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FREEMASONS' BOOK OF THE

ROYAL ARCH

BY

BERNARD E. JONES

P.A.G.D.C. P.G.ST.B. ROYAL ARCH

MEMBER OF QUATUOR CORONATI LODGE

AUTHOR OF

"FREEMASONS' GUIDE ANDCOMPENDIUM"

New Impre!#

Re$!e% &

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HARRY CARR( P.A.G.D.C.( P.G.ST.B.)R.A.*

P.M. +#% Se,re-+r( Q+-r Cr#+-!

L%/e

+#% E%!-r 0 !- Tr+#+,-!#

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A. R. HE1ITT( P.A.G.D.C.( P.G.ST.B.)R.A.*

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Tre+rer( Q+-r Cr#+-! L%/e

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m+# 2!#e !22-r+-!# !# -3e -e5-

GEORGE G. HARRAP 6 COMPANY LTD

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LONDON TORONTO 1ELLINGTON SYDNEY

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PREFACE

THIS book, uniform in style and presentation with my earlierFreemasons' Guide and Compendium, which, in the main, dealtwith Craft masonry, is an attempt to provide a simpleeplanation of the ori!in, rise, and development, and thecustoms, ritual, and symbolism, of "oyal #rch masonry so faras present knowled!e and considerations of $asonic proprietypermit% I use the word &attempt' advisedly, for !reat difficultiesare in the way of complete achievement in writin! historically ofthis elusive de!ree, althou!h, let me say, in the task of copin!with them I have been !reatly cheered by recollections of theindul!ence !iven me by readers of my earlier book%

The !reatest obstacle in the path of the writer seekin! toeplain the early history of "oyal #rch masonry is his

comparative i!norance of the formative days of the (rder ) themid)ei!hteenth)century period% The facts on record are notenou!h to preclude different interpretations and conflictin!views% *erhaps it is a sli!ht compensation that the traditionalhistory upon which the ceremonial of the (rder is founded wasclearly anticipated in published writin!s to an etentconsiderably !reater than in the case of the Craft, for whereas,for eample, there is hardly any recorded foreknowled!e of theThird +e!ree Hiramic story, the e!end of the Crypt mi!ht wellhave been inspired by one known to have been in written formin the fourth century of the Christian era, while thesword)and)trowel motif, derived from the (ld Testamentaccount of the return of the -ews from eile, was the pride and!lory of a Crusadin! (rder of the early $iddle #!es%

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.hat I have tried to do in writin! this book is to make availableto Companions who have had little opportunity for speciali/edstudy an essentially readable account, as authentic as possible,of the history and lore of the "oyal #rch, affordin! an insi!htinto some matters which in the past have tended to escape theattention of all but the serious student% 0ot only do I hope thatmy readers will en1oy readin! my book, but that some few ofthem will be able to use it as a source of material for short,simple addresses desi!ned to arouse and foster the interest oftheir Companions% #nd most sincerely, also, do I hope that theserious student will find in it occasion for kindly, constructivecriticism2 indeed, I am

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sure he will, for there are wide and unavoidable differences ofopinion on some of the sub1ects discussed by me%

The title of this book may be thou!ht to err by omission%Inasmuch as the #rticles of 4nion, 5356, use the term &Holy"oyal #rch' and the early Companions knew the (rder by thatname, it may be thou!ht that the word &Holy' ou!ht to beincluded in the title and commonly used in the tet% True, thereis history in the word% &Holy' is thou!ht to have been derivedmore than two centuries a!o from the &#ntient' masons' motto,Holiness to the ord2 or to have been inspired by the Holy of

Holies, the Inner Chamber of the Temple Sanctuary2 or, a!ain,to have reflected the reli!ious, and even Christian, character ofthe primitive "oyal #rch ceremonial% 7ut it is to be noted that itis only sparin!ly used nowadays in the accepted rituals, and ) afact that has mainly influenced me ) it does not form part of thetitles of the Grand Chapters of 8n!land, Ireland, and Scotland%

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So !reat a part of our knowled!e of "oyal #rch matters havin!been revealed by modern, and even 9uite recent, research, it

follows that oldtime writin!s on the sub1ect need !enerally tobe read with caution% In no section of $asonic authorship hashistory been so badly served as in that of the "oyal #rch, wherethe blendin! of fact and fancy so often causes the readerperpleity% I hope that my readers will do their best to approachthis book with minds open and as free as possible ofpreconceptions%

In preparin! myself for my task I have necessarily ran!ed overa wide variety of writin!s, and hope that I may fairly claim forthis book what my old friend the late -% Heron epper soappreciatively said of my earlier one)namely, that it providesthe man who has small leisure for etensive readin! with theessence and marrow of what has been accomplished in two!enerations of $asonic scholarship% The ist of Contents andthe 5:)pa!e Inde reveal at a !lance the very wide scope of mybook%

$y 9ualifications as a "oyal #rch mason may be briefly stated;I was ealted in the Sava!e Club Chapter, 0o% <5=>, in 5=56,and was in the First *rincipal's Chair in 5=<?)<:% The writin! of$asonic books comes at the end of a lon! and active life spentlar!ely as an editor of technical books and periodicals% #ftermuch desultory $asonic readin! and some modest lecturin! I

settled down in 5=@? to serious work preparatory to writin! myFreemasons' Guide and Compendium, which was published in5=?>, since when I have applied myself more especially to thestudy of "oyal #rch masonry, and of that study this book offersthe more particular fruit%

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Sli!ht disparity between the opinions now epressed,particularly in the early sections of this book, and some in my

other work may possibly

=

!ive occasion for comment% I confess that, with still widerreadin! and much further meditation, assisted by the results ofrecent research, I have come to re!ard the ori!in and rise of"oyal #rch masonry in what I believe to be a truer perspective,allowin! of my takin! a more !enerous view of some of the9uestions involved% 7ut I am very far from pretendin! that I amable Aor that anybody ever will be ableB to offer anoncontroversial account of the early history of the (rder%

I am happy in acknowled!in! very considerable help etendedto me in the course of !atherin! material for this book, and it iswith !ratitude that I mention especially one source ofinformation to which I am under a heavy obli!ation; the late -%Heron epper, ibrarian and Curator A5=@6)?<B of the 4nitedGrand od!e of 8n!land, a man of !reat !ifts and considerableachievement, wide learnin!, and with profound knowled!e of$asonic history, built up over the course of years a mostunusual file of "oyal #rch information Aneither now nor thennormally available for referenceB, with possibly some idea that,!iven opportunity, he mi!ht one day turn it to account in theprinted word% Such a book, had he been spared to write it,would have been a classic, and mine would have remainedunwanted and unwritten% 7ut his opportunity did not come, for,to the sorrow of us all, he died at Christmas 5=?<, at the a!e of

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seventy)four% 7y uni9ue !ood fortune, to which my book owesvery much indeed, his successor, Ivor Grantham, courteouslyetended to me the privile!e of workin! steadily throu!h Heronepper's file and of takin! copies of any of its contents, and forthis !reat kindness)1ust one of a !reat many from the samehands ) I shall ever be !rateful%

$y debt to two other sources, #rs uatuor Coronatorum AtheTransactions of uatuor Coronati od!e, 0o% <>D:, theworld's premier lod!e of $asonic researchB and $iscellaneaatomorum Alet us hope only temporarily suspendedB, is a

heavy one, for there is little on my sub1ect in the len!thy filesof these publications that I have not read in my search forenli!htenment% #ll $asonic authors of to)day have reason to be!rateful to these two remarkable founts of knowled!e%

To many of my fellow)members of the uatuor Coronati od!eAall of them authors of $asonic writin!sB I offer thanks formany marked kindnesses ) as, for eample, to -ohn "%

+ashwood ASecretary and 8ditor of the lod!e TransactionsB,for many privile!es, especially his help in conneion with thehistory of the First Grand Chapter and his kindness in findin!and lendin! illustrations% AHis publication, in the lod!eTransactions, of the actual record of the interro!ation of -ohnCoustos by the In9uisition A5D@6 and 5D@@B and of the minutesof the chapter that so 9uickly became the First Grand ChapterA5D::B, with his comments thereon, !ives us two of the mostnotable recent contri)

5>

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butions to authentic $asonic history% I have well profited bythem%B #lso, I would thank Harry Carr, for his painstakin!revision of the section on the Ineffable 0ame2 Geor!e S%+raffen AGrand ibrarian, Grand od!e of ScotlandB, for placin!his manuscript The Triple Tau at my disposal in advance ofpublication and for permission to 9uote from it2 Gilbert E%-ohnson, for help in conneion with the history of Eork "oyal#rch masonry and for lendin! me his writin!s on the sub1ect27ruce .% (liver, for his loan of an old $S% ritual, of which I havebeen able to make considerable use2 Sydney *ope, forarran!in! for the photo!raphin! of an ancient banner preservedin the Canterbury $asonic $useum, of which he is Curator20orman "o!ers, for help in !eneral and for the loan of his $S%

on "oyal #rch masonry in ancashire2 Fred % *ick, forarran!in! for the loan of many photo!raphs, some preserved inthe museum of which he is Curator and others belon!in! to the$anchester #ssociation of $asonic "esearch2 -ohn "% "ylands,for readin! two early sections, the loan of his papers onEorkshire "oyal #rch masonry, and permission to use hisphoto!raphs of the .akefield 1ewels2 .illiam .aples, for hismany notes on 0orth)east "oyal #rch masonry and forpermission to use two photo!raphs2 and 8ric .ard, for

providin! me with copies of minutes of old military chapters%

#lso, I wish to thank .ard % St Clair, Chairman, ibrary and$useum Committee, Grand od!e of 0ew Eork, 4%S%#%, for hiscourtesy and for permission to 9uote from his $S% paperrelatin! to the *ast $aster +e!ree in 4nited Statesfreemasonry2 0orman Hackney, for the use of photo!raph anddescription of an ancient Indian metal plate carryin! si!nificant

symbols2 G% S% Shepherd)-ones, for the use I have made of hiseplanation of the symbolism of the "oyal #rch 1ewel2 C% F%.addin!ton, for his help in conneion with some of the 7ristolceremonies2 and the !reat many lod!es and chapters whoserecords I have 9uoted and whose treasured possessions I have,

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in some cases, been able to illustrate, suitably acknowled!edwhere possible%

I take particular pleasure in recordin! my !reat debt tomembers of the staff of the ibrary and $useum, Freemasons'Hall, ondon, who over a period of years have freely !iven meof their knowled!e, and have allowed me, times out of number,to bother them in my search for information% To the ibrarianand Curator, to whom I have already referred2 the #ssistantibrarian, 8dward 0ewton Awho has suffered much of myimportunityB2 to H% *% Smith and T% 7arlow, members of the

staff to all of them I offer my warm thanks for assistance in somany, many matters2 to Henry F% +% Chilton, the #ssistantCurator, I record my sincere appreciation of his help in choosin!from amon! the $useum ehibits many of the diverse sub1ectsincluded in the thirty)one photo!raphic plates with which the*ublisher has so !enerously adorned this book% In thisconneion I wish to thank the 4nited Grand od!e, theSupreme Grand Chapter, and also uatuor Coronati od!e fortheir loan of a !reat many of the illustrations, and the firstnamed for its particular kindness in takin! the trouble on mybehalf of havin! photo!raphs made of a number of its ibraryand $useum treasures%

It will be understood, therefore, that it is with a lively sense ofthe help I myself have en1oyed that I now address myself toCompanions everywhere in the hope that my book, in addin!,as I trust, to their knowled!e of "oyal #rch masonry, will serve

also to add to the happiness and satisfaction which they derivefrom membership of the (rder%

7%8%-%

7(08E

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S4SS8

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PREFACE TO THE REVISED IMPRESSION

T.88 years have passed since this monumental work on the"oyal #rch was first published, and in preparation for a newimpression opportunity has been taken to make a number ofimportant amendments in the li!ht of modern studies in thisfield% The main chan!es occur in the sections dealin! with theor!ani/ation of the &#ntients' "oyal #rch% "esearch has shownthat there never was an &#ntients' Grand Chapter as such, sofre9uently mentioned in the earlier impressions2 its "oyal #rchactivities were controlled by the &#ntients' Grand od!e%Similarly, it was somethin! of a misnomer to refer to the

&$oderns' Grand Chapter, which was, throu!hout its history, thepremier and the only Grand Chapter in 8n!land% The re9uisitemodifications have now been made, to!ether with necessarycorrections in the section dealin! with the Ineffable 0ame andminor corrections of dates, captions, spellin!s, etc%, whereneeded% The !eneral scheme of the ori!inal work, and the

pa!ination, remain unchan!ed%

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CONTENTS

SECTION

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Section One

WHENCE CAME THE ROYAL ARCH?

TH8"8 has been lon! ar!ument on how "oyal #rch masonrycame into eistence% .as it present in some sli!ht form in theearliest fabric of speculative masonry or was it, frankly, 1ust an

innovation in the first half of the ei!hteenth century Thoseacceptin! the first possibility believe that lon! before theearliest recorded dates of Craft masonry ) the #cception in theondon Company of Freemasons in 5:<5 and the &makin!' of8lias #shmole in 5:@: ) there was a le!end or a series ofle!ends from which was developed AaB the Hiramic +e!reewhich was workin! in a few lod!es certainly as early as the5D<>'s2 AbB the "oyal #rch +e!ree known to be workin! by the5D@>'s and 5D?>'s2 and AcB some additional de!rees% #ll three

were thou!ht to have come from one common source and,althou!h developed on very different lines, to have runnin!throu!h them a reco!ni/able thread% Students of the calibre of-% 8% S% Tuckett and Count Goblet d'#lviella were prominent inadvancin! such a possibility% They felt that the le!ends relatin!to Hiram and to the "oyal #rch were the survivin! portions of aCraft lore that ori!inally contained other and similar le!ends,the Count holdin! that freemasonry spran! from a fruitfulunion between the professional Guild of $edieval $asons and a

secret !roup of philosophical adepts% The Guild furnished theform and the philosophers the spirit%

$any students have thou!ht that the "oyal #rch was torn fromthe Hiramic +e!ree and that the 5356 #ct of 4nion between the

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&#ntients' and the &$odernsK 5 did scant 1ustice in pronouncin!that pure #ncient $asonry consists of Three +e!rees and nomore, namely those of the 8ntered #pprentice, the Fellow Craftand the $aster $ason includin! the Supreme (rder of the Holy"oyal #rch% .e know that the Hiramic +e!ree was developin!into a practicable ritual in the years followin! 5D5D, in whichyear the *remier Grand od!e was founded, and that the "oyal#rch +e!ree was !oin! throu!h a similar eperience two orthree decades later2 this se9uence in time is held to favour theidea that from the store of tradition came first the Hiramic storyof the First Temple and secondly the So1ourner story of theSecond Temple%

5 For eplanation of these terms see the author'sFreemasons' Guide and Compendium, chapter 5<%

<>

#lthou!h Count Goblet d'#lviella su!!ests a union betweenmedieval masons and the philosophers, most students Athepresent writer amon! themB cannot see even a sli!ht possibilitythat the "oyal #rch has developed from operative masonry% TheCount probably had in mind the association between the sli!htspeculative masonry of the seventeenth century possiblycentred in the ondon Company of Freemasons and the learnedmystics practisin! "osicrucian and alchemical arts% $any of the

learned men who came into masonry in those early days werescholars well ac9uainted with classical and medieval literature,who brou!ht with them a curious and special knowled!e and,so far as can be 1ud!ed, !rafted some of that knowled!e uponthe short and simple ceremonies which then constitutedspeculative masonry% There is a !ood case for assumin! that

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much of the symbolism of masonry was brou!ht in by thosemystics, and there can be no doubt whatsoever that some ofthe best)known symbols of "oyal #rch masonry bear a closeresemblance to those of alchemy2 this point will be developedlater2 for the moment we must accept the likelihood that "oyal#rch masonry borrowed directly from the alchemical store ofsymbolism% 7ut this or any similar statement does not implythat Craft and "oyal #rch masonry came from one commonsource, for while, on the one hand, there are su!!estions in7iblical and medieval literature on which a sort of Hiramic+e!ree could be based and, on the other hand, traditions whichalmost certainly supplied the basis of the "oyal #rch story, wedo not know of any traditions containin! fundamentals common

to both)an i!norance on our part that is far from proof thatsuch a source never eistedL .ith this sli!ht introduction let usnow in9uire more closely into the problems that arise%

D!% -3e R+2 Ar,3 %e$e2p 0rm -3e H!r+m!, De/ree7

#t times it has been stron!ly and widely held that the ori!inalThird +e!ree of the Craft was &mutilated' to provide material forthe "oyal #rch ceremonial% +r $ackey, the well)known#merican writer, stated that, until the year 5D@>, the essentialelement of the "%#% constituted a part of the $aster's de!reeand was, of course, its concludin! portion% 7oth the "ev% #% F%#% .oodford and the "ev% +r (liver asserted that the "oyal #rch

was the second part of the (ld $aster's +e!ree2 +r (livermaintained that the difference between the &#ntient' and the &$odern' systems consisted solely in the mutilation of the Third+e!ree, and that the "%#% was concocted by the &#ntients' towiden the breach and make the line of distinction betweenthem and the *remier Grand od!e broader and more

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indelible% It has been said that the '$oderns, resentin! tauntson their havin! transposed the words and si!ns of the First and

<5

Second +e!rees, were merely retaliatin! when they accusedthe &#ntients' of mutilatin! the Third +e!ree%

It so happens that the reverend !entlemen, #% F% #% .oodfordand Geor!e (liver, are seldom reliable when dealin! with anymatter relatin! to the !reat division in ei!hteenth)centurymasonry Aa division which is eplained in the author's earlierbook'B% 7oth of them, formin! their opinions somewhat li!htly,wrote in a day lackin! the new information which research hasbrou!ht us in this matter% +r (liver professed to have a Third+e!ree ritual of 5D@> in which some of the esoteric knowled!enow associated with the "%#% is mied up with similar

knowled!e now associated with the Third +e!ree, but it isdoubtful if such a document eists% The modern student wouldre9uire to see the document and !ive close attention to itsprovenance ) that is, its ori!in and true date%

.% "edfern elly believed that a $ason .ord, reco!ni/ed underthe ancient operative system and included in the First andSecond +e!rees round about I$, was transferred to the Third

+e!ree in the 5D?>'s Aapparently by the *remier Grand od!eB,and that later, perhaps about the year 5D6=, the Third +e!reewas seriously mutilated to provide a fourth de!ree, it bein! aneasy matter, once a!ain, to transfer both the .ord and some ofthe le!endary matter to the new creation% 7ut, frankly, fewstudents nowadays accept these beliefs or look kindly upon the

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term & mutilation' when used to describe the process by whichthe Third +e!ree is assumed to have yielded to the "%#% someof its choice content% To the present writer &mutilation' seems tobe 9uite beside the mark%

.ho is supposed to have been responsible for this process,whatever it was The &$oderns' are alle!ed to have taunted the

&#ntients' with bein! the offenders, but the su!!estion isridiculous ) and for the very !ood reason that the "%#% wasbein! worked as a separate de!ree before the &#ntients' !otinto their strideL How could there be any obvious &mutilation' in

view of the fact that the Craft ceremonies as worked by the &#ntients' more or less a!reed with those worked by the Irishand Scottish masons It is certain that the Irish and theScottish Grand od!es, which were in the closest associationwith the &#ntients,' did not mutilate the Third +e!ree to providea "oyal #rch +e!ree, nor did they countenance others doin! so,for, officially, they were 1ust as hostile to the "oyal #rch as the

&$oderns' were, and took a lon!, lon! time to modify theirattitude% #t a particular date, it is known, says Hu!han, thatthere was no essential difference between the first threede!rees in the French workin! and those in the 8n!lish, proofthat no violent alterations had been made in the Third +e!reefor the sake of an 8n!lish "oyal #rch rite% If the &#ntients' didnot &mutilate' the Craft de!rees it is inconceivable that the 'Freemasons' Guide and Compendium AHarrap, 5=?>B%

<<

&$oderns' did so2 it would be 9uite ridiculous to su!!est thatofficially they &mutilated' a Craft de!ree to produce somethin!

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which they then repudiated or treated with fri!id indifference%This point will be returned to%

0o2 it can be taken for !ranted that the most enli!htenedstudents a!ree that there was no etraction from or transfer ofany lar!e part of the Third +e!ree% There does not seem to beany evidence to support the statement that the "oyal #rch wasori!inally a part of any Craft de!ree%

# point of real importance is that the Hiramic +e!ree itself hadonly been more or less !enerally worked in 8n!land from sometime late in the 5D<>'s, and that if the ar!ument that it was

&mutilated' has anythin! in it we should have to believe that anewly worked de!ree was itself pulled to bits to provide anotherone% +ou!las noop, a professional historian of marked ability,stated definitely that there is no evidence that our Third +e!reele!end and our "%#% le!end were ever combined in oneceremony%

7ut let it be freely admitted that, while, on the availableevidence, there were no &mutilations,' it is likely ) indeed,certain ) that there were borrowin!s% .e know, for eample,that mention of any stone)turnin! in the Craft ritual of the5D6>'s known to -ohn Coustos Asee p% @@B did not remain in theCraft workin!, but that the motif, amplified and drasticallydeveloped, does find a place in the "%#% workin!% Certain

French tracin!boards of the 5D@>Ks depict ideas which are notnow in the Third +e!ree but are present in the "%#%, buttracin!)boards are seldom convincin! evidence in such a matteras this, because in the early days Craft and "oyal #rchceremonies were worked in the same lod!es, and inevitably anartist introduced into a tracin!)board emblems from all the

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de!rees known to him% Similarly, early 1ewels commonly depictboth Craft and "oyal #rch emblems, but by the time such

1ewels became popular the lines of the then early "oyal #rchceremony had been fairly well defined% These early 1ewels ofteninclude the emblems not only of the Craft and "oyal #rch, butof one or two or more added de!rees%

# lod!e that would be workin! Craft de!rees on one.ednesday, let us say, and the "oyal #rch the net .ednesday,in the same inn room and to a lar!e etent with the same7rethren present, would be likely, !iven time enou!h, to arrive

at some admiture of detail2 all the more likely would this be inthe absence of printed rituals and any close control fromsuperior authority% Given time enou!h, it is not difficult to seethat in such conditions a feature could pass from one de!ree toanother without causin! much disturbance% This process ofborrowin!, in a day in which communication was slow, mayhave led to some of the variation in workin! occurrin! betweenone district and another% Hu!han thou!ht that a particular test!iven in one of the sections of the Third +e!ree had found

<6

its way into a prominent position in the "oyal #rch +e!ree2 thetest he had in mind is apparently the .ord, and thestatement is made that this word is still reco!ni/ed in some

$aster $asons' lod!es on the Continent% Hu!han's allusion isprobably to a Craft ritual !iven in an irre!ular print of the year5D<?; Eet for all this I want the primitive .ord% I answer itwas God in si terminations, to wit I am and -ehovah is theanswer to it% # tellin! ar!ument a!ainst the su!!estion thatthe "oyal #rch was a ceremony lar!ely taken from the Third

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+e!ree has already been referred to% It arises from the9uestion; If such &mutilation' took place, how could the official

&$oderns' have denied the authenticity of the "oyal #rch Theywould obviously have known the treatment to which the Third+e!ree had been sub1ected2 they would have been aware thata new ceremony had been made by partly unmakin! anotherone, but they could hardly have 9uestioned its essentials ifori!inally these had been part of their own riteL Still moreobviously, how vastly different the Third +e!ree of the

&$oderns' would have been from that of the &#ntients'L .eknow, of course, that there were detail differences betweenthem, but the two ceremonies were reco!ni/ably andessentially the same% 4ntil proof is produced that the &$oderns'

practised a Third +e!ree vastly different from that of the &#ntients' ) a de!ree retainin! cardinal features which the otherside knew only in the "oyal #rch ) until then we have no optionbut to conclude that the Third +e!ree certainly was not

&mutilated' to provide a separate de!ree%

# stran!e version of the &mutilation' idea put forward by .%"edfern elly is that, to assist in brin!in! about the completereconciliation of the two rival bodies at the Craft 4nion of 5356,some section of the Third +e!ree may have been transferred tothe "oyal #rchL Surely the idea is 9uite hopelessL .here, in therituals of the 53?>'s, which are reasonably well known to us,should we look for the transposed section (fficially, the

&#ntients' would not have allowed any serious alteration of ade!ree which to them was certainly more au!ust, sublime andimportant than those Mde!reesN which precede it and is thesummit and perfection of #ntient $asonry Aaws and

"e!ulations, 53>DB% The &$oderns' would certainly not haverobbed a Craft ceremony for the purpose of stren!thenin! a ritewhose status as a fourth de!ree they were tryin! AofficiallyB tobelittle and dispara!e%

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Was te Ro!a" A#c $%e&ise%' o# $in&ente%'?

.e cannot hide the fact that there is a considerable body ofopinion in favour of the theory that "oyal #rch masonry was acreation, a &fabrication,' of French ori!in, brou!ht to 8n!landround about 5D6>% The French had taken their freemasonryfrom 8n!land, and in their eyes it

<@

must have lacked the 9ualities of colour and drama, or so wemust conclude from the fact that the ceremonies that cameback from France had become dramatically effective% The swordhad found a place in the Initiation ceremony, as one eample%Somethin! different from the ori!inal rather colourless 8n!lishrite had been brou!ht into eistence, and in the li!ht of thisinnovation many students have come to re!ard the "oyal #rch

as a de!ree deliberately contrived by the ima!inativeFrenchman to appeal to the 8n!lish $aster $ason, to whom itmi!ht have been presented 9uite naturally as a fourth de!ree%

Chevalier "amsay Ato whom we return on a later pa!eB hasoften been credited with havin! brou!ht a number of newde!rees from France to 8n!land, amon! them the "oyal #rch%The "ev% +r (liver, already mentioned, was 9uite definite in his

statements to this effect, but there is not a scrap of realevidence in support of an idea which seems to depend solelyupon a few words in an address by "amsay composed in theyear 5D6D Asee p% @<B% 7ut, if not "amsay, it is possible thatsome other Continental Aalmost certainly FrenchB framer ofde!rees mi!ht have evolved the "oyal #rch ceremonial with a

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foreseein! eye on what he thou!ht to be the needs of the8n!lish mason% Such an innovation mi!ht, in the process oftime, have been amplified and embellished and ultimatelybecome moulded into the de!ree that is now such an importantpart of the $asonic system% .% "edfern elly thou!ht that the"%#% was created in or about the year 5D63 or 5D6=, and mi!hthave been taken by an 8n!lish reviser from a newly fabricatedContinental de!ree% Indeed, the !eneral idea amon! those whobelieve that the "oyal #rch was an innovation is that an 8n!lisheditor in the late 5D6>'s availed himself of a frameworkprovided by one of the new French de!rees% Throu!h so manyof these ran the idea of the secret vault and the Ineffable0ame% These are the selfsame de!rees that some students

believe to have provided the basis for the "ite of *erfection oftwenty)five de!rees, later absorbed in the #ncient and#ccepted Scottish "ite of thirty)three de!rees more particularlydeveloped early in the 53>>'s%

7ut it is certainly worth notin! that "oyal #rch masonry hasnever at any time flourished in France and, further, that thestatement that there were Irish "oyal #rch chapters in Francein 5D6>, which, if true, would have !reatly stren!thened thesu!!estion of a French ori!in, is simply and finally repudiatedby Hu!han as a mere typo!raphical error% There were not "oyal#rch lod!es in France at that early date, and very few at anylater date, either%

Students who support the theory that the "oyal #rch came

from the same stock of lore as the Hiramic +e!ree ar!uea!ainst the su!!estion of a Continental ori!in by pointin! outthat the historical settin! of the 8n!lish

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<?

"%#% is not to be found in any Continental settin!% #!ainst this,however, we must admit the possibility that a clever deviser ) assumin! for a moment that the "%#% was an innovation ) mi!ht, in drawin! his foundation story from ancient classicle!ends, have done his best to produce his new de!ree not forContinental consumption, but for eport to 8n!land, where, letit never be for!otten, speculative masonry had its birth and itsrichest development% Then, too, as already su!!ested, the "%#%idea mi!ht have been French, althou!h the development was

8n!lish%

There are those who hold that, as the "oyal #rch is believed tohave first !ained popularity with the &#ntients,' who must havere!arded it as havin! time)immemorial sanction, it follows thatit was much more likely to have !rown from an ori!inal $asoniclore than to be a mere innovation% 7ut what is the ar!umentworth .hile the &#ntients' !libly dubbed their opponents

&innovators,' they themselves were more often the realinnovators, for by the time their Grand od!e was established,at about the middle of the ei!hteenth century, they had beenled to introduce or adopt more than one ceremony whichcertainly had no place in the $asonic rite when the first Grandod!e was formed%

A Cmprm!e T3er pr&+&2 -3e Tre-

.e may fairly be epected to offer a statement of our ownbelief in these matters% .e do not believe that the "oyal #rchdeveloped from the same source as the Hiramic +e!ree, and

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we have found no trace of any conneion with operativemasonry% 7ut neither do we believe that the "oyal #rch +e!reewas an out)and)out fabrication% .e feel that some masons andsome lod!es were early ac9uainted with element nowassociated with the "oyal #rch ceremonial, in which respect wehave been !reatly influenced by the reference to stone)turnin!and the findin! of the Sacred 0ame made by -ohn Coustos inhis evidence when in the hands of the In9uisition Asee p% @@B%#nd we cannot disre!ard Gould's su!!estion that themuch)talked)of and little)known Scots de!rees, worked in theearly ei!hteenth century, were cryptic in character and mi!htwell have provided ideas that developed on the "oyal #rchpattern% .e cannot i!nore certain of the early allusions to the

"oyal #rch idea or motif !iven in the net section of this book,and we are reali/in! that such words as &created' and

&fabricated' do not apply in their acknowled!ed and acceptedmeanin!s to the manner in which the "oyal #rch was brou!htinto the world of $asonic observance% The arran!er or editormi!ht well have been French, but could as easily have been8n!lish2 there is not a scrap of evidence on the point%

In the main the theme of the "oyal #rch story is provided byversions

<:

of an ancient crypt le!end with which many learned men wouldhave been 9uite familiar% The arran!er mi!ht first have !one toone or more of these versions Aas in our opinion heundoubtedly didB and then incorporated an idea or ideaspresent in the Craft ceremonials in use by some few lod!es%The arran!er ) with the material of the old crypt le!ends, the

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references in the Craft ritual, and the (ld Testament story ofthe -ewish eile ) was able to erect what was actually a newde!ree or rite containin! the features of the vault, thediscoveries and the reiterated belief in the &.ord%' Therestoration of the Christian content and of the &true secrets,'to!ether with a story attractive and even dramatic in itself,assured the popularity of the new de!ree% The essentialelements known to us to)day were in the early ceremonies)theessential elements ) but, as the ritual took half a century todevelop and was heavily revised and rearran!ed in the 536>Ks,it is 9uite obvious that the early ceremony was little more thanthe primitive form of to)day's%

.ith the opinion as above epressed in this difficult andcontroversial matter -% Heron epper, whose knowled!e of "oyal#rch history, both 8n!lish and Irish, was unrivalled, mi!ht wellbe held as bein! in a!reement% In an address A5=66B toSupreme Grand Chapter Aunfortunately not suitable foretensive 9uotation in this placeB he takes certain of +assi!ny'sstatements Asee p% @?B, relates them to si!nificant references toa tripartite word in an irre!ular print of the year 5D<? Asee p%63B, and concludes that various essential portions of thede!ree of "%#% were known to our forerunners in 8n!land asearly as the Craft +e!rees themselves% %%%% +efinite traces of thesteppin!)stones from the Craft to the "%#% still eist in ourritual% He feels that such proof of the real anti9uity of thede!ree 1ustifies the traditions and !ood)faith of ourpredecessors of 5356 Athe 7rethren who, in reco!ni/in! the4nion, declared that pure #ncient $asonry consisted of threede!rees, includin! the "oyal #rchB% .ell, it is said that the heart

makes the theolo!ian% *erhaps it sometimes makes thehistorian also% Heron epper's was a kind heart, and in it a!reat love for the "oyal #rch, and maybe this took him fartheralon! the road leadin! back throu!h the centuries than manyfar lesser students, the present author amon! them, would careto !o% 7ut it is !ood to know that such a scholar as Heron

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epper believed the "oyal #rch to be far from the mereinnovation that many a critic has li!htly dubbed it%

A 'Cmp2e-!# De/ree'

The reflection that the "oyal #rch provides somethin! that ismissin! from the Third +e!ree provokes a few comments%#lthou!h there may possibly be those who a!ree with#leander awrie, who in his History

<D

(f Freemasonry A53?=B held that the Craft de!rees werecomplete in themselves and that the lost word can only befound behind the veil of time, the !reat ma1ority of masons

feel that the Third +e!ree is not complete and may not havebeen intended to be% +r .% -% Chetwode Crawley, a learnedstudent, was firmly convinced that the "oyal #rch +e!ree wasthe completin! part of the $asonic le!end, and that if it fell intodesuetude the cope)stone of freemasonry would be removedand the buildin! left obviously incomplete% 7ut the full import ofthis belief carries with it the implication that both the Hiramicand the "oyal #rch +e!rees had but one sin!le ori!in, and weresimply the developments of the first and second parts of oneand the same le!end ) all very simple and satisfyin! to those

who can accept it2 but few students can% There is small doubt,thou!h, that this is the way in which the &#ntients' re!arded thematter% To them the "%#% &completed' the Hiramic +e!ree2 in itwas re!ained somethin! which in the Third +e!ree wasdeclared to be lost2 to them the two de!rees were parts of thesame time)immemorial fabric of $asonic tradition and le!end%

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#nd the &$oderns' also were 9uick to accept all this unofficially,but on the part of their Grand od!e there was a fri!id lack ofreco!nition which continued to the end of the ei!hteenthcentury, all the more bafflin! because 9uite a lar!e proportionof the &$oderns' Grand od!e officers became in the normalcourse "%#% masons%

T3e C3r!-!+# C3+r+,-er 0 -3e E+r2 R!-+2

It may come as a surprise to many masons to learn that the"oyal #rch at its inception and for half a century or more had adecidedly Christian character% There is difficulty in offerin! anysatisfactory eplanation of the way in which a dramati/edrenderin! of certain (ld Testament incidents came to includedistinctly 0ew Testament teachin!, a teachin! that remained inthe ritual until well into the nineteenth century and echoes orreflections of which persist to this day ) some of them whereleast suspected by the uninformed% 7ut it may help if weconsider two points; The (ld $anuscript Char!es known to

operative masonry from the fourteenth century be9ueathed tosymbolic masonry a stron!ly Christian feelin!, which in !eneralprevailed throu!h the ei!hteenth century in spite of what maybe called the official de)Christiani/in! of the Craft ritual by thefirst Constitutions% In perhaps a ma1ority of the Craft lod!es inwhich the "%#% was nurtured the ritual had Christiancharacteristics% That must be an important consideration2perhaps a more pertinent one is that the crypt le!end soskillfully woven into the (ld Testament story of the -ewish

return from eile came ori!inally from the writin!s of the earlyChurch fathers, who tended to interpret everythin!

<3

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from an eclusively Christian standpoint% Thus the "%#% story isa blend of two stories, one wholly -ewish and datin! back to

some centuries before Christ, and the other lar!ely Christianand recorded some few centuries after Christ%

The Christian content of early symbolic masonry is a sub1ectupon which much has been written% #nderson's Constitutions of5D<6 and 5D63 did in effect de)Christiani/e the Craft ritual byinsistin! that masons should be !ood men and true, or $en of

Honour and Honesty, by whatever +enominations or*ersuasions they may be distin!uish'd2 whereby $asonrybecomes the Center of 4nion and the $eans of conciliatin! trueFriendship amon! *ersons that must have remain'd at aperpetual distance% .hereas, as already eplained, the (ldChar!es had a decidedly Christian character, the newConstitutions no lon!er insisted that freemasons should be loyalto Holy Church or look upon Christ as the Saviour of mankind;'Tis now thou!ht more epedient only to obli!e M$embers ofthe (rderN to that "eli!ion in which all men a!ree, leavin! theirpeculiar opinions to themselves% 0ot that #nderson, a*resbyterian minister, re!arded with favour the stupid atheistor the irreli!ious libertine or men of no reli!ion or men towhom one reli!ion is as !ood as another% It has been su!!estedthat he may have intended to represent the triune of deitieshavin! the one Godhead ) a distinctly Christian idea ) but suchan intention, if it eisted, could rarely if ever have beenreco!ni/ed in the lod!es, and to most masons his words offereda system of teachin! in which God the Father had a hi!h place

and the Sonship none% #nd this official elimination of theChristian element, even thou!h i!nored by many of the lod!es,undoubtedly left for many masons a blank of which they wereacutely conscious and which the introduction of the "oyal #rchas a Christian de!ree helped to fill and make !ood%

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# Canadian writer, "% 8%#% and, has su!!ested that Chevalier"amsay's oration Aa famous piece of "oyal #rch evidence

referred to on later pa!esB was inspired by the *ope with theob1ect of winnin! over the 8n!lish Craft to the new system ofmasonry Athe "oyal #rchB and incidentally to the -acobitecause2 masons, he thou!ht, were invited to substitute for theirtheistic creed an acknowled!ment of a descent from thekni!htly orders and a specifically Christian teachin!, but thisattempt to brin! masons back under the win! of the CatholicChurch was at once seen to be a failure, and the wordin! of thefirst Char!e in #nderson's second Constitutions Aapproved

-anuary 5D63B was no accident, but the deliberate reply of theGrand od!e of 8n!land2 this was resented by the *ope, whotherefore promul!ated his 7ull A#pril <@, 5D63B condemnin!masonry% This, of course, is 1ust a writer's con1ecture, and it isetremely doubtful whether there is anythin! in it Athecloseness of the two dates mentioned

<=

does not make for confidenceB, but it is 9uoted here to showthat the teachin! of the early "%#% was reputed to be definitelyChristian% Throu!hout the ei!hteenth century the ritualcontinued to include Christian characteristics, the more obviousof which disappeared in the revision of the early nineteenthcentury, but there still remain phrases, allusions, and symbols

havin! a Christian ori!in% 0ot only in the "oyal #rch, but inCraft masonry also, there continued in many parts of 8n!landand other countries throu!hout the ei!hteenth century, and inspite of the Constitutions, a markedly Christian atmosphere,and from one ritual Adate 5D:>B we learn that the prayer overthe Craft Initiate contained this invocation; et Grace and

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*eace be multiplied unto him, throu!h the knowled!e of ourord -esus Christ% There are two passa!es in the 7ible openin!with the words In the be!innin! ) namely, the first verse ofthe 7ook of Genesis and the first verse of St -ohn's Gospel%8ven to this day in certain "oyal #rch chapters of anti9uity it isthe openin! verse of the Gospel accordin! to St -ohn, and notthe three openin! verses of Genesis, with which the Candidateis confronted when he opens the scroll% There is !ood reason tobelieve that, in !eneral, until the revision of the ritual in the536>'s, the scroll carried the 9uotation from the 0ew Testamentand not that from the (ld%

+r (liver, who professed to have a !enuine manuscript copy of+unckerley's version of the "%#% ritual Awe cannot answer forthe accuracy of his claimB, 9uoted from it as follows Thefoundation)stone was a block of pure white marble, withoutspeck or stain, and it alluded to the chief corner)stone on whichthe Christian Church is built, and which, thou!h re1ected by thebuilders, afterwards became the head of the corner% #nd when-esus Christ, the !rand and livin! representative of this stone,came in the flesh to con9uer sin, death and hell, he provedhimself the sublime and immaculate corner)stone of man'simmortality%

From a +ublin ritual, published later in the same century, wetake the followin! 9uestions and answers;

% .hy should eleven make a od!e, 7rother

#% There were eleven *atriarchs, when -oseph was sold in8!ypt, and supposed to be lost%

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% The second reason, 7rother

#% There were but eleven #postles when -udas betrayed Christ%

"i!ht at the end of the ei!hteenth century -ohn 7rowneproduced a $aster ey, in which $asonic ceremonies arepresented in cipher% The structure of some of these ceremoniesis definitely Christian, the Craft lod!e, for instance, bein!dedicated to St -ohn the 7aptist, the Harbin!er

6>

or Forerunner of the Saviour% .hile many obvious Christianreferences were eliminated when the Craft ritual was revised atthe time of the 4nion, there still remains the bri!ht andmornin! star, a phrase familiar to every $aster $ason, toremind us of the tet in "evelation ii, 5:; I am the root andthe offsprin! of +avid, and the bri!ht and mornin! star%

# Craft certificate issued to a 7rother in a lod!e of the 8i!hthGarrison 7attalion Ain the city of Cork, 53>=B includes these

words; 0ow I command you, 7rethren, in the 0ame of ourord -esus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from everybrother who walketh disorderly and not after the tradition whichhe receiveth of us% #n "%#% ritual of the early nineteenthcentury Ait mi!ht belon! to a chapter in the Scots owlandsBinvokes the Grace of the +ivine Saviour; That shinin! li!ht

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which the *il!rims saw when searchin! the #rches where the7lessed Inspired 7ooks were found under the ey)stone% #ndin a ritual, rou!hly of the 53<>'s, of a decidedly "%#% flavouroccurs the phrase the three peculiar initials of the "edeemer of$ankind%

#n irre!ular print of the 53<@)<: period shows that the Craftritual then contained many Christian allusions% It spoke of thelod!e as bein! of the Holy St -ohn2 of free Grace2 of our HolySecret2 and said that the twelve li!hts were the' Father, Son,Holy Ghost, Sun, $oon, $aster, and so on% Then, too, the

+umfries 0o% @ $anuscript of a century earlier contains manyreferences to our ord -esus Christ, the +octrine of Christ,Christ as the door of life, ye Glory of our Hi!h *riest -esusChrist, the unity of ye humanitie of Christ, ye bread si!nifiesChrist, ye bread of life% #nd the 7ible formerly in use in anow etinct 7ally!owan AIrelandB lod!e and preserved in theprovincial museum of +own affords visual evidence that the(bli!ation was taken on the first chapter of St -ohn's Gospel,for the book falls open naturally at that place, revealin! twopa!es that have become discoloured with use% The Coustosevidence under the In9uisition Asee p% @@B leaves no doubt thatone or two ondon lod!es in the 5D6>'s followed the samecustom%

8nou!h has been said to make it clear that many rituals, bothCraft and "%#%, up to the early nineteenth century weredefinitely of a Christian character, and it can be asserted with

confidence that between the lines of to)day's "%#% ritual maystill be discerned traces of the old Trinitarian influence%

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Section T(o

HOW CRAFT CONDITIONS PREPARED THE WAY

FOR THE ROYAL ARCH

.H80 tryin! to picture the condition of 8n!lish freemasonry at

the introduction of the "%#% it is necessary to remember thatspeculative masonry ) recorded speculative masonry ) was thenabout a hundred years old% The present writer's Freemasons'Guide and Compendium sets the scene at some len!th, and allthat need now be done is to !ive the reader enou!hback!round for him to understand how the conditions of Craftmasonry in the early ei!hteenth century allowed of the !raftin!on of such an etremely important addition as the "oyal #rch%

8n!lish Craft masonry had apparently developed many yearsprior to 5:<5, possibly from operative lod!es, but if its trueori!in was in those lod!es, then the path to speculativemasonry led from them to and throu!h the ondon Company ofFreemasons% In the middle of the seventeenth century therewere many operative lod!es in Scotland, and some of these inthe net century played their part in the foundin! of theScottish Grand od!e, althou!h apparently their speculative

masonry had lar!ely, and perhaps almost wholly, reached themfrom 8n!land% Conditions in the two countries were vastlydifferent, but it is safe to say that recorded history does notcertainly reveal any story of natural development between anyoperative lod!es whatsoever and speculative freemasonry% Inthe early seventeenth century there must have been 9uite a

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few 8n!lish speculative Craft lod!es, and by the end of thatcentury there were probably many, but we know hardlyanythin! of their ceremonies, althou!h we have reason toassume that these were simple, probably bare, and containedlittle ) but definitely, an important somethin!)of an esotericnature2 whatever it was, it attracted the attention of a fewlearned, classically educated men ) many of an alchemical turnof mind ) who undoubtedly left their impress upon the ritual%So, at any rate, it seems to the writer, who, the more he learnsof the symbolism of the old alchemists, reali/es increasin!lythat much of the classical allusion and symbolism whichentered freemasonry by the middle of the ei!hteenth centurymust have been contributed by men who, in professin! to study

the method of transmutin! base metals into !old, were actuallyspeculatives of a hi!h order men of fine character and mostly ofprofound reli!ious conviction%

6<

7efore 5D5D we have only the sketchy records of lod!es at thattime in eistence, but in that year four time)immemorial lod!escame to!ether to form the *remier Grand od!e, the firstGrand od!e in the world% These four lod!es thou!ht fit tocement under a Grand $aster as the Center of 4nion andHarmony, but much more than that may have been in theminds of the founders% This first Grand od!e created a $asoniccentre with a Grand $aster, uarterly Communications, #nnual#ssembly and Feast, and provided Constitutions that would

replace the (ld Char!es% The first)known of these (ld Char!es,!oin! back to about 563>, had been desi!ned for differentdays, different men and wholly different conditions% The firstConstitutions, 5D<6, written and compiled by a Scot, +r -ames#nderson, were issued with a certain measure of Grand od!eauthority% The title came probably from the practice of the

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ondon $asons Company Aa !ildB, who !ave the name to theircopies of the (ld Char!es% It is believed that #nderson had thehelp of -ohn Theophilus +esa!uliers, the third Grand $aster,and, possibly because of this, Grand od!e, which was criticalof #nderson's first effort, eventually permitted the publicationof the rewritten manuscript, which was in print by -anuary5D<6% These Constitutions, apart from bein! the ori!inal laws!overnin! the $asonic (rder, are of particular interest to "oyal#rch masons, inasmuch as they include the char!e Concernin!God and "eli!ion, already discussed, which was at markedvariance with much of the contents of the (ld Char!es% Thenet thin! that I shall remember you of is to avoid *olitics and"eli!ion, says #nderson% It is hi!hly likely that !eneral

eperience had already shown the desirability of unitin!freemasons on a platform that would divide them the least%(ur reli!ion, says #nderson, is the law of 0ature and to loveGod above all thin!s and our 0ei!hbour as ourself2 this is thetrue, primitive, catholic and universal "eli!ion a!reed to be soin all Times and #!es% There is much point in 9uotin!#nderson in this place2 he could not know that the Christianelement which he, with the approval of Grand od!e, was tryin!Afar from successfullyB to eliminate would surely be restored by

a later !eneration, not to the First and Second +e!rees )probably the only $asonic ceremonies known to him ) not to aThird +e!ree then developin! in a few lod!es, but to what thefreemasons of the second half of the century would call afourth de!ree the "oyal #rch ) that would arise within a fewdecades%

The new Grand od!e, by assumin! authority and publishin! its

Constitutions, was not necessarily assurin! itself of thealle!iance of the whole $asonic body% .hile it is difficult to !etat the facts, it has become obvious that many lod!es and manyfreemasons remained outside its

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66

1urisdiction, a point easy to understand when the comparativelack of communication and transport is borne in mind% Theremust have been country lod!es that did not even hear)or, atany rate, hear much)of the new Grand od!e for many years,and there must have been others that were resentful andcritical of any $asonic body presumin! to affect superiority andthe ri!ht to issue orders and instructions to others% This is amost si!nificant fact, and in it may be part of the eplanation ofmuch of the opposition to which the new Grand od!e wassub1ected, and which, only a !eneration later, was a factorleadin! to the foundin! of a rival Grand od!e% .e know that insome 9uarters the *remier Grand od!e was not only lau!hedat but brou!ht under suspicion, and it is said Awe must admitthe absence of any definite proof of the statementB that only

siteen years elapsed between the issue of the firstConstitutions and the be!innin! of a movement that ultimatelyblossomed into the &#ntients' Grand od!e% Siteen years wasnone too lon! a period in those days of poor communicationsfor even a consistently wise Grand od!e to have placated itsopponents% 7ut the first Grand od!e had its share of failin!s,and there can be no doubt that its own actions contributed tothe serious trouble that was to assail it by the middle of thecentury%

T3e H!r+m!, De/ree p+$e -3e Tr+ 0r -3e R+2 Ar,3

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The comple 9uestion of the division of the early de!rees willnot be entered into here% It will be simply assumed that until

the 5D<>Ks there was probably but one de!ree or two de!reescombined as one2 that in a few lod!es the Hiramic +e!reebe!an to be worked in the late 5D<>'s2 and that by about themiddle of the century the 8n!lish lod!es were, in !eneral,workin! a system of three de!rees, of which almost invariablythe first and second were conferred on the one occasion% Thisstatement, we know, can be debated, but in !eneral itrepresents the likely truth, always rememberin!, however, theconsiderable differences in custom and ceremonial amon! the

early lod!es% There is evidence that by 5D?> or thereabouts thethree)de!ree system was established in 8n!land, thou!h inmost of the lod!es under the *remier Grand od!e the FellowCraft was still 9ualified to undertake any office whatsoever, andthat it was not every Fellow Craft who took the trouble toproceed to the Third +e!ree% The rise in 5D6=)?5 of the rivalGrand od!e)the &#ntients' ) whose ceremonies were closelywatched and sometimes adopted by their opponents, helped tobrin! about a condition in which the skilled and 9ualified

mason was never less than the third)de!ree mason ) the$aster $ason%

The !eneral adoption of the Hiramic +e!ree throu!hout 8n!lishfreemasonry by the middle of the ei!hteenth century should beemphasi/ed

6@

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because it means much to the "%#% mason% Failin! itsintroduction, the "%#% mi!ht never have become a part of the$asonic (rder% et it be remembered that the mason of theearly lod!es was in !eneral a reli!ious and relatively simplesoul% The story unfolded by the Hiramic le!end prepared hismind for yet another story, this one servin! to make !ood twothin!s that were absent from the earlier de!rees% Thethree)de!ree system, endin! in what may appear to bedisappointment and anticlima, prepared the way for theintroduction of a de!ree which, new or otherwise, was acceptedparticularly by the opponents of the *remier Grand od!e aspart of an ancient system% It is a point of the !reatestsi!nificance that it was these opponents that adopted and

developed not only the "%#% ceremonial but also the CraftInstallation ceremony which, in its se9uel, became a brid!efrom the Craft lod!e to the chapter, and still serves in that wayin some 1urisdictions overseas%

The author's earlier work mentions the considerable publicinterest aroused by freemasonry in the 5D<>'s% This, inparticular, led to the publication of irre!ular prints, the so)called

&eposures,' notably *richard's $asonry +issected A5D6>B,which purported to !ive the ritual and secrets of freemasonryand had a most ama/in! sale in 8n!land and in all 8n!lishspeakin! countries, bein! reprinted many scores of timesdurin! the ei!hteenth century% *richard's book had a lastin!effect and a very comple one% It was freely bou!ht by masons,and must have influenced lod!e ceremonial in a day when theritual was handed down by word of mouth without the help ofprinted aides)memoire2 thus it played into the hands of

impostors who could set themselves up to &initiate' credulouspeople on payment of a few shillin!s% There is no doubt that itspublication fri!htened the Grand od!e into makin! a !rave andunfortunate decision Athe transposition of the means ofreco!nition in the First and Second +e!reesB, a decision whichbrou!ht about serious trouble% In the course of that trouble

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arose the rival Grand od!e ) the &#ntients' ) a developmentwhich was the !reatest of all factors in the introduction and riseof the "oyal #rch%

Hw %!% -3e R+2 Ar,3 ,me - &e A,,ep-e%7

.hether the &new' de!ree was entirely an innovation orwhether it was an amplification of time)immemorial elements,however and wherever it arose, some eplanation is needed ofhow it came to be so enthusiastically adopted by the &#ntients,'who prided themselves on workin! a truly ancient ritual, andwho were 9uite convinced that the innovators were theiropponents%

How came these conservatively minded 7rethren to accept ade!ree which, however it was presented, must, one wouldsuppose, come as at

6?

least partly an innovation (f course, the de!ree could notpossibly have been presented to them as merely an attractiveceremonial% It could have come only in the !uise of a truly

ancient ceremony, which they accepted as a true part of the$asonic scheme% Those &$oderns' too who unofficiallywelcomed it must have re!arded it in the same li!ht%

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#s the author sees it, only one course was possible% In the daysbetween 5D5D and the rise of the Committee that ultimatelyflowered into the '#ntients' Grand od!e there must have been,as already said, 9uite a number of lod!es that did not reco!ni/ethe *remier Grand od!e, lod!es possibly several days' 1ourneyby horse or coach from ondon, lod!es which in some unknownway had arisen here and there and which, while probablyconformin! in essentials one with another, almost certainlypractised many variations of ceremonial% Such lod!es could anddid please themselves% If to them were introduced an addition,a detail, a ceremony, that struck them as havin! merit and inwhich they saw Ari!htly or wron!lyB evidence of what theywould re!ard as the ori!inal pattern of freemasonry, then those

additions, details, and ceremonies they would adopt% There wasnobody either to critici/e or obstruct their intention%

.e can easily picture the attractive ceremony of the "%#%comin! to these lod!es% It would offer itself as a hithertone!lected rite2 it would follow in the Christian tradition to whichits members were well accustomed2 and it would brin! to themthat which they had learned had been lost% $any of the lod!eswhich ultimately found themselves under the &#ntients' bannermust have been lod!es of that order)more or less detached,independent or semi)independent, and composed ofsimpleminded, reli!ious men none too critical of their ritual solon! as it !ave the impression of time)immemorial usa!e% (nelod!e would learn from another, and very 9uickly, too, becausethere was somethin! about the "oyal #rch that rapidly assuredits popularity, and by the time the &#ntients' Grand od!e wasfounded there would be, all ready for !eneral adoption, a

ceremony, even a fully fled!ed de!ree, hi!hly attractive to themason of that day% #nd if, as we may well conclude, anycorrespondence between the Third +e!ree and the "oyal #rchwas in places far closer than now is the case, all the better inthe eyes of the 7rethren of the day%

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Section T#ee

THE EARLY YEARS OF ROYAL ARCH MASONRY

7E drawin! to!ether many early allusions and references thissection will attempt to tell the story of the formative days of the"oyal #rch up to 5D::, the year that saw the foundin! of the

first Grand Chapter and so became a milestone in the history ofthe (rder%

+eferrin! any account of the traditional history to Sections iiand is and comin! down to the late $iddle #!es, we find thatthere are in manuscript and print many allusions andreferences which may be interpreted as relatin! to the main

idea or dominant motif of the "oyal #rch% *erhaps the earliestwas an endorsement Anow lostB on one of the (ld Char!es, oneknown as the Grand od!e 0o% 5 $S%, bearin! the date+ecember <?, 5?36% The handwritin! does not su!!est thesiteenth century, but the endorsement, for what it is worth, ishere !iven; In the be!innin! was the .ord and the .ord waswith God and the .ord was God% ASt -ohn, i, 5%B In another ofthe (ld Char!es ) the +umfries 0o% @ $S%, of the year 5D5> ) are two references to the "oyal secret, the actual phrasebein!; 0o lod!e or corum of masons shall !ive the "oyal

secret to any suddenly but upon !reat deliberation% It hasbeen su!!ested that the si!nificance of the word "oyal is thesame as that in the "oyal #rch% AIn the Graham $S% (f 5D<: orearlier a secret is described as holy%B

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Sme A22!# +#% Re0ere#,e 0 -3e 89:;'

The Constitutions of 5D<6 mention an #nnual Grand #ssemblywherein %%% the "oyal #rt may be duly cultivated, and theCement of the 7rotherhood preserv'd2 so that the whole 7odyresembles a well built #rch% .hile it mi!ht be easy to !ive theword #rch a special si!nificance, frankly it is not thou!ht thatthe phrase alludes to the "oyal #rch, but is rather a fi!ure ofspeech su!!estin! that the $asonic (rder forms one stron!,solid structure%

The term "oyal #rt occurs twenty)three times in theConstitutions, the initial letters bein! printed in capitals or thewords themselves in italics% 7ut there seems no reason toinvest this usa!e with particular

6D

si!nificance, and it is easy to be misled by the similarity insound between "oyal #rt and "oyal #rch% It is important toremember that #nderson's words are concerned witharchitecture, an art supported and encoura!ed by kin!s, hencea "oyal #rt% .hen the term is used to)day it connotes amystical conception of freemasonry ) an art by which is builtthe spiritual house, the invisible temple% A7y the way,

-onathan Swift said in 5D<3 that mathematics resemble a wellbuilt arch2 lo!ic, a castle2 and romances, castles in the air, buthere a!ain, althou!h Swift was possibly a freemason, it isunwise to read special si!nificance into his words%B TheConstitutions of 5D<6 !ive, in "e!ulation II, the $aster of alod!e

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The "i!ht and #uthority of con!re!atin! the $embers ofhis od!e into a Chapter at pleasure, upon any

8mer!ency or (ccurrence%

Further, "e!ulation says;

The Majority of every particular Lodge, whencongregated, shall have the privilege of givingInstructions to their Master and hardens, before theassembling of the Grand Chapter, or Lodge, at the threeQuarterly Communications hereafter mentiond, and ofthe !nnual Grand Lodge too" because their Master andhardens are their #epresentatives, and are supposed tospea$ their Mind%

7ut is the term Grand Chapter in this 9uotation anythin!more than a rather fine term for an assembly, con!re!ation, orconvocation, particularly bearin! in mind that the word

&chapter' had been in !eneral use for hundreds of years Themonks in medieval days met in an assembly, a chapter,presided over by the head of their house% .e admit thepossibility that a few lod!es mi!ht have found the word

&chapter' attractive because of its reli!ious associations ) foreample, only a few years later the minutes of (ld in!'s #rmsod!e, 0o% 53, referred in 5D66 to the last chapter of thislod!e, and other instances mi!ht be !iven, but we are far fromsupposin! that this usa!e implies any knowled!e of the "oyal#rch% .e first learn definitely of "oyal #rch chapters in the5D?>'s; $uch has been made of the followin! reference in amanuscript catechism of 5D<6 ) 9uite an early date;

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If a $aster $ason you would be

(bserve you well the "ule of Three%

#nd three years later appeared an advertisement mentionin!the necessity there is for a $aster to well understand the "uleof Three% The possibility that the "ule of Three refers to awell)known feature of the "oyal #rch ritual has, of course, beenraised, but the phrase had more than one Craft implication%

63

$ore to the point is a passa!e in The &hole Institutions of'ree(Masons )pened A+ublin, 5D<?B;

Eet for all this I want the primitive .ord, I answer it wasGod in si Terminations, to wit I am, and -ohova is theanswer to it,%%% or else 8cellent and 8cellent, 8cellencyis the #nswer to it, % % % for proof read the first of the firstof St -ohn%

Here we have a clear reference to words and ideas with whichthe "oyal #rch mason is familiar% The word 8cellent has beenin use in "oyal #rch ritual and custom for more than twocenturies, and we shall later meet pointed eamples of theword occurrin! in the 5D@>'s and in the followin! decades% .efind the words the ecellency of ecellencies occurrin! in

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another irre!ular print only one year later% # newspaper skitentitled #ntediluvian $asonry Adate about 5D<:B, intended tothrow ridicule upon freemasonry, mentions moveable lettersand sends our thou!hts forward to the Imperial Geor!e od!e,which in a minute of 53>? recalls that a set of movable letterswas bou!ht% #n irre!ular print of 5D<? mentions a Compound.ord consistin! of three Aunintelli!ibleB syllables, while apamphlet of the year 5D<@, possibly written by -onathan Swift,itself a skit on an alle!ed eposure of masonry that hadrecently appeared, says that freemasons attach !reatimportance to three pairs of Hebrew letters %%% by which theymean that they are united as one in Interest, Secrecy and#ffection% From other irre!ular prints of the 5D<>Ks come these

9uestions and answers;

% .hence is an #rch derived

#% From architecture%

% .hence comes the pattern of an arch

#% From the rainbow%

*robably the allusion in the second 9uestion is to a phrase inGenesis in which the rainbow is !iven as the token of God'scovenant with man Athere are other si!nificant 7iblical tetsB,and, 1umpin! a few decades, it may be mentioned that acavern and a rainbow are amon! the symbols illustratin! aFrench rite of the 5D:> period%

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In the Graham $S% A5D<: or earlierB already mentioned is anumber of references to the trible voice, and two of them,

especially, may be 9uoted;

7e/alliell %%% knew by inspiration that the secret titles andprimitive pallies of the God head was preservativ and %%%a!reed conditionally they were not to discover it withoutanother to themselves to make a trible voice%

%%% now after M7e/alliell'sN death the inhabitance there about didthink that the

6=

secrets of masonry had been totally ost because they were nomore heard of for none knew the secrets thereof% Save thesetwo princes and they were so sworn at their enterin! not todiscover it without another to make a trible voice%

The above 9uotations mi!ht well imply association with the"oyal #rch motif, and cannot be li!htly brushed aside% 0either

can a reference in a lecture on +ecember <D, 5D<:, deliveredto the Grand od!e of # 8n!land, at Eork, in the presence ofthe Grand $aster, Charles 7athhurst% This reference was to-osiah and repairs to the Temple, includin! the rebuildin! of theTemple by Jerubbabel and Herod%

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T3e Mre De0!#!-e Re0ere#,e 0 -3e 89<;=

Stress has sometimes been laid on the fact that the earliestseal in use by the *remier Grand od!e in the 5D6>)66 periodbore in Greek the words taken from St -ohn i, 5; In thebe!innin!, etc% The seal itself has not survived, but its impressis seen upon the deputations to constitute various lod!es in5D6< and 5D66% In wei!hin! this evidence we must bear inmind that the *remier Grand od!e was hostile to the "oyal#rch until the early nineteenth century, and it is thereforealmost unbelievable that, assumin! for one moment the "oyal#rch to have been at work in the 5D6> period, Grand od!ewould have chosen a motto known to be representative of ade!ree whose status it steadily refused to reco!ni/e% 0o, theadoption of the motto is most unlikely to be evidence of theeistence of the "oyal #rch at that date, but it certainly doessu!!est that the Craft de!rees then included a mention of the

.ord, a mention that in a brief score or so of years was to beconsiderably amplified%

>S,-,3' r >S,-' M+#r

There is a stron! case for assumin! that at the time when theHiramic +e!ree had only recently found its way into $asonicworkin!, and but few lod!es were capable of conferrin! it,some of the Fellow Crafts who aspired to be $aster $asonswent to $asters' od!es% These came into eistence in the

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5D6>'s, and are believed to have devoted themselves toworkin! the Hiramic +e!ree, althou!h they mi!ht also, perhapsin later years, have been workin! de!rees that were not of atruly Craft nature% 0othin! is known for certain, but it is a pointof particular interest that the earliest recorded $asters' od!eA0o% 55?, meetin! at the +evil Tavern, Temple 7ar, ondonB isdescribed in the 8n!raved ist Aat that time the only approvedlist of lod!esB as a Scotch $asons od!e% This description isthou!ht to mean not that its members were Scots, but ratherthat

@>

the ritual or ceremony worked was known as Scotch masonry,which may possibly Anot probablyB have been ori!inated inFrance by -acobites, political refu!ees from Scotland% #ccordin!to the historian Gould Awho appears to have known somethin!of the ritualB, Scotch masonry had as its motif the discovery ina vault by Scottish Crusaders of the lon!)lost and

Ineffable.ord% So if the lod!e at the+evil Tavern was actuallyworkin! a de!ree of French ori!in, then obviously a stron!likelihood eists that some primitive form of the "oyal #rch ritewas actually bein! worked as early as 5D66% The many ritualsknown, says Gould, ehibit much diversity, but runnin! throu!hthem all is the main idea of the discovery of a lon!)lost word,while in the search leadin! to that discovery the Crusaders hadto work with the sword in the one hand and the trowel in theother% That the discovery is made in the $iddle #!es by

Crusaders and not in pre)Christian days by the -ews returnedfrom eile need not unduly concern us, for we must beprepared for considerable differences between any prototype"oyal #rch ceremonies and those which were later developed%

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The Scots $aster claimed to be superior to the $aster $ason2to be possessed of the true history, secret and desi!n ofFreemasonry2 and to hold various privile!es %%% he woredistinctive clothin!, remained covered in a $aster's od!e, andin any lod!e, even as a visitor, ranked before the .%$% Heclaimed that at any time or place he could personally impart,either with or without a ceremony, the secrets of the three Craftde!rees, and if, as a member of a lod!e, his conduct came into9uestion, only fellow Scots masons could ad1udicate upon it%This is more or less the case which Gould presents, but it is notfully acceptable% So much depends upon the dare when theScots mason was makin! his ea!!erated claims, and it is byno means clear that when Gould was speakin! of the

Crusaders' ceremonies he had in mind any that were worked asearly as 5D66, the year in which the first Scots $asters' od!eis known to have been meetin! in ondon% Frankly we do notreally know that the Scots lod!e was at that time workin! theCrusaders' ritual, and we suspect that Gould is talkin! ofde!rees that were worked at a rather later date%

It has often been advanced that the early &Scots' de!reescontained matter which to)day is found not only in the "%#%, butin the $ark +e!ree% There seems little doubt that in the 5D@>'sthe Scots +e!ree Aor de!reesB was a &fourth' ceremony, onedealin! with the rebuildin! of the Temple of Jerubbabel andbrin!in! into prominence the occasion when builders workedwith sword in one hand and trowel in the other% 7ut then, bythat time, the "%#% itself was known to be workin! in 8n!land,and it cannot be said with certainty whether the "oyal #rch hadlearned from the Scots de!rees Awhich is the way the evidence

pointsB or vice versa% The possibility that 8n!lish freemasonrywas sub1ected to -acobite

@5

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influence in the period followin! 5D5D has often been raised%The broad su!!estion is that -acobites resident in France

brou!ht into eistence the de!rees known in 8n!land as 'Scotsmasonry' and in France as *Macon +cossois, *Maitre +cossois,*Maconnerie +cossois, and so on and that the 8n!lish -acobitesintroduced this Scots masonry into 8n!land as providin!convenient, safe, and secret opportunities for their fellows andadherents% This does not stron!ly appeal to us, althou!h theprobability that Scots masonry was an importation from Francemay have to be conceded% It is not known that any ritualsconnected with the "oyal #rch have ever contained any certain

mark of -acobite ori!in%

T3e F!0-3 Or%er

Comin! now more particularly to the year 5D6@, we find asomewhat facetious reference to the Fifth (rder occurrin! in aletter on $asonic matters, si!ned erus Commodus, andbelieved to be referrin! to +r +esa!uliers, third Grand $aster%The letter says he makes a most Illustrious Fi!ure %%% and hemakes wonderful bra!s of bein! of the Fifth (rder% This hasbeen thou!ht to allude to the "oyal #rch, but no one can besure that it does%

#t the 0ew Eear, 5D6?, $ick 7rou!hton, not himself afreemason and at the time a member of a house party includin!+r +esa!uliers and other masons stayin! with the +uke of$onta!u at +itton, Surrey, wrote the second +uke of "ichmonda letter in which he states that

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ollis and -esaguliers have been super(e.cellent in theirdifferent ways%%%% )n /unday 0ight at a Lodge in the

Library /t 1ohn, !lbemarle and #ussell 2were3 madechapters4 and 5ob 2&ebber3 !dmitted !pprentice%

To the natural inference that three individuals were made "oyal#rch masons the use of the word super)ecellent lendsparticular force% .hile the letter is obviously written in facetiousterms, certain words in it could have had special meanin! for

the recipient, an active mason, who had been Grand $aster tenyears earlier, and, by way of comment on the fact that themeetin! took place on a Sunday, let it be remembered that thiswas a favourite day for the holdin! of $asters' od!es and,much later, of "oyal #rch lod!es and chapters%

C3e$+2!er R+m+

# statement attributed to #ndrew $ichael "amsay, a Scot bornin #yr, who had passed many years in France, where he hadac9uired the courtesy title of Chevalier, has helped to makehistory% "amsay, a "oman

@<

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Catholic, was a freemason, and is alle!ed to have made aspeech containin! certain si!nificant words at a *arisconvocation of the Grand od!e of France on $arch <5, 5D6D%There is some doubt as to whether he ever delivered thespeech, but none that he wrote it and that it was printed,probably in the same year and certainly in 5D6= and later% Thefollowin! literal translation of the part of the speech thatparticularly matters to the present reader was prepared, webelieve, by Miscellanea Latomorum;

.e have amon!st us three classes of confreres, the

0ovices or #pprentices2 the Companions or *rofessed2 the$asters or the *erfected% .e eplain to the first the moralvirtues2 to the second the heroic virtues2 and to the lastthe Christian virtues2 in such sort that our Institutionencloses all the *hilosophy of the Sentiments and all theTheolo!y of the heart%

This union was after the eample of the Israelites, when

they raised the second Temple% +urin! this time theyhandled the trowel and the mortar with one hand, whilstthey carried in the other the sword and buckler%

4ndoubtedly "amsay's is the most likely early allusion yetbrou!ht to li!ht, but on it has been built rather too much% +r(liver, whose unreliability as a $asonic historian has already

been commented on, definitely asserts that "amsay, about5D@>, came from *aris to ondon and brou!ht with him therituals of some so)called hi!h !rades, amon! them bein! the"oyal #rch2 that his visit was for the purpose of introducin! hisnew de!rees into 8n!lish masonry2 and his schemes bein!re1ected by the Constitutional Grand od!e, nothin! appears

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more likely than that he would throw himself into the hands ofthe Schismatics%

The $asonic student of to)day re1ects +r (liver's statement, aswell as his use of the word &Schismatics%' #lto!ether too little isknown about "amsay to father upon him the introduction of the"%#% into 8n!land% .% -% Hu!han points out that so much hasbeen said about "amsay and his &manufacture of $asonicde!rees' that it would be 9uite refreshin! to have proofs of hishavin! actually arran!ed or permitted one particular ceremonyadditional to those worked prior to his initiation, and .illiam

.atson has well said that "amsay was not a factor in theori!in Mof the "%#% +e!reeN and (liver's statements aremisleadin!, unreliable, % % % practically worthless%

#ssociated with the name of "amsay Abut probably 9uitewron!lyB is the #ite !ncien de 5ouillon, attributed to Godfreyde 7ouillon, which had a "oyal #rch)cum)Templar compleionand may or may not have been worked in ondon about 5D@>,

but was possibly known in France at a much later date% It issaid to have had si !rades)#pprentice, Compa!nonAFellowcraftB, $aster, Scotch $aster, 0ovice, and Chevalier duTemple ATemplarB% Some little in9uiry into it has not provedvery rewardin!%

.hile it does seem likely that "amsay had eperience of a

de!ree

@6

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correspondin! to the "oyal #rch, the only evidence of any kindsupportin! the likelihood of his havin! introduced a de!ree isthe fact that he wrote his oration, possibly delivered it, and thatthe oration itself contains a phrase that appears in almost thesame form in to)day's ritual%

J3# C- +#% 3! Swr# E$!%e#,e

.e have said that Chevalier "amsay was both freemason and"oman Catholic% In his day many Continental and other masonswere Catholics% *ope Clement's first 7ull a!ainst freemasonrywas issued in 5D63, and needed to be backed up by later 7ulls,as there was a disinclination on the part of many Catholics toobserve the *ope's prohibition% The hostility of theGovernments in Catholic countries to freemasonry, even inmodern times, is well known% In 5=?@, for instance, a Spanishtribunal imposed prison sentences on five men accused of

practisin! freemasonry% A7y the way, Spain was the firstContinental country to have a $asonic lod!e constituted in it byor on behalf of the Grand od!e of 8n!land)that of the +uke of.harton, which he founded in his own apartments in $adrid in5D<3 and which, as ori!inally constituted, had a life of fortyyears%B *ortu!al, a nei!hbourin! country, had its $asoniclod!es% -ust before 5D63 there were two lod!es, both in isbon,one of them Catholic, the other *rotestant% # +ominican,Charles ('elly, *rofessor of Theolo!y at the A"oman CatholicB

Colle!e of Corpo)Santo, was called upon in 5D63 to reveal tothe In9uisition what he knew of the Catholic lod!e of which hewas a member, and he made the stron! point that allmembersthey included three +ominican monks)were ecellentCatholics%

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ater, in (ctober 5D@<, -ohn Coustos, a *rotestant member and$aster of a mainly Catholic isbon od!e, was denounced by an

informer of the In9uisition as bein! the chief of the sect calledFree $asons that had four years before been condemned bythe *ope% Coustos had learned his masonry in ondon% He wasa Swiss by birth but naturali/ed an 8n!lishman, by trade amaster diamond)cutter, by reli!ion a *rotestant, and at thetime residin! in isbon2 he had been initiated apparently in aondon lod!e before 5D6<%

In the hands of the In9uisition, Coustos !ave evidence undersolemn oath on a number of occasions, and on #pril <?, 5D@@,was tortured on the rack in isbon for more than a 9uarter ofan hour, bein! afterwards sentenced to serve four years in the!alleys% (n the intervention of the 7ritish $inister at isbon hewas liberated in (ctober 5D@@, and reached 8n!land on+ecember 5? of the same year% Hitherto we have had, in a bookwhich he wrote and published in 8n!land in 5D@:, a not 9uitereliable account of his tribulations Ahe can be for!iven much,poor fellowLB,

@@

but, fortunately for $asonic history, the ori!inal documentsfrom the #rchives of the In9uisition have been discovered, havebeen translated by a member of the isbon 7ranch of theHistorical #ssociation and reproduced by -ohn "% +ashwood in#%%C% Avol% lvi, pp% 5>D)5<6B% These documents show thatCoustos made a confession on two days of $arch 5D@6, andin this he !ave a fascinatin! account of the Craft masonry

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known to him, a tiny portion of this account bein! herereproduced5;

% % % when the destruction too$ place of the famousTemple of /olomon there was found below the 'irst /tonea tablet of bron6e upon which was engraved 2a familiar5iblical word meaning3 *God, giving thereby tounderstand that that 'abric and Temple was institutedand erected in the name of the said God to whom it wasdedicated, that same Lord the beginning and the end ofsuch a magnificent wor$, and as in the Gospel of /t 1ohn

there are found the same words and doctrine they, forthis reason, cause the )ath to be ta$en at that place%

-ohn Coustos declared this and many other thin!s under oathon $arch <:, 5D@6, and it will be particularly noted that thele!end or ritual revealed by him, includin! St -ohn's referenceto the &.ord,' must< have been that of one or two lod!es underthe premier Grand od!e durin! the 5D6>Ks% #s the authenticity

of the 9uoted passa!e does not admit of any doubt, it is beyond9uestion that in the 5D6>Ks a Craft ritual ) that is, the ritual ofone or more ondon lod!es, not necessarily of all, by anymeans ) contained elements which now are unknown to theCraft, but which, in an elaborated form, are present in to)day's"%#% ritual%

The Coustos documents Awhich, we must insist, to be read areto be believedB afford evidence that some of the bare elementsof the "%#% le!end were probably known to a few 8n!lish lod!esat an early date, within their three de!rees, and this is a factthat must necessarily affect hitherto accepted views on theearly history of the "%#%

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It should be noted that Coustos considered himself competentto conduct the isbon lod!e as $aster, and he may well have

been the actual $aster of a ondon lod!e before he left8n!land% 7y the year 5D6< he was a member of od!e 0o% D?,at the "ainbow Coffee House, Eork 7uildin!s, ondon Anow the7ritannic od!e, 0o% 66B, and a founder, in the year mentioned,of od!e 0o% =3, at *rince 8u!ene's Coffee House, St #lban'sStreet, ondon Aconstituted 5D6< and known as the 4nionFrench od!e in 5D6=2 ceased to eist, 5D?6B%

The Coustos reference to somethin! hidden below a stone hasan echo in an Irish folk)son!, !n /eann(5hean AThe *oor (ld.omanB, which includes these two lines;

(r is it true that the promises were written which $oses!ave to the -ews, #nd which in! +avid placed timidlyunder the stone

5 See also -ohn Coustos, in #%%C%, vol% li, by +r S%atcher and "ev% 0% 7% Cryer%

< *must is doubtful" Coustos may have learned this in'rance%

@?

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In another version in! +avid is replaced by !n -a #i ATheTwo in!sB% -% Heron epper su!!ests that we have here apiece of folklore ) a use of the motif of the buried book% Theremust be many such or similar references in the world'sliterature% (ne further eample is contained in a third)centurypapyrus, The Sayin!s of -esus, a non)canonical Gospel foundon the site of an ancient 8!yptian city, (yrhynchus;

Lift up the stone and there shalt thou find me"

cleve the wood and I am there%

M!#-e +#% Pr!#-e% Re0ere#,e 0 -3e 89?;=

The first printed reference to the term &"oyal #rch' is

forthcomin! in the year 5D@6% It is in a newspaper, 'aul$ners-ublin 1ournal , for -anuary 5> )5@, 5D@6 ) @@, and occurs in anaccount of a $asonic procession at Eou!hall, County Cork,Ireland, on St -ohn's +ay in .inter A+ecember <DB, when the$aster of od!e 0o% <5 was preceded by The "oyall #rchcarried by two 8cellent $asons% .e wish we could be certainthat this #rch was not a mere piece of addedornament)arches are not uncommon in public processions ) butcertainly the inclusion of the term 8cellent $asons doesincline us to the inference that the procession was indeed one

of "%#% masons%

(n the heels of the first printed mention comes a second andmost important reference to the "%#% as a degree% In 5D@@ was

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published a book by Fifield +assi!ny A+'#ssi!nyB, $%+%, +ublin,entitled ! /erious and Impartial +n7uiry into the Cause of the present -ecay of 'ree(Masonry in the 8ingdom of Ireland % 4ntil53:D this book was known only throu!h a 9uotation in #himan"e/on, but in that year one of the few survivin! copies wasdiscovered by the well)known $asonic student .% -% Hu!han,who caused it to be reprinted in facsimile in 53=62 there arecopies also in the G%% and .% Eorks% $asonic ibraries%+assi!ny says in a roundabout way that, a few years earlier, a7rother of probity and wisdom had been made a "%#% mason inondon% Here is part of the para!raph includin! the si!nificantwords;

% % % a certain propagator of a false system some few years agoin this city 2-ublin3 who imposed upon several very worthymen under a pretence of being Master of the #oyal !rch, whichhe asserted he had brought with him from the city of 9or$" andthat the beauties of the Craft did principally consist in the$nowledge of this valuable piece of Masonry% owever hecarried on his scheme for several months and many of thelearned and wise were his followers, till at length his fallaciousart was discovered by a 5rother of probity and wisdom, whohad some small space before attained that e.cellent part ofMasonry in London and plainly proved that his doctrine wasfalse%

@:

The above can be very simply put by sayin! that somewhereabout 5D@>, some one in +ublin, pretendin! to be $aster of the"oyal #rch, was proved to be an impostor by a 7rother who hadbeen made a member of the de!ree in ondon% +r +assi!ny's

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book refers to "%#% masons assemblin! at Eork in 5D@@ as hewas informed2 says that some of the fraternity did not likesuch a secret ceremony bein! kept from those who had takenthe usual de!rees2 refers to members who had passed thechair and were ecellent masons2 and states that the "%#%was an or!anised body of men who have passed the Chair and!iven undeniable proofs of their skill% Some students havesou!ht to cast reflections upon +assi!ny's reputation, and havesu!!ested that his words should be handled with caution andreserve, but nothin! is known a!ainst him% +ermott, the!reatest fi!ure in the &#ntients' Grand od!e, refers to him asour .orshipful 7rother, +r Fifield +'#ssi!ny2 amon! the fourhundred subscribers to his book were many important people2

and there seems no reason to doubt that he was speakin! thetruth and knew what he was talkin! about% He evidently wassure that the "oyal #rch +e!ree eisted% Indeed, -% Heronepper, who, in comin! to a conclusion on the anti9uity of the"%#%, based himself very lar!ely upon +assi!ny's statements,held that +assi!ny had had eperience of it at first hand%Certainly there is a !eneral consensus of opinion that hisstatement is sound evidence of an early "%#% +e!ree in workin!order, even at a date a few years earlier than 5D@@%

The 5D@>Ks afford reasonable evidence that an "%#% ceremonywas worked in Stirlin!, Scotland% There are two dates, 5D@6and 5D@?, and it is claimed that in the earlier year the minutehere !iven shows that two men were admitted "%#% masons;

/TI#LI0G, 1uly :;th, <=>:%

&hich day the Lodge of /tirling 8ilwinning being met inthe 5rother utchisons house, and being petitioned byMungo 0icol, shoema$er and brother 1ames Mc+wan,/tudent of -ivinity at /tirling, and being found 7ualified,

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they were admitted #oyal !rch Masons of this Lodge,have paid their dues to the Treasurer, 1ohn Callendar,#%&%M%

In 5D@? occurs another minute A!iven belowB, whichunfortunately is almost a repetition of the earlier one% # sworndeclaration that the "%#% had been worked in Stirlin! in 5D@6,based upon the ori!inal record then eistin!, was deposited in5353 with the Grand Scribe 8% of the Grand "oyal #rch Chapterof Scotland in 8dinbur!h, but the first minute)book of Stirlin!"ock "%#% Chapter, 0o% a, is not available% The minutes of od!e

#ncient, 0o% 6>, state that no such minute as that aboveattested is to be found in the minute)book for 5D@6 and that-ohn Callendar, si!nin!

@D

as "i!ht .orshipful $aster, was not $aster of the od!e until5D@?2 so it may be that 5D@6 is an error for 5D@? or,alternatively, that -ohn Callendar, althou!h not $aster of theod!e, may have presided in a "oyal #rch lod!e attached to theCraft lod!e in the earlier year%

The minute of 5D@? is as follows;

/T+#LI0G 1uI9 :;, <=>?%

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The &hich day the Lodge of /terling 8ilwinning havingmeet in 5rother ic$sons hous !nd being @etitioned byMr% Mungo 0icholl /hoe Ma$er A Mr% 1ames Mc+uen/tudent of -evenitie at /terling A they being found7ualified were accordingly !dmitted as prenticess A payedthe accustomed dues accordingly to the trer4 ( 1o%Callendar M%

(bviously, if the minute of 5D@6 is beyond 9uestion, it could betruthfully affirmed that the "%#% was bein! worked at Stirlin! in5D@6, but .% -% Hu!han did not think that Stirlin!'s claim was

either substantiated or confirmed, and other students haveepressed themselves in similar manner2 on the other hand,Geor!e S% +raffen, formerly Grand ibrarian of the G%% ofScotland, says that, havin! eamined the old records of si ofthe twelve senior chapters on the Scottish "oll A0os% 6, :, D, 3,=, and 5< in the *rovince of #n!us and $earnsB, he has foundthe dates to conform eactly to those assi!ned by the SeniorityCommittee of the Supreme Grand "oyal #rch Chapter ofScotland, and he is therefore of the opinion that the date of5D@6 assi!ned to Stirlin! was supported by written evidence in535D%

Pr/re !# -3e 89@;= +#% 89?;=

The remainin! pa!es of this section will indicate some of thepro!ress made in the 5D?>Ks and the 5D:>Ks up to a point in thesecond of those decades markin! the foundation of the firstGrand Chapter in the world, that erected by ord 7layney,

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Grand $aster of the &$oderns,' by means of his celebratedCharter of Compact%

The earliest date on which we have definite and undisputedknowled!e of the "oyal #rch in 8n!land is $arch @, 5D?< Aseep% ?=B% The earliest eistin! minutes Aother than in ScotlandBrecordin! what was then known as the raisin! of a 7rother tothe "oyal #rch are of the period between 5D?< and 5D?3% InIreland the first ealtee was in 5D?<2 in #merica Anot yet the4%S%#%B in 5D?62 in Scotland in 5D?: Abut if the Stirlin! record isaccepted, then in 5D@6 or 5D@?B2 in 8n!land in 5D?32 and in

ondon in 5D:D% These four countries will be taken in the orderabove !iven%

Ireland% od!e 0o% 5<6 was warranted in 5D@5 at Coleraine,County +erry, by the Grand od!e of Ireland, and must verysoon have been workin! the "%#% # list or re!ister of memberscontained in a minutebook coverin! the years 5D:6)36 showsthat of twenty 7rethren initiated

@3

between $ay 5D@5 and +ecember 5D?= siteen were made"%#% masons, but there is no confirmation of this in the minutesthemselves% -ohn Holmes, included in the list, was ealted two

weeks after his Initiation in $ay 5D@:, and reached the chairei!ht years later% #nother, the "ev% .m 7ristow, was initiated in5D?D, became $aster of the od!e in 5D?=, and was ealtedimmediately followin! his leavin! the chair si months later% Itis not known whether the other ealtees were actual *ast$asters of this or any other lod!e, but the inference in many of

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the cases is that they were not% +ated #pril 5:, 5D?<, is thefollowin! Coleraine minute of historic importance, one thatantedates by twenty months a minute of a lod!e atFredericksbur!, ir!inia Awhich, however, is still the oldestundisputed written record of the actual ma$ing of "%#%masonsB%

!t this lodge, 5rot Tho 5lair proposd /amson Moore aMaster A #oyal !rch Mason to be admitted a Member ofour Lodge%

(nly one other minute of the Coleraine od!e mentionsthe "%#%;

<=B;% 1any% <>th ( 5r !rmstrong re7uests the favour ofthe Lodge to admitt him a #oyal !rch Mason%

#t Eou!hall, County Cork, there had been founded in 5D6@ alod!e which made no mention in its minutes until 5D?= of the"oyal #rch, and, curiously, for half a century after that year didnot a!ain allude to it% In that year, on -uly 6>, 5D?=, occurs aminute of which the followin! is part;

Then proceeded to the passin! of Spencer Scannaden andSamuell Gardner to the di!nity of "oyal #rch $asons, theybein! proper (fficers of the od!e, That is, 7ro%Scannaden Senr .arden and Samuel Gardner -unr

+eacon%

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It is etremely likely that the Craft freemasonry practised in theEou!hall lod!e stemmed directly from the 8n!lish system, the

sea conneion between 7ristol and many Irish ports bein!much closer early in the ei!hteenth century than the roadconneion between 7ristol and many inland 8n!lish towns% The"oyal #rch has a lon! and important history in Ireland, as willbe seen in a later section%

#merica% .hat is still thou!ht to be the earliest minute

definitely recordin! a "oyal #rch 8altation is of od!e of Freeand #ccepted $asons in Fredericksbur!, ir!inia, of the year5D?6 Ayear of $asonry ?D?6B, and to the eye of thepresent)day mason must appear to be of a sin!ular character;

+ecembr <<d ?D?6 .hich 0i!ht the od!e bein! #ssembledwas present

"i!ht .orshipful Simon Fra/ier G%$%, of "oyall

+o%-ohn 0eilson S% .ardn #rch

"obert #rmistead -ur .ardn od!e%

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@=

Transactions of the night

-aniel Campell #aisedto the

#obert al$erston -egreeof #oyall

!le. r &odrow !rchMason%

#oyal !rch Lodge being /hutt, +ntered !pprentices Lodgeopened%

@=

It is believed that Simon Fra/ier, !iven in the minute as Grand$aster, was a visitor, and that he became a member in thefollowin! month% The .ardens assistin! him and named in theminute were the Senior .arden and the Temporary Treasurerrespectively of the lod!e% It is to be noted that +anielCampbell, the first of the ealtees, was actually the $aster ofthe Craft od!e2 the second candidate, +r "obert Halkerston,was the actual 1unior .arden2 and the third was the Secretary%

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The Craft od!e itself was not at that date, 5D?6, warranted byany reco!ni/ed Grand od!e, but it received a charter from theGrand od!e of Scotland in 5D?3% A# statement once made thatit was an Irish lod!e is not substantiated%B The od!e charter is,we believe, still preserved, and the od!e was reported at theend of the nineteenth century as bein! happily vi!orous andactive2 its place in history is well assured, for in it on0ovember @, 5D?6, was initiated Geor!e .ashin!ton, later tobecome the first *resident of the 4nited States of #merica%

/cotland% Scotland deservedly claims a lon! history of the "%#%,

be!innin! with the Stirlin! records already dealt with% So farback as 5D?? a lod!e bearin! the name of "oyall #rch waschartered at Glas!ow, apparently bearin! the number DD, andwas erased in 535:% (ther "oyal #rch lod!es were at 8dinbur!hin 5D:? and at Stirlin! in 5D?=%

(ne of the most important of the early Scottish dates concernsa minute of the Thistle od!e, +umfries Anow 0o% :5B, founded

in 5D?@

> March, <=?=

The 5riting 5ieng met A opening the Lodg in deu%order 1ohen @atten was

past from aprent s To the Care of !doniram and 1ohn

Mc8ewn 1ames

Marten was med +.lant A /uper +.lant and #oiel !rch Menas witness%

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2Three signatures3

This is the first undisputed Scottish minute recordin! raisin!s tothe "oyal #rch +e!ree% In a record of the "oyal #rch $asonsand their *assin! to that at the end of the minute)book thefirst name is dated 0ovember D, 5D?:%

od!e irkwall ilwinnin!, 0o% 63<, founded in 5D6: by masonsfrom the od!e of Stirlin! and the od!e of +unfermline, isbelieved to have been workin! the "oyal #rch in the 5D?@):>period% # minute of 5D?= mentions "oyall #rch in! Solomon'sod!e, 0umber a, 0ew Eork% The irkwall od!e owns afamous scroll, crudely depictin! the emblems

?>

of various de!rees, the "oyal #rch prominently amon! them%ASee *late II%B

# lod!e at 7anff has early minutes relatin! to the "oyal #rch+e!ree% Hu!han says that on -anuary D, 5D:?, it was a!reedthat any member who wants to attain to the parts of "oyal#rch and Super 8cellent shall pay two shillin!s and sipence to

the *ublick Fund for each part % (n -anuary D, 5D::, 7rother.illiam $urray, who 1oined the lod!e, is styled Master and#oyal !rch% (n -anuary 5, 5DD3, seven 7rethren paid twoshillin!s and sipence each for that branch of "oyal #rch, andthree of these were char!ed additional half)crowns each forthat 7ranch of Super 8cellent%

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+ngland% (f the 8n!lish definite records the oldest, either &#ntients' or &$oderns,' are not earlier than the 5D?>Ks% #t a

meetin! of the Grand Committee of the &#ntients' on $arch @,5D?<, some 7rethren made formal complaints that twoindividuals, *healon and $ackey, had initiated many personsfor the mean consideration of a le! of mutton, and hadpretended to have made "oyal)#rchmen% AThis sub1ect will bereturned to in the net section%B The complaints were receivedat a meetin! at which aurence +ermott acted for the first timeas Secretary% ater in the &#ntients' minutes of this same yearoccurs another reference;

September <nd, the od!e was (pened in #ntient form ofGrand od!e and every part of "eal Freemasonry wastraced and eplained2 ecept the "oyal #rch%

These matters are more particularly dealt with in a later

section%

.e have Thomas +unckerley's own assertion that he wasealted in a *ortsmouth lod!e in 5D?@ Aprobably in his motherlod!eB% The &#ntients' were, of course, at this time very busywith the "oyal #rch, and we find in 5D?D a minute of theirGrand od!e summonin! The $asters of the "oyal #rch tomeet in order to re!ulate thin!s relative to that most valuablebranch of the Craft%

The first)known 8n!lish minute recordin! the raisin! of a7rother to the "%#% is, perhaps unepectedly, of a &Moderns'

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lod!e at 7ristol, in 5D?3, but it would be wron! to rush to theconclusion from this isolated evidence that the &$oderns'worked the "oyal #rch earlier than the &#ntients%' The od!e,0o% <<>, was short)lived% It was constituted in February 5D?D,at ord 7lakeney's Head, Temple Street, 7ristol, but by the timeits minute)book was be!un had already moved to the Crown inChristmas Street% #lthou!h a &$oderns' lod!e, it yet worked an

&#ntient' ritual, bein! of that class of lod!es which -% Heronepper, in a noteworthy paper published in #%%C%, vol% lvi,described as Traditioner lod!es)that is, lod!es ownin!alle!iance to the *remier Grand od!e,

?5

but in their ceremonial followin! closely the &#ncients' workin!%# od!e of 8mer!ency was held on Sunday, #u!ust 56, 5D?3,by desire of 7rother .illiam Gordon, who, at a re!ular meetin!held some days earlier, had been proposed to be raised to thede!ree of a "oyal #rch and accepted 2 at this Sunday evenin!

meetin! he and another were &raised' to the "%#% +e!ree% 7y$ay G of the net year seven "%#% meetin!s had been held andthirteen 7rethren so &raised,' all of whom were takin! the step9uite shortly after becomin! $aster $asons%

(f the many "%#% records in the 5D:>Ks the earliest, so far as isknown, relatin! to an actual &raisin!' of a 7rother to the "%#% is

particularly historic% (n Sunday, February D, 5D:<, a "oyal #rchlod!e was opened at the *unch 7owl Inn, in Stone!ate in Eork,by members of the *unch 7owl od!e, 0o% /s9, founded in theprecedin! year Aand epirin! in its seventhB% Four members, allof them actors and members of the Eork Company ofComedians, opened the "oyal #rch lod!e, so providin! an early

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instance of a separate or!ani/ation especially formed for theworkin! of the "oyal #rch ceremonial% 4nder the &#ncients,' andle!ally so, that ceremonial was worked in their Craft lod!es,while under the &$oderns' at that time the "oyal #rch +e!reewas irre!ular and, if worked, 9uite unofficial% 7ut this was not a

&$oderns' lod!e I It was held under the authority of the Grandod!e of # 8n!land, a Grand od!e erected by an old City ofEork lod!e in 5D<? and holdin! sway actually in parts ofEorkshire, Cheshire, and ancashire% The separate or!ani/ationhad a minute)book entitled Minute 5oo$ 5elonging to the Most/ublime -egree or )rder of #oyal !rch appertaining to theGrand Lodge of !LL +ngland, held at the City of 9or$, <=B%AThis lod!e or chapter became in the course of time a Grand

Chapter%B The first minute recorded relates to the meetin! ofSunday, February D, 5D:<, already mentioned, and states that 7rothers 7urton, *almes, Tasker and +od!son petition'd to beraised to the Fourth +e!ree of $asonry, commonly call'd the$ost Sublime or "oyal #rch, were accepted and accordin!lymade%

?<

Section Fo)#

THE $ANTIENT' MASONS AND THE ROYAL ARCH

TH8 rise and development of the "oyal #rch, and indeed itsultimate position in the whole $asonic (rder, wereimmeasurably affected by the bitter 9uarrel between thepremier Grand od!e, founded in 5D5D, and another Grandod!e the &#ntients' ) thou!ht to have been in course of

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formation from c% 5D6=, and takin! its place in 5D?5)?6 as aGrand od!e with all powers to warrant private lod!es% (nly asmuch of the story need be !iven here as will eplain thecircumstances in which the &#ntients' came into bein! and theattitudes of the two opposed bodies to the "oyal #rch% #ctually,durin! the years of the formation of the &#ntients' Grand od!ethe "oyal #rch had been 9uietly pro!ressin! towards !eneraladoption% The 9uarrel lasted for sity years or so, and thepresent position of the 8n!lish "oyal #rch relative to the Craft isa reflection of that 9uarrel%

The $asonic historian Gould looked upon the formation of the'#ntients' Grand od!e as a schism, the work of seceders fromthe ori!inal plan of freemasonry, but his !reat work was writtenin the 533>Ks, before research had revealed that, while theremust have been many discontented masons who left the

&$oderns' lod!es to throw in their lot with the opponent, it wasnot seceders who built the rival body, but, chiefly, Irish andScottish masons residin! in 8n!land, who naturally welcomedthe help of any of the 8n!lish malcontents%

The premier Grand od!e had contributed to or even brou!htabout many of its own troubles by its lack of /eal and discretionand its i!norance of the art of !overnment, faults acceleratedby its assumption of superiority to its sister Grand od!es ofIreland and Scotland% It si!nally failed to meet the challen!eoffered by the appearance of certain irre!ular prints,particularly, as already stated, that of Samuel *richard, whose

$asonry +issected, published in 5D6>, was reprinted scores oftimes in 8n!lish)speakin! countries% It is not unfair to say thatthe publication of this and similar works caused the &$oderns'Grand od!e such !reat concern and nervousness that, afraidto !ive itself time properly to consider the matter, it rushed into

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a !reat mistake from which it lon! suffered, for somewhen inthe 5D6> period Athe eact date is in doubtB it instructed the

?6

private lod!es, as we have already said, to transpose the formsof reco!nition in the First and Second +e!rees, with theintention of placin! a shibboleth in the way of any clandestinemason attemptin! to enter its lod!es% AIn at least oneContinental system that stemmed from 8n!lish masonry aboutthat time the means of reco!nition remain still transposed,althou!h in 8n!land the matter was remedied immediatelybefore the 4nion, 5356%B The transposition was re!arded withhorror by a !reat many masons, who char!ed the Grand od!ewith havin! !rievously and wholly improperly interfered with alandmark%

This alteration came to be by no means the only differencebetween the workin! of the &$oderns' lod!es and that of theindependent lod!es and still later, lod!es of the &#ntients'persuasion% .ith the passa!e of time the &$oderns' *remierGrand od!e was char!ed, not in all instances fairly, withomittin! prayers2 de)Christiani/in! the ritual2 i!norin! saints'days2 failin! to prepare Candidates in the traditional manner2abbreviatin! or abandonin! the lectures AcatechismsB2abandonin! the #ncient Char!es2 causin! the ceremonies,

particularly Initiation, to be more austere2 allowin! the esotericInstallation of the $aster to fall into disuse2 arran!in! theirlod!es in a different manner2 etc%, etc% 4ndoubtedly the!reatest of these &etceteras' was the refusal to reco!ni/e andacknowled!e officially the anti9uity of the "oyal #rch, aceremonial re!arded by the &#ntients' as havin! come down to

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them from time immemorial% # few of these accusations mayhave been well founded, but many were not, and even thosethat were true did not apply to all &$oderns' lod!es and at alltimes between, say, 5D@> and 5356% .e know, of course, that+r #nderson's Constitutions of 5D<6 did in effectde)Christiani/e the ritual2 there is no doubt that the &$oderns'had not, in all cases, retained the affection for saints' days2 it islikely that they tended to shorten the catechisms and to omitrecitals of the #ncient Char!es2 but whether, for instance, they

&omitted' the use of the sword in the Initiation ceremony or &abandoned' the esoteric Installation of the $aster)these areopen to serious 9uestion% Indeed, the accusations are almostcertainly false% It was not the &$oderns' who i!nored a

time)immemorial practice and discontinued the use of thesword2 it must have been the unattached lod!es, and followin!them the &#ntients,' who, in adoptin! the use of the sword,simply borrowed an idea from the French% It is thou!ht to beimpossible that the &$oderns' or anybody else, at the foundin!of the first Grand od!e, knew of an esoteric Installation of the$aster2 conse9uently the accusation that they had &abandoned'it had no foundation% It must have been the unattached lod!esand, in due course, the &#ntients' who adopted that ceremony,

confident, we can well admit, that it was a part of the ori!inal$asonic tradition%

?@

7ut, however, the differences came, there they were and there

they stayed, to distin!uish so many of the &$oderns' lod!esfrom so many of the &#ntients%' 7oth sides made !reat capitalout of them, and we find the second edition of aurence+ermott's #himan "e/on Athe &#ntients' ConstitutionsB attackin!the &$oderns' ritual and underlinin! the chan!es which the

&innovators' were accused of havin! made% 7ut as we reflect

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upon the matter we ask who were the innovators $ore andmore we reali/e that, althou!h innovators the &$oderns'undoubtedly were in one serious and unfortunate respect, innearly all others it was the &#ntients' who permitted andencoura!ed the positive variations that in the second half of theei!hteenth century distin!uished the two bodies%

It should be remembered that there was not in the ei!hteenthcentury anythin! that could be re!arded as a cast)iron ritual,even remotely so% #ll throu!h that century the rituals werebein! made, borrowed from, and added to2 were bein!

developed in different localities and in different ways2 and themany variations were, in due time, to !ive a real headache tothe bodies char!ed with the preparation of a!reed ritualsfollowin! on the 4nion of the Craft and later that of the "oyal#rch% So when we try to estimate the differences between therituals of the &#ntients' and the &$oderns' we shall do well toremind ourselves that there was no one ritual precisely followedby everybody2 there was no brand)new ritual adopted in the5D6> period by the &$oderns' and imposed by them on theirlod!es% There was one continuous process of development andmodification under both of the two Grand od!es throu!h muchof the century, althou!h possibly not always perceptible tothose immediately concerned in it%

+ou!las noop, a trained historian, believed that the Craftlod!es had no formal openin!s or closin!s in the 5D6> period2that later there was, in many lod!es, no openin! in the Second

and Third +e!rees and no closin! in any de!ree2 and thatceremonial methods of openin! and closin! !rew up !raduallyamon! both &#ntients' and &$oderns,' and obviously could notbe identical in all lod!es in all places% This must apply also tomany of the features that distin!uished the two bodies, thedifferences bein! more marked in some places than in others% #

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process of assimilation between the two bodies was always atwork, and it is to be epected that this chiefly took the form oftemperin! the early austerity of the &$oderns' ceremonies% It isbelieved that towards the end of the century the differences insome localities between the two systems were only sli!ht%8vidence in the matter is conflictin!, but we have the instanceof "obert $illikin, of Cork, who visited a &$oderns' lod!e in7ristol about 5D=6 and, beyond a few phrases in openin! thelod!e, discovered no difference from his own &#ntient' ritual%However, between the etreme lod!es of each

??

body there must still have been some considerable differences,which must have caused the od!e of "econciliation plenty oftrouble followin! the 4nion Aseep% 55?B%

7y the end of the century the assimilation that had beenfostered in lod!es of the Traditioner type Asee p% ?>B had madea considerable effect in some localities, and it is now certainthat for years prior to 5356 many devoted masons on bothsides were 9uietly workin! to brin! about union% In the mindsof such men the "oyal #rch must have occupied a bi! place% #spirit of toleration and understandin! had been steadily !rowin!up between the two bodies, but there were still many masonsof the type of the +eputy Grand Secretary of Ireland, who, in a

letter written in 5D=> to an Irish lod!e, said that # $odern$ason cannot or ou!ht not to be admitted into a lod!e of#ntient $asons without passin! the courses over a!ain as if thesame had never been performed ) their mode and ours bein!so different% .ithout passin! the courses over a!ainL (ne ofthe customs commonly practised durin! the 9uarrel was that of

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&remakin!,' said to have been ori!inated by the &$oderns,' whoinsisted that certain Irish masons should be &remade' beforethey could be admitted to their lod!es as 7rethren% 7oth sidespractised it over a lon! period, so causin! many anomalies andridiculous instances, as related in the author's earlier volume%

The 4nion)not immediately it came, but in the course of a fewyears )brou!ht to an end the 9uarrel between the two sectionsof the Craft and had an immediate and marked effect upon thefortunes of the "oyal #rch%

T3e >A#-!e#-' Gr+#% L%/e

The &#ntients' Grand od!e was functionin! as such from about5D?5, althou!h officially it still called itself in February 5D?<

The Grand Committee of the $ost #ntient and HonourableFraternity of Free and #ccepted $asons, and the term Grandod!e appears in its minutes for the first time in 5D?6% 7y thetime of the Craft 4nion A5356B its name had become The $ost#ntient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and #ccepted $asonsaccordin! to the (ld Institutions% Care must be taken not toconfuse this with a much later Grand od!e, centred in .i!an,of Free and #ccepted $asons of # 8n!land accordin! to the(ld Institutions, formed in 53<6 by four lod!es that had beenerased by the 4nited Grand od!e% The first &#ntients' Grand$aster was "obert Turner2 the second the Hon% 8dwardau!han2 and the third, from 5D?: to 5D?=, the first 8arl of7lesin!ton, writin! to whom in +ecember 5D?:, to thank himfor consentin! to become Grand $aster, aurence +ermott

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?:

spoke of the !reat honour your ordship has done theFraternity in condescendin! to fill S(($(0'S CH#I"L TwoGrand $asters of Ireland and three of Scotland were amon! the'#ntients' Grand $asters% The third +uke of #tholl served from5DD5 to 5DD@, and on his death was succeeded by his son2alto!ether the #tholls served as Grand $asters for over thirtyyears, both of them bein! at some time Grand $aster ofScotland, so it is easily understandable why the &#ntients'Grand od!e in its last forty years was !enerally known as the

#tholl Grand od!e%

(n the retirement of the &#ntients' first Grand Secretary in 5D?<there was elected in his place aurence +ermott, a!ethirty)two, a man of remarkable 9uality and tremendousener!y, to whose forces of character and administrativeability must be attributed much of the' #ntients' success% Hebecame the !reatest personality in the &#ntients' Grand od!e

and one whose importance in the history of the 8n!lish "oyal#rch can never be 9uestioned% He was born in Ireland in 5D<>,initiated in 5D@> in od!e 0o% <:, +ublin, of which he became$aster and Secretary, and came to 8n!land about 5D@D ) @3% Itis hi!hly probable that at some time prior to this he had been amember of a &$oderns' lod!e, and he is thou!ht to havebecome a "oyal #rch mason in his Irish lod!e in 5D@:% 7y tradehe was a 1ourneyman painter, and never !rew ashamed of hismecanic ori!in, but he was to reply in a few words of atin, a

few years later, to the Grand $aster, who had nominated thetet for a sermon to be preached at St Clement's Church,ondonL He received a whole succession of compliments andhonours durin! his $asonic career, but with the ever)increasin!di!nity of office he never lost his head, and his bookplatenames him au% +ermott, G%S%, *ainter, ondon, althou!h by

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now he was usin! the heraldic arms of the $ac+ermotts, chiefsof $oylur!, County "oscommon% In 5DD< in his Grand od!eminutes he becomes au% +ermott, 8s9%, but in that sameyear, in an official letter addressed to him from the +eputyGrand Secretary, Ireland, he is called au% +ermott, .ine$erchant, ondon%

In 5D?: +ermott issued the first edition of the &#ntients'Constitutions, lar!ely based upon #nderson's Constitutions (f5D<6, and !ave them the etraordinary title of !himan #e6on,which he may have built up from two words in the Geneva or

7reeches 7ible of 5?:>, which !ives #himan as a prepared7rother, one of the sons of #nak, and "e/on as a secretaryor *rince% It has been su!!ested that the name means7rother Secretary, The 7rother's Secret $onitor, etc%, butnobody really knows the meanin! or whether the two Hebrewwords in con1unction have any% $any editions of !himan #e6onwere published in 8n!land, Ireland, and #merica% The 8n!lishedition of 5D:@ includes

?D

a prayer repeated in the "oyal #rch od!e at -erusalem, andstates the compiler's belief that the "oyal #rch was the root,heart and marrow of $asonry%

+ermott was an invalid for many years, and there arereferences to the sub1ect in the &#ntients' Grand od!e minutes;in an entry of -une :, 5DD>, occurs the statement that he wasso ill with the !out that he was oblid!'d to be carried out of hisbed Awhen incapable to wear shoes, stockin!s or even 7ritchesB

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to do his duty at the Steward's od!e, and rather more thanseven years later, when he was resi!nin! as +eputy Grand$aster, he pleaded his a!e, infirmities and twentysi yearsservice, althou!h actually he was to !ive many more years ofservice to the work that he loved% It was resolved on thatoccasion that a !old medal be struck and presented to +ermott,who had resi!ned as Secretary in 5DD5 and been appointed+eputy Grand $aster% It was +ermott who was principallyresponsible for dubbin! his opponents the &$oderns,' althou!h,from to)day's point of view, which side was the &$oderns' andwhich the &#ntients' 9uite eludes the present writer, whosemood is echoed in -ohn 7yrom's -acobite verse Alate ei!hteenthcenturyB

God bless the $ing, I mean the faithsdefender"

God bless ( no harm in blessing ( the pretender"

&ho that pretender is, and who is 8ing,

God bless us all,( thats 7uite another thingD

The "oyal #rch mason will be especially interested in thefrontispiece to +ermott's second edition A5D:@B of #himan "9onreproduced in this volume as *late III% In this are depicted twosets of armorial bearin!s, in one of which, described as The#rms of ye most #ntient O Honourable Fraternity, of Free and#ccepted $asons, we find the ion, (, $an, and 8a!le, withthe #rk as crest, and the Cherubim as supporters% The lionrepresented stren!th2 the o patience and assiduity2 the manintelli!ence and understandin!2 and the ea!le promptness andcelerity ) four emblems implyin!, we may reasonably conclude,

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that to the &#ntients' the "oyal #rch was an inte!ral part of the$asonic (rder%

The &#ntients,' as we have already indicated, had a mostprofound respect, amountin! to warm affection, for the "oyal#rch, the root, heart and marrow of their masonry% .e areclearly led to assume that they were the first to practise it, butthis assumption, as we have already said, does not rest ondefinite evidence% They liked it as individuals, but they liked it,too, officially as an asset in the 9uarrel between themselvesand the &$oderns'2 it !ave them the advanta!e of offerin! a

fourth de!ree, and, indeed, their Grand od!e became knownas the Grand od!e of Four +e!rees, a fact which wasundoubtedly well in the mind of the &$oderns' Grand $aster,ord 7layney, and his advisers when he

?3

erected in 5D:: the Charter of Compact, constitutin! the first ofall Grand Chapters% That the "oyal #rch was often aconsiderable attraction to the &$odern' mason is an easyinference, and we have such evidence as the instance of a

&$oderns' lod!e in 7ristol transferrin! its alle!iance in 5D:3because the *remier Grand od!e had forbidden it to continueto practise the "oyal #rch%

$any authors have boldly stated that the '#ntients' desi!ned oradopted the "oyal #rch as a mark of hostility to the &$oderns'or as a means of !ainin! an advanta!e over its opponents%uite a mild version of the accusation is the statement that the"oyal #rch was the second part of the old $aster's !rade,

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which +ermott made use of to mark a supposed differencebetween the &#ntients' and the &$oderns%' .hat is thestatement worth +ermott was ealted in +ublin, at a timeAsay, 5D@:B when the de!ree was already in eistence andmakin! pro!ress in 8n!land%

#s an Irish "oyal #rch mason he is likely to have beenintroduced to the narrative of the repair of the Temple, whereasthe 8n!lish narrative was the rebuildin!% It is difficult to avoidthe conclusion that if +ermott had been responsible for theintroduction or adoption of the "oyal #rch in 8n!land the

8n!lish tradition throu!hout two hundred years would havebeen in accordance with the Irish system% #ll the evidence isa!ainst acceptin! any su!!estion that the &#ntients' devised the"oyal #rch2 they found it conveniently to their hand, warmlyembraced it, and later reco!ni/ed it as an asset in wa!in! their9uarrel with their opponents%

It is often commonly stated that under the &#ntients' Grand

od!e every private lod!e was empowered by its charter toconfer the "oyal#rch +e!ree% (nly in a sense is this true% The"oyal #rch was not specified in the lod!e charter, but wasre!arded as such a completely inte!ral part of the $asonicscheme as not to need mention% It was 1ust taken for !ranted%#nd to that statement must be added a further one; under theirordinary charters or warrants, the &#ntients,' the Irish andmany of the Scottish lod!es, and some few of the &$oderns'lod!es believed they had the ri!ht to confer any and every

$asonic de!ree they pleasedL

.hat is claimed to be the oldest &#ntients' warrant in eistence,9uite typical in its references to Installation and St -ohn's +ay,

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is of the date 5D?3, and was issued to ent od!e, then 0o% =Anow 0o% 5?B, founded in 5D?< at Spitalfields, ondon% Itempowers the founders to form and hold a od!e of Free and#ccepted AEorkB $asons%%% and in such od!e, admit, 8nter, andmake accordin! to the Honourable Custom of the "oyal Craft %%%to nominate, Chuse and Instal their Successors, etc%, etc%, etc%,such Instalations to be on every St -ohn's +ay, durin! theContinuance of the od!e for ever% 7ut the laws andre!ulations of the &#ntients' Grand od!e made !ood anypossible omission from its charters, for in

?=

them the "oyal #rch was desi!nated the fourth de!ree%Towards the end of the century it was laid down that $embersof Grand od!e, and all warranted od!es, so far as they havethe ability and numbers, have an undoubted ri!ht to eerciseall the de!rees of the #ntient Craft%

The first official reference to the "oyal #rch +e!ree is in the &#ntients' minutes of 5D?<% The Grand Committee had met atthe Griffon Tavern, Holborn, ondon, on $arch @ of that year,with -ohn Gaunt, $aster of od!e 0o% ?, in the chair and+ermott actin! for the first time as Grand Secretary% It is thesecond meetin! recorded in the minute)book% The one and onlyminute of the meetin! voices a formal complaint brou!ht by

five 7rethren a!ainst Thomas *healon and -ohn $ackyA$ackeyB that they had

initiated many persons for the mean consideration of a legof Mutton for dinner or supper, to the disgrace of the

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!ncient Craft, that it was difficult to discover who assistedthem if any, as they seldom met twice in the same !lehouse% That Mac$y was an +mpiric in phisic" and bothimpostors in Masonry% That upon e.amining somebrothers whom they pretend to have made#oyal(!rchmen, the parties had not the least Idea of thatsecret% That -octor Mac$y Efor so he was calledF pretended to teach a Masonical !rt by which any mancould Ein a momentF render himself Invisible% That theGrand /ecrety had e.amined Mac$y, at the house of Mr% 1ames -uffy, Tobacconist, in +ast /mithfield who was nota Mason and that Mac$y appeard incapable of ma$ing an !pprentice with any degree of proprety% 0or had Mac$y

the least Idea or $nowledge of #oyal !rch Masonry% 5utinstead he had told the people whom he deceived, a longstory about < white Marble stones A A and that the #ain5ow was the #oyal !rch, with many other absurditiese7ually foreign and #idiculous(The Grand Committeenanimously !greed and )rdered that neither Thomas@healon nor 1ohn Mac$ey be admitted into any !ntientLodge during their natural lives%

#nother of the very early references occurs later in this sameyear, a Grand od!e minute of September <, 5D?<, statin! that,The od!e was (pened in #ntient Form of Grand od!e andevery piece of "eal freemasonry was traced and eplained;ecept the "oyal #rch, by the Grand Secretary%

Seven years later, on $arch <, 5D?=, we !et a hint of thecomin! of re!ulations2 a !eneral meetin! of $aster $asonshavin! been convened to compare and re!ulate thin!s, it wasordered that the $asters of the "oyal #rch shall also besummoned to meet and re!ulate thin!s relative to that mostvaluable branch of the craft%

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Some early evidence of the undoubtedly lon! and closeassociation of the &#ntients' with the Grand od!e of Ireland is

afforded by a Grand od!e minute of -une <, 5D:<; (rderedthat a Constant Correspondence

:>

shall be kept with the Grand od!e of Ireland% The minutefurther recited that, the Irish Grand od!e havin! a!reed not toadmit any So1ourner from 8n!land Aas a member, petitioner,etc%B without a certificate of his !ood behaviour under the sealof the &#ntient' Grand od!e in ondon, it was now a!reed thatan Irish So1ourner should likewise produce a proper certificatebefore he could be admitted as a member or receive any part ofthe General Charity% This reciprocal arran!ement was aimed atensurin! that only 7rethren of &#ntient' persuasion, whether8n!lish or Irish, should be admitted or helped, and it is fully in

keepin! with the seventh re!ulation in the edition of !himan#e6on published two years later A5D:@B, !iven in the form of9uestion and answer;

=th% &hether it is possible to initiate or introduce aModern Mason into a #oyal !rch Lodge Ethe very essenceof MasonryF without ma$ing him go through the !ntientceremoniesH !nswer% 0oD

The close correspondence and association between the'#ntients' on the one hand and the Irish and Scots Grandod!es on the other was not free from anomalies Avery little in

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the relationship of the &#ntients' with other $asonic bodieswasB% The Irish and Scots viewed the &#ntients' with a friendlyeye, but looked askance at the &$oderns,' and at this distanceof time, when so much is hidden from us and so much of whatwe do see is possibly misunderstood, we may blame chiefly theaffectation of superiority by the *remier body and its mostunfortunate transposition of the si!ns of reco!nition, for in theirofficial attitude to matters of ritual the &$oderns' a!reed muchmore closely with the Irish and Scots than the &#ntients' did,stran!e as this may seem%

It mi!ht well be asked; If the &#ntients' became innovators ) atany rate, in the eyes of the '$oderns' ) by adoptin! certainceremonies which officially were not reco!ni/ed or practised bythe &$oderns,' must it be taken for !ranted that in matters ofceremonial and the workin! of de!rees the Irish and the Scotsfollowed the eample set by the &#ntients' (therwise howcould it come about that the &#ntients,' the Irish, and the Scotswere all three in accord ) an a!reement that is so very obviouswhen readin! at first hand the minutes of the &#ntients' Grandod!e How came it that, of the four, the &$oderns' were the'one out' It is true that the Irish and the Scots appear to haveapproved the &#ntients' ceremonials, but ) a bi! but, too ) whilethe Irish worked the Third +e!ree and !ave to certain addedde!rees what mi!ht seem to be their natural home, it was alon! time before they would officially countenance the "oyal#rch% This is proved by the first officially recorded notice takenby the Irish Grand od!e of that ceremonial, to be found in aresolution of 5D3:; that it is

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hi!hly improper for a $aster $asons' od!e %%% to enter upontheir books any Transactions relative to the "oyal #rch% Thismi!ht have meant merely that it was desirable for two sets oftransactions to be kept in two separate books, but it does notread 9uite so sweetly as that, and in any case it indicated farmore sympathy with the &$oderns' than with the &#ntients' pointof view% AIndeed, the &$oderns' had issued similar instructionsei!hteen years before, as mentioned in the net section%BShould the reader instance a!ainst this assumption that the"oyal #rch had been worked in Ireland durin! much of theei!hteenth century, then it must be made clear that suchhistory is lar!ely of unofficial happenin!s in certain lod!es thatfelt themselves able to disre!ard the wishes of their Grand

od!e% #nd this applies with e9ual force to Scotland, in whichcountry the lod!es were slow and far from unanimous inadoptin! even the Third +e!ree and, further, were mostlybitterly opposed to the Installation ceremony% AScots lod!esadopted that ceremony as late as 53:?, under an instructionfrom their Grand od!e%B 0ot until 535: did the Scots have aGrand Chapter, not till 53<= the Irish%

7efore we can discuss further the attitude of the &#ntients' wemust take a fairly comprehensive view of the &$oderns' in theirrelationship to the "oyal #rch%

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Section Fi&e

THE $MODERNS' MASONS AND THE ROYAL ARCH

TH8 Grand od!e of 5D5D was !enerally known by itsopponents as the &$oderns,' and by that unfortunate namehistory still knows them% Their official attitude of indifference to

the "oyal #rch may have lar!ely turned, as the years went by,upon the /ealous adoption by their opponents of the &new'ceremonial% (fficially they re!arded the &#ntients' as &irre!ular'and &ille!al,' would not therefore countenance them, andthreatened any of their own members with the &severestcensure' for associatin! $asonically with them% isitors to

&$oderns' lod!es were compelled to take an oath on the %S%%that they had been re!ularly made in a lod!e constituted underthe premier Grand od!e, or, if they had not been so made, to

submit to be reinitiated% 0aturally the &#ntients' bitterlyretaliated in the same way%

In such an atmosphere as this it was unlikely that the &$oderns'Grand od!e would look with a kindly eye upon a de!ree withwhich the rival body was closely identified, and there is anindication of this in some curious happenin!s centred around alod!e that met in 5D?? at 7en -onson's Head, *elham Street,

Spitalfields, ondon% This lod!e, founded as far back as 5D6 aat the 0a!'s Head, South #udley Street, .est ondon, musthave had a somewhat che9uered career, and was erased in5D??% The happenin!s are mentioned in the 5D3D edition of !himan #e6on, while in +r Geor!e (liver's #evelations of a/7uare A53??B are !iven further details, althou!h these must

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be looked at somewhat narrowly% .e have drawn upon both ofthese sources, and believe that the story as now toldrepresents the approimate truth% Certain members of thelod!e had been abroad and had received etraordinarybenefits on account of #ntient $asonry% This +r (liverembroiders, and says Aon unknown evidenceB that these7rethren brou!ht back with them certain rituals, includin! thatof "amsay's "oyal #rch, and these they practised secretly everythird lod!e ni!ht under the desi!nation of &#ntient $asonry%' +r(liver's story is that +r $annin!ham, the +eputy Grand $aster,was reluctantly admitted on one of these occasions, and he indue course reported that the ceremony he had witnessed was areconstruction of "amsay's "oyal

:6

#rch Ahow could he know thisB to which had been transferredthe real landmarks of a $aster $ason% .% -% Hu!han, muchmore cautious, says that the workin! in the 7en -onson od!e

probably referred to the "oyal #rch and that the necessarychan!es would be in the Third +e!ree, but even his statementis nothin! more than !uesswork% #nother version is that +r$annin!ham with other 7rethren called at the lod!e and wasrefused admission2 conse9uently a complaint was made at thenet meetin! of Grand od!e, and as a result the lod!e wasseverely censured and instructed that any 7rother should beeli!ible for admission as a visitor on any of its re!ular ni!hts%The lod!e resented the censure, issued a manifesto accusin!

the Grand od!e of partiality, innovation, and deviation fromthe ancient landmarks, and publicly renounced alle!iance to it%The se9uel was an unanimous resolution of Grand od!e on St-ohn the 7aptists' +ay 5D?? to erase the lod!e from the list%This is a celebrated case, but amounts to 1ust this; the 7en-onson od!e insisted on workin! a ceremonial unknown to the

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'$oderns' ) possibly and even probably an early form of the"oyal #rch ) and, in conse9uence, was erased%

The official attitude notwithstandin!, many &$oderns' lod!es didwork a "oyal #rch ceremonial, evidence thereof bein! theoldest 8n!lish minute recordin! the raisin! of 7rethren to the"oyal #rch +e!ree% This minute is of a &$oderns' lod!e, then0o% <<>, meetin! at the Crown, Christmas Street, 7ristol, in5D?3, obviously a lod!e of the Traditioner type Asee p% ?>B%Grand od!e is not known to have taken any steps a!ainst thislod!e, and we may safely assume that from some such period

as this, or even earlier, many &$oderns' lod!es were workin!the "oyal #rch% #s an indication that their Grand od!e couldnot have been unaware of what was !oin! on but thou!ht itbetter to adopt an attitude of studied indifference, let usadduce one of the most 9uoted phrases in the history offreemasonry% It occurs in a written reply by Samuel Spencer,the &$oderns' Grand Secretary in 5D?=, to an Irish 7rother whoasked for charity; (ur Society is neither #rch, "oyal #rch or#ntient, so that you lyave no ri!ht to partake of our Charity ) astatement which may have been icily correct, but was 1ust a !iftto his opponents, whose Grand Secretary, aurence +ermott,!ladly incorporated it in his records% The petitioner, .illiamCarrall or Carroll, a certified so1ourner in distress, comin!from +ublin and possibly unaware of the division in 8n!lishfreemasonry, petitioned the *remier Grand od!e for help,which unfortunately was not !iven him% 7ut let us be fair in thismatter2 in view of the reciprocal a!reement mentioned in theprecedin! section Asee p% :>B would any 8n!lish &$odern' havefared any better in +ublin either then or, say, only three years

later The same Grand Secretary, Spencer, wrote in 5D:D to a7rother in Frankfurt who was makin! in9uiries; The "oyal

:@

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#rch is a society which we do not acknowled!e and which wehold to be an invention to introduce innovation and to seduce

the brethren% There speaks the official Spencer, but theunofficial Spencer had been ealted and admitted a 1oinin!member of a prominent chapter the year beforeL #nd theanomaly is all the more marked when we bear in mind thatSamuel Spencer's Grand $aster, ord 7layney, had onlyrecently erected the first Grand Chapter%

In 5D:3 Samuel Spencer's successor, Thomas French, in aletter to the $aster of Sun od!e, 7ristol, said;

There is only one circumstance in your minutes which youare re7uested to correct, and that concerns #oyal !rchMasonry, which comes not under our inspection% 9ou aredesired never to insert the transactions thereof in your#egular Lodge 5oo$s, nor to carry on the business of that

degree on your stated Lodge nights%

The Charter of Compact carries French's si!nature% #nothersi!natory of the Charter, -ames Heseltine, one of the best of theGrand Secretaries of the day and at one time an officer of theGrand Chapter, writin! to -% *eter Go!el, *ast Grand $aster ofFrankfurt in 5DD@, did, indeed, acknowled!e that the "oyal #rchis part of $asonry2 he clearly puts the anomalous position inwhich he found himself;

It is true that many of the 'raternity belong to a -egreein Masonry which is said to be higher than the other, and

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is called #oyal !rch %%% I have the honour to belong to this-egree %%% but it is not ac$nowledged in Grand Lodge, andall its emblems and jewels are forbidden to be wornthere%%%% 9ou will thus see that the #oyal !rch is a privateand distinct society% It is part of Masonry but has noconnection with Grand Lodge and this is the only further-egree $nown to us in +ngland%

#nd only twenty)one years before the Craft 4nion we find the &$oderns' Grand od!e resolvin! A0ovember <5, 5D=<B Thatthis Grand od!e do a!ree with its Committee that Grand od!e

has nothin! to do with the proceedin!s of the Society of "oyal#rch $asons%

T3e U#00!,!+2 A--!-%e

$any students of repute have held the opinion that the &$oderns' worked the "oyal #rch in ondon and perhaps in theprovinces lon! before the &#ntients' did so% Henry Sadlerthou!ht that, notwithstandin! that the "oyal #rch was firstmentioned by +ermott in the records of the &#ntients,' it wasnot !enerally adopted by them until some years after it hadbecome eceedin!ly popular with the &$oderns%' #lasL where isthe evidence in support .e simply do not know who first

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:?

worked the "oyal #rch, but, 1ud!in! from the knowncircumstances, the present author tends to !ive the &#ntients'the credit% Their Grand od!e minutes of 5D?< Aalready 9uotedBcannot be for!otten, but we certainly find the oldest record ofthe raisin! of Candidates, in 8n!land, in conneion with a

&$oderns' lod!e ) that at the Crown Inn, Christmas Street,7ristol, to which reference has been made at p% ?>% The daywas Sunday, the date #u!ust 56, 5D?32 four other meetin!s ofthis lod!e were held, also on Sundays, durin! the net twelvemonths, but there are no later mentions of the "oyal #rch inthese minutes, and it is possible that Grand od!e had warnedthe lod!e not to continue in its new course% It is known thatsome or many lod!es ownin! alle!iance to the &$oderns'practised an &#ntient' form of workin! and had considerable

respect for their opponents' customs and traditions, a feelin!that was far from bein! reciprocated, and it is not withoutsi!nificance that a 7rother in .akefield wrote to somebodyapparently connected with the &$oderns' Grand od!e inondon, askin! to be sent a copy of !himan #e6on Athe

&#ntients' ConstitutionsB%

$uch has always been made of the fact that the &#ntients'worked the "oyal #rch without specific authori/ation in theirwarrants% 7ut what of the &$oderns' +id they not Auntil suchtime as the separate chapter became the vo!ue, say, in the5DD>Ks or even laterB, did they not work the "oyal #rch in theirprivate lod!es They too had no specific warrantsL The only

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difference is that in one camp the lod!es were doin! it withimplied and understood authority and in the other withoutLThomas +unckerley, a hi!h officer and the opposite number toaurence +ermott A&#ntients' Grand SecretaryB, conferred the"oyal #rch +e!ree in private lod!es which could not possiblyhave been authori/ed to work it2 a certificate issuedto him inFebruary 5D:3 by a lod!e in *lymouth +ock A+evonportB statesthat he had presided as $aster for two years, durin! whichtime his $asonic skill, knowled!e and eperience hath beenmanifested in the care he hath taken in Governin!, Instructin!and Improvin! said od!e in the several de!rees of 8%*% * F%C%* * $%$% * * * O "%#% * * ** The lod!e issued this certificateat a time before the Grand Chapter had be!un to issue

warrants for private chapters; 9uite obviously +unckerley wasdoin! as many other $asters and lod!es were doin! ) he wasworkin! the "oyal #rch ceremony in his Craft lod!e and takin!for !ranted the complete re!ularity of his course%

#s from the erection of the Grand Chapter in 5D:: 7rethrencould re!ulari/e themselves by takin! a warrant from the GrandChapter and foundin! a private chapter% 7ut the lod!es showedno undue haste to put themselves ri!ht in this way, for evenseven years after the comin! of Grand Chapter the warrantedprivate chapters were only twenty or so,

::

surely a small number in relation to the Craft lod!es whichcontinued, on their own authority, to confer the de!ree% #sdefinite instances we may 9uote the #nchor and Hope od!e,0(% 6D, 7olton, founded in 5D6<, which worked the de!reefrom 5D:D until a warrant for a chapter was issued in 5D3?, and

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the od!e of St -ohn, 0o% 5=5, founded in $anchester in 5D:=Ameetin! in 7ury since 53@?B, which at a very much later datewas continuin! to work the de!ree in lod!e, and did not have atany time a chapter associated with it%

There is a se9uel to all this in the warrantin! of chapters inconsiderable number in the closin! years of the ei!hteenthcentury, but that is a matter for a later section%

M+-er' L%/e

It has commonly been advanced that $asters' od!es, of whichfirst recorded mention is made in the 5D6>Ks, played a part inthe early development of the "oyal #rch% It is accepted thatthese lod!es came into bein! to meet a need of their day )

namely, to raise Fellow Crafts to the Third +e!ree, the Hiramic+e!ree havin! only late in the 5D<>Ks reached some of thelod!es, few of which knew it well enou!h to be able to confer it%It is reasonably assumed that Fellow Crafts wishin! to be

&passed' to the $aster $ason's !rade often resorted to the$asters' od!es, where the ceremony was worked byparticularly keen and knowled!eable 7rethren, but as from themiddle of the ei!hteenth century the ordinary lod!es were ableto work the de!ree% Conse9uently, as Third +e!ree lod!es pureand simple, the $asters' od!es had now served their purpose,and if and where they continued to eist they had to find otheremployment%

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.hat that employment was nobody knows% There has beenplenty of !uessin!, plenty of downri!ht assertion, but Aand herethe writer is supported by -% Heron epper, no mean student of"oyal #rch historyB we have no evidence ) no positive, definiteevidence ) that it was the conferment of the "oyal #rch +e!ree%(nly a relatively small number of $asters' od!es were at workin the second half of the ei!hteenth century% 7etween 5D:> and5D3>, for eample, the most likely period of their bein! used as"oyal #rch lod!es Aif they ever were so usedB, seven are onrecord in the 5D:>Ks, of which si met once a month and oneevery two months, and only si in the 5DD>Ks, of which five metonce a month and one 9uarterly% So in one decade, so far as isknown, only seventy)ei!ht and in the other only sity)four

"oyal #rch meetin!s could have been available in each year to7rethren lookin! to the $asters' od!es for 8altation ) this ata time when both the lod!es and increasin!ly the chapters ofthe &$oderns' were ealtin! 7rethren in numbers% AThe

:D

&#ntients,' makin! their "oyal #rch masons in their ordinarylod!es, had no use for $asters' od!es%B

There is a feelin! that late in the century $aster $asons couldhave !one to the $asters' od!es to be made virtual *ast$asters for the purpose of 9ualifyin! them as "oyal #rch

Candidates, but there is no evidence of it% #t different times in,but not all throu!h, the thirteen years immediately precedin!the 4nion five $asters' od!es met monthly and si 9uarterly,all of them apparently disappearin! with the 4nion% 8ven if thepossibility is conceded that $asters' od!es worked the "oyal#rch in the second half of the ei!hteenth century it is fair to

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assume that any part they played in the history anddevelopment of the "oyal #rch was ne!li!ible% It is likely Aa!ainno evidenceB that they worked some of the many addedde!rees known late in the ei!hteenth century%

The student may be informed that the somewhat tantali/in!sub1ect of the $asters' od!es is well treated by -ohn ane in#%%C%, vol% i, while the present author offers in vol% lvii of thesame transactions a review of the eistin! evidence%

> Ar,3!#/'

&#rchin!' was a commonly used term to si!nify what is nowcalled &8altation,' and an early use of it is in the minutes of a7olton lod!e in 5D::, where from each of nine 7rethren ?s% :d %

was "eceived for #rchin!% 4nanimity od!e, .akefield,char!ed a 7rother a fee for the #rches in 5D::, the pluralform a!reein! with an idea 9uite !eneral in that day and onethat is eemplified on many old "oyal #rch 1ewels% #n oldmanuscript ritual of Sincerity Chapter, Taunton Awarranted53i=B, contains many references to candidates passin! throu!hthe #rches and back a!ain% There must be many availablereferences on similar lines%

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Section Si+

THE PREMIER GRAND CHAPTER

TH8 erection of a Grand Chapter sometime late in theei!hteenth century was more or less inevitable, but it camesooner and somewhat differently from what mi!ht have been

epected% It is obvious that late in the 5D:>Ks manydistin!uished 7rethren of the &$oderns' were enterin! the(rder, but in what mi!ht be re!arded as an irre!ular manner,for there was no authority that could issue charters to chapters,and the &$oderns' Grand od!e would have been horrified atany su!!estion that it should do anythin! to re!ulari/e theincreasin!ly common practice of makin! "oyal #rch masons inits Craft lod!es% $eanwhile &#ntient' 7rethren were bein! 9uitere!ularly and properly ealted in their ordinary lod!es, solidly

behind them bein! their Grand od!e, en1oyin! the kudos andsolid advanta!e of bein! known as the Grand od!e of theFour +e!rees% &$odern' $asons had a need for a GrandChapter, both to re!ulari/e a !rowin! practice and to meet thecompetition of their earnest and ener!etic rivals% #nd thatGrand Chapter came in 5D::, probably as warmly welcomed bythe rank and file as it was keenly resented by some of theirleaders and officials%

ord 7layney, Grand $aster of the &$oderns', recently ealtedin a new chapter ) later the 8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter) entered into a Charter of Compact which brou!ht intoeistence the first Grand Chapter of "oyal #rch masons, thefirst not only in 8n!land, but in the world% That Charter was

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si!ned in 5D::, althou!h in $asonic literature the date has,until very recently, been !iven as one year later, and it willtherefore be necessary to eplain the circumstances in which itis thou!ht that the date became altered, probably within a yearof the si!nin! of the Compact%

The reader may ecusably confuse one Grand Chapter withanother% et us briefly recapitulate them% The first GrandChapter was that promoted by ord 7layney, Grand $aster, in5D:: under the title of The Grand and "oyal Chapter or The8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter% In 5D=?)=: the title was

altered to The Grand od!e of "oyal #rch $asons, and in53>5 a!ain altered, this time to The Supreme Grand Chapter%The &#ntients' founded a so)called Grand Chapter Asee Section

:=

sevenB in 5DD5% #nother was the short)lived Eork GrandChapter or Grand Chapter of #ll 8n!land Aits one minute isdated 5DD3B% The present Supreme Grand Chapter of "oyal#rch $asons of 8n!land was formed by a union in 535D of theori!inal Grand Chapter of 5D:: and the "oyal #rch masonsunder the former Grand od!e of the &#ntients%' Ireland foundedits Grand Chapter in 53<= under the title of The SupremeGrand "oyal #rch Chapter of Ireland, and Scotland its GrandChapter in 535D under the title of The Supreme Grand "oyal

#rch Chapter of Scotland%

"T3e E5,e22e#- Gr+#% +#% R+2 C3+p-er

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$ost of the hitherto accepted stories of the way in which thefirst Grand Chapter came to be erected by Charter of Compact

are, it is feared, somewhat inaccurate% The most reliableaccount available is that !iven in two valuable contributions to#%%C% Avols% lii, livB by -% "% +ashwood, to whosereproduction of the Grand Chapter minutes with his notesthereon, and to #% "% Hewitt's #ddress to Grand Chapter in5=::, we are indebted for much of the information that follows%

It has been commonly understood that the first Grand Chaptercame into bein! as a result of ord 7layney's constitutin! theCaledonian Chapter into a Grand and "oyal Chapter2 thepresent author fell into the same mistake% It is true that theCaledonian Chapter had much to do with the brin!in! intoeistence of the new Chapter whose members entered into thecompact with ord 7layney2 both of these chapters had a closeconneion with the Caledonian od!e, which started life as an

&#ntients' lod!e, but seceded in its second year and in 5D:@obtained a charter from the *remier Grand od!e, its thennumber bein! 6<? and its present one 56@% The first CaledonianChapter, which may possibly have antedated the lod!e of thesame name, did not have a lon! life and a new CaledonianChapter was in eistence by 5D3>, but even that one is notto)day's, the present one datin! back only to 53D< and bein!attached to Caledonian od!e, 0o% 56@2 this lod!e has adistin!uished history, amon! its members in early days bein!.illiam *reston, the famous $asonic author and lecturer%

The first minute)book of the 8cellent Grand and "oyal Chaptercovers the period from $arch <<, 5D:?, to +ecember 55, 5D:D,inclusive, the writer of the minutes bein! the first Scribe 8%,Francis Flower, who died within a few days of the last entry% The

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Chapter had at first no specific name% In contradiction of manyearlier and inaccurate accounts it is well to say that, althou!hthis Chapter mi!ht appear to be a

D>

reincarnation of the "oyal #rch activities of the Caledonianod!e, this is now known to be impossible% (f twenty)nineori!inal members of that lod!e whose names are known notone is included amon! the early members of the new Chapter ) not even the name one mi!ht most epect to find there, thatof .illiam *reston% 7y)laws of February 5<, 5D::, make it plainthat the new Chapter was not the Caledonian Chapter, althou!hit was under some obli!ation to that body%

.e can well suppose that the new Chapter was formed for thedefinite purpose of bein! erected at an early date into a Grand

Chapter% Its name at its inception, as already said, is unknown,and it is convenient to call it strai!ht away the 8cellent Grandand "oyal Chapter, althou!h it could not have functioned assuch until it had received its authority from the Charter ofCompact si!ned in its second year%

In the early pa!es of its first minute)book is a self)conferredcharter under which the new Chapter considered itself entitled

to act2 this appears to have been a!reed at a meetin! on -une5<, 5D:?, and it was si!ned by twenty)nine 7rethren at thenet meetin! A-uly 5>B, a further fourteen si!natures bein!appended from time to time up to $arch 55r, 5D:D% Themanifesto recited that the Companions had resolved to hold achapter at the Turk's Head Tavern, Gerrard Street, Soho,

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ondon, on the second Friday A.ednesday was crossed outBof every month at si o'clock in the evenin!, and that everymember should pay two !uineas Atwentysi shillin!s crossedoutB annually towards epenses;

+very 5rother who desires to pass the !rch, or to becomea Member of this Chapter must be regularly proposed inopen Chapter4 and it is e.pected that the Member proposing such a one, be able to give a satisfactoryaccount of the 5rother so proposed% !ny Member maywithout offence demand a 5allot4 and if on being had

there shall be found more than two negatives againstsuch 5rother, he shall not be permitted to pass the !rchin, or become a Member of, this Chapter%

8very 7rother passin! the #rch in this Chapter and also every 1oinin! member paid two !uineas A one !uinea crossed outB,while visitors admitted on very particular occasions paid half a!uinea each to the current epense% The penalty for behavin!

indecently or disorderly in the Chapter or bein! intoicated withli9uor therein was admonishment or, if incorri!ible, epulsion% #7rother in arrears later than the fourth meetin! of the currentyear was no lon!er deemed a member% (fficers were elected atthe first meetin! after the Feast of St -ohn the 8van!elist everyyear, and continued in authority one whole year;

!nd if any )fficer is absent on any night of meeting, the+4%L4 shall appoint any able and e.perienced 5rother tosupply his place for that 0ight%

D5

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!nd if the +4%L4 shall unavoidably be absent, the ne.t)fficer in !uthority shall officiate for him, or appoint who

he judges proper to do it% !nd the 5rother so officiatingshall in all respects have ample !uthority for that 0ight%

A(bviously, then, at that early date there was no esotericInstallation of *rincipal (fficers%B The manifesto with itsre!ulations was followed by a set of seven resolutions,evidently of the same date A5D:?B, and it is of advanta!e to

!ive these eactly as they appear in the minute)book;

I st )n Chapter night, the Companions being discreetlyconvened in the !ntichamber, the @%% %L% A L% togetherwith the +% A 0% and the @rincipal /r% shall go into theChapter #oom, and being properly invested shall open theChapter in due form% !fter which they shall come forth tothe Companions in )rder, who shall receive them with

proper respect% !nd immediately the procession shallbegin%

nd That the +%G%s be clothed in proper #obes, Caps ontheir eads, and adorned with proper 1ewells%(0o !prons%

:rd That the /n appear with the emblems of theiremployment%

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>th That the /ecretarys be adorned with proper 1ewells,etc% 2The word J#obesJ has been interpolated at a laterdate%3

? th That all the Companions wear !prons, Ee.cept thoseappointed to wear #obesF and the !prons shall be all ofone sort or fashion% Kis% &hite Leather Indented roundwith Crimson #ibbon and strings of the same, with a T ingold properly displayed on the 5ibb% A @urple GartersIndented with @in$%

Bth The /ecretarys shall order all Li7uor and refreshmentsand ta$e proper account of the same% 5ut no Li7uor Ac%shall be brought into the Chapter room, during Chapter,on any pretense whatsoever%

= th The )fficers shall preserve their stations and !uthority

during the remainder of the +vening, after the Chapter isclosed, for the sa$e of good order, etc%

# later by)law seems to !ive an advanta!e in fees, either as a 1oinin! member or a visitor, to 7rethren ealted before -une 5<,5D::, or in the Caledonian Chapter or in a chapter in thecountry, or beyond the seas% From this it is plain that the8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter was not the Caledonian

Chapter, and that it dated its own inau!uration from -une 5<,5D:?, and that any earlier meetin!s were preliminary meetin!s,but later minutes stron!ly support the su!!estion that therewas a close amity between the new Chapter and the CaledonianChapter%

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$any 8altations took place, includin! one in #pril 5D:?, of +r-ohn -ames "ouby, whose "oyal #rch 1ewel, now in the Grand

od!e museum in ondon, is the earliest at present known andbears the date

D<

5D::, althou!h he was ealted a year earlier Asee *late IIIB%#t the meetin! of -une 5<, 5D:?, officers were elected, theirappellations bein!;

7ror% eck Senr% *%H%

7ror% $aclean *%J% 8cellent Grands

7ro% #ynson *%I%

7ror% Galloway *rincipalSo1ourner

7ror% Flower 8%

Secretaries%

7ror% -nP% Hu!hes 0%

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It will be noted that *%J% comes second in the list, althou!h it isknown that $aclean ruled the Chapter, but the order above!iven is the same as that found in the Toast in the &#ntients' !himan #e6on, 5D?:, and as used much later by the EorkChapter in 5DD<% 8lsewhere in the minute)book of the 8cellentGrand and "oyal Chapter the method of desi!natin! the Three*rincipal (fficers varies considerably, and in the one year, 5D::,we find the first two officers are *%J% and *%H%, but the third is!iven in one case as *%I%, in another as -%*%, and in still anotheras I%H%*% In all these titles the letter * stands for *rince,*rophet, and *riest% In epenses endorsed by an #uditCommittee on $arch <5, 5D::, occur these items; "obes, Q3<s%2 <@ #prons, Q? @s%2 Copper *late and 5,>>> 7ills

Apresumably Summons blanksB, Q6 :s%2 6 Candles, <s% :d%2*aintin! the od!e, 5>s% :d%2 7rass etters, Q52 Floor Cloth,5Ds% :d%2 Inkstand and Stationery, 5>s% :d%2 and a Cable Tow5? yd% lon! made of *urple 7lue O Scarlet .orsted, and aTassell, Q5 5s% AThe &od!e' was probably the lod!e board, thetracin!)board%B

#t the anniversary feast Thomas +unckerley attended theChapter for the first time, was promptly elected a member, butpaid no 1oinin! fee2 he has been assumed to have been themovin! spirit in the new Chapter, but this is not supported byavailable evidence% The Chapter was seven months old when hebecame a member2 he was immediately elected Third *rincipal,but made very few attendances, even after he had !onethrou!h the *rincipal Chair%

Lr% B2+#e He+% 0 -3e R+2 Ar,3

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# most important era in "oyal #rch masonry be!an on -une 55,5D::, on which day twenty)seven companions witnessed the8altation of Cadwallader, ord 7layney, in the new Chapter%#utomatically, it appears, he immediately became head of the"oyal #rch and First *rincipal of the Chapter, and he did in factpreside at the net three meetin!s, all held in -uly, the first ofthem on the <nd of the month, bein! the day on which lamesHeseltine, then Grand Steward, and three others were ealted%

D6

Heseltine became Grand Secretary in the Craft three years laterand was a keen spirit in the Chapter%

Cadwallader, ninth ord 7layney, an Irishman, &$oderns' Grand$aster from 5D:@ to 5D::, was born in 5D<>, succeeded to thefamily title in 5D:5, was by profession an army officer, was a

$a1or)General in 5D:? and later Commander)in)Chief, $unster,which office he held at the time of his death in 5DD?% He wasinitiated when youn!, but in which lod!e is not known, andserved in 5D:@ as $aster of the A&$oderns'B 0ew od!e, HornTavern, .estminster, 0o% 656, which took the name "oyalod!e in 5D:D and in 53<@ united with the #lpha od!eAfounded in 5D<<B, now the "oyal #lpha, 0o% 5:% The inspirationand drivin! force behind him may have been Thomas+unckerley2 these two with aurence +ermott of the opposite

camp are the three !reat names in the formative period of the"oyal #rch% 7ut we are very much in the dark as to the partsplayed by some of the si!natories to the Charter of Compact,and it is possible that a few of them ) notably -ohn $aclean and-ames Galloway ) did as much as +unckerley, or even more, tomake possible the foundin! of a Grand Chapter% ord 7layney

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was elected Grand $aster of Ireland on $ay :, 5D:3, butresi!ned before -une <@ of the same year%

ord 7layney proved a !ood Grand $aster in the Craft, anddurin! his office constituted seventy)four lod!es, of whichnineteen, bearin! honoured names, are in to)day's list% In hispresence the +uke of Gloucester was initiated in ord 7layney'slod!e at the Horn Tavern, .estminster, the first Initiation of a"oyal *rince on 8n!lish soil since that of Frederick, *rince of.ales, in 5D?D% ord 7layney obviously had a !reat re!ard forThomas +unckerley, appointed him to hi!h office, and we can

well suppose re!arded him as his chief $asonic mentor%7layney was stron!ly &#ntient' in sympathies, and evidentlyfavoured the softenin! of the &$oderns' austere workin!% Insupport of that statement may be adduced his action ) afterwitnessin! in the (ld +undee od!e, then 0o% =, an Initiationnot alto!ether to his likin! ) in re9uestin! the members to altertheir ceremonial in some particular, a re9uest a!reed to, butnot without demur%

He was the first &$oderns' Grand $aster to acknowled!e andfoster the "oyal #rch, but not the first Grand $aster to becomea "oyal #rch mason, for the Hon% 7rinsley 7utler Alater 8arl ofanesborou!hB was ealted durin! his year of office as Grand$aster of Ireland, an e9ually difficult event to understand fromany official point of view, for the Irish Grand od!e had officiallyno more use for the "oyal #rch than the *remier Grand od!eof 8n!land had shown itself to have%

D@

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T3e C3+r-er 0 Cmp+,-( 89??

(ut of the new Chapter in which ord 7layney had been ealtedcame, under his direction, the Grand Chapter of 8n!land, and itcame in 5D::, and not, as all the historians)Gould, Hu!han,and Sadler amon! themhave stated, in the net year 5D:D%$asonic writers, includin! the present author, have helped tocontinue the mistake% 7efore eplainin! how the mistake aroseit should be said that, althou!h the ma1or credit for the erectionof 8n!land's first Grand Chapter has customarily been !iven toord 7layney, the most likely truth is that a few keen spirits,

amon! them Thomas +unckerley, promoted the scheme, andthe Grand $aster !ave it his encoura!ement and personalauthority, without which the scheme would have had but smallchance of success%

#t ord 7layney's second meetin! of the Chapter in which hehad been ealted the famous Charter of Compact must havebeen decided upon, this bein! clear from indications in the

minutes and in the Charter itself% The Charter, dated -uly <<,speaks of ord 7layney as Grand $aster% He was Grand $asterin 5D::, but not in 5D:D% The Charter is si!ned by the officersof the year 5D::, not of the year 5D:D% -uly << must havebeen of 5D:: because there was no meetin! of the Chapter on-uly << of 5D:D, nor did ord 7layney attend the Chapter after-uly 6>, 5D::%

It is -% "% +ashwood's contention Asee%,@%%C, vol% 5ivB that theori!inal Charter itself displays evidence that the dates havebeen tampered with, the effect bein! that 5D:: is a trifleclumsily made to appear as 5D:D% The cost of en!rossin! theCharter, a very beautiful piece of work, was two !uineas% The

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draft of the Charter was probably approved on -uly <<, and theen!rossment was ready for si!nin! by ord 7layney and theofficers present, other officers si!nin! at a later date%

# further alteration was, 9uite skilfully, to insert the letter *before the words Grand $aster, the whole tenor of thedocument provin! that this is an interpolation% -% "% +ashwood'ssu!!ested eplanation of the true inwardness of the matter isthat, althou!h many Grand (fficers had been ealted, it is wellknown Aas reiterated in this bookB that the &$oderns' officiallydid not re!ard the "oyal #rch with favour2 it is reasonable to

suppose that they may have heard with horror that their Grand$aster had allowed himself to be ealted durin! his period ofoffice, that he had become a *rincipal (fficer of his Chapter,had entered into a Charter of Compact settin! up a GrandChapter with power to !rant charters, and had even consentedto be named as the $% 8% Grand $aster of "oyal #rch $asonry%-% "% +ashwood thinks that some persons were

D?

determined to undo the worst of the dama!e by makin! itappear that ord 7layney had acted not officially as Grand$aster, but in his private capacity after he had laid down thatoffice, and the easiest way of doin! this was by postdatin! theCharter by a year, the letter * bein! inserted in front of the

words Grand $aster to su!!est that ord 7layney was nolon!er in office and was actin! individually% The matter is dealtwith at len!th in #%%C% at the references already !iven, andthe interested reader can there study the matter and form hisown 1ud!ment%

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The Charter of Compact, a Charter of Institution and*rotection, instituted and erected

2certain +.cellent 5rethren and Companions3 to form andbe, The Grand and #oyal Chapter of the #oyal !rch of 1erusalem %%% with full power and absolute !uthority % % %to hold and convene Chapters and other proper !ssemblies for the carrying on, improving and promotingthe said benevolent and useful &or$% !nd also to admit,

pass and e.alt in due form and according to the #ites andCeremonies Time immemorial used and approved in andby that most +.alted and sacred -egree, and as now bythem practised, all such e.perienced and discreet MastersMasons as they shall find worthy% %%% !nd also toconstitute, superintend and regulate other Chapters%

The Charter itself is a handsomely illuminated and en!rossed

document, twenty)five inches wide and thirty deep Asee *lateIB% The faded writin! is 9uite le!ible% It bears three coats ofarms A"oyal, *remier Grand od!e, and ord 7layney'sB, threehealphas, nine trian!les, the &T)over)H' device, etc% It hasthirty si!natories, of whom nine, includin! ord 7layney,+unckerley, #llen, and Thomas French, affied their seals% #t ornear the head of the Charter are the words commonly found onthe early Grand Chapter documents, The $ost 8nli!htened8ast% In a central trian!le appear the letters I%0%, which some

students have thou!ht stand for the Ineffable 0ame, butwhich more probably mi!ht represent -esus of 0a/areth% Thetrian!les, in their curious disposition, are held to represent thepositions of the Three *rincipals, the Three So1ourners, Scribe8%, Scribe 0%, and the #ltar% Framed and !la/ed, it han!s in the

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ibrarian's office in Freemasons' Hall, ondon, as becomes sucha most important document%

-ohn #llen, attorney of Clement's Inn, who at times acted as+eputy Grand $aster in the Craft and whose seal and si!naturethe Charter bears, not only, it is thou!ht, drafted the document,but apparently retained it, for after his death it was foundamon! his papers% Some time in the nineteenth century it wasplaced in a storeroom in Freemasons' Hall, where late in thecentury it was discovered%

The Charter bears the AalteredB date 5D:D, the ordinarycalendar year reckoned from the birth of Christ, and also asecond date formed by

D:

addin! 5D:D to @>>@R ?DD5% 0owadays the year #nno +ominiis converted to #nno ucis by addin! @>>>%

The ei!hth &clause' of the Charter states that none callin!themselves "oyal #rch $asons shall be deemed any other than$asters in operative $asonry Aa term which in this conneion

must obviously mean Craft $asonryB% This assumptionappears to echo the claim to superior status made in earlieryears by the &Scotch $asons' Asee p% 6=B, and its presence inthe Charter, besides stren!thenin! any supposition that theearlier rite was related to the later one, may help us to arrive atan answer to a difficult 9uestion; how came it about that the

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new Grand Chapter, with no eperience of esoteric Installation,was so soon to insist on a *ast $aster 9ualification in itsCandidates Is the answer, or some part of it, that, re!ardin!itself as an association of $asters, it ea!erly took a leaf from itsopponent's book to ensure that only $asters entered into itsmembership The ar!ument may not be 9uite waterti!ht, butthe truth may well be somewhere in itL

T3m+ D#,er2e

Thomas +unckerley Aor +unkerleyB is credited with bein! the &master mind' that continued ord 7layney's policy% 7orn inondon in 5D<@ and later acknowled!ed as the natural son ofthe *rince of .ales, afterwards Geor!e II, to whom he bore astrikin! resemblance, he died in *ortsmouth in the year 5D=?%In a book)plate known to the "ev%

#% F% #% .oodford he !ives his name as Thomas +unckerleyFit/)Geor!e% He is believed to have been initiated in 5D?@ inod!e 0o% 65, meetin! at the Three Tuns, *ortsmouth% He wascalled to the bar at about fifty years of a!e, but probably didnot practise, and as the circumstances of his birth had by thistime become common property he was now admitted into hi!hsocial circles% In his last days he was reduced to penury by theprofli!acy of his son, and on his death in 5D=? his estate wasvalued for probate at only Q6>>, althou!h he had been livin!

free in apartments in Hampton Court *alace and had receivedfrom the in! a pension of Q3>> per annum, 9uite a sum inthose days%

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+unckerley ac9uired considerable $asonic eperience, was aloyal officer of the premier Grand od!e, althou!h in sympathywith the &#ntients' workin!, and at various times was the Grand$aster of ei!ht different provinces and Grand Superintendent inthe "oyal #rch of twenty)ei!ht counties%

There were early authors who credited +unckerley with bein!the founder of "oyal #rch masonry, obviously a ridiculous claim,but he did indeed take a leadin! and active part in itsdevelopment% In his capacity

DD

of *rovincial Grand Superintendent he took to *ortsmouth in5D:= the warrant of constitution for a chapter in conneion withod!e 0o% <?=, and, while there, conferred for the first time onrecord the de!rees of $ark $an and $ark $aster $ason, which

he himself had only recently received% He had some of thefaults of the hi!hly ener!etic worker, his /eal bein! inclined torun away with him, and we know that in 5DDD the GrandChapter critici/ed his action in ealtin! 7rethren in Colchesterotherwise than in a chartered chapter, and that in $ay 5D3> hewas a!ain in trouble for havin! eceeded his powers Awith theutmost respect for Companion +unckerleyB, and it was finallydecided to draw up a re!ular patent definin! the powers ofGrand Superintendents%

.hen the *rovincial Grand Chapter for +orsetshire, with+unckerley as its *rovincial Grand $aster, met in 5D35 tohonour the birthday of the *rince of .ales the choir of St*eter's Church of that city san! a special hymn written for the

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occasion by +unckerley% (f its seven verses here are twohavin! clear "oyal #rch implications;

Thou who didst *ersia's in! command

# *roclamation to etend2

That Israel's sons mi!ht 9uit his land

Their holy Temple to attend%

#ll hail L !reat #rchitect divineL

This 4niversal Frame is thine%

Thy watchful 8ye a len!th of time,

That wond'rous CI"C8 did attend2

The Glory and the *ow'r be thine,

.hich shall from #!e to #!e descend%

#ll hailL !reat #rchitect divineL

This 4niversal Frame is thine%

The attorney -ohn #llen is believed, as already said, to havehad a considerable hand in the draftin! of the Charter ofCompact% (f the hi!hest standin!, he was entrusted with the

le!al business of Grand od!e in the 5DD>)3> period, and isthou!ht to have prepared the conveyance of the property inGreat ueen Street Aincludin! part of the site of the presentFreemasons' HallB which Grand od!e bou!ht in 5DD@%

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S,,er - Lr% B2+#e

.hile ord 7layney was absent in +ecember 5D:3 in Ireland onmilitary duties he was continued or re)elected as Grand$aster of the $ost 8cellent Chapter or Fourth +e!ree, butwas not able to attend to his duties% The +uke of 7eaufort, whofollowed ord 7layney as Grand $aster in the Craft, was alsoinclined to the &#ntients' workin!, so much

D3F"88$#S(0S' 7(( (F TH8 "(E# #"CH

so that he encoura!ed the introduction of an esotericInstallation ceremony for $asters of od!es, but it was notofficially adopted until lon! afterwards% It will be shown in latersections how !reat a part the Craft Installation ceremony

played in the development of the "oyal #rch%

(win! to the continued absence of ord 7layney, the Hon%Charles +illon was elected in 5DD> Grand $aster of the "oyal#rch, he bein!, at the same time, +eputy Grand $aster in theCraft, but he did not attend Grand Chapter after his electionand, as a conse9uence, in succeedin! years the Grand Chapterelected not a Grand $aster, but a *atron, who had the ri!ht to

preside when present, althou!h a Jerubbabel was elected topreside in his absence% "owland Holt, Grand .arden in 5D:3and later +eputy Grand $aster, was the first *atron, and heldthat office until the +uke of Cumberland replaced him in 5DD@%

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$any Grand (fficers were ealted, amon! them Sir *eter*arker, Grand .arden, who became +eputy Grand $aster ofthe Craft fifteen years later% H%"%H% the +uke of Cumberland,ealted +ecember 5<, 5DD<, became *atron a year or so later,and from 5D3< to 5D=> was Grand $aster in the Craft%

T3e E+r2!e- 1+rr+#-e% C3+p-er

The first ei!ht chapters warranted by the Grand Chapter, all in5D:=, are as follow;

5% The "estauration od!e or Chapter of the "ockFountain Shilo Aat 7rother 7rooks' House in ondonB%

<% The 8uphrates od!e or Chapter of the Garden of 8den

Aat $anchesterB%

6% The od!e of Tran9uility or Chapter of Friendship Aat*ortsmouthB%

@% The 7ethlehem od!e or the Chapter of the 0ativity Aat

7urnley, anes%B%

?% The Cana od!e or Chapter of the First $iracle AatColne, anes%B%

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:% The $ost Sacred od!e or Chapter of 4niversality AatondonB%

:b% The od!e of Intercourse or Chapter of 4nanimity Aat7ury, anes%B%

D% The od!e of Hospitality or Chapter of Charity Aat7ristolB%

ASome chapters must have worked under the authority of adispensation until !ranted a proper warrant2 as an eample, adispensation to form the 4nion od!e and Chapter of Harmonyat the 7edford Head, $aiden ane, issued in 5DD> by -ohn$aclean of the Grand Chapter, is preserved at Freemasons'Hall, ondon%B #n important point arisin! from the consideration

of this list has already been touched upon% The "oyal #rch &lod!e' was in the course of

D=

becomin! a &chapter,' and it certainly looks as thou!h the

double title !iven to each body in the above list is meant tocover the eventual or inevitable translation% (bviously theGrand Chapter had no ri!ht or even a wish to establish Craftlod!es% Its authority could not etend farther than the settin!up of bodies devoted to the workin! of the "oyal #rch% 7utthere enters an anomaly or a serious 9uestion Aas in so very

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many details of $asonic historyB, for the Craft od!e ofHospitality, 7ristol, the last entry in the list, was warranted bythe premier Grand od!e under a dispensation of -uly <<,5D:=, confirmed by a warrant of #u!ust 5<% This is now the"oyal Susse od!e of Hospitality, 0o% 53D, meetin! in 7ristol,while the Chapter of Charity was !iven its charter from theGrand Chapter on +ecember 3, 5D:=, and, bearin! the samename, is still at 7ristol and still anchored to od!e 0o% 53D%Curiously and nevertheless, the "oyal #rch Charter authori/edthe double body by the Title of the od!e of Hospitality orChapter of Charity, which is etremely difficult to understand,but there it isL It may, of course, be that the lod!es namedwere the Craft lod!es to which the chapters were attached or

with which they were associated, but ane's $asonic "ecordsmentions only the last of them, the od!e of Hospitality, and itis certain that the first of them, the "estauration od!e, wasnever officially other than a chapter, and twenty)si years laterwas so called%

The rules of the Grand Chapter erected by Charter of Compactare practically those of the ori!inal 8cellent Grand and "oyalChapter, and were written into the Compact itself Asee the#ppendiB, but were revised and published many years later%

E$e#- +0-er -3e F#%!#/ 0 Gr+#% C3+p-er

Followin! the foundin! of the first Grand Chapter came aformative period, one of considerable !rowth and developmentboth in the &$oderns' and the &#ntients' systems% The ritualcontinued to develop and by 53>>, the Grand Chapter had

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issued 55: .arrants% Certain $asonic terms were chan!in!2the &lod!e' was in the course of becomin! a &chapter,' the "oyal#rch &7rother' of becomin! a &Companion'2 and ) but not very9uickly or !enerally ) the &Candidate,' instead of bein! &raised,'would be &ealted%' The Grand Chapter be!an to issue chartersto lod!es authori/in! them to work the "oyal #rch, the charterto be attached to the warrant of the od!e and so settin! apattern or custom in that respect strictly followed to)day%

In the Grand Chapter itself the Jerubbabel was, accordin! tothe minutes, appropriately Invested and Installed, but we

have no means of knowin! what the Installation ceremonyactually was, althou!h it is

3>

stron!ly held that the Jerubbabel chair carried no secrets with

it until the turn of the century, and in most places much later%#t an Installation meetin! on St -ohn's +ay in .inter in 5D:3

the (fficers resi!ned their several stations and deliveredtheir 8nsi!ns of (ffice to the $%8%J% % % % 7rother Gallowaywas elected by 7allot into the (ffice of J% % % % and wasappropriately Invested and Installed,

#nd on -anuary 5<, 5DD>,

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7rother Heseltine was by 7allot 8lected into the (ffice ofJ% % % % and was duly Invested and Installed accordin!ly,makin! a most solemn promise on the occasion, accordin!to ancient usa!e%

Some prominent masons were ealted in the Grand Chapter,amon! them Chevalier 7artholomew "uspini in 5DD<, becomin!its $%8%J% in 5D3>% "uspini's is the !reatest name in the historyof the $asonic charities, for the "oyal Cumberland Freemasons'School, from which developed the "oyal $asonic Institution forGirls, the senior charity, was established in 5D33 mainly by the

eertions of this influential and ener!etic mason, who in privatelife was a well)established dentist% #t a committee meetin! heldin 5DDD "uspini produced drawin!s of proposed new robes forthe *rincipals% These drawin!s, with some alterations, wereapproved%

Some trouble behind the scenes must have prompted theGrand Chapter in 5DD6 to resolve unanimously

that the "oyal #rch #pron be disused in this 8cellentGrand and "oyal Chapter until the Grand od!e shallpermit the Companions of this Chapter to wear them inthe Grand od!e, and in all or private Freemasons'od!es%

.hich looks as thou!h a fi!ht to determine a hi!her status ofthe "oyal #rch mason was proceedin!2 if this were the case thefi!ht was lost, for there are no further minutes on the sub1ect,the resolution was apparently 9uietly i!nored, and the

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Companions soon resumed the wearin! of their aprons inchapter%

-ames Heseltine had been ealted in the 8cellent Grand and"oyal Chapter and had si!ned the Charter of Compact, but thisdid not prevent his writin! as Grand Secretary to a forei!ncorrespondent in 5DD@ in the followin! terms;

It is true that many of the 'raternity belong to a degree inMasonry which is said to be higher than the other, and iscalled #oyal !rch% I have the honour to belong to thisdegree %%% but it is not ac$nowledged in Grand Lodge, andall its emblems and jewels are forbidden to be wornthere%%%% 9ou will see that the #oyal !rch is a private anddistinct society% It is a part of Masonry, but has noconnection with Grand Lodge%

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35

0et year we find him writin!;

I have already told you a further de!ree, called "oyal

#rch, is known in 8n!land, in which the present Grand(fficers are mostly members of the Chapter% They belon!to it as a separate Society, without connection with Grandod!e, and its eplanations of Freemasonry are verypleasin! and instructive%

+urin! the period of the first Grand Chapter $asonic meetin!swere occasionally convened by means of public advertisements%#n announcement in an unidentified ondon newspaper statesthat a Chapter will be held on Sunday evenin! net, at thehouse of 7rother -ohn Henrys, the Crown and #nchor in in!Street, Seven +ials% #nother advertisement calls a meetin! ofthe Grand Chapter for the followin! Sunday, a!ain at the Crownand #nchor, in order for a Grand Installation%

Grand Chapter soon left the Turk's Head Tavern in GerrardStreet, Soho2 in 5DD5 it went to the $itre in Fleet Street, butmoved four years later to the Freemasons' Coffee House, Greatueen Street, which stood upon some small part of the sitenow occupied by Freemasons' Hall and Connau!ht "ooms% TheChapter went into its new 9uarters in +ecember 5DD?, in the

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$ay of which year had been laid the foundation stone of thefirst Freemasons' Hall%

The $ost 8nli!htened 8ast appears as the headin! of theminutes in -anuary 5DD:, and is also the headin! of chartersand certificates of that period, althou!h the more usual headin!of the minutes up to 5D=6 is Grand and "oyal Chapter of the"oyal #rch of -erusalem%

Grand Chapter had a stron! social side, for in its early years itsannual festival was followed by a ball and supper to whichapparently not only "oyal #rch masons but $aster $asons andtheir ladies were invited2 and of one of these occasions theSecretary's minutes related that after an ele!ant supper, theevenin! concluded with that Harmony and Social $irth whichhas ever been the peculiar criterion of $asons and True Citi/ensof the .orld% #t a ball held in -anuary 5D3< four hundredladies and !entlemen were present, "uspini acted as $aster ofCeremonies, and Companion #yrton composed the ode sun! on

the occasion%

To form a complete code of laws and re!ulations not only forthis 8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter, but also for thesubordinate Chapters, a committee was appointed, and itsreport was received in $ay 5DD32 the laws were finallyapproved in the followin! (ctober, and copies are in eistence%

The laws and re!ulations were revised and reprinted in 5D3<2other editions were produced in 5D=: and 53>D, and a furtheredition appeared after the &union', 535D%

3<

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Four $ost 8cellent Companions were appointed in 5DD3 tohold the Great Seal in Commission and to act as

Inspectors)General, Thomas +unckerley bein! one of them%

The Grand (fficers in 5DD3 included a *atron AH%"%H% the +ukeof CumberlandB, three Grand $asters, a *resident of theCouncil, four Inspectors)General, a Correspondent General, aTreasurer, three Superintendents of *rovinces, *ast $asters J%,H%, and -%, a Chaplain, three So1ourners, two Scribes, two

Stewards, a Standard 7earer, a Sword 7earer, an (r!anist, aSenior 1anitor or $essen!er, and a 1unior 1anitor or Common+oor eeper%

#ppointments to the past rank of J% were made in 5DD3 andfollowin! years, a matter more particularly dealt with at p% 5D=%

#n etraordinary petition for relief was received in 5D3@ from-ohn ander Hey, 8s9%, *rivy Counsellor to His $a1esty of*russia% ate $aster of the od!e irtutis et #rtis #inici at#msterdam% He was voted five !uineas%

The first of the stated Communications was apparently the!eneral convention in 5D3? of all "oyal #rch masons in 8n!lish

chapters under the obedience of the Grand Chapter% It wasattended by members of si chapters)namely, Cumberland,Caledonian, Fortitude, Canterbury, *hilanthropic, andColchester%

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4nknown trouble must have lain behind a serious attemptmade in 5D=6 by the Chapter of 8mulation to induceCompanions to withdraw from Grand Chapter% #t a GrandConvention held on $ay io it was resolved

that the than$s of Grand Chapter be transmitted to theseveral Chapters that have e.pressed in such handsometerms, their determination to preserve inviolate the unionsubsisting between them and the Grand and #oyalChapter of the #oyal !rch of 1erusalem, in opposition tothe Innovation proposed in the circular Letter sent to

those Chapters by the Chapter of +mulation%

8mulation Chapter, 0o% 5:, founded in ondon in 5DD3, hadissued a &$emorial' in the form of a circular letter, and for itsattempt to create schism in the (rder paid the penalty of bein!erased by vote of Grand Chapter%

M+#!, U#!# !# C#-emp2+-!#7

The 8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter had a double eistence%(n the one hand it was a private chapter2 on the other a GrandChapter usin! its authority to warrant private chapters% 7ut it

will have been noted that the very first private chapterwarranted was the "estauration od!e or Chapter of the "ockFountain Shilo, and it is more than likely that this

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36

may have been re!arded up to the 5D=>'s as contained withinGrand Chapter% #t any rate, in the +ecember of 5D=? GrandChapter, reco!ni/in! the need for a separation, revived"estauration Chapter, 0o% 5, as an ealtin! chapter, andAsurprisin!ly, from our point of viewB then styled itself TheGrand od!e of "oyal #rch $asons% This title was an obviousmisfit, and soon !ave way A53>5B to The Supreme GrandChapter, althou!h when the +uke of Susse became in 535>the hi!hest officer of the (rder he was styled The First Grand

$aster of "oyal #rch $asons% From all this it will be seen thatthe chan!e from &lod!e' to &chapter' and from &$aster' to &*rincipal' was by no means a simple, automatic process%

ord $oira, who, it is to be epected, was already 9uietlyplayin! a part in preparin! the minds of his 7rethren for thecomin! 4nion, was ealted in -une 53>6, in Supreme GrandChapter, havin! been obli!ated prior to the ceremony in the

Chapter of St -ames% In 535> he, as $%8% Jerubbabel,proposed for 8altation H%"%H; #u!ustus Frederick, +uke ofSusse, who, havin! been ealted and ord $oira havin!immediately resi!ned office, was elected and consecrated $%8%Jerubbabel, takin! the title, as already mentioned, of FirstGrand $aster of "oyal #rch $asons% The Investment andInstallation of the Second and Third *rincipals followed% The+uke's introduction into "oyal #rch masonry was doubtlessinfluenced by a prospect of the Craft union of the opposed

bodies, particularly bearin! in mind that in 5356, the year of4nion, he would find himself Grand $aster of the &$oderns' andhis 7rother, 8dward, +uke of ent, Grand $aster of the

&#ntients,' and that in the ne!otiations for the settlement thefuture of the "oyal #rch would be a very considerable factor%

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7y 53>> the premier Grand Chapter had warranted 55:chapters, some of which were not workin! Ain addition, many

&#ntient' lod!es were workin! the "%#%B, but we see what isprobably a move in the direction of the union of the twosystems in a re!ulation of 5D=3 to the effect that no "oyal #rchmason ealted in lod!e, as distinct from chapter, could beadmitted as a member of or visitor to a chapter% (bviously, atthis date, there were still &$odern' lod!es workin! the "oyal#rch ceremonial, and, althou!h the re!ulation was noteverywhere observed, it does su!!est that there was a !rowin!feelin! that the &re!ular' "oyal #rch mason was one who had

received the de!ree in chapter, not in lod!e%

The comin! into force, late in the 5D=>'s, of the law a!ainstseditious meetin!s A6= Geo% III, Ch% D=B brou!ht uncertaintyinto $asonic administration and affected the warrantin! of newlod!es% The Grand Chapter, however, continued to warrantchapters durin! the period of uncertainty%

3@

S#%+ Mee-!#/

Sunday meetin!s Aoften in private roomsB were, over a lon!period, re!arded with !reat favour by "oyal #rch masons% Inancashire, for eample, it was almost a !eneral custom forchapters to meet on that day, and 0orman "o!ers has pointedout that when the 7urnley and Colne Chapters were compelledto !ive up Sunday meetin!s the small attendance almost broke

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up the chapters, and it took a few years to recover from thechan!e% This followed the official ban in 5355, when GrandChapter decided that in future no warrants should be !ranted tochapters intendin! to hold Sunday meetin!s, and that chaptersalready meetin! on a Sunday should be advised to chan!e theirday% Followin! the &union' of 535D, Supreme Grand Chapterepressed its disapprobation of Sunday meetin!s% In any case,it appears that Sunday meetin!s on licensed premises wereille!al, for in 53>:, as one eample, the 7olton ma!istratesfined a landlord twelve shillin!s for permittin! a chapter tomeet at his inn on a Sunday%

A M+#!, P+#-m!me

#n almost for!otten event is the presentation of a $asonicpantomime at the +rury ane Theatre, ondon, the firstperformance bein! on +ecember <=, 5D3>% #lto!ether there

were sity)three performances at somewhat irre!ular intervals,the last of them bein! in +ecember 5D35% It was by no meansthe only theatrical performance presentin! a $asonic sub1ect,but from the present point of view it was notable in that itincluded two features havin! direct reference to the "oyal #rch%

The words and music were mostly written and composed byCharles +ibdin, a !reat fi!ure in the theatrical and musical lifeof the ei!hteenth century and best remembered as the authorof the son! Tom 7owlin!2 the vocalists were well)knownsin!ers of the time% The $ornin! *ost spoke of the absurdity ofthis kind of performance, but the *ress in !eneral, as well asone or two authors since that day, spoke well of it% The modern

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critic would not have had a very hi!h opinion of its versification%The pantomime included a *rocession of the *rincipal Grand$asters from the Creation to the *resent Century, theprocession consistin! of twenty different banners, with actorstellin! the story of each banner% The sith banner was of +ariusHystaspes, who married a dau!hter of Cyrus, confirmed hisdecree to rebuild the Temple of -erusalem; and in the :th yearof his rei!n his Grand .arden, Jerubbabel, finished it% Twoactors

3?

accompanyin! the banner bore the Temple of the Sun% Thenineteenth banner was of the "oyal #rch, and was attended bySi Gentlemen $asons, Two bearin! a *a!eant% It is thou!htthat the word *a!eant in this conneion meant a paintedrepresentation, perhaps a subsidiary banner% The pantomimeincluded a well)known $asonic son! be!innin! with the line )

ail masonry, thou Craft divine

In the Craft Constitutions of 5D<6 this son! had been attributedto Charles +elafaye To be Sun! and *layed at theGrand)feast% The presentation of this pantomime at such awell)known theatre is clear evidence of the considerable public

interest taken in freemasonry late in the ei!hteenth century%

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N-e # + Few E+r2 C3+p-er

The followin! notes relate to some of the chapters at worktowards the close of the ei!hteenth century%

Chapter of 'riendship, @ortsmouth% (f the first three chapterswarranted by Grand Chapter in 5D:= Friendship was third onthe list% The first two are now etinct and Friendship can claimthe distinction of bein! the oldest warranted chapter in theworld% It is attached to *hoeni od!e, 0o% <?D%

5ritannia Chapter, /heffield % In ancashire the "oyal #rch made!reat pro!ress in the 5D:>Ks% 0orman "o!ers has brou!ht toli!ht that the first record of a ancashire "oyal #rch masonappears in the minute)book of the 7ritannia od!e, SheffieldAnow 0o% 56=B, thus; -une <?, 5D:@% Thomas 7eesley, Hosier,"oyal #rch from od!e @?, iverpool% od!e 0o% @? was

&#ntients' Afounded in 5D??B, and Thomas 7eesley was visitin! alod!e of the same persuasion% 7ritannia od!e had started asan &#ntients' lod!e, 0o% 3?, in 5D:52 it absorbed another lod!e,0o% D?, of the same kind in 5D:@, and immediately afterwardsapplied to the &$oderns' for a warrant, which was !ranted in5D:?L .hile still a &$oderns' lod!e in 5D=:, it is said to haveamal!amated with the &#ntients' od!e 0o% D< and, notsurprisin!ly, to have worked under the two systems% Thechapter attached to 7ritannia od!e, 0o% 56=, has had the

name *aradise since it was warranted in 5D=3%

Lodge ofLights, &arrington% The "oyal #rch must have beenworked at .arrin!ton, ancashire, in the 5D:? period% Thetown's oldest lod!e Anow 0o% 5@3B was warranted in 5D:?,

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received its name od!e of i!hts in 53>:, and apparentlyworked the "oyal #rch from its earliest days, for in +ecember5D:D three members of the Chapter of Concord, 0o% 6D, 7olton,visited .arrin!ton to ac9uaint themselves with the ceremonial%

3:

"eferences to the "oyal #rch activities of the od!e of i!htsappear on other pa!es of this book%

!nchor and ope Lodge, 5olton% #n early chapter formed in the#nchor and Hope od!e, 0o% 6D, 7olton, ancashire, has anotable place in "oyal #rch history% 7efore the years 5D:D)D@inclusive it ealted twenty)four Candidates, as we learn from amanuscript account of "oyal #rch masonry in ancashire by0orman "o!ers, to whom the followin! information is due% Thechapter above referred to became eventually Ain 536:B the

Chapter of Concord, 0o% 6D, which is still attached to the samelod!e, which dates back to 5D6< and offers an outstandin!eample of Traditioner workin! Asee p% ?>B% # &$oderns' lod!e,it was considerin! in 5D:? the possibility of takin! an &#ntients'warrant, and in +ecember 5D:3 it crafted and raised threemembers of the friendly od!e of "elief A7uryB, they bein!before $odern $asons% These same three were made "oyal#rch $asons in the followin! month after the "oyal #rchod!e assembled in due form% 0ow, all three "alph Holt, 8li1ah

oma, and -ames .ood)had !one throu!h the chair of their &$oderns' od!e of "elief, in the nei!hbourin! town of 7ury, andyet had been compelled to submit to reinitiation in another

&$oderns' lod!e%

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In 0ovember 5D:= the same three 7rethren were !ranted awarrant Anumber :b issued by the new Grand ChapterB for the4nanimity Chapter or od!e of Intercourse, 7ury%

In the records of the 7olton lod!e is a reference, dated+ecember 5D:D, to 8penses at .arrin!ton in makin! Three#rch $asons%%% Q%55% :% Three 7rethren were named, all ofwhom were *ast or *resent $asters of their lod!e, and hadapparently been sent to the od!e of i!hts, .arrin!ton, asCandidates for the "oyal #rch% .e learn of &passin! the chair'A,see Section 5:B in a minute of 0ovember 6>, 5D:=; # od!e

of 8mer!ency when 7ror% -ohn #spinwall, 7ror% -as% ever and7ror% "ichard Guest were installed $asters and afterwards 7ror%-as% ivesey Senr% was re)installed% Subse9uently all four weremade "oyal #rch masons% 0ow, ivesey had !one into the chairof the lod!e in the precedin! -une, and yet had to be installedbefore he could be ealted% .hy #pparently because the merefact of bein! made $aster of a &$oderns' lod!e did not at thattime brin! with it the conferment of any particular secrets,whereas &passin! the chair' was either in itself the &#ntients'ceremony of Installation or a development of it% This was aTraditioner lod!e, it must be remembered, stron!ly influencedby &#ntients' ideas% Indeed, so &#ntient' in its ways was it)soconvinced that its lod!e masonry comprehended the "oyal #rch) that when this 7olton chapter decided in 5D3? to obtain awarrant from the premier Grand Chapter many membersob1ected, and the membership fell from seventeen to seven%

3D

The first entry in the minutes of the newly warranted chapter isas follows;

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7olton, ?th (ctober, 5D3?% #t a General 8ncampment of"oyal #rch Superecellent $asons, held in due form, 7ro%

$% -% 7oyle in the chair, the followin! "oyal #rch 7rethrenwere properly instructed and afterwards Initiated into thehi!her de!ree of $asonry Mfive names followN%

The minute is si!ned by $ich% -ames 7oyle, who, 9uotin!0orman "o!ers, was probably a member of the in!'s (wn or6rd +ra!oons, and in the minutes of *aradise Chapter is termed

a $ason of the .orld%

The Cana Lodge or Chapter of the 'irst Miracle, Colne% #ancashire lod!e or chapter as here named received the fifthwarrant A$ay 5<, 5D:=B issued by the new Grand Chapter% It isnow Cana Chapter, attached to the "oyal ancashire od!e, 0o%55:, a lod!e founded at the Hole in the .all, $arket Street,Colne, in 5D:<, possessin! minutes !oin! back to 5D:>, and

known to have been at work earlier still% 0orman "o!ers haspointed out that, before the printin! in separate form fordistribution of the laws, etc%, of the first Grand Chapter or thosecontained in the Charter of Compact A5D::B, it is obvious thatsome kind of written instructions must have been sent out tochapters with the early warrants Afrom 5D:=B, evidence ofwhich, he thinks, eists in the *rincipia preserved in the CanaChapter% The full title is The *rincipia to be observed by allre!ular constituted Chapters of the Grand and "oyal Chapter,

and at the foot of the document is written; This *rincipia is theoldest known copy of Grand Chapter 7ye)aws, and is the workof the same hand as the Chapter .arrant, which is dated5D:=, *rincipia is atin, the plural of principium, and meansthe be!innin!s or foundations, also the chief place, and, in a"oman camp, often the open space where speeches were made

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to the soldiers% In the Cana document the word can only meanrules and re!ulations% They are here !iven as in the ori!inal;

<st% That as soon as the Chapter is duly formed, anaccount shall be transmitted to Grand Chapter containingthe names of each respective )fficer and Companion, andthat this be done annually immediately after election%

nd% That they have full power to ma$e 5ye(Laws fortheir own government, provided they dont interfere withthe fundamental ones of the Most +.cellent Grand and#oyal Chapter%

:rd% That their jewels and ornaments be such as are inuse in Grand Chapter%

>th% That they ma$e no innovations in the business of thechapter, and if any doubts should arise, they must alwaysbe referred to the Grand and #oyal Chapter for decision%

?th% That they should contribute annually to the GrandChapter so much as they reasonably can towards raisinga fund to be employed to the most truly benevolent and

advantageous purposes%

33

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Bth% That no man of bad or immoral character beadmitted a Companion, nor anyone until he hath passed

through the several probationary degrees of craft Masonryand thereby obtain the necessary passport as a rewardfor his services%

=th% That no man be admitted for an unworthyconsideration, or for a less sum than is usually paid forthe three previous degrees%

th% That they ta$e every method to forward the true purpose of our )rder, which is to promote all the usefularts and sciences and create universal peace andharmony, and that every Companion do consider it as hisduty to lay before the Chapter whatever may tend to suchsalutory purposes%

th% That any new discovery or any other matter thoughtworthy of observation be communicated to the Grand and#oyal Chapter, which will always be ready to support andforward whatever may be found useful to the public ingeneral or that Chapter in particular, not repugnant to thecommon welfare%

Lodge @robity and @aradise Chapter, alifa.% The earliest recordof a "oyal #rch chapter in Eorkshire Aother than at Eork, then inabeyanceB is in the minutes of *robity od!e, Halifa)aresolution dated -anuary =, 5D:?, to form a chapter% The firstmeetin! was twenty)one days later% In the list of twenty)nine

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lod!e members for 5D:? siteen have the T)over)H symbolappended, and of these only two, plus the $aster, had been inthe lod!e chair% 7ut the "oyal #rch had been worked earlierthan this, for in the cash account for the second term of 5D:@are references to two 7rethren who had been made "oy'#rch, at a fee of ios% :d% each, on (ctober 53, 5D:@%

nanimity Chapter, &a$efield% "eferences to the historicchapter at .akefield appear on other pa!es, in particular oneAp% 5?=B to its ancient ritual, the like of which is not revealed bythe records of any other chapter% Two books or 1ournals contain

the minutes of all meetin!s held from 5D:: to 5D=6 of thischapter)4nanimity)whose minutes are confused for a period asfrom 53@@ with those of the .akefield Chapter, now 0o% @=?% In53:? separate records started, and these continue to 5=<>,when 4nanimity moved to $eltham, where it is attached tood!e of *eace, 0o% 5@=% 4nanimity's beautiful and distinctiveold 1ewels A*late IB were discovered after a lon! reposeamon! the accumulated rubbish of years, and then, early inthe 5=@>Ks, two pa!es of a minute)book of the 5DD: periodwere restored to the chapter, these havin! been found amon!some old prints in a dealer's shop% -% "% "yland's papers in#%%C, vols% lvi and lv, are a fund of valuable information on.akefield's "oyal #rch activities% From them it appears that theearly meetin!s of the chapter were actually held in a Craftlod!e which, for the occasion, called itself a "oyal #rch od!e0i!ht, or "oyal #rch od!e, and fre9uently the three $astersof the "oyal #rch lod!e were the $aster and

3=

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.ardens of the Craft lod!e% In the minutes of the February 6,5D:3, meetin! the initials $%, S%.%, and -%.% were put a!ainstthe names of the Three *rincipals respectively, but then crossedout and $r% substituted in each case% #t this meetin! two7rethren were made 8cellent "oyal #rch $asons% #t anemer!ency meetin! of the "oyal #rch lod!e on -uly 6>, 5DD:,four 7rethren propos'd themselves to be rais'd "oyal #rch$asons ) the net od!e 0i!ht ) balloted for and pass'd in yeaffirmative% AThey were raised accordin!ly at the netmeetin!%B It is likely that these 7rethren proposed themselvesin the Craft lod!e, which then resolved itself into a "oyal #rchlod!e% It was 9uite common in the early days for a 7rother soto propose himself or be proposed by somebody else% #

Candidate received the Superlative +e!ree of "%#% $ason onFebruary <@, 5D36% In February 53>D the chapter a!reed tohold si meetin!s in the winter months, all of them onSundays%

"ichard innecar, referred to at p% 5?=, was a revered andprominent member of 4nanimity Chapter, and was held inhonour throu!hout his province and beyond% #mon! his manyclaims to attention was his book A5D3=B containin! plays,son!s, poems, and his Strictures on Freemasonry Acomments,not adverse criticism as the word strictures would now implyB%His poems may not have been of !reat worth, but certainly hisHymn on $asonry as well as a son! written by him werepopular and probably much sun!% .e learn from his Stricturesof the curious le!end of masons entreatin! St -ohn the8van!elist, then 7ishop of 8phesus, to honour with hispatrona!e a lod!e meetin! in the city of 7en1amin followin! the

destruction of -erusalem by Titus, #%+% D>% St% -ohn told them,he was very old, bein! turned of ninety, but to support so !oodand ancient an institution, he would undertake the char!e)andfrom that day, all lod!es are dedicated to him% The story is, ofcourse, a myth which attempts to eplain Awhat never has beeneplained, so far as we knowB why lod!es are dedicated to St

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-ohn, and why not only lod!es but Craft masonry in !eneralcame to be associated with his name, and associated so closelythat his festival, +ecember <D, was re!arded as a sacredoccasion by the early 7rethren% *ossibly the old custom ofreadin! from Aor openin! the 7ible atB the first verses of St-ohn's Gospel is the only eplanation now possible%

Loyalty Chapter, /heffield% Surprisin!ly many of the chaptersfounded in the late years of the 53>>Ks had but a short life, amarked instance bein! that of the Chapter of oyalty, 0o% =?,Sheffield's first re!ularly constituted chapter, warranted in 5D=?

with a notable local mason, -ames .oolen, as its first J% andassociated with the "oyal 7runswick od!e% It did not keeprecords or make returns to Grand Chapter, and as it was erasedin 53>= its rather poor life did not eceed about fourteen years%# letter

=>

written in 53<> by -oseph Smith to Supreme Grand Chapteracknowled!in! a notice that oyalty Chapter had been erasedsays;

I have en9uired into the proceedin!s of the said Chapter Ofind that there were only three ealted by the Comp)% who

obtained the Charter% % % O two of them are no more O thethird resi!n'd O all three without bein! re!istred O it alsounfortunately happened that Two of the *rincipals forwhom the Charter was obtained died in a few years afterO conse9uently put a stop to the complete nowled!e ofthe #rt%

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ASince -ames .oolen did not die until 535@, there were two*rincipals alive at the date of the erasure%B # resuscitated

oyalty Chapter received a new warrant in 53<5, this bein!attached to the "oyal 7runswick od!e, now 0o% <=:, a lod!eof which -ames .oolen had been $aster thirteen timesbetween 5D=6 and 5355%

nity, Leeds% (ne of Eorkshire's oldest chapters, the Chapter of4nity, 0o% D<, eeds Anow #lfred Chapter, 0o% 6>:B, was

warranted in 5D=> at a time, it is thou!ht, when there was noCraft lod!e in its town, althou!h possibly the oyal and *rudentod!e was meetin! by dispensation there% #lthou!h warrantedin 5D=>, it did not meet for business until si years later, and inthe interval three Craft lod!es had come into bein! in eeds% Itmet on the third Sunday of every month, and the 1anitor hadthe duty of deliverin! the summons to each member%Candidates must have duly passed the Chair and be not lessthan twenty)three years of a!e, althou!h the son of aCompanion or a $aster $ason of two years' standin! wasadmitted at twenty)oneL The 8altation fee was% Q< <s%

"ules a!reed to in 5D=: included the unusual one that themaster of the house should li!ht a fire in the chapter)room inthe winter season at least one hour before the time of meetin!,at a cost of half a !uinea each year, any failure involvin! him ina forfeited sipence% In 535= the chapter obtained a new

Charter and became attached to #lfred od!e%

Kigilance Chapter, -arlington% 7rethren of the +arlin!tonA+urhamB od!e Afounded in 5D:5 and soon to be known as

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"estoration od!enow 0o% 555B ac9uired from an unknownsource some knowled!e of the "oyal #rch, and proceeded toestablish in 5D:= The od!e of "oyal #rch $asons, whichmust have been one of the oldest eamples of a selfcontainedand unreco!ni/ed body workin! the de!ree% It met re!ularly,and in 5D3D asked Grand od!e whether it approved of what itwas doin! and in9uired as to the char!e for a warrant% There9uest was passed to +unckerley, who arran!ed for a warrantto be issued, the members consentin! to his re9uest to beealted Athat is, re)ealtedB in Concord Chapter Anow 0o% 5<@B,founded in the previous year at +urham, the county town,rather less than twenty miles north of +arlin!ton% The newchapter, i!ilance, now 0o% 555, was re!ularly constituted in

February

=5

5D33 after apparently nineteen years of irre!ular workin!% Theminutebooks are complete of the "oyal #rch $asters up to

5D33 and forward from that date of the warranted chapter%

.illiam .aples, in a manuscript placed at the author's disposal,!ives much further information relatin! to the old lod!e andchapter% The od!e of "oyal #rch $asons was known at onetime as The Hierarchical od!e, associated with a priestlyorder of the same name of which little is known% The lod!e had

a +edicated #rch, which may possibly have been a floor)clothdisplayin! "oyal #rch emblems and carried in processions%.illiam .aples believes that, followin! the 4nion, some of thesymbols of the "oyal #rch were carried over into the $aster$ason's +e!ree as practised by "estoration od!e, with whichthe chapter was associated% #s likely evidence of the early

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workin! of the veils ceremony, it is recorded that in 5D:= thesum of Q< ?s% =d% was paid for sity yards of &tammy'Aotherwise tamine or taminy, a !la/ed woollen or worsted fabricused for curtainsB, and at the same time curtain rods and rin!swere bou!ht%

Chapter of /t 1ames, London% The many notes on this historicchapter Anow 0o% <B, both those followin! and on other pa!es,are mostly from .% Harry "yland's history of the chapter issuedin 53=5% The ornate warrant, headed The #lmi!hty -ah, was!ranted in 5D33, and is si!ned by -ames Heseltine as J% of

Grand Chapter% The chapter records are almost continuous from5D=5 to date as, althou!h the minutes for 535< ) <= have beenlost, records for those years do eist in rou!h form% (ri!inallythe chapter met in (ld 7urlin!ton Street or its immediatenei!hbourhood, but since 5D=D has met at Freemasons' Tavernor Freemasons' Hall% Its early meetin!)places may in parteplain how it came to draw many of its early members from7urlin!ton od!e, now 0o% =: Afounded 5D?:B, and the stillearlier 7ritish od!e, now 0o% 3 Afounded 5D<<B% It is attachedto the time)immemorial lod!e, #nti9uity, now 0o% <%

#s from at least as early as 5D=5, and continuin! for the!reater part of the nineteenth century, the First *rincipal, andvery often the Second and Third, held his chair for two years%The 8altation fee in the early days was Q5 5s%, or, includin!sash, Q5 ?s% #t an emer!ency meetin! in 5D=< two 7rethrenwere raised to the de!rees of $aster $asons, an irre!ularity

repeated on occasions until ten years later2 after that datelod!es for passin! 7rethren throu!h the chair continued to beheld, as was the case with many other chapters%

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The double)cubic stone is persistently called the pedestal inearly minutes, and in 535@ comes a reference to the mystical*arts of the *edestal% Caps were worn by the *rincipals in the5D=D period, as becomes evident from the purchase in thatyear of a trunk in which to keep them2 in

=<

53>< there is an item of 5Ds% :d% for repairin! them% #ctually,over a very lon! period, the First and Second *rincipals haveworn crowns, as they still do, and the Third *rincipal a mitre%

# sideli!ht upon the eti9uette observed in forms of address atthe turn of the century is afforded by a list of nine 7rethrenealted at a special meetin! on a Sunday in $ay 5D=D2 the listincludes two "everends, one Colonel, three 8s9uires, one$r%, one 7rother, and one plain +avid%

Stewards are mentioned as assistants to the So1ourners in53>r% 7oth in lod!e and chapter ) at any rate under the'$oderns' ) Stewards had ceremonial duties well into thenineteenth century, and in !eneral were of hi!her status thanthey are to)day% # floor)cloth was in use in the early years, forit is recorded that the sum of Q5 5>s% was paid for the paintin!of one in 535>% The ectures AcatechismsB had a bi! place in

the early ceremonies, 1ust as they had en1oyed in the Craft, andin 5355 the minutes record the appointment of threeSo1ourners as lecturers% In the chapter, on a pedestal near theSecond *rincipal, is a carved and !ilded ea!le some 5? incheshi!h%

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#t least twice in its history the chapter has been concerned withthe activities of charlatans% Its J% in the year 5D=< attended

Grand Chapter to report "obert Sampson, watchmaker, of *ettyFrance, .estminster, for pretendin! to ealt several $asons%Sampson had been epelled from his chapter and had formedan independent Society at his own house where he professed toealt $aster $asons for ?)% Then, in 53>3, the chapter heard) probably not for the first time ) of another impostor, .illiamFinch% Three Companions had been proposed as 1oinin!members in that year, but were found to have been irre!ularlyealted by Finch2 however, they were allowed to attend as

visitors on their consentin! to be ealted 'in re!ular manner,and they became members two months later% Finch, abreeches)maker, initiated in Canterbury, was to some etent areal student of $asonic ritual% He became an author andpublisher of $asonic books and made a practice of sellin!rituals ) of very doubtful authenticity% His troubled careerincluded an action which he brou!ht in the courts of law and inwhich the Grand Secretary of that day !ave evidence not inFinch's favour% He died in 5353 at the a!e of about forty)si% His

story, puttin! him in a rather better li!ht, is told by Colonel F%$% "ickard in #%%C%, vol% Iv%

# report in the ewes -ournal ASusseB of (ctober ?, 53>5,speaks of a "oyal #rch chapter that had 1ust been held in the(ld Ship Tavern, 7ri!hton, under a deputation from St -ames'sChapter, when nine $#ST8"S of #"TS were ealted% It shouldbe eplained that &virtual' $asters were commonly so

desi!nated%

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Section Se&en

THE SO,CALLED $ANTIENTS' GRAND CHAPTER

Soon after the erection of the premier Grand Chapter it seemslikely that the &#ntients' for the first time found the scales tilteda!ainst them, and, althou!h to them any separate control of

the "oyal #rch was of no advanta!e, they obviously feltcompelled to counter the efforts of their rivals by creatin! theirown Grand Chapter% So, in 5DD5, they replied to ord 7layney's!esture, but their Grand Chapter was nothin! more than anominal body2 it is not known to have had minutes before5D36, and it is doubtful whether for a lon! time it had even thesemblance of a separate or!ani/ation, certainly never anindependent one such as that of the first Grand Chapter% Theeplanation is simple enou!h; the &$oderns' had formed their

Grand Chapter in the face of official dislike2 it had to beseparate and distinct, or otherwise could not have eisted atall% (n the other hand, the &#ntients' system embraced andcomprehended the "oyal #rch2 its 7rethren loved it, respectedit, believed it to be an inte!ral part of the $asonic (rder2 anyindependent or!ani/ation for its control was superfluous%0evertheless, they felt obli!ed to make a positive reply to ord7layney's move, for they had en1oyed in the "oyal #rch aconsiderable asset which now mi!ht tend to disappear, so they

founded a &Grand Chapter%' ery slowly at first, but 9uitedefinitely in the course of a !eneration or so, the &#ntient'7rethren would be lookin! not to the lod!e, but to the chapterwhen they wished to be ealted, but for years to come theywould view with disapproval the settin! up of any authority,even a shadowy one, comin! between their Grand od!e and

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the workin! of the "%#% in their lod!es% There continued formany years a most distinct &oneness' between their Grandod!e and their Grand Chapter2 indeed, in !eneral, it wasimpossible to distin!uish between them%

That the arrival of the first Grand Chapter forced their hands isobvious from many minutes of the &#ntients' Grand od!e%Consider the proceedin!s of September @, 5DD5, whenaurence +ermott, the new +eputy Grand $aster, was in thechair% The Grand Secretary A+ickyB asked whether his Grace,the +uke of #tholl, was Grand $aster in every respect% The

meetin! unanimously answered the 9uestion in the affirmative%Then the Grand Secretary said he had heard it advanced thatthe

=@

Grand $aster had not a ri!ht to inspect into the proceedin!sof the "%#%2 that he, the Grand Secretary, had with re!retperceived many fla!rant abuses of this most sacred part of$asonry2 and therefore proposed that the $aster and *ast$asters of the .arranted od!es be conven'd as soon aspossible in order to put that part of $asonry on a Solid 7asis%

In this same year, 5DD5, matters relatin! to the "%#% havin!

come before it, the &#ntients' Grand od!e considered that asseveral members of Grand od!e were not "oyal #rch masons,the Chapter were the &properest' persons to ad1ust anddetermine this matter2 it was then a!reed that the case bereferred to their Chapter with full power and authority to hearand determine and finally ad1ust the same% In 0ovember 5DD6

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it was resolved in Grand od!e that this Chapter perfectlycoincided and a!rees that $asters and *ast $asters A7ona)fideBonly ou!ht to be admitted $asters of the "oyal #rch% Then, inthe net month, +ecember, we find the Grand od!e decidin!when the Grand Chapter is to meet, the actual resolution bein!

that a General Grand Chapter of the #oyal !rch shallmeet on the first &ednesday of the Months of !pril and)ctober in every year to regulate all matters in thatbranch of Masonry, and that at such meetings a faithfulcopy of the Transactions with a list of all the #oyal !rch

Masons of the respective Lodges shall be returned to theGrand /ecretary to be Inrolled%

#t this very same meetin! we hear what is undoubtedly anecho of the dis9uiet created in the &#ntients' ranks by theformation of the first Grand Chapter;

The Master <: reported that several Members of isLodge was very refractory, insisting that the Grand Lodgehad no power to hinder them from being admitted #oyal !rch Masons, and that they was countenanced in such proceedings by 5ror % #obinson, the Landlord of the ousethey assembled in%

Then follows an attack on this 7rother "obinson, who wassummoned to attend the net Steward's od!e% AIn the

&#ntients' system, the functions of the Steward's od!esomewhat resembled those of to)day's 7oard of General*urposes%B

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There is further evidence of the close association of the twobodies when in 5D33)3= it was resolved that copies of the "%#%

re!ulations should be included in the Circular etter of the Eear%This followed an in9uiry by a select committee into a reportthat many and !ross abuses had been practised2 so seriouslywas the matter re!arded that, pendin! the completion of thein9uiry and thorou!h reform, no "%#% masons could be madewithout consent of Grand od!e officers% ater, in 5D=5, we findthe

=?

Grand od!e confirmin! a report of the General Grand Chapterand Committee of the Holy "oyal #rch and a!reein! tocirculate it to all lod!es under the &#ntients' constitution% #tabout this period there are references in the minutes to #7ook of the "oyal #rch; Transactions, but it is not known

whether a copy of this book is in eistence% In the years5D=:)=D Grand od!e read the minutes of the last GrandChapter of the "%#% and passed them unanimously% # minute of-une 6, 53>D, of the &#ntients' Grand od!e, recorded that feesreceived on ealtees had been finally paid into Grand od!e%$ore complete evidence of the real identity of the two bodies ishardly possible%

R2e +#% Re/2+-!#

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0o rules relatin! to the "oyal #rch appear to have been madein the early years by the &#ntients' Grand od!e, whose book ofconstitutions, #himan "e/on for 5D?: and 5DD3, did not includeany, althou!h havin! borrowed a phrase from #nderson's firstConstitutions Ait helped itself cheerfully from any usefulsourceB, its rule 0o% a stated that the $aster of a particularod!e has the ri!ht and authority of con!re!atin! the membersof his own od!e into a Chapter upon any emer!ency oroccurrence, but, as stated earlier, it is etremely unlikely ) practically impossible ) that Chapter in #nderson's instancehad anythin! to do with the "%#% In 5D36, however, the

&#ntients' Grand od!e ordered a re!ister of the 8cellent "oyal#rch $asons returned by lod!es to be made, and more than

ten years later, in 5D=@)=?, they went throu!h the rules andre!ulations on which they had been workin! and issued them inrevised form as a set%

The earliest)known &#ntients' re!ister of "%#% masons datesback to 5D3<)36, but, to tell the truth, it is not a live, currentre!ister, but more in the nature of a list of 7rethren known tobe Aor have beenB "%#% masons, for it includes in an early entryaurence +ermott's name, to which is appended +%G%$% 0o%<:, 5D@: Aaurence was not +eputy Grand $aster until manyyears laterB% The names of other prominent masons appearin!in the list could not have been compiled from any normalreturns%

The rules and re!ulations of 5D=@ are stated to be;

'or the Introduction and Government of the oly #oyal !rch Chapters under the @rotection and /upported by the !ntient Grand Lodge of +ngland Made at /everal Times%

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#evised and corrected at a Grand Chapter, )ctoder Ist,<=>% Confirmed in Grand Lodge, -ecember :rd, <=>%

=:

The outstandin! points of the rules are;

<% That every chapter shall be held Junder the authority

and sanction of a regular subsisting warrant granted byGrand Lodge according to the )ld Institution%J

% That si. regularly registered #oyal !rch masons be present at the ma$ing of an #%!% mason%

:% JThat no 5rother shall be admitted into the %#%!% buthe who has regularly and faithfully passed through thethree progressive degrees, and has filled and performedthe office of Master in his Lodge to the satisfaction of his5rethren, to ascertain which they shall deliver up to himin open lodge, held in the Masters degree, a certificate tothe following purport4

To the presiding chiefs of the Chapter of +.cellent#oyal !rch Masons under the Lodge%%%% 0o%%%%&hereas our truly well beloved 5rother %%% ageometric Master Mason, every way 7ualified so faras we are judged of the necessary 7ualifications for

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passing the oly #oyal !rch, we do hereby certifythat the said trusty and well beloved brother hasobtained the unanimous consent of our Lodge 0o%%%%for the recommendation and the signing of thiscertificate%

Given under our hands this %%%%% day of %%%%%

&%M%

/%&%

1%&%

/ecretary%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

>% JThat a general Grand Chapter of the %#%!% shall beheld half yearly, on the first &ednesday in the months of !pril and )ctober in each year, that every warrantedLodge shall be directed to summons its +.cellent #oyal !rch Members to attend the same, and that none but

members of warranted Lodges and the present and pastGrand )fficers Ebeing #oyal !rch MasonsF shall bemembers thereof, and certified sojourners to be admittedas visitors only%J

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?% That /cribes shall $eep a register of all 5rethrenadmitted to the -egree and ma$e due return half(yearly%

B% That general Grand Chapters of +mergency may becalled, on application being made to the Grand Chiefs byat least si. +.cellent Masons%

=% JThat on the admission of a new brother the form ofthe return to General Grand Chapter shall be as follows4

&e, the three Chiefs, whose names are hereuntosubscribed, do certify that in a Chapter of oly #oyal !rch, convened and held under the sanction andauthority of the &arrant of the &orshipful Lodge0o%%%% our well beloved

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=D

5rethren, G%%, I%8%, and L%M%, having delivered tous the certificate hereunto subjoined and provedthemselves by due e.amination to be well 7uali fiedin all the three degrees of !pprentice, 'ellowcraftand Master Mason, were by us admitted to thesupreme degree of +.cellent #oyal !rch Masons%Given under our hands and Masonic Mar$ in Chapterthis %%%%% day of %%%%% in the year of Masonry %%%%% andin the year of our Lord %%%%

%%%%%%% %%%%%%%

/cribe %%%%%%%%%%

% JThat all registered #oyal !rch Masons shall be entitledto a Grand #oyal !rch certificate on the payment of threeshillings, which shall be a per7uisite of the Grand /cribe,they paying the e.pense of printing, parchment, ribbon,

etc% etc%J

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% JThat the e.penses of General Grand Chapter forTylers, summonses, etc% shall be borne from the Grand'und as formerly ordered by Grand Lodge%J

<;% That London 5rethren, on admission, shall pay a feeof half a guinea, of which two shillings shall be paid to thegeneral Grand 'und on registration and one shilling to theGrand /cribe" country, foreign and military chapters maycharge a smaller fee but ma$e the same payment onregistration%

<<% That a member of any particular lodge in Londonrecommended by the Master, &ardens, and /ecretary inopen lodge assembled, and after due e.amination by anyof the Three Grand Chiefs, or the Two Grand /cribes orany two of the same, the brother, being a Master Masonand duly registered at least twelve months as shall appearunder the hands of the Grand /ecretary, and having passed the chair, shall, if approved by the #%!% chapter to

whom the brother is recommended be admitted to thesublime degree of +.cellent or #oyal !rch Masons%

<% The foregoing rule is adapted to 5rethren in countryor foreign lodges%

<:% That the names of e.altees be duly returned%

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<>% That +.cellent 5rothers from country and foreignlodges Jthe two /cribes or any two of themJ be entitled tobe registered and receive a certificate%

# note laid down that nine 8cellent $asters, to assist theGrand (fficers in visitin! lod!es AchaptersB, etc%, were to beelected in (ctober of each year; That the !eneral uniformity of#ntient $asonry may be preserved and handed downunchan!ed to posterity% These nine 7rethren have come downto history as the 0ine .orthies, and they soon had duties,and very important ones, in addition to those ori!inally named%

=3

They wore a special 1ewel A*late IB whose chief motif wasthree arches, one within the other, these 1ewels bein! amon!the most distinctive of those made in the latter part of the

ei!hteenth century% The names of these .orthies were kept ina special re!ister, and one of their particular duties was toeamine all persons undertakin! to perform "%#% ceremonies,install Grand (fficers, or as to processions% The 0ine.orthies developed in the course of time into a Committee onthe lines of to)day's 7oard of General *urposes2 thus we findthat in 5D=D the 9uestion of estimatin! and reportin! theepense of proper clothin! and re!alia for the Grand Chapterwas referred to them% *robably all the .orthies were

preceptors of considerable eperience% (ne of them, -% H%Goldsworthy, appointed a few years later, was ecture $aster,had some part in brin!in! about the 4nion, and, livin! to benearly ei!hty years of a!e, was a Senior Grand +eacon in 53@?and a member of the 7oard of General *ufposes as late as53?>% He died ei!ht years later%

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Further laws and re!ulations for the Holy "oyal #rch Chapterwere a!reed in #pril 53>D; "evised, amended and approved in

General Grand Chapter at the Crown and #nchor Tavern,Strand, ondon, #pril 5st, 53>D% They are included in theseventh edition of #himan "e1on, 53>y, and the preamble tothem Asomewhat repeatin! that of the 5D=@ versionB so clearlypoints to the &#ntients' hi!h re!ard for the (rder that it maywell be reproduced here;

!ntient 'reemasonry consists of four -egrees(The threefirst of which are, that of !pprentice, the 'ellow Craft, andthe sublime degree of Master" and a 5rother being wellversed in these degrees and otherwise 7ualified is eligibleto be admitted to the fourth degree, the oly #oyal !rch%This degree is certainly more august, sublime andimportant than those which precede it, and is the summitand perfection of !ntient Masonry% It impresses on ourminds a more firm belief of the e.istence of a /upreme-eity, without beginning of days or end of years and justly reminds us of the respect and veneration due tothat oly 0ame%

ntil within those few years, this degree was notconferred upon any but those who had been aconsiderable time enrolled in the 'raternity" and could,beside, give the most une7uivocal proofs of their s$ill and

proficiency in the Craft%

It must of conse7uence be allowed that every regular andwarranted Lodge possesses the power of forming and

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holding Meetings in each of these several degrees, thelast of which, from its pre(eminence, is denominated,among Masons, a Chapter% That this /upreme degree maybe conducted with that regularity, order and solemnitybecoming the sublime intention with which it has fromtime immemorial been held, as an essential andcomponent part of !ntient Masonry, and that which is the perfection and end of the beautiful system" the +.cellentMasons of the Grand Lodge of +ngland, according to

==

the )ld Constitutions, duly assembled and constitutionallyconvened in General Grand Chapter, have carefullycollected and revised the regulations%

The rules of 53>D are in !eneral effect the same as those of

5D=@ 1ust !iven, but there are a few si!nificant chan!es%

"ule 0o% 5 states that, a!reeably to established custom, the(fficers of the Grand od!e for the time bein! are consideredas the Grand Chiefs2 the Grand Secretary and his +eputy forthe time bein! shall act as Grand Scribes2 and the said Grand(fficers and Grand Scribes are to preside at all Grand Chapters,accordin! to seniority2 they usually appoint the most epert

"%#% companions to the other offices2 and none but 8cellent"%#% masons, bein! members of warranted lod!es, in and nearthe $etropolis, shall be members thereof% Certified So1ournersmay be admitted as visitors only%

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"ule 0o% @ provides that, as from this date, every chapterunder the authority of the Grand Chapter must have a re!ularsubsistin! warrant of Craft masonry !ranted by the M#ntientsNGrand od!e or a Charter of Constitution specifically !ranted forthe purpose% AThus, the day in which the "%#% could be workedunder the inherent authority of the Craft lod!e appears to haveclosed%B

7y "ule 5> the minimum fee for 8altation is one !uinea, out ofwhich the chapter shall pay to the Grand Scribe three shillin!s,two shillin!s shall !o to the !eneral Fund of Grand od!e, and

to the Grand Scribe as a per9uisite for his trouble, etc%, oneshillin!%

It is epressly laid down in "ule : that the Candidate for the"%#% must have attained three pro!ressive de!rees2 havepassed the chair2 been re!istered in the Grand od!e books, asa $aster $ason, for twelve months at least2 and have beenapproved on eamination by some one of the Grand Chiefs or

Grand Scribes, to ascertain which a certificate must be !ivenand si!ned in open lod!e and further attested by the GrandSecretary%

There is little or nothin! to help the historian to form an opinionas to the part played by the &#ntients' Grand Chapter inpreparin! for and helpin! to brin! about the &union,' but the

impression is that of itself, it did nothin!, for it was part andparcel of the &#ntients' Grand od!e, and that body spoke forboth Craft masonry and the "oyal #rch, inte!ral parts of onesystem% The &#ntients' Grand od!e must have had in thecourse of the very len!thy discussions a !reat deal to say aboutthe "oyal #rch, but what it said is a matter of inference and to

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be 1ud!ed by the terms upon which peace was achieved% In themany references to the preliminary ne!otiations between thetwo hi!h parties to be found in the &#ntients' minutes there isnot, so far as the present writer is aware, any reference to the"oyal #rch%

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Section Ei-t

YOR. ROYAL ARCH MASONRY

TH8"8 is no historical basis for the claim made by the &#ntients'that they were Eork masons and were handin! down toposterity a rite that had been worked at Eork for hundreds of

years% The matter is !one into in the writer's earlier book, andall that need be said here is that any claim that there is a Eorkrite of !reat anti9uity is more a matter of sentiment than offact% aurence +ermott, in claimin! in #ihiman "e/on that

&#ntient' masons were called Eork masons because the firstGrand od!e in 8n!land was con!re!ated at Eork, #%+% =<:, by*rince 8dwin under a Charter from in! #thelstan, was not onlyrepeatin! a myth, but was astutely borrowin! an appellationwhich he ri!htly thou!ht would be an asset%

T3e Yr Gr+#% L%/e

The only Grand od!e at Eork Athe Grand od!e of #

8n!landB was one havin! a drawn)out eistence from 5D<? to5D=<% It had !rown from a lod!e in the city of Eork which hadbeen meetin! for twenty years or more, but the Grand od!ethus brou!ht into bein! had a sphere of influence limited to itsown district2 becomin! dormant about 5D@>, it was revived in5D:5, and was helpful to .illiam *reston when, in his 9uarrel

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with the senior Grand od!e, he availed himself of its help toform in ondon in 5DD= the Grand od!e of 8n!land, South ofthe "iver Trent, whose life was short and uneventful%

The ori!inal issue of !himan #e6on A5D?:B did its best tobracket the new Grand od!e with the Eork masons% (ne of itsheadin!s was "e!ulations for Charity in Ireland, and by Eork$asons in 8n!land, and a .arrant of Constitution issued bythe &#ntients' in 5D?= carries the desi!nation Grand od!e ofEork $asons, ondon% 7ut, rememberin! #nderson'sstatements that freemasonry was known at the creation of the

world, we are inclined to look indul!ently upon aurence+ermott's claim to a mere ei!ht hundred years or so of history%

T% 7% .hytehead asks the followin! 9uestion in the preface toHu!han's )rigin of the +nglish #ite4

Is it not in the bounds of possibility that the #oyal !rchreally had its

5>5

far bac$ origin at 9or$ amongst a superior class of

)peratives and was revived as a /peculative )rder bythose who were associated in a special manner with their5rethren the )peratives, descendants of the oldGuildmenH

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How !ratifyin! and comfortin! it would be to be able to answerthis 9uestion with a simple &Ees%' 7ut how impossibleL There isno evidence linkin! the "oyal #rch with operative masonry%History, some ac9uaintance with the 8n!lish operative system,plus a little common)sense reasonin! dictate a definite &0o%' .edo not even know that there ever were mason operative

&!uildmen%' Some of the best of the operatives were, in somecases and at some time, members of a City Company, but it isetremely doubtful whether the operative craft, by its verynature, ever lent itself to control by local !uilds ) for reasonseplained in the author's earlier work%

Fifield +assi!ny in his boob; A5D@@B, mentioned at p% @?, refersto an assembly of $aster $asons in the City of Eork and to acertain propa!ator of a false system %%% a $aster of the "oyal#rch, which system he had brou!ht with him from the City ofEork% #ny basis in fact for the last statement is unknown%There is no evidence that the "oyal #rch was worked in Eorkbefore the year in which +assi!ny's book appeared% So far asthe records !o, the earliest conneion with Eork is to be foundin the $inute 7ook belon!in! to the "oyal #rch od!e of Eorkdated 5D:<%

Yr' E+r2!e- C3+p-er +#% !- Gr+#% C3+p-er

# &$oderns' lod!e, the *unch 7owl od!e, 0o% <?=, was formedin Eork in 5D:5% Its 7rethren were actors, all of them membersof the Eork Company of Comedians, whose principal memberand a !reat favourite with Eorkshire audiences was its first$aster, a !enius named 7rid!e Frodsham% AGilbert E% -ohnson's

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paper in #%%C% vol% lvii, to which we are indebted for much ofour information, includes an entertainin! character sketch ofFrodsham%B Four members of the lod!e proceeded to found a"oyal #rch lod!e, one of the earliest instances of a separate"oyal #rch or!ani/ation2 of course, it had no warrant)there wasno authority that could have issued it% $embers of the *unch7owl od!e 1oined the Eork Grand od!e, which took over thecontrol of the "oyal #rch od!e and developed it in 5DD3 intothe Grand Chapter of # 8n!land, usually called the EorkGrand Chapter% This was not blessed with lon! life, and isbelieved to have collapsed soon after the date of its lastminutes ) namely, September 5>, 5D35%

Its minutes date from 5DD3 and are headed # $ost Sublime or"oyal #rch Chapter Aan instance of an early use of the word

&chapter'B% The minute, bearin! date 5DD3, is renowned in "oyal#rch history% Its se9uel

5><

is the presence of an en!ravin! of the Crypt of Eork $inster onthe summons of the eistin! Eork od!e, 0o% <6: Asee *late B%The minute recordin! a meetin! of the Grand Chapter of #8n!land is headed Eork Cathedral, <Dth $ay, 5DD3, and statesthat;

The #oyal !rch 5rethren, whose names areundermentioned, assembled in the !ncient Lodge, now asacred #ecess within the Cathedral Church of 9or$, andthen and there opened a Chapter of 'ree and !cceptedMasons in the Most /ublime -egree of #oyal !rch%

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The names of nine members follow, the first three of whomhave the letters S%, H%T%, H%#% respectively attached to their

names2 the fourth is Secretary and Treasurer%

# brief certificate of 5DD=, si!ned by the Grand Secretary of #ll8n!land, speaks of admittin! to the First +e!ree and ofraisin! to the Second, Third, dnd Fourth, this Fourth bein!the "oyal #rch% #ctually the certificate mentioned one furtherde!ree, the ni!ht Templar, which was called the Fifth +e!ree,

and it is worth while notin! that in -une 5D3> Athe followin!yearB the Eork Grand od!e, by arran!ement with the EorkGrand Chapter, confirmed its authority over Five +e!rees or(rders of $asonry, the rite consistin! of first, 8ntered#pprentice2 second, Fellow Craft2 third, $aster $ason2 fourth,ni!ht Templar2 and fifth, Sublime +e!ree of "oyal #rch% Thisdoes not a!ree with the above noted brief certificate of theprevious year or with a reference dated February D, 5D:<, inwhich the "oyal #rch is distinctly termed the Fourth +e!ree of$asonry% .hile to a !reat many lod!es and chapters the "oyal#rch was the Fourth +e!ree, to some others it was undoubtedlythe Fifth, and it may be that some few lod!es were not veryconsistent in the matter%

# resolution of the Eork Grand Chapter dated $ay <, 5DD=,foreshadows the arran!ement, made at the 4nion, by which(fficers of Grand od!e are !iven, if 9ualified, correspondin!

rank in Grand Chapter% The resolution lays down that

in future the @residing )fficers of the Grand Lodge of !ll+ngland shall be Masters of this #oyal !rch Chapter

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whenever such @residing )fficers shall be Members hereofand in Case of -efault they shall be succeeded by the/enior Members of the #oyal !rch Chapter%

7ut there is still earlier evidence of the application of thisprinciple, as, for eample, the association eistin! from thevery birth of both the premier and the &#ntients' GrandChapters%

5>6

Sme O-3er Yr C3+p-er

The oldest chapter still at work in Eork to)day is the JetlandChapter, 0o% <6:, consecrated -anuary <?, 53@=, and attached

to Eork od!e Afounded as the 4nion od!e in 5DDDB, but therewere much older ones ) the Eork Grand Chapter, already dealtwith2 the Chapter of 4nity2 and the Chapter of 4nanimity2 thelast)named was the predecessor of the Jetland Chapter%

nity Chapter, 9or$% In 5DD6 the &$oderns' constituted #pollood!e, Eork, whose founders, two or three of whom were "oyal#rch masons, had resi!ned in a body from the Eork Grand

od!e% #pollo od!e decided to form a "oyal #rch chapter, andwhen the senior Grand Chapter assented in 5DD3 to anapplication to !rant a warrant to .illiam Spencer, "ichardGarland, and Thomas Thackray, the curious thin! is that ofthese three only one was a "oyal #rch mason).illiam Spencer,who 1oined the "oyal #rch Chapter at Eork in 5D:3 and was

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soon appointed Superintendent for the County of Eorkshire%0either the name of the chapter nor the names of the Three*rincipals were !iven in the application; the chapter was 0o% 5Gin the Grand Chapter "e!istry, and was there called Chapter of4nion at Eork, a mistake for Chapter of 4nity% The chapter maypossibly have never been opened, but it continued to have aplace in the official list%

nanimity Chapter, 9or$% The &$oderns' issued a warrant in5D== for a Chapter of 4nanimity to be founded in conneionwith the 4nion od!e of Eork, now Eork od!e 0o% <6:% The

re!istry is at fault in some respects, but, in effect, a warrantwas !ranted to three masons, one of whom, -ohn Seller, wasthe first candidate in the new chapter% The warrant stated thatthe members of the chapter were to consist solely of masonsbelon!in! to the 4nion od!e, but the restriction was notobserved, and no other chapter warrant is known to contain acorrespondin! clause%

The ori!inal minutes, still in eistence, show that the firstmeetin! was held on a Sunday, February 5, but there was noceremony of consecration% For the first few years the chapterprospered, and amon! its ealtees was the Hon% awrence+undas, later first 8arl of Jetland and *ro First Grand *rincipalof the Grand Chapter Ahis title name many years later was!iven to what is now Eork's oldest eistin! chapterB% Thechapter was soon in trouble, and was struck off the rolls in53>: for failure to pay its dues% In 53<6 only two of the old

members were left, and there had been no 8altation since53>D% #s from 5365 the chapter met only about once every twoyears% In 53@?, after ealtin! two candidates, it

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5>@

sou!ht confirmation of its warrant by Supreme Grand Chapter,but it had not made returns or paid fees to any Grand Chaptersince 53><, well over forty years before, had been struck offthe rolls in 53>=, and none of the Companions ealted durin!the past forty)five years had been re!istered at Grand Chapterand could be reco!ni/ed as petitioners% There were, however,two Companions in Eork whose si!natures as petitioners wereeli!ible, and for the third the chapter made contact with#braham e eau, a wine merchant of ondon, a re!ular visitor

to Eork, a mason of outstandin! ability, later a Grand (fficerand a member of the 7oard of General *urposes%

The full story of the ne!otiations for the foundin! of the revivedchapter is told in Gilbert E% -ohnson's paper The History of theJetland Chapter, 0o% <6:, read at the Centenary Convocationin -anuary 5=6=, and to that paper the present writer is !reatlyindebted% The revived Aactually newB chapter was !iven the

name Jetland and attached to 4nion Anow EorkB od!e, 0o%<6:, and at its consecration on -anuary <?, 53@=, ninemembers of that lod!e were ealted and at once made officers%#ll officers in this chapter were elected ecept #ssistantSo1ourners, and these were appointed by the *rincipalSo1ourner% From 53?> the custom was for the Three *rincipalswith the *ast *rincipals to open the chapter and then admit theCompanions% The $ystical, Symbolical, and Historical ecturesare mentioned for the first time in the minutes of 53?6% It has

happened that when an Installation of a First *rincipal had tobe postponed owin! to the absence of 9ualified Companions theceremony was postponed indefinitely, this not affectin! thestatus of the officer so far as the conduct of ceremonies wasconcerned%

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Section Nine

SOME FAMILIAR TERMS

I0 the closin! decades of the ei!hteenth century ) the periodcovered by the advent and early pro!ress of the GrandChapters ) the "oyal #rch &lod!e' was becomin! a &chapter'2 its

&7rethren,' &Companions'2 and its Candidates, instead of bein! &passed' or &raised' to the de!ree, tended to be &ealted%'

The word &chapter' has a lon! and attractive history% $asonicallyit is an old word, for masons met in !eneral chapter in medievaldays, as we know for certain from #ct 6 of Henry I A5@<?Bwhich forbade masons to meet in chapters and con!re!ations%The word was used in the earliest Craft Constitutions A5D<6B,which !ave $asters and .ardens of particular lod!es the ri!htand authority of con!re!atin! members in chapters upon anyemer!ency or occurrence, but that use could hardly have hadany "oyal #rch association Asee p% 6DB% &Chapter' cameori!inally from ecclesiastical usa!e% .hen monks in medievaldays met in an assembly presided over by the head of their

house or by a hi!her di!nitary they were said to be &meetin! inchapter%' Their meetin!)place was the chapterhouse, oftenlavishly decorated, attached to a cathedral or abbey% # synod orcouncil of a cathedral's cler!y presided over by the dean wasa'chapter'2 the correspondin! meetin! of a colle!iate house wasa &colle!e,' as at .estminster and .indsor% In French the word

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is chapitre% 8rnest .eekley, the philolo!ist, has shown that theword Ain atin capitutum, diminutive of caput, a headB had asan early meanin! a section of a book, a sense which arisesnaturally from that of headin!, as, for eample, &torecapitulate,' meanin! to run over the headin!s of a sub1ect%.eekley says that the word was used

especially of the divisions of the 5ible% &hen the canonsof a collegiate or cathedral church, mon$s of a monasteryor $nights of an order held formal meetings, the proceedings began with the reading of a chapter from

their #ule or from the /criptures% Thus the gathering itselfbecame $nown as the chapter and the room in which itwas held was called the chapter(house%

For rou!hly two centuries the tendency has been to desi!nateas chapters certain $asonic bodies or !atherin!s outside theCraft de!rees,

5>:

a natural development in view of the reli!ious and oftenChristian character of early chapter ceremonies% $any of theadded de!rees meet in chapters, as do the assemblies ofkni!hts of some of the orders of chivalry )such as the Garter

and the 7ath%

The tendency to substitute the word 'chapter' for 'lod!e' can betraced back to the 5D?> period, aurence +ermott referrin! to

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the "oyal #rch !atherin! as bein! more sublime and importantthan any of those which preceded it % % % and from itspre)eminence is denominated, amon!st masons, a chapter%7y)laws of the 8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter A5D:?B freelyuse the word% So does the Charter of Compact in the followin!year% (bviously the comin! of the Grand Chapters (f 5D:: and5DD5 encoura!ed the chan!e)over to what was re!arded as themore appropriate, even the more reverent, term, and we seethis clearly eemplified in the course pursued by the seniorGrand Chapter in warrantin! its first chapters in 5D:=% 8ach ofthem is !iven two names, one of a lod!e and one of a chapter,as in these two eamples; AaB The "estauration od!e orChapter of the "ock Fountain2 AbB The 8uphrates od!e or

Chapter of the Garden of 8den%

There are recorded instances of "oyal #rch 'lod!es'transformin! themselves into 'chapters% Thus, 4nanimityod!e, .akefield, met as a lod!e on -une <@, 5D33, but by thenet meetin! had become a chapter%

It is not to be li!htly assumed, however, that the chan!e)overfrom 'lod!e' to 'chapter,' '$aster' to '*rincipal,' and so on, was asmooth, automatic process, for, as already shown, the GrandChapter called itself for a time in the 5D=>Ks a 'Grand od!e of"oyal #rch $asons,' and in 53>5 the head of 'Supreme GrandChapter' was a 'Grand $aster%' 'In Ireland the word 'chapter'was slow in comin! into use% It was more common to use theword 'assembly,' and the chan!e)over in some places was not

made until the comin! of the Irish Grand Chapter in 53<=%

'Cmp+#!#'

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Followin! the assembly of "oyal #rch masons in chapter camethe practice of callin! them not '7rethren,' but 'Companions,' a

term not thou!ht to have ancient $asonic status, but still mostapt in its derivation and association% In his speech 9uoted at p%@< Chevalier "amsay refers to three classes of 7rethren; the0ovices or #pprentices2 the Companions or *rofessed2 the$asters or *erfected% He ascribes to the first, the moralvirtues2 to the second, the heroic virtues2 and to the last, theChristian virtues2 in such sort that our Institution encloses allthe *hilosophy of the Sentiments and all the Theolo!y of theHeart%

5>D

$uch less to the point is a note by +r (liver, who, havin! statedthat *ytha!oras distin!uished his pupils by callin! themCompanions, !oes on to say that the members of the "oyal

#rch are denominated &Companions' and entitled to a fulleplanation of the mysteries of the (rder, whereas members ofthe former de!rees are reco!ni/ed by the familiar appellation of

&7rothers,' and are kept in a state of profound i!norance of thesublime secret which is disclosed in the chapter% This soundsvery fine, but "oyal #rch masons were still 7rethren in mostplaces until late in the 5DD>'s and in some lod!es for lon!afterwards%

The derivation and the associations of the word are e9uallyattractive% The word is built up of two atin terms, one meanin!

&to!ether' and the other &bread,' the implication bein! thatCompanions eat bread to!ether ) that is, share their meals with

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one another% In some orders of chivalry a kni!ht is termed a &Companion%' *aul the #postle writes to his brother andcompanion in labour, and Shakespeare freely uses the word%

>E5+2-'

The term &ealted' is in the Charter of Compact in 5D:: and theminutes of the Chapter of Concord, 0o% 5<@, in 5D3D, andprobably other records round about that date would revealother instances of its use% Its adoption by masons must havebeen inspired by the etensive 7iblical use of the word in itsvarious forms% *salm li, 5=, says; I have ealted onechosen out of the people% The $a!nificat ASt uke i, ?<B says,He hath put down the mi!hty from their seats, and ealtedthem of low de!ree% The word, which is from the atin andsi!nifies &to raise or lift up' Athe one so raised bein! an

&ealtee'B, has ac9uired the meanin! &to raise or elevate in

di!nity, rank, power, or position,' and it amply sustains theparticular meanin! which the freemason has !iven it%

8ditions of the laws produced by the first Grand Chapter late inthe ei!hteen)hundreds have a len!thy preamble addressed toall the Companions of that estate but more particularly toI0ITI#T8S% So, apparently, not until early in the nineteenthcentury did it become really customary to use the now familiarword &ealtee%'

5>3

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T3e Sr#er

The word &so1ourner' also comes from the atin, andincorporates the word diurnus, meanin! &daily%' iterally to

&so1ourn' is to dwell in a place for a time, to live somewhere asa stran!er and not as a member of the community% Genesis ii,io, says that #bram went down into 8!ypt to so1ourn there,and still more apt is a verse in 5 Chronicles i, 5?; For weare stran!ers before thee, and so1ourners, as were all our

fathers; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there isnone abidin!% *salm i, 5<, says, I am a stran!er withthee, and a so1ourner% There are many similar tets% The word

&so1ourner' came strai!ht into freemasonry from the 7ible, inwhich there are well over fifty eamples of its use in one formor another%

#t the time of the "oyal #rch &union,' So1ourners in many

chapters were known as the 1unior, Senior, and *rincipalSo1ourners respectively, and their duties were to !uard theveils% #t the openin! of the chapter they individually answered9uestions addressed to them by the First *rincipal andeplained their duties, and we see a reflection of this into)day's table ritual% #s from the formation of the first GrandChapter the So1ourners were amon! the officers who wereelected annually, but there !rew up in some chapters a customby which the elected *rincipal So1ourner eercised a privile!e of

appointin! his two assistants% Indeed, a rule to this effectappears in the "oyal #rch "e!ulations of 53<6, this remainin!in force until 533:, when the power of election returned to thechapter%

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T3e +#!-r

In early chapters the &-anitor' was called the &Tiler,' as in theCraft, and it is likely that the newer term was adopted merelyto make a distinction% iterally the word &-anitor' is 9uite apt, forit means '+oorkeeper,' from the atin 1anua, &a door%' In someof the early chapters, there were a -unior and a Senior -anitor%The #bstract of aws of Grand and "oyal Chapter, 5DD3, !ives alist of officers, includin! the Senior 1anitor or $essen!er,

proper to Grand Chapter, and the 1unior 1anitor or Common+oorkeeper indispensably necessary to every re!ular Chapter%In the Cyrus Chapter, 0o% <5, meetin! at the Three TunsTavern, Southwark, in the year 53>5, and in some otherchapters, there were two 1anitors, one within and one without%St Geor!e's Chapter appointed a & -a!er' in 5D3:, the wordbein! supposed to be a corrupt renderin! of &-anitor,' by whichword it was replaced a year later%

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Section Ten

THE 'UNION' , SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER/ 0102

How the two opposin! Craft bodies came to unite in 5356 is astory that cannot here be dwelt upon at len!th% The presentpurpose is merely to show how the Craft 4nion affected the

status of "oyal #rch masonry and, to!ether with the "oyal #rch4nion four years later, settled for all the years that have sinceelapsed the somewhat anomalous position occupied by the"oyal #rch in the 8n!lish 1urisdiction%

7y the end of the ei!hteenth century there was in !eneral anassimilation of ritual between the two Craft bodies and, on the

part of wise and /ealous masons, an ardent wish that thesebodies should unite in peace and harmony under one Grandod!e% There was much !oin! and comin! of moderate menbetween the lod!es and Grand lod!es of the two persuasions,and a !reat many 7rethren were undoubtedly doin! their bestto minimi/e differences and smooth the path to union%

The passa!e of the years had done much to make union

possible, for thou!h between etreme lod!es of the twopersuasions there still remained considerable differences inworkin!, it is e9ually sure that between the moderate lod!esthe differences were tendin! to become few% It is known that afew lod!es made 8ntered #pprentices, Fellow Crafts, and$aster $asons by both systems)that is, they put every

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Candidate in each de!ree throu!h the separate ceremonies ofboth the &#ntients' and the &$oderns,' while a re!imentstationed at ewes, Susse, 1ust a few years before the 4nionhad two Craft lod!es, one of each kind, workin! at the sametime% 7etween moderate lod!es there was 9uite an amount ofvisitin!, and it was possible, for instance, for 7en1amin*lummer, Grand 1unior .arden of the &#ntients,' to be admittedinto a meetin! of the &$oderns' "oyal od!e, 7arnstaple, andoccupy the $aster's chair for the evenin!% In some etremelod!es remakin!s were still insisted upon, but in the moremoderate ones visitors were accepted on takin! the (bli!ation,and it is known that both &#ntients' and Irish "oyal #rch masonswere admitted to the 8n!lish Grand Chapter on that basis%

7ehind the scenes the movement to unite the two Craft bodiescertainly started at least a !eneration before union wasachieved% In the back!round worked many worthy masons, andthe pity is we know so very

55>

little about them% .e should like to know all their names and dothem honour% # !reat fi!ure workin! for peace was ord $oira,who held the respect and confidence not only of his &$oderns'7rethren, but, to a remarkable etent, of his 7rethren in theopposite camp2 this happy condition was easier in his case than

in many others owin! to his Grand $astership in 53>:)D of theGrand od!e of Scotland, with which and the Irish Grand od!ethe &#ntients' had maintained close accord all throu!h theirhistory% 4ndoubtedly the best men on both sides wanted andworked for peace2 undoubtedly, too, the "oyal #rch was a

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factor to be most seriously borne in mind both in thepreliminary ne!otiations and in the final settlement%

(ne absurd anomaly still continued% The leadin! &$oderns'Grand (fficers were, almost to a man, members of chapters,but the official opposition to the "oyal #rch still continued, andevidence of this is provided in the correspondence passin!between a former *rovincial Grand $aster, the "ev% *rebendary*eters, and his deputy, the "ev% $atthew 7arnett, icar of$arket "asen% In a letter written in 5356 the *rebendary says

!s I have $nown some very respectable and goodcharacters in the #oyal !rch, I do not suppose that thereis anything wrong connected with it% It is not $nown,however, to the 0ational 2premier3 Grand Lodge% That power from which I am delegated, and of which you aremy deputy, $nows no other denominations of Masonsthan +nterd !pprentices, 'ellow Crafts and MasterMasons% It is dangerous to proceed further, and I have

reason to believe that beyond the #oyal !rch, it isimpious, and when carried to the length of some wea$and deluded men, approaches the Infernal%

Si years earlier, in a letter to the same correspondent, he saidthat the &#ntients' had had the impudence to enter into the.itham od!e with all their Harle9uin #prons and 7ad!es, but

$r% Thorold much to his honour instantly closed the od!e andwent away% The available minutes do not disclose that the &#ntients' Grand od!e was concerned in advancin! the cause ofthe "oyal #rch in their early echan!es with the &$oderns%' The

&#ntients' proceeded cautiously, seekin! for every step the fullaccord of the Grand od!es of Ireland and Scotland, and

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insisted in the early ne!otiations that all their $asters and *ast$asters then constitutin! their Grand od!e should bemembers of any new and united Grand od!e2 ultimately they!ave way on this point, but not until they had been made toreali/e that there was not a buildin! in ondon lar!e enou!h tohold a Grand od!e based on such a !enerous 9ualification%

#s we read throu!h the &#ntients' Grand od!e minutes from5D=D to +ecember <6, 5356, which was the date of the lastmeetin! of that body

555

before the union, we do not li!ht upon a sin!le indication thatthe "oyal #rch was a consideration in the proposed union% #ndyet we know it must have been% .e find the &#ntients' resolvin!in -une 53io that a $asonic 4nion %%% on principles e9ual and

honourable to both Grand od!es and preservin! inviolate theand $arks of the Craft would be epedient and advanta!eousto both, and that this be communicated forthwith to the

&#ntients' Grand $aster, re9uestin! his sentiments thereon, andalso to the 8arl of $oira A&$oderns'B, with a declaration of theirreadiness to concur in such measures as mi!ht assist that mostdesirable end%

It seems clear that, so far as preliminary resolutions of the twobodies are concerned, it was not thou!ht necessary to brin! the"oyal #rch into the immediate discussion% The reason seems tobe easily forthcomin!% To the &#ntients' the three Craft de!reesand the "oyal #rch comprehended essential masonry, and it isdoubtful if it would occur to them that there would be any more

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purpose in mentionin! one than the other in the earlyne!otiations% It is to be epected that insistence on definin! theeact position and status of the "oyal #rch came from the

&$oderns,' thou!h they, as we have shown over and over a!ain,were in a ridiculous state of division on the sub1ect, officiallyopposin! ) perhaps, towards the end of the time, pretendin! tobe opposin! ) a de!ree which as individuals they may havere!arded /ealously and with affection%

Takin! a common)sense view of the matter, we must assumethat the &#ntients' went into the ne!otiations with the

epectation that the de!ree would be fully acknowled!ed%(pposed to them were some who had other ideas)but onlysome, far from all% There is much si!nificance in a minute of thesenior Grand Chapter of +ecember 5>, 5355, when the FirstGrand *rincipal worked the sections of the ectures and in hisreport on approachin! union stated that four de!rees were tobe acknowled!ed% #t this very late date the Grand Chapterseems still to have been workin! as a Chapter as well as aGrand !overnin! body% 0e!otiations spread over a considerabletime, and it is in 0ovember 5356 that the immediatelyapproachin! union of the two Grand od!es was announced inthe senior Grand Chapter by the +uke of Susse, $%8%J%, whowas invested by Grand Chapter with the fullest powers tone!otiate a union of the Grand od!es in such a way as mi!htappear to be most conducive to the !eneral interest of$asonry% In the actual ne!otiations it can be safely assumedthat the &#ntients' contended for the full reco!nition of the"oyal #rch +e!ree, and that any attempt on the part of the

&$oderns' to eliminate that de!ree would have brou!ht the

ne!otiations to an end, but it may well be ar!ued from theknown result that, while the &$oderns' were prepared to retainthe

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55<

"oyal #rch, officially they were not prepared for it to rank inparity with the three Craft de!rees% .e see in the result acompromise to which the superior ne!otiatin! ability of the

&$oderns' must have contributed%

#% "% Hewitt contends that there was no real "%#% 4nioncomparable with the 4nion of the two Grand od!es% He states;

'or the nion of the Grand Lodges a number ofrepresentatives from each had met and negotiated% In thecase of the #oyal !rch *union only /usse. was appointedto negotiate% &hat, if any, negotiations were carried on isnot $nown% 0o formal document was e.ecuted and signedfor ratification by a joint meeting% 'or union there must betwo or more bodies willing to unite but there was in fact

only one sovereign independent #oyal !rch body, theGrand and #oyal Chapter of <=BB% The so(called GrandChapter of the !ntients had no e.istence separate fromthe Grand Lodge of the !ntients, no independence ofaction% It was a part of its Grand Lodge, and when thatbody disappeared at the Craft nion in <<: its GrandChapter must of necessity have disappeared with it% &ithwhom then did the Grand and #oyal Chapter or itsrepresentative, the -u$e of /usse., negotiateH

#emembering that the -u$e was authorised to negotiatewith the Grand Lodge it seems obvious that the originalGrand Chapter did not ac$nowledge the e.istence of anyother Grand Chapter% The minutes of the meeting held onMarch <th, <<=, at which the /upreme Grand Chaptercame into being, record that JThe Members of the two

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former Grand Chapters having been summoned to meetthis day they assembled in separate apartments%J Theoccasion could more truthfully be described as a meetingnot between two independent bodies about to unite butbetween one independent body and a number of #oyal !rch Masons who had been members of the *!ntientsGrand Lodge which had disappeared four years earlier%

If this is accepted then it is misleading to refer to the#oyal !rch activities of <<= as a *union of GrandChapters and to have called the new body by the style

and title of the nited Grand Chapter, a title soon to bedropped Eat the end of <<F for that of /upreme GrandChapter% True, at the first meeting reference was made tothe Jtwo former Grand ChaptersJ and to the JnitedGrand ChapterJ, e.pressions which it may have beenthought e.pedient to use as a compliment to the eminentmembers of the former *!ntients Grand Lodge presentand about to become officers and members of the newbody% That there were protracted discussions about thefuture of the #oyal !rch during the Craft nionnegotiations there can be no doubt for it is obvious thatthe *!ntients Grand Lodge insisted on recognition of the)rder by the *Moderns as an integral part of masonry,hence the inclusion in the !rticles of nion of the much7uoted phrase that masonry consists of three degrees andno more, vi6%, those of the entered apprentice, the fellowcraft and the master mason, including the /upreme )rderof the oly #oyal !rch% /uch discussions were betweenbrethren who, although meeting as representatives of the

two Grand Lodges, were also #oyal !rch Masons ofdistinction in their respective systems%

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556

T3e P3r+e "Pre A#-!e#- M+#r"

.hat may have been meant by &*ure #ntient $asonry' in 5356

can only be !uessed at, but one thin! is clear ) it included theHoly "oyal #rch% *robably that is about the shortest and thewisest statement that has been made by the many studentswho have written on the sub1ect Ait is "oderick H% 7ater'sB, butit will not satisfy the reader seekin! enli!htenment, and somecomments may therefore be offered in the hope of helpin! him%

It must be admitted that all throu!h the nineteenth century thedeclaration relatin! to *ure #ntient $asonry was treated bymost $asonic writers not as a statement of a fact, but, as+ou!las noop remarks, as a mythical claim, not to be takenseriously% Hu!han, Gould, Findel, and others asserted that the"oyal #rch was an etra or additional de!ree, and they couldhardly have held that it was, in truth, a part of *ure #ntient$asonry% Gould asked why, if one Grand od!e could add tothe system of #ncient $asonry, another could not, and hehinted that discussion on the sub1ect mi!ht centre upon

another veed 9uestion, that of the landmarks% G% .% Speththou!ht that the term *ure #ntient $asonry could apply onlyto the system that was universally accepted up to 5D<=%

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"edfern elly, whose len!thy paper in #%%C, vol% , is amon!the more important and controversial commentaries on thesub1ect, elaborates Speth's ar!ument that nothin! beyond theThird +e!ree had been !enerally accepted before 5D@>, thatbein! the approimate date when the "oyal #rch first appearedin Great 7ritain2 by the time it became !enerally worked by the

&#ntients,' it could not, he thou!ht, be pure freemasonry',because the *remier Grand od!e of 8n!land and the Grandod!es of Ireland and Scotland had not yet acknowled!ed it inany way% .hen in 5356 the Grand od!e of 8n!land officiallyreco!ni/ed the "oyal #rch it was much too late for that Grandod!e to pretend to have any authority over universalfreemasonry, says "edfern elly, at the reference above !iven,

inasmuch as independent Grand od!es now eisted with asmuch ri!ht to a hearin! as 8n!land herself2 he thou!ht that thelimit of development in 5D<= was the Third +e!ree, and thatthe only system that has ever been universally accepted is thatof the Three Craft +e!rees, which alone constitute *ure and#ntient Freemasonry% 7ut to a lar!e body of freemasons"edfern elly's conclusion is hurtful and far from bein!necessarily correct2 such 7rethren do not believe that when the4nited Grand od!e declared that "oyal #rch masonry was part

of *ure #ntient $asonry, it was offerin! an empty, not to sayan untrue statement%

55@

The happiest view of the matter has been offered by +ou!las

noop, who, in a!reein! that it is difficult to take thedeclaration literally, yet says that the only way is to reco!ni/ethat *ure #ntient $asonry can be identified, not with theThree Craft +e!rees alone, but rather with the esotericknowled!e associated with them, irrespective of thepresentation of that knowled!e in one, two, or three

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instalments% He holds that the claim of the "oyal #rch to bepart of *ure #ntient $asonry can be 1ud!ed, not by tryin! totrace the "oyal #rch back to 5'D5'D or so, but by considerin!whether the principal esoteric knowled!e associated with the"oyal #rch can be shown to have eisted when the *remierGrand od!e was founded A5D5DB% If that can be shown to bethe case, he says, then the "oyal #rch can claim to be part of*ure #ntient $asonry with as much 1ustification as the ThreeCraft +e!rees%

The crownin! anomaly in the history of the "oyal #rch, which is

a series of anomalies, is the one implicit in the declaration of535D that "oyal #rch masonry does not constitute a de!ree% Itis said that the &$oderns' 7rethren were most favourablydisposed to the preservation in its entirety of the "oyal #rch+e!ree% #s 5rethren no doubt many were, but it is a curiousreflection that there must still at that late date have been anamount of official opposition to complete reco!nition, forotherwise the "oyal #rch would have kept its pre)4nion statusof a full de!ree% 0ominally it failed to do that, althou!h in effectit remains a de!ree, as it always was and always will be, for wemust ever remember that a de!ree is but a step and thatnobody can 9uestion that the Candidate in an 8altationceremony takes a step of hi!h $asonic importance% Is it notodd that what was held in 5356 to be merely the completion ofa Craft de!ree should have been allowed to remain under the

1urisdiction of a non)Craft body, even !rantin! that thepersonnel of the Grand Chapter is closely identified with that ofthe Grand od!e Such an anomalous condition could comeonly as a result of compromise arrived at after hard

bar!ainin!)a compromise possible only in the 8n!lish way ofthou!ht)but it must be admitted that the compromise, illo!icalas it is, has worked% (utside the 8n!lish 1urisdiction the "oyal#rch is a separate de!ree%

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A0-er -3e Cr+0- U#!#

There is no mention of the "oyal #rch in the Craft Constitutionsof 535?)@D% (nly in 53?6 was the preliminary declaration as wehave it in the Constitutions to)day printed by way of apreamble% The od!e of *romul!ation A53>!)55B, whose specialand temporary task was to promul!ate, actually restore, theold landmarks and to prepare masons of the &$oderns' Craftlod!es for the comin! alterations in ceremonial, made

55?

plain the way for another temporary lod!e, the od!e of"econciliation 5356)5:B, whose special duty was to reconcileeistin! Craft ceremonials and to produce what was in effect an

a!reed ritual%

.ith the ob1ect of enterin! into an International Compact,representatives of the Grand od!es of Ireland, Scotland, and8n!land met to!ether in ondon in -uly 535@, and, but foruncertainty as to the position of the "oyal #rch, obli!in! theIrish and Scots representatives to report back to theirrespective Grand od!es, an a!reement of lastin! benefit to

freemasonry would have been cemented% 7ut at least one !oodthin! came out of the conference; at its conclusion, at ameetin! of the "estauration Chapter Athe private chapter withinGrand ChapterB held at ensin!ton *alace, four of theconference members were ealted ) namely, the +uke ofeinster, Grand $aster of Ireland2 ord innaird, Grand $aster

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) 8lect of Scotland2 the 8arl of "osslyn, *ast Grand $aster ofScotland2 and ord +undas, +eputy Grand $aster of 8n!land%

"oyal #rch masonry was in a difficult position in the periodintervenin! between the Craft 4nion and the so)called "%#%

&4nion', in 535D% Indeed, it remained in an uneasy state forsome few years afterwards, as, for reasons which are notproperly understood, the Supreme Grand Chapter founddifficulty in !ettin! down to its work% The chapters, and thoselod!es workin! the "%#%, were left to fend for themselvesfollowin! the Craft 4nion% If there was still uncertainty in the

Craft ) and there was, of course, for some few years ) howmuch more must there have been in the "oyal #rch, leftwonderin! from 5356 as to what eactly would happenL Insupport of this su!!estion turn to the Twelve 7rothers od!e,meetin! at the 7lue #nchor Tavern, *ortsea, *ortsmouth, an

&#ntients' lod!e founded in 53>3% #n eistin! copy of its ori!inalby)laws has attached to it a letter revealin! that while thelod!e in 535: was still, after the 4nion, holdin! "oyal #rchmeetin!s without a warrant from any Grand Chapter, the*rovincial Grand Superintendent would not allow of admissionsof "oyal #rch masons made in an Irish military lod!e, wherethe workin! must have been very much the same% Suchanomalies as this would remain until a 4nited Grand Chaptercould brin! thou!ht to bear on the problems%

Spreme Gr+#% C3+p-er( 889

The Supreme Grand Chapter of "oyal #rch $asons of 8n!land,followin! the eample of the 4nited Grand od!e, was formed

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by the union of the two Grand bodies, the Grand Chapter of5D:: and the &#ntients' so)called Grand Chapter of 5DD5% Thisunion was the natural conse9uence of the Craft 4nion, andmust have been envisa!ed by those

55:

takin! part in the earlier discussions% .e know very little of thene!otiations, if any, but it is on record that #u!ustus Frederick,+uke of Susse, Grand $aster of the 4nited Grand od!e and$%8%J% of the premier Grand Chapter, had been !iven full powerto conclude a union with the &#ntients' so)called Grand Chapter,and that the union was carried throu!h after some delay% (n$arch 53, 535D, members of the two former systems met,opened in separate chapters, and proceeded to a thirdchamber, where the $%8%J% received them2 they were then

1oined as one, officers of the combined Grand Chapter wereelected, and a committee was formed to consider 9uestionsrelatin! to laws and re!ulations, procedure, clothin!, and so on%

The !nno Lucis date of the 4nion was, under the old system,?3<5, but in that year the method of arrivin! at the year #nnoucis was altered% *reviously @>>@ had been added to the year#%+%, but in 535D some little confusion was ended bysubstitutin! @>>> for @>>@% (n #pril 5?, 535D, newConstitutions were adopted, but it was some little while before

they were published% In the meantime the reconstitution of the"%#% had been formally reported to the Grand od!e of 8n!land,which on September 6, 535D, passed the followin! resolution;

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That the Grand Lodge having been informed that the twoGrand Chapters of the )rder of the #oyal !rch, e.isting prior to the nion of the Craft, had formed a junction,that ran$ and votes in all their meetings had been givento all the )fficers of Grand Lodge, and that the Laws and#egulations of that body had been, as far as possible,assimilated, to those of the Craft, it was #esolvednanimously That the Grand Lodge will at all times bedisposed to ac$nowledge the proceedings of the GrandChapter, and, so long as their arrangements do notinterfere with the #egulations of the Grand Lodge, and arein conformity with the !ct of nion, they will be ready torecogni6e, facilitate, and uphold the same%

#mon! the most important re!ulations made by the 4nitedChapter are those acknowled!in! all chapters re!istered before+ecember <D, 5356, and one re9uirin! every re!ular chaptereistin! prior to that date unattached to any re!ular lod!e tounite itself to a re!ular warranted Craft lod!e, take its number,hold meetin!s at separate times from the lod!e, and keep itsrecords and accounts apart from those of the lod!e% It followsthat a "oyal #rch chapter cannot eist under the 8n!lish

1urisdiction ecept it be attached to an eistin! Craft lod!e itselfwarranted by Grand od!e ASupreme Grand Chapter "e!ulation@?B, thou!h in Scotland, Canada, and the 4nited Stateschapters continue to have a wholly independent eistenceunder their own Grand Chapters% The idea behind thisre!ulation did not have its ori!in in the 4nited Grand Chapter%In the very earliest days it was understood by some that thechapter was either

55D

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itself a part of the lod!e or should be attached to it% It hasalready been shown that the earliest chapters warranted by thesenior Grand Chapter were called in each case a lod!e orchapter, althou!h it is known that one of them, the od!e ofHospitality or Chapter of Charity, probably comprehended twodistinct bodies ) a &$oderns' lod!e datin! from -uly <<, 5D:=,and a chapter datin! from +ecember 3 of the same year% TheCaledonian Chapter, out of which !rew a new chapter thatdeveloped into the first Grand Chapter, was itself in associationwith the Caledonian od!e, and this at such an early date as5D:6%

The attachment of a chapter to a lod!e was occasionallyreferred to early in the nineteenth century as the !raftin! ofthe chapter on the lod!e warrant% The custom by which anindividual lod!e Aor some of its "oyal #rch membersB appliedfor a charter as from the late 5D:>Ks must have fostered thevery proper idea that the chapter was the natural complementof the lod!e%

It is clear that the #ct of Craft 4nion did not etend to anylod!es the ri!ht to work the "oyal #rch2 this ri!ht had beenen1oyed by the &#ntients' lod!es up to that time, althou!h aneffort had been made in the 5D=>Ks to restrict the makin! of"oyal #rch masons to the chapters, of which a considerablenumber had been founded in the decades immediately beforethe Craft 4nion%

It appears that some chapters must have had disinclination ordifficulty in complyin! with the re9uirements of the 4nitedGrand Chapter, for there was considerable delay on the part ofmany of them in namin! the lod!es to which they had attached

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themselves% .e find the 9uarterly communication of GrandChapter in $ay 53<5 re9uirin! that such chapters #s wereeistin! prior to $ay 535D, and had not yet made known towhich lod!e they were attached, be allowed until the GrandChapter in $ay 53<< to supply the information, each of them toreceive a new charter free of epense% 7y February 53<< nofewer than ninety chapters were still in default%

Failure either to anchor the chapter to a lod!e or return theinformation to the Grand Chapter Asuch failure had a way ofhappenin! in remote districtsB sometimes had a most

unfortunate se9uel2 a chapter unable after the lapse of years tosatisfy Grand Chapter in a formal manner of its continuity ofeistence was unable to obtain a centenary warrant, althou!hthere had been no break in its meetin!s% There is the case, foreample, of the Concord Chapter, 0o% 6D, 7olton, actuallyfounded in 5D:D, unable to 9ualify for its centenary warrantuntil 5=6:%

For a marked eample of a chapter that met with trouble of thiskind let the reader refer to the entry in the $asonic Eear 7ookrelatin! to

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Chapter 0o% 66=, at *enrith, datin! back to 536>% (fficially itachieved its centenary in 5=6>, but the centenary charter then!ranted refers in a preamble to the foundation of the chapter in5D33% #ccordin! to Grand Chapter records its first warrant wascancelled in 53>= and, followin! the "%#% unification in 535D, nonew warrant was issued% The chapter, however, has a

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minute)book datin! back to -anuary <?, 5353, and showin! asuccession of somewhat irre!ularly held meetin!s until the year53<62 then there comes an account of the re)openin! of theChapter under a new Charter of Constitutions on +ecember6>, 536>% It then became the Chapter of "e!ularity, anchoredto the od!e of 4nanimity, now 0o% 66=, *enrith, the last lod!eto be warranted by the &$oderns' before the Craft 4nion in5356% #lthou!h the chapter was erased in 53>=, it wasfunctionin! in 5353, but officially its eistence earlier than thelatter year could not be acknowled!ed by Grand Chapter% Theabove details are taken from a valuable contribution to #%%C%,vol% lvi, by "obert 8% 7urne, *%J% of the chapter Awho states, bythe way, that there were Sunday meetin!s as late as 53@DB% In

53@? the minutes of the lod!e to which the chapter wasanchored show that 7rother .ickham, a +octor of $edicine,passed the chair in the lod!e, and was proposed andseconded in the lod!e to be ealted to the $ost 8cellent+e!ree of "oyal #rch $ason% #t the net chapter meetin! hewas a!ain proposed and seconded before 8altation% Then, on#pril 5>, 53@3, a!ain in the lod!e, in the Third +e!ree, it wasproposed that 7rother *ercival be ealted to the de!ree of a"oyal #rch $ason at the net meetin! of the Chapter% #!ainst

this entry, in other writin!, is the word Irre!ular, and that,says 7rother 7urne, was the end of proposals in the od!e% In53?@ the 1anitor of this chapter had held his office fortwenty)si years, but his name had never been re!istered withSupreme Grand Chapter%

# chapter attached to a lod!e that has become suspended orerased may be transferred to another lod!e on re9uest, sub1ect

to the approval of Grand Chapter and that of the lod!econcerned2 indeed, any chapter may in this way transfer toanother lod!e, but shall take the number and may be re9uiredto take the name of the second lod!e2 it thus follows that notmore than one chapter may be attached to any one lod!e atthe same time% #n eample of chapters that have chan!ed

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attachment is the St Geor!e's Chapter, which, attached to theod!e of Friendship, 0o% <>:, transferred in 53D< to the StGeor!e's od!e, 0o% 5@>%

It is by no means uni9ue to have a lod!e and its associatedchapter meetin! in different towns% For eample, od!e ofFreedom, 0o% DD, meets at Gravesend2 the chapter of thisnumber ) the Hermes ) meets at Sidcup% od!e 0o% 5D:3 meetsin Central ondon2 the chapter of that number meets at Sutton%

55=

It is obvious from the fore!oin! that every chapter carries anumber that may have little relevance to the date of itsfoundin!, its place on the "e!ister bein! determined not by itsa!e, but by the number of the lod!e to which it is attached%.hereas, after the Craft 4nion, the &#ntients' and the &$oderns'

Craft lod!es &took turns' or alternated in seniority in the list, anarran!ement that looks fair but produced some startlin!anomalies, when it comes to chapters the confusion is oftenconsiderably worse% Thus the first five chapters in the list Aotherthan the Grand $aster's Chapter founded in 533:B includethree !oin! back to the ei!hteenth century, but not until amuch later place do we reach another of that a!e% #s eamples,the Chapter of St -ames Ayear 5DD3B is 0o% <2 Chapter ofFidelity Ayear 5D3:B, is 0o% 62 St Geor!e's Ayear 5D3?B is 0o% ?2

4nion .aterloo Ayear 5D33B is 0o% 562 and then not till thetwenty)ei!hth place comes another of the ei!hteenth century,the -erusalem Chapter, 0o% 6< Ayear 5D=<B% #nd so forthL

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# few chapters workin! in Scotland under 8n!lish charters thathad been !ranted prior to the "oyal #rch unification could notattach themselves to any Craft lod!es in Scotland, and werepermitted to continue their meetin!s and remain unattached% Itis worth while recordin! their names; and of Cakes,8yemouth, 7erwickshire Achartered 5D3DB, became 0o% 5? inthe Scottish Grand Chapter list in the year 535D% Similarly,"oyal 7ruce Castle Chapter, ochmaben, +umfriesshireAchartered in 535DB, passed into the Scottish list in 535D and isthere 0o% ?<5% Seven others are now etinct)namely, "oyalCaledonian, oyal Scots, $ount Sinai, $ount ebanon, "oyalGallovidian, "oyal St -ohn's, and St #ndrew's, the first)nameddatin! from 5D=: and the last)named from 535D%

It has 7een already remarked that for some years followin! the4nion, "oyal #rch masonry was in a somewhat chaoticcondition% The records of a !reat many minute)books !o toshow that letters addressed to Grand Chapter were ne!lected,returns often unacknowled!ed and, perhaps as a result, failin!to be made punctually in later years% There was throu!hout thecountry, particularly amon! the former &#ntients,' a decline ininterest, leadin! in some cases to the AtechnicalB lapsin! ofchapters and, at a much later date, to serious disappointmentwhen a chapter sou!ht confirmation of its continuity ofeistence% #s from 535D, and before the new system !ot intoworkin! order, the &#ntients' lod!es that had been conferrin!the de!ree in lod!e continued to do so% $any chapters werecarryin! on under separate "oyal #rch warrants from both

&$oderns' and &#ntients,' mostly !ranted many years before,and undoubtedly some bodies were workin! without warrants

of any kind, blame for which could not always be laid upon theirshoulders% Some ancashire lod!es ) includin! 7eauty,

5<>

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0(% 66@, of "adcliffe2 St -ohn, 0o% 5=5, of 7ury2 and St -ohn's,0(% 6@3, of 7olton ) petitioned repeatedly for a "oyal #rch

warrant A0orman "o!ers remarksB, and were nearly twentyyears in !ettin! it% Their failure was due in part to confusion athead9uarters and also to a new policy that had come intoeistence with the "oyal #rch 4nion, that of keepin! thenumber of chapters below the number of Craft lod!es, a policywhich led to !rievances% Cecil #dams has stated that of theei!hteen chapters meetin! in ondon in 53<@ some werereported as meetin! only occasionally2 even so, many ondonpetitions were re1ected durin! the net fifty years, and even

when the "oyal #rch masons of the Grand $aster's od!e, 0o%5, petitioned for a Charter in 536= they failed to !et one, andhad to wait until 533:%

7y 53<6 about two hundred chapters had attached themselvesto lod!es, thirty)ei!ht of them in ancashire, seventeen inondon, siteen abroad, fourteen in the .est "idin! ofEorkshire and five AtotalB in 0orth and 8ast "idin!s, nine inCheshire, ei!ht each in +evonshire, Hampshire, and ent, sieach in Somerset, Suffolk, Susse, and Scotland, andfifty)three in other 8n!lish counties% Aod!e charters hadfre9uently been sold in pre4nion days, but as from 53<6 thecharter of a dissolved chapter could not be transferred withoutGrand Chapter's consent, and if sold or procured irre!ularly wasforfeited and the chapter erased%B The difficulties and delays inobtainin! charters added to the bad feelin! in some parts of thecountry where memories of the old 9uarrel were still fresh%

Here is a typical instance, details of which have been providedby 0orman "o!ers% St -ohn's od!e, 0o% 6@3, 7olton, wrote on(ctober 5?, 535:, to the Grand Secretary sayin! that some oftheir 7rethren had been made "oyal #rch masons in a chapter,and others, under the &#ntients' system, in a Craft lod!e% Theformer !roup looked upon the latter as ille!al% The lod!e asked

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for advice, wanted to know whether it would be 1ustifiable tomake "oyal #rch masons on the &#ntients' system or whether itcould have a dispensation until such times as a chapter warrantcould be issued% Grand od!e 9uickly pointed out that noarran!ement had yet been entered upon and that, until then,former re!ulations should be observed% In reply to a letter sentlate in 53<5 the lod!e was told that, owin! to the unhin!edstate in which the "oyal #rch had been for some time past, themeetin!s of the Grand Chapter had been temporarilysuspended% Five years later the lod!e asked for instructions onthe manner in which it should obtain a dispensation to hold a"oyal #rch chapterL It is understandable that such unfortunatedelays created easperation in many 9uarters% #ddin! to the

trouble was a suspicion of bias in appointin! *rovincial (fficers%The practice of the *rovincial Grand $aster of ancashireAsuspended in 53<:B of selectin! his officers from what hadbeen

5<5

the &$oderns' lod!es and the failure of the Grand Chapter toissue warrants to the late &#ntients' lod!es led to a bad feelin!and played a part in the comin! into bein! of the so)called.i!an Grand od!e2 this was formed by four lod!es erased byGrand od!e in 53<6, was centred in .i!an and called itselfThe Grand od!e of Free and #ccepted $asons of 8n!landaccordin! to the (ld Institutions% Its career was not successful%#fter its second year or so it was in abeyance until 5363 and

did hardly anythin!, althou!h it continued to have anindependent eistence until 5=56, when the only lod!esurvivin! of the si constituted by it received a warrant fromthe 4nited Grand od!e and is now od!e 0o% 6:DD ASincerityB,meetin! in .i!an%

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The re!ulations of the 4nited Grand Chapter published in 53<6did away with the Installed $aster 9ualification in Candidates

for 8altation, and re9uired merely that the Candidate shouldbe a $aster $ason of twelve months' standin!% AThe ori!inalminute is dated $ay 3, 53<<%B In the course of time arose anarran!ement by which the twelve months could be reduced tofour weeks by dispensation, and in 0ovember 53=6 the9ualification was definitely made four weeks' standin! as a$aster $ason, and so it remains to this day%

T4%+' C#-!--!# 0 Gr+#% C3+p-er

The last revision of the "oyal #rch re!ulations was in 5=??, thenew re!ulations comin! into force on -anuary 5, 5=?:% Thechief ob1ect of the revision was to make the re!ulations more

compatible with modern "oyal #rch conditions and also with theCraft Constitutions, in con1unction with which they may re9uireto be read% The followin! notes are based on the newre!ulations%

The interests of the (rder are !overned by a !eneralrepresentation of all private chapters on the re!ister and theGrand (fficers, present and past, with the three Grand

*rincipals at their head% This collective body is styled theSupreme Grand Chapter of "oyal #rch $asons of 8n!land, andmeets in convocation at 9uarterly intervals% First *rincipals,present and past, represent the private chapters, and retainmembership of Grand Chapter as lon! as they continue to besubscribin! members of a chapter% The re!ulations applyin! to

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*rincipals and their Installation are !iven in a later section ofthis book%

The Committee of General *urposes Aconsistin! of the Grand*rincipals, *ro First Grand *rincipal, a *resident, and ei!ht First*rincipals, present or pastB meets at least four times each year2two of the ei!ht members are annually appointed by the FirstGrand *rincipal, the si others bein! elected by Grand Chapter%#mon! its duties are to control the

5<<

finances of Grand Chapter, eamine and report on applicationsfor charters, and, in !eneral, act as a 7oard of General*urposes%

"e!ardin! the appointment and election of Grand (fficers, theiressential 9ualification is that they must be the First *rincipal,present or past, of a chapter% The Grand $aster of the Grandod!e, if an Installed First *rincipal, shall be the First Grand*rincipal, but if he is not so 9ualified a First Grand *rincipalshall be elected annually and installed in $ay% Similarly, and if9ualified, the *ro Grand $aster is the *ro First Grand *rincipal,and the +eputy Grand $aster is the Second Grand *rincipal2whom failin!, then the First Grand *rincipal appoints the

second, and, in any case, he also appoints the Third%

The Grand Secretary of the Grand od!e, the Grand Treasurer,and the Grand "e!istrar occupy, if 9ualified, correspondin!

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offices in the "oyal #rch% (ther (fficers are appointed by theFirst Grand *rincipal% Grand Superintendents and GrandInspectors are Grand (fficers%

ondon Grand Chapter rank may be conferred on *ast *rincipalsof ondon chapters by the First Grand *rincipal% In the*rovinces and +istricts the Grand Superintendents areappointed, and their appointment is a prero!ative of the FirstGrand *rincipal% *rovincial or +istrict Grand Chapters consist ofthe Grand Superintendent and other *rovincial or +istrict Grand(fficers and *rincipals of Chapters% The appointment of the

Grand (fficers of a *rovince or +istrict is in the hands of theGrand Superintendent%

# petition to Grand Chapter for a charter for a new chaptermust be in approved form, si!ned by not fewer than nine "oyal#rch masons, and be accompanied by a ma1orityrecommendation by the $aster, .ardens, and members of there!ular lod!e to which the proposed chapter is to be attached%

The precedence of the chapter is that of its Craft lod!e%

8ach chapter must be solemnly constituted accordin! to ancientusa!e by a Grand *rincipal or some one appointed to that duty,and the chapter acts under the authority of its Charter ofConstitution, which must be produced at every convocation%

# complete chapter consists of the Three *rincipals Aconsideredcon1ointly and each severally as $asterB, two Scribes,Treasurer, *rincipal So1ourner and his two assistants, and otherofficers and Companions, makin! up the number ofseventy)two% In ecess of this number members may not hold

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the staff of office or be considered as Councillors when morethan seventy(two are present % The officers of a chapter areappointed by the *rincipals if so resolved, or may be elected byballot, ecept that the Three *rincipals and the Treasurer mustbe so elected% AIn some chapters, even as late as the 53D>Ks orso, the *rincipal So1ourner personally appointed his twoassistants%B

5<6

The Installation and Investiture of officers must be as laid downin the chapter by)laws, and these, of course, must be in accordwith Grand Chapter re!ulations% 8very officer of a chapter,ecept the -anitor, must be a subscribin! member of thatchapter%

The precedence of officers is as follows; the Three *rincipals,

Scribe 8%, Scribe 0%, Treasurer, +irector of Ceremonies, *rincipalSo1ourner, #ssistant So1ourners, #ssistant +irector ofCeremonies, (r!anist, #ssistant Scribe 8%, Stewards, and-anitor% It will be noted that the Treasurer, followin! an old Craftcustom, ranks in precedence below the Scribe 8% or Secretary,whereas in the Craft as from early in the nineteenth century theTreasurer ranks before the Secretary%

# re!ular convocation may not be cancelled or held otherwisethan laid down in the chapter by)laws, ecept by dispensation,althou!h *rincipals may call emer!ency convocations at anytime% 8very chapter must have by)laws, which must accordwith re!ulations, and must make formal returns, at statedintervals, of the names of its *rincipals Athis rule dates back to

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535@B and of its members Aa rule first encountered in the 5D:=periodB%

# Candidate for "oyal #rch masonry must have been a $aster$ason for four weeks at least, and must produce his Grandod!e certificate and also a certificate, from his Craft lod!eshowin! that he is a member and clear of all dues% Three blackballs Aless if the by)laws so provideB eclude% # member whosesubscription to his chapter is three years in arrears Aless if theby)laws so provideB shall cease to be a member, and can re!ainmembership only by re!ular proposition and ballot% Suspension

from privile!es in, or epulsion from, the Craft by Grand od!eor other competent authority applies e9ually to the individual'sstatus and position in the "oyal,#rch, unless the properauthority declares otherwise% "e!ulations relatin! to re!alia arenoted in a later section%

T3e Qrm

The &#ntients' had a rule that no Chapter shall be convenedand held for the purpose of ealtin! any person to the de!reeof Holy "oyal #rch $ason unless si re!ular and re!istered"oyal #rch $asons be present% In 7ristol in the early daysthree *rincipals could open, but si more Companions had to bepresent to make an 8altation re!ular% In 53=@ the GrandScribe 8% said, in a letter, that he knew of nothin! to preventthe ceremony of 8altation bein! performed by the Three*rincipals with the assistance of two or three otherCompanions)strictly three% 7ack in 5D:? and, of course, forlon! afterwards a 9uorum rather depended on the number of

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officers re9uired to be present for the re!ular openin! of thechapter, plus

5<@

any Companions present after the procession had be!un% It isunderstood that in 7ristol no 8altation can take place unless atleast nine Companions are present, and that the 7ristol(bli!ation includes a plain reference to the rule% Inasmuch asunder Grand Chapter's "e!ulations of 5=?: a petition to erect anew chapter must be si!ned by at least nine Companions, it isto be presumed that nine is the 9uorum%

C3+p-er 0 I#-r,-!# r Impr$eme#-

# Chapter of Instruction, often called a Chapter ofImprovement, is held under the sanction of a warrantedchapter or by the licence and authority of the First Grand*rincipal% The chapter sanctionin! the Chapter of Improvementmust see that its proceedin!s are in accordance with there!ulations of the (rder, and in every case an annual return toGrand Chapter must be made%

Chapters of Improvement have a lon! history% The first GrandChapter arran!ed in 5D36 for special chapters to be held for thepurpose of instruction, and in the 5D=>Ks such chapters weresometimes convened by newspaper advertisements% Thus the

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first number of the $ornin! #dvertiser, February 3, 5D=@,carried an advertisement of such meetin!s in conneion with aGrand and "oyal Chapter of this Sublime +e!ree to be held onthe second Thursday of every month at the in!'s #rms Tavern,(ld Compton Street, Soho, ondon2 it is proper to say thatthese meetin!s were probably in conneion with a non)re!ularchapter%

Pre0!5e +#% S-2e 0 A%%re

In the minutes of Grand Chapter of +ecember <@, 5D::, theFirst *rincipal is described as the $%8% O "%H% ord 7layney%The early chapters were often inconsistent in these matters2one, the Chapter of nowled!e, meetin! at the +o! and*artrid!e, $iddleton, ancs%, used to conclude its summonswith the words 7y (rder of the 8minent% 4ntil 5355 there!ulations of the premier Grand Chapter provided that the

Three *rincipals and all *ast $asters Aactually *ast *rincipalsBshould be styled $ost 8cellent, other officers bein!8cellent, the rest of the members, as well as visitors, bein!styled Companions% 7y the then "ule I the $%8%J% had acastin! vote% The statement relatin! to the Three *rincipals wasomitted from the rules of 535D, but "ule I was retained, andall rules issued since that date, includin! the revised rules of5=?:, confirm that the $%8% the First Grand *rincipal has acastin! vote%

The Three *rincipals in the earliest chapters were often calledthe $aster and .ardens, and even the First Grand *rincipal wasat times

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5<?

known as the Grand $aster% It has lon! been held, and isepressly laid down in to)day's re!ulations, that the Three*rincipals of a chapter are to be considered con1ointly and eachseverally as $aster2 they are e9ual in status and, althou!h onlyone of them si!ns the minutes, that is purely a matter ofconvenience and no indication of priority% The status of theSecond and Third *rincipals does not correspond in any sense

to that of .ardens in a Craft lod!e, and any one of the Three*rincipals can be spokesman%

The prefi &$ost 8cellent' A$%8%B is nowadays accorded only tothe Three Grand *rincipals and *ro First Grand *rincipal Aall ofthem present and pastB% It is attached to the titles of GrandSuperintendents and First *rincipals of private chapters, but notto the names of Companions holdin! such offices% In printed

lists of attendances at Grand Chapter only the presidin! Grand*rincipal is described as $%8%

The prefi &8cellent' A8%B distin!uishes Grand (fficers and*rincipals of Chapters Aall of them present and pastB% #ll other"oyal #rch masons are &Companions%' There are no salutes in"oyal #rch masonry%

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Section E"e&en

TRADITIONAL HISTORY3 THE CRYPT LEGEND

TH8 le!end formin! part of the "oyal #rch traditional history isconcerned with the accidental discovery of an under!roundchamber ) a crypt on the site of the Temple of -erusalem ) and

with the brin!in! to the li!ht of the sun and of humanknowled!e certain thin!s found within it% In the 8n!lish ritualthe account in the 7iblical books of 8/ra and Ha!!ai and in thewritin!s of the -ewish historian -osephus A#%+% 6D)5>>B of therebuilding of the Temple is interwoven with the le!end, and thescene of the discoveries is a crypt, which, for the moreconvenient and dramatic course of the story, has now becomean arched vault% The So1ourners Aa word made familiar chieflyby 7iblical usa!e and only occasionally found to)day outside

freemasonryB may have been introduced by the earlyei!hteenth)century arran!ers for the ecellent purpose ofallowin! the story to be unfolded by the Candidate Aor someone speakin! for himB, he bein! an eyewitness of and partakerin the discoveries upon which the ceremonial depends%

In the Irish ritual the 7iblical contribution is the still older storyof the repair of the Temple and Hilkiah's discovery of the

olume of the Sacred aw, but the drama is centred on thecrypt and developed in a similar way, and the symbolicinterpretation is essentially the same as in the 8n!lish system%

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T3e Fr-34,e#-r Le/e#% 0 -3e R+2 Ar,3

It is a very old le!end that provides the back!round of thetraditional story% How old we cannot say, but in written formand in Greek it !oes back to at least the fourth century% It isknown in sli!htly different versions, apparently all derived fromthat of *hilostor!ius Awho was born about #%+% 6:@B, and canbe found in a comparatively modern translation included in afamous series, the 8cclesiastical ibrary, published by Henry

Geor!e 7ohn in ondon in 53??% The full title of the book is;The 8cclesiastical History of So/oman, comprisin! a History ofthe Church from #%+% 6>@ to #%+% @@>% Translated from theGreek; with a memoir of the #uthor% #lso the 8cclesiasticalHistory of *hilostor!ius, as epitomised by *hoteus, *atriarch ofConstantinople% Translated by

5<D

8dward .alford, $%#%, late Senior Scholar of 7alliol Colle!e,(ford% So/oman was an ecclesiastical historian% *hoteus or*hotius, a Greek scholar and theolo!ical writer of the 7y/antineperiod, was *atriarch of Constantinople in 3?6 and died in 3=5%He compiled a 5ibliotheca comprisin! a series of epitomies ordi!ests of which the *hilostor!ius history was one%

#ll versions of the le!end have necessarily a stron! familylikeness% # well)known and much)9uoted version is thatcontained in Samuel ee's )rbis Miraculum, published in 5:?=%8ven a casual study of this now rare and famous book can

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scarcely fail to !ive the impression that the framers of the early"oyal #rch ceremonial had access to it, and drew inspiration notonly from its tet but from its frontispiece Asee *late IIIB, inwhich the fi!ures strikin!ly su!!est the appearance of "oyal#rch *rincipal (fficers in early days% AIn an alchemical book ofabout the same period is an illustration even more stron!lysu!!estin! such a likeness%B Samuel ee's frontispiece depictsSolomon, an obvious in!, and Jadok, a priest in the (ldTestament days who helped to carry the ark of God% Theyhold between them a banner carryin! the title of the book andtets in Greek and 8n!lish ) a 9uotation from #cts dealin! withthe comin! out of #braham from the land of the Chaldwans anda 9uotation from Hebrews dealin! with certain sacrifices%

Samuel ee was a classical scholar, born in ondon in 5:<=,Fellow of .adham Colle!e in 5:@3, and at one time minister ofSt 7otolph's, near 7ishops!ate, ondon% In 5:3: he went withhis family to 0ew 8n!land% "eturnin! in the rei!n of .illiam in5:=5, he was captured by a French privateer and carried to St$alo, where he died% #n edition of his book, re *rinted Awithsome omissionsB by Christopher elly, +ublin, in 53>6, underthe title /olomons Temple /pirituali6ed , was claimed to havehad the sanction and patrona!e of the Grand od!e of Ireland%

Somewhere, about 5D>> or perhaps earlier, the date bein!uncertain, was published !n istorical Catechism, whichreproduces a version of a story told in Godfrey Hi!!ins's !nacalypsis, volume i, said to have been taken from a Greek

manuscript, +cclesiastical istory , by 0icephorus Callistus, whois presumed to be a 7y/antine writer of the late thirteenth orearly fourteenth century2 the work by Callistus had beentranslated into atin and printed in 5??<, and a double version!ivin! both the Greek and the atin tet appeared in *aris in5:6>% From 0icephorus Callistus is derived much or all of the

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5oo$ of God4 The !pocalypse of !dam()annes A"eeves andTurner, ondon, about 533>B%

The reason for introducin! all these names of authors andeditors Amore could have been mentionedB concerned in thepublication and republication of the old le!end is the desirabilityof preparin! the reader for

5<3

discoveries announced from time to time of etremely ancient"oyal #rch le!ends, because such discoveries prove oninvesti!ation to be identical with, or a variant of one or other of,the versions !iven in the works above mentioned%

T3e P3!2-r/! er!# 0 -3e Le/e#%

Here is the le!end as told in .alford's translation of the+cclesiastical istory of @hilostorgius4

Chap% 5@% .hen -ulian bade the city of -erusalem to berebuilt in order to refute openly the predictions of our ordconcernin! it, he brou!ht about eactly the opposite ofwhat he intended% For his work was checked by manyother prodi!ies from heaven2 and especially, durin! the

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preparation of the foundations, one of the stones whichwas placed at the lowest part of the base, suddenlystarted from its place and opened the door of a certaincave hollowed out in the rock% (win! to its depth, it wasdifficult to see what was within this cave; so persons wereappointed to investi!ate the matter, who, bein! anious tofind out the truth, let down one of their workmen bymeans of a rope% (n bein! lowered down he foundsta!nant water reachin! up to his knees2 and, havin!!one round the place and felt the walls on every side, hefound the cave to be a perfect s9uare% Then, in his return,as he stood near about the middle, he struck his foota!ainst a column which stood risin! sli!htly above the

water% #s soon as he touched this pillar, he found lyin!upon it a book wrapped up in a very fine and thin linencloth2 and as soon as he had lifted it up 1ust as he hadfound it, he !ave a si!nal to his companions to draw himup a!ain% #s soon as he re!ained the li!ht, he showedthem the book, which struck them all with astonishment,especially because it appeared so new and fresh,considerin! the place where it had been found% This book,which appeared such a mi!hty prodi!y in the eyes of both

heathens and -ews, as soon as it was opened shows thefollowin! words in lar!e letters; In the be!innin! was the.ord, and the .ord was with God, and the .ord wasGod% In fact, the volume contained that entire Gospelwhich had been declared by the divine ton!ue of theAbelovedB disciple and the ir!in% $oreover, this miracle,to!ether with other si!ns which were then shown fromheaven, most clearly showed that the word of the ordwould never !o forth void, which had foretold that thedevastation of the Temple should be perpetual% For that7ook declared Him who had uttered those words lon!before, to be God and the Creator of the 4niverse2 and itwas a very clear proof that their labour was but lost thatbuilt, seein! that the immutable decree of the ord hadcondemned the Temple to eternal desolation%

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The -ulian referred to in the first line of the le!end is the"oman 8mperor -ulian A665)6:6B, surnamed the #postate, who

succeeded his uncle Constantine the Great in 6:5 and, in histolerance of reli!ion, !ave the -ews permission to rebuild theTemple at -erusalem, his motive bein!

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5<=

to annoy the Christians, with whom, now that he had beenconverted back from Christianity, he had lost sympathy% Fromthis it mi!ht appear that the actual subterranean chambers ofin! Solomon's Temple were disturbed not by Jerubbabel, butby -ulian the #postate, who undertook to rebuild the Temple ofHerod Adestroyed by TitusB in order to falsify the prophecyA$atthew iv, <B that there should not remain one stone uponanother; erily I say unto you, There shall not be left here onestone upon another% 7ut the effect of his reopenin! thesubterranean chambers which had been closed for centurieswas that, accordin! to one version of the fable, eplosions ofaccumulated !as killed his workmen and still further disturbedthe masonry, so that, so far from falsifyin! the prophecy, he, infact, helped to fulfil it%

In Samuel ee's )rbis Miraculum #mmianus $arcellinus isrepresented as relatin! the story of the 8mperor -ulian, whoattempted at enormous cost to restore the most ma!nificentTemple at -erusalem, which had been won by assault% Heentrusted the work to #lypius of #ntioch, but fire brou!ht thework to an end%

T3e C+22!- er!# 0 -3e Le/e#%

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In another version of the le!end, that by Callistus, it is anearth9uake that interrupts the work% Here is his version much

abbreviated Afor an unabrid!ed account, see #%%C%, vol% iiB;

JThe 1ews having got togetherJ s$illed men and materials,cleansed the place and Jprovided spades made of silverJEat the public chargeF% They cleared the ground Jso thatthere was not a stone remaining upon a stone, accordingto the prophecy%J !n earth7ua$e the ne.t day cast stones

out of the foundation Jso that many of the 1ews wereslain%%%% The publi$e buildings, also which were nearestthe Temple were loosened, and falling down with greatforce, proved the sepulchres of those that were in them% %% % The earth7ua$e was scarce over, but those thatremained fell upon the wor$ again, etc% 5ut when thesecond time they attempted it, some fire violently issuedout of the foundations %%% and consumed more thanbefore%%%% Moreover, the fire which came down fromeaven consumed to ashes the hammers, graving tools,saws, hatchets, a.es and all the other instruments whichthe &or$men had brought for their service, continuing awhole day together, etc%, when Cyril, who was at the time5ishop of 1erusalem, saw these things4 e considered inhis minde the word of the @rophet -aniel, to which Christalso had set his seal in the oly Gospel" e told them all,that now was the time that the )racle of our /avour hadits accomplishment" which said, That a stone should notremain upon a stone in the Temple% !nd when he had

spo$en this, a sore earth7ua$e assiled the foundations,and cast out all the remaining stones, and dispersedthem% pon this there arose a fearful storm%J

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56>

(nce a!ain fire destroyed the company of workers% Thenarrative continues;

&hen the foundations were a laying %%% there was a stoneamongst the rest, to which the bottom of the foundationwas fastened, that slipt from its place and discovered themouth of a cave which had been cut in the roc$%%%% The)verseers %%% tied a long rope to one of the Labourers andlet him down % % % searching every part of that hollow place, he found it to be four s7uare, so far as he couldconjecture by feeling%

Then follows the discovery in much the same words as in thefirst account above !iven%

It will be understood that in some details the versions vary onefrom the other, that they do not closely observe any preciseorder of events and that historical names are used with little orno re!ard for chronolo!ical se9uence%

O-3er er!# 0 -3e Le/e#%

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The le!ends incorporated in the 8n!lish, Irish, and Scottishrites are not the only ones by any means% The many variantscannot be !iven here Athey belon! more to certain additionalde!reesB, but reference may be made to a vision of 8noch,father of $ethuselah and the author of a 7iblical book, which isknown in a considerable number of versions% #% 8% .aite, in apaper read before the Somerset% $asters' od!e in 5=<5,speaks of The 7ook of 8noch, said by him to be a series ofvisions beheld

by the @rophet when he was in the spirit %%% a prototype of

Masonic tradition % % especially reflected in the #oyal !rch%It is said that God showed +noch nine% vaults in a vision,and that, with the assistance of Methuselah, his4 son, be proceeded to erect in the bosom of the mountain ofCanaan a secret sanctuary, on the plan of which he hadbeheld, being vaults%beneath one another% In the ninth, orundermost, +noch placed a triangle of purest gold, onwhich% he" had inscribed that which was presumably theheart, essence and centre of the /acred Tradition, theTrue 0ame of God%

ater in the, paper the author refers to the "oyal #rch of8noch or ni!ht of the "oyal #rch, two titles and two forms, thesecond bein! incorporated into the lon! series of the Scottishrite%

T3e +2-

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The discovery by the So1ourners is assumed to have been madeon the return of the -ews from their 7abylonian eile,%approimately in the year ?6: 7%C% The crypt or vault in whichthe discoveries are made is not 9uite such a vault as mi!ht wellhave eisted beneath the Sanctum Sanctorum, but is actuallyan arched vault of a construction closely associated with the

565

medieval vaulted crypt, an architectural feature embodyin! aprinciple of construction not known until Gothic days and onewell eemplified' in the cathedrals of 0orwich and +urham,these truly representin! 8n!lish Gothic architecture of thetwelfth to the fourteenth centuries% The So1ourners !ainedentrance to the crypt by removin! one or more arch stones orkeystones, a 1ob presentin! considerable difficulty and involvin!risk both to the workers and to the structure, but obviously thestory cannot stand up to critical investi!ation and was notintended to do so% It must be accepted for what it is)an

attractive le!end formin! the back!round of a traditionalhistory lar!ely concerned with the efforts of the -ews returnedfrom 7abylonian eile to rebuild the Temple to the Honour andGlory of the $ost Hi!h% # well)known $asonic writer, the "ev%.% .% Covey Crump, once su!!ested that there may well be afactual basis for the le!endary crypt, for he thinks that suchcrypts may be natural caves or survivals of structures built bySolomon and his successors2 one of them, called 5ir arruah ) the .ell of Souls ) is said to be a place wherein spirits of

deceased $oslems assemble twice a week for united prayer, butori!inally it seems to have been nothin! more than a drainservin! the sacrificial altar%

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Symbolically the vault has always been associated with deathand darkness% The "ev% 8dward Eoun!, an ei!hteenth)centurywriter, dwellin! on sub1ects to which authors of his day weremuch addicted, speaks of

The knell, the shroud, the mattock, and the !rave,

The deep damp vault, the darkness, and the worm%

Hence the ima!ery of the "oyal #rch story, a simple alle!orypointin! the way from death to life, from darkness to li!ht%.ith, the many more elaboratd symbolic eplanations we inthese pa!es are not concerned, but readers will be familiar withsome of them occurrin! in the ritual, etc%

The crypt, of course, is an accepted hidin!)place, and we havecome to re!ard &cryptic' thin!s as secret thin!s or as thin!s that

are uncovered or revealed only to the enli!htened few2 indeed,the word itself tells us as much, for it is a sli!htly corruptedform of the Greek krupro ) hide, keep secret%

T3e Ar,3

The arch is a very old architectural structure, but the use of thearch is not the most ancient way of coverin! in the spacebetween two upri!hts% $uch earlier than the arch is the methodemployed by the 7abylonians2 the #ssyrians, the earliest

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8!yptians, and probably, to some etent, the -ews of Solomon'sday)))that of carryin! beams across the openin!% The arch, ofcourse, made possible a much wider span, for the len!th of abeam

56<

is limited by its ability to support its own wei!ht, and in thedays of timber beams that len!th was not very !reat% Still, thearch was known in some countries at least two thousand years7%C%, probably far earlier, and over a lon! period has been heldto be an emblem of stren!th and beauty% Its use in symbolismhas been lar!ely inspired by the rainbow AThe triumphal archfills the skyB, and 9uite early in $asonic ritual Aactually in5D<6B we !et this 9uestion and answer;

Q% &hence comes the pattern of an archH

!% 'rom the rainbow%

#nd aurence +ermott, in his first edition of !himan #e6on,9uotes

!nd to confirm my @romise unto thee,

!midst the Clouds my 5ow a witness be"

! heavnly !rch%

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(ne of two old brasses, only three inches wide and nine incheslon!, preserved in the Stirlin! od!e, 0o% 6> Aprobably the old

od!e of Stirlin!e and, if so, datin! to lon! before the year5D>3B, carries a rou!h en!ravin! depictin! five concentricarches, probably based on the rainbow, althou!h a rou!h archstone is indicated2 these brasses are illustrated in #%%C%, vol%vi% In a tracin!)cloth or tracin!)board bou!ht in 53<D by theChapter of Sincerity, 0o% <:5, Taunton, a prominent emblem isa rainbow, the symbol of God's covenant with man; I do setmy bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenantbetween me and the earth Genesis i, 56B%

+espite the insistence of the architectural idea, it must be saidthat many $asonic writers have considered the possibility thatthe $asonic word &arch' ori!inally had nothin! to do witharchitecture, but was instead an ad1ective meanin! &chief,' as in

&archbishop,' &archduke,' and ,arch)conspirator,' and someauthors have su!!ested that the association of the word inearly masonry with &ecellent' and 'super)ecellent' supportsthat interpretation% The possibility cannot be ruled out, but thearchitectural interpretation is much the more likely, havin!re!ard to the close association between the arch stone and thevaulted crypt%

The su!!estion has been made that, as the Greek word for &be!innin!' is arche, it is possible to read In the #rch was the

.ord %%% and the .ord was God% # well)known studentre!arded this as an attractive possibility% It is certainlyin!enious, but it must be remembered that the early andordinary references in $asonic literature to the arch relate tothe noun representin! a structure, and that this structure, in allprobability, was introduced into freemasonry because its

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erection was then re!arded as the work, of the most hi!hlyskilled craftsmen and its invention and desi!n a supremeachievement%

566

The true arch, the arch of freemasonry, derives its stren!thfrom its principle of construction% The vertical supports carry aseries of tapered or wed!e)shaped stones spannin! theopenin! between them% Some stren!th may be provided by anycement or mortar 1oints between the stones, but the realstren!th of the arch, its ability to carry a load ) and that, afterall, is the usual purpose of the arch ) depends on the presenceof the keystone, the arch stone, the stone at the top and centreof the curve, without which the other stones must collapse% Thearch stone functions independently of any cement or mortar,and transmits the wei!ht of the superstructure throu!h theother stones on both sides of it to the abut ments orside)supports% In so doin!, of course, it transmits an outward

thrust that would tend to destroy the arch were it not for thesupports, which have to be stron! enou!h to resist the thrust,and are often buttressed, and were at one time often tiedto!ether for that purpose%

So the arch stone or keystone, the wed!e)shaped centre stone,crowns or completes the structure and is an essential part of

the true arch% It is sometimes called the cape)stone orcope)stone or copin!)stone, althou!h ordinarily a cope)stone ismerely the top stone or top course of a wall, hence the stonethat crowns or finishes the work% "obert 7urns used the wordsymbolically when he spoke of the last sad cape)stone o' hiswoes, and we !et this same symbolism in the much)9uoted

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phrase The "oyal #rch is the Cope)stone of the $asonic(rder% .e have seen that the vault or crypt in "oyal #rchmasonry is a vault closed by a true arch, a catenarian arch, andit follows that the device of an arch, with arch stone removedor otherwise, is the accepted ima!e of the vault or crypt inparticular and of the "oyal #rch in !eneral% It has already beenshown that it is in the hi!hest de!ree unlikely that thisparticular form of vault or crypt could have been found in theTemple oU -erusalem, for the arch shown in $asonicillustrations is the Gothic arch, takin! our minds back tomedieval days, when masons learned to desi!n and buildarches havin! a boldness and freedom unknown to those ofancient times%

.e are all well aware of the anachronism involved% It is 9uiteclear that the desi!ners of Solomon's days were barelyac9uainted with the arch, still less with any means of arrivin! atits theoretical form, and that the imtenarian idea symboli/ed inthe "oyal #rch chapter is an introduction of very much laterdays, bein! due ori!inally, it is thou!ht, to Galilei, whopropounded it in the seventeenth century% The ob1ection is notof much moment, for, althou!h the traditional history basedupon the 7ible narrative belon!s to a period a few centuries7%C%, the ritual story tends lar!ely to assume the compleion ofmedieval days, which, architecturally, were distin!uished forone particular introduction, that of vaultin! or arched roofin!worked in stone%

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T3e C+-e#+r!+# Ar,3

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.hile the form of the Craft or Symbolic lod!e is that of anoblon! s9uare Atwo units lon! by one unit wideB, that of a "oyal

#rch chapter approaches that of a true catenarian arch,symbolically preservin! a memorial of the vaulted shrine%Further, the impenetrable nature of this the stron!est of allarchitectural forms teaches various lessons which are brou!htto the attention of the "oyal #rch mason% The word &catenarian'is derived from a atin word catena, meanin! &chain,' and inarchitecture

refers to the curve which a chain Aor a rope, etc%B naturallyforms when suspended at its two ends% The curve so formed is

a catenarian curve, and% when inverted, delineates the curve ofa type of arch better able to resist forces of destruction thanthe earlier semicircular arch% Investi!ators who followed Galileiand studied the catenarian arch mathematically were able toshow that a simple catenarian outline was formed by the chainsuspended as already described, the len!th of the chain

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dependin! upon the re9uired span and rise of the arch% $oretruly, the curve is !iven by swin!in! the chain suspended at itstwo ends Arou!hly, the skippin!)rope, !ives the ideaB% It ishi!hly probable that lon! before the properties of thecatenarian arch had been developed by the philosophers thetype of arch was known to the old freemasons who built HenryII's chapel and other structures of about the same period%

# correspondent, aware that Sir Christopher .ren causedchains to be embedded in cement or concrete at the base of thedome of St *aul's Cathedral, su!!ested in #%% C%, vol% liv, that

the term catenarian arch is not used as above eplained, butmerely implies a reference to .ren's

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chain% Such an implication arises from a misunderstandin!% The

catenarian arch is a philosopher's and mathematician's effort toproduce an arch as nearly perfect as desi!n and material couldmake it, one capable of supportin! !reat wei!ht and havin! aminimum destructive AsidewaysB thrust on the arch supports%.ren's chain has nothin! to do with masonry2 instead it is anen!ineerin! device for containin! certain outward anddestructive pressures% If .ren had so wished he could havecontained those pressures in other ways, but aestheticconsiderations, the need for economy 'of material, and any

other of half a do/en reasons known to that remarkablearchitect led him to indul!e in what was then a darin!eperiment%

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The reader will appreciate that a chapter conformin! to .ren'schain would be circular in plan and would not a!ree with theeplanation in the ritual%

"eference to any architectural manual will show that thecatenarian arch is one of a !reat many accepted arch forms%

In the "oyal #rch chapter we have to use ima!ination to seethe catenarian arch and its supports, for they eist there not inthe vertical plane but in the hori/ontal% In the earliest "oyal#rch lod!es or chapters they may well have been representedby chalk lines on the floor% (n the 0orth side of the chapter arethe Companions and Scribe 8%, formin! one pillar2 on the Souththe Companions and Scribe 0%, formin! the other one% Thoseare the pillars with which we are familiar in Craft masonry%Connectin! them in the 8ast is the curved line of the catenarianarch, and at the ape of the curve are the Three *rincipals% In apublic advertisement in ondon in 5D?@ the Scribes are referredto as the pillars, and in an !old Scottish minute Ailwinnin!,

5D3>B the Candidates are described as havin! royallydescended and ascended the #rch% -ohn Coustos in hisevidence before the In9uisition in 5D@6 Asee p% @6B said that onthe floor of the ondon lod!es were fashioned Ain white chalkBtwo columns Athose of the TempleB% It is these columns whichare still to be seen in the form of a "oyal #rch chapter ) butonly by the eye of ima!inationL

T3e Tr!p2e Ar,3

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$any tracin!)boards and particularly 1ewels of the ei!hteenthcentury depict the arch with the centre stone removed, and in a!reat many cases the arch is not of sin!le construction% (ften itconsists of three arches, one %arch built within the other,perhaps the most notable eample bein! the 1ewel worn by the0ine .orthies appointed by the &#ntients' in 5D=< Asee *lateIB2 it will be seen that the arches are one within the other,so lendin! colour to the le!endary story of the three separatediscoveries made in the course of the successive removal ofthree arch stones%

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# triple arch of 9uite different character appears in a certificateissued by a chapter of the "oyal #rch, Eork "ite, at *aris inthe *hoeni od!e in 535D ) an attractive drawin! of threearches probably of a completely impracticable character Asee*late IIB2 two arches side by side have restin! on their centralarch stones a third arch% In another certificate issued by the

same lod!e there is the ima!e of a semicircular arch divided byinternal masonry to form three arches Asee second illustration,*late IIB%

In an added de!ree whose ritual is closely su!!ested by that ofthe "oyal #rch the essentials of the "oyal #rch discovery weretraditionally preserved throu!h the centuries by certain means,

includin! the construction of a secret vault which led throu!hnine arches from Solomon's innermost apartment to a spotimmediately under the Sanctum Sanctorum%

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There is no doubt that some old chapters and "oyal #rchlod!es, particularly Irish and #merican, found some use in theirceremonial for miniature arches made of wood2 one known toeist was semicircular, about ei!hteen inches wide and built ofmaho!any% # &real' arch was used in the 0orth of 8n!landceremonial !iven in an earlier section%

T3e D&2e4,&!,+2 S-#e

The most helpful in9uiry into the evidence for the eistence inancient -ewish times of a double)cubical stone was made bythe "ev% .% .% Covey Crump, and in publishin! its result inMiscellanea Latomorum, vol% i, he admits that he does notknow how the double)cube came into freemasonry, and feelsthat no precedent can be seriously claimed for it in ancientsymbolism% AIt is re!retted that the learned author did notwiden his search to include alchemical writin!s, for the basic

idea of the double)cubical stone mi!ht possibly be found there%BThe %S%%, says Covey Crump, does not provide any authorityfor the idea that the Hebrews attached any si!nificance to acube or to a double cube, ecept that it can be inferred that theSanctum Sanctorum of the Mish$an Aor 'Tabernacle,' as distinctfrom the )hel, or &Tent'B was a cubical apartment ) 5> cubits inlen!th, breadth, and elevation% The #rk of the Covenant)by farthe most sacred and important appurtenance of the Tabernacleand of the subse9uent Temple V was < W

by 5 W by 5 W cubits, thus neither a cube nor double cube%The #ltar of 7urnt (fferin! in the Tabernacle was ? by ? by 6cubits, a hollow bron/e enclosure intended to be filled withearth and stones% In the Temple of Solomon those dimensions

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were much !reater, <> by <> by 5> cubits, but still did notconstitute a double cube%

Finally, says Covey Crump, in the description of the TabernacleA8odus , <2 vii, <?B the dimensions of the Golden #ltarof Incense

56D

are !iven as 5 by 5 by a cubits, thus a double cube Asee-osephus iii, :, 3B% $odern scholars 9uestion whether therereally was an #ltar of Incense in the $osaic Tabernacle, for atthat period manual censers were used ) that is, ladles of bron/ewith stems and handles of !old, such as are fre9uently shownon 8!yptian monuments and referred to in 0umbers vi, G, 6=2eviticus vi, 5<2 and elsewhere% 0ot until the time of in!4//iah Arou!hly D?= 7%C%B can we be certain that there was an

#ltar of Incense in the Temple Aa Chronicles vi, 5:B2 afterwhich time such altars became numerous in -erusalem AaChronicles , 5@B, but apparently no si!nificance wasattached to their proportions% In Jerubbabel's Temple there wasa similar altar, which was carried away when the Temple wasplundered in the second century 7%C%

.ith the foundation)stone of in! Solomon's Temple the

mythical Stone of Foundation is often confused% Still 9uotin!Covey Crump, the stone /hethiyah mentioned in the Talmud issaid to have been taken from His throne in heaven by God,.ho cast it into the primeval #byss to form a foundation for theworld% # Talmudic le!end relates that it Aor a fra!ment of itBbecame a base for the #rk of the Covenant in Solomon's

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Temple2 there it stood three fin!ers above the !round ) thatis, not touchin! the !round, but poised in mid)air to preservethe sacred #rk from contact with the earth%

# remarkable allusion to Solomon's principal foundation)stoneof the Temple occurs in Samuel ee's )rbis Miraculum, freely9uoted from earlier in this section;

The Mysteries laid up in the foundation of the Temple% %some assert that God placed this 2foundation3 stone %%% inthe Centre of the &orld, for a firme basis and settledconsistency for the +arth to rest upon% )thers held thisstone to be the first matter, only which all the beautifulvisible beings of the &orld have bin hewn forth, and produced to light% )thers relate that this was the verysame stone laid by 1acob for a pillar near his head, in thatnight when he dreamed of an !ngelical vision at 5ethel,and afterward annointed and consecrated it unto God%&hich when /olomon had found %%% he durst not but lay it

sure, as the @rincipal 'oundation stone of the Temple%0ay Ethey say furtherF he caused to be engraven upon it,the Tetragrammaton or the ineffable name of 1ehovah% !llwhich stories are but so many idle and absurd conceits%

The characters borne by the double cube in our chapters arereferred to at p% <@:2 meanwhile such an early and si!nificant

allusion as Samuel ee's to a stone bearin! theTetra!rammaton in en!raved characters ) it is of the year 5:?=) will not escape the reader's attention%

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Section T(e"&e

TRADITIONAL HISTORY3 THE 4I4LICAL 4AC.GROUND

TH8 ma!nificent Temple built and furnished by in! Solomon atstupendous cost of thou!ht, labour, and of treasure was notblessed with lon! life% Solomon was surrounded by pa!an

peoples, and the -ews themselves tended from time to time tofall away into idolatry2 indeed, ten of the twelve tribes brokeaway soon after Solomon's death to form an independentkin!dom, which later made the fortified city of Samaria itscapital% The two faithful tribes, -udah and 7en1amin, held themountain stron!hold of -erusalem, which, commandin! the!reat trade route between Syria and 8!ypt, had brou!htSolomon both wealth and power2 but for some hundreds ofyears to come the position was a difficult one, for in the lon!

wars between the #ssyrians and the 8!yptians *alestine wasoften rava!ed from many different points% In the fifth)year of"ehoboam's rei!n the 8!yptians sacked -erusalem and carriedaway the !old from the Temple% Then, in the year D<< 7%C%, thein!dom of Samaria fell, Israel bekame an #ssyrian province,and the Ten Tribes were taken captive% 7ut ,in -erusalem itselfHe/ekiah paid tribute to his con9uerors, and was able, to someetent, to restore the Temple worship% 8i!hty years later -osiahrepaired the Temple, refurnished it, and it was at this time that

Hilkiah found the 7ook of the aw in the House of the ord, anevent which will be dealt with when discussin! the Irish ritual%A(ur narrative embodies an account, probably by ionel ibert,in Miscellanea Latomorum, vol% vi%B

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.hat appeared to be the end both of -erusalem and of itsTemple came in ?3: s%c%' when, under the orders of0ebuchadne//ar, who was foundin! his 7abylonian empire,-erusalem was sacked, the Temple treasures were stolen, andthe two faithful tribes, -udah and 7en1amin, were carried off to7abylon, the only people left in the country of -udea bein!peasants and others whose enforced duty was to till the land%

In 7abylon the -ewish eiles lived in small colonies, and,althou!h they had no temples, they were able to formworshippin! con!re!ations which served to keep alive in at

least a section of the people their love of -udea and their faithin their God% Their lament is set forth in emotional lan!ua!e in*salm 56D;

56=

5y the rivers of 5abylon, there we sat down, yea, wewept when we remembered ion% &e hanged our harpsupon the willows in the midst thereof% 'or there they thatcarried us away captive re7uired of us a song" and theythat wasted us re7uired of us mirth, saying, /ing us oneof the songs of ion% ow shall we sing the L)#-/ songin a strange landH If I forget thee, ) 1erusalem, let myright hand forget her cunning% If I do not remember thee,let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth" if I prefer

not 1erusalem above my chief joy%

The empire that 0ebuchadne//ar had brou!ht to!ether hadshort shrift when the $edes and *ersians came a!ainst it%#bout seventy years after the -ews went into eile Cyrus the

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*ersian con9uered 7abylon and etended an empire whichcovered the countries of .est #sia for the net two centuries%(nly a few months after Cyrus had reached 7abylon he issuedan edict permittin! the -ewish eiles to return to *alestine andinvitin! the two faithful tribes to rebuild the city and the Templeof -erusalem% His motives in doin! so are unknown, but whatmatters is that he !ave the two tribes his protection, suppliedthem with treasure and materials for carryin! out their work,and promised to restore the riches carried off from the Templesome seventy years before%

The invitation was not at first warmly or widely accepted, formost of the -ews, havin! been born in eile, had never seen*alestine, and it was only a small !roup that at first availeditself of the permission and made the 1ourney to *alestine% #band of -ewish pioneers under Sheshba//ar returned to-erusalem in ?6D 7%C% and started the work% Seventeen yearslater came a much stron!er contin!ent under Jerubbabel, butthe returned eiles were mortified to find that they couldoccupy only the ruins and immediate vicinity of -erusalem, fortribes of mied blood had moved into -udea durin! the years ofeile%

4nder Jerubbabel the Governor, -oshua the Hi!h *riest, and the*rophets Ha!!ai and Jechariah the Second Temple was built,and dedicated, in ?5: 7%C%, to the worship of God% *riestsamon! the returned eiles re!ulated the ritual of the newTemple in accordance with the 7ook of the aw discovered by

Hilkiah rather more than a century before% Cyrus had beensucceeded by Cambyses, who, influenced by the hostility of thetribes dwellin! near -erusalem, stopped the work, but he inturn was succeeded by +arius Hystaspes, who !ave the -ewsbadly needed assistance, for all throu!h the period of therebuildin! they were harassed by the nei!hbourin! tribes, in

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whom was more than a tin!e of -ewish blood% The Samaritans,appealin! to +arius, tried a!ain to hinder the work, which,however, continued under the encoura!ement of Ha!!ai the*rophet%

+arius permitted the stolen treasures to be returned to-erusalem under

5@>

armed escort, and it is this difficult and dan!erous 1ourneywhich is thou!ht by some writers Aand only someB to besymboli/ed by the early "oyal #rch ceremony known as the

&passin! of the veils' Asee Section 5DB%

Ha!!ai the *rophet deserves a !reat place in the narrative ofthe returned eiles% He had been born in 7abylon, and isbelieved to have travelled to -udea with Jerubbabel, and to himfell the immediate task of ehortin! the -ews to finish therebuildin! of the Temple, work in which there had been a breakof about fourteen years owin! to the hostile action of thenei!hbourin! tribes% He assured the -ews that the !lory of thislatter house shall be !reater than of the former ) a difficultprophecy, inasmuch as the second Temple could not compare inits richness with the first one, but a prophecy claimed to have

been fulfilled many years later when Christ entered it% Thehistory of the period is to be found in the 7ook of 8/ra, part ofwhich book some scholars believe to have been written byHa!!ai% 0ot only with the -ews does the memory of Ha!!aistand in !reat re!ard, for both the Greeks and the atins keep

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his festival, the former on +ecember 5: and the latter on -uly@%

#s the years passed the -ewish priests, becomin! careless andcorrupt, ne!lected the Temple services% Fifty)ei!ht years afterthe completion of the Temple 8/ra arrived in -erusalem, and atonce set about reformin! and purifyin! the priesthood2 fourteenyears later still #rtaeres of *ersia allowed 0ehemiah Ahisaristocratic -ewish courtier and cupbearerB to !o to -erusalemwith the status of Governor% 4nder 0ehemiah the -ews rebuiltthe broken walls of the city, in face of the fierce hostility of the

Samaritans, who were sufferin! under a !rievance, for they hadprofessed themselves as willin! to assist the returned eiles torebuild the Temple, but had been spurned by the two faithfultribes, who re!arded them, in spite of their Alar!elyB -ewishblood, as forei!ners% #ll throu!h the rebuildin! of the Templeand of the walls of the city the -ews had to reckon with thehostile Samaritans, but they rebuilt the city walls in fifty)twodays in spite of opposition% Their valour is recorded in the 7ookof 0ehemiah iv, 5D)53;

They which builded on the wall, and they that bareburdens, with those that laded, every one with one of hishands wrought in the wor$, and with the other hand helda weapon% 'or the builders, every one had his swordgirded by his side, and so builded%

It is this tet that the ritual renders with trowel in hand andsword at side% Here, for a moment, we di!ress from the mainnarrative to remark that freemasons are not alone in havin!adopted as a symbol the sword and trowel% They wereanticipated by the (rder of the Templars, the

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5@5

aristocratic, rich Crusadin! order that arose in the year 555=,and which is said to have made of the trowel a fourfold devicetakin! the form of the Cross of the 8ast, the Temple Cross,known to us as the $altese Cross or Cross of the ni!hts of St-ohn% In this device, it is claimed, four trowels meet at theirpoints% .e learn from #% 8% .aite that this same cross was an#ssyrian emblem before Christian times, a curious coincidence%

It is possibly a matter for sli!ht wonder that "oyal #rchmasonry did not adopt the four)trowel cross as its symbolinstead of the tau cross, which, althou!h of !reat philosophicalsi!nificance, has no obvious relation to the traditional history ofthe (rder% 7ut it is well worth notin! that in the healpha 1ewelworn by the First *rincipal of the First Grand Chapter, asdepicted in the mar!in of the Charter of Compact, the internaldelta is actually a trian!ular trowel%

#mon! 9uite a number of books containin! reli!ious symbolsand emblems published in the siteenth and seventeenthcenturies is the wellknown Choice of +mblemes Areprinted infacsimile in 53::B, by Geoffrey .hitney, who died in 5:>6)@%#s in most of such works, there is a succession of en!ravin!s,each with descriptive verses, and one of these en!ravin!sAreproduced in *late II of the present volumeB depicts twohands etendin! from a cloud, the ri!ht one holdin! a sword,

and the left a delta)shaped trowel% Here is the first of theverses accompanyin! the en!ravin!;

&hen /anabal ierusalem distrest,

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&ith sharp assaultes, in 0ehemias tyme,

To warre, and wor$e, the 1ews them selves addrest

!nd did repaire theire walls, with stone, and lime4

)ne hand the swode, against the foe did sha$e,

The other hand, the trowel, up did ta$e%

+urin! much of the time occupied by the rebuildin! at-erusalem a !roup of priests who had remained in the land of

eile were puttin! into writin! the ritual laws which hadre!ulated the Temple worship in earlier days% Greville ewis'secellent book5 tells the story in simple terms% The priests werecompilin! somethin! more elaborate than the +euteronomylaws, for they were providin! instruction on Temple services,Sabbathkeepin!, and such like, and the result of their work isthe priestly code !iven in parts of 8odus, 0umbers, andespecially eviticus% 8/ra, with fellow)priests, took the priestlycode to -erusalem and set out to create a -ewish nation% This

was a turnin!)point in -ewish history, for the -ews accepted thecode, and henceforth became known as the *eople of the7ook% In this we see the birth of -udaism ) that is, the reli!ionof the -ews when it became a reli!ion of obedience to the aw,so elaborate and

0 !n !pproach to the 0ew Testament A8pworth *ress,5=?@B%

5@<

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complicated that it re9uired the skill of specialists to teach it tothe people% These teachers were the Scribes, mostly priests, ofwhom we hear so much in the Gospels of the 0ew Testament%

The history of the Second Temple was as troublous as that ofthe First; #!ain plundered and a!ain profaned, the Temple wasdedicated to -upiter but a few years later, in 5:3 7%C%, -udas$accabeus, the deliverer, rededicated it, an event which the-ews commemorate to this day, but on the death of thedeliverer the "omans under *ompey entered the Temple andthe Holy of Holies, and in ?@ 7%C% a successor, Crassus, finally

carried off everythin! of value% 7ut a!ain the Temple wasdedicated, some sort of worship maintained, and Hi!h *riestscontinued to be appointed% Herod the Great besie!ed-erusalem, and eventually pulled down the Temple, althou!h heallowed the priests to rebuild the Holy of Holies, while hehimself built the !reat Court of the Gentiles% So, ultimately,every vesti!e of the Temple of Jerubbabel disappeared, andHerod erected on its site a temple with which he associated hisown name%

That is a reasonable but hi!hly condensed story of the Templehistory, and provides much of the back!round for the "oyal#rch ritual, but a few inconsistencies V anachronisms ) may bementioned% In the ritual2 story three !reat men ) Jerubbabel,-oshua, and Ha!!ai ) are closely associated with the rebuildin!of the Temple durin! the rei!n of Cyrus but actually it wasJerubbabel who travelled from 7abylon to -erusalem2 and when

the three did collaborate it must have been in a later day, thatof +arius% .ith Ha!!ai was Jachariah, who is not mentioned inthe ritual, but these two were co)workers with Jerubbabel%Then, in the ritual, 8/ra and 0ehemiah are associated, but thisis 9uite a serious anachronism, for, althou!h 8/ra came to-erusalem probably seventy years later than Jerubbabel,

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0ehemiah did not arrive in the city for yet thirteen more years%# period of rou!hly ei!hty years, therefore, separatedJerubbabel on the one hand and 8/ra and 0ehemiah on theother, and their work was the rebuild in!, of the walls of thecity , not the walls of the Temple ) althou!h this last point is ofsmall moment, because, from the $asonic point of view, theTemple and city of -erusalem are one% The So1ourners, whotravelled', by permission of Cyrus, apparently did not arriveuntil +arius was on the, throne, and in the ritual they maketheir report to the Sanhedrin, which is unlikely to have been ineistence in Jerubbabel's day%

(ther inconsistencies in the "oyal #rch ritual have beenpointed% out from time to time, and we may instance thosementioned in ionel ibert's address to the 8sse First*rincipal's Chapter, reprinted in the 5=6@)6?f Transactions ofthat chapter, and in the address by #% G% +uncan in the5=63)@: Transactions of the same chapter% ibert holds that inthe "oyal #rch

5@6

the sojourners ma$e an independent discovery of thesacred word already $nown to the @rincipals and to +% and0%" they report it and their discovery is, ac$nowledged tobe(correct%%%% &e appear here to have a% reminiscence of

some other philosophy % % % the lesson that the trulyhumble wor$man, though engaged on uns$illed anduninteresting wor$, may nevertheless find in it or by it agreat reward %%% entitling him to a place among the wisestof men and in the council of rulers%

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#% G% +uncan says that by no stretch of ima!ination could thenames and symbols revealed in the vault be the secret which

enabled Hiram to function as a $aster $ason, but that the"oyal #rch mason realises that below the surface aspect of ourrites and ceremonies is the substance %%% which each must!rasp for himself% .% .% Covey Crump says that to us the;Temple of Jerubbabel is a 'prototype and its erection is aparable of our own%$asonic work%

The dimensions of the Temple have many times beeninvesti!ated% "oderick H% 7ater, havin! studied thecomparative dimensions of the various temples built by the-ews at -erusalem, concludes that Jerubbabel's Temple' wasmore or less the same si/e as Solomon's, ecept that the totalwidth was one)third more, the chambers and !allery rou!hlyhalf a!ain as wide2 and the outer courts more than three timesas lon!% He !ives the total len!th of Solomon's Temple asninety cubits, and its total width as forty)five cubits, and itshei!ht Awhich is sub1ect to 9uestionB as sity cubits%

7etween the women's court and the men's, says aseventeenth)century work, Moses and !aron, written by adivine, Thomas Godwyn, there was an% ascent 'of fifteen stepsor stairs % % % upon these steps the evites sun! those fifteen*salms immediately followin! the one hundredth V and )nineteenth2 upon every step one *salm, whence those *salms

are entitled @salmi Gradualtes, Son!s of +e!rees% A$any of the*salmsare described in the 7ible as Son!s of +e!rees; It willbe noted that a fli!ht of three, five, and seven steps !ives atotal of fifteen%B

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T3e S+#3e%r!# r S+#3e%r!m

The supreme 1udicial council of the -ews was the Sanhedrin Aa,word commonly spelled% &Sanhedrim'B% The word comes fromthe Greek throu!h the Hebrew and means &a council,' &a sittin!to!ether%' Traditionally the Sanhedrin eisted from the time of$oses, but historically, especially in view of the derivation ofthe word, it is safer to re!ard the !reat Sanhedrin as havin!eisted from the days of -udas $accabeus Asecond century

7%C%B till somewhere about #%+% @<?% It was the supreme placeof 1ud!ment, and was sometimes called 7eth +in, the House of

5@@

-ud!ment% Constituted of chief priests and other learned men

en!a!ed in sacred duties, it had as its chief officer a princeAnasi or presidentB, who is believed in the later days to haveen1oyed a hereditary office% The Sanhedrin was a State council,a le!islature that interpreted tradition and reli!ious laws andre!ulations, a parliament with responsibility for militarydecisions, a hi!h court of 1ustice, and it met daily ecept onsabbaths and feast)days%

The 0ew Testament calls the members of the Sanhedrin elders) obviously they were men of acknowled!ed position andstandin! ) and there were seventy of them, in accordance with0umbers i, 5:; #nd the ord said unto $oses, Gather untome seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest tobe the elders of the people, and officers over them2 and brin!

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them unto the tabernacle of the con!re!ation, that they maystand there with thee% The *resident was in addition to thisnumber% A.hen 0apoleon attempted by edict to erect a -ewishSanhedrin in France in 53>: he fied the number atseventy)one%B The assembly sat usually in a hall near the !reat!ate of the Temple, and in the form of a semicircle, the*resident's raised seat bein! in the centre% In a two)volumeatin book by -ehan Faure AToulouse, France, 5?5DB is afull)pa!e wood en!ravin! entitled #rbor -udaica, representin!three 1ud!es occupyin! the presidential raised seat, the wholebearin! a stron! resemblance to the principal officers of a "oyal#rch chapter% A"eference has already been made to thefrontispiece of Samuel ee's )rbis Miraculum and to alchemical

illustrations depictin! a somewhat similar arran!ement%B Howthe "oyal #rch ritual came to emphasi/e that the au!ustSanhedrin had seventy)two members and to use the phraseunless seventy(two of the elders be present has been muchdebated% It is barely possible that it is merely a literal mistake,but 9uite definitely the number seventy(two is everywhereaccepted in "oyal #rch practice%

It is very difficult to believe that, in arrivin! at this number, itscabbalistic si!nificance was any consideration, but a Frenchauthor has shown that the e9uilateral trian!le containin! theTetra!rammaton could be calculated to !ive the mysticalnumber of seventy)two% The present writer, however, issceptical of any &evidence' founded on the mystical value ofalphabetical letters%

It is impossible to rule out, nevertheless, the influence of thenumber seventy)two% For eample, the name -ehovah is said tocomprehend the seventy)two names of God2 then, too, theGreek translation of the (ld Testament scriptures, the oldesttranslation known, was alle!ed at one time to have been made

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by si translators from each -ewish tribe, seventytwo in all, whocompleted their work in seventy)two days, thus !ivin! thename Septua!int to the translationL

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5@?

The number of Companions additional to the *rincipals andScribes in a "oyal #rch chapter is in theory limited toseventy)two, and if in practice this number is eceeded theCompanions in ecess of the number may not bear the staff ofoffice% #s one version of the ritual says; this staff you will bealways entitled to bear, unless seventy)two of your elders bepresent2 in that case, the full number of the Sanhedrin bein!completed, the youn!er members must be ecluded, theeclusion bein! from office%

.e know that the limitation of the number to seventy)two !oesback at least as far as 5DD3, when in the &#ntients' chapters

there were the Three *rincipals, Two Scribes, Three So1ourners,and Seventy)two others as council2 we know also that thepremier Grand Chapter observed that same number% -% Heronepper has su!!ested that the number cannot now be takenliterally, but is to be re!arded as a relic of the past, bearin! inmind, for eample, that at Grand Chapter meetin!s far morethan seventy)two Companions are always present, each with ari!ht to speak and vote%

T3e Ir!3 Tr+%!-!# Rep+!r!#/ -3e Temp2e

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$uch is made of the difference between the 8n!lish and theIrish traditional histories% They appear to be so different, but inessentials the two ceremonies are much the same% #lthou!hthe details do not a!ree and in the Irish ceremony theCandidates themselves take a more active part in the workin!out of the drama, in both the 8n!lish and the Irish versions apart of the whole of the early Sacred aw is amon! thetraditional discoveries, and it is not too much to say that thetwo rituals are identical in philosophy and teachin!% The9ualifications of the Candidates are not the same, and it isimpossible for the "oyal #rch mason of one 1urisdiction to effectan entrance into a chapter held under the other unlesssupported by independent credentials% #s already made 9uite

clear, the 8n!lish le!end refers to the rebuildin! of the SecondTemple by Jerubbabel and the Irish to the repairin! ofSolomon's Temple by -osiah%

The 7iblical history upon which the Irish narrative is partlybased is to be found in i in!s ii% -osiah, a !ood in!, butonly ei!ht years old when he be!an his rei!n, was on thethrone in -erusalem for thirty)one years% He sent Shaphan AaScribe and of a family of ScribesB, son of #/aliah, to the Houseof the ord, and there he ordered Hilkiah, the Hi!h *riest, tomake over the silver contributed by the people to thoseen!a!ed in the repairin! of the Temple ) unto carpenters, andbuilders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone torepair the house% Hilkiah, probably actin! as overseer, brou!htback to Shaphan the report; I have found the book of the lawin the house of the ord% #nd Hilkiah !ave the

5@:

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7ook to Shaphan, and he read it% Further, Shaphan read itbefore in! -osiah,' who !reatly feared when he heard of thewrath of God% Huldah, a prophetess, a wise woman,reassured the in!, and told him that because of his tendernessand humility, he would be !athered to his fathers in peace andwould not see all the evil that would come% The people havin!been called to the Temple, the in! read to them the 7ook ofthe Covenant that had been found durin! the repairin! of theTemple, and he made a new covenant ) namely, to keep thecommandments and to perform the words of the Covenant thatwere written in the 7ook% AIn Carpenters' Hall, ondon, are tobe seen paintin!s of Henry III's day, discovered only in 53@?,illustratin! -osiah's repairin! of the Temple%B The discovery of

what are known as the +ead Sea Scrolls within a few miles ofthe site of Solomon's Temple is a remarkable parallel in moderntimes to the findin! of the scroll of the 7ook of the aw% eryancient Hebrew scrolls were discovered that had beenpreserved in 9uite natural conditions certainly for manyhundreds and possibly for a few thousands of years% Sevenscrolls came to li!ht in 5=@D, and later the fra!ments of fourhundred others% They are chiefly of papyrus and leatherpreserved by the natural action of the very hot, dry climate at a

depth of many hundreds of feet below sea)level% AThe surfaceof the +ead Sea itself is more than twelve hundred feet belowsea)level%B Scholars have already spent years in the task ofdecipherin! the scrolls, and say that some contain variations ofstories told in the 7ook of Genesis, while others are copies ofthe 7ook of Isaiah and about a thousand years older than anycomparable Hebrew writin!s in the (ld Testament%

#n impression commonly prevailin! at one time was that the7ook of the aw mentioned in both Irish and 8n!lishceremonies was the 7ible% # moment's thou!ht will show thatto be impossible% The discovery was made at a time when eventhe history of in! Solomon's rei!n had not been committed towritin!% It has been traditionally thou!ht that the book was the

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Torah, now known as the *entateuch, literally five tools orfive books comprisin! the first five books of the (ldTestament AGenesis, 8odus, eviticus, 0umbers, and+euteronomy, and perhaps part of -oshuaB, known as the awof $oses or the 7ook of $oses% ! @ictorial istory of the 1ewish@eople su!!ests that this traditional belief is at fault, and thatthe discovery is nothin! more than the 7ook of +euteronomy,and that until its discovery there had been no written Torah orlaw for the !uidance and teachin! of the people, who thereforerelied on oral tradition, into which it was easy for heathenbeliefs to creep% The authority 9uoted says that the discoveryof the Fifth 7ook of $oses, therefore, was epoch)makin! in itseffect on the future course of the -ewish reli!ion and on the

development of the -ews as a people% This

5@D

view is supported by +r #% G% #!len, who says that the bookdiscovered was either +euteronomy or the central part of that

book, this book codifyin! what both prophets and priests hadalways tau!ht%

-osiah's work of reformation included the uprootin! of pa!anworship% # !reat reli!ious movement was concluded by theobservance of such a passover as had not been kept fromthe days of the 1ud!es %%% nor in all the days of the kin!s of

Israel, nor of the kin!s of -udah%

earned archaeolo!ists who have studied the discovery madeunder Hilkiah believe that the writin!s in the foundationchamber were etched not in Hebrew Awhich was not the ori!inal

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or universal lan!ua!e of mankind, and, indeed, at that datewas little more than an obscure dialectB, but in cuneiform scriptthat in those days was current throu!h all the land between the"iver of the 8ast and the "iver of the South%

The Irish le!end superimposes upon the 7iblical story thediscovery of certain foundation deposits, includin! thes9uares of the three Grand $asters, ancient coins, an en!raved!olden plate, and a cubic stone on which had been sculpturedcertain initial letters%

There has been ar!ument as to whether, at one time, in theearly days of the "oyal #rch, there were two distinct traditionalhistories in use in the Irish lod!es or chapters% .% -% ChetwodeCrawley speaks of an illadvised and unsuccessful attempt,lastin! intermittently from 53<= to early in the 53:>Ks, tointroduce the 8n!lish version into the Irish chapters% He isreferrin! to the Irish Grand Chapter at its constitution in 53<=,when it attempted to follow the Jerubbabel story, but, owin!

apparently to the custom of conferrin! certain step de!rees to9ualify the Candidate, met formidable difficulties% Thus, attimes in the nineteenth century, in some parts of Ireland, oneversion was worked, and in another the other version% # specialcommittee appointed in 53?: to in9uire into the confusioncompleted its labours in 53:6, and as a result it was decided toinsist upon the story of the repair of the Temple as the motif ofthe traditional history, the principal officers bein! desi!nated -%,H%, and' S% instead of, as in 8n!land and elsewhere, J%, H%, and

-%

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Section Ti#teen

THE INEFFA4LE NAME

TH8 Ineffable 0ame, the name that may not be uttered, is asub1ect of such !reat ma!nitude that the most that can here bedone is to !ive some idea of the meanin!s attached to the

Ineffable 0ame by the early peoples, by the -ews, to whom itmeant so much, and by the "oyal #rch mason, in whosetraditional history and ritual it has so eminent a place%

#mon! the ancient peoples what we should re!ard as the merename of an individual carried with it the idea of a separateentity, but let it not be thou!ht that this idea is entirely

pre)Christian2 Hallowed be thy 0ame, says the ord's *rayer,a prayer which a -ewish writer, 0athan #usubel, has hailed asthe supreme epression of Christian faith, a prayer obviouslyderived from -ewish reli!ious writin!s, even usin! some of thesame fi!ures of speech%

The Scriptures record that it was to $oses that God firstrevealed His Holy 0ame, and that to a descendant of +avid was

!iven the divine command to build an house for my name%The "oyal #rch mason is reminded in the ritual that only in theHoly of Holies within the Temple ) was that sacred namepronounced, and then but once a year and by the Hi!h *riest%

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The teachin! of the (ld Testament is that the name is itselfthe 9uintessence of God, the essential part, the purest andmost perfect form% From the be!innin!s of "oyal #rch masonrythe Ineffable 0ame has been set in its hi!h place and everassociated with the .ord% In 5DD3 the first Grand Chapter hasthis to say in its laws concernin! it;

The &ord %%% is not to be understood as a watch(wordonly, after the manner of those anne.ed to the severaldegrees of the Craft, but also Theologically, as a term,thereby to convey to the mind some idea of the great

5eing who is the sole author of our e.istence%

The early peoples, includin! the Hebrews, re!arded the nameof a deity as his manifestation, but far from all of the names sore!arded were of beneficent powers% There were many thatwere evil% $ilton, in @aradise Lost , speaks of the dreadedname of +emo!or!on, the infernal power, the mere mention ofwhose name the ancient peoples believed brou!ht death and

disaster%

5@=

ucan's *harsalia A0icholas "owe's translationB asks;

Must I call your master to my aid,

!t whose dread name the trembling furies 7ua$e,

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ell stands abashed, and earths foundations sha$eH

The -ews in the period followin! their return from 7abylonianeile had such a stron! belief in the power of a name that theyadopted two family names, says an enli!htenin! article in the-ewish 8ncyclopadia, one civil or for civic affairs, the other amore sacred name, for use in the syna!o!ue and in Hebrewdocuments% $uch later the name e9uations became doublets ) that is, the two names were used to!ether as one% #t onetime, says the above authority, it was not thou!ht that -ews ofthe same name should live in the same town or permit their

children to marry into each other's families, difficulty bein!sometimes avoided by chan!in! a nameL #mon! elementarypeoples there was often a fear of disclosin! a man's name, theidea behind this fear bein! identified with the practice ofdis!uisin! an uncomplimentary name, as, for eample, amon!the Greeks, who altered their early name of #einosAinhospitableB for the 7lack Sea to 8uine, which has theopposite meanin!% The Greeks, on second thou!hts, decided tocall the Furies not 8rinyes, their apt name, but 8umenides, the!ood)tempered ones%

*lutarch, the Greek philosopher, of the first century of theChristian era, asks;

&hat is the reason that it is forbidden to mention, in7uire

after, or name the chief tutelary and guardian deity of#ome, whether male or female, which prohibition theyconfirm with a superstitious tradition, reporting thatKalerius /uranus perished miserably for e.pressing thatnameH %%%

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*lutarch added that the "omans reckoned they had their Godin most safe and secure custody, he bein! inepressible and

unknown% Then, comin! a!ain to the -ews, we may well 9uotethe twelfth)century -ewish philosopher $aimonides, The Guidefor the @erple.ed AFriedlander's translation of 5335B;

This sacred name 2the name of God3 %%% which was not pronounced e.cept in the sanctuary by the appointed priests, when they gave the sacerdotal blessing, and by

the high priest on the -ay of !tonement, undoubtedlydenotes something which is peculiar to God%%%% It is possible that in the ebrew language, of which we havenow but a slight $nowledge, the Tetragrammaton, in theway in which it was pronounced, conveyed the meaning of*absolute e.istence% % % % The majesty of the name and thegreat dread of uttering it, are connected with the fact thatit denotes God imself, without including in its meaningany names of the things created by im%

In some ancient reli!ions the idea of power was commonlyassociated

5?>

with certain names ) power, in some cases, over a personarisin! from the fact that his name was known% # power, awfuland tremendous, is associated with the dread name of the+eity% Hebrew le!end is full of instances where the mysteriousand Ineffable 0ame is used either by itself or with other names

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to invoke ma!ical powers a!ainst adversaries and evil spiritsand for healin! purposes%

The knowled!e of the pronunciation of the Ineffable 0ame wasconfined, amon! the -ews, to certain wise men, and inmedieval days a $aster of the 0ame amon! the -ews was onewho knew the sacred vowels of the word -ehovah, whichknowled!e was thou!ht to invest him with ma!ical powers%

Two tets, one from the (ld and the other from the 0ewTestament, !ive considerable support to the idea of power andimportance bein! represented by names; The 0ame of theord is a stron! tower2 the ri!hteous runneth into it, and issafe A*roverbs viii, 5>B2 #t the 0ame of -esus every kneeshould bow A*hilippians ii, 5>B%

The -ews had many opportunities in their early history of

imbibin! from the pa!an nations around them ideas which,when developed and ideali/ed, played a serious part in theirreli!ion and philosophy% The forefathers of the Hebrew tribesare believed to have come from 4r Casdim A4r of theChaldeesB, in $esopotamia, and to have brou!ht with themreli!ious ideas and customs borrowed from the surroundin!peoples% *reserved in the ouvre, *aris, is an inscription Adatin!back to, very rou!hly, <>>> years 7%C%B puttin! into the mouthof a 7abylonian soverei!n these words; The !od 8n/u M$oon

God and ord of nowled!eN, whose name man uttereth not%Israel, in the course of becomin! a nation, learned in its8!yptian bonda!e beliefs which became !rafted into its culture,for 8!ypt had many, many divinities and many names for them%The modern -ewish writer 0athan #usubel has said that theinfluence of the Hittite and 7abylonian)#ssyrian reli!ions and

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civili/ations Ato which the -ews were sub1ect in their latereilesB was perhaps even !reater than that of the 8!yptian,owin! to the kinship of the Hebrew and #ssyrian lan!ua!es%The peculiar !enius of the -ewish people allowed of theiradaptin! these eternal ideas in such a way as finally to weavethem into the very teture of their faith in the one true God% .e9uote from what the -ew re!ards as the most holy portion ofhis itur!y of the +ay of #tonement;

!nd when the priests and the people that stood in thecourt 2of the Temple3 heard the glorious and awful 0ame

pronounced out of the mouth of the igh @riest, inholiness and purity, they $nelt and prostrated themselvesand made ac$nowledgement, falling on their faces andsaying, J5lessed be his glorious, sovereign 0ame for everand ever%J

5?5

+efinition and $eanin! &Ineffable' is from the atin, and meanssomethin! that is unutterable, that cannot or may not bespoken out, this definition well illustratin! the -ewish attitude tothe +ivine 0ame% $ilton refers to the Son of God as ineffable,serene% The Incommunicable 0ame is a fre9uent term forthe 0ame of the +eity Aas in the #pocryphaB ) that is, a namethat cannot be communicated to or shared with another, and it

is usual to !o back to 8odus vi, < and 6, for the earliest li!htupon its proper meanin!;

!nd God spa$e unto Moses, and said unto him, I am theL)#-4 !nd I appeared unto !braham, unto Isaac, and

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unto 1acob, by the name of God !lmighty, but by myname 1+)K! was I not $nown to them%

In -ud!es iii, 53, the #n!el of the ord puts this 9uestion to$anoah; .hy askest thou thus after my name, seein! it issecret #nd in #mos vi, io, we have this direct in1unction;Hold thy ton!ue; for we may not make mention of the name ofthe ord% (ther si!nificant passa!es are to be found in the0ew Testament and in the #pocryphal books as well as in-osephus% The Talmud, answerin! the 9uestion .ho of theIsraelites shall have future life and who shall not says, 8ven

he who thinks the 0ame of God with its true letters forfeits hisfuture life%

The "oyal #rch ritual !ives the impression that thepronunciation of the Sacred 0ame had been prohibited backinto the farthest days, but actually it does not seem to beknown when that prohibition first took effect, and there arescholars who believe that it is not earlier than the buildin! of

the Second Temple% Support is lent to this belief by a $asonicwriter, 7ertram 7% 7enas, himself a learned -ew, whocontributed to the Transactions of the Merseyside !ssociationfor Masonic #esearch, vol% ii, a remarkable paper under thetitle of The +ivine #ppellation, one of the sources ofinformation to which the present writer has freely !one andwhich he !ratefully acknowled!es% 7enas says that since thedestruction of the Temple, the Ineffable 0ame is neverpronounced by an observant son of Israel, awaitin! until time

or circumstance should restore the true Temple established byin! Solomon%

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T3e Te-r+/r+mm+-#

The early nations had many names by which to describe the+eity% The -ews used a variety of names, some epressin! Hisattributes in terms comprehensible to all people, as, foreample, the "ock, the $erciful, the -ust, and the $i!hty% (ther-ewish names attempted to describe the more

5?<

etraordinary 9ualities of the +eity ) the #lmi!hty, the 8ternal,the $ost Hi!h2 supreme over them all was and is the Ineffable0ame of four letters known to the Greeks as theTetra!rammaton Atetra, four2 !ram matos, letterB, fromHebrew, the epression takes two character forms% In thesecond Hebrew character form, points were added to !ive thepronounciation &#donai'% The Hebrew letters bein! read from

right to left 2 in 8n!lish, in the order !iven they read E H H,Eod A- or EB2 He2 au2 He%

o#5

The 0ame itself is understood to be a composite form of theHebrew verb hayah, meanin! &to be'%The meanin! of theTetra!rammaton, says 7ertram 7% 7enas,

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is evident, instinct, and implicit% It denotes the -ivineeternity, and is the synthesis of the past, the present, andthe future of the verb ayah *to be% %%% It is aptlye.pressed in the phrase4

e is what e was,

&as what e is and

+ver shall remain both what e was and what e is

'rom everlasting to everlasting%

The mar!inal references to the "evised ersion of the 7ible !ivefive related meanin!s;

I am that I am%

I am because I am%

I am who I am%

I will be that I will be%

I will be%

The Tetra!rammaton is an attempt to si!nify God in Hisimmutable and eternal eistence, the 7ein! .ho is self)eistentand !ives eistence to others% It associates all three tenses ) past, future, and present)and is the name to which allusion ismade in 8odus iii, 56)5?;

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!nd Moses said unto God, 5ehold, when I come unto thechildren of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of

your fathers hath sent me unto you" and they shall say tome, &hat is his nameH what shall I say unto themH !ndGod said unto Moses, I !M T!T I !M4 and he said, Thusshalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I !M hath sentme unto you% !nd God said moreover unto Moses, Thusshalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The L)#- Godof your fathers, the God of !braham, the God of Isaac,and the God of 1acob, hath sent me unto you4 this is myname for ever, and this ir my memorial unto all

generations%

The Hebrew words +hyeh asher ehyeh translated in the aboveas I #$ TH#T I #$ are also forms of the same root word fromwhich E H H is derived%

5?6

The ban a!ainst the utterance of the Ineffable 0ame applies notmerely in ordinary conversation but also when the 0ameappears in Sacred .rit or in the itur!y% .hen the 0ameappears by itself, the -ews use a substitute word !donai AtheordB% .hen E H H appears in con1unction with the actualword !donai the word +lohim AGodB is read in place of theTetra!rammaton% Thus there are two substitute words used inplace of the Ineffable 0ame% In readin! the itur!y or Holy .ritthe -ews may pronounce these substitute words without anysense of sin, but ) elsewhere the words are never utteredli!htly or unnecessarily% Indeed, if the name of God is to be

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spoken or invoked in ordinary conversation the word HashemAthe 0ameB is used%

In earlier days the omission of vowel points led to fre9uentdoubts as to the proper pronunccation of certain words,especially where the meanin!s may seriously vary with thevowel sounds%

Certain -ewish scholars, the $assoretes, for the particularpurpose of keepin! inviolate the interpretation of parts of theScripture, introduced a system of vowels and accents at asomewhat late date2 their marks are known as the $assoretecpoints and consist of a system of dots, dashes, and othersymbols which perform the function of vowels and indicate howwords should be pronounced and which syllables should bestressed% Thus a!ainst the letters of the Tetra!rammaton theyinserted the vowels of the substituted word *!donai, soproducin! the word E8)H()#H, and this, in the course of time,was transliterated by uther, who, bein! German, substituted a

- for the Hebrew E Ain German the - has the sound of the8n!lish EB% The 8n!lish translators of the 7ible adopted uther'sspellin! ecept for the final I, thus !ivin! a word closelyresemblin! &-ehovah%' For the pronunciation #donai, the au ofthe Tetra!rammaton is pointed 'as in the second eample onopposite pa!e%

0on)-ews derive the pronunciation -8)H()#H from the'vowelpoints' that are usually appended to the four HebrewEHH, a comparatively modern introduction, say of the periodbetween the fourth and the ninth century #%+%

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The eact pronunciation of -HH is not known% It appears thatthe actual word &-ehovah' was introduced in 5?<> by Galatinus,but scholars re!ard it as incorrect2 however, it is the 7iblicalword, althou!h it occurs in the 7ible but a few times% (ne ofthe most si!nificant tets containin! the name is *salm liii,53; That men may know that thou, whose name alone is-8H(#H, art the most hi!h over all the earth% #nabbreviation, & -ah,' is used fre9uently, especially as part ofproper names and in the phrase)word, son!, or eclamationHallelu1ah' or &#lleluia,' meanin! *raise ye the ord% .arrantsand certificates issued by the First Grand Chapter in thepre)5356 period often bore the

5?@

words; In the name of the Grand #rchitect of the 4niverse,TH8 #$IGHTE -#H%

#mon! the titles or descriptions of the +eity are some whichare not fenced around with bars of prohibition, protective ofthe real 0ame itself, remarks 7ertram 7% 7enas, althou!h theyare not to be used carelessly or li!htly2 amon! them is theword &ord,' which has been !enerally adopted in 8n!lishtranslations and may itself be translated fairly accurately as &the8ternal%'

The fathers of all the tribes akin to the Hebrews had from timeimmemorial used the word 8lohim as meanin! &God,' says +r #%S% #!len, and he offers the eplanation that the nomad Semiteshad ori!inally, no doubt, ima!ined the word to be surrounded,penetrated, !overned, by myriads of active bein!s, each of

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whom was an +loh, but had no distinct name% In the 7ible8lohim, a plural word, is treated as a sin!ular% +lohim came tomean &God,' the supreme $aster of the 4niverse2 throu!houtthe (ld Testament it is the word !enerally rendered as &God,'but other desi!nations were in use, includin! +l Ameanin!

&stron!'B and Shaddai Ameanin! &almi!hty'B and +lyon Ameanin! &most hi!h'B% .hen the two names of God appear to!ether in(%T% as !-)0!I -HH, the -HH is &pointed' with the vowels of+lohim and it is pronounced +lohim%

In some forms of the appellation for God, such as +l , the plural

form +lim can be applied to pa!an deities, whereas by theTetra!rammaton is meant only the G%#%(%T%4%

#n appellation of particular interest to the freemason is theword &Shaddai,' already mentioned, which carries with it a !reatsense of reverence and which the -ews may pronounce freely%It has the si!nificance of the &#ll Sufficient,' He .hose bein! isin and from Himself and .ho !ives to others their bein!%

Still another omnific Aall)creatin!B word is familiar to the "oyal#rch mason% It has been stated that this word was ori!inally oftwo syllables, but as from the revision of the ritual in 536? ithas been of three syllables and embraces three lan!ua!es, inwhich conneion -% Heron epper states that in the year 5?=?the name of God in three lan!ua!es was held to have not only

a deep reli!ious si!nificance, but was also used as a means ofreco!nition between men of the same way of thou!ht%

It has already been pointed out that there is considerable doubtas to whether &-ehovah' is the true pronunciation of the

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intended appellation, and at one time it was thou!ht that therecovery of the true word awaited the comin! of the -ewish$essiah% (bviously, in attemptin! the difficult task of decidin!upon the spellin!, interpretation, etc%, of ancient words andphrases of Hebrew and related ori!in it is etremely easy to fallinto error, however sli!ht, and it is not therefore surprisin! tolearn that

5??

scholars advance the possibility that the accuracy of certainwords imparted to the "oyal #rch mason is not beyondcriticism%

T3e C3r!-!+# S!/#!0!,+#,e 0 -3e Te-r+/r+mm+-#

It is impossible to concede that the Tetra!rammaton couldori!inally have had Christian si!nificance, but we know that thename &-ehovah,' borrowed from the (ld Testament, iscommonly used as an appellation for Christ, and that -esus, thepersonal name of Christ and a common name in His day,included, as did many other Hebrew names, a form of the nameof God A-ahB% Fanatical -ews of the $iddle #!es attributed the

wonderful works of Christ to the potency of theIncommunicable 0ame, which He was accused of abstractin!from the Temple and wearin! about Him% It is well known, ofcourse, that the Ineffable 0ame early ac9uired Christianimport, and we may well suppose that in many early "oyal #rchceremonies this was the one insisted upon% The

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Tetra!rammaton contained within a trian!le is often displayedin chapters Athe Church used this device in the siteenthcenturyB and is not unknown as an apron ornament%

Thomas Godwyn's book Asee an earlier referenceB attempts,none too convincin!ly, to show that the Tetra!rammaton,althou!h containin! four letters, had but three sorts of letters2in it - A1od or EodB represented the Father, AauB the Third*erson in the Trinity .hich proceedeth from the Father and theSon, and H AHeB the Son of God%

"Fr H!er/2p3!,"

# ritual of the ei!hteenth century asks how the Sacred 0ameshould be depicted in our od!es, and supplies the answer;

7y four different Hiero!lyphics )

the first an e9uilateral trian!le2

the second a circle2 the third a !eometrical s9uare2

the fourth a double cube%

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Section Fo)#teen

THE RITUAL AND ITS DEVELOPMENT

)ur rite presents drama as distinguished from merespectacle" induces reflection on the meaning of life and its purpose" illustrates the most besetting passion of

man$ind, the desire for complete $nowledge % % % in short,its phrasing and symbolism are designed to appeal to thespirit and intellect of each one of us%

-% H8"(0 8**8"

8#"I8" sections have shown how an ancient le!end has beeninterwoven with familiar 7iblical stories and !iven dramaticform, but it is very obvious that, in arrivin! at the presentritual, there has been considerable natural evolution and,finally, 9uite serious intentional revision% (ur knowled!e of theeact course of evolution and development must necessarily besomewhat ha/y% The "%#% ceremony in, say, the 5D?>):> periodpresented a le!end and a 7iblical back!round much as they areto)day, but the precise form, the symbolism, and much of thephilosophic teachin! of to)day's ritual ) these were absent, andcame at first !radually and over a period of years whose history

is uncertain% It is known, of course, that revisions followin! theunion of the Grand Chapter, in 535D and, much more especially,those approved in 0ovember 536@, were drastic and brou!htabout a considerable alteration in the form of the ritual% .e donot doubt that a !reat many diver!ent and conflictin! ritualshad to be considered, the best elements retained, much

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omitted, includin! any manifest Christian allusions, andconsiderable new matter added, and that in the process someold, curious, and pictures9ue details were lost for ever%

The fact that the "%#% story was first unfolded in Craft lod!esmust have meant that durin! the formative period the Craftinfluence made itself felt in the buildin! up of the ritual by theadoption of ideas, in the mouldin! of the ritual phrases, in thechoice of officers' names, in the forms of the early openin! andclosin! ceremonies, and even ) and, indeed, especially so ) inthe nature of the esoteric communications made to Candidates%

In spite of the comin! of the senior Grand Chapter in 5D::, andthat of the &#ntients' five years later, chapters in the early daystended to please themselves in matters of ritual, and this wasespecially

5?D

so where the chapter was actually a fourth de!ree in lod!eworkin!, as it must have been under the &#ntients' system for9uite a considerable time% The &#ntients,' actin! under theirlod!e warrants, had no doubt that they could work almost anyrite and any version of it, and must have introduced, in thecourse of half a century, many variations into the ritual% #ndthere were &$oderns' lod!es, also, that must have felt theywere a law unto themselves, as to which we may cite #nchor

and Hope od!e, 7olton Aconstituted in 5D6<B, which delayedapplyin! to the premier Grand Chapter for a chapter warrantuntil 5D3?, holdin! that they were entitled to work whatceremonies they likedL

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It has been remarked more than once that the "%#% bearsmarks of a twofold ori!in, but it would be 1ust as truthful to saythat streams from a number of sources have united to feed itstide of stren!th% There is the le!endary story comin! downfrom a Father of the Church in the fourth century after Christ%There are the (ld Testament stories% There is the inspirationsome time early in the ei!hteenth century which led fertileminds, either French or 8n!lish and probably both, to sei/eupon and build to!ether this ecellent component material%There is the stream of influence, 8n!lish in its character, thathelped to mould the rite in its early days, and there is almostcertainly ima!ination and colour brou!ht in from Ireland, wherethe "%#% was worked at an early date% The certain borrowin!s

from Craft and perhaps other de!rees durin! the ei!hteenthcentury must be remembered, as also the by no meansne!li!ible fact that some of the "%#% symbolism has come notonly from ecclesiastical sources, but from alchemy, many ofwhose adepts, men of !reat learnin! and culture, enteredmasonry in the formative period% 0o printed ritual, not even anirre!ular one, is known earlier than some time in the 53i>KsAthere are earlier ones in manuscriptB, and it is obvious that, asthe "%#% as a workin! de!ree was at least sity years old by the

year mentioned, many variations and curious additions hadcome about as a result of the handin! down of the by no meanssimple ritual mostly by word of mouth% It is known that the ritepractised by the Grand and "oyal Chapter in 5D:: resembledthe present ceremonial in little more than essentials%4ndoubtedly it had a distinctly Christian character; consider fora moment the inclusion of the veils ceremonial, which,supposedly reminiscent of the troublous 1ourneys of the -ewsreturnin! from eile, is even more likely to have been derivedfrom the ima!ery of the veil of separation rent in twain by thedeath of Christ%

#ll the materials are not available for an orderly discussion ofthe development of the ritual from its earliest form, but

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fortunately we are able to !ive a fair idea of the ceremonialcommonly worked precedin! the drastic revisions andalterations of the 536>Ks%

5?3

T3e E+r2!e- R.A R!-+2 #w# D+-e 89?;

The earliest "%#% ritual yet discovered dates from about 5D:>,and is contained in a French illuminated manuscript included inthe HeatonCard collection housed in the library at Freemasons'Hall, ondon% The manuscript, which is not by any means aneposure and which, accordin! to -% Heron epper, shows si!nsof direct translation from the 8n!lish, is a collection of shortand fra!mentary synopses of some thirty)five de!rees currentat the period% The manuscript is entitled @ricis des huits premier Grades, ornis de discours et distoires allegori7ues,

relatifs au respectable )rdre de la 'ranc(Mafonnerie% Themanuscript is in the French lan!ua!e and in cipher% In that partof the manuscript relatin! to a primitive "%#% ceremonial welearn of an under!round chamber upheld by nine arches andhavin! nine steps to descend into it and opened and closed bynine knocks% # li!ht shows the way to a subterranean room% Inthe eplainin! of the tracin!)board the sun is said to be thetrue li!ht which served to lead the nine 7rethren whodiscovered !reat secrets2 on the board are depicted nine

arches, the vault of an under!round chamber, and the ninesteps that served to descend it2 a stone with a rin! closin!the chamber2 a torch which was etin!uished by the brillianceof the sun, a feature in "%#% symbolism new to 2% Heron epper2a trian!ular plate of !old, bearin! the Sacred 0ame% The ritualrepresents a date only siteen years after the first definite

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mention of the "%#% A5D@@B and bears a close analo!y to the"%#% +e!ree as it would be if shorn of le!end and lectures% -%Heron epper believed the ritual to be a discovery of the firstimportance, as provin! the !enuine anti9uity of the rite% Themanuscript refers, in eplainin! a si!n, to a priest when hesays $ass, a si!n formerly !iven, says -% Heron epper, to all"%#% masons% The reference to the stone with a rin! rathersu!!ests that the manuscript was ori!inally Irish, for such astone is even to)day a feature of that ritual%

A Frm 0 Pr+er !# 89??

0et, in a ceremonial of the year 5D:: referred to by ionelibert, are found two mottoes associated with the de!ree; .ehave found and In the be!innin! was the .ord% This last, theopenin! words of St -ohn's Gospel, constituted in the early daysthe words on the scroll found by the Candidate in the vault, as

in the case of some old rituals preserved at Taunton and as in atracin!)board fi!ured by +r (liver2 they appear also on seals of,three early lod!es of 8eter, 0o% 6=, founded 5D6<2 7ath, 0o%@5, and 7ury, 0o% @<, both of 5D66, the last two lod!es bein!

5?=

associated with early chapters% #ll Souls' od!e, TivertonAfounded 5D:D, lapsed 5D=3B, had attached to it for many yearsa chapter, and there has come down to us a form of prayerused in it, of no particular interest in itself ecept to indicate

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that late in the ei!hteenth century the ritual had a distinctly+evotional atmosphere% Here is the prayer;

!lmighty, &ise and +ternal God" we pray thee to bestowthy 'avor and 5lessing upon us who are now assembledwith earnest and 6ealous earts to labor under thy mostsublime and sacred 0ame in thy -ivine &or$s% Give usGrace, we beseech Thee, that we and all our wor$s maybe acceptable to thy good @leasure and endue us withwisdom and 8nowledge in thy sacred, oly and /ublimeTruths, that we may instruct +ach other therein and at

the last obtain admittance into thy eavenly 8ingdom of+verlasting #est%

Sme Yr3!re "T+- r Se#-!me#-(" 89?

# most unusual minute of a "oyal #rch lod!e, dated February<<, 5D:= A!iven below in fullB, affords some hints on the natureof the ceremony worked in .akefield, Eorkshire, at a datecomin! close on the heels of the foundin! of the first GrandChapter% (ur information is derived from -ohn "% "ylands's8arly Freemasonry in .akefield, an important andentertainin! paper printed in #%%C%, vol% lvi, in which manyecerpts are reproduced from the records of two "oyal #rchlod!es or chapters ) 4nanimity and .akefield respectively ) whose affairs are chronicled in two #oyal !rch 1ournals, onecoverin! the period 5D::)=6 and the other 5D::)53@@, twochapters which appear to have held 1oint meetin!s and over alon! period entered their minutes in the same book Aor booksB%The early minutes relate for the most part to the od!e of

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4nanimity, a &$oderns' lod!e, 'meetin! at the Geor!e andCrown Inn, .akefield, in which lod!e the "oyal #rch waspractised on special ni!hts, the first recorded one bein! on#u!ust 6>, 5D::% #t a meetin! of February <<, 5D:=, sevenmembers were present, includin! "ichard innecar2 theirnames are set forth, and then follows;

Toasts or /entiments

!ll thas gone thro y e seven

To him that gropd in y e -ar$

The first Man that enterd y e !rch

To him that first sha$d his Cable

May the Crown of Glory, y e /cepter of

#ighteousness A the /taff of

Comfort attend true Masons

To the Memory of him that first move his stones inthe -ar$

armony among all those who have

recd the Cord of Love

5:>

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To the happy Messengers that carried the 0ews

to 8ing Cyrus

The #oy !rch(&ord N

May the true beam of inteligence

+nlighten +ver #oyal !rch Mason

May we be all adornd with a

true internal robe at the last -ay

May we live to see our posterity to follow this +.ample

!s the 1ewish igh @riests put off

their shoes when they enterd the

/anctum /anctorum, so

may every Mason divest

himself of every vice when he

enters this Lodge

$any of these .akefield toasts are more or lessself)eplanatory, but some of them appear to apply only to theIrish "%#% mason% In the early Irish rituals emphasis was laid onthe Cord of #mity and the Cord of ove, and one of the toasts

above !iven su!!ests either a borrowin! from the Irish or somenatural affinity with the Irish workin!% "e!ardin! the toast tohim that first shak'd his Cable, it should be said that, in theIrish ceremony, which is much more realistic in some ways thanthe 8n!lish, a cord acts as a lifeline and is a means of si!nallin!from an under!round chamber to the Craftsmen above, on

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whose attention and care the well)bein! of their companionwithin the vault depends% # letter written by the "ev% -o;#rmita!e to "ichard innecar on Christmas +ay 5DD: containsthis passa!e;

I must content myself with wishing you A the Lodge allthe appiness you can possibly enjoy, A treat myself witha Glass e.traordinary to all your ealths, which I shalldrin$ with peculiar @leasure to all those &anderers in the&ilderness who have had the honour of sitting in theChair of !mity A of being presented with the Cord of

Love%

*hrases in this letter rather su!!est that, in the course of8altation, the Candidate was seated in a particular chair andhad placed in his hands a cord or somethin! emblematic of thecord of love, this inference bein! supported by the fact that at achapter meetin! in 53>=, over thirty years later, Companion.ice presented to the First *rincipal for the use of the

.akefield Chapter a very handsome silken Cord of #mitywhich was received most thankfully as a token of friendship%

A Cerem#!+2 Ar,3( 88;

The $inerva "%#% Chapter, 0o% 6?, Hull, has a curious minute

under date -anuary ?, 535>;

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5:5

! material change and alteration too$ place in theChapter this evening, namely the introduction of the !rchwith oliness to the Lord painted in gold letters thereon,in front of the three M%+%s Grads% The @edestal andMasters Level, with appropriate inscriptions in 5rassletters thereon, and the 5urning 5ush within and underthe said !rch, being the first introduction of theseessential re7uisities in any Lodge in this part of the nited8ingdom from time immemorial%

It will be noted that the minute re!ards as essential a numberof thin!s, includin! the burnin! bush, which, in the old days,

were not always found in a &$oderns' chapter, but it is possiblethat some ideas were bein! borrowed from a travellin! militarylod!e or were introduced by an Irish visitor%

A L+-e E!/3-ee#-34,e#-r R!-+2

# little manuscript book measurin! rou!hly @ inches wide by :inches deep, and containin! !o pa!es, of which D= are filledwith faded writin!, has been very kindly placed at the author'sdisposal by 7ruce .% (liver, of 7arnstaple, into whose hands it

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came in 5=@=, but it was, at some time in its career, in thepossession of #leander +al/iel, who lived in the 0orth of8n!land% The manuscript appears to have been written towardsthe close of the ei!hteenth century, but bears on an early pa!ethe words revised 536>, and there are, in fact, manyalterations, additions, and deletions throu!hout% The meanin!or intention is not everywhere clear, and a few words andinitials are difficult to decipher% $any phrases are stron!lyreminiscent of Craft practice% The ritual is said to be of the0orth of 8n!land, but actually can be re!arded as representin!one known before 535D in other, probably many, parts of8n!land% Indeed, it should be said that in essentials itcorresponds to some manuscript rituals preserved in the library

at Freemasons' Hall, ondon, in particular that associated withthe name of Captain Thomas ineolne 7arker, "%0% Adepositedby G% S% Shepherd)-ones and believed to relate to the thenChapter of *rudence, 0o% @5, IpswichB, and that of .illiam7anks, $aster of the Free School, 7utt ane, +eptford% 7oth ofthese manuscripts !ive what are undoubtedly pre)535D rituals,and so closely do these a!ree with the 0orth)country ritualabout to be dealt with that it is apparent that they all havecome from one ori!inal source% So, althou!h the followin! is

taken actually from the 0orth of 8n!land manuscript, it mayperhaps be re!arded as representin! in !eneral, and sub1ect tosmall differences, the ritual common to those pre)4nionchapters more &$odern' than &#ntient' in their systems ofworkin!%

The formin! and openin! of the chapter have many points ofdifference from those of to)day% To form the chapter the Three

Grand Chiefs or

5:<

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*rincipals are placed in the 8ast, representin! the threeeystones of the #rch2 the Three So1ourners are in the .est2

the Scribes 8% and 0% in the /outh and 0orth< respectively% #narch of a s9uare or trian!ular form is placed in the centre, andunder it is the Grand *edestal% In the 8ast is another *edestalwith the Three Great i!hts upon it% #ll thin!s bein! dulyprepared in the chapter)room, the $ost 8cellent Grand Chiefsor *rincipals, now wearin! their respective robes and carryin!their sceptres, etc%, withdraw with the Companions into anad1oinin! chamber, where the two Scribes immediately taketheir places on each side of the open door, which is now

tyled% The Companions ran!e themselves into a double line,two by two, and they then open to the ri!ht and left to allow ofthe *rincipals' advancin! between the lines and passin! into thechapter)room, where they work a short threefold ceremony,and ceremoniously take their places in front of their respectivechairs% (n a si!nal from the First *rincipal the or!anist, bein!ready in his robes, enters% Then the Companions enter in dueform, the or!an playin! a solemn march% The First *rincipalthen invites them to assist him in openin! this Grand and "oyal

#rch chapter, and in an address says, This de!ree is of sosublime a nature that none can be admitted but men of thebest character and first respectability2 open, liberal, and!enerous in their sentiments2 totally devoid of all heresy,bi!otry and false persuasion%

The openin! in chapter is lar!ely a series of 9uestions asked bythe First *rincipal and answered by the *rincipal So1ourner and

other officers% It is the *rincipal So1ourner's duty to see that thechapter is properly tiled% He proves it by five knocks% #skedhow many officers compose an "%#% chapter, he answers, nine% % % three Grand Chiefs, two Scribes, three So1ourners, and a

1anitor% The *rincipal So1ourner says that his situation is in the.est and his duty to introduce all So1ourners from the

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7abylonish captivity and such as areable to do the ord's workat this !rand offerin! of peace2 to report all discoveries thatmay come to his present knowled!e% Companion 0% says thathis place is in the 0orth and his duty to receive all those.estern reports from the *rincipal So1ourner2 communicatethem, and see that none approach from the .est to disturb thesymmetry and harmony of this sublime buildin!% Companion 8%says his place is in the South and his duty to receive all those.estern reports from Companion 0% and communicate thesame to the Three Grand Chiefs2 to re!ister all records, acts,laws, and transactions for the !eneral !ood of the chapter2 andto see that none approach from the 8ast to disturb thesymmetry and harmony of this sublime buildin!% The Three

Grand Chiefs are said to be placed in the 8ast to confer witheach other, trace the outlines of their work, and to complete theintended buildin!%

< Italics are the present authors%

5:6

-% says his duty is to assist in carryin! on the ord's work2 H%says his duty is to assist in completin! that work% -% says hecomes from 7abylon2 H% that he is !oin! to -erusalem2 theirpurpose is to assist in rebuildin! the Temple and endeavourin!to obtain the Sacred .ord% H% says that the hour is that of a

perfect mason% Then, Companions, says the First *rincipal, itis time for us to commence our labours by endeavourin! tocelebrate this !rand desi!n% The Three *rincipals a!ain work athreefold rite% The *rincipal So1ourner says that the net duty isto respect the decrees of the $ost Hi!h, render homa!e to theGreat #rchitect of the 4niverse, and bend the knee to Him from

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.hom we received our eistence% The First *rincipal, in aprayer which follows, addresses the Great and Grand #rchitectof the 4niverse %%% at .hose words the *illars of the Sky wereraised and its beauteous arches formed, .hose breath kindledthe stars, adorned the moon with its silver rays, and !ave thesun its' resplendent lusfre%% % %

Chapter havin! been opened by the *rincipals, the minutes areread for confirmation, and the 1unior So1ourner is sent toprepare and introduce the Candidate% In response to the*rincipal So1ourner's challen!e the -unior So1ourner or the

1anitor announces the Candidate as 7rother #%7%, a Geometric$aster $ason who has re!ularly !one throu!h all the de!reesof Craft $asonry, passed the chair in due course and nowwishes to complete his knowled!e in masonry by bein! ealtedto the Sublime +e!ree of a "%#% $ason% He is admitted on the.ord of a *ast $aster of #rts and Sciences% Three So1ournersfrom the 7abylonish Captivity who had heard the% proclamationof Cyrus, in! of *ersia, offer their services in the rebuildin! ofthe Holy Temple% They claim to be 'of their' own kindred andpeople and descended from #braham, Isaac, and -acob%

&e are not of the lineage of that race of traitors who fellaway during the siege, who went over to the enemy andbasely betrayed their country when their city and countryhad most need of their assistance, nor of the lower classof people left behind to cultivate the soil %%% but theoffspring of those @rinces and 0obles carried into captivity

with 8ing ede$iah% The narrative continues on in theway now familiar" the /ojourners are duly provided withthe necessary tools to carry out their wor$ of assisting inthe rebuilding of the Temple and are instructed in theiruse%

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The drama of makin! the discoveries is acted in the chapter infull view of the Companions% A.ork on the keystones centres at

the arch%B The rubbish is cleared away, to reveal a keystone,which is removed by%X help of the crow% The suspicion thatthere is a hollow space below is confirmed, and the *rincipalSo1ourner reports accordin!ly% The First *rincipal directs thatthe So1ourners be well bound and provided with

5:@

lifelines and supplied with proper refreshment to assist them intheir labours% AThe So1ourners each have a !lass of wine, andare instructed in the use of the life)lines%B They now proceedto pass the #rches which have been formed in the usual way%(n drawin! the second keystone they find a roll of parchmentcontainin! part of the Holy aw, and on drawin! the third theyfind the pedestal on whose top is a plate of !old in the fi!ure of

a KG,' and within that, contained in a trian!le, are charactersbeyond their comprehension% The So1ourners make their reportto the Three Grand Chiefs, and the truth of their !reatdiscovery is confirmed by Companion 0% Aapparently by himaloneB% The So1ourners, restored to their personal comforts,a!ain report2 the J% then !ives an emblematical eplanation ofthe work done and discoveries made by them% To prepare themfor the revelation of thin!s yet hidden from them the J% nowoffers prayers phrased very much as is the prayer in to)day's

ritual on the Candidate's behalf% The Candidate affirms his trustin God, the So1ourners advance to the altar, and theCandidate takes his (bli!ation, referred to as drawin! forththe keystone, the (bli!ation havin! a stron! likeness to theCraft (bli!ation and embodyin! a penalty clause% Then followsan oration which alludes to the spri! of cassia which bloomed

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over the !rave of him who was truly the most 8cellent of allSuperecellent masons, and who parted with his life because hewould not part with his honour% There are references to the"ose of Sharon and the ily of the alley, and to

death, the grand leveller of all human greatness, drawinghis sable curtain round us% !nd when the last arrow ofthis, our mortal enemy, hath been despatched and thebow of this mighty con7ueror bro$en by the iron arm oftime" and the !ngel of the Lord declares that time shallbe no more %%% then shall we receive the reward of our

virtue%%%%

Followin! comes a recital of 7iblical history relatin! to thereturn of the -ews from eile%

The Candidate, now restored to the li!ht, is net invited to

attend to a description of the pedestal and its !loriouscontents% It was of white marble in the form of the altar ofincense, a double cube, and from its fi!ure and colour a mostperfect emblem of innocence and purity% (n the base of thispedestal was the letter 'G,' si!nifyin! a common name for allmasons that are $asters of their business% This double cubewas said to be most hi!hly finished, and the work of the !reatHiram himself% (n the front were inscribed the names of thethree $%8% Grand $asters, and below these was the compound

character

Mtriple)tauN Awhich character is eplained as TemplumHierosolymae2 see Section <<B%

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ence we find that what was there concealed was the/acred 0ame or &ord

5:?

itself% )n the top was a covering of white satin, theemblem of innocence and purity, fringed with crimson,denoting virtue, constancy, and power" tasselled with gold%%% the most perfect of all metals as it resists the chemistsart and the power of fire, being the more pure the more itis tried, and therefore the highest emblem of truth,stability and perfection%%%% )n the top was li$ewise a plateof Gold wherein was inscribed 2etc%, etc%3

There follows an eplanation of tripartite name2 the initials of

the Three Grand $asters, S%%I%, H%%T%, and H%#%7%, the .%I%2and a reference to the compound character )

Then follows a lon! char!e leadin! up to a closin! reference tothe lost word and the circumstances under which it was found)aword now reserved for those only who profess themselvesstudents of this Sublime +e!ree and may we my 7rothersCompanions preserve its mar!ins pure and undefiled till time

shall be no more%

The chapter is closed in a manner obviously based on the Craftritual and lar!ely repeatin! the openin! ceremony%

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T3e Cerem#!+2 !mme%!+-e2 pre,e%!#/ -3e 8<8Re$!!#

Fortunately we are reasonably well informed with re!ard tolater rituals precedin! the 536? revisions%

The followin! relates in particular to the ceremonial followed inchapters of an &#ntients' persuasion, in which, of course, theCandidate must have 9ualified by &passin! the chair' and in sodoin! would have had his attention particularly directed to thesymbolism of the plumb)line and been tau!ht to re!ard thatline as the criterion of moral rectitude, that he should avoiddissimulation in conversation and action and seek the path thatleads to immortality% The Candidate may have passed the chairlon! previously in his Craft lod!e or, if on the evenin! of his

8altation, either in his Craft lod!e or in a lod!e especiallyopened by the members of the chapter%

The ceremony as outlined below included the passin! of theveils, which, however, was not an invariable part of theceremonial%

"ulin! the chapter were three *rincipal (fficers, J% as *rince,Ha!!ai as *rophet, and -eshua or -oshua as Hi!h *riest, theseformin! the keystones of the arch2 at the base were the threeSo1ourners, known in some chapters as the *rincipal, Senior,and -unior So1ourners2 Scribe 8/ra was at the 0orth side and

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Scribe 0ehemiah on the South side% The Companions, seatedas to form Ain planB the sides of an arch, represented the pillarsof Solomon's Temple% In front of the *rincipals was an altarcarryin! certain characters% (utside the door was the -anitor,often still called the Tiler%

The openin! of the chapter was very different from to)day'sceremony

5::

and more obviously based upon the openin! of a Craft lod!e%The various officers sub1ected to catechism answered forthemselves and eplained their duties%5 The -unior So1ournersaid that his duties were to !uard the first veil and allow noneto enter but those who were properly 9ualified2 the SeniorSo1ourner that his duty was to !uard the second veil2 and the

*rincipal So1ourner that his was to !uard the third% ASuch dutiesin many chapters were carried out by officers known asCaptains of the Host or Captains of the eils, as they often stillare in chapters where the veils ceremonyis worked%B8ssentially, the openin! by the *rincipals was much as it isto)day, but in many chapters the esoteric portion was worked ina separate room by the three *rincipal (fficers, who thenentered the chapter and, in all likelihood, worked a shortcompletion of the ceremony there%

The 8altation, now proceeded% The choice of officer toannounce the Candidatediffered somewhat from chapter tochapter% The Candidate was announced much in the same formas he is to)day, with the si!nificant addition that he had been

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duly elected $aster of a od!e of $aster $asons, installed inthe chair, and entrusted with the !rip and word, and with thesi!n and salutation of a *%$% (n admission there was a prayerby the Hi!h *riest, -eshua, in which were many phrases familiarto)day% Followin! a lon! Scripture readin!, the Candidate tookan (bli!ation includin! a peculiar penalty not now present inthe "%#% but not unknown in' some other de!rees% TheCandidate received an ehortation from the First *rincipal interms obviously based on Craft masonry, and which, as in theother old ceremony already described, contained references tothe &the spri! of cassia found on the !rave of the moste.cellent of $asons, the beautiful rose oU Sharon, the lily ofthe valley, and endin! with a reference to death, the !rand

leveller of all human !reatness, as in the, ritual already !iven%

Then be!an the ceremony of passin! the veils, treated at somelen!th in a later section Asee pp% 5=? et se9%B, but here brieflysummari/ed so as not unduly to interrupt the story of theCandidate's pro!ress% The Candidate, prepared much as he isto)day, was conducted by Scribe 0ehemiah with all suitableceremony to the First eil, which was !uarded by the -uniorSo1ourner% Here he was made ac9uainted with the miracle ofthe burnin! bush2 the Second eil was suitably !uarded, andbeyond it he learned of #aron's rod that became a serpent2a!ain, with 7ible readin!s and ceremonial, he passed the Thirdeil, where there was eemplified the miracle of the leproushand% 8ach of these veils had its password% 7eyond the, Thirdeil he learned of the passwords admittin! him to the SanctumSanctorum% He saw the emblems of the #rk of the Covenant,the tables of stone, the pot of manna, the table of spew bread,

the burnin! incense, and the candlestick with seven branches,and he was now 9ualified to take his

< Many #%!% chapters do the same to(day%

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5:D

part as a So1ourner in the final drama of discovery, which wasmuch as it now is, althou!h the phrasin! was somewhatcommonplace by com parison with to)day's ritual% In reward forhis industry and /eal he was !iven certain esotericeplanations% AIn many chapters, at some later date, he wasclosely eamined or catechi/ed on the details of the ceremony2the catechism was a &lecture,' which in its five sections would

take about half an hour to work, but it is likely that, on any oneoccasion, only a part of the lecture was !iven%B

The closin! of the chapter would often be reminiscent of theclosin! of a Craft lod!e, or in some chapters would muchresemble that at present in use%

.hen we compare this old ceremonial with the one followin!the revisions of the 536>Ks we reali/e that in its newer form ithas been most drastically rearran!ed and edited, imperfectionsof phrasin! have been removed and the veils ceremonialabandoned% The lon! addresses from the Three *rincipals havebeen added, and it may be said that in the earlier ceremonialthere was, in !eneral, not much material upon which thepresent lectures could have been based, althou!h theirphrasin! echoes here and there many thin!s that were found inthe earlier rituals%

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T3e Br!-2 1r!#/

7ristol chapters appear to have worked since their earliest daysa most impressive ceremony for which the old manuscript ritualabove drawn upon serves as an ecellent introduction%

#t the openin! of chapter the two Scribes act as (uter Guardsand test Companions on enterin!% The +%C% leads in the*rincipals, and the Scribes then enter and take their places%Followin! a catechism between the J% and his fellow)*rincipals,the .ord is completed, 9uestions are put to the officers andanswered by them, and the chapter is declared open% The ballothavin! proved favourable, the *%S%, accompanied by anyCompanions who so wish, retires to prepare the Candidate inan anteroom)the chapel)where the ceremony is directed by the*%S%, who is seated at a desk or pedestal near to the door of thechapter% The Candidate, havin! proved his Craft 9ualifications,then &passes the veils' ) four veils in the 7eaufort and someother chapters, but three in others, as in the "oyal Clarence

Chapter, the white AfourthB veil bein! there omitted% TheCompanions return to the chapter, passin! throu!h the veilsand !ivin! the passwords necessary at each veil and onre)enterin! the chapter% 7efore the Candidate, enters the*rincipals put on their head!ear, J% a crown, H% a smallercrown, and -% a mitre2 in addition, -% wears the traditionalbreastplate studded with !ems%

5:3

It should be noted that the full)si/e vertical pillars familiar inthe old Craft lod!es are retained in chapter and that much of

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the work with the Candidate is framed within those pillars, soaddin! !reatly to the dramatic effectiveness of the ceremony, afeature common to all 7ristol workin!, both Craft and "oyal#rch% In its essentials the 8altation ceremony is the same aselsewhere, but the story is unfolded rather differently, and theceremony retains many of the features common to "oyal #rchmasonry prior to the revision of 36?, bein! more devotionaland layin! far less emphasis on the !eometric aspect of thesymbolism% Some of the phrasin! of the ritual echoes thatknown to us in the ei!hteenth)century manuscript rituals2 thuswe are told, for instance, of death, the !rand leveller of allhuman !reatness, drawin! around us his sable curtains2 of thedispatch of the last arrow of our mortal enemy2 of the breakin!

of the bow of the rpi!hty con9ueror by the iron arm of Time%The *rincipals' lectures introduced at the revision of 536? andwhich elsewhere in 8n!land commonly conclude the 8altationceremony are unknown% The altar stone is east of thearran!ement of candles, while west of it and more or lessbetween the pillars is a set)up of three arch)stones of massiveappearance% The Candidate, still in darkness but in full view ofall the Companions, dislod!es these stones one by one at acritical point in the development of the story, the 1anitor

enterin! the chapter and havin! a duty in conneion with them%#lthou!h the ceremonial details are peculiar in many respectsto the 7ristol workin!, it is, of course, the essential and familiar"oyal #rch story that is demonstrated and the same well)triedemblematical secrets that are brou!ht to li!ht%

Ope#!#/ +#% C2!#/

It has now been shown that the openin! and closin! of an "%#%chapter was lar!ely in early days a catechism)that is, 9uestions

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and answerson lines already made familiar in the old Craftworkin! and survivin! in a modified form in the Craft ritual ofto)day% #s already made clear, each officer answered for himselfand eplained the duty of his office, a practice still in use inIrish, #merican and some 8n!lish chapters, inherited fromlod!es and chapters of the ei!hteenth century% In the 53<>'Sthe openin! ceremony was often a len!thy catechism in thecourse of which reference mi!ht be made to the comin! ofHa!!ai from 7abylon and the !oin! of -eshua to -erusalem toassist in the rebuildin! of the Second Temple and also toendeavour to obtain the Sacred .ord, this constitutin! theGrand +esi!n%

It was common practice for only the *rincipals and the *ast*rincipals

5:=

to be present at the openin!, and in an old .est)country recordis found the direction that #!reeable to the new re!ulations ofthe Grand "oyal #rch Chapter the three *rincipals only shouldbe present at the openin!2 the Chapter door secured, the-anitor without% #!ain, this particular direction comes from anold Craft custom, and, apart from any conclusion that the chiefofficers of lod!e or chapter were workin! a ceremony at whichordinary members could not be present, there seems support

for the idea that the custom of conductin! a hi!her ceremony ina side)room may possibly have been dictated by lack of space,the lod!e or chapter !enerally havin! to make the best use itcould of the often limited accommodation offered by an inn%

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It is accepted that up to some time in the nineteenth centurythere was a fairly common custom of openin! the chapter in aside)room, but the propriety of this proceedin! was a sub1ectfor fre9uent discussion% Grand Chapter debated resolutionsrelatin! to it in 533>, 53=6, and 53=:, and finally, on $ay D,5=><, resolved that It is epedient that all "%#% $asons bepermitted to be present at the (penin! Ceremony in *rivateChapters%

$uch of what has 1ust been said applied e9ually to the Closin!Ceremony, which fre9uently took the form of a catechism, even

as late as the 53<>Ks, when, however, there was an alternativeform of closin! almost identical with that now followed% (ver alon! period there was the custom Anow in a !reat manychapters tendin! to fall into disuseB of offerin! the %S%% opento *rincipals and closed to Companions% *robably this has been!iven many different symbolical eplanations, but the simplestis that to the eperienced and more enli!htened *rincipal the%S%% is an &open book%' Here we may recall the !reatreverence in which the 7ible was held in those days precedin!our first knowled!e of any $asonic ritual% Thomas Heywood's If9ou 8now 0ot Me, 9ou 8now 0obody, a play dealin! with thetroubles of ueen 8li/abeth I before her accession, was printedin 5:>?, two years after her death, and in its last scene theueen is shown enterin! ondon and bein! !iven a 7ible by theord $ayor% The way in which she thanks him tells us a !reatdeal;

&e than$ you all" but first this boo$ I $iss"

Thou art the way to honour" thou to bliss

!n +nglish 5ibleD Than$s, my good Lord Mayor,

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9ou of our body and our soul have care"

This is the jewel that we still love best"

This was our solace when we were distressed%

This boo$, that hath so long concealed itself,

/o long shut up, so long hid, now, lords, see,

&e here unclasp 2openl4 for ever it is free%

5D>

It is worthy of note, su!!ests -% Heron epper, that thereference to the 7ible's havin! lon! laid buried and concealedhas supplied ima!ery to the Irish ritual%

T3e Re$!!# 0 8<4<@

$any rituals diver!ent in their details were in use until the536>Ks, when the very necessary revision re9uired toco)ordinate them and provide a uniform workin! was carriedout and approved% The revision and considerable additions arebelieved to have been the work chiefly of the "ev% Geor!e#dam 7rowne, a Fellow of Trinity Colle!e, Cambrid!e, who heldand had held important offices in Grand Chapter% 7ack in $ay536< he acted as First Grand *rincipal in an emer!ency, and atthat meetin! the $ar9uis of Salisbury, the $ar9uis of #bercorn,

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and ord $onson were ealted by him% #t the time he was*rovincial Grand Superintendent for Suffolk and Cambrid!e, apost which, so far as Cambrid!e was concerned, he hadoccupied for twenty)two years% In 535> he was the First*rincipal of the Chapter of *lato, and in $ay 5356 wasappointed Grand (rator, an office which has lon! been obsolete%In 535? he was Grand Chaplain to the 4nited G%%, and an odewritten by him was sun! by $r 7ellamy in -anuary 535D at a$asonic celebration in Freemasons' Hall, ondon, on thebirthday of the +uke of Susse, Grand $aster, to whom he wasat some time chaplain% If the work of recastin! and revisin! theritual did fall upon him, as seems etremely likely, it fell upon ascholar possessin! all the attainments for such a heavy and

difficult task%

# committee was appointed by Grand Chapter in February 536@to take into consideration the ceremonies for the Installation of*rincipals as well as the various other ceremonies of the (rder%Its nine members were the three Grand *rincipals Athe +uke ofSusse, ord +undas, and -ohn "amsbottomB and sidistin!uished companions, includin! the "ev% Geor!e #%7rowne%

This committee reported to Grand Chapter in 0ovember 536@the result of their labours, and it was then resolved thatmembers of the Grand Chapter be summoned in classes toconsider separately such portions of the ceremonies as their9ualifications and advancement in the (rder and Craft entitle

them to participate% The first of the classes met in a specialconvocation on 0ovember <5, 536@, consistin! of hi!hlyeperienced Companions, and, havin! had read to it the reportduly approved and si!ned by the Grand First *rincipal andhavin! received the necessary eplanations, then !ave its

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entire and unanimous approval to the revised ceremonies% #tthis meetin! the "ev% G%

#% 7rowne had acted as H%, and at a special convocation four

days later he presided as -%, and the report was submitted tothe 8cellent Companions present in portions accordin!

5D5

to their several and respective ranks% It was fully eplained,some few amendments made, and the Grand Chapter thenunanimously approved and confirmed the arran!ements of theseveral ceremonies as submitted by the special committee tothe various classes% It is to be particularly noted that theCompanions present at this meetin! then epressed theirthanks to the $%8% Companion the "ev% Geor!e #dam 7rownefor his attention to the welfare and interest of the (rder% #boutsi weeks later, on February @, 536?, a special Chapter of*romul!ation was warranted for si months only2 it consisted of

the eistin! committee but increased to twenty)sevenmembers, its duty in !eneral bein! to work as a chapter ofinstruction and promul!ation and, in particular, to ensureuniformity of practice throu!hout the (rder% The 8altationceremony was worked on some Tuesday evenin!s and theInstallation Ceremony on other Tuesdays from $ay to #u!ust ofthat year A536?B, and so seriously did Grand Chapter re!ardthe necessity for this instruction that the Grand *rincipals wereprepared to su!!est suspension of any chapter failin! in its

duty of teachin! its members the accepted ritual% In addition,Grand Chapter resolved in 0ovember of that year as follows;

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/ome misconception having arisen as to what are theceremonies of4 our )rder it is hereby resolved anddeclared that the ceremonies adopted and promulgatedby special Grand Chapter on the <st and ?th 0ov%,<:>, are the ceremonies of our )rder which it is the dutyof every Chapter to adopt and obey%

The standardi/ed Aand recommended but not compulsoryB ritualis often referred to as the Susse ritual, obviously because ithad been prepared under the auspices of H%"%H% the +uke ofSusse, First Grand *rincipal and, for thirty years from 5356,

Grand $aster in the Craft%

Comparison of to)day's ritual with the earliest printed ritualavailable embodyin! the 536? revisions does not discloseimportant differences, any small chan!es bein! a matter of afew insi!nificant words%

The Susse ritual is believed to represent what is to)day calledthe *erfect ritual, versions of which are known as theComplete, #lders!ate, Standard, +omatic, etc% #salready made clear, the revision eliminated the ceremony ofpassin! the veils, and it is known that this ceremony almostwent out of use so far as 8n!lish chapters are concerned,althou!h it is curious to note that the 5335 edition of The Te.t5oo$ of 'reemasonry A"eeves and Turner, ondonB still carried

the description of the ceremony but not a ritual of it, andremarked that this ceremony is sometimes dispensed with% Itwill be eplained in a later section how the full veils ceremonycame to be revived in 7ristol about

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5D<

the year 5=>>% It is known, too, that the standardi/ed ritualrepresents a revision of passwords, etc%, a matter which cannotbe pursued in these pa!es%

The Christian elements included in most of the early diver!entrituals were eliminated in the revision of the 536>Ks, andeliminated, we must suppose, for the sake of harmony anduniformity with lon!)established Craft practice% The scrollcarryin! the first verses of St -ohn, In the 7e!innin! was the.ord % % % , became a scroll on which were words taken fromthe first and third verses of Genesis; In the be!innin! Godcreated the heaven and the earth%%%% #nd God said, et there beli!ht; and there was li!ht%

The Chapter of *romul!ation seems to have been successful so

far as ondon chapters were concerned, but had difficulty inmeetin! the needs of the country chapters, which often couldonly brin! themselves into line by dele!atin! one or more oftheir members to travel to ondon to receive instruction% Thuswe know that from the Chapter of Concord, 7olton, now 0o% 6D,an 8cellent Companion went to ondon in #u!ust 536? tolearn and obtain the ritual promul!ated, the cost of his 1ourneybein! met by his own and other local chapters% It is known,also, that the "ev% G% #% 7rowne himself, at the time Grand

Superintendent for the County of Suffolk, held a chapter of*rincipals for instruction in 7ury St 8dmunds and, the net day,a chapter for the instruction of Companions in !eneral, and it isto be epected that what he did in one centre he and otherinformed Companions did in others%

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In !eneral, thou!h, many country chapters were soon introuble% The Grand Chapter "e!ulations of 53<6 had made

every office open to any "%#% mason2 those of 53<: hadrestricted the chairs to $aster $asons who were Installed$asters, a rule often disre!arded until the comin! of therevised ritual in 536?% The revised ritual confirmed therestriction, with the result that in some country chapters it wasimpossible to find enou!h 9ualified Companions to occupy the*rincipal chairs2 further, as yet there was no printed ritual towhich Companions could !o for help%

In the years followin! the revision there was ur!ent need of aprinted edition of the new laws and of the more !eneral andmore complete promul!ation of the revised ceremonies% #correspondent said in 536= that there were Taunton chapterswhere the chairs had never been conferred in an esotericmanner2 a few /ealous *rincipals in Somerset obtained thenecessary instruction in the Chapter of *romul!ation, and fromit chapters in 7ath, Tiverton, Eeovil, and Taunton had benefited,but in the year 536? they still had not a sin!le duly Installed*rincipal% These instances were typical of many%

5D6

T3e Pr!#,!p+2' Le,-re

uite distinct from the early catechisms, then termed lectures,are the addresses or lectures delivered by the Three *rincipalsfollowin! an 8altation% It has already been noted that these

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lectures are not older than 536?, and this would account fortheir bein! unknown in the Irish and #merican systems, nor arethey present in the 7ristol ritual, which is credited withpreservin! a pre)4nion system and an affinity with the Irishworkin!% The lectures as such, althou!h not known until the536>Ks, echo phrases and ideas in the efistract of aws, printedin 5DD3 and addressed To all Companions of that Society butmore particularly to Initiates%

T3e T+&2e R!-+2 r C+-e,3!m

The ritual at table, takin! the form of 9uestion and answer, iseither a survival or the revival of an old Craft custom% That theearly "%#% ritual contained many catechisms is beyond 9uestion,and it is supposed that some of these crystalli/ed into thepresent table ritual in the 536>Ks, bein! worked now not in thechapter itself, but after refreshment% The method of teachin! by

means of 9uestion and answer !oes back into anti9uity% The-ews, Greeks, and other peoples used it, and it is from a Greekword that the term comes down to us throu!h the atin% Themethod of catechism was employed in 8n!lish literature in the$iddle #!es and even earlier, for about the year 5>>> Ylfric,#bbot of 8vesham, a reli!ious writer and !rammarian, wrote his-ialogue, a catechism for impartin! reli!ious knowled!e% Theword was familiar to Shakespeare, whose contemporary,"ichard Hooker, said that for the first introduction of youth to

the knowled!e of God, the -ews even till this day have theircatechisms% Since Shakespeare's time a !reat many bookshave taken this form, amon! them bein! I/aak .alton'sfamous Compleat !ngler written about 5:?>% Indeed, in.alton's day, the very period when the Craft ceremonies werein the course of formulation, the method of impartin! reli!ious

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instruction by the catechism was a sub1ect of keen publicinterest%

It has been !enerally held that ritual in the early Craft lod!escould not have been much more than a lon! series of 9uestionsand answers, the so)called lectures, echan!ed between the7rethren seated round a table% #s the ei!hteenth centuryadvanced the Craft ceremonies became more colourful and thelectures tended to fall into disuse, but there is no doubt that allthrou!h the first three)9uarters of a century of "oyal #rchhistory catechisms were the rule2 known as lectures, they

recapitulated the ceremonies throu!h which the ealtee hadpassed, and in a sense tested

5D@

his knowled!e of the symbolic eplanations that had been

vouchsafed him%

It has been said that the table ritual continues an old Craftcustom% It certainly appears that the pious memory toastowes somethin! to Craft workin!, for 7rowne's Master(8ey incipher A5D=3B !ives a First +e!ree toast in these words; To thepious memory of the two Saint -ohns, those two !reat parallelsin $asonry%

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5D?

Section Fi6teen

THE PRINCIPALS AND THEIR INSTALLATION

IT will already have been reali/ed that the Installationceremonies are not of ancient date, bein! much later than thecorrespondin! Craft ceremonies and, in their present form, notearlier than 536?%

4ntil the 4nion there was much diversity of custom with re!ardto the Installation of the *rincipals2 in many chapters the

elected *rincipals 1ust &assumed the chair' without ceremony,and when, in later years, the time arrived when they wereepected to be esoterically installed it became necessary forthem to attend other chapters where eperienced Companionscould properly install them and, in addition, teach them how toinstall their successors%

In the first Grand Chapter in 5DD: Captain 7ottomley installedthe $%8%J%, and other officers were appointed2 the -% and H%were invested and received their char!es from the $%8%J%, butthe word installed did not carry all the si!nificance it carriesto)day% In that same year Companions Heseltine, 7rookes, and#llen are distin!uished as *%J% in a list of Companions present%

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In .akefield, where the desi!nations J%, H%, and -% be!an toappear after 5D=>, there are no records of Installations aboutthat time%

It was 9uite usual for only the First *rincipal to be installed andfor him then to invest the other officers% A7ear in mind that toinstall is to put a Companion into his chair of honour2 toinvest him is merely to clothe him with the insi!nia of hisoffice, althou!h it must be admitted' that, in Scottishphraseolo!y, all officers are installed, nominally if notactually%B Thus, in the Chapter of nowled!e, 0o% =<,

$iddleton, ancs, constituted Sunday, $ay io, 53>D, the First*rincipal only was placed in his chair with certain rites% In arelatively few cases in the old chapters all Three *rincipals wereseparately installed, and it is possible that here and there theceremonies were of a Aprobably sli!htB esoteric character% #s aneample, in the Chapter of St -ames in 53>> all Three*rincipals were separately installed2 then *ast *rincipals of thedifferent chapters were severally introduced, after which the$%8%J% re9uested that the Steward Athen a more importantofficer than he is to)dayB be informed that chapter was opened,the Steward then duly introducin! the Companions% It is on

5D:

record that in the first Grand Chapter, in $ay 535>, on the

occasion of the Installation of the +uke of Susse as $%8%J%,each of the Three *rincipals was installed by means of anesoteric ceremony%

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The ecclesiastical word inducted will be noted in some oldby)laws and minutes% The literal meanin! of to induct is tolead% The South #ustralian Chapter, #delaide, had a by)law inthe year 53?@ directin! that officers so elected and appointedshall be duly installed, invested, and inducted in ancient form%$any similar by)laws are known%

I#-+22+-!# 022w!#/ -3e U#!#

(bviously, followin! the 4nion, much thou!ht had to be !ivento the ceremonies of "oyal #rch masonry and to the9ualification of Companions for office% It must not be assumed,thou!h, that the ceremony of Installation necessarily in theyears immediately followin! the 4nion included the confermentof special secrets% Serious students are convinced that, at the"oyal #rch 4nion of 535D, the &#ntients' in !eneral had noparticular secrets restricted to the principal chairs and that in

Ireland the *rincipals had no esoteric ceremony until as late as53=?% .hat was true of the &#ntients' in !eneral must havebeen e9ually true of the &$oderns,' althou!h it has been shownthat a few chapters, one of them as early as 53>D, another in535>, had a definitely esoteric ceremony%

Supreme Grand Chapter appointed in $ay 5353 a specialcommittee to install with proper ceremony such *resent and*ast *rincipals as had not been already so installed, and in53<< this committee was enlar!ed to include all the installed*%J%'s of ondon chapters% # similar committee was functionin!in 53<@, and its duties were not confined merely to ondon%

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That at the time of the 4nion there had come a more !eneralreco!nition of the importance of a true Installation ceremonymay be presumed from the fact that in the Chapter ofFriendship, ondon, which had 1ust been founded, a Companionwas in the year 53<@, in ancient form and with theaccustomed rites, duly installed in the Chair of the Third*rincipal% In St Geor!e's Chapter, 0o% 5@>, esoteric Installationwas adopted apparently no earlier than 5363 Aworkin! adrastically revised ceremony as compared with that of 53<@B,which is etraordinary in view of the fact that this chapter hadlon! observed the custom by which the *rincipals alone openedthe chapter, the Companions bein! afterwards admitted andplaced in their respective station2 this practice held !ood until

5=><%

The alteration in the Installation ceremonies followin! the 4nionand, later, the revisions of 536? led to a !eneral practice ofinstallin! Companions out of their Chapters% .% H% "ylands'shistory of St -ames's Chapter eplains that in 536= the *rincipal(fficers of the Cheltenham

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5DD

Chapter and of the (ford Chapter were installed in the St-ames's Chapter% #n unusual case is that of $arch 53?3, when"obert Hamilton, $%+%, the -% of Chapter <==, -amaica, who hadleft the island before his Installation, was introduced into the St-ames's Chapter and installed -oshua of the (rder% In #pril53D> a dispensation to install -ames *ercy eith into the FirstChair of the Chapter of St Geor!e, 0o% ?@=, 7ombay, was readin St -ames's Chapter, and the Companion was then dulyinstalled into the Third, Second and First *rincipals' Chairs% TheChapter of Fortitude, 0o% 5><, eicester, met in (ctober 53<5for the special purpose of installin! Companions of otherchapters2 at this meetin! the First *rincipal of the "oyal7runswick Chapter of *aradise, Sheffield, was installed as -%, H%,and J%2 the Second *rincipal as -% and H%2 and the Third as -%

The chapter from which the Three *rincipals came is stillattached to the lod!e, 0o% <=:, that bears its old name, but thechapter itself is now known as the Chapter of oyalty%

The se9uence of Installations above !iven should be noted ) -%,H%, and J% It is, by the way, the one that alone is reco!ni/ed inScotland, but in 8n!land is commonly reversed, with, it isfeared, some loss of continuity and sense of pro!ression%

#fter the Installation of the Three *rincipals comes first theinvestiture of the Scribe 8% Still, as in the ei!hteenth)centuryCraft lod!es where the custom arose, he takes precedence of

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the Treasurer, althou!h in the Craft itself the Secretary became 1unior to the Treasurer 9uite early in the nineteenth century%#nother reminder of Craft practice is the placin! of the Scribe0% in the South to control admissions, 1ust as the 1unior .ardenin the South is responsible for all admissions%

Followin! the heavy revision of the ritual in the 536>Ks recoursewas had to the earlier method of brin!in! into eistence specialChapters of *romul!ation and Instruction in which the*rincipals could be installed and the new ceremonies tau!ht%Thus, when a chapter of this kind was held by the *rovincial

Grand Chapter in -uly 536D, at *lymouth, several *rominent"oyal #rch masons of the city were installed% This 8specialChapter must have been one of many%

To)day's Grand Chapter "e!ulations permit a *rincipal to beinstalled out of his chapter at the written re9uest of the chapterand on producin! proof of election%

I#-+22+-!# !# -3e Br!-2 C3+p-er

In the 7ristol chapters the actual chairin! of the *rincipals, whohave first been obli!ated, invested, and entrusted in a separate

chapel or anteroom, is in full view of the Companions% Theceremony, which retains

5D3

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much of the atmosphere of early nineteenth)century workin!,opens with the Three *rincipals 8lect standin! between the

pillars Athese are fullsi/e, as in the old Craft lod!esB and bein!addressed by the installin! J% They are then obli!ated asre!ards the !overnment of the Chapter, and all First *rincipalsthen withdraw to the chapel, where the J% 8lect, who hasaccompanied them, takes his second obli!ation, is anointed,invested, a crown is placed upon him, and he is !iven hissceptre and then entrusted% The Second *rincipal 8lect is thenadmitted, obli!ated, invested, crowned, and entrusted% 0etthe Third *rincipal 8lect is admitted and invested, a rite based

upon eviticus viii, ?)=, is then performed, this includin!particularly his investiture with the 1ewelled breastplate andmitre and crown, followin! which he is entrusted% For the actualInstallation all now return to the chapter, where the otherCompanions await them, and the Three *rincipals are dulyplaced in their chairs by the installin! J%, the appointment andinvestiture of officers then followin!%

T3e O00!,e 0 Pr!#,!p+2

The Three *rincipals when in chapter are to be re!ardedcon1ointly and each severally as the $aster Asee p% 5<?B% #s totheir 9ualifications, the "e!ulations of Grand Chapter re9uire

the Third *rincipal to have been installed as $aster of a Craftlod!e Athis dates back to $ay 53<:B and to have served oneyear as a Scribe or as a *rincipal or #ssistant So1ournerAoverseas such service in office is not insisted onB% The Second*rincipal Aas from #u!ust 53<:B must be an Installed Third*rincipal, and the First *rincipal an Installed Second, and in

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each case there must be a full period of one year since hiselection to the 1unior chair% # First *rincipal may not serve formore than three years in succession2 a Second and Third notmore than two years in succession, other than by dispensation%# companion may not serve as First *rincipal in two separatechapters at the same time, ecept by dispensation%

(n the death of any *rincipal, either before or after anInstallation, another is to be elected by ballot and theninstalled% In the absence of the First *rincipal, the Immediate*ast or Senior *ast First *rincipal of the chapter may, in that

order, act in his stead2 failin! either, then a Senior *ast First*rincipal amon! the subscribin! members may serve, failin!whom any 9ualified Companion may be invited by the First Aoractin!B *rincipal to do his work% *rincipals temporarily absentmay, in some circumstances, re9uest 9ualified Companions tooccupy chairs and ealt Companions as if they werethemselves present% The First *rincipal of a chapter has theprefi $ost 8cellent attached to the title of his office, but notto his name, but all *rincipals,

5D=

present and past, are 8cellent Companions, a matter moreparticularly dealt with at

p% 5<?%

P+!#/ -3e . C3+!r

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-ust as on occasion a 7rother was &passed throu!h the chair' ofa Craft lod!e Aas eplained in a later sectionB, so, too, there

were occasions when a Companion would be !iven the di!nityor status of a *rincipal by bein! &passed throu!h a chair,' inwhich re!ard the minutes of the first Grand Chapter containmany surprisin! instances% #t the festival meetin!, -anuary =,5DD3, 7rother "oss was elected *rincipal, and was investedaccordin!ly2 but offerin! many satisfactory reasons for notcontinuin! in that hi!h office the Companions proceeded to asecond ballot, at which the J% of the precedin! year wasre)elected% It was then moved that the honours of *%J% be

!iven to Companion "oss for his Jeal and #ttachment to thissublime (rder and that a $edal be %%% presented% #t the netmeetin! a !old medal of the (rder in the rank of *% J% waspresented to two dukes, one Italian and the other 8n!lish, whohad been ealted that very evenin!, without apparently eventhe semblance of an Installation% In the followin! -anuary therank of *%J% was conferred by the same subterfu!e on anotherCompanion% In -anuary 5D36 there was ealted in GrandChapter the "ev% .arin! .illett of (ford, who was

immediately invested Chaplain, the first holder of the office2 atthis same meetin! the rank of *% J% was a!ain conferred, butthe 7rother so honoured declined the *%J% 1ewel as theChapter had not benefited by his passin! the Chair sosuddenly%

0ow all these 7rethren had been di!nified with a title, but hadnot passed, even temporarily, throu!h the actual chair of a

chapter, but we come to a rather different and even divertin!incident in -une 53>5, when, in St -ames's Chapter, twomembers who had been appointed *rovincial Superintendentsbut were not *ast *rincipals were passed throu!h the J% chairat a special Chapter of 8mer!ency in order to 9ualify them fordischar!in! the functions of their ealted situations%

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Companion #% was elected to the H% chair and Companion .% tothe -% chair Aand we presume installedB% Then Companion #%was proposed as J% and Companion .% as H% They wereinstalled, whereupon Companion #% resi!ned his newsituation, and Companion .% was elected J% to succeed himand installed% This was not the end of the proceedin!s, for atthis same meetin! Companion H% passed the several chairs byre!ular election and installation, and, on his resi!nation as J%,the former $%8%J% ACompanion .ri!ht, the real $%8%J%B wasre)elected as J% (ther Installations and resi!nations took place,alto!ether eleven Installations on the one occasion,

53>

as fully described by .% Harry "ylands in his history of the St-ames's Chapter, more properly the Chapter of St -ames%

# hint as to the possibility of there havin! eisted at one timesomethin! in the nature of a *%J% +e!ree comes from theknowled!e that one or two chapters had a custom of makin! anesoteric communication to the First *rincipal on his leavin! thechair at the end of his period of office, as, accordin! to -% "%"ylands, was the case in the .akefield Chapter%

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Section Si+teen

AN EARLY 7UALIFYING CEREMONY3

PASSING THE CHAIR 0

(8" a lon! period brid!in! the ei!hteenth and nineteenth

centuries, as the reader is now well aware, none but Installed$asters were acceptable as Candidates for the "oyal #rch%

&*assin! the chair' was a device, a subterfu!e, an evasion,ori!inally desi!ned for the one purpose of !ivin! the $aster$ason who had not ruled a lod!e the status 9ualifyin! him as aCandidate% (ri!inally, it is believed, it was introduced by the

&#ntients,' but was soon adopted by the &$oderns%' It took theform of installin! the Third +e!ree $ason in the $aster's Chairby means of the customary ceremony or one closely resemblin!

it, and then facilitatin! his leavin! the chair in the course of avery few minutes%

The &#ntients' believed the Installation ceremony to betime)immemorial, to which belief a !reat many authors havelent support, and have even asserted that between the twosystems was one chief distinction ) the abandonment by the

&$oderns' of the Installation ceremony% # statement to this

effect has been repeated over and over a!ain, but the presentauthor has found no evidence of its truth%

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#lthou!h the od!e of *romul!ation decided in 53>= that theceremony of Installation was one of two Athou!ht to be aliteral error for trueB landmarks that ou!ht to be preserved, itdoes not follow that the &$oderns' had ever abandoned it% Theydid not have it to abandonL The &#ntients' branded the

&$oderns' as innovators, but, in fact, the amount of innovationintroduced by them was small compared with that of theiropponents% The &$oderns' were, in !eneral, a moreconservatively minded body, on the whole better educated andmore sophisticated than their opponents% It was the &#ntients'who found no particular difficulty in acceptin! any colourful andattractive ceremonial so lon! as it came dusty with the cobwebsof what Shakespeare has called anti9ue time%

# fair inference is that the Craft Installation ceremony wasintroduced some time early in the 5D@>Ks, which would allow ofthe &#ntients' Awho were formin! from late in the 5D6>KsBadoptin! a ceremony which they must be credited withbelievin! to have been a time)immemorial rite

5 This section is lar!ely based upon the present author'spaper read to uatuor Coronati od!e in February 5=?D%

53<

heartlessly abandoned by the *remier Grand od!e and itsadherents% $any wholly independent lod!es must have beenmeetin! in various parts of the country at that time, eachbelievin! that it had the ri!ht to work any ceremonies itpleased% Growin! from the bare practice of merely leadin! the$aster to the chair, the Installation ceremony had apparently

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become, by a period not earlier than about 5D@>, a rounded)offand established ceremony clearly associated with the Hiramicstory and possibly or probably already complete with an(bli!ation and penalty of its own%

Gould believed that the Installation ceremony was neitherknown nor practised in 8n!land durin! the early sta!es of theGrand od!e era%

It is impossible or at least etremely difficult to believe that theInstallation ceremony, which would be nothin! if robbed of itsallusions to the Hiramic story, could ever have preceded thecomin! of the Third +e!ree% 0ow that de!ree, it will beremembered, did not reach the few lod!es until late in the5D<>Ks or the !enerality of lod!es until many years after then ) not till the 5D@>Ks probably% The su!!estion that such asi!nificant ceremony as one reflectin! the Hiramic traditioncould have been abandoned by the &$oderns' is 9uiteuntenable, althou!h a claim to that effect was commonly made

by their opponents and by $asonic writers on their behalf)andfre9uently taken for !ranted by some $asonic historians%

Some of the &$oderns' must have met the ceremony in its earlydays, but they were workin! under the discipline of a Grandod!e and could not so easily please themselves in such amatter2 later they adopted a version of it)not, at first, for the

installin! of $asters, but as a means of conferrin! upon their"oyal #rch candidates a 9ualification whose real si!nificancemust have escaped them, and would continue to escape the!reat ma1ority of them for half a century or so%

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T3e >A#-!e#-' !#!- -3+- R+2 Ar,3 C+#%!%+-e &e I#-+22e% M+-er

It is difficult to put into precise words the &#ntients' attitude tothe Installation ceremony% It was much more than approbationand esteem, more than re!ard2 it had somethin! in it ofreverence and veneration% # $aster was not only a chairman orpast chairman of the lod!e, superior to 1unior 7rethren, but onewho, havin! passed throu!h an esoteric ceremony of

distinction, was now of a definitely hi!her !rade% This isreco!ni/ed in their refusal to confer the "oyal #rch +e!reeupon a 7rother who had not passed throu!h the chair2 he wassimply not !ood enou!h to be a "oyal #rch $aster%

There is a remarkable minute of the &#ntients' GrandCommittee as early as -une <@, 5D?<, upon the occasion ofaurence +ermott's bein! installed as Grand Secretary and

bein!

536

proclaim'd and saluted accordin!ly% ) #fter which herepeated the whole Ceremony of Instalin! Grand O in the

manner which he had learn'd from 7rother 8dward Spratt8s9K the Celebrated Grand Secretary of Ireland% The lon!"ecital of this solemn Ceremony !ave !reat satisfaction tothe #udience, many of which never had an (pportunity ofhearin! the like before%

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The &#ntients' insisted that their $asters of od!es should notonly be correctly installed, but be able to install their

successors% Take, for eample, this further minute of the &#ntients' Grand od!e A-une a, 5D?:B;

The Grand Secretary was (rder'd to 8amine several$asters in the Ceremony of Installin! their Successors,and declared that many of them were incapable ofperformance% (rder'd that the Grand Secretary shall

attend such difficient lod!es and havin! obtain'd theconsent of members of the said od!es he shall solemnlyInstall and invest the Several (fficers accordin! to the#ncient Custom of the Craft%

.arrants of the 5D:5 period help us to understand theinsistence placed by the &#ntients' on the Installation ceremony;

.e do hereby further authorise and impower our saidTrusty and wellbelov'd 7ro% to nominate chuse and installtheir successors to whom they shall deliver this .arrant %% % and such successors shall in like manner nominatechuse and install their successors%

It must be apparent that the &#ntients' were definitely teachin!,and insistin! upon, an Installation ceremony at a time when, inthe &$oderns' lod!es in !eneral, an Installation was little morethan the incomin! $aster takin! the chair% It is etremely likelythat the Installation ceremony became embellished in thecourse of time, and ultimately developed into what is now

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called the 8tended Ceremony of Installation Athe ceremonywhich, after some discussion, was permitted by Grand od!e asrecently as 5=<: to be worked under certain safe!uards, themost important of which is that the Installin! $aster mustdeclare precisely that no further de!ree in masonry is bein!conferredB%

The "oyal #rch is referred to as an or!anised body of men whohave passed the chair by +r Fifield +assi!ny, in his much9uoted book, dated 5D@@ Asee p% @?B% Further, aurence+ermott, in !himan #e6on of 5D?:, scornfully alludes to those

who think themselves "%#% masons without passin! the chairin re!ular form% AThe word passin! in this sentence mustmean !oin! throu!h in the ordinary way, becomin! a &past'$aster2 in the li!ht of +ermott's hostility to subterfu!e

&passin!,' no other interpretation is possible%B

It is hardly open to doubt that by the time we hear of the &#ntients' workin! the "oyal #rch ceremony they were already

observin! Aand doubtless had always observedB the rule thatCandidates must be Installed

53@

$asters% .ith the rise of the "oyal #rch to popularity this rule

proved unworkable% It was too restrictive, for while, on the onehand, there was a !rowin! demand for 8altation, there was,on the other, the bottleneck created by the rule, anembarrassin! condition 9uickly but unofficially remedied by thesubterfu!e of passin! a 7rother throu!h the chair for the solepurpose of 9ualifyin! him as a Candidate for 8altation% He

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went throu!h a &constructive' ceremony, soon to be known asthe *ast $aster +e!ree, and became a &virtual' *ast $aster%

The word &virtual' has many definitions, the one best suitin! ourpurpose bein! in essence or effect, not in fact2 althou!h notreal or actual, e9uivalent or nearly so%

The device of &passin! the chair' was invented by the &#ntients'lod!es themselves, and not by their Grand od!e, as becomesclear from a minute of the &#ntients' Grand od!e for +ecember@, 5DD5, a minute, by the way, which li!hts up the relativedependence of the &#ntients' Grand Chapter;

The "t% .orshipl +eputy Grand $aster informed the Grandod!e of the *roceedin!s of the #oyal !rch meetin!s, is%on the and (ctober and :th of 0ovember last andepatiated a lon! time on the scandalous method pursued

by most of the od!es Aon St

-ohn's +aysB in passin! a0umber of 7rethren throu!h the chair on purpose toobtain the sacred $ystery's of the "oyal #rch, and provedin a concise manner that those proceedin!s wereun1ustifiable2 therefore $oved for a "e!ulation to be madein order to Suppress them for the future% The +eputy wasanswered by several 7rethren, that there were many$embers of od!es who from their *roffesions in ife AtheSea for 8ampleB that could never re!ularly attain that

part of $asonry, tho' very able deservin! $en, andhumbly $oved that mi!ht be Considered in the new"e!ulations% The Grand od!e in General thou!ht such aClause necessary and therefore the uestion bein! put forthe "e!ulation, it was unanimously "esolved

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That no person for the future shall be made a #oyal !rch Mason but the le!al "epresentative of the

od!e, ecept a 7rother Athat is !oin! abroadB whohath been twelve months a "e!ister'd $ason2 andmust have the 4nanimous oice of his od!e toreceive such ualificationand in order to render this"e!ulation more 8pedient it is further (rder'd thatall Certificates !ranted to 7rethren from theirrespective od!es shall have inserted the +ay the7rother or 7rethren 1oined or was made in saidod!e and that this "e!ulation take place on St%

-ohns +ay the <Dth +ecr

% 5DD5%

The +eputy Grand $aster % % % informed them that therewas several 7rethren of +ifferent od!es that had been#dmitted amon!st the #oyal !rch Masons Ille!ally andthat it would be necessary to take their case intoconsideration but as it was concernin! the #oyal !rchpresumed they would leave it to the net Grand Chapterand they mi!ht depend that every thin!

53?

should be pursued for the real honor of the Fraternity% TheGrand od!e havin! duly wei!hed the for!oin! propositionand considerin! that several of the $embers of the Grandod!e were not #oyal !rch Masons% It was a!reed by the$a1ority That the "; #; Chapter were the properestpersons to ad1ust and determine this matter and thereforeit was a!reed that the case should be reffered to the "oyal

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Chapter, with full #uthority to hear, determine and finallyad1ust the same%

(n St -ohn's +ay in +ecember, twenty)three days later, theGrand od!e confirmed the &0ew "e!ulations,' the +%G%$%!ivin! the 7rethren present to understand that these were tobe strictly observed in their respective od!es% It is doubtfulwhether this protest and resolution had much effect2 indeed,the &#ntients' Grand od!e itself was hardly consistent in thematter, for it seemed to have no ob1ection on principle to

&constructive' or &virtual' ceremonies when, for instance, on

+ecember a, 5D3=, Sir .atkin ewis, ni!ht, City of ondon's#lderman and $%*%, havin! been elected 1unior Grand .arden,it smoothed the way for his (bli!ation and Installation byresolvin! that his private lod!e be directed to pass himthrou!h the Chair in the $ornin! of St% -ohn's day net, if heshould not before that time be installed $aster of a od!e%#ctually he was obli!ated and installed at a meetin! of Grandod!e at the Crown and #nchor Tavern in the Strand, on St-ohn's +ay, +ecember <3%

#lthou!h the 9ualifyin! ceremony throu!h which the "oyal #rchCandidate passed was essentially identical with the Installationceremony, it did not confer upon him in the early days Aandonly occasionally in the later onesB any privile!e other, it issupposed, than a hi!her status2 it seldom availed him when hecame to be elected $aster of his lod!e, for then he !enerallyhad to be re!ularly installed%

T3e >M%er#' +%p- -3e Q+2!0!,+-!#

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It is well known that the &$oderns' were workin! the "oyal #rch+e!ree at an early date% 0ow they knew nothin! AofficiallyB of

an esoteric Installation ceremony, and ori!inally could not havedemanded that Candidates should have the $aster's9ualification% The Grand $aster did not sanction the ceremonyof Installation until 53<3, many years after the 4nion, althou!hthere is plenty of evidence that the Installation ceremony wasbein! worked in a !reat many lod!es lon! before that year%

4nepectedly, the earliest survivin! minute recordin! a passin!throu!h the chair is that of a &$oderns' lod!e ) #nchor andHope, 7olton, ancs% #t a od!e of 8mer!ency, 0ovember 6>,5D:=, 7ro% -ohn #spinwall, 7ro% -ames ever and 7ro% "ichd

Guests were installed $asters and afterwards 7ro% -amesivesay Sen; was re)installed% ivesay, it should be

53:

said, had already been installed on -une <@ of the same year,and -ames ever had served as the $aster of the lod!e% Thisminute antedates by rather more than two years the firstmention in the &#ntients' records Asee p% 53@B of this practice,but all the circumstances are a!ainst the &$oderns' havin! beenthe first to use it%

4ndoubtedly, as the ei!hteenth century pro!ressed, some &$oderns' worked an Installation ceremony as they workedothers borrowed from the &#ntients,' but not to the &knowled!e'and with the approbation of their Grand od!e% 7ut, in

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preparation for the 4nion, the od!e of *romul!ation A5355Bwas teachin! the Installation ceremony, and the instructedlod!es were teachin! others%

.hatever the practice became in the course of a few years, it is9uite clear that under the rules of the first Grand ChapterA5D::B it was not necessary for the Candidate to be of hi!herrank than $aster $ason% 0either these rules nor those !iven inthe Charter of Compact Athe authori/in! documentB re9uired orcould re9uire the Candidate to be a *ast $aster2 obviously so,inasmuch as the Installation ceremony was unknown officially

to the &$oderns,' althou!h individually and irre!ularly they mayhave been aware of it% It is not unreasonable to assume thathad a &virtual' *%$% de!ree for ealtees been common practiceamon! the &#ntients' as early as 5D::, both the Charter ofCompact and the rules of the Grand and "oyal Chapter mi!hthave made a !lancin! or obli9ue reference to the fact, but theydid not% The wordin! in the Charter of Compact is 9uite simple;That none but discreet and 8perienced $aster $asons shallreceive 8altation to this Sublime +e!ree% There is not herethe sli!htest hint that any hi!her 9ualification than $aster$ason was re9uired% 0evertheless, the ei!hth &clause' of theCharter says that none callin! themselves "oyal #rch $asonsshall be deemed any other than $asters in operative $asonry%AThe last term must be taken as meanin! &Craft masonry%'B Thisstatement appears to echo the claim to superior status madeyears before by the &Scotch $asons' Asee p% 6=B and thusstren!thens any supposition that the earlier rite was indeed aprototype of the later one2 but does it also help us tounderstand how it came about that Grand Chapter, with no

certain eperience of esoteric installation but re!ardin! itself asan association of $asters, was so soon to insist on the *ast$aster 9ualification in its candidates

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.hile it is accepted that the &$oderns' were 9uick upon theheels of their opponents in adoptin! the custom of &passin! thechair,' it is safe to say that in the year of the Charter ofCompact A5D::B they knew but little about it and that the

&#ntients' were only be!innin! to work it% In $arch 5D:: of fournew $aster $asons who took the "oyal #rch +e!ree in the$ournin! 7ush od!e, 7ristol Afounded 5D@>B, not one hadbeen in the

53D

chair, and not a suspicion of a hint is !iven in the lod!e recordsthat they had passed throu!h any &constructive' ceremony%

However, within a very few years, the &$oderns' were in !eneralre9uirin! prospective ealtees to be *ast $asters, which mostlymeant actually that they should have taken a constructive

de!ree learned from their opponents, a de!ree whosesi!nificance must have been lar!ely lost on the &$oderns' andone that embodied a ceremony not reco!ni/ed by their Grandod!e% .e find the "e!ulations of the premier Grand Chapter in5DD3, twelve years after its foundin!, layin! down that noneshould be admitted to this ealted de!ree but those who wereproved to have been re!ularly apprenticed and presided as$asters, to be 1ustly intitled to, and have received the *ast$aster's token and pass word% Three years later A$ay 5D3<B

this was altered to those who have passed throu!h the threeprobationary de!rees of Craft masonry2 and have presided as$asters% The wordin! mi!ht appear to convey the impressionthat Grand Chapter was well aware that Candidates wereevadin! the "e!ulation% The reference to *ast $aster's tokenand pass word appears to indicate that by 5DD3 some

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&$oderns' lod!es may have been sufficiently &#ntient' insympathy Aadoption of the "oyal #rch +e!ree was in itself fairevidence of such a conditionB to have adopted an Installationceremony%

$any times between 5DD5 and 5356 did the &#ntients' officiallydenounce the subterfu!e &passin!' and try to insist thatCandidates for the "oyal #rch be $asters of twelve months'standin! or bona)fide *ast $asters)but without much successuntil the end of the period% It is very doubtful, also, whether the

&$oderns' could do much to prevent Candidates takin! the

&virtual' *%$% +e!ree% (bviously the &#ntients' had set thefashion in this matter, and as they started so they continued%The rules of a !reat many chapters about this time provide thatCandidates must have been $aster $asons for at least twelvecalendar months, and that none ou!ht to be admitted eceptmen of the best character and education2 open, !enerous, ofliberal sentiment, and real philanthropists2 who have passedthrou!h the probationary de!rees of $asonry, have presided as$aster%%%% The 7rother to be not less than twentythree years ofa!e at the time of ealtation%

#pparently, the matter can be summed up in this way% #ll &#ntients' "oyal #rch lod!es and chapters re9uired Candidatesto have passed the chair, actually or virtually, and a number of

&$oderns' chapters did the same, but certainly not all of them2as one eample, the Chapter at .akefield did not re!ard the*%$% +e!ree as a necessary prere9uisite, -% "% "ylands tells us,

and he records that of five Candidates in 535:, all $aster$asons, two had passed the chair and three did not appear tohave done so%

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533

It is curious to learn that some Candidates were passedthrou!h the &virtual' ceremony after they had been ealted, andthis in spite of the "oyal #rch ritual AcatechismB thendemandin! from each Candidate answers to such 9uestions asHow were you prepared as a *%$% of #rts and Sciences andHow were you prepared as an 8cellent $ason In the

&#ntients' 0eptune od!e, 0o% aa, in the month of (ctober53>3, three 7rethren were ealted, not one of whom hadpassed the chair2 they went throu!h that ceremony in the

followin! -uly% 7ut probably this may have been nothin! morethan an attempt to remedy an accidental omissionL

L%/e Perm!!# - &e e5+2-e%

# 7rother wishin! to be ealted had customarily to !et theconsent of his lod!e, firstly to pass the chair, and commonly hehad to be elected to the honour% He mi!ht be proposed by a7rother, or often he would propose himself, 1ust as in someearly Craft lod!es a Fellow Craft mi!ht propose himself to beraised to the Third +e!ree% The result was !enerally, but notalways, a fore!one conclusion2 in the $ount $oriah od!e, then0o% 65, &#ntients,' in the year /3>/, permission was refusedbecause, apparently, the prospective ealtee was !oin! abroadand was Senior .arden2 the lod!e would not approve %%%without leave from the +eputy Grand $aster%

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It is 9uite usual to find the proposal takin! the form of theCandidate's askin! for a certificate as a Geometric $aster$ason to allow of his bein! made a "oyal #rch mason% 0eptuneod!e, 0o% ia, &#ntients,' at "otherhithe, ondon, #u!ust 3, /3>!, opened in the Third +e!ree when 7rother *eter "okesmoved for his *rivate od!e Certificate as a Geometric $aster$ason, for the purpose of passin! the Holy "oyal #rch% Thecertificate, duly si!ned by the officers, was handed to him inopen lod!e% This was not 9uite a simple case, thou!h, for7rother *eter "okes was actually the $aster of the od!e andas Senior .arden had been passed to the chair the previousFebruary2 in -une he had become $aster, havin!, however,already served in the meantime as #ctin! $aster for about si

weeks)on the stren!th, it is supposed, of his &virtual'9ualificationL 7ut he still needed a certificate as a Geometric$aster $ason to !et him throu!h the door of the chapter%

C#0err!#/ -3e P.M. De/ree4m+!#/ + >!r-+2' M+-er

#s the &virtual' ceremony developed in the course of a few yearsinto what was in effect a distinct de!ree, the practice arose insome places of conferrin! it in chapter instead of lod!e, a likelyindication that it was

53=

comin! to be re!arded as one of a se9uence of "oyal #rch+e!rees Aas in effect it is still so re!arded in some #mericanstatesB and that its ori!inal si!nificance was in dan!er of

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becomin! dimmed% The practice met with opposition Aechoes ofwhich remain in #merican masonry to this dayB, and we noteone instance, recorded by H% Hiram Hallett, in which a .est of8n!land chapter epressed the opinion that chapter should notbe ad1ourned to allow Candidates to pass the chair, but that theceremony should be performed at a re!ular lod!e or at a lod!eheld prior to the openin! of the chapter% From this it appearsthat the custom had been to ad1ourn the chapter, open a lod!efor the conferrin! of the *%$% +e!ree, and then chan!e back tochapter for the 8altation% Thus, in 5355, the bylaws of theChapter of St -ames directed that the first assistant So1ournershould take the Chair as $aster of the *revious od!e and openthe same in due form, in the Third +e!ree %%% and then prepare

the Candidate for the Ceremony of 8altation accordin! toancient usa!e% In this *revious od!e the Candidateoccupied a .arden's chair, was proposed as $aster and elected%He took an (bli!ation at the *edestal, was raised, placed in thechair, and eercised the duties of .%$% He was then a!aintaken to the *edestal, and the *rincipal So1ourner as .orshipful$aster then eplained the purpose of the 9ualifyin! ceremony,followin! which the Candidate was told that he was not entitledto consider himself a *ast $aster or to wear the bad!e of a

$aster of a od!e% He was net entrusted with the secrets of a$aster of #rts and Sciences, and was finally introduced intochapter and ealted% A7ut often elsewhere a &virtual' $aster wasentitled to wear the $aster's bad!e%B

Care was !enerally taken to impress upon the &virtual' $asterthat' he was not bein! 9ualified to rule over the lod!e for morethan a very brief time, but there was considerable variation in

the form of words% (ccasionally he was empowered to presideover a lod!e pro tem% and also to conduct a ceremony Aas, foreample, at .akefieldB% In an #merican ceremony, obviouslystemmin! off from early 8n!lish practice, the 'virtual' $aster istold that no test of his proficiency is at this time re9uired ofhim% In the $ount $oriah od!e, 0o% 6@, .appin!, in the year

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5D3?, he was installed to be $aster until net stated lod!eni!ht, if in his power to be so lon! in the place%

# $S% in the possession of 7ruce (liver Asee p% 5:5B !ives aritual which in its broad lines must represent the &virtual' chairceremony of the 5D=>)536? period% The ceremony is assumedto take place in a lod!e opened by members of a chapterprecedin! an 8altation% The lod!e is opened in the *%$%+e!ree and is declared by the .%$% to be dedicated to thenoble *rince #doniram% In !eneral the workin! su!!ests theCraft Installation, and many present)day familiar phrases are

found in it% The (bli!ation is on

5=>

customary lines% The .%$% !ives the Candidate thedistin!uishin! mark or si!nature used by the 7rothers of this

de!ree ) namely, #S, in which the first letter stands for#doniram and the second for the Sidonians, the famous class ofworkmen who distin!uished themselves in finishin! the*orphyre A*orphyryB% The Candidate is now entrusted with thesi!ns, etc%, of the de!ree, these resemblin! those of the8tended Ceremony, emphasis bein! laid on the symbolism ofthe plumb)line% 0et he is invested with a $aster's 1ewel,warned to eercise his new authority with discretion, andhavin! en1oyed a moment of authority, is delicately relieved of

the semblance of the $aster's honours and invited to re!ale his7rethren with a suitable refreshment% (n leavin! the chair heis invested with the *%$% 1ewel%

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Followin! the Craft and "oyal #rch 4nions, we find aremarkable instance of the &$oderns' adaptin! or applyin! aceremony to what was to many of them an unfamiliarpurpose)a ceremony lon! known to many of them, but onewhose true si!nificance they had in !eneral only dimlyunderstood% The instance Ait may have been one of many aboutthat timeB is related by -% "% "ylands in #%%C%, vol% lv% #fter53<6 the $aster of 4nanimity od!e, .akefield, had to beinstalled accordin! to ancient usa!e, but no ancient usa!ewas known, so apparently the &passin!' ceremony ) involvin! aformal openin! and closin! with esoteric matter appropriate toa separate de!ree ) was adopted to meet the new rulesL

L+-e I#-+#,e 0 P+!#/ -3e C3+!r

In spite of many attempts to brin! the practice to an end, theceremony of passin! the chair was worked in many lod!es until

lon! past the middle of the nineteenth century% Thus, in 53<<or 53<6, the Howard od!e of 7rotherly ove, an old Susselod!e, opened into the fourth de!ree, and a 7rother wasrewarded with the de!ree of a *%$% of #rts and Sciences 2 five7rethren in this same lod!e in the year 5366 passed the chairin ancient form% In the Chapter of Sincerity, 0o% <:5, Taunton,ten 7rethren were so passed in 536<% In the old 7ury od!e,now *rince 8dward's od!e, 0o% 5<3, the ceremony continuedto be worked until 53@>2 in the +urham Faithful od!e, 0o%

<=D, Gibraltar, in 536D, si 7rethren received the fourth %%%de!ree which they withstood manfully, four more underwentthe de!ree with fortitude and coura!e%

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In 7olton's old lod!e, ori!inally Hand and 7anner, now St-ohn's, 0o% <<5, several 7rethren passed the chair in 53@:2 oneof them, the $aster of the od!e three years later, recordedthat these several Candidates were the last persons in 7oltonpermitted to !o throu!h this Ceremony, the 0ew #uthoritieshavin! prohibited the practice% In the od!e of St

5=5

-ohn and St *aul, $alta, five 7rethren passed the chair in 53?<,and apparently, about four years earlier, any 7rethren wishin!to take the de!ree had it conferred upon them% In an old

&#ntients' lod!e, Commerce, 0o% <5?, Haslin!den, ancs, whenordinary $asonic business was not pressin!, it was customaryin the 53:< period to confer the chair de!ree on $aster$asonsL 8ven later instances could be 9uoted to show that thecustom was an unconscionable time a'dyin!, althou!h it isobvious that the *%$% +e!ree had lon! been in decline and bythe middle of the century was, in the !reat ma1ority of places in

8n!land, 9uite obsolete2 it should have disappeared as from$ay 3, 53<<, when the *ast $aster 9ualification wasabandoned and all that was re9uired was that of twelvemonths' standin! as a $aster $ason% 7ut none of the principalchairs is open to a Companion below the rank of Installed$aster%

Twelve months had been the !eneral 9ualification for sometime% It was replaced by one month in the "e!ulations of 53=6%

The suppression of the *%$% +e!ree met with resentment insome 9uarters, a few Candidates tendin! to be disappointed at

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failin! to receive what had come to be re!arded as one of aproper se9uence of de!rees% The od!e of *robity, 0o% :I, .estEorkshi re,raised the le!ality of the de!ree with the +eputy*rovincial Grand $aster, who replied that the practice wasalto!ether ille!al, and he was not aware that one lod!e couldbe found in the *rovince of .est Eorkshire pursuin! such apractice% In 53?= Grand Scribe 8% wrote to the 7ritish Chapter,0o% 66@, Cape Town, sayin! that no such de!ree as the *%$%+e!ree was known to or acknowled!ed by either the Grandod!e or the Supreme Grand Chapter % % % the Companions whofeel a!!rieved at not receivin! an irre!ular de!ree ou!ht ratherto con!ratulate themselves, and the Chapter, that the orthodoworkin! has been restored%

N- A22 P+!#/ were 0r Q+2!0!#/ C+#%!%+-e

#ndrew Hope, in his history of St -ohn the 7aptist od!e, 0o%

6=, 8eter Adatin! back to 5D6<B, says that officers of thatlod!e, in cases of emer!ency, had the de!ree of *%$% conierredupon them2 he cites a minute of an Installation meetin! of-anuary <D, 53<6, at which four 7rethren were Ain order toassist at ye installationB admitted to ye de!ree of *ast $aster%In the minutes of St -ohn od!e, 0o% 6@3, 7olton, appearnumerous references to passin! the chair in the 535:)@>period, with no accompanyin! indication that the 7rethrenconcerned were proposin! to be ealted2 a chapter warrant was

not obtained until I 3@>% -% "% "ylands has made it clear that in4nanimity od!e, for a period endin! in 53<:, the &virtual' *%$%+e!ree was worked without reference to or association

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5=<

with the "oyal #rch% The 7ritish 4nion od!e, 0o% 55@, Ipswich,passed twelve 7rethren throu!h the chair on the one occasionin 5D=> to 9ualify them to attend an Installation%

P+!#/ -3e C3+!r !# Ire2+#% +#% S,-2+#%

Ireland% In the latter part of the ei!hteenth century Irish lod!eswere in close accord with the &#ntients' in re!ardin! the rankand status of a *ast $aster with marked respect, and theycommonly conferred the *%$% +e!ree2 instance the 7ana!herod!e, 0o% 6>:, which in 5D=@ opened and closed a *%$%'sod!e2 a "oyal #rch chapter then opened2 the proceedin!s ofthe *%$%'s od!e were read and approved2 and the 7rethren

who had been advanced to the Chair +e!ree were then made"oyal #rch masons% The funds of the chapter were combinedwith those of the lod!e% The &virtual' de!ree was widely workedin the nineteenth century, but in 53:@ the Irish Grand Chapterbrou!ht the custom to an end%

/cotland% There was no AofficialB ceremonial Installation of the$aster of a od!e in Scotland until 53?3% In that year, Geor!e

S% +raffen tells us, a ceremonial for the Installation of achairman of a od!e was adopted% This was followed in 53D<by the introduction of the 8n!lish Installation ceremony now inuse, the only Craft +e!ree for which there is an authorisedGrand od!e ritual Aa &de!ree,' the reader will noteB% The ScotsGrand od!e resolved that this ceremonial or de!ree should not

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be conferred on any one ecept the $aster of the od!e or onewho produces a certificate that he has occupied the chair asduly elected $aster%

However, in Scotland, as elsewhere, the lack of officialreco!nition did not prevent the &virtual' *%$% +e!ree from bein!worked, but not, it is thou!ht, before the early nineteenthcentury% Geor!e S% +raffen's valuable little book The Triple Taustates that the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland Anot theGrand od!eB authori/ed charters in 53@< to what were called Chair $aster od!es, and in these lod!es was worked the

de!ree called in Scotland $aster *assed the Chair% There wassome anomaly here because these lod!es were Craft lod!es,and the "%#% Chapters were already empowered to work theM*%$%N de!ree by virtue of their eistin! charters and re9uiredno further authority% 0ot more than three of these &Chair$aster' charters were issued; AaB inross, 53@<, recalled fouryears later2 AbB 8dinbur!h, 53@<, recalled four years later,althou!h the de!ree was worked until 53?:, when the lod!ebecame dormant2 the lod!e was revived without sanction in53:D and finally dissolved in 53==, when it took out a charteras a "oyal #rch chapter2 AcB St -ohn's, $anchester, 8n!land,53@?, recalled in the followin! year%

The de!ree of $aster *assed the Chair was removed in 53@:from the

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5=6

"oyal #rch rite in the chapters of Scotland, and they wereforbidden to work it, but Scottish chapters overseas continuedto work it until 53D<, when it was finally abolished%

P+!#/ -3e C3+!r !# -3e U#!-e% S-+-e 0 Amer!,+

The fact that only about one in three of the #merican 1urisdictions works a Craft esoteric Installation ceremonyinevitably affects the 9uestion of the 9ualifications of "oyal #rch

Candidates in the 4nited States of #merica, althou!h,contradictory as it may seem, it does not always follow that in

1urisdictions where there is no Craft Installation, as the 8n!lishmason understands the term, there is necessarily any waivin!of the ancient re9uirement that the Candidate should havepassed the chair%

Fortunately for the present purpose, a manuscript entitled The-egree of @ast Master4 a -egree of the Chapter , by .ard % StClair, Chairman of the ibrary and $useum Committee of theGrand od!e of 0ew Eork, has been very kindly placed at theauthor's disposal in response to a re9uest for information, andfrom it is learned that, of the 4%S%#%'s forty)nine $asonic

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1urisdictions eistin! in the year 5=@6, only fifteen re9uired the$aster)elect to be installed in an esoteric ceremony, and eventhen the custom was not always observed% In twenty)two

1urisdictions the $aster is not so installed, as, for eample, in$innesota Asince 5=53B, in 0ebraska Asince 5=6>B, and in$ontana Asince 5=@5B2 in these 1urisdictions the lod!e pleasesitself in the matter% The Installation ceremony is onlysometimes termed a &de!ree,' but the ceremony in which a

&virtual' *ast $aster is made is commonly known as the &*ast$aster +e!ree,' althou!h the rituals of the two ceremonials aresaid to be practically identical%

The &virtual' *ast $aster +e!ree is conferred under the 1urisdiction of chapters of "%#% masons to 9ualify a $ark $aster$ason to receive the "%#% or, more correctly, the +e!ree of$ost 8cellent $aster% The lastnamed is a prere9uisite to the"%#% in every 1urisdiction ecept that of *ennsylvania, where theCandidate automatically receives in lod!e the 9ualification ofInstalled $aster A*%$% +e!reeB that he may need as aprospective ealtee% In 0orthern and 0orth)8astern States, theoldest of the 4nited States 1urisdictions, the *%$% +e!ree !oesback to before 53>>, when only twelve #merican Grand od!eswere in eistence2 it was worked in *ennsylvania in 5D36, andwas re!arded as a fully)fled!ed +e!ree when the GrandChapter for the 0orthern States was founded in 5D=D% 7ut inone of these old 1urisdictions, where Installation is re!arded asobli!atory, a *ast Grand (fficer has stated that he did notreceive the de!ree until some time after he went into the chair%(ld minute)books of chapters in the 0orthern States prior to5D=D mention the +e!ree of

5=@

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8cellent $aster and indicate that this was really that of *ast$aster% #n old Connecticut chapter, now .ashin!ton Chapter,0o% :, recorded in 5D36 that a Candidate was raised an8cellent $ason passin! the chair in due form, and this isbelieved to be the earliest #merican minute of its kind%

#pparently, all throu!h the nineteenth century there wasdiscussion, often pointed and forthri!ht, on whether theInstallation ceremony and the *%$% +e!ree should be under the

1urisdiction of Grand od!es or Grand Chapters% Seldom did theGrand od!es assume ri!hts over what may here be called the

Chapter *%$% +e!ree, but very fre9uently Grand Chapterssou!ht to 1ustify their claim that both the Craft Installationceremony and the *%$% +e!ree were their concern alone% 7ut in<3?6 the General Grand Chapter Athe hi!hest "oyal #rchauthority in the 4%S%#%B resolved that it did not claim

1urisdiction over the *%$% de!ree when about to be conferred onthe $aster)elect of a Symbolic ACraftN od!e% Three yearslater, in 53?:, the su!!estion of some Grand Chapters that the*%$% +e!ree should be omitted from the de!rees controlled bythe General Grand Chapter aroused much ar!ument, whichreflected the controversy in the 8n!lish Craft back in theei!hteenth century when only the &#ntients,' in !eneral,installed their $asters in an esoteric ceremony%

# recommendation by the General Grand Chapter that theGrand Chapters and, chapters should abrid!e the ceremoniesof the *%$% +e!ree met with some approval, but the many

1urisdictions had each their own point of view with re!ard to thedesirability of retainin! the de!ree itself% $any, includin! 0ewEork, insisted on the importance of the de!ree, and the GrandChapter of $ichi!an claimed the eclusive ri!ht to confer itwithin its territory% In Indiana the Candidate was 9ualified if hehad received the de!ree in lod!e or in chapter, whereas in

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$aine, even the *ast $aster of a lod!e had to take the &virtual'de!ree to 9ualify him for the "oyal #rch% In entucky andColumbia, a &virtual' *%$% could preside over a Craft lod!e% TheGrand Chapter of +elaware claimed the power to warrant aod!e of *ast $asters% The *%$% +e!ree was not re!arded as atrue de!ree in ansas, .est ir!inia, Geor!ia, and some otherstates, includin! ouisiana, the last)named not ob1ectin! to theCraft Installation bein! performed in public% In .est ir!iniaand ir!inia the de!ree was customarily conferred on .ardensof a Craft lod!e% *ennsylvania, as already stated, insisted onthe *%$% 9ualification, but !ave it automatically to every $aster$ason% In the 1urisdiction of Indian Territory and (klahoma theCraft Installation was optional, and in the 53=>Ks a Grand

$aster who had already served three years stated that he hadnot been esoterically installed%

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Section Se&enteen

PASSING THE VEILS

TH8 ceremony known as &passin! the veils,' formin! part of the"oyal #rch rite from some time rather late in the ei!hteenthcentury, probably had a Christian ori!in, and was the vo!ue

only durin! the period when the "oyal #rch itself was lar!ely aChristian de!ree% .ith the de)Christiani/in! of the de!reefollowin!, firstly, the &union' of the Grand Chapters in 535D and,secondly, the drastic revision in 536?, the ceremony of the veilsrapidly disappeared from 8n!lish masonry% .here we still find itworked ) for instance, in 7ristol ) it offers itself more as arevival than as a survival, as eplained more fully later in thissection% How the ceremonial came to be adopted is 9uiteunknown, but its inspiration may well have been a decidedly

Christian Craft workin! in one or more of the early lod!es% Thepassin! of the veils symboli/es the enli!htenment that comeswith $asonic pro!ression, but ori!inally, it mi!ht well be, theveils were the emblem of the mysterious veil that was rent intwain when the crucified Saviour passed throu!h it% In an oldancashire Craft lecture of the possible date of about 53>> theeil of the Temple si!nified the Son of God, -esus Christ,han!in! upon the #ltar of the Cross, as the true% veil betweenGod and us, shadowin! with His wounds and precious blood,

the multitude of our offences, that so we mi!ht be madeacceptable to the Father% # catechism on these lines wasprobably worked in a lod!e or lod!es in which the Craft and the"oyal #rch ceremonials had become curiously interwoven andboth of them marked by stron! local influences% .e should notcare to rule out the possibility that the veils also had an

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alchemical interpretation% The "ev% +r -% "% Cleland, a *rovincialGrand Chaplain, has said that the entire ob1ect of the alchemicart is the uncoverin! of the inner faculty of insi!ht and wisdomand the removal of the veils intervenin! between the mind anddividin! it from its hidden, divine root% .e know also that theveils have been thou!ht to be a symbol of the sufferin!s of the-ews in returnin! from eile%

The veils, in the early ceremonials, were !enerally three innumber, but at an early date a fourth was added in somelocalities, and we know that the #merican chapters of to)day

lar!ely work a four)veil ceremony% The 7ristol Chapter uses fourveils% -osephus, the first)century -ewish historian,

5=:

unduly forced the symbolism of the veils in sayin! that they

were composed of four thin!s which declared the fourelements; the fine linen si!nified the earth because the fla!rows out of the earth2 the purple si!nified the sea because thecolour is dyed by the blood of a sea shellfish2 the blue is fit tosi!nify the air2 and the scarlet will naturally si!nify fire%

It has been assumed at times that the ceremony of passin! theveils !oes back to possibly the earliest period of the "oyal #rch%

Curiously, however, the records do not support the assumption,unless, however, the ceremony was known over 9uite a periodas the Super 8cellent or the Hi!h 8cellent +e!ree, apossibility which some $asonic authors appear to admit andwhich is lent support by Geor!e S% +raffen's statement that theScottish 8cellent $aster +e!ree is fre9uently known as the

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passin! of the veils% If in some lod!es either the 8cellent orthe Super 8cellent +e!ree was actually the passin! of theveils, then, of course, it was worked at 9uite an early date%There is an impression Aknown to have been shared by -% HeronepperB that the veils ceremony was ori!inally an entirelyseparate ritual, and this impression, if well founded, wouldstren!then the inference that the veils ceremony in early dayswas a separate de!ree with its own name, such, for eample,as the Super 8cellent, but the matter is hi!hly controversial%

$ost, however, of the particular references to the passin! the

veils come towards the end of the ei!hteenth century or thebe!innin! of the nineteenth% Thus we know that the 4nion.aterloo Chapter, 0o% 56, at Gravesend had three Grand$asters of the eils in 535= and also, about that date, hadCaptains of the Third, Second, and First eils respectively, ashad many other chapters% There are certainly more referencesin the early nineteenth century than there are in the lateei!hteenth% In 53@5 Geor!e Claret, who was thorou!hlyac9uainted with the masonry of the early years of the century,said that the ceremony of passin! the veils took place soonafter the (bli!ation, but was not much known or practised inondon, althou!h, he adds, it was always !iven in the &#ntients'chapters before the Craft 4nion in 5356%

The veils ceremonial continued well into the nineteenth century,and in ancashire, for eample, it was often conferred in *rince8dwin Chapter, 0o% 5<3, 7ury, until 53:D2 a letter to the Grand

Scribe 8%, askin! if they were in order in !ivin! the veils, saidthat they had worked the ceremony from 53>6; In an earlierpa!e we mention that a ritual printed as late as 5335 includesnotes on the ceremony2 earlier printed rituals referred to it, but!enerally in such a way as to su!!est that the ceremony waslosin! its vo!ue% In 5366 in the Chapter of Concord, 7olton, a

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Candidate paid 55s% 5>d% for ails and ?s% :d% for "ods, thelatter, we believe, havin! reference to a feature of the veilsceremony%

5=D

The ceremonial as worked in the 53<> period was much asfollows, sub1ect to variation in details; The Candidate wasprepared with a blindfold, his knees bared, his feet slipshod,with a cable)tow round his waist% Three So1ourners acted as the!uardians of the veils% The -unior Scribe conducted theCandidate, and !ave four knocks at the door of the First eil%The Candidate was admitted by !ivin! the *ast $aster's wordand si!n% Scripture readin! was from 8odus iii, 5):, referrin!to the burnin! bush, followin! which the thirteenth andfourteenth verses of the same chapter were read, includin! thewords I am that I am% #t the second veil the Candidate !avea password already received and met the emblems of theSerpent and #aron's "od, and the relevant Scripture A8odus

ivB was read% Suitably entrusted, he was now enabled to passthe Guard of the Third eil2 here the Scripture readin!, from8odus iv, told of the miracles of the leprous hand and of thewater poured upon the dry land and turnin! into blood% He nowheard the words Holiness to the ord, and was shown the #rkof the Covenant containin! the tables of stone, the pot ofmanna, the table of shew)bread, the burnin! incense, and thecandlestick with seven branches, and was now 9ualified toenter as a So1ourner and Candidate for 8altation% +urin! the

veils ceremonies he received passwords and si!ns enablin! himto pass the successive veils and finally to present himself as aSo1ourner%

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It is accepted that the ceremonial, while retainin! its mainfeatures, varied considerably in its details from district todistrict and even from chapter to chapter%

T3e e!2 Cerem# !# Br!-2

The "oyal #rch was worked in 7ristol at an early date not onlyby the &#ntients,' but by the &$oderns,' the latter in a Craftlod!e meetin! at the Crown Inn, Christmas Street, 7ristol,which, as already said, is thou!ht to provide the earliest minuterelatin! to the "oyal #rch +e!ree in 8n!land, for on Sundayevenin!, #u!ust 56, 5D?3, two 7rethren were raised to thede!ree of "oyal #rch $asons, further minutes revealin! thatfour other meetin!s of the same kind took place, always onSunday evenin!s, durin! the net twelve months% In another7ristol &$oderns' lod!e four 7rethren took the de!ree in 5D::%The od!e of Hospitality was founded in 7ristol in 5D:=, and

almost immediately its members obtained a charter for a newchapter, the Chapter of Charity, 0o% =, upon the re!ister of theGrand Chapter and for many years the only chapter in theprovince% .hen the two Grand Chapters united, 0o% = becameformally attached to the "oyal Susse od!e of Hospitality, withwhich it had been and still is closely associated% It is now 0o%53D%

5=3

.hile it is well known that the veils ceremonial is worked in the7ristol chapters, the reader must understand that the claim

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Anot made by 7ristolB that it is a true and uninterrupted survivalof an ei!hteenth)century custom needs to be re!arded withcare% The facts were thorou!hly investi!ated by Sir 8rnestCook, Grand Superintendent, who subse9uently published apamphlet, from which it appears that in the later years of thenineteenth century the 7eaufort Chapter of 7ristol, which hadbeen founded not earlier than 53@:, worked the verbal part ofthe veils ceremony, but did not use the veils themselves, andnobody could !ive information about them% Their introductionor reintroduction early in the years of the present century wasdue to Sir 8rnest Cook and other enthusiasts% 4p to about 5=><the Candidate was told that the ceremony should be performedin a room in which the veils were suspended, but followin! that

date real veils were brou!ht into use and have addedremarkable interest and colour to the ceremony% .hile inIreland, Scotland, and some parts of #merica the veils arecustomarily suspended in the chapter)room itself, in 7ristolthey han! in an ad1oinin! chapel% Sir 8rnest discovered thatthere were no references to the veils in minutes of any of theolder 7ristol chapters, but in 53=>, when he himself was,ealted, it was the practice in the 7eaufort Chapter, 0o% 5>6,for the $%8%J% to direct the *rincipal So1ourner to withdraw and

put the Candidate throu!h the Ceremony of *assin! the eils%The work was done almost eactly as at present, but therewere no eils% Sir 8dward etchworth, the Grand Scribe 8% Ainoffice from 53=< to 5=5DB, confessed that he knew nothin!about them, and could not say whether they were in use in any8n!lish chapter% Sir 8rnest and a friend visited Ireland, and,althou!h they could not durin! their stay find a chapter usin!them, they were able to !et some va!ue information, as, aresult of which they had three veils; made and hun! in theanteroom of the 7eaufort Chapter, their eample bein! 9uicklycopied by other 7ristol chapters% In 5=<= they becameconvinced that there ou!ht to be a fourth veil, and this theyadded% From this account, on the authority of a carefulinvesti!ator, it must be concluded that the ceremony as nowworked in 7ristol is not an uninterrupted survival of an

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ei!hteenth)century practice, It is understood that in 7ristol, thechapter havin! been opened, and the Candidate elected, the,*rincipal So1ourner, his assistants, and the +irector ofCeremonies retire with some members and there work the veilsceremonial)always before and separate from the actual8altation, the point bein! made that passin! the veils is notreally part of the 8altation ceremony% There is no truth in theidea held in some 9uarters that 7ristol has been !iven specialpermission to retain the veils ceremony%

5==

T3e Ir!3 Cerem# 0 -3e e!2

In the Irish ceremony as customarily observed thechapter)room is divided by curtains or veils, beyond which theCompanions sit to!ether in the 8ast% There are four veils; the

first is blue, denotin! friendship2 the second purple, denotin!unity and concord, the symbolism bein! based on the union ofblue and scarlet, producin! purple2 the third scarlet, denotin!fervency and /eal, truly typical of "oyal #rch masonry2 thefourth white, denotin! purity, and beyond which sit the three*rincipal (fficers of the chapter% In front of the white veil is the"oyal #rch Captain, whose duty is to prevent anyone fromenterin! the council chamber without permission% 7efore eachof the other veils is a Captain of the eil, whose duty is to allow

none to pass ecept those duly 9ualified by a password%*artieular Scripture readin!s apply to each veil ceremony, aseplained in the account of the old 8n!lish ceremony, the threeparts of the ceremonial bein! based upon episodes in the life ofthe !reat aw!iver, $oses% The Candidate is one of three, thenumber bein! made up by Companions%

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T3e S,--!3 Cerem# 0 -3e e!2

It is to be noted that, whereas in Ireland any 8n!lish visitorsare permitted to be present throu!hout the whole ceremony ofworkin! the veils, in Scotland, on the other hand, the 8n!lishvisitor, unless he is a $ark mason, cannot be present% Theceremonial follows the traditional lines, but its history seems tobe linked with the old 8cellent $aster's +e!ree, a point thathas already been referred to% The passin! of the veils is aninte!ral part of the Scottish "oyal #rch, and is conferred onlyupon Candidates for 8altation% The 8cellent $aster +e!reeAthe veilsB and the $ark +e!ree Aif the Candidate is not alreadya $ark masonB and the "oyal #rch +e!ree are all covered byone fee% In !eneral the eils and the "oyal #rch are conferredat the same meetin!, and if the Candidate is not a $ark mason,the $ark +e!ree also is !iven, but in short form% It is theinclusion of the $ark +e!ree that creates difficulties for the

8n!lish visitor, who, if not a $ark mason, cannot be presentfrom the be!innin! of the ceremonies, for normal practice is toopen the chapter in the "oyal #rch, to ad1ourn to the $ark+e!ree, to close the $ark +e!ree, and then open a lod!e of8cellent $asters Afor the passin! of the veilsB% There is a chairde!ree for all de!rees of the "oyal #rch rite in Scotland, eceptfor the 8cellent $aster +e!ree, whose presidin! officer isaddressed as "i!ht .orshipful and 8cellent $aster and histwo wardens as .orshipful and 8cellent .ardens%

<>>

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T3e e!2 Cerem#!+2 !# Amer!,+ +#% -3er C#-r!e

In such a lar!e country as the 4nited States, where the affairsof "oyal #rch masonry are administered by nearly fifty separateGrand Chapters, it is inevitable that some diversities in customand practice must occur, but in !eneral the "oyal #rchceremony includes a hi!hly elaborated passin! of the veils,which seems to be based on an old Irish ceremony% There arefour veils, as in the Irish system, and the episodes are asalready described, althou!h towards the end of the ceremonialthe Candidate may be !iven the si!net of truth, a fin!er rin!

bearin! a circle enclosin! a trian!le% The officers !uardin! theveils may wear a robe and cap of the colour of their veil andmay be armed with a drawn sword%

The veils ceremonial is still worked in parts of Canada Auebec,$ontreal, and other placesB and in certain of the #ustralianchapters% In some of the chapters in ictoria, #ustralia, it isre!arded as a desirable preliminary to the "oyal #rch

ceremony, but is of a permissive character% #pparently theceremony is sometimes worked not as part of the%8altationceremony, but for the purpose of eemplifyin! the symboliclessons which !rew up around the ceremony of the veils in theearly days% .here accommodation permits the veils aresuspended in an anteroom%

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Section Ei-teen

SE7UENCE AND STEP DEGREES

+8G"88S to which attention will be devoted in this section arechiefly those that served as steps to the "%#% in the early days%The sub1ect cannot be pursued at len!th, there bein! space for

little more than an eplanation of the relationship of thesede!rees both to the Craft and to the "%#% $any of the addedde!rees not only contain "%#% elements, but include the word

&#rch' in their titles, as, for eample, "oyal #rch of 8noch and"oyal #rch of Solomon% It is a 9uestion whether certain de!reeshave borrowed from the "%#% or whether, as some studentshave thou!ht possible, they have all evolved more or less fromthe same source%

The nomenclature of the added de!rees historically associatedwith the "%#% is perplein!% .e have already seen that the *%$%+e!ree was ori!inally the &#ntient,' esoteric Installation of the$aster of a Craft lod!e% Similarly, what in Ireland was called theHi!h *riest +e!ree was in 8n!land the esoteric Installation ofthe First *rincipal% The "%#% of old had at times some curiousrelationships with some of the added de!rees, and we find astartlin! eample in Cape Town, where, early in the 53>>Ks, two

lod!es, the 4nion and the 7ritish, were each workin! the "%#%In due course the latter re!ulari/ed the position by applyin! tothe Supreme Grand Chapter for a warrant and founded theeistin! 7ritish Chapter, 0o% 66@, in 53<=% T% 0% Cranstoun)+ay,in his history of that chapter, says that the local custom was forthe members of the "ose Croi to attend the Craft od!es in

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their red robes and also to attend the chapter, even thou!hthey had never been ealted to the "%#% +e!ree, a customwhich endured until 53::%

E5,e22e#- +#% M- E5,e22e#- De/ree

There is no doubt that the '#ntients' lod!es worked a number ofde!rees under their Craft warrants, not, as has already beensaid, that these warrants mentioned any such de!rees, but thatthe &#ntient' mason took a very comprehensive view as to whatconstituted the ceremonies of the (rder% The &#ntients,' andlater the &$oderns' too, worked in addition to the Craft de!reesa *ast $aster +e!ree derived from the

<><

Installation ceremony, an 8cellent $ason or 8cellent $aster+e!ree, Super 8cellent $ason, Super 8cellent $aster or Hi!h8cellent $aster +e!ree, the "%#%, $ark, and occasionally suchfurther de!rees as ni!ht Templar, "ed Cross, and possiblyothers% # common se9uence of step de!rees was *%$%, 8cellent$aster and Super 8cellent $aster, the "%#% and other de!reesthen followin!%

How old these 8cellent and Super 8cellent de!rees are it isdifficult to say, but they certainly were known in 5DD>, andwere worked in that year in the Chapter of Friendship% A.%

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"edfern elly says that the Super 8cellent +e!ree was'conferred in 5D?: in an &#ntients' lod!e, and that in 5D:6 both8cellent and Super 8cellent were worked in a &$oderns'lod!e, but he does not state the authority%B In the early 53>>Ksone form of the 8cellent $aster's +e!ree worked in 8n!landcelebrated the completion of an arch% *illars were erected andbrid!ed with an incomplete arch, one still needin! its arch stoneor copestone, which in the course of the ceremony was put inplace% In another form this de!ree included historical incidentsto be found in the first part of the "%#%

The 8cellent $ason +e!ree as worked in 8n!land in the 53<>Ksperiod was conferred only on *%$%'s, and seemed to be only astep to another de!ree% "e!arded from any other point of view,it was very inconclusive% It led to the Super 8cellent $ason+e!ree, in which the Candidate wore the habit of a Hi!h *riest,but apparently this de!ree introduced very little new matter,but harped back to the Craft ritual and included a reference tothe point within a circle%

Some old lod!es and chapters refer not to the Super 8cellent,but to the Hi!h 8cellent +e!ree, and possibly the two wereidentical% The term &Hi!h 8cellent' appears a few times in theminutes of St *aul's od!e, 0o% 5=@, in the 535<)I6 period%

In recordin! that of fifty chapters and &#ntients' lod!es workin!

the "%#% in ancashire up to 53<? almost all of them, as from atleast 5D3>, worked the 8cellent, $ost 8cellent, and Hi!h8cellent de!rees, S% % Coulthurst says that these de!reeswere !enerally known as passin! the veils% The statement orsu!!estion that these de!rees were related to the ceremony ofpassin! the veils crops up from time to time, but the present

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author is unable to confirm it from available evidence% However,Geor!e S% +raffen, an authority on Scottish masonry, statesthat the Scottish 8cellent $aster +e!ree is actually thepassin! of the veils, and other students say the same about a'Scottish Super 8cellent +e!ree% 0either the Super 8cellent+e!ree '!iven in a well)known 8n!lish irre!ular print of about53<? nor that now included in the #merican system is a &veils'ceremony%

<>6

# minute of the 0eptune od!e, now 0o% <<, of the year 53>3is a typical &#ntients' record of a raisin! and 8altation;

*roceeded to raise 7r% Gibbs to that sublime de!ree of a$aster $ason% "eturned thanks in due form% Thenad1ourned the $aster $asons od!e O opened in the

8cellent and Hi!h 8cellent $asons +e!ree, thenproceeded to ealt5 %%% to that Sublime de!ree of an 8t OHi!h 8' $aster $asons% "eturned thanks in due form,then Closed the 7usiness and "e(pened a $aster $asonsod!e%

# se9uence of de!rees brou!ht to li!ht by 0orman "o!ers ashavin! been worked in an &#ntients' lod!e in iverpool, founded

in 5D=< and erased in 53<<, has some special points ofinterest% Here is a revealin! minute of the lod!e;

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This bein! re!ular "oyal #rch ni!ht, the od!e wasopened on the III of $asonry by 7ro% % Samuel, .%$% inthe Chair% .hen 7ros% #%7% and C%+% were duly proposed,and seconded as advocates for Holy "oyal #rch, the ballotwas in their favour and they were *ast the Chair, and aod!e of *ast $asters was formed and they wereentrusted with the *%$% de!ree% The od!e was thenclosed on the III of $asonry and the Chapter was openedon the 8cellent Super 8cellent de!ree of masons, whenthe above 7rothers were balloted for and approved2 theywere then passed throu!h the three veils of the templeand into the Holy of Holies2 the Chapter was then closedon the 8cellent de!ree and opened on the H%"%#%

Chapter, when the above 7rothers with ama/in! skill andcoura!e received the (rder of "%#%$% 0othin! further for"%#%, the Chapter was closed%

T3e K#!/3- Temp2+r De/ree !# Re2+-!# - -3e R.A.

The most important of the chivalric $asonic orders, the ni!htsTemplar, is probably youn!er by twenty years or so thanrecorded "%%#% masonry, but it is well proven that the twode!rees were closely related in their early days and that in the5D3>Ks the "%#% was 1ust as essential a preliminary to theni!hts Templar as it is to)day% $embers of the %T% are eli!iblefor the ni!hts of $alta, one other de!ree of which we find

mention late in the ei!hteenth century% It has been stated thatthe Scottish od!e of St #ndrews, of 7oston, $assachusetts,had in 5D:= an "%#% meetin! at which the de!ree of %T% wasconferred2 possibly the de!ree had been introduced by an Irishlod!e in the <=th "e!iment stationed at 7oston in that year% #well)known minute of the Chapter of Friendship, *ortsmouth, of

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(ctober <5, 5DD3, 9uotes a letter from +unckerley statin! thatwe mi!ht make ni!ht Templers if we wanted and it wasresolved to Asee p% <>:B%

5 Sometimes pass is used%

<>@

# common se9uence of de!rees in the 5D3> period followin!the three Craft de!rees was the *%$%, the %T%, and the "%#% Foreample, the &#ntients' od!e of #nti9uity, now 0o% 5@:Afounded in 5DD: at ei!h, ancs, and moved to 7olton in5D3:B, worked in the latter year a lon! se9uence includin!"oyal #rch and ni!ht Templar, while an attached chapterA$elchisedec2 ceased in 53:>B worked a de!ree known as theHoly "%#% ni!ht Templar *riest% 8lsewhere in ancashire similarse9uences were worked in both &#ntients' and &$oderns' lod!esand chapters% (f the representative minutes to be found in theIrish lod!es here is one relatin! to od!e 5>5<, of the year

53@?, typical of many;

.illiam Hopkin passed the Chair, was made an 8cellentSuper 8cellent $ason, .ent throu!h the ist second andthird ails of the Temple, was made a "oyal #rch $asonand conse9uently +ubbed a ni!ht of the royal #rchni!ht Templars, and has paid all demands that the od!ere9uires Q5 ; 55; @;

If at first si!ht the fee is thou!ht to be low let it be comparedwith that char!ed in another lod!e on an occasion in 53<Dwhen a Candidate was passed to the chair and to the de!ree of

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8cellent and Super 8cellent, passed the First, Second, andThird eils of the Temple, and was then #rched and ni!hted) alto!ether si different ceremonies on the same evenin! ) for?s% ?d%L

The spread of the Templar de!rees in association with the "oyal#rch was due in lar!e part, it is thou!ht, to the movements ofmilitary re!iments, for in their lod!es and chapters the &#ntient'workin! was predominant% The "ose Croi is believed to havebeen ori!inally a Templar de!ree%

The association of the "oyal #rch with the ni!hts Templars+e!rees in Ireland must have been very close% In the 53>>period, for eample, a de!ree known as the Sacred 7and "oyal#rch ni!hts Templars, *riests after the (rder of $elchisedec,issued certificates referrin! to the 8arly Grand 8ncampmentand startin! with these words; .isdom bath built her house,she hath hewn out her seven pillars2 the li!ht that cometh fromwisdom shall never !o out% The certificates mentioned the

Christian (rder of $elchisedec, spoke of our faithful andwell)beloved 7rother and cemented friend Athe ealteeB, andprayed that the choicest blessin!s of the 8ternal Three in (nemay attend on all those who may in any wise be serviceable tohim%

T3e Re% Cr De/ree !# Re2+-!# - -3e R.A.

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*hillip Crossle is the authority for the statement that in 8n!landas well as in Ireland late in the ei!hteenth century and early inthe nineteenth

<>?

century a ceremony known as the "ed Cross $ason wasworked in what was termed an 'encampment' of "%#% masons%He indicates that the "ed Cross $ason +e!ree had previouslybeen known as the Super 8cellent and that it was worked inan encampment in which three symbolic deputy Grand $asterswere placed in the 8ast% The *resident was a Captain General,sometimes called the "oyal #rch Captain, supported by Firstand Second ieutenants% In Scotland, too, many early "%#%'Chapters' met in 'encampments%' .e are told that the Chapterof *aradise, a '$oderns' Chapter, then 0o%III and now 0o% 56=,attached to 7ritannia od!e, Sheffield, called its meetin!s'encampments' and, in the very early days of the nineteenthcentury, always held these encampments on Sundays%

There seems to have been ar!ument as to whether the "edCross should precede or follow the "%#%, and at about the closeof the ei!hteenth century there are instances of a se9uence ofde!rees endin! with the "ed Cross which would place thatde!ree as a 9ualification for the "%#% The od!e of Friendship, a'$oderns' lod!e, which later united with an '#ntients' lod!e to

become what is now 0o% 63, provided in 5356 a typicalse9uence; -ohn 0ewman, a ondon banker, was initiated, madea F%C% and a $aster $ason, a *%$% of #rts and Sciences, andthen initiated as ni!ht of the "ed Cross, all on the oneoccasion% Here the "ed Cross would be a preliminary to the

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"%#%, but it is to be epected that in some other cases this orderwas reversed%

T3e M+r De/ree !# Re2+-!# - -3e R.A.

It is well accepted that the "%#% was a factor in the creation ofthe $ark +e!ree, which in 8n!land is first heard of in 5D:= andin a '$oderns' od!e, whereas in Ireland, which in so manyrespects adhered to the '#ntients' system, the $ark was notofficially known until 53@?% -% Heron epper says that as late as53D> there were certain outlyin! chapters in Ireland which haddifficulty in findin! a 7rother able to confer the de!ree% The$ark +e!ree in its early days was closely related to the "%#%The earliest known reference to $ark masonry is in a cipherminute of the Chapter of Friendship, in the year 5D:=% Theminute, translated, reveals that;

#t a "(E# #"CH Chapter held at the Geor!e Tavern in*ortsmouth on First Sept' 5D:= %%% The *ro G%$% TH($#S+40C8"8E bro't the .arrant of the Chapter, and havin!lately rec'd the '$#",' he made the bre'n '$#"$#S(0S' and '$#" $#ST8"S,' and each chuse their'$#"%'

Further, under date -uly <5, 5DD5, it is learned that three7rethren were made $ark masons and $ark $asters, also "%#%masons and 8cellent

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<>:

and Super 8cellent masons% In this same chapter a minuteAalready !ivenB of (ctober <5, 5DD3, records that the J% read aletter from Com% +40C8"8E, that we mi!ht make 0IGHTT8$*8"S if we wanted and it was resolved to % % % ATwo7rethren took the $#", and each chose his mark2 one of thetwo was made #"CH net time%B

There is a clear indication in the 53<> period that the "%#% andthe $ark +e!rees were still intermin!led with the Craft, and wefind repeated references to these de!rees bein! conferred on7rethren in both re!ular and emer!ency meetin!s% AIt is worthnotin!, by the way, that "%#% certificates of the period ofteninclude the phrase Given under our Hands and $asonic $ark inChapter this ZZZZday of ZZZZ% Certificates issued by the old#lbion Chapter, 0o% =, &#ntients,' eemplify this%B

In 7enevolence od!e, now 0o% <<:, five 7rethren were made$ark masons on (ctober 5:, 53<?% #t one meetin! in 53<Dthe 7rothers met on the $aster's $ark% 0othin! could beclearer than a minute of #u!ust' 6>, 53<=; 7ro% Thos% Taylortook the de!ree of *ass M*astN $aster and, afterwards took thede!ree of $ark $ason and also the de!ree of #rch $ason)andall these in an &#ntients' lod!e !oin! back no further than%5D=D, the year in which it was founded in 7lackburn, ancs%

In a much older &#ntients' lod!e, the $ount $oriah, 0o% 6@,founded; at the Ship and #nchor Inn, Gun +ock, .appin!, in5DD?, there are references in 5D33 and onward to the8cellent, Hi!h 8cellent, and $ark $ason +e!rees, the first

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two bein! prere9uisites for the $ark% Similar entries are to befound in the minutes of other &#ntients' lod!es of the period% #sshowin! the very close conneion between the $ark and the"%#; even as late as the 53::)3D period, there is a minute ofthe Serendib Chapter, Ceylon, showin! that the chapter hadbeen opened by virtue, and was then lowered to the $ark+e!ree2 if necessary, the chapter would afterwards be openedin due form%

$uch has, been said and written on the sub1ect of the Harodim+e!ree Athere are various spellin!s, such as Herodim,

Herodium, Heredim, and HeredomB, a de!ree which may havecome between the Fellow Craft and the $aster $ason, waspossibly an early form of $ark, and may have included $arked$asons% It is not within the province of this book to deal atlen!th with the Harodim +e!ree, but it should be said that oneversion of it embodied the idea of the Hiramic +e!ree2 the lossand findin! of the word2 and even a $ark idea, the re1ection ofthe stoneL In the "estoration od!e, +arlin!ton, in the 5D3>Ks,and perhaps even earlier, the Harodim +e!ree was aprere9uisite for the "oyal #rch, and is thou!ht to have includedthe (ld $ark, #rk, and ink% It should be stated, however, thatarodim, a plural word, is derived from 5 in!s v, 5:2 thechiefs or princes over the work of buildin! the Temple at-erusalem

<>D

were so named, and #nderson in his Constitutions uses theword in this sense% It has been said that from a rite Aworkedchiefly in the 0orth of 8n!landB known by this name came partof the "oyal #rch and other ceremonies, but the &facts' are few

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and confusin!, and, indeed, the later Harodim ceremonies maywell have been influenced by the "oyal #rch% However, somestudents hold very definite opinions in this matter, as, foreample, .illiam .aples, who has told the present author thata perusal of the minute)books of the od!e of Industry, 0o% @3Afounded in +urham in 5D6?B, *hoeni od!e, 0o% =@ Afoundedin Sunderland in 5D??B, and Sea Captains' od!e, now *alatineod!e, 0o% =D Aalso of Sunderland, founded 5D?DB, showsclearly how the old Harodim system was divided into what arenow separate (rders of masonry, and, further, that the "oyal#rch and its subse9uent development were ori!inally part ofthe Harodim% AThe Grand Chapter of Harodim, founded by.illiam *reston in ondon in 5D3D, was an or!ani/ation with an

instructional purpose, and has no bearin! on the ar!ument%B

In 8n!land nowadays the $aster $ason is 9ualified to becomeeither a $ark mason or a "%#% mason and in the order that heprefers, but in Scotland, Ireland, and the 4%S%#% the $ark, as' inthe ei!hteenth century, instill a preliminary to the "%#%

Cr!#/ -3e Br!%/e

In some early "%#% and $ark rituals, and even in to)day's#merican "%#% ritual, the Candidate is made to cross a brid!e,!enerally of a shaky and decrepit condition% .e are reminded in% C% .imber's 'ol$ Lore in the +nglish and /cottish 5allads thatthe symbolism of crossin! the brid!e !oes back into the ancientmysteries% The $ohammedans held that the road to *aradiseincluded a brid!e laid over the midst of Hell, a brid!e finer thana hair and sharper than the ed!e of a sword and beset with

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briars and hooked thorns which would offer no impediment tothe !ood but would entan!le the wicked, who, missin! theirfootin!, would fall headlon! into Hell% The $a!i, a priestly casteof the $edes and *ersians, tau!ht that, on the last day, allmankind will be obli!ed to pass a strai!ht brid!e in the midst ofwhich will be an!els who will re9uire of every one a strictaccount of his actions, while the -ews speak of the 7rid!e ofHell, no broader than a thread, from which the idolaters will fallinto perdition% Folklore contains many references to suchbrid!es%

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Se,-!# N!#e-ee#

THE IRISH ROYAL ARCH

TH8 "oyal #rch in Ireland has a lon! history% The Eou!halreference to the "oyal #rch in 5D@6, the Eou!hal minute of5D?=, Fifield +assi!ny's book of 5D@@ ) all these have already

been cited in this book as indicatin! the early ac9uaintance ofthe Irish freemason with the "oyal #rch ceremony% Ireland tookits Craft freemasonry from 8n!land in the 5D<6 period,probably via 7ristol% The Irish freemasons were far fromappreciatin! the condescension of the 8n!lish Grand od!e,whose Constitutions of 5D63 announced that the lod!es ofScotland, Ireland, France, and Italy were affectin!independency2 behind this curious phrase there lay theimplication that there was one Grand od!e, the 8n!lish, and

that all others owed alle!iance to it% The alterations made bythe premier Grand od!e in its effort to fi!ht clandestinemasonry alienated masons in 8n!land and many othercountries, particularly Ireland, and it inevitably followed that assoon as the &#ntients' Grand od!e of 8n!land found itselfestablished it entered into close association with the Irish Grandod!e, which body, early in 5D?3, wrote statin! that itmutually concurred in a strict union with the &#ntients' Grandod!e, and promised to keep in constant correspondence with

it% In 5DD< there came about a reciprocal arran!ement bywhich Irish masons in 8n!land and the &#ntient' masons inIreland received all the honours due to a faithful 7rother of thesame Household with us% In the followin! year the Grand$aster of Scotland wrote epressin! the wish to establish

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7rotherly Intercourse and Correspondence and repeatin! thephraseolo!y of the Irish Grand od!e's letter%

Thus we find the &#ntients' reco!ni/in! fully and completely thesister Grand od!es of Ireland and Scotland, but in this mutualreco!nition there was a remarkable anomaly; in 8n!lishmasonry a !reat, and perhaps the !reatest, difficulty as theei!hteenth century developed was the &#ntients' love of the"oyal #rch and the &$oderns' hostility to it% Eet the Grandod!es of Ireland and Scotland officially re!arded the "oyal#rch more or less as the &$oderns' didL In 8n!land the

&$oderns' did not officially cease their hostility until 5356, but inIreland, whose Grand od!e was, also officially, 1ust as hostileto the "oyal #rch, there

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<>=

was no Grand Chapter until 53<=, and in Scotland none until535D, in which latter year some, but far from all, of the Scottishchapters came into one 1urisdiction%

The !ood understandin! between the &#ntients' and the IrishGrand od!e is best eemplified in the fraterni/ation of theirmilitary lod!es abroad% Here is a revealin! eample; The Irishmilitary lod!es stationed at Gibraltar in the 5D=>'s supportedthe &#ntients' *rovincial Grand od!e of #ndalusia Aa division ofSouthern SpainB, paid contributions to the &#ntients' Grandod!e in ondon, althou!h retainin! their Irish alle!iance, andwere ordered by their own Grand od!e to submit to the rulin!

of the *rovincial Grand od!e of #ndalusiaL

In the decades immediately before the end of the century theofficial Irish attitude to the "oyal #rch was frankly hostile% In5D3: the Grand od!e banned "oyal #rch entries in lod!eminute)books, althou!h in the followin! year, and a!ain in53>?, it tried, but failed, to !ain control of the "oyal #rch andother de!rees% (n -une 55, 53<=, fifty)three chapters

constituted themselves into a Supreme Grand "oyal #rchChapter Afollowin! the pattern of Supreme Grand Chapter of8n!land that had been founded about twelve years beforeB% Ithas been said that the new Grand Chapter was !iven theblessin! and approval of the Irish Grand od!e, but at thebe!innin! it had very little power, althou!h it could issue

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warrants% Its officers were three Grand *rincipals, threeSo1ourners, First and Second Scribes, with a Hi!h *riest asChaplain% .hen, in +ecember 53<=, the re!ulations wereformally adopted 5?3 chapters had already applied forwarrants% In the followin! year it resolved that reco!nition berefused to chapters that were without warrants and that thepresidin! officers of subordinate chapters be styled Grand$asters, and not Hi!h *riests%

$any +ublin lod!es 9uite early in the 53>>Ks were workin! the"oyal #rch, two of them bein! known as "oyal #rch od!es,

but an a!reement which was bound, in the lon! run, to kill theold custom of conferrin! the de!ree in lod!e was arrived at in536@, by which time the Grand $aster and his deputy ACraftBhad automatically become Grand *rincipals% This a!reement, tobe found in print in the Irish !himan #e6on of 536=, providesthat Companions ecluded or suspended or restored by GrandChapter should suffer the like treatment by Grand od!e andvice versa2 no lod!e could hold a chapter unless it hadpreviously obtained a warrant for it, but in practice this law wasoften disre!arded%

#lthou!h the Grand Chapter came into eistence in 53<= withthe Irish Grand od!e's blessin! and approval, not until 5=65,5>< years later, did the Grand od!e, in response to a memorialsupplicatin! it to reco!ni/e the "oyal #rch de!rees, add thisnew law A0o% <#B;

<5>

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*ure #ncient $asonry consists of the followin! +e!reesand no others, vi/; ) The 8ntered #pprentice, the FellowCraft, the $aster $ason and the Installed $aster, but thede!rees of "%#% and $ark $aster $ason shall also bereco!ni/ed so lon! as the Supreme Grand "oyal #rchChapter of Ireland shall only work those two de!rees inthe form in which they are worked at the passin! of thisaw%

The Irish Grand od!e based its custom of issuin! warrantsupon that of the &#ntients%' (ver a lon! period the ordinary

lod!e warrant was re!arded)at any rate by the lod!esthemselves)as conferrin! the ri!ht to work the "oyal #rch andsuch other unspecified de!rees as were customary at the time,and it is known, for eample, that 7elfast lod!es and chaptersin 53@< were conferrin! the de!ree of ni!hts Templar undertheir ordinary warrants%

#s from the establishment of the Grand Chapter in 53<= the

Craft lod!e warrant was commonly called a 7lue .arrantA#merican practice perpetuates thisB, and the chapter warrant a "ed .arrant% The term Craft .arrant was not usedofficially of an Irish warrant until 53D?%

S-ep +#% -3er De/ree !# Ire2+#%

The "oyal #rch became in 9uite early days popular in Ireland inspite of the lack of official reco!nition, and in the course oftime, and probably as a reflection of 8n!lish practice, it

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!athered to itself a small collection of added de!rees, some ofthem step de!rees leadin! up from the Craft, while others wereChristian de!rees to which the "oyal #rch itself acted as anintroduction% That no secret was made of the eistence of thesede!rees is obvious from the followin! advertisement in +ublin

1ournals of 5DD@;

The ni!hts Templars of Ireland, "oyal #rch, 8cellent andSuper 8cellent Free and #ccepted $asons, od!e 0o%Sob, intend dinin! to!ether at their od!e)room, at theThatched Cabin, Castle St%, on Friday, <@th instant to

celebrate the Festival of St% -ohn2 Such of the Fraternityas chuse to +ine with them are re9uested to leave their0ames at the 7ar two days before, Si!ned by (rder, -%(%8%G%S% +inner to be on the Table at Four o'Clock%

A8%G%S% would represent 8cellent Grand Scribe%B

The "ose Croi is believed to have been introduced into +ublinin 5D3< ) years before any trace of the +e!ree, or the "ite towhich it belon!s, is found in any other 8n!lish)speakin!

1urisdiction, says Chetwode Crawley%

There was the customary se9uence of de!rees at the makin! ofa "oyal #rch mason in a Craft lod!e in ifford, County +one!al,

in 5D3?, when

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a 7rother was made 8cellent and Super 8cellent before hewas ealted in a Craft lod!e% In 5D3: the title)pa!e of the

by)laws of Irish lod!e 0o% :<> mentioned the above de!rees,and followed them with the ni!hts Templar2 then, bearin! date5D3=, a parchment certificate is impressed with the Craft, "oyal#rch, and ni!hts Templar seals of the od!e% The ni!htTemplar +e!ree was commonly conferred in Irish "oyal #rchchapters2 indeed, in 536: it was irre!ular to attach a ni!htTemplar encampment to a lod!e that had no "oyal #rch chapterconnected with it%

7ana!her od!e, 0o% 6>:, opened and closed a *ast $aster'sod!e in -une 5D=@2 then it opened a "oyal #rch chapter andconfirmed the proceedin!s of the last chapter and of the *%$%'sod!e2 7rethren who had been advanced to the Chair +e!reewere then made "%#% masons, the fee bein! two pounds% Thechapter funds were combined with those of the lod!e, bothbein! held for the common !ood, and chapter and lod!e weresub1ect to the same laws so far as they were consistent%

The minutes of a lod!e or chapter at Castle 7ar in the year535: appear to be typical% Two 7rethren were ealted to the+e!ree of "oyal #rch Super 8cellent $ason% The Hi!h *riest!ave a lecture and the chapter was closed, after which theod!e was transferred to the Third or $aster's +e!ree of$asonry% The chief officer was the Hi!h *riest, and assistin!

him were the First, Second, and Third Grand $asters% (therminutes of this lod!e are on similar lines%

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There was a tendency for the 8cellent and Super 8cellent+e!rees to disappear as such from the Irish "%#% They are notmentioned in the Irish !himan #e6on of 536=, and it was atone time presumed that officially they were etinct in the53@>Ks, but lod!e minutes still show them as bein! worked% Inod!e 5>5< in 53@6 a 7rother passed the chair, was made8cellent and Super 8cellent, passed the First, Second, andThird eils of the Temple, was made an "%#% mason andsubse9uently a ni!ht Templar2 two years later, in this lod!e, a7rother passed throu!h the same se9uence and paid as fees Q555s% @d%

T3e H!/3 Pr!e-' P!-!#

The principal officer of an Irish chapter was the Hi!h *riest, andthis was so for a lon! period, but the Irish Grand od!eAfounded in 53<=B brou!ht about an alteration and ordered that

the presidin! officers of subordinate chapters should be knownas Grand $asters, with the result that the Hi!h *riest sank tothe bottom of the list of the nine officers then ordained% #tthe same time the names of the *rincipals in an 8n!lish chapterbe!an to be heard in the Irish chapters, but this introductionwas not popular and not everywhere adopted% The Hi!h *riest,who had been

<5<

the chief officer of the assembly, chapter, or lod!e Aall threeterms were in vo!ueB had in some cases now become simply

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the Chaplain, but it was difficult for the Scribe 8% always toremember the alteration, and his minutes were sub1ect tova!aries in this particular matter% 7y 53?3 the presidin! officersin 9uite a number of chapters were still known as the First,Second, and Third *rincipals, the Hi!h *riest takin! a minorplace, but, followin! the work of a special committee, anadditional officer ) the in! ) became in 53:5):< the First*rincipal, while the Chief Scribe, who since 536= had beenseventh in the list, advanced to third place% The So1ourners, socalled, now disappeared, and as such have no place in Irishritual to)day, the 7rethren assistin! the Candidate in therepairin! of the Temple bein! known as Craftsmen%

There was a period early in the nineteenth century when manyInstalled $asters found themselves, as a result of lack offacilities for obtainin! instruction, incapable of conferrin!de!rees, and had to resort to the services of some epert7rother, in which conneion -% Heron epper has eplained thatthe $aster continued to preside over the lod!e, but there was a+e!ree Giver, who remained close to the Candidate allthrou!h the ceremony, an arran!ement favoured by the form ofan Irish lod!e% The followin! brief etracts from Irish minutesillustrate the point; .orshipful #%7% in the Chair% C%+% and 8%F%was Initiated by -as% uinn A536@B2 a ni!ht of emer!ency%7ro% #%7% in the Chair% % % % 7ro% C%+% was made a "oyal #rch$ason and conse9uently $ade a ni!ht Templar mason%"eceived the instructions from 7ro% G%H% A53@>B2 7ro% C%+%was made a $aster $ason%%%% 7ro G%H% done the business thatwas re9uired A53@<B2 three 7rethren were made pass mastersin the Chair, etc%%%% paid 7ro% G%H% ?s for !ivin! instructions this

ni!ht A53@6B2 !ave 7ro% G%H% 55@Wd% for his trouble tocome to instruct the od!e A53>6B% A#ll these minutes aremore fully 9uoted in #%%C%, vol% v, p% 536%B It !oes withoutsayin! that the custom is now obsolete% AThere are still someaspects of masonry in the relatively lar!e #merican lod!es

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which apparently reflect but do not 9uite reproduce the oldIrish custom%B

T3e T3ree Pr!#,!p+2

The First *rincipal of an Irish chapter has always, ri!ht back tothe earliest days, been a *ast $aster in the Craft, actual orvirtual, and the secret instructions relatin! to all three chairsare essentially the same, irrespective of names anddesi!nations, as in Irish, 8n!lish, and Scottish constitutions%However Aby special permission of the Irish Grand ChapterBneither the Second nor the Third *rincipal is necessarily a *ast$aster, but, if he is not, he must so inform any chapter underanother 1urisdiction

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which he may happen to visit% #ll three must be $ark $aster$asons and have been re!istered as $aster $asons for fiveyears at least% The 8cellent in! elect must also have servedthe office of Hi!h *riest or Chief Scribe and have been installedas $aster in a $ark lod!e%

There is a !eneral impression that esoteric ceremoniesassociated with the *rincipals' chairs are, in !eneral, not olderthan fairly late in the nineteenth century2 a ritual of 53:@includes a ceremony for the Installation of a in!, within a

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"oyal #rch Chapter, and it is known that somewhere about the53!>Ks all *rincipal (fficers of subordinate Irish chapters had tobe re)obli!ated in order to conform to an arran!ement arrivedat between the Grand Chapters of Ireland and 8n!land2 prior tothat period it is likely that only the in! and not the other*rincipals was obli!ated%

The chief officers of an Irish chapter nowadays are the in!,Hi!h *riest, and Chief Scribe% (ther officers are the Captain ofthe Host, Superintendent of the Tabernacle, "%#% Captain, threeCaptains of the eils, the "e!istrar, and the 1anitor2 there may

also be a Treasurer and a Chaplain% 4p to 5=<< the Three*rincipals collectively were addressed as Eour 8cellenciesand the First *rincipal as $ost 8cellent in!, but nowadays theterm $ost 8cellent is reserved for the Three Grand*rincipals, ery 8cellent for Grand (fficers, and 8cellentfor *rincipals of subordinate chapters%

Gr+#% O00!,er

The chief officers of the Grand Chapter are the $ost 8cellentGrand in!, Hi!h *riest, and Chief Scribe% The most importantof the Grand (fficers are the Grand in!, his +eputy, GrandFirst *rincipals of +istrict Grand Chapters, *rovincial GrandSuperintendents, the Grand Hi!h *riest, the Grand Chief ScribeAall $ost 8cellentsB2 the Grand Treasurer, the Grand"e!istrar, the Grand +irector of Ceremonies, the GrandChaplain Aall "i!ht 8cellentsB2 the Grand Captain of the Host,the Grand Superintendent of the Tabernacle, the Grand "oyal#rch Captain, the Grand Captain of the Scarlet eil, and the

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Grand Captain of the *urple eil and the Grand Captain of the7lue eil Aall ery 8cellents B2 then the GrandStandard)bearers, the Grand -anitor, the Grand ery 8cellent"e!istrar of the Grand Chapter of Instruction, +istrict Grand(fficers, (fficers of the Grand $aster's Chapter, and the8cellent in!, Hi!h *riest, and Chief Scribe of everysubordinate chapter% Grand (fficers are nominated at the -ulyconvocation of Supreme Grand Chapter every year, elected atthe 0ovember convocation, and installed and inducted inFebruary% AThe remainin! Stated Convocation of GrandChapter is in $ay%B

<5@

Chapter officers are elected annually, and their names must beapproved by Supreme Grand Chapter before Installation Aifoverseas, then by the *rovincial Grand SuperintendentB% 8achof them must be a subscribin! member of a Craft lod!e, in!ood standin!, and not in arrears in any lod!e or chapter% #

*rincipal (fficer cannot resi!n office until the termination of theyear for which he has been elected2 in his absence a *ast in!shall rule the chapter%

C2-3!#/

The full(dress apron of the (rder is of white lambskin, 5<inches to 5@ inches deep and from 5@ inches to 5: inches wide,bordered with scarlet ribbon < inches broad, havin! in thecentre half)inch !old lace2 the flap has a border 5l inches broad

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and carries a trian!le of silk or satin, ed!ed with a !old border,and within the trian!le, the triple tau, of !old)span!ledembroidery% The silk or satin !round is scarlet for in!s and*ast in!s and white for all other Companions%

The sash, of plain scarlet ribbon @ inches broad, is worn underthe coat from ri!ht shoulder to left hip, and has a triple tau atthe tie% The sashes of Grand (fficers, etc%, includin! those ofin!s, have their ends trimmed with !old frin!e < inches deep2the sashes of all other Companions have a silk frin!e%

Collars carry either three or two bands of half)inch !old laceaccordin! to the importance of office2 chains of office and!auntlets are worn by the more important Grand (fficers%

1ewels of office are suspended from collars of scarlet)ribbedsilk, trimmed with half)inch !old lace and, in the case of Grand

(fficers, etc%, !old frin!e < inches deep%

The 1ewel of the (rder is worn on the left breast)onCompanions it is pendant from a white ribbon2 on the *rincipal(fficers, etc%, from a scarlet ribbon% AGrand Chapter specifiesthe apron and 1ewels of office to be worn by $ark $asters%B

T3e C+#%!%+-e +#% 3! Q+2!0!,+-!#

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# Candidate for the "oyal #rch must have been re!istered as a$aster $ason for si months Aone month for 0aval, $ilitary, or#ir Force 7rethrenB, and must be a $ark $aster $ason and asubscribin! member of a Craft lod!e% The $ark $aster $ason+e!ree must be worked under the 1urisdiction of Grand Chapterand conferred only on 7rethren who are $aster $asons andwho actually have been proposed and balloted for 8altation inchapter2 7rethren either residin! in +ublin or proposed for8altation in a +ublin chapter must be approved by theCommittee of

<5?

Inspection, consistin! of the Grand (fficers and the in! ofevery subordinate chapter meetin! in the +ublin district% Itmeets monthly and does not consider a Candidate until after hehas been balloted for and approved by the chapter which heproposes to 1oin%

The chapter ballot takes place in the presence of either theproposer or the seconder2 every member present must ballot2the Candidate fails to be elected if there are more than twone!atives in the ballot%

The de!ree is not conferred upon more than three Candidates

at one time, and neither the $ark nor the "%#% +e!ree may bedivided or curtailed%

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# memorial for a warrant to constitute a new chapter must besi!ned by at least nine "%#% masons, who must also be $arkmasons and $aster $asons of at least five years' standin! andbe subscribin! members of a lod!e under the Irish Constitution%

Cerem#!+2( E5+2-+-!# Cerem#( e-,.

The Irish Grand Chapter prescribes approved ceremonies forconstitutin! new chapters and for installin! officers andprescribes the prayers and char!es and the Scriptural readin!sused in chapters% Indeed, every chapter is re9uired to conformwith the established ritual, failure involvin! a fine or even thecancellin! or suspension of the warrant% Further, all matters ofritual or ceremony are sub1ect to the approval of the GrandChapter of Instruction, which consists of the most important ofthe Grand Chapter (fficers to!ether with other eperienced7rethren of rank and standin! elected for the purpose%

The 9uorum for a chapter is si Companions, includin! theThree *rincipal (fficers, but for conferrin! a de!ree nine mustbe present durin! the entire ceremony%

A# O-2!#e 0 -3e E5+2-+-!# Cerem#

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The (penin! Ceremony includes reference to the Captains ofthe eils and their places, one outside the blue, one outside thepurple, and one outside the scarlet veils, their duties bein! to!uard their veils% The colours of the veils are symbolic% Theplace of the "oyal #rch Captain is outside the white veil ApurityBat the entrance to the council chamber, and his duty is to !uardthat veil% The Captain of the Host has a place in front of theThree *rincipal (fficers% The Chief Scribe is in the 8ast, at theleft hand of the 8cellent in!, the Hi!h *riest bein! at his ri!hthand% The ealtee wears the $ark $aster $ason's apron% #nofficer of considerable importance is the Conductor, whose dutyis to announce and instruct the ealtee,

<D:

to lead him in a devious way and introduce him to the veilswhich he duly passes% The ealtee is encoura!ed to perseverein his desire to recover that which was lost and to en!a!e in thesearch for truth% Thou!h there are no &So1ourners' so called,

Companions act with the ealtee to brin! the number ofCraftsmen to three% The Craftsmen, havin! be!!ed permissionto assist in the work of repairin! the Temple, are !ivenimplements as in the 8n!lish rite, but the eplanations aredifferent% Symbolically, the pick roots out from our minds allevil thou!hts2 the shovel clears away from our minds therubbish of passion and pre1udice2 and the crowbar raises ourdesires above the interests of this life, the better to prepare forthe search after knowled!e and the reception of truth and

reli!ion%

The discoveries are dramati/ed more or less in view of thechapter% The Craftsmen, standin! on what is represented to be

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part of the foundations of the Temple, clear away the rubbishand raise a stone slab which !ives entrance to an arched vault%The ealtee is actually lowered into the vault, and there hemakes certain discoveries, amon! them bein! the s9uares ofthe three Grand $asters2 ancient coins of Israel and Tyre2 amedal bearin! the interlaced trian!les and the triple tau2 aplate of !old on which is en!raved the sacred Tetra!rammaton2a cubical stone on which has been sculptured certain initialletters2 and, lastly, a copy of the Sacred aw% The laterdevelopment of the ceremony is on familiar lines% The sash, aseplained, is worn from the ri!ht shoulder so that the triple taucomes at the left hip%

R+2 Ar,3 Cer-!0!,+-e

The earliest)known $asonic certificates are Irish, and all theIrish "#% certificates have a style of their own% Here is one

dated 5D=?, issued in Cookstown, County Tyrone;

.e the Hi!h *riest O O O of the "oyal #rch Super 8L8ncampment of 0o% ??6 (n the "e!istry of Ireland +oCertify that ) ) ) past $aster of said od!e O .as by usInstalled and Initiated Into that $ost 0oble O Sublime+e!ree of "oyal #rch Super 8t $asonry he havin!suported the #ma/in! tryal attendin! his #dmittion .ithcoura!e fortitude #nd aliour O as such .e "ecommendhim to all .orthy "oyal #rch Super 8t $asons "ound theGlobe2 Given 4nder (ur Hands O Seal of (ur GrandCharter Held In the house of 7r -as Gray In Cookstown In

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the County of tyrone In Ireland, this 55th +ay of $ay5D=? O of "oyal #rch Super 8t $asonry 6D=?%

This is si!ned by officers describin! themselves as Hi!h *riest,Grand $aster, Senior .arden, -unior .arden, and Secretary%

# second eample, dated 53>5, is a certificate preserved atFreemasons'

<5D

Hall, ondon2 it is printed Aecept for names and dateB on alar!e sheet of paper bearin! more than fifty symbolicillustrations;

In the name of the $ost Holy and 4ndivided Trinity,Father, Son and Holy Ghost% .e, the Hi!h *riest, CaptainGeneral, and Grand $asters of a "oyal #rchSuper)ecellent $asons 8ncampment and Grand#ssembly of ni!ht Templars under the sanction of theCarrickfer!us, the 7lue MCraftN od!e, 0o% <?6, on the"e!istry of the Grand od!e of Ireland, do hereby certifythat our beloved 7rother the .orshipful Sir *eter $athews

havin! duly passed the chair of the aforesaid od!e wasarched a "oyal #rch Super)ecellent $ason, and wassubse9uently dubbed a ni!ht of the $ost 0oble and.orshipful (rder of ni!hts Templars, after havin!withstood with skill, fortitude, and valour, the ama/in!trials attendin! his admission% Given under our hands and

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the seals of our Grand 8ncampment and #ssemblyaforesaid this <ist day of #u!ust, 53>5% #%% ?3>5

This is si!ned by officers describin! themselves as Hi!h *riest,Captain General, and two Grand $asters%

# third eample, a certificate issued by a chapter in .eford in53?>, well maintains the hyperbolical lan!ua!e;

.8 the HIGH *"I8ST, etc, etc, of the Grand Chapter of"(E# #"CH super)ecellent $#S(0S, of od!e 36D, inthe Town of .eford and on the "e!istry of I"8#0+, +(hereby certify the 7earer hereof, our trusty andwell)beloved 7rother *ast $aster of said od!e, was by usI0ST#8+, and I0ITI#T8+ in that most noble andsublime +e!ree2 he havin! with due Honour and 1ustice tothe "oyal Community, truly supported the ama/in! Tryals

of Skill and alour attendin! his admission2 and as suchwe him recommend to all true and faithful "(E# #"CHS4*8")8C880T 7"(TH8"S around the Globe%

#lthou!h the above certificate is of comparatively late date, it issi!ned by the Hi!h *riest, the "oyal #rch Captain, the Grand$aster, and Senior and -unior Grand .ardens, all of themofficers of the lod!e%

# certificate issued by 7allina od!e, 0o% ?@3, in 53<>, includesa recommendation of the 7rother to all the Sublime od!esand brethren who understand the an!les and s9uares of 6 6%

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A# Ir!3 M+#!, F#er+2

Funerals of prominent and well)beloved 7rethren andCompanions were fre9uently of an imposin! order% The imerickHerald, in two issues of the year 53<> recordin! the death andfuneral of Francis .heeler, described at len!th the elaboratefuneral procession, with its three bands, that accompanied thecoffin to its restin!)place, and particularly mentioned theinclusion of the "oyal #rch, with the od!e within, borne bytwo

<53

7rethren and covered with crape% #pparently there was aprinted order of procession, and this included a monody Aanode epressin! !riefB, in which occurs a reminder of an ancientfuneral custom;

The wands there bro$n for the dead

'ormd #oyal !rches oer his head%

+urin! some hundreds of years there was a custom by which achief mourner ) perhaps one whose authority passed with thedeath of the individual then bein! buried ) broke his wand of

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office and threw the fra!ments into the !rave% (ther instancesare !iven in the present author's earlier book%

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Section T(ent!

THE SCOTTISH ROYAL ARCH

Sub1ect to some elements of doubt eplained in earlier pa!es, itis known that there was an "%#% lod!e in Scotland in 5D@6 ) thelod!e at Stirlin!, which mi!ht therefore claim to be the

oldest)known "oyal #rch body in the world% 8ven admittin! thedoubt, Scotland's place in "%#% history remains a hi!h andhonoured one, althou!h, truth to tell, the facts of that historyhave been difficult to come by, and it is therefore all the morenecessary to make 9uite clear, as we do most !ratefully, thatmuch of the information in this present section is due to amanuscript entitled The Triple Tau4 !n )utline of the istory ofthe /upreme Grand #oyal !rch Chapter of /cotland , !enerouslyplaced at the present writer's disposal by its author, G% S%

+raffen, then Grand ibrarian of the Grand od!e of Scotland,and since published in printed form under the authority of theScottish Grand Chapter% $any other sources have been referredto, but the +raffen information has been the mainstay%

The Scottish "oyal #rch is not desi!nated Holy, nor is itdescribed as an (rder% Scotland has, of course, an ancientand honourable $asonic (rder ) the "oyal (rder of Scotland )

which in respect to the preservation of records A9uotin! +%$urray yonB appears to be senior to any de!ree other than thethree Craft de!rees%

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The oldest of the Scottish chapters are !iven here in the orderof their official numbers, but not, unfortunately, in the order ofthe dates of their foundin!% #s from the early nineteenthcentury, however, Scottish chapters, with but few eceptions,are numbered in accordance with their priority of date% 0o% 5 is8dinbur!h, founded in 5DD= AFB2 0o% 5, Stirlin! "ock, Stirlin!,5D@6 AFB2 0o% 6, 8noch, $ontrose, 5D:? AFB2 0o% @, (perative,7anff, 5D:: AFB2 0o% S, inlith!ow, 5D:3 AFB2 0o%:G, 4nion,+undee, 5DD6 AFB2 0o% D, 0oah, 7rechin, 5DD@ AFB2 0o% 3,Haran, aurencekirk, 5DD@ AFB2 0o% =, Hope, #rbroath, 5DD=AFB2 0o% 5>, -osiah, St #ndrews, 5D3> AFB2 St uke, #berdeen,5D3< AFB2 0o% 5<, 8li1ah, Forfar, 5D36 AFB2 0o% 56, $acduff,$acduff, 7anffshire, 5D3@ AFB2 0o% 5@, St #ndrew, 7anff Anow

7uckieB, 5D3D AFB2 0o% 5?, and of Cakes, 8yemouth, 5D3D AFB2(ld #berdeen, 5D33 AFB2 0o% 5D, Greenock, Greenock, 5D3=AFB2 0o% 53, #yr St *aul, #yr, 5D3= AFB2 0o% 5=, Strathmore,Glamis%

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5D3= AFB2 St -ames', #berdeen, 5D3= AFB2 0o% <5, St Geor!e,#berdeen, 5D=? AFB2 "oyal Caledonian, #nnan, 5D=:2 0o% <<,7anks of +ou!las .ater, +ou!las, 5D=D AFB2 oyal Scots,an!holm, 5D=D2 St #lbans, anark, 5D=D AFB2 0(% <6, Horeb,Stonehaven, 5D== AFB2 $ilitary, #yrshire $ilitia, 5D== AFB2Grand #ssembly, ilmarnock, 5D=32 0o% @5, (perative,#berdeen, 5D=<% A0ames in italics are of chapters no lon!er ineistence% &F' indicates foundin! chapters of the Grand

Chapter%B The "%#% ceremonial is believed to have beenintroduced from 8n!land, and in the case of one chapter, the4nion, 0o% :, +undee, is known definitely to have been brou!htby a military lod!e warranted by the &#ntients' Grand od!e of8n!land% #n early chapter, and of Cakes, of 8yemouth, a coasttown less than ten miles north of 7erwick, has two charters, an

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8n!lish one of 5D3D and a Scottish one of 535D, and was, ofcourse, workin! on the 8n!lish charter when "obert 7urns wasealted in that chapter on $ay 5=, 5D3D%

T3e S,- Gr+#% C3+p-er

The Supreme Grand "oyal #rch Chapter of Scotland is entirelyindependent of any Craft conneion% Its chapters are notattached to Craft lod!es% Its chief officials A'office)bearers'B arenot necessarily officials of the Scots Grand od!e, althou!h, bycoincidence, they may well be so% 8n!lish writers !enerally !ivethe date of its foundin! as 535D, but it is now accepted that535: is the truer date% It came into eistence in spite of theopposition of the Scots Grand od!e, and the reader is alreadywell aware in this conneion that the Grand od!es of 8n!land,Ireland, and Scotland were for lon! very cold in their re!ard ofthe "oyal #rch, and the only Grand od!e in whose favour it

held a warm place was that of the &#ntients' in 8n!land% A+urin!the remainder of this chapter the terms &Grand od!e' and

&Grand Chapter' must be taken to mean the Scottish bodies%B In53>> the Grand od!e epressly prohibited and dischar!ed allod!es havin! charters from the Grand od!e from holdin! anyother meetin!s than those of The Three )rders Athe Craftde!reesB% In the year followin! the foundin! of Grand Chapter,Grand od!e resolved that no person holdin! an officialposition in any $asonic 7ody, which sanctions hi!her +e!rees

than those of St -ohn's $asonry, shall be entitled to sit, act orvote in the Grand od!e of Scotland2 this resolution wasdirectly aimed at the new Grand Chapter Atwo of whose Three*rincipals were *ast Grand $astersB, which promptly issued aprotest, of which little notice was taken%

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The Grand Chapter was formed by chapters of two classes; AaBthose

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that had lon! been workin! in conneion with Craft lod!es andAbB those workin! under charters issued by the "oyal GrandConclave of Scotland% #s a conse9uence the comin! of theGrand Chapter did not, unfortunately, brin! to!ether all theScottish chapters into one fold% "emainin! outside were anychapters holdin! charters from the 8n!lish Grand Chapter Awiththe eception of and of Cakes, already mentioned and still atworkB2 the last of the chapters remainin! under the 8n!lish

1urisdiction was that at irkcudbri!ht A"oyal GallovidianB, whichdissolved by mutual consent of its members in 53:5% #lso therewere some unchartered chapters, such as #yr St *aul, datin!back to 5D3=, which must have been re!arded as irre!ular% In

addition, there were some chapters workin! under Irishwarrants, all of whom re!arded the new Grand Chapter asirre!ular2 four or five of them became in 53<< the early Grand8ncampment of Scotland, which lin!ered until 53DD, when itreceived a new lease of life2 it was divided shortly afterwardsinto three bodies% The first of these was the 8arly Grand "oyal#rch Chapter of Scotland, which had twenty)one chapterswhen, in 53=?, it amal!amated with or was absorbed by GrandChapter% AThe two other bodies do not concern us in this book%B

4ntil the comin! of Grand Chapter the "%#% +e!ree, with manyothers, was worked in the Templar encampments and, in spiteof the Grand od!e ban in 53>>, in a number of country lod!es%

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It was a!reed that the new Grand Chapter should supervise Ainaddition to seven Templar de!rees with which we are not hereconcernedB twelve de!rees as follow; A5B $aster passed theChair Aalready particularly referred to in an earlier sectionB2 A<B8cellent $aster2 A6B Super 8cellent $aster Aone of thede!rees believed to have been brou!ht to Scotland from#merica in 53DDB2 A@B the #rch +e!ree Aof which nothin!appears to be knownB2 A?B and A:B "%#% and $ark $ason Aearlyversions of the de!rees now workedB2 ADB #rk $ason A1ustpossibly the present "oyal #rk $ariner +e!reeB2 A3B ink and.restle Aone of the &.restle' de!rees worked early in thenineteenth century, possibly based on the story of -acobwrestlin! with the an!elB2 A=B 7abylonian *ass, or "ed Cross of

+aniel2 A5>B -ordan *ass Apossibly still bein! workedB2 A55B"oyal (rder or *russian 7lue Aof which little is knownB2 A5<BHi!h *riest Apossibly an Installation or Chair de!reeB%

The above does not correspond with to)day's list of de!reescontrolled by the Grand Chapter as from 5=5?% The present)dayde!rees include four series, three with which we in this bookare not concerned, plus the "oyal #rch series of seven de!rees,comprisin! $ark $aster, 8cellent $aster, and "oyal #rch and,in addition, four Installation or Chair de!rees, of which threeare "oyal #rch and one $ark $aster%

Si .est of Scotland chapters set themselves up in 53:6 as theGeneral

<<<

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Grand Chapter for Scotland and the Colonies as the se9uel to a9uarrel centrin! upon +r Geor!e #rnott .alker #rnott2 thisbody issued charters to at least ei!ht chapters, but faded outabout 53D>%

Gr+#% O00!,e4&e+rer

(fficers are known as 'office)bearers,' and in the Grand Chapterare as follow; First Grand *rincipal2 *ast First Grand *rincipal2+epute First Grand *rincipal2 Second and Third Grand*rincipals2 Grand Scribes 8% and 0%2 Grand Treasurer2 Grand"ecorder2 Grand Chancellor2 First, Second, and Third GrandSo1ourners2 Grand Sword)bearer2 G%+%C% and +epute G%+%C%2Grand Superintendent of .orks2 First, Second, Third, andFourth Grand Standard)7earers2 Grand (r!anist2 ei!ht GrandStewards2 Grand 1anitor% $embers eli!ible for these officesabove rank of (r!anist must have received all the seven

de!rees included in the Scots "%#% series, but Grand *rincipalselect, if not in possession of any of them, receive them uponelection and before Installation%

The 1ewel worn by the Third Grand *rincipal is a breastplatecorrespondin! to that worn by the Hi!h *riest of Israel with thenames of the twelve tribes en!raved upon it%

# subordinate chapter consists of at least Three *rincipals, twoScribes, a Treasurer, and three So1ourners% The Three *rincipalsand all *ast *rincipals are styled $%8% In the absence of theFirst *rincipal his immediate predecessor or another present or

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past Installed First *rincipal may act for him2 the rule is similarin the absence of the Second and Third *rincipals% The periodfor which any office)bearer holds the same office is, not limitedecept by any limitation in the by)laws% Chapter by)laws mayprovide for separate office)bearers for the several associatedde!rees, with the consent of the Three *rincipals, failin! which,the First *rincipal of the chapter has the ri!ht to the chair in the$ark and 8cellent $aster's +e!rees, the Second *rincipal tothat of Senior .arden and the Third to that of 1unior .arden%

The office)bearers are &installed,' a word which in 8n!lish lod!es

and chapters means &chaired,' but which in Scotland coversboth &chairin!' and &investin!%'

*etition for a new chapter is made by no fewer than nineCompanions in !ood standin!% # "oyal #rch chapter or a lod!eof 8cellent $asters cannot hold a meetin! unless sevenre!ular "oyal #rch masons be present2 nor a lod!e of $ark$asters unless three $ark $asters be present%

"obes when worn by the *rincipals a!ree in colour with thoseworn in 8n!lish chapters%

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S,- R!-+2

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The ritual is practically the same as that in 8n!land, but of whatit was in the early years ) at the be!innin! of the nineteenthcentury, for eample ) very little is known% The ritual wasstandardi/ed in the 53@>Ks followin! the revision of the 8n!lishritual, to which it has since conformed% 7ut there is in eistencea manuscript ritual which Geor!e S% +raffen supposes mi!hthave been used in an unknown Glas!ow chapter in the 53<>period2 it has a definite Christian compleion, and recites thestory of some pil!rims removin! the keystone of an arch anddiscoverin! the books of the Gospel% The Candidate is ledbetween two columns AlinesB of 7rethren, who form an archwith batons and, when the Candidate is &passin! the arch,' beathim with the batons% AThis is almost certainly a survival from an

Irish ceremony in which the beatin! used to !ive rise tohorseplay%B The Candidate passes the first and second archesand raises a third keystone, actually a lar!e 7ible% In the courseof the ceremony, which includes references to the burnin! bushand the castin! off of the shoes, he is conducted to twelvecandlesticks standin! on the floor, one of which, provin! a-udas, he etin!uishes% ACommonly in medieval churches alittle candle was made to appear a bi! one by bein! mountedon a candlelike pillar, the arran!ement, because of its falsity,

bein! known as a -udas%B The ceremony is 9uite short,includin! Scripture readin!s, and apparently in the lod!e was acanvas representation of the burnin! bush, around which someamount of symbolism centred%

Some little information on the ritual observed in a Scotschapter warranted by the 8n!lish Grand Chapter emer!es fromthe minutes of the "oyal Gallovidian Chapter, irkcudbri!ht,

South)west Scotland, chartered in 53>! and dissolved in 53:5%# valuable paper by Fred % *ick in #%C%, vol% I, indicates thatthe *rincipals were placed in their chairs without any form ofesoteric Installation, and apparently at every meetin! thewhole or part of the "%#% lecture AcatechismB was worked% #minute of 0ovember 55, 535<, refers to a procession to church,

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and says that the members havin! !one throu!h part of theecture, no other business havin! come before them, theChapter was shut in Common form A$%J% pronouncin! the7lessin!B ) until the second .ednesday of net month% Therewas no reference to the $ark +e!ree, but it is apparent that aceremony of the veils was worked, and the Scripture readin!sfor &passin! the arches' are noted, these bein!; Isaiah ii2*salm cli2 *salm ci2 *salm lvii2 and the first four versesof *salm lvii% For & shuttin! the chapter' the readin!s are;<nd Thessalonians 6d Chapter from the :th verse to the end,leavin! out the 5Dth verse%

<<@

Comin! to the ritual ceremonies and re!ulations of to)day, itshould be said that Candidates for 8altation must be $aster$asons, not less than twenty)one years of a!e, and of proved!ood standin!% They are balloted for in the "%#% +e!ree, andthree black balls eclude, or a smaller number if so provided in

the by)laws% The Candidate must have received the $ark$aster and 8cellent $aster +e!rees, the former of which musthave been conferred in a lod!e or chapter whose ri!ht to do sois reco!ni/ed by Grand Chapter% Candidates who have alreadybeen made $ark $asons elsewhere must be affiliated in the$ark +e!ree Amust become members ofB in a lod!e held withinthe chapter before they can proceed further% It is not allowableto confer the 8cellent $aster and "%#% +e!rees at the samemeetin!, but, whatever the de!ree to be worked, the "%#%

chapter is opened before and closed after it% 0either the $arknor the 8cellent $aster +e!ree is conferred upon honorarymembers% Candidates are not re9uired to be *%$%'s, in re!ard towhich there is a lon! past history which is briefly related in anearlier section of this book%

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The -%, H%, and J% Installations are re!arded in Scotland asseparate de!rees, as is also the Installation of the $ark $aster,

and althou!h these must be conferred in re!ular se9uence theymay, if necessary, be conferred on the one individual on theone occasion and at a meetin! of the "%#% chapter held inordinary form%

# particular form of ceremonial for constitutin! and dedicatin! achapter and installin! its officers is approved and provided by

Grand Chapter2 contrary to the 8n!lish practice, theseceremonies include some small amount of choral sanction and*salm sin!in!% The 8altation ceremony follows an approvedform%

The Supreme Committee, constituted and elected by GrandChapter, eercises a !eneral control over "%#% masonry, acts asa 1udicial tribunal, visits the $etropolitan chapters and sees

that their workin! conforms with the authori/ed workin!, allchapters bein! obli!ed to observe The 7ook ofInstructionissued by Grand Chapter%

S,--!3 M+r M+#r

The $ark +e!ree is indi!enous to Scotland and of particularimportance to Scots masons, who hold it in hi!h re!ard as theFourth +e!ree in freemasonry% $ost Candidates for the "%#% willhave already taken the $ark +e!ree in their Craft lod!e, and it

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almost follows that nine out of ten Scots Craft masons are also$ark masons%

It is only in two countries, Scotland and Germany, that weknow operative $asons' $arks Amarks of identity on stonesshaped or laid by the masons concernedB to have beenre!istered or or!ani/ed, and it is

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<<?

to Scotland that we naturally turn for the early history of $arkmasonry, both operative and speculative% The $ark +e!ree isan essential preliminary to the "%#% in Scotland and in all

1urisdictions not derivin! directly from the 8n!lish GrandChapter%

Followin! keen controversy in 53?3 it was a!reed that theGrand od!e and the Grand Chapter should 1ointly control the$ark +e!ree2 nowadays, and datin! from 53:?, the Craftlod!es work the $ark +e!ree by virtue of their ordinarycharters, while the chapters work it under their charters and forthe purpose of 9ualifyin! their Candidates% (bviously, then, if a

Candidate has received the de!ree in his Craft lod!e, he neednot take it from the chapter, whereas an ealtee who has notyet received it takes it from the chapter%

There is a particular point that needs to be understood% TheGrand od!e holds the $ark +e!ree to be a second part of theFellow Craft +e!ree2 notwithstandin! this, it is conferred onlyon $aster $asons and in the presence of those who have taken

it from a lod!e or chapter entitled to !rant it, the ob1ect bein!to obviate confusion to $ark masons under other 1urisdictions%

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.hen a chapter meets solely for the purpose of workin! in the$ark +e!ree its minutes are treated as chapter minutes, andthe only $ark masons admitted, ecept as Candidates, arethose who are also "oyal #rch masons2 this restriction does notapply when a $ark meetin! is held without openin! or closin!the chapter%

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Section T(ent!,one

SYM4OLS3 INTRODUCTORY REMAR.S5 THE CIRCLE

In anti9uity, says oltaire, everythin! is symbol or emblem%%% the whole of nature is represented and dis!uised% For ourpurposes symbol and emblem are the same% There was once

upon a time a distinction between them, but to)day one meansmuch the same as the other% The ancient peoples impartedreli!ious instruction by means of symbols, the method bein!used not only by the early Christians but by the 8!yptians,#ssyrians, Greeks, and others% .hen we say that freemasonryis a peculiar system of morality, veiled in alle!ory andillustrated by symbols, we need to remember that an alle!ory isclosely related to the parable and has both a literal and aspiritual meanin!%

.hence came symbolism into freemasonry, and when andhow The old $S% Char!es, the more important of which coverthe period of rou!hly 56=> to 5D>> and in whose possessionfreemasonry is peculiarly fortunate, throw li!ht on thetraditions and customs of the medieval operative mason, butcontain nothin! reco!ni/ably of an esoteric nature and little ornothin! of alle!ory and symbolism% This absence of symbolism

is surprisin! in the li!ht of two facts; first, durin! the latter halfof the period mentioned it was common to interpret theScriptures in an alle!orical and symbolical way2 second,freemasonry has always tended to draw its ideas and methodsof presentment from the reli!ious and learned writers of latemedieval days%

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*erhaps the most nearly correct answer to &hen camesymbolism into masonry is, Some time in the late

seventeenth and any time in the ei!hteenth centuries% The9uestion of whence came symbolism is closely allied to the9uestion of how it came% It is well known, of course, that theearly editions of the 7ible are a source of much $asonicsymbolism% The present author has come to believe, however,that much of the more important symbolism was provided byhi!h)principled, classically educated men who discovered in thecourse of a life)absorbin! study of alchemy the rich store ofsymbolism that had been !athered to!ether by their learned

predecessors% To any keen reader new to the sub1ect a perusal

<<D

of that !reat classic "obert Fludd's atin work Clavis@hilosophO, et !lchymO 'luddianO, published in the 5:6>Ks,

would be a revelation, for, even if he were not familiar withatin, he could at any rate revel in many of the old en!ravin!s,which in themselves are prototypes of familiar $asonic devices%

(f modern easily read books on alchemy there are two to beespecially recommended to the student of symbolism; F%Sherwood Taylor's The !lchemists5 and -ohn "ead's @relude toChemistry" !n )utline of !lchemy, Its Literature and#elationships%< # remarkable collection of provocativeillustrations is brou!ht to!ether in @sychology and !lchemy , 6

by the famous Swiss psycholo!ist C% G% -un!, and it is forthese illustrations, and not for its tet, that this book isparticularly recommended to the student of symbolism%

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et it not be thou!ht that the present author is su!!estin! oreven hintin! that speculative masonry was invented by the

alchemists% He is far from doin! anythin! of the sort, but heknows full well that the alchemsc idea is represented infreemasonry's ideas, allusions, symbols, and illustrations andthat in the two philosophies are to be found certaincoincidences)for eample, the stress laid on the re!eneration ofthe initiate the idea of bein! &born a!ain' runs throu!houtalchemy2 the secrecy tau!ht by freemasonry and not onlyinsisted on by alchemy, but so closely !uarded by it as to makespiritual or esoteric alchemy %%% a close body of knowled!e,

sacred to the elect2 and the etent to which both freemasonryand alchemy have resorted to pictorial epression as a meansof impartin! knowled!e%

To anyone who has li!htly concluded that the alchemist had butone idea, a fied one)the transmutation of base metals into!old)it must be said that this was undoubtedly the purpose ofmost &operative' alchemists, but not of all, and that there was inthe late medieval days a body of spiritually minded &speculative'alchemists to whom the principle of transmutation was in itselflittle or nothin! more than an alle!ory% #s Sherwood Taylor putsit, the leadin! idea was the need for such a transformation totake place by the corruption of the material to be transformedand the !eneration of a new form therein% Says another writer,alchemy was in its primary intention and office the philosophicand eact science of the re!eneration of the human soul%

The secrecy inculcated in the old $S% Char!es was a sli!ht thin!compared with the deliberate and avowed concealment ofparts of their work which the alchemists consistently practised,and no literature, says Sherwood Taylor, is so maddenin!ly

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and deliberately obscure% #lchemic treatises, their authorsfreely confessed, were intentionally written in

5 Heinemann A5=?<B% < 7ell A5=6:B% 6 "outled!e A5=?6B%

<<3

such a way as to conceal the practice from all who had notbeen initiated into a certain secret which enabled them tounderstand%

#lchemy was pictorial in its epression to a de!ree which is notreali/ed in this a!e% #lchemic symbols epress truths inalle!orical pictures, which for the most part were beautifullyconceived and skilfully eecuted% # reader lookin! forreflections of some of them should study theei!hteenth)century $asonic pierced 1ewels, tracin!)boards, and

en!ravin!s% (ne old alchemical book pictures a !roup of threeindividualsa Crowned in! as the Sun on one side, a Crowned*rince on the other, and in the centre Hermes A$ercuryB2 thestron! resemblance of this triple !roup to the Three *rincipalsof an early chapter, or even of to)day's #merican chapter, isstartlin!% Hermes provides the ad1ective &hermetic' or

&hermetical,' a word alludin! to a state in which secrets are sosealed as to be inviolable and, as readers may know, the wordactually !ives its name to certain rites related to masonry%

It was the close concealment of alchemic teachin!s thatnecessitated the use of a multitude of emblems and of a hi!hlydeveloped secret lan!ua!e in which &facts' and &truths' wereveiled%

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0o reference to alchemy must omit mention of the*hilosopher's Stone% This stone was, of course, not an actual

stone, for even with the materialist type of alchemist the &Stone' was often a powder or a li9uid% The idea of the*hilosopher's Stone, says one of the authors above 9uoted,seems to have arisen in the early centuries of the Christian eraand is in keepin! with the early mystical beliefs concernin! there!eneration of man% The Stone points to perfection, andmany of the ancient alchemists believed that they derived theStone direct from God% The Stone had many names and wassub1ect to many different interpretations% (ne old writer likened

it to the 7iblical stone which the builders re1ected, the stonewhich the builders of Solomon's Temple disallowed, butbelieved that if it be prepared in the ri!ht way, it is a pearlwithout price, and, indeed, the earthly antitypeMrepresentationN of Christ, the heavenly Corner Stone% #ndhere we have an idea of which much is made in some early"oyal #rch rituals%

So many, so very many, were the names !iven to the Stonethat it was worth the while of an author in 5:?< to produce abook in which they were listedL #mon! its better)known nameswere the 8liir of ife, or the Grand 8liir, the Stone bein!depicted as a panacea for all human ills and capable ofrestorin! youthfulness and prolon!in! life A-ohn "eadB% Thisidea was familiar throu!h the then known world, includin!China, much earlier than the thirteenth century%

# meanin! of peculiar interest to freemasons was the onedepicted by the ima!e of a serpent eatin! its own tail, anemblem of eternity and

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immortality, the serpent bein! re!arded by the alchemists assymbolical of divine wisdom, of power and creative ener!y, oflife and re!eneration%

From many an alchemic illustration there 1umps to the eye thestyli/ed sun and moon, which mi!ht have been the veritablepatterns of the old metallic cut)outs surmountin! the chairs ofthe Senior and -unior .ardens in the ei!hteenth)centurylod!es% #lchemic illustrations in profusion show the compasses,s9uare, balance, rule and plumb)line, perfect ashlar, pillars, thepoint within a circle, the sacred delta Atrian!leB, thefive)pointed and si)pointed stars Athe second of these anoutstandin! symbol of alchemyB, the double)headed ea!le, theoblon! s9uare, and the ima!e of Hermes or $ercury, this last avery potent symbol and used throu!hout the ei!hteenth

century as the +eacon's 1ewel or emblem% $ercury AHermesBhimself is one of the most si!nificant but variously interpretedfi!ures in alchemical lore and is !iven a place in hundreds ofillustrations% .e find, too, in these illustrations the ladder whichin the ancient 8!yptian mysteries had an enormous si!nificanceand as -acob's ladder is well known as a $asonic emblem2 itsymboli/es the ladder of salvation leadin! from earth Aor hellBto heaven, and one revealin! instance of its use in ecclesiasticdecoration, datin! back to the twelfth century, is to be found on

the interior walls of Chaldon Church, Surrey%

The si!ns of the /odiac, conventional symbols datin! back toabout the tenth century, adorn the ceilin!s of many a lod!e and

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chapter% The constellations have been known for thousands ofyears% Si of them ascend north of the e9uator and si descendsouth of it% The first si are #ries, the "am2 Taurus, the 7ull2Gemini, the Twins2 Cancer, the Crab2 eo, the ion2 ir!o, their!in% The si southern si!ns are ibra, the 7alance2 Scorpio,the Scorpion2 Sa!ittarius, the #rcher2 Capricornus, the Goat2#9uarius, the .ater)bearer2 and *isces, the Fishes%

Jodiac, a Greek word, conveys the meanin! of a series ofima!inary animals;

)ur vernal signs the #!M begins,

Then comes the 5LL, in May the T&I0/"

The C#!5 in 1une, ne.t L+) shines,

!nd KI#G) ends the northern signs%

The 5!L!0C+ brings autumnal fruits,

The /C)#@I)0 stings, the !#C+#shoots"

-ecembers G)!T brings wintry blast,

!7uarius rain, the 'I/ come last% <

#stronomically the /odiac is the /one or belt of constellationswhich is apparently traversed by the sun in the course of the

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year and in which the moon and ma1or planets also appear tomove% The symbols are fre9uently

5 erses by 8%C%7%, 9uoted in 7rewer's +ictionary of

*hrase and Fable%

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seen in alchemic literature, which is the most likely source fromwhich freemasonry could have taken them, but it is mostunfortunate that no point can be !iven to their $asonicassociation and that an attempt made to associate the si!ns ofthe /odiac, the ima!es on the "%#% banners, and the fourbeasts full of eyes before and behind in St -ohn's celestialvision A"evelation iv, :)3B is fanciful and has no worth)whilebasis%

(f the classical allusions apparently due to alchemy, probablythe most obvious are those of -ason and his Golden Fleece,which occupied a considerable place in alchemic symbolism2 ithas been held that the Golden Fleece of the #r!onauts was apapyrus containin! the secrets of !oldmakin!L 8ven Tubal Cain!ets a place, althou!h a small one, in the literature of alchemy%

T3e C!r,2e

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(f all the symbols met in "oyal #rch masonry comes first thecircle, the emblem of eternity, havin! neither end nor be!innin!and 1ustly deemed a type of God without be!innin! of days orend of years% In folklore it was !iven ma!ical properties, andwas believed to protect from eternal evil everythin! which itcontained or surrounded2 thus a child placed within a circle wasthou!ht to be protected from outside malevolent influences% So,too, the fin!er)rin!, the bracelet, the anklet, and the necklace,all of which came to be worn as ornaments, were ori!inallyre!arded as means of protection from evil% The circle is theima!e of the sun, which led to its becomin! the symbol of pure!old, in which respect, -ohn "ead reminds us, there wasunderstood to be a mystical relationship with the

Tetra!rammaton, the Ineffable 0ame% The circle as symboli/in!eternity was fre9uently represented by the serpent eatin! itsown tail, as already mentioned% The serpent itself is theemblem of life, but ri!ht back into 7iblical days must also havebeen the emblem of wisdom% 7e ye therefore wise asserpents A$atthew , 5:B% The fastener of the belt of the$asonic apron retains the form of a serpent, but the idea of theserpent devourin! itself and the many variations of the serpentmotif are less seen to)day than formerly% The whole device was

an emblem of eternity and immortality, the serpent bein!symbolical of divine wisdom, of power and creative ener!y, oftime and eternity, of life and re!eneration% "eaders mayremember that this device was the motif of a 1ewel with whichin $ay 5355 the Grand $aster, the +uke of Susse, $aster ofthe od!e of #nti9uity, 0o% <, invested .illiam *reston, a !reatcharacter in ei!hteenthcentury masonry, one whose name islinked with the *restonian ecture2 the 1ewel, which is still inuse in the od!e of #nti9uity, is of !old, and takes the form of acomplete circle, the eye for the ribbon comin! 1ust where thesnake's head is be!innin! to eat the tail%

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#ncient philosophers were much concerned with the problem ofs9uarin! the circle that is, in effect, findin! the eact ratio of

the circumference of the circle to its radius% Some boldillustrations relatin! to the problem in alchemic works arealmost uncanny in their su!!estion of the se9uence of certain!eometrical fi!ures known to the "oyal #rch mason% Foreample, in an early seventeenth)century book by a notable"osicrucian and alchemist, $ichael $aier, is a forceful drawin!of a

student holdin! mi!hty compasses in the act of s9uarin! thecircle, a wall servin! as his drawin!)board on which circle andtrian!le are shown in con1unction% In another drawin! of thesame period, this time by Stolcius, is a complete collection of

!eometrical fi!ures or symbols, includin! the s9uare, trian!le,and circle, and also, be it noted, the cubic stone)and all this inthe 5:<>Ks, a period of fundamental importance in relation tothe emer!ence of freemasonry% The !eometricalrepresentations of the Trinity )interlaced circles, circle, andtrian!le, and the interlaced trian!les, so closely su!!estive of

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"oyal #rch devices and ideas)are all to be found in such booksas those above referred to%

T3e P!#- w!-3!# + C!r,2e

The circle, itself a symbol of etraordinary si!nificance, ac9uireseven more importance when it includes a central point t at is,when the symbol becomes the well)known point within a circle%This symbol was known to pa!an rites thousands of years a!o,and, while in its very early history it had a phallic interpretationand represented the male and the female principle, it took uponitself in the course of time other meanin!s% It was at one timethe wheel symbol and the sub1ect of reli!ious rites universallyobserved% # Greek writer many centuries before Christrepresented God as a circle whose centre was everywhere andthe circumference nowhere, a conception that needs muchthou!ht to be!in to !rasp and one with which *lato, only two or

three centuries later, associated himself% #

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modern philosopher, C% G% -un!, says that the way to the !oalis not strai!ht but appears to !o round in circles %%% the whole

process revolves round about a central point% on! a!o thepoint within a circle was adopted as a device in Christianchurches, and still later it became a $asonic emblem%

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The symbol has been !iven a number of $asonic meanin!s%The point has been re!arded as the Supreme 7ein! and thecircle either as the circuit of the sun or as eternity% In yetanother interpretation the point is the initiate and the circle isthe boundary line of his duty to God)not a very satisfyin!definition%

In one old version of the Craft Installation ceremony the $aster8lect is made to represent the point within a circle of Installed$asters, and is tau!ht to re!ard himself as the centre of hislod!e and an emblem of 1ustice and morality%

T3e Y% w!-3!# + C!r,2e r Tr!+#/2e

(ne symbol is composed of what appears to be a comma

placed at the centre of a circle2 closely associated with thepoint within a circle, for the &comma' is the Hebrew letter 9odcorrespondin! to the 8n!lish letter &-' or &E', the initial of theSacred 0ame% The Eod within a trian!le represents the powerand efficiency of the #lmi!hty2 this symbol, accordin! to G% S%Shepherd)-ones, may have had its place in the centre of theplate of !old, within the circle, on top of the altar, and, althou!hit is not now seen there, he su!!ests that the actions in the"oyal #rch fire indicate the various symbols on the alta r )thepoint, the trian!le, the circle, and the s9uare%

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Section T(ent!,t(o

SYM4OLS3 THE TAU AND THE TRIPLE TAU

TH8 tau itself, one of the two most important symbols in "oyal#rch masonry, is the Greek letter T,[ the nineteenth letter inthe Greek alphabet, a letter which takes the same form in

many different alphabets, includin! the 8n!lish% It was inancient days re!arded as the mark or symbol of life, whereasanother Greek letter, &theta' 7, the ei!hth letter in the Greekalphabet and correspondin! to the 8n!lish sound &th,' wasre!arded as the symbol of death% Three taus came to!ether toform the triple tau, but they did not do this in ancient days ) not earlier, as a matter of fact, than somewhere about 53<>%

A# E+r2 Frm 0 Cr

The tau is an etremely early form of cross% In shape it is thesimple T% It is often called St #nthony's Cross because the saintwas martyred on a cross of that simple form, but lon! before

then it had been the anticipatory cross or type cross of thepre)Christian Scriptures% It is not known

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as a simple cross in Craft, "oyal #rch, or $ark masonry, but isso reco!ni/ed in certain of the additional de!rees% It isunderstandable that, as the cross has been adored as a sacredsymbol from the earliest of pa!an times, it has assumed manydifferent forms, and it is even said that more than three

hundred variations are known% The illustrations herewith show afew of the chief forms2 one of them is the swastika whichori!inally may have been an emblem of the +eity and is soancient that it is found in Chaldean bricks many thousands ofyears old and in the ruins of Troy datin! back to, say, <?>>years 7%C%

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The Hebrew form of the word &tau' is pronounced tov and

carries the meanin! of markin!, etchin!, scrawlin!, delineatin!,etc%, which perhaps eplains how a cross came ori!inally to beused by illiterate people in &si!nin!' their name to a document%

In pa!an days a warrior honourably survivin! a battle couldattach a T[ to his name, and a "oyal #rch lecture eplains thatthe tau was set as a si!n on those who were ac9uitted and on

those who returned unhurt from the field of battle% #s a mark ofdistinction it is referred to in 8/ekiel i, 6 and @, where the ordcommands the man clothed with linen, which had the writer'sinkhorn by his side, to !o throu!h the midst of the city,throu!h the midst of -erusalem, and set a tau upon theforeheads of the men that si!h and that cry for Mbecause ofB all

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the abominations that be done in the midst thereof% It hasbeen said that three taus come to!ether to form the triple tauAsee the illustrationB, but this etraordinary device was notori!inally produced by the con1unction of the three T's2 rather itdeveloped from T over H as su!!ested by the se9uence offi!ures !iven on p% <66% There is no doubt

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that the triple tau was ori!inally

meanin! Templum Hierosolym\, the Temple of -erusalem% Itwas so alluded to in a letter from +unckerley !iven later in thissection%

The early symbol has been !iven other meanin!s% For eample,it si!nified thesaurus, a treasure or treasury, usually !iven asclavis ad thesauuin, a key to the treasure% It was also known asres ipsa pretiosa, the precious thin! itself, which may havereferred to the Sacred 0ame2 in a sense this idea is supportedby another of its descriptions, theca ubi res pretiosa deponitur ,reasonably translated as the depository in which the sacred

thin! is placed or hidden, this a!ain su!!estin! thepreservation of the Sacred 0ame%

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The simple tau was the 8!yptian's nilometer, a !au!e by whichwas measured the rise of the 0ile in flood% The instrument wasa solidly constructed !iant T[ which mi!ht be as much as 6<feet hi!h, its crossbar at the top bein! about 5> feet or 5< feetwide% In its permanent form, standin! in a well thatcommunicated with the 0ile, the hei!ht of the risin! water wasread from the !raduated pillar, and that hei!ht mi!ht beanythin! from 5< cubits Ameanin! famine to the populationB to<< Ameanin! an abundant supplyB% # hei!ht of <@ cubits ofwater mi!ht mean the destruction of people, their stores andtheir houses% It is easy, indeed, to see that, as the life andhealth of the 8!yptian people depended upon the rise and fallof the 0ile as recorded by the nilometre, the instrument itself

became a symbol and later !rew into a talisman which wasbelieved to avert evil and charm away sickness% The 8!yptianlo!os or !od)incarnate, Thoth, carried it as his emblem%

(f the meanin! of the triple tau the ritual provides eplanation,but it must be remembered that the !eometrical interpretationshave come since the complete 1oinin! up of the T and the Hand probably were unknown much earlier than 536?% TheScottish ritual knew nothin! of the triple tau for a !reat manyyears, but it well knew the T)over)H emblem, and the officialIrish ritual is not concerned with that symbol, althou!h therewere many Irish lod!es in which it had a place%

T3e C3r!-!+# I#-erpre-+-!# r S!/#!0!,+#,e 0

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The old si!n sometimes had a Christian interpretation% It haseven been defined, but doubtfully, as Holiness supportin!

Trinity% $ore definite is a device at the head of a TrinityColle!e, +ublin, $S% dated 5D55, takin! the form of a Christiancross over the H Asee over pa!eB2 there is reason for assumin!that this eemplifies the cross upon the name -ehovah ) that is,the mystical union between the Son and His Father% The -esuitchurch of Il Gesu at "ome, built late in the 5D>>Ks, has a ceilin!

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representin! the worship of the holy name of -esus, itscentrepiece bein! a !lory containin! a distinctly Christianversion of the

It takes this form;

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Its meanin! is -esus Hominum Salvator, or possibly and lesscommonly in hac salus, to be translated in this case as safetyin this cross% AThe first of the translations is the conventionalone, but in itself contains an error, for the middle letter H isactually one form of the Greek E%B The same symbol minus theS is found in a Swansea chapter warrant of 5DD5 and a ondonone (f 5D3@, a possible interpretation bein! -esus, His Crossand His Father% "eaders particularly interested in the sub1ectshould consult #%%C%, vol% lvii, in which Ivor Granthamadvances a theory founded on verses 55)56 of Chapter 3 of theGeneral 8pistle of 7arnabas Aan apocryphal book possiblydatin! to the second century and not accepted as a part of there!ular GospelB% Ivor Grantham su!!ests that if, as some

students feel, the triple tau is Christian in its ori!in, then theverses referred to mi!ht well show that the symbol could betraced back to the @th century #%+% when the canonical natureof the 0ew Testament writin!s was determined)or possiblyeven to the lifetime of the twelve #postles, if the attribution ofthis 8pistle to St 7arnabas could be sustained%

Sme +r!+-!# 0 -3e Tr!p2e T+

In some Irish certificates appears the T)over)H si!n where,apparently, the letters refer to the second of the Three Grand$asters% In an Irish ritual used in the middle of the nineteenthcentury the symbol is referred to, as The Initials of the

#rchitect2 this, says -% Heron epper, refers not to the$onarch, but to the Craftsman, as in $ark masonry, and headds the comment that in those days the anachronism of theletterin! would have caused 9ualms to few, either in 8n!land orin Ireland% In the minute)books of Concord Chapter, 0(% 6D,7olton, whose records !o back to 5D:3, we find the emblem

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superimposed on H% #7%, these last bein! carefully drawncapital letters%

(n a silver $ark 1ewel, dated 535=, the symbol has an 8 addedto it thus;

and, whatever its si!nificance was in the $ark, it was notre!arded as acceptable in the "oyal #rch by so !ood anauthority as Thomas +unckerley, who, in a letter written in5D=<, asks that it be amended on the *atent under my name%It is the si!nature of our order Templum Hierosolyma 8!ues%For the "oyal #rch it is

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Templum ierosolyma% To this may be added the necessaryeplanation that e7ues means &horseman,' and, by implication,a kni!ht !ave the

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si!n a ni!hts Templar connotation% In the museum atFreemasons' Hall, ondon, is an apron bearin! the

The T)over)H si!n was, of course, known before the Charter ofCompact, 5D::, and even in that charter some eamples of ithave taken on a midway form% The earliest Grand Chapterre!ulations directed that aprons should bear on their bibs a Tand H of !old% The symbol appears in the .akefield "oyal #rchrecords of 5D:D% (n +unckerley's "oyal #rch certificate issuedin 5D:3 we find it a!ain, the T touchin! the bar of the H, but

both letters retainin! their serifs, these bein! the tiny crossbarsat the ends of the limbs of the letters% Instructions issued byGrand Chapter in 53>6 specify that the curved bib or flap of theapron is to have the

embroidered in span!les on a piece of purple satin% In a4nited Grand Chapter illustration of 535D the letters are ontheir way to becomin! the triple tau, but the serifs are stillretained2 so it appears that the chan!eover to the !eometricsymbol ) the three taus ) took place in the interval between$ay 53<< Ato which date the 535D re!ulations had been

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etendedB and 536@)6?, when the revised ritual waspromul!ated% #lthou!h we find the true triple tau followin!53<>, it does not appear to have an official character until theissue of the revised re!ulations in the 536>Ks% The distinctionbetween the

where these two letters have been brou!ht into contact and the

true triple tau is that in the latter device the serifs havedisappeared, and what were letters have now become ri!htan!les% #nd it is this difference that often provides a touchstonewhen 1ud!in! the dates of early documents, 1ewels etc%

0o authority for the chan!e can be advanced% # veryunconvincin! eplanation is to the effect that the alteration wasmade to accord with the symbolic eplanation that the s9uares

are repeated three times on the Installed $aster's apron% Itmay be that the true triple tau took on imperceptibly,particularly by the droppin! of the serifs of the letters, a neaterand conventionali/ed form which offers itself as the basis of!eometrical symbolism% The Harper family, 1ewellers, mademany distinctive $asonic 1ewels, and amon! them is one dated53<6 carryin! the true triple tau% # noted member of the familywas 8dwards Harper, +eputy Grand Secretary of the &#ntients'before the 4nion and later -oint Grand Secretary of the 4nited

Grand od!e%

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Section T(ent!,t#ee

SYM4OLS3

THE TRIANGLE AND INTERLACED TRIANGLES

TH8 trian!le, especially the e9uilateral trian!le Asee

illustrationB, is one of the most ancient symbols in the world% Tothe Christian it symboli/es the Trinity, all its three sides bein!e9ual% So sacred has the emblem always been re!arded that,says the ritual, an oath !iven on it has never been known to beviolated% The three lines in con1unction represent the Sacred.ord, the essence of the +eity% In early days such a trian!lewas conspicuous in Craft lod!es, and within it was the %S%%, anarran!ement still

to be seen, it is thou!ht, in the 7ristol workin!% It has alreadybeen eplained that the trian!le containin! the Eod Athe first

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letter of the sacred nameB represents the power and efficiencyof the #lmi!hty% The point within a trian!le or the point within acircle represents the Supreme 7ein!, the infinite yetunknowable, the all)pervadin! yet unknown% Similar emblemswere familiar to the old alchemists% # German work A5D53B onelementary chemistry Aand alchemy was the forerunner of truechemistryB illustrates a trian!le with a human head or skulloccupyin! its lower part, a device peculiarly sacred to thealchemist and carryin! with it the idea of the Supreme 7ein!%Sometimes there was an all)seein! eye within the trian!le,the meanin! bein! much the same but includin! the idea of anomnipresent God%

The Chaplain of a Craft lod!e has the trian!le in his 1ewel% TheGrand $aster's 1ewel, the open compasses, includes a !oldplate on which is the all)seein! eye within the trian!le% Thecircle within a trian!le or trine compass AChaucer's termB is oneof the most venerable of symbols Athat

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of trine compass ord and 7ide isB, and carried with it themeanin! of the coe9uality and coeternity of the Three *ersonsin the Trinity%

The trian!le is often called the delta, a name derived from theshape of an island formed by alluvial deposits between the twomouths of the 0ile and now a common name for a trian!ularpiece of land formed by the diver!in! mouths of any river% Insome additional de!rees the delta is the luminous trian!le orbrilliant delta and encloses the Tetra!rammaton%

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To the alchemist the trian!le was a symbol leavin! manymeanin!s% Standin! on its point it meant water2 on its base it

meant fire2 standin! on its point and divided hori/ontally itmeant earth2 on its base and divided hori/ontally it meant air%To many alchemists the *hilosopher's Stone was trian!ular inessence, and the statement is made that in one or more old$asonic rituals the stone is !iven as bein! of trian!ular form%+unckerley, writin! to the Grand Secretary, .illiam .hite,says, I !reet you with the Triple Trine, and then follow threedots in trian!ular form ) so* In French and #merican literaturethis trine is very commonly used, and in the French writin!s

fre9uently means &lod!e%' .hen si trian!les of this kind areassembled to!ether to brin! their ape to one common centre,as in the illustration on p% <@6, we arrive at the symbol ofuniversal creation, bearin! close relationship to the point withina circle%

The circle and trian!le are part of a distinctive en!ravin! by$atheus Gruter, made in 5?=?% It is interpreted as the Fatherholdin! an e9uilateral trian!le with its ape pointin! downward,this representin! the human nature of the lo!os ) the Son ofGod%

In medieval architecture the circle, s9uare, and e9uilateraltrian!le were occasionally introduced to represent wisdom,stren!th, and beauty%

I#-er2+,e% Tr!+#/2e

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Interlaced trian!les are of many forms, those with which the8n!lish mason is concerned bein! two; the healpha, or

si)pointed star, a prominent emblem in "oyal #rch masonry,and the pentalpha, or fivepointed star, more used in theei!hteenth century than now% &#lpha' comes into each namebecause the devices are formed with alphas)that is, 'AKsK ) suitably arran!ed% 8i!hteenth)century masonry knew both ofthese devices, the &#ntients' preferrin! the five)pointed star andthe &$oderns,' chiefly, the si)pointed star% .e epect thatmasonry took the devices from alchemy, which, in its turn,found them awaitin! it in that !reat body of traditional lore that

always attributed ma!ical properties to the trian!le andparticularly to trian!les interlaced% They were symbols of theeverlastin! truth of the +eity, and became, in Christian days,emblems of Christ%

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T3e He5+2p3+

The si)pointed star, the Shield of +avid, sometimes knownalso as Solomon's Seal, had a host of meanin!s% It is thehealpha because it includes si trian!les, whereas thepentalpha includes only five, but there is much confusionbetween the two, lar!ely brou!ht about by the fact that the oldbooks on astrolo!y and medieval ma!ic tended to call anydevice made up of an!les a &pentacle,' re!ardless of its numberof an!les or its shape% The "oyal #rch to)day knows chiefly thehealpha% Sometimes the device is known as the hea!ram,but that name truly applies to any siline or si)sided fi!ure%

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(ccasionally it is called the hea!on, but this is an error, thetrue hea!on bein! the si)sided fi!ure formed by the internallines of the fi!ure%

8verybody knows that the healpha has stron! -ewishassociations% It is said to have been used as a wall ornamentincised in the stonework of the fortress of $e!!ido in Canaan,built 3>> ) 5>?> years before Christ and, 1ud!in! from themany references to it in the early books of the 7ible, a place of!reat importance% To the medieval -ew the healpha was atalisman !uardin! him a!ainst fire and disease, for which

reason it was commonly used on amulets, was placed as adistin!uishin! mark on the outsides of -ewish houses, and hasbeen found on a -ewish tomb of the third century, althou!h, in!eneral, the -ews did not make much use of it until a thousandyears later than that% To)day it is everywhere accepted as thesymbol of -udaism, is commonly seen on syna!o!ues and onorthodo -ewish restaurants, and has a stron! national andracial association rather than a reli!ious one%

It is to be supposed that the likeness of the flower known asSolomon's Seal has !iven that name to the healpha, but thereis, of course, an etremely well)known ma!ical story describin!how in! Solomon was able to confine a !enie in a bottle bymeans of this seal% The story is well told in 8% .% ane's !rabian/ociety in the Middle !ges, published in 5336;

0o man ever attained such absolute power over the -innas Suleyman Ibn +aood MSolomon, the son of +avidN% Thishe did by virtue of a most wonderful talisman, which issaid to have come down to him from heaven% It was aseal)rin!, upon which was en!raved &the most !reat

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name' of God, and was partly composed of brass andpartly of iron% .ith the brass he stamped his writtencommands to the !ood -inn2 with the iron, those to theevil -inn or +evils% (ver both orders he had unlimitedpower2 as well as over the birds and the winds, and, as is!enerally said, over the wild beasts% His .e/eer, #saf theson of 7arkhiya, is also said to have been ac9uainted with

&the most !reat name,' by utterin! which, the !reatestmiracles may be performed %%% even that of raisin! thedead% 7y virtue of this name en!raved on his rin!,

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Suleyman compelled the -inn to assist in buildin! theTemple of -erusalem, and in various other works% $any ofthe evil -inns he converted to the true faith, and manyothers of this class, who remained obstinate in infidelity,he confined in prisons%

#s to when and why the healpha was adopted by "oyal #rchmasons in the ei!hteenth century very little can be said% #s itwas definitely a part of alchemical symbolism and from thatsource may have entered freemasonry, it is possible that it wasadopted as a Christian symbol, however incon!ruous theassociation of a definitely -ewish device with the Christian ideami!ht appear to be% It is, of course, the motif of the "oyal #rch

1ewel of 8n!land, Ireland, and Scotland, but was not known inthe Irish and Scottish (rders by any means as early as in the8n!lish%

# remarkable scroll, known as the irkwall Scroll, in thepossession of the Scots lod!e irkwall ilwinnin!, 0o% 63<

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Aknown to have been workin! from 5D6:B, is described andillustrated in #%%C, vol% %% Its history is not recorded% Thescroll is of stron! linen, 53 feet : inches lon!, ? feet : incheswide, and, so far as hei!ht is concerned, more than occupyin!the .est wall of the lod!e room% It is rou!hly painted on bothsides in oil, and it would be difficult to enumerate all the thin!sthat are shown on it2 they include trees, rivers, houses, fishes,beasts, altars, $asonic emblems in profusion, and a few!eometric devices, amon! them bein! two eamples ofinterlaced trian!les, one of which is an elaborate healpha% Thescroll may have been desi!ned for use as a floor)clothsomewhere in the 5D6:)?> period, and it certainly would repaythe study of anyone particularly interested Asee *late IIB%

uite a different scroll or roll, "oman Catholic and German inori!in, datin! back to the late seventeenth century is describedby .% -% Hu!han in #%%C%, vol% vi% Here a!ain is an ancientdocument well worthy of study, even thou!h it does not appearto have an obviously $asonic source% It is composed of sistrips, @ inches wide, of the finest vellum, makin! a continuousroll 5o feet lon!% Its beautiful illumination provides a wealth ofdetail, amon! which can be seen the Tetra!rammaton and,amon! the seals, some bold interlaced trian!les% The scroll, itsseals and

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devices are literally covered with reli!ious and &ma!ical' si!ns,and the purpose of the scroll appears to be that of a charmbou!ht at a hi!h price by a rich man to avert evil of all kindsfrom him% In German the scroll !ives a list of well over fiftyevils and misfortunes a!ainst which it will protect its owner )

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includin! thunder, envy, poisonin!, sudden death, the evilspirit, sorcery, leprosy, despair, poverty, and snake)bite, whilesome of the positive advanta!es it is supposed to confer arethat it will ensure the love of men, brin! treasure, honour, andriches, and the friendship of !reat men, and finally that when aperson is imprisoned and lie carry this about him, he will be setat liberty%

#n early eample of the use of interlaced trian!les havin! adefinite $asonic conneion is the en!raved portrait Adate5D:5B, of +r Francis +rake, the Grand $aster of the Grandod!e of # 8n!land% #s illustrated in #%%C, vol% iii, the

portrait carries under it both the healpha and the pentalpha%The Charter of Compact A5D::B carries in a mar!in clearrepresentations of the healpha, but not of the pentalpha%

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# white marble block, datin! back to 5DD<, formerly owned byTyrian od!e, 0o% ?, but now owned by its successor, the.estminster and eystone, 0o%5>, includes the healphaamon! its emblems%

$any officially approved 1ewels incorporate the interlacedtrian!les% There is the pentalpha in the 1ewels of the +eputyGrand $aster and of the *rovincial and +istrict Grand $astersof 8n!land and many other officers2 in Ireland members of theGrand Chapter of Instruction wear the healpha 1ewel, while inScotland it is the 1ewel of *ast Grand *rincipals and Grand

"epresentatives%

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Sme 2e U+2 Frm 0 -3e He5+2p3+

The !roups of illustrations in these pa!es include some only ofthe various forms which interlaced trian!les have taken%

(ccasionally the lines of the healpha are curved, and of this asomewhat remarkable eample is afforded by one of theillustrations on *late I, this bein! based on a discovery made

in 0orthern India, a fact in itself su!!estin! that early peoples,especially in the 8ast, closely !uarded

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$#0E $#S(0IC +8IC8S 74IT 4* .ITH #0+ .ITHI0I0T8"#C8+ T"I#0G8S% 80+ FIG4"8 (F T(* "(. SH(.SSI T"I*8 T"I08S I0 40I(0%

the names of their !od% 0orman Hackney has kindly providedthe photo!raph from which the illustration was made% .hile hewas stayin! at 4daipur, in "a1putana, 0orthern India, theplou!h brou!ht up two little metal plates, sli!htly conve, withsun)baked clay ti!htly adherin! to them% The a!es of theplates, probably !reat, are unknown% The particular plate

represented by the illustration measures about 6 inches by 6inches% It should be eplained that in each of the twelve lobesof the outer lotus flower and in each of the ei!ht lobes of theinner one there is in the ori!inal a word in Sanskrit epressin!a name or attribute of God% In the central delta or trian!le isthe word &(m' ) it is repeated in the tip of each petal ) a word

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seekin! to epress the very essence of the +eity% The use ofthe plate cannot be stated with any certainty2 it mi!ht be atemple ornament, it mi!ht be an ornament carried by theplou!h o, but what is si!nificant to the "oyal #rch mason isthe nature of its internal device and the presence of wordsrepresentin! the Ineffable 0ame%

# distinctly different type of interlaced trian!les is the oneadopted as the emblem of the #ncient and #ccepted "iteAbottom second fi!ure p% <@<B%

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(ne of the most elaborate of the many variations is illustratedin Jimmer's Myths and /ymbols% It is the /hri(9antra, a formof the ma!ic circle which is re!arded as an aid to contemplationand as a type of the oldest reli!ious symbols known%

T3e Pe#-+2p3+( -3e F!$e p!#-e% S-+r

The pentalpha was the &#ntients' "oyal #rch emblem% It is

commonly confused with its companion device and often calledthe Seal of Solomon and the Shield of +avid% *robably, moreaccurately, it is the talisman or mornin! star, but it has a !reatmany names in which the prefi &penta'

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enters, such as &penta!ram,' &penta!eron,' &pentacle,' &pentaculum,' and &penta!rammaton%' Sometimes it is called the

penta!on, but this is an error2 its inner lines constitute thatfi!ure% It has been !enerally adopted as the basis of ornament,and one eample, we are told, is to be seen in the easternwindow of the south aisle of .estminster #bbey% # church inHanover built in the fourteenth century contains a deviceconsistin! of a circle, double trian!les, and a penta!on% # deedof 5<D:)DD conveyin! land from a mason AcementariusB to hisson carries a seal which includes a hammer, a half)moon, and afive)pointed star%

.illiam Hutchinson says in his /pirit of Masonry A5DD?B that thepentalpha was a Christian emblem referrin! to the Trinity%8lsewhere we are told% it was a reminder of the five wounds ofChrist, and these are typified in the five li!hts of the eastwindow of many Gothic churches% To the *ytha!oreans andsome other schools it was the symbol of health and salutation%It entered into alchemic illustration% *entalphas in mosaic adorn

the thresholds of Freemasons' Hall, ondon% aurence+ermott's ori!inal desi!n for the &#ntients' certificate found aplace for the pentalpha 1ust above the altar%

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Section T(ent!,6o)#

THE ALTAR STONE/ LIGHTS/ 4ANNERS

TH8 idea of a central altar ori!inated in early Craft lod!es, for inthese the "oyal #rch was nurtured% To the speculative 7rethrenof those days the "oyal #rch ceremony was undoubtedly a

reli!ious ceremony, and, 9uite naturally, it centred spirituallyupon an altar% In the minds of the 7rethren would be many7iblical tets to inspire and !uide them%

The -ews, as from the days of 0oah, used an altar not only forsacrificial purposes, but as a memorial, the sacrificial altarbein! outside and in front of the Temple, while the altars of

incense were within% +irections were !iven on $ount SinaiA8odus , i@)<GB for the erection of altars of earth or ofunhewn stone to which the ascent should not be by steps% aterthe altar was of wood covered with beautiful metals, and onthis the incense was burned2 the altar had horns, one at eachcorner, as found in the altars of #merican chapters to)day%#ltars in the early Christian centuries were of wood, and later ofstone, but followin! the "eformation they !ave way in 8n!lishchurches to what the *rayer 7ook calls the Holy Table%

The early ei!hteenth)century lod!es did not invariably havepedestals% The first pedestal was a central one, either an altaror a pedestal havin! the associations of an altar, and evento)day the $aster's pedestal is, in a sense, a combination of

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altar and table% It must always be remembered that the earlychapters ) held in lod!e rooms ) were necessarily considerablyinfluenced by the common lod!e arran!ement, and therenaturally !rew up in them the idea that the central pedestalwas an altar around which !athered stron!ly reli!ious andprobably always Christian conceptions% The central altarsurvives not only in the chapter but in the St -ohn's lod!es ) the ordinary Craft lod!es ) of Scotland% It is obvious, also, thatat the time when #merica took its speculative masonry from8n!land there must have been a central altar in the 8n!lishlod!es, for to)day it is a feature of the #merican lod!es,althou!h, in addition, the $aster and his .ardens often havepedestals%

The altar in a chapter takes the form of a double cube Abriefly,two cubes 1oined to!etherB, a form that has come to have aceremonial si!nificance, althou!h the historic basis is unknownAsee p% 56:B% The stone carries

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certain initial letters, and references to these occur in lod!eminutes back to the early days% For eample, it is known thatthe St -ames's Chapter paid Q5 5>s% in 53>6 for the !ildin! offifteen letters2 eleven years later the chapter resolved to makean alteration to the $ystical *arts of the *edestal% #s to the

letters themselves, there is not much that can be said in theprinted pa!e% It must be admitted that there is no uniformity inre!ard to the lan!ua!e or lan!ua!es represented by the initials%In an 8dinbur!h chapter the letters are in Hebrew% 8n!lishinitials are felt by many scholars to be meanin!less% The usuallan!ua!e, we suppose, is atin, e9ually illo!ical and

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anachronistic, where the three letters &S%"%I%' stand for &Solomon in! of Israel%' the &R ' bein! the atin for' "e%' Thematter is one that is sub1ect to much and, we fear, fruitlessar!ument%

T3ree( F!$e( +#% Se$e#

The ceremony associated with the altar makes much of thenumbers 6, ?, and D% It may be noted that in in!'s Colle!e,Cambrid!e, there are three steps in the south porch, five at thewest door, and seven at the north porch% Says a writer in 5D:=;These are numbers, with the mystery or, at least, the sound,of which Freemasons are said to be particularly well ac9uainted ) a tellin! piece of evidence that the "oyal #rch ceremonial ofthat early day included a feature of which much is now made%

8ach of these numbers has been credited with mysticproperties, and many particular 7iblical references to them willrise to the mind three branches to the candlestick2 the altarthree cubits hi!h2 three witnesses2 windows in threes2 threethat bear witness2 the three of the Trinity2 these threea!ree A5 -ohn v, 3B2 five years2 five curtains2 five rams2 five!oats2 five smooth stones2 at the rebuke of five2 five loaves2seven kine2 seven sabbaths2 seven pillars2 seven churches2seven candlesticks2 seven !olden vials2 seven times2 sevenyears2 and so on%

Three was a &perfect number,' the symbol of the +eity% SomepreChristian reli!ions had three !ods or had !ods with three

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heads% There were three Fates and three Furies, three Christian!races and three kin!doms of nature% There are said to be fivewits or senses2 five books constitute the Torah A*entateuchB2five days multiplied by ten was the len!th of the ori!inal*entecost% There were seven sacred planets2 creation wascomplete in seven days2 there were seven a!es in the life ofman2 the -ewish 1ubilee was seven times seven2 man wasthou!ht to have seven natures and to be composed of sevensubstances2 there were seven churches, seven cities, sevendials, seven 1oys, seven sa!es, seven sisters, and as often seenin $asonic symbolism, seven stars%

<@D

The si li!hts around the altar owe much to the spiritualsi!nificance lon! since associated with candles, and, further,eemplify by their disposition the mystical importance !iven tothe trian!le, both plain and interlaced% In the 9uite early Craftlod!es, certainly as far back as the 5D6>Ks, candles were placed

to form simple trian!les, and from them developed ultimatelythe present chapter arran!ements of li!hts whose symbolism isso fully dealt with in the ritual and therefore need not be hereeplained% It is true that the arran!ement of the candles isolder than the final elaboration of the related symbolism%

T3e Pr!#,!p+2 B+##er

8nterin! a chapter, we see the altar with its twelve smallbanners or ensi!ns around it, and beyond, in the 8ast, four

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principal banners carryin! ancient emblems2 !enerally, also, wesee in the 8ast a fifth banner, centrally placed, displayin! the"oyal #rch device ) the triple tau within a trian!le within acircle% .e may, in some chapters, see in the .est threebanners beyond the So1ourners% et us deal first with theprincipal banners, secondly with the ensi!ns, and lastly with thebanners sometimes seen in the .est, and in doin! so attemptto avoid any undue repetition of information to be found in theprinted ritual%

The banner comes into freemasonry from ecclesiastical and

hi!h civic custom% Great si!nificance attends its display in thechapels of certain orders of kni!hthood ) of the Garter, StGeor!e's Chapel, .indsor2 of the 7ath, Henry II's Chapel,.estminster, are eamples ) where each kni!ht's personalbanner is suspended above his stall on special occasions% It isthou!ht that from the establishment of Grand Chapter in 5D::banners have been in use probably ) to be!in with, no morethan four in number% If they were what are now the principalbanners carryin! the symbols of the o, man, lion, and ea!lethey must have been borrowed from the &#ntients,' who hadthemselves recently discovered the four emblems in a coat ofarms associated with a model of Solomon's Temple ori!inallyehibited in ondon in 5:D? by a Spanish -ew, -acob -ehudaheon% The &#ntients' adopted the coat of arms complete with itssymbolic devices 1ust as they found it%

.ith re!ard to the arran!ement of the four banners, there is no

definite rule2 8/ekiel in its tenth chapter !ives the arran!ementas cherub, man, lion, ea!le, but in its first chapter as man, lion,o, ea!le% The lion represents the tribe of -udah, the man thatof "euben, the o 8phraim, the ea!le +an% These tribes wereencamped respectively east, south, west, and north of theTabernacle% The order last !iven Alion, man, o, ea!leB is the

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sun)wise direction% In the present armorial bearin!s of Grandod!e,

<@3

which, of course, incorporated those of the &#ntients' Grandod!e at the Craft 4nion, the order is lion, o AcalfB, man,ea!le, a!reein! with that !iven in "evelation iv, D% Takin! thisorder and rememberin! that the lion represents stren!th andpower, the o, or calf, patience and assiduity, the manintelli!ence and understandin!, and the ea!le promptness andcelerity in doin! the will and pleasure of the !reat I am, thenthe pro!ression in meanin! and si!nificance is appropriate%

The 7ook of "evelation represents the emblems of four distinctbein!s; the (ld Testament represents them as four faces% Theoldest embla/onment known in the records of Freemasons' Hall,

ondon Adate about 5DD:B, shows a !olden lion on a red!round, a black o on a blue !round, a red man on a white oryellow !round, and a !olden ea!le on a !reen !round, but it isobvious that banners have been produced to suit the differenttastes and whims of many individuals%

The derivation of these four emblems has been learnedly dealtwith by G% S% Shepherd)-ones% He recalls that the very ancient

peoples re!arded fire, li!ht, and air as direct manifestations ofthe +eity, and symboli/ed them by the bull, the lion, and theea!le; the ra!e of the bull to denote fire2 the piercin! eyes ofthe lion to denote li!ht2 and the soarin! fli!ht of the ea!le todenote air% ater they !ave the +eity these three attributes, anddepicted a human body with three heads ) those of the bull, the

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lion, and the ea!le% To other ancient !ods they !ave severalheads, and to some several arms, all in an attempt to si!nifytheir !od and his attributes% Then, in the course of time, the8!yptians and possibly still earlier peoples transformed theirthree)headed !od into four separate fi!ures which, after someelaboration, became the bull, the lion, the ea!le, and the man%The Hebrews, after their eodus from 8!ypt, adopted thesymbols, and thus we find the o and the lion upon the basesof the lavers Abra/en vessels in which the priests washedB ofthe Temple at -erusalem%

These four sacred symbols, to which there are many referencesin the -ewish Talmud, were ascribed in a book by St IrenaeusAsecond centuryB to the four 8van!elists, $atthew, $ark, uke,and -ohn, so obviously they had ac9uired a Christiansi!nificance at a very early date% The ea!le became aprominent church symbol, and in some old parish churchesthere was an ea!le desk at which certain processions haltedand the Gospel was sun!% The (ld $asonic Char!es well knewthe ea!le symbol% The presence in an old lod!e of a carvedea!le may possibly mean either that the lod!e was dedicated toSt -ohn the 8van!elist, as lod!es commonly were, or isevidence of a "oyal #rch association% In the Chapter of St-ames, 0o% <, is an ea!le carved and !ilded%

In their Christian application a win!ed man represented theincarnation of Christ2 a win!ed o His passion2 a win!ed lionHis resurrection2 and

<@=

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the ea!le His ascension Aand in the order thus !iven arerespectively associated with SS% $atthew, uke, $ark, and-ohnB% #ll the four emblems appear on a notable crucifi, that inthe cathedral of $inden, Germany% #t the foot of the cross isthe man, and at the head the ea!le% #t the end of the arm onthe fi!ure's ri!ht is the lion, on his left the o%

The arms of the Grand od!e of 8n!land consist essentially oftwo cherubim Aplural of cherubB, one on each side of a shield%#bove the shield is the #rk of the Covenant, over which isHebrew letterin!, 8odes la !donai , meanin! &Holiness to the

ord%' .e learn much of the !enesis of the whole device whenwe read 8odus v, describin! the cherubim spreadin! outtheir win!s on hi!h and coverin! the mercy seat with theirwin!s% Cherubim in the coat of arms are obviously symbolicfi!ures, probably derived from an #ssyrian representation in asacred fi!ure of the win!s of an ea!le, the body partly of an oand partly of a lion and the face of a man% These fi!ures have aclose affinity with the symbolic fi!ures represented by the fourprincipal banners%

T3e Twe2$e E#!/#

The ensi!ns arran!ed around the altar commemorate theChildren of Israel durin! their forty years' travel in thewilderness, in the course of which banners were re!ularly setup and the tribes assembled and pitched their tents aroundtheir own individual banner%

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8ach ensi!n carries an emblematic device, the choice ofemblem bein! !overned by -acob's prophecy relatin! to theposterity of the different tribes% These tribes had been scatteredthrou!hout the len!th,but not much of the breadth, of*alestine% In the etreme 0orth, near ake $eron, were #sherand 0aphtali, south of them Jebulun, and to the east of theSea of Galilee $anasseh% $uch farther south, below $anasseh,came Gad, and at the etreme south, to the east of the +eadSea, "euben% The si other tribes were all west of the river-ordan; startin! from the 0orth, they were Issachar, net abranch of the tribe of $anasseh, then 8phraim, +an, 7en1aminAclose to -erusalemB, and finally, on the west shore of the +eadSea, -udah and Simeon%

-acob had twelve sons, each the head of a tribe, but on hisdeathbed he adopted 8phraim and $anasseh, the sons of-oseph, althou!h on the distribution of land by -oshua thetribes counted but as twelve% evi had no land, but some citiesand many privile!es% "ather more than D>> years 7%C% ten ofthe tribes revolted from the House of Israel and took -eroboamas their kin!, leavin! -udah and 7en1amin still faithful to the!overnment of the line of +avid% ast numbers of the revoltedtribes under -eroboam were carried into captivity beyond the8uphrates, and it is unlikely that

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many of them ever returned% 4ltimately the tribes of -udah and7en1amin were taken into eile by 0ebuchadne//ar, this eileleadin! up to the epoch in -ewish history with which the storyof the 8n!lish "oyal #rch is concerned%

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8ach ensi!n carries the name of a tribe and a distin!uishin!emblem, as here shown;

-udah ]]]]]]]]]]] lion couchant and sceptre%

7en1amin ]]]]]]]]]% wolf%

+an ]]]]]]]]]]]%% horse and rider, a serpent bitin! theheels of the

horse2 sometimes an ea!le in theback!round%

#sher ]]]]]]]]]]] tree or cup%

0aphtali ]]]]]]]]]] hind%

$anasseh ]]]]]]]]] vine on a wall%

Atook the place of eviB

Issachar ]]]]]]]]]%% ass couched between two burdens%

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Jebulun ]]]]]]]]]] ship in haven%

"euben ]]]]]]]]]] man on red ensi!n%

Simeon ]]]]]]]]]%% sword or crossed swords, sometimeswith tower%

Gad ]]]]]]]]]]] troop of horsemen%

8phraim ]]]]]]]]]% o%

(ri!inally these ensi!ns were arran!ed to form a s9uare, a

most inconvenient arran!ement, so it has come about that inmost chapters the ensi!ns are in two lines, si in each,!enerally facin! inward towards the altar, althou!h sometimesall the ensi!ns face west% Some chapters have compromised byplacin! the ensi!ns in a sli!htly slantin! position so that theycan be clearly seen by anyone in the west%

O-3er B+##er

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7ehind the So1ourners' chairs in some chapters are threebanners, and apparently their ori!inal emblems wererespectively lion, sceptre, and crown% -% Heron epper thou!htthat these banners were at an early date behind the chairs ofthe Three *rincipals, but at some time or another, possiblyfollowin! the 536? revision of ceremonies and ritual, they weremoved over% In the process of time the crown emblem has beendropped or for!otten%

Some chapters early in the nineteenth century are believed tohave displayed banners carryin! the si!ns of the /odiac%

Tr+,!#/4&+r%

Some of the old chapters had, and probably may still have,

tracin!boards, the idea of which came strai!ht from Craftusa!e% In the old Irish chapters were boards depictin! thesymbols not only of the "oyal #rch,

<?5

but of the Craft and a number of additional de!rees% It isthou!ht that the oldest Irish floor)cloth Aand the floor)cloth wasin effect a tracin!)boardB is owned by ur!an od!e, then 0o%6=@, Irish Constitution, and its chief feature is an arch%

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#n en!raved plate dated 5D?? represents a very early instanceof a tracin!)board displayin! a "oyal #rch idea% It is a curiousillustration showin! an arch in three sta!es and an indentedborder on a tracin!)board which is in course of use by thearchitect% In the Chapter of Fortitude, 8d!baston, 0o% @6, is apainted floor)cloth, not thou!ht to be older than 53@>, showin!the si!ns of the /odiac, while in the Chapter of Sincerity,Taunton, 0o% <:5, is a tracin!)board, ori!inally a cloth, datin!back to the early 53>>Ks, and displayin! as one of its emblemsthe mariner's compass% This last board, illustrated in a full)pa!eplate in the author's earlier volume, is 9uite outstandin!2 withinan indented border it includes a main arch supported by two!reat pillars, and inside that is seen a succession of three

arches, with the So1ourners at work%

# Third)de!ree tracin!)board belon!in! to the 7ritannia od!e,0o% 56=, Sheffield Astarted as an &#ntients' od!e in 5D:5B,presumably datin! back to not earlier than the 53@>Ks, displaysthe clearest possible evidence of association with the "oyal#rch% .ithin an outline of a coffin Asurmounted by a spri! ofacaciaB are a few bold Craft emblems and three pentalphas,those last probably an indication of the survival of the &#ntients'feelin! ori!inally in the lod!e%

(n old Craft tracin!)boards, banners, 1ewels, etc%, a handholdin! a plumb)line is a symbol often indicatin! a "oyal #rchconneion% It comes from the &#ntients' ceremony ofInstallation, and dates back to the time when the *ast $aster's

&+e!ree' was considered an essential step to the "oyal #rch% Itis a matter for con1ecture whether anythin! was contributed tothis particular symbolism as a result of Galileo Galilei'sinvesti!ation of the properties of the pendulum, but it isimpossible to contemplate the well)known statue of the !reatphysicist holdin! a line with pendulum bob without instantly

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callin! to mind the hand)and)plumb)line symbol to be seen onnumberless tracin!)boards and 1ewels of other days% #necellent eample of a desi!n in which the same symbol occursis on a "oyal #rch banner A5D3>)53>>B in the $asonic museumat Canterbury, reproduced in this book as *late I%

The anchor, a device common on old tracin!)boards and 1ewels,was Aand still isB a Christian emblem of eternal life, particularlyso when combined with the cross%

The !roup of seven stars so commonly seen on oldtracin!)boards, 1ewels, and the like is inspired by the tets in"evelations i, 5:2 ii, 52 and iii, 5, these speakin! of the sevenstars in the hand of Christ%

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Section T(ent!,6i&e

ROYAL ARCH CLOTHING

TH8 "oyal #rch mason's clothin! Athe word comes down from!uild customB includes robes, aprons, sashes, collars, chains,

1ewels, and, eceptionally, headdresses%

The by)laws of the 8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter, 5D::,lay down that the 8cellent Grands be clothed in proper "obes,Caps on their Heads, and adorned with proper 1ewels%)0o#prons%%%% That all the Companions wear #prons Aecept thoseappointed to wear robesB and the #prons shall be all of one sortof fashion% AFor the completion of this by)law see p% D5%B

The Charter of Compact, 5D::, specifies an apron indentedwith Crimson, and the 7ad!e

properly displayed thereon, and also the indented "ibbon orSash of this (rder%

The robes worn by the Three *rincipals are traditional, not ofany definite period, and descend from the ancient andworld)wide custom of persons in authority and havin!

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ceremonial duties wearin! a loose, flowin! outer)dress% -ud!es,priests, scholastics, etc%, have commonly worn such clothin! ofdi!nity% It is known that robes were worn in the early chapters,for in $ay 5DDD the minutes of the Grand and "oyal Chaptermention a proposal to have a new robe for the *rincipal Aif thefund would admit of itB, and in +ecember of the same yearChevalier "uspini showed drawin!s of proposed new robeswhich, with some alterations, were approved%

The colours of "oyal #rch clothin! take their si!nificance from7iblical tets ) blue, and purple, and scarlet A8odus v, @,

and vi, iB ) but there has been some variation since theearliest "oyal #rch days% 7efore the union of the GrandChapters the Three *rincipals wore respectively robes ofscarlet, ma/arine blue Aa deep sky)blueB, and li!ht !rey, butnowadays the First *rincipal wears a robe of scarlet, theemblem of imperial di!nity, the Second a robe of purple, theemblem of union Apurple bein! a combination of blue andscarletB, and the Third a robe of blue, indicatin! universalfriendship and benevolence% In Ireland the *rincipals do notwear robes% In Scotland robes are optional and, when worn,a!ree with those worn in an 8n!lish chapter, althou!h, to beprecise, the First

<?6

*rincipal's scarlet is there called crimson% In some #mericanchapters the chief officer wears all four colours of the -ewishHi!h *riest ) blue, purple, scarlet, and white linen ) the in!wears scarlet, and the Scribe purple%

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$any theories have been advanced to eplain the choice ofcolours, but nothin! more definite can be said than that, in!eneral, the colours a!ree with those !iven in the 7ook of8odus%

The surplices or vestments of white linen worn by theSo1ourners date back at least to 5DD3, when their use wasauthori/ed by the first Grand Chapter2 the reference in theprinted rules of 5D3< is For the so1ourners, surplices% TheScribe's surplice may !o back to about the same period orrather later and be developed from the alb, a lon!er linen

vestment ori!inatin! in Greek and atin days and worn bypriests of the Christian Church since, say, the third century% Ithas been said to be emblematical of the renewal of man in

1ustice and in the holiness of truth%

T3e He+%%re

The headdress was once part of the re!ular clothin! of theGrand *rincipals% The laws of Grand Chapter, 5D=:, foreample, say that the J% will wear a turban with a triple crown,the H% an ornamental turban or a plain crown, and the -% apurple Hiera cap with a silver plate in front bearin! Holiness tothe ord in Hebrew characters en!raved thereon% This customsurvives in many chapters of the 4nited States of #merica, inwhich the Hi!h *riest wears a mitre and breastplate, the in! acrown and carries a sceptre, the Scribe a turban, the Captain ofthe Host a cap, and the *rincipal So1ourner, "oyal #rch Captain,and the Captains or Grand $asters of the eils wear hats orcaps%

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$any ordinary chapters also used headdresses, for we are toldthat the Chapter of Hope for some years was not wealthy

enou!h to indul!e in such ornate adornment, and in 5353 wasreported to Grand Chapter for not wearin! proper re!alia%To)day the headdress is seldom seen in 8n!lish chapters% True,St Stephen's Chapter, "etford, 0otts, possesses headdresses,but does not seem to have used them since about 5=<?%However, headdresses are still worn in the Chapter of St -ames,0o% <, and in the 7ristol chapters and include both crowns andmitres or turbans%

The headdress was not ori!inally a mitre, it is thou!ht,althou!h so shown in some old illustrations% *late showsmitre)like headdresses worn by the *rincipals of the Chapter of$elchi/edec A53>5):>B Aattached to the od!e of #nti9uity, 0o%5@:, 7oltonB, and doubtless in a number of chapters theheaddress came to be re!arded as a mitre after the style of thebishop's headdress, actually his coronet% Curiously, the word

&mitre'

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appears to have been associated in the first place with the ideaof a thread, and to have si!nified somethin! tied on or boundon, probably derived from the two wide &strin!s' alwaysattached to the mitre% In the $iddle #!es mitres were of costlymaterial and covered with !ems and precious metals, thou!hsometimes they were of simple damask silk or white linen%There is !ood reason for the opinion that the Hi!h *riest'sheaddress should be, not a mitre, but a turban mounted on an

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encirclin! plate of !old on which is inscribed Holiness to theord%

T3e R+2 Ar,3 Apr#

The ori!inal "oyal #rch apron could have been nothin! morethan the Craft apron Aas it was for 5?> years or so in #mericanmasonryB with or without the addition of symbolic decoration,many eamples of these elaborate old aprons bein! on view in$asonic museums% This would apply chiefly to &#ntients'practice, however, for we have seen that the &$oderns' wereprescribin! in 5D:: an apron closely resemblin! that of to)day%

&#ntient' masons were proud to wear their aprons displayin!"oyal #rch symbols in any and every $asonic meetin!, but thepremier Grand od!e raised ob1ection early in the 5DD>Ks to thewearin! of the special "oyal #rch apron in the Craft lod!es,with the result that in 5DD6 Grand Chapter decided to disuse

the "oyal #rch apron until Grand od!e should permitCompanions to wear it in the Grand od!e and in privatelod!es% 7ut Grand od!e reco!nition was not forthcomin! Aandnever has been, to the etent of permittin! "oyal #rch clothin!to be worn in a Craft lod!eB, and the "oyal #rch masons werenot lon! in resumin! the "oyal #rch apron in their ownchapters%

# Companion writin! to one livin! in the country in the year5D=? said that, the "%#% $asons in ondon wore no #pronswhen assembled in such a Chapter, but little credence shouldbe !iven to this inasmuch as we have many recordedreferences to "oyal #rch aprons about that period, and as an

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eample may 9uote a minute of the St -ames's Chapter of5D=3, proposin! that the Indented #pron to be worn by theCompanions of the Chapter should be "ed Indent on a "oyal7lue Ground, and lined with .hite Silk, and, apparently, aboutthe end of the century some chan!e in the "oyal #rch apronwas officially made, -% Harry "ylands, for eample, believin!that the ori!inal crimson !ave way to blue about 5D=3%

$uch could be written about the &#ntients' curious old apronsshowin! "oyal #rch symbolic devices% #prons printed fromen!raved plates, common in the 53>> period, are far from

lackin! in beauty, and some of them have been coloured afterprintin!% (ne or two particular aprons will be noted aseamples of the hi!hly ornamental style affected in those days%

<??

#n apron worn in an Irish lod!e, 0o% 36D, held in His $a1esty's<<nd or Sli!o "e!iment of $ilitia, has a semicircular bib or flaptrimmed with ribbon, the inside ribbon li!ht blue and theoutside red, and on the outside is a narrow black frin!e% Theflap carries a s9uare and compass in li!ht blue, and on thes9uare is a red)ribbon rosette% The top of the apron is boundwith blue ribbon% The centre ornament of the apron is an archof red ribbon restin! on three strips of black, red, and blueribbon% .ithin the arch is worked in red silk a key, and below

that a serpent on a rod% #bove the key is the letter G%#ccompanyin! the apron was a sash of black silk with a narrowborder of red and a short frin!e of blue, there bein! a rosette ofblue and red on the shoulder2 at the breast was aseven)pointed star in black se9uins, and beneath that theemblems of mortality% The owner was a ni!ht Templar, and the

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ornamentation of the apron includes the seven stars and otheremblems%

# most elaborately silk)embroidered apron, also Irish, is oflinen worked with silks of many colours by a process known astambourin!, the approimate date bein! 53<>% It possiblybelon!ed to a member of the od!e of Truth, 7elfast, foundedin 535D% Included in its emblems are; the arch, from whosekeystone han!s the letter 'G'2 a fi!ure within the arch2 manyemblems of the Craft, the veils, etc%, of the "oyal #rch, anddevices of some additional de!rees% Fi!ures of a $aster and his

.ardens form a trian!le, and the central fi!ure has on his ri!htthe Tetra!rammaton%

$any old and distinctive aprons are shown in a number of theplates accompanyin! this present volume%

# Companion's apron in the 8n!lish "oyal #rch to)day is ofwhite lambskin, from 5@ inches to 5: inches wide and from 5<inches to 5@ inches deep% To!ether with its trian!ular overlap, ithas an indented crimson and purple Adark blueB border notmore than < inches wide ecept alon! the top% In the centre ofthe overlap is a trian!le of white silk within a !ilt border, andwithin the trian!le the emblem ) three taus united in !iltembroidery2 two !old or metal !ilt tassels are suspended frombeneath the overlap by ribbons% In the aprons of *rincipals,

*resent and *ast, the silk trian!le on the overlap and thebackin! on ribbons are crimson% The aprons of *rovincial and+istrict Grand (fficers, etc%, have the !ilt emblems of office orrank in the centre, within a double circle, in which is insertedthe name of the *rovince or +istrict, or, in the case of ondonGrand Chapter rank, the word &ondon,' and in the case of

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overseas Grand Chapter rank the word &(verseas'2 backin! andribbons are of dark blue%

The aprons of Grand (fficers and Grand Superintendents havea double indented crimson and purple border @ inches wide,with the emblem of office embroidered in !ilt in the centrewithin two branches of laurel2 the backin! and ribbons in thiscase also are dark blue%

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T3e S+3

8n!lish Grand Chapter re!ulations re9uire all Companions towear a sash over the left shoulder passin! obli9uely to the ri!ht

side, but there is ample evidence of the sash havin! been wornover the ri!ht shoulder in some of the early chapters% .ornover the ri!ht shoulder, the sash may possibly hark back to thesword)belt, but worn over the left to the decorative bad!e ofhonour such as would be worn by a court official% From thisdifference in the method of wearin! has arisen a keencontroversy on the true ori!in and meanin! of the sash%

Those who believe that the sash was ori!inally a sword)belt andshould, therefore, be hun! from the ri!ht shoulder so that thesword is conveniently !rasped by the ri!ht hand have in theirmind the ancient craftsmen who rebuilt the walls of the HolyCity with sword at side and trowel in hand% They feel that the

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sash so worn implies a sword, and are inclined to associate itwith a kni!htly de!ree that may have had a French ori!in%

# famous $asonic portrait, that of "ichard innecar, "i!ht.orshipful $aster of the od!e of 4nanimity, 0o% <><,.akefield, and one of His $a1esty's Coroners for the .est"idin! of the County of Eorkshire, depicts a notable "%#% masonwith his sash worn over the ri!ht shoulder% This portrait datesback to the 5DD> period% innecar was a mason of outstandin!9uality and a most versatile person ) linen draper, winemerchant, postmaster, playwri!ht, coroner, and many other

thin!s as well%

In a paintin! about forty years later of another "oyal #rchworthy, this one belon!in! to an old .hitby lod!e, the sasha!ain is shown on the ri!ht shoulder, but both of thesecompanions were &$odern' masons, and the possibility musttherefore be faced that some &#ntients' wore the sash in thereverse position% In some Eorkshire chapters towards the end of

the ei!hteenth century the sash was worn on the ri!ht shoulder,and in Ireland today the sash is worn under the coat from theri!ht shoulder to the left hip%

There is an e9ually stron! case for wearin! the sash over theleft shoulder% The Charter of Compact A5D::B says, everyCompanion shall wear %%% the indented "ibbon or Sash of this

(rder, but does not eplain how it should be worn, but theGrand Chapter's printed laws of 5DD3 ordered the "ibbon to beworn over the left shoulder% Some students have emphasi/edthat a ribbon Ain the Gates $S% of about 5D=> it becomes alar!e ribbonB was not a sword support, but rather a sashcorrespondin! to the decoration of a court official of the

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chamberlain type or to the stole of the church priest anddeacon which, ri!ht back to ancient days, was worn over theleft shoulder, and in its mystical si!nification,

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<?D

represented the yoke of Christ% # "oyal #rch $S% of about5D=? says that we wear the "ibbon as 7ad!es of Honour and8nsi!ns of our (rder% That is !reatly at variance with thesword)belt idea% It is worth bearin! in mind, too, that from timeimmemorial it has been understood that 8n!lish masons shouldassemble without carryin! any offensive or defensive weaponand that up to 5356 notices for the Grand Festival Aof the8n!lish Grand od!eB invariably contained an in1unction thatthe 7rethren appear unarmed% -% Heron epper has said thatthe sword and trowel are displayed in chapter as an incentive todili!ence, labour, and patriotism in defendin! our country, but,as "oyal #rch masons, we do not carry either of them incelebratin! our mysteries%

8n!lish Grand Chapter re!ulations to)day re9uire allCompanions to wear a crimson)and)purple indented sash overthe left shoulder, passin! obli9uely to the ri!ht side, with silkfrin!e at the end, the emblem to be embroidered on a whiteback!round% In the aprons of *rincipals *resent and *ast thefrin!e is of !old or metal !ilt, and the emblem is on a crimsonback!round% Grand (fficers and Grand Superintendents and allother Companions of senior rank wear the same apron as the

*rincipals of chapters, save that the emblem is on a dark blueback!round%

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C22+r +#% C3+!#

Certain officers ) Grand (fficers, for eample ) have had theprivile!e of wearin! collars or chains over 9uite a lon! period%+urin! the last century the Grand Superintendents wore chainsor collars similar to those of officers of Grand Chapter, andto)day many more officers share the privile!e% The "oyal #rch

1ewel may be worn in a Craft lod!e, but not a "%#% collar orchain%

Collars, sashes, and aprons belon!in! to "oyal #rch masonrymay not be worn on public occasions, and permission istherefore never !iven% # dispensation to wear &$asonic clothin!'on public occasions does not include permission to wear "oyal#rch clothin!%

$asonic clothin! includes 1ewels, and these are treated

separately in the net section%

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Section T(ent!,si+

ROYAL ARCH 8EWELS

$#S(0IC 1ewels are more accurately medals, bad!es ofdistinction and honour, althou!h many of the early eampleswere pieces of real 1ewellery, a few of them, indeed, bein!

elaborate articles of virtu, heavily set with brilliants and otherstones% $any of the early "oyal #rch 1ewels are beautiful intheir simplicity, especially those formed by fret)cuttin!,piercin!, and en!ravin!, and 1ewels of this kind were made byfamous silversmiths, notable amon! them bein! the ThomasHarper family of Fleet Street, ondon, many of whose 1ewels,now rare and valuable, are distin!uished by the letters &TH,' notto be confused with the wellknown T)over)H device thatultimately became the triple tau%

The $asonic practice of displayin! medals or &1ewels' probablyowes somethin! to a siteenth)century Church custom ofwearin! medals, each bearin! a reli!ious emblem, or picture,incidentally a custom encoura!ed by various *opes durin! thenineteenth century%

Craft 1ewels were known as far back as 5D<D, when $astersand .ardens of private lod!es were ordered by Grand od!e towear the 1ewels of $asonry han!in! to a white ribbon% Theapproved "oyal #rch 1ewel, the bad!e of the (rder,incorporates the interlaced trian!les and triple tau, and its early

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form is illustrated in the mar!in of the Charter of Compact,5D::% This official 1ewel will be considered later in this section%

8arly "oyal #rch 1ewels of the &#ntients' depict an altar under abroken arch, and are known from about 5D35, and include thesun in splendour on a trian!ular plate% The illuminated $S% of aFrench ritual of 5D:> also shows this device, with the additionof the Ineffable 0ame, the trian!le now includin! a torchetin!uished by the li!ht of the sun ) a most unusual idea%

The "oyal #rch 1ewels of the &$oderns' !enerally are based onthe Craft $aster's 1ewel ) the open compasses and se!ment ) to which are added the arch and columns% It is known that the

1ewels of the Three *rincipals were chan!ed between the year5D=: and 53>< to brin! them more closely in accord with the

1ewel of the old Craft $aster% Thus the *rincipals' 1ewelsillustrated in a circular of Grand Chapter in 53>6 and

<?=

in an !bstract of Laws, 53>D, have an arch with keystonesupported by two columns which stand upon the lowest of threesteps% #s a reminder of the holder's Craft 9ualification, a boldpair of compasses, with s9uare, rests on a se!ment of a circle,both points of the compasses bein! visible% These are the

1ewels of the Second and Third *rincipals, that of the First*rincipal havin!, in addition, a sun in splendour between thecompasses and the s9uare%

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The earliest)known *%J% 1ewels were those voted by the newGrand Chapter to -ohn $aclean, the first J%, and to -amesGalloway, the out!oin! J%, at the anniversary feast in +ecember5D::, these Companions havin! probably played a bi! althou!hunknown part in formin! the Chapter and !ainin! ord

7layney's indispensable help2 $aclean's 1ewel was in token ofhis bein! Father and *romoter of the Chapter%

"eaders will reali/e that there is such a mass of materialrelatin! to "oyal #rch 1ewels that the sub1ect cannot be morethan introduced in these pa!es2 certainly any comprehensivetreatment is out of the 9uestion% #ll that can be done is tomention a few of the more outstandin! eamples%

# First *rincipal's 1ewel in the .allace Heaton collection,illustrated in *late , is based on the old Craft $aster's 1ewel,the open compasses with s9uare and se!ment, one of the

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boldest desi!ns known, and into it have been introducedcolumns, the arch with prominent keystone, and over the top ofthe arch the healpha% The sun in splendour is shown within thearch%

# fine eample of a 1ewel inset with !ems Adate earlyei!hteenth centuryB is that of the 8uropean traveller,8!yptolo!ist, and &character' Giovanni 7attista 7el/oni, born in*adua, 0orth Italy, in 5DD3% He twice

<:>

paid lon! visits to 8n!land, and in the Chapter of St -ames Ainwhich the First *rincipal wears this identical 1ewelB he wore the

1ewel shown in *late III, and which is now to be seen at theFreemasons' Hall $useum, ondon% It was made by the Harperfamily in 53<>, and its fine9uality stones, &white' and red, are

mounted in silver% (n each side of the keystone are si redstones% The interlaced trian!les also are red% 7el/oni on his firstvisit to 8n!land in 53>6 was obli!ed by poverty to earn a livin!by acrobatic performances in the public street, but he was astudent of mechanics, inventor of mechanical methods andappliances, and developed into a well)known discoverer of8!yptian archolo!ical remains% He died in the course of anepedition near 7enin, 0orth #frica, in 53<6 # pierced silver

1ewel Adate about 5D3>B in the custody of eicester $asonic

Hall has the triple arches and the 9uaint fi!ure of a manen!a!ed in wrenchin! forth the keystone of the smallest ofthese arches Asee illustration on p% <?=B%

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# 1ewel of unusual shape ) rectan!ular, with a curved top ) isshown on the opposite pa!e% It is crowded with emblems ) amon! them 0oah's #rk, beehive, -acob's ladder, hand holdin!the serpent by its head, the plummet% It is believed to be a"oyal #rch 1ewel, and is included as an eample of the mannerin which the old craftsman took 1oy in crowdin! in theemblems%

# 1ewel of strikin! desi!n ) a circle interlaced with a s9uare ) belon!ed to the ei!hteenth)century Three Crowned Starsod!e of *ra!ue, capital of 7ohemia, then part of the #ustrian

8mpire% The s9uare and trian!le may have been of silver, thecrowns of silver or !old, and the back!round red, the ribbonprobably bein! blue% It is illustrated on p% <?=%

The collar 1ewel of bold desi!n, date about 5D3>, shown in *lateI is unusual in that it is finished in 7attersea enamel to !ivethe effect of porcelain%

The Chapter of St Geor!e, 0o% 5@> Afounded in 5D3DB, has a setof five 1ewels with red ribbons, intended to be used as collar

1ewels% They are identical, the device bein! a plain brass circleenclosin! two trian!les, one within the other%

-ewels of the 0ine .orthies, supervisin! officers appointed by

the &#ntients' Grand Chapter, were of a stron!ly individualdesi!n% 8arlier sections eplain that these 0ine 8cellent$asters were !iven a medal emblematic of their office, themedal to be !iven up when the $asters left office% #lasL it wasoften difficult to !et these medals returned, but ei!ht of thenine are now in the Grand od!e ADB and .orcester A5B

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$useums% In this 1ewel, a!ain, is the device of the man leverin!up the keystone of the smallest of the three arches% In theancient Greek and "oman illustrations showin! buildin! workthe masons were always shown unclothed, and

<:5

apparently the desi!ner of this 1ewel has based himself uponthose classic eamples Asee *late IB%

# late ei!hteenth)century "oyal #rch 1ewel, pierced anden!raved, a desi!n based upon s9uare and sector andcontainin! familiar emblems, is shown on *late %

-ewels of the 4nanimity Chapter, .akefield, as described by -%

"% "ylands, were made by -ames "ule, a watchmaker and 1eweller and an active mason in Eork2 1ewels made by him arestill in the possession of the 4nanimity od!e and Chapter% Thechapter 1ewels include two silver

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trian!les and three So1ourners' 1ewels Asee *late IB andwere found years a!o in a bo after lon! concealment amon!accumulated rubbish% The trian!les are of etreme simplicity,their sides measurin! ? 5@ inches, the width of the silver bein!

1ust under seven)tenths of an inch2 they are suspended fromfaded silk ribbons, < inches wide, ori!inally perhaps of a deeppurple% (n one side they are inscribed (mnipotent, etc%, andon the other In the be!innin!, etc% The So1ourners' 1ewels arebeautifully made of silver% The crossed sword and trowel aresuspended from red silk ribbons% The swords are nearly ?inches lon! and the trowels @W inches% .ith the three silvertrian!les for the *rincipals these 1ewels cost a total of Q? 5?s%

:d% in $arch 5D==% -ohn "% "ylands draws a possible inferencefrom the So1ourners' 1ewels that, in the Eorkshire "oyal #rch inthe latter half of the ei!hteenth century, there may have beensome element similar to, if not derived from, the Scots de!rees%

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# handsomely en!raved silver collar 1ewel made in 7irmin!hamin 535<

<:<

was in the possession at the end of the century of od!e St*eter, $alden, 8sse, but, of course, was not made for thatlod!e% It is of the s9uareand)sector type and has a fi!urestandin! on an arch stone2 other fi!ures in the desi!n are noteasily eplained in relation to the Craft or "oyal #rch% The 1ewelis nearly 65 inches wide and @5 inches deep Asee oppositepa!eB%

T3e R+2 Ar,3 ewe2( -3e Jewe2 0 -3e Or%er

8arliest authority for the desi!n of the "oyal #rch 1ewel is themar!in of the Charter of Compact, as already stated, the desi!nthere shown very closely resemblin! that now in use% Thedevice is the two trian!les interlaced, and its now hi!hlydeveloped symbolism is eplained later% In the centre space the

1ewel of Grand (fficers carried a delta or trian!le, but in theordinary Companion's 1ewel the centre was blank% Thisdistinction appears to have disappeared somewhat 9uickly% #

simple, attractive 1ewel of the year 5D::, then belon!in! to +r-ohn -ames "ouby, of St $artin's ane, ondon, a!rees with theabove Asee *late IIIB2 its owner passed the arch in #pril5D:?, and only two months later was si!nin! the bylaws of the8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter%

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The "oyal #rch 1ewel may be worn in a Craft lod!e under theauthority of Grand od!e "e!ulation 0o% <@5% It was not

specifically referred to in the Craft Constitutions immediatelyfollowin! the Craft 4nion, but in 53@5 the permission !iven inthose Constitutions to wear certain 1ewels in lod!e wasetended to such as shall appertain to or be consistent withthose de!rees which are reco!ni/ed and acknowled!ed by andunder the controul of the Grand od!e% In 53?6 came anaddition to the above, the wordin! bein! under the controul ofGrand od!e bein! part of *ure and #ntient $asonry% In 533@the word controul was omitted, possibly because its use may

have been interpreted as prohibitin! the wearin! of a "oyal#rch 1ewel in a Craft lod!e% Instead there were substitutedwords which are still retained in Grand od!e "ule 0o% <@5,here !iven in full;

0o $asonic 1ewel, medal, device, or emblem shall be wornin the Grand od!e, or any subordinate od!e, unless itappertains to, or is consistent with, those de!rees whichare reco!nised and acknowled!ed by the Grand od!e inthe preliminary declaration to these "ules, as part of pure#ntient $asonry, and has been approved or allowed bythe Grand $aster%

It will be seen that Grand Chapter "e!ulation 0o% 3@, asfollows, is closely modelled on the above;

0o $asonic 1ewel, medal, device or emblem shall be wornin the Grand Chapter or any private Chapter unless itappertains to, or is consistent with,

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<:6

an order or de!ree reco!nised and acknowled!ed by theGrand od!e or the Grand Chapter as part of pure #ntient$asonry, and has been approved or allowed by the FirstGrand *rincipal%

T3e Sm&2!m 0 -3e R+2 Ar,3 Jewe2

The symbolism of the interlaced trian!les has been eplained ina previous section, but there has developed in relation to the"oyal #rch 1ewel embodyin! that device some hi!hly speciali/edsymbolism, and the

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author is particularly indebted to G% S% Shepherd)-ones, whohas offered in an address A5=?5B a comprehensive eplanationof it% The address cannot be 9uoted at len!th, but herefollowin! it is possible to !ive some of its author's salientpoints; The interlaced trian!les portray the duality of masonryand its comprehensive teachin!, coverin! the twofold nature ofman, spiritual and material% (n the 1ewel is a sun, but a sunwithin a trian!le, representin! an emblem of the +eity%

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8nclosin! the interlaced trian!les are two concentric circles, theinner one denotin! the +eity and His (mnipresence, and theouter one eternity%

<:@

#t the bottom of the 1ewel, outside the two concentric circles, isa small circle, a!ain an emblem of eternity, and within thatcircle is the triple tau, the bad!e of a "oyal #rch mason andrepresentin! the completion of a Candidate's spiritual 1ourneyin masonry% (n the reverse of the 1ewel, between the twoconcentric circles, is a double triad in atin; -eo, #egi,'ratribus" onor, 'idelitas, 5enevolentia%

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The remainin! inscription on the reverse is on the interlacedtrian!les, and is a!ain a double triad% (n the first trian!le isConcord, Truth, *eace, and on the second .isdom, Stren!th,7eauty, this second triad alludin!, says the author 9uoted, notto the wisdom of S%, the stren!th of %H%, and the beautifyin!hand of H%#7% but to the (mniscience, (mnipotence and(mnipresence of the +eity%

Turnin! now to the obverse of the 1ewel, the wordin! on thescroll is seen to be complete; 0il nisi clavis deest A0othin! is

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wantin! but the keyB% There is a somewhat similar meanin! inthe inscription between the two concentric circles; /i talia jungere possis sit tibi scire satin A If thou canst understandwhat follows thou knowest enou!hB% (n the interlacedtrian!les of the obverse we a!ain have a double triad, but thetriad on the second trian!le is not yet complete% The trian!lewith the ape pointin! upward is the spiritual trian!le, and theinscription on the base is .e have found, which is repeated inGreek and a!ain in atin on

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the sides of the trian!le% (n the trian!le with the ape pointin!downward the base is left blank, and on the two sides areCultor -ei" Civis Mundi % .hen the Companion's name has beenen!raved in the blank space, then the triad on that trian!le willbe completed, and will read, #%7%2 Cultor -ei" Civis Mundi % 7ythis endorsement the holder of the 1ewel acknowled!es that heis a worshipper Aor reverencerB of God, a citi/en of the world2

at the same time he subscribes to the wordin! on the spiritualtrian!le, .e have found% The Companion who has found the.ord should be able to appreciate the meanin! of theinscription between the concentric circles, If thou canstunderstand this thou knowest enou!h, for the .("+, the willof God, comprises ail the tenets, precepts, and principles offreemasonry, everythin! that masonry teaches% It will beappreciated that this eplanation owes much to the individualinterpretation of its author, G% S% Shepherd)-ones%

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The 1ewel, of the (rder is worn pendent from a narrow ribbonon the left breast)white for Companions, crimson for *rincipals,*resent and *ast, of private chapters, tricoloured Adark blue,crimson, and li!ht blueB for all other 8cellent Companions,includin! Grand (fficers% A*urple is the true "oyal #rch colour,but, by lon!)established usa!e, dark blue takes its place inre!alia%B The 1ewels of all the Three Grand *rincipals are theopen compasses, their points touchin! interlaced trian!les2 acrown within the compasses distin!uishes the 1ewel of the First,

the all)seein! eye the Second, and the %S%% the Third Grand*rincipal%

Chains or collars are worn strictly in accordance with GrandChapter "e!ulations, and must have appended to them in everycase the 1ewel appropriate to the office or rank to which theyrelate%

For the official and closely detailed re!ulations relatin! to 1ewelsthe reader should consult the #egulations of Supreme GrandChapter, these includin! en!ravin!s of the authori/ed 1ewels%

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<::

.hat mi!ht appear to be a prefi!urement of the "%#% 1ewel wasproduced in 5:6> A56: years earlier than the Charter ofCompactB when -acob A-ac9uesB Callot, a famous French etcher,en!raved his portrait of a

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well)known physician and made it the centre)piece of anhealpha% He inserted Greek letters on the arms of the!eometrical device and surrounded it with a circle, actually theserpent devourin! its own tail Asee p% <6>B% The illustrationherewith su!!ests the irresistible but superficial resemblancebetween Callot's desi!n and the "%#% 1ewel%

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<:D

Ir!3 Jewe2

Irish "oyal #rch 1ewels include some of the most informativeand pictorial of late ei!hteenth)century eamples% $any ofthem are of a 9uite distinctive desi!n and crowded withemblems, thirty or so of which may

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A3 Re&e#se (it Ro!a" A#c an% o9&e#se (it

C#a6t e:9"e:s; 43 Wit C#a6t/ Ro!a" A#c/

an% Te:<"a# e:9"e:s

sometimes be found on the two sides of a 1ewel measurin! notmore than 5 5< inches by < 5@ inches% ery typical are the

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two 1ewels here shown2 they are oval and of silver, carryin! onthe obverse Craft symbols and on the

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reverse "oyal #rch symbols, these, most curiously, includin!the @Dth *roposition of 8uclid, an allusion to the owner's9ualification as a *ast $aster% The first 1ewel is dated about53>> and the second five years later% The two belon!ed toThomas ivin!ston, who became a member of od!e :D6 in5D==% He took both "oyal #rch and Templar +e!rees, so hebou!ht himself a second 1ewel, and althou!h the approimatedate of purchase is 53>?, the 1ewel had been made about tento twenty years earlier% .e !et the same feelin! in a moreelaborate 1ewel, which was the property of a member of od!e@5> Asee belowB% The military fi!ure on the

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ri!ht)hand side may cause a moment's wonder and perhaps amoment's smile% He is the medallion)en!raver's idea of amason So1ourner workin! with trowel in hand and sword atside% The kni!ht in armour, the helmet, and the armed fist allsu!!est a military lod!e% #bove the helmet will be notedI%H%S%, a Christian symbol Asee p% <6:B%

# .arden's silver collar 1ewel made in the form of a level ismost unusual in its desi!n and ornamentation% It belon!ed to amember of od!e 7ally!awley, Co% Tyrone, 0o% :D=, Ireland,warranted in 5D33, so the 1ewel is probably of the lateei!hteenth century% (n the broken arch sit two So1ourners, who

have lowered their companion into the vault, which contains acentral cubical stone% (n the left is an ark, an indication thatde!rees other than Craft and "oyal #rch were practised%

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<:=

T3e Bre+-p2+-e

The Hi!h *riest of some old chapters, when he happened to beThird *rincipal, wore a breastplate% In a very few chaptersto)day he still does so, and a breastplate is part of the officialScottish re!alia, the Third Grand *rincipal wearin! a breastplateclosely resemblin! the description !iven in 8odus viii,5?)6>, a description so precise that a craftsman has nodifficulty in followin! it% 7oth the (ld and 0ew Testamentsspeak of the breastplate of ri!hteousness, and the 0ewTestament refers to it also as the breastplate of faith andlove% The Hi!h *riest, in 7iblical days, wore this rich piece ofembroidery, the work of cunnin! workmen, about io inchess9uare and of !old, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, andof fine twined linen % % % four s9uare %%% doubled, a span both inlen!th and breadth% (n it were mounted in !old settin!s fourrows of precious stones, all different, twelve stones in all, and

upon each stone was en!raved the name of a tribe of Israel%Two chains of wreathen work of pure !old were attached bymeans of !olden rin!s% For stren!th and to make it possible forit to receive the 4rim and the Thummin the breastplate was ofdouble thickness, actually a kind of ba! or purse% It was calledthe bad!e of 1ud!ment inasmuch as #aron was told to bear thenames of the 1ud!ment of the children of Israel upon his heartwhen he !oeth in before the ord% .e are told that in thoseearly days the Hi!h *riest had an oracular manner of consultin!

God% He wore his robes and the pectoral or breastplatecontainin! the 4rim and Thummin, of the nature of which oddlynamed thin!s we know 1ust nothin!% 4rim is believed torepresent li!ht and ecellence, Thummin perfection andcompletion, and there are several 7iblical references to them,

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but of their physical nature, if they had any, we know nothin!whatever%

8vidence that the 1ewelled breastplate had a vo!ue in ancientreli!ious observances is provided by an historical statementthat -ulius Caesar dedicated to a !oddess)the $other of ivin!Creatures)a costly breastplate studded with pearls that hadbeen obtained from 7ritish freshwater streams%

.e know of many $asonic breastplates% $inutes of San9uharilwinnin! od!e, 0o% 5=@, +umfriesshire, of -anuary 5D?D, saythat The 7reastplate or lon! S9uare $edell with all the -ewellsbelon!in! to a od!e en!raven upon a mantelin! en!ravenabout it, and silverised was made a present of by -ames 7oyle,Sen%, to the od!e% It is thou!ht that this breastplate ofhammered copper, conve and measurin! @ inches by G inches,is still worn by the $aster of the od!e%

$ade in 5DDD is a breastplate formin! part of the re!alia of theod!e

<D>

of 4nanimity, .akefield, and illustrated in *late I% It is asmall rectan!ular pad, about @ inches deep, of dark blue velvet,on which are mounted twelve coloured bosses, the whole bein!suspended from a blueand)white)striped ribbon% The 1ewels orbosses are oval, faceted, and on brass mountin!s, and arearran!ed in the followin! order;

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.hite *urple Green

"ed Eellow "ed

7lue *urple 7lue

Eellow Green .hite

In Sincerity Chapter, 0o% :>>, 7radford, the Third *rincipalwears at Installation meetin!s a breastplate about io inches

s9uare containin! twelve precious stones, on each of which is aHebrew inscription% The stones are il inches by - inch% Thechapter possesses a set of crowns, and on that of the Third*rincipal Ait mi!ht be called a mitreB there is, on the front, anappropriate inscription in Hebrew2 that officer wears thebreastplate suspended from the neck by a !olden cord and tiedround the body by a red ribbon from the lower corners% Thestones are arran!ed in four rows of three each, and each stoneis set in a !ilt mountin! which is en!raved with a Hebrew word%

The 7ritish Chapter, Cape Town, owns a brass breastplatepresented in 536>, the year followin! its consecration% In the"oyal Cumberland Chapter, 0o% @5, 7ath, datin! back to 5D3<,the Third *rincipal wears at all meetin!s a breastplatemeasurin! about G inches by = inches and containin! threerows of four AimitationB !ems% #n ele!ant 7reastplate set in!old was presented to the +e ambton Chapter, Sunderland, in

53<? for the $%8%J% to wear when in office2 in those dayseach of the three principal officers of that chapter wore acrown, the J% havin! a breastplate in addition% The -% wears abreastplate in the 7ristol chapters and in the Chapter of St-ames, 0o% <, ondon%

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T3e S3+m!r Le/e#%

From the en!raved 1ewels of the breastplate to one of the mostetraordinary le!ends related in conneion with Solomon'sTemple may seem a lon! 1ourney% 8very freemason knows ofthe tradition that in the buildin! of that Temple no iron tool wasused% #round this tradition !rew up a very curious mythApossibly havin! an 8!yptian or 7abylonian ori!inB to the effectthat the stones were shaped by the a!ency of an insect, a

worm, commonly called /hamir % # $asonic ritual of theei!hteenth century embodied 9uestions and answers relatin! tothe wonderful properties of that noble insect which cut andshaped Solomon's sacred utensils, holy

<D5

vessels, etc% "eaders wishin! to look into the matter should seean article, The e!end of the Shamir, by +r .% .ynn.estcott, in Miscel lanea Latomorum, vol% viii% *robablyshamir or schamir is a corrupted form of the Greek word smiris,meanin! emery, and the word has been spelled in many ways) thumare, thamir, shamur , and so on% The superstition wasthat the worm, shamir , was placed on the stone where the cutwas to be made and, to and beholdL the stone parted eactly asre9uired% In the course of time the same le!end was adopted toeplain the en!ravin! or cuttin! of the inscriptions on thebreastplate stones, the method of en!ravin! the hard !emsbein! a mystery to the common people% (ut of the myth arisesby implication the idea that Solomon's masons may have usedemery in workin! and surfacin! their stones and that the

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ancient !em workers were also ac9uainted with its abrasiveproperties% In support it must be remembered that from timeimmemorial emery was eported from Cape 8mery, in theisland of 0aos, in the Y!ean Sea, a short sailin! distance from*alestine%

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Appe#%!5

THE CHARTER OF COMPACT

ATwo omissions in earlier impressions are shown here asfootnotes%B

THE MOST ENGLIGHTENED EAST

I * TN * OTGA * OTU ****

To all the 8nli!htened, 8ntered * *assed ** "aised *** and8alted **** #nd to all others whom it may concern under theCanopy of Heaven, H8#TH, *8#C8 and 40I(0%

.e, the "i!ht Honourable and "i!ht .orshipful Cadwalladerord 7layney, 7aron 7layney of $ona!han in the in!dom ofIreland, ord ieutenant and Custos "otulorum of the sameCounty, and $a1or General in His $a1esty's Service A*B Grand$aster of Free and accepted $asons, #nd also $ost 8cellentGrand $aster of the "oyal #rch of -erusalem send Greetin!%

.H8"8#S .e have it principally at Heart to do all in our *owerto promote the Honour, +i!nity, *reservation and .elfare of the"oyal Craft in !eneral as well as of every worthy 7rother inparticular2 and also to etend the 7enefits arisin! therefrom to

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every created 7ein!, accordin! to the ori!inal +esi!n of thisHeavenly Institution2 first planned and founded in 8thicks, andincludin! in its !rand Scheme every #rt, Science and $ysterythat the $ind of $an in this sublunary State is capable ofcomprehendin! #0+ .H8"8#S .e havin! duly passed the"oyal #rch have found our dearly beloved and $ost 8cellent7retheren, -ames Galloway, -ohn $Kean, Thomas +unckerley,Francis Flower, -ohn #llen, -ohn 7rooks, Thomas French andCharles Taylor and the "est of our 8cellent Companions of therespectable Chapter held at the Turk's Head Tavern in GerrardStreet, Soho, in the County of $iddlese, not only to be perfect$asters in every +e!ree of the "oyal Craft in its operative, butlikewise, by their Study and labour to have made considerable

advances in the S*8C4#TI8 or truly sublime and mostealted *arts thereof #0+ .H8"8#S (ur said $ost 8cellentCompanions have re9uested 4s to enter into Compact with andto !rant to them (ur Charter of Institution and *rotection towhich .e have readily concurred 0(. 0(. E8 that in tenderConsideration of the *remisses, and for the *urposes aforesaid

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.e H#8 Instituted and 8rected #nd, by and with the advice,Consent, and Concurrence of (ur said $ost 8cellentCompanions, in full Chapter #ssembled Atestified by theirseverally si!nin! and sealin! hereofB +( by these *resents asmuch as in 4s lyes Institute and 8rect them (ur said $ost8cellent 7retheren and Companions, -ames Galloway, -ohn

$cean, Thomas +unckerley, Francis Flower,5

-ohn 7rooks,Thomas French and Charles Taylor, and their Successors(fficers for the Time bein! of the Grand and "oyal Chapter

1ointly with (urself and (ur Successors $ost 8cellent Grand$aster for the Time bein! from Time to Time and at all Timeshereafter to form and be, The Grand and "oyal Chapter of the

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"oyal #rch of -erusalem Hereby Givin!, Grantin!, "atifyin! andConfirmin! unto them and their Successors #ll the "i!hts,*riviled!es, +i!nities, 8nsi!ns and *rero!atives which fromTime immemorial have belon!ed and do appertain to thoseealted to this $ost Sublime +e!ree2 .ith full *ower andabsolute #uthority from Time to Time as (ccasion shall re9uireand it shall be found epedient to hold and convene Chaptersand other proper #ssemblies for the carryin! on, improvin! andpromotin! the said benevolent and useful .ork% #nd also toadmit, pass and ealt in due Form and accordin! to the "itesand Ceremonies Time immemorial used and approved in and bythat most ealted and sacred +e!ree, and as now by thempractised, all such eperienced and discreet $aster $asons as

they shall find worthy

#0+ .8 +( F4"TH8"$("8 hereby Give, Grant, "atify andConfirm unto (ur said $ost 8cellent 7retheren andCompanions and their Successors, (fficers of our said Grandand "oyal Chapter for the Time bein!, full and absolute *owerand #uthority in Con1unction with 4s or (ur $ost 8cellent+eputy for the Time bein! to make and confirm aws, (rdersand (rdinances for the better conductin! and re!ulatin! thesaid $ost 8cellent and Sublime +e!ree throu!hout the Globe,as well as of their said Grand and "oyal Chapter and from Timeto Time to alter and abro!ate the same aws, (rders and(rdinances as to them and their Successors shall seem meet;#nd also to constitute, superintend and re!ulate other Chapterswheresoever it shall be found convenient and as to 4s or (ur+eputy and the said Grand (fficers, (ur and their Successorsfor the Time bein!, shall seem fit #0+ it is also declared,

concluded and a!reed upon by and between 4s and (ur said$ost 8cellent Companions, -ames Galloway, -ohn $cean,Thomas +unckerley, Francis Flower, -ohn #llen, -ohn 7rooks,Thomas French and Charles Taylor, the said $ost 8cellentGrand (fficers,

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#0+ TH8S8 *"8S80TS F4"TH8" .IT08SS that .e and thesaid $ost 8cellent Grand (fficer +o hereby for (urselves

severally and respectively and for (ur several and respectiveSuccessors, the $ost 8cellent Grand $aster, and the $ost8cellent Grand (fficers of the said Grand and "oyal Chapter ofthe "oyal #rch of -erusalem in manner and form followin!, thatis to say

5 (mission% The name -ohn #llen should be inserted here%

<D@

FI"ST that the $ost 8cellent +eputy Grand $aster shallpreside and have full *ower and #uthority in the #bsence of the$ost 8cellent Grand $aster%

S8C(0+E That the -ewels worn or to be worn from Time toTime by the $ost 8cellent5 Grand $aster, +eputy Grand$aster, and Grand (fficers shall be of the Form and Fi!ure, andbear the same inscription as delineated in the $ar!in hereof#nd that the like -ewels, only omittin! the Sun, Compass andGlobe, shall be worn by the two Scribes and three S;0;";S2#nd also that the like -ewels shall be worn by the "est of the

8cellent Companions, ecept that in them shall be left out theTrian!le Oc% in the center thereof

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THI"+E That every Companion shall wear accordin! to ancient

Custom an #pron indented with Crimson, and the 7ad!eproperly displayed thereon, #nd also the indented "ibbon or

Sash of this (rder

F(4"THE That the Common Seal of this Grand and "oyalChapter shall bear the like Impression as the -ewels worn bythe $ost 8cellent Grand (fficers

FIFTHE That for every Charter of Constitution to be !ranted byand from this Grand and "oyal Chapter shall be paid into theCommon Fund thereof at least the sum of Ten Guineas

SITHE That none but discreet and eperienced $aster$asons shall receive 8altation to this sublime +e!ree in this orany other Chapter that may hereafter be duly constituted2 0oruntil they shall have been duly proposed at least one Chapter0i!ht precedin!% 0or unless ballotted for and that on such7allot there shall not appear one 0e!ative or 7lack 7all%

S880THE That every such person so to be ealted shall payat least the Sum of Five Guineas into the Common Fund of theChapter wherein he shall receive 8altation2 towards enablin!the Companions to carry on the 7usiness and support the

+i!nity thereof%

8IGHTHE That none callin! themselves "oyal #rch $asonsshall be deemed any other than $asters in (perative $asonry2

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0or shall be received into any re!ular Chapter of the "oyal #rchor permitted to reap or en1oy any of the 7enefits, +i!nities, or8nsi!ns of that $ost 8cellent +e!ree, Save and ecept thosewho have received or shall or may hereafter receive 8altationin this Grand and "oyal Chapter, or in some Chapter to bechartered and constituted by 4s, or (ur Successors, $ost8cellent Grand (fficers as aforesaid, #nd 8cept those comin!from beyond the Seas; (r such as shall obtain Certificates of#doption from this (ur Grand and "oyal Chapter2 For whichCertificate shall be paid in to the Common Fund the Sum of(ne Guinea at the least

0I0THE That there shall be a General Chapter ofCommunication of the ecellent Companions of this Grand and"oyal Chapter with all other

5 (mission% The word &the' should be inserted here%

Chapters that shall or may hereafter come under the *rotection

of and be chartered by the same as aforesaid on, or as near asconveniently may be to, the Feast of Saint -ohn the 8van!elistyearly, or oftener as (ccasion shall re9uire and it shall be foundconvenient, for the *urposes of conductin!, promotin! and wellorderin! of this sublime +e!ree, and the 7usiness and #ffairsthereof in such manner as shall from Time to Time be foundmost epedient

<D?

T80THE That at and upon the said Feast of Saint -ohn the8van!elist, or the General Chapter of Communication held net

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to such Feast, the $ost 8cellent Grand $aster, $ost 8cellent+eputy Grand $aster and the other $ost 8cellent Grand(fficers of the Grand and "oyal #rch of -erusalem shall bechosen and elected; .hich 8lection shall be by a $a1ority of theCompanions present at such General Chapter by 7allot

#0+ #STE That the Grand (fficers so chosen and electedshall continue to serve and be in (ffice for the Eear ensuin!;unless some or one of them shall happen to decline, in whichCase, or in Case of the +eath of any of them or otherwise itshall be found necessary, a special General Chapter shall be

called for an 8lection to supply his or their *lace or *laces I0.IT08SS whereof .e the said $ost 8cellent Grand $aster,and the $ost 8cellent Grand (fficers have hereunto severallysi!ned our 0ames and affied our Seals in full Chapterassembled for this *urpose at the Turk's Head Tavern in GerrardStreet, Soho, aforesaid this Twenty second +ay of -uly in theEear of the 7irth of irtue ? * 6 * D * = * #%% ?DD>A5B% #%+%5D::ADB% 5

I0 T8STI$(0E of our ready #cceptance of7laney

and perfect Compliance with this Charter-ames Galloway

of Institution and *rotection above written,-ohn $aclean

and the aws and (rdinances therebyThos% +unckerley

prescribed, .e the "est of the 8cellentFras% Flower 8;S

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Companions of this $ost 8cellent$anchester -% #llen 0%

Grand and "oyal Chapter, have

*i!natelli -ohn 7rooks *%S%

hereunto severally subscribed ourTho% French S%

0ames the +ay and Eear abovewritten% Chas%Taylor S%

Henry Chittick #n!lesey

G% 7orradale Thos% $or!an

-ohn Turner -as% Heseltine

.% "oss .illiam Guest

"obert ellie "o; Simpkinson

-ohn +erwas "owland Holt

Samuel .ay -% *% *ryse

"% 7erkeley -nP% Hatch

-ohn 7ewley "ich ewis $as9uerier

+avid Hu!hes

5 For comment on the date, see p% D@%

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4I4LIOGRAPHY

S($8 only of the authorities consulted and drawn upon by theauthor are !iven in this list2 many others are mentioned in thetet and included in the Inde%

!rs Quatuor Coronatorum Areferred to in the tet and in this list

as #%%CB ) the Transactions of the uatuor Coronati od!e,0o% <>D:, ondon, the world's premier lod!e of research%

Miscellanea Latomorum, vols% i)i%

780#S, 78"T"#$ 7%; The +ivine #ppellation, in Transactions

of the Merseyside !ssociation for Masonic #esearch, ol% ii%

C"#.8E, .% -% CH8T.(+8; 0otes on Irish Freemasonry, in#%%C%, ol% vi%

+#SH.((+, -(H0 "%; 0otes on the First $inute 7ook of the8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter, in #%%C%, ol% lii%

The Falsification of the "oyal #rch Chapter of Compact, in#%%C%, ol% liv%

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+"#FF80, G8("G8 S%; The Triple Tau A8dinbur!h, 5=??B%

+40C#0, #% G%; "eality and Ima!ination in the "oyal #rch"itual, in Transactions of the 8sse First *rincipals Chapter,5=63)@:

G(4+, "(78"T F"88; The istory of 'reemasonryA533@)3DB% #lso the new edition revised by the "ev% Herbert*oole A5=?5B%

H#.E#"+, .% H%, and .("TS, F% "%; The Ceremony of*assin! the eils, in #%%%, ol% 5ii%

H8.ITT,

#% "%; The Supreme Grand Chapter of 8n!land, a brief historyfrom ord 7layney to the +uke of Susse, 5=::%

HIS, G("+(0 *% G%; How came the Supreme Grand Chapterof 8n!land into 7ein! in Miscellanea Latomorum, vol% vii%

H("S8E, C#0(0 -(H0 .II#$; Solomon's Seal and theShield of +avid traced to their (ri!in, in #%%C, vol% v%

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H4GH#0, .II#$ -#$8S; )rigin of the +nglish #ite of'reemasonry , edited by -ohn T% Thorp Aeicester, 5=>=B%

#n Historical Catechism, in The 'reemason, 0ovember <5,53D@% -(H0S(0, GI78"T E%; The Eork Grand Chapter, orGrand Chapter of #ll 8n!land, in #%%C%, vols% lvii and lviii%

-(08S, 78"0#"+ 8%; $asters' od!es and their *lace in*re)4nion History, in %@%

% C, vol% lvii%

<D3

8E, .% "8+F8"0; The #dvent of "oyal #rch $asonry, in%@%%C%, ol% %

8**8", -% H8"(0; The Traditioners, in -%%C%, ol% lvi%

"8#+, -(H0; @relude to Chemistry Aondon, 5=6:B, referred tofor its information and illustrations relatin! to symbols%

"(G8"S, 0("$#0; <>> Eears of Freemasonry in 7ury, in#%%C%, ol% Iviii% <>> Eears of Freemasonry in 7olton, inTransactions of the Manchester 1ssociation for Masonic#esearch, vol% i%

547

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"E#0+S, -(H0 "%; The &a$efield Chapter of #oyal !rch'reemasons, 0o% @=? A.akefield, 5=@=B%

8arly Freemasonry in .akefield, in #%%C, vols% Ivi and lv%

"E#0+S, .% H#""E; "ecords of the 'irst undred 9ears of the#oyal !rch Chapter of /aint,1ames Aondon, 53=iB%

ST C#I", .#"+ %; The +e!ree of a *ast $aster, amanuscript%

T#E(", SH8".((+; The !lchemists Aondon, 5=?<B, referredto for its information and illustrations relatin! to symbols%

T4C8TT, -#$8S 8+.#"+ SH4$; The (ri!in of #dditional+e!rees, in #%%C, vol% ii%

I78"T, I(08; The Interlaced Trian!les of the "oyal #rch,in Miscellanea Latomorum, vol% i%

"oyal #rch +e!ree, in Transactions of the 8sse First*rincipals Chapter, 5=6@)6?%

548

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


549

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


550

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


551

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


552

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


553

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


554

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


555

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


556

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


557

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


558

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


559

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


560

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


561

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


562

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


563

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


564

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


565

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


INDEX

=Note3 Te in%e+ as not 9een e"ect#onica""!

#econst#)cte%/ %)e to te co:<)te# sea#c ca<a9i"it!;>

##"(0'S "(+, 5::, 5=D

#berdeen Chapter, <5=

#cception, the, 5=

#ct of 4nion, 55<)55D

#dams, Cecil, 9uoted, 5<o

#donai Athe ordB, 5?6

#doniram, *rince, 53=

#dvertisements, meetin!s called by, 35, 5<@, 56?

Ylfric, #bbot of 8vesham, 5D6

#!len, +r #% G%, 9uoted, 5@D,5?@

566

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#himan "e/on; its frontispiece, *late III2 Irish, /o!, <552'$oderns' 7rother asks for, :?2 referred to, @?, :<, =?, loo2Toast, D<

#lb, the priest's, <?6

#lbemarle and others made chapters, @5

#lbion Chapter, <o:

#lchemists, The, F% Sherwood Taylor's, <<%D

#lchemy; debt to, <>, 65, 5=?, <63, <6=, <@5, <@@2 itsillustrations su!!estive of "%#% *rincipals, 5<D, <<D)<<=2'operative' and 'speculative,' <<D2 *hilosopher's Stone undermany names, <<32 its secrecy, <<D2 its store of symbolism,<<:)/6>

#lchemy, (utline of, -ohn "ead's, <)<D, <<3

#lders!ate ritual, 5D5

#lfred Chapter, =>

#ll Souls' od!e and Chapter; a prayer, 5?=

#ll)seein! eye, <632 in iennese ironwork, *late I

#llen, -ohn, attorney, D?, DD, 5D?, <D<% <D6, <D?

#ltar; of 7urnt (fferin!, 56:2 candles, <@D2 central, in lod!es,<@?2 double)cube, <@?2 horns, <@?2 of incense, 56:, <@?2 itsinitial letters, <@?, <%@:2 -ewish, <@?2 li!hts, <@D2 pedestal,

<@?2 in old prints, *late I2 sacrificial, <@?2 symbols and the"%#% fire, <6<

#merica and 4%S%#%; catechism, 5:32 first ealtee, @D)@=2headdresses, <?62 passin! the chair A*%$% +e!reeB, 53=, 5=6,5=@

567

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


#merican lod!es; central altar, <@?2 veils ceremony, 5=3, Joo

#mity, Cord of, 5:>2 Chair of, 5:>

#n +a "i, Irish folk)son!, @?

#n Seann)7hean, Irish folk)son!, @@

#nacalypcis, Godfrey Hi!!ins's, 5<D

#nchor and Hope od!e, 7olton, :?, 3:, 53?

#nchor symbol on old tracin!)boards, etc%, <?55

#ncient and #ccepted "ite, <@, <@6

#ncient od!e, Scots, @:

#ndalusia *rovincial Grand od!e, to!

#nderson, -ames and his Constitutions, <3, <=, 6<%?6, 55>>

#n!lesey, $ar9uis of, <D?

#nno ucis, convertin! #%+% to, D?, 55:

#ntediluvian $asonry, 63

'#ntients'; aprons, <?@, <??2 certificates, =D, <@@; claim to beEork $asons, ?3, loo2 fivepointed star, <6=2 how theydiffered from '$oderns,' ?62 the real innovators, <?2 interestdeclines followin! 4nion, 555=2 lod!es automaticallyempowered by their charters to work "% #%, ?32 in ne!otiationsfor "%#% union, 55o, iii2 their re!ard for and attitude to "%#%,<6, <?, <D, 6@, 6?, ?<, :52 "%#% said to have been 'concocted'by, <52 as Schismatics, @<2 warrant, oldest, ?32 worked anyrite, 5?D

'#ntients' and '$odems2 the terms, ?D

568

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'#ntients' Grand Chapter; 7ook of the "oyal #rch;Transactions, =?2 Candidate's 9ualifications, =@, =:2 earlychapters, 362 fla!rant abuses in "%#% masonry, =@2 form ofreturn A5D=@B, =:2 founded, :3, :=, =62 its part in preparin!for 4nion, ==2 laws and re!ulations A53>DB, =32 lod!e consentto become "%#% mason, =:2 not an independent or!ani/ation,=6)=?2 re!ister, =?, =:, =D2 "oyal #rch rules and re!ulations,=?

'#ntients' Grand od!e; arms, ?D, *lates III, I2 earlyGrand $asters, ??, ?:2 early references to "%#%, ?>, ?=2formation, 66, 6@, 6?, ?<, ??2 and Installation, 5362 'passin!the chair,' 53?, 53D2 relationship with Irish lod!es, ?=):5,

<o32 re!ulations, ?=2 sword, *late II; and two impostors, ?=

#nti9uity, od!e of A0o% <B, <6>

#nti9uity od!e, 7olton, <?62 inscription to *late

#nti9uity od!e, eith, <>@

#pocalypse of #dam)(annes, The, 5<D

#pollo od!e, Eork, 5>6 #pprentices, "oyal #rch, @D

#pproach to the 0ew Testament, Greville ewis's, 5@5

#pron, "oyal #rch; #ntients', <?@, <??, *lates I, 2 CanaChapter, *late III2 in Charter of Compact, <D@2 colours,<?<2 decorated in appli9ui, *late III2 early, D5, D<, *lateIII2 First Grand *rincipal's, *late 2 Harle9uin, 55o2 Irish,<5@, <??, *late I2 ni!ht)Templar, <??2 '$oderns,' <?@,*late I2 ori!inal, <?@2 present)time, <??2 printed, <?@, <??,

*late I2 not to be worn in Grand od!e, 3>, <?@2 Scottish,*late I2 serpent)shaped fastener, <6>2 T)over)H si!n on,<6D

#rabian Society in the $iddle #!es, 8% .% ane's, <@>

569

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<3>

#rch)see also "oyal #rch; in chapter, 56?, 5:<2 in ancientbuildin!, 565, 56<2 catenarian, 56@, 56?2 ceremonial, 5:>,5:52 +edicated, =52 de!ree celebratin! completion of, <><2Gothic, 565, 5662 keystone or arch stone, 566, 5:r, 5:6, 5:@2miniature, 56:2 its principle, 56656?2 and the rainbow, 63,?=, 56<

'#rch,' meanin! 'chief,' 56< #rch +e!ree, Scots, <<5

#rch or #rches, passin! the, D>, 5:@ #rch, well built, 6:

'#rche,' meanin! 'be!innin!,' 56<

#rched and ni!hted, <>@ #rched vault, 5<:, 56>, 565

#rches; five, 56<<2 nine, 56:2 triple, 56?, *late II

#rches, the, :D '#rchin!' A'8altation'B, :D

#rk of the Covenant, 56:, 56D, 5=D

#rk and ink +e!rees, /o:

#rk $ason, Scots, <<5

#rmistead, "obert, @3

#rmita!e, "ev% -o%, his letter, r:>

#rms, '#ntients' Grand od!e, <@D, *lates III and II24nited Grand od!e, <@= #rms, offensive, not permitted inmasonic dress, <?D

#shmole, 8lias, 5=

570

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#ssyrians, early, and symbolic instruction, <<:

#thelstan's,'Charter,' loo

#tholl, +ukes of, ?: #tholl Grand od!e, ?:, =6

#tonement, +ay of, 5@=

#ustralia, veils ceremony in, <>>

#usubel, 0athan, 9uoted, 5?>

#ynson, 7ro%, D<<

#yr St *aul Chapter, <5=, <<5

#yrton composes ode% 35

7#7E(0I#0 *#ss de!ree, <<5

7abylonish 8ile, 563)5@>

7ad!e)see #pron and -ewel 7ad!e of Honour, <?D2 of 1ud!ment, <:= 7ad!es, Harle9uin, no

7alance, <<=

7all and supper, Grand Chapter, 35

7allina od!e, <5D

7ally!awley od!e, Co% Tyrone, <:3

7ally!owan od!e, 7ible used in, 6>

7ana!her od!e and Chapter, <55

7atiff od!e, early "%#% in, ?>

7anks of +ou!las.ater Chapter, <<>

571

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7anks, .illiam; his ritual, 5:5

7anner; Canterbury, <?5, *late I2 ori!in, <@D2 .i!ton, *lateI2 /odiac si!ns on, <?>

7anners; principal, <@D)<@=2 '#ntients2 <@D2 Christiansi!nificance, <@32 emblems or sacred symbols, <@D)<@=2ima!es, 5@=2 lion, sceptre, and crown on old, <?>2 order andarran!ement, <@D, <@3

7arker, Captain Thomas incolne; his ritual, 5:5

7arnett, "ev% $atthew, rio

7arton, %, inscription to *late I

7ath, ni!hts of the, <@D

7ath od!e seal, 5?3

7athhurst, Charles, 6=

7attersea enamel, 1ewel in, /:>, *late I

7ater, "oderick H%, 9uoted, 556, 5@6

7eatin! the Candidate, <<6

7eaufort Chapter% 7ristol, 5=3

7eaufort, +uke of, DD

7eauty Chapter, 55=

7eavan, 1ewel made by, *late I 7eesley, Thomas, 3?

7eesley's "ecord of #nti9uities, *lates I,

7ellamy, $r, sin!s ode, 5D>

572

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7el/oni, Giovanni 7attista, and his 1ewel, <:>, *late III

7en -onson's Head, lod!e at, :<, :6

7enas, 7ertram 7%, 9uoted, 5?5)5?6

7enevolence od!e A0o% <<:B, <o: 7erkeley, "%, <D?

7ethlehem od!e, D3

7e/alliell and the trible voice, 63)6=

7ible)see also St -ohn's Gospel; 7ook of the aw is not the7ible, 5@:2 held in !reat reverence A5:>?B, 5:=, 5D>2 in

7ally!owan od!e, 6>2 in closin! ceremony, 5:=

7iblical back!round to traditional history, 5635@D

7ibliotheca, *horeus's, 5<D 7ishop's coronet, <?6 7lack Sea;its name, 5@3 7lair, Tho, @3

7layney, Cadwallader, ninth ord2 his career, etc%, :3, :=, D<)D@2 portrait, *late 2 references to, @D, ?D, ?3, :@, 5<@, <?=,<D<, <D?

7lesin!ton, 8arl of, ??

7lood, water turnin! into, 5=D

7lue and its symbolism, <?<, <?6

7lue od!e, <5D

7lue .arrants, <5o

7ohn's 8cclesiastical ibrary, 5<:

7ook of the Covenant, 5@:

7ook of God; The #pocalypse of #dam)(annes, 5<D

573

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


7ook of the aw, 5@?)5@D 7ook of $oses, 5@:

7ook of the "oyal #rch; Transactions, =?

7ooks under the ey)stone, 6>

7orradale, G%, <D? 7ottomley, Captain, 5D?

7ouillon, Godfrey de, and the "ite, @<

7oyle, -ames, sen%, <:=

7oyle, $ich% -ames, 3D

7rasses, Stirlin! od!e, 56<

7reastplate; 7ad!e of-ud!ment, <:=2 in banner, *late I2copper, <:=2 dedicated by -ulius Csar to a !oddess, <:=2form and wearin!, 5:3, <?6, <:=, <D>2 Hi!h *riest's, <:3,<%:=2 1ewelled, <:=, <D>2 Scottish, <<<, <:=2 4nanimityChapter, *late I

7rewer's +ictionary of *hrase and Fable, <<=

7rid!e, crossin! the, and its symbolism, <oD

7rid!e of Hell, <>D

7ristol; Crown Inn, od!e at, :6, :?2 early ealtation, ?>2lod!e transferrin! its alle!iance, ?3

7ristol chapters; breastplate, <D>2 headdresses, 5:D, <?62Installation, 5DD, 5D32 9uorum, 5<62 trian!ular plate,

inscription to, *late I2 veils ceremony 5D<, 5=?, 5=D, r=37ristol workin!, @3, 5:D, 5:3, <63 7ristow, "ev% .m%, @3, @=

I0+8

<35

574

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7ritannia Chapter and od!e, Sheffield, 3?, /o?,

<?5

7ritannic od!e, @@

7ritish Chapter and od!e, Cape Town, 5=5, <>5,<D>

7ritish od!e Afounded 5D?<B, =5

7rooks, -ohn, 5D?, <D<, <D6, <D?

'7rother' becomes 'Companion,' D=, 5>:, 5>D

7rou!hton, $ick, @5

7rowne, "ev% Geor!e #dam, 5D>)5D<

7rowne, -ohn; his $aster ey, 6>, 5D@

7ull or o emblem, <@3

7ulls, papal, <3

7urlin!ton od!e A5D?:B, =5

7urne, "obert 8%, 9uoted, 553

7urnin! bush, 5:5

7urns, "obert; ealted, <<>2 9uoted,

7urnt (fferin!, #ltar of, 56:

7urton, "%#% candidate, ?5

7ury od!e, 5?3, 5=>

7utler, Hon%

575

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


7rinsley, D6

7yron's -acobite verse, ?D

566

C#78, him that first shak'd his, 5:>

Cable Tow, D<

Cacsar, -ulius, dedicates breastplate to a !oddess, <:=

Caledonian od!e and Chapter, :=, D>, D5, 3<, 55D2 1ewel,*late I

Callendar, -ohn, @:, @D

Callistus, 0icephorus; his 8cclesiastical History, 5<D

Callot, -acob A-ac9uesB, and his desi!n, <:D

Cambyses, successor to Cyrus, 56=

Campell Aor CampbellB, +aniel, @=

Cana od!e and Chapter, D3, 3D, 332

Chapter Charter, *late I2 *rincipia, 3D, 33

Canada, veils ceremony in, /oo

Candidate AealteeB; admission in early ceremonies, 5:628n!lish, 5<62 Irish, <5@2 Scottish, <<@2 old)time custom ofbeatin!, <<6

Candidate's 9ualifications2 in early days, 53:, 53D, <D@2Installed $aster, done away with, 5352 need to be proposed inlod!e, i5 o, 5532 9ualifications to)day, 5<62 twelve months as$aster $ason reduced to four weeks, 5<5

576

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


Candle, -udas, <<6

Candlestick with seven branches, 5=D

Canterbury banner, <?5, *late I

Canterbury Chapter, 3< Cape)stone, 566

Caps and hats worn in chapter, D5, =5, =/, <?<, <?6

Captain General, <>?

Captain of the eils, 5=:, 5==, <5?

Captain, "oyal #rch, 5!!

Carpenters' Hall paintin!s, 5@:

Carrall or Carrol, .illiam, :6

Carrickfer!us od!e, <5D

Cassia, spri! of, 5::

Catechism; 8altee's, 5:D2 openin! and closin!, 5:3, 5:=2table, 5D62 teachin! by, 5D6 Catenarian arch, 56@)56?

Catholics)see "oman Catholics

Centenary warrant, difficulties in obtainin!, 55D

Certificates; ' #ntients,' =D, <@@2 Cork A53>=B, 6>2 asGeometric $aster $asons, 5332 Grand Chapter of #8n!land, io/2 Irish, <5:, <5D2 *hoeni od!e, *aris, inscription

to *late II Chains and collars, <?D, <::

Chains stren!thenin! St *aul's dome, 56@

Chair de!rees, Scottish, <<5

577

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


Chair $aster od!es, Scottish, 5=<

Chair, passin! the)see *assin! the chair 'Chairin!,' <<<% Seealso Installation Chairs, two, *late II

Chaldean swastika, <6@

Chaldon Church, Surrey, <<=

Chaplain, Grand; first holder of the office, 5D=

Chapter)see also Grand Chapter; attached to lod!e, 55:)55D,5<<2 by)laws, returns, etc%, 5<62 chalk lines on floor, 56?2complete, 5<<2 convocations, 5<%62 '!rafted' on lod!e, 55D2held in town distant from attached lod!e, 5532 independent oflod!e in some places, 55:2 lod!e has power to form A53>DB,=32 lod!e transformin! itself to, 5>:2 lod!e meetin! in, =?2membership and the 'seventy)two' limitation, 5<<, 5@?2officers, 5<<)5<?2 precedence, 5<<2 *rincipals e9ual in status,5<@, 5<?2 its re!istered number, 553, 5i=2 'virtual' $astermade in, 53=, 5=62 9uorum, 5<6, 5<@

'Chapter,' the word; early uses and history, 6D, io?, 5>:2 in

Ireland, 5>:2 'lod!e' becomes, D=, 36, io?, 5>:

Chapter of Instruction or Improvement, 5<@, 5D<, 5DD^ <5?

Chapter of *romul!ation, 5D5)5D6

Chapter)house, 5>?

Chapters; early warrants, D3, D=, 55D2 Scotland's oldest,<%5=, <<>

Char!es, (ld $S%, <D, 6<, 6:, <<:

Charity, Chapter of A7ristolB, D3, D=, 55D, 5=D

Charity od!e, Farnworth; its chair, *late II

578

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Charter)see .arrants and charters

Charter of Compact; date, etc%, altered in, :3, D@, D?2 thedocument, D?2 how it came about, :=)D?2 illustrated, *late I2

1ewel of the (rder shown in, <:<2 transcript, <D<)<D?2referred to, @D, ?3, :@% 3D, <@<, <?<, <?:

Chaucer's trine compass, <63, <6=

Cherubim, <@=

Cheshire, early "%#% masonry in, 5<>

Chetwode Crawley, .% -%, 9uoted, 5@D, <5>

Chittick, Henry, <D?

Choice of 8mblemes, Geoffrey .hitney's, 5@5

Christ)see also -esus; His five wounds, <@@2 the heavenlyCorner Stone, <<32 'the foundation)stone,' <=2 -esus thepersonal name of, 5??2 Three peculiar initials, 6>2 the Trueeil, 5=?

Christian; associations of the altar, <@?2 de!rees, Irish, <5>2elements in early rituals, <:)6>, 6<, 6?, 5?:, 5D<, <<62prayer, 5?=

Christian (rder of $elchisedec, <>@

Christian symbolism; anchor, <?52 interlaced trian!les, <@5,<@@2 point within circle, <6<2 T)over)H, <6?2 Tetra!rammaton,5?@2 trian!le, <632 passin! the veils ceremony, 5=?

Christians, early and symbolic instruction, <<:

Churchill od!e, its tracin!)board, *late II Cipher ritual, -ohn7rowne's, 6>, 5D@

579

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


<3<

Circle; and Ineffable 0ame, <6>2 point within, <65, <6<2s9uarin! the, <652 as a symbol, <6><6<2 and trian!le, etc%,<65, <632 Eod within, <6<

Circles, interlaced, <65

Claret, Geor!e, 5=:

Clavis *hilosophim et #lchymiee Fluddiance, <<:

Clavis ad thesaurum, key to the treasure, <6?

Cleland, "ev% +r -% "%, 5=?

Clock, .ater, *late I

Clothin!, "oyal #rch)see also #pron, Caps, Chains, Collars,Crowns, Garters, Hats, Headdress, -ewel, "obes, Sash2 early,

D52 re!ulations of 5D::, <?<2 not to be worn in lod!e or onpublic occasions, <?D2 offensive arms not permitted in, <?D

Colchester Chapter, 3<

Coleraine, Co% +erry, early "%#% in, @D, @3

Collars, <5@, <?D, <::

Colours, "oyal #rch, <?<, <?6, <?@, <:?

Columns, real or symbolic, in Chapter, 56?, 5:3

Commerce od!e, 5=5

Committee of General *urposes, 5<5

580

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


Compact)see Charter of Compact Compact, International,attempted, 55?

'Companion,' the word, 5o:, 5>D

'Companions,' '7rethren' become, D=, 5o:, 5>D

Compass, mariner's, on floor)cloth, <?5

Compasses in alchemic illustration, <<=

Compleat #n!ler, I/aak .alton's, 5D6

Complete ritual, 5D5

'Completion +e!ree,' <D

Concord Chapter, 7olton, 3?, 3:,5<<, 55D, 5=:, <6:

Concord Chapter, +urham, =>

Constitutions; #nderson's early, <3, 6<, 66, 6:, 6D, 3?, =?2followin! Craft 4nion, 55<, <:< Cook, Sir 8rnest, 5=3

Cope)stone of the $asonic (rder, 566

Cord of #mity, 5:>2 of ove, 5:>

Cork certificate A53>=B, 6>

Corner)stone as symboli/in! Christ, <=

Coronet, bishop's, <?@

Cdustos, -ohn, his story and sworn evidence, @6, @?2references to, <<, <?, 6>, 56?

Covenant, #rk of the, 56:, 56D, 5=D

Covenant, 7ook of the, 5@:

581

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


Covey Crump, "ev% .% .%, 9uoted, 565, 56:, 5@6

Craft; emblems in "%#% 1ewels, *lates I, , III2influences on "%#% ceremonial, 5:=2 installation ceremony, 6@2

masonry, early, and the "%#%, <<, 65, @@2 warrants, <5>Cranstoun)+ay, T% 0%, <>5

Crawley, +r .% -% Chetwode, 9uoted and referred to, <D

Crimson and its symbolism, <,?6

Cross)see also Tau; anticipatory, <662

crosslet, <6@2 crucifi, $inden, <@=2 of the 8ast, 5@52 Greek,<662 ni!hts of St -ohn, 5@52 atin or lon!, <662 $altese,5@5, <6@2 *atriarchal, <662 St #ndrew's, <662 St #nthony's,<662 swastika or fylfot, <6@2 Tau, <662 trowel and, 5@52type,<66

Crossle, *hillip, <>@

Crown and #nchor Tavern, chapter at, 35, 53?

Crown Inn od!e, 7ristol, early 8altation in, :6, :?, 5=D

Crowns, =<, 5:3, <?>, <?6, <D>

Crucifi, $inden, symbols on, <@=

Crump, .% .% Covey, 9uoted, 565, 56:, 5@6

Crusaders' ritual, @>

Crusadin! (rder of the Templars, 5@>, 5@5Crypt; form of, 56>, 5652 le!ends in historical literature, <:,5<:)56>2 symbolism, 5652 Eork, and the meetin! held there,io<2 *late

Cumberland Chapter, 3<

582

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


Cumberland, +uke of, patron, D3, 3<

Cyrus Chapter; -anitors within and without, 5o3

Cyrus, in! of *ersia, 3@, 56=, 5:6

+'#I8#, C(40T G(78T, 5=, <>

+al/iel, #leander; his $S% ritual, 5:5

+arius Hystaspes, 3@, 56=, 5@>

+ashwood, -ohn "%, referred to, :=, D@

+assi!ny A+#ssi!nyB, Fifield, and his book, <:, @?, @:, 5o5,536

+avid, in!, @@

+avid, Shield of, <@>, <@@

+ay of #tonement, -ewish, 5@=

+e ambton Chapter and its breastplate, <D>

+eacons 1ewel or emblem, <<=

+ead Sea Scrolls, 5@:

+eath, the !rand leveller, 5:@, 5::, 5:3

+eath, symbol of, <66

+edicated #rch, =5

+e!ree)see also Four, Fourth, and Fifth; Completion, <D2 firstreference to "%#% as a, @? +e!ree Giver, Irish, <5<

583

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


+e!ree of *ast $aster; # +e!ree of the Chapter, .ard % StClair's $S%, 5=6

'+e!ree%' "%#% masonry not constitutin!, in 8n!land, 55@

+e!rees, early Craft, 66

+e!rees, Son!s of, 5@6

+elafaye, Charles, son! attributed to, 3?

+elta, sacred)see Trian!le

+emo!or!on, +readed 0ame of, 5@3

+ermott, aurence)see also #himan "eon; career, ?:, ?D2 hisdepiction of "oyal #rch, *late I2 references to, @5, @:, ?>, ?:,:6, D6, =6, =?, 5>>, 56<, 536, <@@2 said to have introduced"%#%, ?3

+erwas, -ohn, <D?

+esa!uliers, -ohn Theophilus, 6<

+euteronomy, 7ook o 5@:

+evil Tavern, Scotch od!e at, 6=, @>

+ialo!ue% tic's, 5D6

+ibdin, Charles, composer, 3@

+icky, '#ntients' Grand Secretary, =6

+ictionary of *hrase and Fable, 7rewer's, <<=

+illon, Hon% Charles, D3

+isease, healpha as protection a!ainst, <@>

584

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+ispensation pendin! issue of warrant, D3

+istrict Grand Chapters and their (fficers, 5<<

+od!son, "%#% Candidate, ?5

+omatic ritual, 5D5 +ouble)cube altar stone, <@@

+raffen, Geor!e S%, 9uoted and referred to, @D, 5=:, <><,<<62 his Triple Tau, 5=<, <5= +rake, +r Francis, <@<

+rury ane pantomime, 3@

+ublin; +assi!ny's book, @?

+ublin, od!e 0o% <:, ?:

I0+8

+ublin lod!es workin! "%#%, <o=

+ublin; Trinity Colle!e $S%, <6?

+uffy, -ames, tobacconist, ?=

+uke of #thol od!e; chair, *late II

+umfries, early 8altation in, @=

+umfries 0o% @ $S%, 6>, 6:

+uncan, #% G%, 9uoted, 5@<, 5@6

+unckerley, Thomas; his career, etc%, D<, D6, D@, D?, D:, DD2

confers "%#% in private lod!es, :?2 ealted, So2 his estate, D:2hymn written by, DD2 at *ortsmouth, <oS2 references to, 3<,=>, <>6, <6?)<6D, <D<, <D6, <D?

+undas, Hon% awrence, later 8arl of Jetland, 5>6, 55?, 5D>

585

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+unfermline od!e, "%#% worked in, @=

+urham Cathedral, 565

+urham, early chapters in, !o, !i

+urham Faithful od!e, I!o

8#G8; desk, <@32 double)headed, <<=2 its presence in oldlod!es, =<, <@3, <@=2 o, lion, and man, ?D, <@3, <@=

8arly Grand 8ncampment, /oo

8arly Grand "%#% Chapter of Scotland, <<5

8cclesiastical History, by 0icephorus Callistus,5<D

8cclesiastical History of So/oman, I /:

8dinbur!h Chair $aster Charter, 5=<,2 "%#% lod!e at, @=

8dinbur!h Chapter, 5=< 8dwin, *rince, loo

8ffi!y, Slade's, inscription to *late II

8!yptian nilometer, <6?

8!yptians, early and symbolic instruction, /<:, <<=

8li1ah Chapter, Forfar, <5= 8liir of ife, <<3

8li/abeth I and the 7ible, 5:= 8lohim AGodB, 5?6

8mblems)see Symbols and emblems 8mblems, .hitney's

Choice of, *late II

8mery, in relation to the Shamir e!end, <D>, <D5

8minent, 7y (rder of the, 5<@

586

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8mulation, Chapter of, erased, 3<

8ncampment, General, 3D

8ncampments; of "%#% masons, <o?2 Irish, <5:, <5D2 Scottish,<<I

8noch Chapter, $ontrose, <5=

8noch, "oyal #rch of, 56>, <>5

8noch's vision of nine vaults, 56>

8nsi!n of our (rder AsashB, <?D

8nsi!ns, the Twelve, and their emblems and arran!ement,<@=, <?>

8n/u, the God, I So

8sse First *rincipals Chapter, 5@<

8ternity, symbols of, <<3, <65, <6<, <?5

8uphrates od!e, D3, 5>:

'8alt,' the word, 5>D

8altation fees, =5, =D, ==, <D@

8altee)see Candidate

'8altee' and 'Initiate,' the words, 5>D

8cellency of ecellencies, 63

'8cellent,' early use of term, 63, @=, 56<

8cellent +e!ree)see also Super 8cellent; <><, <>6, <>?,<o:2 in Ireland, <5>, <55

587

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8cellent Grand and "oyal Chapter)see Grand Chapter, First

8cellent $ason +e!ree, @?, @:, =3, 5=@, <><

<36

8cellent $aster +e!ree; 8n!lish, <><2 Scots, 5=:, 5==, <><,<<5, <<<

8cellent Super 8cellent +e!ree, <>6, <>@

8eter lod!e seal, 5?3

'8posures, so)called, 6@

8tended Ceremony of Installation, 536, 5=>

8ye, all)seein!, in iennese ironwork, <632 *late I

8/ra in history, 5@>, 5@<

8/ra, Scribe, his precedence, 5<6, 5DD

F#ITH (+G8 "%#% 1ewel, *late I

Faulkner's +ublin 1ournal, @?

Faure, -ehan2 his picture of 1ud!es, 5@@

Fees, 8altation, =5, =D, ==, <D@ Fellow Craft, status of early,66

Fellow Crafts resortin! to $asters' od!es, 6=, ::

Fidelity Chapter, 55!

Fifth +e!ree, ni!ht Templar as, io<

Fifth (rder, @5

588

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Finch, .illiam; his career, =<

Findel, -% G%, referred to, 556

Fire, healpha as protection a!ainst, <@>

Fire, "%#%, <6<

First $iracle, Chapter of, D3, 3D, 33

Fit/)Geor!e AThomas +unckerleyB, D:

Five as a mystic number, <@:

Five +e!ree rite, Eork's, 5><

Floor Cloth)see also Tracin!)board; Irish, <?52 mariner'scompass on, <?52 referred to, D<, =5, =<2 /odiac si!ns on,<?5

Flower, Francis, :=, D<, <D<, <D6, <D?

Fludd, "obert; his Clavis *hilosophim et #lchymue Fluddianae,<<:

Folklore, @?, <>D

Fortitude Chapter, 3<, 5DD, <?5

Foundation deposits, 5@D

Foundation)stone, Temple, /=, 56:, 56D

Four de!rees and the 4nion, III

Four +e!rees, Grand od!e of the, ?D

'Fourth' de!ree; early mention of "%#% as, @>, ?5, ?D, ?3, DD,=3, 5><

589

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France, Grand od!e of, @<% See also French Fra/ier, Simon,@3

Frederick, *rince of .ales, initiated, D6

Fredericksbur!, ir!inia; early 8altees, @3, @=

Freedom, od!e of, 553

Freemasons' Coffee House, Grand Chapter at, 35

Freemasons' Hall A5DD?B, 35

French; alle!ed 'fabrication' of "%#%, /@, <?2 Craft workin!,

early, <<2 de!rees, early, <@2 -acobites, @>, @52 1ewel, *lateIII2 rite, rainbow in, 632 ritual, earliest ritual known, 5?32"oyal #rch, /S2 tracin!)boards, <<

French, Thomas, :@, D?, <D<, <D6, <D?

Friedlander, $ichael, his translation from the $almonides, 5@=

Friendship od!e and Chapter, *ortsmouth, D3, 3?, <>6, <oS2of ondon, 5D:

Frodsham, 7rid!e, Eorkshire comedian, 5o5 Funeral, Irish,<5D, <53

Fylfot or swastika, <6@

'G' and its si!nification in early ceremonies, 5:@

Galilei, Galileo; his catenarian arch, 566, 56@2 and the

pendulum, <?5

<3@

590

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Galloway, -ames, D<, D6, 3>, <?=, <D<, <D6, <D?

Garden of 8den, Chapter of, D3, io:

Gardner, SamuelN, @3

Garland, "ichard, 5>6 Garter, ni!hts of, <@D

Garters A5D:?)::B, D5

General Grand Chapter, =:, =3, <D@, <D?

Geometric $aster $ason, =:, 533 Gibbs, 7ro%, <>6

Gibraltar, od!e at, r=>

Gihon od!e, "%#% 1ewel, *late

Glass !oblet, *late I

Gloucester, +uke of, initiated, D6

God, symbols or emblems of, <6>, <6<, <6=, <:@

God and "eli!ion, 6<

Godwin, Thomas2 his $oses and #aron, 5@6, 5??

Go!el, -% *eter, of Frankfort, :@

Gold, symbol of, <6>

Golden Fleece of the #r!onauts, <6>

Goldsworthy, I% H%, ecture $aster, =3

Gordon,.illiam, ?5

Gould, "obert Freke, 9uoted and referred to, @>, ?<, D@, 556,53<

591

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Grafted on od!e, 55D Graham $S%, 6:, 63

Grand #ssembly Chapter, <<o

Grand Chapter, early use of term, 6D

Grand Chapter of # 8n!land, :=, ioi, roe

Grand Chapter of Harodim, <>D

Grand and "oyal Chapter)the First Grand Chapter; alters itstitle twice, 362 aprons, <6D2 Chapter of 8mulation erased, 3<2as Chapter of Instruction, III2 Candidates' 9ualifications, 53:,53D2 chapters or lod!es warranted by, D3, D=, io:2 code oflaws and re!ulations, 352 early warranted chapters, :?, D3,D=, 36, io:2 erection by Charter of Compact, :3)D:2 its Grand$aster, DD, D3, io:2 meetin!s called by advertisements, 5<@2its many names, 5o:2 passin! the J% chair, 5D=2 patrons, D32private chapter precedin!, :=)D<, 3<, 362 references to, 6:,@D, <?<, <:<2 social activities, 352 stated Communications,3<2 Sunday meetin!s banned, 3@

Grand Chapters, other than the above see '#ntients,' Ireland,

Scotland, .i!an, Eork, Supreme

Grand 8liir, <<3

Grand od!e)the First, *remier, or '$oderns'; formation andearly days, 6<, 66, 6@, 6?2 in ne!otiations for the 4nion, III,55<2 officially hostile to "%#%, 6=, :<):@, 3>, 35, <>32 refuseshelp to Irish petitioner, :62 seal, 6=2 its transposition ofmeans of reco!nition, 6@2 its troubles, ?<, ?62 relationshipwith Irish and Scottish Grand od!es, :>, <o3

Grand od!e of # 8n!land, 6=, ?r, 5>> Grand od!e of8n!land, South of the "iver Trent, ioo

Grand od!e of Four +e!rees, ?D

592

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Grand od!e of France, @/

Grand od!e 0o% I $S%, 6:

Grand od!e of "oyal #rch $asons, :3, io:

Grand od!e of Eork $asons, ondon, ioo

Grand od!es, other)see '#ntients,' Ireland,

Scotland, Eork, Supreme, 4nited, etc%

Grand $aster, first Grand Chapter, D@

(F TH8 "(E# #"CH

Grand $aster of Fourth +e!ree, DD

Grand $aster of Irish chapter, <>=, <5:, <5D

Grand $aster of "%#% $asons, 36, io:

Grand $aster of the eils, 5=:

Grand $aster's od!e and Chapter, i I=

Grand (fficers; appointment, etc%, I<r)I<62 aprons, <??2 early,3<2 prefies, styles of address, etc%, 5<@2 rules in Charter ofCompact, <D@,<D?

Grand *rincipals)see *rincipals

Grand "%#% Chapter of Scotland, 8arly, <<5

Grand Superintendent, his powers A5D3>B, DD

Grantham, Ivor, 9uoted, <6:

Grave, broken wands thrown into, <53

593

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Gray, 7r% -as%, <5:

Greeks, early and symbolic instruction, <<:

Greenock Chapter, <5=

Gruter $atheus, his en!ravin!, <6=

Guest, .illiam, <D?

Guide, for the *erpleed, The, 5@= '

Guildmen, ioi

H#Cm65r, 0o"m#0, his Indian plates, <@62 *late I

Ha!!ai the *rophet in history, 56=)I@<

Halkerston, +r "obert, @=

Hallet, H% Hiram, 9uoted, 53=

Hamilton, "obert, 5DD

Hampshire, early "%#% masonry, I<o

Hand and 7anner od!e, i!o

Hanover church, penta!on, etc%, in, <@@

Haran Chapter, aurencekirk, <5=

Harle9uin aprons and bad!es, iio

Harodim, Grand Chapter of, <>D

Harodim +e!ree, <o:, <oD

Harper, 8dwards, <6D

594

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Harper, Thomas, and family, 1ewels made by, <6D, <?3, <:>2*lates III and

Hatch, -no%, <D?

Hats and caps, D5, =5, =<, <?<, <?6

Headdresses; banner showin!, *late I2 7ristol, 5:D, <?62Cana Chapter's, *late III2 Chapter of Hope, <?62 Chapter ofSt -ames, <?62 crowns, =<, 5:3, <?>, <?6, <D>2 early use of,<?6, <?@2 hats and caps, D5, =5, =<, <?<, <?62 $elchesedecChapter, *late 2 mitres and turbans, <?6, <?@

Heaton and Heaton)Card Collections, 5?3, <?=

Henry II2 Chapel, 56@

Henrys, -ohn, 35

Hermes or $ercury, <<3

Hermes Chapter, 553

'Hermetic,' the term, <<3

Herod destroys the Second Temple, 5@<

Heseltine, -ames, :@, 3>, =5, 5D?, <D?

Hea!on, hea!ram, etc%, <@>

Healpha Asi)pointed starB; in alchemic illustration, <<=2illustrated and eplained, <6=<@@2 on Indian metal plates,

<@62 in 1ewels, <@52 many patterns, <@6, <@@2 its meanin!s,<@>2 in old scrolls, <@5, <@<2 as possible Christian symbol,<@5

Hey, -ohn ander; his petition, 3<

Heywood, Thomas; his play, 5:=

595

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Hickson's house, Stirlin!, @D

Hierarchical od!e, =5

Hiero!lyphics, Four, 5??

Hi!!in, Godfrey; his #nacalypsis, 5<D

Hi!h 8cellent +e!ree, =:, <><, <>6, <>:

In9uisition, *ortu!uese, and freemasons, @6

Hi!h *riest; his breastplate, <:3, <:=2 in Irish Inspectors)General ADD3B, 3t

chapters, lo, <5)<62 in -ewish ceremonial, Installationceremony, Craft; '#ncients', 53

IS( 5362 early esoteric, ?62 8tended Ceremony,

Hi!h *riest +e!ree, <>5, <<5 536, 5=>2 its introduction,53<2 its part in "%#%

Hilkiah finds the 7ook of the aw, 5<:, 563,

development, DD2 a 'landmark,' 5352 $asters

5@?% 5@D re9uired to install successors, 5362 Installation

Hiram, 5@6 in '$oderns' Craft lod!e, 5362 '$oderns' did

Hiramic +e!ree; did "%#% develop from, 5=)<@, not 'abandon'it, 535, 53<2 Scots attitude to,

66% 6@2 in early years, 5=, <>2 in $asters' :52 in 4%S%#%, 5=6,5=@2 'virtual' ceremony

od!es, :: adopted for purposes of, 5=>

Hiramic tradition and Installation ceremony, 3< Installationceremony, "oyal #rch; early, D=2

596

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Historical Catechism, 5<D esoteric, 5D:2 in 7ristol chapters,5DD, 5D32

History of Freemasonry, #leander awrie's, <D

Hi!h *riest +e!ree, <>52 followin! the 4nion

Hollis, @5 5D:2 'out of chapter,' 5D:, 5DD2 postponed,

Holmes, -ohn, @3 but *rincipal's status not affected, 5>@

Holt, "alph, 3: Installation or Chair de!ree, <<,5

Holt, "owland, D3, <D? 'Installin!,' the word, 5D?, <<<

'Holy' "oyal #rch)see author's *reface, p% 3Instruction, Chapter of% Grand Chapter as,

Holy "%#% ni!ht Templar *riest, <>@ 555

Holy secret, 6: Instruction and Improvement, Chaptersof, 55<@,

Hooker, "ichard, 9uoted, 5D6 5D<, 5DD, <5?

Hope, Chapter of, and its headdresses, <?6 Intercourse,od!e of, D3, 3:

Hope Chapter, #rbroath, <5= Interlaced !eometricalfi!ures, <65

Hope's history of St -ohn the 7aptist od!e, 5=5 Interlacedtrian!les, <6=)<@@2 healpha, si

Hopkin, .illiam, <>@ pointed star, <6=)<@@2pentalpha, five)pointed

Horeb Chapter, Stonehaven, <<> star, <6=, <@@2 symbolismof, <6=

597

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Horn Tavern, ord 7layney's lod!e at, D6 InternationalCompact attempted, I i?

Horns of altar, <@? 'Investin!,' the word, 5D?

Hospitality, od!e of, D3, D=, 55D, 5=D Ireland; chapterknown as assembly or lod!e,

Howard od!e of 7rotherly ove, I=> io:, <5<2+assi!ny's book, @?2 early historical

Hu!han, .% -%, 9uoted and referred to, <<, <6, <?,references, <>3, <>=2 first ealtee, @D, @32

@<, @?% :6, D@, 556, <@5 'Grand $asters,' <>=, <552ni!hts Templar

Hu!hes, +avid, <D? +e!ree, <>@2 $ark +e!ree, <o?2memorial

Hu!hes, -ohn, D< for warrant, <5?2 officers and formsof

Hutchinson, .%, his Spirit of $asonry, <@@ address,<562 passin! the chair, 5=<2 "ed Cross

Hutchison's house, Stirlin!, @: $ason, <>?

Hymn written by +unckerley, DD Ireland, Grand Chapterof; constituted A53<=B, :5, :=, <o=2 Grand (fficers and formsof address, <562 reco!ni/ed A5=65B, <>=, <5>2 "ed .arrant,<5>

Ireland, Grand od!e of association with '#ncients,' ?=):52bans "%#% entries in lod!e books, <>=2 7lue .arrant, <5>2fails to !ain control of "%#%, <o=2 hostility to "%#%, :>, :5, 556,<o3, <o=2 some military lod!es submit to '#ncients' Grandod!e, <o=2 warrants conferred ri!ht to work many de!rees,<5>

598

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Irish; #hhnan "e/on, <>=, <552 aprons, <??% *late I2certificates, <5:, <5D, <6:2 Chapters of Instruction, <5?2Christian de!rees, <5>, <552 clothin!, <5@, <5:2 funeral, <5D,<532 hostility to "%#%, <, <<2 1ewels, <5@, <:?, *lates , ,II, I2 od!es, their relationship with 8n!lish Grandod!es, <o3

Irish masons 'remade,' ??2 "ose Croi, <5o2 se9uence andstep de!rees, <5>, <55

Irish workin!; beatin! the Candidate, <<62 Candidate's9ualifications, <5@2 catechism, 5:32 the cord, 5:>2 +e!reeGiver, <5<2 8altation ceremony, <5?2 no esoteric Installation

until 53=?, 5D:2 8cellent in!, <5<, <562 foundationdeposits, 5@D2 worked in early +ublin lod!es, <>=2 Hi!h*riest's position, <>5, <55)<562 *rincipals, 5@D, <55)<5629uorum, <5?2 ritual and traditional history;

IF Eou 0ow 0(T $8, Eou 0ow 0(7(+E, >=

Il Gesu Church, <6?, <6: Immortality, symbol of, <<3, <6>Imperial Geor!e od!e, 63 Improvement and Instruction,Chapter of, 5<@, 5D<, 5DD, <5?

In hac salus, <6:

Incense and altar of incense, 56:, 5:@, 5=D, <@?

Incommunicable 0ame, 5?5)5?@

Indian metal plate, 0orman Hackney's, <@62 *late I

&Inducted' officers, 5D: Industry od!e, +urham, <>D

Ineffable 0ame; amon! the ancient peoples, 5@35?52 inCharter of Compact, D?2 circle and the, <6>2 definition andmeanin!, 5?52 in early French de!rees, <@2 knowled!e of it

599

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confined to certain wise men, I So2 ma!ical powers invokedby, I So2 many names for the+eity,5?52 $assoretic points,5?62 ori!inal idea, 5?>2 pronunciation of Sacred 0ame, 5?52"es ipsa pretiosa, <6?2 on Temple foundation)stone, 56D2Tetra!rammaton)see separate headin!

Ineffable .ord, @>

Initiate; Christian prayer, <=

Initiates put throu!h both '#ncients' and '$oderns'ceremonies, io=

Innovation, the 9uestion of, ?@, :>

<3:

repairin! the Temple, 5<:, 5@?)5@D, <5?2 robes not worn,<?<2 style of wearin! sash, <?:2 So1ourners replaced by

Craftsmen, <5<, <5:2 stone with rin!, 5?32 T)over)H emblem,<6?2 trian!ular plate of metal, *late I2 veils ceremony, 5=3,5==

Irre!ular prints, 6@

-#C(7'S #++8", <<=, <6@% <:> -acobite masonry, <3, @>, @5

-ah2 a name of the +eity, 5?62 The #lmi!hty -ah,_ 5?6

-anitor; epenses for, =D2 his duty within the chapter, 5:32-a!er or 1anitor, 5o32 -unior and Senior, 5o32 unre!istered"%#% mason as, 5532 within or without, 5o3

'-anitor,' the word, 5>3

600

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


-ason and his Golden Fleece, <6>

-ehova or -ehovah, -ews' and Christians' use of the word, <6,63

-erusalem Chapter, 55!

-esus)see also Christ; the name, 5?@ -esus HominumSalvator, <6:

-esus of 0a/areth, a possible reference in Charter of Compact,D?

-esus, Sayin!s of, @?

-ewel, "oyal #rch, the 1ewel of the (rder; Craft emblems on,*lates I, , III2 development of, *lates III, I2earliest, <?3, <:<, <D@, *late III2 Grand *rincipal's, <:?2illustrated, <:@, <:?, *lates III, I2 Irish, <:D2 possibleprefi!urement of, <:D2 *rincipals', <?32 re!ulations of 5D::,<?<2 "ouby's, <:<2 Scottish, <:D2 symbolic eplanation, /:6)<:?2 trian!les as motif of, <@52 variations of, *late I2wearin!, <:?2 worn in Craft lod!e, <?D, <:<,<:6

-ewels; '#ntieut,' <?32 in 7attersea enamel, <:>, *late I27el/oni's, <:>2 *late III2 7eavon)made, *late I2Caledonian Chapter, *late I2 combined *%$% and *%J%, *lates, 2 Continental, *late III2 Craft, /?32 Craft and "%#%,<?=2 +eacon's, ,J<=2 early, D5, <?32 emblems on, <<, <?5,<:>2 enamelled, *lates III, I2 en!raved plate, *late2 Faith od!e "%#%, *late I2 French A<B, *late III2!emmounted, <?=, *late III2 Gihon od!e "%#%, *late 2!lass)enclosed centres, *late III2 Harper family, <6D, <?3,<:>, *lates III and 2 interlaced s9uare and circle, <:>2Irish, <@<, <:D, <:32 *lates , , II, I2 as medalsand bad!es of distinction, <?32 $ark, <6:2 '$oderns,' <?320ine .orthies, 56?, <:>, *lateI2 *%J%, <?=2 *%J%,presentin!, to non)installed Companions, 5D=2 parcel)!ilt,

601

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*late 2 priced, <63, *lates II, I2 *reston's, <6>2 "oyal*reston od!e, *late I2 "oyal Eork od!e of *erseverance,*late 2 "ule Amade byB, <<=, *late I2 So1ourners', <:52*late I2 s9uare and sector, <:5, <:<2 sword and trowel,<:5, *late I2 torch and Ineffable 0ame on, <,?32 trian!le,<63, <:5, *late I2 with triple arches, <:>2 trowel motif in,5@5, *late I2 Temple Chapter, 0%E%, *late II2 4nanimityChapter, 33, 3=, <:5, <:=, <D>, *late I2

iscount .olseley's, *late I2 irtue od!e, *late III

-ewish; code, 5@5, 5@<2 8ile, story of, 565, 5635@>2 historyfollowin! Solomon, 563)5@<2 tombs and houses, healpha on,

<@>2 tribes and their distribution, <@=, <?>

-ewish 8ncyclopcedia, 5@= -ews2 their ori!in, 5?> -ohnson,Gilbert E%, 9uoted, 5>5, 5>@ -ordan *ass +e!ree, <<5

-osephus 9uoted, 5<:, 5=?, 5=:

-oshua the Hi!h *riest in history, 56=, 5@< -oshua of the(rder, 5DD

-osiah in 7iblical history, 6=, 563, 5@?)5@D -osiah Chapter, St#ndrews, <5=

-udas candle, <<6 -udas $accabeus, 5@< -ud!ment,7reastplate the bad!e of, <:= -u!s, decorated, *late II

-ulian the #postate, "oman 8mperor, 5<3, 5<= -un!, C% G%, his*sycholo!y and #lchemy, <<D, <,6<

I`8c, 7"(%, D< ellie, "obert, <D? elly, .% "edfern, 9uoted,

<5, <6, <@,556, <>< elly's Solomon's Temple Spirituali/ed,5<D ent, early "%#% masonry, r<o

ent, 8dward, +uke of, 36 ent od!e, Spitalfields, ?3eystone, 566; books under the, 6>2 drawin! forth the, 5:@

602

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eystones of the #rch, 5:<, 5:6, 5:@ ilwinnin!,ee alsoirkwall and Stirlin!; od!e minute, 56?

in! Solomon's Temple)see Temple innaird, ord, ealted,

55?

inross 'Chair $aster' Charter, 5=< irkcudbri!ht Chapter,<<5, <<6 irkwall ilwinnin! od!e; "%#% worked in, @=2 itsscroll, ?>, <@5, *late II

ni!ht of the "oyal #rch, 56>

ni!ht Templar +e!ree; ' #ntients,' <><2 apron, <??2encampments, <<52 as Fifth +e!ree, 5o<, <6D2 in Irishcertificate, <5D2 in Irish lod!es, <5>, <552 1ewel, <:32 inrelation to the "%#%, <>6, <o@2 Templum Hierosolyma 89ues,<6D

ni!hthood orders and the banner, <@D ni!hts of $alta, <>6

noop, +ou!las, 9uoted, <<, ?@, 556, 55@ nowled!e,Chapter of, 5<@, 5D?

#++8", -#C(7'S, <<=, <6@, <:>

ancashire, early "%#% $asonry, 3?)33,55=, 5<> and of CakesChapter and its two charters, 55=, <5=)<<5

and, "%8%#%, 9uoted, <3, <%= ane, 8% .%, 9uoted, <@> ane's$asonic "ecords, :D, D= anesborou!h, 8arl of, D6 aw of$oses, 5@:

awrie's History of Freemasonry, <D e eau, #braham, 5>@

ecturers, So1ourners as, =< ectures AcatechismsB, =<, 5:D,<<6 ectures, *rincipals', 5>@, 5D6

ee, Samuel, and his (rbis $iraculum, 5<D, 56D% 5@@

I0+8

603

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'e! of mutton' masons, so eicester $asonic Hall, <:>einster, +uke of, ealted, 55? eith, -ames *ercy, 5DD eon,-acob -ehudah, <,@D

epper, -ohn Heron, 9uoted and referred to, <:, @?, @:, So,::, 5@?, 5?@, 5?:, 5?3, 5D>% 5=:, <>?, <6:, <?D

eprous hand, 5::, 5=D etchworth, Sir 8dward, 5=3 etters;brass, D<2 movable, 632 three pairs of, 63

ever, -ames, 53: ewes -ournal, =< ewes, Greville, on-ewish history, 5@5

ewes, Sir .atkin, 'passed throu!h the chair,' 53?

ibrary, .est Eorks $asonic, @? ife, symbol of, <6>, <66ifford od!e, Co% +one!al, <55 i!hts, od!e of A.arrin!tonB3?, 3: ily of the alley, 5:@, 5::

imerick Herald, <5D

ink and .restle +e!ree, <<,5 inlith!ow Chapter, <5=innecar, "ichard, his book, hymns, etc%, 3=, 5:>, <?:

ion, o, man, and ea!le, ?D, <@3)<?> i9uor, orderin! A5D:?)::B, D5 isbon lod!es, @6

ivesey, -ames, 53:

ivin!stone, Thomas, and his 1ewels, <:D, <:3 od!e; appliesfor "%#% charter, 55D2 chapter attached to, 55:)55D, <<<2chalk lines on floor, 56?2 chapter '!rafted' on, 55D2 chapterindependent of lod!e in some places, 55:2 chapter mason

distin!uished from lod!e "%#% mason, 362 consent to become"% #% treason, =:2 distant from attached chapter, 5532 itspower to form chapter A53>DB, =32 not entitled to work "% #%followin! 4nion, 55D2 transforms itself into chapter, io:

'od!e' Athe termB becomes 'chapter,' D=, 36, IoS, Io:

604

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'od!e' and lod!e board, D<% See also Tracin!board

od!e of i!hts, .arrin!ton, 3?, 3:

od!e of "%#% $asons A+arlin!tonB, =>, =5 oma% 8li1ah, 3:

ondon Company of $asons, 5=, <>, 65 ondon GrandChapter rank, 5<<, <?? ondon's first ealtee, @D

ord 7lakeney's Head, 7ristol, od!e at, So ouvre, inscriptionpreserved in, i?>

ove, Cord of, /:>

oyal and *rudent od!e, => oyal Scots Chapter, 55=, <<ooyalty Chapter ASheffieldB, 3=, =>, 5DD ur!an od!e, <?5

yon, +% $unay, 9uoted, <r=

$#C+4FF CH#*T8", <5=

$c8uen or $c8wan, -ames, @:, @D $cewn, -ohn, @=

$ackey, #lbert Gallatin, #merican writer, <o $acky or $ackey,

-ohn2 impostor, So, ?= $aclean, -ohn, D<, D6, D3, <?=% <D<,<D6, <D? '$ason !ossois' +e!ree, @5

<3'D

'$aonnerie =cossois' +e!ree, @5 $a!i and the strai!htbrid!e, <>D $aier, $ichael, his book, <65 $aimonides, $oses,9uoted, 5@= '$aitre =cossois' +e!ree, @5

$an, lion, o, and ea!le, ?D, <@3)<?> $anchester #ssociationfor $asonic "esearch, inscription to *lates I, $anchester, +uke of, <D?

$anna, 5=D $annin!ham, +r, :< $ariner's compass on floor)cloth, <?5 $ark, $asonic, =D, <o:

605

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$ark masonry; as a Fourth +e!ree, <<@2 -ewel, <6:2 emblemon Irish 1ewel, <:?2 as 9ualification for "%#%, 5=6, 5==, <5<,<5@, <5?2 in relation to "%#%, <>?)<>D2 references to, @>, D:,<><, <>?, <662 Scottish, <<5, <<<, <<@, <<?

$ark $aster +e!ree, <>?, <<5 $arked $asons, <o: $arks,$asons', <<@

$artin, -ames, @=

$ason of the .orld, 3D $ason word, transferred, <5 $asonic$ark, =D, <>: $asonic Eear 7ook, 55D $asonry +issected,Samuel *richard', 6@, ?< '$asonry, *ure #ntient,' the phrase,

55<)55@ $as9uerier, ewes, <D?

$assoretic points, 5?6

$aster ey, -ohn 7rowne's, <= $aster $ason +e!ree)seeHiramic $aster of the 0ame, 5?>

$aster *assed the Chair, 5=<, 5=6, <<5 '$aster' becomes'*rincipal,' 36

$asters; correspondin! rank in "%#%, 5o< $asters' od!es andpossible conneion with "%#%, 6=, ::, :D

$asters in (perative $asonry, D:, <D@ $asters, "oyal #rch,D:, =i $atthews, Sir *eter, <5D

$edal)see 1ewel

$e!!ido, bealpha on walls of, <@> $elchisedec Chapter,7olton, <>@, <?62 its headdresses, *late

$elchisedec (rders, <>@ $ercury or Hermes, <<3 $erseyside#ssociation for $asonic "esearch, 5?5 $ilitary Chapter,#yrshire $ilitia, <<> $ilitary lod!es, Irish, submit to '#ntients'Grand od!e, <>=

606

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$illiken, "obert, ?@ $ilton's *aradise ost, 5@3 $indenCrucifi, symbols on, <@= $inerva Chapter; its #rch, 5:>)5:5$iniature arches, 56?, 56: $innesota Craft Installations, 5=6$inutes, Craft, not to include "#%, :@, 55:, <>= $itre, FleetStreet, Grand Chapter at, 3r $itres worn in chapter, =<, 5:3,<?6, <?@ '$oderns'; accuse '#ntients' of mutilatin! Third+e!ree, <52 adopt 'passin! throu!h the chair,' 53?)53D2aprons, <?@2 attitude to "%#%, :<):?, 55o2 early re!ard for"%#%, <D, So, :6, 53:2 how they differed from '#ntients,' ?62lod!es workin! "%#% without warrants, :?2 si)pointed star,<6=2 worked any ceremonies they liked, 5?D

<33 F"88$#S(0S' 7((

(F TH8 "(E# #"CH

'$oderns' and '#ncients,' the terms, ?D $ohammedans' roadto *aradise, <>D $oira, Francis "awdon)Hastin!s, second 8arlof, 3<, IIo, III

$onson, ord, ealted, 5D> $onta!ue, +uke of, @5 $ontana

Craft Installations, 5=6 $oon God and ord of nowled!e, I ?>$oon outline on .arden's chair, <<= $oore, Samson, @3

$or!an, Thos%, <D? $ornin! #dvertiser, 5<@ $ornin! *ost, 3@$ornin! star or pentalpha, <@@

$oses, founder of Israelite nation, @@, 5@3 $oses and #aron,Thomas Godwyn s, 5@6, 5?? $ost 8nli!htened 8ast, 35

$ost 8cellent $aster +e!ree, 5=6 $ost Sacred od!e, D3

$ount ebanon Chapter, I5= $ount $oriah od!e, 533, 53!,<o: $ount Sinai Chapter, ri! $ournin! 7ush od!e, 53D$urray, .illiam, ?>

$yths and Symbols, Jimmer s, <@@

607

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0#$8, Ineffable, Holy, Sacred, etc% see Ineffable 0ame

0apoleon's -ewish Sanhedrin, 5@@ 0ativity, Chapter of, D30ebraska Craft Installations, 5=6 0ebuchadne//ar's 8mpire,

563, 56= 0ehemiah in history, 5@>

0eilson, -ohn, @3

0eptune od!e A0o% <<B, 533, <>6 0ewcastle .ater Clock,*late I 0ewman, -ohn, <o?

0ewspaper advertisements, callin! meetin!s by, 35, 5<@, 56?

0icol or 0icholN, $un!o, @:, @D 0ilometer, a tau, <6?

0ine .orthies A0ine 8cellent $astersB and their 1ewel, =D,=3, 56?, <:>2 *late I 0oah Chapter, 7rechin, <5=

0orwich Cathedral, 565

(7(0G S4#"8, <<= (de, #yrton s, 35 (ffice)bearers,Scottish, and their Installation, <<>

(fficers, Grand, holdin! office in the "%#%, i<< (fficers;'#ntients' A53>DB, !!2 appellations in early days, D<2 chapter,their precedence, prefies, etc%, 5<<, 5<@2 Grand od!e,holdin! office in Grand Chapter, 55<<2 lod!e, as chapterofficers, 33

('elly, Charles, @6

(ld #berdeen Chapter, <5! (ld in!'s #rms od!e, 6D (ldTestament 7ooks, 5@: (liver, 7ruce .%; his $S% ritual, 5:5,

53! (liver, +r Geor!e, 9uoted and referred to, <I, <=, @<, :<,o:, 5>D, 5?3

(perative Chapter, #berdeen, <<> (perative Chapter, 7anff,<5= (perative lod!es, 65

608

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(perative masonry, "%#% not developed from, <?, 5>5

(perative $asonry, $asters in, <D@

(rbis $iraculum, Samuel ee's, 5<D, 56D, 5@@, *late III

(, lion, man, and ea!le, ?D, <@3, <@= (yrhynchus, ancientcity, @?

*##TI08 (+G8, <>'D *almes, "%#% candidate, ?5 *antomimeat +rury ane Theatre, 3@ *aradise Chapter, Sheffield, 3?, 3D,33, <>? *aradise ost, $ilton's, 5@3

*aris Convocation, @< *assin! the #rch, D>, <,<6 *assin! thechair; adopted by '$oderns, 53?53D2 in 7olton, 3:2 as achapter de!ree, 533, 53!2 after 8altation, 5332 banned asfrom year 53<<, 5=52 in Chapter of St -ames, !52 it conferredstatus, not privile!es, 53?2 denounced by '#ntients' Grandod!e, 53@, 53?, 53D2 a device or subterfu!e, 53r, 53@2 earlyreferences, @:2 in Ireland, 5=<2 invented by the '#ntients'lod!es, 53@2 late instances, I!o, 5=52 not always for "%#%candidates, I=52 resentment at its suppression, I!52 inScotland, 5=<, 5=62 in 4nited States of #merica, 5=6, 5=@2

the 'virtual' or 'constructive' ceremony, 53@)5=>

*assin! the chapter chairs, 5D=, 53>

*assin! the veils, I=?)too2 a!e of the ceremony, 5=:2alchemical interpretation, 5=?2 #merica, <>>2 in '#ntients'chapters, 5=:2 in #ustralia, <>>2 in 7ristol, 5:D, 5=?, 5=D,5=32 in Canada, /oo2 Captains of the eils, 5=:, I!!2ceremonial described, 5=D2 Christian ori!in possible, 5=?2colours of veils, 5=:, r!!, <5?2 in +urham, !52 'elimination' ofthe ceremony, 5D5, 5D<2 Grand $asters of the eils, 5=:2!uardin! the veils, 5::2 in Ireland, !!2 not part of 8altationceremony, 5=32 as separate de!ree, 5=:, I!!, <o<2 number ofveils, 5:D, 5=?, 5=32 in Scotland, 5!=2 symbolism, 5@>, <5?2survival or revival =?, =:, =3

609

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*ast $aster +e!ree in 4%S%#%, 5=6 *ast rank of J, 3<

'*ast J +e!ree,' a possible, 53> *atrons of Grand Chapter, D3,35 *atten, -ohen, @=

*aul the #postle writes to 'companions,' roD *eace, od!e ofA$elthamB, 33

*edestal, :@, <@?2 illustrated, *lates , I2 miniature, *lateI2 mystical *arts, =r2 trian!ular, inscription to *late I*endulum, Galilei and the, <?5

*enta!on, penta!ram, etc%, <@>, <@@

*entalpha, five)pointed star, <<=, <6=, <@@2 as Christianemblem, <@@2 on Freemasons' Hall thresholds, <@@2 ontracin!)board, <?r2 its symbolism, 5=?, 5=:, 5==, <@@

*entateuch, the, 5@:, <@: *erfection, rite of, <@ *eters, "ev%*rebendary, 5o

*etitions for charters, 36, 5<<2 delayed and re1ected followin!4nion, 5<>

*healan, Thomas2 impostor, So, ?= *hilanthropic Chapter, 3<*hilosopher's stone, its forms and many names, <<3,<6=

I0+8

*hilostor!ius, his story of the crypt le!end, I<:56>

*hoeni od!e, *aris; triple arch, 56? *hoeni od!e,Sunderland, <>D *hoteus, his works, 5<:

*ick, Fred %, <<6

*ictorial History oAthe-ewish *eople, #, 5@: *i!natelli, <D?

610

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*illars; full)si/e, in 7ristol chapters, 5:32 symbolic in allchapters, 56?

*late, Indian metal, 0orman Hackney's, <@6, *late I

*lates, trian!ular, inscription to *late I *lato referred to,<65

*lumb)line symbol on old tracin!)boards, banners, etc%, <<=,<?5, *late I

*lummer, 7en1amin, 5o=

*lutarch on a prohibited name, 5@= *lymouth +ock od!e and+unckerley, :? *oint within a circle, <65, <6< <63

*oint within a trian!le, <63 *olitics and reli!ion, 6< *oor (ld.oman, The, folk)son!, @@

*ope of "ome and -acobite masonry, <3% See also "omanCatholics

*ope of "ome's 7ulls a!ainst freemasonry, <=, @6

*orphyry, i!o

*ortu!al's early lod!es and the In9uisition, @6 *rayer,Christian, over Craft Initiate, <= *rayer of year 5D::, 5?3

*rIcis du "espectable (rdre de '#rt "oyal et $aFoni9ue,inscription, *late I

*reston, .illiam, and the *restonian ecture, :=, D>, 5>>,

<>D2 his 1ewel, <6>

*richard's $asonry +issected, 6@, ?<, *riest's stole, <?:

*rince 8dward's od!e, 5=> *rince 8dwin Chapter, 5=:

611

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*rince 8u!ene's Coffee House od!e, @@ *rincipal, First Grand,his seal and apron, *lates I,

'*rincipal' Athe termB becomes '$aster,' 36 *rincipals; absence

of, 5D32 clothin! su!!ested in old prints, 5@@2 con1ointly andeach severally as $aster, 5D32 death of, 5D32 desi!nations,D<, 5D?2 early, as $aster and .ardens, 5<@2 e9ual in status,5<@, 5<?2 'Induction,' 5D:2 Installation, 5D?)5D32 Installin!,out of their Chapters, 5D:, 5DD2 investin! -% and H%, 5D?2Irish, 5@D2 lectures, 5>@, 5D62 $asters' correspondin! rank in"%#%, 5><2 passin! the J% chairs, 5D=, 53>2 possible *%J%+e!ree, I 3>2 prefies, 5D3, 5D=2 9ualifications, 5D<, 5D32restriction of chaos to Installed $asters, 5D<2 Second and

Third, in Ireland, not necessarily *%$% s, <5<2 se9uence ofInstallations, 5DD *rincipaa, Cana Chapter, 3D *robity, od!eASheffieldB, 3>, 5=5 *romul!ation, Chapters of, 5D5)5D6, 5DD*romul!ation, od!e of, 55@, 535, 53: *rotection, symbol of,<6>

*rovincial Grand Chapters and their officers, 5<< *rudenceChapter, early ritual, 5:5

*russian 7lue, +e!ree, <<5 *ryse, -% *%, <D?

*salms; *salmi Graduates, 5@6

*sycholo!y and #lchemy, C% G% -un!'s, <<D

<3=

*unch 7owl Craft and "%#% od!es, i I, 5>5 '*ure #ntient$asonry,' the phrase, <:, 55<)55@, <5>

*urple and its symbolism, <?/, <?6 *ytha!oreans, <@@

4#IFIC#TI(0 F(" "%#%, =@, =:, =D, =3, ==, 53<)53D

uorum, 5<6, 5<@

612

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"#I07(. and the arch, 63, ?=, 56< "ainbow Coffee Houseod!e, @@ '"aised' A8altedB, D= "amsbottom, -ohn, 5D>

"amsay, Chevalier #ndrew $ichael, his address A5D6DB, <@,

@5)@6, :<, 5o:

"ead, -ohn; his (utline of #lchemy, etc%, <<D, <<3"econciliation, od!e of, ??, 55?

"ed Cross of +aniel +e!ree, <<5 "ed Cross +e!ree, <><, <>@,<>? "ed .arrants, <5o "e!alia)see also #pron, Caps,Chains, Collars, Crowns, Garters, Hats, Headdresses, -ewel,"obes, Sash; chapter reported for not wearin!, <?6

"e!eneration, symbol of, <6>

"e!ister of 8cellent $asters, inscription to *late I "e!ularityChapter A0o% 66=B, 55D, 553 "eli!ion in Constitutions, 6<

"e)makin!s, ??, :>, :<, 3:, 5o=

"es ipso pretiosa, possibly the Sacred 0ame, <6? "estaurationod!e and Chapter, D3, D=, 3<, 36, Io:, 55?

"estoration od!e A+arlin!tonB, =>, =5, <o: "evelations of aS9uare, :<

"hodes, Sir 8dward, inscription to *late III "ibbon)see Sash

"ich, -ohn 7ewley, <D? "ichmond, +uke (f, @5 "ickard,Colonel F% $%, =< "in!, si!net of truth, /oo "ite)see "itual andindividual names of rites "ite #ncien de 7ouillon, @<

"itual, Craft; 7rowne's $aster ey, 6>2 early, 652 no ri!idlyfied, in ei!hteenth century, ?@

"itual, "oyal #rch; #ll Companions to be present at openin!,5:=2 '#ntients,' 5:?2 7anks's, 5:52 7arker's, 5:52 borrowin!s,mutilations, etc%, <>)<62 7ristol, 5:D, 5:32 Candidate's

613

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admission, 5:62 ceremonial arch, 5:>, 5:52 ceremoniesdeclared adopted A536?B, 5D52 Christian, <:)6>2 Christianelements eliminated, 5D<2 Craft and "%#% min!led, <62Crusaders', @>2 +al/iel's, 5:52 development early, ?@2'discoveries,' 5:62 +r (liver's A5D@>B, <5, <=2 +ublin, <=2earliest A5D:>B, 5?32 earliest printed, 5?D2 its early materials,5?:, 5?D2 early Temple, 6=2 early nineteenth)century, 5:5)5:D2 first worked in Craft lod!es, 5?:2 French lan!ua!e, 5?32in Heaton)Card collection, 5?32 late ei!hteenth)century, 5:I)I:?2 0orth of 8n!land, 5:)5:?2 nourished from manysources, 5?D2 officers' duties, 5:<, 5::2 openin! and closin!ceremonies, D5, 5:<, 5:?, 5::, 5:3, 5:=2 prayer in year5D::, 5?3, 5?=2 *rincipals' lectures, 5D62 *rudence Chapter,

5:52 "evisions, 5?:, 5D>)5D62 Scottish, <<<2

<=> F"88$#S(0S' 7(( (F TH8 "(E# #"CH

standardi/ed, 5D52 Susse, 5D52 table catechism, 5D624nanimity, .akefield, 55?=, 5:>2 various versions named,5D552 veils ceremony, r=:

"obes; Cana Chapter, *late III2 colours and theirsymbolism, <?<, <?62 early, D5, D<2 ori!in, <?<2 "uspini'sdesi!ns, 3>2 Scottish, <<<

"obinson, landlord, =@

"ock Fountain Shilo, Chapter of, D3, 3<, rob "o!ers, 0orman,9uoted and referred to, 3@)3D, 5<>,<>6

"okes, *eter, 533

"oman Catholic scroll, <@5, <@<

"oman Catholics, <3, @<, @6% See also *ope "ose Croi+e!ree, <>@2 its members attendin! lod!e and chapter, <>5

"ose of Sharon, 5:@, 5:: "osicrucian art, /o% See also#lchemy "oss, 7rother, passed to J% chair, 5D= "oss, .%, <D?

614

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


"osslyn, 8arl of, ealted, i 5?

"ouby, +r -ohn -ames, and his early "%#% 1ewel,

came to be accepted, 6@' 6?2 not now a 'de!ree' in 8n!land,55@2 its tradition a blend of two or more stories, <32 theoriesconcernin! its ori!in, 55=

'"oyal #rch' in Eou!hall procession, @? "oyal #rk $ariner+e!ree, <<5 "oyal #rt, 6D

"oyal 7ruce Castle Chapter, 55=

"oyal 7runswick Chapter of *aradise, 5DD "oyal 7runswickod!e, 3=, =>

"oyal Caledonian Chapter, 55=, <<>

"oyal Cumberland Chapter; its breastplate, <D> "oyalCumberland Freemasons' School, 3> "oyal GallovidianChapter, I I=, <<5, <<6 "oyal Grand Conclave of Scotland, <<5"oyal ancashire od!e, 3D

"oyal $asonic Institution for Girls, 3> "oyal (rder of Scotland,<5=, <<55 "oyal *reston od!e 1ewel, *late I "oyal St -ohn'sChapter, 555=

"oyal secret, 6:

"oyal Susse od!e of Hospitality, D=, 5=D "oyal Eork od!eof *erseverance 1ewel, *late

"oyall #rch in! Solomon's od!e, 0ew Eork, @=

"oyall #rch od!e, Glas!ow, @= "ule of Three, 6D

"ule, -ames, 1ewels made by, <<=, *late I "ummer,en!raved, *late I

615

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


"uspini, Chevalier 7artholomew, 3>, 35, <?<

"ussell and others made chapters, @r "ylands, -ohn "%,9uoted and referred to, 33, 55?=, 53>, 53D, r!o, 55=5, <:5

"ylands,.% Harry, 9uoted and referred to, =5, 5D:, 53>, <?@

S#C"H+ 7#0+ "%#%, ni!ht Templars, <>@ Sacred 0ame, 5?3,5:?% See also Ineffable 0ame

Sacrificial altar, <@?

Sadler, Henry, 9uoted, :@, D@ St #lbans Chapter, anark, <<oSt #ndrew's Chapter, Scotland, 555= St #ndrews od!e,7oston, <>6

St Clair, .ard, his $S%, 5=6

St Clement's Church, ondon, ?: St Geor!e Chapter,#berdeen, <<> St Geor!e, Chapter of A0o% 5@>B, 5>3, 5D:,<:> St Geor!e Chapter A0(% ?@=B, 5DD

St Geor!e's Chapter A0o% ?B, 55= St Irenus, book by, <@3

St -ames, Chapter of A0o% <B, =5, =<2 apron, <?@2 7el/oni's 1ewel, <:>, *late III2 breast

D5, <:<, *late III plate, <D>2 headdresses, <?62Installation,

"oyal #rch Captain, 5==, <>?, <5D 5D?)5DD2notes on 36, =5, =<, 53=2 passin! the

"oyal #rch covered with crape, <5D J% chairs,5D=

"oyal #rch of 8noch, 56>, tot2 ni!ht of the, St-ames' Chapter, #berdeen, <<o

616

7/23/2019 eb0137.pdf


56> St -ohn the 7aptist od!e, 5=5

"oyal #rch od!e, .akefield, 33 St -ohn the8van!elist le!end, 3=

"oyal #rch lod!es, <>= St -ohn Chapter, 7ury,555=

"oyal #rch of Solomon, <oi St -ohn od!e, 7olton,5=5

"oyal #rch masonry; a completion de!ree, <D2 St-ohn, lod!es dedicated to, 3=

comprehended by phrase 'pure antient St -ohnand St *aul, od!e of, 5=>

masonry,' 556, 55@2 +ermott's depiction, *late St-ohn's Chapter, 7olton, 55=

I2 development and early history, <?, <:2 its St-ohn's +ays, held in hi!h re!ard, 53@, 53?,

'fabrication' a 9uestion, <@)<:2 as 'fourth <D?

de!ree,' @>, ?5, ?D, ?3, DD, =3, 5o<2 how it St-ohn's Gospel, <=, 6>, 6:, 63, 6=, @@% 5?3,

5D<

St -ohn's od!e, 7olton, i<o, i!o St -ohn's od!e, ea!le in,<@3, <@= St -ohn's od!e A$anchesterB, 'Chair $aster' Charterin, 5=<

St -ohn's od!es, central altar in, <@? St -ohn's, the two, 5D@

St uke Chapter, #berdeen, <5=

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St *aul's dome stren!thened by chains, 56@ St *eter od!e,$alden, <:/

St Stephen's Chapter, "etford, <?6 Salisbury, $ar9uis of,

ealted, 5D> Salvation, ladder of, <<= Sampson, "obert, acharlatan, =< Samuel, %, <>6

Sanctum Sanctorum, 56>, 56: Sanhedrin or Sanhedrim andthe number of its elders, 5<<, 5@6)5@?

San9uhar ilwinnin! od!e, <:= Sanskrit plate, *late I

Sash, <?<, <?:, <?D2 as decoration of honour, <?:, <?D2 earlyre!ulations, <?:2 possible French ori!in, <?:2 Irish and howworn, <5@, <5:2 ribbon as, <?:2 as sword)belt, <?:, <?D2styles of wearin!, <?:

Sayin!s of 1esus, a papyrus, @? Scannaden, Spencer, @3

Scarlet and its symbolism, <?<, <?6 Sceptre, <?62 emblem onold banners, <?> 'Scotch' or 'Scots' masonry, <?, 6=, @>, @5,D:, 53: <:5

I0+8

Scotland; early 8n!lish chapters in, 5<o2 early "%#% lod!es,<5=2 8n!lish Craft Installation ceremony introduced, 5=<2 firstealtee, @D, @=2 $ark masonry Asee $ark masonryB2 operativelod!es, 652 passin! the chair, 5=<, 5=62 T)overH emblem, <6?

Scotland, early Grand "%#% Chapter of, <<5 Scotland, GeneralGrand Chapter for, <<5, <<< Scotland, Grand Chapter of, <<>)<,<<2 de!rees supervised by, <<52 founded, :5, <<>, <<52 its

independence, <<>2 Chair $aster od!es, 5=<2 office)bearers, <<<2 Supreme Committee, <<@

Scotland, Grand od!e of; '#ntients' association with, :>2founded, 652 hostility to "%#%, <5, <<, :5, 556 <o3, <<o2

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Installation ceremony, :52 and ord $oira, rio2 officers'installed,' 5D?

Scotland, "oyal Grand Conclave of, <<5 Scotland, "oyal (rder

of, <5=

Scottish chapters; holdin! 8n!lish or Irish charters, 55=, <<5,<<62 not attached to lod!es, <<>2 office)bearers and theirinstallation, <%<<2 oldest, <%5=, <<>2 petitions for, <<<29uorum, <<<2 'shuttin!,' <<62 unchartered, <<5

Scottish Crusaders, @>

Scottish lod!es; central altar in, <@?2 Craft Installationceremony late in comin!, 5=< Scottish "ite, #ncient and#ccepted, <@ Scottish "oyal #rch, /5=)<<?2 apron, *late I2beatin! the Candidate, <<62 Candidates' 9ualifications, <<62ceremonial introduced from 8n!land, <<>2 chair de!rees, 5==2Christian ritual, 6>2 '8ncampments,' <>?2 1ewel, <:?2 part ofFellow Craft +e!ree, <<?2 pedestal in old print, *late I2prere9uisite de!rees, <<@2 *rincipals' Installations as separatede!rees, <<@2 ritual, <<6, <<@2 robes and their colours, <<<,<?<2 Templar encampments, <<5 Scribe 8/ra, his precedence,

5<6, 5DD Scroll, 7iblical words on, <=

Scroll, irkwall ilwinnin!, @=, <@5, *late II Scrolls, +eadSea, 5@:

Sea Captains' od!e, <>D

Seal; early lod!e, 5?32 First Grand *rincipal's, *late I2Great, 352 includin! five)pointed star, <@@2 *remier Grandod!e, 6=2 prescribed in Charter of Compact, <D@

Secret, "oyal, 6: 'Secrets, true,' <: Seditious meetin!s, lawa!ainst, 36 Seller, -ohn, 5>6

Septua!int, 5@@

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Se9uence de!rees, 53=, <>5)<>D, <5>, <55 Serendib Chapter,Ceylon, /o:

Serious and Impartial 8n9uiry, @?

Serpent eatin! its own tail, 5=D, <<3, <6>, <:: Seven as a'mystic' number, <@:

Seven stars, <@:, <?5

Shakespeare 9uoted, 5>D, 5D6, 535 Shamir le!end, <D>, <D5Shaphan in 7iblical history, 5?@

Shepherd -ones, G% S%, 9uoted, 5:5, <6<, <@3, /:6)<:?

Shew)bread, 5=D

Shield of +avid, <@>, <@@ 'Shuttin! the chapter,' <<6Sidonians, 5=>

<=5

Simpkinson, *(;, <D?

Sincerity Chapter, 7radford; breastplate ana crowns, <D>

Sincerity Chapter, Taunton, :D, 5=>, <?5 Sincerity Chapter,.i!an, 5<5

Slade's effi!y; inscription to *late II Sli!o "e!iment, lod!eheld in, <?? Smith, -oseph, =>

Snake)see Serpent

So1ourner; #ssistant, 5>@, 5<<2 depicted on 1ewels, <?=, <:>,<:32 *late I2 duties, 5o3, 5:<)5:@2 his 8lection, 5o32 hishat or cap, <%?62 as lecturer, =<2 as $aster of *reviousod!e, 53=

So1ourner, the word, 5o3, 5<:

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So1ourners replaced by Craftsmen in Irish chapters, /5<, <5:2their report, 5@<, 5@62 three, 5o3

Solomon, "oyal #rch of, <>5

Solomon's Seal and a related le!end, <@>, <@@ Solomon'sTemple)see Temple

Solomon's Temple Spirituali/ed, 5<D Somerset, early "%#%masonry, 5<> Somerset $asters' od!e, 56> Son!s of+e!rees, 5@6

Spanish lod!e in year 5D<3, @6

Spanish prison sentences on freemasons, @6 Spencer, Samuel,and his letters, :6, :@ Spencer, .illiam, 5>6

Speth, G% .%, 9uoted, 556

Spirit of $asonry, .illiam Hutchinson's, <,@@ Spri! of cassia,5::

S9uare, circle, and trian!le, /65, <<= S9uare, oblon!, <<=

S9uarin! the circle, <%65

Star; five)pointed Asee *entalphaB2 mornin!, <@@2 seven)pointed, <@62 si)pointed Asee HealphaB

Stars, seven, <@:, <?5

Step de!rees, %<>5)<>D, <5>, <55 Steps; fifteen, 5@62 nine,5?3 Steward's od!e A'#ntients'B, =@ Stewards; ceremonial

duties, =/ Stewartstown od!e, <:3

Stirlin!, "%#% worked at, @:, @D, @=

Stirlin! ilwinnin! od!e admits "%#% masons, @:,@D

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Stirlin! od!e brasses, 56< Stirlin! "ock Chapter @:, <5=Stolcius and !eometrical fi!ures, <65 Stole, priest's, /?:

Stone; arch, 5662 cape)stone or cope)stone, 566, 5?62 corner,

symboli/in! Christ, <=2 cubic, 5@D, <652 double)cubical, =i,56:, 56D, 5:@2 foundation, ofTemple, <=,56:,56D2 heavenlyCorner, <<32 the lifted, @@, @?2 *hilosopher's, its forms andmany names, <<3, <6=2 trian!ular <6=

Stone)turnin! motif, <<, <? Strathmore Chapter, Glamis, <5=Strictures on Freemasonry, 3= Suffolk, early "%#% masonry in,5<o Suleyman's ASolomon'sB power over the -inn, <@>

Summonses, *late Sun emblem, <<=, <:@ Sundaymeetin!s, @5, :?, 3@, 3=, =>, 5>6, 5=D/o?2 innkeeper finedfor permittin!, 3@

<=<

F"88$#S(0S' 7(( (F TH8 "(E# #"CH

S uper)ecellent,' and early uses of the term, @5, @=, ?>, 56<

Super 8cellent +e!ree, So, 3D, <><, <>?, <5:, <5D2 inIreland, <5>, <552 and the veils ceremony, 5=:

Super 8cellent $aster +e!ree, <><2 Scots, <<5

Supreme +e!ree A53>DB, =3 Supreme Grand Chapter A53>5B,36 Supreme Grand Chapter Athe Grand Chapter of to)dayB;acknowled!es re!istered chapters, 55:2 chapters to beattached to lod!es, 55:2 Committee of General *urposes,5<52 chaotic conditions followin! 4nion, 55=, i<o2

Constitution, 5<5)5<?2 formed, 55?, 55:2 Grand od!e,reor!ani/es, 55D2 how 4nion came, io=, iio2 meetin!stemporarily suspended, 5<>2 petition for charter, 5<<2precedence of chapters, 5<<2 prefies and styles of address,5<@2 re!ulations A53<6B, 5<52 re!ulations A5=?:B, 5<5)5<?2

622

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Sunday meetin!s banned, 3@2 suspension in the Craft and"%#%, 5<62 sword, *late II

Supreme Grand "%#%, Chapter of Ireland)see Ireland, Grand

Chapter of

Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland)see Scotland, GrandChapter of

Surplices, So1ourners', <?6

Susse, #u!ustus Frederick, +uke of, Grand $aster of "%#%$asons, 36, 555, 55?, 55:,5D>, 5D5, 5D:, <6>

Susse, early "%#% masonry, 5<> Susse ritual, 5D5

Swalwell miniature pedestal, *late I Swansea chapterwarrant, <6:

Swastika or fylfot, <6@ Swift, -onathan, 6D, 63 Sword,'#ntients' Grand od!e, now Sword of Grand Chapter, *late II

Sword, ceremonial use of, <@, ?6

Sword and trowel; in early ceremonies, @>, @<2 emblem, 5@5,*late II2 1ewels, <:5, <:3, *late I2 in -ewish history, 5@>2(rder of the Templars, 5@>, 5@5

Syinbolism; alchemic inspiration, <>, <<:)/6>2 arch, 56<27iblical, <<:2 crypt, 5652 1ewel of the (rder, <:6)<:?2teachin! by, <<:2 Temple at -erusalem, 5@62 veils, 5@>, <5?2whence came it, <<:

Symbols and emblems)see also names of symbols, Circle,S9uare, Trian!le, Tau, etc%; alchemic, common tofreemasonry, <<D)<<=2 as banners, <@D)<@=2 Craft and "%#%min!led, <<2 Christ, <6=2 death, <662 #lmi!hty's power,efficiency, and truth, <6<, <6=2 as ensi!ns, <?>2 eternity, <<3,<6>, <6<, <?52 !old, <6>2 immortality, <<3, <6>, <?52

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1ud!ment, <:=2 life, <6>, <662 li!ht and ecellence, <:=2protection and completion, <<3, <:=2 protection from fire,disease, etc%, <6>, <@>2 re!eneration, <6>2 Sacred .ord, <632salvation, <<=2 Son of God, <6=2 sun, <6>, <6<

T#78"0#C8, 56:

Table catechism, 5D6, 5D@

Talisman, interlacedt rian!les, <@>, <@@ Talmud, -ewish, <@3

'Tammy,' possibly for veils, =5

Tasker, "%#% Candidate, ?5

Tau, <66)<6:2 8!yptian nilometer, <6?2 triple, <66, <6@, <6?,<6:, <6D

Taylor, Charles, <D<, <D6, <D?

Taylor, F% Sherwood; his The #lchemists, <<D Taylor, Thos%,takes three de!rees, <>: Templars, (rder of the, 5@>, 5@5

Temple at -erusalem; its che9uered history, 5635@<2dimensions, 5@62 -inn le!end, <@>, <@52 model of, <@D2rebuildin!, 5<:)56>, 56=)5@<2 references, <<3, <6?, <@32repairin!, 5<:, 5@?5@D2 Shamir le!end, <D>, <D52symbolisms, 5@62 steps, 5@6

Temple Chapter 1ewel, *late II

Temple of Solomon, its frontispiece, *late III TemplumHierosolyma 89ues, <6:)<6D Templum Hierosolymm, <6?,

<6:)<6D Tetra!rammaton, r?<)5??2 #donai, 5?62 Chris tiansi!nificance, 5?@, 5??2 8l, 8lim, 5?@2 8lohim, 5?@2 8lyon,5?@2 on foundation)stone, 56D2 -ews' need of, 5?<2$assoretic points, 5?62 its many meetin!s, 5?<2 Shadda2,5?@2 within trian!le, <63, <6=, <@52 as symbol and ornament,5??

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Tet 7ook of Freemasonry, The, 5D5 Thackray, Thomas, 5>6

Theca ubi res pretiosa deponitur, depository of sacred thin!,<6?

Thesaurus, treasure, <6? Third +e!ree see Hiramic Thistleod!e, +umfries, early 8altations in, @=

Thorold, $r, iio

Three as a 'mystic' number, <@:

Three Crowned Stars od!e, *ra!ue, /:> Three Tuns od!e,*ortsmouth, D: Thummin, 4rim and, <:=

Tiler, 5>3% See also 1anitor Toast, '#ntients,' D<

Toasts, the .akefield, 5?=, 5:> Torah's five books, 5@:, <@:Torch, 5?3

T)over)H, <662 Christian meanin!, <6?2 on early aprons,certificates, etc%, <6D2 develops into triple tan, <66, <6D2+unckerley on, <6:, <6D2 Initials of the #rchitect, <6:2 its

meanin!s, 5:?2 superimposed on H% #7%, <6: Tracin!)board,D<, <?>, <?52 Churchill od!e, *late II2 combined Craft and"%#%, <?52 ei!hteenth)century, <<32 emblems on, <<, 56< <?5

Traditioner lod!es and assimilation, ?>, ??, :6, 3:

Tran9uility, od!e of, D3 Treasurer, his precedence, 5<6, 5DDTrian!le, <63, <6= Asee also Interlaced trian!lesB2 in alchemicillustration, <<=2 all)seein! eye within, <632 and circleinterlaced, <65, <6=2 circle within, <632 or delta, <6=2 head or

skull within, <632 as 1ewel emblem, <63, <:5, *late I2 itsmany meanin!s, <6=2 point within, <632 triple tine, <63, <6=,<@62 symbolism, <63, <6=2 Tetra!rammaton within, <63, <6=2trian!le, Eod within, <6<, <63

Trian!ular plate and pedestal, 5?3, *late I

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Trible voice, 63, 6= Trine compass, <53, <6=

I0+8 <=6

.akefield)see also 4nanimity od!e and Chapter, .akefield;7rother asks for #himon "eon, :?2 historical notes, 332ritual, I?!, I:>2 possible *%J% +e!ree, 53>2 T)over)H symbol,<6D

.alford, 8dward, translator of *hilostor!ius, 5<D

.alker #rnott, +r Geor!e #rnott, <<< .allace HeatonCollection, <?= .alton's Compleat #n!ler, 55D6

.ands, broken, thrown into !rave, <5D .aples, .illiam,9uoted and referred to, !o, =5, <>D, *late I

.arden's collar 1ewel, <:3

.ardens, some #merican, automatically received '*%$%+e!ree,' 5=@

.arrants and charters; '#ntients,' ==, 5362 Cana Chapter, 3D,

*late I2 centenary, difficulty in obtainin!, 55D2 chapterswith two, I 5!2 delayed followin! 4nion, I 5=, 5<o2dispensation pendin! issue of, D32 early, D32 D=, 55D2 Irishlod!e and chapter, to!, <io2 petitions for, 5<<, <5?2 "oyal #rchworked under lod!e warrant, ?32 sale of, i<o2 Scottishchapters with 8n!lish, ii=2 Swansea Chapter, <6: .ashin!tonChapter, Connecticut, 5=@ .ashin!ton, Geor!e, initiated, @=.ater)clock, *late I

.atson, .illiam, 9uoted, @< .ay, Samuel, <D?

.ebber, 7ob, @5

.eekley, 8rnest, on the word 'Chapter,' 5o? .estcott, +r .%

.ynn, <D5

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.estminster #bbey, pentalpha in windows of, <,@@

.estminster, colle!e at, ios .estminster and eystone od!e,<@< .eford Chapter, <5D

.heel symbol, <65

.heeler, Francis; his funeral, <5D, <53 .hitby lod!e, old, <?:

.hite, .illiam, Grand Secretary, <6= .hitney,Geoffrey; hisChoice of 8mblemes, 5@5, *late II

.hole Institutions of Free)$asons (pened, The, 63

.hytehead, T% 7%, 9uoted, loo, ioi

.ice, Companion, presents a Cord of #mity, 5:>

.ickham, +r, 553

.i!an Grand od!e, ??, 5<5 .i!ton banner, *late I .illett,"ev% .arin!, 5D=

.imber, % C%, his Folk ore in the 8n!lish and Scottish

7allads, <>D

.indsor, colle!e at, 5>? .isdom, symbol of, <6> .ithamod!e, iio .odrow, #ler%, @= .olseley, iscount; Irish 1ewel,*late I .ood, -ames, 3:

.oodford, "ev% #% F% #%, <5, D: .oolen, -ames, 3=, !o

'.ord, the,' <6, <:, <D, 6:, 63)@>, @@, 5<3, 56<, 5@3, 55:?,5D<, <:?

.ren, Sir Christopher; his chains in St *aul's dome, 56@

'.restle' de!rees, <<5

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Trinity, symbols of, <,655, <63, <6=, <@@ Trinity Colle!e,+ublin, $%S%, <6? Triple Tau, <66)<6D, *lates III, II TripleTau, The, Geor!e S% +raffen's, 55=<, <5= Triple tine, <63, <6=

Trowel)see also Sword and trowel; and the cross symbol, 5@52motif in 1ewels, 5@5, *late I

Troy, swastika in, <6@ Truth, od!e of, 7elfast, <?? Tubal Cain,<6>

Tuckett, -% 8% S%, 9uoted, 55= Turban and mitre, =<, 5:3, <?6%<?@ Turk's Head Tavern, Chapter and Grand Chapter at, D>,35, <D<, <D?

Turner, -ohn, <D? Turner, "obert, ?? Twelve 7rothers od!e,555? Tyler, io3% See also 1anitor Tyrian od!e, <@<

40#0I$ITE CH#*T8", 7ury, D3, 3: 4nanimity Chapter,*enrith, 553 4nanimity Chapter, Eork, 5>6 4nanimity od!eand Chapter, .akefield, I =>, 5=<, <?:2 'the #rches,' :D2-ewels and breastplate, 33, 3=, <:5, <:=, <D>, *late I2ritual, 55?=, 5:>2 toasts, 5?=, 5:>2 'virtual' ceremony, 53=,I!o% See also .akefield

4nion, Craft, ??2 #ct of A53556B, 55D2 #rticles of, 55<2 chaoticconditions and petitions delayed, etc%, followin!, 555?, 55=,5<o2 how it came, 36, io=2 lod!es not entitled to work "%#%after, 55D2 place of "%#% in the discussions, Ito% III 4nionChapter, +undee, <5=, <<>

4nion French od!e, @@ 4nion od!e, Cape Town, <>5

4nion od!e of Eork, 5>6 4nion, "oyal #rch, 55?)55=% See

also Supreme Grand Chapter, 535D

4nion .aterloo Chapter, 555=, 5=:

4nited Grand Chapter)see Supreme Grand Chapter, 535D

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4nited Grand od!e)see also 4nion, Craft; formation, lo!2reco!ni/es "%#% and Grand Chapter, 556, 55:

4nited States)see #merica 4nity Chapter AeedsB, =>

4nity, Chapter of AEorkB, 5>6 4niversality, Chapter (f, D3

4rim and Thummin, <:=

#4GH#0, H(0% 8+.#"+, ??

ault)see also Crypt; #rched, 5<:, 56>, 5652 motif, @>2secret, in early French de!rees, <@ eils)see *assin! the veils

enus Commodus, @5

estments, So1ourners', <?6

ibert, ionel, 9uoted, 563, 5@<, 5?3

ienna ironwork, all)seein! eye in, *late I

i!ilance Chapter A+arlin!tonB, =>, !i 'irtual' ceremony)see*assin! the chair

'irtual' $asters, :D, =<

irtue od!e 1ewel, *late III

oltaire 9uoted, <<:

%S%%)see 7ible

.#IT8, #% 8%, 9uoted, 56>, 5@55

<=@ F"88$#S(0S' 7((

E#Hov#m, made from #donai, 5?6% See also -ehova

Eod within circle, or trian!le, <6<, <63 Eork Chapter, D<

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