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

104 INTIMATE SECRETARY’S DEGREE. INITIATION. 105Solomon, who happened to be alone bemoaning the lossof Hiram Abiff.Hiram King of Tyre, walked in so hastily, and seeminglyin so passionate a manner as to give umbrage to,and rouse the zeal of, one of Solomon’s favorites calledJoabert, whom you this evening have had the honor~ torepresent.Joabert being struck with the notion that he came withsome evil design against his sovereign, was promptedto follow the King of Tyre, and go to the door and listen.After the King of Tyre had entered the apartment ofSolomon, and had conversed with him a short time asregards their treaty, deeming themselves secure fromall eaves droppers, upon looking around Hiram per.ceived a person at the door listening to their conversationand exclaimed, “Oh heavens, we are overheard,” andon an event which took place shortly after the completionof the Temple. This degree, my brother, is not necessarilyconnected with either of those that precede or followit. It appears from what we can glean from Masotiictradition, th~t, previous to the commencement of theTemple, Hiram, King of Tyre, by a treaty made withSolomon, King of Israel, had agreed to furnish for theconstruction of the Temple, hewn timber, framed anddrawn from the forests of Lebanon by Hiram’s people;also hewn stones squared and numbered in the quarriesof Tyre, ready made and fitted for immediate use; healso furnished him with a large number of his (iiblim,stone cutters and sculptors, and of his setters, layers andbuilders; also with a large number bf cedar and fir treesto be used in the construction of God’s holy temple atJerusalem.For and in consideration of which, Solomon agreed togive him 20,000 measures of wheat and 20 of pure oil,year by year; and also barley, wine and honey, and uponthe completion of the temple 30 citiesTM in the land ofGalilee; and there was peace between Solomon King ofIsrael, and Hiram King of. Tyre.A year elapsed befbre the provisions of this treatywere complied with on the part of Solomon; and whenKiram King of Tyre went to visit his newly acquiredterritory, he found the lands poor and the people rudeand of bad morals, and that the keeping of it would beattended with more expense than profit. He thereforewent in person to Solomon to complain of the deceit;when he arrived at Jerusalem he made his entry throughthe guards and went hastily to the apartment of KingVote 55.—The legend of this degree refers to the cities in Galilee whichwere presented hy Solomon to Hiram. King of Tyre; and with whoaf Char.acter the latter was so displeased that he called them the land ot CehaL”—Vs.*e~s Zfe~elopaedIa of lasemaamry, Aztiole Intimate Isinetery.running to the doo~r seized Joabert by the hand anddragged him into the presence of Solomon, saying:“Rere he is.” Solomon, who could not doubt of hisfavorite’s trespass, asked him, “What shall we do withhim ?“ Hiram immediately replied, “We must kill him,~’and drew his sword for that purpose, on which Solomoncoming down from the throne, said, “Stop, my brother,stay your anger, I know the man, and his offense maynot be so great as it at first appears; allow me to questionhim.” Which was immediately assented to by HiramKing of Tyre.After King Solomon, in the presence of Hiram, hadquestioned Joabert as regards his peeping in at the door,he ordert~d his guards to seize him and conduct himfrom the apartment and to be answerable for him whenrequired. After the two kings were left alone, Solomonthus addressed King Hiram:Sire, this is the only person among my favorites