knowledgements for the very favourable manner with which they have been pleased to receive the first edition of this work. My object was to promote, as far as my feeble abilities would admit, the real good and prosperity of our most excellent order, to make its admirable precepts and worthy practices more generally known, and, if possible, to silence the sneering critic, and satisfy the unprejudiced inquirer, that every good mason must be a good husband, a good father, a good citizen, and an honest man; and the very rapid sale of my book, an impression of several thousand copies having been sold in the short period of 15 months, affords me the pleasing consolation that my labours have been acceptable to the fraternity, and, as I trust, useful to the community. To render this new edition still more worthy of that patronage, with which the first has been honoured, great pains have been taken. At the suggestion of some respectable friends, a few alterations have been made in some of the sections, others have been considerably enlarged, and some new.ones have been added. To specify all the alterations and additions which are here made, would be superfluous, as every intelligent brother will judge for himself. It may be proper to observe, however, that in this impression, a chapter concerning Royal Arch Masonry has been introduced, containing upwards of 20 pages. Thus, what to some appeared as a deficiency in the first edition, is now, by the aid of some worthy brethren, happily supplied. May brotherly love, the foundation and capstone, the cement and glory of this our ancient institution, subsist and increase among us till time shall be no more. AMEN, SO MOTE IT BE. JAMES HARDIE. New-York 11th August 1819. CONTENTS. V. Objections against free-masonry obviated VI. Of qualifications necessary for those, who wish to become Form of petition for one, who may wish to become a mem- 2. Of behaviour after the lodge is closed 3. Of behaviour of masons in their private characters IX. Charges to new admitted brethren in the different degrees 2 6. A manuscript copy of an examination of some of the brotherhood, taken before king Henry VI.; which was foun 1 by the learned John Locke in the XXVI. A prayer used at closing the lodge The ancient prayer at making, or opening a lodge A prayer at the making of a mason 4. Of the treasurer of a lodge 6. Of the master of ceremonies XXVIII. Of grand lodges in general Sec. 2. Of the election of the grand master 3. Of the election or appointment of the deputy grand 224 ib. ib. ib. 225 228 229 ib. 8. General rules for conducting the business of the A benediction, which may be pronounced after the XXIX. Of the education of the children of indigent masons. Plan for the education of 50 poor children, whose fathers are, or have been, members of the ancient and honour- able fraternity of free and accepted masons XXX. Ceremony of constituting and consecrating a lodge, instal- A song sung at the installation of officers XXXI. A charge at constituting, which, with occasional abridg ments, may be used at the visitation of lodges, by the M. casions ib. No. 2. Order of procession, when the ceremony of conse- No. 3. Order of procession at laying the foundation stones Chronology of remarkable occurrences in free-masonry Chronology of masonic events, from the first introduction of the List of lodges under the jurisdiction of the grand lodge of the state of New-York, with their number, place of meeting, and date of |