lobes or balls contain, on their
convex surfaces, all the maps and charts of the celestial and
terrestrial bodies; they are said to be thus extensive to denote the
universality of Masonry, and that a Mason's charity ought to be
equally extensive. Their composition is molten, or cast brass; they
were cast on the banks of the river Jordan, in the clay-ground between
Succoth and Zaradatha, where King Solomon ordered these and all other
holy vessels to be cast; they were cast hollow; and were four inches,
or a hand's breadth thick; they were cast hollow, the better to
withstand inundations and conflagrations; they were the archives of
Masonry, and contained the constitution, rolls, and records." The
Senior Deacon having explained the columns, he passes between them,
advances a step or two, observing as he advances, "Brother, we will
pursue our travels; the next thing that we come to is a long, winding
staircase, with three, five, seven steps, or more. The three first
allude to the three principal supports in Masonry, viz., wisdom,
strength, and beauty; the five steps allude to the five orders in
architecture, and the five human senses; the five orders in
architecture are the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite;
the five human senses are Hearing, Seeing, Feeling, Smelling, and
Tasting; the three first of which have ever been highly essential
among Masons: Hearing, to hear the word; Seeing, to see the sign; and
Feeling, to feel the grip, whereby one Mason may know another in the
dark as well as in the light. The seven steps allude to the seven
sabbatical years; seven years of famine; seven years in building the
temple; seven golden candlesticks; seven wonders of the world; seven
planets; but more especially the seven liberal arts and sciences,
which are Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and
Astronomy; for this, and many other reasons, the number seven has ever
been held in high estimation among Masons." Advancing a few steps,
the Senior Deacon proceeds, "Brother, the next thing we come to is the
outer door of the middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple, which is
partly open, but closely tyled by the Junior Warden" [It is the Junior
Warden in the South who represents the Tyler at the outer door of the
middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple], who, on the approach of the
Senior Deacon and candidate, inquires, "Who comes here? Who comes
here?" The Senior Deacon answers, "A Fellow Craft Mason." Jun