The History Of Freemasonry.

an apprentice who considers his master does not fnlfil his duly towards him , and who is allowed to bring the matter before the Masters and Craftsmen residing in tbe neighbourhood . Rule XXXIV . is headed , " Shonld any be sick in this Brotherhood , what is then to be done , " and

provides that " Shonld a master or a fellow fall sick , or a fellow of this guild who has in his time lived uprightly in masonry , and lay so long sick that it fail him in sustenance and the necessities of existence , the master who has the box of the guild in his charge shall help and assist him

with a loan from the box , if he otherwise can , until he recover from his sickness ; and he shall vow and promise to restitute the money lent into the box . But if he die in his days of sickness , then shall so much be

retained from what he leaves after death , be it clothing or otherwise , till that is again made good which had been lent him , if so much there be . " It appears to have escaped the framers of these Ordinances that a man who fails " in

sustenance and the necessities of existence , and receives a loan from the box , if he die during illness , is not likely to leave behind him the wherewith to make restitution , nor does the Rule strike us as being liberally contrived , though it is calculated to inoculate those for whom it is intended with

habits of thrift . By Rule XXXV . a master or fellow making any disbursement out of his own pocket on behalf of the Brotherhood shall have it returned to him out of the guild . Or , if any one " Come to grief -with justice or other things

touching this guild , " the fellows are enjoined to render him help , but no one of his own accord " without the advice of other masters or fellows " is to put the Craft to any expense . The Rule that follows provides for the punishment of the disobedient , and that , in the extreme case of any

master or fellow refusing to pay the penalty adjudged against him , " then shall be be allowed to go idle , and no stonemason shall stand by him till he become obedient . " The ordinances that follow as to the Judges and the Districts into which the Craft is divided may be passed over ,

so also may the earlier Rules affecting Wardens and Fellows excepting Rule L . against "Leagues , " or as we should say " Strikes , " which reads thus : " Likewise the fellows shall in the future make no more mutinies or conspiracies to leave any employ collectively , and thus delay a

building , for up to the present the profits of our brotherhood have come from the Lords and cities almost entirely ; but should a master behave otherwise than right in any case , he shall be summoned before the craft , and submit to its judgment . And in case of a pending judgment no such master shall be avoided of his fellows until the matter be

adjudged , unless it be that such a one be disobedient to the judgment ; in that ca ? e he may well be left to go idle . " It were well perhaps if , having regard to the Strikes by which Masters are so frequently damaged , and the " Lockouts" which Masters occasionally put in force against

their men , some tribunal could be established that should decide all questions in dispute between employers and the employed . This , however , is merely a remark in passing and concerns not these regulations as they interest the

Freemason . Rule LIV . prescribes the vow that an apprentice is to take when he has served his time and is made free , and is to the following effect :

" In the first place , every apprentice when he has served his time , and is declared free , shall promise the craft , on his truth and honour , in lieu of oath , under pain of losing

his rig ht to practise masonry , that he will disclose or communicate the mason ' s greeting and grip to no one , except to him to whom he may justly communicate it ; and also that he will write nothing thereof .

" Secondly , He shall promise as aforesaid , to be obedient to the craft of masonry in all things concerning the craft , and if he should be sentenced by the craft he shall conform wholly to such sentence , and yield obedience thereto . " Thirdly , He shall promise not to weaken but to strengthen the craft , so far as his means may extend .

" Fourthly , No one shall stand by another to hew stones who is not honestly of the craft ; and no master shall emp loy any one to hew stones who is not a true stonemason , unless it be permitted to him of a whole craft , " the probable explanation of which curious expression is stated in a foot-note to be " Of all the members of the craft in lu'g

neighbourhood . Rule LV . declares that he' must not " of his own will and power" alter his mark " which has been granted and lent him by a craft" —that is , as suggested by a meeting of

the craft— " but if he ever desire to alter it he shall only do it with the knowledge , will , and approval of a whole craft . " By Nos . LVII . and LVIII . an apprentice is not to be made a warden either during his apprenticeship or even when he has served his term until he has " also

travelled for one year . " The ordinances that follow to the end of the Code all relate to Apprentices and , though interesting , need not to be described or quoted . Last of all , come tlie signatures attached , namely those of the " Masters and Fellows" as well as of " the Fellows , " who subscribe their adhesion to the Ordinances .

Having compared this Code with that of 1459 and pointed out in what respects they agree and in what they differ , Bro . Gould gives the " Torgau Ordinances of 1462 , Concerning the worshipful Masters of Stonemasons of the Craft , the Wardens , and the Fellows of the Craft , " which

are here for the first time translated into English . These he also describes and comments upon at length , subsequently sketching the character of a journeyman fraternity , all which should be carefully studied by the reader . Indeed the whole of the remaining part of the

chapter is calculated to excite the interest of the curious . But as we have dwelt so long on the subject , and especially on the Ordinances of 1563 , in the belief that a compact survey of that one code would be preferable to a less connected sketch of the 1563 and 1462 codes and the

matter that follows , we must content ourselves with noting the most important conclusions which Bro . Gould has formulated as the result of his most searching inquiries . They will be found at length at p 177 , but the following strike us as being pre-eminently noteworthy . He holds , as we have

remarked before , that the Stonemasons had their origin " in the craft guilds in the cities ; " that " about the twelfth century the convent and the craft builders imperceptibly amalgamated and formed the guilds of the Steinmetzen ;" tbat " in 1459 , they constituted themselves into one

allembracing fraternity , with its perpetual head at Strassburg ; " that they had . " a secret method of communication , consisting of a form of greeting ; " possibly a peculiar " grip ; " bat no word ; while the existence of a " sign" is

doubtful ; " no initiation ceremony , " but perhaps one " at affiliation ; " no " speculative science , " while " the admission of honorary members is very doubtful ; " and that Freemasonry , when introduced into Germany from England , " was not recognised as having any connection with them . " ( To be continued . )

Annual Italian Ball.

ANNUAL ITALIAN BALL .

THE Fifth Annual Evening and Fancy Dress Ball was held on the 4 th inst ., at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , W . G . nnder the patronage of Bro . H . Bnrnley Heath , Consul General of Hia Majesty the King of Italy . Tho proceeds are to be devoted to tho French Hospital and Italian Benevolent Society , of which Brother Ernesto Ziiccani is the Treasurer . Bro . Perelli-Eocco and a largo body of Stewards condncted the proceedings . The room was artistically

arranged , with the National Colours , and the dresses were in every way artistic in style . A very excellent band , under the superintend dence of Signor Curti hod been engaged . Bro . J . Arnold acted as M . C . Three rooms were occnpied by the company for sapper , the principal being the Crown Room , where several toasts were proposed by the Chairman , Bro . Ernesto Zuccani-, who was received with load

and enthusiastic cheers . Amongst the toasts wero those Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales , their Majesties the King and Qneen of Italy , the Prince of Naples , and the rest of his Eoyal Family ; the French Hospital and the Italian Benevolent Society ; and thafc of the Ladies , present and absent . Mr . Hewling in eloquent terms proposed the health of the Chairman , who in reply said , no matter what denomination—whether Italian , French , or of

the Jewish persuasion—he wonld always be proud to assist in the cause of charity . He was pleased to say that this year above £ i 00 wonld be given to the two Institutions they were assembled together to assist . Dancing was then resumed . Owing to the exertions of Bros . Eocco , Baroni , and others , this Ball was an undoubted success . The President , Bro . Zuccani , paid every attention to the enjoyment of those present .

FEUS , s ROUND LONDON . —Messrs . Sampson Low , Marston and Co . are about to issue a new and cheaper edition of Mr . F . G . Heath ' s little volume " Where to Find Ferns , " with a list of fern localities round London .

HOLLOWAY ' Oi . IMEKT AND PILLS . —Though it is impossible , in this climate of changing temperature , to prevent ill-bcnlth altogether , yet its form ancl frequency may he much mitigate , by the enrly adoption oi remedi , . 1 measures When ho . racness , cough , thick breathing , and tho attendant slight fever indicate irritati-m of tho throat or chest , Holloway ' s Ointment should ho rubbed upon these parts without del . y , and his Pills taken in appropriate doses , to promote its curative action . No catarrhs or sore throats can l-esist these remedies . Printed directions envelop every package of Holloway ' s medicaments , which are suited to all ages and conditions , and to every ordinary disease to which humanity is liable .