Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

OLD CHARGES OF ENGLISH FREEMASONS . One or two obvious misprints in mv last communication on this subject , such as "deprecate " for "depreciate , " and " ecossais * ' for "ecossnise , " need hardly be pointed out by me . Since then , I have seen a continuation of Bro . Norton ' s essay

in The Freemason of November 9 th . What does Bro . Norton mean by " the Edward III . Constitution ?" I have heard of many " Constitutions , " but never heard of this oue before ? Does Bro . Norton allude to thc Act of

Parliament , tempore Edward III ., relating to the Alasons ? When Bro . Norton goes on to say— " We are also satisfied now the old operative Alasons were an ignorant nnd credulous body of men , ' , ' is he not speaking very wide of tlie ' mark , vvry much

at random r Is Bro . Norton aware that AIaster Alasons , for instance , in the 1 , 5 th and 14 th centuries , received very hi g h salaries indeed , ranked very often as " Generosi , " and Mere men of education and position r

As regards the operative Alasons generally , there is also evidence to prove that they received wages considerably above the average of other Crafts . Bro . Norton seems to base a portion of his

argument on the confused chronology and erroneous historical traditions contained in the old Alasonic Constitutions . But does he reali / . e how inevitable after all it is that merel y oral tradition should , after the lapse of time , be always characterized bv mistakes and anachronisms ?

Air . Wallbran used to say that , m such Legends as ours , as long as the main facts were correct and consistent , we coulel not expect minute particulars to be so , or the names of persons , or the dates of events to be absolutely historical . " Traditions are apt , " he used to say , " to

become confused after a tune , and to blend persons and events together , often in what seems hopeless anachronisms . " Hro . Norton seems to forget that the compiler and transcriber , both of the Alasonic poem , and thc Additional ALS ., our so far two oldest

Legends , were Ecclesiastics , not Operatives , and that they only repeated and handed down whal they bad seen in older AlSS ., or heard from older members of some Alasonic Guild . Were I to write the history of the operative . Masons of Fugland , andeven of other countries , I should , judging

from their works , speak far more respectfully ol ihem than Bro . Norton does , and 1 think it a great pity that he imparls lo such archreologieal discussions such needless attacks upon others on such itisiilucicnl grounds , and with such an entire absence of evidence Io justify his slatements . When liro . Notion says , again .

" We know now , thai their Alasoiirv is not our Alasonry , " whal does he , whal cm be mean . ** It is . in Iruih , a very slarliing staleinciil . y .. 7 \\\ v .: ¦ iv .-p ! ci fully a-. k him , has he 1 ver con' ' ulel-. *' . ; , when he :- " . *) s this , tin * c , uli nee arising from t '/ e . Masonic pi . em as regards this wry [ Hiiif . t . ** AVhat does he consider lhat lo be

f flu- says that it belongs to the speculative t ) rdci * then that Order v . as in exi .-teiic- in this country Cum-iilcrablv before the clo ^ e of the fourteenth

reniury . If he says that it is an op ; ** .: liye rythmical Constitution , thus tran'crib d b y a pries ! , then the operative Constitution 1 " iv id * nlical v . ilh ou ; own . as that i- tiie basis oi " all die later ones . lie is free to accept either "horn ' * ofthe dilemma , but one or oilier he iimsl accept and abide by .

The simple tniih is that the hi : lory of Freemasonry , is niter all onl y like manv oilier histories , a history ol continuation and dew lop-JiKoi . To ignore the operative connection is , as it seems to ine , to cut away completely the * j ground from beneath our feet , historically . I

indeed , liro . Norton goes so far as to say that " we an- indebted to the old society merely for Ihe mine and a few antiquated phrases nnd forms in onr ceremonies . This is indeed the 1717 theory , with " a vengeance , ' as people s . iv . J low liio . Notion

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

can boldl y propound anew such an hopeless theory , in the face of Bro . Hughan ' s opening passage in liis preface , Bro . Findel ' s history , and the discussions which myself and others have carried on so long both in the Freemasons'Magazine and The Freemason , I aih ' at a loss lo understand .

Indeed , it there is one fact which educated Freemasons now agree upon , I believe it is this , that Speculative Fieemasonry is the lineal descendant and development of tlie operative guilds . I cannot admit that " * guild" is derived from " sreld . "

It is derived from the Saxon word " giidan" tc pay , and was used in several meanings . It was sometimes employed , for instance , to describe a tax or tribute . It also meant a " mulct" or penalty , a composition or " ' amerciament . " It also signified an enfranchised division or soke .

The " wards" of LomJbn and of other municipalities were Sometimes called " gilds . " It was also used in its evident meaning to denote an " associated brotherhood , '' because its members were " g ildar , " bound to pay something towards thc charge or support ofthe whole body . Gilds have been defined to be " fraternities

contributing sums towards a common stock" as well as a " fraternity or company combined together b y orders anel laws made among themselves , b y their Prince ' s license . " Gilds were of two kinds , "Ecclesiastical Gilds , " for "devotion and almsdeeds , " " Secular Gilds , " for " " trade and almsdeeds .

Secular gilds , whieii at one time included in themselves all the "' Craftsmen" of the various operative bodies , in town and country , wcre often called in later times , " gilda mercatoria , " or 'ViLla merealontm "

They , no doubt of Roman ori g in , were ori ginall y derived from the Anglo Saxon " Frith-gild . " Frith-gild is defined in the preface to the * laws of Alhc-lslan , to be a college or brotherhood ( sodalitinm ) , from the two Saxon words " peace " and " to pay , " because * ' lhe . se societies enter into a collective payment foi the common good , and confer as to lheii * own ailaii-s . "

Herbert m his " History of the Livery Companies , ' quoies , apparently from Fosbroke ' s " Lncyclopedia of Antiquities , " passage from " Gervase oi' Canterbury , " whose chronicle begins at 1 1 74 and ends 1191 ; . lie says thai , '' both French and Fnglish , skilled in . stone and

woodwork , travelling in gilds or societies for the purpose of building . " If il be true , as no doubt it is , thai oilier trades had their " secrets " and" mysteries " and " points . " as well as the Fivcmasons , no guild lhat I know cf had " Constitutions or Lceutls ,

dating as far back as 1 ; , o , o admittedly , amino otlicrguild had an elaborate ritual and symbolical signs , or tokens , or marks , known only lo tho initialed , except the Freemasons . j believe that Iho . Buchan claims something like what tiie German Masons called the " hand "rnss" f ( T

, other opcraliw Cr . tl ' , but ihe evidener in ( ha ; case was very slight , - . iiul in ne way al ' i ' ccicd tin question as again * - ! the Freemasons . W ilh regard to " free born , " tliere can be no doubt thai the u .-age is in itself a proof oi" tlie

great antiquity ol our Order . As in the old times no slaves could be admitted into the sodalities of Grcu-e and Rome , so in llic early times of this country the IV . CIIK n of ihe guild were di .-u ngni-ii . il from the :- * irfs and " villain " of feudal tin ;; : * . .

-- :. *!*!' , a ' * 1 il !;;* , ' :: * , " ihe " an-crij . i :: Ieb : e , ' , ' •"• oi ' - * - . * 1 ' iy . . ; . i ii . e . at . ;* " free , " ii :::..: ; . . ¦ lU-: r ; i :: eli ::: e'l , ' eiil : i r b y purchase or i ' avour , by the King , or *;!)•• lord of tlie soil or manor . Such a p : '• - ¦ * ¦ ¦ 1 . alt .-r Iwclv moiu ' . - . s * h . me .-l labour in tl ' . o-. e earl y days in a lown . cuuld , if acCi'Dled , j !) . conn * ine 01 his •¦ articular guild . '

, ' iS iniii' ran on , the privilege was confined to the chihlreii oi ' the freemeii , ami then , no doubt , none but the "free born " cliildivn of the members of the guild could be admitted members of ii . I

Apprentices could be admiticd , after projier sen * iHide , but they must also be children of free guildmeii . Then , howi-wr much Ilro . Xorion may object to such a law , it is a very old law , and is unmistakable evidence ill itself of the " teat

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

antiquity and unchanging traditions of our Alasonic Order . The compiler , or transcriber of Bro . Cooke ' s

MS ., gives a very good practical reason for the law , a reason , which in itself , proves the usage and custom . A MASONIC STUDENT .

"A CONSTANT READER . ' The suggestion of " A Constant Reader , " shall be carried out , if we can manage it , and a

translation of Bro . Findel ' s interesting article be presented to thc Readers of The . Freemason . — En . F . BROS . EMRA HOLMES AND W . P . BUCHAN .

I am at a loss to know wh y Bro . Holmes alludes to Bro . Hughan in the manner he does at page 7 4 ° f The . Freemason . I have read the correspondence b y the above

two brethren most attentively , and have not been able to discover any ipse dixit of Bro . Hughan ' s to warrant Bro . Holme ' s curt observation , neither do I think the former is or the habit of making assertions cm his own authority alone . C . B .

NOTES OV TUP . UNITED ORDERS or THE TEMPER ANII HOSPITAL . Erratum . —Page 714 , line JS of paragraph , read , Bro . " Buchan ' s " ipse dixit , and not Bro . " Hughan , " as printed .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

THE SFCRETARYSHIP OFTHE ROYAL AI A SONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . The following letter , which has been

addressed to Ihe Life Governors of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , haying been forwarded to us for publication , wc have great pleasure in calling the attention of our readers to the claims

ol Bro . Little , which are ably set forth therein * . — Collier ' s Wood , Alerton , S . W ., November 1 , 11172 . Dear Sir and Brother , — Uro . R . Wentworth Little has consented , at

tne request of several Vice-Presidents and Life Governors of the Freemasons ' Girls' School , to he put in nomination for the "Secretaryshi p ol that Insiitution , which has just become vacant by the retirement nf livo . Patten .

in tlie belief thai liro . Little combine's in a remarkable degree the qualifications it is our duly to insist upon in any Secrclarj we may . 'ippoinl , I am acting as CJiairman of a Committee for promoting his e-leclion . 'Phis

Committee deems il important in the interests of the Charity that the new Secretary should not be of an age which would , in the common course of nature , render his retirement necessary in a few years , and M > burden our funds wilh another

pension . Ilro . Little is , 34 . We consider it es .-enii . il that the new Secretary should be a man ol liberal education and varied experience , fitted by maturity of judgment , habit of mind , and special acquirements , to urge the claims ofthe

Charily upon the bretliren . The history and statistics of the Alasonic Boys ' School furnish convincing testimony , were any needed , as tc the imperative duty of securing these qualifications for the sister institution , nnd of so

promoting a generous rivalry between the two . Bro Vi e-ntworlh l . ii ' ile was ori g inall y educated foi th" church , under Pro . the lie-v . B . Gibson , M . A- j but deciding upon a secular career , he entered the Ci \ il Se * r \ iee of tlie . Crown inthe Fmigration

Department at Dublin , and holds testimonials of the hi ghe ' t character , both from his reverend tutor and his ollii'i-. il chiefs . Pro . Little has been an active Frei mason 1 ver since he was initiated into our Urdcr . twi Ive years ago . He is P . AI . of

two lodges ; P . Z . of two chapters ; honorary member of Mime thirty lodges and chapters ; and Provincial Grand Secretary for AJiddlesex . B * "" * Little ' s extensive * connection amon ?* - FYcciiiasous

and bis wide reputation for know ledge ami 7 . c " . ' * L are in iheinsclvcs , we consider , an earnest assurance that the duties of lhis Secretaryship would be efficiently discharged b y him . For the his- ;