Part 16 (1/2)

Q. What was you then asked? A. My name.

Q. Your answer? A. Zerrubbabel.

Q. What were you then asked? A. What are your demands?

Q. Your answer? A. To see the sovereign, if possible.

Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then directed to wait with patience until the Sovereign Master should be informed of my request, and his answer returned.

Q. What was that answer? A. That the necessary caution should be taken that I was not armed with any hostile weapons, and that I should then be admitted.

Q. How were you then received? A. The guard being drawn up on the right and left of the throne, swords drawn, two of them placed at the door with swords crossed, under which I was permitted to enter, my face covered with my hands.

Q. How were you then disposed of? A. I was conducted in front of the Sovereign Master, who received me with kindness and attention, and listened with patience to my request.

Q. What did the Sovereign Master then observe to the Council? A. That this Zerrubbabel was the friend of his youth, that he could neither be an enemy nor a spy.

Q. What followed? A. The Sovereign Master thus addressed me: ”Zerrubbabel, having now gained admittance into our presence, we demand that you immediately declare the particular motives which induced you, without our permission, and with force and arms, to pa.s.s the lines of our dominions?”

Q. Your answer? A. Sovereign Master, the tears and complaints of my companions at Jerusalem, who have been so long and so often impeded in the n.o.ble and glorious undertaking in which they were permitted to engage by our late sovereign, Lord Cyrus, the King; but our enemies having made that great work to cease by force and power, I have now come up to implore your majesty's clemency, that you would be pleased to restore me to favor, and grant me employment among the servants of your household.

Q. What was the Sovereign's reply? A. Zerrubbabel, I have often reflected with much pleasure upon our early intimacy and friends.h.i.+p, and I have frequently heard, with great satisfaction, of your fame as a wise and accomplished Mason, and having myself a profound veneration for that ancient and honorable inst.i.tution, and having a sincere desire to become a member of the same, I will this moment grant your request, on condition that you will reveal to me the secrets of Freemasonry.

Q. Did you consent to that? A. I did not.

Q. What was your reply? A. Sovereign Master, when our Grand Master Solomon, King of Israel, first inst.i.tuted the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, he taught us that truth was a divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue; to be good and true is the first lesson we are taught in Masonry. My engagements are sacred and inviolable: I cannot reveal our secrets. If I can obtain your majesty's favor only at the expense of my integrity, I humbly beg leave to decline your royal protection, and will cheerfully submit to any honorable exile.

Q. What was the Sovereign's reply? A. Zerrubbabel, your virtue and integrity are truly commendable, and your fidelity to your engagements is worthy of imitation; from this moment you are free--my guards will divest you of those chains and that garb of slavery, and clothe you in suitable habiliments to attend me at the banquet hall. Zerrubbabel, you are free; guards, strike off those chains; and may those emblems of slavery never again disgrace the hands of a Mason, more particularly a prince of the house of Judah; Zerrubbabel, we a.s.sign you a seat of rank and honor among the princes and rulers of our a.s.sembly.

Q. What followed? A. The guards being drawn up in the court yard, the Warder informed the Sovereign Master that the guards were in readiness, waiting his pleasure.

Q. What followed? A. He then ordered the guards to attend him to the banquet hall.

Q. What occurred there? A. After having partic.i.p.ated in a liberal entertainment, the Sovereign Master not being inclined to sleep, and many of the guard having retired, he amused himself by entering into conversation with some of his princ.i.p.al officers and friends, proposing certain questions to them, and offering a princely reward to such as should give the most reasonable and satisfactory answer.

Q. What questions were proposed? A. Among others, ”Which was the strongest, wine, the King, or woman?”[17]

Q. What answers were returned? A. The Chancellor said wine was the strongest; the Master of the Palace said the King was the strongest; but I, being firmly persuaded that the time had arrived in which I could remind the King of his vow, and request the fulfilment of it, replied that women were stronger than either of the former, but, above all things, truth beareth the victory.

Q. What followed? A. The King being deeply struck with the addition I made to the question, ordered us to be prepared with proper arguments in support of our respective propositions on the day following.

Q. What followed? A. On the day following, the Council being convened at the sound of the trumpet, the Chancellor was called upon for his answer, and thus replied: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)

Q. What followed? A. The Master of the Palace thus replied: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)

Q. What followed? A. I then being called upon for my defence, answered as follows: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)

Q. What followed? A. The King being deeply struck with the force of the arguments I had used, involuntarily exclaimed, ”Great is truth, and mighty above all things; ask what thou wilt, Zerrubbabel, and it shall be granted thee, for thou art found wisest among thy companions.”