Illustrations Of The History Of The Craft.

between the native Britons and their allies , which ended in the defeat of the British , but who , as the old Chroniclers tell us , on the destruction ¦ of relig ious buildings , and in the warfare of

clergy and people , churches and edifices , both public and private , were burnt down and destroyed , ministers of relig ion slain at the altar , the bishops and the Church involved in one common ruin , and none left to bury them .

After the middle of the sixth century , the ¦ native Britons gave up the contest , and retreated into Wales , and the hilly parts of Devon and Cornwall , while the Saxons and Angles remained

masters of the rest of England , where they gradually formed themselves into that form of government , known by the name of the Saxon Heptarchy .

The Saxons were , as we know , Pagans , and seem to have shown great animosity to the British Christians , for ecclesiastical writers tell us they turned the Christian churches into pagan

temples , and persecuted the Christians everywhere . "We are expressl y told , that Theonus , Archbishop of London , and Madiocus , Archbishop of York

after they had seen all the churches within their provinces destroyed , retired in the year 586 , with their clergy , to Cornwall and Wales .

I he Saxons being triumphant , and the churches destroyed , or turned into Pagan temples , all ¦ things remained in this unsatisfactory state , until

Ethelbert , King of Kent , then a pagan , married Bertha , a Christian princess , daughter of Charibert , King of the Franks , and niece of Crothan the First .

By the marriage covenant the exercise of her religion was guaranteed her , and she brought over with her , Bishop Laidlaw , as her spiritual guide and director .

The Queen and her family are said to have attended religious worship in an old church , built while the Romans were in England , on the east side of the City of Canterbury , dedicated to

St . Martin , ' •' In J 97 , Augustine arrived from ltome , sent b y the great Gregory , to convert the Saxons , and he

is said to have brought Roman Masons and artificers with him , who began lo repair and to build churches " more Romano . "

It has been often pointed out that the carl ) history of Christianity in this country is also the history of the introduction of ecclesiastical architecture , and , as I have before said , and able

-writers have maintained , the introduction of Roman Masons is also the history of church building in England .

In 601 , ltufinianus , Mehetus , J ustus , and Pan linns , came also on a mission to this country bringing with them more Roman " etementarii ' and " artifices . "

I 1162 7 , Edwin , or Eadwin , Kingof Northumbria , who had married Ethelburga , a Christian Princess , was baptised at York by Paulintis , on Easter day , in a little church or oratory of wood , soon

to be replaced by a stone church , built by Roman Masons , won ; romaiw . Our learned brother , Drake , pointed out , long years ago , Dec . a ; th , 1726 , in his able address to

¦ our order at York , that this Edwin was the true "hero of our old Masonic legend . During tin ' s time Ethelbert had had Christian * Bede .

Illustrations Of The History Of The Craft.

Churches built at Canterbury , Rochester and St Paul ' s , by Roman Masons , and other churches are mentioned as built in the seventh century both north and south .

In 675 , the famous Benedict , Bishop Abbott of Weremouth ( called Benuet Abbot of Wirreal in our earlier histories ) went to Rome , and brought back thence Roman ctementarii , and

built his church , we are expressly told , according to the Roman manner . He seems to have been more than once at Rome , and always to have brought back Roman

Masons with him . Archbishop Wilfred , again , in 66 9 , is specially said to have brought " artifices " from Rome , Italia , et Francia , et de aliis terris ubiemque

inconire federal . He , as we learn , with their aid , repaired York Minster , built Wrexham , Beverley , and Ripon Cathedrals , and was , as both William of

Mahnesbury and Eddins assure us , very skilful in the science of architecture himself . In 710 , Naitan , King of the Scots , Bede tells us , wrote to Scolficd , Abbot of Weremouth , and

the friend and successor of Benedict , to send him Masons , who could carry out , " Romanum opera , " and build " more Romanorum . " In 767 , the Minster at York was rebuilt by

Albert , the Archbishop , who had been to Rome himself , and brought back with him skilful Masons . The names of his architects are known as

Eaubald , afterwards Archbishop , and the famous Alaius , who describes the church , in a Latin poem still extant . We have a little letter of St . S within ,

apparently directing the Masons in the building of Winchester Cathedral and other churches . In the ninth century the incursions of the Danes again brought destruction on reli g ious

buildings in this country , and it was not until , under Alfred the Great , in 872 , that peace was restored to the land , and the civilised arts again flourished .

Alfred was , as William of Malmesbury tells us , " in arte Architectoniea summis , " and he is also said to have gone to Rome and brought Masons thence , by whom many churches were rebuilt .

His son Edward , who succeeded him in 900 , was a great builder of fortresses , if not of churches , but he was succeeded by his son , Athelstan , in 920 , who is claimed by Masons , and has been

claimed for the hist 500 years , as a great patron of the order . He was undoubtedly a great encourager of the liberal arts and sciences , a builder of churches ,

and a benefactor of reli gious houses . If it be true , as our traditions assert , that he encouraged Masons from foreign countries to come and settle in England , and placed them over the lodges

of English Masons , we have in this some corroboration of the asserted connection of Athelstan with our order . He was a giver of charters to many of the

Saxon guilds , and there is no a prion objection to the old tradition that he gave a charter to the operative Masons , and that a general assembly

of Masons was held at York during his reign . I myself full y accept the Masonic traditions on this point , as I believe them to Lo literally true .

Illustrations Of The History Of The Craft.

With regard to Edwin , 1 ha .-e alrca . lv point * d out that , with the learned Drake , I hold this to be a mistake and a misnomer . Some of us may be aware that Dr . Oliver

held that the Masonic poem , of acknowledged date 1390 , though it points to a much earlier date , is to bo taken as the constitution of the York assembly in Athelstan ' s time .

I cannot go so far as this , as indeed there is no proof of such a supposition , and the poem itself , though it mentions the " cite , " does not mention York b y name .

It may preserve , in its rythmic form , a trace of the old Anglo-Saxon Guild ( . 'barters and Regulations of the Craft , but that is the utmost that can be fairly contended . It could not then have

been formed into its present shape . In the . peaceable reign of Edgar , forty monasteries , besides many churches , are said to have been built , and St . Dttnstan is claimed as a patron of our

order , on account of his direction and super ' , 'is ion of most of the great works with which his name . is still connected . In 974 , we hear of the fani'ias abbey of It : i : nsev

being built , of which the architect ' s name was Eduth . With Edward the Confessor , the Saxon history , or the Saxon dynasty , really may be said to close .

and in his reign , Westminster Abbey is said to have been begun , and Preston tells us that Leofric , Earl of Coventry , was a patron of the Masons , and assisted at the build ' titr of Westminster

Abbey . Whether this be so or not . Leofric was a great builder of churches , and Dagdale preserves an inscription which tells us hnw he and Gotliva , his

wife , were the " fondatores' of a church at Coventry , and were buried there . Leofric v . as in all probability the patron of the Coventry Guild of Masons .

I fear that I have brought little of the history of the Masonic Guilds in these Anglo-Sa \ on times . All that we can fai . ' v say , I think , is that as Q'llilds existed am < -: ! - the Saxons , and

were a very important ponic n of their civil and municipal system , we may fairl y believe that the . Masonic Guilds would flotm-h , and in ail probability obtained their char :-.- ; - ; from Athelstan , as our oldest traditions so i-cr-istcnilv assert .

"A VISIT TO Ei'i's's COCOA MAM . FACTOKY . — . hiough the kindness of Messrs . I ' -pp-, 1 I ' e ^ iti ' . ' . y had an r . ; . , ¦ . f . ur . iy of seeing die many complicate '! .. a ! varied pt < v . w .-s the Cacao bean passes through ere ii i- -... Id for public t . , e . and . being both interested and highlv ;\ .. sed with wh . t i : i ; v

during my visit to the manut . i .: r . v , I thought a brief account of the Cacao , and the w .. \ it is niai' . ata . tu . cij by Messrs . Epps , to lit it for a wholcsaat ' . and luitiitiusbi-. eiage , might be of interest to the render-. ¦ : l . tnul mrl II :. '• r . —Nee Article iir hnnil mid ll ' iilrr , Oct ;« . .: !_ .

Ifoi . t . iiu'Av's OIXTJIKXT AM )!' , r „—Hhcumati- ; . ) . i : i » I Neuralgia . —It is sometimes di ;' tie , s- ¦ . > determine which of these diseases is alHictiiig the sciteivr , but this ig :: r , iancc will irot matter if I lolknvny's rut : ; . lies be ii-ed . "' hey afJeiiare and core all muscular . ... i nenous pain- ; . In hereditary rheumatism , after bath ; .::- . : he affected p . ats , vith warm salt water , Holloway's Oimraent should be v .-.: !

rubbed upon the spot , that it may penetrate and exert its s « tiling and regulating properties i ' . ' . the deeper \ e-.--v ! s ami nerves which are unduly excited . ; e , 1 cause both the pain and swelling . Holloway's tre .-itmi ¦ .. . has the merit f removing the disease wtthout debilitating the Cor .-t ; tjliou which , was the inevitable , result of the bleeding , mercury , aird colchicum practice , formerly adopted in these can . plaints . —A DVT ,

" 1 cannot express to you my gratitude for the cue your fain Killer has wrought on me . i had rheumatism ali over my body , accompanie 1 with heidache , s > severe that 1 rroulil get no sleep . As my doctor seemed to < 1 . > me im good , my friends induced me , as a last resort , !> try the Vegetable I ' ain Killer , and 1 am thr . r . lful to say that 1 am now in perfect health , and ag .. ' n at business . —J wires ALSTON , dimsnurii ^/ i , Sept ., 1871 . —To l'erry Da-. is \ S . m , I imdiiii . VV . C . "