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had been accessory to the death of so great and good a man as our Grand Master Hiram Abiff.” The third was the voice of Jubelum, exclaiming more horridly than the rest, “It was I that gave him the fatal blow! it was I that slew him! oh! that my body had been severed in twain, my bowels taken from thence and burnt to ashes, the ashes scattered before the four (4) winds of heavens, that no more resemblance might be had, among men or masons, of so vile a wretch as I am, ere I had been accessory to the death of so great and good a man as our Grand Master Hiram Abiff.” Upon which, they rushed in, seized, bound, and brought them before King Solomon, who ordered them to be taken without the gates of the city and executed according to their imprecations. They were accordingly put to death.

Q. What followed?

A. King Solomon ordered the twelve fellow crafts to go in search of the body, and if found, to observe whether the master’s word, or a key to it, was on or about it.

Q. Where was the body of our Grand Master Hiram Abiff found?

A. A due westerly course from the temple, on the brow of the hill, where our weary brother sat down to rest and refresh himself.

Q. Was the master’s word, or a key to it, on or about it?

A. It was not.

Q. What followed?

A. King Solomon then ordered them to go with him to endeavor to raise the body, and ordered that as the master’s word was then lost, that the first sign given at the grave, and the first word spoken after the body should be raised, should be adopted for the regulation of all Master Masons’ Lodges until future ages should find out the right.

Q. What followed?

A. They returned to the grave, when King Solomon ordered them to take the body by the entered-apprentice grip and see if it could be raised; but on taking the body so it was putrid, it having been dead fifteen days, the skin slipped from the flesh. and it could not be raised.

Q. What followed?

A. King Solomon then ordered them to take it by the fellow-craft grip and see if it could be so raised; but on taking the body by that grip the flesh cleft from the bone, and it could not be so raised.

Q. What followed?

A. King Solomon then took it by the strong grip of a Master Mason, or lion’s paw, and raised it on the five (5) points of

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fellowship, which are foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back, cheek to cheek, or mouth to ear. Foot to foot, that we will never hesitate to go on foot, and out of our way, to assist a suffering and needy brother; knee to knee, that we will ever remember a brother’s welfare in all our adorations to Deity; breast to breast, that we will ever keep in our own breasts a brother’s secrets, when communicated to us as such, murder and treason excepted;. hand to back, that we will ever be ready to stretch forth our hand to aid and support a fallen brother; cheek to cheek, or mouth to ear, that we will ever whisper good counsel in the ear of a brother, and in the most tender manner remind him of his faults, and endeavor to aid his reformation, and will give him due and timely notice that he may ward off all approaching danger.

Q. What did they do with the body?

A. They carried it to the temple and buried it in due form. And masonic tradition informs us that there was a marble column erected to his memory, upon which was delineated a beautiful virgin weeping; before her lay a book open, in her right hand a sprig of acacia, in her left an urn, and behind her stood Time with his fingers unfolding the ringlets of her hair.

Q. What do these hieroglyphical figures denote?

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