Lecture.—­Question—­Are you a Knight of the Sun?  Answer—­I have mounted the seven principal steps of Masonry; I have penetrated into the bowels of the earth, and among the ancient ruins of Enoch found the most grand and precious treasures of the Masons.  I have seen, contemplated, and admired the great, mysterious, and formidable name engraved on the triangle; I have broken the pillar of beauty, and thrown down the two columns that supported it.

Q. Pray tell me what is that mysterious and formidable name?  A. I cannot unfold the sacred characters in this manner, but substitute in its place the grand word of [represented by the Hebrew consonants Jod, He, Vau, He.]

Q. What do you understand by throwing down the columns that sustained the pillar of beauty.  A. Two reasons.—­First.  When the temple was destroyed by Nebuzaradan, general of the army of Nebuchadnezzar, I was one that helped to defend the Delta on which was engraved the ineffable name; and I broke down the columns of beauty, in order that it should not be profaned by the infidels.  Second.  As I have deserved, by my travel and labor, the beauty of the great “Adonai” (Lord), the mysteries of Masonry, in passing the seven principal degrees.

Q. What signifies the seven planets?  A. The lights of the celestial globe and also their influence, by which every matter exists on the surface of the earth or globe.

Q. From what is the terrestrial globe formed?  A. From the matter which is formed by the concord of the four elements, designed by the four triangles, that are in regard to them as the four greater planets.

Q. What are the names of the seven planets?  A. Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn.

Q. Which are the four elements?  A. Air, fire, earth, and water.

Q. What influence have the seven planets on the four elements?  A. Three general matters of which all bodies are composed—­life, spirit, and body; otherwise, salt, sulphur and mercury.

Q. What is life or salt?  A. The life given by the Eternal Supreme, or the planets, the agents of nature.

Q. What is the spirit or sulphur?  A. A fixed matter, subject to several productions.

Q. What is the body or mercury?  A. Matter conducted or refined to its form by the union of salt and sulphur, or the agreement of the three governors of nature.

Q. What are those three governors of nature?  A. Animal, vegetable and mineral.

Q. What is animal?  A. We understand in this, life—­all that is divine and amiable.

Q. Which of the elements serve for his productions?  A. All the four are necessary, among which, nevertheless, air and fire are predominant; and it is those that render the animal the perfection of the three governments, which man is elevated to by one-fourth of the breath of the Divine Spirit, when he receives his soul.

Q. What is the vegetable?  A. All that seems attached to the earth reigns on the surface.