The Constitutions Of The Masons Of Strasburg. *

entire satisfaction , and brings a certificate from his master aforesaid . No apprentice shall ransom himself from his master until he intends to marry with his master's consent , or there be other sufficient reasons which urge him or his master to this measure . If an apprentice deems that he has not been dealt

justly with by his master , in any way they may have agreed upon , then may the apprentice bring him before the craftsman and masters who are in that district , so that an explanation and redress may take place as the case may be . " Item . Every master who has a book in the district

of Strasburg , shall pay every year at Christinas , a halfflorin into the box of Strasburg , until the debt is paid ¦ which is due to that box . And every master who has a book , and whose building is finished , and who has no more work whereon he can employ the fellows , shall send his book and the

money in his possession , which belongs to the fraternity , to the workmaster at Strasburg . It was resolved at the day at Eegensburg , four weeks after Easter , in the year , counting from God ' s birth one thousand four hundred ancl fifty-nine , on St . Mark ' s Day , that the workmaster , Jost Dotzinger of

Worms , of the building of our dear Lady ' s minster , the high chapter of Strasburg , and all his successors on the same work , should be the supreme judge of our fraternity of masonry , and the same was also afterwards determined on at Spires , at Strasburg , and again at Spires , in the year 1464 , on the ninth day of April .

Item . Master Lorenz Spenning , of Yienne , shall also be chief judge at Vienne , and thus a workmaster or his successors of Strasburg , Vienne , and Cologne , these three are the chief judges and leaders of the fraternity ; they shall not be removed without just cause as was determined on the day at Eegensburg , 1459 , and at Spires , 1464 .

This is the district that belongs to Strasburgh ; all the country below the Moselle and Erauconia , as far as the Thuringian Eorest , and Eabenberg , as far as the episcopate at Eichstatten , from Eichstatten to TJlm , from Dim to Augsburg , to the Adolsburg , and as far as Italy ; the countries of Misnia , Thuringia , Saxony ,

[ Frankfort , Hesse , and Suabia , these shall be obedient . Lorenz Spenning , workmaster of the building of St . Stephen , at Vienne , appertains Eampach , Steliernaark , Hungary , and the Danube downward . Item . To Master Heffan Hurder , architect of St . Vincent ' s , at Berne , shall have the districts of the

Swiss confederacy . Item . To Master Conrad , of Cologne , master of the chapter there , and to all his successors likewise , shall appertain the other districts downward , whatever there be of buildings and lodges which belong to the fraternityancl may hereafter belong to it .

, If any master , parlirer , fellow craft , or apprentice , acts contrary to any of the hereinbefore or hereinafter written points or articles , and does not keep them collectively or individually , and reliable information be obtained thereof , then he or they shall be summoned before the fraternitybreason of such

viola-, y tion , and shall be called to account therefore , and shall be obedient to the correction or penalty which is sentenced upon him , for the sake of the oath and vow which he has pledged unto the fraternity . And if he slights the summons without honest reason , and does not come , he shall yet give what has been sen-

The Constitutions Of The Masons Of Strasburg. *

fenced upon him as a penalty for his disobedience although he be not present . But if he will not do so , he may be brought before ecclesiastical or civil courts at the place where they be held , and may be judged according to what may be right in the matter . Item . Whoever desires to enter this fraternity , shall promise ever to keep stedfast to all these articles

hereinbefore and hereinafter written in this book , except our gracious Lord the Emperor , or the king , princes , lords , or any other nobles , by force or right , should be opposed to his belonging to the fraternity , that shall be a sufficient excuse , so that there be no harm , therein . But for what he is indebted for to the

fraternity , he shall come to an agreement thereon with the craftsmen , who are in the fraternity , although by Christian discipline every Christian is bound to provide for his own salvation , yet it must be duly remembered by the masters and craftsmen whom the Almighty God has graciously endowed with their art workmanshito build houses of Godand other

p , , costly edifices , and honestly to gain their living thereby , that by gratitude their hearts be justly moved unto true Christian feelings , to promote divine worship , ancl to merit the salvation of their soul thereby . Therefore to the praise and honour of Almighty God , his worthy mother Mary , of all her blessed saints , and

particularly of the four crowned martyrs , and especially for the salvation of the souls of all persons who are of this fraternity , or who may hereafter belong to it , have we , the craftsmen of masonry , stipulated and ordained for us ancl all our successors , to have a divine service yearly at the four holfestivalsand on

y , the day of the holy four crowned martyrs at Strasburg , in the minster of the high chapter , in our dear lady ' s chapel , with vigils and soul masses , after the manner to be instituted .

It was determined upon the day at Spires , on the 9 th day of April , in the year counting from God ' s birth , 1464 , that the workmaster Jost Dotzinger of Worms , workmaster of the high chapters at Strasburg , shall have an assembly of craftsmen in his district , when three or four masters shall be taken and

chosen to come together on a certain day as they may agree , ancl what is there determined on by majority of those who are so congregated in chapter , and who are then present , and how they may decrease or increase some articles , that shall be kept throughout the whole fraternity . That day shall he on St .

George's Day , in the sixty-ninth year . These are the masters who were present on the day at Spires , on the 9 th day of April , in the year 1464 : — Item . Jost Dotzinger of Worms , workmaster of our dear lady ' s minster , of the high chapter of Strasburg . Item . Master Hans von EsselingenItem .

; Master Vincencie von Constantz ; Item . Master Hans von Heyltburn ; Item . Master Peter von Algersheim , master of Nuhuasen ; Item . Werner Meylon , of Basle , on behalf of Master Peter Knobel of Basle , & c .

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IKETAISD— ADDTTESS TO THE PRINCE OP WALES . —An address , signed by the Duke of Leinster , as Grand Master , has been forwarded to the Prince of Wales by the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland , to which the following reply was returned : — Lieut . General Knollys is desired by the Prince of Wales to thank the Grand Lodge of Pree and Accepted Masons in Ireland for their address of congratulation on his marriage . His Itoyal Highness is well assured of those sentiments of loyalty to their sovereign which have ahvays animated this fraternity , and gratefully acknowledges the feelings of attachment which they profess towards himself .