The Tracing

Board
Introduction
We use Tracing Boards during our
ceremonies to illustrate important
aspects of Freemasonry to the
Brethren of the Lodge.
Below is the narrative for the First
Degree Tracing Board.

Explanation of the First

Degree Tracing Board

The usages and customs among Freemasons

have ever borne a near affinity to those of the
ancient Egyptians. Their philosophers, unwilling
to expose their mysteries to vulgar eyes, couched
their systems of learning and polity under signs
and hieroglyphical figures, which were
communicated to their chief priests or Magi
alone, who were bound by solemn oath to conceal
them.
The system of Pythagoras was founded on a
similar principle, as well as many others of more
recent date.
Masonry, however, is not only the most ancient
but the most honourable Society that ever existed,
as there is not a character or emblem here
depicted but serves to inculcate the principles of
piety and virtue among all its genuine professors.
Let me first call your attention to the form of the
Lodge which is a regular parallelepipedon, in
length from East to West, in breadth between
North and South, in depth from the surface of the
earth to the centre, and even as high as the
heavens.
The reason that a Freemason's Lodge is described
of this vast extent is to show the universality in
the science; likewise, a Mason's charity should
know no bounds save those of prudence.

Our Lodges stand on holy ground, because the

first Lodge was consecrated on account of three
grand offerings thereon made, which met with
Divine approbation.

First, the ready compliance of Abraham with the

will of God in not refusing to offer up his son
Isaac as a burnt sacrifice, when it pleased the
Almighty to substitute a more agreeable victim in
his stead.

Secondly, the many pious prayers and

ejaculations of King David, which actually
appeased the wrath of God, and stayed a
pestilence which then raged among his people,
owing to his inadvertently having had them
numbered.

Thirdly, the many thanksgivings, oblations, burnt

sacrifices, and costly offerings which Solomon,
King of Israel, made at the completion, dedication
and consecration of the Temple at Jerusalem to
God's service.

Our Lodges are situated due East and West,

because all places of Divine worship, as well as
Masons' regular, well-formed, constituted Lodges,
are, or ought to be, so situated; for which we
assign three Masonic reasons:
First, the Sun, the Glory of the Lord, rises in the
East and sets in the West;
Second, learning originated in the East, and
thence spread its benign influence to the West;
The third, last, and grand reason, which is too
long to be entered upon now, is explained in the
course of our Lectures, which I hope you will have
many opportunities of hearing.

Our Lodges are supported by three great pillars.

They are called Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty:
Wisdom to contrive, Strength to support, and
Beauty to adorn; Wisdom to conduct us in all our
undertakings, Strength to support us under all our
difficulties, and Beauty to adorn the inward man.

The Universe is the Temple of the Deity whom we

serve; Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty are about
His throne as pillars of His works, for His Wisdom
is infinite, His Strength omnipotent, and Beauty
shines through the whole of the creation in
symmetry and order.

The heavens He has stretched forth as a canopy;

the earth He has planted as His footstool; He
crowns His Temple with Stars as with a diadem,
and with His hands He extends the Power and
Glory. The Sun and Moon are messengers of His
will, and all His law is concord.

The three great Pillars supporting a Freemason's

Lodge are emblematic of those Divine attributes,
and further represent Solomon King of Israel,
Hiram King of Tyre, and Hiram Abif; Solomon
King of Israel for his Wisdom in building,
completing and dedicating the Temple at
Jerusalem to God's service; Hiram King of Tyre for
his Strength in supporting him with men and
materials: and Hiram Abif, for his curious and
masterly workmanship in beautifying and
adorning the same.
But as we have no noble orders in Architecture
known by the names of Wisdom, Strength, and
Beauty, we refer them to the three most
celebrated, which are the Ionic, Doric and
Corinthian.

The covering of a Masonic Lodge is a celestial

canopy of divers colours even the heavens. The
way by which we, as Masons, hope to arrive there
is by the assistance of a ladder, in Scripture called
Jacob's ladder. It is composed of many staves or
rounds, which point out as many moral virtues,
but three principal ones, which are Faith, Hope,
and Charity: Faith in the Great Architect of the
Universe, Hope in salvation, And to be in Charity
with all men.

It reaches to the Heavens, and rests on the

Volume of the Sacred Law, because, by the
doctrines contained in that Holy Book, we are
taught to believe in the dispensations of Divine
Providence, which belief strengthens our Faith,
and enables us to ascend the first step; this Faith
naturally creates in us a Hope of becoming
partakers of the blessed promises therein
recorded, which Hope enables us to ascend the
second step; but the third and last being Charity,
comprehends the whole, and the Mason who is
possessed of this virtue in its most ample sense
may justly be deemed to have attained the
summit of his profession; figuratively speaking,
an Ethereal Mansion, veiled from mortal eyes by
the starry firmament, emblematically depicted
here by seven stars, which have an allusion to as
many regularly made Masons, without which
number no Lodge is perfect, neither can any
candidate be legally initiated into the Order.

The interior of a Freemasons' Lodge is composed

of Ornaments, Furniture, and Jewels. The
Ornaments of the Lodge are the Mosaic pavement,
the Blazing Star, and the Indented or Tessellated
Border; the Mosaic pavement is the beautiful
flooring of a Freemason's Lodge, the Blazing Star
the glory in the centre, and the Indented or
Tessellated Border, the skirtwork round the same.

The Mosaic pavement may justly be deemed the

beautiful flooring of a Freemasons' Lodge, by
reason of its being variegated and
chequered. This points out the diversity of
objects which decorate and adorn the creation,
the animate as well as the inanimate parts
thereof.

The Blazing Star, or glory in the centre, refers us

to the Sun, which enlightens the earth, and by its
benign influence dispenses blessings to mankind
in general.

The Indented or Tessellated Border refers us to

the Planets, which in their various revolutions
form a beautiful border or skirtwork round that
grand luminary, the Sun, as the other does round
that of a Freemasons' Lodge.

The Furniture of the Lodge consists of the Volume

of the Sacred Law, the Compasses and Square; the
Sacred Writings are to rule and govern our faith,
on them we obligate our Candidates for
Freemasonry; so are the Compasses and Square
when united, to regulate our lives and actions.

The Sacred Volume is derived from God to man in

general,

the Compasses belong to the Grand Master in

particular, and the Square to the whole Craft.

The Jewels of the Lodge are three movable and

three immovable. The Movable Jewels are the
Square, Level and Plumb Rule. Among operative
Masons,

The Square is to try, and adjust, rectangular

corners of buildings, and assist in bringing rude
matter into due form; The Level to lay levels and
prove horizontals; The Plumb Rule to try, and
adjust, uprights, while fixing them on their proper
bases.
Among Free and Accepted Masons, The Square
teaches morality, the Level equality, and the
Plumb Rule justness and uprightness of life and
actions.
They are called Movable Jewels, because they are
worn by the Master and his Wardens, and
transferable to their successors on nights of
Installation. The Master is distinguished by the
Square, the Senior Warden by the Level, and the
Junior Warden by the Plumb Rule.

The Immovable Jewels are the Tracing Board, the

Rough and Perfect Ashlars.
The Tracing Board is for the Master to lay lines
and draw designs on; The Rough Ashlar for
Entered Apprentice to work, mark, and indent on;
The Perfect Ashlar for the experienced Craftsman
to try, and adjust, his jewels on. They are called
Immovable Jewels, because they lie open and
immovable in the Lodge for the Brethren to
moralise upon.

As the Tracing Board is for the Master to lay lines

and draw designs on, the better to enable the
Brethren to carry on the intended structure with
regularity and propriety, so the Volume of the
Sacred Law may justly be deemed to be the
Spiritual Tracing Board of the Great Architect of
the Universe, in which are laid down such Divine
Laws and Moral Plans, that were we conversant
therein, and adherent thereto, would bring us to
an Ethereal Mansion not made with hands,
eternal in the Heavens.

The Rough Ashlar is a stone, rough and unhewn

as taken from the quarry, until, by the industry
and ingenuity of the workman, it is modeled,
wrought into due form, and rendered fit for the
intended structure; this represents man in his
infant or primitive state, rough and unpolished as
that stone, until, by the kind care and attention of
his parents or guardians, in giving him a liberal
and virtuous education, his mind becomes
cultivated, and he is thereby rendered a fit
member of civilised society.

The Perfect Ashlar is a stone of a true die or

square, fit only to be tried by the Square and
Compasses; this represents man in the decline of
years, after a regular, well-spent life in acts of
piety and virtue, which can not otherwise be tried
and approved than by the Square of God's Word
and the Compasses of his own self-convincing
conscience.

In all regular, well-formed, constituted Lodges,

there is a point within a circle round which the
Brethren cannot err; this circle is bounded
between North and South by two grand parallel
lines, one representing Moses, and the other King
Solomon; on the upper part of this circle rests the
Volume of the Sacred Law, supporting Jacob's
ladder, the top of which reaches to the heavens;
and were we as conversant in that Holy Book, and
as adherent to the doctrines therein contained as
those parallels were, it would bring us to Him
who would not deceive us, neither will He suffer
deception. In going round this circle, we must
necessarily touch on both those parallel lines,
likewise on the Sacred Volume; and while a
Mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, he
cannot err.

The word Lewis denotes strength, and is here

depicted by certain pieces of metal dovetailed into
a stone, forming a cramp, and when in
combination with some mechanical powers, such
as a system of pulleys, it enables the operative
Mason to raise great weights to certain heights
with little encumbrance, and to fix them on their
proper bases. Lewis likewise denotes the son of a
Mason; his duty to his aged parents is to bear the
heat and burden of the day, which they, by reason
of their age, ought to be exempt from; to assist
them in time of need, and thereby render the close
of their days happy and comfortable; his privilege
for so doing is that of being made a Mason before
any other person, however dignified.

Pendent to the corners of the Lodge are four

tassels, meant to remind us of the four cardinal
virtues, namely: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence,
and Justice, the whole of which, tradition informs
us, were constantly practiced by a great majority
of our ancient Brethren.

The distinguishing characteristics of a good

Freemason are Virtue, Honour and Mercy, and
may they ever be found in a Freemason's breast.

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