Sec. 3. The Grand Council of Centaurs shall be the Tribunal for the trial of Ghouls and non-elective officers, and shall be composed of six judges appointed by the Grand Cyclops from the Ghouls of his Den, presided over and sworn by him to give the accused a fair and impartial trial. They shall have power to summon the accused, and witnesses for and against him, and if found guilty they shall prescribe the penalty and execute the same. Said Judges shall be selected by the Grand Cyclops with reference to their intelligence, integrity and fair-mindedness, and shall render their verdict without prejudice or partiality.

REVENUE.

ART. VII. Sec. I. The revenue of this * shall be derived as follows: For every copy of this Prescript issued to the *s of Dens, Ten Dollars will be required. Two dollars of which shall go into the hands of the Grand Exchequer of the Grand Giant; two into the hands of the Grand Exchequer of the Grand Titan; two into the hands of the Grand Exchequer of the Grand Dragon, and the remaining four into the hands of the Grand Exchequer of the Grand Wizard.

Sec. 2. A further source of revenue to the Empire shall be ten per cent. of all the revenue of the Realms, and a tax upon Realms, when the Grand Wizard shall deem it necessary and indispensable to levy the same.

Sec. 3. A further source of revenue to Realms shall be ten per cent. of all the revenue of Dominions, and a tax upon Dominions when the Grand Dragon shall deem such tax necessary and indispensable.

Sec. 4. A further source of revenue to Dominions shall be ten per cent. of all the revenue of Pro

Patria cara, carior libertas.

12]

Ad unum omnes.

vinces, and a tax upon Provinces when the Grand Titan shall deem such tax necessary and indispensable.

Sec. 5. A further source of revenue to Provinces shall be ten per cent. on all the revenue of Dens, and a tax upon the Dens, when the Grand Giant shall deem such tax necessary and indispensable.

Sec. 6. The source of revenue to Dens, shall be the initiation fees, fines, and a per capita tax, whenever the Grand Cyclops shall deem such tax indispensable to the interests and purposes of the *.

Sec. 7. All of the revenue obtained in the manner herein aforesaid, shall be for the exclusive benefit of the *. And shall be appropriated to the dissemination of the same, and to the creation of a fund to meet any disbursement that it may become necessary to make to accomplish the objects of the *, and to secure the protection of the same.

OBLIGATION.

of

ART. VIII. No one shall become a member this*, unless he shall take the following oath or obligation:

"I, of my own free will and accord, and in the presence of Almighty God, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will never reveal to any one, not a member of the * * by any intimation, sign, symbol, word or act, or in any other manner whatever, any of the secrets, signs, grips, pass words, mysteries or purposes of the * or that I am a member of the same or that I know any one who is a member, and that I will abide by the Prescript and Edicts of the * * So help me God."

*

Sec. 2. The preliminary obligation to be administered before the candidate for admission is taken to the Grand Cyclops for examination, shall be as follows:

"I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will never

Deo duce, ferro comitante.

Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis.

[13

reveal any thing that I may this day (or night) learn concerning the * *. So help me God."

ADMISSION.

ART. IX. Sec. I. No one shall be presented for admission into this * until he shall have been recommended by some friend or intimate, who is a member, to the Investigating Committee, which shall be composed of the Grand Cyclops, the Grand Magi and the Grand Monk, and who shall investigate his antecedents and his past and present standing and connections, and if after such investigation, they pronounce him competent and worthy to become a member, he may be admitted upon taking the obligation required and passing through the ceremonies of initiation. Provided, That no one shall be admitted into this * who shall have not attained the age of eighteen years.

Sec. 2. No one shall become a member of a distant * when there is established and in

* a

operation in his Own immediate vicinity. Nor shall any one become a member of any * after

he shall have been rejected by any other *.

ENSIGN.

ART. X. The Grand Banner of this * shall be in the form of an isosceles triangle, five feet long and three wide at the staff. The material shall be Yellow, with a Red scalloped border, about three inches in width. There shall be painted upon it, in black, a Dracovolans, or Flying Dragon,† with the following motto inscribed above the Dragon, "QUOD SEMPER, QUOD UBIQUE, QUOD AB OMNIBUS."

AMENDMENTS.

ART. XI. This Prescript or any part or Edicts thereof, shall never be changed except by a two

†See Webster's Unabridged Pictorial.

"What always, what every where, what by all is held to be true."

O tempora! O mores!

14]

Ad utrumque paratus.

thirds vote of the Grand Dragons of the Realms, in Convention assembled, and at which Convention the Grand Wizard shall preside and be entitled to a vote. And upon the application of a majority of the Grand Dragons, for that purpose, the Grand Wizard shall appoint the time and place for said Convention; which, when assembled, shall proceed to make such modifications and amendments as it may think will advance the interest, enlarge the utility and more thoroughly effectuate the purposes of the *. INTERDICTION.

ART. XII. The origin, designs, mysteries and ritual of this * shall never be written, but the same shall be communicated orally.

EDICTS.

I. The Initiation Fee of this * shall be one dollar, to be paid when the candidate is initiated and received into the *.

II. No member shall be allowed to take any intoxicating spirits to any meeting of the *. Nor shall any member be allowed to attend a meeting when intoxicated; and for every appearance at a meeting in such a condition, he shall be fined the

Cavendo tutus.

Astra castra, numen lumen.

[15

sum of not less than one nor more than five dollars, to go into the revenue of the *.

III. Any member may be expelled from the * by a majority vote of the officers and ghouls of the Den to which he belongs, and if after such expulsion such member shall assume any of the duties, regalia or insignia of the * or in any way claim to be a member of the same, he shall be severely punished. His obligation of secrecy shall be as binding upon him after expulsion as before, and for any revelation made by him thereafter, he shall be held accountable in the same manner as if he were then a member.

IV. Every Grand Cyclops shall read or cause to be read, this Prescript and these Edicts to the * of his Den, at least once in every three months,And shall read them to each new member when he is initiated, or present the same to him for personal perusal.

V. Each Den may provide itself with the Grand Banner of the *.

VI. The *s of Dens may make such additional Edicts for their control and government as they shall deem requisite and necessary. Provided, No Edict shall be made to conflict with any of the provisions or Edicts of this Prescript.

VII. The strictest and most rigid secrecy, concerning any and everything that relates to the * shall at all times be maintained.

VIII. Any member who shall reveal or betray the secrets or purposes of this shall suffer the extreme penalty of the Law.

Hush, thou art not to utter what

I am.
Bethink thee; it was our covenant.
I said that I would see thee once again.

Ne quid detrimenti Respublica capiat.