lodge, which you are to see carefully and punctually executed. I will also present you with the mallet; it is an emblem of power. One stroke of the mallet calls to order, and calls up the junior and senior deacons ; two strokes calls up all the subordinate officers; and three, the whole lodge.'

R. W. M. Brethren, you will salute your new master.

He then walks in front of the candidate, and gives the signs of an entered apprentice Mason, and passes on; and each brother present does the same, in like manner, until the signs of each degree are given up to the past master.

The right worshipful master then says to the candidate : 'I now leave you to the government of your lodge.' [Taking his seat.]

The senior warden 'now goes and delivers up his jewel, and gavel, to the new master, and vacates his seat, and all the ordinate officers, each in his turn according to rank, do the same. After a few minutes' pause, the old master rises, and addressing the chair, says: Right worshipful, I perceive the officers have all left their seats, probably out of compliment to me. Brother Seekoffice was senior warden: I have no doubt he will serve under you, if you request him. The new master asks brother S. to take the senior warden's jewels, who very promptly complies, and takes his seat; and in like manner all the officers are reinstated, until they come to the treasurer, when the old master addressing the chair, says, 'Right worshipful, the treasurer's is an office of considerable responsibility, he holds all the funds and property of the lodge; the brethren all wish to have a voice in appointing or filling that office, and it is generally customary to do it by nomination. If you will request the brethren to nominate, I presume they will select some one that will suit them.'

The new master requests the brethren to nominate a treasurer. Here a scene of confusion takes place which is not easily described. The new installed worshipful is made the butt for every worthy brother to exercise his wit upon. Half a dozen are up at a time, soliciting the master to nominate them for treasurer, urging their several claims, and decrying the merits of others with much zeal; some crying out, order, worshipful! keep order! others propose to dance! and request the master to sing for them; some whistle or sing, or jump about the room, or scuffle, and knock down chairs or benches. One proposes o call from labor to refreshment; another compliments the worshipful master on his dignified appearance, and knocks off his hat, or pulls it down over his face, and sometimes he is dragged from his oriental chair; [See plate 9, fig, 4,] another

informs him a lady wishes to enter. Senior warden or some other brother makes a long speech about reducing the price of the chapter degrees, from twenty dollars to twelve, and recommends that it be paid in country produce, &c. His motion is seconded, and the new master is pressed on all sides to 'put the question.' If the question is put, the brethren all vote against it, and accuse the new master of breaking his oath, when he swore he would support the constitution of the General Grand Royal Arch Chapter, which establishes the price of the four chapter degrees, at twenty dollars.

If the master attempts to exercise the power of the gavel, it often has the contrary effect; for if he gives more than one rap, instead of seating the noisy fraternity, it calls them all up on their feet. If he gives one rap, and calls to order, every one obeys the signal, with the utmost promptness, and drops on the nearest seat. The next instant, before the master can utter a word, all are on their feet again, and as noisy as ever. Some brother now proposes, that the lodge be closed; another one hopes it will be closed in a short way. The old master then addresses the candidate: 'Right worshipful, it is moved and seconded, that this lodge be closed. You can close it as you please. You can merely declare the lodge closed, or in any other way.'

The candidate, who often is much embarrassed, sometimes rises and says, "I declare this lodge'-At this, another general confusion takes place. The old master catches him by the arm, and says, 'Brother, you swore in your obligation, that you would not close this or any other lodge, over which you should be called to preside, without giving a lecture or some part thereof. Do you intend to break your oath?' The candidate says, he does not recollect taking that oath; he is very sorry; he does not intend to break his oath, &c. On being told he can resign to the old master, who will close for him, he very cheerfully abdicates the oriental chair. The worshipful master informs him that the preceding scene, notwithstanding its apparent confusion, is designed to convey to him in a striking manner, the important lesson, never to solicit, or accept any office or station, for which he does not know himself amply qualified.

The ceremony being through, the lodge is closed, as in the preceding degrees.

MOST EXCELLENT MASTER'S DEGREE.

A part of the ceremonies of opening this lodge, is the same as that of the preceding degrees. The officers and brethren take their seats as in plate No. 10.

No. 1. Most excellent master; 2. Senior warden; 3. Junior warden; 4. Secretary; 5. Treasurer; 6. Senior deacon; 7. Junior deacon.

The tyler being stationed, the most excellent master then gives two raps with his gavel; which brings all the officers on their feet; and each recites his duty, commencing with junior deacon, in regular course to senior warden; who also recites the duty of the most excellent master, which is the same as in the mark or past master's lodge.

The most excellent master then says, ' Brother senior warden, assemble the brethren round the altar, for the purpose of opening this lodge of most excellent master Masons.'

S. W. Brethren, please to assemble round the altar, for the purpose of opening this lodge of most excellent master Masons. In pursuance of this request, the brethren assemble around the altar, and form a circle; and stand in such a position as to touch each other, leaving a space for the most excellent master: then all kneel on their left knee, and join hands; each giving his right hand brother his left hand, and his left hand brother his right hand, their left arms uppermost, and their heads inclining downwards. All being thus situated, the most excellent master reads the following portion of scripture:

it

PSALM XXIV. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and all that dwell therein. For he has founded upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them

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that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads,* O ye gates! and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in: Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty! the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates! even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.'

Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates! even lift them up, ye everlasting doors! and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? Selah.'

The reading being ended, the most excellent master then kneels, joins hands with the others, which closes the circle, and they ail lift their hands, as joined together, up and down, six times, keeping time with the words, as the most excellent master repeats them; "one, two, three; one, two, three.' This is masonically called balancing. They then rise, disengage their hands, and lift them up above their heads, with a moderate and somewhat graceful motion, and cast up their eyes; turning at the same time to the right, they extend their arms, and then suffer them to fall loose and somewhat nerveless, by their sides. [See plate 11, fig. 2.]

This sign is said by Masons to represent the sign of astonishment made by the queen of Sheba, on first viewing Solomon's temple.

The most excellent master now resumes his seat, and says, 'Brethren, attend to giving the signs.'

The most excellent master then gives all the signs from an entered apprentice Mason, up to the degree of most excellent master, in which they all join, and imitate him.

M. E. M. Brother senior warden, you will please to inform brother junior, and request him to inform the brethren, that it is my will and pleasure, that this lodge of most excellent master

* As the Most Excellent master reads the words, " Lift up your heads, O ye gates," each kneeling brother, applying the scripture to himself, alternately raises and again bows his head, as the reading proceeds; but as often as the following passage, "Let the King of Glory come in!" occurs in the reading, the most excellent master, applying it to himself, advances a few steps towards the space left for him in the circle, and arrives there about the time the reading ends. His voice is loud and sonorous; and when repeating the question, "Who is the King of Glory?" he raises himself upon his toes, erects his head, and seems to say, as he strikes his heels upon the floor," I AM the King of Glory?"-This is a difficult part to perform. The object of the presiding officer in this part of the ceremony, is to PERSONATE DEITY! his scenic representation is, therefore, as perfectly wrought up to his ideas of supreme majesty, as are those of a tragedian on the stage when personating Rolla, Richard III., or Othello, according to his notions of their characters.

Masons, be now opened for dispatch of business, strictly forbidding all private committees, or profane language, whereby the harmony of the same may be interrupted, while engaged in their lawful pursuits; under no less penalty, than the bylaws enjoin, or a majority of the brethren may see cause to inflict.

S. W. Brother junior, it is the will and pleasure of the most excellent master, that this lodge of most excellent master Masons, be now opened for dispatch of business; strictly prohibiting all private committees, or profane language, whereby the harmony of the same may be interrupted, while engaged in their lawful pursuits; under no less penalty than the by-laws enjoin, or a majority of the brethren may see cause to inflict.

J. W. Brethren, you have heard the most excellent master's will and pleasure, as communicated to me by brother senior. So let it be done.

The lodge being now opened, and ready for the reception of candidates, the junior deacon repairs to the preparation room, where the candidate is in waiting; takes off his coat, puts a cable-tow six times round his body; and in this situation, conducts him to the door of the lodge, against which he gives six. distinct knocks, which are answered by the same number by the senior deacon from within. Junior deacon then gives one knock, and the senior deacon answers it by giving one more; the door is then partly opened by the senior deacon, who then says, 'Who comes there?'

J. D. A worthy brother, who has been regularly initiated as an entered apprentice Mason, passed to the degree of fellow craft, raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason, advanced to the honorary degree of mark master, presided as master in the chair, and now wishes further light in Masonry, by being received and aknowledged as a most excellent master.

S. D. Is it of his own free will and accord, he makes this request?

S. D. By what further right or benefit does he expect to obtain this favor?

J. D. By the benefit of a pass-word.