Most Excellent Master, or Sixth Degree | Chapter 6

Master (to the candidate.)–Detach your hands and kiss the book six times.1(Candidate obeys.) You will now rise and

FIG. 29. GRIP OF A MOST EXCELLENT MASTER. receive from me the sign, grip, and word of a Most Excellent Master Mason.

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The sign is given by placing your two hands, one on each breast, the fingers meeting in the centre of the body, and jerking them apart as though you were trying to tear open your breast. It alludes to the penalty of the obligation. (See Fig. 28.)

The grip is given by taking each other by the right hand, and clasping them so that each compress the third finger of the other with his thumb. (If one hand is large and the other small, they cannot both give the grip at the same time.) It is called the grip of all grips, because it is said to cover all the preceding grips. (See Fig. 29.)

Master (holding candidate by his hand and placing the inside of his right foot to the inside of candidate’s right foot) whispers in his ear–RABBONI.

Should there be more than one candidate for initiation, the ceremony stops here until the others are advanced thus far, and then they all receive the remainder together.

A noise of shuffling feet is now heard in the Lodge, which is purposely made by some of the members.

Master (to Senior Warden.)–What is the cause of all this confusion?

S. W.–Is not this the day set apart for the celebration of the cope-stone, Right Worshipful?

Master–Ah, I had forgotten. (To Secretary.) Is it so, Brother Secretary?

Sec. (looking at his book.)–It is, Right Worshipful.

Master (to Senior Warden.)–Brother Senior, assemble the brethren and form a procession, for the purpose of celebrating the cope-stone.

The candidate now stands aside, while the brethren assemble and form a procession, double file, and march six times around the Lodge, against the course of the sun, singing from the text-book the first three verses of the Most Excellent Master’s Song:

The keystone is now brought forward and placed in its proper place; that is, two pillars or columns, called Jachin and Boaz (see pp. 71 and 83), each about five feet high, are set up, and an arch placed on them, made of planks or boards, in imitation of block-work, in the centre of which is a mortise left for the reception of a keystone; the Most Excellent Master takes the keystone and steps up into a chair, and places it into the arch, and drives it down to its place by giving it six raps with his gavel.1

As soon as this ceremony is through, all the brethren move around as before, continuing the song:

As they come to these words, all the brethren divest themselves of their jewels, aprons, sashes, &c., and hang them on the arch as they pass round.

The Ark, which all this time has been carried round by four of the brethren, is brought forward and placed on the altar, and a pot of incense2  is placed on the ark.

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Moe

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