Not long after the Union, and when the members of the United Fraternity were somewhat reconciled, and the more turbulent spirits a little subdued, and brought to reflection, the Grand Master at a Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge, made the following statement, that he would on that occasion reobligate the Masters and Wardens, with the "new obligation" and that the Masters were to do the same to all members of their respective lodges. For which purpose, the Grand Master retired to one of the large rooms of the Tavern, and we were conducted to him in parties of about eight, when there, he requested us to kneel around the Pedestal, and place one hand on the Sacred Volume, and in that position we were obligated, it was the E.A. as now used. When he came to the word "Hele" he made a pause, and stated that it must be used in future, it is (he remarked) an old Saxon term, and signifies (sic) to Hide or Cover. And besides this authority, I cannot understand how either of the terms viz. "Hail" or "Hale" can apply to the meaning those words are intended to convey.¹⁵

1. Its variant spelling often used is "hail." In some working, "heal" is also used (William Harvey, The Complete Manual of Freemasonry, Glasgow, Toye, Kenning & Spencer Ltd., 1980, p. 12).^
2. Arthur Betts, Hele or Hail? (London: privately printed, 1917), pp. 3-4.^
3. John H. Lepper & Philip Crossle, History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland vol. 1 (Dublin: Lodge of Research, CC, 1925), p. 25.^
4. Douglas Knoop, G. P. Jones & Douglas Hamer, The Two Earliest Masonic MSS. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1938), p. 121.^
5. Douglas Knoop, G. P. Jones & Douglas Hamer, The Early Masonic Catechisms (London: Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1975), pp. 31, 37, 42, 47, 77, 83 & 125; A. C. F. Jackson, English Masonic Exposures 1760-1769 (London: Lewis Masonic, 1986), pp. 69 & 132.^
6. C. L. Wrenn, The English Language (originally published by Methuen & Co., London in 1949; reprinted by Kenkyusha Ltd., Tokyo in 1964), pp. 80-81 (in reprint).^
7. Ibid., p. 82. Based on "an approximate summary in tabular form" by Prof. C. L. Wrenn and Prof. Daniel Jones.^
8. Betts, op. cit. (Note 2), p. 5.^
9. Ibid., p. 5.^
10. William J. Hughan, Memorials of the Masonic Union of A.D. 1813, revised and augmented by John T. Thorp (Leicester: Johnson, Wykes & Paine, 1913), pp. 39-40.^
11. W. Wonnacott, "The Lodge of Reconciliation (1813-1816)," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum vol. 23 for 1910, pp. 243-244.^
12. Colin Dyer, "The William-Arden Manuscript," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum vol. 87 for 1974, p. 168.^
13. Colin Dyer, "William Shadbolt," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum vol. 87 for 1974, p. 194.^
14. John Wilson, "To Emulate or Not to Emulate," Ars Quatuor Coronatorum vol. 101 for 1988, pp. 244-245 & 247.^
15. Ibid., pp. 246-247. While the incident is said to have taken place at a Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge, there is no reference to it in the Grand Lodge minutes, according to Bro. Dyer (AQC vol. 87, p. 157).^
16. Freemasons' Magazine and Masonic Mirror, February 23, 1861, p. 145.^
17. The two variant pronunciations are usually mentioned. However, various factors, especially the language’s regional variety, considered, there might have been more variations than those two at some point, at least in some localities.^
18. F. W. Golby, A Century of Masonic Working - A History of the Stability Lodge of Instruction (Bath: The Herald Press, 1921), p. 17.^
19. Henry Sadler, Illustrated History of Emulation Lodge of Improvement, No. 256 (London: Spencer & Co., 1904), p. 106.^
20. Golby, op. cit. (Note 18), p. 88.^
21. For this information I am indebted to W Bro. John Hamill, PM of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, England.^
22. "Notes on Ritual and Procedure," Emulation Ritual (London: Lewis Masonic, 1986), p. 23.^
23. Betts, op. cit. (Note 2), p. 7.^
24. Knoop, Jones & Hammer, op. cit. (Note 5), p. 160.^
25. Bernard E. Jones, Freemasons' Guide and Compendium (London: Harrap, 1956), p. 288. By the way, some say that as language in England was part Norman French and part Anglo-Saxon in the 12th and 13th centuries, "early ritual writers, desiring to make sure that no misunderstanding was possible, often expressed ideas in word pairs, one word from each language. Hence such phrases as 'hele and conceal,' 'parts and points,' 'Free will and accord,' etc." ("Some Curious Masonic Words," The Short Talk Bulletin for August 1953, pp. 7-8). But was that the real reason for the use of word pairs in the masonic ritual?
First, it should be noted that not all word pairs found in our ritual are formed with one word from Norman French and the other from Anglo-Saxon.
Second, although some words and phrases used in the ritual can be traced back to the period of Middle English (from about 1100 to about 1450) or even Old English (before about 1100), the masonic ritual is not that old. Freemasonry is believed to have evolved in the late 16th and 17th centuries (See, e.g., John Hamill, The Craft, Wellingborough, Aquarian Press, 1986, p. 20, or its revised edition, The History of English Freemasonry, London, Lewis Masonic, 1994, p. 24; A. Geoffrey Markham, "Some Problems of English Masonic History," AQC vol. 110, p. 1, or its extracted version, "Masonic History—What is Needed," The Short Talk Bulletin for July 1999, pp. 3-4).
The first recorded non-operative who was present at a lodge meeting was John Boswell, the Laird of Auchinleck. His name and mark are found at the bottom of the minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh dated June 8, 1600. It is not clear, however, in what capacity he was in attendance. It was not an ordinary masonic meeting but a trial of its Warden "Jhone Broune." Some believe he was there as a member (or an honorary member) of the lodge and that this is the first evidence of a non-operative being a member of a masonic lodge, while others say he could have been there only as counsel for prosecution or defense or for some other reason. Anyway this is the only circumstance under which John Boswell’s connection with the masonic Craft can be traced (David Murray Lyon, History of The Lodge of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, William Blackwood & Sons, 1873, pp. 51-52; Harry Carr, Minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh, Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1962, pp. 49-51).
There are three separate minutes dated July 3, 1634 which record the admission of Lord Alexander, his brother, Sir Anthony, and Sir Alexander Strachan, into the Lodge of Edinburgh. These are the earliest records of the admission of non-operatives in Scotland or in the world for that matter (Carr, Minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh, p. 101). But we don't know how they were admitted or if they went through any initiation ceremonies.
The earliest date at which non-operatives are known to have been received into an English lodge is 1646. Elias Ashmole records in his diary: "1646 Oct: 16. 4H. 30'. P.M. I was made a Free Mason at Warrington in Lancashire..." (Douglas Knoop, G. P. Jones & Douglas Hamer, Early Masonic Pamphlets, London, Q. C. Correspondence Circle, 1978, p. 40). There is no telling how he was initiated.
Anyway, by the time Freemasonry was in the process of development, the days of Norman French and Anglo-Saxon had long gone. The earliest extant catechism is the Edinburgh Register House MS. (1696). Other early catechisms and rituals were produced in the 1700s. They were much shorter and simpler than what we use today. In the early days, the candidate was introduced, took an oath of fidelity and secrecy and was given the sign and word. And that was all. The meaning of the ceremonies and that of the symbols and emblems of Masonry were taught by means of catechetical lectures. (As the ceremonies were short, the first two degrees were often conferred on the same evening, it was rather rare to confer all three degrees at one meeting, though.) The esoteric portion of the lectures was developed and influenced in the last quarter of the 18th century by the writings of men such as Wellins Calcott (1726-after 1779), William Hutchinson (1732-1814) and William Preston (1742-1818) (John Hamill, "Consolidation and Change-The Union of 1813," Transactions of the Lodge of Research No. 2429 for 1977, p. 53; Wallace McLeod, "Some Ritual Origins," The Short Talk Bulletin for October 1996, pp. 4-6).
And as Bro. Harry Carr says, "More than 99 percent of it [the masonic ritual] is in simple and beautiful English, and practically all of it is readily comprehensible even to simple folk," although there are some passages which would lend themselves to further interpretation (The Freemason at Work, revised by Frederick Smyth, London, A. Lewis, 1985, p. 131). It seems, therefore, word pairs were used to stimulate the hearer’s memory and/or give emphasis rather than "make sure that no misunderstanding was possible." Also some old-fashioned expressions and usages found in our ritual could have been used to give the ritual a tinge of archaism.^
26. E. H. Cartwright, A Commentary on the Freemasonic Ritual (London: A. Lewis, 1985), p. 151.^
27. Carr, The Freemason at Work (Note 25), p. 314.^