Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

AN OLD MASONIC TKADITKW VERIFIED . Anderson , in the first edition of the Booh of Constitutions , 1723 , tells us that"The Royal Art had been preserved much from Gothic ruins , particularly by Charles Martel , King of France , who , according to the old records of Masons , sent over several expert craftsmen and learned architects into England , at the desire of the Saxon Kings . "

This tradition Anderson evidently derived from sonrB of the manuscripts of the ancient Constitutions , which were at that time in the possession of the Craft . Thus we find it in the Earleian M 8 S . No . 1942 , in the following words : — "And it happened that a curious Mason , called Memon Grerus , that had been at the building of Solomon's Temple , came

into Prance and taught the science of . Masonry to the Frenchmen ; and there was a king of France named Carolus Morter , who served greatly Masonry , which sent for this said Memon Grerus , and learned of him the sayd science , and became of the fraternity ; and thereupon he began great works , and liberally did pay his workmen , and confirmed them a large charter , and was yearly present at their assembly , which was a great honour and encouragement to them , and thus came the science into France . "

The Lansdowne MSS . gives the following account , viz .: "A curious Mason named Kamas Greecious , who had beene at the makeing of Sollomau ' s Temple , and he came from thence into ffrance , and there he taught the science of Masonrie to men of that land , and so there was one of the Royall line of ffrance called Charles Marshall , and he was a man that loved well the said Craft and took upon him the Rules and Manners

and after that , by the Grace of God , he was elect to be the King of ffrance , and when he was in his Estate he helped to make those Masons that were none , and sett them on work and gave them Charges and Manners and good pay as he had learned of other Masons and confirmed them a charter from yeare to yeare to hold their assembly when they would and cherished them right well , and thus came this noble craft into ifrance , . & c . "

The MSS . quoted in the Bnaydopadia . Londiniensis , Vol . 14 , agree with the above , with the exception that the two personages named therein are called Maymus Grecus and Charles Martell . Pritchard ' s llasonnj Dissected , contains the following version : — "For at the building of the Tower of Babel the art and

mystery of Masonry was first introduced , and from thence handed down by Euclid , a worthy and excellent mathematician of the Egyptians , and he communicated it to Hiram , the Master Mason concerned in the building of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem , where was an excellent and curious mason that was the chief under the Grand Master Hiram , whose name was Mannon Grecus , who taught the art of Masonry to Carolus Marcel in France , who was afterwards elected King of France . "

Thus we find the tradition of Charles Martel reproduced in all the copies of the Ancient Constitutions of which we have any authentic account at the present day ; and Anderson , in his second edition of the Booh of Constitutions , ( 1738 ) , says that"Ethelbert , King of Mercia and General Monarch , sent to Charles Martel , the Eight Worshipful Grand Master of France , father of

( King Pippin ) , who had been educated by Brother Minius Graccus . He sent over from France , about A . n . 710 , some expert masons , to teach the Saxons those laws and usages of the ancient fraternity that had been happily preserved from the havoc of the Goths , though not the Augustan stile that had been long lost in the West and now also in the East . This is strongly asserted in all the old Constitutions , and was firmly believed by all the old English Masons . "

In . 1258 Louis IX ., King of France , appointed Stephen Bodeau Provost of the corporations of Paris . He summoned before him all the masters { prudhommes ) oi the

various trades or guilds , interrogated them concerning their ancient usages and privileges , and caused their statements to be put down in writing , from which was subsequently framed a code of "Regulations concerning the arts and trades of Paris . " In 1837 , by order of the Minister of Public Instruction , these documents were collected and published by G . B . Depping , under the

title of Collection des Documents inedits sur I'Bistoire de-France . Paris , Crapelet , 1837 , in 4 to . In this work , chapter 48 treats " Of the masons , stone-cutters , plasterers , and mortar-makers . " Their ancient laws and statutes generally correspond with those of the German and English building crafts , and conform in many particulars to the English parliamentary statutes for

labourers . Master William de Saint Patru is mentioned as the chief master of the masons , who appeared to have composed the most numerous class . The apprenticeship of the four guilds above-mentioned was six years ; their place of worship , the chapel of Saint Blasius ( not of Saint John ' s !) The following sentence is of particular interest for the history of Freemasonry , as it in a measure confirms the old tradition concerning Charles Martel .

" Les macons ct les plastriers doivent le gueit et la taille et les antres redevances que li autre bourgeois de Pari doivent au Roy . Ii mortelliers sont quite du gueit et tout iailleur de pierre , tres le tans Charles Martel si come les preudome l ' en oi dire de nere ii fils . "

( TEANSIATION . ) The masons and plasterers are obliged to do guard duty and pay taxes and render such other services as the other citizens of Paris owe to the King . The mortar-makers are free of guard duty as also every stone-cutter , since the time of Charles Martel , as the ancients have heard it said , from father to son .

The 35 th ordinance treats of the guilds , and exempts certain persons from guard duty , with the Latin heading , " Ta-men non constat quare debeant esse quiti . " Among all the numerous guilds , that of the stone-cutters is the only one of the four above mentioned which is thus exempt .

These documents , which are undoubtedly authentic , prove the correctness of the old tradition , handed down from father to son to 1258 , that Charles Martel sent masons to England to assist the Saxons in building , and that they were invested with certain privileges and immunities . —E . C .

EKEEMASOS ' S MAGAZINE AND THE EUEEilASOS ' s AVIEE . In the Indian Freemasons Friend we read the following : — " A small pamphlet is being prepared for sale at Lahore to credit of the St . John ' s box , to be entitled " What are the advantages of Freemasonry , "being extracts , from the London FBEE 3 IASON ' MAGAZINE , of eorespondence between a Freemason ' s wife and the

editor of that journal , in which the arguments usually employed by the ladies ( bless ' em ) againt the Craft , are ably combated and refuted . I think it ought to sell well . Copies will be sent to other lodges , wherever working , from Calcutta upwards . "

EAIL OB EE 1 E . I have often seen in your MAGAZINE enquiries respecting the word "Hele , " and it appears to mo that the answers have been directed rather to the spelling of the word than its pronunciation . Being derived from the Saxon word Helau , to hide , it should probably be spelled " hele ; " but it does not by any means follow that it

should be pronounced so as to rhyme with " feel . " On the contrary I have a strong opinion that , as is the case in nearly all languages except in modern English , the e in Saxon was pronounced like A in " fate , " and that consequently "hele" should bo made to rhyme with " fail . " Those who ^ so pronounce it , do not confound it with " hail , " any more than they do any other words of different meaning and spelling , but which arc pronounced alike , and of which our language furnishes numerous instances .