Freemasonry And The Early English Gilds.

And the Gild of Taylors of Lincoln provided that " all the brethren and sisters shall go in procession at the feast of Corpus Christi . " 12 . At the admission of neAV members

as at the " making of Masons , ' it Avas required that a certain number should be present . The number varied in the different Gilds , but was usually twelve Avith the presiding officer . 13 . There was a form of admission Avhich may be compared with the Masonic

ceremony of initation . What Avere the secret ceremonies , if any , Ave do not of course knoAV , but there Avas an oath of fealty and the kissing of a book . The ordinances of the Gild of St . Catherine of Stamford are very explicit on this subject

and the account is well Avorth copying : " Also , it is ordained that Avhen said first evensong is done , the Alderman and his brethren shall assemble in their hall aud

drink ; and there have a courteous communication * for the Aveal of the said Gild . Ancl then shall he called forth all those that shall be admitted brethren or sisters of the Gild ; and the Alderman shall examine them in this wise : — ' Sir , are you willing to be brethren among us in this

Gild and will you desire and ask it in the Avorship of Almighty God , our blessed lady , Saint Mary , and of the holy Virgin ancl Martyr , Saint Catherine , in Avhose name , this Gild is founded , and in the way of charity V And by their own will they

shall ansAver , ' yea' or ' nay . ' Then the Alderman shall command the clerk to give this oath to them , in form ancl manner following : — ' * This hear you , Aldermen : —I shall true man be to God Almightyto our

, lady Saint Mary , and to the . holy Virgin ancl Martyr Saint Catherine , in Avhose honour and worship this Gild is founded ; ancl shall be obedient to the Aldermen of this Gild ancl to his successors , and come to him ancl to his brethren Avhen I have

Avarning and not absent myself Avithout reasonable cause . I shall be ready at soot and lot and all my duties truly pay and do ; the ordinances , constitutions and rules Avith the counsel of the said Gild keep , obey and perform , ancl to my power maintain to my clay ' s end ; so help me

Freemasonry And The Early English Gilds.

God and holy dome and by this book 'and then kiss the book and be lovingly received by all the brethren . " In this ceremony of admission Ave notice many points of resemblance to that of the Apprentice in Freemasonry . Such for instance is the " free will and accord "

required ; obedience to constituted authority ; maintaining the bye-laves ; keeping the secrets or " counsel ; " and lastly the kissing of the book .

There are less important points of resemblance Avhich these early Gilds bear to the Masonic Loclges , such as the requirement of good character in their candidates ; the regulations for expelling or suspending members for misconduct and for their restoration upon their reform ; for an

entrance or initiation fee ; for quarterly dues ; and for the annual election of officers on the feast clay . But it is unnecessary to dwell on them . Sufficient has been cited to SIIOAV that there is an evident similarity in the tAvo organizations

aud to confirm the theory IIOAV generally maintained by Masonic scholars , that- Freemasonry has derived its spirit , and its present form and organization , although of course , with many modifications , from the early Gilds of England Avhich existed from the eleA'enth to the sixteenth century .

The Women Of Our Time.

THE WOMEN OF OUR TIME .

BY CALEBS . PEEPACE . I PROPOSE to give , in successive papers , a short account of the Women of our Time . I admit at the outset that it is

both' a dubious ancl a dangerous undertaking . The psychology of women is so Avonderful ancl in some respects so mysterious , that it is indeed an act both of temerity and of difficulty to attempt fully to describe them , fairly to estimate them .

When the one-eyed Bagman , in the facetious j'ages of Pickwick , declared , with the approval and applause of a distinguished circle of male exhalers of the soothing Aveed , that '' queer critturs are Avomeu , " he stated a truth as undeniable as it is enduring .