Rough ashlar Masonic Ritual and Monitor Perfect ashlar

 

By: Malcom Duncan. Distributor: Lulu. $18.22. 394 pages.  Paperback CQ. 2016 (1866).

M. Ducan’s Masonic ritual and monitor (1866) consists of the description of the rituals of seven degrees; the first three symbolic degrees of the Ancient York Rite. This monitor is part of a series of texts published in the 19th century. It was partly based on the merging of sections of several rituals used at the time. Duncan’s work, like D. Sickel’s The General Ahiman Rezon, was never adopted by any regular jurisdiction. On this topic, see J. Stevens’ Chips from a rough ashlar 'knocked off' by the gavel of common sense.

It is however an important work in the study of the Royal Arch system and in comparative history. Additionally, the emerging field using visual materials as historical sources (a model for studying freemasonry across space and time) benefits from the large selections of illustrations (over 100), along with those found in J. Blanchard's Freemasonry Illustrated.

One detail that appears unique to M. Ducan’s work is the concept of induction found in the second section of the Lecture on the Fifth Degree.

In this edition, the endnotes have been moved to footnotes at end of appropriate pages. Notes that were initially in the “Appendix” have been moved as footnotes, starting with “Note:” to differentiate from previous category.  The Notes in the Appendix that were long remain as part of the Annex. A list of references has been compiled from those cited in the text. Additions are placed within brackets.

 

Contents

  • [Editorial note]
  • Preface
  • Entered Apprentice, or First Degree
    • Obligation.
      • First Section.
      • Second Section.
      • Third Section.
    • Charge at Initiation into the First Degree
  • Fellow Craft, or Second Degree
    • Oath.
    • Charge.
    • Lecture on the fellow craft degree.
      • Section First.
      • Second Section.
  • Master Mason, or Third Degree
    • Preparing the Candidate
    • Prayer.
    • Historical Account.
    • Charge to THE Lodge
    • Charge
    • [Lecture]
      • First Section.
      • Second Section.
      • Third Section.
    • Closing the Lodge.
    • Charge at Closing a Lodge
  • Mark Master, or Fourth Degree.
    • Lecture on the Fourth, Or Mark Master's Degree
      • Section First.
      • Second Section.
    • Prayer at the Closing of a Mark Master's Lodge.
  • Past Master, Or Fifth Degree
    • Lecture on the Fifth, Or Past Master's Degree.
    • Part of the Second Section
  • Most Excellent Master, Or Sixth Degree.
    • Lecture on the Sixth, Or Most Excellent Master's Degree.
    • Royal Arch, Or Seventh Degree.
    • Proclamation
    • Lecture on the Seventh, or Royal Arch Degree.
      • Section First.
      • Second Section.
  • [Annexes]
  • Annex 1. Abridged Lexicon
  • Annex 2. Variation of the Lecture
  • Annex 3. Introduction of the Ritual in the USA
  • [Works Cited]

 

Table of Illustrations

 

  1. Lodge of Entered Apprentices, fellow crafts, or master masons
  2. Most Worshipful Master in the East
  3. Duegard of an Entered Apprentice
  4. Sign of an Entered Apprentice
  5. Duegard of a Fellow Craft mason
  6. Sign of a Fellow Craft mason
  7. Duegard of a Master Mason
  8. Sign of a Master Mason
  9. Grand hailing sign of distress
  10. Compasses placed in a lodge of Entered Apprentices
  11. [Candidate duly and truly prepared]
  12. S. D. conducting candidate once around the lodge  First Degree (Entered Apprentice)
  13. Candidate taking the oath of an Entered Apprentice
  14. The grip of an Entered Apprentice
  15. Entered apprentice's apron
  16. [The twenty-four-inch gauge]
  17. [The common gavel]
  18. [Symbol of Regulation]
  19. Perfect ashler
  20. Rough ashler
  21. Compasses placed in a Lodge of Fellow Craft Masons
  22. [Preparation of the candidate]
  23. Candidate Taking the Oath of a Fellow Craft
  24. Pass Grip of a Fellow Craft
  25. Real Grip of a Fellow Craft
  26. Fellow Craft's Apron
  27. Working tools of a fellow craft
  28. Representation of the craftsman's road to the middle chamber of King Solomon’s temple
  29. Compasses, Placed In a Lodge of Master Masons
  30. Candidate Duly and Truly Prepared
  31. First Three Steps in Masonry
  32. Candidate Taking the Oath of a Master Mason
  33. Pass Grip of a Master Mason
  34. A Master Mason's Apron
  35. Trowel
  36. [Murder Scene 1]
  37. [Murder Scene 2]
  38. [Murder Scene 3]
  39. [Dirge’s composition]
  40. Brethren Kneeling At Prayer around the Grave of Hiram Abiff, the Widow's Son
  41. Real Grip of a Master Mason
  42. Master Giving the Grand Masonic Word on the Five Points of Fellowship
  43. Ground Floor
  44. Middle Chamber
  45. Sanctum Sanctorum
  46. The Three Steps
  47. The Pot of Incense
  48. The Beehive
  49. [Book of constitution and Tyler’s Sword]
  50. [Sword and Heart]
  51. [All seeing-eye]
  52. [Anchor and ark]
  53. The forty-seventh Problem of Euclid
  54. [The Hour-glass]
  55. [The Scythe]
  56. [Setting-maul]
  57. [Coffin, Grave and Acacia]
  58. [Spade]
  59. [Trowel]
  60. [Mark Master]
  61. The “Heave-Over”
  62. Sign of a Mark Master
  63. Second Sign of a Mark Master
  64. Sign of Receiving Wages
  65. Workmen from the Quarries
  66. Pass-Grip of a Mark Master Mason
  67. Real Grip of a Mark Master Mason
  68. Hiram, Tyrian, Widow's son, Sendeth to King Solomon
  69. Tools of a Mark Master
  70. Mark of a Mark Master Mason
  71. [Ezekiel 9]
  72. Duegard and Step of a Past Master
  73. Sign of a Past Master
  74. Past Master's Grip
  75. Past Master’s Jewel
  76. [The Cape-stone]
  77. Sign of a Most Excellent Master
  78. Grip of a Most Excellent Master
  79. Sign of Admiration, or Astonishment
  80. Royal Arch
  81. Royal Arch Chapter
  82. Three Times Three
  83. Sign of the Master of the First Veil
  84. Sign of the Master of the Second Veil
  85. Sign of the Master of the Third Veil
  86. Working Tools of a Royal Arch Mason
  87. Emblems of the Royal Arch Degree
  88. Key to the Ineffable Characters
  89. [Code]
  90. [Code, Variation]
  91. Royal Arch Duegard and Sign
  92. Royal Arch Grand Hailing Sign
  93. The Triple Tau