killed him; they took the body and carried it out
of the West gate, and buried it in the rubbish till low twelve at
night (which is twelve o'clock), when they three met agreeably to
appointment, and carried the body a westerly course, and buried it at
the brow of a hill, in a grave, dug due East and West, six feet
perpendicular, and made their escape. King Solomon coming up to the
Temple at low six in the morning (as was his usual custom), found the
crafts all in confusion, and on inquiring the cause, was informed that
their Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, was missing, and there was no plans
or designs laid down on the Tressle-Board, for the crafts to pursue
their labor. Solomon ordered search to be made inland about the Temple
for him; no discovery being made, he then ordered the Secretary to
call the roll of workmen to see if any were missing; it appearing that
there were three, viz.: JUBELA, JUBELO and JUBELUM, Solomon observed,
"This brings to my mind a circumstance that took place this morning.
Twelve Fellow Crafts came to me, dressed in white gloves and aprons,
in token of their innocence, and confessed that they twelve, with
three others, had conspired to extort the Master Mason's word from
their Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, and in case of his refusal to take
his life; they twelve had recanted, but feared the three others had
been base enough to carry their atrocious designs into execution."
Solomon immediately ordered twelve Fellow Crafts to be selected from
the bands of the workmen, clothed in white gloves and aprons, in token
of their innocence, and sent three East, three West, three North, and
three South, in search of the ruffians, and, if found, to bring them
up before him. The three that traveled a westerly course, coming near
the coast of Joppa, fell in with a wayfaring man, who informed them
that he had seen three men pass that way that morning, who, from their
appearance and dress, were workmen from the Temple, inquiring for a
passage to Ethiopia, but were unable to obtain one, in consequence of
an embargo which had recently been laid on all the shipping, and had
turned back into the country. After making further and more diligent
search, and making no further discovery, they returned to the Temple
and reported to Solomon the result of their pursuit and inquiries. On
which Solomon directed them to go again, and search until they found
their Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, if possible; and if he was not found,
the t