Some News from the “ Russian Archives ” about the Early History of the High Degrees
document in 1742 . It seemed to have been created during a meeting as part of a joint project of seven Scottish Masters held on Saint-Andrew ’ s Day in 1742 . It is even possible that the new degree was taken to Berlin by a brother , for example the founding Worshipfull Master , Fabris , and that the six other founding Scottish Masters received it only the day before founding the new Scottish lodge . We only have conjectures on this subject .
The degrees When the Scottish lodge was created in 1742 , it appears to have practiced and transmitted one degree , that of Scottish Master . Indeed , most of the meetings consisted of a vote admitting candidates , then followed by a ceremony conferring the degree to those accepted during the preceding meeting . New members must have received the three symbolic degrees , and those who became Scottish Masters were “ Blue ” Master Masons . There were therefore no intermediate degrees such as Perfect Master , Irish Master , or Elect Master . Unfortunately , we do not know the Scottish Rite practiced by the Union Lodge . We sincerely regret that we do note have “ Scottish publication in catechism form ” 63 proposed by Brother Roblau 64 on April 22 , 1745 , and “ approved by the W . Master and by the entire lodge ,” but a certain number of indications in the minutes provide a basis for a general idea . Hence , we learn during a meeting on October 14 , 1743 , that the regalia are uniformly green , because :
“ Brother Fünster was responsible for having made the fourteen aprons lined with a green sash and the collars of officers decorated with taffeta of the same colors , that of the Worshipfull Master distinguished by embroidery (?) on the collar .” 65
Furthermore , “ the honors of Scottish Masonry [ are performed ] four by four ” ( December 31 , 1743 ), and the Saint-Andrew ’ s cross was one of the chief elements of the degree ’ s symbolism . The color green , the four by four acclamation and the Saint- Andrew ’ s cross inevitably bring to mind the “ Green Scottish ” of the Strict Observance 66 and , in a wider sense , the family of “ Scottish Master ” rites , of which it is the most
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 63 f ° 61 . 64 Roblau was a bookseller and was certainly adept at writing . Indeed , we are indebted to
him for a “ Masonic ” edition of La Consolation philosophique de Boëce , nouvelle traduction avec la vie de l ’ auteur […] avec une dédicace massonnique par un frère masson , à Berlin , chez le Frère Roblau , secrétaire de la loge aux trois globes , MVCCXLIV . 65 It is interesting to note that regalia were made for all the brethren of the lodge , which
suggests that it was not using specific “ Scottish ” regalia during the first years of its existence . 66 See Jean-François Var , La Stricte Observance , Travaux de la Loge Nationale de
Recherche Villard de Honnecourt , series 2 , no . 23 , G . L . N . F ., Paris , 1991 . The author procured a transcription of the Green Scottish Rite from the Willermoz collection in the Lyon city library ( Ms 5939 ), p . 97 . In it , we read : “ The Room is lined with green fabric […] and illuminated by four candles arranged in a square […] the aprons are somewhat smaller than those of the Master and lined with green taffeta .” The battery is four beats . This text had already been published by Jean Saunier in 1968 in Le Symbolisme ( no . 385 – 386 ): 475 – 478 .
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