Lecture.—­Question—­Are you an E. K.?  A. One cavern received me, one lamp gave me light, and one fountain refreshed me.

Q. Where were you received?  A. In the audience chamber of Solomon.

Q. How were you received?  A. I was hoodwinked and conducted by the Master of Ceremonies to the door of the Chapter, where he gave eight and one distinct knocks.

Q. To what do those knocks allude?  A. To the number of the nine elect.

Q. How were those knocks answered?  A. By eight and one from within.

Q. What followed?  A. I was asked, “Who comes there?”

Q. Your answer?  A. A companion, to whose lot it has fallen to accompany the stranger in search of the assassins of Hiram Abiff.

Q. What followed?  A. I was conducted by the hand to the west, and asked by the Most Potent, what I wanted.

Q. Your answer?  A. To be made an Elected Knight.

Q. What then followed?  A. I was asked if I had courage to go in pursuit of the assassins of Hiram Abiff, which question I answered in the affirmative, and was addressed by the Most Potent in the following manner:—­“If you have, you shall be shown the place where one of his murderers lies concealed; a stranger has discovered it to me, and if you have resolution, follow this stranger.”

Q. What was then done to you?  A. The Master of Ceremonies led me out of the Chapter, by intricate roads, and at last seated me on a stone, and thus addressed me:—­“I am going to leave you, but be of good cheer, I shall not be long absent; when I am gone, you must take the bandage off your eyes, and drink some water from the fountain beside you, that you may be refreshed after so fatiguing a journey.”

Q. What followed?  A. I removed the bandage and found myself alone in a cavern, in which was a lamp, a fountain, and a head just severed from the body.  In a short time the Master of Ceremonies returned, and directed me to take a poniard in my right hand, and the head in my left, and then conducted me to the door of the Chapter, where I knocked eight and one with my foot, which was answered from within, and I was asked, “What do you want?”

Q. Your answer?  A. To enter this Chapter of Elected Knights.

Q. What followed?  A. I was asked by what right I claimed this privilege.

Q. Your answer?  A. I Have performed a feat for the honor of the craft, which I hope will entitle me to this degree.

Q. What followed?  A. I was admitted, and directed to approach the altar by eight quick and one slow steps, still holding the head in my left hand, and the poniard in my right, as if in the act of striking; the ninth step brought me to the altar, where the Most Potent addressed me in an angry tone:  “Wretch, what have you done, do you not know that by this rash act you have deprived me of an opportunity of inflicting condign punishment on the assassin?”

Q. What followed?  A. The companies made earnest intercession for me, observing that my offence had doubtless arisen from the wrath of my zeal, and not from any bad intention.  Upon this the Most Potent was reconciled, and he administered to me the obligation of this degree, the companies all standing ’round me with their poniards as if going to stab me.