THE MYSTERIES OF MASONRY.

North Otago Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 813, 4 March 1873, Page 4

THE MYSTERIES OF MASONRY.

(To tho Editor " Groy lliver Argus,") Sir — As Dr Moran has partly lifted a corner of the veil which has for ages obscured , the mysteries of Freemasonry, most men will think now that further attempts at concealment are useless ; that it had better he ford away altogether, and in order that tho IJishop may b^.enable^p.do sp effeqtuinlly, the following revolutions are gratuitously offered, being fully asjftuthentic as , those already disclosed. At initiation, the novice is taken into t|ie lodge, led backwards on all-fours, the right wrist and 'left ancle hobbled with a Swivel chain ; a grated iron muzzle is placed over his mouth, through the oars of which the chaplain (who must be ordained) inserts a pair of red hot tweezers, and pulls' out tho superfluous hairs from tho nostrils. , The novice (who is in naturro puribus) naturally shrinks backwards at this process is dexterously branded with the letters I). \Y- C (Down 'with Christianity) 5 a Past Master then breathes the spirit , of the order through his nose into that of the candidate. This is the reason why so many of the Hebrew persuasion are Past Masters, tho noses of thiB people being found best adapted for this portion of the lite ; a large cross made of the wood prickly acacia, is now brought in, on which the novice is seated astride, with the brands downwards; a billy-goat is harnessed thereto, , and he is dragged seven times round the lodge, hopping seven times to make obeisance to an effigy ; his feet and le^s are then placed in a jmir of rod stockings, and the Tyler places a conical-shaped hat on his head, much )ike thdse worn in Spain by heretics. (From this practice hats have long been designated tiles.) A puncture is made Jn the left breast of the novice, and the blood trickling therefrom is caught in a human skull fashioned like a cup,' and all (he brethren partake of it. This is called {he onth of .ploodi typifying that all the brotherhood arc of the same consanguinity. The novice ia then compelled to " dig" the pen into his right breast, and with his own blood sjgn the b°nds t of \hc Order. - If the, novice should, refnse, to, take thisj ) path, he is at once slaughtered and- his, tyody burnt on the grand altar, it being wejl. known that fear, of nssasination prevents his friends seeking to learn l\is fate.' The clothed figuic is then divested of its raiment, suspended from a triangle, and is made 16 revolve by a species of bottle-jack, while the white novices fldgellate tho effigy, the Master Masons meanwhile pelting the figure with asafoetida pellets, and he who mnkes the best hit is entitled to the degree of MarH Mason. This ceremony (Concludes the first degree; the cithers can be revealed, if desired, by 1 A Mason.