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Article ON THE INSTITUTION OF FREEMASONRY.* ← Page 4 of 13 →
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On The Institution Of Freemasonry.*
chief officers ; thus agreeing , in many respects , with the Fraternity under notice ; so much so , in fact , that even Robinson , the most vigorous modern enemy that Freemasonry has had , and who would not , therefore , yield to it a greater degree of antiquity than he felt himself compelled to concede , admits that in this association it hacl , at all
events , its prototype . ( See " Chandler ' s Travels in Asia Minor , " and " Robinson's Proofs , & c" ) Whether members of the same body or not , it is certain that , in later times , at Rome , the artificers were bound together in a somewhat similar manner ; having Colleges or Lodges , where they held their meetings and studied the
principles and practice of architecture : it does not , however , appear quite clear to me whether these colleges were part ancl parcel of a general body acknowledging one supreme head , or whether they were not independent associations of men organised for the study of their art ; sometimes by the authority of the reigning emperor , and
sometimes by private individuals . A passage from Pliny ( as quoted by Dallaway ) , wherein he requests Trajan to establish a college of artificers ( collegium fairorum ) , in order to effect the rebuilding of Nicomedia , just then destroyed by fire , and in which passage no reference is made to any association actually existing of which this was to form a part , seems to express that such a proceeding was not uncommon , ancl to justify in some degree the doubt .
There is a passage in Gibbon which appears to me . to bear a little on the subject of associated artificers , and , perhaps , deserves mention . He says , when Probus commanded in Egypt , A . D . 280 , he executed many considerable works for the splendour and benefit of that rich country . The navigation of the Nile , so important to Rome itself ,
was improved , and temples , bridges , porticoes , and palaces were constructed by the hands of the soldiers , who acted by turns as architects , engineers , and husbandmen . " ( "Decline and Fall , & c . " vol . ii . p . 89 . ) Rome fell ! Torn by internal faction , and enervated alike morally and physically by her very triumphs , the
mother of many nations slowly succumbed to the innumerable barbarian hordes which the North , at that time , poured forth upon the world . All art was long stagnated . When Constantine , at the . commencement of the fourth century , removed the seat of empire to Byzantium , or Constantinople as it . was afterwards termed ( the last blow vur .. it . < j Q
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Institution Of Freemasonry.*
chief officers ; thus agreeing , in many respects , with the Fraternity under notice ; so much so , in fact , that even Robinson , the most vigorous modern enemy that Freemasonry has had , and who would not , therefore , yield to it a greater degree of antiquity than he felt himself compelled to concede , admits that in this association it hacl , at all
events , its prototype . ( See " Chandler ' s Travels in Asia Minor , " and " Robinson's Proofs , & c" ) Whether members of the same body or not , it is certain that , in later times , at Rome , the artificers were bound together in a somewhat similar manner ; having Colleges or Lodges , where they held their meetings and studied the
principles and practice of architecture : it does not , however , appear quite clear to me whether these colleges were part ancl parcel of a general body acknowledging one supreme head , or whether they were not independent associations of men organised for the study of their art ; sometimes by the authority of the reigning emperor , and
sometimes by private individuals . A passage from Pliny ( as quoted by Dallaway ) , wherein he requests Trajan to establish a college of artificers ( collegium fairorum ) , in order to effect the rebuilding of Nicomedia , just then destroyed by fire , and in which passage no reference is made to any association actually existing of which this was to form a part , seems to express that such a proceeding was not uncommon , ancl to justify in some degree the doubt .
There is a passage in Gibbon which appears to me . to bear a little on the subject of associated artificers , and , perhaps , deserves mention . He says , when Probus commanded in Egypt , A . D . 280 , he executed many considerable works for the splendour and benefit of that rich country . The navigation of the Nile , so important to Rome itself ,
was improved , and temples , bridges , porticoes , and palaces were constructed by the hands of the soldiers , who acted by turns as architects , engineers , and husbandmen . " ( "Decline and Fall , & c . " vol . ii . p . 89 . ) Rome fell ! Torn by internal faction , and enervated alike morally and physically by her very triumphs , the
mother of many nations slowly succumbed to the innumerable barbarian hordes which the North , at that time , poured forth upon the world . All art was long stagnated . When Constantine , at the . commencement of the fourth century , removed the seat of empire to Byzantium , or Constantinople as it . was afterwards termed ( the last blow vur .. it . < j Q