The Mysteries of Free Masonry. William Morgan

denote unity, peace, and plenty. The net work, from its connection, denotes union; the lily work, from its whiteness, purity and peace; and the pomegranate, from the exuberance of its seed, denotes plenty. They also have two large globes, or balls, one on each; these globes or balls contain, on their convex surfaces, all the maps and charts of the celestial and terrestrial bodies; they are said to be thus extensive to denote the universality of Masonry, and that a Mason's charity ought to be equally extensive. Their composition is molten, or cast brass; they were cast on the banks of the river Jordan, in the clay-ground between Succoth and Zaradatha, where King Solomon ordered these and all other holy vessels to be cast; they were cast hollow; and were four inches, or a hand's breadth thick; they were cast hollow, the better to withstand inundations and conflagrations; they were the archives of Masonry, and contained the constitution, rolls, and records." The Senior Deacon having explained the columns, he passes between them, advances a step or two, observing as he advances, "Brother, we will pursue our travels; the next thing that we come to is a long, winding staircase, with three, five, seven steps, or more. The three first allude to the three principal supports in Masonry, viz., wisdom, strength, and beauty; the five steps allude to the five orders in architecture, and the five human senses; the five orders in architecture are the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite; the five human senses are Hearing, Seeing, Feeling, Smelling, and Tasting; the three first of which have ever been highly essential among Masons: Hearing, to hear the word; Seeing, to see the sign; and Feeling, to feel the grip, whereby one Mason may know another in the dark as well as in the light. The seven steps allude to the seven sabbatical years; seven years of famine; seven years in building the temple; seven golden candlesticks; seven wonders of the world; seven planets; but more especially the seven liberal arts and sciences, which are Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy; for this, and many other reasons, the number seven has ever been held in high estimation among Masons." Advancing a few steps, the Senior Deacon proceeds, "Brother, the next thing we come to is the outer door of the middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple, which is partly open, but closely tyled by the Junior Warden" [It is the Junior Warden in the South who represents the Tyler at the outer door of the middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple], who, on the approach of the Senior Deacon and candidate, inquires, "Who comes here? Who comes here?" The Senior Deacon answers, "A Fellow Craft Mason." Junior Warden to Senior Deacon, "How do you expect to gain admission?" A. "By a pass, and token of a pass." Junior Warden to Senior Deacon, "Will you give them to me?" [The Senior Deacon, or the candidate (prompted by him), gives them; this and many other tokens, or grips, are frequently given by strangers when first introduced to each other. If given to a Mason, he will immediately return it; they can be given in any company unobserved, even by Masons, when shaking hands. A pass, and token of a pass; the pass is the word Shibboleth; the token, alias the pass-grip, is given, as before described, by taking each other by the right hand, as if shaking hands, and placing the thumb between the forefinger and second finger, at the third joint, or where they join the hand, and pressing it hard enough to attract attention. In the Lecture it is called a token, but generally called the pass-grip. It is an undeniable fact that Masons express themselves so differently, when they mean the same thing, that they frequently wholly misunderstand each other.]

      After the Junior Warden has received the pass Shibboleth, he inquires, "What does it denote?" A. "Plenty." Junior Warden to Senior Deacon, "Why so?" A. "From an ear of corn being placed at the water-ford." Junior Warden to Senior Deacon, "Why was this pass instituted?" A. "In consequence of a quarrel which had long existed between Jephthah, Judge of Israel, and the Ephraimites, the latter of whom had long been a stubborn, rebellious people, whom Jephthah had endeavored to subdue by lenient measures, but to no effect. The Ephraimites being highly incensed against Jephthah, for not being called to fight and share in the rich spoils of the Ammonitish war, assembled a mighty army, and passed over the river Jordan to give Jephthah battle; but he, being apprised of their approach, called together the men of Israel, and gave them battle, and put them to flight; and to make his victory more complete, he ordered guards to be placed at the different passes on the banks of the river Jordan, and commanded, if the Ephraimites passed that way, that they should pronounce the word Shibboleth; but they, being of a different tribe, pronounced it Sibboleth, which trifling defect proved them spies, and cost them their lives; and there fell that day, at the different passes on the banks of the river Jordan, forty and two thousand. This word was also used by our ancient brethren to distinguish a friend from a foe, and has since been adopted as a proper pass-word, to be given before entering any well-regulated and governed Lodge of Fellow Craft Masons." Since this is the case, you will pass on to the Senior Warden in the West for further examination. As they approach the Senior Warden in the West, the Senior Deacon says to the candidate, "Brother, the next thing we come to is the inner door of the middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple, which we find partly open, but more closely tyled by the Senior Warden;" when the Senior Warden inquires, "Who comes here? Who comes here?" The Senior Deacon answers, "A Fellow Craft Mason." Senior Warden to Senior Deacon, "How do you expect to gain admission?" A. "By the grip and word." The Senior Warden to the Senior Deacon, "Will you give them to me?" They are then given as hereinbefore described. The word is Jachin. After they are given, the Senior Warden says, "They are right; you can pass on to the Worshipful Master in the East." As they approach the Master, he inquires, "Who comes here? Who comes here?" Senior Deacon answers, "A Fellow Craft Mason." The Master then says to the candidate, "Brother you have been admitted into the middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple for the sake of the letter G. It denotes Deity, before whom we all ought to bow with reverence, worship, and adoration. It also denotes Geometry, the fifth science: it being that on which this degree was principally founded. By Geometry we may curiously trace nature through her various windings to her most concealed recesses; by it we may discover the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of the Grand Artificer of the Universe, and view with delight the proportions which connect this vast machine; by it we may discover how the planets move in their different orbits, and demonstrate their various revolutions; by it we account for the return of a season, and the variety of scenes which each season displays to the discerning eye. Numberless worlds surround us, all formed by the same Divine Architect, which roll through this vast expanse, and all conducted by the same unerring law of nature. A survey of nature, and the observations of her beautiful proportions, first determined man to imitate the divine plan, and study symmetry and order. The architect began to design; and the plans which he laid down, being improved by experience and time, have produced works which are the admiration of every age. The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of ignorance, and the devastations of war, have laid waste and destroyed many valuable monuments of antiquity, on which the utmost exertions of human genius have been employed. Even the Temple of Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, and constructed by so many celebrated artists, escaped not the unsparing ravages of barbarous force. The ATTENTIVE EAR received the sound from the INSTRUCTIVE TONGUE; and the mysteries of Freemasonry are safely lodged in the repository of FAITHFUL BREASTS. Tools and implements of architecture, and symbolic emblems, most expressive, are selected by the fraternity to imprint on the mind wise and serious truths; and thus, through a succession of ages, are transmitted, unimpaired, the most excellent tenets of our institution."

      Here the labor ends of the Fellow Craft's degree. It will be observed that the candidate has received, in this place, the second section of the Lecture on this degree. This course is not generally pursued, but it is much the most instructive method; and when it is omitted, I generally conclude that it is for want of a knowledge of the Lecture. Monitorial writers (who are by no means coeval with Masonry) all write, or copy, very much after each other, and they have all inserted in their books all those clauses of the several Lectures which are not considered by the wise ones as tending to develop the secrets of Masonry. In some instances, they change the phraseology a little; in others, they are literal extracts from the Lectures. This, it is said, is done to facilitate the progress of learners, or young Masons; when, in fact, it has the contrary effect.

      The following charge is, or ought to be, delivered to the candidate after he has got through the ceremonies; but he is generally told, "It is in the Monitor, and you can learn it at your leisure." "Brother, being advanced to the second degree of Masonry, we congratulate you on your preferment. The internal, and not the external, qualifications of a man are what Masonry regards. As you increase in knowledge, you will improve in social intercourse. It is unnecessary to recapitulate the duties which, as a Mason, you are bound to discharge; or enlarge on the necessity