of three distinct knocks, for you to remove the bandage from your eyes. After you have gone through the ceremonies, as I have directed, you will give me the same signal, and I will return to you.'

The junior warden then leaves the reflection room, closes the door, and gives the signal; upon the hearing of which, the candidate removes the bandage from his eyes, and to his great surprise, finds the table before him covered with human skulls, cross bones,' of horrible appearances. [See plate 22,

and 6

fig. 3.]

After the candidate has recovered a little from his fright, he examines the three questions, which read as follows, with his answers and signature to them.

First. Should you ever be called upon to draw your sword, will you wield it in defence of the christian religion ?*

‹ ÝES.' James Dupeasy.

Second. Does your conscience upbraid you for any known or overt act unrepented of?

'NO.' J. Dupeasy.

Third. Do you solemnly promise to conform to all the ceremonies, rules, and regulations of this encampment, as all valiant and magnanimous sir knights have done, who have travelled this way before you?

'YES.' J. Dupeasy.

After he has answered the questions and performed ablution, he gives the signal, and the junior warden returns to him.

J. W. Have you given answers to the questions proposed? [Candidate says he has.] Present them. I presume they are satisfactory. I will present them to the most eminent grand commander, and will soon return with his answer.

The junior warden leaves the candidate in the reflection room, and repairs to the entrance of the veil which divides the encampment into two apartments, and gives an alarm of three times four knocks, with his foot upon the floor.

M. E. G. C. Sir knight warder, attend to the cause of that alarm, and see who comes there.

The warder steps to the entrance of the veil, and demands, 'Who comes there?'

* I was informed by an officer in New Haven encampment, that a companion (who joined that encampment before me,) delayed the ceremonies two hours and a half, in refusing to give the satisfactory answer to the question, Will you wield your sword in defence of the christian religion?' His answer was 'NO: the religion which I believe and teach, requires no such service.' But he was prevailed on to say YES.

Plate

J. W. A worthy companion, who having taken all the ne cessary preceding degrees, now solicits the honor of being dubbed and created in this encampment a knight of the valiant and magnanimous order of knight templars, and knights of Malta, or order of St. Johns of Jerusalem.

W. Has he given answers to the questions proposed?

J. W. He has, in writing, and, in token of his sincerity, has performed the necessary ablution.

W. You will present them, and wait a time until the most eminent grand commander be informed of your request, and his answer returned.

The warder returns to his post.*

M. E. G. C. Sir knight warder, what is the cause of that alarm? who comes there?

W. A worthy companion, who, having taken all the necessary preceding degrees, now solicits the honor of being dubbed and created in this encampment a knight of the valiant and magnanimous order of knight templars, and knights of Malta, or order of St. Johns of Jerusalem.

M. E. G. C. Has he given answers to the questions proposed?

W. He has, in writing, and, in token of his sincerity, has performed the necessary ablution.

M. E. G. C. Present the questions. [Reads them.] The questions are answered satisfactorily; but as a trial of his patience and perseverance, I enjoin upon him seven years' pilgrimage, which he will perform under the direction of the junior warden dressed in pilgrim's weeds.

The warder returns the same answer to the junior warden, and he to the candidate in the chamber of reflection. The junior warden also informs the candidate, that in addition to his sandals, staff, and scrip, he must take some bread and a bottle of water to sustain him on his journey. The candidate is prepared as in plate 22, fig. 1, and the junior warden directs him to follow him.

The encampments are generally so constructed that they have to pass through several rooms before they arrive to the assilum:† the first room they enter, a guard who is stationed there for that purpose inquires, 'Who comes there?'

* The warder's post or station, in this part of the ceremony, is at the right, in front of the most eminent grand commander.

That part of the hall or encampment where the most eminent grand commander sits is called the assilum; the other side of the veil is the council chamber.