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

192 KASTEB ELECT OF FIFTEEN. INITIATION. 193aaJ to arrive at the degree of Master Elect of Fifteen.Master—Let brother Joabert be admitted. (Adoniramthem apprehended, and have requested him to causeand candidate enter, and make fifteen steps in a triangularmanner, and a~~vance to the altar.)•to secure them and bring them to Jerusalem, to receivethem to be delivered to those whom I shall send thereMaster—Faithful Joabert, what do you wish?the punishment due for their crimes~Iiaspector—(For candidate,) I wishto know the otherI have selected fourteen of our most worthy brethren,two ruffians of our respectable Master Hiram Abifi, andand zealous masters, and have also selected you as theto arrive at the degree of Master Elect of Fifteen.fifteenth to proceed to the country of Cheth, and secureMaster—Brother Joabert, the zeal, fervor and constancyyou have shown in the preceding degrees, andthe other two murderers and bring them to Jerusalemmore especially in the degree of Master Elect of Nine,to receive the punishment adequate to their crimes. Dohad it not been for the intercession of your brethren,would have cost you your life.It is now six months since the execution of Jubelum,of whom this skeleton in the East is a representation;since which time 1. have caused Bengabee’ one of myIntendants in the country of Cheth, to cause diligent inquiryto be made if any person had taken shelter in thoseparts who might be supposed to have fled from Jerusalem,and I have just received in formation that severalpersons answering the description of the other two ruffianshave arrived there, and believing themselves secure,have began to work in the quarries of Bendaca.” Ihave also written to King Maacha” of Cheth to haveVote I1.—”Bengahee. [ScotchMasonry. i—A name Introduced In ScotchMasonry in the degree of Master Elect of Fifteen. He was intendant’ ofSolomon In the country of Cheth. The name, however, Is not hietoricel.nor Is there any “Country of Cheth” on record.“—.Merrla’e Masonic Die.tkeary’. Article Dengahee.Vote Sg.—”Dendskar. A signIficant word in the hlgb degree. One ofthe PrInces of Intendants of Sciemon, In whose quarry some of the traitorsspoken of In the third degree were found. He Is mentioned in the cats.logue of Solomon’s princes, given in 1 Kings iv. 9. The Hebrew word Isthe macf him who dividee or pierces. In some old rituals weIndbenflao& a corruptlon.’—Maokey’s Enoyclc,aedh of Freemasonry,Article 3e.debar.Mete *.—“Msaoha. In the tenth degree of the Scottish Rite we areInformed that certain traitors fled to “Maacha. KIng of Cheth.” by whomthey were delivered no to King Solomon on his sending for them. In 1Kings il. 59 we find ft recorded that two of the aervante of Shimei fledfrom erusalem to “AchIsh. son of Meacha. King of Oath.’ There canhe little doubt that the carelessness of the early copylats of the ritualled to the double error of putting ~eth for Bath and of supposing thatVasehe was Its king instead of It, kings father. The manuscripte of theAncient and Accepted Scottish Rite tao often copied by unlearned per.sons, show many such corruptions of Hebrew names whIch moderil researchesmust eventually correct. Delsunay. In his ~huIlenr.makes him~~%Tgre. a,,d cells him Mahakah.”MaOhey’s ~neyologaedia of free.Aisle Maseha.you consent to make the number of fifteen for that purpose?Candidate—I do, most cheerfully.Master-Having cheerfully accepted of the appointmnent,you will now together with the reBt of the brethrenwhom I have selected, proceed to the country ofCheth, and gain admission into the presence of KingMaseha, and deliver to him this letter with a request toapprehend if possible the other twp murderers of HiramAbiff and deliver them into your charge, to be securedand brought back to Jerusalem to receive the punishmentdue for their crimes. You will now depart andexecute my orders.Master-Illustrious Grand Captain of the Guards,you will now assemble your guards and escort the brethrento the country of Cheth.Captain of the Guards forms them into line and allretire except the two Kings and Expert.The Senior Warden now dresses in royal robes andtakes the character of Maacha, King of Cheth, and takesthe East.Embassy—(Knocks five, 00000.)Expert—(Knocks five, 00000; and opens the door)Who’s there?