the clay-ground between Succoth and Zaradatha, where king Solomon ordered these and all other holy vessels to be cast; they were cast hollow; and were four inches, or a hand's breadth thick; they were cast hollow, the better to withstand inundations and conflagrations-were the archives of Masonry, and contained the constitution, rolls, and records. [The senior deacon having explained the columns, he passes between them, advancing a step or two, observing as he advances,] Brother, we will pursue our travels: the next thing we come to, is a long winding staircase, of three, five, and seven steps. The three first allude to the three principal supports in Masonry, viz. Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty; the five steps allude to the five orders in architecture, and the five human senses; the five orders in architecture are the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite; the five human senses, are hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting; the three first of which, have ever been highly essential among Masons: hearing, to hear the word; seeing, to see the sign; and feeling, to feel the grip; whereby one Mason may know another in the dark as well as in the light. The seven steps allude to the seven sabbatical years, seven years of famine, seven years in building the Temple, seven golden candlesticks, seven wonders of the world; seven planets, but more especially the seven liberal arts and sciences, which are grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy; for this and many other reasons, the number seven has ever been held in high estimation among Masons.* [Advancing a few steps, the senior deacon proceeds.] Brother, the next thing we come to is the outer door of the middle chamber of king Solomon's Temple, which is partly open, but closely tyled by the junior warden. [It is the junior warden in the south who represents the tyler at the outer door of the middle chamber of king Solomon's Temple, who on the approach of the senior deacon and candidate inquires,] Who comes here? who comes here?' The senior deacon answers, 'A fellow craft Mason.' J. W. How do you expect to gain admission? S. D. By a pass and token of a pass. J. W. Give them. The senior deacon or the candidate (prompted by him) gives them; after the junior warden has received the pass Shibboleth, he inquires, What does it denote? S. D. Plenty. *To the list of sevens, the Masons can add one more, viz. The seven who kidnapped and 'probably' murdered William Morgan, who have ever since been held in high repute, among the Masons. J. W. How is it represented? S. D. J. W. By a sheaf of wheat suspended near a water-ford. S. D. In consequence of a quarrel which long existed between Jephtha, judge of Israel, and the Ephraimites; the latter had been a stubborn, rebellious people, whom Jephtha had endeavored to subdue by lenient measures, but to no effect. The Ephraimites being highly incensed for not being called to fight and share in the rich spoils of the Amonitish war, assembled a mighty army and passed over the river Jordan to give Jephtha battle; but he being apprized of their approach, called together the men of Israel and gave them battle, and put them to flight; and, to make his victory more complete, he ordered guards to be placed on the different passes on the banks of the river Jordan, and commanded, if the Ephraimites passed that way, they should pronounce the word Shibboleth; but they, being of a different tribe, pronounced it Sibboleth, which trifling defect proved them spies, and cost them their lives; and there fell that day, at the different passes on the banks of the river Jordan, forty and two thousand. This word was also used by our ancient brethren to distinguish a friend from a foe, and has since been adopted as a proper pass-word to be given before entering any well governed lodge of fellow-craft Masons. Senior deacon says to the candidate, Brother, the next thing we come to is the inner door of the middle chamber of king Solomon's Temple, which we find partly open, but more closely tyled by the senior warden,' when the senior warden inquires, Who comes here? who comes here?' The senior deacon answers, 'A fellow craft Mason.' Senior warden, 'How do you expect to gain admission? Ans. By the grip and word.' Senior warden, 'Give them.' Candidate takes him by the fellow craft's grip, and says, Jachin.' Senior warden says, 'They are right; you can pass on.' As they approach the master, he inquires, 'Who comes here? who comes here?' Senior deacon answers, 'A fellow craft Mason.' The master then says to the candidate, 'Brother, you have been admitted into the middle chamber of king Solomon's Temple, for the sake of the letter G. It denotes Deity, before whom all should bow. It also denotes Geometry, the fifth science, on which this degree is founded. The candidate having received the degree, the master reads a 'charge' to him from brother Cross's Chart, page 33, and the candidate takes his seat in the lodge. If there is no more business, the lodge is closed, as in the preceding degree. The lecture of this degree, like those of the entered ap prentice, are nearly a recapitulation of the ceremony, or 'work;' it commences thus: W. M. Are you a fellow craft Mason? Can. I am try me. W. M. By what will you be tried? Can. By the square. W. M. Why by the square? Can. Because it is an emblem of virtue. W. M. What is a square? Can. An angle extending to ninety degrees, or the fourth part of a circle. W. M. Where were you prepared to be made a fellow-craft Mason? Can. In a room adjacent to the body of a just and lawfully constituted lodge of such, duly assembled in a room or place representing the middle chamber of king Solomon's Temple, &c. F 2 The officers and members being assembled, the lodge is opened as in the preceding degree.* [See plate 1.] All things being ready, the candidate is taken into the preparation room and prepared as follows: The junior and senior deacons strip him naked, he is then furnished with an old pair of drawers, which are tied or buttoned just above his hips, and both legs of them are rolled above his knees; his shirt is then put over his head, and slipped down around his body, and is partly covered by his drawers; the sleeves and collar hang dangling behind, over the waistband of his drawers; a rope, or cable-tow, is put three times round his body, the parts below his knees, and those from the middle of the body up, are entirely naked, except that he has a bandage over his eyes; he is now prepared in due and ancient form for the third degree of Freemasonry. [See plate of penalties.] He is then conducted from the preparation room to the door, where he gives three distinct knocks, when the senior deacon rises and says, Worshipful master, there is an alarm at the door. W. M. Brother, inquire the cause of that alarm. The senior deacon then steps to the door, and answers the three knocks that had been given, by three more; one knock is then given without, and answered by one from within; when the door is partly opened, and the senior deacon asks, Who comes there? J. D. A worthy brother, who has been regularly initiated as an entered apprentice Mason, passed to the degree of a fellow craft, and now wishes for further light in Masonry, by be ing raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason. *The least number that can do business in this degree, is three officers but seven generally assist, as in the preceding degree. S. D. Is it of his own free will and accord, he makes this request? Can. S. D. J. D. S. D. degrees? J. D. S. D. favor? J. D. S. D. J. D. [Prompted.] It is. Is he worthy and well qua_ified? He is. Has he made suitable proficiency in the preceding He has. By what further right does he expect to obtain this By the benefit of a pass-word. Has he that pass ? He has it not; but I have it for him. S. D. Give it. Junior deacon whispers in the ear of senior deacon-TubalCain. Senior deacon says, The pass is right. You will wait till the worshipful master be made acquainted with his request, and his answer returned. Senior deacon then repairs to the master, and gives three knocks, after answering which, the same questions are asked, and answers returned as at the door, when the master says, Since he comes endowed with all these necessary qualifications, let him enter this worshipful lodge, in the name of the Lord, and take heed on what he enters. Senior deacon returns to the door and says, 'Let him enter this worshipful lodge in the name of the Lord, and take heed on what he enters. On entering, the senior deacon presses both points of the compass against his naked right and left breasts, and says, Brother, when you first entered this lodge, you was received on the point of the compass pressing your naked left breast; when you entered it the second time, you was received on the angle of the square, pressing your naked right breast; on entering it now, you are received on the two extreme points of the compass, pressing your naked right and left breasts, which is to teach you that, as the most vital parts of man, are contained between the two breasts, so are the most valuable tenets of Masonry, contained between the two extreme points of the compass; which are virtue, morality, and brotherly love. The se nior deacon then conducts the candidate three times regularly round the lodge, travelling with the sun; and as he passes the wardens and master, the first time going round, they each give one rap with the gavel: the second time two: and the third three. During the time the candidate is travelling, the master |