The Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

received a dispensation and certain peculiar privileges , from Joceline , Bishop of GlasgoAv , * in the year 1177 ( he means 1190 ) on account of their pious services in building the Cathedral . " Seeing the " Masons of this city" Avere not

" incorporated by Malcolm IV ., " Ave must perforce class them along with the rest , so if the above be true of other Craftsmen and other burgesses it is equally true of the " Masons of this city . " After the formation , or incorporation , of burghs

and for the regulation of commerce , commissioners from each burgh used to meet at certain times altogether , for , as , per the statutes of James III ., 1487 , " " and thereto commoun and treateupon the Aveilf ' are ofmerchandicethe gude rule and statutes

, for the common profite of BurrOAves , " & c . In reference to ' ' Deacons " Mr . Cleland says" The incorporated trades have had the privilege of Deacons from a very remote period . In 1420

James I . destroyed these offices , and introduced Wardens to oversee the work of tradesmen . In place of Wardens , A isitors were soon appointed , AVIIO remained in power till Queen Mary restored the Deacons by special gift . The heads of the

incorporations Avere at first called Deacons for the following reason : —When the artizans Avere incorporated fchey Avere encouraged by the clergy to erect altars in chapels and churches , and to make choice of a Saint as their Patron . In order to

officiate at processions and other religious ceremonies one of the number Avas annually chosen , who got the clerical name of Deacon . This officer acquired , by degrees , poAvers different from his original creation ; he became the first man of the

trade , and Preses of their meetings . He had the inspection of the AVOI-IC of the brethren , and the defence of their privileges , and Avas at last admitted , in many places , to be a member of the Town Council . " '

" The Incorporated Trades , recognised as the administrators of certain endoAvments , long before the Reformation , are now the most ancient source from which the poor are supplied in this city . " "A person AVIIO takes out his burgess ticket

as a Mason , and afterwards enters Avith the Wi-iglits , is an unqualified , or Penticle , member of the latter corporation , and cannot bear office in it ; and persons Avho do not make an essay to their OAVU legitimate trade , are termed Penticles /'

The Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

" Trades' House Free School , for educatin g 10 £ Boys . —The Hammermen , Taylors , Cordiners , and Maltmen send each tAvelve boys to the school . The Weavers , eight ; the Bakers , Skinners , Wrights , Coopers , Fleshers , Masons , Gardiners , and Barbers , six each ; and the Dyers , four . ( To he Continued ?!

Masonic Jottings.—No. 9.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 9 .

BY A PAST PKOVINCTAL GEAND MASTER , THE LEGEND OP THE CRAFT . The Legend of the Craft necessarily forms part of the history of our Freemasonry . The first book of all Antient History is mythical and legendary .

LEGEND OF THE CRAFT . Learned brothers assert that in this the true is mixed with the legendary . They assert that the Egyptians , when the Pyramids Avere being built , had their lodge and their Masonry ; and that the

JoAvs , Avhen the first Temple was being built , also had their Lodge and their Masonry . They will express no opinion respecting a lodge and a Masonry of the Babylonians until all the Cuneiform inscriptions are translated .

FIRST ANGLO-SAXON LODGE . The first Anglo-Saxon Lodge was formed for building- the stone church at Wearmouth . The President of the lodge was the celebrated Benedict Biscop . —From the papers of a deceased Mason .

LODGES OF THE GERMAN STONECUTTERS . It is recorded that practical views of religion , strict morality , and uprightness of conduct were the main pillars on which those lodges were supported .

SCIENCES IN THE LODGE . The sciences of the Architect and the Builder had their dAvelling in the lodge , and iu ancient times not unseldom dreAV into it other sciences . — Old MS .

VIRTUE—SCIENCE . As virtue draAvs virtue , so , methinks , science draws science . —Old Miscellaneous Papers . THE GKANDIDIER THEORY . A learned brother observes that the Grandidier

Theory concerns only the modern organisation of Freemasonry . EARLY GERMAN LODGES . See the Jotting thus entitled , page 108 , of the present volume . —The statement in that Jotting