Ar00901

^^^^^^^^

The History Of Freemasonry.

THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY .

( Continued from page 138 ) . THB third Chapter is devoted to the SteinmetKen of Germany , and Brother Gould commences his sketoh of this interesting fraternity by discussing at considerable length their probable origin . Having expressed his opinion that the meaning of the word itself is " Stone-measurers , "

—our own " Stonemasons "—from stein ( stone ) and messen to measure , rather than " Stone-cutters " from stein and messer a knife or meitzel a chisel , he goes on to point out that the first seeds of architecture were unquestionably planted in Germany by Christian missionaries , chiefly from

Ireland , who were acquainted with the rudiments of architecture , and on establishing a mission in a German forest set themselves to erect some kind of rude building that would answer the purpose of a church . Other rude buildings of a like character were next erected , to serve as a

storehouse for the produce of the soil , and to shelter the monks and their converts . In time it became desirable to enlarge the church , and it was then perhaps placed on stone foundations , in doing which the first principles of the mason ' s art were acquired . Later the wooden edifice

gave place to one of stone , and thus by degrees , as the workmen advanced in technical skill , the first missions became convents and monasteries of no slight pretensions . As the convents grew larger and more famous , it would be

necessary to have at hand constantly a body of experienced workmen , and it is reasonable to conclude that the more expert at any particular work would in time devote themselves exclusively to it . Thus a class of professional builders arose amongst the laity in the neighbourhood of

the monastery , who , in all probability , were under the directions of a more than usually skilful monk . As regards the opinion , which finds favour with Dr . Schauberg , that these directing monks were indebted for " much of their success to the remnants of the Roman

Colleges , which were never thoroughly suppressed in Gaul , and passing through Britain and Scandinavia , ultimately laid the foundations of the Craft Guild system in Germany , " Bro . Gould differs with that writer on the

ground , as he explains , " that at the time of these early convent builders , we have no sign of the least approach to a craft guild in Germany ; nor indeed can we imagine such an institution until the citfes had made considerable

progress towards opulence . Whatever connection may possibly be traceable between the Roman colleges and the formation of craft guilds can have had no influence on the

earliest builders in the forests and by the streams of Germany . Their gradual perfection in the art of Masonry must be considered as self-evolved , and the result of constant practice and endeavours to excel . " If , however ,

it is necessary " to presuppose a higher knowledge of art and architecture in their leaders , " then , he suggests , we need " go no further than the British Monks . " Britain , though distracted by internal wars and invasions from without , had at the time many building's of architectural

pretensions . Many Anglo-Saxon churches still remain , m part at all events , " such as Tickencote , near Stamford , in Lincolnshire ; part of St . Peter ' s , at Oxford ; part of Si Alban ' s Abbey ; the southern porch at Shirebura Minster ; the towers of Earl ' s Barton church ,

Northamptonshire ; and of Sompting , in Sussex ; and numerous oth ers . " Again many of our earliest cathedrals ; though in * nany cases nothing of the original structure remains , were commenced in the seventh century , such as " Canterbury ,

A . D . ^ 600 , Rochester 602 , St . Paul ' s 604 , and "Westminster 605 . " Then the influx of British monks , both papal and non-papal , continued to a very late period . Iso , or whoever is intended by that name , the most learned Englishman of the ninth century , lived in the Convent at St . Gall , ok Columbanus , who crossed over into Burgundy and Germany in A . D . 602 , and was " renowned throughout

Europe as the most learned Englishman of his time , ' * founded several convents " either by himself or by his disciples . " St . Boniface built a monastery at Fnlda in the reign of King Pepin . And Bro . Gould goes on to quote the German Architect Heideloff , when writing in 1844 , as

unhesitatingly declaring that " during the time of the Anglo-Saxons building operations continued , and the monuments of architecture in England are the finest examples of the state of building during those ages . They also introduced the science into Germany , as the greater

number of the German apostles were British and understood building , erecting everywhere convents . " _ At the same time he allows that the Romish Missionaries of a somewhat later date , and especially the Benedictines , to which order many of the later British missionaries belonged , were not less skilled in architecture .

As to Fallon ' s assertion " that in the eleventh century the monks in Germany first copied their brethren in Gaul by instituting lay brotherhoods attached to the convent , and that the Abbot Marquardt of Corvey made use of this institution to procure builders for his new convent , " Bro .

Gould remarks that he can seo " no proof that these lay brotherhoods were builders . " He thinks " they more probably consisted of nobles , knights , and rich burghers , " and he bases his opinion on a further assertion of Fallon ' s on the very same page , to the effect that " in the year 1140

the Cistercians of Walkenried ( in Brunswick , at the foot of the Hartz mountains , on the Wieda ) instituted such a fraternity , and boasted that they could travel thence to Rome , and dine each day with one lay brother , and sup and sleep with another . " This , he remarks , " most

cercertainly discloses the nature of these fraternities , and it is impossible to connect them in any way with the building craft ; they were not lay brothers in the ordinary sense , and evidently did not reside in the convent . " He further points out that Fallon , in another part of his work— "

Mysteriun der Freimaurer "—seems " inclined to attribute the institution of a lay brotherhood to a still earlier datesay A . D . 1080 , when William , Count Palatine of Scheuren , was elected Abbot of Hirschau ( on the Nagold , in the Black Forest , Wurtemberg ) , and of whom it was reported

that he was so famous that crowds flocked to his convent , praying for admission . These petitioners were all admitted as lav brothersand sneedilv tauerht the various

manipula-, tions of Masonry , & c . ; so that in 1082 he was enabled to undertake the reconstruction of the monastery . At that time no fewer than three hundred monks and laymen dwelt in the convent under his orders . He instituted a rule for

them , partitioned out their hours of labour , rest , worship , and refreshment , inculcated above all things brotherly love , and enjoined silence at work , unless desirous of communicating with the master . His school of art rapidly acquired such extended fame that he was overwhelmed by entreaties

from all parts of Europe to furnish architects and artists for building operations . Nevertheless , in spite of his best workmen being constantly drafted off elsewhere , he was enabled to see his convent completed before his death , A . D . 1091 . " Bro . Gould , however , very justly points out that

Fallou has omitted to quote his authorities for such assertions . He allows it is beyond dispute that this Abbot Wilhelm was a great man in his day . He quotes Heideloff to show that " St . Anselm , afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury , visited him in 1084 ; " and he points to " the

ruins of his splendid monastery" as being " still in evidence" of his great ability . Yet he does not consider Fallou ' s account " justifies the deduction that he was the originator of the craft of stonemasons . " He holds— " ( 1 )

That the lapse of time was totally insufficient to create a large class of skilled artificers ; and ( 2 ) , We have no trace here of divisions into grades , such as apprentice , fellow , and master . " Thus , as to the former point . It was in 1080 that the said Count Palatine Wilhelm was elected Abbot

of Hirschau , and in 1082 he commenced the work of reconstruction . But , argues Bro . Gould , and we think there is just ground for his argument , two years are " wholly insufficient for the instruction of such a large body of men , " and therefore it is evident that " many of the laymen who

are reported to have joined him were already skilled masons , " the more especially as the ensuing nine years would not have sufficed " to raise such a superstructure by means of only half-trained workmen . " He strengthens

this view by a statement made by the same Fallou that , " according to the Chronicle of Walkenried , Abbot Henry III . admitted into his convent ' 21 skilled laymen , chiefly stonemasons , ' as lay brothers "—a lay mem being " a