Masonic Discipline.—Xii.

of the brethren present would be intended candidates . Let us now examine into the result of this plan . It may be accepted , as a rule , that no officer would become a candidate or , in college language , " go in for " his certificate until he was

prepared to " pass his examination . So scon , then , as the " Grand Lodge of Instruction " become in good working ordei ' , every week would witness the preparation of a complete set of efficient and thoroughly competent officers . This

would be undoubtedly a great boon , a great step in the right direction , but it is nothing in comparison with auother fact . This fact is , that every one of these officers would learn precisely the same ritual , the same manner of conducting the

ceremonial routine , and thus a considerable approach , becoming closer each succeeding year , would be made towards establishing that uniformity of working in our lodges , which is the one thing needful in Freemasonry . Although there is not

the slightest' doubt of the efficiency of this proposed method of curing the evil , so much and justly complained of , yet it must not be imagined

that it could be effected without a great deal of trouble and mental effort upon the parts of the professors . The first step would consist in a complete oral revision of the ritual , and in a word , the professors would have to learn something

themselves , before they commenced to teach others . After the examples we have quoted , we think no one will deny that our ritual needs a revision , and the sooner it is done the better . But it must be done by the authority and direct agency

of the Grand Lodge . It would manifestly never do for every lodge to set to work , and revise the ritual as it seemed best to it . The worst of it is , that as a rule , Masters of lodges seldom make

any attempt at improving the ritualistic phraseology , but repeat , with unflinching fidelity , the most preposterous solocistns in language aud sense that can be well imagiued . Much of this is no doubt due to the difficulty of retaining in the

memory the sense as well as the mere words , but the real truth is that the officers of lodges in the majority of instances do not connect what they are doing with what they are saying . They do not understand the intimate

connection that exists between the duties and the manner in which they are expressed . They also perceive no sequence in the case . An I . G . that has performed his duties with satisfaction , by simple rote , shows that he never knew

Masonic Discipline.—Xii.

really anything about them , by being quite unable to answer the usual question put by the W . M . to the J . W ., on opening the lodge in the first degree , which defines what those duties are . If officers were to think upon their duties , to reflect more

upon Freemasonry , they would speedily impart more fervency and zeal to the manner in which they performed them .

The Sepulchre Of Solomon, King Of Israel.

THE SEPULCHRE OF SOLOMON , KING OF ISRAEL .

By DNALXO .

View oE Neby Diiud from tUo S . E .

The first object that meets the eye of a traveller approaching Jerusalem from the Southward , is a lofty minaret rising from the midst of the group of irregular buildings on the southern brow of Mount Zion , known as Neby Diiud .

The principal building of this group , is the Camaculum , which stands immediately over the vault , said to be the sepulchre of Solomon King of Israel , and of David his father . The Cconaculuui aud the adjoining buildings

were formerly a Franciscan Convent , and the Order had its chief seat there from 1313 to 1561 , at which date they were finally expelled under the following circumstances , which furnish a remarkable instance of religious intolerance , and

of its well merited punishment . A Constantinople Jew of great wealth aud influence , whilst visiting Jerusalem , begged permission of the Latin superior , to pray at the Tomb of David , but his request was insolently

refused . The Jew said he would be revenged , and on returning to Constantinople , rebuked the Grand Vizier , for allowing the tomb of one of the great Prophets of Islam to remain in the hands of infidels .

This reproof assisted by large bribes gave the Jew his revenge , for the Franciscans were expelled from their convent , and the place has ever since been held by the Moslems . Their