Some Questions that Masons use to put to these who profess to have ye Mason Word before they will acknowledge them.
Question. - Are you a Mason?
Answer. - Yes.
Q. - How shall I know it?
A. - You shall know it in time and place convenient.
Remark. The foresd answer is only to be made when there is company present who are not masons. But if there is no such company by, you should answer by signes, tokens, and other points of my entrie.
Q. - What is the first point?
A. - Tell me the first point ile tell you the second, The first is to heill and conceal, second, under no less pain, which is then cutting of the throat, for you most make that sign, when you say that.
Q. - Where were you entered?
A. - At the honourable lodge.
Q. - What makes a true and perfect lodge?
A. - Seven masters, five entered apprentices, a day’s Journey from a burroughs town, without bark of a dog or crow of a cock.
Q. - Does no less make a true and perfect lodge?
A. - Yes five masons and three entered apprentices &c.
Q. - Does no less?
A. - The more the merrier the fewer the better chear.
Q. - What is the name of your lodge?
A. - Kilwinning.
Q. - How stands your lodge?
A. - East and west as the temple of jerusalem.
Q. - Where was the first lodge?
A. - In the porch of Solomons Temple.
Q. - Are there lights in your Lodge?
A. - Yes three the north east. s w, and eastern passage The one denotes the master mason, the other the warden The third the setter croft.
Q. - Are there any jewells in your lodge?
A. - Yes three, Perpend Esler a Square pavement and a broad ovall.
Q. - Where I shall find the key of your lodge?
A. - Three foot and an half from the lodge door under a perpend esler, and a green divot. But under the lap of my liver where all the secrets of my heart lie.
Q. - Which is the key of your lodge?
A. - A weel hung tongue.
Q. - Where lies the key of your lodge?
A. - In the bone box.
After the masons have examined you by all or some of these Questions and that you have answered exactly and mad the signes, they will acknowledge you, but not as a master mason or fellow croft but only as as [an] Apprentice, soe they will say I see you have been in the Kitchine but I know not if you have been in the hall, And I have been in the hall as weel as in the kitchine.
Q. - Are you a fellow craft?
A. - Yes.
Q. - How many points of the fellowship are ther?
A. - Fyve viz foot to foot Knee to Kn[ee] Heart to Heart, Hand to Hand ear to ear. Then make the sign of fellowship and shake hands you will acknowledged a very Mason. The words are in 1 of Kings Ch 7, v, 21, and in 2 chr: ch 3 verse last.
THE FORME OF GIVING THE MASON WORD
Imprimis, You are to take the person to take the word upon his knees and after a great mar y ceremonies to frighten him you make him take up the bible and laying his right hand on it you are to conjure him, to sec[r]ecie, By threatning that if [he] shall break his oath the sun in the firmament will be a witness agst him and all the company there present, which will be an occasion of his damnation and that likewise the masons will be sure to murder him, Then after he hes promised secrecie They give him the oath a[s] follows:
By god himself and you shall answer to god when you shall stand nakd before him, at the great day, you shall not reveal any pairt of what you hear or see at this time whither by word nor write nor put it into wryte at any time nor draw with the point of a sword, or any other instrument upon the snow or sand, nor shall you speak of it but with an entered mason, so help you god.
After he hes taken that oath he is removed out of the company, with the youngest mason where after he is sufficiently frighted with 1,000 ridiculous postures and grimmaces, He is to learn from the sd mason the manner of makeing his due guard whis [which] is the signe and the postures and word of his entrie which are as follows
Ffirst when he enters again into the company he must make a ridiculous bow, then the signe and say God bless the honourable company. Then putting off his hat after a very foolish manner only to be demonstrated then (as the rest of the signes are likewise) he sayes the words of his entrie which are as follows
Here come I the youngest and last entered apprentice As I am sworn by God and St Jhon by the Square and compass, and common judge to attend my Masters service at the honourable lodge, from munday in the morning till saturday at night and to keep the Keyes therof, under no less pain then haveing my tongue cut out under my chin and of being buried, within the flood mark where no man shall know, then he makes the sign again with drawing his hand under his chin alongst his throat which denotes that it to cutt out in caise he break his word.
Then all the mason present whisper amongst themselves the word beginning at the youngest till it come to the master mason who gives the word to the entered Apprentice. Now it is to be remarked that all the signs and words as yet spoken of are only what belong to the entered apprentice, But to be a master mason or fellow craft there is more to be done which after follows.
Ffirst, all the prentices are to be removed out of the company and none suffered to stay but masters.
Then he who is to be admitted a member of fellowship is putt again to his knees, and gets the oat[h] administrated to him of new afterwards he must go out of the company with the youngest mason to learn the postures and signes of fellowship, then comeing in again, He makes the masters sign, and sayes the same words of entrie as the app[rent]ice did only leaving out the com[m]on Judge then the masons whisper the word among themselves begginning at the youngest as formerly afterwards the youngest mason must advance and put himself in the posture he is to receive the word and sayes to the eldest mason in whispering
The worthy masters and honourable company greet you weel, greet you weel, greeet you weel.
Then the master gives him the word and gripes his hand after the mason way, which is all that is to be done to make a perfect mason
[Endorsement]
Some Questiones Anent the mason word 1696
Reproduction intégrale de la transcription citée en tête de page, dans l'orthographe d'origine, sans commentaire ni modernisation. Les titres et notes d'époque sont conservés ; l'appareil éditorial moderne a été écarté.