English Gilds.*

altogether natural when , in the sixteenth century , we see that government entirely transferred into the hands of the richer gild members . The gild members were at that time in England divided into three classes : the livery , to which the richer

masters were admitted ; the householders , to which the rest of the masters belonged ; and the journeymen belonging to the gild , who were simply called " freemen , " sometimes also " yeomanry " or " bachelors . " Instead of the former sovereign

meeting of all gild associates , there now appeared a " court of assistants , " who governed the gild and enacted its ordinances . The first legal appointment of a court of assistants is met with under Philip and Mary . After the time of James I ., the transfer of the elective franchise from the

" comrnunitas" to the courts of the companies became general in the charters ; and in this manner , what had hitherto existed merely on sufferance became legal . The king appointed the first members of the court for life . As these

withdrew or died off , the court itself filled up the number from former masters and wardens . But these it likewise chose from amongst the liverymen . To the rest of the gild members , election day briefly meant the day on which they assembled

in the gild hall to hear the names of the elected proclaimed . An oath was also introduced for all members , in which they swore to obey the master and wardens and their ordinances . Eefractoriness towards the gild , violation of its laws , refusal to

accept office if elected , these were punished as formerly . The charitable regulations also remained the same as in former times . It was a difficult task to live in a large town , in a foreign land , with a very scanty supply of cash ,

until the wandering journeyman had convinced himself , after many inquiries , whether there was work to be had in the place . At the same time it was a matter of importance to the masters living m a town to have the means of findinar out

whether there were journeymen in search of work , so that in case of necessity they could at once obtain hands Cor their workshop . Both these wants were met with when the host ( Eerbergsvater , father of the inn ) appointed to the charge of the

house of the gild ( the so-called llerberge , inu ) was obliged to take in every one who could furnish proof that he was a journeymen of that particular craft . When , then , a travelling journeymen arrived , who wanted work , the host was able to give him the necessary information , for there was

English Gilds.*

in the house a list of all the masters who were in want of journeymen . If several masters had asked for men , he who was first on the list received the first journeymen who arrived ; but the master who had more journeymen , had always

to give place to him who had fewer in his workshop . Sometimes a special master or a journeyman was appointed by the gild to look out for work for the wandering journeymen . If the journeyman found no work , he received in various crafts

( the so-called geschenkten , donation-giving ones ) a sum of money to support him on his journey to the next town , which was called the donation . ( das GeschenJi ) : this came not merely from a fund ! which the journeymen had formed amongst

themselves for that purpose , but the masters also con " tributed towards it . There are a series of ordinances referring to cases in which a journeyman was to forfeit the donation ; and as the imperial laws which at first forbade altogether the giving

of donations ( on account of the abuses connected with the system ) had no effect , they were contented with restricting it . ( To be continued . )

Masonic Jottings.—No. 36.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 36 .

BY A PAST PEOVINCIAL GEAND MASTEE . PYRAMID OF CHEOPS . During the fifty years that the Pyramid of Cheops was building , there was advance of civilisation , and there was corresponding development

and growth of Speculative Masonry . —Papers of a deceased Mason . THEEE INGREDIENTS . In ancient nations Speculative Masonry ' s chief ingredient , Beligion , was corrupt , and the other

ingredients . Ethics and Science , were commonly powerless for perceptible amelioration . UNIVERSALITY OP ENGLISH FREEMASONY .

Many brothers assert that Universality cannot be correctly predicated of English Freemasonry until the year 1738 . NEGATIONS . Speculative Masonry , like the spirit of Science ^ is favourer of

no Negations . SYJIBOLOGY . The syrnbology annexed to the science of the Architect and Builder affords an effective and agreeable mode of religious and ethical teaching . —Old MS .