Q. What object engaged your attention most, when you first entered the
Lodge of Grand Masters? A. The candlestick with nine branches.
Q. Why are the nine candles therein always kept burning in this Lodge?
A. To remind us that there cannot be less than nine Masters to form a
Grand Master's Lodge.
Q. What were your reasons for wishing to be admitted and received in
this Lodge of Grand Masters? A. That I might receive the benefit of
the two lights I was unacquainted with.
Q. Have you received those lights, and in what manner? A. In receiving
first the small light.
Q. Explain this? A. When I was received by steel and fire.
Q. What signifies the steel? A. To remind us of the steel by which our
Most Respectable Chief, Hiram Abiff, lost his life, and which I am
sworn to make use of whenever I can revenge that horrible murder of
the traitors of Masonry.
Q. What means the fire? A. To put us in mind that our forefathers were
purified by fire.
Q. By whom were you received? A. By Cyrus.
Q. Why by Cyrus? A. Because it was he who ordered Zerubbabel to
rebuild the temple.
Q. What did you promise and swear to perform when you received this
degree? A. I swore that I would see the laws, statutes, and
regulations strictly observed in our Lodge.
Q. What was your name before you received this degree? A. Zerubbabel.
Q. What is your name now? A. Cyrus.
Q. What means the word Animani? A. "I am that, I am;" and it is also
the name of him who found the lion's den.
Q. Why is the Lodge decorated with blue and yellow? A. To remind us
that the Eternal appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai, in clouds of gold
and azure, when he gave to his people the laws of infinite wisdom.
Q. Where do you find the records of our order? A. In the archives of
Kilwinning, in the north of Scotland.
Q. Why did you travel from the South 'round to the East? A. In
allusion to the power of the Grand Architect of the universe, which
extends throughout all the world.
Q. Why did you wash your hands in the taking of one or the previous
degrees? A. To show my innocence.
Q. Why is the history of Hiram Abiff so much spoken of? A. To put us
always in mind that he chose rather to sacrifice his life than reveal
the secrets of Masonry.
Q. Why is the triangle, with the word secret on it, considered as the
most precious jewel in Masonry? A. Because by its justness, equality,
and proportion, it represents our redemption.
Q. By what mark was the place discovered where Hiram Abiff was buried
by his assassins? A. By a sprig of cassia (say granate).
Q. For what reason do the Master Masons in the Symbolic Lodges speak
of a sprig of cassia? A. Because the Sublime Grand Elected descendants
of the ancient Patriarchs did not think proper to give the real name
or truth of Masonry; therefore, they agreed to say that it was a sprig
of cassia, because it had a strong smell.
Q. What are the reasons for the different knocks at the door to gain
admittance? A. To know and be assured that they have passed the
different degrees, which number we must understand.
Q. For what reasons do we keep our mysteries with such circumspection
and secrecy? A. For fear there might be found amongst us some
traitorous villains similar to the three Fellow Crafts who murdered
our chief, Hiram Abiff.
Q. What is the reason that the Grand Masters of all Lodges are
received with so much honor in the Symbolic Lodges? A. Those homages
are due to their virtues as Princes of Masons, whose firmness has been
shown on so many occasions, by spilling their blood in support of
Masonry and the fraternity.
Q. Why do we applaud with our hands? A. In that manner we express our
happiness and satisfaction at having done a good action, and rendered
justice.
Q. What reflections occur, when contemplating the conduct of Solomon?
A. That a wise man may err, and when he is sensible of his fault,
correct himself by acknowledging that fault, whereby he claims the
indulgence of his brethren.
Q. Why do the Symbolic Lodges take the name of St. John of Jerusalem?
A. Because in the time of the Crusades, the Perfect Masons, Knights,
and Princes, communicated their mysteries to the Knights of that
order; whereupon it was determined to celebrate their festival
annually, on St. John's day, being under the same law.
Q. Who was the first architect that conducted the works of Solomon's
temple? A. Hiram Abiff; which signifies the inspired man.
Q. Who laid the first stone? A. Solomon cut and laid the first stone,
which afterwards supported the temple.
Q. Was there anything enclosed in that stone? A. Yes; some characters,
which were, like the name of the Grand Architect of the Universe, only
known to Solomon.
Q. What stone was it? A. An agate of a foot square.
Q. What was the form of it? A. Cubical.
Q. At what time of the day was the stone laid? A. Before sunrise.
Q. For what reason? A. To show that we must begin early and work with
vigilance and assiduity.
Q. What cement did he make use of? A. A cement which was composed of
the finest and purest flour, milk, oil, and wine.
Q. Is there any meaning in this composition? A. Yes; when the Grand
Architect of the Universe determined to create the world, he employed
his sweetness, bounty, wisdom and power.
Q. What is the reason why the number eighty-one is held in such esteem
among Princes of Masons? A. Because that number explains the triple
alliance which the Eternal operates by the triple triangle, which was
seen at the time Solomon consecrated the temple to God; and also that
Hiram Abiff was eighty-one years of age when he was murdered.
Q. Was anything else perceived at the consecration? A. A perfume which
not only filled the temple, but all Jerusalem.
Q. Who destroyed the temple? A. Nebuchadnezzar.
Q. How many years after it was built? A. Four hundred and seventy
years, six months, and ten days, after its foundation.
Q. Who built the second temple? A. Zerubbabel, by the grant and aid of
Cyrus, King of Persia. It was finished in the reign of Darius, when he
was known to be a Prince of Jerusalem. Cyrus not only gave Zerubbabel
and the captive Masons their liberty, but ordered all the treasures of
the old temple to be restored to them, that they might embellish the
second temple, which he had ordered Zerubbabel to build.
Q. What signifies the jewel of the Right Worshipful Grand Master of
all Lodges being a triangle? A. He wears it in remembrance of the
presents given by monarchs and the protectors of the order, in
recompense for their zeal, fervor, and constancy.
Q. What way have you traveled to become a Right Worshipful Grand
Master of all Lodges, and Grand Patriarch? A. By the four elements.
Q. Why by the four elements? A. To put us in mind of this world, and
the troubles in which we live; to cleanse ourselves from all
impurities, and thereby render ourselves worthy of perfect virtue.
Q. Where was the Lodge of Grand Masters first held? A. In the sacred
vault, east of the temple.
Q. Where is that lodge held at present? A. All over the world,
agreeably to the orders of Solomon, when he told us to travel and to
spread over the universe, to teach Masonry to those whom we should
find worthy of it, but especially to those who should receive us
kindly, and who were virtuous men.
Q. What did Solomon give you to remember him at your departure? A. He
rewarded the merits of all the workmen, and showed to the Chief Master
the cubic stone of agate, on which was engraved, on a gold plate, the
sacred name of God.
Q. How was the agate stone supported? A. On a pedestal of a triangular
form, surrounded with three cross pillars, which were also surrounded
by a circle of brass.
Q. What signifies the three pillars? A. Strength, wisdom and beauty.
Q. What was in the middle of the circle? A. The point of exactness,
which teaches us the point of perfection.
Q. What else did Solomon give you? A. The great sign of admiration and
consternation, by which I am known by a brother. He also put a ring on
my finger, in remembrance of my alliance with virtue, and loaded us
with kindness.
Q. Why have you a sun on the jewel of perfection? A. To show that we
have received the full light, and know Masonry in its perfection.
Q. Who destroyed the second temple which was finished by the Princes
of Jerusalem? A. Pompey began its destruction, and King Herodes the
Great finished it.
Q. Who rebuilt it again? A. King Herodes repenting the action he had
unjustly done, recalled all the Masons to Jerusalem who had fled, and
directed them to rebuild the temple.
Q. Who destroyed the third temple? A. Tito, the son of the Emperor
Vespasian. The Masons, who with sorrow saw the temple again destroyed,
departed from Rome, after having embraced the Catholic religion, and
determined never to assist in constructing another.
Q. What became of those Masons afterwards? A. They divided themselves
into several companies, and went into different parts of Europe, but
the greatest part of them went to Scotland, and built a town which
they called Kilwinning; at this time there is a Lodge there, bearing
the same name.
Q. What happened to them afterwards? A. Twenty-seven thousand of the
Masons in Scotland determined to assist the Christian Princes and
Knights, who were at that time at Jerusalem, in a crusade for the
purpose of taking the Holy Land and city from the infidels, who were
then in possession of it; and they accordingly obtained leave of the
Scottish monarch.
Q. What happened most remarkable to them? A. Their bravery and good
conduct gained them the esteem and respect of all the Knights of St.
John of Jerusalem. The general of that order, and the principal
officers, took the resolution of being admitted into the secrets of
Masonry, which they accordingly received; and in return they admitted
them into their order.
Q. What became of those Masons afterwards? A. After the crusade they
returned and spread Masonry throughout all Europe, which flourished
for a long time in France and England; but the Scotch, to their great
praise be it spoken, were the only people who kept up the practice of
it.
Q. How came it again in vogue in France? A. A Scotch nobleman went to
France and became a resident at Bordeaux, where he establishes a Lodge
of Perfection, from the members of the Lodge in 1744; in which he was
assisted by a French gentleman, who took great pleasure in all the
Masonic degrees. This still exists in a most splendid manner.
Q. What means the fire in our Lodge? A. Submission, purification of
morals, and equality among brethren.
Q. What signifies the air? A. The purity, virtue, and truth of this
degree.
Q. What does the sign of the sun mean? A. It signifies that some of us
are more enlightened than others in the Mysteries of Masonry; and for
that reason we are often called Knights of the Sun.
Q. How many signs have you in this degree of Grand Pontiff, which is
Grand Master of all Lodges? A. 1st, The sign of the earth, or
Apprentice; 2d, of water--Fellow Craft; 3d, of terror--the Master;
4th, of fire; 5th, of air; 6th, of the point in view; 7th, of the sun;
8th, of astonishment; 9th, of honor; 10th, of stench, or strong smell;
11th, of admiration; 12th, of consternation. End of the Lecture.
TO CLOSE.--The Grand Master says, "My brother, enter into the cave of
Silol--work with Grand Rofadam--measure your steps to the sun, and
then the great black eagle will cover you with his wings, to the end
of what you desire, by the help of the Most Sublime Princes Grand
Commanders." He then strikes four and two, makes the sign of four
squares, which is repeated by the Wardens, and the Lodge is closed.
The examination of a brother in the foregoing degree is as follows:
Q. From whence came you? A. From the sacred vault at Jerusalem.
Q. What are you come to do here? A. I am come to see and visit your
works and show you mine, that we may work together and rectify our
morals, and, if possible, sanctify the profane--but only by permission
of a Prince Adept, or Prince of the Royal Secret (if one is present).
Q. What have you brought? A. Glory, grandeur and beauty.
Q. Why do you give the name of St. John to our Lodge? A. Formerly all
the Lodges were under the name of Solomon's Lodge, as the founder of
Masonry; but since the crusades we have agreed with the Knights
Templars, or Hospitallers, to dedicate them to St. John, as he was the
support of the Christians and the new laws.
Q. What do you ask more? A. Your will and pleasure as you may find me
worthy, obedient, and virtuous.
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