Observations On The Antiquity Of Masons And Masonry In England.

was subjected unto them , and the kingdom of Persia being taken Avithout resistance , in less than thirty years they became masters of Africa , and AA'here their arms prevailed the religion of Mahomed AA'as enforced , the Christian churches Avere

con-A'crted into Mosques , and AA'here they erected IIOAV ones they employed such artists as they found in the conquered countrys , AVIIO introduced the Grecian manner of building among them . While Mahomedism AA'as gaining ground

in the East , Christianity AA'as re-es . ablished in Britain , and Masons Avere brought from Trance , Italy , and other countries into England , Avhere they built many spacious churches after the Roman manner * as it was then calledbut many of them Avere

, either AA'holly destroyed or miserably defaced by the Danes , AA'hose frequent incursions jmt a stop to all imprOA'e . nenfc in Masonry and the polite arts in England , though they had been improving in other parts of Europe from ye beginning of the

ninth century soon after the establishment of the Western Empire under Charlemain , and ( about the same time that those barbarians began to make their incursions into England ) . In this state they continued near a century , until the Danes AA'ere driven

out of the country by Alfred , AVIIO invited several learned men from foreign countries particularl y architects , on Avhom he settled handsome pensions to instruct his subjects

m the arts and sciences . As a zeal for building churches greatly prevailed in most parts of Europe after this time , the study of Masonry AA'as diligently pursued and improvements Avere continuall y making in every branch ' of it . But the more they improved the more they

endeavoured to conceal their art , and very tew AA'ho Avere called Freemasons Avere masters of it , for great docility and much industry Avere so necessary for acquiring a perfect knoAvledge of AA'hat AA'as called the mystery of Masonry , that feAV acquired

more than the common principles of it , nor Avere any instructed in AA'hat they wanted capacit y to learn and abilities to execute . It is probable the first Societies of Masons took the Avritings of Vitruvius for their guide to the knoAvledge of architecture , for the fundamental principles of blll kling , as they are taught by that author ,

Avere generally obsen'ed in all the perfect Avorks in different ages , though they insensibly deviated from the style of architecture practised by tho ancient Poinans ; and it appears from the copy of a very ancient paper preserved by Leland containing questions Avith ansAvers to them concerning the

mystery of Masonry ( Avritten by the hand of King Henry the Sixth ) , that not only the precepts of Vitruvius which immediately relate to building , but the several arts aud sciences Avhich be says an architect should be acquainted Avith , AA'ere taught

by them at their first institution , and from thence their successors might indeedsuppose that Masons Avere not only teachers , but inventors of those arts ;* and that they " himselfe hauelh allein the cede of fyn" dynge neue arteswhyehe art the ffyrste

, " Maconnes reeeaued from Godde ; by the " whyehe theyfynclethe whatte artes hem " pleasethe , and the treu way of techynge , " the same . " The arts AA'hich Masons pretend to have invented and taught mankind are AGnrcui / riTRA , ARCHn'EcruRA ,

ASTRONOMIA , GEOJIETRIA , NUiAIERES , MuSIOA , POES 1 A , K . YMISTRTE , GOUERN . AIENTB and K . ELY GYONNE . t But it seems every Mason AA'as not master of all these arts , for though they had more opportunities of learning than other men , many di & fale yn capacity , and manye more did want inelustryethatt ys

, Perneeessarye for the gaynynge all Knnnyneje . % And this agrees AA'ith the doctrine of Vitruvius , § Avho says , Neque eidm ingenium sine discipline ! , end disciplina sine ingenio , perfectum- eM-tifleem potest effleereand ut litemtus sitperitus

Graphi-, , dos , eruditus Geometria , and optiees non ignarus , imtruetus Arifhmetica , Historias eomplures noverit , Philosop > hos diligenter audiverit , Musieam seiverit , Mediehue non sit ignarus , response ! juris consullorum noveritAstrolo , iam eceliqti-e rationes

eog-, nitas habeat Hut Vitruvius does not say that architects or Masons Avere the inventors or teachers of these arts , though it AA-as necessary they should have so much knoAvledge of them as ATOUICI enable them to judge properly of all other arts appertaining