Most Excellent Master's Degree.

This degree is introduced in masonic books as follows:

"None but the meritorious and praiseworthy, none but those who through diligence and industry have advanced far towards perfection, none but those who have been seated in the oriental chair by the unanimous suffrages of their brethren, can be admitted to this degree of masonry.

"In its original establishment, when the temple of Jerusalem was finished, and the fraternity celebrated the cope-stone with great joy, it is demonstrable that none but those who had proved themselves to be complete masters of their profession were admitted to this honour; and indeed the duties incumbent on every mason, who is accepted and acknowledged as a most excellent master, are such as render it indispensable that he should have a correct knowledge of all the preceding degrees."

This degree contains a detail of the ceremony in the celebration of the passage of the sun through the first celestial gate, the winter solstice, that is the twenty-fifth day of December, which, as we have seen, was commemorated as the birthday of the god Sol.-The sun was

the key or cope-stone required to complete (or rather to form) the arch; and this raised by masons, is a symbol of that made by the sun in the heavens, and is commemorative of the commencement of his return to the upper hemisphere, in which that arch is formed. This degree, in some measure, anticipates the subject of the royal arch, in which the story of the finding of the lost sun, logos or word, is consummated.

For the purpose of opening the lodge, the brethren assemble round the altar, and form a circle, leaving a space for the master. All then kneel and join hands, and the master reads the following passages from scripture

"Psalm xxiv. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory. Selah."

"2 Chron. vi, Then said Solomon, the Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have built a house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel."

As the master reads the words, "lift up your heads, O ye gates," each brother raises his head; and as he continues, "and the king of glory shall come in," he steps along a few steps towards the space left for him in the circle.

The foregoing passage from the Psalms is very appropriate to the object of commemoration in this ceremony. For, although the Psalmist alluded to the true God, the language made use of would equally apply to the Pagan god, the sun. The Abbe Pluche observes, as before noticed, that the tongue and religion of the Hebrews were originally the same as the Egyptians: and, notwithstanding the variations which afterwards took place between them, "the forms of prayer remained the same." So in this case, the expressions, the hill of the Lord; the king of glory; the Lord mighty in battle, may be applied to the course of the sun; the veneration in which he was held, and his wars and victories over Typhon, the genius of evil. King, moreover, was one of the peculiar titles bestowed upon Osiris the sun. He was denominated,, says Pluche," the leader, the king, the moderator of the stars, the soul of the world, the governor of nature." Besides, the term made use of above, Hazis or Hesus, and translated Lord, is a pagan name of the Deity, and answers, says the same author, to the Warts or Mars of the Sabines and Latins.

So the idea in Chronicles, of the Lord's dwelling in darkness, might anciently, among the Pagans, have alluded to the sun, in the lower hemisphere, or enveloped in clouds for a time, in the tropic of Cancer.

The reading being ended, the master kneels, and joins hands with the others, which closes the circle. They then rise, disengage their hands, and lift them up above their heads; cast up their eyes, and then suffer their hands to fall by their sides.

This sign, it may be presumed, is intended to express admiration and gratitude for the return of the sun.

After some further ceremonies, the senior warden demands of the most excellent, if this be not the day set apart for the celebration of the cope-stone? Which being ascertained to be the fact, the brethren form a procession double file, and march six times round the lodge, against the course of the sun, singing the following song:

All hail to the morning, that bids us rejoice;
The temple's completed, exalt high each voice}
The cope-stone is finished-our labour is o'er,
The sound of the gavel shall hail us no more.

The key-stone is now brought forward, and two pillars or columns are set up, and an arch placed on them, made of plank, in imitation of block work; in the centre of which is a mortice left for the reception of a keystone, which the master takes, and, placing it in the arch, drives it down, by giving it six raps with his gavel.

The ark, which all this time had been carried round by four of the brethren, is now put upon the altar, and a pot of incense placed on it.

The members all kneel, and while in this attitude the master reads the following passage of Scripture:-2 Chron. vii. 1, 4. "Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house, and the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever."

As the master reads the last clause of the above extract, a brother touches a piece of gum camphor to a candle, and throws it into the pot of incense, of the same combustible matter, which stands on the altar before the kneeling brethren, which immediately ignites and makes a very brilliant light.

part of this work, of a similar ceremony in the ancient mysteries; in which, after great lamentation for the loss of Adonis or Osiris, the sun, there was also great joy at his finding. “It is said, that this lamentation was performed over an image in the night season; and when they had sufficiently lamented, a candle was brought into the room, which ceremony might mystically denote the return of the sun; then the priest with a soft voice, muttered this form of words, Trust ye in God, for out of pains salvation is come unto us.' ”

After the above, the brethren all repeat in concert the words, "For he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever," six times, each time bowing their heads low towards the floor.*

The members then balance six times as in opening, rise and balance six times more, and the lodge is closed.

Ancient freemasonry could have no connection with the Hebrew Scriptures, any farther than they contained sentiments and expressions in common use among other nations. Or if the founders of the institution adopted passages of scripture, they perverted them to suit their own peculiar views. We have seen that the prospect of the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere, caused great rejoicings among the ancient pagan nations; and the expression, "For he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever," is peculiarly applicable to that circumstance.

The sentiment conveyed in the first verse of the foregoing song, calling upon the brotherhood to rejoice in consequence of having arrived at the end of their labours, is well illustrated in the following extract from Bryant's mythology, (vol. iii. p. 38.) which alludes to a fact noticed above. "Part of the ceremony in the Eleusinian mysteries was a night scene, attended with tears and lamentations, on account of some person who was supposed to have been lost; but at the close a priest used to present himself to the people who were mourning, and bid them to be of good courage, for the Deity whom they lamented as lost, was preserved; and that they would now have some comfort, some respite after all their labour. To which was added, I have escaped a calamity, and met with a better portion. This is the same rite as that which was called in Canaan,

The companions of royal arch, previously to giving the grand omnific word, balance three times three, with their hands joined, bringing them down on their knees nine times, making a pause between each three.-Similar customs prevail in China at this day, which no doubt are derived from the same source as those of masonry. The following extract from the Chinese Courier, published at Canton, Nov. 1832, establishes this fact. "PekingHis Majesty, a few days ago, when worshipping and offering sacrifice on the altar of Hwang Te, the Yellow Emperor, and divine originator of agriculture, drank the 'cup of bliss," and performed the grand ceremony of thrice kneeling, and nine times putting his forehead to the ground. It seems he did not much like it, for he has censured the master of the ceremonies for giving the words, kneel— knock-kneel-knock ;-kneel-knock, too slowly. He complains also, that the man who read the prayer had but a poor voice, and commands that another be chosen who has a strong, clear voice, and is perfectly acquainted with the detail of rites and ceremonies. On the 13th of May, the Emperor went in person to the altar of the Black Dragon to pray for rain: and appointed select Budh priests, with several princes and kings, to form two parties, and alternately lodge at the temple, to continue their supplications till rain should be granted.

the death and revival of Adonis or Thamuz, who was the Osiris and Thamas of Egypt."

Again the same author observes, (vol. 3. p. 179) “The principal rites in Egypt were confessedly for a person lost, and consigned for a time to darkness; who was at last found. This person I have mentioned to have been described under the character of Osiris. Hence these exclamations at the feast of Isis: Eurekamen Sugcharomen. [We have found him, and we rejoice together.]

"After Osiris had been reputed for some time lost, it was a custom among the Egyptians to go in quest of him; and the process, as described by Plutarch, was very remarkable; upon the nineteenth of the month, the Egyptians go down at night to the sea, at which time the priests and supporters (the Patera) carry the sacred vehicle. In this is a golden vessel in the form of a ship, or boat, into which they pour some of the river water. Upon this being performed, a shout of joy is raised, and Osiris is supposed to be found."

The blaze of the gum-camphor of masonry seems more appropriate than the above, to typify the restoration of the lost sun.

The last verse of the song cited above, contains a beautiful allusion to the masonic trinity; and at the same time forcibly conveys the idea that the writer meant, by the establishment of the great institution, the creation of the world, planned by infinite wisdom, supported by strength, and adorned by beauty.

Jubilee at Rome.

The church of Rome practices a rite very similar to that of the masonic order in laying the cope-stone. It is called the Jubilee, and the manner of performing it, says Bailey, is as follows:

"The Pope goes to St. Peter's church to open what they call the holy gate, knocking at it three times with a golden hammer, repeating the 19th verse of the 118th psalm, "Open to me the gates of righteousness, and I will go unto them and praise the Lord." At this time the masons break down the wall, and the pope kneels before it, while the penitentiaries of St. Peter wash him with holy water, then taking up the cross, he begins to sing the Te Deum, and enters the church, the clergy following him.

"In the mean time the cardinal legates are sent to open the three other holy gates, with the same ceremonies, in the churches of St. John of Lateran, St. Paul, and St. Mary the Greater. This is performed at the first vespers of Christmas eve, and the next morning the pope gives his benediction to the people in the Jubilee form. When the holy year is ending, they shut the gates again in the following manner; the pope, after he has blessed the stones and mortar, lays the first stone, and leaves there twelve boxes of gold and silver medals.

"Formerly much people resorted from all parts to Rome, to enjoy the benefits of the jubilee, but now-a-days but few, except those who dwell in Italy, the Pope allowing them to observe the Jubilee in their own country, granting the same benefits as if they came to Rome."