From Dark To Light.

canopy of heaven will light up , and the Grand Master above will close AA'ith his blessing . Behold there is full midnight , and our work is concluded ! ( To be continued ] .

Royal Institute Of British Architects.

ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS .

IT is not often that AVC step out of our usual course to record at an } ' length tlie proceedings of societies not in immediate connection with our C ' nift , but the last meeting of the Royal Institute of British Architects , held at their house in Conduit-street , on Monday week , was of such importance to the Masonic body , as well as to those more especially concerned , that we are sure our readers will he gratified by our giving them the substance of

ii'liat ivas said on that occasion , more particularly as the principal object of discussion was one to whom , for more than a century , we , as Masons , have been taught to regard as an early Grand Master of our Order .

However , as faithful chroniclers , let us proceed in due course , and state that punctually at eight o ' clock Professor Cockerell , E . A ., tho neiA'ly-eiected president of the aboi'e society , assumed the chair ; and the usual routine business of the institute having been disposed of , the subject of the evening was brought forward by Mr . Wyatt Papworth , architect , reading a very careful and ingenious paper " On the Superintendents of English Buildings in the

Middle Ages , with especial reference to William of Wykeham , " our Grand Master , previously alluded to , who was the founder of S . Mary College , Winton , ' and its twin sister , New College , Oxford .

Mr . Wyatt Papworth prefaced his observations by remarking that the subject was ini-olved in great obscurity , and that we had hut a very slight knowledge of who ivere the architects , properly so called , of the middle ages . They had for many years been . acknowledged as the dignitaries who had held high rank in the church , and numerous bishops had been cited as the designers of many of onr most noble ecclesiastical and other structures . There also another

was set of claimants , who equally had tradition on their side , the Freemasons . Mr . Papworth deplored the want of a classified account of the architects , such as ive now understand the term , who had superintended these great works ; and , in his own case , he had hunted over books of all kinds , and MSS . without number , to arrive at such a list , but had only found much confusion in the terms by ivhich the actual designers of the

architectural erections were described . These comprised , in various years , and under various circumstances , the titles of architect , ing-eniator , supervisor , surveyor , overseer , master of the works , keeper of the works , keeper of the fabric , director , clerk of the works , and devisor of buildings . It was therefore his intention to confine himself in this paper to those above named , and to reserve , for some future occasion , his notice of the offices and duties ofthe master

mason and Freemason . Citing Walpole , who , giving a document of \ . x > . 1199 , had said that it Ai'as the earliest evidence of art in our records ; Mr . Papworth considered that it referred to what would noiv be called an " engineer" rather than an architect . That the terms surveyor and supervisor had been rendered almost analogous ; the former ivas the term used by the translator to designate the designer of a bridbuilt at Hereford

ge in 1158 . In 131 !) ive met with a surveyor of works , but it AVUS a query if this term might not be ' supervise- * " in the original ; and he alluded to Eichard de Rochellc and Eobert do Bernham having held this office , the latter succeeding the former in 1 : 551 . For the convenience of reference , and particularly to point out Wykehnm ' s various steps of preferment , tho reader had prepared a list of his appointments , in a tabulated form , as folloivs . The list also exhibited the architectural history , so to say , of Windsor Castle , during the same period .-

—Mistory of Windsor I Lifl ! 0 f Wykehnm . & c . »» f «¦»! «» at Castie . i - ' il ' mdsor Castle . 1 * 223 . Draper & others , : ' ~ ' Cuslodes . i 3237-40 . Traitor cle j , Burgh ; direction of j 1241-42-44 are men- j

tioned the Clerks of the AVorks . 1324 ? AVilliam of / AVyki'hnin horn I Supervisor . I ] 337- _ ];; 1 ] nhflo la More Richard de Itothe- j ley ( or ttothelle ) . I . Supervisor . j

History of AVindsor Lifo of TA vkehan ! & c Clerks of the AVorks at Castle . * ' AVindsor Castle . lSW . fiVorks begun . 1319 . First benefice j gil'oii . . 1350 . diehard do Kotheley , again . „ William de Hurfc

,, William de Her- j land . 1351 . John ftrocaa , Oliver de ljurdoux , and others , to suri'ey Avorkmen , & c . 1351 and 1353 . Hubert de Bernliani . 13 : 72-ii ] . Kdyugdoii

church built . 1356 . Clerk of ' Works at H ' eulii and Yes- j hauiistead . 1356 . AVj'keham . Supt . of AA ' orks ; 30 th Fdivard III . 1357 , Increase of salary

135 S . AVm . de Mulsho . 1359 . AVykeham . Constable and Supt . of Castles of "Windsor , & c .: 33 rd KdVard III . 13 fi 0-fi 3 . Dean of Kt , Marfciii ' s-le-Grand . 1301-07 . Qiieeiiboroiii ; - !)

Castle erected . 13 ( 11 . AVm , de Mulsho . 1361-CS . Co-ivarden of Forests south of Trent . 1301 . Acolyte . 1362 . AVm . de JFulsho , again .

1364 . Nicholas Bernard J 3 C 6 . Adam de Her-( called Suvvevm- ?) tyiigdon . 13 G 7 . Bishop of AViu . ehester . 1370 . Works finished . 137-1 . Also stated , 1735 . llohsit Harresvrorth , 1379 . College at Ox- 33 . S 2 . Aniakl Broctxs .

ford begun . 13 S 7 . College at Winchester bet'im . 1380 . Geffrey Chaucer ivas a Clerk of the 'Works . 13 D 0 . AVorks at St . George ' s chapel

1394 . Works at AA'in-Chester Cathedral commenced . 1403 . Made his AA'ill . 1404 . Sept . 27 , died . |

In 135 G Wykeham having acted as clerk of the works foraf ' eiv months , Ai-as appointed " supervisor , " at a stipend of one shillingper day , and two shillings when travelling . 'Hiis ivas increased in 1357 to tiro shillings per day , until he obtained preferment ; and he cited a warrant to Wykeham in support of this assertion . ' Wykeham resigned in the following year , and in 1359 was made constable and supervisor of Windsor Castle .

Mr . Papworth then suggested that the office of supervisor , if the rate of payment be considered ivas of lesser rank than that of the king ' s clerk of the works , who received tivo shillings per day ; and added , that it ap 2 > eared some of these architectural offices were given to the king ' s favourites as a means of emolument : shewing also that Thomas de Staple , the king ' s serjeant-at-arms , , had been appointed surveyor in 15570 ; and that the duties of the

supervisor ivere pretty much the same as we IIOAV attribute to a steward of a nobleman ' s property . He also jwinted out that the Prior of Rochester was appointed surveyor , or overseer , in the same year . In 1417 to 1422 , in an old French and English deed , the early use ofthe title " surveyor , " obtained . In 1388 , a clerk of the works was made receiver ; and in 138-1 , a chamberlain and keeper ofthe victuals and artillery , clerk ofthe works . In 1 . 51 : 5 , at the building of King ' s College chapel , Cambridge , the surveyor ivas one Mr . Thomas Lnrke , afterwards promoted to the archdeaconry of Nbrvrich : and that at Eton College , the surveyor w : \ s