information as shall enable you to discharge with propriety the various duties incumbent on you, and to preserve unsullied the title now conferred upon you of a Most Excellent Master.”

After this a motion is made by some of the members to close the Lodge.  This motion being accepted and received, the Most Excellent says, “Brother Junior Warden, you will please assemble the brethren around the altar for the purpose of closing this Lodge of Most Excellent Masters.”  The brethren immediately assemble around the altar in a circle, and kneel on the right knee, put their left arms over and join hands, as before; while kneeling in this position, the Most Excellent reads the following Psalm:  Psalm cxxxiv.  “Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.  The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.”  The Most Excellent then closes the circle as in opening, when they balance six times, rise and balance six times more, disengaging their hands, and give all the signs downwards, and declares the Lodge closed.

* * * * *

ROYAL ARCH DEGREE.

All legally constituted bodies of Royal Arch Masons are called Chapters, as regular bodies of Masons of the preceding degrees are called Lodges.  All the degrees from Mark Master to Royal Arch are given under the sanction of Royal Arch Chapters.  A person making application to a Chapter for admission, is understood as applying for all the degrees, unless he states in his application the particular degree or degrees he wishes to receive.  If you ask a Mark Master if he belongs to a Chapter, he will answer yes, but has only been marked.  If a person make application for all the degrees, and wishes to receive them all at one time, he is frequently balloted for only on the Mark degree, it being understood that if accepted on that, he is to receive the whole.  The members of Chapters who have received all the degrees, style each other companions; if they have not received the Royal Arch degree, brothers.  It is a point of the Royal Arch degree “not to assist, or be present at the conferring of this degree upon more or less than three candidates at one time.”  If there are not three candidates present, one or two companions, as the case may be, volunteer to represent candidates, so as to make the requisite number, or a team, as it is technically styled, and accompany the candidate or candidates through all the stages of exaltation.  Every Chapter must consist of a High Priest, King, Scribe, Captain of the Host, Principal Sojourner, Royal Arch Captain, three Grand Masters of the Veils, Treasurer, Secretary, and as many members as may be found convenient for working to advantage.  In the Lodges for conferring the preparatory degrees, the High Priest presides as Master, the King as Senior Warden, the Scribe as Junior Warden, the Captain of the Host as Marshal, or Master of Ceremonies, the Principal Sojourner as Senior Deacon, the Royal Arch Captain as Junior Deacon, the Master of the First, Second, and Third Veils as Junior, Senior, and Master Overseers; the Treasurer, Secretary and Tyler as officers of corresponding rank.  The Chapter is authorized to confer the degrees by a charter, or warrant from some Grand Chapter.