Observations On The Antiquity Of Masons And Masonry In England.

ill this case the employer Avas the briber . * Where they undertook a large piece of Avork they Avere provided Avith bedding and a lodge to lay and eat in , near the place AA'here they AA'orked , AA'hich Avas done at King ' s Hall in the time of Henry the

Sixth , t and the Masons AA'ho undertook the building of WalbersAA'ick steeple , in the same reign Avere to have a hows to werkc inne to ete , and drynke eaid to lugge inne and to make mete inne harele by the place of werkyng . % And it Avas customary

to provide them Avith goAvns , leather aprons , and gloA'es , once in the year . They Avere paid either by the day or by the A \ 'eek , according as they could agree Avith those Avho employed them . Their AA'ages Avas sometimes paid in money , at other times

part of it Avas paid in money the rest in commons ( or provisions ) . The Avages paid to Freemasons and Avorkmen of different sorts , at Cambridge , from the time of EdAA'ard the Third to Henry the Sixth Avere as folloAvs : — Li the time of Edward the Third and

Richard the Second—stonecutters , by the Aveek , from Is . to Is . 2 d . in commons and from Is . lid . to 2 s . in money ; a layer , or setter , Is . 4 d . ; alabourer , § by the day , 4 d . In the tune of Henry Fourth and Fifth —• tylers , by the day , 4 d . ; slaters by the

Aveek , lOd . in commons and Is . 9 Jd . in money ; Carpenters , by the Aveek , lOd . hi commons , and Is . ll ^ d . in . money . In the beginning of Henry the Sixth ' s reign—a Master Mason , by the Aveek , in commons Is . lOd . and Is . 9 d . in money ,

they had also gloves , aprons , bedding , & c . ; a labourer , by the day , l | -d . in commons and 2 d . in money . In great Avorks the principal officers Avero sometimes paid by the year , for Avhich purpose King Henry the Sixth ordered in

his wiU , that the stun of £ 117 6 s . lOd . should he paid yearly , to his college at Cambridge , out of the issues , profits , and revenues , coming from certain lordships , manors , lands , teniments , & c , during all the time of the edification of the same college , for the yearly wages and reAvards

of officers belonging to the Avorks there , in the folloAving manner : — £ s d . FM the master of the works ... 50 0 0 For the clarke of the works ... 13 6 S For the chief mason 16 13 4 For the chief carpenter 12 8 0 For the chief smith 6 13 i For two perveours , either of them at 6 d . per day 18 5 6

117 6 10 If Ave consider IIOAV great the A'alue of labour in general Avas in the times above mentioned compared AA'ith the present time , Ave must Avonder hoAv they could carry on so many expensive works as they did in

all parts of the Kingdom , for if the abovementioned prices appear very IOAV AA'hen compared AA'ith the present times let them be compared AA'ith the price of corn in both periods , and AA' 6 shall find that a common labourer Avho Avorked for

fourpence a day AA'as much better paid than he Avho receives two shillings at this time ; and a mason Avhose AA'ages Avere paid Avith one shilling a Aveek in commons and tAvo shillings in money , could live much better than he Avhose Avages is eighteen shillings

a Aveek in the present age . Though the Freemasons AA'orked by the day in common , they sometimes Avorked by the measure , as at WalbersAvick steeple , Adam Powle had 40 s . for the yard and a cade full of Herynge each year in time of working

besides a gown , § e . ;* they likeAA'ise Avorked by the piece , as in King ' s College Chapel , Avhere the vault is divided into severys and tho finials and tOAvers Avere finished by the piece . t As many articles of stone Avork Avere

Avanting in common buildings , they Avere . sold ready prepared at quarries by the piece or by the foot , AA'hich among many others Avere : —¦

Jambes pro fenestris , from 4 d . to 5 d . by the foot . Voucheir , from l ^ d . to 2 d . Selys , l | d . by the foot . Jambes , & c , pro Caminis , 3 d . Tablys , 16-in . broad 4-i-in thick , 4 d . by the foot , including carriage . Corbil table , 7 d . by the foot . These articles of building , and many others that were often used hi common buildings , AA'here regularity Avas seldom