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

INITIATION. 99CHAPTER VIIISIXTH OR INTIMATE SEORETABY’S Duouzu.INITIATION,The candidate must be in the ante-chamber dressed asa Perfect Master, and when the Sentinels retire from thelodge, the Captain of the Guards ord~s one of the brethrento divest him of said dress. In the interim Solomonand Hiram appear, to be conversing before the triangulartable; the candidate is made to approach the door, toopen it slyly and put himself in a listening attitude,‘~ben the guards make a little noise at the door, whichbeing heard by King Hiram he looks about an4 seeinga man listening, he lifts his hands to Heaven and criesin a rage:Hiram—Oh Heavei~s! a spy is at the door!Solomon—Impossible, the guards are at their post.Hiram.—( Without making any reply, runs to thgdoor, seizes the candidate and dIags him in) Here he is.Solomon-Alas lit is my friend Joabert:” What shallwe do with him?Hiram—( Drawing his sword or dagger) His indiscre.tion forfeits his life. We must kill him.Solomon—(Runs to King Hiram and puts his handon his sword.) Stop my brother! stay your anger! 1know the man and his offense may not be so great as itat first appears. Allow me to question him in presenceof all the brethren.Vote U.—”bcabert, The companion of Solemn., and Hiram. The nameappears in several of the high degrees in connection with the above sea.tinned illustrIous Maaons.~ —Masoys Zneycicpaedia an4 Dictionary ef hue-•asenzy~ Article Joabert.Hiram—Do so, and may he be found innooent andtrue.Solornon—(Six knocks; 000000.)The brethren are led into the D [lodge] by the Captainof the Guards and seated, after having saluted theking by drawing the right hand from the left sl~oulderto the righthip.Solomon—Joabert,” what induced you to listen at theinviolate door of this chamber of secret audience?Candidate—Seeing this person (pointing to Hiram)who is a stranger to me, and suspecting the vigilance ofthe guards, I feared for your life, and held myself inreadiness to succor you.Solomon—Is it iiot mere idle curiosity’ whichbrought you here?Candidate—No.Solo.mo n—What do you think of curiosity?Candidate—(Answers as he thinks proper.)Solomon continues his questions, and when he is satisfiedsays:Note 0.—”cabert. This, according to the legends of the high dej~seswas the name of the chief favorite of Solomon, who incurred the diap as.are of Hiram of Tyrs on a certain occasion, hut was suhacquently par.dened. and, on account of the great attachment he bed shown to the personof bis master, was appointed the Secretary of Solomon and Hiram in theirUcut intimate retatlona. lie was afternards still furthor eromotril hm~Soinmon. and appointed with Tile and Adoniram a Provost ani Judge. Hedistinguished himself in his successful efforts to bring certain traitors tocondign punishment, and although hy his rashness be at first excited thr~anger of the king, be was suhacquently forgiven. and eventually receivedthe highest reward that Solomon could bestow hy helug made an Sled.Perfect and Sohilma Meson. The name is evidently not Hrhrcw, or mustat least have under~ne much corruption, for in its present form it cannothe traced to n Hebrew root.’ —Machay’s Incytiopasgia of treemasonay,Article boabert.Vote 55.—~~Ouriosity. it is a very general opinion emeng Masons thata candidate should not be actuated by curiosity in seeking edmiasion intothe Order. But. in fact, there is no regulation tier landmark on the sub.~ . An idle curiosity is. it is true, 11,5 haracterlsiie of p weak mind.ut to he influenced by a laudable curiosity to penetrate the mysteries ofan Institution venerable for Its antiquity und its universality is to be eontroilad by a motive which is net reprehensIble. Thare are. indeed, inlegends of the high degrees some instances where curiosity is condemned:but the curiosity, in these instances. led to an intrusion into forbiddanplaces, and is very different from the curiosity or tiosire for knowledgewhich leads a profane to seek fairly and oponly an acquaintance withmysteries which be baa already lasroed to r.pect. —Mackeys lucycic.gaedia of Freemasonry. Article Curiosity.