Q. What was your reply? A. Sovereign Master, when our Grand Master Solomon, King of Israel, first instituted the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, he taught us that truth was a divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue; to be good and true is the first lesson we are taught in Masonry. My engagements are sacred and inviolable: I cannot reveal our secrets. If I can obtain your majesty's favor only at the expense of my integrity, I humbly beg leave to decline your royal protection, and will cheerfully submit to any honorable exile.
Q. What was the Sovereign's reply? A. Zerrubbabel, your virtue and integrity are truly commendable, and your fidelity to your engagements is worthy of imitation; from this moment you are free—my guards will divest you of those chains and that garb of slavery, and clothe you in suitable habiliments to attend me at the banquet hall. Zerrubbabel, you are free; guards, strike off those chains; and may those emblems of slavery never again disgrace the hands of a Mason, more particularly a prince of the house of Judah; Zerrubbabel, we assign you a seat of rank and honor among the princes and rulers of our assembly.
Q. What followed? A. The guards being drawn up in the court yard, the Warder informed the Sovereign Master that the guards were in readiness, waiting his pleasure.
Q. What followed? A. He then ordered the guards to attend him to the banquet hall.
Q. What occurred there? A. After having participated in a liberal entertainment, the Sovereign Master not being inclined to sleep, and many of the guard having retired, he amused himself by entering into conversation with some of his principal officers and friends, proposing certain questions to them, and offering a princely reward to such as should give the most reasonable and satisfactory answer.
Q. What questions were proposed? A. Among others, "Which was the strongest, wine, the King, or woman?"[17]
Q. What answers were returned? A. The Chancellor said wine was the strongest; the Master of the Palace said the King was the strongest; but I, being firmly persuaded that the time had arrived in which I could remind the King of his vow, and request the fulfilment of it, replied that women were stronger than either of the former, but, above all things, truth beareth the victory.
Q. What followed? A. The King being deeply struck with the addition I made to the question, ordered us to be prepared with proper arguments in support of our respective propositions on the day following.
Q. What followed? A. On the day following, the Council being convened at the sound of the trumpet, the Chancellor was called upon for his answer, and thus replied: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)
Q. What followed? A. The Master of the Palace thus replied: (See Templar's Chart of Freemasonry.)