The record-union., 1899-06-15
THE BOOK OF GOLD.
A Masonic Document Guarded in
the Washington Temple.

One of the curious articles sacredly
guarded in the holy house Of the temple
of the Scottish Rite of Free Masonry in
Washington, the official residence of the
Grand Commander, is the Book of
Gold" The holy house is now being
enlarged to more than twice it's orig
inal size, and this fact revives the in
terest in this ponderous volume OF pc
culiar binding, locked with a4s heavy
gold clasp There is but one key, and
that is always in the possession of
the Grand Commander. The most
preme Council and the recommends
tions and nominat tions of the Grand
Commander are between its covers
The quaint patents issued to the late
great commander, General Albert Pike,
by the Grand Lodge of the Royal Or
der at Edinburgh, are within it's sacred
covers. The documents are dated Oc-
tober 4, 1877, and of the restoration Of
the order the 564th year. This was JUS.
before the late Robert ST. Clair Erskine.
Earl of Rosslyn, became chief of this
venerable select society of Masons
These extracts will prove interesting to
Masonic readers:
In the name of the Holy and Undi-
vided Trinity, We, Sir John Whyte,
President of the Judges and Council.
Deputy Grand Master and Governor of
the High and Honorable Orders Of H.
r. M. Of X. L. w. N. G., and the r. s.
Y. c. s.; Sir Alexander, Senior Grand
Warden, and Sir William, Junior Grand
Warden, and the Remanent knights
Companions in Grand Lodge assembled.
to Sir, Albert, Knight of the Order Of
the r. s. Y. c. S., send greeting in God
everlasting. By virtue OF the authority
vested in us from time inimemorial, we
do hereby grant unto you and the rest
OF the Right Worthy and Worshpful
Brethren of the Royal Order Of II. r.
M. and of the R. S. Y G. S. in the
United States of America, full power,
warrant and authority to hold 4 Chap
ter IN Washington or elsewhere within
the United States of America, so long
as you and they shall behave as becorn-
eth worthy brethren of the said order.
And, furthermore, we hereby invest
you with full power, warrant and au-
thorlty to depose or displace from his
or their office any officer or officers who
shall be guilty of improper conduct or
1ndignity to your Worship, or to fine,
mulet or amerce them, or any of them,
Tor the same, without being obliged to
bring them to formal trial, or asking
the consent or appreciation If the breth-
rem for so doing, unless you shall of
your own free will prefer to do so.
And We. further strictly require of
the brethren in general. your Provincial
Grand Officers as we'll AS others, to re-
spect, acknowledge ana obey you. the
said Sir Albert, and pay you due respect
as Head Ruler and Governor over them
and their Chapter or Chapters in your
Province"
The ritual of this Royal Order is
founded upon the blue degrees-E. A.,
f. G. and M. Nor the st. Johns Ma
sonry, as it is called in Scotland.
General Pixies manuscript on thet ESQ
ter1c symbols of the three lodges of
Blue Masonry is dedicated to the Royal
Order CT Scotland. Thare are only two
copies, and the author ordered that no
more shall ever be made One of these
copies is kept in the secret vault of the
holy house for the perdsal and study
OF Masonic scholars, and the other was
sent by private hand as a gift to his
friend. Robert Freke Gould, the fore
most Masonic historian in England.
Those who knew General Pike's-pecnliar
fitness for such an undertakinss-hoW
hel brought his poetic feeling and singu-
lar wisdom to bear upon Masonic, SYM
bolfsm-can imagine what an invalu-
able treatise this .s General Pike was
looked upon by all the Masonic digni-
taries and students of Great Britain as
not only the head of the Scottish Rite.
but the most thoroughly informed Mas
ter Mason and ablest writer on the
blue degrees In the United States. He
gave Gould great assistance in the prep
aration of his history of Freemasonry.
the most exhaustive work of the sort
ever published. end as an acknowledge