Book 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
NOTICE. 
 
 This work has been Copyrighted by Dr. 
 R. Swinburne Clymer, 1909, by authority 
 of the Supreme Temple. The Title of these 
 Degrees have been Copyrighted throughout 
 the entire world under the Copyright 
 Treaty. All matter, including cuts, titles, 
 etc., is protected under the Copyright 
 Laws, and all rights reserved, includ- 
 ing translations. 
 
 PRINTED PRIVATELY BY 
 
 The Philosophical Publishing Co., 
 Allentown, Pa. 
 
■ 
 
 
 * RITUAL. & 
 
 FOURTEENTH TO EIGHTEENTH DEGREE. 
 FOURTH TO EIGHTH DEGREE. 
 
 Of an Arcane Fraternity which 
 has been in existence 2c00 b. c. ,a 
 and which is now teaching hu- 
 MANITY the Old Truths. -:- -:- -:- 
 
 Grand Master of the Secret Manuscript. 
 King's Pioneer. 
 Master of the Secret Cavern. 
 
 Prince of the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 Issued under Authority of the Supreme Exalted 
 
 Temple. Ly Instructions of the Royal 
 
 Fraternity Association. 
 
L. 
 
 <l\\- 
 
 v; 
 
 ©CIA253375 
 
GRAND MASTER OF THE SECRET 
 MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 FORM OF THE LODGE. 
 
 The Priest of Wisdom (1) sits in the east clothed 
 in violet robes (mourning robes) lined with ermine. 
 Osiris (2) sits in the west clothed in the same man- 
 ner, Zadok, the High Priest, clothed in his priestly 
 robes, sits in the south. Eeniah, Captain of the 
 Guards, stands at a door in the west at the right of 
 Osiris; he is clothed with armour, has a plumed hel- 
 met on his head and is armed with a sword. 
 
 ORDER AND JEWELS. 
 
 The Priest of Wisdom is decorated with a large 
 blue sash from the right shoulder to the left hip to 
 which is suspended a Solomon's Seal. 
 
 Osiris is decorated in the same manner as the 
 Priest of Wisdom, except that a silver sun is sus- 
 pended at the end of the sash. 
 
 The High Priest is decorated with a blue sash 
 
trimmed with a small yellow margin with a gold five 
 pointed star suspended thereto. 
 
 All the brethren should be clothed in black robes 
 with white aprons with a five pointed red star in the 
 center of the same with one point up. They should 
 also wear white gloves and red sashes. 
 
 OPENING GKRKMONIKS. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom approaches the east accompanied 
 by Osiris, Zadok the high priest and Eeniah Captain 
 of the Guard. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brethren, we will proceed to 
 hold our secret council. 
 
 The other three exclaim: "It is w r ell. " 
 
 Priest of Wisdem: Takes his seat. 
 
 Osiris: Goes to his seat in the west. 
 
 Zadok: To his seat in the south. 
 
 Beniah: Approaches and stands at a door in the 
 west. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Eeniah, I am about to 
 proceed wdth the opening of the Council of Secret 
 Manuscript. If there is anyone who is not a Master 
 of the Secret Manuscript see to it that he immediate- 
 ly retires. 
 
 Beniah salutes by making the sign of a Master of 
 the Secret Manuscript — (3), then with his sword 
 that of a Master of the Greater Mysteries (4) and 
 
3 
 says: "My Lord, I have taken every precaution." 
 
 LOW TWEIvVK IS NOW STRUCK. (Slowly 
 
 and distinctly.) 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Osiris, what is the 
 hour ? 
 
 Osiris: My Lord, it is now low twelve of the sev- 
 enth day of the seventh month of the seventh year 
 of the building of the temple. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Beniah, again I ask, 
 are we secure ? 
 
 Beniah: (Saluting), My Lord, we are secure and 
 all present are brothers. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brothers, you will be clothed. 
 (The brothers clothe.) 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brothers, your attention. At- 
 tend to giving the sign of the degree of a Grand 
 Master of the Secret Manuscript. 
 
 This sign is given thus (5). 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: It is well. Brother Beniah, 
 you have said that we are securely guarded against 
 the approach of Gowans and eaves-droppers. Is it 
 so? 
 
 Beniah: My lord, the council is well guarded. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: So guarded by whom ? 
 
 Beniah: By one who is worthy, one who is tried, 
 and who bears the honored name of a brother of this 
 
jree. He is a soldier true to his Lord and broth- 
 ers and stands ever ready to protect them, their 
 wives, widows and orphans, even with his life. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brothers, we are well and truly 
 guarded by a true and worthy brother. None will 
 be able to pass or repass this chamber unless duly 
 qualified. 
 
 Brothers wishing to be admitted after the door is 
 guarded w r ill knock upon the door oooo answer will 
 be oooo then knock oooo the door will then be open- 
 ed and name taken. Beniah will accompany the 
 brother to the altar and stand behind him with up- 
 lifted drawn sword; then as the brother goes to his 
 seat Beniah salutes and returns to his post. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Zadok, art thou pre- 
 pared to celebrate the mysteries ? 
 
 Zadok: My Lord, without the Master's word we 
 grope in the dark. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Oh Lord my God give us Light, 
 [repeats three times.] 
 
 Osiris: Most excellent brother, has w T isdom fled 
 from mankind? Where is Natfeon the prophet who 
 stood before thy father and instructed him in the 
 way of the Christos ? 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: My worthy brother, thou art a 
 most worthy counsel in this hour of trouble. Eroth- 
 er Beniah, summon suitable guards, make strict 
 
search throughout the city and if Nathan theproph 
 et be found let him be brought before our secret 
 council that we may receive profit thereby. 
 
 Beniah: My Lord, I hasten to obey thy command. 
 [Salutes the Priest of Wisdom as before and departs 
 from the council.] 
 
 After a long pause there is an alarm at the door. 
 oooo. 
 
 Osiris: Most excellent brother, I hear an alarm at 
 the door of our secret council. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: My worthy brother, please as- 
 certain the cause of the alarm and take whatever 
 precautions may be necessary to protect our secret 
 council. 
 
 Osiris: Goes to the door, opens it a little, and the 
 following questions are asked and answers given: 
 
 Osiris: Who comes here ? 
 
 Beniah: Beniah, Captain of the King's Guards. 
 
 Osiris: How shall I know you to be such ? 
 
 Eeniah: Ey the Master's word and the Master's 
 sign. 
 
 Osiris: Give me the word of a Master of the Great- 
 er Mysteries. 
 
 Eeniah: I cannot give it in any other manner or 
 form than that in which I received it. 
 
 Osiris: How did you receive it? 
 
 Eeniah [6]. 
 
Osiris: Advance and give it. 
 
 Beniah: Advances and gives it. 
 
 At this point, Osiris discovers a stranger in the 
 custody of the temple guard and the following dia- 
 logue takes place: 
 
 Osiris: Captain of the Guard, who is this stranger 
 whom thou hast brought nigh unto the door of our 
 secret council ? 
 
 Teniah: Whilst executing the orders of the Priest 
 of Wisdom, I found this stranger near the door of 
 our secret council, took him into my custody and up- 
 on examination found that he possessed the sign, 
 grip and word of a Master of the Greater Mysteries, 
 but he being a stranger and a man from the land of 
 Osiris I placed him in the custody of my guards un- 
 til such a time as I could bring this matter before my 
 Lord and King. 
 
 Osiris: Enter and report to the King. 
 
 Beniah leaves the stranger in the custody of two 
 guards; enters the secret council chamber, goes to 
 the altar and with his sword makes the sign of a 
 Master of the Greater Mysteries and waits until the 
 Priest of Wisdom addresses him, which is as follows: 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Beniah, what tidings 
 doth thou bring from Nathan the prophet ? 
 
 Beniah: My Lord, agreeable to thy command I 
 repaired to the habitation of Abiathar, high priest 
 
under thy father. I found that Nathan the prophet' 
 had already been gathered unto his fathers. I turn- 
 ed away from the house of mourning and whilst 
 making my journey near the door of our secret coun- 
 cil I found a stranger. I took him into my custody 
 and upon examination found that he possessed the 
 sign, grip and word of a Master of the Greater Mys- 
 teries, but, being a stranger and a man from the land 
 of Osiris, I placed him in custody of my guards un- 
 til such a time as this matter could be brought to 
 thy notice. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom arises and gives the sign of dis- 
 tress, says: 
 
 [7] Three Times. 
 
 Zadok, the high priest, arises and says: 
 
 Zadok: Most excellent brother, did not our fathers 
 receive strangers from God not knowing them to be 
 such? Let the stranger be brought before our secret 
 council. Perad venture God has noted our extremity. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Zadok that are a wise 
 counseler. Brother Eeniah, bring the stranger be- 
 fore our secret council for due examination, but first 
 inform him that if he should prove to bean imposter 
 his life shall be the penalty. 
 
 Leniah salutes the Priest of Wislom with the sign 
 of a Master of the Greater Mysteries, goes to the 
 
door of the secret council, opens it partially and 
 says: 
 
 Stranger, it is the order of our Lord that thou 
 Shalt be brought before our secret council for due 
 examination, and I give thee due and timely warn- 
 ing that if thou shalt be found to be an imposter that 
 thy life shall pay the penalty. Hast thou the cour- 
 age to proceed ? 
 
 Abdemon [the stranger] : I have. 
 
 Beniah: Then enter and be received in due form. 
 
 The two guards, one on each side of Abdemon, 
 now advance and enter the door; when they have 
 advanced four steps within the door they halt. Ben- 
 iah then steps in front of Abdemon and pressing the 
 point of his sword over the heart of Abdemon says: 
 
 Beniah: Stranger, upon being admitted within the 
 door of our secret council, thou art received upon the 
 point of a sword, which is to signify the fate which 
 shall overtake all imposters. Thou wilt follow me 
 and be presented before our council for due exami- 
 nation. 
 
 Beniah now conducts the candidate four times 
 around the council chamber and halts before Zadok 
 in the south were he gives four raps on the floor with 
 his foot. 
 
 lok: arises and says, Who comes here? 
 
 Beniah: A stranger who says he isa man from the 
 
land of Osiris; that he has been initiated into the 
 Lesser and Greater Mysteries [8] by Seisan a learn- 
 ed scribe under Osiris. 
 
 The dialogue now ensues between Abdemon and 
 .Zadok; Beniah answering for Abdemon. 
 
 Zadok: Art thou a Master of the Greater Myster- 
 ies ? 
 
 Abdemon: I am. 
 
 Zadok: What induced thee to become a Master of 
 the Greater Mysteries ? 
 
 Abdemon: That I might travel in foreign coun- 
 tries, work and receive masters' wages, be better 
 enabled to support myself and family and contribute 
 to the relief and support of distressed Masters of the 
 Greater Mysteries, their wives and orphans. 
 
 Zadok: Who made the Master of the Greater Mys- 
 teries ? 
 
 Beniah: Seisan, a learned scribe under Osiris. 
 - Zadok: Give us the word of a Master of the 
 Greater Mysteries. 
 
 Abdemon. I can not give thee it in any other man- 
 ner or form than that in which I received it. 
 
 Zadok: How didst thou receive it ? 
 
 Abdemon: [9.] 
 
 Zadok: What are they? 
 
 Abdemon: [10.] 
 
 Zadok: Thou dost appear to be a Master of the 
 
10 
 
 Greater Mysteries; pass on to brother Osiris for fur- 
 ther examination. 
 
 Beniah now takes the candidate before Osiris in 
 the west, where the same questions are asked and 
 like answers returned as before Zadok in the south. 
 After the examination before Osiris in the west the 
 stranger is ordered to be conducted before the Pries- 
 of Wisdom, where the same questions are asked and 
 answers given. At the conclusion of the examina- 
 tion before the Priest of Wisdom he says. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Beniah, re-conduct the 
 stranger to the place from whence he came; place 
 him in close confinement near the secret council 
 chamber, and inform the guards that if this prisoner 
 is allowed to escape or if any harm comes to him 
 their lives shall pay the penalty. After executing 
 our order thou wilt return to our secret chamber for 
 further orders. 
 
 Beniah conducts the stranger to a nearby cham- 
 ber; places before him bread, wine and water and one 
 lighted candle and returns to his place in the council 
 chamber; then Osiris arises and addressing the Priest 
 of Wisdom, says: 
 
 Osiris: Most excellent brother, in this Abdemon I 
 recognize a most crafty and learned man of the land 
 of Osiris. He hath not thus risked his life for an 
 idle purpose, for he doth know full well that to de- 
 
11 
 
 part from out of his country without the necessary- 
 pass means death. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: My worthy brother, I pray you 
 not to pass hasty judgment upon this man from thy 
 land. 
 
 Zadok: My worthy brothers, the sun shoots forth 
 light in the east; let us close this secret council and 
 on the third day after this day at low twelve let us 
 again assemble and proceed to further examine this 
 man from the land of Osiris. In the meantime let 
 us each pray for knowledge, faith and love. 
 
 All present arise and say: 
 
 "So let it be done." 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Zadok, invoke the Go:l 
 of our fathers. 
 
 Zadok delivers the following invocation : 
 
 "Oh God give us knowledge, faith and love. 
 
 Adorn our heads with the crown of Thy provi- 
 dence. 
 
 Our hearts with the light of knowing Thee. 
 
 Our ears with listening to Thy holy word. 
 
 Our tongues with the utterance of Thy greatest 
 name, for Thou art the one whose action was, is, 
 and ever shall be glorified and whose commands shall 
 ever be obeyed. 
 
 . O God, help us to be just; lift us up from the ocean 
 of superstition and imagination, and give us a pei:e- 
 
12 
 
 trating sight that we may see and realize from the 
 surrounding existence Thy oneness and Thy truth. 
 Amen." 
 
 All respond, "So mote it be." 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: I now declare this secret coun- 
 cil closed until the third day after this day at low 
 twelve, at which time and place the man from the 
 land of Osiris shall be brought before us for further 
 examination; in the meantime I charge each and ev- 
 ery brother present to dilligently search for the Lost 
 
 word. 
 
 # * * 
 
 Lodge is opened as before in every respect. 
 
 Osiris: My Lord, let us perform the business for 
 which we are here assembled. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Let the stranger from the land 
 of Osiris be brought before us for further examina- 
 tion. 
 
 Beniah goes to the altar and with his sword salutes 
 the Priest of Wisdom with the sign of a Master of the 
 Greater Mysteries, then retires to bring in the pris- 
 oner. 
 
 Alarm oooo. 
 
 Osiris: Most excellent brother, I hear an alarm at- 
 the door of our secret council chamber. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: My worthy brother, please as- 
 certain the cause of the alarm and take whatever 
 
13 
 
 necessary precautions to protect our secret council. 
 
 Osiris goes to the door, opens it a little, and the 
 following questions are asked and answers given : 
 
 Osiris: Who comes here ? 
 
 Eeniah: Be.iiah, Captain of the King's Guards, 
 who has in his custody Abdemon, a man of the land 
 of Osiris, who has been initiated into the L,esser and 
 Greater Mysteries (11) by Seisan a scribe, who has 
 journeyed into the country of the Osirians and now 
 desires to be brought before this secret council and 
 after strict and due examination, if found worthy, 
 be received as a brother. 
 
 Osiris: Enter and the matter will be considered by 
 our secret council. 
 
 Beniah now enters the secret chamber with Abde- 
 mon and conducts him to a seat before the council 
 in the east, which is formed by the Priest of Wis- 
 dom, Osiris on his right, and Zadok the High Priest 
 on his left. Beniah answers for Abdemon. 
 
 Osiris: Stranger, thy countenance is not unfamiliar 
 to me, although it is now seven years since I left thy 
 kingdom to assist in erecting this glorious temple to 
 the God of Nature (12) who has taught his initiates 
 how to find the christos within. I know thee to be 
 Abdemon, a most learned and crafty man. Thou 
 dost know that thou hast incurred the penalty of 
 death by going hence forth from thy native land with- 
 
14 
 
 out the King's pass. I therefore command that the 
 penalty be inflicted. Brother Beniah, take this man 
 of the land of Osiris down into the valley of Jehosa- 
 phat and strike off his head. 
 
 Beniah, for Abdemon: (13). Repeat three times. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Hold thy hand, worthy brother. 
 It is not permitted even to Kings to ignore the grand 
 hailing sign of distress; we must spare his life and 
 mote out a less severe punishment. 
 
 Osiris: Most worthy brother, thou hast well said. 
 I, therefore, consign this man into thy hands to be 
 dealt with as thou seest fit. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Stranger from the land of Osir- 
 is, give me the w r ord of an initiate of the Greater 
 Mysteries. 
 
 Beniah: My Lord, when I was raised to the sub- 
 lime degree of a Master of the Greater Mysteries by 
 Seisan the scribe he informed me that on the death 
 of the Grand Master, the Master's word had been 
 lost, and that it was the duty of every true Master 
 of the Greater Mysteries to make due and dilligent 
 search for its recovery . Acting upon this advice , took 
 my life into my own hands and have journeyed to the 
 door of this temple with the hope that the Lost Word 
 had been recovered, and that I might be invested 
 with the same; but on account of my zeal I found 
 myself cast into psison and even my life to betaken. 
 
15 
 
 But r }^et have hope that I may be a credit to myself 
 and an honor to the Order, for at low twelve on the 
 second night of my imprisonment an Egyptian priest 
 suddenly appeared unto me and presented me with 
 a manuscript, said: "Brother of the physical sanctu- 
 ary carefully ponder upon the contents of this man- 
 uscript which I herewith place into your hands. If 
 thou dost desire further Light, journey into the land 
 of Egypt and knock on the door of the Great Stone 
 Temple, for it is not permitted me to further disclose 
 unto thee the secrets of the Spiritual Sanctuary." 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Have you the manuscript? 
 
 Abdemon: I have. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Present it to our most excellent 
 High Priest, Zadok, for inspection. 
 
 The High Priest takes the manuscript, and after 
 reading in silence for some time, arises with every 
 expression of joy and says: 
 
 Zadok: Praise be unto the Lord, we are now able 
 to celebrate the mysteries. [Repeats three times. J 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Most excellent High Priest, 
 read unto us the contents of the manuscript. 
 
 Zadok, after a short pause, reads as follows: 
 ooooooooo 
 
 When Zadok, the High Priest, has made an end 
 of reading, the Priest of Wisdom arises, making the 
 grand hailing sign of a Master of the Greater Mrs- 
 
16 
 
 teries, says: Praise ye the Lord, for His mercy en- 
 dure th forever. [Repeats three times.] 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Erother Abdemon, art thou 
 willing to take an obligation of a Grand Master of the 
 Secret Manuscript, and undertake a journey to the 
 Great Stone Temple in search of further Light ? 
 
 Abdemon: I am. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Beniah, conduct the 
 brother on the circle to the altar. 
 
 Beniah now conducts Abdemon in a circle four 
 times around the council chamber, each time nar- 
 rowing the circle until he stands before the altar.; 
 then the Priest of Wisdom, Osiris and Zadok ap- 
 proach the altar from the east, and the Priest of 
 Wisdom addresses Abdemon: 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Abdemon, art thou 
 willing to undertake a perilous and dangerous jour- 
 ney in the intesest of those who are seeking after 
 true Light ? 
 
 Abdemon* I am. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Then place your hand in the 
 same position as when making the sign of a Master 
 of the Greater Mysteries and repeat the obligation 
 after me. 
 
 I, ; of my own free will and accord, 
 
 and in the presence of my own soul, do hereby, and 
 under the penalty sign of a Master Mason, most sol- 
 
17 
 
 emnly swear that I will never reveal the secrets of a 
 Council of Grand Masters of the Secret Manuscript 
 to any person or persons whomsoever, except it be 
 to a true and lawful brother of this degree or while 
 acting in the capacity of an officer of a Council of 
 Grand Masters of the Secret Manuscript while cof- 
 fering this degree. 
 
 I further promise and swear that I will not show 
 or instruct any person or persons whomsoever con- 
 cerning the mysteries of the Secret Manuscript ex- 
 cept it be to a true and lawful brother of a Council 
 of Grand Masters of the Secret Manuscript or while 
 acting in the capacity of an officer of a Council of 
 Grand Masters of the same. 
 
 I further promise and swear that I will answer and 
 obey all due signs and summonses eminatmg from 
 the Supreme, Grand and the Grand Council of the 
 Secret Manuscript and of the Subordinate Secret 
 Council of the same of which I may be a member 
 when communicated to or received by me as such, 
 and further that I will obey all the laws, rules, and 
 regulations of the same. 
 
 I further promise and swear that, to the best of 
 my ability, I will aid and assist ,true and worthy 
 brothers of my Council of Grand Masters of the Se- 
 cret Manuscript who are traveling in search of the 
 ancient secret mysteries, and that I will give them 
 
18 
 
 the benefit of any new discoveries which I have my- 
 self made and any advice which might be of benefit 
 to him, or them, in the search far the proper mean- 
 ing and use of the lost word. 
 
 I further promise and swear that I will keep a 
 watchful eye over the craft in general, and from time 
 to time will report to the High Priest such brothers 
 as in my judgment would be mentally qualified to be- 
 come a member of a Council of Grand Masters of the 
 Secret Manuscript. 
 
 All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and 
 Swear with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep 
 the same, binding myself under the penalties of all 
 my former obligations. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: I now invest thee with the grip 
 of a Grand Master of the Secret Manuscript. (14.) 
 
 I also invest thee with the grand word of a G. M. 
 of the S. M., which is (15.) 
 
 This sign is made by (16.) 
 
 a?.) 
 
 The one who receives the (18) says: 
 
 (19.) 
 
 When the ceremony is completed, the Priest of 
 Wisdom, Osiris and Zadok again take their place in 
 the east, then Leniah appreaches the east, and speak- 
 ing for the candidate (Abdemon) says: 
 
 Eeniah: My Lord and brothers, I came among ycu 
 
19 
 
 seeking knowledge. In receiving the honor which 
 you have been pleased to confer upon me I have been 
 informed that there exists a Brotherhood of the Spir- 
 itual Temple in the land of Egypt. I am, therefore, 
 greatly desirous of making a journey into that coun- 
 try in search of further light. I, therefore, beg the 
 King's pass that I may pursue my journey to the 
 great Stone Temple. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: My brother, thy zeal in search 
 for more light is truly commendable. I, therefore, 
 present thee with the King's pass, and may God be 
 with thee until we meet again. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Brother Beniah, escort our 
 brother Abdemon to the confines of our dominions 
 and see that no harm befalls him. 
 
 The Priest of Wisdom now goes to the candidate, 
 and grasping him by the hand gives him the grip of 
 a G. M. of the S. M. , says: 
 
 "Fare thee well, brother." 
 
 Each of the brethren present go to the candidate 
 and do the same. 
 
 Eeniah now conducts the candidate outside the se- 
 cret council chamber, where they are met by the 
 Egyptian Priest, who says: 
 
 Egyptian Priest: Abdemon, I shall await thee at 
 the well of Beersheba at low six on the 2c th day af- 
 ter this day. 
 
20 
 
 COUNCIL CHAMBER. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: Zadok, have you secured the 
 Secret Manuscript ? 
 
 Zadok: I have placed it in the secret place under 
 the stone altar. 
 
 Osiris: Is there anything further to come before 
 this secret council before we depart to our several 
 habitations ? 
 
 If nothing is said, the council is closed as follows: 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: I (20) declare this council 
 of Grand Masters of the Secret Manuscript closed 
 until after the dedication of this temple; in the mean- 
 time let each and every brother watch and pray for 
 more light until he shall enter that temple not made 
 by hands in the heavens. 
 
 Priest of Wisdom: oooo. 
 
 Osiris: oooo. 
 
 Zadok: oooo. 
 
 Council is closed. 
 
21 
 
 THE KING'S PIONEERS. 
 
 FORM OF THK LODGE. 
 
 Ameni, a priest of the great pj^ramid, sits in the 
 east under a small tent, clothed in plain white priest- 
 ly robes and a white turban upon his head. His gird- 
 le is violet. 
 
 One of the singers of the great pyramid sits under 
 a small tent in the south; he is clothed in plain white 
 priestly robes and a white turban upon his head. His 
 girdle is yellow. 
 
 One of the horoscopus of the great pyramid sits 
 under a small tent in the west; he is clothed in plain 
 white priestly robes and a white turban upon his 
 head. His girdle is red. 
 
 The King's pioneer sits under a small tent; he is 
 clothed in the dress of an Egyptian soldier; he is 
 armed with a sword and wears a helmet on his head. 
 
 JEWELS. 
 
 The jewel of Ameni, the priest, is a cadencens, 
 
22 
 
 which he holds in his hand as a scepter. 
 
 The jewel of the singer is a challice or cup, sus- 
 pended to his sash. 
 
 The jewel of the King's Pioneer is the sword, 
 which he holds in his hand. 
 
 I.ODGK. 
 
 The lodge represents the immediate surroundings 
 of the well of Beersheba. In the center of the lodge 
 room is a round curbing, painted in such a manner 
 as to represent the curbing of the above mentioned 
 well. 
 
 OPENING CEREMONIES. 
 
 The first letter of each officer's name will repre- 
 sent that officer in the ceremonies, with the excep- 
 tion of Ameni. 
 
 A. — Abdemon. 
 
 S. — Singer. 
 
 H. — Horoscopus. 
 
 K. P. — King's Pioneer. 
 
 B.— Beniah. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Horiscopus, what is the hour? 
 
 H.: Excellent Priest, it is low six of the 28th day 
 of the seventh month, Ameni. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Pioneer, please make an observa- 
 tion. 
 
 The King's Pioneer goes from out the door of the 
 
23 
 
 lodge on the north, and after a short time re-enters 
 and reports as follows: 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, two travellers approach 
 our encampment from the north. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Pioneer, go forth and challenge 
 the strangers, and if possible ascertain their inten- 
 tion. 
 
 The King's Pioneer again goes out of the door of 
 the lodge at the north; he meets Eeniah and Abde- 
 mon, when the following dialogue ensues: 
 
 K. P. : From whence cometh thou ? 
 
 B.: I am Captain of the Guards, and agreeable to 
 the orders of Lord Osiris, I am conducting my broth- 
 er Abdemon to the confines of the King's domin- 
 ions. 
 
 K. P.: Where is thy brother Abdemon about to 
 travel ? 
 
 L. : He is about to take a journey into the land of 
 Egypt and seek initiation into the mysteries of the 
 great stone temple. 
 
 K. P.: I am the Pioneer for the King of Egypt, 
 and I have under my protection three priests of the 
 great pyramid . We are about to return into the land 
 of Egypt, and if thou canst produce a pass from thy 
 King I will present thee to our brethren and do what- 
 soever I can to assist thee over the rough and rug- 
 ged roads of the wilderness. 
 
24 
 
 B. : I herewith present thee with the pass of my 
 Lord Osiris, and herewith consign to thy care my 
 brother Abdemon, a man of the land of Osiris. 
 
 B. now shakes hands with A. and saluting the K. 
 P. with his sword, turns and departs in the same di- 
 rection from whence he came. 
 
 The K. P. now takes A. by the arm and says: My 
 brother, dost thou seek wisdom ? Ee it known unto 
 thee that the path of wisdom leadeth over rough and 
 rugged roads, but seeing thou art determined I will 
 present thee to one of the priests of the great stone 
 temple; a man renowned for wisdom and understand- 
 ing. 
 
 The K. P. now approaches the tent of Ameni lead- 
 ing A. by the arm, and when standing before the 
 door addresses him as follows: 
 
 Excellent priest, I herewith present to thee Abde- 
 mon, a man of the land of Osiris, who desires to trav- 
 el over the rough and rugged path in search of wis- 
 dom and understanding. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Abdemon, art thou a Master of 
 the Greater Mysteries ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 Ameni: What induced thee to become a Master of 
 the Greater Mysteries? 
 
 A.: In order that I might travel in foreign coun- 
 tries, work and receive masters' wages, be better 
 
25 
 
 enabled to contribute to the relief of worthy distress- 
 Masters, their widows and orphans. 
 
 Ameni: Brother A., art thou prepared to present 
 thyself as a living sacrifice at the door of the spirit- 
 ual temple ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Pioneer, conduct our brother trav- 
 eler to the tent door of our Singer for further exam- 
 ination. 
 
 The K. P. now conducts A. to the tent door of the 
 tent of the Singer, when the following dialogue takes 
 place: 
 
 K. P.: Brothers., I herewith present to the Ab- 
 demon, a man of the land of Osiris, who desires to 
 travel over the rough and rugged path in search of 
 wisdom and understanding. 
 
 S.: Brother A., art thou a Master of the Greater 
 Mysteries ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 S. What induced you to become a Master of the 
 Greater Mysteries ? 
 
 A. In order that I might travel in foreign coun- 
 tries, work and receive masters' wages, be better en- 
 abled to support myself and family and contribute to 
 the relief of worthy distressed Masters of the Greater 
 Mysteries, their widows and orphans. 
 
 S.: Brother A., what further dost thou desire ? 
 
26 
 
 (The K. P. answers for the candidate.) 
 
 A.: Spiritual knowledge. 
 
 S.: Know then, brother A., there existed in the 
 beginning the Great Intelligence, motionless and 
 dark. In order to create, he divided himself; — one 
 part was positive, the other was negative. 
 
 The particles positive and negative then began to 
 seek each other. This motion has continued ever 
 since, and is known as vibration. 
 
 Furthermore, the action of 1 upon 2, or the active 
 upon the passive, always produces 3, or the neuter. 
 Behold, my brother, the phenomena of daylight and 
 darkness. We find something which partakes of the 
 nature of both, yet it is different. This is known as 
 twilight. 
 
 Let us proceed further. The man is active, the 
 woman is negative, and the result of the action of the 
 former upon the latter is child, which is neuter. 
 
 The law of the trinity may be extended to each 
 domain, whether of Divinity, mankind, physiology, 
 or chemistry; yet the great law of ternary holds 
 good. 
 
 The great name given to Moses was Yod-He-Vau- 
 He, which means Jehova. The Yod is positive, the 
 He is passive, and the Vau is neuter. The second 
 He is a repetition; consequently, the name is com- 
 plete with the first three. 
 
27 
 
 But we return again to the great first cause. As 
 the first great division proceeding creation produced 
 vibration, we cannot comprehend the laws of the se- 
 cret mysteries without first having knowledge of vi- 
 bration. 
 
 Vibration is motion to and fro in a medium pro- 
 ceeding from a cause, but is instantly detected by the 
 inward, trained, or cultivated sense of the initiate. 
 Vibration may be harmonious or inharmonious. Har- 
 mony means agreement in relation to order or that 
 which is pleasing to the sense. It may be to the ear 
 os sound; to the eye as objects; to the touch, taste or 
 smell as sensations. 
 
 Harmony is agreement; agreement is order; order 
 is life. Order product cosmos; cosmos is an harmo- 
 nious system. Inharmony is disagreement; disagree- 
 ment is disorder; disorder is death or chaos. Chaos 
 is confusion; cosmos is life; chaos is death. 
 
 Every impulse sends forth vibrations which either 
 tend to life or death, cosmos or chaos. Every word, 
 act or thought tends to life or death. Therefore, 
 brother Abdemon, it is of vital importance that we 
 should first learn the law of vibration. 
 
 Ee it also known unto thee, brother Abdemon, that 
 man is composed of three bodies, viz: the physical, 
 the astral, and the divine. Therefore he is prepared 
 to act upon three planes, which are named after the 
 
28 
 
 three divisions already mentioned. 
 
 The seat of the physical body is in the stomach, 
 the astral body in the chest, the divine body or soul 
 in the head. Thus by the food we eat we nourish 
 the physical body. Then beware, my brother, how 
 thou dost eat in abundance of animal food lest thou 
 become brutish and lose thy spirituality. If thou 
 dost desire to develop the soul then meditate upon 
 thy Creator and all His ways. 
 
 Brother Pioneer, conduct our brother traveler to 
 the Horoscopus for further instructions. 
 
 The K. P. now conducts A. to the tent dcorof the 
 Horoscopus, where the following dialogue takes 
 place: 
 
 . K. P. : Brother H. , I herewith present to thee A., 
 a man of the land of Osiris, who desires to travel over 
 the rough and rugged path in search of wisdom and 
 understanding. 
 
 - H.: Brother A., are you a Master of the Greater 
 Mysteries ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 H.: What induced you to become a Master of the 
 Greater Mysteries ? 
 
 A.: In order that I might travel in foreign coun- 
 tries, work and receive masters' wages, be better en- 
 abled to support myself and family, and contribute to 
 the relief of worthy distressed Masters of the Great- 
 
29 
 
 er Mysteries, their wiclows and orphans. 
 
 H.: Brother A., what further dost thou desire? 
 
 (K. P. answers for candidate.) 
 
 A. : Spiritual knowledge. 
 
 oooooooooo 
 
 H. : Brother P. , conduct brother Abdemon to the 
 e icellent Priest for further instructions. 
 
 The King's Pioneer takes Abdemon by the arm 
 and conducts him to the tent door of Ameni, where 
 the following dialogue ensues: 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, I am directed by cur 
 brother Horoscopus to present unto thee brother A. 
 for further instructions. 
 
 Ameni: Brother A., before continuing our jour- 
 ney it will be necessary for us to ascertain from you 
 more clearly your object in being initiated into our 
 secret mysteries, and I will, therefore, expect full, 
 clear and perfect answers to the questions which I 
 shall now propound to you. 
 
 First, are you willing to subdue your passions and 
 present your body as a clean living temple unto the 
 Brotherhood of the Spiritual Temple ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 Ameni: Are you willing to sacrifice your life if 
 r.ecessary to preserve the mysteries imparted to you 
 from the profane, wicked and. ungodly ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
so 
 
 Ameni: Are you willing to take the oath of the 
 King's Pioneer? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Pioneer, conduct our brother to 
 the well of the oath, where the obligation will be 
 taken. 
 
 The K. P. now conducts A. to the center of the 
 lodge, where there is the representation of a well, 
 and says to A.: 
 
 K. P.: Brother A., thou dost stand by the well 
 where our ancient brethren took an oath and where 
 a sacrifice was made unto God. Remove thy shoes, 
 for thou dost stand upon holy ground. 
 
 A. now removes his shoes. 
 
 Ameni now comes from his tent in the east and 
 addresses A. as follows: 
 
 Brother A., as an evidence of you confidence in 
 us you will suffer yourself to be blindfolded. 
 
 The K. P. blindfolds the candidate. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Abdemon, repeat after me the 
 obligation. 
 
 I, , of my own free will and accord, 
 
 and in the presence of this living spring of pure wa- 
 ter, do hereby promise and swear that I will not dis- 
 close the secrets of the King's Pioneer to any person 
 or persons whomsoever, except it be to a true and 
 lawful brothes of this degree or while acting in the 
 
31 
 
 capacity of Excellent Priest in conferring this dgreee 
 under lawful authority. 
 
 I further promise and swear that I will, to the best 
 of my ability, follow the precepts and teachings of 
 the officers of the vSpiritual Temple. 
 
 I further promise and swear that I will use every 
 effort to subdue my animal passions and keep my 
 body under subjection. 
 
 I further promise and swear that I will aid and as- 
 sist a true and worthy brother who is travelling over 
 the rough and rugged road in search of the secret 
 wisdom. 
 
 All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and 
 swear with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform 
 the same, binding myself under no less a penalty than 
 that of being torn to pieces and devoured by the wild 
 animals of the desert and forest. 
 
 The other brethren present now howl arid roar in 
 imitation of the wild animals of the forest. 
 
 After a little time, Ameni says: "Brother Abde- 
 mon, fear nothing, for he who learns to subdue his 
 passions can subdue and control the beasts of the 
 earth and the fowl of the air. Let us continue the 
 journey." 
 
 A rough road is now laid around the lodge room 
 in a circle. Upon this the candidate is led by the K. 
 P., assisted by other members, beginning at the east 
 
32 
 
 at which place the start is made on the road. 
 
 At the east tent Ameni makes the following ex- 
 hortation, while the candidate stands on the rough 
 road : 
 
 Hear not evil and behold not evil. Degrade not 
 thyself, neither lament, that is, utter no evil words, 
 and thou shalt not hear them. Think not the faults 
 of others to be great and thine own faults will not 
 seem great. Ee not pleased with the abasement of 
 any soul, and then thine own abasement will not be 
 seen. So with pure heart, holy mind, sanctified 
 breast, and upright thoughts (during all the days of 
 thy life, which are counted less than instant,) thou 
 mayst be detached and return with ease from this 
 mortal body to the paradise of inner significance and 
 abide in the immortal kingdom. 
 
 The K. P. now leads the candidate before the tent 
 of the Singer in the south, where the following ex- 
 hortation is spoken: 
 
 Woe to ye ! Woe to ye ! O lovers of lustful pas- 
 sions. 
 
 Ye have left the spiritual beloved with the swift- 
 ness of lightning, and have attached your hearts to 
 devilish thoughts. Ye worship fancy and call it fact. 
 Ye are gazing at a thorn and call it a flower. Not a 
 free breath have ye drawn, neither Jiath a breeze of 
 self -renouncement blown from the garden of your 
 
 
33 
 
 minds. Ye have cast to the winds compassionate 
 advices of the Beloved; effaced them from the tablet 
 of your minds, and have become as low animals, 
 feasting in the pastures of lust and desire. 
 
 The K. P. now leads the candidate over the rough 
 and rugged road to the tent of the Horoscopusin the 
 west, where the following exhortation is delivered. 
 
 O Brothers of the Path ! Why are }^e heedless of 
 the remembrance of the Beloved, and why are ye far 
 from the presence of the Friend ? 
 
 The absolute beauty is established upon the Throne 
 of Glory, under the peerless canopy, while ye are 
 engaged in argument according to your own passion. 
 The fragrance of holiness are wafting and the breez- 
 es of generosity are blowing, but ye have lost the 
 power to smell and are unable to sense any of them. 
 Woe unto you, and unto whosoever followeth in your 
 footsteps and walketh in your footprints. 
 
 The K. P. now leads the candidate into the ante- 
 room, and the initiation of this degree is complete. 
 
34 
 
35 
 
 GRAND MASTER OF THE SECRET 
 CAVERN. 
 
 FORM OF THE I.ODGK. 
 
 Ameni, a priest of the great pyramid, sits in the 
 east upon a goat skin rug, clothed in plain white 
 priestly robes and a white turban is upon his head. 
 His girdle is violet. 
 
 One of the Singers of the great pyramid sits upon 
 a goat skin rug in the south. He is clothed in plain 
 white priestly robes and a white turban upon his 
 head. His girdle is yellow. 
 
 One of the Horoscopus of the great pyramid sits 
 upon a goat skin rug in the west. He is clothed in 
 plain white priestly robes and a white turban on his 
 head. His girdle is red. 
 
 The King's Pioneer stands by a door in the west 
 and at the right of the Horoscopus. He is clothed in 
 the dress of an Egyptian soldier. He is armed with 
 a sword and wears a hemlet on his head. 
 
36 
 
 JEWELS. 
 
 The jewel of Ameni, the priest, is a cadencens, 
 which he holds in his hand as a scepter. 
 
 The jewel of the Singer is a challice, or cup, sus- 
 pended to the sash. 
 
 The jewel of the Horoscopus is a round disk, or 
 pentacle, suspended to his sash. 
 
 The jewel of the King's Pioneer is the sword which 
 he holds in his hand. 
 
 LODGE. 
 
 The lodge resembles a cavern lighted by candles. 
 The walls should be hung with dull stone-colored 
 curtains to highten the effect. 
 
 OPENING CEREMONIES. 
 
 The first letter of each officer's name will repre- 
 sent that officer in the ceremonies with exception of 
 Ameni. 
 
 A. — Abdemon. 
 
 S. — Singer. 
 
 H . — Horoscopus. 
 
 K. P. — King's Pioneer. 
 
 Ameni.: Brother H.. what is the hour ? 
 
 H.: Excellent Priest, it is low twelve of the third 
 day of fasting and meditation, and the flesh groweth 
 weary but the spirit groweth bright. 
 
37 
 
 Ameni: How fareth the traveler? 
 
 H. : I will ascertain from the K. P. and report. 
 
 H.: Brother P., seek out Abdemon, the stranger 
 who is traveling with us, and ascertain his desires. 
 
 The K. P. now goes into the ante-room, where he 
 finds Abdemon stretched out at full length on the 
 floor with his eyes closed and apparently dead; he 
 returns to the lodge room and reports as follows: 
 
 K. P.: Brother H., our brother Abdemon lieth in 
 his tent; his knees are relaxed; he appeareth as one 
 dead. 
 
 H.: Excellent Priest, our brother Abdemon lieth 
 in his tent; his knees are relaxed; he appeareth as 
 one dead. 
 
 Ameni: Brother P. , go unto our brother Abdemon; 
 whisper in his ear the sacred name, and command 
 him to rise up and follow thee. 
 
 The K. P. now goes to Abdemon and whispers in 
 his left ear (1), "and by this name I command thee 
 to arise and follow me." 
 
 Abdemon (the candidate) immediately arises; the 
 K. P. takes him by the arm leads him before Ameni 
 who says: 
 
 Ameni: Brother Abdemon, it is well that we pos- 
 sess the holy, sacred and mysterious name, else thou 
 wouldst have left thy journey incomplete. What 
 dost thou now desire ? 
 
38 
 
 (The K. P. answers for the candidate.) 
 
 K. P.: More Light. 
 
 Ameni: What dost thou mean ? 
 
 K. P. : From whence did I come and whither do I 
 go? 
 
 Ameni: O brother, countless as the sands of the 
 sea and the stars of the heavens are those who have 
 asked the same question before this. 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, I pray thee by the soul of 
 thy father and the spirit of thy mother that thou 
 wilst not deny me thy wisdom and understanding. 
 
 Ameni: Peace be unto thee, brother Abdemon, 
 thou shalt not perish before the face of the Lord. 
 Thou hast a soul which is an emination from Deity, 
 and in its original essence is all purity, truth, and 
 wisdom, and this the disembodied learn, when the 
 powers of memory are sufficiently awakened to per- 
 ceive the states of existence anterior to mortal birth. 
 
 In the paradise of purity and love, souls spring up 
 like blossoms, in the All-Father's garden of immor- 
 tal beauty. It is the tendency of that Divine nature, 
 whose chief attributes are love and wisdom, heat and 
 light, to repeat itself eternally, and mirror forth its 
 own perfections in scintillations of itself. These 
 sparks of heavenly fire become souls, and as the ef- 
 fect must share in the nature of the cause, the fire 
 which warms into life also illuminates into light; 
 
39 
 
 hence the soul emulations from the Divine are all 
 love and heat, whilst the illumination of light, which 
 streams ever forth from the great Central Sun of be- 
 ing irradiates all souls with corresponding beam of 
 light. Born of Love, which corresponds to Divine 
 heat and warmth, and irradiates with Light, which 
 is Divine Wisdom and Truth, and first and most pow- 
 erful soul eminations repeated the action of Yod-He- 
 Vau-He, gave off eminations from their own being 
 some higher, some lower; the highest tending up- 
 wards into spiritual essences, the lowest forming par- 
 ticled matter. These denser emanations, following 
 out the creative law, aggregated into suns, satellites, 
 worlds, and each repeating the story of creation, suns 
 gave birth to systems, and every member of a sys- 
 tem became a theatre of subordinate states of spirit- 
 ual or material existence. 
 
 Thus do ideas descend into forms, and forms as- 
 cend into ideas. Thus is the growth, development, 
 and progress of creation endless, and thus must spir- 
 it originate and ever create worlds of matter for the 
 purpose of its own progressive unfoldment. 
 
 Will the mighty march of creation never cease ? 
 Will the cable anchored in the heart of the great 
 mystery, Deity, stretch out forever? 
 
 Forever ! shout the blazing suns, leaping on in the 
 firey orbits of their shining life, and trailing in their 
 
40 
 
 glittering pathway ten thousand satellites and metor- 
 ic sparks whirling, flashing in their jeweled crowns, 
 all embryonic germs of new, young worlds that shall 
 be. 
 
 Earths that have attained to the capacity to sup- 
 port organic life necessarily attract it. Earths de- 
 mand it. From whence ? As the earths groan for 
 the lordship of superior beings to rule over them, the 
 spirits, in their distant edens, hear the whisper of the 
 tempting serpent, the animal principle, the urgent 
 intellect, which appealing to the blest souls in their 
 distant paradises, fill them with indescribable long- 
 ings for change, for broader vistas of knowledge, for 
 mightier powers, they would be as gods and know 
 good and evil; and in this urgent appeal of the earths 
 for man, and this involuntary yearning of the spirit 
 for intellectual knowledge, the union is effected be- 
 tween the two, and the spirit becomes precipitated 
 into the realms of matter to undergo a pilgrimage 
 through the probationary states of earths, and only 
 to regain its paradise again by the fulfillment of that 
 pilgrimage. 
 
 And it came to pass when Ameni had informed 
 Abdemon concerning the above mystery that he fell 
 into a deep meditation, and the K. P. seeing that he 
 had made an end of speaking, took Abdemon and led 
 him before the Singer in the south, where the fol- 
 
41 
 
 lowing dialogue took place: 
 
 K. P. strikes five times with the point of his sword 
 on the floor before the Singer. 
 
 S. : Why dost thou disturb my meditation; what 
 dost thou desire ? 
 
 K. P.: More Light. 
 
 S. : What dost thou mean ? 
 
 K. P. : From whence v came I and whither do I go? 
 
 S. : O brother, countless as the sands of the sea 
 and the stars of the heavens are those who have 
 asked the same question before thee. 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, I pray thee by the soul of 
 thy father and the spirit of thy mother that thou 
 wilst not deny me thy wisdom and understanding. 
 
 S. : When spirits lived as such, in paradise, eman- 
 ations from a spiritual Deific source, they know no 
 sex, nor reproduced their kind. When they fell,, and 
 the earth, like magnetic tractors drew tliem within the 
 vortex of its grosser element, they became what the 
 earths compelled them to be. In the earlier ages of 
 these growing worlds, the conditions of life were rude 
 and violent; hence the creatures on them partook of 
 their nature. Then, too, first obtained the nature of 
 sex and the law of generation. To people these 
 earths, man, like the other living creatures, must 
 reproduce his kind. All things in matter are male 
 and female; minerals, plants, animals, and man. 
 
42 
 
 Spirits, the creative energy, is the masculine princi- 
 ple that creates; nature, the passive recipient, isthat 
 which germinates; hence creation. Man must obey 
 the law; hence sex and generation. 
 
 Man lives on many earths before he reaches this. 
 Myriads of worlds swarm in space, where the soul in 
 rudimental states performs its pilgrimage ere he 
 reaches the large and shining planet named the 
 Earth, and the glorious junction of which is to con- 
 fer self -consciousness. At this point only is he man; 
 at every other stage of his vast wild journey he is 
 but an embryonic being — a fleeting, temporary shape 
 of matter — a creature in which a part, but only a 
 part, of the high imprisoned soul shines forth; a ru- 
 dimental shape with rudimental functions, ever liv- 
 ing, dying, sustaining a fleeting, spiritual existence, 
 as rudimental as the material shape from which it 
 emerged; a butterfly springing up from the chrysol- 
 itic shell, but ever as it onward rushes in new births, 
 new deaths, new incarnations, anon to die and live 
 again, but still stretches upwards, still strive onward, 
 still rush on the giddy, dreadful, toilsome, rugged 
 path, until it awakens once more — once more to live 
 and be a material shape, a thing of dust, a creature 
 of flesh and blood, but now — a man. 
 
 It is from the dim memory that the soul retains, 
 first of its original brightness and fall, next of its 
 
43 
 
 countless migrations through the various undertones 
 of being that antedates its appearance on this earth 
 as a man, that the belief in the doctrine of the Me- 
 tempschosis (transmigration of souls through the an- 
 imal kingdom) has arisen. 
 
 And it came to pass when the Singer had informed 
 Abdemon concerning the above mystery that he fell 
 into deep meditation, and the King's Pioneer seeing 
 that he had made an end of speaking took AMemon 
 before the Horoscopus, where the following dialogue 
 took place: 
 
 K. P. strikes five times with the point of hissivord 
 0:1 the floor before the Horoscopus. 
 
 H.: Why dost thou disturb my meditation; w r hct 
 dost thou desire ? 
 
 K. P.: More Light. 
 
 H: What dost thou mean ? 
 
 K. P. : From whence did I come and w r hither do I 
 go? 
 
 H.: O brother, countless as the sands of the sea 
 and the stars of the heavens are they who have ask- 
 ed the same questions before thee. 
 
 K. P.: Brother H., I pray thee by the soul of thy 
 father and the spirit of thy mother that thou will not 
 deny me tby wisdom and understanding. 
 
 H. : It is a sin against Divine Truth to believe that 
 the exalted soul that has once reached the dignity 
 
44 
 
 and upright stature of manhood should, or could, 
 retrograde into the bodies of creeping things or 
 crouching animals. Not so, not so ! 
 
 The fleeting images which antecedent states leave 
 on the spiritual brain, in the half -effaced and half- 
 imperfect perceptions of existence which each new 
 stage of progress and each successive journey through 
 various lower earths leave, like an unquiet, ill-re- 
 membered dream on the spirit's consciousness, the 
 past becomes confused with the present, and some- 
 thing of what we have been imposes its shadow 
 across the path of the future as a dim possibility of 
 what we may be. 
 
 After the soul's birth into humanity, it acquires 
 self -consciousness, knowledge of its own individual- 
 ity, and closing up forever its career of material 
 transformations, with the death of the mortal body, 
 it gravitates on to a fresh series of existences in 
 purety spiritual realms of being. Here the farther 
 purifications of the soul commences anew; commence 
 with that sublime attribute of knowledge, which en- 
 ables even the wickedest spirit to enjoy and profit by 
 the change, for memory supplies him with lessons 
 which urge him to struggle forward into the con- 
 quest over sin, and prophetic sight stimulates him to 
 aspire until he shall attain, by will — directed effort, 
 the sublime heights of purity and goodness from 
 
45 
 
 which he fell to become a mortal pilgrim. 
 
 The triumphant souls who enter Heaven by effort 
 are God's ministering angels. Angels of power, 
 wisdom, strength and beauty. The dwellers in the 
 primal states of Eden are only spirits. The first are 
 God-men — heavenly men — strong and mighty pow- 
 ers, thrones, dominions, world- builders, glorious 
 hierarchies of sun-bright souls, who nevermore can 
 fall. Spirits are but the breath, the spark, theshad- 
 of a God; angels are Gods in person. During the 
 various transitional states of the soul in passing 
 through the myriads of forms and myriads of earths 
 whereon their probations are out wrought, the chang- 
 es are all effected by a process analogous to human 
 death — during the period that subsists ere the soul, 
 expelled from one material shape enters another, the 
 drifting spirit, still enveloped by the magnetic aural 
 body which binds it to the real of matter, becomes 
 for its short term of intermediate spiritual existence 
 an elementary spirit. 
 
 And it came to pass when the Horoscopus had in- 
 formed Abdemon concerning the above mystery that 
 he fell into a deep meditation, and the King's Pio- 
 neer seeing that he had made an end of speaking, 
 took Abdemon and led him to the door of the tent 
 within the cavern and set before him a little wine and 
 water and left him to his own meditation. 
 
46 
 
 ooooooocoo 
 
 The scene now changes to a cavern, in which five 
 robbers are seated, also the daughter of the chief. 
 They are dressed as Arabians of the desert. One 
 stands as guard without the mouth of the cavern. 
 
 The following dialogue takes place: 
 
 Guard enters and salutes the chief by stooping 
 over and brushing the floor with his right hand. 
 
 G.: Master, I see in the distance a little tent. 
 
 M.: Guard, take with thee two companions and 
 make an observation. 
 
 G.: Ho, companions, come hither with me. The 
 companions sitting on the right and left follow the 
 guard without the door of the cavern. After a little 
 time the three return with Abdemon bound. 
 
 G.: Master, we came upon this man sitting in a 
 tent as if in a sleep. He made neither outcry or re- 
 sistance. We have him now before thee. 
 
 M.: From whence earnest thou, and whither dost 
 thou go? 
 
 (The Guard answers for Abdemon.) 
 
 G. : I came from my mother's womb, whither I go 
 is determined by God. 
 
 M. : Beware, stranger, thou art neither in the hands 
 of thy friends or fellow-countrymen. 
 
 G. : I am in the hands of my brothers, be they 
 friends or foes. 
 
47 
 
 M.: How sayest thou, stranger? We are robbers! 
 Oar hand is against every man, and every man's 
 hand is against us. 
 
 G. : We are all the sons of God, What man can 
 say, I have no brother? 
 
 M.: I think when thou hast felt the knife at thy 
 thro.it that thou wilst no longer regard the Ishmae- 
 lites as thy brothers. Guards, conduct the prisoner 
 at a little distance until we determine his fate. 
 
 The guards now take the candidate a little distance 
 from the group, but not so far but what the candi- 
 date can hear all that is said. 
 
 M. : Guards, hath the stranger silver or gold ? 
 
 G. : I have made strict search but found no metal 
 on him or weapon in his tent. 
 
 M.: Companions, how shall we dispose of him? 
 
 First Companion: Let us sell him as a slave into 
 the land of Egypt. 
 
 G.: Master, it is a long and dangerous journey 
 into the land of Egypt. It w r ill be necessary to guard 
 him the entire journey, and when the end is reached 
 who knoweth whether his price will be adequate to 
 our trouble and expense. 
 
 Second Companion: I*et us set him free. He hath 
 neither gold, silver or cattle. 
 
 G.: Master, this is also the counsel of the foolish; 
 who knoweth but what he may be a spy, who will 
 
48 
 
 sooner or later betray us into the hands of our ene- 
 mies. 
 
 Third Companion: Let us kill him before the ris- 
 ing of the sun, and bury his body amone the rocks. 
 
 M. : What say you, companions ? 
 
 Companions: So let it be done. 
 
 The Master and companions now spread out their 
 goat skin mats and are soon fast asleep. The guard 
 stands at the door. 
 
 oooooooooo 
 
 The scene now changes back to the lodge room. 
 
 The Horoscopus goes out, and after a few moments 
 returns ar^l says: 
 
 H.: Excellent Priest, our brother Abdemon is no 
 longer in his tent. 
 
 Ameni: Brother K. P. , I am certain that some un- 
 expected danger has overtaken our brother. Go 
 forth and make an observation. 
 
 The K. P. goes out, and after some time returns, 
 and reports as follows: 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, at some distance I beheld 
 a guard standing at the opening of another cavern. 
 I pursued a devious course and was able to make a 
 somewhat close observation. I discovered a small 
 band of robbers. They are evidently Ishmelites and 
 have captured our brother. I know their manners 
 and customs, and, if my judgment is correct, they 
 
49 
 
 will kill him before the rising of another sun. 
 
 Ameni: Brother K. P., what is to be done? 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, what cannot be done by 
 force must be done by strategy. We are too few to 
 make a successful attack and rescue our worthy broth- 
 er. I will undertake alone to rescue our brother. If 
 I perish in the attempt, I pray that thou will see to 
 it that no harm shall overtake my wife and children. 
 
 Ameni: Go forth, and be assured that the strong 
 arm of the Goes are with thee. 
 
 The K. P. salutes Ameni and departs, 
 oooooooooo 
 
 Cavern of the robbers. 
 
 The K. P. boldly approaches the cavern of the 
 robbers, and the following dialogue takes place: 
 
 G.: Who comes here ? 
 
 K. P.: The Pioneer of the King of Egypt. 
 
 G. : What dost thou desire ? 
 
 K. P. : A prisoner who has escaped from out of 
 our hands. 
 
 G.: We know nothing of thee or thy prisoner. 
 
 K. P.: Thou liest, and I demand that thou bring- 
 est this matter before thy master. 
 
 G.: Wait with patience until my master is inform- 
 ed and his answer returned. 
 
 The Guard goes within the cavern, arouses the 
 master from his slumber, and says: 
 
50 
 
 G.: Master, the Pioneer of the King of Egypt 
 stands without the door, and demands a prisoner who 
 has escaped out of his hand. 
 
 M.: He is a man of authority in the king'shouse- 
 hold. Demand a ransom, but beware how thou run- 
 neth contrary to his authority. Go back to thy place 
 and inform the stranger that I demand proof of his 
 authority. 
 
 The Guard goes to the door and says to the King's 
 Pioneer: 
 
 G. : Stranger, my master demandeth proof of thy 
 authority. 
 
 K. P.: Here is proof of my authority (2). 
 
 The Guard takes (2) and hands it to the master, 
 'after saluting him as before. 
 
 M. : It is sufficient. Inform the K. P. that I will 
 place the prisoner into his hands for thirty pieces of 
 silver. 
 
 The Guard goes to the door as before and says: 
 
 G.: Stranger, my master will place the prisoner 
 into thy hands for thirty pieces of silver. 
 
 K. P. : Here is thirty pieces of silver, take it to thy 
 master. Tell him to produce the prisoner or I will 
 station my guards at the door of this cavran and slay 
 every Ishmelite from the first even unto the last. 
 
 The Guard goes within, salutes the master, gives 
 him the thirty pieces of silver, and says: 
 
51 
 
 G. : Master, the K. P. sends this message unto 
 thee: Tell thy master to produce the prisoner or I 
 will station my guards at the door of this cavern and 
 slay every Ishmelite from the first even unto the 
 last. 
 
 M.: Take the prisoner, place him in the hands of 
 the K. P. and say unto him that the Isnmelite serves 
 no king, acknowledges no master, and fears not 
 death. 
 
 oooooooooo 
 
 The K. P. now enters the cavern from whence he 
 came, leading Abdemon by the arm, although his 
 bonds have not been removed. He approaches 
 Ameni, who is seated on the west on a goat skin, c;s 
 before. 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, I have before you our 
 brother Abdemon, whom I have rescued out of the 
 hands of the Ishmelites. 
 
 Ameni: Brother Abdemon, you now stand as the 
 soul imprisoned in the body, and in the case of a 
 wicked man, as bound by the spirits and demons of 
 darkness. Man is composed of three parts — body, 
 soul and spirit. The soul sinneth, and continually 
 wareth with the spirit. But God hath revealed unto 
 us by His Spirit the things which He hath prepared 
 for those that love him, for the Spirit searcheth all 
 things, yea, the deep things of God. 
 
52 
 
 For what man knoweth the things of man, save the 
 Spirit of man which is in him ? Uven so, the things 
 of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God. 
 
 Ameni: Brother K. P. conduct brother Abdemon 
 to a seat among us. Set before him dates and wine, 
 that his body may be refreshed. 
 
 K. P. conducts the candidate to a goat skin mat, 
 causes him to be seated, and sets before him wine and 
 dates. This being done, he return to Ameni in the 
 east and says: 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, we are in close proximity 
 to a daring band of Ishmelites, fully armed. The 
 sun is about to shoot forth his rays in the east. I 
 would advise that we pursue our journey without 
 further delay. 
 
 Ameni: Brother K. P., bring our brother Abde- 
 mon before us. 
 
 The K. p. now goes, and taking A. by the arm, 
 says: 
 
 K. P. : I am ordered by our Excellent priest to 
 bring you before him. 
 
 (He leads A. before the priest.) 
 
 Ameni: Brother Abdemon, in pursuing our jour- 
 ney we will, no doubt, soon meet many caravans of 
 our own countrymen. In order to afford you that 
 protection necessary to complete your instructions 
 and initiation into our mysteries, it will be necessary 
 
53 
 
 for you to submit to a more severe ordeal than that 
 which you have heretofore passed through, and be- 
 come Prince in the House of Pharaoh. Are you pre- 
 pared to obey am, orders and undrego any ordeal how- 
 soever severe which it may be necessary to impose 
 upon you ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 Ameni: Brother A., your courage is truly com- 
 mendable. Your initiation as a Prince of the House 
 of Pharaoh will take place at the next stopping place 
 of our present journey. In the meantime remember 
 that the attributes of a true Master of the Secret 
 Cavern is to know, dark, wiu, and to be silknt. 
 
 Ameni: Brother K. P., conduct our brother A. to 
 his seat among us, then prepare all things for our 
 journey. 
 
 The K. P. conducts Abdemon to his seat, then 
 gathers all the mats and utensils used in the ceremo- 
 ny and takes them out of the lodge room. 
 
 K. P.: Fall in, brothers, let us continue our jour- 
 ney. 
 
 The brothers fall in, in the following order: 
 
 1st. The K. P. with all the candidates and all the 
 brothers present, in single file. 
 
 2nd. The Singer. 
 
 3rd. The Horoscopus. 
 
 <th. Ameni. 
 
54 
 
 They all march around the lodge room four times 
 and then go into the ante-room. The ceremony is 
 at an end, and the candidate is at liberty to depart. 
 
55 
 
 PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF 
 PHARAOH. 
 
 FORM OF THE I.ODGB. 
 
 Ameni, priest of the great pyramid, sits in the east 
 under a small tent, clothed in plain white priestly 
 robes and a scarlet turban upon his head. A violet 
 sash is hung over his shoulder and extends down 
 over the left side. 
 
 The Singer sits under a small tent in the south; 
 he is clothed in plain white priestly robes and a scar- 
 let turban upon his head; his sash is yellow and is 
 suspended over his shoulder the same as the priest. 
 
 The Horoscopus sits under a small tent in the west; 
 he is clothed in plain white priestly robes and a scar- 
 let turban upon his head; his sash is yellow and is 
 suspended over the shoulder the same as the priest. 
 
 The King's pioneer sits under a small tent at the 
 right of the Horoscopus; he is clothed m the dress 
 of an Egyptian soldier; he has a scarlet sash sus- 
 
56 
 
 pended over his shoulder in the same manner as the 
 priest; he is armed with a sword and wears a helmet 
 on his head. 
 
 JEWESS. 
 
 The jewel of Ameni, the priest, is a caduceus which 
 he holds in his hand as a scepter. 
 
 The jewel of the Singer is challice, or cup, sus- 
 pended to the sash. 
 
 The jewel of the Horoscopus is a round disk, or 
 pentacle, suspended to the sash. 
 
 The jewel of the King's pioneer is the sword which 
 he holds in his hand. 
 
 LODGE. 
 
 The lodge represents a resting place in the desert, 
 surrounded by rocks of sufficient height to prevent a 
 surprise. 
 
 OPENING CEREMONIES. 
 
 The first letter of each officer's name will represent 
 that officer in the ceremonies, with the exception of 
 Ameni. 
 
 A. — Abdemon. 
 
 S. — Singer. 
 
 H . — Horoscopus. 
 
 K. p. — King's pioneer. 
 
 C. of K. G.— Captain of the Kirg's Guards, 
 
57 
 
 Aineni: Erother Horoscopus, what is the day and 
 the hour ? 
 
 H. : Excellent Priest, it is now low six of the 2£th 
 day of the eighth month. 
 
 Aineni: Brother Pioneer, please make an observa- 
 tion. 
 
 The K. P. goes out of the door of the lodge on the 
 west, and after a short time re-enters and reports as 
 follows: 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, a company of soldiers ap- 
 proach our encampment from the west. 
 
 Ameni: Brothers, we know not whether we be ap- 
 proached by friends or foe. L,et us invoke the aid of 
 the Lord. 
 
 At the above suggestion from Ameni, all the breth- 
 ren present kneel down and repeat the following in 
 unison, three times: 
 
 "My help cometh from Jehovah, 
 Which made heavens and earth; 
 But thou, O Elohim shalt bring 
 Them down into the pit of destruction. 
 Bloody and deceitful men shall not 
 live out half their days. 
 
 Mark the perfect man, and behold the 
 upright, 
 
 For the end of that man is peace. 
 Trust in Jehovah, and do good; 
 
58 
 
 So shalt thou dwell in the land, 
 And verily thou shalt be fed. 
 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I 
 might fall; 
 
 But the Lord helped me." 
 
 At the conclusion of the above invocation, an alarm 
 of oooo raps is heard at the door of the lodge. 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, there is an alarm at the 
 door. 
 
 Ameni: Brother K. P., ascertain the cause of the 
 alarm. 
 
 The K. P. goes to the door of the lodge on the 
 west, where the following dialogue takes place: 
 
 K. P. : Who comes here ? 
 
 C. of the K. G. : The C. of the K. G. and a Prince 
 of the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 K. P.: How r shall I know you to be such ? 
 
 C. of the K. G.: By the sign, the grip, and the 
 word and the pass of the King of Egypt. 
 
 K. P.: Give me the sign. 
 
 The sign is given by placing the hand, with three 
 fingers extended over (1). 
 
 K. P.: Give me the grip. 
 
 The grip is given as follows: Clasp hands as if 
 about to shake hands, press the knuckle of the (2) 
 times. It is answered in the same manner. 
 
 K. P.: Give me the word. 
 
59 
 
 C. of the K. G.: I did not so receive it, neither 
 will I give it. 
 
 K: P. : How will you dispose of it ? 
 
 C. of the K. G. : I will letter or syllable it with 
 you. 
 
 K. P.: Syllable it and begin. 
 
 C. of the K. C: No; you begin. 
 
 K. P. : Begin you. 
 
 C. of the K. G.: (3) 
 
 K. P.: (4) 
 
 C. of the K. G.: (5) 
 
 K. P.: (6). The word is correct. 
 
 K. P.: Give me the pass of the King of Egypt. 
 
 C. of the King of Egypt hands the K. P. a piece 
 of parchment, upon which the following is written: 
 
 (7) 
 
 oooooooooo 
 
 K. P.: The pass is correct; what doth thou desire ? 
 
 C. of the K. G.: To be admitted and received as 
 friends and companions in your camp. 
 
 K. P. : It gives me much pleasure to present thee 
 and thy brethren unto our Excellent Priest. 
 
 The K. P. takes the C. of the K. G. by the arm, 
 and other soldiers who are with C. of the K. G. fol- 
 low in single file; he conducts the strangers to the 
 center of the room; the strangers stand in line facing 
 Ameni in the east; the K. P. and C. of the K. G. 
 
60 
 
 stand two paces in front of the line. 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, it is with much pleasure 
 that I present to thee the Captain of the King's 
 Guard and his companions, all Princes of the House 
 of our Lord the King. 
 
 Ameni and all present arise. 
 
 Ameni: Brothers, I bid the welcome in the name 
 of our Lord who beareth rule in- the great stone tem- 
 ple. 
 
 C. of the K. G.: Excellent Priest, it doth give me 
 much pleasure to present to thee the King's Scribe 
 and the Master of the King's Tribute. 
 
 The King's Scribe and the Master of the King's 
 Tribute step out from the line and take a position in 
 line with the k. p. and c. of the k. g. 
 
 Ameni: princes of the House of Pharaoh, 1 bid thee 
 welcome, and request that thou doth take thy pleas- 
 ure according to rank. 
 
 At the request of the k. p. and c. of the k. g, step 
 to the head of the line on the left; the King's scribe 
 and Master of the King's Tribute fall back into line. 
 The c. of the k. g. gives the following command: 
 
 "Attention! Draw swords. Carry swords. Left 
 face. Forward march." 
 
 The k. p., the c. of the k. g., the King's scribe 
 and the master of the King's Tribute and Guards 
 march in single file four times around the lodge, and 
 
61 
 
 at the fourth time around, the King's scribe stops by 
 the side of the Singer in the south; the Master of the 
 King's Tribute stops at the side of the Horoscopus in 
 the west; the Guards stop in single file facing the east 
 at the right of the Horoscopus in the west; the k. p. 
 stops two paces in front of the line of Guards; the c. 
 of the k. G. takes his place by the side of Ameni 
 in the west. 
 
 Ameni; Brother k. p., art thou sure that all pres- 
 ent are princes of the House of Pharaoh ? 
 
 k. p.: I have received the word of a prince of the 
 House of pharaoh from the c. of the k. g., and I am 
 satisfied that all present are princes of the House of 
 pharaoh. 
 
 Ameni: Brother k. p., place a guard without the 
 camp that we may be warned of any approach either 
 by friends or enemies. 
 
 The K. p. now stations a guard in the ante-room of 
 the lodge. On his return he says: 
 
 k. p.: Excellent priest, thy orders have been obey- 
 ed. 
 
 Ameni: Brother k. p., inform the guard that I am 
 about to form a grand council of princes of the House 
 of pharaoh, and direct him to guard accordingly. 
 
 k, p. opens the door and says to the outer guard: 
 
 k . p. : Brother Guard, our Excellent priest is about 
 to open a grand council of the prince of the House of 
 
C2 
 
 Pharaoh, arid thou art directed to guard accordingly. 
 
 K. P.: Excellent Priest, thy orders have been 
 obeyed. 
 
 Ameni: Brother King's scribe, hast thou any re- 
 port to make ? 
 
 The King's scribe, who is really the secretary, 
 now reads the minutes of the last regular meeting, 
 and performs all duties such as are usually perform- 
 ed by the secretary of a [8] , and is governed by the 
 same rules. 
 
 Ameni: ' If there is no objection to the report of the 
 king's scribe it stands approved. 
 ' Ameni: It is approved. Is there anything further 
 to come before this grand council of the princes of 
 the House of "Pharaoh before we retire? 
 
 If there is a candidate in waiting", the king's scribe 
 places the petition of the candidate in the hands of 
 Ameni, [the petition is supposed to have been acted 
 upon and accepted at a previous regular meeting for 
 all the preceding degrees], who says: 
 
 Ameni: Brother c. of the k. g., I have in my hands 
 
 the petition of Brother , who desires to 
 
 be elevated to the rank of a prince of the House of 
 Pharaoh, and as thou art the highest officer of the 
 king in our midst it is thy duty to perform this cere- 
 mony. 
 
 c. of the k: G.: Excellent priest, with thy assist- 
 
63 
 
 ance it shall be done. Brother King's scribe and 
 Master of the King's Tribute, form the grand coun- 
 cil. 
 
 At this command, the King's scribe steps out three 
 paces from the center of the room and facing the 
 north. The Master of the King's Tribute goes to the 
 center of the room directly opposite to the King's 
 scribe and faces him. 
 
 The k. p. then gives the following command: At- 
 tention, Guards! Form the right, count twos. Twos 
 right, open order march. Five Guards on the right, 
 march to the King's scribe. Five Guards on the left, 
 march to the King's Tribute. He then commands: 
 •Halt ! Inward face ! 
 
 The King's scribe now takes his place at the head 
 of the column on the right, and the King's Tribute 
 takes his place at the head of the column on the left, 
 
 k, p.: c. of the k, G., the grand council is formed, 
 
 c. of the k. G.: Brother k. p., ascertain if there is 
 a candidate in waiting. 
 
 The k. p. goes to the door of the ante-room where- 
 in the outside Guard is stationed and says: Is there 
 a candidate in waiting ? 
 
 G,: There is. 
 
 k. p.: The grand council is formed. Let thecal: - 
 didate be prepared. 
 
 The candidate is prepared by being clothed witji a 
 
C4 
 
 scarlet robe and turban. 
 
 The Outside Guard now takes the candidate by the 
 arm, goes to the door, and gives oooo oooo raps. 
 
 K, P.: C, of K, G., there is an alarm without. 
 
 C. of the K. G.: Ascertain the cause and report, 
 
 The K. P. goes to the door, where the following 
 dialogue with the Outside Guard, { who answers for 
 the candidate), takes place: 
 
 K. P. : Who comes here ? 
 
 O. G.: Brother Abdemon, a man of the land of 
 Osiris, who has been regularly initiated (9), accept- 
 ed the mission as Grand Master of the Secret Manu- 
 script; traveled the company of the King's Pioneer; 
 has been invested with the mysteries of a Grand Mas* 
 ter of the Secret Cavern, and now desires to be hon- 
 ored by being admitted and received as a Prince of 
 the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 K. P.: Brother Abdemon, why dost thou desire 
 this honor ? 
 
 O. G.: In order that I may travel in safety in the 
 land of Egypt, and pursue the path of wisdom with- 
 out hinderance. 
 
 K. P.: Wait with patience until the C. of the K. 
 G. is informed of your request and his answer re- 
 turned. 
 
 The K. P. now goes to the right cf the grand coun- 
 cil, and after saluting the C. of the K. G, [the salute 
 
65 
 
 is given by bringing the hilt of the sword to the fore- 
 head] , and says: 
 
 K. P.: Brother C. of the K. G., there is waiting 
 without our camp brother Abdemon, a man of the 
 land of Osiris, who has been duly initiated (10), ac- 
 cepted the mission of a Grand Master of the Secret 
 Manuscript, traveled in company of the King's Pio- 
 neer, has been invested with the mysteries of a Grand 
 Master of the Secret Cavern, and now desires to be 
 honored by being admitted and received as a Prince 
 of the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 C. of K. G.: Brother K. P., bring brother Abde- 
 mon before the grand council of Princes of the House 
 of Pharaoh for further examination. 
 
 The K. P. salutes as before, goes to the door and 
 opening it, says: 
 
 K. P.: Brother Abdemon, enter. 
 
 The K. P. now takes Abdemon by the right arm, 
 conducts him to the erand council of Princes of the 
 House of Pharaoh, salutes and says: 
 
 K. P. : Brothers of the grand council of Princes of 
 the House of Pharaoh, I herewith present unto thee 
 brother Abdemon, a man of the land of Osiris, who 
 has been regularly initiated (11), accepted the mis- 
 sion of a Grand Master of the Secret Manuscript, 
 traveled in company of the King's Pioneers, has been 
 invested with the mysteries of a Grand Master of the 
 
66 
 
 Secret Cavern, and now desires to be honored by be- 
 ing admitted and received as a Prince of the House 
 of Pharaoh. 
 
 King's Scribe: Brother Abdemon, why dost thou 
 desire the honor ? 
 
 K. P. : In order that I may travel in safety in the 
 land of Egypt and pursue the path of wisdom with- 
 out hincerance. 
 
 King's Scribe: I welcome thee, brother Abdemon, 
 as a seeker after knowledge, but bear in mind, the 
 wish to know does not always contain the faculty to 
 acquire. The fruit of the tree of knowledge is sweet 
 to the taste and sour in the digestion. He who seeks 
 to discover must first learn to imagine and to delib- 
 erate. He who pursues the path of wisdom must 
 first possess four cardinal virtues — to know, to wiix, 
 to dare, and to remain silent. 
 
 The journey which is before thee may perchance 
 be through flowers, bespangled plains and verdant 
 meads, where summer sunshine sifts through inter- 
 laced boughs, and perfumed zephyrs sigh, and music- 
 throated birds entrance the listening ear. It perad- 
 venture winds its devious and uncertain way along 
 the mountain side, where unsealed peaks their tow- 
 ering summits lift amidst the thunder's sullen roar, 
 and depths abysmal yawn beyond the treacherous 
 precipice; or else, where darkly rivers run, 'mid ray- 
 
67 
 
 less gloom, through caverns measureless to man 
 down to a sunless sea. Mayhaps it leads through 
 bog and fen to foul morass, where hideous creatures 
 climb and crawl, and slimy serpents cling and coil, 
 and nameless, countless horrors lurk unseen. 
 
 Fear is the deadliest foe to knowledge. The cow- 
 ard fancies perils which may not exist, and dies a 
 thousand deaths; to the true initiate danger only 
 nerves his arm and fortifies his soul to combat and to 
 conquer. Remember that the most deadly foe is 
 thine own I/OWER nature. Conquer THYSELF 
 and the very elements will obey thee, and the de- 
 mons of the unseen world will crouch down before 
 thee. Brother Abdemon, art thou now ready to th~t 
 test to which all must undergo who are admitted as 
 a Prince of the House of Pharaoh ? 
 
 Abdemon: I am. 
 
 King's Scribe: Brother k. p., conduct brother Ab- 
 demon to the c. of the k. g., where he may take 
 the obligation of a priuce of the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 There is no altar in this degree. The k. p. con- 
 ducts Abdemon before the c. of the k. g. in the 
 east. 
 
 K. P.: C. of the K. G,, I present before thee a 
 representative of our Lord the King, brother Abde- 
 mon, who has been regularly initiated (12;. 
 
 C. of the K. G : Brother K. P., has he been pre 
 
68 
 
 sen ted before the grand council of princes of the 
 House of Pharaoh ? 
 
 K. P. : He has, and I have been directed to bring 
 him before thee to take the obligation of a prince of 
 the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 C. of the K. G. : Brother Abdemon, I present to 
 thee the holy and mysterious (15). Grasp it with 
 both hands; hold it before thine eyes, and repeat 
 after me: 
 
 I, , in the presence of the God of 
 
 Nature and of this grand council of the princes of the 
 House of pharaoh, do hereby most solemnly and sin- 
 cerely promise and swear, that I will never reveal 
 the secrets of this degree to any person or persons, 
 except to those to whom the same may lawfully be- 
 long. 
 
 I furthermore promise and swear that whensoever 
 I am called upon to judge and deride between my 
 brethren, I will do so with justice and equity, and 
 will endeavor to reconcile all differences and disputes 
 between them. 
 
 I further promise and swear never to fight my 
 brother prince of the House of pharaoh. 
 
 I further promise and swear to submit to any test 
 that the grand council of princes of the House of 
 pharah may see fit to impose upon me in order to 
 determine my power to resist fear of physical harm. 
 
69 
 
 I furthermore promise and swear to appear at all 
 times at the council when I shall be summoned to 
 attend by the proper officers, unless having good rea- 
 son for the contrary. 
 
 To all of which I most solemnly promise and swear, 
 binding myself under no less penalty than that of 
 being deprived of the advantages of the council of 
 Osirians (14) in general. So God maintain me in 
 uprightness and justice. Amen. 
 
 C. of the K. G. : Brother Abdemon, return to me 
 the holy and mysterious (15). 
 
 Abdemon hands it back. 
 
 C. of the K. G.: Erother Abdemon, you have tak- 
 en the oath of secrecy, but this does not constitute 
 thee a prince of the House of Pharaoh. It will be nec- 
 essary for thee to submit thyself to the decree of the 
 grand council of princes of the House of pharaoh. I 
 now give the due and timely warning, that from their 
 decree there is NO appeal. 
 
 C. of the K. G.: Brother k. p. , conduct brother 
 Abdemon before the grand council of princes of the 
 House of pharaoh for further examination. 
 
 The k. p. takes Abdemon by the right arm and 
 conducts him before the grand council, where the 
 following dialogue ensues: 
 
 K. P.: Erother King's scribe, by order of the c. of 
 the k. G., I present to thee our brother Abdemon for 
 
70 
 
 further instructions. 
 
 King's Scribe: Brother Abdemon, what dost thou 
 now desire ? 
 
 K. P. : To be initiated into the ancient secret mys- 
 teries, and by Divine knowledge to become one of 
 the sons of God. 
 
 King's Scribe: Brother Abdemon, this, indeed, is 
 a great thing that thou dost ask at our hands. Be 
 it known unto thee, also, that thou canst not obtain 
 the right or proper condition to bask in the sunshine 
 of the Gods without terrible trials and sufferings of 
 body, soul and spirit; therefore, we must require of 
 thee a physical and a mental test to determine thy 
 fortitude and courage. I further give thee due and 
 timely warning that fear and trembling upon thy 
 part will lose to thee that boon which thou dost so 
 much desire. The test which this grand council of 
 princes of the House of Pharaoh may see fit to impose 
 upon thee may seem to thee cruel and unnecessary, 
 but it is absolutely necessary that thou shalt over- 
 come physical fear before thou canst successfully 
 combat and overcome the demons of the lower re- 
 gions. I would, myself, willingly undergo this test 
 for thy sake if it were possible to do so, for I am 
 bound to thee by the ties of brotherhood; but it is not 
 possible. Each must care his own path to the spir- 
 itual realms by his own brave effort. 
 
71 
 
 King's Scribe: Brother k. p. , retire with our brothr 
 er Abdemon and prepare him for the test which he 
 must now undergo. 
 
 The k. p. now retires with the candidate to the 
 ante-room on the left of the Hproscopus in the west. 
 The candidate is prepared by (16). 
 
 King's Scribe: Grand council of princes of the 
 House of pharaoh, we must now determine what test 
 is to be applied to brother Abdemon, What is thy 
 will and pleasure ? 
 
 Master of the King's Tribute: Brother k. s., there 
 are but four tests permitted — that of earth, air, fire 
 and water, In our present condition I would decree 
 that our brother Abdemon be submitted to the test 
 of fire. : 
 
 King's Scribe: What say you, brothers? 
 
 All answer: So let it be done. 
 
 The two princes sitting nearest the west now re- 
 tire and bring back a brazier or modern tinner's fur- 
 nace, those that are heated with gasoline, and a rod 
 of iron, on the end of which is a five pointed star. 
 The second prince brings in a rod of iron, upon the 
 end of which is a five pointed star. This latter should 
 be thrust into a pail of ice and kept as cool as possi- 
 ble. The latter should be concealed from the candi- 
 date. 
 
 When all is ready, the King's Scribe arises and 
 
72 
 
 say s.- 
 King's Scribe: C. of the k. G., we have decided 
 upon the test. Let brother Abdemon be presented 
 before the council. 
 
 C, of the K. G.: Brother h. , please inform the k. 
 p. that the grand council cf princes of the House of 
 pharaoh have decided upon the test. Let him be 
 presented. 
 
 H. goes to the door, opens it, and says: 
 H.: Brother K. P., let brother Abdemon be pre- 
 sented before the grand council of princes of the 
 House of pharaoh, who have decided upon the test. 
 The K. P. now enters, leading Abdemon by the 
 right arm. He takes him around the lodge seven 
 times. As he passes Ameni in the east he says: 
 
 4 'Though the brightness before him were coals of 
 fire kindled." 
 
 As he passes the Singer in the south he says: 
 "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; 
 a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very 
 tempestous round about Him/' 
 
 As he passes the Horoscopus in the west he says: 
 "A fire goeth before Him and burnetii up His 
 enemies round about." 
 
 The Master of the King's Tribute now arises and 
 says in a loud voice as the K. P. completes the re- 
 maining circuits of the candidate: 
 
73 
 
 c 'Before Him went the pestilence, and burning 
 coals went forth at His feet. 
 
 "For our God is a consuming fire. And out of the 
 throne proceded lightnings and thunderings and 
 voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning 
 before the throne, which are the s seven spirits of 
 God. 
 
 1 'And the sight of the Lord was like a devouring 
 fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of all the 
 people. " 
 
 After the K. P. has completed the seven circuits, 
 he eoes with the candidate before the grand council 
 and says: 
 
 K. P.: Brother k. s. , I present to thee brother 
 Abdemon, who desires to receive the test. 
 
 K. S. : By a unanimous vote of this grand council 
 of princes of the House of Pharaoh, it has been de- 
 creed that thou shalt undergo the test of fire. 
 
 The guard having in charge the heated iron draws 
 it from the furnace, and approaching Abdemon says: 
 
 G. : Brother Abdemon, art thou now prepared to 
 receive the indelible mark of a prince of the House of 
 pharaoh ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 G.: Brother k p., bandage the eyes of our broth- 
 er lest he draw back wWn the fire approacheth. 
 
 The k. p. now hoodwinks the candidate (17). 
 
74 
 
 G.: Brother Abdernon, art thou now ready ? 
 
 A.: I am. 
 
 G.: Then receive our mark (18). 
 
 The guards quickly return to their places. The 
 bandage is taken from off his eyes. 
 
 K, S.: Brother Abdernon, thou hast now received 
 the mark of a prince of the House of Pharaoh. Heat 
 is life; cold is death. By pressing the cold iron to 
 thy breast signifies that thou art now dead to all the 
 lusts of the body. 
 
 K. S.: Brother k. p., conduct brother Abdernon 
 to the east for further instructions. 
 
 The K. P. takes Abdernon to the east where the 
 following ceremony takes place: 
 
 K. P.: c. of the k. G., I now present to thee broth- 
 er Abdernon, who has undergone the test of a prince 
 of the House of Pharaoh. 
 
 C. of the K. G.: Brother Abdernon, I herewith 
 present thee with a sword of a prince of the House of 
 Pharaoh. Thou art in duty bound to draw it in the 
 defence of our secret mysteries, to protect them from 
 ignorant, intolerant and bigoted fanatics who are the 
 agents through which demons accomplish their hor- 
 rible work upon the earths. 
 
 While the K. P. is placing the belt of the sword 
 around the body of Abdernon, Ameni arises and 
 says: 
 
75 
 
 Ameni: Brother Abciemon, I now salute thee with 
 and by the sign, the grip, the word and the pass of 
 the King of Kgypt and a prince of the House of Pha- 
 raoh. 
 
 The sign is given by placing the hand with (1£) 
 fingers extended over the (20), arid alludes to the 
 (21) syllables of the Divine (22). 
 
 The grip is given as follows: Clasp hands as if 
 about to shake hands, press the knuckles of the [25] 
 finger [24] times. It is answered in the same man- 
 ner. It alludes to the [25] primary elements [26] . 
 
 Ameni: Brother k. p., assist me in instructing our 
 brother in the word. 
 
 Ameni: Give me the word of a prince of the House 
 of Pharaoh. 
 
 K. P.: I did not so receive it, neither will I give 
 it. 
 
 Ameni: How will you dispose of it ? 
 
 K. P. : I will letter or syllable it with you. 
 
 Ameni: Syllable and begin. 
 
 K. P.: No; you begin. 
 
 Ameni: Begin you. 
 
 K. P.: [27] 
 
 Ameni: [23] 
 
 K. P.: [29] 
 Ameni: [30] . The word is (31) 
 
 Ameni: I now present thee, brother Abdemon, 
 
All 
 
 76 £3#£- 
 
 the pass of the King of Egypt. It contains within 
 itself the sum total of all mystical knowledge. By a 
 proper understanding of the figures and letters writ- 
 ten upon this piece of parchment you possess a key 
 to all knowledge, either of the past, present or fu- 
 ture. If all the writings of our ancient and learned 
 brethren should be suddenly destroyed, with this 
 key we would be able to again restore them. Guard 
 it as one of thy most sacred treasures, for you w T ill 
 have many occasions to consult it in the future. 
 
 Ameni: Brother k. p., what is the hour? 
 
 K. P.: The blazing luminary appears in the east, 
 and bids us pursue our journey. 
 
 Ameni: I now declare this grand council of princes 
 of the House of Pharaoh closed. 
 
 C. of the K. G.; Brother K. S., preserve the rec- 
 ords and our secret writings. Master of the K. S., 
 look well to the treasure chest. Brother K. P., in- 
 form the Outside Guard that I am about to break 
 camp and journey toward the great Stone Temple in 
 the land of Egypt. Remember, brethren, that to 
 know, to DARK, to wm, and be siLKNTare the chief 
 attributes of a Prince of the House of Pharaoh. Our 
 next encampment will be — here give the date and 
 hour. L,et all take due and timely notice. 
 
 All the brethren present now strike their hands 
 together seven time as follows (32).