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

168 MASTER ELECT 01 NINE. INITIATION. 169ram Abiff, certainly that prompted him to disobey hisorders. Pardon him.All—Thrice Most Sovereign, pardon him.Most Soveretgn—Brethren I yield to your entreaties,and pardon him in consideration of his zeal for doinghis duty. For i~ was necessary and right, for the authorityof public justice must prevail and all who resist itmust be subdued.Brother Joabert, for the zeal you have manifested inbringing to punishment one of the murderers of our lamentedMaster Hiram Abiff, I shall now confer uponyou the degree of Master Elect of Nine. Come and contractyour obligation.OBLIGATION MASTER ELECT OF NINE.I—do solemnly promise in the presence of theGreat Architect of the Universe, and of the respectablebrethren here present, and who compose this IllustriousChapter of Elected Masters, never to reveal Lhe secretsof this degree, with, which I have been or shall be lnadeacquainted, to any person whatever, but to a brotherknown to be of this degree, and in this I bind myselfby all my former obligations:I likewise promise to revenge masonry in general, andparticularly the most horrid murder that ever was committed.I also promise to protect and support the order andn’y brethren with all my might, credit and power, andalso the Grand Council of Princes of Jerusalem. And ifI fail in any part of this my present obligation and engagement,I submit to perish by the vindictive weapon,which shall be given me as an honorablc mark of thisorder, and as a reward of my zeal, fervor and constancy.So help me God, Amen.Most Sovereign—Rise my brother and receive yourreward. I do hereby constitute you an Elect of Nine’and invest you with the jewel of this degree, which is abalance with a scroll and dagger on one plate, and thedecapitated head of ignorance on the other. (He theninvests him with the apron and kisses him four times oneach cheek and once on the forehead.)SIGN.First one raises the peniardand makes the motion ofstriking the other on the forehead;the other places his handon his forehead as if to exammethe supposed wound.Second raises the arm,strikes at the other’s breast asif with a poniard, and says,Nekam. 5’Note Sl.—”Zleot of Nine. Clootob Naaonq’j—The auth degree cooferredin the lodge of Perfection. Scotch Rite, and the ninth upon thecatalogue of that system. There Is a Master with the title of MoatPotent, representing Solomon. with one warden styled Orand inspector.representing Stolkyn, a Treasurer, Secretary, Master of Ceremonies andCaptain of the Onard. the isiter representing Zerbal. The hangings arered and white. There are nine ilgbte. The apron is white, lined withblack and flecked with blood, having a bloody arm holding by the hair ahloody head; on the movable part a bloody arm with a poinard. Thelewd is a poinard. The age is SilO. The lesson is prudence in lode.meat. —MoMs’s Maaonlo Blotlonaq, hitlole Elect of Nina.Iota U,—”According to the Masoretie pointing, Nahain. A Hebrewword signifying Vengeance, and a significant word in the high degrees.’—Mackay’s Encyclopaedia of Treemaacnzy. Loticla Nekam.