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( Contents . PAGE . FREEMASoys' MAGAZISE : — English Gilds 102 Old Lodge Records , 10 * The Ordnance Survey of Sinai 105 Masonic Jottings—No . 31 108 Alasonic Notes and Queries 106

Alasonic Sayings aud Doings Abroad 110 MASOXIO AIIRROR : — Alasonic Afems 112 CRAJFT L ODGE AIEETISGS : — Aletropolitan „ 112 Provincial 113 Ireland H ° Scotland 115

New Brunswick 116 India HO Royal Arch 116 Mark Alasonry 117 Reviews 118 Alasonic Festivities 118 Bengal Alasonic Association for Educating Children of Indigent Freemasons 118 The Language of Alasonry 119 List of Lodge , & c , Jlec'ings for ensuing week 120 To Correspondents 120

English Gilds.

ENGLISH GILDS .

LONDON , SATURDAY , AUGUST 0 , 1870 .

One of the most interesting and valuable -works issued hy the Early English Test Society is that recently published for the Society by Triibner & Co ., entitled " English Gilds : —The original ordinances of more than one hundred early

English Gilds , together with ye olde vsages of ye cite of Winchestre ; the ordinances of Worcester ; the office of the Mayor of Bristol , and the customary of the manor of Tettenhall-Eegis ; 'from original manuscripts of the fourteenth ancl fifteenth

centuries . Edited , with notes , by the late Toulmin Smith , Esq ., Fellow of the Eoyal Society of Northern Antiquaries ( Copenhagen ) , with an introduction and glossary by his daughter , Lucy Toulmin Smith ; and a preliminary essay in five

parts , on the History _ and Development of Gilds , by Lujo JSrentano , Doctor juris uitrisuque et Philosophise . " It Avill be necessary to explain " that at the time of the death of the late Toulmin Smith this work

was not quite completed , and that the completion has been undertaken by his daughter , Miss Lucy Toulmin Smithy Avho had long acted as her father's amanuensis . Her motives will be best described in her own

words . In the introduction she says : — " It is with mingled feelings that I now send this volume forth . A sorrow , in which its readers will share , that the hand which has laboured so long and so patiently was stayed ere its task was ended ; that the work which should be the book he desired to be remembered by , was yet unfinished

Avhen itsauthor Avas suddenly called away , is but partly consoled by the thought , that so much of that work as he had done is not lost , aud that it has been at length completed , as far as might be , although by feebler hands ., That it should b eso

completed , in' a manner as much as possible worthy of the attention and care bestowed upon it by my father , has been my constant aim and endeavour ; and I have had a melancholy satisfaction in filling in the rest of the outline design of this , the last labour of love undertaken by him , out of his

devotion to freedom , and to the welfare of his fellow Englishmen . " Several years ago , while searching at the Public Eecord Office for material for another work , Mr . Toulmin Smith discovered some hitherto almos unused documents , which attracted his attention to

the subject of gilds . On looking over these documents he found that they were of the highest interest , giving an amount of information , and throwing a light upon the history of English Gilds not anywhere else known . He made a calender and careful notes of each one of the

series . He saw , "how the ancient principle of association , more than a thousand years old , had been in use as a living practice among the common folk , that it had been a part of the essential life of England , and always worked well till forcibly

meddled with , and he believed that if the spirit in Avhich those early fathers met together , prayed together , aided one another , their faith-in-lawabidingness and liberty , and their charity could be shewn to their brethren and sistren * of these later

days , it would not only bring closer to the present the hearts and hands of the past , with profit to themselves , but also tho work would , by example , give invaluable practical hints to sincere men and workers now . ' '

No doubt closely from some of the early English gilds sprang the " Operative Masonry , " from which it is contended by many that our Speculative Masonry sprang . Therefore , we deem it advisable to give a series of copious extracts from tho works which , Ave feel confident , will prove of the greatest interest to our readers .

In the first portion of the Avork is embodied an essay on the " History and Development of Gilds , " by Dr . Brentano , of Aschaffenburg , Bavaria , Avho is preparing a large work on the subject . Dr .