at was said to you from within? A. Who comes there?

Q. Your answer? A. Companion A. B., who has regularly received the
several degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason,
Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch, and
now solicits the honor of being regularly constituted a Knight of the
Red Cross.

Q. What was then said to you? A. I was asked if it was of my own free
will and accord that I made this request; if I was worthy and well
qualified; if I had made suitable proficiency in the foregoing
degrees, and was properly vouched for; all of which being answered in
the affirmative, I was asked by what further right or benefit I
expected to gain admittance.

Q. Your answer? A. By the benefit of a pass-word.

Q. Did you give that pass-word? A. I did, with the assistance of my
companions. [Here the Royal Arch word is given as described in the
Royal Arch degree.]

Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then directed to wait with
patience till the Most Excellent Prelate should be informed of my
request, and his answer returned.

Q. What was his answer? A. Let him be admitted.

Q. What was you then informed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate observed
that the Council there assembled represented the Grand Council
convened at Jerusalem, in the second year of the reign of Darius, King
of Persia, to deliberate on the unhappy state of the fraternity during
the reigns of Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus, and to devise some means to
obtain favor of the new Sovereign, and to gain his consent to proceed
in rebuilding their new city and temple.

Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then informed me if I
was desirous of attending the deliberations of the Council at this
time, it was necessary that I should assume the name and character of
Zerrubbabel, a prince of the house of Judah, whose hands laid the
foundation of the second temple, and whose hands the Lord has promised
should complete it.

Q. What followed? A. The Most Excellent Prelate then read a lesson
from the records of the Fathers, stating the impediments with which
they were troubled by their adversaries on the other side of the
river, and the grievous accusations which were brought against them
before the King.

Q. What followed? A. My conductor then addressed the Most Excellent
Prelate thus: Most Excellent Prelate, our Sovereign Lord, Darius the
King, having now ascended the throne of Persia, new hopes are inspired
of protect