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Examining Anderson Constitutions, the word ‘secret’ is found only a few times, once with a biblical connection to Samson, he told his wife and she told the authorities, hence Anderson wrote:
,,,after he [Samson] had revealed his secrets to his wife, that betrayed him into their hands [the lords of the Philistines]; for which Weakness he never had the honour to be numbered amongst Masons
This tale is also found in a verse of Part II the Master’s Song:
And warn you all to shun the Coast,
Of Samson’s Shipwreck Fame a Troth,
His Secrets once to Wife disclos’d,
His Strength was fled, his courage tam’d.
To cruel Foes he was expos’d.
And never was a Mason nam’d
Next we find the ‘real secrets’ in the chorus of the Master’s Song:
Who can unfold the Royal Art,
Or sing its Secrets in a Song?
They’re safely kept in Mason’s Heart, And to the ancient Lodge belong.
And the chorus in the Fellow Craft’s song:
His Silent Breast and faithful Heart,
preserve the Secrets of the Art.
So, for the ‘Modern’ Freemason, that is those belonging to Lodges associated with the 1717 organised Freemasonry of the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, later becoming the first Grand Lodge of England, the secret refers to the ‘Royal Art,’ and that ‘art’ belongs to a stonemason.
Anderson’s Constitutions were agreed and published in 1723, but in 1756 another Constitution of the Freemasons was published. This one was named named ‘Ahiman Rezon’ and belonged to the ‘Ancients,’ or the second Grand Lodge of England. These Constitutions are of great importance to worldwide Freemasonry. The words on its title page are:
AHIMAN REZON OR A Help to a Brother Shewing the EXCELLENCY OF SECRECY And the first Cause or Motive of the Institution of FREE MASONRY; THE PRINCIPLES of the CRAFT And the Benefits arising from a strict Observance thereof;
Bro Lawrence Dermott, an Irishman living in London, was secretary and acknowledged instigator of this second Grand Lodge in London, England. This Grand Lodge evolved between 1751 and 1753 (following a committee that was formed around 1751) into a Grand Lodge in 1753. They called themselves ‘Ancients Freemasons’ and published ‘Ahiman Rezon’ in 1756 which included a further explanation of the ‘Excellence of Secrecy,’ and here that is, in part:
Before we enter into the cause or Motive of the first Institution of Free-Masonry, it is necessary in some measure to shew the Excellency of Secrecy, and with what Care it is to be kept.
ONE of the principal Parts that makes a Man be deemed wise, is his intelligent Strength and Ability to cover and conceal such honest Secrets as are committed to him, as well as his own serious Affairs. And whoever will peruse sacred and profane History, shall find a great Number of virtuous Attempts (in Peace and War) that never reached their designed Ends, but were shaken into Shivers and defeated, only through Defect of secret Concealment; and yet, besides such unhappy Prevention, infinite Evils have thereby ensued. But before all other Examples, let us consider that which excels all the rest, derived ever from God himself. Who so especially preserves his own Secrets to himself, never letting any Man know what should happen on the Morrow; nor could the wise Men in Ages past, divine what should befall us in this Age; Whereby we may readily discern, that God himself is well pleased with Secrecy. And although (for Man’s good) the Lord has been pleased to reveal some Things, yet it is impossible at any Time to change or alter his Determination, in regard whereof the reverend wise Men of ancient Times, evermore affected to perform their Intentions secretly. ,,,It continues,,,
So you can see that this is directed at personal secrets and doesn’t refer to any ritualistic part of Freemasonry, apart from, that is, the ‘secrets entrusted to you.’ As an example of personal secrecy, or integrity and trust, each one of us are given signs, tokens and words connected to each degree, and it is these, and these alone that we, in England at least, promise never to reveal. This is as an example to us all that we can trust a Freemason when so requested to keep ‘inviolate those secrets entrusted to him.’ That, of course, is not the Freemason’s ritual, simply an example for each one of us to keep a secret when entrusted to us and therefore ‘be trusted.’
However, from a French Initiation ritual dated 1801, and published by Jean-Marie Ragon in 1859 in a booklet entitled ‘Rituel de l’Apprentis Maçon,’ there is this obligation, and this is likely to be where many Freemasons believe that everything must be kept secret:
I swear and promise, before the G… A… of the U… , and on this sword, symbol of honour, to inviolably guard all the secrets entrusted to me by this Respective Lodge, as well as everything I have seen done or heard said there, never to write anything about it, unless I have received express permission and in the manner that may be indicated to me. I promise to love my Brothers and to assist them according to my abilities. I further promise to comply with the general statutes and regulations of this R… Lodge. And declare that I would rather have my throat cut than reveal the secrets of the order. May the G… A… help me!
Finally, the two Grand Lodges mentioned above, and with a very big input from Brother Lawrence Dermott, united into one in 1813, to become the United Grand Lodge of England – it’s their logo above. Freemasons meet in private, not secret, but that implies, for the benefit of future candidates, we keep silent about what we do; The motto on the UGLE Banner are ‘Audi; Vide; Tace – hear, see, be silent.’
A little more from Bro Lawrence’s ‘Excellency of Secrecy’ showing his great knowledge of historical facts and mythology:
WE read that Cato the Censor often said to his Friends, that of three Things he had good Reason to repent, if ever he neglected the true Performance of all or any one of them; The first, if he divulged any Secret; the second, if he adventured on the Water when he might stay on dry Land; and thirdly, if he should let any Day neglectedly escape him without doing some good Action. The latter two are well worthy of Observation; but the first concerns our present Undertaking. Alexander having received divers Letters of great Importance from his Mother, after he had read them, in the Presence of none but his dear Friend and himself, he drew forth his Signet which sealed his most private Letters and without speaking set it upon Ephestion’s Lips;** intimating thereby, that he in whose Bosom a Man buries his Secrets, should have his Lips locked up from revealing them. ,,,
** Hephaestion – Macedonian nobleman and general, best friend of Alexander the Great (c. 356–324 BC) who was the son of Amyntor, was an ancient Macedonian nobleman of probable “Attic or Ionian extraction” and a general in the army of Alexander the Great. He was “by far the dearest of all the king’s friends; he had been brought up with Alexander and shared all his secrets.” This relationship lasted throughout their lives, and was compared, by others as well as themselves, to that of Achilles and Patroclus. His military career was distinguished. A member of Alexander the Great’s personal bodyguard, he went on to command the Companion cavalry and was entrusted with many other tasks throughout Alexander’s ten-year campaign in Asia, including diplomatic missions, the bridging of major rivers, sieges and the foundation of new settlements.
,,,Nor should we forget the faithful Anaxarchus (as related by Pliny, in his seventh Book and twenty-third Chapter) who was taken in order to force his Secrets from him, bit his Tongue in the Midst between his Teeth, and afterwards threw it in the Tyrant’s Face. THE Athenians had a Statue of Brass, which they bowed to; the Figure was without a Tongue, to declare Secrecy thereby.
LIKEWISE the Egyptians worshipped Harpocrates, the God of Silence; for which Reason he is always pictured holding his Finger to his Mouth. THE Romans had a Goddess of Silence named Angerona which was pictured like Harpocrates, holding her Finger to her Mouth, in Token of Secrecy. THE Servants of Plancus are much commended, because no Torment could make them confess the Secret which their Master entrusted them with. LIKEWISE the Servant of Cato the Orator was cruelly tormented, but nothing could make his reveal the Secrets of his Master. Quintus Curtius tells us, that the Persians held it an as inviolable Law to punish most grievously (and much more than any other Trespass) him that discovered any Secret; for Confirmation thereof, he, says King Darius, being vanquished by Alexander, had made his Escape so far as to hide himself where he thought he might rest secure; no Tortures whatsoever, or liberal Promises of Recompense, could prevail with the faithful Brethren that knew it, or compel them to disclose it to any Person; And furthermore says, that no Man ought to commit any Matter of Consequence to him that cannot truly keep a secret.
Read more in Ahiman Rezon, The Book of Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of the Ancients.
These Masonic Nuggets form part of Neptune’s regular meetings and belong copyright of Neptune Lodge, but may be freely read in your open Lodge meetings provided credit is given to the copyright holder.
