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NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS . —«—The Office of THE FREEMASON is now transferred to 198 , FLEET STREET , E . C . All covumtnications for the Editor or Publisher should therefore be forwarded to that address . WE shall be glad to receive votes for the Girls ' and Boys' Schools , on behalf of two very deserving cases .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , OCTOBER 7 , 1871 . THE FREEMASON is published on Saturday Mornings in time for tKe early trains . The price of THE FKEEMASON is Twopence per week ; annual Subscription , ios . ( payable in advance ) . All comnnnicauons , letters , & c , to be addressed to the EDITOR 198 , Fleet-street , E . C . The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him bat cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage stamps .

The Ancient And Accepted Rite.

The ANCIENT and ACCEPTED RITE .

[ FIFTH ARTICLE . ] THE Knight of Kadosh , or the Thirtieth Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite , is one of—if not—the most important in

the series . The word Kadosh is a Hebrew one , signifying holy , consecrated , or set apart ; and it denotes the sacred character formerly attributed to the possessors of this

sublime degree . In fact , the Abbe Pluche , in his marvellous work on the Heavens , ¦ which we have recently had an opportunity of referring to , unmistakeably proves the

identity of the appellation " Kadosh " with the " Caducous " of the Greeks , which , as we all know , was a kind of sceptre borne by heralds and other privileged messengers

as a symbol of the immunities and honours to which they laid claim . The ceremonies of the Masonic degree now known as " Kadosh" arc of a very solemn and

imposing character . Strictly speaking , when a reception takes place , there ought to be five chambers : the first being termed the "Judges' Hall ; " the second ,

"Chamber of Reflection ; " the third , " Forum ;" the fourth , " Senate Chamber ; " and the fifth , "The Road to the Holy Land . " The first is hung with black , and is lighted by a

single lamp of antique form , suspended from the ceiling . The second presents the appearance of a cavern or grotto , with a mausoleum in the centre , which represents

the tomb of Jacques de Molay , the martyred Grand Master of the Knights Templar . The third and fourth apartments are hung with red drapery , or , in some chapters , with

white and black curtains , strewed with red crosses . There is a throne in the East , surmounted by a double-headed eagle , crowned , and holding a poniard in his claws . Behind the throne are two banners—the

one being white , with a green Teutonic cross embroidered thereon , and the motto , " Dctts v / tlt , " and the second banner being green , with a red cross on one side , and on

the other a double-headed eagle , with the motto , in silver letters , "Ant vincerc , nut wori . " The second officer , or Grand Chancellor , presides in the Chamber of Judges ,

The Ancient And Accepted Rite.

into which the aspirant is introduced , and afterwards obtains permission to proceed to the Chamber of Reflection . There he is

directed to kneel in the midst of the decaying relics of mortality which lie around , and prayers are offered up in his behalf . The Grand Commander then addresses the

candidate upon the history of Masonry , alluding more particularly to the building of the Jewish Temple , and the wisdom of King Solomon in selecting a few chosen brethren

to oversee the work , and to make themselves perfect in the arts and sciences . The traditionary lore connected with the first

Temple is fully unfolded , and the narrative is continued through all the varying incidents attending its progress down to the final destruction of Hiram ' s

masterpiece . Then follows an explanation of the rise of the second Temple , under Zerubbabel ; the origin of the Knights of the East , or Sword , under Cyrus ; the

establishment at Jerusalem of the Knights of the East and West ; the Rose Croix Degree , and its connection with the buildiner of the

third Temple ; and , in conclusion , the formation of the Order of Knights Templar , when eleven Grand-elect and Perfect Masons

presented themselves before Garinus , Patriarch of Jerusalem , and pronounced their solemn vows between his hands . The candidate is then obligated , and instructed in a

portion of the sacred mysteries , which , of course , cannot be revealed here . After having advanced on the road to the Holy Land , he is invested as a Knight Kadosh by the

Grand Commander , who thus exhorts him " Be firm , true , and faithful unto death . I arm you with the sword , Sir Knight , as a

defence against your enemies , and the enemies of the Order ; you will wield it also for the defence of poor pilgrims , and in defence of innocence and virtue . I also

arm you with this dagger , it is the avenging blade , and the dagger of mercy ; and I now invest you with these knightly gold spurs . Wisdom is symbolized by gold . Never let

wisdom , with temperate zeal and true love , forsake you . You are now , Sir Knight , invested with the knightly spurs , in

testimony of the zeal and activity with which you are henceforward and for ever to be goaded on in the performance of your duties and beware lest , through negligence or .

unfaithfulness , you shall be deemed unworthy of our confidence , and be ignominiously degraded from our Order . I also present

you with the collar and jewel . You will now take your place in the ranks of the Order . You are in the ranks of those who

shall be elected to the grand work , and we trust and hope that the delicious perfumes of your good actions will give you the true happiness you desire . "

The thirty-first grade bears the title of Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander , and the assembly is styled a " Supreme Tribunal . " In this degree , the candidate

is arraigned for supposed offences against Masonic law , in order that , by personal experience , he may be himself enabled to preside in judgment , and decide with impar-

The Ancient And Accepted Rite.

tiality . The wise sayings of sages and lawgivers are therefore quoted for his instruction by the Counsellors present . Thus the first , who represents King Alfred , says :

" I was the just King Alfredof Saxon England ; I framed wise laws , made upright judges , independent of my will and that of the people , and caused just and speedy judgment to be given . In all my realm justice and right were sold to

none ; denied to none ; delayed to none . I slept little ; I wrote much ; I studied more . I reigned only to bless those over whom I had dominion . I have vanished into the thin past ,

and many ages have marched in solemn procession by my grave , yet I still live in the memory of men . They call me great king , wise law-giver , just judge ; follow , then , myexample , or shudder to sit in judgment on thy fellows .

" I was Socrates , the Athenian ; I knew the holy mysteries , and reverenced God in nature . In the sacred groves of Athens , I taught to young and old that God was one , and the soul of man immortal . I taught obedience to the laws and

decrees of the people of Athens , and the council of five hundred . When I sat in the court of Areopagus , I swore by the paternal Apollo , by Ceres , and by Jupiter the King , that I would sentence uprightly and according to law—or ,

when the law was silent , to the best of my judgment ; and that I would not receive gifts , nor should any other for me ; nor receive bribes from any passion , prejudice , or affection ; nor allow any other person to do the like by any means , whether direct or indirect , to prevent

justice m the court . And when , by an unjust judgment , the same court condemned me to death , I refused to flee and escape , lest I should bring the laws into disrepute ; holding the good citizen bound to submit to even the unjust judgment of the State . If thou wouldst fain become

a judge of others , first prepare thyself by learning to obey the laws . " I was Confucius , who read and interpreted to the people of ancient China the great laws engraved by the finger of God , in everlasting

letters , upon the pages of the many-leaved book of nature . I said to them , desire not for your country any other benefit than justice ; the great Jaw of duty is to be looked for in humanity . ' Justice is Equity , ' to render to every man that

to which he is entitled . He who would stand above the ordinary level of man must be exempt from prejudices and self-conceit and obstinacy , and be governed by the mandates of justice

alone . Hear much , reflect much , and say nothing superfluous . Let doubt of guilt be acquitted ; and presumption of innocence be solid proof . ' That is the noblest recompense of human virtue ! ' Do thou strive so to live and

act , to obey and govern , and thou , too , mayst live in the good opinion of men , after thou art dead , and thine inlluenccs may make thee , too , a king over the minds of men . " I was Minos , the law-giver of Crete I

taught the Cretans that the laws which I enacted were dictated by Zeus , the Father ; for all true and righteous laws , and all human justice , are hut developments of that eternal and infinite justice , that is of the essence of the Deity . He who assumes to judge his brethren , clothes

himself with the prerogative of God . ' Woe unto thee , ' if , being thyself vicious or criminal , thou dost assume to judge others ; and still more , if thou givest corrupt judgment ; for then will thy memory be execrated , and in all time it shall be the bitterest reproach to an unjust judge to call him by thy name .

" I was Zoroaster , whose words became law to the Persians . I said he was the best servant of

God , whose heart is upright , who is liberal , with due regard to what is just to all men ; who turns not his eyes towards riches , and whose heart wishes well to everything that lives . He alone is just who is charitable , and merciful in his judgments ; and he alone is wise who thinks

well , and not evil , of other men . Satisfy thine own conscience , and fear neither the outrages of fortune , nor the injuries of enemies . Crime is not to be measured by the issue of events , but by the bad intentions of the doer . Study , therefore , the dominion of thyself , and quiet thine