Hindoo

constructions has been found in the religious
monuments or teocallis of Mexico and Yucatan.
But the architectural types of these antique
structures sink into insignificance when compared
with those of Egypt. The obelisks, pyramids,
temples, palaces, tombs, and other structures with
which that country abounds, are on a colossal
scale, and such as can have been executed only by
a people far advanced in architectural art, and
profoundly versed in the science of mechanics.
These works, like the Hindoo structures, were
remarkable for their gigantic proportions and
massiveness. Intricate and highly painted relievo
sculptures or hieroglyphics covered the entire
extent of their walls. The prevailing monotony of
the hieroglyphic designs which form the chief
feature of Egyptian architectural decoration, was
superinduced by the circumscribed and limiting
laws of their religion. In Egyptian architecture we
trace the elements of the early Indian school,
blended with more harmonious combinations, as
likewise the introduction of architectural orders.
Beside skilled organization of parts, and a just
appreciation of pleasing effect, their works in
their colossal features evince a thorough
knowledge of the geometrical branch of the
science of construction. The architectural genius
of Egypt lavished its power on mausoleums, and
on gorgeous temples to the deities, which, in their
sublimity, inspire awe. They were constructed of
granite, breccia, sandstone, and brick, which
different materials are adjusted with much
precision. The huge blocks employed in their
various monuments exhibit a perfect acquaintance
with the laws of mechanics. We cannot but
wonder at their monolithic obelisks, especially
when we reflect upon the immense distances they
had to be transported. The pyramidal shape
pervades most of their works, the walls of their
temples inclining inward. The jambs to their
entrance-gates also were generally inclined. The
Egyptians never used columns peripterally, even
under the dominion of the Greeks and Romans.
p. 135
when the column was used externally, the space

intervening was walled up to a certain height. To
these circumstances, together with the fact that
their monuments were terraced, eau be ascribed
their massive and solid appearance. With them,
columns were employed to form porticos in their
interior courts, and also to support the ceilings.
The shafts, of different forms, being conical, or
cylindrical, or bulging out at the base, sometimes
presented a smooth surface; they were rarely
fluted, being generally covered with
hieroglyphics. Occasionally, they were monoliths,
but were generally constructed in layers, and
covered with hieroglyphics; a circular plinth
formed the base. The capitals resemble the lotus,
at times, spreading out at the top; again, the
flower appears bound together, assuming the
bulbous shape; above is a square tablet forming
the abacus. Others, of a later date, present
projecting convex lobes; while other capitals are
composed of a rectangular block, with a head
carved on either side, surmounted by a die, also
carved. Caryatic figures were also employed by
the Egyptians, and were generally placed against
walls or pillars, thus appearing to support the
entablature, composed of a simple architrave and
a coved cornice, with a large torus intervening,
which descends the angles of the walls. The
Pelasgians appear to have been the first people
settled in Greece, numerous remains of whose
structures are still extant. Subsequently, from the
knowledge possessed by the indigenous tribes,
together with that acquired from the Egyptians
and the Asiatic nations, the Greeks extracted and
developed a style peculiarly their own; and
architectural art passed from the gigantic to the
elegant and classic forms. During the reign of
PERICLES it flourished with meridian splendor,
and some of the most superb edifices the world
has ever seen were erected during this period. The
Grecian monument belonged to the nation, and
upon the public works of the country the
government lavished fabulous sums. HEEREN
informs us that the Greeks placed the necessary
appropriation of funds for the public works at the
head of the government expenditures. The
thoughts of the whole Grecian nation, it would
seem, were turned toward the adornment of the
country. They forbade by law any architectural
display on private residences, and in fact, until
after Greece became subject to Macedonia,
architects were permitted to work only for the
governments.
The beauty and grace which pervade all their

works, whether monumental, mechanical, or
industrial, lead us to suppose that, although
imperfect as regards comfort, they must yet have
exhibited
p. 136
a certain degree of elegance. A just idea of the

moldings and ornaments, unequaled for their
purity and grace, can be obtained only from
personal observation. It is also impossible, from
any verbal description, to be able fully to
appreciate the beauty and harmony of their
different styles. It may not be amiss, however,
here to lay down some general principles:—These
styles may be classed in systems or orders—the
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. They also employed,
though rarely, caryatides. Innumerable
conjectures exist concerning the origin of these
different orders. In all probability we are indebted
to the Dorians for the invention of the Doric;
although CHAMPOLLION sees in an Egyptian
order, which he styles the proto-Doric, the type of
the Grecian order of that name. The oldest
example extant is at Corinth.—To the Ionians,
likewise, is attributed the honor of having first
employed the Ionic order, no example of which is
to be found in Greece, prior to the Macedonian
conquest. As for the origin of the Corinthian,
without wishing to discredit the interesting
narrative of VITRUVIUS, wherein he accords to
CALLIMACHUS the invention of the Corinthian
capital, it might be well to state, that foliated
capitals, of much greater antiquity than any
discovered in Greece, are to be found in Egypt
and in Asia Minor. The most perfect Grecian
example of this order is employed in the choragic
monument of LYSICRATES; and there can be
little doubt that the Greeks also derived the idea
of their caryatic order from the Egyptians, who
frequently employed human figures instead of
columns in their structures.—The Doric holds the
foremost rank among the Grecian orders, not only
on account of its being the most ancient, the most
generally employed, and, consequently, the most
perfected, but more especially on account of its
containing, as it were, the principle of all their
architecture, as well as an exact imitation of all
the parts employed in their primitive
constructions, which were undoubtedly of wood.
This style, typical of majesty and imposing
grandeur, was almost universally employed by the
Greeks in the construction of their temples; and
certainly monumental art does not furnish us with
the equal of a Greek peripteral temple.
To the Etruscans the invention of the arch,

constructed on its true principles, has been
generally attributed, as likewise the composition
of an order styled Tuscan, a species of simple
Doric, no entire example of which, however, has
been handed down to us by the ancients.
The history of Roman architecture, under its kings

and at the
p. 137
beginning of the republic, is somewhat obscure,

as but few of the monuments of that period
remain. The Roman kings fortified the city, and
erected various palaces, temples, and tombs. It
became adorned with colossal works of art, whose
stupendous features—forming such a contrast
with the comparative insignificance of its power
and condition—would seem to indicate that the
future of imperial Rome had been foreshadowed
to its people. The early Romans employed
Etruscans in their works. When Greece at length
fell under the yoke of the Roman empire, Rome
became enriched with the spoils of Athens. The
Greek artists sought protection and patronage
among their conquerors, and adorned the imperial
capital with structures which called forth
unbounded praise. The Grecian style was blended
with the Etruscan during the more early period of
the Roman school. But as the arch, which was the
characteristic feature of Roman architecture,
revealed its treasures, the Grecian elements were
employed but as a system of ornamentation.
During the middle ages, the spirit of classic art
seems to have waned with the glory of the Roman
empire. The science of building became
perverted, and the fame which the Romans had
attained in architecture became a memory only.
At this period it is supposed that the construction
of houses in stories became general. The
habitations of the mass of the people were poor,
and irregularly planted about the town-hall in
cities, or clustered about those massive structures
(feudal castles) erected as fortresses, into which
the arrogant possessor might retire, and whence
he might sally at pleasure to harass the country.
Many of the castle fortresses were on a plan of
great magnitude, consisting of two or more large
towers and divers inner buildings, including
chapels During the gloom and the disastrous
influences of the bloody wars of the middle ages,
we find the venerable institution of Freemasonry
nourishing, under the ashes of its ancient
mysteries, the social fire of architectural art.
While the whole of Europe was convulsed with
the international and social strife and invasions of
barbarians, which resulted in its complete
reorganization, the study of the arts, sciences, and
literature, took refuge in the monasteries. In Italy,
during the tenth century, we find the corporation
of Magistri Comacini exercising great influence,
and giving to Grecian artists shelter from the
political troubles of the East, and from the
persecutions of the Iconoclasts. These artists
promulgated among the Lombards the Byzantine
elements of structure. whose influence, es we
have seen, was more or less diffused
p. 138
throughout the architectural schools of Europe.

Under ERWIN VON STEINBACH, of Germany,
during the thirteenth century, the Mitten, or
Lodges, were organized, one object of which was
the study of architecture, over which they
exercised a powerful influence. In Strasbourg
existed the Lodge of the Haupt-Hütte. Under
GODOYNE, or JOSSE DOTTZINGER, of
Worms, (who in 1444 succeeded the architect J.
HULT,) the various sects of the German
Freemasons were incorporated into one body,
and, in virtue of an act passed at Ratisbon, the
same year, the architect of the cathedral of
Strasbourg was elected the sole Grand Master of
the Fraternity. These magistri lapidum were
likewise sole directors or supervisors of all the
religious structures. Protected by the Church, sole
depository of the arcana of the early Masters,
architecture passed from the old Gothic through
various phases of the pointed or ogean styles. The
influence, the enterprise, and daring achievements
of its promoters seemed to strike the
contemporary ages as well as posterity with a
religious awe; and the intellectual power and
energy of the people appear to have been
concentrated and expended upon architecture. The
revival of the spirit of emulation, engendered by
the impetus thus given to art, would seem to have
possessed a regenerating power, and to have
resuscitated Europe from the condition of moral
syncope into which it had fallen. The spirit of an
age is embodied in its architecture.
The five orders are thus classed:—the TUSCAN,

DORIC, IONIC, CORINTHIAN, and
COMPOSITE.
THE TUSCAN
Is the most simple and solid of the five orders. It
was invented in Tuscany, whence it derives its
name. Its column is seven diameters high; and its
capital, base, and entablature have but few
moldings. The simplicity of the construction of
this column renders it eligible where ornament
would be superfluous.
p. 139
THE DORIC,
Which is plain and natural, is the most ancient,

and was invented by the Greeks. Its column is
eight diameters high, and has seldom any
ornaments on base or capital, except moldings—
though the frieze is distinguished by triglyphs and
metopes, and triglyphs compose the ornaments of
the frieze. The solid composition of this order
gives it a preference, in structures where strength
and a noble simplicity are chiefly required. The
Doric is the best proportioned of all the orders.
The several parts of which it is composed are
founded on the natural position of solid bodies. In
its first invention, it was more simple than in its
present state. In after-times, when it began to be
adorned, it gained the name of Doric: for when it
was constructed in its primitive and simple form,
the name of Tuscan was conferred on it. Hence
the Tuscan precedes the Doric in rank, on account
of its resemblance to that pillar in its original
state.
THE IONIC
Bears a kind of mean proportion between the

more solid and delicate orders. Its column is
p. 140
nine diameters high; its capital is adorned with
volutes, and its cornice has dentils. There is both
delicacy and ingenuity displayed in this pillar, the
invention of which is attributed to the Ionians, as
the famous "Temple of Diana," at Ephesus, was of
this order. It is said to have been formed after the
model of an agreeable young woman, of an
elegant shape, dressed in her hair; as a contrast to
the Doric order, which was formed after that of a
strong, robust man.
THE CORINTHIAN,
The richest of the five orders, is deemed a

masterpiece of art. Its column is ten diameters
high, and its capital is adorned with two rows of
leaves, and eight volutes, which sustain the
abacus. The frieze is ornamented with curious
devices; the cornice with dentils and modillions.
This order is used in stately and superb structures.
It was invented at Corinth by CALLIMACHUS,
who is said to have taken the hint of the capital of
this pillar from the following remarkable
circumstance:—Accidentally passing by the tomb
of a young lady, be perceived a basket of toys,
covered with a tile, placed over an acanthus-root,
having been left there by her nurse.
p. 141
As the branches grew up, they encompassed the

basket until, arriving at the tile, they met with an
obstruction, and bent downwards.
CALLIMACHUS, struck with the object, set
about imitating the figure; the vase of the capital
he made to represent the basket; the abacus, the
tile; and the volutes, the bending leaves.
THE COMPOSITE
Is compounded of the other orders, and was
contrived by the Romans. Its capital has the two
rows of leaves of the Corinthian, and the volutes
of the Ionic. Its column has quarter-rounds, as the
Tuscan and Doric orders; is ten diameters high,
and its cornice has dentils, or simple modillions.
This pillar is generally found in buildings where
strength, elegance and beauty are displayed.
THE INVENTION OF ORDER IN

ARCHITECTURE.
The ancient and original orders of architecture,

revered by Masons, are no more than three: the
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, which were
invented by the Greeks. To these, the Romans
have added two—the Tuscan, which they made
plainer than the Doric, and the Composite, which
was
p. 142
more ornamental, if not more beautiful, than the

Corinthian. The first three orders alone, however,
show invention and particular character, and
essentially differ from each other; the two others
have nothing but what is borrowed, and differ
only accidentally: the Tuscan is the Doric in its
earliest state; and the Composite is the Corinthian
enriched with the Ionic. To the Greeks, therefore,
and not to the Romans, we arc indebted for what
is great, judicious, and distinct in architecture.
Of these five orders, the IONIC, DORIC, and

CORINTHIAN, as the most ancient, are most
esteemed by Masons.
* * * * * * *
The five Senses of Human Nature.
An analysis of the human faculties is next given

in this section, in which the FIVE EXTERNAL
SENSES particularly claim attention.
The senses we are to consider as the gifts of

Nature, and though not the acquisition of our
reasoning faculty, yet, in the use of them, are still
subject to reason. REASON, properly employed,
confirms the regulations of Nature, which are
always true and wholesome: she distinguishes
p. 143
the good from the bad; rejects the last with

modesty—adheres to the first with reverence. The
objects of human knowledge are innumerable; the
channels by which this knowledge is conveyed
are few. Among these, the perception of external
things by the senses, and the information we
receive from human testimony, are not the least
considerable: the analogy between them is
obvious. In the testimony of Nature, given by the
senses, as well as in human testimony, given by
information, things are signified by signs. In one
as well as the other, the mind, either by original
principles or by custom, passes from the sign to
the conception and belief of the thing signified.
The signs in the natural language, as well as the
signs in our original perceptions, have the same
signification in all climates and nations, and the
skill of interpreting them is not acquired, but
innate.
Having made these observations, we shall proceed

to give a brief description of the five senses:
HEARING
Is that sense by which we distinguish sounds, and

are capable of enjoying all the agreeable charms
of music. By it we are enabled to enjoy
p. 144
the pleasures of society, and reciprocally to

communicate to each other our thoughts and
intentions—our purposes and desires; and thus
our reason is rendered capable of exerting its
utmost power and energy. The wise and
beneficent Author of Nature intended, by the
formation of this sense, that we should be social
creatures, and receive the greatest and most
important part of our knowledge from social
intercourse with each other. For these purposes
we are endowed with hearing, that, by a proper
exertion of our rational powers, our happiness
may be complete.
SEEING
Is that sense by which we distinguish objects, and

in an instant of time, without change of place or
situation, view armies in battle array, figures of
the most stately structures, and all the agreeable
variety displayed in the landscape of Nature. By
this sense, we find our way on the pathless ocean,
traverse the globe of earth, determine its figure
and dimensions, and delineate any region or
quarter of it. By it we measure the planetary orbs,
and make new discoveries in the sphere of the
fixed stars. Nay, more, by it we perceive the
tempers and dispositions, the
p. 145
passions and affections of our fellow-creatures,

when they wish most to conceal them; so that,
though the tongue may be taught to lie and
dissemble, the countenance will display the
hypocrisy to the discerning eye. In fine, the rays
of LIGHT which administer to this sense, are the
most astonishing parts of the animated creation,
and render the eye a peculiar object of admiration.
Of all the faculties, SIGHT is the noblest. The

structure of the eye, and its appurtenances, evince
the admirable contrivance of Nature for
performing all its various external and internal
motions; while the variety displayed in the eyes of
different animals, suited to their several ways of
life, clearly demonstrate this organ to be .the
master-piece of Nature's works.
FEELING
Is that sense by which we distinguish the different

qualities of bodies:—such as heat and cold,
hardness and softness, roughness and smoothness,
figure, solidity, motion, and extension.
These three senses, Hearing, Seeing and Feeling,

are deemed peculiarly essential among Masons.
* * * * * * *
p. 146
SMELLING
Is that sense by which we distinguish odors, the

various kinds of which convey different
impressions to the mind. Animal and vegetable
bodies, and indeed most other bodies, while
exposed to the air, continually send forth effluvia
of vast subtility, as well in a state of life and
growth, as in the state of fermentation and
putrefaction. These effluvia, being drawn into the
nostrils along with the air, are the means by which
all bodies are distinguished. Hence it is evident,
that there is a manifest appearance of design in
the great Creator's having planted the organ of
smell in the inside of that canal through which the
air continually passes in respiration.
TASTING
Enables us to make a proper distinction in the

choice of our food. The organ of this sense guards
the entrance of the alimentary canal, as that of
smelling guards the entrance of the canal for
respiration. From the situation of both these
organs, it is plain that they were intended by
Nature to distinguish wholesome food from that
which is nauseous. Every thing that enters into
p. 147
the stomach must undergo the scrutiny of tasting;

and by it we are capable of discerning the changes
which the same body undergoes in the different
compositions of art, cookery, chemistry,
pharmacy, etc.
Smelling and tasting are inseparably connected;

and it is by the unnatural kind of life men
commonly lead in society, that these senses are
rendered less fit to perform their natural offices.
The proper use of these five senses enables us to

form just and accurate notions of the operations of
Nature; and when we reflect on the objects with
which our senses are gratified, we become
conscious of them, and are enabled to attend to
them till they become familiar objects of thought.
On the mind all our knowledge must depend.

What, therefore, can be a more proper subject for
the investigation of Masons?
To sum up the whole of this transcendent measure

of GOD'S bounty to man, we shall add, that
Memory, Imagination, Taste, Reasoning, Moral
Perception, and all the active powers of the soul,
present a vast and boundless field for
philosophical disquisition, which far exceeds
p. 148
human inquiry, and are peculiar mysteries, known

only to Nature and to Nature's GOD, to whom all
are indebted for creation, preservation, and every
blessing we enjoy.
The Seven Liberal Arts And Sciences,
Which are Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic,

Geometry, Music, and Astronomy, are here
illustrated. Grammar is the science which teaches
us to express our ideas in appropriate words,
which we may afterward beautify and adorn by
means of Rhetoric; while Logic instructs us how
to think and reason with propriety, and to make
language subordinate to thought. Arithmetic,
which is the science of computing by numbers, is
absolutely essential, not only to a thorough
knowledge of all mathematical science, but also
to a proper pursuit of our daily avocations.
Geometry, or the application of Arithmetic to
sensible quantities, is of all sciences the most
important, since by it we are enabled to measure
and survey the globe that we inhabit. Its principles
extend to other spheres; and, occupied in the
contemplation and measurement of the sun,
moon, and heavenly bodies, constitute the science
of Astronomy; and, lastly, when our minds are
filled, and our thoughts enlarged, by the
contemplation of all the wonders which these
sciences open to our view, Music comes forward,
to soften our hearts and cultivate our affections by
its soothing influences.
GRAMMAR
Is the key by which alone the door can be opened

to the understanding of speech. It is Grammar
which reveals the admirable art of language, and
unfolds its various constituent parts—its names,
definitions, and respective offices; it unravels, as
it were, the thread of which the web of speech is
composed. These reflections seldom occur to
p. 149
any one before their acquaintance with the art; yet
it is most certain that, without a knowledge of
Grammar, it is very difficult to speak with
propriety, precision, and purity.
RHETORIC.
It is by Rhetoric that the art of speaking

eloquently is acquired. To be an eloquent speaker,
in the proper sense of the word, is far from being
either a common or an easy attainment: it is the
art of being persuasive and commanding; the art,
not only of pleasing the fancy, but of speaking
both to the understanding and to the heart.
LOGIC
Is that science which directs us how to form clear

and distinct ideas of things, and thereby prevents
us from being misled by their similitude or
resemblance. Of all the human sciences, that
concerning man is certainly most worthy of the
human mind, and the proper manner of
conducting its several powers in the attainment of
truth and knowledge. This science ought to be
cultivated as the foundation or ground-work of
our inquiries; particularly in the pursuit of those
sublime principles which claim our attention as
Masons.
p. 150
ARITHMETIC
Is the art of numbering, or that part of the

mathematics which considers the properties of
numbers in general. We have but a very imperfect
idea of things without quantity, and as imperfect
of quantity itself, without the help of Arithmetic.
All the works of the Almighty are made in
number, weight, and measure; therefore, to
understand them rightly, we ought to understand
arithmetical calculations; and the greater
advancement we make in the mathematical
sciences, the more capable we shall be of
considering such things as are the ordinary objects
of our conceptions, and be thereby led to a more
comprehensive knowledge of our great Creator
and the works of the creation.
GEOMETRY
Treats of the powers and properties of magnitudes

in general, where length, breadth, and thickness
are considered—from a point to a line, from a line
to a superfices, and from a superfices to a solid.
A point is the beginning of all geometrical matter.
A line is a continuation of the same.

p. 151
A superfices is length and breadth, without a

given thickness.
A solid is length and breadth, with a given

thickness, which forms a cube, and comprehends
the whole.
THE ADVANTAGES OF GEOMETRY.
By this science, the architect is enabled to

construct his plans and execute his designs; the
general, to arrange his soldiers; the engineer, to
mark out grounds for encampments; the
geographer, to give us the dimensions of the
world, and all things therein contained; to
delineate the extent of seas, and specify the
divisions of empires, kingdoms, and provinces.
By it, also, the astronomer is enabled to make his
observations, and to fix the duration of times and
seasons, years and cycles. In fine, Geometry is the
foundation of architecture, and the root of the
mathematics.
The contemplation of this science, in a moral and

comprehensive view, fills the mind with rapture.
To the true geometrician, the regions of matter
with which he is surrounded afford ample scope
for his admiration, while they open a sublime
field for his inquiry and disquisition.
Every particle of matter on which he treads, every

blade of grass which covers the field, every
flower which blows, and every infect which
wings its way in this expanded space, proves the
existence of a First Cause, and yields pleasure to
the intelligent mind.
The symmetry, beauty, and order displayed in the

various parts
p. 152
of the animate and inanimate creation, is a

pleasing and delightful theme, and naturally leads
to the source whence the whole is derived. When
we bring within the focus of the eye the
variegated carpet of the terrestrial theater, and
survey the progress of the vegetative system, our
admiration is justly excited. Every plant which
grows, every flowering shrub which breathes its
sweets, affords instruction and delight. When we
extend our views to the animal creation, and
contemplate the varied clothing of every species,
we are equally struck with astonishment. And
when we trace the lines of geometry drawn by the
Divine pencil in the beautiful plumage of the
feathered tribe, how exalted is our conception of
the heavenly work! The admirable structure of
plants and animals, and the infinite number of
fibers and vessels which run through the whole,
with the apt disposition of one part to another, is a
perpetual subject of study to the geometrician,
who, while he adverts to the changes which all
undergo in their progress to maturity, is lost in
rapture and veneration of the Great Cause which
governs the system.
When he descends into the bowels of the earth,

and explores the kingdom of ores, minerals, and
fossils, he finds the same instances of Divine
Wisdom and Goodness displayed in their
formation and structure: every gem and pebble
proclaims the handiwork of an Almighty Creator.
When he surveys the watery elements, and directs

his attention to the wonders of the deep, with all
the inhabitants of the mighty ocean, he perceives
emblems of the same supreme intelligence. The
scales of the largest fish, as well as the penciled
shell of the minutest bivalve, equally yield a
theme for his contemplation, on which he fondly
dwells, while the symmetry of their formation,
and the delicacy of their tints, evince the wisdom
of the Divine Artist.
When he exalts his view to the more noble and

elevated parts of Nature, and surveys the celestial
orbs, how much greater is his astonishment! If, on
the principles of geometry and true philosophy, he
contemplate the sun, the moon, the stars, and the
whole concave of heaven, his pride will be
humbled, while he is lost in awful admiration of
the Maker. The immense magnitude of those
bodies, the regularity and velocity of their
motions, and the inconceivable extent of space
through which they move, are equally wonderful
and incomprehensible, so as to baffle his most
daring conceptions, while he labors in considering
the immensity of the theme!
p. 153
MUSIC
Is that elevated science which affects the passions

by sound. There are few who have not felt its
charms, and acknowledged its expression to be
intelligible to the heart. It is a language of
delightful sensations, far more eloquent than
words; it breathes to the ear the clearest
intimations; it touches and gently agitates the
agreeable and sublime passions; it wraps us in
melancholy, and elevates us in joy; it dissolves
and inflames; it melts us in tenderness, and
excites us to war. This science is truly congenial
to the nature of man; for by its powerful charms
the most discordant passions may be harmonized,
and brought into perfect unison; but it never
sounds with such seraphic harmony as when
employed in singing hymns of gratitude to the
Creator of the universe.
ASTRONOMY
Is that sublime science which inspires the

contemplative mind to soar aloft, and read the
wisdom, strength, and beauty of the great Creator
in the heavens. How nobly eloquent of the Deity
is the celestial hemisphere!—spangled with the
most magnificent heralds of his infinite
p. 154
glory! They spear-to the whole universe; for there

is no speech so barbarous, but their language is
understood; nor nation so distant, but their voices
are heard among them.
The heavens proclaim the glory of GOD;
The firmament declareth the works of his hands.
Assisted by Astronomy, we ascertain the laws

which govern the heavenly bodies, and by which
their motions are directed; investigate the power
by which they circulate in their orbs, discover
their size, determine their distance, explain their
various phenomena, and correct the fallacy of the
senses by the light of truth. *
An Emblem of PLENTY is introduced and
explained. †
* * * * * * *
p. 155
CORN. WINE. OIL.
* * * * * * *
THE MORAL ADVANTAGES OF

GEOMETRY.
Geometry, the first and noblest of sciences, is the

basis on which the superstructure of Freemasonry
is erected. By Geometry, we may curiously trace
Nature through her various windings, to her most
concealed recesses. By it, we discover the power,
wisdom, and goodness of the GRAND
ARTIFICER of the universe, and view with
delight the proportions which connect this vast
machine. By it, we discover how the planets move
in their respective orbits, and demonstrate their
various revolutions. By it, we account for the
return of the seasons, and the variety of scenes
which each season displays to the discerning eye.
Numberless worlds are around us, all framed by
the same Divine Artist, which roll through the
vast expanse, and are all conducted by the same
unerring law of Nature.
A survey of Nature, and the observation of her

p. 156
beautiful proportions, first determined man to

imitate the divine plan, and study symmetry and
order. This gave rise to societies, and birth to
every useful art. The architect began to design;
and the plans which he laid down, being improved
by time and experience, have produced works
which are the admiration of every age.
The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of ignorance,

and the devastations of war, have laid waste and
destroyed many valuable monuments of antiquity,
on which the utmost exertions of human genius
have been employed. Even the Temple of
Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, and
constructed by so many celebrated artists, escaped
not the unsparing ravages of barbarous force.
Freemasonry, notwithstanding, has still survived.
The Attentive Ear receives the sound from the
Instructive Tongue, and the mysteries of Masonry
are safely lodged in the repository of Faithful
Breasts. Tools and implements of architecture and
symbolic emblems, most expressive are selected
by the Fraternity, to imprint on the mind wise and
serious truths; and thus, through a succession of
ages, are transmitted unimpaired the most
excellent tenets of our institution.
p. 157
The lecture closes by paying profound homage to

the sacred name of the Grand Geometrician of the
Universe, before whom all Masons, from the
youngest E. A., who stands in the north-east
corner of the Lodge, to the W. M., who presides
in the East, humbly, reverently, and devoutly
bow.
Footnotes
154:* Astronomy stands confessedly the most

exalted and sublime science that has ever been
cultivated by man. By this divine science, the
Grand Architect of the Universe leas enabled the
mind of man, not only to view his wonderful
omnipotency in a much stronger light than he
could otherwise effect, but also to demonstrate,
even to the skeptic, if any such exist, that nothing
less than the Almighty power could establish such
innumerable systems of the heavenly bodies, and
place them at their relative distances, and finally
keep the whole in universal order. To view the
starry firmament without this science, mankind
are impressed with a reverential awe of heavenly
wisdom; but when we explore the science with its
demonstrative truths, we are lost in astonishment
at the boundless fields of ether, where those vast
systems are placed. In short, it is by the help of
this sublime science that mankind are enabled to
plough the trackless ocean—to traverse the sandy
waste of the immense desert; by commerce to
civilize rude and savage nations—to unite men of
all countries, sects, and opinions—and conciliate
true friendship among persons who would
otherwise have remained at an immense distance
asunder.
154:† The passages of Scripture which are

referred to in this part of the section will be found
in JUDGES xii. 1-6. The Vulgate version gives a
paraphrastic p. 155 translation of a part of the sixth
verse, as follows: "Say, therefore, Shibboleth,
which, being interpreted, is an ear of corn." The
same word also in Hebrew signifies a rapid
stream of water, from the root SHaBaL, to flow
copiously. The too common error of speaking, in
this part of the ritual, of a "water-ford," instead of
a "water-fall," which is the correct word, must be
carefully avoided. A water-fall is an emblem of
plenty, because it indicates an abundance of
water. A water-ford, for the converse reason, is, if
any symbol at all, a symbol of scarcity.—
MACKEY's Manual of the Lodge.
BROTHER: Being advanced to the second degree

of Freemasonry, we congratulate you on your
preferment. The internal, and not the external
qualifications of a man are what Masonry regards.
As you increase in knowledge, you will improve
in social intercourse.
It is unnecessary to recapitulate the duties which,

as a Fellow-Craft, you are bound to discharge, or
to enlarge on the necessity of a strict adherence to
them, as your own experience must have
established their value. Our laws and regulations
you are strenuously to support; and be always
ready to assist in seeing them duly executed. You
are not to palliate or aggravate the offences of
your brethren; but in the decision
p. 158
of every trespass against our rules, you are to

judge with candor, admonish with friendship, and
reprehend with justice.
The study of the Liberal Arts, that valuable

branch of education, which tends so effectually to
polish and adorn the mind, is earnestly
recommended to your consideration; especially
the science of Geometry, which is established as
the basis of our art. Geometry, or Masonry,
originally synonymous terms, being of a divine
and moral nature, is enriched with the most useful
knowledge; while it proves the wonderful
properties of Nature, it demonstrates the more
important truths of morality.
Your past behavior and regular deportment have

merited the honor which we have now conferred;
and in your new character, it is expected that you
will conform to the principles of the Order, by
steadily persevering in the practice of every
commendable virtue. Such is the nature of your
engagements as a Fellow-Craft, and to these
duties you are bound by the most sacred ties.
p. 159
LECTURE
ON THE
LEGEND OF THE WINDING STAIRS.

BY ALBERT G. MACKEY, M. D.
ALTHOUGH the legend of the Winding Stairs

forms an important tradition of Ancient Craft
Masonry, the only allusion to it in scripture is to
be found in a single verse in the 6th chapter of the
1st Book of Kings, and is in these words: "The
door for the middle chamber was in the right side
of the house; and they went up with winding stairs
into the middle chamber, and out of the middle
into the third." Out of this slender material has
been constructed an allegory, which, if properly
considered in its symbolical relations, will be
found to be of surpassing beauty. But it is only as
a symbol that we can regard this whole tradition;
for the historical facts and the architectural details
alike forbid us for a moment to suppose that the
legend, as it is rehearsed in the second degree of
Masonry, is anything more than a magnificent
philosophical myth.
Let us inquire into the true design of this legend,

and learn the lesson of symbolism which it is
intended to teach.
In the investigation of the true meaning of every

Masonic symbol and allegory, we must be
governed by the single principle that the whole
design of Freemasonry as a speculative science is
the investigation of Drawn TRUTH. To this great
object everything is subsidiary. The Mason is,
from the moment of his initiation as an Entered
Apprentice to the time at which he receives the
full fruition of Masonic light, an investigator—
p. 160
a laborer in the quarry and the Temple—whose

reward is to be TRUTH. All the ceremonies and
traditions of the Order tend to this ultimate
design. Is there light to be asked for? It is the
intellectual light of wisdom and truth. Is there a
word to be sought? That word is the symbol of
truth. Is there a loss of something that had been
promised? That loss is typical of the failure of
man, in the infirmity of his nature, to discover
Divine truth. Is there a substitute to be appointed
for that loss? It is an allegory which teaches us
that in this world man can approximate only to the
full conception of truth.
Hence there is in Speculative Masonry always a

progress, symbolized by its peculiar ceremonies
of initiation. There is an advancement from a
lower to a higher state—from darkness to light—
from death to life—from error to truth. The
candidate is always ascending; he is never
stationary; never goes back, but each step he takes
brings him to some new mental illumination—to
the knowledge of some more elevated doctrine.
The teaching of the Divine Master is, in respect to
this continual progress, the teaching of
Masonry—"No man having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom
of heaven." And similar to this is the precept of
Pythagoras: "When traveling, turn not back, for if
you do, the furies will accompany you."
Now, this principle of Masonic symbolism is

apparent in many places in each of the degrees. In
that of the Entered Apprentice we find it
developed in the theological ladder, which resting
on earth, leans its top upon heaven, thus
inculcating the idea of an ascent from a lower to a
higher sphere, as the objects of Masonic labor. In
the Master's degree we find it exhibited in its most
religious form, in the restoration from death, to
life—in the
p. 161
change from the obscurity of the grave to the holy

of holies of the Divine Presence. In all the degrees
we find it presented in the ceremony of
circumambulation, in which there is a gradual
examination by, and a passage from, an inferior to
a superior officer. And lastly, the same symbolic
idea is conveyed in the Fellow Craft's degree in
the legend of the Winding Stairs. In an
investigation of the symbolism of the Winding
Stairs we will be directed to the true explanation
by a reference to their origin, their number, the
objects which they recall, and their termination,
but above all by a consideration of the great
object which an ascent upon them was intended to
accomplish.
The steps of this Winding Staircase commenced,

we are informed, at the porch of the Temple, that
is to say, at its very entrance. But nothing is more
undoubted in the science of Masonic symbolism
than that the Temple was the representative of the
world purified by the Shekinah, or the Divine
Presence. The world of the profane is without the
Temple; the world of the initiated is within its
sacred walls. Hence to enter the Temple, to pass
within the porch, to be made a Mason, and to be
born into the world of Masonic light, are all
synonymous and convertible terms. Here, then,
the symbolism of the Winding Stairs begins.
The Apprentice, having entered within the porch

of the Temple, has begun his Masonic life. But
the first degree in Masonry, like the lesser
mysteries of the ancient systems of initiation, is
only a preparation and purification for something
higher. The Entered Apprentice is the child in
Masonry. Thy lessons which he receives are
simply intended to cleanse the heart and prepare
the recipient for that mental illumination which is
to be given in the succeeding degrees.
p. 162
As a Fellow Craft, he has advanced another step,

and as the degree is emblematic of youth, so it is
here that the intellectual education of the
candidate begins. And therefore, here, at the very
spot which separates the Porch from the
Sanctuary, where childhood ends and manhood
begins, he finds stretching out before him a
winding stair which invites him, as it were, to
ascend, and which, as the symbol of discipline
and instruction, teaches him that here must
commence his Masonic labor—here he must enter
upon those glorious though difficult researches,
the end of which is to be the possession of Divine
truth. The Winding Stairs begin after the
candidate has passed within the Porch, and
between the Pillars of Strength and Establishment,
as a significant symbol to teach him that as soon
as he had passed beyond the years of irrational
childhood, and commenced his entrance upon
manly life, the laborious task of self-improvement
is the first duty that is placed before him. He
cannot stand still, if he would be worthy of his
vocation; his destiny as an immortal being
requires him to ascend, step by step, until he has
reached the summit, where the treasures of
knowledge await him.
The number of these steps in all the systems have

been odd. VITRUVIUS remarks, and the
coincidence is at least curious, that the ancient
temples were always ascended by an odd number
of steps, and he assigns as the reason, that
commencing with the right foot at the bottom, the
worshiper would find the same foot foremost
when he entered the Temple, which was
considered as a fortunate omen. But the fact is
that the symbol of numbers was borrowed by the
Masons from PYTHAGORAS, in whose system
of philosophy it plays an important part, and in
which odd numbers were considered
p. 163
as more perfect than even ones. Hence.

throughout the Masonic system we find a
predominance of odd numbers; and, while three,
five, seven, nine, fifteen, and twenty-seven, are all
important symbols, we seldom find a reference to
two, four, six, eight, or ten. The odd number of
the stairs was therefore intended to symbolize the
idea of perfection, to which it was the object of
the aspirant to attain.
As to the particular number of the stairs, this has

varied at different periods. Tracing-boards of the
last century have been found, in which only five
steps are delineated, and others in which they
amount to seven. The Prestonian lectures used in
England, in the beginning of this century, gave
the whole number as thirty-eight, dividing them
into series of one, three, five, seven, nine, and
eleven. The error of making an even number,
which was a violation of the Pythagorean
principle of odd numbers as the symbol of
perfection, was corrected in the HEMMING
lectures, adopted at the union of the two Grand
Lodges of England, by striking out the eleven,
which was also objectionable as receiving a
sectarian explanation. In this country the number
was still further reduced to fifteen, divided into
three series of three, five, and seven. We shall
adopt this American division as the basis of our
explanations, although, after all, the particular
number of the steps, or the peculiar method of
their division into series, will not in any way
affect the general symbolism of the whole legend.
The candidate, then, in the second degree of

Masonry, represents a man starting forth on the
journey of life, with the great task before him of
self-improvement. For the faithful performance of
this task, a reward is promised, which reward
consists in the development of all his intellectual
faculties, the moral and spiritual
p. 164
elevation of his character, and the acquisition of

truth and knowledge. Now, the attainment of this
moral and intellectual condition supposes an
elevation of character, an ascent from a lower to a
higher life, and a passage of toil and difficulty,
through rudimentary instruction, to the full
fruition of wisdom. This is, therefore, beautifully
symbolized by the Winding Stairs; at whose foot
the aspirant stands ready to climb the toilsome
steep, while at its top is placed "that hieroglyphic
bright which none but Craftsmen ever saw," as
the emblem of Divine truth. And, hence, a
distinguished writer has said that "these steps, like
all the Masonic symbols, are illustrative of
discipline and doctrine, as well as of natural,
mathematical, and metaphysical science, and open
to us an extensive range of moral and speculative
inquiry."
The candidate, incited by the love of virtue and

the desire of knowledge, and withal, eager for the
reward of truth which is set before him, begins at
once the toilsome ascent. At each division, he
pauses to gather instruction from the symbolism
which these divisions present to his attention.
At the first pause which he makes he is instructed

in the peculiar organization of the Order of which
he has become a disciple. But the information
here given, if taken in its naked, literal sense, is
barren and unworthy of his labor. The rank of the
officers who govern, and the names of the degrees
which constitute the institution, can give him no
knowledge which he has not before possessed.
We must look, therefore, to the symbolic meaning
of these allusions for any value which may be
attached to this part of the ceremony.
The reference to the organization of the Masonic

institution is intended to remind the aspirant of
the
p. 165
union of men in society, and the development of

the social state out of the state of nature. He is
thus reminded, in the very outset of his journey,
of the blessings which arise from civilization, and
of the fruits of virtue and knowledge which are
derived from that condition. Masonry itself is the
result of civilization; while in grateful return it
has been one of the most important means of
extending that condition of mankind.
All the monuments of antiquity, that the ravages

of time have left, combine to prove that man had
no sooner emerged from the savage into the social
state than he commenced the organization of
religious mysteries, and the separation, by a sort
of divine instinct, of the sacred from the profane.
Then came the invention of architecture as a
means of providing convenient dwellings and
necessary shelter from the inclemencies and
vicissitudes of the seasons, with all the
mechanical arts connected with it, and lastly,
geometry, as a necessary science to enable the
cultivators of land to measure and designate the
limits of their possessions. All these are claimed
as peculiar characteristics of speculative Masonry,
which may be considered as the type of
civilization, the former bearing the same relation
to the profane world as the latter does to the
savage state. Hence, we at once see the fitness of
the symbolism which commences the aspirant's
upward progress in the cultivation of knowledge
and the search after truth, by recalling to his mind
the condition of civilization and the social union
of mankind as necessary preparations for the
attainment of these objects. In the allusions to the
officers of a Lodge, and the degrees of Masonry
as explanatory of the organization of our own
society, we clothe in our symbolic language the
history of the organization of society.
p. 166
Advancing in his progress, the candidate is

invited to contemplate another series of
instructions. The human senses, as the appropriate
channels through which we receive all our ideas
of perception, and which, therefore, constitute the
most important sources of our knowledge, are
here referred to as a symbol of intellectual
cultivation. Architecture, as the most important of
the arts which conduce to the comfort of mankind,
is also alluded to here, not simply because it is so
closely connected with the operative institution of
Masonry, but also, as the type of all the other
useful arts. In his second pause, in the ascent of
the Winding Stairs, the aspirant is, therefore,
reminded of the necessity of cultivating practical
knowledge.
So far, then, the instructions he has received relate

to his own condition in society as a member of the
great social compact and to his means of
becoming, by a knowledge of the arts of practical
life, a necessary and useful member of that
society.
But his motto will be "EXCELSIOR." Still must

he go onward and forward. The stair is still before
him; its summit is not yet reached, and still
further treasures of wisdom are to be sought for,
or the reward will not be gained, nor the middle
chamber, the abiding place of truth, be reached.
In his third pause, he, therefore, arrives at that

point in which the whole circle of human science
is to be explained. Symbols, we know, are in
themselves arbitrary and of conventional
signification, and the complete circle of human
science might have been as well symbolized by
any other sign or series of doctrines as by the
seven liberal arts and sciences. But Masonry is an
institution of the olden time; and this selection of
the liberal arts and sciences as a symbol of the
completion
p. 167
of human learning is one of the most pregnant

evidences that we have of its antiquity.
In the seventh century, and for a long time

afterward, the circle of instruction to which all the
learning of the most eminent schools and most
distinguished philosophers was confined, was
limited to what was then called the liberal arts and
sciences, and consisted of two branches, the
trivium and the quadrivium. * The trivium
includes grammar, rhetoric, and logic; the
quadrivium comprehended arithmetic, geometry,
music, and astronomy.
These seven heads were supposed to include

universal knowledge. He who was master of these
was thought to have no need of a preceptor to
explain any books or to solve any questions which
lay within the compass of human reason; the
knowledge of the trivium having furnished him
with the key to all language, and that of the
quadrivium having opened to him the secret laws
of nature.
At a period when few were instructed in the

trivium, and very few studied the quadrivium, to
be master of both was sufficient to complete the
character of a philosopher. The propriety,
therefore, of adopting the seven liberal arts and
sciences as a symbol of the completion of human
learning is apparent. The candidate having
reached this point is now supposed to have
accomplished the task upon which he had entered
p. 168
—he has reached the last step, and is now ready to [paragraph
continues]
receive the full fruition of human learning.
So far, then, we are able to comprehend the true

symbolism of the Winding Stairs. They represent
the progress of an inquiring mind with the toils
and labors of intellectual cultivation and study,
and the preparatory acquisition of all human
science, as a preliminary step to the attainment of
divine truth, which it must be remembered is
always symbolized in Masonry by the WORD.
Here we may again allude to the symbolism of

numbers, which is for the first time presented to
the consideration of the Masonic student in the
legend of the Winding Stairs. The theory of
numbers as the symbols of certain qualities was
originally borrowed by the Masons from the
school of PYTHAGORAS. We do not expect,
however, to develop this doctrine, in its entire
extent, on the present occasion, for the numeral
symbolism of Masonry would itself constitute
materials for an ample essay. It will be sufficient
to advert to the fact that the total number of the
steps, amounting in all to fifteen, in the American
system, is a significant symbol. For fifteen was a
sacred number among the Orientals, because the
letters of the holy name JAH, ‫יה‬, were, in their
numerical value, equivalent to fifteen; and hence
a figure, in which the nine digits were so disposed
as to make fifteen either way when added together
perpendicularly, horizontally, or diagonally,
constituted one of their most sacred talismans.
The fifteen steps in the Winding Stairs are
therefore symbolic of the name of GOD.
But we are not yet done. It will be remembered

that a reward was promised for all this toilsome
ascent of the Winding Stairs. Now what are the
wages of a
p. 169
Speculative Mason? Not money, nor coin, nor [paragraph

continues]
wine, nor oil. All these are but symbols. His
wages are TRUTH, or that approximation to it
which will be most appropriate to the degree into
which he has been initiated. It is one of the most
beautiful, but at the same time most abstruse,
doctrines of the science of Masonic symbolism,
that the Mason is ever to be in search of truth, but
is never to find it. This divine truth, the object of
all his labors, is symbolized by the WORD, for
which we all know he can only obtain a
substitute; and this is intended to teach the
humiliating but necessary lesson that the
knowledge of the nature of GOD and of man's
relation to him, which knowledge constitutes
divine truth, can never be acquired in this life. It
is only when the portals of the grave open to us,
and give us an entrance into a more perfect life,
that this knowledge is to be attained. "Happy is
the man," says the father of lyric poetry, "who
descends beneath the hollow earth, having beheld
these mysteries; he knows the end, he knows the
origin of life."
The Middle. Chamber is therefore symbolic of

this life, where only the symbol of the word can
be given, where only the truth is to be reached by
approximation, and yet where we are to learn that
that truth will consist in a perfect knowledge of
the G. A. O. T. U. This is the reward of the
inquiring Mason; in this consists the wages of a
Fellow Craft; he is directed to the truth, but must
travel further and ascend still higher to attain it.
It is then, as a symbol, and a symbol only, that we

must study this beautiful legend of the Winding
Stairs. If we attempt to adopt it as an historical
fact, the absurdity of its details stares us in the
face, and wise men will wonder at our credulity.
Its inventors had no
p. 170
desire thus to impose upon our folly; but offering

it to us as a great philosophical myth, they did not
for a moment suppose that we would pass over its
sublime moral teachings to accept the allegory as
an historical narrative, without meaning, and
wholly irreconcilable with records of scripture,
and opposed by all the principles of probability.
To suppose that eighty thousand craftsmen were
weekly paid in the narrow precincts of the Temple
chambers, is simply to suppose an absurdity. But
to believe that all this pictorial representation of
an ascent by a Winding Stairs to the place where
the wages of labor were to be received, was an
allegory to teach us the ascent of the mind from
ignorance, through all the toils of study and the
difficulties of obtaining knowledge, receiving
here a little and there a little, adding something to
the stock of our ideas at each step, until, in the
middle chamber of life—in the full fruition of
manhood—the reward is attained, and the purified
and elevated intellect is invested with the reward,
in the direction how to seek GOD and GOD'S
truth—to believe this is to believe and to know
the true design of Speculative Masonry, the only
design which makes it worthy of a good or a wise
man's study.
Its historical details are barren, but its symbols

and allegories are fertile with instruction.
And so we close with this theory: The Fellow

Craft represents a man laboring in the pursuit of
truth; and the Winding Stairs are the devious
pathways of that pursuit.
Footnotes
167:* The words themselves are purely classical,

but the meanings here given to them are of a
mediæval or corrupt Latinity. Among the old
Romans, a trivium meant a place where three
ways met, and a quadrivium, where four, or what
we now call a cross-road. When we speak of the
paths of learning, we readily discover the origin
of the signification given by the scholastic
philosophers to these terms.
p. 171
THIRD DEGREE.
MASTER MASON.
"In the ceremonial of the Third Degree the last

grand mystery is attempted to be illustrated in a
forcible and peculiar manner, showing, by
striking analogy, that the Master Mason cannot be
deemed perfect in the glorious science until by the
cultivation of his intellectual powers he has
gained such moral government of his passions,
such serenity of mind, that in synonymous
apposition with mastership in operative art his
thoughts, like his actions, have become as useful
as human intelligence will permit; and that,
having passed through the trials of life with
fortitude and faith, he is fitted for that grand,
solemn, and mysterious consummation by which
alone he can become acquainted with the great
security of Eternity. Unlike the Entered
Apprentice and Fellow-Craft, who each anticipate
improvement as they advance, the Master Mason
can learn nothing beyond the Third Degree; his
hopes, therefore, with his thoughts and wishes,
should be directed to the Grand Lodge above,
where the world's great Architect lives and reigns
forever. The ceremonial and the lecture
beautifully illustrate this all. engrossing subject,
and the conclusion we arrive at is that youth
properly directed leads us to honorable and
virtuous maturity, and that the life of man
regulated by morality, faith and justice, will be
rewarded at its closing hour by the prospect of
Eternal Bliss."—DR. CRUCEFIX.
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DEGREE OF MASTER MASON.
WE have seen the type of man complete in moral

worth and intellectual culture—not left to acquire
knowledge, but first prepared to use that
knowledge well, when it shall have been obtained.
What more is left? Communion with our Maker.
The mere knowledge of the Deity, as given us
heretofore, is that of an august Creator, whom we
are to reverence, and in whom alone we are to
place our trust. But we have not yet seen him
walking upon the earth, and holding open
communion with the sons of men. Man has not
yet been ennobled by personal contact with the
All-Holy.
Let us imagine a conception perfectly in

accordance with the ideas and opinions of our
early brethren. "Who has at any time seen GOD,
and lived?" "ADAM, our first progenitor." "But
only in the days of his innocence. Since the day
when all mankind was corrupted by his fall, no
living man has looked upon the face of the
Almighty."
Now, what would be the natural opinion of our

ancient brethren as to the means of securing
GOD'S actual presence? We know that, for a
thousand years, men labored to find the true name
of JEHOVAH, which they believed would be a
talisman, giving them power over all the secrets
of the Universe. Union, of the most unselfish
nature, formed the grand characteristic of our
Fraternity. Ambition, desire for fame—every
passion which appeals to the self-love of man—
was
p. 188
merged in the perfect union engendered by an

adherence to the tenets of the Order to such a
degree, that the names even of our great architects
have not come down to us, though their works
still stand, to attest their excellence. All was the
work of brethren, and each was allowed his share
of the glory.
Now, with this perfect union, and with the

knowledge that the belief .existed that it was
through the weakness of man only that he could
not endure the presence of his Creator, what so
natural as to suppose that if three brethren be
found as types respectively of moral, intellectual,
and physical perfection, and they be joined
together in holy fellowship which should make
their very souls as one, they might, in mystic
union, call upon the great and sacred name of the
Deity, and receive an answer to their prayer? That
this idea did prevail, we have sufficient proof; and
it is to this, rather than to any more utilitarian
views, that we are to look for the rule which, in a
purely speculative institution, so sternly demands
physical, as well as moral and intellectual
integrity.
We know that the wise and good of the days of

SOLOMON regarded his idolatry as an evidence
that the countenance of the All-Holy had been
darkened to him; that he no longer held the
interviews with the ONLY-WISE GOD, through
which they deemed that his superhuman wisdom
came. And indeed it would seem to them a thing
monstrous and wholly unnatural, that the being
whose intellect had been illumined from above,
and to whom JEHOVAH had promised wisdom
beyond that of men, should grovel in adoration
before false gods, did they not also believe that it
was only through direct and constant communion
with the Almighty that this wisdom could
continue; and now that he no longer sought that
presence, he was given over to the blind guidance
of his passions
This degree is a type of the communion of man

with GOD. Long before the incarnation of that
great Being, was the
p. 189
hope entertained of seeing him with mortal eyes,

and no exertions were deemed too great to insure
that consummation. With us, these ideas are but a
type; for we have that realization so longed for by
the brethren of old. And yet, as a type, how
interesting it is to look back upon their struggles
to look forward into what is now bright and clear!
The practical lessons to be found in the full

exposition of the ceremonies of this degree,
require us to be complete in our duty to our
neighbor, before we can venture to direct him.
Step by step, mounting from the lowest to the
highest, we must prove to ourselves that we
would serve him—pray for him—sympathize
with his inmost feelings, and sustain him from
falling, before we can venture to counsel him,
even to his good—far less, dictate to him.
We now find man complete in morality and

intelligence, with the stay of RELIGION added,
to insure him of the protection of the Deity, and
guard him against ever going astray. These three
degrees thus form a perfect and harmonious
whole; nor can we conceive that any thing can be
suggested more, which the soul of man requires.
THIRD LECTURE.
FREEMASONRY, in every degree, as before
remarked, is progressive. A knowledge of it can
only be attained by time, patience, and
application. In the first degree, we are taught the
duties we owe to GOD, our neighbor, and
ourselves. In the second, we are more thoroughly
inducted into the mysteries of moral science, and
learn to trace the goodness and majesty of the
Creator, by minutely analyzing his works. But the
third degree is the cement of the whole. It is
calculated to bind men together by mystic points
of fellowship, as in a bond of fraternal affection
and brotherly love. It is
p. 190
among brethren of this degree that the ancient

Landmarks of the Order are preserved, and it is
from them that we derive that fund of information
which none but ingenious and expert Masons can
supply.
It is also from brethren of this degree that the

rulers of the Craft are selected; because it is only
from those who are capable of giving instruction
that we can reasonably expect to receive it.
SECTION I.
THE first section in this, as in the two preceding

degrees, is initiatory; and a knowledge of it is
indispensable to every brother who would make
himself useful in the ceremonial transactions of a
Lodge.
The Compasses are peculiarly consecrated to this
degree, because within their extreme points, when
properly extended, are emblematically said to be
inclosed the principal tenets of our profession;
and hence the moral application of the
Compasses, in the third degree, is to those
precious jewels of a Master Mason—Friendship,
Morality, and Brotherly Love.
The following passage of Scripture is introduced

during the ceremonies:
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy

youth, while the evil days come not, nor
p. 191
the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have

no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or
the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the
clouds return after the rain; in the day when the
keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong
men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease,
because they are few, and those that look out of
the windows he darkened, and the doors shall be
shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding
is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird,
and all the daughters of Music shall be brought
low; also, when they shall be afraid of that which
is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the
almond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper
shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because
man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go
about the streets: or ever the silver cord be loosed,
or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be
broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the
cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it
was; and the spirit shall return unto GOD who
gave it.—ECCL. xii. 1-7.
The passage of Scripture here selected is a

beautiful and affecting description of the body of
man suffering under the infirmities of old age, and
metaphorically compared to a worn-out house
about to fall
p. 192
into decay. How appropriate is such an

introduction to the sublime and awful ceremonies
of that degree, in which death, the resurrection,
and life eternal are the lessons to be taught by all
its symbols and allegories!—MACKEY's Manual
of the Lodge.
Click to enlarge
AIR—Bonny Doon.
Let us remember in our youth,

Before the evil days draw nigh,
Our great Creator, and his Truth!
Ere mem’ry fail and pleasures fly;
Or sun, or moon, or planets’ light
Grow p. 193 dark, or clouds return in gloom;
Ere vital spark no more incite;
When strength shall bow and years consume.
Click to enlarge
Let us in youth remember HIM!

Who formed our frame, and spirits gave,
Ere windows of the mind grow dim
Or door of speech obstructed wave;
When voice of bird fresh terrors wake,
And Music's daughters charm no more,
Or fear to rise, with trembling shake
Along the path we travel o’er.
In youth, to GOD let memory cling,

Before desire shall fail or wane,
Or ere be loosed life's silver string,
Or bowl at fountain rent in twain;
For man to his long home doth go,
And mourners group around his urn;
Our dust, to dust again must flow,
And spirits unto GOD return.
p. 194
* * * * * * *
All the implements in Masonry, indiscriminately,

properly belong to this degree, and may be
illustrated in this section. The TROWEL,
however, is more particularly referred to.
THE TROWEL
Is an instrument made use of by operative Masons

to spread the cement which unites the building
into one common mass; but we, as Free and
Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for
the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading
the cement of brotherly love and affection; that
cement which unites us into one sacred band, or
society of friends and brothers, among whom no
contention should ever exist, but that noble
contention, or rather emulation, of who best can
work and best agree.
The three precious jewels of a Master Mason—

FRIENDSHIP, MORALITY, and BROTHERLY
LOVE.
SECTION II.
Trim section recites the historical traditions of the

Order, and presents to view a picture of great
moral sublimity. It recites the legend of which the
symbolic interpretation testifies our faith in the
resurrection of the body and the immortality of
the soul; while it also exemplifies an instance of
integrity and firmness seldom equaled and never
excelled, and is in strong contrast with the
development of those passions which debase and
ruin all who indulge in them.
p. 195
* * * * * * *
THE ceremonial of the Degree of Master Mason

is unquestionably the most important, impressive,
and instructive portion of the Ritual of Ancient
Freemasonry. It transcends all others in the
profoundness of its philosophy, in the wide range
of ideas it aims to elucidate, and the dramatic
interest with which it is invested. Wrong
interpretations, however, assuming what is
evidently a philosophical and ethical Mythus, to
be the description of a literal fact, have, in a
certain degree, weakened the effects which it is
capable, otherwise, of producing.
That portion of the Rite which is connected with

the legend of the Tyrian Artist, is well worthy the
deep and earnest study of thoughtful men. But it
should be studied as a myth, and not as a fact;
and, if thus accepted, it will be found exceedingly
rich in instructive lessons, and lessons, too, which
admit of an immense variety of applications;
whereas, if it be regarded simply as a ceremony
commemorative of historical occurrences, it has
no philosophical importance nor significance
whatever.
Against the notion that it is the representation of a

scene that actually occurred in the Temple, it may
well be urged that, outside of Masonic tradition,
there is no proof that an event, such as is related
in connection with the Temple-Builder, ever
transpired; and, besides, the ceremony is older, by
more than a thousand years, than the age of
SOLOMON. There are characters impressed upon
it which cannot be mistaken. It is thoroughly
Egyptian, and is closely allied to the supreme rite
of the Isianic mysteries.
OSIRIS, ISIS, and TYPHON are the three
principal figures in the ancient Egyptian
mythology. TYPHON—i.e., Evil—made war
upon OSIRIS—i.e., Beauty, Goodness, and Truth.
A fierce conflict long raged between these
spiritual forces, of which all the combats,
antagonisms, and disorders of the outward, visible
world, were only far-distant. echoes, or feeble
reverberations. TYPHON (Evil), for a period,
appeared to triumph. With his wiles and arts, he
overcame OSIRIS (Truth), dismembered his
body, and concealed the fragments in the several
quarters of the earth. Then the whole universe was
shrouded in gloom, and resounded with
lamentations and mourning over the fall of the
Beautiful and Good! ISIS set forth, on her woful
pilgrimage, to find the remains of the beloved
OSIRIS. After many disappointments and trials,
her efforts were crowned with success. The great
day of triumph came. TYPHON (Evil) was
p. 196
destroyed by HORUS; the tomb of OSIRIS

opened, and HE—Order, Truth, Justice—came
forth, victorious, in the possession of immortal
life, and harmony, peace, and joy prevailed
through the universe.
The Egyptian rite was a dramatic representation

of these events, and its purpose is sufficiently
obvious. It pictured, in an impressive and solemn
manner, the mighty and unceasing conflict of
Truth with Error, Light with Darkness, Beauty
with Deformity, Virtue with Vice, and Life with
Death; and the final certain triumph of the former,
and the sure defeat and destruction of the latter.
This myth is the antetype of the Temple-legend.

OSIRIS and the Tyrian Architect are one and the
same—not a mortal individual, but an idea—an
IMMORTAL PRINCIPLE! In Egyptian
Freemasonry, OSIRIS was the type of Beauty,
Goodness, Order, and Truth. So, in the Temple-
myth, the Tyrian is the symbol of Beauty and
Order, and of that Creative Art which is ever
ready to seize the Ideal, and incarnate it in
material forms—that divine art which robes the
physical world in immortal splendors—
embellishes and beautifies life—idealizes all
Nature, transforming dull and prosy reality to a
sunny, flowery dream;
"Clothing the palpable and the familiar

With golden exhalations of the dawn."
TYPHON was slain, and the iniquitous triad of

the Temple met a deserved doom. The Master's
rite, from this point of view, has a wider scope
and deeper significance, than if recognized as
merely the record of an historical fact. In the one
case, it simply tells us that a good man fell in the
discharge of his duty, and that his foes were
punished. In the other, it embraces all the possible
conditions of Humanity, ranges through all
worlds, reveals the Law of Eternal Justice,
announces the omnipotence of Truth, and
proclaims the immortality of man.
In this sense, the myth of the Tyrian is perpetually

repeated in the history of human affairs.
ORPHEUS was murdered, and his body thrown
into the Hebrus; SOCRATES was made to drink
the hemlock; and, in all ages, we have seen Evil
temporarily triumphant, and Virtue and Truth
calumniated, persecuted, crucified, and slain. But
Eternal Justice marches surely and swiftly
through the world: the TYPHONS, the children of
darkness, the plotters of crime, all the infinitely
varied forms of evil, are swept into oblivion; and
Truth and Virtue—for a time laid low—come
forth, clothed with diviner majesty, and crowned
with everlasting glory!
p. 197
"TRUTH, crushed to earth, will rise again;

The eternal years of GOD are hers:
While ERROR, wounded, writhes in pain,
And dies amid her worshipers."
THE TWELVE MESSENGERS.
In the old philosophies, the number 12 always

concealed a mystical sense, and was considered a
symbol of divine ideas. But here the twelve F. C.
represent the companions of Isis, who assisted her
in her long and wearisome search after the body
of the slain OSIRIS.
THE ACACIA-TREE.
The "sprig of acacia" has, in the Masonic system,

a solemn importance. It is a handsome tree, noted
for its remarkably graceful and flexible leaves, of
yellowish green, which droop down, and wave in
the breeze, like luxuriant locks of hair. It held a
sacred place in the ancient initiations, and, like
the weeping-willow, was the symbol of tender
sympathy and undying affection. An emblem, too,
of immortality, it was most fittingly employed to
mark the last resting-place of the distinguished
dead.
THE LETTER G.
This letter is deservedly regarded as one of the

most sacred of the Masonic emblems. Where it is
used, however, as a symbol of Deity, it must be
remembered that it is the Saxon representative of
the Hebrew Yod and the Greek Tau—the initial
letters of the Eternal in those languages.
This symbol proves that Freemasonry always

prosecuted its labors with reference to the grand
ideas of Infinity and Eternity. By the letter G—
which conveyed to the minds of the brethren, at
the same time, the idea of GOD and that of
Geometry—it bound heaven to earth, the divine to
the human, and the infinite to the finite.
Masons are taught to regard the Universe as the
grandest of all symbols, revealing to men, in all
ages, the ideas which are eternally revolving in
the mind of the Divinity, and which it is their duty
to reproduce in their own lives and in the world of
art and industry. Thus GOD and Geometry, the
material worlds and the spiritual spheres, were
constantly united in the speculations of the
ancient Masons. They, consequently, labored
earnestly and unweariedly, not only to construct
cities, and embellish them with magnificent
p. 198
edifices, but also to build up a temple of great and

divine thoughts and of ever-growing virtues for
the soul to dwell in.
The symbolical letter G—
* * * "That Hieroglyphic bright,

Which none but Craftsmen ever saw,"
and before which every true Mason reverently

uncovers, and bows his head—is a perpetual
condemnation of profanity, impiety, and vice. No
brother who has bowed before that emblem, can
be profane. He will never speak the name of the
Grand Master of the Universe but with reverence,
respect, and love. He will learn, by studying the
mystic meaning of the letter G, to model his life
after the divine plan; and, thus instructed, he will
strive to be like GOD in the activity and
earnestness of his benevolence, and the broadness
and efficiency of his charity.
* * * * * * *
FUNERAL DIRGE.
Click to enlarge
Music—Pleyel's Hymn.
Solemn strikes the fun’ral chime,

Notes of our departing time;
As we journey here below,
Thro’ a pilgrimage of woe.
p. 199
Mortals, now indulge a tear,

For Mortality is here!
See how wide her trophies wave
O’er the slumbers of the grave!
Here another guest we bring;

Seraphs of celestial wing,
To our fun’ral altar come,
Waft our friend and brother home.
There, enlarged, thy soul shall see

What was wailed in mystery;
Heavenly glories of the place
Show his Maker, face to face.
LORD of all! below—above—

Fill our hearts with truth and love;
When dissolves our earthly tie,
Take us to thy Lodge on high.
Prayer at raising a brother to Master Mason's

degree:
THOU, O GOD! knowest our down-sitting and

our up-rising, and understandeth our thoughts afar
off. Shield and defend us from the evil intentions
of our enemies, and support us under the trials
and afflictions we are destined to endure, while
traveling through this vale of tears. Man that is
born of a woman is of few days, and full of
trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut
down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth
not. Seeing his days are determined, the number
of his months are with thee; thou hast appointed
his bounds that he cannot pass;
p. 200
turn from him that he may rest, till he shall

accomplish his day. For there is hope of a tree, if
it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that
the tender branch thereof will not cease. But man
dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the
ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from
the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, so
man lieth down, and riseth not up till the heavens
shall be no more. Yet, O LORD! have
compassion on the children of thy creation;
administer them comfort in time of trouble, and
save them with an everlasting salvation.—AMEN.

RITES OF SEPULTURE.
HEBREW CUSTOMS.
ALL nations of the earth, from time immemorial,

however much they have differed in most things,
have ever agreed in this, viz: that it is a sacred
duty to dispose of the bodies of the departed in a
reverential manner. The most prevalent custom
has been to bury them in the earth or place them
in tombs. Among the Greeks, the duty of burying
the dead was considered so important, that they
enacted a law, requiring that whoever should meet
a corpse in his path, should cover it with earth,
turning the eyes to the evening-star. In some of
the Oriental nations, the practice of burning the
dead, and preserving their ashes in funereal urns,
prevailed; but this custom was not tolerated in
Judea. The Jews celebrated their funerals with
great ceremony. Large crowds generally followed
the body to its last resting-place, and—what
seems strange to us—hired mourners, with
lamentations and tears, proclaimed the grief of the
surviving friends.
p. 201
The prejudices of the people would not allow

interments to be made in cities, and,
consequently, every town had its cemetery
without its walls. This fact would seem to be
contradicted by a statement made in this section
of the third degree, and Masonic writers have
been much perplexed to find a means of
reconciling the contradiction. But the subject is
really free of all difficulty. The scene referred to
is not historically true. Neither the supreme act of
this degree—as we have heretofore remarked—
nor the final one here described, are to be
considered as commemorative of historical facts.
The whole together forms a sublime myth, whose
significance we have explained in our annotations
elsewhere.
The Hebrews had cheerful views of death, and

awaited its approach with calmness. With
confidence and filial trust they closed their eyes
on life, its splendors and enjoyments, and
departed joyfully to join the great assembly of the
blessed. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil!" was the
exulting exclamation of one of them. When loved
ones were stricken down, and consigned to the
grave, they did not speak of them as dead, but
said "they sleep with their fathers!" Hence, their
burial-places were generally selected for their
agreeable scenery, and were shaded with the
Cypress and Cedar, and adorned with the
Tamarisk and "golden-haired" Acacia.
The Jews undoubtedly erected monuments,

bearing appropriate emblems and inscriptions, to
commemorate the virtues of distinguished men;
but the mausoleums which they best loved, were
those that Nature supplies. Obelisks of granite and
marble will crumble to dust as the ages revolve,
but Nature's monuments—the trees and the
flowers, symbols of Love, Hope, and
Immortality—are perpetually renewed.
Some of the ancient Oriental cemeteries yet exist.

A late traveler found one near Babylon, and
growing near one of its venerable graves was a
Tamarisk, which seemed to belong to the epoch
when the Chaldean State was at the summit of its
glory. "It appears," he says, "to be of the highest
antiquity, and has been a superb tree—perhaps a
scion of the monarch of the hanging gardens. Its
present height is only twenty-three feet; its trunk
has been of great circumference; though now
rugged and rifted, it still stands proudly up; and,
although nearly worn away, has still sufficient
strength to bear the burden of its limbs in the stern
grandeur of its decaying greatness. The fluttering
and rustling sound produced by the wind
sweeping through its delicate branches, has an
indescribably melancholy
p. 202
effect, and seems as if entreating the traveler to

remain, and unite in mourning over those who
slumber below. I scarcely dared ask why, while
standing beneath this precious relic of the past
and prophet of the future, I had nearly lost the
power of forcing myself from the spot.
"I turned from all it brought to those it could not

bring." *
The emblems of the second class, which are

peculiar to this degree—the Spade, Coffin, Sprig
of Acacia, etc.—are well known to all thoroughly-
qualified Masons. They are all expressive and
eloquently instructive; but we have always
regarded the acacia as the most beautiful and
significant; for it speaks of immortality. So the
trees, the shrubs, and flowers with which the old
Hebrews were wont to surround the tombs and
graves of their "loved and lost," were carefully
selected with reference to their symbolic meaning.
They were types of sympathy, affection, hope,
and of the love which is eternal.
This should also be the practice of modern

Freemason. The adorning of our graves with those
symbols of sympathy and everlasting affection
which Nature so richly furnishes, takes away the
gloom and terror of the "narrow house." Let the
rose, the amaranth, and the myrtle bloom around
the places where our loved departed rest from the
toils and conflicts of life. Let the acacia, cypress,
and cedar be planted there, and embellish the soil
which is consecrated to the dead. Thus, on every
returning Spring, each swelling bud and opening
flower will seem to declare that the night of death
is passing;
"And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb."
Thus every wind that softly breathes through the

green foliage, and fans the verdant coverings of
the dead, will seem to be an echo of the voice of
GOD, or the Archangel's trump, commanding the
dead to rise. Then will holy and trustful thoughts
and bright hopes hover over their tombs, as
crowns of stars. The grave will be transfigured,
and shine with a light immortal
By following the example of our brethren of the

old days, we render a homage, justly due, to the
spirits of the honored dead. Each grave thus
becomes an altar, consecrated by sighs, and tears,
and holy affections; and the flowers that bloom
thereon, are the
p. 203
offerings which unforgetting love presents to the

cherished being who slumbers beneath.
"Then, like the Hebrew, bear your dead

To fields with pleasant verdure spread,
And lay him down to rest,
Where th’ Acacias, with the Cypress blent,
Weep mutely o’er the tenement
Which holds a slumbering guest.
Oh, bear along the sable pall
Without the crowded city's wall!"
WHEN the necessities of a Brother call for my aid
and support, I will be ever ready to render him
such assistance, to save him from sinking, as may
not be detrimental to myself ### connections, if I
find him worthy thereof.
Indolence shall not cause my footsteps to halt, nor

shall wrath turn them aside; but, forgetting every
selfish consideration, I will be ever swift of foot
to save, help, and execute benevolence to a
fellow-creature in distress, particularly to a
brother Mason.
When I offer up my devotions to Almighty God, I

will remember a Brother's welfare as my own; for,
most assuredly, will the petitions of a fervent
heart be acceptable at the Throne of Grace; and
our prayers are certainly required for each other.
A Brother's secrets, delivered to me as such, I will

keep as I would my own, because, by betraying
that trust, I might be doing him the greatest injury
he could possibly sustain.
A Brother's character I will support in his absence

as I would in his presence; I will not wrongfully
revile him myself, nor will I suffer it to be done
by others, if in my power to prevent it.
p. 204
Thus are we linked together in one indissoluble

chain of sincere affection, brotherly love, relief,
and truth.
It has been the practice in all ages to erect

monuments to the memory of departed worth; and
the section closes with a tribute to the memory of
that distinguished artist who preferred to lose his
life rather than betray his trust.
Footnotes
202:* Travels in the Holy Land and Chaldea, by

Capt. ROBT. MIQUARI. 1829.
* * * * * * *
SECTION III.
THIS section illustrates certain hieroglyphical

emblems, and inculcates many useful and
impressive moral lessons. It also details many
particulars relative to the building of the Temple
at Jerusalem.
This magnificent structure was founded in the

fourth year of the reign of SOLOMON, on the
second day of the month Zif, being the second
month of the sacred year. It was located on Mount
Moriah, near the place where ABRAHAM was
about to offer up his son ISAAC, and where
DAVID met and appeased the destroying angel.
JOSEPHUS informs us that, although more than
seven years were occupied in building it, yet,
during the whole term, it did not rain in the day-
time, that the workmen might not be obstructed in
their labor. From sacred history we also learn, that
there was not the sound of ax, hammer, or any
tool of iron, heard in the house while it was
p. 205
building. It is said to have been supported by

fourteen hundred and fifty-three columns, and two
thousand nine hundred and six pilasters, all hewn
from the finest Parian marble.
It was symbolically supported, also, by three

columns—WISDOM, STRENGTH, and
BEAUTY.
* * * * * * *
In the British and other mysteries, these three

pillars represented the great emblematical Triad
of Deity, as with us they refer to the three
principal officers of the Lodge. It is a fact that, in
Britain, the Adytum or Lodge was actually
supported by three stones or pillars, which were
supposed to convey a regenerating purity to the
aspirant, after having endured the ceremony of
initiation in all its accustomed formalities. The
delivery from between them was termed a new
birth. The corresponding pillars of the Hindoo
mythology were also known by the names of
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, and placed in the
East, West, and South, crowned with three human
heads. They jointly referred to the Creator, who
was said to have planned the Great Work by his
infinite Wisdom, executed it by his Strength, and
to have adorned it with all its Beauty and
usefulness for the benefit of man. These united
powers were not overlooked in the mysteries; for
we find them represented in the solemn ceremony
of initiation by the three presiding Brahmins or
Hierophants. The chief Brahmin sat in the East,
high exalted on a brilliant throne, clad in a
flowing robe of azure, thickly sparkled with
golden stars, and bearing in his hand a magical
rod; thus symbolizing BRAHMA, the creator of
the world. His two compeers, clad in robes of
equal magnificence, occupied corresponding
situations of distinction. The representative of
VISHNU (the setting sun) was placed on an
exalted throne in the West; and he who
personated SIVA, the meridian sun, occupied a
splendid throne in the South.
There were employed in its building three Grand

Masters; three thousand and three hundred
p. 206
[paragraph
Masters or Overseers of the work; eighty continues]
thousand Fellow-Crafts; and seventy thousand
Entered Apprentices, or bearers of burdens. All
these were classed and arranged in such manner,
by the wisdom of SOLOMON, that neither envy,
discord, nor confusion, were suffered to interrupt
or disturb the peace and good-fellowship which
prevailed among the workmen.
In front of the magnificent porch were placed the

two celebrated pillars—one on the left hand and
one on the right hand. They are supposed to have
been placed there as a memorial to the children of
Israel of the happy deliverance of their forefathers
from Egyptian bondage, and in commemoration
of the miraculous pillars of fire and cloud. The
pillar of fire gave light to the Israelites, and
facilitated their march; and the cloud proved
darkness to PHARAOH and his host, and retarded
their pursuit. King SOLOMON, therefore,
ordered these pillars to be placed at the entrance
of the Temple, as the most conspicuous part, that
the children of Israel might have that happy event
continually before their eyes, in going to and
returning from divine worship.
p. 207
KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.
THE place chosen for the erection of this

magnificent structure was Mount Moriah, a lofty
hill, situated in the north-easterly part of the city
of Jerusalem, having Mount Zion on the south-
west, Mount Acra on the west, and Mount Olives
on the east. The summit of this mountain was
unequal, and its aides irregular; but it was a
favorite object of the Jews to level and extend it.
The plan and model of the Temple was in the
same form as the Tabernacle of Moses, but was of
much larger dimensions.
King SOLOMON commenced the erection of the
Temple in the year B.C. 1011, about 480 years
after the Exodus and the building of the
Tabernacle in the wilderness; and it was finished
B.C. 1004, having occupied seven years and six
months in the building.
The foundations were laid at a profound depth,

and consisted of stones of immense size and great
durability. They were closely mortised into the
rock, so as to form a secure basis for the
substantial erection of the sacred edifice.
The building does not appear to have been so

remarkable for its magnitude, as for the
magnificence of its ornaments and the value of its
materials. The porch was 120 cubits, or 210 feet
high, and the rest of the building was in height but
30 cubits, or 52½ feet; so that the form of the
whole house was thus:—It was situated due east
and west, the holy of holies being to the
westward, and the porch or entrance toward the
east. The whole length, from east to west, was 70
cubits, or 122½ feet. The breadth, exclusive of the
side chambers, was 20 cubits, or 35 feet; the
height of the holy place and the holy of holies was
30 cubits, or 52½ feet, and the porch stood at the
eastern end, like a lofty steeple, 120 cubits, or 210
feet high. In fact, as LIGHTFOOT remarks, the
Temple much resembled a modern church, with
this difference, that the steeple, which was placed
over the porch, was situated at the east end.
Around the north and south sides and the west end
were built chambers of three stories, each story
being 5 cubits in height, or 15 cubits, 26 feet 9
inches in all—and these were united to the outside
wall of the house.
The windows, which were used for ventillation

rather than for light, which was derived from the
sacred candlesticks, were placed in the wall of the
Temple that was above the roof of the side
chambers. But that part which included the holy
of holies was without
p. 208
any aperture whatever, to which SOLOMON

alludes in the passage, "The LORD said that HE
would dwell in the thick darkness."
The Temple was divided, internally, into three

parts—the porch, the sanctuary, and the holy of
holies; the breadth of all these wag of course the
same, namely, 20 cubits, or 35 feet, but they
differed in length. The porch was 17 feet 6 inches
in length, the sanctuary 70 feet, and the holy of
holies 35, or, in the Hebrew measure, 10, 40, and
20 cubits. The entrance from the porch into the
sanctuary was through a wide door of olive posts
and leaves of fir; but the door between the
sanctuary and the holy of holies was composed
entirely of olive-wood. These doors were always
open, and the aperture closed by a suspended
curtain. The partition between the sanctuary and
the holy of holies partly consisted of an open
network, so that the incense daily offered in the
former place might be diffused through the
interstices into the latter.
In the sanctuary were placed the golden

candlestick, the table of shew-bread, and the altar
of incense. The holy of holies contained nothing
but the ark of the covenant, which included the
tables of the law.
The frame-work of the Temple consisted of

massive stone, but it was wainscoted with cedar,
which was covered with gold. The boards within
the Temple were ornamented with carved work,
skillfully representing cherubim, palm-leaves, and
flowers. The ceiling was supported by beams of
cedar-wood, which, with that used in the
wainscoting, was supplied by the workmen of
HIRAM, King of Tyre, from the forest of
Lebanon. The floor was throughout made of
cedar, but boarded over with planks of fir.
The Temple, thus constructed, was surrounded by

various courts and high walls, and thus occupied
the entire summit of Mount Moriah. The first of
the courts was the Court of the Gentiles, beyond
which Gentiles were prohibited from passing.
Within this, and separated from it by a low wall,
was the Court of the Children of Israel, and inside
of that, separated from it by another wall, was the
Court of the Priests, in which was placed the altar
of burnt offerings. From this court there was an
ascent of twelve steps to the porch of the Temple,
before which stood the two pillars of JACHIN
and BOAZ.
For the erection of this magnificent structure,

besides the sums annually appropriated by
SOLOMON, his father, DAVID, had left one
hundred thousand talents of gold and a million
talents of silver, equal to nearly four thousand
millions of dollars.
p. 209
The year after the Temple was finished, it was

dedicated with those solemn ceremonies which
are alluded to in this degree. The dedicatory
ceremonies commenced on Friday, the 30th of
October, and lasted for fourteen days, terminating
on Thursday, the 12th of November, although the
people were not dismissed until the following
Saturday. Seven days of this festival were devoted
to the dedication exclusively, and the remaining
seven to the Feast of Tabernacles, which
followed.
In this section are also explained a variety of
appropriate emblems, with which the skillful brother
will not fail to make himself familiarly acquainted,
and they are thus explained:
THE THREE STEPS,

[paragraph
Usually delineated upon the Master's carpet, are continues]
emblematical of the three principal stages of human
life, viz:—YOUTH, MANHOOD, and AGE. In
Youth, as Entered Apprentices, we ought
industriously to occupy our minds in the attainment
of useful knowledge; in Manhood, as Fellow-Crafts,
we should apply our knowledge to the discharge of
our respective duties to GOD, our neighbor, and
ourselves; that so, in Age, as Master Masons, we
may enjoy the happy reflection consequent on a
well-spent life, and die in the hope of a glorious
immortality.
The morning is the youth of the day; youth is

vigorous till noon; then comes the age of man; to
which succeeds the evening of old age; sunset
follows the evening or death of the day. Frugality is
a great revenue, but no where greater than in this
case.
p. 210
THE POT OF INCENSE

[paragraph
Is an emblem of a pure heart, which is always an continues]
acceptable sacrifice to the Deity; and as this glows
with fervent heat, so should our hearts continually
glow with gratitude to the great and beneficent
Author of our existence, for the manifold blessings
and comforts we enjoy.
THE BEE-HIVE
[paragraph
Is an emblem of industry, and recommends the continues]
practice of that virtue to all created beings, from the
highest seraph in heaven to the lowest reptile of the
dust. It teaches us that, as we carne into the world
rational and intelligent beings, so we should ever be
industrious ones; never sitting down contented while
our fellow-creatures around us are in want,
especially when it is in our power to relieve them
without inconvenience to ourselves.
When we take a survey of Nature, we view man in

his infancy, more helpless and indigent than the
brute creation: he lies languishing for days, months,
and years, totally incapable of providing sustenance
for himself, of guarding against the attack of the
wild beasts of the field, or sheltering himself from
the inclemencies of the weather.
p. 211
[paragraph
It might have pleased the great Creator of heaven continues]
and earth to have made man independent of all other
beings; but as dependence is one of the strongest
bonds of society, mankind were made dependent on
each other for protection and security, as they
thereby enjoy better opportunities of fulfilling the
duties of reciprocal love and friendship. Thus was
man formed for social and active life—the noblest
part of the work of GOD; and he that will so demean
himself as not to be endeavoring to add to the
common stock of knowledge and understanding,
may be deemed a drone in the hive of Nature, a
useless member of society, and unworthy of our
protection as Masons.
THE BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS, GUARDED

BY THE TILERS SWORD,
[paragraph
Reminds us that we should be ever watchful and continues]
guarded in our thoughts, words, and actions,
particularly when before the enemies of Masonry—
ever bearing in remembrance those truly Masonic
virtues, silence and circumspection.
THE SWORD, POINTING TO A NAKED
HEART,
[paragraph
Demonstrates that justice will sooner or later continues]
overtake us; and although our thoughts, words,
p. 212
and actions may be hidden from the eyes of man, yet

that
ALL-SEEING EYE,
whom the SUN, MOON, and STARS obey, and

under whose watchful care even COMETS perform
their stupendous revolutions, pervades the inmost
recesses of the human HEART, and will reward us
according to our merits.
THE ANCHOR AND ARK

[paragraph
Are emblems of a well-grounded hope and a well- continues]
spent life. They are emblematical of that divine Ark
which safely wafts us over this tempestuous sea of
troubles, and that Anchor which shall safely moor us
in a peaceful harbor, where the wicked cease from
troubling, and the weary shall find rest.
THE FORTY-SEVENTH PROBLEM OF

EUCLID.
This was an invention of our ancient friend and

brother, the great PYTHAGORAS, who, in his
travels through Asia, Africa, and Europe, was
initiated into the several orders of priesthood. and
raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. This
wise philosopher enriched his mind abundantly in a
general knowledge of things
p. 213
and more especially in Geometry, or Masonry. On

this subject he drew out many problems and
theorems; and, among the most distinguished, he
erected this, which, in the joy of his heart, he called
EUREKA, in the Grecian language signifying I have
found it; and upon the discovery of which he is said
to have sacrificed a hecatomb. It teaches Masons to
be general lovers of the arts and sciences.
THE HOUR-GLASS
[paragraph
Is an emblem of human life. Behold! how swiftly the continues]
sands run, and how rapidly our lives are drawing to
a close! We cannot without astonishment behold the
little particles which are contained in this machine;
how they pass away almost imperceptibly; and yet,
to our surprise, in the short space of an hour they are
all exhausted! Thus wastes man. To-day, he puts
forth the tender leaves of Hope; to-morrow,
blossoms, and bears his blushing honors thick upon
him; the next day comes a frost, which nips the
shoot; and when he thinks his greatness is still,
aspiring, he falls like autumn leaves, to enrich our
mother-earth.
p. 214
THE SCYTHE
[paragraph
Is an emblem of Time, which cuts the brittle thread continues]
of life, and launches us into eternity. Behold! what
havoc the scythe of Time makes among the human
race! If by chance we should escape the numerous
evils incident to childhood and youth, and with
health and vigor arrive to the years of manhood; yet,
withal, we must soon be cut down by the all-
devouring scythe of Time, and be gathered into the
land where our fathers have gone before us.
* * * * * * *
Thus we close the explanation of the emblems upon
the solemn thought of death, which, without
revelation, is dark and gloomy; but we are
p. 215
suddenly revived by the ever-green and ever-living

sprig of Faith in the merits of the Lion of the tribe of
Judah; which strengthens us, with confidence and
composure, to look forward to a blessed
immortality; and doubt not, but in the glorious morn
of the resurrection, our bodies will rise, and become
as incorruptible as our souls.
Then let us imitate the good man in his virtuous and

amiable conduct; in his unfeigned piety to GOD; in
his inflexible fidelity to his trust; that we may
welcome the grim tyrant Death, and receive him as a
kind messenger sent from our Supreme Grand
Master, to translate us from this imperfect to that all-
perfect, glorious, and celestial Lodge above, where
the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.
p. 216
BROTHER: Your zeal for our institution, the

progress you have made in our mysteries, and
your steady conformity to our useful regulations,
have pointed you out as a proper object for this
peculiar mark of our favor.
Duty and honor now alike bind you to be faithful

to every trust; to support the dignity of your
character on all occasions; and strenuously to
enforce, by precept and example, a steady
obedience to the tenets of Freemasonry.
Exemplary conduct, on your part, will convince
the world that merit is the just title to our
privileges, and that on you our favors have not
been undeservedly bestowed.
In this respectable character, you are authorized to

correct the irregularities of your less informed
brethren; to fortify their minds with resolution
against the snares of the insidious, and to guard
them against every allurement to vicious
practices. To preserve unsullied the reputation of
the Fraternity ought to be your constant care; and,
therefore, it becomes your province to caution the
inexperienced against a
p. 217
breach of fidelity. To your inferiors in rank or

office, you are to recommend obedience and
submission; to your equals, courtesy and
affability; to your superiors, kindness and
condescension. Universal obedience you are
zealously to inculcate; and by the regularity of
your own conduct, endeavor to remove every
aspersion against this venerable institution. Our
ancient landmarks you are carefully to preserve,
and not suffer them on any pretense to be
infringed, or countenance a deviation from our
established customs.
Your honor and reputation are concerned in

supporting with dignity the respectable character
you now bear. Let no motive, therefore, make you
swerve from your duty, violate your vows, or
betray your trust; but be true and faithful, and
imitate the example of that celebrated artist whom
you have this evening represented. Thus you will
render yourself deserving of the honor which we
have conferred, and worthy of the confidence we
have reposed in you.
Having thus given a general summary of the

Lectures restricted to the three Degrees of the
Order, and made such remarks on each Degree as
might illustrate the subjects treated, little farther
can be wanted to encourage the zealous
p. 218
[paragraph
Mason to persevere in his researches. He who has continues]
traced the Art in a regular progress, from the
commencement of the First to the conclusion of
the Third Degree, according to the plan here laid
down, must have amassed an ample store of
knowledge, and will reflect with pleasure on the
good effects of his past diligence and attention.
By applying the improvements he has made to the
general advantage of society, he will secure to
himself the veneration of Masons and the
approbation of all good men.
p. 220
OFFICERS' CLOTHING AND JEWELS.
SUBORDINATE LODGE.
The COLLAR must be blue, (of velvet, silk, or

merino,) trimmed with material of same color,
bordered with silver lace. They may be
ornamented with embroidery or stars. The Jewel
is to be suspended from the point of the Collar.
The APRON is white lambskin, square at the

corners—13x15 in., with flap triangular shape, 5
inches deep at the point, lined and bordered with
blue. On the flap is delineated an eye, irradiated;
on the area the square and compass and the letter
G, irradiated, with flat Masonic tags suspended on
either side from under the flap. See illustration p.
173.
JEWELS (silver).
Past Master wears a compass opened on a

quarter circle, sun in the
center. *
Master „ a square.
Senior „ a level.
Warden
Junior „ a plumb.
Warden
Treasurer „ cross keys.
Secretary „ cross pens.
Senior „ square and compass, sun in
Deacon the center.
Junior „ square and compass, quar.
Deacon moon in center.
Stewards „ a cornucopia.
Chaplain „ an open Bible.
Marshal „ cross batons.
Organist „ a lyre.
M's of „ cross swords.
Ceremonies
Tiler „ a sword, sabre shape.
GRAND LODGE.
The COLLARS of a Grand Lodge should be

made of royal purple silk velvet, enriched with
gold embroidery, trimmed with gold lace, and
lined with purple silk. The Jewel is to be
suspended from the point of the Collar.
The APRON is white lambskin, 13×15 in., square

at the corners, trimmed with purple and gold, and
flat Masonic tags. The Apron and Collar should
be made to correspond in richness to the grade of
the officer for whom they were intended.
JEWELS.
The Jewels of a Grand Lodge are made of gold

(or yellow metal), and suspended in a circle or
wreath.
Grand Master wears a compass opened on a

quarter circle sun in the
center.
Past Grand „ the same, with triangle.
Master
Deputy Grand „ a square.
Master
Senior Grand „ a level.
Warden
Junior Grand „ a plumb.
Warden
Grand „ cross keys.
Treasurer
Grand „ cross pens.
Secretary
Grand „ the Holy Bible.
Chaplains
Grand „ a scroll and sword crossed.
Marshal
G. Standard „ a plate, representing a
Bearer banner.
Grand Sword „ a straight sword.
Bearer
Grand „ a cornucopia.
Stewards
Grand „ a dove, bearing an olive
Deacons branch.
Grand „ a sword and trumpet
Pursuivant crossed.
Grand Tiler „ cross swords.
Footnotes
220:* This Jewel may be made of gold, and

enclosed to a wreath.
p. 222
ANCIENT CEREMONIES.
THESE CEREMONIES should be carefully studied

and well understood by every Master of a Lodge.
They include the ceremonies of Opening and Closing
Lodges; Form of Petition, and Directions for
Organizing Lodges; Consecrating, Dedicating, and
Constituting new Lodges; Installing Officers of Grand
and Subordinate Lodges; Grand Visitations; Annual
Festivals; Laying Foundation Stones; Dedication of
Masonic Halls; Sorrow Lodges; Funeral Services;
Processions, etc., etc.
p. 223
SECTION I.
CONSECRATION, DEDICATION,
CONSTITUTION, AND INSTALLATION OF
OFFICERS OF A NEW LODGE.
ANY number of Master Masons, not less than seven,

desirous of forming a new Lodge, must apply, by
petition, * to the Grand Master, Deputy Grand
Master, or Grand Lodge of the State in which they
reside, as follows;
p. 224
FORM OF PETITION FOR A NEW LODGE.
To the M. W. Grand Master of Masons of the State

of .......:
THE undersigned petitioners, being Ancient Free

and Accepted Master Masons, having the prosperity
of the Fraternity at heart, and willing to exert their
best endeavors to promote and diffuse the genuine
principles of Masonry, respectfully represent—That
they are desirous of forming a new Lodge in the ....
of ........, to be named , No .... They therefore pray
for Letters of Dispensation, to empower them to
assemble as a regular Lodge, to discharge the duties
of Masonry, in a regular and constitutional manner,
according to the original forms of the Order and the
regulations of the Grand Lodge. They have
nominated and do recommend Brother A. B. to be
the first Master; Brother C. D. to be the first Senior
Warden; and Brother F. F. to be the first Junior
Warden of said Lodge. If the prayer of this petition
shall be granted, they promise a strict conformity to
the edicts of the Grand Master, and the Constitution,
laws, and regulations of the Grand Lodge. *
p. 225
CONSECRATION.
ON the day and hour appointed, the Grand Master

and his officers, or their representatives, meet in a
convenient room, near to that in which the Lodge is
to be consecrated, and open the Grand Lodge.
After the officers of the new Lodge are examined,

they send a messenger to the Grand Master with the
following message:
MOST WORSHIPFUL: The Officers and Brethren

of ...... Lodge, who are now assembled at ....., have
instructed me to inform you that the Most
Worshipful Grand Lodge (or Grand Master) was
pleased to grant them a Letter of Dispensation,
bearing date the .... day of ....., in the year ....,
authorizing them to form and open a Lodge of Free
and Accepted Masons, in the ...... of
p. 226
[paragraph
......; that since that period they have regularly continues]
assembled, and conducted the business of
MASONRY according to the best of their abilities;
that their proceedings having received the
approbation of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge,
they have obtained a Charter of Constitution, and are
desirous that their Lodge should be consecrated, and
their Officers installed, agree ably to the ancient
usages and customs of the Craft; for which purpose
they are now met, and await the pleasure of the Most
Worshipful Grand Master.
The Grand Lodge then walk in procession to the

room of the new Lodge. When the Grand Master
enters, the grand honors * are given, under direction
of the Master of the new
p. 227
[paragraph
Lodge. The officers of the new Lodge resign their continues]
seats to the Grand Officers, and take their stations on
their left.
p. 228
If the ceremonies are performed in public, the Grand

Marshal then forms the procession in the following
order:
Tiler, with drawn sword;
Two Stewards, with white rods;
Master Masons, two and two;
Junior Deacons;
Senior Deacons;
Secretaries;
Treasurers;
Past Wardens;
Junior Wardens;
Senior Wardens;
Past Masters;
Members of the higher degrees;
THE NEW LODGE.
Stewards, with white rods;
Master Masons;
Junior and Senior Deacons;
Secretary and Treasurer;
Two brethren, carrying the Lodge;
Junior and Senior Wardens;
The Holy Writings, carried by the oldest member

not in office.
Worshipful Master;
p. 229
Music.
THE GRAND LODGE;
Grand Tiler, with drawn sword;
Grand Stewards, with white rods;
Grand Pursuivant, with sword;
Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer;
A. Past Master, bearing the Holy Writings, Square,

and Compasses, supported by two Stewards, with
rods;
Two Burning Tapers, borne by two Past Masters;
Grand Chaplain and Orator;
The Tuscan and Composite Orders;
The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Orders;
Past Grand Wardens;

Past Deputy Grand Masters;
Past Grand Masters;
The Celestial and Terrestrial Globes, borne by two

brethren;
Junior Grand Warden, carrying a silver vessel with

oil;
Senior Grand Warden, carrying a silver vessel with

wine;
Deputy Grand Master, carrying a golden vessel with

corn;
Master of the oldest Lodge, carrying the Book of
Constitutions;
GRAND MASTER,
Supported by the Grand Deacons, with white rods;
Grand Standard-Bearer;
Grand Sword-Bearer, with drawn sword.
The procession moves on to the church or house

where the services are to be performed. When the
front of the procession arrives at the door, they halt,
open to the right and left, and face inward, while the
Grand Master and others, in succession, pass
through, and enter the house.
A platform is erected in front of the pulpit, and

provided with seats for the accommodation of the
Grand Officers.
The Bible, Square, and Compasses, and Book of

Constitutions,
p. 230
are placed upon a table in front of the Grand Master;

the Lodge * is placed in the center, upon a platform
covered with white linen, and encompassed by the
three tapers and the vessels of corn, wine, and oil.
The following services then take place:
ODE.
AIR—Shirland. S. M.
Great Source of Light and Love,
To thee our songs we raise!
Oh! in thy temple, Lord above,
Hear and accept our praise!
p. 231
Shine on this festive day,

Succeed its hoped design,
And may our Charity display
A love resembling thine!
May this fraternal band,

Now Consecrated—blest—
In union all distinguished stand,
In purity be drest!
The following, or an extemporaneous Prayer, will be

offered by the Grand Chaplain:
Great, Adorable, and Supreme Being! We praise

thee for all thy mercies, and especially for giving us
desires to enjoy, and powers of enjoying, the
delights of society. The affections which thou hast
implanted in us, and which we cannot destroy
without violence to our nature, are among the chief
blessings which thy benign wisdom hath bestowed
upon us. Help us duly to improve all our powers to
the promotion of thy glory in the world, and the
good of our fellow-creatures. May we be active
under thy divine light, and dwell in thy truth.
Extend thy favor to us who are now entering into a

Fraternal compact under peculiar obligations. Enable
us to be faithful to thee, faithful in our callings in
life, faithful Masons in all the
p. 232
duties of the Craft, and faithful to each other as

members of this society. Take us under the shadow
of thy protection; and to thy service and glory may
we consecrate our hearts. May we always put faith
in thee, have hope in salvation, and be in charity
with all mankind!—AMEN.
Response by the brethren.—So mote it be.
An ORATION, by some competent brother, when

practicable.
ODE.
AIR—Duke Street. L. M.
How blest the sacred tie, that binds,
In sweet communion kindred minds!
How swift the heavenly course they run, p. 233
Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopes are one.
Together oft they seek the place
Where Masons meet with smiling face;
How high, how strong their raptures swell,
There's none but kindred souls can tell.
Nor shall the glowing flame expire,

When dimly burns frail Nature's fire;
Then shall they meet in realms above,
A heaven of joy, a heaven of love.
The Grand Marshal then forms the officers and

members of the new Lodge in front of the Grand
Master. The Deputy Grand Master addresses the
Grand Master as follows:
MOST WORSHIPFUL: A number of brethren, duly

instructed in the mysteries of Masonry, having
assembled together at stated periods, for some time
past, by virtue of a Dispensation granted them for
that purpose, do now desire to be constituted into a
regular Lodge, agreeably to the ancient usages and
customs of the Fraternity.
The records are then presented to the Grand Master,

who examines them, and, if found correct, proclaims
p. 234
The records appear to be correct, and are approved.

Upon due deliberation, the Grand Lodge have
granted the brethren of this new Lodge a Warrant,
establishing and confirming them in the rights and
privileges of a regularly-constituted Lodge; which
the Grand Secretary will now read.
After the Warrant is read, the Grand Master then

says:
We shall now proceed, according to ancient usage,

to constitute these brethren into a regular Lodge.
Whereupon the several officers of the new Lodge

deliver up their jewels and badges to their Master,
who presents them, with his own, to the Deputy
Grand Master, and he to the Grand Master.
The Deputy Grand Master presents the Master elect

to the Grand Master; saying,
MOST WORSHIPFUL: I present you Brother ....,

whom the members of the Lodge now to be
constituted have chosen for their Master.
The Grand Master asks the brethren if they remain

satisfied with their choice. [They bow in token of
assent.]
The Master elect then presents, severally, his

Wardens and other officers, naming them and their
respective offices. The Grand Master asks the
brethren if they remain satisfied with ' ach and all of
them. [They bow, as before.]
p. 235
The officers and members of the new Lodge form in

front of the Grand Master; and the ceremonies of
Consecration commence.
The Grand Master and Grand Officers now form

themselves in order around the Lodge—all kneeling.
A piece of solemn music is performed while the

Lodge is being uncovered.
After which, the first clause of the Consecration

Prayer is rehearsed by the Grand Chaplain, as
follows:
Great Architect of the Universe! Maker and Ruler of

all Worlds! Deign, from thy celestial temple, from
realms of light and glory, to bless us in all the
purposes of our present assembly! We humbly
invoke thee to give us at this, and at all times,
wisdom in all our doings, strength of mind in all our
difficulties, and the beauty of harmony in all our
communications! Permit us, O thou Author of Light
and Life, great Source of Love and Happiness, to
erect this Lodge, and now solemnly to consecrate it
to the honor of thy glory!
Response.—As it was in the beginning, is now, and

ever shall be; world without end.—AMEN.
The Deputy Grand Master presents the golden vessel

of corn, and the Senior and Junior Grand Wardens
the silver vessels of wine and oil, to the Grand
Master, who sprinkles the elements of Consecration
upon the Lodge.
p. 236
The Grand Chaplain then continues:
Grant, O Lord our God, that those who are now

about to be invested with the government of this
Lodge may be endowed with wisdom to instruct
their brethren in all their duties. May brotherly love,
relief, and truth always prevail among the members
of this Lodge! May this bond of union continue to
strengthen the Lodges throughout the world!
Bless all our brethren, wherever dispersed; and grant

speedy relief to all who are either oppressed or
distressed.
We affectionately commend to thee all the members

of thy whole family. May they increase in grace, in
the knowledge of thee, and in the love of each other.
Finally: May we finish all our work here below with

thy approbation; and then have our transition from
this earthly abode. to thy heavenly
p. 237
temple above, there to enjoy light, glory, and bliss,

ineffable and eternal!
Response.—As it was in the beginning, is now, and

ever shall be. So mote it be.—AMEN.
Footnotes
223:* The mode of applying by petition to the Grand

Master for a warrant to meet as a regular Lodge,
commenced only in the year 1718; previous to that
time, Lodges were empowered, by inherent
privileges vested in the Fraternity at large, to meet
and act occasionally under the direction of some
able architect; and the proceedings of those meetings
being approved by the majority of the brethren
convened at another Lodge assembled in the same
district, were deemed constitutional. By such an
inherent authority the Lodge of Antiquity in London
now acts, having no warrant from any Grand Lodge,
but an authority traced from time Immemorial,
which has been long and universally admitted and
acknowledged by the whole Fraternity throughout
the world, and which no warrant or other instrument
of any particular Masonic jurisdiction can possibly
supersede.
224:* This petition, being signed by at least seven

regular Masons, and recommended by a Lodge or
Lodges nearest to the place where the new Lodge is
to be holden, is delivered to the Grand Secretary,
who lays it before the G. Lodge.
In many jurisdictions, the Grand and Deputy Grand

Masters, respectively, are invested with authority to
grant dispensations at pleasure during the recess of
the Grand Lodge; in some, they are never issued
without the special direction of the Grand Lodge.
Lodges working under dispensation are merely the

agents of the G. Lodge or Grand officer granting the
authority; their presiding officers are not entitled to
the rank of Past Masters; their officers are not
privileged with a vote or voice in the Grand Lodge;
they cannot change their officers without the special
approbation and appointment of the Grand Lodge or
Grand officer granting p. 225 the authority; and in case
of the cessation of such Lodges, their funds, jewels,
and other property accumulated by initiations into
the several degrees, become the property of the
Grand Lodge, and must be delivered over to the G.
Treasurer.
When Lodges that are at first instituted by

dispensation have passed a proper term of probation,
they make application to the Grand Lodge for a
Charter of Constitution. If this be obtained, they are
then confirmed in the possession of their property,
and possess all the rights and privileges of regularly-
constituted Lodges, as long as they conform to the
Constitutions of Masonry. After a Charter is granted
by the Grand Lodge, the Grand Master appoints a
day and hour for consecrating and constituting the
new Lodge, and for installing its Master, Wardens,
and other officers. If the Grand Master, in person,
attends the ceremony, the Lodge Is said to be
constituted In AMPLE FORM; if the Deputy Grand
Master only, it is said to be constituted in DUE
FORM; but if the power of performing the ceremony
is vested in any other person, it is said to be
constituted in FORM.
When the Charters of Constitution are granted for

places where the distance is so great as to render it
inconvenient for the Grand Officers to attend, the
Grand Master or his Deputy issues a written
instrument, under his hand and private seal, to some
worthy Present or Past Master, with full power to
congregate, dedicate, and constitute the Lodge, and
install its officers.
226:* The Grand Honors of Masonry are those

peculiar acts and gestures by which the Craft have
always been accustomed to express their homage,
their joy, or their grief, on memorable occasions.
They are of two kinds, the private and public, and
carp of them are used on different occasions and for
different purposes,
The private Grand Honors of Masonry are

performed in a manner known only to Master
Masons, since they can only be used in a Master's
Lodge. They are practiced by the Craft only on four
occasions:—when a Masonic Hall is to be
consecrated, a new Lodge to be constituted, a Master
slept to be installed, or a Grand Master or his
Deputy to be received on an official visitation to a
Lodge. They are used at all these ceremonies as
tokens of congratulation and homage. And as they
can only be given by Master Masons, it is evident
that every consecration of a hall, or constitution of a
new Lodge, every installation of a Worshipful
Master, and every reception of a Grand Master, must
be done in the third degree. It is also evident, from
what has been said, that the mode and manner of
giving the private Grand Honors can only be
personally communicated to Master Masons. They
are among the aporreta—the things forbidden to be
divulged.
The public Grand Honors, as their name imports, do

not partake pr this secret character. They are given
on all public occasions, in the presence of the
profane p. 227 as well as the initiated. They are used at
the laying of corner-stones of public buildings, or in
other services in which the ministrations of the
Fraternity are required, and especially in funerals.
They are given in the following manner: Both arms
are crossed on the breast, the left uppermost, and the
open palms of the bands sharply striking the
shoulders; they are then raised above the head, the
palms striking each other, and then made to fall
smartly upon the thighs. This is repeated three times,
and as there are three blows given each time—
namely, on the breast, on the palms of the hands,
and on the thighs—making nine concussions in all,
the Grand Honors are technically said to be given
"by three times three." On the occasion of funerals,
each one of these honors is accompanied by the
words, "The will of God is accomplished; so mote it
be!" audibly pronounced by the brethren.
These Grand Honors of Masonry have undoubtedly

a classical origin, and are but an imitation of the
plaudits and acclamations practiced by the ancient
Greeks and Romans, in their theaters, their senates,
and their public games. There is abundant evidence
in the writings of the ancients that, in the days of the
empire, the Romans had circumscribed the mode of
doing homage to their emperors and great men when
they made their appearance in public, and of
expressing their approbation of actors at the theatre
within as explicit rules and regulations as those that
govern the system of giving the Grand Honors in
Freemasonry. This was not the case in the earlier
ages of Rome; for OVID, speaking of the Rabbles,
says that, when they applauded, they did so without
any rules of art:
"In medio plausu, plausus tunc arte carebat."
[paragraph
And PROPERTIUS speaks, at a later day, of the continues]
ignorance of the country people, who, at the
theatres, destroyed the general harmony, by their
awkward attempts to join in the modulated
applauses of the more skillful citizens.
The ancient Romans had carried their science on this
subject to such an extent, as to have divided these
honors into three kinds, differing from each other in
the mode in which the hands were struck against
each other, and in the sound that thence resulted.
SUETONIUS, in his Life of NERO, (cap. xx.) gives
the names of these various kinds of applause, which
he says were called bombi, imbrices, and testæ; and
SENECA, in his "Naturales Quæstiones," gives a
description of the manner in which they were
executed. The "bombi," or hums, wore produced by
striking the palms of the hands together, while they
were in a hollow or concave position, and doing this
at frequent intervals, but with little force, so as to
imitate the humming sound of a swarm of bees. The
"imbrices," or tiles, were made by briskly striking
the flattened and extended palms of the hands
against each other, so as to resemble the sound of
hail pattering upon the tiles of a roof. The "testæ," or
earthen vases, were executed by striking the palm of
the left hand with the fingers of the right collected
into one point. By this blow a sound was elicited,
which imitated that given out by an earthen vase
when struck by a stick.
The Romans and other ancient nations having

invested this system of applauding with all the
accuracy of a science, used it in its various forms,
not only for p. 228 the purpose of testifying their
approbation of actors in the theatre, but also
bestowed it, as a mark of respect or a token of
adulation, on their emperors and other great men, on
the occasion of their making their appearance in
public. Huzzas and cheers have, in this latter case,
been generally adopted by the moderns, while the
manual applause is only appropriated to successful
public speakers and declaimers. The Freemasons,
however, have altogether preserved the ancient
custom of applause, guarding and regulating its use
by as strict, though different rules, as did the
Romans; and thus showing, as another evidence of
the antiquity of their institution, that the "Grand
Honors" of Freemasonry are legitimately derived
from the "pietism" or applaudings practiced by the
ancients on public occasions.—MACKEY'S Lexicon
of Freemasonry. SEE NOTE, p. 336.
230:* The Lodge, technically speaking, is a piece of

furniture, made in imitation of the Ark of the
Covenant, which was constructed according to the
form of the Temple. The instrument usually used on
occasions of Constituting, Consecrating, and.
Dedicating Lodges, is a box, of an oblong-square
shape, covered with white linen.
DEDICATION.
A piece of solemn music is performed.
The Grand Master, then standing with his hands

stretched forth over the Lodge, exclaims,
To the memory of the Holy SAINTS JOHN, we

dedicate this Lodge. May every brother revere
their character and imitate their virtues!
Response.—As it was in the beginning, is now,

and ever shall be; world without end.—AMEN.
A piece of music is performed while the brethren

of the new Lodge advance in procession to salute
the Grand Lodge, with their hands crossed upon
their breasts, and bowing as they pass. They then
take their places as they were.
CONSTITUTION.
The Grand Master then rises, and Constitutes the

new Lodge in the following form, all the brethren
standing at the same time:
In the name of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge,

I now constitute and form you, my beloved
brethren, into a regular Lodge of Free
p. 238
and Accepted Masons. From henceforth I

empower you to meet as a regular Lodge,
constituted in conformity to the rites of our Order,
and the Charges of our Ancient and Honorable
Fraternity; and may the Supreme Architect of the
Universe prosper, direct, and counsel you in all
your doings!
Response.—So mote it be.—AMEN.
The public grand honors are then given.
The powers and privileges of a Subordinate or

Warranted Lodge are such as are defined in its
Warrant, by the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge
granting the same, and the Ancient Landmarks
and General Regulations. They are divided into—
1. EXECUTIVE: in the direction and performance

of its work, under the control of its Master, and in
all other matters in aid of the Master, who has the
primary executive power of a Lodge.
2. LEGISLATIVE: embracing all matters relating

to its internal concerns, not in derogation of the
Ancient Landmarks, the Constitutions and
General Regulations of the Grand Lodge, and its
own particular By-Laws; and
3. JUDICIAL: embracing the exercise of

discipline, and settlement of controversies
between and over all its members (except the
Master), and over all Masons and non-affiliated
brethren within its jurisdiction, subject to an
appeal to the Grand Lodge.
The powers of a Warranted Lodge are, therefore,

divided into two classes, INHERENT and
CONSTITUTIONAL:
The inherent powers of a Lodge, controlled only

by the Ancient Landmarks, are—
1. To decide who shall be admitted members of or

initiated therein; that is, of persons properly
qualified.
2. To make Masons (not more than five at one
meeting), of those it has decided to admit.
3. To place on trial a member against whom

charges may have been preferred, to pronounce
sentence, and enforce discipline.
p. 239
4. To elect and install its officers.
5. To fix its time of meeting.
6. To require its members to contribute to its

funds.
7. To be represented at all communications of the

Grand Lodge.
8. To instruct its representatives, for their

government, at all such communications of the
Grand Lodge.
The constitutional powers of a Lodge, subject to

control by the Grand Lodge, are—
1. To make a code of By-Laws for its internal

government, not in derogation of its inalienable
rights, or of those of its members.
2. To perform all the work pertaining to the three

degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry.
3. To transact all business that can be legally

transacted by a duly-constituted Lodge of
Freemasons.
4. To appeal to the Grand Master or Grand Lodge

from the decision of the presiding-officer.
5. To change its place of meeting.
6. To control its funds.

p. 240
INSTALLATION
OF THE
OFFICERS OF A LODGE.
THE new Lodge having been Consecrated,

Dedicated and Constituted, the officers are then to
be installed.
At every annual election in a warranted Lodge, it

is necessary that the officers should be installed.
This ceremony may be performed by any Past
Master. At the Annual Installation, the Installing
Officer appoints some Present or Past Master, or,
if none be present, an old well-informed Master
Mason, to act as Marshal, whose duties will be to
present the officers elect severally in front of the
altar for installation.
The jewels of the several officers are collected,

and laid in an orderly manner upon the altar, for
convenient use.
The Grand Master or Installing Officer then says:
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL DEPUTY: Have you

carefully examined the Master nominated in the
warrant (or elect), and do you find him well-
skilled in the noble science and the royal art?
The Deputy replies:
MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER: I

have carefully examined, and so find him. *
G. M. You will then present him at the altar for

installation.
The Deputy, taking the Master elect, presents him
at the altar, saying:
p. 241
MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER: I

present my worthy Brother, A. B., to be installed
Master of this [new] Lodge. I find him to be of
good morals and of great skill, true and trusty;
and as he is a lover of the Fraternity, I doubt not
he will discharge his duties with fidelity and with
honor.
The Grand Master then addresses him:
BROTHER: Previous to your investiture, it is

necessary that you should signify your assent to
those Ancient Charges and Regulations which
point out the duty of a Master of a Lodge.
The Grand Master then reads a summary of the

Ancient Charges to the Master elect, as follows:
I. You agree to be a good man and true, and

strictly to obey the moral law?
Ans. I do.
II. You agree to be a peaceful citizen, and

cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country in
which you reside?
Ans. I do.
III. You promise not to be concerned in plots and

conspiracies against the government, but
p. 242
patiently to submit to the law and the constituted

authorities?
Ans. I do.
IV. You agree to pay a proper respect to the civil

magistrates, to work diligently, live creditably,
and act honorably by all men?
Ans. I do.
V. You agree to hold in veneration the original

rulers and patrons of the Order of Masonry, and
their regular successors, supreme and subordinate,
according to their stations; and to submit to the
awards and resolutions of your brethren, in Lodge
convened, in every case consistent with the
Constitutions of the Order?
Ans. I do.
VI. You agree to avoid private piques and

quarrels, and to guard against intemperance and
excess?
Ans. I do.
VII. You agree to be cautious in your behavior,

courteous to your brethren, and faithful to your
Lodge?
Ans. I do.
VIII. You promise to respect genuine brethren,

p. 243
and to discountenance impostors, and al]

dissenters from the original plan of Masonry?
Ans. I do.
IX. You agree to promote the general good of
society, to cultivate the social virtues, and to
propagate the knowledge of the mystic art?
Ans. I do.
X. You promise to pay homage to the Grand

Master for the time being, and to his officers
when duly installed; and strictly to conform to
every edict of the Grand Lodge, or General
Assembly of Masons, that is not subversive of the
principles and ground-work of Masonry?
Ans. I do.
XI. You admit that it is not in the power of any

man, or body of men, to make innovations in the
body of Masonry?
Ans. I do.
XII. You promise a regular attendance on the

committees and communications of the Grand
Lodge, on receiving proper notice; and to pay
attention to all the duties of Masonry, on
convenient occasions?
Ans. I do.
XIII. You admit that no new Lodge shall be

p. 244
formed without permission of the Grand Lodge;

and that no countenance be given to any irregular
Lodge, or to any person clandestinely initiated
therein, being contrary to the Ancient Charges of
the Order?
Ans. I do.
XIV. You admit that no person can be regularly
made a Mason in, or admitted a member of, any
regular Lodge, without previous notice, and due
inquiry into his character?
Ans. I do.
XV. You agree that no visitors shall be received

into your Lodge without due examination, and
producing proper vouchers of their having been
initiated into a regular Lodge?
Ans. I do.
These are the Regulations of Free and Accepted

Masons.
The Grand Master then addresses the Master elect

as follows:
Do you submit to these Charges, and promise to

support these Regulations, as Masters have done
in all ages before you?
The Master having signified his cordial

submission, as before, the Grand Master thus
addresses him;
p. 245
BROTHER A. B.: In consequence of your

conformity to the Charges and Regulations of the
Order, you are now to be installed Master of this
Lodge, in full confidence of your care, skill, and
capacity to govern the same.
The Master is then regularly invested with the

insignia of his office, and the furniture and
implements of his Lodge. The various implements
of his profession are emblematical of our conduct
in life, and upon this occasion are carefully
enumerated.
The Holy Writings, that great light in Masonry,

will guide you to all truth; it will direct your paths
to the temple of happiness, and point out to you
the whole duty of man.
The Square teaches us to regulate our actions by

rule and line, and to harmonize our conduct by the
principles of morality and virtue.
The Compasses teach us to limit our desires in

every station, that, rising to eminence by merit,
we may live respected and die regretted.
The Rule directs that we should punctually

observe our duty; press forward in the path of
virtue, and, neither inclining to the right nor to the
left, in all our actions have eternity in view.
The Line teaches us the criterion of moral

p. 246
rectitude, to avoid dissimulation in conversation

and action, and to direct our steps to the path
which leads to immortality.
The Book of Constitutions you are to search at all

times. Cause it to be read in your Lodge, that
none may pretend ignorance of the excellent
precepts it enjoins.
You now receive in charge the Charter, by the

authority of which this Lodge is held. You are
carefully to preserve, and in no case should it ever
be out of your immediate control, and duly
transmit it to your successor in office.
You will also receive in charge the By-Laws of
your Lodge, which you are to see carefully and
punctually executed.
You will now be solemnly inducted into the

oriental chair of King SOLOMON; during the
performance of this ceremony it is requested that
all but regularly-installed Masters of Lodges and
Past Masters will retire. *
All but actual Masters and Past Masters of

Warranted Lodges † are required to retire (or, if
more convenient, are
p. 247
requested to face to the West); the new Master is

then invested with the mysteries of the Past
Master's degree, and solemnly inducted into the
oriental chair of SOLOMON. When the doors are
opened, the brethren return (or are requested to
face the East); and, forming an avenue on each
side, from the West to the East, the new Master
being in the chair, the Grand Master says:
Master, behold your brethren!
Brethren, behold your Master!
The grand honors are then given.
When the grand honors are given, a procession is

formed, and the brethren pass around the Lodge,
signifying their respect and obedience by the
usual distinctive marks in the different degrees;
during which time the following Installation Ode
may be sung:
p. 248
Hail, Masonry divine,
Glory of ages, shine;
Long mayst thou reign!
Where’er thy Lodges stand,
May they have great command,
And always grace the land;
Thou art divine.
Great fabrics still arise,

And grace the azure skies—
Great are thy schemes;
Thy noble orders are
Matchless beyond compare; p. 249
No art with thee can share;
Thou art divine.
HIRAM, the architect,

Did all the Craft direct
How they should build;
SOLOMON, great Israel's king,
Did mighty blessings bring,
And left us room to sing,
Hail, Royal Art!
After the singing of the ode, the Master calls the

Lodge to order, and the other officers are
respectively presented in the same manner as the
Master, by the Conductor, When the installing
officer delivers to each a short Charge, as follows:
THE SENIOR WARDEN.
BROTHER C. D.: You are appointed * Senior

Warden of this Lodge, and are now invested with
the insignia of your office.
The Level demonstrates that we are descended

from the same stock, partake of the same nature,
and share the same hope; and though distinctions
among men are necessary to preserve
subordination, yet no eminence of station should
make us forget that we are brethren; for he who is
placed on the lowest spoke of Fortune's wheel
may be entitled to our regard; because a time
p. 250
will come, and the wisest knows not how soon,

when all distinctions, but that of goodness, shall
cease; and Death, the grand leveler of human
greatness, reduce us to the same state.
Your regular attendance on our stated meetings is

essentially necessary. In the absence of the
Master, you are to govern this Lodge; in his
presence, you are to assist him in the government
of it. I firmly rely on your knowledge of Masonry
and attachment to the Lodge for the faithful
discharge of the duties of this important trust.
Look well to the West.
He is conducted to his station in the Lodge.
THE JUNIOR WARDEN.
BROTHER E. F: You are appointed Junior

Warden of this Lodge, and are now invested with
the badge of your office.
The Plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in

our several stations; to hold the scales of Justice
in equal poise; to observe the just medium
between intemperance and pleasure; and to make
our passions and prejudices coincide with the line
of our duty. To you is committed the
superintendence of the Craft during the hours
p. 251
of refreshment: it is, therefore, indispensably

necessary that you should not only be temperate
and discreet in the indulgence of your own
inclinations, but carefully observe that none of the
Craft be suffered to convert the purposes of
refreshment into intemperance and excess.—Your
regular and punctual attendance is particularly
requested, and I have no doubt that you will
faithfully execute the duty which you owe to your
present appointment.—Look well to the South.
He is conducted to his station.
THE TREASURER.
BROTHER G. H.: You are appointed Treasurer of

this Lodge, and are now invested with the badge
of your office. It is your dirty to receive all
moneys from the hands of the Secretary; keep just
and regular accounts of the same, and pay them
out by order of the Worshipful Master and the
consent of the Lodge. I trust your regard for the
Fraternity will prompt you to the faithful
discharge of the duties of your office.

p. 252
THE SECRETARY.
BROTHER I. K.: You are appointed Secretary of

this Lodge, and are now invested with the badge
of your office. It is your duty to observe all the
proceedings of the Lodge; make a fair record of
all things proper to be written; receive all moneys
due the Lodge, and pay them over to the
Treasurer. Your good inclination to Masonry and
this Lodge, I hope, will induce you to discharge
the duties of your office with fidelity, and, by so
doing, you will merit the esteem and applause of
your brethren.

THE CHAPLAIN.
REV. BROTHER L. M.: You are appointed

Chaplain of this Lodge, and are now invested with
the badge of your office. It is your duty to
perform those solemn services which we should
constantly render to our infinite Creator; and
which, when offered by one whose holy
profession is "to point to heaven, and lead the
way," may, by refining our souls, strengthening
our virtues, and purifying our minds, prepare us
for admission into the society of those above,
whose happiness will be as endless as it is perfect.
p. 253
THE SENIOR AND JUNIOR DEACONS.
BROTHERS L. M. AND N. O.: You are

appointed Deacons of this Lodge, and are now
invested with the badge of your office. It is your
province to attend on the Master and Wardens,
and to act as their proxies in the active duties of
the Lodge; such as in the reception of candidates
into the different degrees of Masonry; the
introduction and accommodation of visitors, and
in the immediate practice of our rites. The Square
and Compasses, as badges of your office, I intrust
to your care, not doubting your vigilance and
attention.
They are conducted to their stations.
THE STEWARDS, OR MASTERS OF

CEREMONIES. *
BROTHERS R. S. AND T. U.: You are appointed

Stewards (Masters of Ceremonies) of this Lodge,
and are now invested with the badge of your
office. You are to assist the Deacons and other
officers in performing their respective duties.
Your regular and early attendance at our meetings
will afford the best proof of your zeal and
attachment to the Lodge.
p. 254
THE TILER.
BROTHER V. W.: You are appointed Tiler of

this Lodge, and I invest you with the implement
of your office. As the sword is placed in the hands
of the Tiler, to enable him effectually to guard
against the approach of cowans and
eavesdroppers, and suffer none to pass or repass
but such as are duly qualified, so it should
admonish us to set a guard over our thoughts, a
watch at our lips, post a sentinel over our actions;
thereby preventing the approach of every
unworthy thought or deed, and preserving
consciences void of offense toward GOD and
toward man. Your early and punctual attendance
will afford the best proof of your zeal for the
institution.
CHARGES TO THE OFFICERS.
WORSHIPFUL MASTER: The Grand Lodge

having committed to your care the
superintendence and government of the brethren
who are to compose this Lodge, you cannot be
insensible of the obligations which devolve on
you as their head, nor of your responsibility for
the faithful discharge of the important duties
annexed to
p. 255
your appointment. The honor, reputation, and
usefulness of your Lodge will materially depend
on the skill and assiduity with which you manage
its concerns; while the happiness of its members
will be generally promoted, in proportion to the
zeal and ability with which you propagate the
genuine principles of our institution.
For a pattern of imitation, consider the great

luminary of Nature, which, rising in the East,
regularly diffuses light and luster to all within the
circle. In like manner, it is your province to
spread and communicate light and instruction to
the brethren of your Lodge. Forcibly impress
upon them the dignity and high importance of
Masonry; and seriously admonish them never to
disgrace it. Charge them to practice out of the
Lodge those duties which they have been taught
in it; and by amiable, discreet, and virtuous
conduct, to convince mankind of the goodness of
the institution; so that when a person is said to be
a member of it, the world may know that he is one
to whom the burdened heart may pour out its
sorrows; to whom distress may prefer its suit;
whose hand is guided by justice, and whose heart
is expanded by benevolence. In
p. 256
short, by a diligent observance of the By-laws of

your Lodge, the Constitutions of Masonry, and,
above all, the Holy Scriptures, which are given as
a rule and guide to your faith, you will be enabled
to acquit yourself with honor and reputation, and
lay up a crown of rejoicing, which shall continue
when time shall be no more.
BROTHER SENIOR AND JUNIOR

WARDENS: You are too well acquainted with
the principles of Masonry, to warrant any distrust
that you will be found wanting in the discharge of
your respective duties. Suffice it to say, that what
you have seen praiseworthy in others, you should
carefully imitate; and what in them may have
appeared defective, you should in yourselves
amend. You should be examples of good order
and regularity; for it is only by a due regard to the
laws, in your own conduct, that you can expect
obedience to them from others. You are
assiduously to assist the Master in the discharge
of his trust; diffusing light and imparting
knowledge to all whom he shall place under your
care. In the absence of the Master, you will
succeed to higher duties; your acquirements must,
therefore, be such, as that the Craft may never
suffer for want of
p. 257
proper instruction. From the spirit which you have

hitherto evinced, I entertain no doubt that your
future conduct will be such as to merit the
applause of your brethren and the testimony of a
good conscience.
The members of the Lodge then, all standing, the

Grand Master delivers the following
CHARGE TO THE BRETHREN OF THE

LODGE.
Such is the nature of our constitution, that as

some must of necessity rule and teach, so others
must, of course, learn to submit and obey.
Humility, in both, is an essential duty. The
officers who are appointed to govern your Lodge
are sufficiently conversant with the rules of
propriety, and the laws of the institution, to avoid
exceeding the powers with which they are
intrusted; and you are of too generous dispositions
to envy their preferment. I, therefore, trust that
you will have but one aim, to please each other,
and unite in the grand design of being happy and
communicating happiness.
Finally, my brethren, as this association has been

formed and perfected in so much unanimity and
concord, in which we greatly rejoice, so may it
long continue. May you long enjoy every
p. 258
satisfaction and delight, which disinterested

friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly
affection distinguish your conduct, as men and as
Masons. Within your peaceful walls, may your
children's children celebrate with joy and
gratitude the annual recurrence of this auspicious
solemnity. And may the tenets of our profession
be transmitted through your Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
The Grand Marshal then proclaims the new

Lodge, as follows:
In the name of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge

of the State of ........, I proclaim this new Lodge,
by the name of ...... Lodge, No. ...., legally
consecrated, dedicated, constituted, and the
officers duly installed.
The grand honors are then given.
The following, or some other appropriate ODE

may he sung:
Hail! Brother Masons! hail!
Let friendship p. 259 long prevail,
And bind us fast;
May harmony and peace
Our happiness increase,
And friendship never cease,
While life doth last.
We on the level meet,
And every brother greet,
Skilled in our art;
And when our labor's past,
Each brother's hand we'll grasp,
Then on the square, at last,
Friendly we'll part.
May Wisdom be our care,

And Virtue form the square
By which we live;
That we at last may join
The Heavenly Lodge sublime,
Where we shall perfect shine
With GOD above.
p. 260
The new Master may return thanks.
The Grand Chaplain then pronounces the following,

or some other appropriate
BENEDICTION.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting GOD, from whom

cometh every good and perfect gift, send down upon
thy servants here assembled the healthful spirit of
thy grace, that they may truly please thee in all their
doings. Grant, O LORD, power of mind and great
understanding unto those whom we have this day
clothed with authority to preside over and direct the
affairs of this Lodge; and so replenish them with the
truth of thy doctrine, and adorn them with humility
of life, that, both by word and good example, they
may faithfully serve thee, to the glory of thy holy
name, and to the advancement, for all good
purposes, of our beloved institution.—AMEN.
The Grand Lodge returns to its own hall, and closes.

Footnotes
240:* A private examination is understood to
precede the installation of the Master.
246:* If the installation is performed in a public

place, this as well as other private ceremonies are
omitted.
246:† Chapter Past Masters, who have never

presided over a Symbolic Lodge are not permitted to
be present at this ceremony.
249:* When the Installation is not of the officers of a

new Lodge, the words "have been elected," should
be substituted for the words "are appointed." in all
cases where the officer is chosen by ballot.
253:* Many Lodges have abolished the title of

Stewards, and substituted that of Masters of
Ceremonies, who perform the duties appertaining to
the former.
p. 261
INSTALLATION
OF THE
OFFICERS OF A GRAND LODGE.
AT the hour appointed for the installation of the

officers of the Grand Lodge, the Installing Officer
(who should be the retiring Grand Master, the
actual Grand Master of another jurisdiction, or a
Past Grand Master) will assume the chair, call to
order, and announce the business before the
Grand Lodge. The officers to be installed will
then vacate their places respectively, and
substitutes will be appointed for the occasion.
The Grand Master and the other Grand Officers

elect, to be installed, will be in waiting in an
adjoining apartment.
The announcement of the Installing Officer may

be in the following form:
BRETHREN: Your Grand Master and other

Grand Officers for the ensuing year, having been
duly elected, we are now in readiness to perform
the ceremony of installation. The R. W. Grand
Marshal will announce to them that we are
waiting to receive them.
The Grand Marshal then retires, and on his return

reports:
MOST WORSHIPFUL: The Grand Master and

other Grand Officers elect are without, in
readiness to be installed into office, when it is
your pleasure to receive them.
p. 262
Installing Officer. The R. W. Grand Marshal will

admit them, and conduct them to the East before
the altar.
(Should there be objection to the installation of

any or either of them, it must now be made.)
As they enter the room, the Grand Lodge is called

up by the Installing Officer in the usual manner,
and remain standing.
The Grand Marshal conducts them to the altar in

procession, two and two, in order of rank, the
Grand Master elect and the Deputy Grand Master
being first. Ile then says:
MOST WORSHIPFUL: The Grand Officers elect

are before you, and await your pleasure. I have
the honor to present to you for installation Brother
A. B., who has been duly elected Grand Master of
Masons of the State of ...... for the ensuing year.
Ins. Off: (to the Grand Master elect). MY

BROTHER: The exalted station to which the free
choice of your Brethren has called you, involves
great responsibilities, and requires to be
inaugurated by solemn sanctions. It elevates you
to a position from which the power and
prerogative may depart with the expiration of
your term of service, but the honor and dignity,
except by your own act, never. Have you been
instructed in the secret rites and ceremonies
appertaining to the high office of Grand Master of
Masons preparatory to your installation, and by
which you may acquire and forever retain the
evidence of your rank among Masons?
p. 263
G. M. elect. I have not.
Ins. Off. My Brother, it will be necessary for you

to retire, and receive those instructions from our
M. W. Past Grand Masters here present, who will
escort you. And as we are now upon the threshold
of a great and important undertaking, Masonic
teachings-require that we should bow in solemn
prayer with cur R. W. Grand Chaplain.
Grand Chaplain. Brethren, let us pray.
The Grand Chaplain may then make an

appropriate extemporaneous prayer, or use the
following:
ETERNAL Source of Life and Light! We thine

unworthy creatures reverently bow before thee in
adoration and praise. As when we first saw the
light at our mystic altar, we first implored thy
guidance, protection, and aid, so now we seek
thee for thy divine blessing and direction. In thy
might we are strong, and without thee, in our best
and highest estate, we are but frail and feeble
beings. We humbly implore thy divine favor upon
this occasion, and upon the institution in whose
services we are now engaged. Make it yet more
helpful and beneficial to our race, and inspire all
who are connected with it with an ardent love to
thee, to each other, and to every member of the
human family. Bless now thy servant before thee,
who is about to assume a new and important
relation to his brethren. Give him wisdom; give
him strength; give him love. Enable him so to
p. 264
bear rule that he may keep in view the best

interests of the great brotherhood now about to be
committed to his charge. Teach him to feel that he
is about to assume great and trying
responsibilities, and enable him so to discharge
them as to win all hearts. Add thy blessing upon
the brethren who are to be associated with him in
office. May they feel a just sense of their
accountability to thee and to the Fraternity; and
may they ever be faithful and zealous, and assist
to uphold the hands of their chief in all good
deeds. In thee, O GOD! as in the days of our
apprenticeship, do we put our trust. Be thou our
faithful Friend, Conductor, and Guide, in the
unseen vicissitudes of life before us, and bring us
all, at last, to see the Great Light, inaccessible and
full of glory, in thy presence, where we shall
behold thee with unclouded vision for
evermore.—AMEN.
Response.—So mote it be!
Ins. Off. The Most Worshipful Brethren, Past

Grand Masters present, will now retire with the
Grand Master, and give him suitable instructions
in the manner known to them only, preliminary to
the further ceremonies of installation.
He then calls down, and the Grand Officers elect,

other than the Grand Master, are provided with
seats near the altar. The Past Grand Masters retire
to some suitable apartment, and engage in
ceremonies, not proper to be written, with the
Grand Master elect.
p. 265
When this is done, they return, having previously

given notice of their approach by the Grand
Marshal. Upon their entrance, the Grand Lodge is
again called up, and after they have arrived near
the East, one of their number says:
Past Grand Master. MOST WORSHIPFUL: Our
distinguished Brother having been duly instructed
by us, is now prepared to assume his installation
vows.
Ins. Off. It is well; and with pleasure do we now

proceed in our further services. R. W. Grand
Marshal, you will conduct our Brother to the altar,
to take upon himself the obligation appertaining
to the duties of his office.
The Grand Marshal conducts him to the altar,

where he kneels, the acting Grand Deacons
holding their rods crossed over his head. The
Installing Officer then administers the oath of
office, the Grand Master elect. repeating after
him, as follows:
I, A. B., in the presence of Almighty GOD, and

before the Grand Lodge of the State of ......, do
promise and swear, that, to the best of my ability,
I will faithfully, honestly, and impartially perform
the duties of Grand Master of Masons in this
jurisdiction during my term of office; and that I
will conform to and maintain the Constitutions,
laws, rules, and regulations of the Grand Lodge of
the State of ......, and the usages and customs of
Free and Accepted Masons, and at all times
enforce a strict obedience thereto. So help me
GOD.
p. 266
He then rises, and the Grand Marshal conducts

him near the chair of the Installing Officer.
Ins. Off. MOST WORSHIPFUL BROTHER (for

from henceforth you are entitled thus to be
hailed): In inducting you to your chair of office,
as a symbol of the commencement of your
government over the Craft, I am performing a
most solemn duty. By immemorial usage and the
irrevocable landmarks of Masonry, you are
invested, as Grand Master of Masons, with
powers and prerogatives which are well nigh
absolute. The interests of the Craft, for weal or
wo, are placed in your hands during your term of
office. The good resolutions which I doubt not
that you have formed in your own mind that these
powers shall not be abused or perverted by you, I
would gladly strengthen by a word of admonition,
which it will not become me henceforth to utter.
The very consciousness of the possession of a
great power will ever make a generous mind
cautious and gentle in its exercise. To rule has
been the lot of many, and requires neither strength
of intellect or soundness of judgment; to rule
WELL has been the fortune of but few, and may
well be the object of an honorable ambition. It is
not by the strong arm or the iron will that
obedience and order, the chief requisites of good
government, are secured, but by holding the key
to the hearts of men.
The office of Grand Master is of great antiquity

and respect, and is one of the highest dignities to
which
p. 267
we may aspire. Its incumbent, to rule well, should

possess and practice several important requisites.
As a man, he should be of approved integrity and

irreproachable morals; freed from the dominion of
hasty temper and ill-governed passions; of good
repute in the world; and practicing, as an example
to the Craft, the cardinal virtues of Fortitude,
Prudence, Temperance, and Justice.
As a citizen, he should be loyal to his government,
obedient to its laws, prompt in the duties he owes
to society, and a pattern of fidelity in all social
and domestic relations.
As a Mason, he should cling to the old landmarks,

and be sternly opposed to their infringement; be a
proficient in the laws, language, and literature of
the Fraternity; be desirous to learn, and apt to
teach; though not for the time a workman, yet be
master of the work, and qualified to earn his
wages; be prompt to aid and relieve, and slow to
demand it; be ever mindful that, though elevated
for a time above his fellows, that he is elevated by
them, and that he is yet a Craftsman, more
sacredly bound by a Craftsman's obligation; and
that he should cultivate every where and at all
times the golden tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief,
and Truth.
As an officer, he should remember, first of all,

that he is an individual Mason, sharing in that
respect a common lot with his Brethren, and
therefore interested in the welfare of each and all;
be devoid of
p. 268
undue ostentation and haughty overbearing; be

accessible to all, cultivating the closest friendship
and the most unlimited confidence with his
associate officers; be eager to take counsel with
his Brethren, and ready to give it; be patient in
investigation and hearing; be deliberate in
judgment; be prompt in execution; be forbearing
long and much with evildoers; be ready to reward
good; be devoid of favoritism, and wholly
impartial; be watchful over the treasury; having
an eagle eye upon every portion of his
jurisdiction; and breasting over the restless spirit
of innovation.
Such are some of the most important

qualifications which a Grand Master should
possess, and the leading errors which he should
avoid. It may be that most, if not all, of your
predecessors have failed to reach this standard:
but it is attainable; and be it your purpose to reach
it, and be a bright and shining example to those
who shall come after you!
It now but remains for me to clothe you with the

external insignia of your rank and authority.
I now with great pleasure invest you with this

jewel of your office, whose symbolic meaning
will now have a new and striking significance to
you. (Presents the jewel.)
I also present you with this gavel, as the potent

emblem of Masonic power, which, in your hands,
should never be sounded in vain. (Presents gavel.)
p. 269
I now surrender to you this seat of authority.

(Places him in the chair.)
And render you this, the first act of homage due to

you as Grand Master.
The Grand Master having been covered on taking

the chair, the Installing Officer uncovers, and
bows very low.
Ins. Off. I now hail, salute, and proclaim you

Grand Master of Masons of the State of ......!
Brethren, behold your Grand Master!
Senior Grand Warden. Brethren, behold our

Grand Master!
Junior Grand Warden. Brethren, behold our

Grand Master 1
The Brethren, with their arms crossed, * * * * *;

and then all, under the direction of the Installing
Officer, salute with the public grand honors.
The retiring Grand Master may then address his

newly-installed successor and brethren, and the
Grand Master may, if he chooses, also address the
Grand Lodge. If he does not wish to do so, he
may call down, and the brethren continue seated
during the remainder of the installation, except as
called up during the obligations.
It will be proper for the Grand Master here to

announce the names of the appointed officers, that
they may be installed with the rest.
In case of the rëelection of a Grand Master, the

preceding ceremony will be omitted, except that
he be conducted near the chair, the Charge given
him, he is invested with the jewel and gave,
inducted and saluted as above directed. So in the
p. 270
case of any other officer being rëelected, he will

be invested, and given the Charge only.
The Grand Master then proceeds with the

installation of the remaining officers, or he may
place the Installing Officer again in the chair,
delivering to him, without ceremony, the gavel
and jewel. In designating the officers hereafter,
we will suppose the last to have been done.
Ins. Off. R. W. Grand Marshal, you will now

present the Deputy Grand Master elect for
installation.
Grand Marshal. MOST WORSHIPFUL: I have

the pleasure to present to you, for installation,
Brother C. D., who has been duly elected to the
office of Deputy Grand Master.
The foregoing address of the Installing Officer,

and presentation by the Grand Marshal, may be
used for all the remaining officers, simply
changing the name and title of the officer. It may
also be used for the Grand Master, when
reelected. The order of the Installing Officer, next
following, will be omitted when the officer to be
installed has been reelected.
Ins. Off. R. W. Grand Marshal, you will conduct

our Brother to the altar, to take upon himself the
obligation appertaining to the duties of his office.
The Grand Marshal conducts him to the altar,

when he kneels, and is attended by the Grand
Deacons, as in the case of the Grand Master, and
takes the same obligation, with the change of
name and designation of office.
Ins. Off. R. W. BROTHER: You have not been an

inattentive observer of the ceremony of installing
the
p. 271
[paragraph
M. W. Grand Master; for you are aware that, in continues]
case of his incapacity to act in contingencies
mentioned in our constitutions, you succeed to his
duties and prerogatives, as you do also when
acting as his substitute in any matters specially
delegated to you. Your office, therefore, is one of
great dignity and importance; and it was in view
of these considerations that your Brethren
selected you to fill it. Treasure up, therefore, the
suggestions made to the M. W. Grand Master; for
you know not how soon they may have a personal
application to you; and remember, also, that
usage, as well as our particular regulations, have
placed you in most intimate and confidential
relations to him, as supporter and counselor.
I now, with pleasure, proceed to invest you with

your jewel of office (gives it), and proclaim you
Deputy Grand Master of Masons of the State
of ...... You will now be seated in your place,
which is at the right hand of the M. W. Grand
Master.
Before he is seated, the Installing Officer calls up

the Grand Lodge, and the Deputy Grand Master is
saluted with the grand honors.
The others of the first six elective Grand Officers

are presented and obligated in like manner as the
Deputy Grand Master, but without being saluted
with the grand honors.
The Charges to the remaining officers installed

(which may be varied at the pleasure of the
Installing Officer, when special occasion
requires,) are as follows:
p. 272
TO THE SENIOR GRAND WARDEN.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: The position

which you occupy in the Grand Lodge-and among
the Fraternity is one of no little importance. In the
Grand Lodge, to control practically the admission
of all visitors, to announce specially those who
are of rank or eminence, and to aid in the
preservation of order, and at all times to render
counsel and advice to the Grand Master, are high
and responsible duties, requiring circumspection,
vigilance, and reflection; but when to these is
superadded the more onerous labor, in
conjunction with the Junior Grand Warden, of
diligently preserving the ancient landmarks
throughout the jurisdiction, it then becomes a trust
of deep moment to the welfare of the Craft. Your
fitness for the discharge of such a trust
undoubtedly led to your selection for the office by
your Brethren, and it will be your duty and
pleasure so to act as to justify their confidence.
In investing you with the jewel of your office, and

directing you to the place of your immediate
official action, in the West, I am performing a
grateful duty.
TO THE JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: As the

duties of your office and the qualifications for it
are almost identical with those of the Senior
Grand Warden, except as it respects the
introduction of visitors, I will only add to the
Charge given to that officer, that
p. 273
you be equally vigilant and circumspect, not only

at your station in the Grand Lodge, but in the
broader field of action without, dividing with him
his labors, and taking due care that the great
object of your united solicitude shall remain
inviolate.
Accept the jewel of your office, and repair to the

South, being ever watchful, whether in labor or at
refreshment, that the high twelve of observation
do not find you with your work, and that of the
Craft you superintend, unperformed.
TO THE GRAND TREASURER.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: In intrusting

you with the books and funds of the Grand Lodge,
as appertaining to your office, I am but their
organ in placing them in your possession, as one
well qualified to keep and manage them, as your
past integrity, accuracy, and prompt business
habits testify, an appreciation of which has been
evinced by their choice of you as Grand
Treasurer.
The keys forming the jewel of your office have a

twofold significance: They are instruments to
bind as well as to loose; to make fast, as well as to
open. They will never, I am confident, be used by
you in any other manner than the constitutions,
laws, rules, and regulations of the Grand Lodge
shall direct.
TO THE GRAND SECRETARY.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: Usage, as

well as positive enactments from time to time,
have rendered
p. 274
the duties of the office of Grand Secretary more

onerous and varied than that of any other officer.
Brought by his official position more immediately
into communication with the whole body of the
Fraternity, it is requisite that he should possess
ability, skill, and industry, to meet the various
demands upon him. Placed in a position where ho
holds almost constant correspondence with our
Masonic brethren of every state and country, upon
him devolves, in a large degree, the good name
and credit of the Masonic family of this State. The
Fraternity should enable him to maintain it; ho
should strive that it be maintained. Courtesy and
patience are to be elements in his manners and
character. Vigilance and fidelity must also be
necessary qualities.
Our constitutions, my Brother, point out to you

fully the duties of your office, and I will not
recapitulate them. Your capability for their
prompt and faithful execution has induced your
Brethren to confide this trust to you, and I feel
assured that it is well placed.
In investing you with your official jewel, the

pens, I am persuaded that they will make an
endearing record, not only to your praise, but to
the welfare of a Craft so largely dependent upon
your experience and integrity.
TO THE GRAND CHAPLAIN.
REVEREND AND RIGHT WORSHIPFUL

BROTHER: That Holy Book, which is the chart
and text-book of your
p. 275
sacred calling, is also the great light of Masonry,

and forever sheds its benignant rays upon every
lawful assemblage of Free and Accepted Masons.
Teach us from its life-giving precepts; intercede
for us with that Divine Majesty which it so fully
reveals and unfolds to us; and warm us by its
lessons of infinite wisdom and truth, and you will
have faithfully per formed your sacred functions
and fulfilled your important trust.
It is fitting that an emblem of the sacred volume

should be the jewel of your office, with which I
now invest you.
TO THE GRAND LECTURER
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: The care

and preservation of our ancient ritual, and the
perpetuation of the time-honored landmarks
embraced in it, and which may not be written,
devolves upon you. And as that ritual has
enshrined within it, in symbol and allegory,
certain great and essential moral truths, you
should be as perfect in the symbolism as in the
mere formula of language which teach us how our
rites are to be administered. As Grand Lecturer,
also, you should be Master of the ceremonial
observances of the Fraternity, and give
instructions in the manner of rendering them most
striking and effective. You are the preceptor of
the Fraternity, and your deportment should be
consistent with the nature of your office-work.
For upon your teachings
p. 276
depend not only the uniformity and perpetuity,

but the character and impressiveness of our rites,
and they should be imparted, both by oral
communication and example. On no point are the
Craft so punctilious and exacting as upon the
beauty and accuracy of the work and lectures:
hence many eyes will be upon you. A courteous
manner, an unwearied patience, and a diligent
application are requisites for your place, and no
rash or innovating hand will be tolerated in your
department of labor.
In installing you into office, and presenting your

jewel, I am happy to be enabled to say that your
established skill and learning, and your ability to
undergo the constitutional tests, have proved you
to be a Master Workman.
TO THE GRAND MARSHAL.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: The duties

of your office require energy, activity, and
quickness of perception. The good order of the
Fraternity, in its general assemblies and
processions, depends upon your care, skill, and
assiduity. Possessing these qualifications, you
have been appointed Grand. Marshal, and I now
with pleasure install you into office, and invest
you with your appropriate jewel. It denotes
command, as the organ of the Grand Master, to
whom you will be near at hand to execute his
orders.
p. 277
TO THE GRAND STANDARD-BEARER.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: Your duty is

to carry and uphold the banner of the Grand
Lodge on occasions of ceremony and public
procession. The emblems upon it are as ancient as
the march of the children of Israel from bondage,
and the Ark is the symbol of hope and safety.
Bear them well aloft, for the world, as well as the
Craft, ever honors them. Receive the jewel of
your office, and let it remind you that you are
never to part with that standard, when under your
care, while you have life to defend it.
TO THE GRAND SWORD-BEARER.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: The sword

which you bear is the time-honored symbol of
Justice and Authority. It reminds the beholder of
the dignity of the body whose emblem it is. It is
also the guardian and protector of the standard of
the Grand Lodge. Be ever faithful to your trust.
Let this jewel of your office remind you of its
nature.
TO THE GRAND STEWARDS.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHERS: In olden

times, your province was to superintend and
provide for the festivals of the Craft, and that duty
still remains to you, although there is rarely
occasion for its exercise. But we are taught that "it
is better to go to the house of mourning, than to
the house of feasting," and hence on you has been
appropriately disposed the dispensation
p. 278
of our beneficent charities. That it is a grateful

duty, all hearts testify, and we know that yours
most fully responds to it. Receive the jewels of
your office, together with the white rods.
TO THE GRAND DEACONS.
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL BROTHERS: As

messengers of the Grand Officers, and as useful
assistants in our ceremonies, your respective
official positions are of very great value and
importance to the comfort and good order of the
Grand Lodge. Vigilance and zeal are necessary
requisites of your offices, and wo know that you
possess them.
As Senior and Junior Deacons of this-Grand

Lodge, you are now invested with the jewels of
office, together with these rods, as tokens of your
authority.
TO THE GRAND PURSUIVANT.

WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: You are to act as the
messenger of the Grand Lodge, and the herald to
announce the approach of visitors and strangers.
In so doing, possess yourself of the necessary
information to announce their rank and position
properly, and exercise a sound discretion, so as
not to interfere with its labors. Be cautious and
vigilant, that no improper person may gain
admittance. You, also, have in your keeping the
clothing and jewels of the Grand Officers, which
you should be careful to keep in a good condition,
and neatly and orderly arranged
p. 279
for use at all times. Receive your emblem of

office, and repair to your station inside the door.
TO THE GRAND TILER.
WORSHIPFUL BROTHER: The importance of

the duties of your place can not be overrated. Care
and watchfulness are indispensably requisite, and
in all cases, unless thoroughly satisfied with the
character and identity of those desiring
admittance, let your doubts prevail. Ours is a
sanctuary, intrusted to you faithfully and
vigilantly to guard, and you have always at hand
the means of being fully satisfied. Irreparable
injury might result from a negligent or careless
discharge of your duty. Your station is ever
outside the door, and to which you will now
repair with this jewel, and also with this
implement of your office. (Giving a sword.)
The several officers being now duly installed, the

Installing Officer will retire, after surrendering the
jewel and gavel to the Grand Master. It may be
proper and expedient before doing so, to have an
appropriate ode or piece of music.
Grand Master. RT. WORSHIPFUL GRAND
MARSHAL.: I now declare the several officers of
the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State
of ......... duly installed into office for the ensuing
year, in AMPLE form. You will cause
proclamation to be made in the South, West, and
East.
The Junior Grand Deacon proclaims in the South,

the Senior Grand Deacon in the West, and the
Grand Marshal
p. 280
in the East, each as follows, the Grand Lodge

being called up:
By order of the Most Worshipful Grand Master,

and by authority of the Most Worshipful Grand
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State
of ......, I proclaim that its Grand Officers are now
duly installed in ample form.
The Grand Lodge is called down.

p. 281
LAYING FOUNDATION-STONES
OF
PUBLIC STRUCTURES.
THIS CEREMONY is conducted by the Grand

Master and his officers, assisted by the members
of the Grand Lodge, and such officers and
members of private Lodges as can conveniently
attend.
The Chief Magistrate and other civil officers of

the place where the building is to be erected, also
generally attend on the occasion.
At the time appointed, the Grand Lodge is

convened in some suitable place.
A band of music is provided, and the brethren

appear, dressed in dark clothes, and white gloves
and aprons.
The Lodge is opened by the Grand Master, and

the rules for regulating the procession to and from
the place where the ceremony is to be performed,
are read by the Grand Secretary.
The necessary cautions are then given from the

Chair, and the Grand Lodge is called from labor;
after which, the procession sets out in the
following order:
Stewards, with rods;
Master Masons;
Two Deacons, with rods;
Secretary and Treasurer;
Past Wardens;
Two Wardens;
p. 282
Past Masters;
Mark Masters;
Royal Arch Masons;
Knights Templar; *
Music;
Grand Stewards, with white rods;
Principal Architect, with Square, Level, and

Plumb;
Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer;
Bible, Square, and Compasses, carried by a

Master of a Lodge, supported by two Stewards;
Grand Chaplains;
The Five Orders of Architecture;
Past Grand Wardens;
Past Deputy Grand Masters;

Past Grand Masters;
Chief Magistrate and Civil Officers of the place;
Junior Grand Warden, carrying the silver vessel

with oil;
Senior Grand Warden, carrying the silver vessel

with wine;
Deputy Grand Master, carrying the golden vessel

with corn;
Master of the oldest Lodge, carrying Book of

Constitutions;
GRAND MASTER,
Supported by two Deacons, with rods;
A triumphal arch is usually erected at the place

where the ceremony is to be performed.
The procession, arriving at the arch, opens to the

right and left, and, uncovering, the Grand Master
and his officers pass through the lines to the
platform, while the rest of the brethren surround
the platform, forming a hollow square.
p. 283
The Grand Master commands silence, and

announces the purposes of the occasion, when the
following or some other appropriate ODE is sung:
When earth's foundations first was laid,
By the Almighty Artist's hand,
’Twas then our perfect, our perfect laws were made,
Established by p. 284 his strict command.
Hail! mysterious, glorious Masonry!
That makes us ever great and free.
In vain mankind for shelter sought,
In vain from place to place did roam,
Until from heaven, from heaven he was taught
To plan, to build, to fix his home.
Hail! mysterious, etc.
Illustrious hence we date our Art,

Which now in beauteous piles appear,
And shall to endless, to endless time impart,
How worthy and how great we are.
Nor we less famed for every tie,

By which the human thought is bound;
Love truth and friendship, and friendship socially,
Unite our hearts and hands around.
Hail! mysterious, etc. p. 285
Our actions still by Virtue blest,

And to our precepts ever true,
The world, admiring, admiring, shall request
To learn, and our bright paths pursue.
The necessary preparations are now made for

laying the stone, on which is engraved the year of
Masonry, the name of the Grand Master, and such
other particulars as may be deemed necessary.
The stone is raised up by the means of an engine,

erected for that purpose.
The Grand Chaplain delivers the following or

some other appropriate
PRAYER:
ALMIGHTY GOD, who hast given us grace at

this time with one accord to make our common
supplications unto thee; and dost promise that,
where two or three are gathered together in thy
name, thou wilt grant their requests; fulfill now, O
LORD, the desires and petitions of thy servants,
as may be most expedient for them; granting us in
this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the
world to come life everlasting.—AMEN.
The Grand Treasurer, by the Grand Master's

command, places under the stone various sorts of
coin and medals, Masonic documents, and such
other matters as may be of interest.
p. 286
Solemn music is introduced, and the stone let

down into its place.
The principal Architect then presents the working

tools to the Grand Master, who hands the Square
to the Deputy Grand Master, the Level to the
Senior Grand Warden, and the Plumb to the
Junior Grand Warden; when the Grand Master
addresses the Grand Officers as follows:
Grand Master. R. W. DEPUTY GRAND

MASTER: What is the proper jewel of your
office?
Deputy Grand Master. The Square.
G. M. What are its moral and Masonic uses?
D. G. M. To square our actions by the Square of

Virtue, and prove our work.
G. M. Apply the implement of your office to that

portion of the foundation-stone that needs to be
proved, and make report.
The Deputy applies the Square to the stone, and

says:
D. G. M. MOST WORSHIPFUL: I find the stone
to be square. The Craftsmen have performed their
duty.
G. M. R. W. SENIOR GRAND WARDEN: What

is the jewel of your office?
Senior Grand Warden. The Level.
G. M. What is its Masonic use?
S. G. W. Morally, it reminds us of equality, and its

use is to lay horizontals.
p. 287
G. M. Apply the implement of your office to the

foundation-stone, and make report.
This is done.
S. G. W. MOST WORSHIPFUL: I find the stone

to be level. The Craftsmen have performed their
duty.
G. M. R. W. JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN: What

is the proper jewel of your office?
Junior Grand Warden. The Plumb.
G. M. What is its Masonic use?
J. G. W. Morally, it teaches rectitude of conduct,

and we use it to try perpendiculars.
G. M. Apply the implement of your office to the

several edges of the foundation-stone, and make
report.
This is complied with.
J. G. W. MOST WORSHIPFUL: I find the stone

is plumb. The Craftsmen have performed their
duty.
G. M. This corner-stone has been tested by the

proper implements of Masonry. I find that the
Craftsmen have skillfully and faithfully
performed their duty, and I do declare the stone to
p. 288
be well formed, true, and trusty, and correctly

laid, according to the rules of our ancient Craft.
Let the elements of Consecration now be

presented.
The Deputy Grand Master comes forward with

the vessel of corm, and, scattering it on the stone,
says:
I scatter this corn as an emblem of plenty. May

the blessings of bounteous Heaven be showered
upon us and upon all like patriotic and benevolent
undertakings, and inspire the hearts of the people
with virtue, wisdom, and gratitude.

The Senior Grand Warden then comes forward
with the vessel of WINE, and pours it upon the
stone; saying,
I pour this wine as an emblem of joy and

gladness. May the Great Ruler of the Universe
p. 289
bless and prosper our national, state, and city

governments, preserve the union of the States, and
may it be a bond of Friendship and Brotherly
Love that shall endure through all time.
The Junior Grand Warden then comes forward

with a vessel of OIL, which he pours upon the
stone, saying,
I pour this oil as an emblem of peace. May its

blessings abide with us continually, and may the
Grand Master of heaven and earth shelter and
protect the widow and orphan, shield and defend
them from trials and vicissitudes of the world, and
so bestow his mercy upon the bereaved, the
afflicted, and the sorrowing, that they play know
sorrowing and trouble no more.
The Grand Master, standing in front of all, and

extending his hands, makes the following
INVOCATION.
MAY the all-bounteous Author of Nature bless

the inhabitants of this place with an abundance
p. 290
of the necessaries, conveniences, and comforts of

life; assist in the erection and completion of this
building; protect the workmen against every
accident; long preserve the structure from decay;
and grant to us all a supply of the CORN of
nourishment, the WINE of refreshment, and the
OIL of joy.—AMEN.
The Grand Master strikes the stone three times

with the gavel, and the public grand honors are
given.
The Grand Master then delivers over to the

Architect the implements of architecture; saying,
WORTHY SIR (or BROTHER): Having thus, as

Grand Master of Masons, laid the foundation-
stone of this structure, I now deliver these
implements of your profession into your hands,
intrusting you with the superintendence and
direction of the work, having full confidence in
your skill and capacity to conduct the same.
The Grand Master ascends the platform, when an

appropriate ANTHEM may be sung.
The Grand Master then addresses the assembly as

follows:
MEN AND BRETHREN HERE ASSEMBLED:

Be it known unto you, that we be lawful Masons,
true and faithful to the laws of our country, and
p. 291
engaged, by solemn obligations, to erect

magnificent buildings, to be serviceable to the
brethren, and to fear GOD, the Great Architect of
the Universe. We have among us, concealed from
the eyes of all men, secrets which cannot be
divulged, and which have never been found out;
but these secrets are lawful and honorable, and
not repugnant to the laws of GOD or man. They
were intrusted, in peace and honor, to the Masons
of ancient times, and having been faithfully
transmitted to us, it is our duty to convey them
unimpaired to the latest posterity. Unless our
Craft were good, and our calling honorable, we
should not have lasted for so many centuries, nor
should we have been honored with the patronage
of so many illustrious men in all ages, who have
ever shown themselves ready to promote our
interests and defend us from all adversaries. We
are assembled here to-day in the Pace of you all,
to build a house, which we pray GOD may
deserve to prosper, by becoming a place of
concourse for good men, and promoting harmony
and brotherly love throughout the world, till time
shall be no more.—AMEN.
p. 292
A voluntary collection is then made by the Grand

Stewards among the Brethren for the needy
workmen, and the sum collected is placed upon
the stone by the Grand Treasurer.
The Grand Chaplain then pronounces the

following, or some other suitable
BENEDICTION.
GLORY be to GOD on high, and on earth peace,

and good-will toward men! O LORD, we most
heartily beseech thee with thy favor to behold and
bless this assemblage; pour down thy mercy, like
the dew that falls upon the mountains, upon thy
servants engaged in the solemn ceremonies of this
day. Bless, we pray thee, all the workmen who
shall be engaged in the erection of this edifice;
keep them from all forms of accidents and harm;
grant them in health and prosperity to live; and
finally, we hope, after this life, through thy
mercy, wisdom, and forgiveness, to attain
everlasting joy and felicity, in thy bright
mansion—in thy holy temple—not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.—AMEN.
After which, the procession returns in the same

order to the place whence it set out, and the Grand
Lodge is closed with the usual formalities.
Footnotes
282:* Whenever Knights Templar appear in a
procession, they should act as an escort or guard
of honor to the Grand Lodge.
p. 293
DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS.
AT the time appointed for the celebration of the

ceremony of dedication, the Grand Master and his
officers, accompanied by the members of the
Grand Lodge, meet in a convenient room, near to
the place where the ceremony is to be performed,
and the Grand Lodge is opened in ample form.
The procession is then formed, under direction of

the Grand Marshal, when the Grand Lodge moves
to the hall to be dedicated, in the following order:
MUSIC;
Grand Secretaries;
Grand Treasurers;
A Past Master, bearing the Holy Writings, Square

and
Compasses, supported by two Stewards, with

rods;
Two Burning Tapers, borne by two Past Masters;
Chaplain and Orator;
Past Grand Wardens;
Past Deputy Grand Masters:

Past Grand Masters
The Globes;
Junior Grand Warden, carrying a silver vessel

with corn;
Senior Grand Warden, carrying a silver vessel

with wine;
Deputy Grand Master, carrying a golden vessel

with oil;
THE LODGE,
Covered with white linen, carried by four

Brethren;
Master of the oldest Lodge, carrying Book of

Constitutions;
p. 294
GRAND MASTER,
Supported by two Deacons, with rods;
Grand Sword-Bearer, with drawn sword;
Two Stewards, with white rods.
When the Grand Officers arrive at the center of

the Lodge-room, the Grand honors are given.
The Grand Officers then repair to their respective

stations.
The LODGE is placed in front of the altar, toward
the East, and the gold and silver vessels and lights
are placed around it.
These arrangements being completed, the

following or some other appropriate ODE is sung:
Master Supreme! accept our praise;
Still bless this consecrated band; p. 295
Parent of light! illume our ways,
And guide us by thy sovereign hand.
May Faith, Hope, Charity, divine,
Here hold their undivided reign;
Friendship and Harmony combine
To soothe our cares—to banish pain.
May pity dwell within each breast,

Relief attend the suffering poor;
Thousands by this, our Lodge, be blest,
Till worth, distress’d, shall want no more.
The Master of the Lodge to which the hall to be

dedicated belongs, then rises, and addresses the
MOST WORSHIPFUL: The Brethren of .......

Lodge, being animated with a desire to promote
the honor and interest of the Craft, have erected
p. 296
a Masonic Hall, for their convenience and

accommodation. They are desirous that the same
should be examined by the Most Worshipful
Grand Lodge; and if it should meet their
approbation, that it be solemnly dedicated to
Masonic purposes, agreeably to ancient form and
usage.
The Architect or Brother who has had the

management of the structure then addresses the
MOST WORSHIPFUL: Having been intrusted

with the superintendence and management of the
workmen employed in the construction of this
edifice; and having, according to the best of my
ability, accomplished the task assigned me, I now
return my thanks for the honor of this
appointment, and beg leave to surrender up the
implements which were committed to my care,
when the foundation of this fabric was laid,
(presenting to the Grand Master the Square,
Level, and Plumb), humbly hoping that the
exertions which have been made on this occasion
will be crowned with your approbation, and that
of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge.
To which the Grand Master replies:
BROTHER ARCHITECT: The skill and fidelity

displayed in the execution of the trust reposed
p. 297
in you at the commencement of this undertaking,

have secured the entire approbation of the Grand
Lodge; and they sincerely pray that this edifice
may continue a lasting monument of the taste,
spirit, and liberality of its founders.
The Deputy Grand Master then rises, and says:
MOST WORSHIPFUL: The hall in which we are

now assembled, and the plan upon which it has
been constructed, having met with your
approbation, it is the desire of the Fraternity that it
should be now dedicated, according to ancient
form and usage.
The Lodge is then uncovered, and a procession is

made around it in the following form, during
which solemn music is played.
A Past Master, with light;

A Past Master, with Bible, Square, and
Compasses, on a velvet cushion;
Two Past Masters, each with a light;
Grand Secretary and Treasurer, with emblems;
Grand Junior Warden, with vessel of corn;
Grand Senior Warden, with vessel of wine;
Deputy Grand Master, with vessel of oil;
GRAND MASTER;
Two Stewards, with rods.

p. 298
When the procession arrives at the East, it halts;

the music ceases, and the Grand Chaplain makes
the following
CONSECRATION PRAYER.
ALMIGHTY and ever-glorious and gracious

LORD GOD, Creator of all things, and Governor
of every thing thou hast made, mercifully look
upon thy servants, now assembled in thy name
and in thy presence, and bless and prosper all our
works begun, continued, and ended in thee.
Graciously bestow upon us Wisdom, in all our
doings; Strength of mind in all our difficulties,
and the Beauty of harmony and holiness in all our
communications and work. Let Faith be the
foundation of our Hope, and Charity the fruit of
our obedience to thy revealed will.
May all the proper work of our institution that

may be done in this house be such as thy wisdom
may approve and thy goodness prosper. And,
finally, graciously be pleased, O thou Sovereign
Architect of the Universe, to bless the Craft,
wheresoever dispersed, and make them true and
faithful to thee, to their neighbor, and to
themselves. And when the time of our labor is
drawing near to an end, and the pillar of our
strength is declining to the ground, graciously
p. 299
enable us to pass through the "valley of the

shadow of death," supported by thy rod and thy
staff, to those mansions beyond the skies where
love, and peace, and joy forever reign before thy
throne.—AMEN.
All the other Brethren keep their places, and assist

in singing the ODE, which continues during the
procession, excepting only at the intervals of
dedication.
ODE.
Genius of Masonry, descend,
And with thee bring thy spotless train, p. 300
Constant our sacred rites attend,
While we adore thy peaceful reign.
The first procession being made around the
Lodge, the Grand Master having reached the East,
the Grand Junior Warden presents the vessel of
CORN to the G. Master; saying,
MOST WORSHIPFUL: In the dedications of

Masonic Halls, it has been of immemorial custom
to pour corn upon the Lodge, as an emblem of
p. 301
nourishment. I, therefore, present you this vessel

of corn, to be employed by you according to
ancient usage.
The Grand Master then, striking thrice with his

mallet pours the corn upon the Lodge; saying,
In the name of the great JEHOVAH, to whom be

all honor and glory, I do solemnly dedicate this
hall to FREEMASONRY.
The grand honors are given.
Bring with thee VIRTUE, brightest maid!

Bring LOVE, bring TRUTH, bring
FRIENDSHIP here;
While social MIRTH shall lend her aid
To soothe the wrinkled brow of CARE.
The second procession is then made around the
Lodge, and the Grand Senior Warden presents the
vessel of wine to the Grand Master; saying,
MOST WORSHIPFUL: Wine, the emblem of

refreshment, having been used by our ancient
brethren in the dedication and consecration of
their Lodges, I present you this vessel of wine,
p. 302
to be used on the present occasion according to

ancient Masonic form.
The Grand Master then sprinkles the wine upon

the Lodge; saying,
In the name of the holy SAINTS JOHN, I do

solemnly dedicate this hall to VIRTUE.
The grand honors are twice repeated.
Bring CHARITY! with goodness crowned,

Encircled in thy heavenly robe!
Diffuse thy blessings all around,
To every corner of the GLOBE!
The third procession is then made round the
Lodge, and the Deputy Grand Master presents the
vessel of oil to the Grand Master; saying,
MOST WORSHIPFUL: I present you, to be used

according to ancient custom, this vessel of oil, an
emblem of that joy which should animate every
bosom on the completion of every important
undertaking.
The Grand Master then sprinkles the oil upon the

Lodge; saying,
p. 303
In the name of the whole FRATERNITY, I do

solemnly dedicate this hall to UNIVERSAL
BENEVOLENCE.
The grand honors are thrice repeated.
To Heaven's high Architect all praise,

All praise, all gratitude be given,
Who deigned the human soul to raise,
By mystic secrets, sprung from Heaven.
The Grand Chaplain, standing before the

LODGE, then makes the following
INVOCATION.
AND may the LORD, the giver of every good and
perfect gift, bless the Brethren here assembled, in
all their lawful undertakings, and grant to each
one of them, in needful supply, the corn of
nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil
of joy.—AMEN.
The LODGE is then covered, and the Grand

Master retires to his chair.
The following or an appropriate original oration

may then be delivered, and the ceremonies
conclude with music:
BRETHREN: The ceremonies we have performed

are not unmeaning rites, nor the amusing pageants
of an idle hour, but have a solemn
p. 304
and instructive import. Suffer me to point it out to

you, and to impress upon your minds the
ennobling sentiments they are so well adapted to
convey.
This Hall, designed and built by WISDOM,

supported by STRENGTH, and adorned in
BEAUTY, we are first to consecrate in the name
of the great JEHOVAH; which teaches us, in all
our works, begun and finished, to acknowledge,
adore, and magnify him. It reminds us, also, in his
fear to enter the door of the Lodge, to put our trust
in him while passing its trials, and to hope in him
for the reward of its labors.
Let, then, its altar be devoted to his service, and

its lofty arch resound with his praise! May the eye
which seeth in secret witness here the sincere and
unaffected piety which withdraws from the
engagements of the world to silence and privacy,
that it may be exercised with lese interruption and
less ostentation.
Our march round the Lodge reminds us of the

travels of human life, in which Masonry is an
enlightened, a safe, and a pleasant path. Its
tesselated pavement of Mosaic-work intimates to
us the chequered diversity and uncertainty
p. 305
of human affairs. Our step is time; our

progression, eternity.
Following our ancient Constitutions, with mystic

rites we dedicate this Hall to the honor of
FREEMASONRY.
Our best attachments are due to the Craft. in its

prosperity, we find our joy; and, in paying it
honor, we honor ourselves. But its worth
transcends our encomiums, and its glory will
outsound our praise.
Brethren: it is our pride that we have our names

on the records of Freemasonry. May it be our high
ambition that they should shed a luster on the
immortal page!
The Hall is also dedicated to VIRTUE.
This worthy appropriation will always be duly

regarded while the moral duties which our
sublime lectures inculcate, with affecting and
impressive pertinency, are cherished in our
hearts . and illustrated in our lives.
As Freemasonry aims to enliven the spirit of

Philanthropy, and promote the cause of Charity,
so we dedicate this Hall to UNIVERSAL
BENEVOLENCE; in the assurance that every
brother will dedicate his affections and his
abilities to the
p. 306
same generous purpose; that while he displays a

warns and cordial affection to those who are of
the Fraternity, he will extend his benevolent
regards and good wishes to the whole family of
mankind.
Such, my brethren, is the significant meaning of

the solemn rites we have just performed, because
such are the peculiar duties of every Lodge. I
need not enlarge upon them now, nor show how
they diverge, as rays from a center, to enlighten,
to improve, and to cheer the whole circle of life.
Their import and their application is familiar to
you all. In their knowledge and their exercise may
you fulfill the high purposes of the Masonic
Institution!
How many pleasing considerations, my brethren,

attend the present interview! While in almost
every other association of men, political
animosities, contentions, and wars interrupt the
progress of Humanity and the cause of
Benevolence, it is our distinguished privilege to
dwell together in peace, and engage in plans to
perfect individual and social happiness. While in
many other nations our Order is viewed by
politicians with suspicion, and by the ignorant
with
p. 307
apprehension, in this country, its members are too

much respected, and its principles too well
known, to make it the object of jealousy or
mistrust. Our private assemblies are unmolested;
and our public celebrations attract a more general
approbation of the Fraternity. Indeed, its
importance, its credit, and, we trust, its
usefulness, are advancing to a height unknown in
any former age. The present occasion gives fresh
evidence of the increasing affection of its friends;
and this noble apartment, fitted up in a style of
such elegance and convenience, does honor to
Freemasonry, as well as reflects the highest credit
on the respectable Lodge for whose
accommodation and at whose expense it is
erected.
We offer our best congratulations to the

Worshipful Master, Wardens, Officers, and
Members of ...... Lodge. We commend their zeal,
and hope it will meet with the most ample
recompense. May their Hall be the happy resort of
Piety, Virtue, and Benevolence! May it be
protected from accident, and long remain a
monument of their attachment to Freemasonry!
May their Lodge continue to flourish; their union
to
p. 308
strengthen; and their happiness to abound!—And

when they, and we all, shall be removed from the
labors of the earthly Lodge, may we be admitted
to the brotherhood of the perfect, in the building
of GOD, the Hall not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens!
The Grand Lodge is again formed in procession,

as at first, returns to the room where it was
opened, and is closed in ample form.
p. 309
GRAND VISITATIONS.
THE Grand Master, accompanied by the Grand

Officers, should, at least once a year, or as often
as he may deem expedient, visit the Lodges under
his jurisdiction, to make the customary
examinations. When this laudable duty becomes
impracticable, from the extent of jurisdiction and
large number of Lodges, the Grand Master may
appoint any one or more of his Grand Officers,
who shall visit and inspect such Lodges as the
Grand Master shall designate, and make report to
him of the result.
The following is the ceremony observed on such

occasions:
The Grand Secretary, by command of the Grand

Master or Presiding Grand Officer, notifies the
Lodge of the intended visit.
The Master opens his Lodge in the third degree,

and places his Deacons at the sides of the door,
with their staves crossed. The Brethren arrange
themselves in a line from the door, on each side,
to the Chair. The orders, borne by some of the
most respectable private Brethren, wait near the
door, to walk before the Grand Master when they
enter. This being arranged in this manner, the
Master deputes a Past Master to escort the Grand
Officers, who enter in the following form:
Grand Marshal;
Grand Stewards;
Grand Pursuivant, with sword;

Two Grand Deacons;
Grand Treasurer and Secretary;
Grand Chaplain;
p. 310 p. 311
p. 312
THE services herein arranged for the Burial of the

Dead are adapted for all the purposes for which
ceremonies of that character may be required. The
arrangement is such that any portion of the
service—each part being complete—may be used
as occasion requires. It is not expected that the
whole ceremony or can be used at any one time. If
the weather should be stormy, or the body of the
deceased taken, for interment, to a distance,
where it would be impossible for the brethren to
attend, that portion of the service set apart for the
Lodge-room, or at the house of the deceased, may
be performed.
p. 313
MASONIC FUNERAL SERVICES:

PREPARED BY
ROBERT MACOY,
AUTHOR OF THE MASONIC MANUAL, BOOK OF THE LODGE,

TRUE MASONIC GUIDE, PAST DEPUTY GRAND MASTER, GRAND
RECORDER, ETC.
THE CEREMONIES which are observed on the

occasion of funerals are highly appropriate; they
are performed as a melancholy Masonic duty, and
as a token of respect and affection to the memory
of a departed brother.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
I. No FREEMASON can be buried with the

formalities of the Fraternity, unless it be at his
own request, or that of some of his family,
communicated to the Master of the Lodge of
which he died a member; foreigners or sojourners
excepted; nor unless he has received the Master
Mason's degree, and from this restriction there
can be no exception.
II. Fellow-Crafts or Entered Apprentices are not

entitled to these obsequies; nor can they be
allowed to unite, as Masons, in the funeral of a
brother.
M. No Lodge, or body of Masons, can unite in the

obsequies of a person not a Mason, without
permission of the Grand Master, or consent of the
Grand Lodge.
IV. The Master of the Lodge, having received

notice of the death of a brother, (the deceased
having attained
p. 314
to the degree of Master Mason,) and of his request

to be buried with the ceremonies of the Craft,
fixes the day and hour for the funeral, (unless
previously arranged by the friends or relatives of
the deceased,) and issues his command to the
Secretary to summon the Lodge. He may invite as
many Lodges as he may think proper, and the
members of those may accompany their officers
in form; but the whole ceremony must be under
the direction of the Master of the Lodge of which
the deceased was a member.
V. Upon the death of a sojourner, who had

expressed a wish to be buried with the Masonic
ceremonies, the duties prescribed in Article IV.
will devolve upon the Master of the Lodge within
whose jurisdiction the death may occur; and if in
a place where there be more than one Lodge, then
upon the Master of the oldest Lodge, unless
otherwise mutually arranged.
VI. Whenever civic societies, or the military, may

unite with Masons in the burial of a Mason, the
body of the deceased must be in charge of the
Lodge having jurisdiction. The Masonic services
should in all respects be conducted as if none but
Masons were in attendance.
VII. If the deceased was a Grand or Past Grand

officer, the officers of the Grand Lodge should be
invited; when the Master of the Lodge having
jurisdiction, will invite the Grand officer present
who has attained the highest rank to conduct the
burial service.
VIII. The pall-bearers should be Masons, selected

by the Master. If the deceased was a member of a
Chapter, Commandery, or Consistory, a portion of
the pall-bearers should be taken from these bodies
severally.
p. 315
IX. The proper clothing for a Masonic funeral is a

black hat, black or dark clothes, black neck-tie,
white gloves, and a plain square white linen or
lambskin apron, with a band of black crape
around the left arm, above the elbow, and a sprig
of evergreen on the left breast. The Master's
gavel, the Wardens’ columns, the Deacons’ and
Stewards’ rods, the Tiler's sword, the Bible, the
Book of Constitutions, and the Marshal's baton,
should be trimmed with black crape, neatly tied
with white ribbon. The officers of the Lodge
should, and Past Masters and Grand Officers may,
wear their official jewels.
X. While the body is lying in the coffin, there

should be placed upon the latter a plain white
lambskin apron.
XI. If a Past or Present Grand Master, Deputy

Grand Master, or Grand Warden, should join the
procession of a private Lodge, proper attention
must be paid to them. They take place after the
Master of the Lodge. Two Deacons, with white
rods, should be appointed by the Master to attend
a Grand Warden; and when the Grand Master or
Deputy Grand Master is present, the Book of
Constitutions should be borne before him, a
Sword-Bearer should follow, and the Deacons,
with white rods, on his right and left.
XII. When the head of the procession shall have

arrived at the place of interment, or where the
services are to be performed, the lines should be
opened, and the highest officer in rank, preceded
by the Marshal and Tiler pass through, and the
others follow in order.
XIII. Upon arriving at the entrance of the

cemetery, the brethren should march in open
order to the tomb or grave. If the body is to be
placed in the former, the Tiler
p. 316
should take his place in front of the open door,

and the lines be spread so as to form a circle. The
coffin should be deposited in the circle, and the
Stewards and Deacons should cross their rods
over it. The bearers should take their places on
either side—the mourners at the foot of the coffin,
and the Master and other officers at the head.
After the coffin has been placed in the tomb, the
Stewards should cross their rods over the door,
and the Deacons over the Master.—If the body is
to be deposited in the earth, the circle should be
formed around the grave, the body being placed
on rests over it; the Stewards should cross their
rods over the foot, and the Deacons the head, and
retain their places throughout the services.
XIV. After the clergymen shall have performed

the religious services of the Church, the Masonic
services should begin.
XV. When a number of Lodges join in a funeral

procession, the position of the youngest Lodge is
at the head or right of the procession, and the
oldest at the end or left, excepting that the Lodge
of which deceased was a member walks nearest
the corpse.
XVI. The procession must return to the Lodge-

room in the same order in which it marched to the
grave.
XVII. A Lodge in procession is to be strictly

under the discipline of the Lodge-room; therefore,
no brother can enter the procession or leave it
without express permission from the Master,
conveyed through the Marshal.
p. 317
SERVICE
IN THE
LODGE-ROOM.
The brethren having assembled at the Lodge-room,

the Lodge will be opened briefly in the third degree;
the purpose of the communication must be stated;
and remarks upon the character of the deceased may
be made by the Master and brethren, when the
service will commence—all the brethren to stand:
Master. What man is he that liveth, and shall not see

death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the
grave?
Sen. War. His days are as grass; as a flower of the

field, so he flourisheth.
Jun. War. For the wind passeth over it, and it is

gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Master. Where is now our departed Brother?
Sen. War. He dwelleth in night; he sojourneth in

darkness.
Jun. War. Man walketh in a vain shadow; he

heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather
them.
Master. When he dieth, he shall carry nothing away;

his glory shall not descend after him.
p. 318
Sen. War. For he brought nothing into the world, and

it is certain he can carry nothing out.
Jun. War. The Lout gave, and the LORD hath taken
away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Mater. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to

anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Sen. War. GOD is our salvation; our glory, and the

rock of our strength; and our refuge is in GOD.
Jun. War. He hath not dealt with us after our sins,

nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Mater. Can we offer any precious gift acceptable in

the sight of the LORD to redeem our brother?
Sen. War. We are poor and needy. We are without

gift or ransom.
Jun. War. Be merciful unto us, O LORD, be

merciful unto us; for we trust in thee. Our hope and
salvation are in thy patience. Where else can we
look for mercy?
Mater. Let us endeavor to live the life of the

righteous, that our last end may be like his.
Sen. War. The LORD is gracious and righteous; yea,

our GOD is merciful.
p. 319
Jun. War. GOD is our GOD for ever and ever; He

will be our guide, even unto death.
Master. Shall our brother's name and virtues be lost

upon the earth forever?
Response by the Brethren. We will remember and

cherish them in our hearts.
Master. I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto

me, "Write, from henceforth blessed are the dead
who die in the LORD! Even so, saith the Spirit; for
they rest from their labors."
Here the Master will take the SACRED ROLL, * on

which have been inscribed the name, age, date of
initiation or affiliation, date of death, and any
matters that may be interesting to the brethren; and
shall read the same aloud, and shall then say,
ALMIGHTY FATHER! in thy hands we leave, with

humble submission, the soul of our departed brother.
Response. Amen! So mote it be!
The grand honors † should then be given three times;

the brethren to respond each time—
The will of GOD is accomplished.—AMEN. So

mote it be!
p. 320
The Master should then deposit the ROLL in the

archives of the Lodge.
The following or some other appropriate HYMN

may be sung:
Few are thy days, and full of woe,
O man, of woman born!
Thy doom is written,
"Dust thou art,
And to dust return."
p. 321
Behold the emblem of thy state

In flowers that bloom and die;
Or in the shadow's fleeting form,
That mocks the gazer's eye.
Determined are the days that fly

Successive o’er thy head;
The number’d hour is on the wing,
That lays thee with the dead.
Great GOD, afflict not, in thy wrath,

The short allotted span
That bounds the few and weary days
Of pilgrimage to man.
The Master or Chaplain will repeat the following or

some other appropriate PRAYER:
ALMIGHTY AND HEAVENLY FATHER—

infinite in wisdom, mercy, and goodness—extend to
us the riches of thy everlasting grace. Thou alone art
a refuge and help in trouble and affliction. In this
bereavement we look to thee for support and
consolation. May we believe that death hath no
power over a faithful and righteous soul! May we
believe that, though the dust returneth to the dust as
it was, the spirit goeth unto thyself. As we mourn the
departure of a brother beloved from the circle of our
Fraternity, may we trust that he hath entered into a
higher brotherhood, to engage in nobler duties
p. 322
and in heavenly work, to find rest from earthly

labor, and refreshment from earthly care. May thy
peace abide within us, to keep us from all evil!
Make us grateful for present benefits, and crown us
with immortal life and honor.—And to thy name
shall be all the glory forever.—AMEN.
Response. So mote it be.
A procession should then be formed, which will

proceed to the church or the house of the deceased,
in the following order:
When the head of the procession arrives at the

entrance of the building, it should halt and open to
the right and left, forming two parallel lines, when
the Marshal, with the Tiler, will pass through the
lines to end, and escort the Master or Grand Officer
into the house, the brethren closing in and following,
thus reversing the order of procession—the brethren
with heads uncovered.
Footnotes
319:* A sheet of parchment or paper, prepared for

the purpose.
319:† See note, p. 886.

p. 323
SERVICE
AT THE
CHURCH OR THE HOUSE OF THE DECEASED.
After the religious services have been performed,

the Master will take his station at the head of the
coffin, the Senior Warden on his right, the Junior
Warden on his left; the Deacons and Stewards,
with white rods crossed, the former at the head
and the latter at the foot of the coffin; the brethren
forming a circle around all, when the Masonic
service will commence by the Chaplain or Master
repeating the following or some other appropriate
PRAYER, in which all the brethren will join:
Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy

name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and
the power, and the glory, for ever.—AMEN.
Master. Brethren, we are called upon by the

imperious mandate of the dread messenger Death,
against whose free entrance within the circle of
our Fraternity the barred doors and Tiler's weapon
offer no impediment, to
p. 324
mourn the loss of one of our companions. The

dead body of our beloved Brother A...... B......
lies in its narrow house before us, overtaken by
that fate which must sooner or later overtake us
all; and which no power or station, no virtue or
bravery, no wealth or honor, no tears of friends or
agonies of relatives can avert; teaching an
impressive lesson, continually repeated, yet soon
forgotten, that every one of us must ere long pass
through the valley of the shadow of death, and
dwell in the house of darkness.
Sen. War. In the midst of life we are in death; of

whom may we seek for succor but of thee, O
LORD, who for our sins art justly displeased.
Thou knowest, Loan, the secrets of our hearts;
shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer,
Jun. War. LORD, let me know my end, and the

number of my days; that I may be certified how
long I have to live.
Master. Man that is born of woman is of few days

and full of trouble. He cometh forth as a flower,
and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and
continueth not. Seeing his days are determined,
the number of his months are
p. 325
with thee; thou hast appointed his bounds that he

cannot pass; turn from him that he may rest, till he
shall accomplish his day. For there is hope of a
tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth
up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail
from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth
up, so man lieth down, and riseth not up till the
heavens shall be no more.
Sen. War. Our life is but a span long, and the days
of our pilgrimage are few and full of evil.
Jun. War. So teach us to number our days, that we

may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Master. Man goeth forth to his work and to his
labor until the evening of his day. The labor and
work of our brother are finished. As it hath
pleased Almighty GOD to take the soul of our
departed brother, may he find mercy in the great
day when all men shall be judged according to the
deeds done in the body. We must walk in the light
while we have light; for the darkness of death
may come upon us, at a time when we may not be
prepared. Take heed,
p. 326
therefore, watch and pray; for ye know not when

the time is; ye know not when the Master cometh,
at even; at midnight, or in the morning. We
should so regulate our lives by the line of
rectitude and truth, that in the evening of our days
we may be found worthy to be called from labor
to refreshment, and duly prepared for a translation
from the terrestrial to the celestial Lodge, to join
the Fraternity of the spirits of just men made
perfect.
Sen. War. Behold, O LORD, we are in distress!

Our hearts are turned within us; there is none to
comfort us; our sky is darkened with clouds, and
mourning and lamentations are heard among us.
Jun. War. Our life is a vapor that appeareth for a

little while, and then vanisheth away. All flesh is
as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof
falleth away.
Master. It is better to go to the house of mourning

than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the
end of all men; and the living will lay it to his
heart.
Response by all the Brethren. So mote it be.
p. 327
Then may be sung the following or some other

appropriate HYMN:
Here Death his sacred seal hath set,
On bright and bygone hours;
The dead we mourn are with us yet,
And—more than ever—ours!
Ours, by the pledge of love and faith;

By hopes of heaven on high;
By trust, triumphant over death,
In immortality!
The dead are like the stars by day,

Withdrawn from mortal eye;
Yet holding unperceived their way
Through the unclouded sky.
p. 328
By them, through holy hope and love,

We feel, in hours serene,
Connected with the Lodge above.
Immortal and unseen.
The MASTER or CHAPLAIN will repeat the

following or some other appropriate PRAYER:
MOST GLORIOUS GOD! author of all good, and

giver of all mercy! pour down thy blessings upon
us, and strengthen our solemn engagements with
the ties of sincere affection! May the present
instance of mortality remind us of our
approaching fate, and draw our attention toward
thee, the only refuge in time of need! that when
the awful moment shall arrive, that we are about
to quit this transitory scene, the enlivening
prospect of thy mercy may dispel the gloom of
death; and after our departure hence in peace and
in thy favor, we may be received into thine
everlasting kingdom, to enjoy, in union with the
souls of our departed friends, the just reward of a
pious and virtuous life.

If the remains of the deceased are to be removed
to a distance where the brethren cannot follow to
perform the ceremonies at the grave, the
procession will return to the Lodge-room or
disperse, as most convenient.
p. 329
SERVICE AT THE GRAVE.
When the solemn rites of the dead are to be

performed at the grave, the procession should be
formed, and proceed to the place of interment in the
following order:
Musicians,
If they are Masons, otherwise they follow the Tiler;
The Holy Writings,

On a cushion, covered with black cloth, carried by
the oldest member of the Lodge;
THE MASTER,
Supported by two Deacons, with white rods;
Officiating Clergy;
If the deceased was a member of a Royal Arch
Chapter and a Commandery of Knights Templar,
and members of those bodies should unite in the
procession, clothed as such, the former will follow
the Past Masters, and the latter will act as an escort
or guard of honor to the corpse, outside the Pall-
bearers, marching in the form of
p. 330
a triangle; the officers of the Commandery forming

the base of the triangle, with the Eminent
Commander in the center.
When the procession has arrived at the place of

interment, the members of the Lodge should form a
circle around the grave; when the Master, Chaplain,
and other Officers of the acting Lodge, take their
position at the head of the grave, and the mourners
at the foot.
After the Clergyman has performed the religious

service of the Church, the Masonic service should
begin.
THE Chaplain rehearses the following or some other

appropriate PRAYER:
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, we adore

thee as the God of time and eternity. As it has
pleased thee to take from the light of our abode one
dear to our hearts, we beseech thee to bless and
sanctify unto us this dispensation of thy providence.
Inspire our hearts with wisdom from on high, that
we may glorify thee in all our ways. May we realize
that thine all-seeing eye is upon us, and be
influenced by the
p. 331
spirit of truth and love to perfect obedience—that we

may enjoy the divine approbation here below. And
when our toils on earth shall have ended, may we be
raised to the enjoyment of fadeless light and
immortal life in that kingdom where faith and hope
shall end—and love and joy prevail through eternal
ages. And thine, O righteous Father, shall be the
glory forever.—AMEN.
The following exhortation is then given by the

Master:
BRETHREN: The solemn notes that betoken the

dissolution of this earthly tabernacle, have again
alarmed our outer door, and another spirit has been
summoned to the land where our fathers have gone
before us. Again we are called to assemble among
the habitations of the dead, to behold the "narrow
house appointed for all living." Here, around us, in
that peace which the world cannot give or take
away, sleep the unnumbered dead. The gentle breeze
fans their verdant covering, they heed it not; the
sunshine and the storm pass over them, and they are
not disturbed; stones and lettered monuments
symbolize the affection of surviving
p. 332
friends, yet no sound proceeds from them, save that

silent but thrilling admonition, "Seek ye the narrow
path and the straight gate that lead unto eternal life."
We are again called upon to consider the uncertainty
of human life; the immutable certainty of death, and
the vanity of all human pursuits. Decrepitude and
decay are written upon every living thing. The
cradle and the coffin stand in juxtaposition to each
other; and it is a melancholy truth, that so soon as
we begin to live, that moment also we begin to die.
It is passing strange that, notwithstanding the daily
mementos of mortality that cross our path;
notwithstanding the funeral bell so often tolls in our
ears, and the "mournful procession" go about our
streets, that we will not more seriously consider our
approaching fate. We go on from design to design,
add hope to hope, and lay out plans for the
employment of many years, until we are suddenly
alarmed at the approach of the Messenger of Death,
at a moment when we least expect him, and which
we probably conclude to be the meridian of our
existence.
What, then, are all the externals of human dignity,

the power of wealth, the dreams of
p. 333
ambition, the pride of intellect, or the charms of

beauty, when Nature has paid her just debt? Fix your
eyes on the last sad scene, and view life stript of its
ornaments, and exposed in its natural meanness, and
you must be persuaded of the utter emptiness of
these delusions. In the grave, all fallacies are
detected, all ranks are leveled, all distinctions are
done away. Here the scepter of the prince and the
staff of the beggar are laid side by side.
While we drop the sympathetic tear over the grave

of our deceased brother, let us cast around his
foibles, whatever they may have been, the broad
mantle of Masonic charity, nor withhold from his
memory the commendation that his virtues claim at
our hands. Perfection on earth has never yet been
attained; the wisest, as well as the best of men, have
gone astray. Suffer, then, the apologies of human
nature to plead for him who can no longer plead for
himself.
Our present meeting and procedings will have been

vain and useless, if they fail to excite our serious
reflections, and strengthen our resolutions of
amendment.. Be then persuaded, my brethren, by
this example, of the uncertainty of human life—of
the unsubstantial nature of
p. 334
all its pursuits, and no longer postpone the all-

important concern of preparing for eternity. Let us
each embrace the present moment, and while time
and opportunity permit, prepare with care for that
great change, which we all know must come, when
the pleasures of the world shall cease to delight, and
be as a poison to our lips; and while we may enjoy
the happy reflection of a well-spent life in the
exercise of piety and virtue, will yield the only
comfort and consolation. Thus shall our hopes be
not frustrated, nor we hurried unprepared into the
presence of that all-wise and powerful Judge, to
whom the secrets of all hearts are known. Let us
resolve to maintain with sincerity the dignified
character of our profession. May our faith be
evinced in a correct moral walk and deportment;
may our hope be bright as the glorious mysteries
that will be revealed hereafter; and our charity
boundless as the wants of our fellow-creatures. And
having faithfully discharged the great duties which
we owe to GOD, to our neighbor, and ourselves;
when at last it shall please the Grand Master of the
universe to summon us into his eternal presence,
may the trestle-board of our whole lives
p. 335
pass such inspection that it may be given unto each

of us to "eat of the hidden manna," and to receive
the "white stone with a new name," that will insure
perpetual and unspeakable happiness at his right
hand.
The Master then (presenting the apron) continues:
The lambskin, or white apron, is the emblem of

innocence and the badge of a Mason. It is more
ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle;
more honorable than the Star and Garter, when
worthily worn.
The Master then deposits it in the grave.
This emblem I now deposit in the grave of our

deceased brother. By it we are reminded of the
universal dominion of Death. The arm of Friendship
cannot interpose to prevent his coming; the wealth
of the world cannot purchase our release; nor will
the innocence of youth, or the charms of beauty
propitiate his purpose. The mattock, the coffin, and
the melancholy grave, admonish, us of our mortality,
and that, sooner or later, these frail bodies must
moulder in their parent dust.
The Master (holding the evergreen) continues:

p. 336
This evergreen, which once marked the temporary

resting-place of the illustrious dead, is an emblem of
our faith in the immortality of the soul. By this we
are reminded that we have an immortal part within
us, that shall survive the grave, and which shall
never, never, NEVER, die. By it we are admonished
that, though, like our brother, whose remains lie
before us, we shall soon be clothed in the
habiliments of DEATH, and deposited in the silent
tomb, yet, through our belief inn the mercy of GOD,
we may confidently hope that our souls will bloom
in eternal spring. This, too, I deposit in the grave,
with the exclamation, "Alas, my brother!"
The brethren then move in procession around the
place of interment, and severally drop the sprig of
evergreen into the grave; after which, the public
grand honors * are given.
p. 337
The Master then continues the ceremony:
From time immemorial, it has been the custom

among the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons,
at the request of a brother, to accompany his remains
to the place of interment, and there to deposit them
with the usual formalities.
In conformity to this usage, and at the request of our

deceased brother, whose memory we revere, and
whose loss we now deplore, we have assembled in
the character of Masons, to offer up to his memory,
before the world, the last tribute of our affection;
thereby demonstrating the sincerity of our past
esteem for him, and our steady attachment to the
principles of the Order.
The Great Creator having been pleased, out of his

infinite mercy, to remove our brother from the cares
and troubles of this transitory existence, to a state of
endless duration, thus severing another link from the
fraternal chain that binds us together; may we, who
survive him, be more strongly cemented in the ties
of union and friendship; that, during the short space
allotted us here, we may wisely and usefully employ
our time; and in the reciprocal intercourse of kind
and friendly acts, mutually promote the welfare
p. 338
and happiness of each other. Unto the grave we have

consigned the body of our deceased brother; earth to
earth (earth being sprinkled on the coffin), ashes to
ashes, (more earth), dust to dust, (more earth); there
to remain till the trump shall sound on the
resurrection morn. We can cheerfully leave him in
the hands of a Being, who has done all things well;
who is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing
wonders.
To those of his immediate relatives and friends, who

are most heart-stricken at the loss we have all
sustained, we have but little of this world's
consolation to offer. We can only sincerely, deeply,
and most affectionately sympathize with them in
their afflictive bereavement. But we can say, that HE
who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, looks down
With infinite compassion upon the widow and
fatherless, in the hour of their desolation; and that
the Great Architect will fold the arms of his love and
protection around those who put their trust in him.
Then let us improve this solemn warning that at last,

when the sheeted dead are stirring, when the great
white throne is set, we shall receive from the
Omniscient Judge, the thrilling invitation,
p. 339
[paragraph
Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for continues]
you from the foundation of the world.
The following, or some other suitable ODE, may be

sung:
Thou art gone to the grave but we will not deplore thee,
Tho’ sorrow and darkness encompass the tomb;
The Good has pass’d on thro’ its p. 340 portals before
thee,
And the cassia blooms greenly to lighten the gloom,
And the cassia blooms greenly to lighten the gloom.
Thou art gone to the grave; we no longer behold thee,
Nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy hand;
But the wide arms of Mercy are spread to enfold thee,
And we'll meet thee again in the heavenly land.
Thou art gone to the grave; and its mansion forsaking,

Perchance thy weak spirit in doubt lingered long;
But the sunshine of heaven beamed bright on thy
waking,
And the sound thou didst hear was the seraphim's
song.
p. 341
Thou art gone to the grave; but ’twere wrong to deplore

thee,
When GOD was thy trust and thy guardian and guide;
He gave thee, he took thee, and soon will restore thee
In the blest Lodge above where the faithful abide.
Or this:
Solemn strikes the fun’ral chime,
Notes of our departing time;
As we journey here below,
Thro’ a pilgrimage of woe.
p. 342
Mortals, now indulge a tear,

For Mortality is here!
See how wide her trophies wave
O’er the slumbers of the grave!
Here another guest we bring;

Seraphs of celestial wing,
To our fun’ral altar come,
Waft our friend and brother home.
There, enlarged, thy soul shall see

What was wailed in mystery;
Heavenly glories of the place
Show his Maker face to face.
LORD of all! below—above—

Fill our hearts with truth and love;
When dissolves our earthly tie,
Take us to thy Lodge on high.
The service may be concluded with the following or

some other suitable PRAYER:
MOST GLORIOUS GOD, author of all good and

giver of all mercy, pour down thy blessings upon us
and strengthen our solemn engagements with the ties
of sincere affection. May the present instance of
mortality remind us of our own approaching fate,
and, by drawing our attention toward thee, the only
refuge in time of need, may we be induced so to
regulate our conduct here, that when the awful
moment
p. 343
shall arrive, at which we must quit this transitory

scene, the enlivening prospect of thy mercy may
dispel the gloom of death; and that after our
departure hence in peace and thy favor, we may be
received into thine everlasting kingdom, and there
join in union with our friend, and enjoy that
uninterrupted and unceasing felicity which is
allotted to the souls of just men made perfect.—
AMEN.
Master. The will of God is accomplished.
Master. From dust we came, and unto dust we must

return.
Response. May we all be recompensed at the

resurrection of the just.—AMEN.
Thus the service ends, and the procession will return

in form to the place whence it set out, where the
necessary business of Masonry should be renewed.
The insignia and ornaments of the deceased, if an
officer of a Lodge, are to be returned to the Master,
with the usual ceremonies, and the Lodge will be
closed in form.
Footnotes
336:* The grand honors practiced among Masons

during the burial ceremonies, either in public or
private, are given in the following manner: Both
arms are crossed on the breast, the left uppermost,
and the open palms of the hands striking the
shoulders; they are then raised above the head, the
palms striking each other, and then made to fall
sharply on the thighs, with the head bowed. This is
repeated three times. While the honors are being
given the third time, the brethren audibly pronounce
the following words—when the arms are crossed on
the breast:—"we cherish his memory here;" when
the hands are extended above the head—"We
commend his spirit to Goa who gave it;" and when
the hands are extended toward the ground—"And
consign his body to the earth."
p. 344
REGULATIONS FOR PROCESSIONS.
When the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, or

either of the Grand Wardens, joins the procession
of a private Lodge, proper respect is to be paid to
the rank of that officer. His position will be
immediately before the Master and Wardens of
the Lodge, and two Deacons will be appointed to
attend him.
When the Grand or Deputy Grand Master is

present, the Book of Constitutions will be borne
before him. The honor of carrying this book
belongs of right to the Master of the oldest Lodge
in the jurisdiction, whenever he is present. The
Book of Constitutions must never be borne in a
procession unless the Grand or Deputy Grand
Master be present.
In entering public buildings, the Bible, Square,

and Compasses, and the Book of Constitutions,
are to be placed in front of the Grand Master, and
the Grand Marshal and Grand Deacons must keep
near him.
When a procession faces inward, the Deacons and

Stewards will cross their rods, so as to form an
arch for the brethren to pass beneath.
Marshals are to walk or ride on the left flank of a

procession. The appropriate costume of a Marshal
is a cocked hat, sword and scarf, with a baton in
his hand. The color of the scarf must be blue in
the procession of a Subordinate Lodge, and purple
in that of the Grand Lodge.
All processions will return in the same order in

which they set out.
The post of honor in a Masonic procession is
always in the rear.
p. 345
RITUAL
FOR A
LODGE OF SORROW.
BY JOHN W. SIMONS,
PAST GRAND MASTER OF NEW YORK.
15*
p. 346 p. 347
PREFACE.
IN the performance of the ceremonies of a Lodge

of Sorrow, it should be understood that the ritual,
although necessarily of a funereal character,
differs essentially from the office for the burial of
the dead.
In the latter case, we are in the actual presence of

the deceased, and engaged in the last rites of
affection and respect for one who has been our
companion in life, and whose mortal remains we
are about to consign to the last resting-place, amid
the tears of surviving friends, and under the
peculiar influences which attach to the rites of
sepulture and the final earthly farewell to one
who, but a few hours previous, could respond to
our questions, and exchange with us the signs of
the living. We are then called to consider the
"mattock, the spade, the coffin, and the
melancholy grave," in all their gloomy reality,
and to reflect that the hour must soon be tolled
"when we, too, shall be clothed in the habiliments
of death, and deposited in the voiceless tomb."
The Lodge of Sorrow, on the contrary, is intended
to celebrate the memory of our departed brethren;
and while we thus recall to our recollection their
virtues, and temper anew our resolutions so to
live, that, when we shall have passed the silent
portals, our memories may be cherished with
grateful remembrance, we learn to look upon
death from a more elevated point of view; to see
in it the wise and necessary transition from the
trials and imperfections of this world, to the
perfect life for which our transient journey hero
has been the school and the preparation. We thus
learn "that the soul is
p. 348
the whole of man; that for it to be born, is really

to die; that earth is but its place of exile, and
heaven its native land."
In the preparation of the following ritual, it has

been sought to typify the inevitable necessity of
death; the gloom and sorrow that attend the "last
of earth," and surround "the narrow house
appointed for all living," and the consoling fact of
the immortality of the soul and the resurrection to
a new and true life, where sorrow and tears have
no place.
Guided by these views in the accomplishment of

our task, and aided by the use of rituals from
Germany, France, and England, it is believed that
the work now submitted will supply a want long
felt by the brethren in the United States, and
enable them to conduct the solemn exercises of
such occasions with dignity and propriety.
Vocal and instrumental music are indispensable to

the proper effect of the ceremony.
Brethren should wear dark clothing, and no
insignia but the white lambskin apron and white
gloves.
Finally, we desire to add, that there is no good

reason for any attempt at secrecy in the
ceremonies of Sorrow Lodges; but that, on the
other hand, they may be held in churches or
public halls, or in the presence of friends at the
lodge-room, with benefit to all concerned. This,
however, will necessarily be subject to the wishes
of the brethren themselves.
LODGE OF SORROW.
PREPARATION OF THE HALL.
I. THE Lodge-room should be appropriately draped in

black, and the several stations covered with the same
emblem of mourning.
II. On the Master's pedestal is a skull and lighted

taper.
III. In the center of the room is placed the catafalque,

which consists of a rectangular platform, about six
feet long by four wide, on which are two smaller
platforms, so that three steps are represented. On the
third one should be an elevation of convenient Night,
on which is placed an urn. The platform should be
draped in black, and a canopy of black drapery may
he raised over the urn.
IV. At each corner of the platform will be placed a

candlestick, bearing a lighted taper, and near it, facing
the East, will be seated a brother, provided with an
extinguisher, to be used at the proper time.
V. During the first part of the ceremonies the lights in
the room should burn dimly.
VI. Arrangements should be made to enable the light

to be increased to brilliancy at the appropriate point in
the ceremony.
p. 352
VII. On the catafalque will be laid a pair of white

gloves, a lambskin apron, and, if the deceased brother
had been an officer, the appropriate insignia of his
office.
VIII. Where the Lodge is held in memory of several

brethren, shields bearing their names are placed
around the catafalque.
OPENING THE LODGE.
The several officers being in their places, and the

brethren seated, the Master will call up the Lodge,
and say,
Master. Brother Senior Warden: For what purpose are
we assembled?
Senior Warden. To honor the memory of those

brethren whom death hath taken from us; to
contemplate our own approaching dissolution; and, by
the remembrance of immortality, to raise our souls
above the considerations of this transitory existence.
Master. Brother Junior Warden: What sentiments

should inspire the souls of Masons on occasions like
the present?
Junior Warden. Calm sorrow for the absence of our

brethren who have gone before us; earnest solicitude
for our own eternal welfare, and a firm faith and
reliance upon the wisdom
p. 353
and goodness of the Great Architect of the Universe.
Master. Brethren: Commending these sentiments to

your earnest consideration, and invoking your
assistance in the solemn ceremonies about to take
place, I declare this Lodge of Sorrow opened.
The Chaplain or Master will then offer the following

or some other suitable PRAYER:
GRAND ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE, in

whose holy sight centuries are but as days, to whose
omniscience the past and the future are but as one
eternal present; look down upon thy children, who
still wander among the delusions of time—who still
tremble with dread of dissolution, and shudder at the
mysteries of the future; look down, we beseech thee,
from thy glorious and eternal day into the dark night
of our error and presumption, and suffer a ray of thy
divine light to penetrate into our hearts, that in them
may awaken and bloom the certainty of life, reliance
upon thy promises, and assurance of a place at thy
right hand.—AMEN.

p. 354
The following or some other appropriate ODE may
here be sung:
Brother, thou art gone to rest;
We will not weep for thee;
For thou art now where oft on earth
Thy spirit longed to be.

Thy toils and cares are o’er;
And sorrow, pain, and suffering, now,
Shall ne’er distress thee more.

And this shall be our prayer,
That, when we reach our journey's end,
Thy glory we shall share.
p. 355
The Master (taking the skull in his hand) will then

say,
BRETHREN: In the midst of life we are in death,

and the wisest cannot know what a day may bring
forth. We live but to see those we love passing
away into the silent land.
Behold this emblem of mortality, once the abode

of a spirit like our own: beneath this mouldering
canopy once shone the bright and busy eye:
within this hollow cavern once played the ready,
swift, and tuneful tongue; and now, sightless and
mute, it is eloquent only in the lessons it teaches
us.
Think of those brethren who, but a few days

since, were among us in all the pride and power of
life; bring to your minds the remembrance of their
wisdom, their strength, and their beauty; and then
reflect that "to this complexion have they come at
last;" think of yourselves, thus will you be when
the lamp of your brief existence has burned out.
Think how soon death, for you, will be a reality.
Man's life is like a flower, which blooms to-day,
and to-morrow is faded, cast aside, and trodden
under foot. The most of us, my brethren, are fast
approaching, or have already passed the meridian
of life;
p. 356
our sun is setting in the West; sand, oh! how

much more swift is the passage of our declining
years than when we started upon the journey, and
believed—as the young are too apt to believe—
that the roseate hues of the rising sun of our
existence were always to be continued. When we
look back upon the happy days of our childhood,
when the dawning intellect first began to exercise
its powers of thought, it seems as but yesterday,
and that, by a simple effort of the will, we could
put aside our manhood, and seek again the loving
caresses of a mother, or be happy in the
possession of a bauble; and could we now realize
the idea that our last hour had come, our whole
earthly life would seem but as the space of time
from yesterday until to-day. Centuries upon
centuries have rolled away behind us; before us
stretches out an eternity of years to come; and on
the narrow boundary between the past and the
present flickers the puny taper we term our life.
When we came into the world, we knew naught of
what had been before us; but, as we grew up to
manhood, we learned of the past; we saw the
flowers bloom as they had bloomed for centuries;
p. 357
we beheld the orbs of day and night pursuing their

endless course among the stars, as they had
pursued it from the birth of light; we learned what
men had thought, and said, and done, from the
beginning of the world to our day; but only
through the eye of faith can we behold what is to
come hereafter, and only through a firm reliance
upon the Divine promises can we satisfy the
yearnings of an immortal soul. The cradle speaks
to us of remembrance—the coffin of hope, of a
blessed trust in a never-ending existence beyond
the gloomy portals of the tomb.
Let these reflections convince us how vain are all

the wranglings and bitterness engendered by the
collisions of the world; how little in dignity above
the puny wranglings of ants over a morsel of food
or for the possession of a square inch of soil.
What shall survive us? Not, let us hope, the petty

strifes and bickerings, the jealousies and heart-
burnings, the small triumphs and mean
advantages we have gained, but rather the noble
thoughts, the words of truth, the works of mercy
and justice, that ennoble and
p. 358
light up the existence of every honest man,

however humble, and live for good when his
body, like this remnant of mortality, is
mouldering in its parent dust.
Let the proud and the vain consider how soon the
gaps are filled that are made in society by those
who die around them; and how soon time heals
the wounds that death inflicts upon the loving
heart; and from this let them learn humility, and
that they are but drops in the great ocean of
humanity.
And when God sends his angel to us with the

scroll of death, let us look upon it as an act of
mercy, to prevent many sins and many calamities
of a longer life; and lay down our heads softly and
go to sleep, without wrangling like froward
children. For this at least man gets by death, that
his calamities are not immortal. To bear grief
honorably and temperately, and to die willingly
and nobly, are the duties of a good man and true
mason.
A solemn piece of music will now be performed,

or the following ode may be sung:
When those we love are snatched away,
By Death's relentless hand,
Our hearts the mournful tribute pay,
That Friendship must demand.
While pity prompts the rising sigh,

With awful power imprest;
May this dread truth, "I too must die,"
Sink deep in every breast.
Let this vain world allure no more:

Behold the opening tomb!
It bids us use the present hour;
To-morrow death may come.
p. 360
The voice of this instructive scene

May every heart obey;
Nor be the faithful warning vain
Which calls to watch and pray!
At its conclusion the Chaplain will read the

following passages:
Lo, He goeth by me and I see Him not. He passeth

on also, but I perceive Him not. Behold He taketh
away, who can hinder Him?
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and

full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and
is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and
continueth not. Seeing his days are determined,
the number of his months are with Thee, Thou
hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
turn from him that he may rest, till he shall
accomplish, as an hireling, his day. For there is
hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout
again, and that the tender branch thereof will not
cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the
earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground, yet
through the scent of water it will bud and bring
forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth and
wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and
where is he? As
p. 361
the waters fail from the sea and the flood decayeth
and drieth up, so man lieth down, and riseth not;
till the heavens be no more they shall not awake
nor be raised out of their sleep.
My days are passed, my purposes are broken off,

even the thoughts of my heart. If I wait, the grave
is mine house, I have made my bed in the
darkness. I have said to corruption, thou art my
father. And where is now thy hope? as for my
hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the
bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the
dust.
My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh. Oh,

that my words were now written; oh, that they
were printed in a book! That they were graven
with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for
myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another.
For Thou cast me into the deep, in the midst of

the seas; and Thy floods compassed me about;
p. 362
all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me

Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet will I
look again toward Thy holy temple. The waters
compassed me about, even to the soul, the depth
closed me round about, the weeds were wrapt
about my head.
I said, in the cutting off of my day I shall go to the

gates of the grave; I am deprived of the residue of
my years; I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the
Lord in the land of the living; I shall behold man
no more with the inhabitants of the world.
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but Thou
hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of
corruption. For the grave cannot praise Thee,
death cannot celebrate Thee; the living, the living,
he shall praise Thee as I do this day.
Are not my days few? Cease, then, and let me

alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go
whence I shall not return, even to the land of
darkness, and the shadow of death. A land oT
darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of
death, without any order, and where the light is as
darkness.
p. 363
An interval of profound silence will be observed.

The general lights of the Hall, if there be
convenience, will be turned low, and the four
brethren will extinguish the tapers near which
they are placed.
PRAYER BY THE CHAPLAIN.
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN, it hath

pleased thee to take from among us those who
were our brethren. Let time, as it heals the
wounds thus inflicted upon our hearts and on the
hearts of those who were near and dear to them,
not erase the salutary lessons engraved there; but
let those lessons always continuing distinct and
legible make us and them wiser and better. And
whatever distress or trouble may hereafter come
upon us, may we ever be consoled by the
reflection that thy wisdom and thy love are
equally infinite, And that our sorrows are not the
visitations of thy wrath, but the result of the great
law of harmony by which everything is being
conducted to a good and perfect issue in the
fullness of thy time. Let the loss of our brethren
increase our affection for those who are yet
spared to us, and make us more punctual in the
performance of the duties that Friendship, Love,
and Honor demand.
p. 364
[paragraph
When it comes to us also to die, may a firm and continues]
abiding trust in thy mercy dispel the gloom and
dread of dissolution. Be with us now, and sanctify
the solemnities of this occasion to our hearts, that
we may serve thee in spirit and understanding.
And to thy name shall be ascribed the praise
forever.—AMEN.
The Wardens, Deacons and Stewards, will now

approach the East and form a procession, thus:
Two Stewards, with rods.
Two Wardens, with columns.
Deacon, THE MASTER. Deacon,

with rod. with rod.
Which will move once round the catafalque to

slow and solemn music.
On arriving in the East, the procession will halt

and open to the right and left. The Junior Warden
will then advance to the catafalque and placing
upon it a bunch of white flowers will say:
Junior Warden. In memory of our departed

brethren I deposit these white flowers,
emblematical of that pure life to which they have
been called, and reminding us that as these
children of an hour will droop and fade away, so,
too; we shall soon follow those who have gone
before us, and inciting us so to fill the brief span
of
p. 365
our existence that we may leave to our survivors a

sweet savor of remembrance.
The Junior Warden will now return to his place,

and ah interval of profound silence will be
observed.
The procession will again be formed, and move as

before, to the sound of slow music, twice around
the catafalque.
They will open as before, and the Senior Warden

approaching the catafalque will place upon it a
wreath of white flowers and say:
Senior Warden. As the sun sets in the West, to

close the day and herald the approach of night, so,
one by one we lay us down in the darkness of the
tomb to wait in its calm repose for the time when
the heavens shall pass away as a scroll, and man,
standing in the presence of the Infinite, shall
realize the true end of his pilgrimage here below.
Let these flowers be to us the symbol of
remembrance of all the virtues of our brethren
who have preceded us to the silent land, the token
of that fraternal alliance which binds us while on
earth and which we hope will finally unite us in
heaven.
The Senior Warden returns to his place, and an

interval of silence will be observed.
The procession will again be formed, and move

three times around the catafalque to slow music,
as before.
p. 366
Arrived in the East, the Master will advance and

place upon the urn a wreath of evergreen, and say:
Master. It is appointed unto all men once to die,

and after death cometh the resurrection. The dust
shall return to the earth and the spirit unto God
who gave it. In the grave all men are equal; the
good deeds, the lofty thoughts, the heroic
sacrifices alone survive and bear fruit in the lives
of those who strive to emulate them.
While, therefore, nature will have it's way, and

our tears will fall upon the graves of our brethren,
let us be reminded by the evergreen symbol of our
faith in immortal life that the dead are but
sleeping, and be comforted by the reflection that
their memories will not be forgotten; that they
will still be loved by those who are soon to follow
them; that in our archives their names are written,
and that in our hearts there is still a place for
them. And so, trusting in the infinite love and
tender mercy of him without whose knowledge
not even a sparrow falls, let us prepare to meet
them where there is no parting and where with
them we shall enjoy eternal rest.
p. 367
The Master will return to his place, and a period
of silence will obtain.
The Chaplain will now be conducted to the altar,

where he will read:
But some man will say: How are the dead raised
up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool,
that which thou sowest is not quickened except it
die: and that which thou sowest thou sowest not
that body that shall be, but bare grain; it may
chance of wheat or of some other grain: but God
giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to
every seed his own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one

kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts,
another of fishes, and another of birds. There are
also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the
glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the
terrestrial is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of

the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one
star differeth from another star in glory. So also is
the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown
in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a
natural body; it is raised a
p. 368
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there

is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first
man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam
was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that was
not first which is spiritual, but that which is
natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The
first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is
the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are
they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly,
such are they also that are heavenly. And as we
have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood

cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew
you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. So when this corruptible shall have
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put
on im-
p. 369
mortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying

that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?
As the Chaplain pronounces the concluding

words, "O grave where is thy victory?" the lights
in the Hall will be raised to brilliancy, the four
brethren seated around the catafalque will relight
the tapers.
The Chaplain will return to his place in the East,

and the following ode will be sung, to music of a
more cheerful character:
Friend after friend departs:
Who has not lost a friend?
There is no union here of hearts,
That finds not here an end. p. 370
Where this frail world our only rest,
Living or dying, none were blest.
There is a world above
Where parting is unknown—
A whole eternity of love
And blessedness alone;
And faith beholds the dying here
Translated to that happier sphere.
The Orator will then pronounce the Eulogium.
Then follows an ode:

Once more, O Lord, let grateful praise,
From every p. 371 heart to thee ascend;
Thou art the guardian of our days,
Our first, our best and changeless friend.
Hear, now, our parting hymn of praise,

And bind our hearts in love divine;
O, may we walk in wisdom's ways,
And ever feel that we are thine.
CLOSING.
Master. Brother Senior Warden, our recollection

of our departed friends has been refreshed, and we
may now ask ourselves, were they just and perfect
Masons, worthy men, unwearied toilers in the
vineyard, and possessed of so many virtues as to
overcome their faults and shortcomings? Answer
these questions, as Masons should answer.
p. 372
Sen. War. Man judgeth not of man. He whose

infinite and tender mercy passeth all
comprehension, whose goodness endureth
forever, has called our brethren hence. Let him
judge.
In ancient Egypt no one could gain admittance to

the sacred asylum of the tomb until he had passed
under the most solemn judgment before a grave
tribunal.
Princes and peasants came there to be judged,

escorted only by their virtues and their vices. A
public accuser recounted the history of their lives,
and threw the penetrating light of truth on all their
actions. If it were adjudged that the dead man had
led an evil life, his memory was condemned in the
presence of the nation, and his body was denied
the honors of sepulture. But Masonry has no such
tribunal to sit in judgment upon her dead; with
her, the good that her sons have done lives after
them, and the evil is interred with their bones. She
does require, however, that whatever is said
concerning them shall be the truth; and should it
ever happen that of a Mason, who dies, nothing
good can be truthfully said she will mournfully
p. 373
and pityingly bury him out of her sight in silence.
Master. Brethren, let us profit by the admonitions

of this solemn occasion, lay to heart the truths to
which we have listened, and resolve so to walk
that when we lay us down to the last sleep it may
be the privilege of the brethren to strew white
flowers upon our graves and keep our memories
as a pleasant remembrance.
Brother Senior Warden, announce to the brethren

that our labors are now concluded, and that it is
my pleasure that this Lodge of Sorrow be closed.
Sen. War. Brother Junior Warden, the labors of

this Lodge of Sorrow being ended, it is the
pleasure of the Master that it be now closed.
Make due announcement to the brethren, and
invite them to assist.
Jun. War. (Calling up the Lodge.) Brethren, the

labors of this Lodge of Sorrow being ended, it is
the pleasure of the Master that it be now closed.
Master. Let us unite with our Chaplain in an

invocation to the Throne of Grace.
* * * * * * *
Master. This Lodge of Sorrow is now closed.
p. 374
SELECTIONS FOR LODGE OF SORROW.
HYMN—8's & 7's M.
Brother, rest from sin and sorrow!

Death is o’er, and life is won;
On thy slumber dawns no morrow:
Rest! thine earthly race is run.
Brother, wake! the night is waning;

Endless day is round thee poured:
Enter thou the rest remaining
For the people of the LORD.
Fare thee well! tho’ woe is blending

With the tones of early love,
Triumph high and joy unending
Wait thee in the realms above!
HYMN.
Why lament our Brother's dying,

Why indulge in tears and gloom?
Calmly on the LORD relying,
He can greet the opening tomb.
Tho' for him thy soul is mourning,

Tho' with grief thy heart is riven,
While his flesh to dust is turning,
All his soul is filled with heaven.
Scenes seraphic, high and glorious,

Now forbid his longer stay:
See him die, o’er death victorious,
Angels beckon him away.
Hark! The golden harps are ringing,

Sounds angelic fill his ear:
Millions now in heaven singing
Greet his joyful entrance there
p. 375
SERVICE
FOR THE
CONSECRATION OF MASONIC
CEMETERIES.
IF the grounds to be consecrated are the property

of a particular Lodge, this service should be
conducted by the officers of that Lodge, which
should be opened in due form, at the usual place
of meeting, and march in procession to the
Cemetery.
If several Lodges are interested, the exercises

should be under the supervision of the Grand
Lodge.
The brethren, having arrived at the grounds,

should be arranged in such a manner as to inclose
an open space, in the form of an oblong square.
The Grand Master, his Deputy, or the Master of
the Lodge—as the case may be—should stand in
the East, looking toward the West.
Grand Master. Let the gates of the South and the

West be guarded.
The Wardens take their respective positions.
G. M. Right Worshipful Grand Senior Warden,

what is a Lodge?
G. S. W. A Lodge is the symbol of the world.
G. M. What are its dimensions?
G. S. W. It reaches from the North to the South,

and from the East to the West.
G. M. Hath it any limits?

p. 376
G. S. W. None; it embraceth the region of stars

above, the empire of graves below, and the
kingdoms of eternal silence.
G. M. You have said that the Lodge is a symbol of

the world. As the world then is, in one sense, a
vast Lodge, what is the last and highest duty
which a Mason is called upon to discharge
therein?
G. S. W. To watch by the bed of a sick and dying

brother, to soothe his last hours, to console and
relieve his widow, protect his orphan children,
and provide a suitable resting-place for his mortal
remains.
G. M. Even so; and beloved brethren, we are

assembled to-day to perform the last, but not the
least part of this most sacred task. We are here to
consecrate these grounds, by solemn services, to a
solemn use. But feeling all our weakness and
blindness, and knowing that our unaided efforts
must be unavailing, let us first implore the
presence and aid of him from whom alone light
and strength can come.
PRAYER,
BY THE CHAPLAIN.
SUPREME ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE!

who, in all ages, hast presided over the labors of
our Fraternity, and whose benevolent and paternal
care all worthy • Masons have, in all times,
recognized with tears of gratitude, we approach
thee now, in a spirit of filial reverence and trust,
to implore Thy presence and the abundance of thy
benedictions upon the
p. 377
solemn labors of the present hour. Knowing our

weakness, we ask thee for Strength. Conscious of
our ignorance, we implore of thee Light. Sensible
of our frailties and imperfections, we pray that the
Holy Spirit may breathe upon our hearts, that they
may bloom with the flowers of Virtue and
Charity, as the earth blooms beneath the genial
influence of the sunshine. And, finally, O God!
we beseech thee to impart to us thy Wisdom, that
we may be guided into the ways of Truth,
accomplish our present undertaking in a manner
acceptable to thee, and be prepared for a higher
service in thy Spiritual Temple above.—AMEN.
G. M. LORD, thou hast been our dwelling-place

in all generations!
Response. And thy Mercy endureth forever.
G. M. Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art
GOD.
Response. And thy Mercy endureth forever.
G. M. Thou turnest man to destruction, and

sayest, return ye children of men.
Response. Yet thy Mercy endureth forever.

G. M. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as
yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the
night.
Response. But thy Mercy endureth forever.

p. 378
G. M. Thou earnest them away as a flood; they

are as asleep; in the morning they are like grass
that groweth up.
G. M. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth

up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
G. M. For we are consumed by thine anger, and

by thy wrath we are troubled.
G. M. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our

secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
G. M. For all our days are passed away in thy

wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told.
G. M. So teach us to number our days, that we

may apply our hearts unto Wisdom.
Response. For thy Mercy endureth forever.

G. M. O, satisfy us early with thy Mercy; that we
may be glad and rejoice all our days. Response.
For thy Mercy endureth forever.
G. M. Make us glad according to the days wherein

thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we
have seen evil.
G. M. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and

thy glory unto their children.

p. 379
G. M. And let the Beauty of the Lord our God be

upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands
upon us; yea, the work of our hands, establish
thou it. And to the King, eternal, immortal,
invisible, the one only living and true God, be
offered worship and praise.
Response. As it was in the beginning, is now, and

ever shall be, world without end. So mote it be.—
AMEN.
HYMN.
O God! who, when the world was young,

Didst walk in Eden's fragrant bowers,
Where Adam, just created, sung
His grateful hymns ’mid trees and flowers
Thy servants here, with reverence, bend,
As did the father of our race,
Imploring thee thy grace to send,
And with thy glory fill this place.
O thou! who look’st with pitying eye,

On us who dwell ’mid death's alarms,
And while we live, or when we die,
Dost fold us in thy loving arms;
Here, where in death our loved ones sleep,
O let thy benedictions fall,
And teach us, as their loss we weep,
That deathless Love embraceth all.
Here, let the weary find repose,

’Mongst fragrant flowers and waving trees—
Emblems, at once, of mortal woes,
And everlasting sympathies— p. 380
And grant, O God! that we may see
In Nature's swelling buds, and bloom,
The Spirit's immortality
And final victory o’er the tomb.
G. M. Brethren: As our Masonic obligations

enjoin upon us not only a tender regard for all the
interests of a brother while living, but also an
affectionate and honorable disposal of his
remains, when the great Master of Life has
summoned him to his rest, these grounds have
been secured and set apart for that sacred purpose.
And as Freemasonry is an institution of symbols,
and communicates its instructions through a
sublime system of emblems, it is eminently
proper that a Masonic Cemetery should be
consecrated by ceremonies of a symbolical
character. It should also be adorned with trees and
shrubs and flowers, which have a symbolical
meaning connected with such solemn uses. No
artificial monuments of iron, or brass, or stone,
which we erect to preserve the remembrance of
the departed, can compare in efficiency or beauty
with those that Nature produces, and which,
though subject to decay, are perpetually renewed.
All parts of the universe are symbolic, each one of

which was, no doubt, designed by the Creator to
reveal, and impress upon the mind, some special
idea or sentiment. The visible world is but the
shadow or reflex of the verities of the invisible,
and between the seen and the unseen there is a
p. 381
mysterious relationship. The Spiritual is mourned

in every visible thing, underlies all forms, and
reveals itself in every tree and flower. Through all
time, and among all peoples, have the prominent
features of the universe revealed the same
thoughts to all earnest hearts. Ever has the
mountain been the symbol of power and
durability; the oak of firmness and confidence; the
various evergreens of immortality; the cypress of
death; and the drooping elm, and weeping willow,
of a profound sorrow and an eternal sympathy.
These emblems of Hope, and Faith, and
Immortality, of undying affection, and tender
sympathy, and everlasting love, are the
appropriate decorations of a Masonic burial-place:
Types, Truth selects, appropriate

Fair fading creatures of a day,
Of human life to indicate
The fragile state and swift decay;
Now in prosperity elate,
And then forever passed away;
Bedecking thus the mortal cell,
Our tale impressively they tell.
And when the Spring's reviving breath
Wakes latent energies below,
Leaves, buds and blossoms bursting forth,
With graceful life and beauty glow,
Symbols of triumph over death,
The Resurrection hope they show;
The Grave her tenants shall restore,
And Death of victory boast no more.
p. 382
One reason why we have been accustomed to

look with so much terror on the grave is the
dreadful gloom in which human inventions have
shrouded it. The funereal emblems and rites of the
olden times, and of the earlier periods of the
Christian Church, were exceedingly beautiful and
hopeful. But for several centuries we appear to
have lost much of the deep and earnest faith of
their ancestors—they have seemed to doubt
whether the idea of immortality be, indeed, a
verity, and, under the influence of a withering
skepticism, have declared that the departed are
henceforth nothing to us, and we are nothing to
them. Freemasonry rebukes and repudiates such
gloomy theories, so repulsive to the warm
affections of the heart. The Lodge has no
limitations. It reaches through all worlds. It
embraces the visible world of men, and the
invisible world of spirits. It proclaims that
friendship survives the grave, that love is
immortal, and that the Masonic ties of our great
Brotherhood are as perpetual as eternity.
Freemasonry, therefore, would throw no gloom
around man's supreme hour, nor marshal an army
of hideous spectres around the beds of the dying,
or the graves of the honored dead. It would rather
remove every gloomy token—take from the
grave's brink the briers and thorns of fear—and
plant, in their place, the flowers of hope, and trust,
and love. It would rend from the sculptured
monuments which cover the dead the grim and
spectral images of
p. 383
despair, and engrave thereon the symbols of a

Hope that burns more and more brightly through
the ages, and of a Love which even death cannot
destroy. It would quiet the fears of its children,
and bring to their hearts a calm and enduring
Faith in the invisible, and an imperishable trust in
the Father of the world. It would so quicken that
faith, that it would penetrate the veil of eternity,
and see the assembly of the wise and good, who
have illuminated the world by their labors,
reyouthed and clothed in immortal beauty,
renewing and continuing the sweet communions
that commenced on earth.
To such a Faith and Hope, and under the

inspiration of such a Love, let this place be
consecrated. Hither let us bear our brethren, who
have been stricken by the hand of death, and lay
them to rest among the trees and flowers. Here
may they sleep in peace, where the murmurs of
the winds and trees will chant their eternal
requiem, and the fairest flowers affection's hand
can plant will cover their graves with perpetual
bloom. And hither may we, who are yet permitted
to dwell amid the sorrows of mortality, come to
meditate on the brevity of life, and the vanity of
all its pomp, and show, and pride—on our great
obligations and duties, and the glorious reward
that awaits us when we are admitted to the
"Middle Chamber" of the Celestial Temple. There
let us come to hold communion with the spirits of
our departed brothers who may be slumbering in
p. 384
these solemn shades. There is nothing more

salutary, more humanizing to the heart, or more
strengthening to our virtue, than this frequent
communion with, and invocation of, the spirit of
the dead. For we should never forget that the bond
of Freemasonry is a three-fold cord, over which
death even has no power—that our deceased
brethren yet live; are still working in the heavenly
Lodges, and that they are yet bound to us, and we
to them, in the ties of an eternal friendship. "After
life's fitful fever, they, indeed, sleep well;" but the
lives they have lived, and the examples they have
given to the world, can never perish. Let us pray
that by their virtue we may become more
virtuous, and by their wisdom more wise; that
they may watch over as guardian geniuses, and
preserve us from all selfishness, irreverence, and
injustice in thought, word, and deed. Standing
here, the awful and silent stars over our heads; the
solemn and silent graves beneath our feet, let us
listen to that warning voice which resounds from
the regions beyond the stars, and swells up from
the realms of eternal silence. "Children of
mortality," yet heirs to an endless life! remember
that the great Destiny Book is placed in your
hands! Beware what you write therein; for every
pencil stroke, be it bright or dark, will be a beam
of light, bearing into your souls an exceeding
peace, or a grim shadow, waving darkly through
your thoughts forever!
p. 385
And, finally, let us labor faithfully and reverently

in our several vocations, true to all our duties to
GOD and man, so that when we are, called to
close our labors on earth we may be prepared for
admission to the grand and solemn mysteries of
the Land of Light.
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION,
BY THE CHAPLAIN.
O thou, who art the Creator, and Father, and

Preserver of all men; who, although clothed with
immortal splendor, and dwelling in the high and
holy place, dost condescend to abide in the hearts
of the humble and contrite, we, thy servants, now
draw near to thee, to supplicate thy grace, and
those benedictions which thou hast promised unto
all such as approach thee in a spirit of loving
reverence, and child-like confidence.
When we consider thy grandeur, and our own

feebleness; when we cast our eyes upward, to
survey the shining heavens, where mighty
constellations are sweeping in brightness through
their everlasting circles, and turn our thoughts
upon ourselves—frail worms of the dust—we are
oppressed with a deep sense of our insignificance
and unworthiness, and in our humility we
exclaim, "What is man that thou art mindful of
him? and the sons of men that thou regardest
them?" Yet, thanks to thee, Almighty God, that
notwithstanding our apparent nothingness,
p. 386
thou hast given us minds which can soar to thee,

and invested us with the attributes of an immortal
nature. Thou hast also made us capable of
acquiring that divine wisdom "which is brighter
than the sun, and above all the order of the stars,''
by which the soul is expanded to angelic
perfection, and imbued with the Life and Beauty
of the heavenly world.
Almighty GOD, our Heavenly Father, who

lookest with benignant eye upon all men; who
seest every tear of misery, and hearest the
mourners cry, we implore thee to impart thy
grace, and the efficient consolations of thy Spirit,
to all such as are called to mourn. Soothe and
comfort all the bereaved, with that Faith which
hath power to pierce the dark mystery of the
grave, and look upon the immortal glories
beyond; and that sublime Hope which with joyful
tears contemplates a future reunion of all who
have been separated on earth, in a circle that death
can never more invade.
O thou, who art the GOD of the dead as well as of

the living, we ask thy blessing to rest upon us,
who are here assembled, and upon the solemn
services in which we are engaged. This quiet spot,
which we consecrate to the departed, we
commend to thy protection and care. May it be
sanctified by thy presence. May we recognize in
this murmuring foliage thy paternal voice,
speaking to our hearts, in accents of tenderness
and love. And, grant,
p. 387
[paragraph
O God, that thy holy angels, who watched by an continues]
ancient tomb, where suffering Virtue found
repose in death, may be permitted to spread their
radiant wings over this place of graves, and make
it bright with the Light of an immortal Hope.
Here, guarded thus by heavenly watchers, may
our loved ones rest in peace, until the great day
when, together with us, they shall be called to the
grand Convocation to receive the recompense for
faithful labors.
"Now unto Him who is able to keep us from

falling and to present us before the throne of his
glory, with exceeding joy, be ascribed honor,
dominion, and power through all ages."—AMEN.
Response. As it was in the beginning, is now, and

ever shall be, world without end.—AMEN. So
mote it be.
Here an appropriate piece of music should be

played by a band, during which the brethren
should move in procession around the Cemetery,
the Grand Master in the meanwhile sprinkling the
grounds with pure water. The public grand honors
are then given, which closes the ceremony.
p. 388
MASONIC CALENDAR.
THE ordinary calendar, or vulgar era, is not

generally used by Freemasons in dating their
official documents. They have one peculiar to
themselves, differing according to their various
rites. The Masons in all parts of the world
working in the York and French rites add 4000
years to the Christian era, calling it ANNO
LUCIS—Year of Light; abbreviated A∴ L∴;
thus the year 1865 would be A∴ L∴ 5865. *
Masons practicing in the ANCIENT AND

ACCEPTED RITE use the Jewish Calendar,
which adds 3760 to the vulgar era, styled ANNO
MUNDI—A∴ M∴—year of the world. Or they
sometimes use the Hebrew year, which begins on
the 17th of September, or 1st of Tisri, using the
initials A∴ H∴—ANNO HEBRAICO—Hebrew
year.
ROYAL ARCH MASONS date from the building

of the second temple—530 B.C. Their style is
therefore ANNO INVENTIONIS—A∴ Inv∴—
in the year of the Discovery.
ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS should date

from the Completion of Solomon's Temple, which
would add 1000 to the Christian era. Their style is
ANNO DEPOSITIONIS—A∴ Dep∴—in the
year of the Deposit.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR date from the organization

of the Order-1118. Their style is therefore ANNO
ORDINIS—A∴ O∴—in the year of the Order.
Those of the rite of MIZRAIM add four years to

the usual computation of the age of the world:
thus the year 1865 would stand A∴ L∴ 5869.
MASONS OF THE YORK RITE begin the year

on the first of January; but in the FRENCH RITE
it commences on the first of March.
Footnotes
388:* This fact has a symbolic reference, not

because they believe Freemasonry is, but that the
principles and light of the institution are, coeval
with the creation.
p. 389
APPENDIX.
FORM OF PETITION FOR A NEW LODGE.
To the M. W. Grand Master of Masons of the

State of
THE undersigned petitioners, being Ancient Free

and Accepted Master Masons, having the
prosperity of the fraternity at heart, and willing to
exert their best endeavors to promote and diffuse
the genuine principles of Masonry, respectfully
represent—That they are desirous of forming a
new Lodge in the ...... of ....... to be named ......
No. .... They therefore pray for letters of
dispensation, to empower them to assemble as a
regular Lodge, to discharge the duties of
Masonry, in a regular and constitutional manner,
according to the original forms of the Order, and
the regulations of the Grand Lodge. They have
nominated and do recommend Brother A. B. to be
the first Master; Brother C. D. to be the first
Senior Warden, and Brother E. F. to be the first
Junior Warden, of said Lodge. If the prayer of this
petition shall be granted, they promise a strict
conformity to the edicts of the Grand Master, and
the constitution, laws and regulations of the
Grand Lodge.
FORM OF DISPENSATION FOR A NEW

LODGE.
To all whom it may concern:
KNOW YE, That we, A. B., Most Worshipful

Grand Master of Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons of ......, having received a petition from a
constitutional number of brethren, who have been
properly vouched for as Master Masons in good
standing, setting forth that, having the honor and
prosperity of the Craft at heart, they are desirous
of establishing a new Lodge at ...... under our
masonic jurisdiction, and requesting a
Dispensation for the same:
p. 390
[paragraph
And whereas there appears to us good and continues]
sufficient cause for granting the prayer of the said
petition; we, by virtue of the powers in us vested
by the ancient Constitutions of the Order, do grant
this our DISPENSATION, empowering Brother
A. B. to act as Worshipful Master, Brother C. D.
to act as Senior Warden, and Brother E. F. to act
as Junior Warden of a Lodge to be held under our
jurisdiction at ...... by the name of ...... And we
further authorize the said brethren to Enter, Pass,
and Raise Freemasons, according to the Ancient
Constitutions of the Order, the customs and
usages of the Craft, and the Rules and Regulations
of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of ......, and
not otherwise. And this our DISPENSATION
shall continue of force until the Grand Lodge
aforesaid shall grant a Warrant of Constitution for
the same, or this DISPENSATION be revoked by
us, or the authority of the aforesaid Grand Lodge.
[L. S.] Given under our hand,

and the seal [L. S.] of the
Grand Lodge, at .....
this .... day
of ......,A∴L∴ 58 .
Y...... Z......, Q...... R.....,
Grand Secretary. Grand Master.
FORM OF WARRANT FOR A LODGE.

GRAND MASTER.
DEP. G. MASTER.
SEN. G. WARDEN.
JUN. G. WARDEN.
WE, the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and

Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted
Masons, of the State of ......, in Ample Form
assembled, according to the Old Constitutions,
regularly and solemnly established under the
auspices of Prince Edwin, at the city of York, in
Great Britain, in the year of Masonry 4926, viz.:
The Most Worshipful Grand Master,

The Right Worshipful Dep. G. Master,
The Right Worshipful Sen. G. Warden,
do, by these presents, appoint, authorize, and

empower our worthy
p. 391
brother ........ to be the Master; our worthy

brother ........ to be the Senior Warden; and our
worthy brother ........ to be the Junior Warden, of a
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, to be, by
virtue hereof, constituted, formed, and held
in ............ which Lodge shall be distinguished by
the name or style of ...... and the said Master and
Wardens, and their successors in office, are
hereby respectively authorized and directed, by
and with the consent and assistance of a majority
of the members of the said Lodge, duly to be
summoned and present upon such occasions, to
elect and install the officers of the said Lodge as
vacancies happen, in manner and form as is, or
may be, prescribed by the Constitution of this
Grand Lodge.
And further, the said Lodge is hereby invested
with full power and authority to assemble upon
proper and lawful occasions, to make Masons,
and to admit members, as also to do and perform
all and every such acts and things appertaining to
the Craft as have been and ought to be done, for
the honor and advantage thereof, conforming in
all their proceedings to the Constitution of this
Grand Lodge, otherwise this Warrant, and the
powers thereby granted, to cease and be of no
further effect.
Given under our hands and the seal of our Grand

Lodge, at the city of ......, in the United States of
America, this .... day of ......, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and ......, and in
the year of Masonry five thousand eight hundred
and ......
............ ............
Grand Secretary.
Registered in the Book of the Grand Lodge,

Page ....
FORM OF A LODGE CERTIFICATE.
TO ALL FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS ON

THE FACE OF THE GLOBE—GREETING:
We, the Master and Wardens of ...... Lodge No.

.... Free and Accepted Masons, constituted under
a charter from the M. W. Grand Lodge of the
State of ......, do certify that our worthy
brother ...... has been regularly initiated as an
Entered Apprentice,
p. 392
passed to the degree of Fellow Craft, and raised to

the sublime degree of Master Mason, and is
distinguished for his zeal and fidelity to the Craft.
We do therefore recommend that he be received
and acknowledged as such by all true and
accepted Freemasons wheresoever dispersed.
In testimony whereof we have granted him this

certificate under our hands and the seal of the
Lodge (having first caused our worthy brother to
sign his name in the margin), this .... day of .... A.
D. 18.., A. L. 58..
W. M. S. W.
Sec’y. J. W.
This is to certify that ...... Lodge No. .. is a legally

constituted Lodge, working under the jurisdiction
of the M. W. Grand Lodge of ......
...... 585.
............ Grand Sec’y.
FORM OF A GRAND LODGE DIPLOMA.
We, the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, by

these presents testify and declare to all whom it
may concern, that our brother ......, who has
signed his name in the margin hereof, is a regular
Master Mason of ...... Lodge No. .., as appears to
us by the certificate of the said Lodge held under
our jurisdiction in the ...... county of ...... State of
New York, in the United States of America. In
testimony whereof we have caused our seal to be
hereunto affixed, and our Grand Secretary to
subscribe the same, at the city of New York,
this .. day of .... A. D. 18.. A. L. 58..
............ ...... Grand Secretary.

FORM OF A DIMIT.
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS.
...... .................. Lodge No. ....
Acknowledging the jurisdiction of the Grand

Lodge of the State of ......, to all whom it may
concern, erecting: This certifies
p. 393
that brother ......, whose name appears in the

margin of this dimit, is a Master Mason, and was
a member of this Lodge in good standing and
clear of the books, and as such we do cordially
commend him to the fraternal guard of all true
Free and Accepted Masons, wherever dispersed
around the globe.
In testimony whereof we have caused this dimit to

be signed by the Master, and the seal of the Lodge
to be attached, this .... day of A. D. 18.., A. L. 68..
............ ...... Secretary. .................. Master.
FORM OF TRIALS AND APPEALS.
THE first step to be taken toward a Masonic trial

is, of course, to prefer charges, or make a
complaint. The important requisites of a
complaint are, that it should be brief, and yet
comprehensive, clearly defining the nature of the
offense charged, with an accurate specifying of
the time, place and circumstances of its
commission. This, when the transaction took
place out of the Lodge, may be preferred by any
brother, but should properly be presented by the
Junior Warden. It may be in this form:
1.—Complaint.
To the W. Master, Wardens and Brethren of

Triluminar Lodge, No. 800: Brother A. B. is
hereby charged with immoral and unmasonic
conduct:
First Specification.—That the said A. B., on the

first day of April 1859, in the public street, at
Freetown, in the county of ......, was in a state of
intoxication from the use of strong and spirituous
liquors, in violation of his duty as a Mason, and to
the scandal and disgrace of the Masonic
Fraternity.
Second Specification.—That the said A. B., on the

first day of April, 1859, at Freetown aforesaid,
and at various other times and places, in the year
1859, was intoxicated with strong and spirituous
liquors, although admonished therefor by the
Master and Wardens of this Lodge, in violation of
his duty as a Mason, to the great scandal and
disgrace of the Fraternity; and it is hereby
demanded, that the said A. B. be dealt with
therefor, according to Masonic law and usage.
Dated April 9, 1859. R. L., Junior Warden.
p. 394
2.—Complaint (in another form.)

Triluminar Lodge, No. 800: Brother C. D. is
hereby charged with immoral and unmasonic
conduct:
First Specification.—That the said C. D., on the

first day of April, 1859, at Freetown, in the
county of ......, in the presence and hearing of Bro.
E. F., and others, spoke and declared of Bro. G.
H., of Anchor Lodge, No. 801, these words in
substance: that the said G. H. was a dishonest
man; that he was a knave and a cheat; and that he
was a liar, to the great injury of the said G. H.,
and to the common scandal and disgrace of the
Masonic Fraternity.
Second Specification.—That the said C. D., on the

first day of April, 1859, at Freetown aforesaid, in
the presence and hearing of Mr. Y. Z., and others,
publicly spoke and declared of the said G. H.,
who was not present, that he, the said G. H., was a
dishonest man, a knave, a cheat and a liar, in
violation of the duties of the said C. D. as a
Master Mason, to the great injury of the said G.
H., and to the common scandal and disgrace of
the said Anchor Lodge, No. 801, and of the
Masonic Fraternity; and it is therefore hereby
demanded, that the said C. D. be put upon trial
therefor.
S. L., Junior Warden.
Dated April 9, 1859.
These forms might be indefinitely multiplied, but

these will be sufficient to show the manner and
importance of specifying time, place and
circumstances constituting the offense.
This charge (and that contained in the first form

will hereafter he followed) having been presented
in open Lodge, and received, the Master
thereupon appoints commissioners to hear and try
the same, pursuant to the provisions of the
constitution, which is entered upon the minutes.
The charges need not be entered, but the nature of
them should be. It is then the duty of the Secretary
immediately to serve upon the accused a copy of
the charges, with the following notice annexed:
3.—Notice of Charges.
Bro. A. B. Take notice, that the within (or

foregoing) is a copy of the charges preferred
against you, at a stated communication of
Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, held on the 9th of
April, inst., and
p. 395
that Bros. R. S., T. U. and V. N. were appointed

commissioners to hear and try the same.
P. Q., Secretary.
Dated, April 10, 1859.
Should the commissioners determine, at the time

the charges are preferred (and it is recommended
that they should in all cases, if possible), when
and where they will meet for trial, the Secretary
may add to the above notice the following: "and
that they will meet for that purpose on the 20th
instant, at 7 o’clock P.M., at Triluminar Lodge
room, at Freetown, at or before which time you
are required to answer said charges."
In case the accused absent himself, so that the

charges cannot he personally served, the copy
may be transmitted by mail, if his residence be
known; if not, after a reasonable time, and after
diligent inquiry, the Secretary should report the
fact to the Lodge for their further action. In all
cases the prosecutor or Secretary should take care
that the accused be served with notice of the time
and place of meeting of the commissioners for
trial, at the time of service of the charges.
The charges being served, it is the first duty of the
accused, if he has an objection to any of the
commissioners, to make his challenge, that the
master, if satisfied that there is ground for it, may
supply the vacant place by another appointment.
If there be doubts as to its foundation, the master,
or other commissionors, may act as triers; but it is
recommended that if there be reasonable
objection, or probable cause therefor be manifest,
that the commissioner challenged remove all
question by resignation.
The tribunal being properly constituted, it is next

the duty of the accused to answer the charges. As
this must be in every case equivalent to the well-
known plea of "Not Guilty," it is scarcely
necessary to furnish a form, yet, for the sake of
making up a complete record, in cases of appeal,
one is subjoined:
4.—Answer.
C. D., in person, denies the charges made against

him, and every matter and thing contained in the
several specifications of the same, and demands
trial thereon.
Of course this answer will vary according to the

facts of each case. One specification may be
admitted and another denied.
p. 396
The charge and specifications may be admitted,

and matters set up in extenuation or excuse.
Assuming the answer to be a denial the issued is
formed, and the parties proceed to trial. To
procure the attendance of witnesses on either side,
some process may be necessary. If the witness be
not a Mason, his attendance must, of course, be
voluntary; but a Mason is bound to obey a
summons. This may be issued by any master of a
Lodge (Constitution § 56), and in the following
form:
5.—Summons for Witness.
To Bro. I. J.: You are hereby summoned and

required to at-. tend as a witness before the
commissioners appointed for the trial of A. B., on
certain charges preferred against him, on the 20th
day of April, instant, at 7 o'clock P.M., at the
Lodge room of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, in
Freetown, and there to testify the truth, according
to your knowledge.
K. L., Master.
This may be made to answer for several

witnesses, by inserting their names and adding the
words "and each of you" after the word "you."
The brother disobeying such a summons may be
proceeded against as in case of disobedience to
any other summons. For this purpose the person
serving it should note upon it when and how it is
served.
The commissioners, having met for trial, should

organize; that is to say, one of their number (and
usually the first named) should preside, though
they may choose another for that purpose; and
another of them should be chosen to act as their
clerk, and keep the minutes of their proceedings.
A copy of the resolution under which they were
appointed, together with their appointment,
should be furnished them by the Secretary. They
should keep minutes of their proceedings, which
may be in this form:
6.—Minutes of Commissioners.
The commissioners appointed for the trial of A.

B., on the charges a copy of which is hereto
annexed (marked A) pursuant to the following
resolution (copy resolution), assembled at the
Lodge room of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, on
Wednesday evening, the 20th of April, 1859:
p. 397
Present: R. S., T. U. and V. N., commissioners. R.

S. officiated as chairman, and V. N. was chosen
clerk.
A. B. appeared before them and objected to T. U.,

one of the commissioners, on the ground that he
was present at the meeting of the Lodge when the
charges were preferred, and voted for their
reference.
Bro. T. U. stated that he had formed no opinion

on the subject, and the other commissioners
decided that he was competent to act as
commissioner, to which Bro. B. took an
exception.
The charges were then read by Bro. S. L., Junior

Warden, together with the answer of Bro. A. B.
Bro. B. requested that P. S., Esq., an attorney and

not a Ma son, should examine the witnesses on
his behalf and assist him in his defense. The
commissioners decided against the request, but
further decided that he might employ the services
of any brother to assist him in defense; to which
Bro. B. took an exception. He then employed Bro.
N. O. to assist him as counsel. Bro. O. objected to
the form of the charges as being vague and
uncertain, but the commissioners decided them to
be sufficient; to which Bro. O. took an exception.
Bro. E. F. was then introduced as a witness by the

Junior Warden, and testified as a Master Mason as
follows: I am acquainted with Bro. A. B.; I saw
him on Main street, in Freetown, on the first day
of April last; I was on the opposite side of the
street; he appeared to be much intoxicated
(objection was made to the appearance of
accused, but it was overruled and an exception
taken) he was there for about half an hour; he
reeled as he walked, &c.
On cross-examination Bro. E. F. further testified:

I know that Bro. B. had been sick, &c.
The commissioners then adjourned to meet at the

same place on Thursday evening, the 21st April
1859, at 7 o'clock Y. M.
Thursday evening, April 21, 1859.
The commissioners met pursuant to adjournment:

present all the commissioners and also Bro. L. the
Junior Warden and Bro. A. B. and his counsel
Bro. O.
Bro. U. officiated as chairman.
Mr. H. C. was then introduced as a witness by the

Junior Warden, and stated as follows:
I was in Freetown on the first day of April instant,

&e.
p. 398
The proofs on the part of the complainant here

rested.
Bro. O., on behalf of Bro. A. B., then produced
the sworn affil. davit of Mr. J. B., to which the
Junior Warden objected, on the ground that Mr.
B. should be produced for cross-examination.
The commissioners sustained the objection on

that ground, and Bro. O. took an exception.
Mr. B. was then produced, and the Junior Warden

then consented that his affidavit might be read,
which was read accordingly, and is hereto
annexted (marked B).
The Junior Warden then cross-examined Mr. B.,

who stated as follows, dc.
The proofs being closed, after hearing both

parties, the commissioners decided to meet again
on the 23d day of April instant, to determine on
their report.
Saturday, April 23, 1859.
The commissioners again met by themselves, and

after consultation decided upon their report, a
copy of which is hereto annexed (marked C), and
notified the parties thereof.
Signed by the Commissioners.
These minutes have been given in this extended

form because hey present a convenient way of
stating certain facts and proceedings on trial.
Thus, the statement of formal objections and the
grounds of them, together with the decision
thereon of the commissioners (which should
always be stated), are here set forth; also, that the
Junior Warden acted as prosecutor; that the
employment of an attorney not being a Mason
was not permitted, but that the accused was
permitted to have counsel; that the first witness
testified in his character as a Master Mason, and
that the second witness, not being a Mason, made
his statement merely, no oath being administered
to either; that the testimony is taken down in the
words of the witness, and of course in the first
person as be spoke; that the precise point objected
to is stated; that the time and place of each
adjournment are noted; that a sworn affidavit was
not admitted because no opportunity was given
for cross-examination; and, finally, that the
commissioners met alone and decided upon their
report, and then gave notice to the parties; all of
which may furnish useful hints to those engaged
in such trials, without further comment; it being
presumed that
p. 399
the usual forms of such proceedings and the

ordinary rules of evidence are understood and will
be observed. It is at the option of the
commissioners whether they will admit any one to
be present but the parties and the witnesses
testifying, but on all such occasions none but
Masons should be admitted, except the witness
not a Mason, and while testifying.
As the form of the notice given to the parties by

the commissioners (Constitution, § 57) may be
desired, it is here given, and may be as follows.
7.—Notice of Decision.
To Bro. S., Junior Warden, and Bro. A. B.
You will each take notice that we have agreed

upon and signed our report in the matter of
charges against Bro. A. B., referred to us, by
which we have found the charges sustained, and
Brother B. guilty thereof, and that the expenses of
the proceedings be paid by him; and that we shall
present the report to Triluminar Lodge at its stated
communication, on the 30th April instant.
(Signed by the Commissioners.)
Dated April 23d, 1859.
The trial being concluded and the report thus

agreed upon, the commissioners will have it
drawn up in form for the action of the Lodge. This
report need not, in the first place, contain
anything but the facts found and the conclusions
arrived at thereon by the commissioners. These
conclusions, like those of any other committee,
should be in the form of resolutions, for the
definite action of the Lodge. Should the Lodge,
on the report coming in, desire to hear the
testimony read or any of the decisions stated, it
will be the duty of the commissioners to comply.
The report may be in the following form:
8.—Report of Commissioners.

Triluminar Lodge, No. 800.
The commissioners appointed for the trial of Bro.

A. B., on charges of intoxication heretofore
preferred in this Lodge, respectfully report:
That they met at the Lodge room of this Lodge on

Wednesday evening, the 20th of April last past,
and proceeded to hear and try the matters referred
to them.
p. 400
That objections were presented to Bro. U., one of
their number, which they overruled, and also
refused to permit Bro. B. to appear by counsel,
not being a Mason, and thereupon Bro. N. O.
appeared for him. That objections were made to
the charges, which were overruled.
That they proceeded to take testimony (in the

course of which they decided not to admit a sworn
affidavit), and Bro E. F. and Mr. H. C. and Mr. J.
B. were examined as witnesses.
That they held three meetings, the last of which

was for the purpose of agreeing upon and
preparing their report.
That from the testimony before them they find the

following facts:
1. That Bro. A. B. was intoxicated with strong and

spirituous liquors, in a public place, at Freetown,
on the first day of April, 1859.
2. That Bro. A. B. has been at least twice

intoxicated in a public place, in Freetown
aforesaid, within two weeks previous to the said
first day of April, 1859.
They therefore recommend the adoption of the

following resolutions:
Resolved, That the charges of intoxication against

Bro. A. B., made and presented to this Lodge on
the 9th day of April, 1859, are sustained, and that
he is guilty of the said charges.
Resolved, That Bro. A. B. be and he is hereby

suspended from this Lodge, and from the rights
and privileges of Masonry, for the space of three
months from this date.
The charges and expenses of the commissioners

amount to the sum of three dollars, which they
adjudge that Bro. A. B. should pay, of all which
they have notified the Junior Warden and Bro. A.
B. All of which is respectfully submitted,
R. S.
T. U. Commissioners.
V. W.
If the resolutions be adopted, the Secretary of the

Lodge should transcribe them on his minutes,
together with the adjudication as to charges and
expenses. The resolutions, however, are subject to
the action of the Lodge, who may reverse the
decision of the commissioners, or, if sustained,
may amend the resolution as to the penalty by
increasing or diminishing it; the decision of the
commissioners,
p. 401
however, as to expenses is final (Cons. § 61.)

Should the resolutions be adopted (and for this
purpose a majority vote is sufficient, unless the
by-laws provide differently,) and the accused be
absent from the Lodge, it is the duty of the
Secretary to furnish him immediately with a copy
of the resolutions and of the award as to expenses,
with a notice, which may be in this form:
9.—Notice of Judgment.
To Bro. A. B.:
Take notice, that the foregoing is a copy of
resolutions adopted by Triluminar Lodge, No.
800, at their communication held at their Lodge
room in Freetown, on the 30th day of April
instant, together with a copy of the award made
by the commissioners as to expenses.
P. Q. Secretary.
Dated, April 30th, 1859.
Thus have been presented the ordinary

proceedings from complaint to judgment on a
Masonic trial on charges preferred in a Lodge.
Some of them may be found practically
unnecessary, but the complaint, minutes and
report are deemed important, and should be
substantially followed in every case. Other
proceedings, under the title of the Constitution,
entitled "Of Trial and Its Incidents," may be
adapted to them, varying the allegations to suit the
case, and bearing in mind that in all the cases
mentioned in section 54 the decision of the
commissioners is final, unless an appeal be taken
from it. (§ 58.) In these cases the report will be
made to the Grand Lodge, and the minutes, with
the report annexed, filed in the office of the Grand
Secretary, and notice given to the parties by the
commissioners. Their report, in such cases, need
not conclude with resolutions, but with an award
of judgment in the nature of both a verdict and
sentence. It may be in this form, in place of the
recommendation of resolutions:
10.—Report of Commissioners (another form).
The said commissioners do therefore adjudge and

determine as follows:
1. That the charges of intoxication against Bro. A.

B., of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, preferred by
Bro. C. D., of Anchor Lodge, No. 801, on the 9th
day of April, 1859, are sustained, and that he is
guilty of the said chargers.
p. 402
2. That the said Bro. A. B. be and he is hereby

suspended from said Triluminar Lodge, and from
the rights and privileges of Masonry, for the space
of three months from this date.
3. That the said A. B. be adjudged to pay the

charges and expenses of the proceedings on this
trial.
The charges and expenses, &c., (as in the

preceding report, except as to parties notified, and
add) and our report has been duly filed with the R.
W. Grand Secretary (dated and signed by the
commissioners).
The following may be the form of their notice:
11.—Notice of Judgment by Commissioners.
To ....... and .......
Take notice that we have this day made and

signed our report to the Grand Lodge, by which
we have adjudged and determined that Bro. A. B.
is guilty of the charges preferred against him, and
that he is suspended from Triluminar Lodge, No.
800, and from the rights and privileges of
Masonry, for the space of three months, and that
he do pay the costs and expenses of the
proceedings before us; amounting to the sum of
three dollars.
Signed by the Commissioners.

The subject of Appeals next claims our attention,

and we shall still follow the form of proceedings
after trial on charges preferred in a Lodge against
a member.
The time limited in every case for bringing an

appeal is six months (§ 58); but where a party is
intending to appeal it is advisable that he give
notice of it immediately, which may be in the
following form:
12.—Notice of Appeal.
To P. Q., Secretary of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800:
Take notice, that I shall bring an appeal from the

action of said Lodge on the 30th day of April,
1859, in passing sentence of suspension on me for
three months, to the M. W. Grand Lodge of the
State of New York (or the M. W. Grand Master,
R. W. Deputy Grand Master, or R. W. District
Deputy Grand Master of this district, as he may
choose,) on the grounds to be stated in my appeal.
A. B.
Dated, May 4. 1859.

p. 403
On receiving this notice, the Secretary of the

Lodge—or, in all cases not under section 60, the
commissioners—will transmit to the Grand
Lodge, or Grand officer, as the case may be, a
copy of the minutes of proceedings embracing the
evidence, with n copy of the report, to the
Lodge—marked C and numbered 8—annexed, all
duly attested and certified; and by carefully
observing these directions it may always be done
promptly. This, if filed with the Grand Secretary,
may be furnished to the Grand Lodge, or its
Committee on Appeals, or to the Grand officer
appealed to, when desired. When the appeal is to
a Grand officer, the report may be transmitted to
him directly, to be by him afterwards filed with
the Grand Secretary. The appellant should next
prepare his appeal, which may be in this form:
13.—Appeal.
To the M. W. Grand Lodge of the State of New

York (or M. W. Grand Master):
The undersigned hereby appeals to you from the

decision of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, made
April 30, 1859, in passing sentence of suspension
on him for three months, and he specifies the
following as the ground of his appeal:
1. That F. U., one of the commissioners on his

trial, was incompetent to act, having been present
at the meeting of said Lodge when the charges
were preferred, and voted for their reference.
2. That the commissioners erred in deciding that

P. S., Esq., should not be allowed to assist the
undersigned in his defense.
3. That the second specification of the charges is

vague and uncertain.
4. That the commissioners erred in receiving

testimony as to appearances of intoxication.
5. That they erred in rejecting the sworn affidavit

of J. R.
6. That the proofs in the case were not sufficient
to warrant the finding of the commissioners.
7. That the Lodge erred in passing the resolution

of suspension by a majority vote.
All of which appears by the papers, proceedings

and evidence in the case.
A. B.
Dated, May 11, 1859.
A copy of this appeal should be served on the

Secretary of the
p. 404
[paragraph
Lodge; and it is best, also, to serve a copy on the continues]
appellate tribunal or officer. Within ten days (this
is suggested as an admirable time, there being no
regulation on the subject,) an answer should be
made to the appeal by the Lodge. As in most
cases this is merely taking issue, the form of an
answer on appeal may be unnecessary; yet one is
subjoined, as follows:
14.—Answer to Appeal.
Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, answers the appeal of

A. B. and says:
That the said Lodge denies that there is any error

in the proceedings of said Lodge, or of the
commissioners appointed for the trial of the said
A. B., and further says that the decision of said
Lodge in said case is sustained both by the law
and evidence therein applicable thereto.
S. L., Junior Warden.

Dated, May 21, 1859.
This is very general, and if a specific denial is

deemed necessary—taking issue upon each of the
grounds of appeal and assigning reasons
therefor—it may be made after the foregoing form
in commencement, and adding thereto as follows:
Because the said Lodge says as to the first ground

of appeal, &c.
And because the said Lodge says as to the second

ground of appeal, &c.
The case being thus fairly brought up on appeal,

the Grand Lodge or Grand officer may hear the
same, either by oral argument, or the appeal and
answer thereto may be made sufficiently full to
call attention to all the points in the case and the
reasons therefor. If the Secretary of the Lodge
shall have omitted a transcript of the proceedings
of the Lodge, and the same be required to make
the case perfectly understood, the Grand Master,
Deputy Grand Master, or District Deputy Grand
Master may make an order in this form:
15.—Order on Appeal.
OFFICE OF THE GRAND MASTER OF

MASONS,
May 28, 18..
To the W. Master, Warden and Brethren of

Triluminar Lodge, No. 800:
Bro. A. B. having duly appealed from the decision

of your Lodge made on the 30th April, 1859,
suspending him for three
p. 405
months, you are hereby required to transmit, by
the hand of your Secretary and seal of your
Lodge, a transcript of all the proceedings of your
Lodge, in the case of the said A. B., from the time
of the presentation of the charges against him
until the final action of your Lodge thereon, with
the several dates thereof, together with all papers
and documents relating thereto not heretofore
returned, within .... days from the receipt of this
order by you.
Given under my hand and private seal on the day

and year first above written.
....... ......., Grand Master.
After argument the appellate tribunal will, with all

convenient dispatch, pronounce the decision. If
made by a Grand officer, it should be filed,
together with the appeal papers, in the office of
the Grand Secretary, and may be in this form:
16.—Decision on Appeal.
OFFICE OF THE GRAND MASTER OF

MASONS, &c., June 4, 1859.
Brother
A. B.
having
appealed
from the
decision of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800, made on
the 30th day of April, 1859, by which he was
suspended from the rights and privileges of
Masonry for three months, on charges of
intoxication; and having heard the case, I have
carefully considered the facts appearing on said
appeal, and the grounds of error alleged by him.
There does not seem to be any error or irregularity
in the proceedings, or in the several decisions of
the commissioners on the trial, and the facts of the
case warrant the conclusions of the
commissioners and the decision of the Lodge.
[If the officers desire to review the facts or

comment upon any of the points taken, he may
here insert his remarks and reasons.]
My judgment and decision, therefore, is, that the

proceedings and decisions of Triluminar Lodge,
No. 800, in the case of Bro. A. B., be and the
same are hereby affirmed.
....... ......., Grand Master.
If the decision be reversed, the appellate officer

will vary the second paragraph and give his
reasons for dissenting from the conclusions
p. 406
of the commissioners and Lodge, and use the

word "reversed" in the last paragraph, instead of
"affirmed." Should he desire to make any special
order in the case, it may be added at the end.
When an appeal is taken from the decision of a

Grand officer, on appeal to the Grand Lodge the
case will be heard on the papers which were
before him, and it will only need the following
and final form of an appeal to bring up the matter,
which should be served on the Lodge through its
proper officer, a reasonable time (say twenty
days) before the annual communication of the
Grand Lodge, and a copy transmitted to the Grand
Secretary forthwith.
17.—Final Appeal to Grand Lodge.
To the M. W. Grand Master (or R. W. Deputy

Grand Master) and the W. Master Wardens and
Brethren of Triluminar Lodge, No. 800:
The undersigned, A. B., hereby appeals to the M.

W. Grand Lodge of the State of New York, from
the decision of the M. W. Grand Master, made in
and by his order of June 4th, 1859, in the case of
this appellant, affirming the decision of said
Lodge on the 30th April, 1859, in the same case,
on the grounds particularly stated and set forth in
his appeal to the M. W. Grand Master, dated May
11, 1859, and respectfully prays your
consideration thereof and judgment thereon.
Dated, June 6, 1859. A. B.
In the nature of the case, no answer to this appeal

is required; and when the appeal comes before the
Grand Lodge it will take the direction prescribed
by its rules and usages.
From the foregoing general forms and directions,

sufficient may be gathered to apply to every case
of Masonic discipline and trial, between any
parties and whatever may be the decision. To
have extended the forms, or adapted those given
to every varying change, would be great labor
without adequate benefit, and especially in the
great variety of charges. It should be remarked
that, when the charges are based upon a section of
the constitution, or of the Lodge by-laws, it
should be plainly and distinctly referred to.
Should the accused admit the charges when

served upon him, proof of such admission or
confession will be all that the commissioners
p. 407
are required to have made, and they will make up

their minutes, and report accordingly, adopting
the foregoing forms.
If the accused fails to appear and answer the

charges after personal service, the Commissioners
may proceed, after taking proof of such service, to
take proof of the charges, and in such case the
Master should appoint some brother to appear for
him. The minutes and report in such cases should
be full, and the forms given can readily be
modified to snit such a state of facts.
DISPENSATION TO A LODGE TO
CONTINUE ITS LABORS, AFTER THE
DESTRUCTION OR LOSS OF ITS
WARRANT.
WE, ........, Most Worshipful Grand Master of

Masons, in and for the State of ........, to the
Worshipful Master, Wardens, and members
of ........ Lodge, No ...., held in ..............
GREETING: WHEREAS, our Right Worshipful
Grand Lodge, by warrant under the hands of the
then R. W Grand Officers, and seal of the Grand
Lodge, bearing date ...... the ...... day of in the year
of our LORD one thousand ...... hundred and ......,
and of Masonry five thousand ...... hundred
and ......, and recorded in the book of
warrants ......, page ..., authorized the holding of a
Lodge under their jurisdiction, in ............, or
within five miles thereof, to be called ............ No.
.., which Lodge was duly constituted on
the ............, and the labors thereof carried on
agreeably to the Ancient Landmarks, so far as our
Grand Lodge has information respecting the
same:
And, WHEREAS, it has been represented to us
that the said warrant has been lost or mislaid:
Now, therefore, by virtue of the powers and
authorities in us vested, we do hereby authorize,
empower, and request you, the present, and
succeeding Worshipful Master, Wardens, and
members of the said Lodge, No. ..., to continue
your Masonic labors, in the same full and
complete manner, to all intents and purposes, as
you could, or might legally have done, if your
said warrant had not been ...... and was still in
existence, agreeably to all the usages, rules and
regulations of the ancient craft, and especially to
those of our Grand Lodge, and not contrarywise.
Given under our hand and seal, at the city of .., in

the State of .., this ... day of ...., in the year of our
LORD one thousand eight hundred and. ...., and
of Masonry five thousand eight hundred and .......
[L. S.] ...... ...... ......, Grand

Master.
Attest, ...... ...... ...... Grand
Secretary.
p. 408
CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION.
The certificate of the election of officers in a

Subordinate Lodge should be in the following
form, and said officers cannot be recognized as
members of the Grand Lodge until a proper
certificate of election is filed in the Grand
Secretary's office:
Be it known, that on the ....... day of ....... A. L.

58.., at a regular meeting of ....... Lodge, No. ...
held in the ......., county of ....... in the State
of ......., our worthy Brother ....... was elected
Master; our worthy Brother ....... Senior Warden,
and our worthy Brother ....... Junior Warden of the
said Lodge, for the ensuing year, and that said
Master and Wardens have been duly installed.
In testimony whereof we, the members of the said

Lodge, have caused the seal thereof to be
hereunto affixed, and our Secretary to sign the
same.
[L. S. ] ....... .......Secretary.
FORM OF A PROXY.
The Proxy of the Subordinate Lodges should be in

the following form, viz:
At a meeting of ....... Lodge, No. ......., held

at ......., in the county of ......., in the State of .......,
on the ... day of ... A. L. 58..
Resolved, That our Worshipful Brother ......., Past

Master (or Master, as the case may be,) of
Lodge, No. ..., be and he is hereby appointed
Proxy, to represent this Lodge in the Grand Lodge
of the State of ......., and he is fully empowered to
act in our behalf, in all the transactions of the
Grand Lodge, as effectually as if we ourselves
were personally present.
All which we have caused to be certified by our

Master and Wardens, and the seal of our Lodge to
be affixed.
[L. S.] ....... ......., Master.

....... ......., Senior
Warden.
....... ......., Junior
Warden.
....... ......., Secretary.

General Ahiman Rezon

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General

Contents Start Reading

This is a collection of Masonic rituals, including ceremonies

Title Page and Front Matter

Explanation of the Frontispiece

Opening and Closing the Lodge

First Degree: Entered Apprentice

Second Degree: Fellow-Craft

Third Degree: Master Mason

Regulations for Processions

Appendix—Masonic Documents and Forms of Trials

GENERAL AHIMAN REZON

ENTERED APPRENTICE, FELLOW-CRAFT AND

WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES, EMENDATIONS AND LECTURES.

TOGETHER WITH THE

CEREMONIES OF CONSECRATION AND DEDICATION OF NEW

INSTALLATION OF GRAND AND SUBORDINATE OFFICERS,

FOUNDATION STONES, DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS,

GRAND VISITATIONS, BURIAL SERVICES, REGULATIONS

FOR PROCESSIONS, MASONIC CALENDAR, ETC.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED A RITUAL FOR A

forms of Masonic Documents, Masonic Trials,

BY DANIEL SICKELS, 33°.,

COUNCIL, NORTHERN JURISDICTION, ETC.

MASONIC PUBLISHING AND

482 BROOME STREET.

Scanned at sacred-texts.com, May 2007. Proofed and

"I should say much more if I were not afraid of

ENTERED according to act of Congress, in the

THE MASONIC PUBLISHING AND

la the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the

District of New York.

GRAND TREASURER OF THE GRAND ENCAMPMENT OF THE

GRAND TREASURER OF THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW YORK;

SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTOR GENERAL, ETC., ETC.,

THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY

THE CAUSE OF THE

SLIGHT TESTIMONIAL OF THE ESTEEM AND FRIENDSHIP

FOR HIM BY THE

THESE two words have acquired a wide Masonic

I have met with no exposition of the signification

The following is Dr. DALCHO'S definition in the

There are several difficulties which seem to

quoted, ahi rezon man. But there are further

The last suggestion of Dr. DALCHO would seem

Dr. MACKEY thus renders it:—"This title is

It is true, that this definition more nearly accords

THE Tracing-Board, or Floor-Cloth of an Entered

7:* This was also called the Broached Thurnel,

7:† Now better known as the Perfect Ashlar.

"How far any will be

AMONG the many beautiful and appropriate

The great object sought to be attained in the

The usual forms and explanations incident to a

A new feature, in compliance with a very

To those brethren who have, with uniform

NEW YORK, Dec., 1865.

AHIMAN REZON—signification of the 5

Charge to the Candidate 99

GENERAL AHIMAN REZON