Development Of The Royal Arch Degree.

" Moses engraved the ineffable name upon a plate of gold and deposited it in the ark of the covenant . Moses made the name known to Aaron and Joshua , and afterwards it was made known to tho chief priests . The word

beingcomposed of consonants only its true pronunciation was soon lost , but the word still remained in the ark ; and in tbe time of Otheniel , in a battle against the King of Syria , those who bore the ark were slain , and the ark fell to the

ground . After tho battle the men of Israel searching for it were led to it by the roaring of a lion , which , crouching by it , had guarded it , holding the golden key in its mouth . Upon the approach of the High Priest and the Levites ho

laid doAYn the key and withdrew . Hence upon tho golden key worn by tho Treasurer you see the initials of these words , ' In arc leonis verbum inveni . ' ' In the lion ' s mouth

I found the word . This plate of gold was melted down , made into an image of Dagon by the Philistines who took it in battle .

"David intended to build a temple to God , but bequeathed the enterprise to Solomon , his son , and Solomon selected a place near Jerusalem ; but finding overthrown columns of Enoch ' s temple , and

supposing them to be the rniins of a heathen temple , and not wishing to select a desecrated spot , selected Mount Moriah for the site of his temple to the true God . Under this temple he built a secret vault , the approach to which

was through eight other vaults , all under the ground , and to which a long and narrow passage led under the king ' s palace . In the ninth apartment was placed a twisted column of white marble , on which it was intended

to place the ark , and in this apartment he held his private conferences with King Hiram of Tyre , and H . A ., they only knowing the way by which it was approached .

Solomon proposed to erect a temple of Justice , and selected as a site the spot where Enoch ' s temple had stood , and to that end directed that the fallen columns and

rubbish should be removed . Gibulnm , Joabevfc and Stolkin were selected to survey the ground and lay off the foundation . "

THE THSTORY CONTINUED Ifl 'HIE VOURTtiENTH IrEGKEE . "My brother , you were informed in tho degree of the Royal Arch that King Solomon builded a secret vault , the approach to which was through eight other vaults ,

all under the ground , and to which a long and narrow passage led from the palace . The ninth arch or vault was immediately under the Holy of Holies of the Temple . In that apartment Solomon held private conferences with

King Hiram and Hiram Abiff . After tho death of Hiram Abiff the two kings ceased to visit it , resolving- not to do so until that time they should select one to fill his place , and that until that time they would make known the sacred

name to no one . After Adomoram , Joaberfc and Stolkin had discovered the cube of agate and the mysterious name , and had delivered it to King Solomon , the two kings determined to deposit it in the secret vault , permit the

three Masters who discovered it to bo present , make known to them the true pronunciation of the ineffable word , constitute the last degree of ancient Craft Masonry .

[ Query : Will there ever be a last to ancient Craft Masonry ?] and term it Grand Elect , Perfect and Sublime Masons . The cube of agate was so deposited .

"After the twelve Princes of Ameth , the nine Elect and the Chief Architect were admitted to this degree . The secret vault was thereafter called Sacred Vault and was

originally built by Hirarn Abiff , and none bnt Grand , Elect , Perfect and Sublime Masons knew of its existence , or knew other than the substitute word .

" The Temple was completed in the year 3000—six years , six months and ton days after King Solomon had laid the first corner stone , and its completion was celebrated with great pomp and splendid magnificence .

" Subsequently , while the Temple was being dedicated , King Solomon conferred this sublime degree on the twentvfive brethren we have mentioned , and in the form you have but now witnessed .

=. f = » * * % " On the second day [ after the Templo was dedicated ] an audience was given to all Masons , from the degree of

Master to the Royal Arch , and all vacancies were filled . On the third day King Solomon devoted his time to advancing and raising Fellow Crafts and Entered Apprentices ,

Development Of The Royal Arch Degree.

TiiE vEsmvcnox OF THK TBMPLE BY XEB \]( JIL \ DSEZZAR . " This happened four hundred and seventy years , six months and ten days after the dedication . After the city was taken , and the King's palace and the Temple

demolished , somo of the Grand Elect Masons bethought themselves of the Sacred Vault and the inestimable treasure it contained . Repairing to tho ruins of the temple at night they found that the way which led down to the vault had

not been discovered , nor the slab of marble which covered it disturbed , but upon it thoy found tho dead body of Galaad , an eminent brother and Chief of the Levites . Ho had been entrusted with tho custody of the Sacred Vault and the care of the lamps that burned continually . "

Removing the body and descending into the vault they erased the sacred letters from the plate of gold , broke tho plate to pieces , placed the cube of agate in a corner of

the vault , covered it with rubbish , extinguished the lamp aud overturned tho pedestal ; then they buried Bro . Galaad in the vault ( giving him a Masonic funeral of course ) ; they then ascended and covered the place , & c .

It was then determined never again to w rite the namo , but hand it down by tradition in syllables without ever pronouncing tho entire word . . . . Once in each year the word was repeated by syllables in the Temple , the brethren

forming a circle , the High Priest repeating the syllables to a brother on the right , who repeated them to tho one next to him , and so they passed round the circle and returned to the High Priest . . . .

" Finally , when the time arrived that the Christian Princes entered into a league to free the Holy Land from the oppression of tho Infidels , tho good and virtuous Masons . . . offered their services to the confederates ,

upon condition that they should have a chief of their own election , aud whoso name was only made known in the hour of battle , which being granted , they accepted their standard and departed . "

The last paragraph informs us that the Princes and the Knights were so delighted with the Masons that all the best of the Crusaders wore Masonized , and so it "spread far and wide through a succession of ages to the present day . "

" Consistency " is called a " jewel , " but it is certainly not a Masonic jewel . Here we have three rituals of the Royal Arch . According to the English Ritual the great secret

was discovered at the building of the second Temple . According to the old French ritual the secret was not discovered until after the destruction of the last Temple . And according to the A . and A , ritual the secret from the

days of oolomon to the present time was never lost at all . Again , the old French ritual informs us that Brothers Mahabon , Jachin and Boaz were Solomon ' s confidential friends ; but those three old worthies were discarded from

the Royal Arch degree both by the English and the A . and A . ritual tinkers . Still again , according to the old French ritual , Brothers Gibulum , Joaberfc and Stolkin ( Joabert and Stolkin were the brethren who on that

occasion pulled Bro . Gibulum with the rope out of the vault ) were contemporaries of the Emperor Titus ; tho A . and A . luminaries make those worthies contemporaries of King

Solomon while tho tinkers of the English R . A . ritual have expelled Joaberfc and Stolkin from all connection with the Masonic fraternity . There aro also other discrepancies which I shall call attention to at some future time . But in

one part of the story the old French ritual and the A . and A . ritual most singularly coincide , viz ., their sudden transition in their narratives from the days of Zerubbabel , or of Titus , down to the Crusaders and Templarism . —Masonic Truth . ( To be continued . )

Ar00402

ANOTHER DINNER . —Such was the shout on Wednesday outside tho Hall of the Loudon Cottago Mission at Salraon ' s-lane , Limehonse , from the hundreds of hungry children who , with their clatter of spoons and basons , were waiting to see whether or no there was to be any Irish stew this week , and , happily for them , there was ,- bat they

little knew how nearly it had been a case of an empty copper , for Mi-. Anstin , the indefatigable Director , assures us that it was only with the greatest difficulty that he saved his starving crowd from what wonld have been to them a bitter disappointment , Now , the question is , "What is to be done next week ?—for withont immediate

help from those able to assist in this good work , dinner party there will be none , and tho great hall will be empty . Let us earnestly hope this will not be so . Surely there are kind and charitable hearts who will SOJ that timely aid is given , aud forward their contributions as soon as they read these lines to Mr . Austin , 4 J- Finsbury-pavement , E . G ., who will most gladly and gratefully receive them .