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the candidate is raised, he keeping his whole body stiff, as though dead. The Master, in raising him, is assisted by some of the brethren, who take hold of the candidate by the arms and shoulders; as soon as he is raised to his feet, they step back and the Master whispers the word Mah-hah-bone in his ear, and causes the candidate to repeat it, telling him, at the same time, that he must never give it in any manner other than that in which he receives it. He is also told that Mah-hah-bone signifies marrow in the bone. They then separate, and the Master then makes the following explanation respecting the five points of fellowship:

Master to candidate. “Brother, foot to foot teaches you that you should, whenever asked, go on a brother’s errand, if within the length of your cable-tow, even if you should have to go barefoot and bareheaded. Knee to knee, that you should always remember a Master Mason in your devotions to Almighty God. Breast to breast, that you should keep the Master Mason’s secrets, when given to you in charge as such, as secure and inviolable in your breast as they were in his own before communicated to you. Hand to back, that you should support a Master Mason behind his back as before his face. Mouth to ear, that you should support his good name as well behind his back as before his face.”

After the candidate is through with what is called the work part, the Master addresses him in the following manner: “Brother, you may suppose, from the manner you have been dealt with to-night, that we have been fooling with you, or that we have treated you different from others; but I assure you that is not the case. You have this night represented one of the greatest men that ever lived in the tragical catastrophe of his death, burial, and resurrection; I mean Hiram Abiff, the widow’s son, who was slain by three ruffians at the building of King Solomon’s temple, and who, in his inflexibility, integrity, and fortitude, never was surpassed by man. The history of that momentous event is thus related: Masonic tradition informs us that, at the building of King Solomon’s temple, fifteen Fellow Crafts, discovering that the temple was almost finished, and not having the Master Mason’s word, became very impatient and entered into a horrid conspiracy to extort the Master Mason’s word from their

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[paragraph continues] Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, the first time they met him alone, or take his life, that they might pass as Masters in other countries, and receive wages as such, but, before they could accomplish their designs, twelve of them recanted, but the other three were base enough to carry their atrocious designs into execution. Their names were Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum. It was the custom of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, every day at high twelve, when the Craft were from labor to refreshment, to enter into the sanctum sanctorum and offer up his devotions to the ever-living God, and draw out his plans and designs on the trestle-board, for the Crafts to pursue their labor. On a certain day (not named in any of our traditional accounts) Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum placed themselves at the south, west, and east gates of the temple, and Hiram, having finished his devotions and labor, attempted (as was his usual custom) to retire at the south gate, where he was met by Jubela, who demanded of him the Master Mason’s word [some say the secrets of a Master Mason], and on his refusal to give it Jubela gave him a violent blow with the twenty-four inch gauge across the throat; on which Hiram fled to the west gate, where he was accosted in the same manner by Jubelo, but with more violence. Hiram told him that he could not give the word then because Solomon, king of Israel, Hiram, king of Tyre, and himself had entered into a solemn league that the word never should be given unless they three were present; but, if he would wait with patience till the Grand Lodge assembled at Jerusalem, if he was then found worthy he should receive it, otherwise he could not. Jubelo replied, in a very peremptory manner: ‘If you do not give me the Master’s word I’ll take your life’; and on Hiram’s refusal to give it Jubelo gave him a severe blow with the square across the left breast, on which he fled to the east gate, where he was accosted by Jubelum in the same manner, but with still more violence. Here Hiram reasoned as before; Jubelum told him that he had heard his caviling with Jubela and Jubelo long enough, and that he was still put off, and the temple was almost finished, and he was determined to have the word or take his life. ‘I want it so that I may be able to get wages as a Master Mason in any country to which I may go for employ, after the temple is finished, and that I might be

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