Reviews.

the guilds are of Anglo-Saxon origin . Some traces of the Roman guilds may have existed in this country , ancl probably did exist , but at any rate they Avere soon overlain by Anglo-Saxon usages , and Anglo-Saxon nomenclature . Guilds seems undeniably to have existed in the reigns of

Alfred and Athelstan , ancl though Mr . Furnival seems to doubt the derivation of guild , we think there can be but little doubt that it is derived from the Anglo-Saxon g ildan or gildar . We do not think that Mr . Furnival ' s suggestion , hoAvever ,

ingenious , that" guild " is derived from " gAvyl " Welsh , or Breton " gouil" a feast , is tenable . Though it may be true that the Dutch word " guide " as Avell as the old Bavarian Avord " child " may mean a feast , yet that is rather a secondary than a primary meaning apparently , » nd Mr . Furnival admits that " child" means also , as it does , " a fair , a market . " On the Avhole , therefore , Ave

think the best and safest derivation of guild , is from gildar . Miss Toulmin Smith puts the matter very Avell in her introduction , Avhen she says , "HOAV and Avhen the Avord became applied to the brotherhood or societies is not found in so many Avords ; butthat the brotherhoods

, , by their inherent pOAver of making Avhat internal rules they pleased , should be accustomed to gather a regular rate or ' gilile' from each one of their number for their common expenses , till every man was knoAvn as a ' gegylda , ' as having paid to

this or that [ guild seems a natural ancl certain explanation . The early use of the word ' gild-ship' implies this the more strongly . Meanwhile ? gdcle ' did not lose its old sense , ancl Ave find the two meanings ' ild' a payment ( AAnth a secondary

g sense , money ) , and ' gild' a brotherhood , running side by side doAvn to much later times . " So much for the derivation of the word .

Before Ave go on , however , to consider the history of the guilds more closely and minutel y , it may be Avell to call attention to the very interesting ancl striking evidence ° n Avhich such history is founded . In the year 1388 , a Parliament Avas held by liichard ILat CambridgeAvhen it was

, , ordered that a return should be made to the Sheriffs , from the Masters and 'Wardens ° f all guilds and brotherhoods , and from tlie Master and Wardens , ancl overlookers ° l all the mysteries ancl Crafts , of their

charters , ancl of details as to their foundation , statutes ancl property . These returns Avere made in February , 1389 , about 483 years ago , and there still exist returns from about 500 of these gudds . These returns Avere Avritten a few in English , but the

great majority in Latin and Norman French . They Avere formerly hi the ToAver , but are UOAV in the Public Record Office , under the name of " Certificates of Guilds , " having formerly been called , "Miscellaneous RollsToAver Records" and they have greatly

, , suffered from age , damp and neglect . The late Mr . Toulmin Smith prepared , and his daughter published all the English returns , forty-nine in number , as well as about thirty from Latin and Norman French . But Ave see , that thus a large

margin is left for patient investigation , ancl accurate collation . Who can say , but that in the 400 returns yet to be sifted ancl studied Ave may not light on an - ori ginal return from a gudd of Freemasons' ! In the volume Ave have alluded tothere are

, also to be found some most interesting returns , as well , from municipal archives , as Exeter , Winchester , Worcester ancl Coventry , as Avell as from the MSS . in the

British Museum ancl the Bodleian Libraries . Not that these returns even exhaust the number of the gudds , for the returns of many have perished , ancl the rules and regulations of many Others are still to be found among the MS . collection of our great Librariesand amid Cathedral

monu-, ments , ancl municipal archives . Practically the collection of the late Mr . Toulmin Smith , is the largest so far extant , and Ave can only deeply deplore that his valuable life was not prolonged , in order to make his collection even more complete ancl

valuable than it is , though , even in its present form it is really invaluable to the historical , archaeological and Masonic student to-day . And what th en is the amount of information we gain from these long buried and dusty records of an older day ?

What is the picture thus presented in this age of doubt ancl debate , to our critical consideration and wondering gaze ? We have as it Avere the " arcana " of much of our social life clearly unveiled before us ; Ave see IIOAV it AA'asthat in those clays Ave

, required in England no Poor LaAV , no outdoor , no indoor relief , no test of labour , and no suppression of vagrancy . Our forefathers carried out to their fullest extent the great