Contemporary blue cloth with title in gilt on upper board with the well-known square and compass design in gilt, blind-tooled border with foliage corner pieces on both upper and lower boards, expertly re-backed preserving original spine. Title in gilt to spine. Front free endpaper contains an 1867 dedication to Robert D. Holmes, a prominent grandmaster in the Grand Lodge of New York. It reads: "Presented to most worshipful Robert D Holmes, Grand Master of Masons of the state of New York by the Masonic Publishing and Manufacturing Co. March 29th, 1867. Wm Anderson, JP." Illustration Contains 14 beautifully recent hand-coloured lithograph plates depicting different masonic scenes. Size: Small folio. Condition: Plates are crisp and clean, an excellent copy. Pagination P. (4), blank, frontis, title, 3-14, (4). Signature of "Robt. D. Holmes. G. Mtr . N.Y." on a prelim. Freemasonry is comprised of 3 degrees: 1. Entered Apprentice; the degree of an initiate, through which one becomes a mason. 2. Fellow Craft; an intermediate degree that details the learning of the craft. 3. Master Mason; required for most aspects of freemasonry. Coloured plates in order: 1. Frontispiece. Universality - Fraternity - Equality. 2. Lithograph title page. 3. Entered Apprentice. Sections I & II. 4. Scene inside the Lodge, depicting strategic masonic seating arrangements, a lamb, the masonic handshake, a dagger pointed at a heart, etc. Section II. 5. Ancient scene depicting the earliest roots and teachings of freemasonry. Section III. 6. Masonic scene depicting figures and a 'stairway' to heaven. Section III. 7. Masonic scene depicting a master stone builder instructing his apprentices. Section III. 8. Masonic scene depicting the cornerstone beliefs of masons: 'Fortitude,' 'Prudence,' 'Truth,' 'Temperance,' 'Justice,' and 'Brotherly Love.' Section III. 9. Fellow Craft. Section II. 10. Inner Temple scene with two young men eating fruit from a table, another pair of men is seen to the left; one showing the temple's magnificence to the other, another male is seen to the right playing the harp. Section II. 11. Three scenes. The first is a battle in ancient times, and the second shows two men approaching a guarded door; the third shows an inner masonic room with assorted regalia. Section II. 12. Master Mason. Section II. 13. Three scenes perhaps depicting the varying levels or degrees of Freemasonry? Each level is 'grander' or 'higher' than the one that precedes it. Section III. 14. Final ascent to heaven after the death of a freemason? (Coffin, sun, moon, stars, shooting star, King Solomon, etc.) Various masonic signs and symbols surround the scene. Section III.