Freemasonry > Free-masons pocket-companion

26
The HISTORY Chap. HI.
the league with Hiram, and made him a prefent
of the facred fcriptures, tranflated into the Syriac
tongue, which, it is faid, is ftill extant among the
Maronitcs, and other eaitem Chriftians, under the
name of the old Syriac verjion.
The temple of Jehovah being finifhed, under
the aulpices of the wile and glorious king of Ifrael,
Solomon, the prince of architecture, and the
Grand Master Malbn of his day, the fraternity
celebrated the cape-Jlone with great joy : but their
joy was loon interrupted by the hidden death of
their dear and worthy Mailer Hiram Abif; nor
lefs was the concern of King Solomon, who, after
lome time allowed to the craft to vent their ibr-
row, ordered his obfequies to be performed with
great folemnity and decency, and buried him in
the lodge near the temple, according to the an¬
cient ufages among mafons; and long mourned for
his lofs.
The fame of this grand edifice loon prompted
the inquifitive of all nations to travel, and fpend
Ibme time at Jerufalem, and furvey its excellencies,
as far as was allowed to the Gentiles; and they
loon found, that the joint Ikill of all the world
came infinitely Ihort of the Ifraelites, in the ivif-
dom, Jlrength, and beauty of their ARCHITEC¬
TURE ; when the wile King SOLOMON was
Grand Master of all mafons at Jerufalem, and
King Hiram * was grand mafier of Tyre, and in-
Ipired
* The tradition is, that King Hiram had been grand
majler