SECRET MONITOR, OR TRADING DEGREE. This degree cannot legally be conferred on any but worthy master Masons. A brother of this degree who has committed the oath or obligation to memory, has a right to confer it upon a master Mason, in a lodge or private room, or even in some cases it is conferred out of doors, provided they are not liable to be discovered by cowans, and have a bible to take the oath upon. The candidate lays his hand upon the book, and takes the following oath. "I, A. B., in presence of Almighty God and this witness, do hereby and hereon, solemnly and sincerely swear, in addition to my former obligations, that I will not confer this degree of secret monitor, on any person in the known world, except it be a worthy master Mason. 'I furthermore promise and swear, that I will caution a brother secret monitor by sign, word, or token, wherever I see him doing or about to do anything contrary to the true principles of Masonry. 'I furthermore promise and swear, that I will caution a brother secret monitor by sign, word, or token, wherever I see him doing or about to do anything contrary to his interest in buying or selling. I furthermore promise and swear, that when I am so cautioned myself by a brother secret monitor, I will pause and reflect on the course I am pursuing. 'I furthermore promise and swear, that I will assist a brother secret monitor, in preference to any other person, by introducing him to business, by sending him custom, or in any other manner in which I can throw a penny in his way. 'I furthermore promise and swear, that I will immediately commit this obligation to memory: to all of which do I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without any mental reservation or self-evasion of mind in me whatever; binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my heart thrust through with the arrow of an enemy, and to be without friends in the hour of trouble. So help me God, and keep me stedfast in this my solemn oath and obligation of a secret monitor.' [Kisses the book.] The bible is then opened, and the following passages are read: 1 Samuel xx. 16-23, and 35-42. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it, at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to David, To-morrow is the new moon; and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself, when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. 'And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou, for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth. 'But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way. For the Lord hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between me and thee for ever.' 'And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 'And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow, which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee! not. And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay his master. 'But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 'And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 'And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place towards the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and P bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed; and Jonathan wen into the city.' Brother. David and Jonathan knew the matter. The lad knew nothing at all. The signs, and also the words and tokens of this degree, are of two kinds, negatives and affirmatives. The negative sign is made by exhibiting two fingers, as in plate 25, fig. 2. It is given whenever you see a brother doing, or about to do anything contrary to his interest in buying or selling, &c.; it means desist; the brother who receives the sign, is bound by his oath to pause and reflect. The sign of approbation is given by holding up one finger, as in plate 25, fig. 1. It is given whenever you wish secretly to advise a brother in any traffic or dealing to his profit and interest; it means proceed. Grips are given and received in the same admonishing way. When you take the hand of a brother, if you grip him in the centre of the hand, with two fingers, it means desist; if you grip with one finger, it means proceed. To caution a brother by word. If you see a brother doing anything contrary to his interest, in buying or selling, say to him, you had better buy two, two is better than one;' it means desist. If you say to him, 'One is as good as two,' it means proceed, and he will directly understand you, and act accordingly. Thus you can caution a brother, by sign, token, or word, whenever you see him doing anything contrary to the principles of Masonry, or his interest; and he, so cautioned, is bound to pause and reflect, before he further goes, under the penalties of having the arrow of an enemy thrust through his heart, &c. There is also another way to caution a brother. If you say to him, 'the arrows are beyond thee;' it means desist. If you say to him, 'the arrows are this side of thee;' it means proceed. The due-guard and sign of this degree is given by placing yourself in the attitude of springing a bow; it is in imitation of Jonathan shooting the arrows; it alludes to the penalty of the obligation. To answer this sign, strike the left side, opposite the heart, with the end of the fore finger of the left hand, the other fingers clenched. This degree is much in use in the trading part of the fraternity. The following anecdote may serve to illustrate its utility to Masons. ‘Brother H****, while in the village of ******, visited a lodge, and in the course of the evening the degree of Secret Monitor was conferred upon a worthy master, to the great edification of all present; at the usual hour, the lodge closed, and each brother repaired to his lodgings, rejoicing in himself, that he was David or Jonathan, as the case might be. In the course of the next day, Mr. H. stepped into a shoe-store to treat himself to a new pair of boots; he selected a pair, and was about to pay the owner, (who unfortunately for himself was not a Mason) his price: when one of the journeymen of the shoe merchant, who was at work in the store, observed, ‘ Mr., those boots will do you good service, you had better take two pair, two is better than one.' Mr. H. recognized the friendly journeyman to be a brother Secret Monitor, whom he sat in the lodge with the fight before. He understood the caution, paused, reflected, and after some excuses, concluded he would not take the boots then he might call again.' David and Jonathan knew the matter, the LAD knew nothing about it. In this case, the journeyman shoemaker felt himself bound to assist a brother secret monitor, although a stranger, in preference to his employer, who was not a Mason. bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed; and Jonathan wen into the city.' Brother. David and Jonathan knew the matter. The signs, and also the words and tokens of this degree, are of two kinds, negatives and affirmatives. The negative sign is made by exhibiting two fingers, as in plate 25, fig. 2. It is given whenever you see a brother doing, or about to do anything contrary to his interest in buying or selling, &c.; it means desist; the brother who receives the sign, is bound by his oath to pause and reflect. The sign of approbation is given by holding up one finger, as in plate 25, fig. 1. It is given whenever you wish secretly to advise a brother in any traffic or dealing to his profit and interest; it means proceed. Grips are given and received in the same admonishing way. When you take the hand of a brother, if you grip him in the centre of the hand, with two fingers, it means desist; if you grip with one finger, it means proceed. To caution a brother by word. If you see a brother doing anything contrary to his interest, in buying or selling, say to him, you had better buy two, two is better than one;' it means desist. If you say to him, One is as good as two,' it means proceed, and he will directly understand you, and act accordingly. Thus you can caution a brother, by sign, token, or word, whenever you see him doing anything contrary to the principles of Masonry, or his interest; and he, so cautioned, is bound to pause and reflect, before he further goes, under the penalties of having the arrow of an enemy thrust through his heart, &c. There is also another way to caution a brother. If you say to him, 'the arrows are beyond thee;' it means desist. If you say to him, the arrows are this side of thee;' it means proceed. The due-guard and sign of this degree is given by placing |