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Article PROVINCIAL ← Page 15 of 31 →
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Provincial
Freemasons were the only architects in the world , at least they were the only architects capable of producing the great works which we see and admire in our magnificent cathedrals . Their school was not merely English , or French , or German , but was strictly catholic and universal , and they maintained a close correspondence and intelligence through the whole of Europe , and , perhaps , far beyond it . That their science was of the highest orderno man can doubt who has ever studied their works .
, It would be wasting your time to give many examples ; but I will mention one which came under my observation only a short time ago , and showing that they could play with difficulties which seem to us almost insurmountable . I have lately visited Lincoln in company with the Archaeological Society . That cathedral is one of the finest in the kingdom , and exhibits extraordinary mathematical skill in its construction . It seems as if its lofty roof were constantly sustained ba miracle ;
y but the architect , not content with the natural difficulties of the work , has gone out of his way to create new difficulties , by giving false ami unusual bearings which it required the most consummate skill to support : and yet his work has stood between seven and eight huntlred years , and has not yet shown any defect in its structure . But it is under-rating the position of the Freemasons of the dark ages to say merely that they were the only great architects of those times—they werein factthe
, , only men of science and philosophy . All the other sciences were buried under the ignorance of the dark ages—even the master science , of astronomy was obscured ; its ancient lessons were forgotten , and those who were destined to throw on it the new lights of modern researches , had not yet risen . Mr . Hallam thus describes the state of education in those
ages . He says— ' Of this prevailing ignorance , it is easy to produce abundant testimony . Contracts were made verbally , for want of notaries capable of drawing up charters ; and these , when written , were frequently barbarous and ungrammatical to an incredible degree . In almost every council the ignorance of the clergy forms a subject for reproach . It is asserted by one held in 992 that scarcely a single person was to be found in Rome itself who knew the first elements of letters . ' Now this date preceded the first foundation of Lincoln cathedra ] bfar less than one
y hundred years , and within that time some of our finest Norman cathedrals were built . It is inconceivable that in that short space of time any great change could have taken place in the general enlightenment of the world ; and yet precisely at this period we find that there were men and masons in possession of the most sublime truths of mathematical science , by which alone those great works could have been accomplished . ( Hear , hear . ) Now ladies , you will naturally enquire , if these men were such
profound philosophers , why have we none of their writings remaining to attest their proficiency ? The answer to this question is j ust the point to which I wish to draw your attention ; because hence arise the secrets of Freemasonry , of which some have expressed such jealousy . All their instructions were oral . There were mysteries in art in those days as there are now , and none but the initiated partook of them . First , the apprentices were taught such things as were necessary for their calling
; afterwards , the journeymen learnt something more ; and above them were the masters , who were admitted to the full knowledge of the art and science which belonged to tbe craft . These gradations remain amongst us to this day . But with the diffusion of knowledge and the revival of science , all that pertains to architecture has passed into other
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial
Freemasons were the only architects in the world , at least they were the only architects capable of producing the great works which we see and admire in our magnificent cathedrals . Their school was not merely English , or French , or German , but was strictly catholic and universal , and they maintained a close correspondence and intelligence through the whole of Europe , and , perhaps , far beyond it . That their science was of the highest orderno man can doubt who has ever studied their works .
, It would be wasting your time to give many examples ; but I will mention one which came under my observation only a short time ago , and showing that they could play with difficulties which seem to us almost insurmountable . I have lately visited Lincoln in company with the Archaeological Society . That cathedral is one of the finest in the kingdom , and exhibits extraordinary mathematical skill in its construction . It seems as if its lofty roof were constantly sustained ba miracle ;
y but the architect , not content with the natural difficulties of the work , has gone out of his way to create new difficulties , by giving false ami unusual bearings which it required the most consummate skill to support : and yet his work has stood between seven and eight huntlred years , and has not yet shown any defect in its structure . But it is under-rating the position of the Freemasons of the dark ages to say merely that they were the only great architects of those times—they werein factthe
, , only men of science and philosophy . All the other sciences were buried under the ignorance of the dark ages—even the master science , of astronomy was obscured ; its ancient lessons were forgotten , and those who were destined to throw on it the new lights of modern researches , had not yet risen . Mr . Hallam thus describes the state of education in those
ages . He says— ' Of this prevailing ignorance , it is easy to produce abundant testimony . Contracts were made verbally , for want of notaries capable of drawing up charters ; and these , when written , were frequently barbarous and ungrammatical to an incredible degree . In almost every council the ignorance of the clergy forms a subject for reproach . It is asserted by one held in 992 that scarcely a single person was to be found in Rome itself who knew the first elements of letters . ' Now this date preceded the first foundation of Lincoln cathedra ] bfar less than one
y hundred years , and within that time some of our finest Norman cathedrals were built . It is inconceivable that in that short space of time any great change could have taken place in the general enlightenment of the world ; and yet precisely at this period we find that there were men and masons in possession of the most sublime truths of mathematical science , by which alone those great works could have been accomplished . ( Hear , hear . ) Now ladies , you will naturally enquire , if these men were such
profound philosophers , why have we none of their writings remaining to attest their proficiency ? The answer to this question is j ust the point to which I wish to draw your attention ; because hence arise the secrets of Freemasonry , of which some have expressed such jealousy . All their instructions were oral . There were mysteries in art in those days as there are now , and none but the initiated partook of them . First , the apprentices were taught such things as were necessary for their calling
; afterwards , the journeymen learnt something more ; and above them were the masters , who were admitted to the full knowledge of the art and science which belonged to tbe craft . These gradations remain amongst us to this day . But with the diffusion of knowledge and the revival of science , all that pertains to architecture has passed into other