Blanchard J (anti-masonic) - Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated Part I

86 .~ZEFEOT MASTER’S DEGREE. HISTORICAL. 87Adoniiu~m—Thank you, Brother Stolkin.A doniram—Brother Orator, you will now favor uswith the Historical Discourse of this degree.HISTORICAL DISCOURSE BY ORATOR.Respectable and Perfect Brother, newly initiated:Solomon having been informed that the body of HiramAbiff had been found, was happy in having the poorconsolation of beholding his remains. lie gave ordersand strict charge to his Grand Inspector, the nobleAdoniram, to prepare for the funeral obsequies withpomp and magnificence, and ordered all the brethrento attend with white aproas and gloves; he strictly forbadethat tile bloody stains should be washed away untilhe had wreaked his vengeance on the perpetrators of thathorrid deed.The noble Adoniram soon furnished a plan of astately monument which was executed and perfectlyfinished in nine days, made of black and white marble.The heart of Hiram Abiff was enclosed in an urn andexposed for nine days on the third step ascending to theSanctum Sanctorum, previous to the Temple being finished.It was intended that it should be placed on a beautifulobelisk built at the side of the Temple a little to thenorth of the west door, in order to mark out the placewhere the murderers had first deposited him in a pit beforethey removed him to the place where Brother Stolkinfound him under the sprig of Acacia.The heart of the excellent Hiram Abiff was embalmedand exposed to public view in the urn, with the swordrun through the urn. And there the brethren used tocome to express their grief on the oecauion by kneelin 4on the Ihst step ascending towards the Sanctum Sanetorum.At the expiration of nine daya the obelisk beingfinished, the urn with its contents was deposited on thetop of the pedestal.There was also a triangular stone on which was engravenin Hebrew characters I. ~.M..B.. The “I” isthe initial of the Ancient Master’s Word, the M.:. B.:.the initials of the new word; [Mah-hah-Bone] also asprig of Acacia figured on the top. Solomon after this,had all the triangular medals taken f~m the Masterswhen the Ancient Word was changed to the one we nowgive in the third degree.The Respectable Hiram Abiff’s body was interred inthe middle of a great chamber separate from or underthe Temple, with all the honors due to so great a man.It was in this chamber that Solomon used to hold hischapters and confer with Hiram, King of Tyre, on theMystic Art.Three days after the ceremony was over, Solomonsurrounded by all his court went to the Temple andafter having the workmen placed in the same positionas they were on the day of the funeral, he offered up aprayer to the Almighty, and after having finished heexamined the tomb, canopy and repeated triangle, alsothe letters which were engraven thereon, also the pyramids—whenfinding every thing properly executed, hegave the sign of admiration, which was repeated byall the brethren.This, my Brother, ends the Historical Discourse ofthis degree.