Page 75 - Amo Amass A-muse is some of the fruit of a lifetimes love of Freemasonry - the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235

ThE NiNE muSES FiRE

T THE BANQUET after my Initiation, I sat next to W. Bro. Luxmoore Marshall,
who was the W.M. for a second time, on one side and W. Bro. Walter Webb our
* ASecretary and the senior Grand Officer present, on the other. Upon the first fire
I was, as no doubt you all were, greatly amazed and it was immediately explained to me
by W. Bro. Webb. I distinctly remember that he told me that the Nine Muses had always
followed each set of three claps with a cut across the throat and that Bro. Heseltine had told
him that we had always done it in this way. He pointed out that, having just been initiated,
I should know what that meant. I remember noticing afterwards that if a ‘Quick Fire’ was
ordered, which was just coming into fashion, the brethren raised their left hands so that
there was time to make each cut before the next set of three claps.
Some years afterwards, when I was first appointed the Master of Ceremonies, I
attempted to teach this fire. W. Bro. P.B. Oldfield, one senior to me and our beloved
Secretary, said I was wrong as he had never been taught this and knew of no other Lodge
that did it this way, no more did I. However, I was not satisfied and consulted the Grand
Librarian, W. Bro. Heron Leppar, a great Masonic Scholar who had first encouraged me in
Masonic research. He was greatly interested and told me that he believed that this was the
Fire decided upon, from many others, at the Union of 1813 and begged me to try to retain
this custom because there were very few Lodges left who still used it.
Many years afterwards, when I had retired to Jersey, I was asked to prepare a Lecture
upon the 1st Degree to be performed in the Provincial Grand Lodge. The idea was to
select only matter from the seven sections of the first Lecture which had not been referred
to in the ceremonies. Each Section of all the lectures finishes with a Charge followed by
the salute of the Degree, as given by members of a Lodge at Installation when saluting
their new Worshipful Master. To my surprise, I found that the Salute after the Seventh and
last Section of the First Lecture was unique and it said, I quote, — “P.L.R. P.L.R. P.L.R.
— 1. 2. 3. — Sn.123. Sn.123. Sn.123.” Clearly, this was our Fire, except that the Sign was
given before each set of three claps rather than afterwards.
I referred this matter to my old friend W. Bro. Ouvry who is on the Committee of the
Emulation Lodge of Instruction and he told me that this was the authorised fire used at
their Banquets when they had one.