I. N. R. I., i. e., Jesus Nazarenus Bex ludaeorum. Jesus of

Nazareth, King of the Jews, the inscription which was placed upon the cross of the Savior. In the Philosophical Lodge they represent Fire, Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury. In the system of the Rosicrucians they had a similar use : " Igne Natura Eenovafur Integra" — "by fire nature is perfectly renewed." This idea is also found in the degree of " Knights Adepts of the Eagle or the Sun."
INTENDANT OF THE BUILDING, sometimes called MASTER IN ISRAEL. The 8th degree in the Ancient and Accepted rite. The body is called a Lodge, and its de- corations are crimson; the room is lighted with 27 lights, arranged in three groups of 9 each, and each group forming a triple triangle; on the altar are 5 other lights. The Master is styled Thrice Potent, and represents King Solomon. This degree was instituted to supply the loss of the
INTIMATE SECRETARY. The 6th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. The place in which the Lodge is held represents the audience chamber of King Solomon. It is hung with black, strewed with white tears. There are but three officers, who represent King Solomon, King Hiram, and a Captain of the Guards. The ceremony and legend are intended to preserve the remembrance of an instance of unlawful curiosity, the due punishment of the offender being averted only in consideration of his previous fidelity. The degree also teaches that Masons should cultivate the virtues of Silence, Justice, Humanity, and Secrecy; and that in the execution of justice they should not be unmindful of mercy.
IEI— IVO.
175
IRISH DEGEEES. These degrees appeared in Franca between the years 1730-40. They had a political element, and were intended to aid the Pretender in his efforts to regain the English throne. There were three degrees: Irish Master, Perfect Irish Master, and Puissant Irish Master.
ISIAC TABLE. A monument of ancient Egypt, on which is represented the worship of the goddess Isis, with he* ceremonies and mysteries. It is a square table of copper, covered with silver mosaic, skillfully inlaid. The prindp: figure of the central group is' Isis. This table is said to bo now in the royal museum at Turin.
ISIS. The chief goddess in the Egyptian mysteries, the symbol of nature, and mother and nurse of all tilings. Diodorus says that Osiris, Isis, Typhon, Apollo and Venus were the children of Jupiter and Juno. Osiris, who identical with the Dionysus (Bacchus) of the Greeks, married Isis, the moon, and they both made the improvement of society their especial care. Men were no longer butchered, after Isis had discovered the valuable qualities of wheat and barley, and Osiris had taught how to prepare them. Isis and Osiris were un- doubtedly persons superior in mind and intel- ligence to the age in which they lived, who organized society, and contributed largely to the improvement of mankind, on which ac- count the gratitude of after ages elevated them to the rank of gods. Her priests were bound to observe perpetual chastity. Her festivals were celebrated in all parts of Egypt, Greece and Rome. In her terrestrial character, she wears upon her head the throne which repre- sents her name ; in her celestial, the disc and horns, or tall plumes, and nursing Horus. The mysteries of Isis are interesting to Masons, as being the foundation of those of the Sidonian builders, or Dionysian architects, which have contributed so many elements to the Masonic rites.
IVORY KEY. A symbol in the Philo- sophical Lodge, or degree of Knights Adept of the Eagle or the Sun. It teaches that one should exercise due caution in opening his heart, and expressing his opinions. The Ivory Key, with the letter Z on the wards, in black, is the jewel of the degree of Secret Master, Ancient and Accepted rite.
ISIS AND HOBUS.
176
JAC— JEH.
J.
JACHIN, CQrr)' T^16 name °f one °f the br&zen pillars placed at the porch of Solomon's Temple. It signifies, " he that .strengthens," or "will establish." The other pillar was called BOAZ, (]^D), "in strength" — the two words signifying " in strength shall this my house be established." *
JEHOVAH (ni!T)- The name of God, ineffable and mysterious, which God declared to Moses, from the burning bush on Mount Horeb. Its ancient pronunciation was Yahveh; its meaning is HE is, the same as I AM, the person only being changed. In reply to the request of Moses that God would reveal to him his name, " God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM." — Ex. in. 14. Thus it denotes the self- existence, independence, immutability, and infinite fullness
*"Stieglitz, in his work 'On Ancient German Architecture,' gives an illustration of two celebrated pillars, as they are now standing in th« cathedral of Wurzburg, one of the oldest cities of Germany, and formerly capital of Franconia. He dates them from the time of the construction of the old cathedral, in 1042, by the Fraternity of Steinmetzen, the peculiar form and orna- mentation of the capitals and bases being characteristic of the architecture of that period. They were originally situated, like the brazen columns of Solomon's Temple, on either side of the porch — Jachin on the right, and JBoaz on the left; but at the present time they are placed in an inverse position, within the body of the cathedral, not far from the main entrance, on either side of a Gothic door-way, leading to a small vaulted chamber. He says, that ' they were intended to bear a symbolic reference to the Fraternity, which reference is .revealed to the initiated in their peculiar proportions, in the ingenious construction and combina- tion of the shafts and capitals, as well as by the names sculptured on the abacus.' Bernewitz, disagreeing with Stieglitz in his explanation of the symbolism of these pil-
j lars, says, that ' the artist intended by them
to represent God and man. ' Boaz is tripar- tite, and yet constitutes but one whole (Trinity); the central portion of the shaft reenters within itself (God iciihout beginning or end). Jachin consists of only two actual parts, Body and Soul, which are united by a mysterious entwined bond or tie. The interior of these pillars is invisible. The inner man is likewise invisible — unfathomable. The lower portion of the shaft rises from the earth, and again returns thither; (so shall the dust return to the earth as it was;) while the upper portion returns again within itself, and is bound with an endless band (the spirit, being also without beginning or end, waits hopefully for its union with th« everlasting spirits above; it embraces eternity, and is by it embraced)." — STEINBKENNER, Hist, of Masonry.
JEP. 177
of the divine Being. It never has the article before it, nor is it found in the plural form. The Jews, with a deep reverence for the Deity, never pronounce this name; and .whenever it occurs in the Hebrew Scriptures, they substitute for it, in reading, the word ADONAI, Lord, or ELOHIM, God. That Jehovah is specifically the God of the Hebrews is clear from the fact, that the heathen deities never receive this name; they are always spoken of as Elohim Moreover, the altars, the sacrifices, the festivals, the tabernacle, the temple, the priesthood and the prophets, all belong emphatically to Jehovah. The word is sometimes called the TETRAGRAMMATON, (from the Greek telra, four, and gramma, letter,) as it was among some ancient nations, the mystic number four, which was often symbolized to represent the Deity, whose name was expressed in several languages by four letters. The investigation of this subject is exceedingly interesting tc Royal Arch Masons.
JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER The name of the first degree of the Order of the Eastern Star, or American Adoptive rite. It illustrates, in a beautiful and impressive manner, the ready obedience of a child to the obligations of the parent; of the sacredness of a solemn vow or promise, and, at the same time, the great care, deliberation and discretion with which it should be formed and offered. Its symbol, ja] color is blue. There is a touching and thrilling interest in the history of Jephthah's daughter. The Scriptures give a simple statement of facts and circumstances, without orna-
178 JEB.
merit or impassioned comments, and the narrative excites the deepest attention. The question has often been pro- pounded, What ivas the precise nature of Jephthah's vow? Amidst all the uncertainty which may attend the interpre- tation of this question, there is enough to stamp character upon it, and to invest it with peculiar interest. Important moral and spiritual lessons are involved in it. Painful as ia the impression produced by the thought of the young, lovely, and only daughter sacrificed at the hands of her father in the fulfillment of a rash and unlawful vow, yet, under that impression, relief is at once afforded as we sym- pathize with the spirit and mark the conduct of the destined victim, and we acknowledge Jephthah's daughter — the beau- tiful Adah — as one of the illustrious heroines of Scripture, in the most appropriate sense of the term. The incidents of the degree are recorded in the book of Judges, chap. xi.
JERUSALEM. Habitation or foundation of peace. The most famous and important city of Palestine. The old traditions and natural prepossessions both of Jews and Christians connect it with that Salem of which Melchizedek was king. It is situated on elevated ground south of the center of the country, about 37 miles from the Mediterranean, and about 24 from the Jordan. About a century after its foundation, it was captured by the Jebusites, who extended the walls, and constructed a castle, or citadel, on Mount Zion. By them it was called Jebus. In the conquest of Canaan, Joshua put to death its king, Aclonizedek, and obtained posoe^bion of the town, which was jointly inhabited by Jews and Jebusites until the reign of David, who expelled the latter, and made it the capital of his kingdom, under the name of Jebus-Salem, or Jerusalem. Its highest historical importance dates from the time of David, who transported to it the ark of the covenant, and built in it an altar to the Lord. The building of the temple by King Solomon was the consummation of the dignity and holiness of Jerusalem, which was further enlarged, strengthened and beautified by this king and by his successors. After the death of Solomon (B.C. 975), it suffered a diminution of political importance through the revolt and secession of the ten tribes. It waa jjillaged (B.C. 972), by Shishak, king of Egypt, and by Athaliah (B.C. 884), and finally (B.C. 588), it was taken, after a siege of three years, by Nebuchadnezzar, who razed its walls, and destroyed the temple and palaces, and carried all the holy vessels of the temple, together with thousands oi cap tives, to Babylon. Having been rebuilt alter the Captivity (B. j. 536), it was again taken and pillaged under Ptolemy Lagos (B. c. 320), and under Antiochus Epiphanes (B. c. 161)
JEE— JES. 181
Pompey took the city (B. c. 63), put 12,000 of the inhabitants to the sword, and razed the walls to the ground, sparing, at the same time, the treasures of the sanctuary. A few years later (B.C. 51) it was pillaged by Crassus; and from these beginnings date the continued series of Roman aggressions, which terminated in the complete destruction of the city and dispersion of the Jewish race, under Vespasian and Titus, A. D. 70.
JERUSALEM, HEAVENLY. The City of God. In several of the higher degrees the Heavenly Jerusalem is frequently alluded to, and occupies a prominent place. In the fifth section of the 2d degree of the Rite of Herodem the Thersata says: "Brothers, may we all, whether present or absent, so labor that we shall come at last to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God; the Heavenly Jerusalem * * * *, where the sun shall set no more, nor the moon deprive us of her light, and where the days of our affliction, and the fatigues of our pilgrimage shall find an end." This celestial city is also referred to in the 19th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite.
JERUSALEM, NEW. Some professors of the doctrine of Swedenborg formed a society in London under this name, having relations with a mystical-magnetical-spiritual brother- hood, in Stockholm. It had some Masonic symbols, and its spirit is seen in some of the degrees of the Swedish rite.
JESUITS, OKDEK of. This celebrated society was -founded in 1534, by Ignatius Loyola, a Spaniard of ardent imagination and earnest spirit, and was confirmed by Pius III. in 1540. There can bo but little doubt that he intended it to be a mystical and contemplative association, resembling, in many things, the colleges of Egyptian priests; and the original objects of the Order, as promulgated by Loyola, were certainly entitled to respect. To defend and propagate the faith, to educate the young, to assist each other, to renounce the honors of the world, and ecclesiastical digni- ties; such was the basis upon which was erected a fabric that destroyed itself as soon as it lost sight of its first ideal, and ceased to be what it promised at the commencement of its career. The Jesuits appear to have taken the Egyptian priests for their model. Like them, they were the con- servators and interpreters of religion. The vows, they pronounced, bound them to their company, as indissolubly as the interest and politics of the Egyptian priests fixed them in the sacred college of Memphis. Like those ancient priests, they subjected all who aspired to membership in the
182
JEW.
Order to the severest trials; like them, they sent forth missionaries to propagate and interpret the faith; they were the counselors of princes, and the educators of statesmen. But the Order lost its power, and received the condemnation of the world as soon as it became the ally of despots and made a traffic of the rights of man. After the Order of Jesus had fallen from its high estate, and became merely a secret society of political agitators and intriguers, some ardent and enthusiastic men conceived the idea of superseding it by a new Order that should retain all the good of the old, and be better adapted to the circumstances of modern times, and the wants of modern society. The Society of the Uluminati and that of the Rosecrucians were formed with this aim and purpose. The adepts of the Illuminati were governed by rules nearly identical with those of the Jesuits, and the whole machinery of the two orders was constructed after the same idea.
JEWELS. Every Lodge is furnished, symbolically, with six jewels; three movable and three immovable. The three immovable jewels are the square, level, and plumb; they are so-called because they are the permanent and unchangeable jewels of the Lodge, and can never be taken or removed from their proper places. They belong, permanently and immovably, to the three principal offices and chairs. The movable jewels are the rough ashlar, the perfect ashlar, and the trestle-board. Jewels are the names applied to the emblems worn by the officers of Masonic bodies as distinctive badges of their offices. For the purpose of reference, the jewels used by the several Masonic bodies most popular in the United States are herewith described:
cross-batons.
lyre.
sword.
GRAND LODGE.
YELLOW METAL (Suspended
within a circle).
(compass, opened on a quar. circle, sun in center, square level, plumb, cross-keys, cross-pens, open Bible. scroL and sword crossed
SYMBOLIC LODGE.
Marshal wea
O* 8ILVEB.
Organist
Past Mast, wears a compass, opened
Tyler
on a quarter circle, sun in center.
G
This jowel may be of silver or gold, or
OF GOLD OB Yl
of silver and gold.
wi
Master wears a square.
Past Grand IV
S. War. " level.
opened on
J. War. " plumb.
in the cent
Treasurer ' ' cross-keys.
Secretary " cross-pens.
G. Mast, wears
{square and com-
pass, sun in the
Dep.G.Mast.
center.
S. G. War. '
{square and com-
J. G. War. '
pass, quar. moon in the center.
G. Treas. ' G. Sec.
Stewards ' cornucopia.
G. Chaplain '
Mast, of Cer. " cross-swords. Chaplain " open Bible.
G.- Marshal '
LODGE JEWELS.
1NIOB WARDEN.
JTJNIOB WARDEN TREASURER.
SECRETABY.
HENIOR DEACON.
JUNIOR DEACON.
MISTERS OF CEREMONIES.
CHAPLAIN.
GRAND LODGE JEWELS.
GRAND MASTER.
DBF. OB. MASTER. BEN. OR. WABDKH.
UTS. GR. WAIIDEN. GB. TREASURER.
GB. SECBETARY.
GR. CHAPLAIN.
GR. MARSHAL. OB. STANDARD BEABEB.
GB. SWORD BEARRB. GB. STEWARDS.
OB. DEACONS.
GR. PURSUIVANT.
GB. LECTURES.
GB. TILEB.
CHAPTEE JEWELS.
PBINC. SOJOTJB, E. A, OAPT. KAST8. OF THE TAILS. tBEASUKKB.
BECBETAET. CHAPLAIN. BTEWAKDg. SENTINEL.
COMMANDERY JEWELS.
OO1CMAUDEB. OENEBALISSIMO.
4-
IKK. WABDEN. JtTN. KTAKDEN. TEEASUBEB. EECOBDEB.
ffTAJJD. BEABBft. SWOKD BEABER. WAEDEB.
16
186
JOA— JOH,
G.Std.B. wears a banner.
G. Sword B. G. Stewards
G. Deacon
G. Pursuiv. G. Tyler
straight sword, cornucopia, dove, bearing olive
branch, sword and trurn't
crossed, cross-swords.
ROYAL AllCH CHAPTERS. P. wears a miter.
level, surmounted by a crown.
plumb, surmount- ed by a turban.
triangular plate, inscribed with a soldier.
triangular plate, inscribed with a pilgrim.
H.
King "
Scribe
Capt. of Host"
Princ. Sojr. "
R. A. Captain '
Mast, of Vails' Treasurer ' Secretary ' Chaplain ' Sentinel '
i sword, with signet ! rmg.
swords.
cross-keys.
cross-pens.
open Bible.
cross-swords.
All the above jewels for Grand or Subor- dinate Chapters are of yellow metal, and suspended within an equilateral triangle.
ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS. G. Mast, wears a trowel and square. Hir. of Tyre " trowel and level, trowel and plumb, trowel and cross- keys, trowel and cross-
C'dr.ofWks. Treasurer
Recorder Capt. of Grd.
pens, trowel and bat. ax.
Sentinel
trowel and sword.
Gen'simo wears Capt. Gen. "
Prelate
Sen. War.
Jun. War.
Treasurer Recorder
Stand. B. Sword B.
Warder
Of yellow metal, and suspended within an equilateral triangle.
COMMANDERY OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Em't Commander wears a passion cross, with rays of light at the crossings.
sq'e., surmounted by paschal lamb, level, surmounted
by a cock, triple triangle with a passion cross in each, hollow square and
sword.
j eagle and flaming j sword, cross-keys, cross-pens. plumb, surmount- ed by a banner, triangle and cross- swords.
square plate, with trumpet and cross-swords, square plate, with
battle-ax, sword.
Guards Sentinel
The jewels for Grand Commandery are the same, enclosed within a circle, and all of yellow metal.
A description of the jewels be- longing to the Ancient and Accepted rite may be found attached to the name of each degree, respectively, in this work.
JOABERT. The companion of Solomon and Hiram. The name appears in several of the high degrees in connection with the above-mentioned illustrious Masons.
JOACHIM, ORDER OF ST. An offspring of the Order of tnio and perfect friendship of St. Jonathan. It was composed of Knights and ladies, and, in 1804, had its seat in Bamberg. One of the vows of the members required them to believe in the Trinity and avoid waltzing.
JOHANNITE MASONRY. The lodges of symbolical Masonry which were formerly dedicated to King Solomon are now dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Hence the first three degrees are called Johaumte Masonry.
JOP— KAD.
187
JOPPA. One of the most ancient seaports in the world; en the Mediterranean sea, about 35 miles north-west of Jerusalem. Here the materials for building the first and second temples, sent from Lebanon, Tyre and other places, were landed, and conveyed to Jerusalem. Its har- bor is shoal and unpro- tected from the winds; but on account of its convenience to Jeru- salem, it became the principal port of Ju- dea, and is still the great landing-place of pilgrims arid travelers to the Holy Land. The place is now called Jaffa. The peculiarly hilly and even precipitous character of Joppa is preserved in the traditions of the degree of Mark Master, and a benevolent moral deduced, in accordance with the entire instructions of the grade.
JUDAH. The fourth son of the patriarch Jacob, whose descendants became the most distinguished of the twelve tribes. On account of this the whole of Palestine is some- times called Judea, or the land of Judah. The device on the banner of this tribe was a lion. It appears in the symbolism of Freemasonry.
JUDAH AND BENJAMIN. Of the twelve tribes of Israel, which were carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar, only two (Judah and Benjamin) ever returned to Palestine. No traces of the lost tribes have ever been found.
K.
KADOSH. A Hebrew word, signifying holy, consecrated, separated; the designation of the 30th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite, or Knight of the White and Black Eagle. [See KNIGHT OF KADOSH.] There are several degrees bearing this name, but they all seem to be allied to the Knights Templar system. In the history of the high degrees we find: 1. The Knight Kadosh; 2. Kadosh of the Chapter of Clermont; 3. Philosophical Kadosh; 4. Kadosh Prince of Death; 5. Kadosh of the Scottish rite. It is also the name of the 10th degree of Martin's system ; the 24th of the Council of Emperors of the East and West; 9th of the Scotch Philosophical rite, and 65th of the system of Misraim.
188 KAL— KIN.
KALAND, BROTHERS OF. A lay brotherhood which origi- nated in Germany in the thirteenth century. The name is derived from the Latin word kalendae, which, among the ancient Romans, designated the first day of the month. On this day the brethren assembled to pray for their deceased friends, and to meditate and discuss religious, moral, and philosophical subjects. The meeting was closed with the agape, or Table-lodge.
KIL WINNING. A small town in Scotland, of no im- portance or influence, but which fills a large place in Masonic history, although it is doubtful whether the greater portion of the Masonic events said to have transpired there ever existed, except in the regions of the imagination. As Kil- winning, however, was the seat of a monastery, founded in 1140, it is not unlikely that a Lodge of Masons might have been organized there at that time; although there are no authentic records existing showing this to be the fact. Thory — Acta Latainorum — says that: "Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, under the title of Robert I., created the Order of St. Andrew of Chardon, after the battle of Bannockburn, which was fought June 24, 1314. To this Order was afterward united that of Heroden, for the sake of the Scotch Masons, who formed a part of the thirty thousand troops with whom he had fought an army of one hundred thousand English- men. King Robert reserved the title of Grand Master to himself and his successors forever, and founded the Royal Grand Lodge of Herodeni at Kil winning." The whole subject of the connection of Kil winning with the history of Freemasonry is involved in great obscurity ; but it is generally believed by Masons that the first Lodge in Scotland was opened at Kilwiniiing at the time of the building of the abbey. [See HEROD EM.]
KING. In the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, he is the second officer, and represents Zerubbabel, governor of Judea, and a lineal descendant of the royal race of King David. In the Lodge of Mark, Past and Most Excellent Masters, the King acts as Senior Warden.
KING OF THE SANCTUARY. An honorary or side dogree. A Mason can only receive this degree from five Masters of Lodges, who have each served a year in that office without interruption. No King of the Sanctuary can confer this degree, until after the expiration of nine years from the time of receiving it, unless he who presided at his reception knowing him to be the only person in possession of the degree, in the place where he resides, relieves him of this restriction before finally parting with him permanently;
KNI. 189
and this is moreover to be done in the presence of those who assisted at his reception.
KNIGHT. 1. A young servant, or follower; a military attendant; 2. A young man when admitted to the privilege of bearing arms; hence one of a certain chivalric or feudal rank; a champion; 3. One on whom knighthood is con- ferred by the sovereign or authorized military power, or, masonically, within the body of a just and legally constituted Commandery of Knights Templar, entitling the recipient to be addressed as Sir Knight.
KNIGHTHOOD, MASONIC. There is much difference of opinion as to the origin of this branch of the Masonic Insti- tution, and* without attempting to show that the form of conferring the order is identical with that of the gallant and devoted soldier-monks of the Crusades, it cannot be controverted that their Institution possessed some features of similarity to Freemasonry. The connection between the Knights Templar and the Masonic Institution has been repeatedly asserted by the friends and enemies of both. Bro. Lawrie says: "We know the Knights Templar not only possessed the mysteries, but performed the ceremonies, and inculcated the duties of Freemasons;" and he attributes the dissolution of the Order to the discovery of their being Freemasons, and assembling in secret to practice the rites of the Order. He endeavors to show that they were initiated into the Order by the Druses, a Syrian Fraternity which existed at that date, and indeed now continues. In a French MS. ritual of about 1780, in the degree of Black and White Eagle (30th), the transmission of Freemasonry by the Templars is most positively asserted. The history of the Templars and their persecution is minutely described in the closing address, and the Grand Commander adds: "This is, my illustrious brother, how and by whom Masonry is derived and has been transmitted to us. You are now a Knight Templar, and on a level with them." The Order of the Temple, in the twelfth century, was divided into three classes : Knights, Priests, and Serving Brethren. Every candidate for admission into the first class must have received the honor of knighthood in due form, and according to the laws of chivalry, and consequently the Knights Tem- plar were all men of noble birth. The second class, or the Priests, were not originally a part of the Order, but by the bull of Pope Alexander, known as the bull omne datum optimum, it was ordained that they might be admitted, to enable the Knights more commodiously to hear divine eer ^ce, and to receive the sacraments. Serving Brothers,
190 KNI.
like the Priests, were not a part of the primitive institution. They owed their existence to the increasing prosperity and luxury of the Order. Over this society, thus constituted, wag placed a presiding officer, with the title of Grand Master. His power, though great, was limited. He was in war the commander-in-chief of all the forces of the Temple. In his hands was placed the whole patronage of the Order, and as the vicegerent of the Pope, he was the spiritual head and bishop of all the clergy belonging to the society. He was, however, much controlled and guided by the chapter, with- out whose consent he was never permitted to draw out or expend the money of the Order. The Grand Master resided originally at Jerusalem; afterward, when that city was lost, at Acre, and finally at Cyprus. His duty always required him to be in the Holy Land; ho, consequently, never resided in Europe. He was elected for life from among the Knights in the following manner: On the death of the Grand Master, a Grand Prior was chosen to administer the affairs of the Order until a successor could be elected. When the day, which had been appointed for the election, arrived, the chapter usitally assembled at the chief seat of the Order; three or more of the most esteemed Knights were then proposed, the Grand Prior collected the votes, and he who tiad received the greatest number was nominated to be the electing Prior. An Assistant was then associated with him in the person of another Knignt. These two remained all night in the chapel, engaged in prayer. In the morning, they chose two others, and these four, two more, and so on until the number of twelve (that of the Apostles) had been selected. The twelve then selected a chaplain. The thirteen then proceeded to vote for a Grand Master, who was elected by a majority of votes. When the election was completed, it was announced to the assembled brethren, and when all had promised obedience, the Prior, if the person was present, said to him : " In the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we have chosen, and do choose thee, Bro. N., to be our Master." Then, turning to the brethren, he said: " Beloved sirs and brethren, give thanks unto God, behold here our Master." The mode of reception into the Order is described to have been exceedingly solemn. A novitiate was enjoined by the canons, though practically it was in general dispensed with. The candidate was received in a chapter assembled in the chapel of the Order, all strangers being rigorously excluded. The Preceptor opened the busi- ness with an address to those present, demanding if they knew any just cause or impediment why the candidate should not be admitted. If no objection was made, the candidate was conducted into an adjacent chamber, wher^ two or
ADMISSION OK A NOVICE TO THE VOWS OP THE ORDER OF THE TEMPLE.
KNL 193
three of the Knights, placing before his view the rigor and austerities of the order, demanded if he still persisted in entering it. If he persisted, he was asked if he was married or betrothed, had mader a vow in any other order, if he owed more than he could pay, if he was of sound body, without any secret infirmity, and free? If his answers proved satisfactory, they left him and returned to the chapter, and the Preceptor again asked, if any one had anything to say against his being received. If all were silent, he asked if they were willing to receive him. On their assenting, the candidate was led in by the Knights who had questioned him, and who now instructed him in the mode of asking admission. He advanced, and kneeling before the Preceptor, with folded hands, said: "Sir, I am come before God, and before you and the brethren; and I pray and beseech you, for the sake of God, and our sweet Lady, to receive me into your society and the good works of the order, as one who, all his life long, will be the servant and slave of the order." The Preceptor then inquired of him if he had well considered all the trials and difficulties which awaited him in the order, adjured him on the Holy Evan- gelists to speak the truth, and then put to him the question which had already been put to him in the preparation-room, further inquiring if he was a Knight, and the son of a Knight and gentlewoman, and if he was a priest. He then asked him the following questions: " Do you promise to God, and Mary, our dear Lady, obedience, as long as you live, to the Master of the Temple, and the Prior who shall be set over you? do you promise chastity of the body? do you further promise a strict compliance with the laudable customs and usages of the order now in force, and such as the Master and Knights may hereafter add ? will you fight for and defend, with all your might, the Holy Land of Jerusalem, and never quit the order but with the consent of the Master and Chapter? and lastly, do you agree that you never will see a Christian unjustly deprived of his inheritance, nor be aiding in such a deed?" The answers to all these questions being in the affirmative, the Preceptor then said: "In the name of God, and of Mary, our dear Lady, and in the name of St. Peter of Rome, and our Father the Pope, and in the name of all the brethren of the Temple, we receive you to all the good works of the order, which have been performed from the beginning, and will be performed to the end, you, your father, your mother, and all those of your family whom you let participate therein. So you, in like manner, receive us to all the good works which you have performed and will perform. Wo
194 KNL
assure you of bread and water, the poor clothing of the order, and labor and toil enow." The Preceptor then took the white mantle, with its ruddy cross, placed it about his neck, and bound it fast. The Chaplain repeated the 133d Psalm: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity ! " and the prayer of the Holy Spirit, " Deus qui corda Jidelium;" each brother said a pater, and the Preceptor and Chaplain kissed the candidate. He then placed himself at the feet of the Preceptor, who exhorted him to peace and charity, to chastity, obedience, humility, and piety, and so the ceremony was ended. The secret mysteries of the Templars, most of the historians say, were celebrated on Good Friday; aoa what those mysteries were, we discover from those who still carry them on as" their successors — the order as kept up in France and other countries on the continent — not the Masonic institution. They are accustomed in these secret rites to act over the events which took place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the Holy Week, and then solemnize with great pomp the resurrection of Christ. One writer, Rosetti, dis- tinctly asserts that the Templars were a branch of the Masonic institution, whose great object in that age was the overthrow of the papal tyranny, and the monstrous fabric it had erected of idolatry, superstition, and impiety; and hence he traces the determination of the Pope to crush, at all hazards, the order of the Temple, with all its daring innovations. Though there is a great probability, if not a certainty, that Masonry was a leading feature in the Templar institution, we are inclined to believe that the mysteries of the craft were the only secrets of their practice. The wonderful architectural and engineering worlds which, both in Asia and Europe, were constructed under the direction of the Templars and Hos- pitallers— more particularly the former — are, it seems to us, very striking evidence of the Masonic origin of the Knights. Gervase of Canterbury, who wrote in the twelfth century, speaks of both French and English artificers, skillful to work in stone and in wood, who traveled in guilds or societies, for the purpose of proffering their services wherever the architect's and builder's art required to be exercised. These were the only men who possessed the requisite knowledge, and from their ranks kings and princes frequently impressed by violence workmen whom they required to construct their palaces or fortresses. They were the operative Freemasons, to whose surpassing skill and knowledge of the laws of beauty and just proportion we are indebted for the magnificent cathedrals which adorn many parts of Europe. They met in Lodges close tiled from the vulgar gaze, and pursued the
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practice of their mystic rites under the sanction of the throne and the church. The traveling bodies of Freemasons, which we have mentioned, consisted of brethren well skilled in every branch of knowledge; among their ranks were many learned ecclesiastics, whose names survive to the present day in the magnificent edifices which they assisted to erect. The Knights of the Temple, themselves a body of military monks, partaking both of the character of soldiers and priests, preserved in their Order a rank exclusively clerical, the individuals belonging to which took no part in warfare, who were skilled in letters, and devoted themselves to the civil and religious affairs of the Order; they were the histo- rians of the period, and we know that all the learning of the time was in their keeping, in common with the other ecclesiastics of their day. From the best information we are possessed of regarding the Order, we believe there can be little doubt that these learned clerks introduced the whole fabric of Craft Masonry into the system of knighthood, and that not only was the speculative branch of the science by them incorporated with the laws and organization of the Knights, but to their operative skill were the Templars indebted for their triumphs in architecture and fortification. We have shown that the early Freemasons were the architects of all structures above the hovels of the peasantry; and we have endeavored to trace to Masonic influence the eminence attained in structural science by the various knightly orders. In our opinion, there is little room to doubt that the practice of Masonry soon became a prominent feature of the Order, and that Masonic secrets alone were the far-famed mysteries of the Templars. As it is evident that these pursuits would not in the eyes of the world appear to further the original objects of the chivalric orders, we cannot be surprised that the knights made no profession of their Masonic studies; pexiiaps, even at that remote period, there was a well-grounded fear of the animosity which has been since so fearfully developed in the church of Home against all secret societies. That power has ever trembled at the progress of liberality and science, knowing full well that in proportion as the intellect of man is strengthened by freedom of thought, her influence, founded upon blind superstition and puerile credulity, must gradually disappear from the earth. In illustration of the alarm of the papal church at societies of this kind, we will refer, though not strictly belonging to our subject, to the Academy of Secrets, established in Italy in the sixteenth century, by Baptista Porta, for the advancement of science. This association was called I Secreti, and was accessible only to such as had made some new discover}' (real or supposed) in physical
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science. Porta did not content himself with this private means of instruction and education; he also, to the utmost of his power, promoted public academies, wherein were taught the then recondite sciences of chemistry, optics, and natural history. His voluminous works extended his fame, and he was visited by the learned from all parts of Europe. Such a man, in that age, could not escape the notice and pressing attentions of the Holy Church. Writing, of course, much that was perfectly incomprehensible to the ignorant priests of the time, he was summoned to Rome to answer for his conduct and opinions.
KNIGHT OF THE BRAZEN SERPENT. The 25th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. The history oi this degree is founded upon the events described in the Book of Numbers xxi. 6-9.* The body is styled the Council, and represents the camp of the Israelites in the wilderness, after the death of Aaron. The camp, standards, and tabernacle with its court, are arranged as in the 23d and 24th degrees. In the East is a transparency on which is painted a cross, with a serpent coiled round it and over the arms. The teaching and moral of the degree is FAITH. The presiding officer represents Moses, and is styled "Most Puissant Leader." The candidate is called "A Traveller." The hangings of the council are red
* "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the ser- pents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when h« beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." The ritual says that Moses, in obedience to the divine command, placed the brazen serpent upon the tau, and every one who looked upon it was directed to pronounce the word hatathi, "I have sinned;" and having done this, he was immediately healed.
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Hud blue. The jewel is a tau cross, of gold, surmounted by a circle — the Crux Ansata — round which a serpent is entwined, suspended by a red ribbon. The legend states that this degree was founded during the time of the crusades in the Holy Land, as a military and monastic order, and gave it the name it bears, in allusion to the healing and saving virtues of the brazen serpent* among the Israelites in the wilderness — it being part of the obligation of the Knights to receive and gratuitously nurse sick travelers, protect them against the attacks of the infidels, and escort them safely through Palestine.
KNIGHT OF THE CHRISTIAN MARK, AND GUARD OF THE CONCLAVE. According to the traditions of this degree it was first created at Rome by Pope Alexaudei*, for the defense of his person and the Holy See. Circumstances, however, occurred which rendered some changes necessary, and he called on the worthy Knights of St. John to assist him, as they were well known to be faithful and zealous followers of the Lord. That no stranger should gain admission and discover the secrets of this august assembly, the Order of the Christian Mark was conferred on the members. The motto of the Order is " Ghristus regnal, vincit, triumphal" Christ reigns, conquers, and triumphs. "Rex regum, et Dominus dominorum." King of kings, and Lord o£ lords. The body is called a conclave. The officers are : 1. Invincible Knight; 2. Senior Knight; 3. Junior Knight; 4. Six Grand Ministers; 5. Recorder; 6. Treasurer; 7. Conductor; 8. Guard The jewel is a triangular plate of gold with seven eyes engraved on one side, and the letter G within a five-pointed star on the other.
KNIGHT OF CONSTANTINE. This degree, sometimes, but improperly, styled " Knight of Constantinople," is an auxiliary or side degree; the legend thereof refers to the time of Constantine Perphyrogenitus, who became Emperor A. D. 911. It may be conferred on any Master Mason in good standing, by any one who is legally in possession ol it, with the aid of at least five other Master Masons who are also Knights of the degree. The body is styled a Preceptoi-y and the presiding officer is called Preceptor.
* The brazen serpent which Moses set up was preserved as a memorial of the miracle till the time of Hezekiah — more than 7UO years — who, in extirpating idolatry, ' ' removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it." This was a bold measure; for some kings, however determined on the extirpation of idolatry, would have hesitated at the destruction oi that which was certainly in itself an interesting memorial of a remarkable uiainlesstation of tho power of God.
17
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KNIGHT OF THE EAST OR SWORD. The 15th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. It refers to those valiant Masons who, with trowels in hand and swords by their sides, were ever ready to construct and defend the Holy City and Sanctuary. It is founded on the circumstance of the assist- ance rendered' by Darius to the Jews, who, liberated from their captivity by Cyrus, had been prevented by their ene- mies from rebuilding the temple. This degree requires three apartments, styled Hall of the West and Hall of the East, between which must be an ante-chamber or passage, repre- senting the road from Jerusalem to Persia. The first apartment represents the encampment of the Masons among the ruins of Jerusalem. The hangings are crimson. The room is lighted with 70 lights, disposed in groups of 7 each, in commemoration of the 70 years captivity. The second apartment represents the council chamber of Cyrus, King of Persia, and should be decorated according to the customs of the Orientals. In the ante-room, separating the two apartments, must be a solid bridge, resembling stone, with a representation of running water under it. The jewel, of gold, is three triangles, one within the other, diminishing in size, and inclosing two naked swords, crossed hilts down- ward, resting on the base of the inner triangle. From Scripture and tradition is derived the following legend of this degree: The Knights of the East derive their origin from the captivity, when the whole land was a "desolation and an astonishment," and the nation did " serve the King of Babylon seventy years." And when the seventy years were accomplished, the Israelites were restored to liberty by Cyrus, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah. Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem for the purpose jf rebuilding the temple, and he caused all the holy vessels
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and ornaments which had been carried away by Nebuzaradan to "be restored, and brought again into the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God" (Ezra vi. 5). The king committed the charge of the holy vessels, as well as of the returning captives, to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah; this is the Babylonian us me of Zerubbabel, who was of the royal line of David. When the Israelitish captives were assembled they numbered 42,300, exclusive of slaves and servants amounting to 7,33'~ This traditional history relates that Zerubbabel, for the pro- tection of his people, armed 7,000 Masons, and placed them in the van to repel such as should oppose their march to Judea. Their march was unimpeded as far as the banks of the Euphrates, where they found an armed force opposed to their passage. A conflict ensued, and the enemy was cut to pieces or drowned at the passage of the bridge. The emblematic color of the degree is in allusion to this circumstance. The journey occupied four months, and in seven days from their arrival the work of restoring the temple was commenced. The workmen were divided into classes, over each of which a chief, with two assistants, was placed. Every degree of each class was paid according to its rank, and each class had its distinctive modes of I'ecognition. The works had scarcely commenced before the workmen were disturbed by the neighboring Samaritans, who were determined to oppose the
reconstruction of the edifice. Zerubbabel therefore ordered, as a measure of precau- tion, that the Masons should work with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, that they might be able at any moment to defend themselves from the attacks of their enemies. The
THE 80LDIKK MASONS BUILDING THE SECOND TEMPLK. gecond temple OCCU-
pied about 20 years in its construction, and was conse- crated in a like manner to that of the Temple of Solomon. Those Masons who constructed it were created by Cyrus Knights of the East, and hence the title of this degree. Thia degree appears in both the French rites; in the Grand Orient it is the 6th; in both it is termed Knight of the East. The assembly is called a Council. Everything bears a Hebrew character; there are the candlestick with seven branches, the brazen sea, and the table of shewbread. etc
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Tho Chief of the Council is designated Sovereign, and repre- sents Cyrus, King of Persia. Zerubbabel and two others receive the authority from the King of Persia to rebuild the Holy City and Sanctuary.
THE TBACTNG-BOABD OF THE DEGKEE.*
KNIGHTS OF THE EAST AND WEST. The 17th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. It is entirely philosoph- ical, and makes no pretense in its history with Freemasonry. Its origin dates back to the time of the crusades; that in 1118 — the same year that the Order of the Temple was
* The Tracing-board of the degree is a heptagon within a circle, the upper portion forming a rainbow. At the angles of the heptagon, on the outside, are the initials of the seyen words which are on the capitals of the Columns; at the angles, on the inside, are the initials of the seven words Thich are on the bases of the columns. Near the center of the heptagon is the figure of a man in a long white robe, with a golden girdle round his waist, and standing on a section of the globe; hair and beard white is snow ; his right hand extended, holding seven stars surrounding the i ; his head encircled by a glory emanating from a delta; a two-edged flaming sword in his mouth. Around him stand seven golden candlesticks, with candles burning ; and over each of these, one of the letters E. S. P. T. S. P. L. , the initials of the names of the seven churches — Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatria, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. The sun and moo» are >Uso depicted, and the basin and chafing dish.
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instituted — eleven Knights took the vows of secrecy, friend- ship, and discretion, between the hands of the Patriarch oi Jerusalem. The Lodge-room is in the shape of a heptagon, hung with crimson, sprinkled with stars of gold. In each angle is a square column; on the capitals of which are the initials, respectively, of the following words : Beauty, Divinity, Wisdom, Power, Honor, Glory, Force; and on the bases of these columns are the initials, respectively, of the words Friendship, Union, Resignation, Discretion, Fidelity^ Pru- dence, and Temperance. On each column is a brilliart light. Bodies of this degree are called Preceptories. The Mas- ter is styled Venerable, and represents John the Baptist. The jewel is a heptagonal medal of gold and silver. On one side are engraved, at the angles, the same letters as are upon the square columns, with a star over each. In the center of it on the same side, is a lamb, lying on a book with seven seals; on the seals are, respectively, the same letters. On the reverse side are two swords crosswise, points upward, and the hilts resting on an even balance; iu the corners are the initials of the seven churches.
KNIGHT OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER. St. Helena, daughter of Coylus, King of Great Britain, visited Jerusalem in 296, in search of the cross and sepulcher of Christ. Having been, as it is said, successful, she instituted this order in 302, which was confirmed by Pope Marcellinus in 304. The duties enjoined on the Knights were; 1. Feed the Hungry; 2. Give chink to the thirsty; 3. Clothe the naked; 4. Visit and ransom captives; 5. Harbor the homeless, and give the widow and orphan where to lay their heads; 6. Visit and relieve the sick; 7. Bury the dead.
KNIGHT KADOSH, OR KNIGHT OF THE WHITE AND BLACK EAGLE. The 30th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. There are several degrees known as Kadoshes. The French rituals mention seven: 1. That of the Hebrews; 2. That oi the first Christians; 3. That of the Crusades; 4. That of the Templars; 5. That of Cromwell, or the Puritans; 6. That oi the Jesuits; 7. The Grand Veritable Kadosh, "apart from every sect, free of all ambition, which opens its arms to all men, and has no enemies other than vice, crime, fanatic-ism, asid superstition." Its ritual furnishes the history of the destruction of the Templars by the united efforts of Philip of France and Pope Clement V. In this degree, wjen there is a reception, four apartments are used. In the first and secctid apartments, the Lodge is termed Council; in the third, Areopagus; in the fourth, the Senate. The presiding officer is styled Most Illustrious Grand Commander. Thf
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jewel is a Teutonic cross, and is thus described, in heraldic language : " A cross potent sable, charged with another crosa double potent or, surcharged with an escutcheon, bearing the letters J. B. M. ; the principal cross surmounted by a chief, azure seme of France." On the reverse, a skull trans- pierced by a poniard. The stated meetings of all councils of Kadosh are held January 6; on Good Friday; on Ascen- sion day, and on November 2, in each year. No one of these is ever, on any account, to be omitted.
KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF THE DOVE. In the year 1784 a secret society of both sexes was framed on the model of Freemasonry; its meetings were held at Versailles under the title of Chevaliers et Chevalieres de la Colombe. Its ex- istence was of brief duration.
KNIGHTS OF MALTA. The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, afterward known as Knights of Rhodes, and finally called Knights of Malta. This society was organized as a military order about the year 1048, for the protection of pilgrims who visited Jerusalem. They became eminent for their devotion to the cause of religion, their boundless charity, and noble hospitality; rapidly increased in numbers and in wealth. After long and bloody contests with the infidels they were finally driven from Palestine, when they took possession of Cyprus, which they soon lost again, and hen established themselves on the island of Rhodes; at ^hich time (1309) they took the name of Knights of Rhodes. They held this island for a period of two hundred years, when they were attacked by the Turks and driven from it. After this disaster they successively retired to Castro, Mes- sino, and other places, until, in 1530, when the Emperor Charles V. bestowed upon them the island of Malta, on the condition of their defending it from the depredations of the Turks and pirates who then infested the Mediterranean. At this time they assumed the title of Knights of Malta, by which name they have ever since been known. In 1565, the island of Malta was besieged by Soliman II. and thirty thousand Turkish soldiers, on which occasion the Knights suffered immense loss, from which they never entirely recovered. After one of the most persistent and noble defenses known in modern warfare, the brave Knights were overcome, the fort of St. Elmo was taken, and the island was, for a time, in the hands of the infidels. At length the promised succor came; the viceroy of Sicily, with a large army, reached the island in safety, the troops disembarked; and, though the Turks still possessed the advantage of numbers, a panic seized them.
DEFENSE OF FORT SAINT ELMO, MALTA, AGAINST THE TURKS, IN 15C5, BY THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA, UNDER THE COMMAND OF JOHS DE LA VALETTE, GRAND MASTER.
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and they fled. Joy and triumph succeeded to danger and dread. This may justly be regarded as the last great event in the military history of the Order of St. John. The siege was raised Sept. 8, 1565, and so late as the year 1784, at Malta on that day, an annual procession was solemnly made in memory of their deliverance. June 9, 1798, the island ol Malta was taken by the French, under Bonaparte. In the same year the Knights chose Paul I., Emperoi of Russia, as Grand Master, who took them under his protection. Upon the reduction of the island by the English, in 1800, the chief seat of the Order was transferred tc Catania, in Sicily, whence in 1826, it was removed by authority of the Pope to Ferrara. The last public reception of the Order took place at Sonne- burg in 1800, when Leopold, King of Belgium, Prince Ernest, and several other noblemen were created Knights according to the long-established customs of the Order. The assembly is called a Council. The officers are: 1. Com- mander; 2. Generalissimo; 3. Captain General; 4. Prelate; 5. Senior Warden; 6. Junior Warden ; 7. Treasurer; 8. Re- corder; 9. First Grand; 10. Second Grand; 11. Standard Bearer; 12. Warder; 13. Sentinel. The Order must be confei'red in an asylum of a legal Comrnandery of Knights Templar, or m a Council of the Order of Malta, regularly con- vened for the purpose, distinct from, and after, the Templar's Order. The ancient ceremonies of reception were simple and impressive: "The novice was made to understand that he was 'about to put off the old man, and to be regenerated;' and having received absolution, was required to present himself in a secular habit, without a girdle, in order to appear perfectly free on entering into so sacred an engage- ment, and with a burning taper in his hand, representing chastity. He then received the holy communion, and after- ward presented himself 'most respectfully before the person who was to perform the ceremony, and requested to be received into the company of Brothers, and into the Holy Order of the Hospital of Jerusalem.' The rules of the Order, the obligations he was about to take upon himself, and the duties that would be required of him being explained, he, forward, by the grace of God, perfect obedience to the Superior placed over him by the choice of the Order, to live without personal property, and to preserve his chastity.' The brother who received him then said &s f acknowledge you the servant of the poor and sick, and as having consecrated yourself to the service of the church.' To which he answered: 'I acknowledge myself as such.' He then kissed the book and returned it to the brother, who received him, in token ul' personal obedience. He was then
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invested with the mantle of the Order, in such a manner as that the cross fell on his left breast. A variety of other minor ceremonies followed, and the whole was concluded with a series of appropriate and solemn prayers." The Order of the Knight of Malta is conferred in a Commandery of Knights Templar, and is acknowledged in the United States as one of the orders of Masonic knighthood.
KNIGHT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN PASS, some times called KNIGHT OF ST. PAUL. An honorary degree, con- ferred on Knights Templar and Knights of Malta. Its cere- monies are very impressive, and its organization into councils, governed by appropriate officers, assimilates its forms to that of on 3 of the regular degrees of Masonry. The ritual of this degree informs us that it was founded about the year 1367, in consequence of certain events which occurred to the Knights of Malta. In an excursion made by a party of these Knights in search of forage and provisions, they were attacked while crossing the river Offanto (the ancient Aufidio), by a large body of Saracens, under the command of the renowned Ainurath I. The Saracens had concealed themselves in ambush, and when the Knights were on the middle of the bridge which spanned the river, they were attacked by a sudden charge of their enemies upon both extremities of the bridge. A long and sanguinary contest ensued; the Knights fought with their usual valor, and were at length victorious. The Saracens were defeated with such immense slaughter that fifteen hundred of their dead bodies encumbered the bridge, and the river was literally stained with their blood. In commemoration of this event, and as a reward for their valor, the victorious Knights were affranchised in all parts of the Mediterranean coasts, that is to say, had free permission to pass and repass, wherever and whenever they pleased, from which circumstance the degree, which was then founded, received its name of "Mediterranean Pass." It will be seen from these details that there is no real connection between this degree and that given under the same name to Royal Arch Masons, although there is some internal evidence that the latter was surreptitiously obtained from, and is only a corruption of, the former. "[See MEDITERRANEAN PASS.]
KNIGHT OF THE NINTH ARCH, sometimes called tlu AXCIENT ROYAL ARCH OF SOLOMON. The 13th degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. The ceremonies of this degree afford abundant information on certain points, in which the sacred volume is not entirely free from obscurity, and these have reference to the mode in which Enoch, not- withstanding the destruction caused by the deluge, and the
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lapse ol ages, was enabled to preserve the true name in its purity; that it might eventually be communicated to the first possessors of this degree. The body is called a Chapter,and represents the audience chamber of King Solomon. The hangings are altei-nately red and white. The presiding officer is styled " Thrice Potent Grand Master," and represents King Solomon. The apron and collar are purple, bordered with white. The jewel is a gold triangle: on one side is engraved the delta of Enoch, surrounded with rays; on the obverse ia a representation of two persons letting down a third through a square opening into an arch. Around this device are the letters: " K. S. R. S. T. P. S. R. I. A. J. S., Anno Enochi, 2995."
KNIGHTS AND NYMPHS OF THE ROSE. An Order of Adoptive or Androgynous Masonry, established in Paris toward the close of the eighteenth century; but its ex- istence was brief. A full history of the ceremonies are furnished for the benefit of the curious. The place of meeting was called " The Temple of Love." It was ornamented with garlands of flowers, and hung round with escutcheons, on which were painted various devices and scenes of gallantry. There were two presiding officers, the man being styled Hierophaut, the female the High-Priestess. The former initiated men, the latter women. The Conductor Assistant of the men was called Sentiment, that of the women Discre- tion. The Knights wore a crown of myrtle; the Nymphs a crown of roses. The Hierophant and High-Priestess wore, in addition, a rose-colored scarf, on which were embroidered two devices within a myrtle wreath. One dull taper was the only light during the initiation; at the closing business the hall was illuminated by numerous wax candles. When a candidate was to be initiated, he or she was taken in charge by Sentiment or Discretion, divested of all weapons, jewels, or money, hood- winked, and loaded with chains, and conducted to the door of the Temple of Love, where admission was demanded by two knocks. When admitted and presented, the candidate was asked his or her name, country, condition in society, and having answered these questions was asked, "What are you now seeking?" to this the answer was, "Happiness." The interrogatory then proceeds a little further, "What ia your age?" and the candidate has, if a male, to reply, "The age to love;" the female, "The age to please and to be loved." The candidate's feelings and opinions on matters of gallantry are further probed, and all being satisfactory, the chains are removed and replaced by garlands of flowers, which are called "the chains of love." After some other probationary exercises of a like character, the O B is administered: "I promise and swear by tbf> Grand Master of the Universe
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never to reveal the secrets of the Order of the Rose, and should I fail in this my vow, may the mysteries I shall receive add nothing to my pleasures, and, instead of the roses of happiness, may I find nothing but thorns of repentance." The candidates were then conducted to the mysterious groves in the neighborhood of the Temple of Love, and during the time there spent, slow and delicious music in march style is played. These trials ended, the novice is next con- ducted to the altar of mystery, placed at the foot of the Hierophant's throne, and there incense is offered to Venus and her son Cupid; a brief space spent there, and after some more ceremonies of a like character, the bandage is removed from the novitiate's eyes, and with delicious music, and in a brilliantly lighted apartment, the signs and secrets are communicated.
KNIGHT OF THE BED CEOSS. This degree is inti- mately connected with the circumstances related in the Eoyal Arch degree, and cannot be conferred upon any one who has not been exalted to that sublime degree. Its history dates from the close of the captivity of the Jews at Babylon, when Cyrus, King of Persia, at the solicitation of Zerubbabel, the Prince of Judah, restored the Jews to liberty, and permitted them to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild their city and temple. The ceremonies of the degree forcibly illustrate some of the difficulties and interruptions encountered by them in their labors. A full history of the degree will be found in Josephus, and in the 3d and 4th chapters of the first Book of Esdras. It is the initiatory grade to the Templar's degree. The body is called a Council. The presiding officer is styled Sovereign Master.
KNIGHT OF THE ROYAL AXE, OB PRINCE OF LIBANUS. The 22d degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite. The legend of this degree informs us that it was instituted to record the memorable services rendered to Masonry by the mighty cedars of Lebanon, as the Sidonian architects cut down the cedars for the construction of Noah's ark. Our ancient brethren do not tell us how the Israelites had the wood conveyed to them from the land of promise to the moun- tains in the wilderness. They say, however, that the descendants of the Sidonians were employed in the same place, in obtaining materials for the construction of the ark of the covenant; and also, in later years, for building Solomon's Temple; and, lastly, that Zerubbabel employed laborers of the same people in cutting cedars of Lebanon for the use of the second temple. The tradition adds that the Sidouians formed colleges on Mount Libanus, and always
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adored the G. A. O. T. U.* Bodies of this degree are styled Colleges. There are two apartments; the first representing the workshop at Lebanon, with axes, saws, mallets, planes, wedges, and such like implements. The room should be lighted with lamps or candles. In this apartment the Senior Warden presides, and is styled Master Carpenter. He and all the brethren wear blouses and aprons. The second apartment represents the council-room of the round table. It is hung with red, and lighted with 36 lights, arranged by sixes and each 6 by twos. In the center of the room is a round table around which the brethren sit; on the table are plans and mathematical instruments. The presiding officer is Chief Prince, who is styled Thrice Puissant The
sash, to be worn from right to left, is a broad rainbow- colored ribbon, lined with purple. The apron is white, lined and bordered with pur- ple; in the middle a round table is painted, on which are mathematical instruments, and plans unrolled. On the flap is a serpent with three heads. The jewel is a golden axe, crowned, having on the blade and handle the initials of several personages illustrious in the history of Masonry.
KNIGHT OF THE SUN, OB PRINCE ADEPT. Sometimes known by the names "THE PHILOSOPHICAL LODGE," " PRINCE OF THE SUN," "KEY TO MASONRY." It is the 28th degree of
* Sidon was one of the most ancient cities of the world, and even in the time of Homer, the Sidonians were celebrated for their trade and commerce, their wealth and prosperity. The allusion to the "Colleges" on Mount Libanus may have some reference to the secret sect of tha Druses, who still exist in that country, and whose mysterious ceremonies, travelers affirm, have considerable affinity to Freemasonry.
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the Ancient and Accepted rite, and is strictly philosophical and scientific. The ceremonies and lecture, which are oi great length, furnish a history of all the preceding degrees, and explain in the fullest manner the various Masouio emblems. The great object of the degree is to inspire men with the knowledge of Heavenly Truth, which is the pure source of all perfection, and as this virtue is one of the three great tenets of Masonry it deserves commendation. The body is styled a Council, and consists of not less than ten members. The walls should be painted to represent the jpen country, mountains, plains, forests and fields. The chamber is lighted by a single light, a great globe of ground glass, in the South; this represents the sun. The only additional light is from the transparencies. In the East is suspended a transparency, displaying the sign of the macrocosm, or of the seal of King Solomon — the interlaced triangles ; one white and the other black. In the West is
suspended a transparency displaying the sign of a microcosm, or the penta- gram traced on a pure white ground with lines of vermilion, and with a single point upward. Many other transparencies, symbolizing objects of great importance, are appropriately arranged around the chamber, par- ticularly the accompanying figures, which are placed in the North. On the right hand of the presiding offi- cer, in the East, on a gilt pedestal, is a Caducetis, gilded, the upper part of it a cross, surmounted by a globe ; and with two ser- pents twining around il>
their heads rising above the cross. The ceiling should rep- resent the heavens, with the crescent moon in the West, the principal planets, and the stars, in the constellations Taurus and Orion and those near the polar star. The presiding officer is styled Father Adam. The Warden sits in the West, and is called Brother Truth; there are seven Kher officers, who are styled Brothers Gabriel, Auriel, Michael, Gamaliel, Raphael, Zaphiel and Zarakhiel. The collar is a broad white watered ribbon; on the right side «
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painted or embroidered BJ eye, in gold. The apron is of pure white lambskin, with no edging or ornament, except the penta- gram, which is traced on the middle of it with vermilion. The jewel is a medal of gold, on one side a full sun, on the other a globe. When the degree is con- ferred, no jewel or apron is worn.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR The natural desire of visiting those holy places which have been sanctified by the presence, and rendered memorable by the sufferings of the founder of the Christian religion, drew, during the early ages of Christianity, crowds of devout worshipers and pilgrims to Jerusalem. To such a height did this religious enthusiasm arrive that, in 1064, not less than 7,000 pilgrims assembled from all parts of Europe around the holy sepulcher. The year following Jerusalem was conquered by the wild Turco- mans, three thousand of the citizens were massacred, and the command over the holy city and territory was confided to the Emir Ortok, the chief of a savage pastoral tribe. Under the iron yoke of these fierce northern strangers, the Christians were fearfully oppressed; they were driven from their churches and plundered, and the patriach of the holy city was dragged by the hair of his head over the sacred pavement of the Church of the Resurrection, and cast into a dungeon, to extort a ransom from the sympathy of his flock. The intelligence of these cruelties aroused the religious chivalry of Christendom; "a nerve was touched of exquisite feeling, and the sensation vibrated to the heart of Europe." Then arose the wild enthusiasm of the Crusades, and men of all ranks, and even priests and monks, were animated with the "pious and glorious enterprise" of rescuing the holy sepulcher of Christ from the foul and polluting abomi- nations of the heathen. When the intelligence of the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders (A. D. 1099) had been conveyed to Eui'ope, the zeal of pilgrimage blazed forth with increased fierceness. The infidels had, indeed, been driven out of Jerusalem, but not out of Palestine. The lofty mountains bordering the sea coast were infested by warlike bands of fugitive Musselmeu, who maintained themselves in various impregnable castles and strongholds, from whence they issued forth upon the high roads, cut off the communication between Jerusalem and the seaports, and revenged themselves for the loss of their habita- tions aud property by the indiscriminate pillage of all
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travelers. To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which they were exposed, nine noble gentlemen, who had greatly distinguished themselves at the siege and capture of Jeru- salem, formed a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid one another in clearing the high- ways, and in protecting the pilgrims through the passes and defiles of the mountains, to the Holy City. Warmed with the religions and military fervor of the day, and animated bj the sacredness of the cause to which they had devoted their Bwords, they called themselves the Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ. In 1118 Baldwin EL, King of Jerusalem, granted them a place of habitation within the sacred inclosure of the temple on Mount Moriah; thenceforward they became known by the name of " THE KNIGHTHOOD OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON." The views and exertions of the Order now became more extensive, and it added to its profession, of protecting poor pilgrims, that of defending the kingdom of Jerusalem, and the whole eastern church, from the attacks of infidels. Hugues de Payens was chosen by the Knights to be the superior of the new religious and military society, by the title of " The Master of the Temple," and he has, consequently, generally been called the founder of the Order. The name and reputation of the Order spread rapidly through Europe, and many princes, nobles, and gentlemen of the best houses of France, Germany, Italy, and England, became members of it. In 1128 they received rules and regulations for their governance from the Pope, which had been expressly arranged for them by St. Bernard. The illustrious Order of the Temple has, through many vicissitudes, survived to our times; and, indeed, of late years a great, and we may say an astonishing, influence has been exercised in the Masonic Craft by this brotherhood in England, on the continent of Europe, and in the United States. Notwithstanding the persecution the Order was subjected to, consequent upon the machinations of Philip le Bel and Pope Clement, it continued to exist, if not to flourish. Jaques de Molay, the martyred Grand Master, in anticipation of his fate, appointed his successor to rule the Fraternity, and from that time to the present there has been an uninterrupted succession of Grand Masters. It is time that as years passed on, and clouds arose still more ominous to the existence of the society, the Templars were amalgamated with their ancient brothers in arms, the Knights of Malta. The Knights Templar degree is highly valued in all countries, and its ritual is nearly identical. The candidate for its honors must be a Royal Arch Mason, and as such he presents himself at the Commandery — as the bodies are called — in the character and garb of a pilgrim, i i- palmer, as they were designated in the Holy Land; h«
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figuratively undergoes seven years' travel, and then seven years' warfare, when, having conducted himself courageously through his trials, he is finally admitted into the Order. There is not a vestige of Freemasonry, as such, in the degree, save the absolute necessity of candidates having been admitted into the Royal Arch. The throne is situated in the East, above which is suspended a white banner, on which is painted a red passion cross, edged with gold and irradiated at the crossings with rays of light; on the right and left are two sky-blue banners, on one of which is painted a Paschal Lamb and a red Templar's Cross, with the words " The will of God." On the other, the emblems of the Order are displayed. The symbolic colors of the Order are white and black, properly interspersed with gold and silver. The Grand Standard of the Order is displayed in the West, in charge of the Standard-bearer. The Beauseant, or battle-flag of the Ancient Templars, is displayed in the South, in charge of the Senior Warden. The following is the Templar uniform adopted by the Grand Encampment of the United States, September, 1862: Full Dress — BLack frock coat, black pantaloons, scarf, sword, belt, shoulder-straps, gauntlets and chapeau, with appropriate trimmings. Fatir/ue Dress — Same as full dress, except for chapeau a black cloth cap, navy form, with appropriate cross in front, and for gauntlets white gloves. In the United States, the assembly is called a Cornmandery, and has the following officers: 1. Eminent Commander; 2. Generalissimo; 3. Captain General; 4. Prelate; 5. Senior Warden; 6. Junior Warden; 7. Treasurer; 8. Recorder; 9. Standard-Bearer; 10. Sword-Bearer; 11. Warder; 12. Three Guards; 13. Sentinel. Commanderies are dedicated to Saint John the Almoner. The candidate receiving this Order is said to be " dubbed and created a Knight of the valiant and magnanimous Order of Knights Templar." The motto of the Order is, " In hoc signo vinces" — in this sign we conquer.
KNIGHT OF THE THREE KINGS. An honorary or Bide degree of high moral character. Its history connects it with the completion and dedication of the first temple. The presiding officer represents King Solomon. It is in- tended, by an appropriate ceremony and interesting legend, to portray the beauty of that harmony and peace which should exist among all Masons, and it has been often used in a judicious manner, and on appropriate occasions, to reconcile differences amonjy Masons, and to subdue that spirit of strife which will sometimes exhibit itself in despite of the philan- thropic lessons of our Order. -It may be communicated by one Master Mason to another, but to be conferred in ample t'oini the presence of at least five Knights is necfcbs;;ry.
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KNIGHT OF THE TRIPLE CROSS. Tin's Order was founded in 3080. It is held in a Sovereign Council. The Master is styled Grand Commander; the Wardens Sublime Knights; the Master of Ceremonies Grand Esquire, and the other members Knights. The jewel is three crosses arranged in a square. History — In 1080, Solyman, Prince of the Turks, established the seat of his Empire, or rather of his tyranny, at Nicopolis, in Syria Minor. Among many pilgrims who then resorted to the holy places of Palestine a French- man, named Pierre Clement, made the journey to Jerusalem, in 1093, and then, conferring with Simon the patriarch, offered to convey letters from him to_the Pope and all the western princes, to arouse them to expel from the Holy Land those barbarians and infidels. The good patriarch accepted his offer, and entrusted to him all the letters for which he asked. Pierre Clement embarked without delay, and repaired to the court of the Pope, where he presented the letters of the patriarch to Urban II., who sent him into all the provinces on either side of the Alps, to negotiate with the princes, and publicly to preach the crusades. All who were made acquainted with the designs of the Pope exhibited much zeal for so holy an undertaking; but Urban thought it fitting to convoke a council, in which he himseli presided. During this council, which was held in 1095, he addi'essed the members in the great hall of the city, and so excited the council, that all cried out together, as if in concert, " Dieu le Veut!" The Pope willed that a cry, which was so good an omen, should become the device of the whole army, be borne on the flags and standards, and be the war- cry of the soldiery, and even of their captains in battle, to animate each other to deeds of daring. And he determined that those who enlisted in this service should wear a red cross upon the right shoulder, to show that they were the soldiers of him who had conquered the cross. Many princes took up the cross, and they were conjointly the chiefs of that holy enterprise, without any one of them claiming to have the right to command the others.
KNIGHT OF THE TRUE LIGHT. A mystical Order founded in Austria, A. D. 1780, probably by Baron Hans Heinrich and some of his friends. Its ritual and teachings were a mixture of the mysteries of Rosi crucians and Asiatic brothers. It had five degrees: 1. Knight Novice of the third y of the seventh year; 4. Levite; 5. Priest. This Order belongs to the Hermetic or Alchemistical system of Masonry.
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LABARUM. The imperial standard of Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome, which he caused to be formed in commemoration of the vision of the cross in the heavens. It is described as a long pike surmounted by a golden crown, inclosing a monogram which contains the t\ro first letters of the name of Christ, and is at the same time a representation of the figure of the cross. The silken banner which depended from it was embroidered with the figure of Constantine and his family. The labarum is engraved on some of his medals with the famous inscription, EN TOYTO NIK A; and it was pre- served for a considerable time, and brought forward at the head of the armies of the emperor on important occasions as the palladium or safe-guard of the empire.*
LABYRINTH. A place full of inextricable windings. In the ancient mysteries the passages through which the initiate made his mystical pilgrimage.
*Dr. Oliver, in his "Historical Landmarks," (Am. ed., p. 89,) furnishef the following illustration and explanation of the vision of Constantine. "Tho lied Cross of Constantine commemorates the following circum- stance, which is attested by Eusebius: The army of Constantine being on the march to meet the enemies of the cross, it happened one evening when the sun was declining, and the em- peror was engaged in devotion, that there suddenly appeared a pillar ol light in the heavens like a cross, whereon was an inscription expressed in letters formed by a configuration oi stars — TOTTO NIKA, in this overcome. Constantine was not a little startled at this sight, and so was the whole ar- my that beheld it. They looked upon it as an inauspicious omen, and even the emperor himself was confounded But at night our Lord appeared t him in a dream, with the cross in his hand, commanding him to make a royal standard like that which he had seen in the heavens, and cause it to be borne before him in his Avars as an ensign of victory."
"Constantine, in his contest with Maxeutius, and on his march to Rome, is said to have seen in the sky a luminous cross with the inscrip- tion, tV rovrtii VIKO., by this, conquer ; and on the night before the last and decisive battle with Maxentius a vision is said to have appeared to Constantine in his sleep, bidding him inscribe the shields of his soldiers with the sacred monogram of the name of Christ. The miracle of his conversion to Christianity was commemorated by the imperial standard of tue labarum, at the summit of which was the monogram of the name of Christ" -SMITH'S CLASSICAL DICTIONARY.
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LANDMARKS, MASONIC. Literally, and in a general sense, anything by which the boundary of a property is defined. In ancient times the correct division of lands was an object of great importance. Stones, trees, and hillocks were the usual landmarks. The removal of a landmark was considered a heinous crime by the Jewish law, as may be judged by the denunciation of Moses: "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark." Of the nature of the landmarks of Masonry there has been some diversity of opinion; yet the conviction has become settled that the true principles consti- tuting landmarks are those universal customs of the Order which have gradually grown into permanent rules of action, and originally established by competent authority, at a period so remote that no account of their origin is to be found in the records of Masonic history, and which were considered essential to the preservation and integrity of the institution, to preserve its purity and prevent innovation. Dr. Albert G. Mackey, who has devoted much study and attention to the subject, enumerates the following as the unchangeable Landmarks of Masonry:
"1. The modes of recognition are, of all the landmarks, the most legiti- mate and unquestioned. They admit of no variation ; and if ever they have suffered alteration or addition, the evil of such a violation of the ancient law has always made itself subse- quently manifest. An admission of this is to be found in the proceed- ings of the late Masonic Congress at Paris, where a proposition was presented to render these modes of recognition once more universal — a proposition which never would have been necessary if the integrity of this important landmark had been rigorously preserved.
"2. The division of symbolic Mnsonry into three degrees is a landmark that has been better preserved than almost any other, although even here the mischievous spirit of innovation has left its truces, and by the disruption of its concluding portion irom the third degree, a want of uniformity has been created in respect to the final teaching of the Master's order; and the Koyal Arch of England, Scot- land, Ireland, and America, and the 'high degrees' of France and Ger- many are all made to differ in the mode of which they lead the neo- phyte to the great consummation of
all symbolic Masonry. In 1813, the Grand Lodge of England vindicated the ancient landmark, by solemnly enacting that Ancient Craft Masonry consisted of the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow-Craft, and Master Mason, including the Holy Koyal Arch. But the disrup- tion has never been healed, and the landmark, although acknowledged in its integrity by all, still continues to be violated.
"3. The legend of the third de- gree is an important landmark, the integrity of which has been well preserved. There is no rite of Masonry, practiced in any country or language, in which the essential elements of this legend are not taught. The lectures may v.xry, and, indeed, are constantly changing, but the legend has ever remained sub- stantially the same. And it is necessary that it should be so, for the legend of the temple builder constitutes the very essence and identity of Masonry. Any rite which should exclude it, or materially alter it, would at once, by that exclusion or alteration, ee;ise to be a Masonic rite.
"4. The government of the Frater- nity by a presiding officer called a Grand Master, who is elected from
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the body of the Graft is a fourth landmark of the Order. Many per- sons ignorautly suppose that the election of the Grand Master is held in consequence of a law or regulation of the Grand Lodge. Such, how- ever, is not the case. The office is indebted for its existence to a land- mark of the Order. Grand Masters are to be found in the records of the institution long before Grand Lodgos were established; and if the present system of legislative gov- ernmont by Grand Lodges were to be abolished, a Grand Master would still be necessary. In fact, although there has been a period within the records of history, and, indeed, of very recent date, when a Grand Lodge was unknown, there never has been a time when the Craft did not have their Grand Master.
"5. The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every assem- bly of the Craft, wheresoever and whensoever held, is a fifth landmark. It is in consequence of this law, derived from ancient usage, and not from any special enactment, that the Grand Master assumes the chair, or, as it is called in England, ' the throne,' at every communication of the Grand Lodge; and that he is also entitled to preside at the com- munication of every subordinate lodge, where he may happen to be present.
"6. The prerogative of the Grand Master to grant dispensations for conferring degrees at irregular times is another, and a very important, landmark. The statutory law of Masonry requires a month, or other determinate period, to elapse be- tween the presentation of a petition and the election of a candidate. But the Grand Master has the power to set aside or dispense with this pro- bation, and to allow a candidate to be initiated at once. This preroga- tive he possessed, in common with all Masters, before the enactment of the law requiring a probation, and, as no statute can impair his prero- gative, he still retains the power, although the masters of lodges no longer possess it.
"7. The prerogative of the Grand Master to give dispensations for ]
opening and holding lodges is another landmark. He may grant, in virtue of this, to a sufficient number of Masons, the privilege of meeting together and conferring degrees. The lodges thus estab- lished ore cal\ed 'lodges under dispensation.' They are strictly creatures of the G>-;ind Master, created by his autho'ity, existing only during his will aud pleasure, and liable at any nioment to bt dissolved at his command. They may be continued for a day, a month, or six months; but whatever be the period of their existence, they are indebted for that existence solely to the grace of the Grand Master.
"8. The prerogative of the Grand Master to make Masons at sight is a landmark which is closely con- nected with the preceding one. There has been much misapprehen- sion in relation to this landmark, which misapprehension has some- times led to a denial of its existence in jurisdictions where the Grand Master was, perhaps, at the very time substantially exercising the prerogative, without the slightest remark or opposition. It is not to be supposed that the Grand Master can retire with a profane into a private room, and there, without assistance, confer the degrees of Freemasonry upon him. No such prerogative exists, and yet many be- lieve that this is the so-much-talked- of right of ' making Masons at sight.' The real mode and the only mode of exercising the prerogative is this: The Grand Master summons to his assistance net less than six other Masons, convenes a Lodge, and with- out any previous probation, but on sight of the candidate, confers the degrees upon him, after which he dissolves the Lodge, and dismisses the brethren. Lodges thus con- vened for special purposes arc called ' occasional lodges.' This is the only way in which any Grand Master within the records of the institution has ever been known to 'make a Mason at sight.' The prerogative is dependent upon that of granting dispensations to open and hold lodges. If the Grand Master has the powftr of granting to any othej
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Mueon the privilege of presiding over lodges working by his dispen- sation, he may assume this privilege ct presiding to himself; and as no one can deny his right to revoke his dispensation granted to a numbei of brethren at a distance, and to dissolve the Lodge at his pleasure, it will scarcely be contended that he may not revoke his dispensation for a Lodge over which he himsell has been presiding within a day, and dissolve the Lodge as soon as the business for which he had assembled it is accomplished. The making of Masons at sight is only the con- ferring of the degrees by the Grand Master, at once, in an occasional Lodge, constituted by his dispensing power for the purpose, and over which he presides in person.
"9. The necessity for Masons to congregate in lodges is another Landmark. It is not to be under- stood by this that any ancient Land- mark has directed that permanent organization of subordinate lodges which constitutes one of the features of the Masonic system as it now 1 revails. But the Landmarks of Ihe Order always prescribed that Masons should, from time to time, congregate together for the purpose of either operative or speculative labor, and that these congregations should be called Lodges. Formerly these were extemporary meetings called together for special purposes, and then lissoived, the brethren de- parting to meet again at other times and other places, according to the uec.-ssity of circumstances. But war- ran ts of constiti itiou, Lj -uiws, perma- nent officers and annual arrears are modern innovations wholly outside the Landmarks, and dependent en- tirely on the special enactments of * comparatively recent period.
" 10. The government of the Craft, when so congregated in a Lodge by H Master and two Wardens, is also a Landmark. To show the influence of this ancient law. it may be ob- served, by the w.iy. that a cotigiv^i- tion of Masons meeting together under any other government, as that for instance of a president and vice-president, or a chairman and
nized as a Lodge. The presence ol a Master and two Wardens is as essential to the valid organization of a Lodge as a warrant of consti- tution is at the present day. The names, of course, vary in different languages, the Master, for instance, being called 'Venerable' in French Masonry, and the Wardens, 'Sur- veillants,' but the officers, their number, prerogatives and duties aro everywhere identical.
"11. The necessity that every Lodge, when congregated, should be duly tiled, is an important Laud- mark of the institution, which is never neglected. The necessity of this law arises from the esoteric character of Masonry. As a secret institution, its portals must, of course, be guarded from the intru- sion of the profane, and such a law must, therefore, always, have been in force from the very beginning of the Order. It is, therefore, properly classed among the ancient Land- marks. The office of tiler is wholly independent of any special enact- ment of Grand or Subordinate Lodges, although these may and do prescribe for him additional duties, which vary in different jurisdictions. Bnt the duty of guarding the door, and keeping off cowans and eaves- droppers, is an ancient one, which constitutes a Landmark for his governmAit.
" 12. The right of every Mason to be represented in all general meet- ings of the Craft, and to instruct his representatives, is a twelfth Land- mark. Formerly, these general meet- ings, which were usually held ouce a year, were called ' General Assem- blies,' and all the Fraternity, even to the youngest Entered Apprentice, were permitted to be present. Now they are called ' Grand Lodges,' and only the Masters and Wardens of the ubordinate lodges are summoned. But this is simply as the representa- tives ol' their members. Originally, each Mason represented himself; now he is represented by his officers. This was a concession granted by the Fraternity about 1717, and ol course does not affect the integrity of the Landmark, for the principle
jab-chairman, would not be recog- 1 of representation is still preserved
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The concession Tvas only made for purposes of convenience.
"13. The right of every Mason to appeal from the decision of his brethren in Lodge convened, to the Grand Lodge or General Assembly of Masons, is a Landmark highly essential to the preservation of jus- tice, and the prevention of oppres- sion. A few modern Grand Lodges, in adopting a regulation that the decision of subordinate lodges, in cases of expulsion, cannot be wholly set aside upon an appeal, have violated this unquestioned Land- mark, as well as tho principles of just goverment.
"li. The right of every Mason to visit and sit in every regular Lodge is an unquestionable Landmark of the Order. This is called ' the right of visitation.' This right of visita- tion has always been recognized as an inherent right, which inures to every Mason as he travels through the world. And this is because lodges are justly considered as only divisions for convenience of the universal Masonic family. This right may, of course, be impaired or forfeited on special occasions by various circumstances; but when admission is i-efused to a Mason in good standing, who knocks at the door of a Lodge as a visitor, it is to be expected that some good and sufficient re!)«on shall be furnished for this violation of what is in gene- ral a Masonic right, founded on the Landmarks of the Order.
"15. It is a Landmark of the Order that no visitor, unknown to the brethren present, or to some one of them as a Mason, can enter a Lodge without iirst passing an examination according to ancient usage. Of course, if the visitor is known to any brother present to be a Mason in good standing, and if that brother will vouch for his qualifications, the examination may be dispensed with, as the Landmark refers only to the cases of strangers, who are not to be recognized unless after strict trial, due examination or lawful information.
" 16. No Lodge can interfere in the business of another Lodge, nor giv« degrees to brethren wbo are
members of other lodge .s. This is undoubtedly an ancient Landmark, founded on the great principles of courtesy and fraternal kindness, which are at the very foundation of our institution. It has been re- peatedly recognized by subsequent statutory enactments of all Grand Lodges.
"17. It is a Landmark that every Freemason is amenable to the laws and regulations of the Masonic jurisdiction in which ho resides, and this although he may not be a member ol any Lodge. Nonamlia- tiou, which is, in fact, in itself, a Masonic offense, does not exempt a Mason from Masonic jurisdiction.
" 18. Certain qualifications of can- didates for initiation are derived from a Landmark of the Order. These qualifications are that he shall be a man — shall be nnmuti- lated, free-born, and of mature ago. That is to say, a woman, a cripple, or a slave, or one born in slavery, ia disqualified for initiation into the rites of Masonry. Statutes, it is true, have from time to time been enacted, enforcing or explaining these principles; but the qualifica- tions really arise from the very nature of the Masonic institution, and from its symbolic teachings, and have always existed as Landmarks.
"1'J. A belief in the existence of God, as the Grand Architect of the Universe, is one of the most im- portant Landmarks of the Order. It has been always deemed essential that a denial of the existence of a Supreme and Superintending Power is an absolute disqualifica- tion for initiation. The annals of the Order never yet have furnished or could furnish an instance in which an avowed atheist was ever made a Mason. The very initiatory ceremonies of the first degree forbid and prevent the possibilty of so monstrous an occurrence.
"20. Subsidiary to this belief in God, as a Landmark of the Order, is the belief in a resurrection to a future life. This Landmark is not so positively impressed 011 the can- didate by exact words as the pre- ceding; but the doctrine is taug'-t by very plain implication, and
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through the whole symbolism of the Order. To believe in Masonry, and not to believe in a resurrection, wonld be an absurd anon aly, which could only be excused by the reflec- tion, that* he who thus confounded his belief and his skepticism was so ignorant of the meaning of both the- ories as to have no rational founda- tion for his knowledge of either.
"21. It is a Landmark that a ' Book of the Law ' shall constitute an indispensable part of the fur- niture of every Lodge. I say, ad- visedly. Book of the Law, because it is not absolutely required that everywhere the Old and New Testa- ments shall be used. The 'Book of the Law ' is that volume which, by the religion of the country, is believed to contain the revealed will of the Grand Architect of the Universe. Hence, in all lodges in Christian countries, the Book of the Law is composed of the Old and New Testaments; in a country where Judaism was the prevailing faith, the Old Testament alone would be sufficient ; and in Mohammedan countries, and among Mohammedan Masons, the Koran might be sub- stituted. Masonry does not attempt to interfere with the peculiar reli- gious faith of its disciples, except so far as relates to the belief in the existence of God, and what neces- sarily results from that belief. The Book of the Law is to the specu- lative Mason his spiritual trestle- board; without this he cannot labor; whatever he believes to be the re- vealed will of the Grand Architect constitutes for him this spiritual trestle-board, and must ever be before him in his hours of .specula- tive labor, to be the rule and guide of his conduct. The Landmark, therefore, requires that a Book of the Law, a religious code of some kind, purporting to be an exemplar of the revealed will of God, shall form nn essential part of the furni- ture of every Lodge.
"22. The equality of all Masons is another Landmark of the Order. This equality has no reference to any subversion of those gradations of rank which have been instituted by tho usages of society. The
monarch, the nobleman, or th« gentleman is entitled to all the in- fluence, and receives all the respect which rightly belong to his exalted position. But the doctrine of Ma- sonic equality implies that, as chil- dren of one great Father, we meet in the Lodge upon the level — that on that level we are all traveling to one predestined goal — that in the Lodge genuine merit shall receive more respect than boundless wealth, and that virtue and knowledge alone should be the basis of all Masonic honors, and be rewarded with pre- ferment. When the labors of the Lodge are over, and the brethren have retired from their peaceful re- treat, to mingle once more with the world, each will then again resume that social position, and exercise the privileges of that rank, to which the customs of society entitle him. "23. The secrecy of the insti- tution is another, and a most im- portant, Landmark. There is some difficulty in precisely defining what is meant by a 'secret society." II the term refers, as, perhaps, in strictly logical language it should, to those associations whose designs are concealed from the public eye, and whose members are unknown, which produce their results in dark- ness, and whose operations are carefully hidden from the public gaze — a definition which will be appropriate to many political clubs and revolutionary combinations in despotic countries, where reform, if it is at all to be effected, must be effected by stealth — then clearly Freemasonry is not a secret society. Its design is not only publicly proclaimed, but is vaunted by its disciples as something to be vener- ated— its disciples are known, for its membership is considered an honor to be coveted — it works for a result of which it boasts — Ihe civilization and refinement of man, the amelioration of his condition, and the reformation of his manners. But if by a secret society is meant — and this is the most popular under- standing of the term — a society in which there is a certain amount ol knowledge, whether it be of methods of recognition, or of legondary and
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traditional learning, which is im- parted to those only who have passed through an established form of initiation, the form itself being also concealed or esoteric, then in this sense is Freemasonry undoubt- edly a secret society. Now this form of secrecy is a form inherent in it, existing with it from its very foundation, and secured to it by its ancient Landmarks. If divested of its secret character, it would lose its identity, and would cease to be Freemasonry. Whatever objections may, therefore, be made to the in- stitution, on account of its secrecy, and however much some unskillful brethren have been willing in times of trial, for the sake of expediency, to divest it of its secret character, it will be ever impossible to do so, even were the Landmark not stand- ing before us as an insurmountable obstacle ; because such change of its character would be social suicide, and the death of the Order would follow its legalized exposure. Free- masonry, as a secret association, has lived unchanged for centuries — as an open society it would not last for as many years.
' ' 24. The foundation of a specu- lative science upon an operative art, and the symbolic use and explanation of the terms of that art, for purposes of religious or moral teaching, constitute an' cher Land-
mark of the Order. The Temple of Solomon was the cradle of the institution, and, therefore, the re- ference to the operative Masonry, which constructed that magnificent edifice, to the materials and imple- ments which were employed in its construction, and to the artists who were engaged in the building, are all competent and essential parts of the body of Freemasonry, which could not be subtracted from it without an entire destruction of the whole identity of the Order. Hence, all the comparatively modern rites of Masonry, however they may differ in other respects, religiously pre- serve this temple history and these operative elements, as the substra- tum of all their modifications of the Masonic system.
"25. The last and crowning Land- mark of a1! is that these Landmarks can never be changed. Nothing can be subtracted from them — nothing can be added to them — not the slightest modification can be made in them. As they were received from our predecessors, we are bound by the most solemn obligations of duty to transmit them to our successors. Not one jot or one tittle of these unwritten laws can be repealed; for, in respect to them, we are not only willing, but compelled to adopt the language of the sturdy old barons of England — 'nolumus leges mutari.'"
Dr. Oliver, than whom no Masonic writer is better quali- fied to render a correct opinion on this important subject, favors us with these as the Landmarks of Freemasonry:
"In the absence of positive evi- dence we will endeavor to ascertain, on the authority of ancient docu- ments, what were considered Land- marks by the Craft at the earliest Eeriod on record, as they were col- icted and handed down to us in the Lectures which were used during the last century.
"1. OPENING AND CLOSING THE LODGE. — To begin with the begin- ning: The opening and closing of the Lodge include many important Landmarks, which are absolutely indispensable to the integrity of the Order. For instance, if a Lodge be opened in the alwence of a stipu- 19
lated number of brethren; or by any other than the proper officers, and unaccompanied by the prescribed batteries or reports : if this essential ceremony be performed without enumerating the principal and as- sistant officers, together with a de- scription of their several duties, and including a reference to the cardinal points of the compass; if it be done in an untiled Lodge, or without the brethren appearing in Order as Masons; or if the solemn invocation to T. G. A. O. T. U. be omitted; then the meeting would forfeit the character of a Lodge of Masons, ity transactions would be illegal, and
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(he brethren would become liable to an indictment for irregularity and a violation of the established Land- marks. At the closing of the Lodge, similar ceremonies have been trans- mitted to us from the most ancient times, and their observance invests the proceedings with solemnity and decorum; until the members are fi- nally dismissed with an exhortation to fidelity --which is an unchange- able Landmark— and they depart in peace, harmony, and brotherly love.
"2. MEET ON THE LEVEL AND PART ON THE SQUARE. — This Landmark was originally introduced into the lectures, to show that the Order, although confessedly based on the principle of equality, is not the exponent of that species of com- munism which would destroy rank, equalize property, and reduce so- ciety to the common level of a savage state. Nor do its members look forward to the period which was so ardently desired by Condor- cec. 'when the sun shall shine on none but free men; when a man snail recognize no other master than ilia reason; when tyrants and their slaves — when priests, together with their stumd and hypocritical agents, will have no further existence but in history or on the stage.' It is only when the Lodge is open that the brethren, without any reference to a diversity of rank, are equal ; and during the process of working the lectures, each bears the burden assigned to him by the Master for the furtherance of that common ob- iect the acquisition of knowledge. But having met on the level, they part on the square.
"3. CONCERNING CANDIDATES. — By studying the Landmarks, an in- dustrious brother will acquire an accurate knowledge of the bounda- ries within which his investigations ought to be confined. And for want of some such incipient training, many a zealous Mason has aban- doned the Order in despair. There is one rule respecting candidates which every brother ought to under- stand distinctly, us an inalienable Landmark in Masonry, that ix> cun, nnil-r nmj i.- *"'« friend t
a disappointed candidate would then have it in his power to say that he had been inveigled into the Order for the sake of the fee ; which would bring upon it a scandal, rather than a bent fit. Every person who offers himself for initiation is, therefore, bound by another strin- gent Landmark, which the Grand Lodge of England has invested with the authority of a law, solemnly to declare that he has not been biased by the solicitations of friends, or by any mercenary or other unworthy motive; and that his request for admission is made from a favorable opinion of the institution, and a desire of knowledge. Thus, in the beautiful language of the lectures, he must freely and voluntarily ask, if he would have ; seek, if he would find; and knock, if he wishes the door of Masonry to be opened lor his admission into the Order.
"4. ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES. — To prevent disappointments of this nature from being of frequent oc- currence, another Landmark directs the brethren of a Lodge to proceed with great deliberation in the ad- mission of candidates, by making a strict perquisition, before the ballot is taken, into the character they sustain among their neighbors and friends. This may be ascer- tained with sufficient accuracy by a careful ex, uiinatiou of their ante- cedents, and the testimony of those with whom they have been con- nected in the affairs of business or the pursuits of pleasure. The most ancient Landmarks that we are ac- quainted with provide that -the son of a bondman shall not be admitted as an apprentice, lest his introduc- tion into the Lodge should causo dissatisfaction among the brethren;1 and that the candidate must be of good morals, without blemish, and have the full and proper use of his limbs; for 'a maimed man,' as ti:o York Constitutions express it, -can do the Craft no good. ' By the assist- ance of these plain and simple direc- tions, added to others which have been subsequently enjoined by Spec- ulative Grand Lodges, no difficulty can arisn in estimating the quului- cations of a candidate for initiation
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"5. THE BALLOT. — Every facility is afforded for making the necessary inquiries. The laws and Landmarks equally provide that, before a can- didate can be admitted, he must be proposed in open Lodge, and a notice to that effect served on each individual member in the ensuing summons, with his name, occupa- tion, and place of abode, distinctly specified. And to afford ample time for deliberate investigation, the ballot cannot legally be taken, except in cases of emergency, till the next regular lodge-night; when, if approved, the candidate may receive the first degree; because it is presumed that every brother, before he records his vote, has made due inquiry, and is perfectly satisfied that the candidate possesses the necessary qualifications to become a good and worthy Mason.
"6. PREPARATION. — Every existing institution is distinguished by some preliminary ceremony of admission which is inaccessible to those who are unable to establish an indis- putable claim to participate in its privileges. The approved candidate in Freemasonry having sought in his mind and asked of his friend, its tiled door is now about to be opened and its secrets disclosed. The preparation is accompanied by ceremonies which, to a superficial thinker, may appear trifling and undignified, although they embody a series of references to certain sub- lime matters, which constitute the very essence of the institution, and contribute to its stability and per- manent usefulness, if, in accordance with the advice of St. Paul, every- thing be done decently and in Order. But ceremonies, considered abstractedly, are of little value, except as they contribute their aid to impress upon the mind scientific beauties and moral truths. And this is the peculiar characteristic of Freemasonry, which, although its rites and observances are studiously complicated throughout the whole routine of its consecutive degrees, does not contain a single ceremony that is barren of intellectual im- provement; for they all bear a direct reference to certain ancient usages
recorded in the Book which :s al- ways expanded on the pedestal in the East.
"7. THE BADGE. — In the lodges of the last century, some trifling varie- ties existed in the arrangements during the process of initiation; for a perfect uniformity, however de- sirable, had not been attained. To explain them here would be super- fluous, and, perhaps, not altogether prudent. Suffice it to say that in some lodges the investiture took place before the candidate was en- trusted with the peculiar secrets of the degree, whiie others practiced a formula similar to that which was enjoined at the Union in 1813. The Senior Warden performed the duty, and recommended the candidate to wet.r the apron as a badge of inno- cence and bond of friendship, in the fall assurance that if he never disgraced that badge it would never disgrace him. There are other ele- mentary Landmarks embodied in the initiation, but they are so well known and generally understood that it will scarcely be necessary to enumerate them, much le*s to g into the detail of a particular illustration, which, indeed, would be unauthor- ized, and constitute, if not a legal offense against the Constitutions of Masonry, at least a moral infringe- ment of the O. B.
"8. TESTS OF INDUSTRY. —Every candidate at his initiation, should carefully note the particulars of the ceremony; and if there should hap- pen to be some things which appear to his inexperience unnecessary, and others that he cannot exactly comprehend, he may conceive it to be within the bounds of probability that they will admit of a satisfactory explanation. For it is scarcely to be supposed, even by the most ob- tuse intellect, that in the nineteenth century educated men would meet together periodically to waste their time in unprofitable discussions; to lend the sanction of their names to propagate a fiction, or to engage in pursuits which lead to no advan tageous result. Let the candidate use the means at his disposal to remove all false impressions, by studying his elementary exeiviso—
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the tests ef the first degree, which u-e enjoined by the authority of many Grand Lodges — and ought to be by all — as a proof of his in-
dustry, and a desire of knowledge, for they are intended to convey some preliminary insight into our allegorical system."
John W. Simons, in his excellent and popular work on the " Principles and Practice of Masonic Jurisprudence," offers the following to be the Landmarks of Masonry, in the proper sense of the term:
likely to disturb the harmony 01
"1. A belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, and in the immor- tality of the sonl.
"2. That the moral law, which in- culcates, among other things, charity and probity, industry and sobriety, is the rule and guide of every Mason. ' 3. Respect for, and obedience to,
interrupt the working of the Lodge he proposes to visit
"9. The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every assem- bly of the Craft, within his juris- diction, to make Masons at sight in a regular Lodge, and to grant Dis-
the civil law of the country, and the j pensations for the formation of new
Masonic regulations of the juris- diction where a Mason may reside.
"4. That new-made Masons must be free-born, of lawful age, and hale and sound at the time of making.
"5. The modes of recognition, and, generally, the rites and ceremo- nies of the three degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry.
' 6. That no appeal can be tiken
lodges.
"10. That no one can be made a Mason, save in a regular Lodge, duly convened, after petition, and acceptance by unanimous ballot, except when made at sight by the Grand Master.
"11. That the ballot for candidates is strictly and inviolably secret.
••12. That a Lodge cannot try its
to the Lodge, from the decision of j Master.
the Master, or the Warden occupy nig | "13. That every Mason is amenable
the Chair in his absence. to the laws and regulations of the
"7. That no one can be the M;is- jurisdiction in which he resides, ter of a Warranted Lodge till he ; even though he be a member of a has been installed and served one j particular lodge in some other juris- year as Warden. diction.
"8. That when a man becomes a I "14. The right of the Craft at large Masou he not only acquires mem- i to be represented in Grand Lodge, bership in the particular Lodge that and to instruct their representatives. admits him, but, in a general sense, he becomes one of the whole Masonic
family; and hence he has a right to
••15. The general aim and form of the society, as handed down to
us by the fathers, to be by us pre-
visit, musonically, every regular served inviolate, and transmitted to Ixxlge, except when such visit is ! our successors forever."
Bro. Rob. Morris, in his "Code of Masonic Law," deduces these boundaries, marks of distinction, or immemorial laws, as the unalterable landmarks:
"1. The Masonic Landmarks are unchangeable and imperative.
"2. Masonry is a system, teach- ing, symbolically, piety, morality, science, charity and self-discipline.
"3. The Law of God is the rule and limit of Masonry.
"•A. The civil law, so far as it ac- cords with tht: Divine, is obligatory upon Masons.
"5. The Masonic Lodge and ths Masonic institution are one and indivisible.
"6. Masonic qualifications regard the mental, moral, and physical nature of man.
"7. Personal worth and merit are the basis of official worth and merit
"8. The official duties of Masonrj are esoteric.
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"9. The selection of Masonic ma- terial and the general labors of the Masonic Craft are exoteric.
"10. The honors of Masonry are the gratitude of the Craft and the approval of God.
"11. Masonic promotion, both private and official, is by grades.
" 12. The Grand Master may have a Deputy.
"13. The head of the Lodge is the Master, duly elected by the Craft.
"14. The medium of communi-
cation between the head and th« body of the Lodge is the Wardens, duly elected by the Craft.
"15. Obedience to the Master and Wardens is obligatory upon the members.
; ' 1 (j. Secrecy is an indispensable element of Masonry.
"17. The Grand Lodge is supreme in its sphere of jurisdiction, and controls both the subordinate lodgea and individual Masons, but always subject to the Ancient Landmarks."
The Constitution of the Grand Lodge of New York sets forth, in a concise and masterly manner, the following as the Landmarks of the Order:
"1. That belief in the Supreme Being, 'The Great Architect of tlu1 Universe,' who will punish vice and reward virtue, is an indispensable pre-requisite to admission t<> Ma- sonry.
"2. That the moral law which in- culcates charity and probity, indus- try and sobriety, and obedience to law and civil government, is the rule and guide of every Mason, and to which strict conformity is required.
"3. That obedience to Masonic law and authority, being voluntarily assumed, is of perpetual obligation, and can only be divested by the sanction of the supreme government iii Masonry.
"4. That the rites and ceremonies (which include th' unwrittenlanyuag$ of the true system of the Ancient York rite, and which cousin ' a part of the body of Masonry, are immutable, and that it is not in the power of any man, or body of men, to make innovations therein.
"5. That contention and lawsuits between brethren are contrary to the laws and regulations of Masonry.
' ' ti. That charity is the right of a Mason, his widow, and orphans, when poor and destitute, to demand, an. I the duty of his prosperous brother to bestow.
' ' 7. That Masonic instruction is, like charity, a reciprocal right and duty of Masons.
"8. That the right to visit, nia- sonically, is an absolute right, but may be forfeited 01 limited by par- ticular regulations.
"9. That men made Masoiw must
be at least twenty-one years of age, free-born, of good report, hale and sound, not deformed or disinein- be.-ed, and no woman, no eunuch.
"10. That no one can be made a Mason except in a lawful Lodge, duly convened, acting (except when made by the Grand Master at sight) under an unreclaimed Warrant or Dispensation, and at the place therein named.
" 11. That the Grand Master may make Masons at sight, in person, and in a lawful Lodge, and may grant a dispensation to a Lodge, for the sajne purpose; but in all other cases a candidate must be proposed in open Lodge, at a stated meeting, and can only be accepted at a stated meeting following, by the scrutiny of a secret ballot, and an unanimous vote, and must pay a fixed price before admission.
' ' 12. That the ballot for candidates or for membership is strictly and inviolably secret.
"13. That a petition to be made a Mason, after being presented and referred, cannot be withdrawn, but must be acted upon by report oj committee and ballot.
" 14. That a ballot for each degree separate!}' is an undeniable right, when demanded.
" 15. That initiation makes a man a Mason; but he must receive the Master Mason's degree, and sign the By-Laws, before he becomes a member of the Lodge.
"16. That it is the duty of every Master Mason to be a contributing member of a Lodge.
IAN.
"25. lh&*, the disciplinary powers of a Lodge may not be exercised for a violation of the moral law (as dis- tinguished from the law of the land) until the offender has been thrice admonished by the Master or War- dens of his Lodge.
"26. That a failure to meet by a Lodge for one year is cause for the forfeiture of its Warrant.
' ' 27. That it is the duty, as well as the right, of every warranted Lodge to be represented in the Grand Lodge at its annual Communication.
"28. That a Grand Lodge haa supreme and exclusive jurisdiction, within its territorial limits, over all matters of Ancient Craft Masonry.
"29. That no appeal lies from the decision of a Grand Master in the chair, or his Deputy or Warden oc- cupying the chair in his absence.
"30. That the office of Grand Master is always elective, and should be rilled annually by the Grand Lodge.
"31. That a Grand Lodge, com- posed of its Officers and of Repre- sentatives, nrist meet at least once in each year to consult and act con- cerning the interests of the Frater- nity in its jurisdiction.
"Besides these, there are various Landmarks, which constitute the frame-work of the government of the Fraternity; and the indispensable discharge of various duties and re- lations growing out of them; and also those matters regulating and attending the ceremonies and work of Masonry, which are not proper to be written; and various other duties and rights more fully set forth in the "ANCIENT CHAKGES," being a part of the Constitutions of Freemasons."
Dr. Mitchell, in his "History of Freemasonry," disposes of the subject of Landmarks in the following brief manner:
"The Landmarks of Masonry are 'fundamental laws of the society. those immemorial laws which have The unwritten Landmarks comprise been handed down from age to age, j all those essential rituals and teach- and from generation to generation, ! ings of the lod;*e-rooru, and which no one knowing whence they origi- can be learned nowhere else. The Dated, and no one having the right ; written Landmarks are six in num- to alter or change them, but all ' ber, and are to be found under the Masons being bound by a fair and head of ' The Old Charges of a Free- liberal construction ot them. They mason,' first published in 1723, by consist of the written and unwritten order oT the Gr. Lodge of Ea land.'
' 17. That a Lodge under dispensa- tion is but a temporary and inchoate body, and is not entitled to repre- sentation in the Grand Lodge, and those who work it do not forfeit their membership thereby in any other Lodge, while it so continues, but such membership is thereby suspended.
"18. That the Master and War- dens of every warranted Lodge imist be chosen annually by its members, and if installed, cannot resign their offices during the term for which they were elected; and are, of right, and inalienably, representatives in, and members of, the Grand Lodge; and in case they do not attend the Grand Lodge a proxy may be ap- pointed by the Lodge to represent it in the Grand Lodge, who in such case shall have three votes.
"19. That no one can be elected Master of a warranted Lodge (except at its first election) but a Master Mason who shall have served as Warden.
' ' 20. That no appeal to the Lodge can be taken from the decision of the Master, or the Warden occupying the chair in his absence.
"21. That every Mason must be tried by his peers; and hence the Master cannot be tried by his Lodge.
"22. That Masonic intercourse with a clandestine or expelled Ma- son is a breach of duty, and an offense against Masonic law.
"23. That a restoration to the the Grand member- ship in a Subordinate Lodge.
"24. That a Mason who is not a member of any Lodge is still sub- ject to the disciplinary power of Masonry.
privileges of Masonry by t Lodge does not restore to
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Bro. Luke A. Lockwood, in his work entitled "Masouio Law and Practice," gives tbe following as the Landmarks:
to make Masons, and to administer its own private affairs.
10. That every candidate must be a man, of lawful age, born of free parents, under no restraint of liberty, and bale and sound, as a man ought to be.
11. That no candidate can be received except by unanimous bal- lot, after due notice of his appli- cation and due inquiry as to his qualifications.
12. That the ballot is inviolably secret.
13. That all Masons, as such, are peers.
14. That all Lodges nre peers.
15. That all Grand Lodges are peers.
16. That no person can be in- stalled Master of a Lodge unless he be a Past Warden, except by dis- pensation of the Grand Master.
17. That the obligations, means of recognition, and the forms and ceremonies observed in conferring degrees are secret.
18. That no innovation can be made upon the body of Masonry.
19. That the Ancient Landmarks are the Supreme Law, and cannot be changed or abrogated.
1. Belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, in some revelation of his will, in the resxirrection of the body and in tbe immortality of the soul.
2. The obligations and modes of recognition, and the legend of the third degree.
3. The inculcation of the moral •virtues, of benevolence and of the doctrines of natural religion, by means of symbols derived from the Temple of King Solomon and its tradition, and from the iisages and customs observed, and from the implements and materials used in its construction.
4. That Masons must obey the moral law and the government of the country in which they live.
5. That the Grand Master is the head of the Craft.
6. That the Master is head of the Lodge.
7. That the Grand Lodge is the supreme governing body within its territorial jurisdiction.
8. That every Lodge has an in- herent right to be represented in Grand Lodge by its first three officers, or their proxies.
9. That every Lodge has power
The late Bro. Charles Scott, in "The Keystone of the Masonic Arch," thus discusses the character of Landmarks-
"The ancients set great value apon the landmarks or boundaries of their property. To deface or remove any of them was regarded as a grievous offense. * * * * Even among the heathen the landmark was sacred — so sacred, they made a deity of it. * * * * The ' sons of light ' have their landmarks ; and so clearly may they be traced that a friend may always be distinguished from a foe. The better opinion is that the rites, forms, or ceremonies are enumer-
ated among our landmarks; also our universal or common laws. These laws cannot be repealed or modified, and are, or ought to be, the same in every Lodge. Any attempt to repeal or alter them would be a violation of Masonic faith; for it is a fundamental prin- ciple of our ancient constitution that no innovation can be made in the body of Masonry, and every member of the Fraternity is religiously obli- gated to observe and enforce it."
To maintain the present standing of our order; to secure its vigorous existence, and extend its benefits, much depends upon the vigilance with which we watch over its concerns, and the means employed to preserve its Ancient Landmarks from innovation, and its principles from corruption.
228 LAV— LEW.
LAYER, BRAZEN. Muses was directed to make, among other articles of furniture for the services of the tabernacle, a laver of brass. It was held as a vessel of great sacredness, in which water was kept for the ablutions of the priests before entering upon 'the actual dis- charge of their sacred duties of offering sacrifices before the Lord. In the ancient mysteries the laver with its pure water was used to cleanse the neophyte of the impurities of the outer world, and to free him from the imperfections of his past or sinful life. It is a necessary article in many of the higher degrees, for the ablution of the candidate in hie progress to a higher and purer system of knowledge.
LAY BROTHERS. An order bearing this name, and ap- pearing to have some connection with the corporations of builders and stone masons, was founded in the llth century. It became a numerous bodv, the members of which were divided into two classes. They were skilled in all the arts, especially those connected with architecture. There was also an order of Lay Brothers in the Strict Observance.
LAZARUS, ORDER OF. 1. A Sardinian Order of Knighthood. 2. The memory of a monk of this name belonging to the 9th century is celebrated, February 21, by the Roman church, because neither the threats nor violence of Theophilus, Emperor of Constantinople, could prevent him from painting images of the Saints. This monk afterward became the patron of the sick, particularly of lepers, and in Palestine was instituted the " United Order of St. Lazarus and of our beloved Lady of Mt. Carmel" — the members of which were sailed Knights Hospitallers of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem. The founder of this Order is unknown. Its object was the care of the sick and of poor pilgrims. Lewis VTL of France introduced it into Europe, where it established numerous hospitals for the same class of diseased persons. 3. This is also the name of a Masonic degree, the members of which wear an emerald cross upon the breast.
LEVITICON. Name of the Ritual-book of the Parisian New Templars, in which the secret instructions of the Order, and the ceremonial forms for the reception of members, in the several degree's, are preserved.
LEWIS, OR LOUVETEAU. The words Lewis and Louveteau, which, in their original meanings, import two very different
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things, have in Masonry an equivalent signification — the former being tised in English, and the latter in French, to designate the son of a Mason. The English word lewis is a term belonging to operative Masonry, and signifies an iron cramp, which is inserted in a cavity prepared for the purpose in any large stone, so as to give attachment to a pulley and hook, whereby the stone may be conveniently raised to any liight, and deposited in its proper position. In this country the lewis has not been adopted as a symbol of Freemasonry, but in the English ritual it is found among the emblems placed upon the tracing-board of the Entered- Apprentice, and ia used in that degree as a symbol of strength, because by its assistance the operative Mason is enabled to lift the heaviest stones with a comparatively trifling exertion of physical power. Extending the symbolic allusion still further, the son of a Mason is in England called a lewis, because it is his duty to support the sinking powers and aid the failing strength of his father, or, as Oliver has expressed it, "to bear the burden and heat of the day, that his parents may rest in their old age, thus rendering the evening of their lives peaceful and happy." By the constitutions of England, a lewis may be initiated at the age of eighteen, while it is required of all other candidates that they shall have arrived at the maturer age of twenty-one. The Book of Constitutions had prescribed that no Lodge should make "any man under the age of twenty-one years, unless by a dispensation from the Grand Master or his Deputy." The Grand Lodge of England, in its modern regulations, has availed itself of the license allowed by this dispensing power, to confer the right of an earlier initiation on the sons of Masons. The word louveteau signifies in French a young wolf. The application of the term to the son of a Mason is derived from a peculiarity hi some of the initiations into the ancient mysteries. In the mysteries of Isis, which were practiced in Egypt, the candidate was made to wear the mask of a wolf's head. Hence, a wolf and a candidate in these mysteries were often used as synonymous terms. Macrobius, in his Saturnalia, says, in reference to this custom, that the ancients perceived a relationship between the sun, the great symbol in these mysteries, and a wolf, which the candidate represented at his initiation. For, he remarks, as the flocks of sheep and cattle fly and disperse at the sight of the wolf, so the flocks of stars disappear at the approach of the sun's light. The learned reader will also recollect that in the Greek language lukos signifies both the sun and a wolf. Hence, as the can- didate in the Isiac mysteries was called a wolf, the son of a Freemason in the French lodges is called a young wolf or a lou-vetf.au. The louveteau in France, like the lewis in England, is invested with peculiar privileges He also is permitted
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to unite himself with the order at the early age of eighteen years. The baptism of a louveteau is sometimes performed by the Lodge of which his father is a member, with impressive ceremonies. The infant, soon after birth, is taken to the lodge-room, where he receives a Masonic name, differing from that which he bears in the world; he is formally adopted by the Lodge as one of its children, and should he become an orphan, requiring assistance, he is supported and educated by the Fraternity, and finally established in life. In this country, these rights of a lewis or a louveteau are not recog- nized, and the very names were, until lately, scarcely known, except to a few Masonic scholars. — MACKEY.
LIBATION. Latin libatio, from libare, to pour out. Properly a drink offering. Libations were frequent at meals among the ancient Greeks and Romans, and consisted generally of wine, though libations to the dead consisted sometimes of blood or milk. In sacrifices, the priest was first obliged to taste the wine, with which he sprinkled the victims, and caused those to do the same who offered the sacrifice. They consisted in offerings of bread, wine, and salt. Libationa are in use in several of the high degrees of Freemasonry, particularly in the Templar system.
LIBERTAS. The name of the Goddess of Liberty among the ancient Romans. According to Hyginus, she was the daughter of Jupiter and Juno. Crowned with a diadem and covered with a vail, she personifies liberty in general. The modern Libertas, or Goddess of Liberty, is a female figure, the head covered with a cap. The cap has always been a symbol of liberty, and in the Masonic brotherhood it is also a sign of equality, and hence, in former times, the figure of Libertas was often found among the decorations of the Lodge, and Masons wore their hats while engaged in the labors of the Craft.
LIBERTINE. By this name is designated a person who is governed by no principle, and restrained by no laws of morality and virtue, who selfishly and basely seeks his own gratification and advancement, at whatever cost to others. Such a man is, of course, in every sense unfit to be a Mason. In the Ancient Charges it is laid down as a fundamental rule that " a Freemason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the art he will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious libertine" Here the word im- plies a person who rejects all religious truths, i. e., an infidei.
LILY OF THE VALLEY. A side degree in the Templar system of France.
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LINGAM. The symbol of the creating aud producing power, sacred in the Egyptian, Grecian, and Indian myste- ries. [See PHALLUS.]
LOWEN. It is difficult to ascertain the exact etymology of this term. The word occurs in the Ancient Charges of the Lodge of Antiquity, London, as follows: "Twelvethly: That a Master or Fellow make not a mould stone, square, nor rule to no lowen, nor let no lowen work within their lodge, nor without to .mould stone." It is evident the word is em- ployed to designate an ignorant, reckless, wild fellow, wholly unsuited to be the companion of Masons. It may be the old Saxon word lowen, lion, sometimes used as a general term for wild beasts. Hence, metaphorically, it may properly be applied to an ignorant, stupid, brutish person.
LUSTRATION. A purification, or ceremony of expiation, and also, in the Mysteries, of preparation. The word is de- rived from lustrare, to expiate. A solemn purification or consecration of the Roman people, by means of a sacrificium lustrale, was performed after every census. It consisted of a bull, a sow, a sheep or ram — suoveta urilia. The ram was dedicated to Jupiter, the swine to Ceres, and the bull to Mars. This solemn act was called lustrum condere. In Masonry the word means a purification, and is of a moral character, although in some degrees an actual lustration by water is performed.
LUX. Latin for Light. It is applied to Freemasonry because Masonry is a fountain of intelligence and wisdom. It has been a favorite word in the symbolism of all mystic orders.
LUX E TENEBRIS. Light out of Darkness. This device teaches that when man is enlightened by reason he is able to penetrate the darkness and obscurity which ignorance and superstition spread abroad.