The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 7 - Rituals 555
Preceptors, Guy of Auvergne, Godfrey de Goneville, and Hughes de Peralde,
were condemned to life imprisonment, the king overrode the Commission's
verdict and hurried DeMolay and Auvergne to the stake. When the Orator has
finished his speech, the curtain is raised to give a view of the Council Chamber,
one or more Guards being stationed at convenient points. The scene is dark, and
an attendant goes about lightening candles. The Marshal of the Commission
escorts the Inquisitors to their places, who sit a few moments examining their
documents in silence. Then, the Master Inquisitor rises and addresses the
Commission that they have met to pass judgement upon the three prisoners for
final decision. The Senior Guard at the outside, accompanied by the prisoners,
gives an alarm of two raps, and the Marshal is sent to learn who interrupts the
conference. He allows them to enter, and the Master Inquisitor confronts
DeMolay with the charges, which consist of 1. being the head of an Order that
has practiced many abominations, 2. hypocrisy and treachery in conducting the
crusades in the Holy Land, 3. betraying the King and heresy toward the Church,
4. living in wealth while the poor have starved, and 5. conniving with the infidel
to make the crusades fail of their holy purpose. The Master Inquisitor presents
documents which allegedly contain the confession of DeMolay. The boy who
acts as DeMolay springs to his feet and defends himself, stating that these papers
are false and claiming that his Order is pledged to the relief of need, and that the
Order's wealth was ever held at its call until it was wrested from them by an
avaricious king. The Master Inquisitor offers to DeMolay to spare his life if he
reveals the secrets of his Order and discloses the identity of his brethren, but he
refuses. Then, the Master Inquisitor tries to tempt DeMolay to betray his Order
for a sum of gold, but he fails again. He gives DeMolay a last chance and sends
him to the Junior Inquisitor, who equally has no success in tempting him. Thus,
DeMolay is conducted to the Chamber of Torture. Now, Guy of Auvergne rises
and asks to stand with his comrade. The other two associates of DeMolay
likewise bow in silence and accept the verdict in advance.
Then, the scene becomes more thrilling, as DeMolay is brought back
supported between the Guards. Neither the Master Inquisitor nor the Senior
Inquisitor succeed in making him repent and reveal the secrets, and when finally
sentenced to the stake, he exclaims in metaphorical language that the flames
shall purge his soul of all the weaknesses and defections of the flesh and on the
bright red wings of fire his soul shall mount like the phoenix to Heaven (cf. p.
43).
The second section of this degree simply consists in showing a tableau that
depicts the burning of DeMolay and Guy of Auvernge. The third section presents
the grave of Jacques DeMolay on the North side of the room, west of the altar.
The officers enter in a prescribed triangular formation, and the Orator holds a
kind of funeral oration which begins with "We hail thee, noble martyr" (p. 44), in
which he refers to the aims of the DeMolays who are to live as nobly as their
great hero has died. In the fourth section, the Senior Deacon conducts the
candidates to the altar, where the Master Councilor lays open before them the
way they have already passed: "My Brothers, you knocked at the door of our