Some News from the “ Russian Archives ” about the Early History of the High Degrees
Gerresheim , Fromery , Roblau , Fünster , Pérard , D ’ Alençon , Rollet , de Often and de Brefeld as Knights of said Order , according to the same rites and ceremonies mentioned above . He then pronounced a short speech concerning the duties linked to this Order to which the Secretary replied with a second speech in which he discussed the illustrious history of this Order , its noble progress and its sublimity .” 72
Where did this knightly ceremony come from ? Was it an innovation , and if so , what were its sources and motives ? It is as if we are watching the creation of a new degree “ live ,” directly as it happened . It is interesting to note that Brother Fabris named Brother Roman a Scottish knight ; this latter then promoted the leading members of the Scottish lodge to this same degree , including the man who , several minutes earlier , had dubbed him . This procedure is hard to interpret within the ways and customs of knighthood , unless it involved an error in the labor or in the report .
Had this rite been kept secret up to this point by the chief founder of the lodge , who would become its first Worshipfull Master , Brother Fabris , who may have considered that after one year in existence , he could finally reveal to the brethren all of the Scottish ceremonies ?
It was , in any case , a second knightly degree . It consisted of two fundamental components : the dubbing ceremony and the speech concerning “ the illustrious history of this Order , its noble progress and its sublimity .” 73 Hence , on December 31 , 1743 , the Master of the Chair “ raised the Most Dignified Brother Katsch — who had been named a Scottish Master on October 14 , 1743 — to Knight of the Scottish Order in due and proper form [… and ] Secretary Roblau declared that the Most Dignified Brother Patonnier ardently wished to be initiated into our sublime Scottish Order .” 74 The lodge gave a favorable opinion , so that on the following meeting , held January 23 , 1744 , “ Secretary Roblau raised […] the Most Dignified Brother Patonnier to a Scottish Master in due and proper form , then the Worshipfull Master raised this same Brother to a Knight of the Scottish Order in accordance with the customs used during this occasion .” 75 Even though they are always granted one after the other , there were indeed two ceremonial rites practiced in the Scottish Lodge , starting on Saint Andrew ’ s Day in 1743 . The Scottish Order was also called the Order of Saint Andrew during the official admittance of “ His Royal Highness Magrave Charles , our Most Illustrious Brother — on February 13 , 1744 —[…] the Worshipfull Master in the Chair Brother Roman , after opening the lodge , received S . A . R . Scottish Master in due and proper form , and Secretary Roblau gave him the explanation of the origins , the words , the signs and marks of the Scottish Master , then the Worshipfull Master presented him with the Order of Saint-Andrew our Patron , which he accepted .” 76 Furthermore , on July 12 , 1745 , “ Brother Salimbeni suggested to the lodge that from that date on , the members wear the Order of Saint Andrew attached to a wide sash , hanging from the left shoulder to the right side .” 77
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 72 f ° 42 verso . 73 It is interesting to note that in the oldest versions of the ritual of the Knight of the
Orient , the ceremony is equally simple and presents a first sequence during which the new member is dubbed and a second during which he is read the legend of the degree . It is only then that certain passages in the legend of the degree — for example , the crossing of the bridge — is included in the ceremony . 74 f ° 44 .
75 f ° 44 verso . 76 f ° 46 . 77 f ° 63 .
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