brow of mount Moria, to rest and refresh myself, and as I was rising, I accidentally caught hold of a sprig of cassia, which easily giving way, excited my curiosity; upon this, I hailed my companions, and while we were contemplating on the novelty of the scene, we heard the voice of three ruffians crying from a clift of the rock near by; we discovered them to be Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum; we rushed upon, seized and bound-them, and have brought them before you, and wait your further orders.

Worshipful master then rising says, 'Jubela, you are suspected and accused of being accessary to the death of our grand master Hiram Abiff. Are you guilty, or not guilty?' Jubela. Guilty, my lord.

W. M. Vile and impious wretch, hold up your head and hear your sentence. It is my order that you be taken without the walls of the Temple, and there have your throat cut across from ear to ear, your tongue torn out by the roots, your body buried in the rough sands of the sea, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours.

W. M. Jubelo, are you guilty, or not guilty?
Jubelo. Guilty, my lord.

W. M. Vile and impious wretch, hold up your head and hear your sentence. It is my order that you be taken without the gates of the Temple, and there have your left breast torn open, your heart and vitals taken from thence and thrown over your left shoulder, and carried to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and there to become a prey to the wild beasts of the field, and vultures of the air.

W. M. Jubelum, are you guilty, or not guilty?
Jubelum. Guilty, my lord.

W. M. Vile and impious wretch, hold up your head, and hear your sentence. It is my order that you be taken without the walls of the Temple, and there have your body severed in two, and divided to the north and south, your bowels burnt to ashes in the centre, and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Brother senior, you will see that these penalties are executed..

The senior takes the three ruffians, and drags them out into the preparation room with some violence, where they stamp and groan a few minutes, and the senior returns, and says, Worshipful master, the penalties of their several obligations have been duly executed upon them.

Worshipful master then says, 'It is my order that you go in search of the body of our grand master Hiram Abiff: it is my

opinion, he is buried near where you arrested the three ruffians, on the brow of mount Moria.'

All the brethren shuffle about the room, until they come near the candidate, when one observes, Here is something that looks like a grave; let us dig down and see.' They then lay hold of the candidate, and begin to unroll the blanket until they come to the body, when they all start back, (and at the same time, each extends his hand, the palm directly towards the candidate, as though they would guard their nostrils from the offensive smell, with the head and face turned a little on one side,) when one observes, 'We will go back to the Temple, and inform king Solomon of our discovery.'

The worshipful master hearing them approach, inquires 'What tidings from mount Moria,' when one of them replies, Worshipful, we have found the grave of our grand master Hiram Abiff. It is situated due east, near the brow of mount Moria: we dug down six feet perpendicularly till we came to the body, and involuntarily raised our hands in this position, [See plate 4, fig. 4.] to guard our nostrils from the effluvia, rising from the body; we searched on and about the body for the master Mason's word, or a key to it, but could not find it; we discovered a faint resemblance of the letter G marked on the left breast.'

The master then says to the senior warden, 'You will summon twelve fellow crafts, and go with me to the grave, in order to raise our grand master.'

The senior announces the orders of the grand master Solomon, and all shuffle about the room, as before; as the master approaches the candidate, (or grave of Hiram Abiff,) the twelve fellow crafts form a circle, and kneel.

The master, standing, says, 'Let us pray.' The following prayer is recited :

Thou, O God, knowest our downsitting and uprising, and understandest our thoughts afar off; shield and defend us from the evil intention of our enemies, and support us under the trials and afflictions we are destined to endure, while travelling through this vale of tears. 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 with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass. Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accom plish 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 dryeth up, so man lieth down, and riseth not again, till the heavens shall be no more. Yet, O Lord, have compassion on the children of thy creation; administer unto them comfort in time of trouble, and save them with an everlasting salvation. Amen. So mote it be.'

They then all rise, and the master directs one to search the body of the corpse, to see if the master's word is on or about it; he examines, and reports that it is not on the body. The master and brethren then all give the grand hailing sign, and say, 'O Lord, my God, I fear the master's word is for ever lost.' He then orders one of the fellow crafts to raise the body of our grand master by the entered apprentice's grip. He takes the candidate by the entered apprentice's grip, and pulls so as to raise the body partly up, and lets slip his hold, and says, ' Worshipful king Solomon, the body cannot be raised by the entered apprentice's grip; the skin slips from the flesh.'

The master at this intelligence, and all the brethren imitating as one, give the grand hailing sign of distress, of a master Mason; [See plate 4, fig. 5,] and at the same time, exclaim aloud, O Lord, my God, I fear the master Mason's word is for ever lost.' The master then orders one of the fellow crafts to raise the body, by the fellow craft's grip. He takes hold of the candidate by the fellow craft's grip, pulls the candidate partly up, lets him fall back, and says, Worshipful master, the body cannot be raised by the fellow craft's grip; the flesh cleaves from the bone.' All raise their hands, and exclaim, 'O Lord, my God, I fear the master's word is for ever lost; was there no help for the widow's son?'

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The master then says, 'I shall now raise the body of our grand master by the lion's grip, the strong grip of a master Mason; and as the master's word is now lost, the first word spoken after the body is raised, shall be a substitute for the master's word, until future generations shall find out the right.' [Some brother now whispers to the candidate to keep himself stiff, when he is raised.]

The master takes fun by the master's grip, and bracing his right foot against the candidate, by a strong pull, raises him. upon the five points of fellowship.

This is done by putting the inside of your right foot to the inside of the right foot of the person to whom you are going to give the word, the inside of your knee to his, laying your breast against his, your left hands on the back of each other, and your mouths to each other's right ear; in which position

alone, you are permitted to give the master's word, which is, Mah-hah-bone. [See plate 5, fig. 1.]

The master's grip is given by taking hold of each other's right hand, and sticking the nails of each of your fingers into the joint of the other's wrist; [See plate 5, fig. 2,] where it unites with the hand. In this position, the candidate is raised, he keeping his whole body stiff, as though dead. The master, in raising him, is assisted by some of the brethren, who take hold of the candidate, by the arms and shoulders. As soon as he is raised to his feet, they step back, and the master whispers the word, Mah-hah-bone, in his ear, and causes the candidate to repeat it, telling him that he must never give it in any other manner than that in which he received it. He is told that Mah-hah-bone signifies marrow in the bone; they then separate, and the master makes the following explanation, respecting the five points of fellowship.

Brother, foot to foot teaches you, that you should, whenever asked, go on a brother's errand, even if you should have to go barefoot and barehead. Knee to knee, that you should always remember a master Mason in your devotions to Almighty God. Breast to breast, that you should keep the master Mason's secrets, when given to you in charge, as such, as secure and inviolable in your breast, as they were in his own, before communicated to you. Hand to back, that you will not speak evil ɔf a master Mason behind his back, nor before his face. Mouth to ear, that you will give a brother master Mason due and timely notice of all approaching danger. The candidate is instructed in the signs, and receives a charge, which is read from some masonic author, and is told he has taken the third step in Masonry, and is entitled to a seat in any master's lodge.

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The master then says to the candidate, Brother, you have this evening represented one of the greatest men that ever lived. It was our grand master, Hiram Abiff, who was murdered in the temple, just before it was completed, as you this evening have represented, in the latter part of this degree.' The candidate takes his seat. The lecture of this degree is merely a recapitulation of the ceremonies, or work. The lodge is closed in the same way that the first, or entered apprentice's lodge is.

NOTE. The following questions are often put to test the Orthodoxy of master Masons, when visiting a strange lodge. Q. From what? by what on what? and to what, was you raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason A. I was raised from a dead level, by the lion's grip, on the five points of fellowship, to a living perpendicular.

The rules of Masonry require that there should be at least eight members present, whenever they open on this degree, for lodge business, viz: the right worshipful master, senior warden, junior warden, secretary, treasurer, senior deacon, junior deacon, and master, senior and junior overseer.

The officers and brethren are assembled, and seated, as in plate No. 5.

Right worshipful master gives one rap with his gavel, saying, Brethren, I am about to open a lodge of mark master Masons in this place, for the dispatch of business. I will thank you for your attention and assistance. If there is any

person present who has not taken this degree, he is requested to retire.

Right worshipful master then says, Brother senior warden, are you satisfied that all present are mark master Masons?

Senior warden says, Right worshipful master, I wish the pass-word might be sent round the lodge.

This is done to detect 'impostors' among themselves; that is, to exclude those of a lower degree, who sometimes stay, in order to ascertain the mode by which they discover the 'Intruder;' which is by sending round the deacons for the passwords, as in the fellow craft's degree. The word is Joppa.

The right worshipful master then gives one rap with his gavel, and says, Brother junior deacon, the first care of congregated Masons?

J. D. [Rises on his feet, at the same time giving a sign, says,] To see the lodge tyled, worshipful. [See plate 7, fig. 3.]

R. W. M. Perform that part of your duty, and inform the tyler that we are about to open a lodge of mark master Masons in this place for the dispatch of business; and direct him to tyle accordingly.

The junior deacon then walks very quick to the door, and stations the tyler on the outside of it, with a drawn sword in