W. M. How many Mark Masters were there employed in the Quarries of Tyre?

S. W. Seven hundred.

W. M. How many lodges were there in the Quarries of Tyre. S. W. Fourteen.

W, M. How many Mark Masters in each Lodge.

S. W. Fifty.

W. M. What was the pay of each Mark Master per day?

S. W. Twenty five shekels, equal to 3£ 2s. 6d. of our

money.

W. M. What was the sum total paid to this class of workmen at the building of the first Temple at Jerusalem?

S. W. Thirty-one millions, one hundred and twenty-eight thousand, seven hundred and fifty pounds. (Hurra! for Solomon and his masons! masons can fabricate lies as well as Temples, R. C.

W. M. What was delineated on that ancient coin?

S. W. The same as on that of the Mark Man, with the addition of the proper signature.

W. M. Brethren, I now crave your assistance to close this lodge. (They rise and stand in due order as Mark Masters.) Brother Senior Warden, what is the internal signal for closing this degree.

S. W. Five reports.

W. M, By whom are they given?

S. W. By the Right worshipful master and his wardens.

W. M. When are they given?

S. W. Immediately after the brethren have all given the sign of this degree.

W, M. Let that sign be given (it is given and the reports or knocks follow.) why are these reports given?

S. W. In allusion to the five points of Fellowship.

W. M. What is the second allusion?

S. W. The five noble offerings for the glorious temple of Jerusalem. First the grand offering of Araunah the Jebusite on the holy Mount Moriah. Second, the noble offering of King David. Third, the princely offering of King Solomon. Fourth, the mariner's and voluntary offering of the princes ond mighty men of Jerusalem. And, lastly, the magnificient offering of the celebrated Queen of Sheba.

W. M. What is the third allusion of these reports at the close of the lodge?

S. W. To the class of workmen that composed this order.

W. M. Then, Brethren, as master of that class, I declare this lodge duly closed, until our Brethren have furnished us with fresh materials for labour in our mystical science of free and accepted masonry.

Of the degrees of Architect and Grand Architect, I have two descriptions as practised in different Lodges, one by Finch. As far as possible I have united them; where not possible, I exhibit both.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE ARCHITECT'S DEGREE IN

MASONRY.

THIS Lodge is hung with black, in remembrance of the loss sustained by the death of a former architect and is lighted with twenty one lamps. A throne is elevated in the east; a table is placed in the centre, on which are a bible, a pair of compasses, a square, and a trowel in an urn. The contents of the latter is a mixture of milk, oil, flour and wine, which is supposed to be the heart of a worthy brother.

The drawing on the floor is an oblong. The emblem on it a triangle inclosing a flaming star, in the centre, the letter G, and below, the letters S. W. G. and G. H. S.

The master represents Solomon and is called the Right Worshipful Overseer of Master Architects, in some Lodges Most Mighty; the Wardens are called Senior and Junior Superintendants and most respectable and the brethren Master Architect's and most venerable. They wear a deep red sash and their aprons are edged with the same colour.

In opening the Lodge, the Master strikes seven, (Finch says six,) observing a distance between the third and fourth. The ceremonies of caution as to the close tiling of the lodge are then gone through, and the Master asks-What is the time?

A. The hour of a perfect mason.

Q. What is that hour?

A. The first instant of the first hour of the first day that the grand architect created the heavens and the earth.

R. W. O. This the first instant of the first hour of the first day that I as master open and hold this lodge. It is time to begin our labours.

Reception of the Candidate for passing.

The candidate who has been divested of his sword and blind folded is led in and placed between the wardens or superintendants and is thus addressed by the master.

R. W. O. Brother Noodle, before we can admit you into this mysterious degree of masonry, you must declare your abhorrence of the crime of those worthless ruffians, who caused the vacancy of an architect. As a test of your integrity, we require you to partake of the heart of this innocent victim, for which purpose we have presented it in this urn.

The R. W. O. Takes the trowel, and giving on the point of it a small portion of the contents of the urn, thus addresses him :"May this you now receive be the cement and bond of union between us. May it remain indissoluble. Say with us-misfortune to him who would disunite us. At this time the obligation is administered, the penalty of which in addition to all former penalties, is to be deprived of the rights of burial. Noodle, on his rising, is thrown on his face, so that his mouth covers the blazing star on the floor and the bandage is taken from his eyes. Q. What do you see?

A. The flaming star and the letter G.

Q. What does it signify?

A. Glory, grandeur and geometry.

Noodle rises and is presented with an apron and sash.

R. W. O. Brother Noodle, I reward your zeal for masonry by declaring you an architect. The difference which you observe in this apron proves the superiority of this degree, as, in future, you will be employed only in the elevation of the temple. The sash with which I invest you is a mark of distinction over the inferior orders, and its colour is to remind you, that a former architect chose rather to shed his blood than to reveal our mysteries. After his death, the work was at a stand; and Solomon was zealous to complete it. For this purpose he convened, those masters who had distinguished themselves by their genius, capacity and manners, and formed them into a lodge to effect it.

As those selected were no longer to be confounded with the multitude of the workmen, Solomon commanded that the distinct mark that they had worn should be changed, that they should in future have a right to enter the sactum sanctorum, having previously been placed upon the letter G. and flaming star.

By the original design of the edifice, Solomon perceived that the first elevation was perfect. He therefore, ordered a second to be placed with the same proportions under the direction of the Lodge of Architects.-Under the desire of one of these, Solomon directed, that, in succeeding ages, another should be elected to prevent this valuable part of masonry from being obliterated: that this brother before his admittance should engage himself by promises, such as you have entered into, and may you many years associate and enjoy this happiness among us.

Q. In what place were you received?

A. In the sanctum sanctorum.

Q. Did you ever work at a thing memorable?

A. At a grand master's tomb.

Q. Describe the inscription?

A. S. W. G. on the surperfice, and G. H. S. on the side of it. Q. What signifies S. W. G?

A. Submission, union and gómar or beauty.

Q. Why is it said to be beauty?

A. Because it was the first word the first man pronounced.

Q. What signifies G. repeated a second time?

A. Gabaon, the proper and original name of the ground on which the sanctuary was built and which was adopted as the word to distinguish Architects from other Masons.

Q. The H. I am well acquainted with; the other S remains to be explained.

A. Stolkin, the name of the first discoverer of a certain corpse.
Q. Of what use are these letters?

A. To instruct posterity in the mysteries of Masonry.
Q. In what do you employ yourself as an architect?

A. In perfecting the science and in regulating the workmen.
Q. By what means where you received an Architect?
A. By the cement which united the stone of the temple.
Q. What were the materials of this cement?

A. Milk, oil, wine and flour.

Q. Of what is the cement further allegorical?

A. The valuable remains of a Great Architect.

Q. By what can you prove yourself to be an Architect?

A. By two signs that are only made at the opening or in the lodge, and by a third sign to be used at discretion.

Q. Describe the former.

A. To place the right hand, the thumb erect, upon the heart, to make a diagonal line forward to the height of the face, to bring it horizontally to it, putting the thumb on the forehead, so as to form a triangle.

Q. What name do you give to this sign?

A. The sign of surprise and defence.

Q. How is it disposed of?

A. By the sign of sorrow.

Q. Describe it.

A To place the right hand flat on the breast, making a motion as if to retiré, and in so doing, to pass the right foot behind the left foot, so as to form a square.

Q. What is the third sign to use at discretion.

A. To draw the right hand over the right hip.

Q. The utility of this sign?

A. To gain admittance into a lodge of Architects.

Q. What time is it?

A. The last day, the last hour, the last instant that the master' holds his lodge.

The brethren strike seven times, as they do at the opening, and the lodge is closed.

Finch's Catechism for the degree of Architect.

R. W. O. Brother Senior Superintendant, why do we open and close in this degree with six reports?

S. S. In allusion to the six days of creation.

R. W. O. In what manner is it performed?

S. S. The R. W. O. gives two on the tracing board before him, as emblematic of the first and second days; and the Senior and Junior Superintendants do the same, as emblématic of the other four days.

R. W. O How is the candidate prepared in this degree?
S. S. With the outward plans of the Temple.

R. W. O. For what purpose?

S. S. To prove himself a master architect.

R. W. O. How did you enter?

S. S. By three distinct and two quick reports.
R. W. O. Why so?

S. S. In allusion to the number of this degree.

R. W. O. Why given by three distinct and two quick reports? S. S. To represent the square of the Nos. which King Solomon commanded should be well practised and understood by Master Architects, to keep in remembrance that noble discovery of Hiram Abiff.

R. W. O. Why do we go through the ceremony of being conducted round the lodge?

S. S. In commemoration of King Solomon and the twelve tribes of Israel going in Jubilee-procession three times round the foot of Mount Moriah, on the morning that the foundation-stone of the temple was laid.

R. W. O. To what does the sign of this degree allude?

S. S. The first or external elevation of the Temple.

R. W. O. To what does the token allude?

S. S. To the union of the five penal fingers of an entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Mark Man, Mark Master and Master Mason,

R. W. O. What does the word denote?

S. S. A peculiar branch of the duty of the brethren of this degree.

R. W. O. Be pleased to name it?

S. S. Comforters and overseers of the people appointed by King Solomon for that purpose.

R. W. O. What was the chief masonic employ of the brethren of this order?

S. S. To give the plans and elevations of the outer temple. R. W. O. What number of Lodges, and what branch of Masons, formed this order?

S. S. Our lodges only consisted of Senior and Junior Wardens of the twelve Master Masons' Lodges.