Masonic History And Historians.

MASONIC HISTORY AND HISTORIANS .

BY MASONIC STUDENT . E A R L Y A RCHITECTS ,

It would be interesting if it were possible to ascertain who the architects were to whom the word " architeclos " is applied in thc eatly use of the word , and whether they who used the word had then the same meaning and use of " architect" as we have now . The Latin word architectos comes clearly from the Greek " architekton , " which is again obtained either from arche and tekton , the chief artificer , or from " arche and tenko . "

The word meant in classic use , a professor of the art of building , a contriver ofa building , a builder , architect , engineer ; and Cicero points out that the " architectos " differs altogether from the " faber , " the latter one doing the manual work , the former directing by skilful counsel . Hence , too , we have the word " architectura , " from which our word architecture is

derived ; and we meet with " architecta , " a female architect , and the words of identical use and meaning , architecton , architetor ( it is said ) , and the substantive architectonice ( from the Greek architektonike ) , the art or science of building , and the adjectives architcctonicus , archilectonious , and the verb architector , the participle architectatus , and some even mention architectatio and architectio , but these are doubtful words .

It then requires care and caution when we find the word "architectos " in the early chronicles , as it probably may sometimes have a less distinct and definite meaning . The names , unfortunately , of the architects after the fall of Rome are lost , who builtand directed work " Romano more , " though many

of the names of the Byzantine architects are preserved ; and if it be true that the Byzantine developement had a great effect on the early Italian and Gaulish builders , it seems a little strange , that after the Norman Conquest so entirely a different style of work prevailed , as far as we now can decide , in this country and France and Germany .

IJttle is , however , truly known , or accurately , of the Saxon or early Norman work , and many mistakes and misnomers accordingly occur and commonly prevail in this respect . A good deal turns upon these early architects in respect of the migration and work of the Building Gilds ; as it must always be borne in mind that we have in our researches to-day to deal with three successive developments of ' * Romanum opus ; " namely , first , by the Heathen Gilds ; second , by the very early Christian Gilds ; and , thirdly , by the fully Christian Gilds after the fall of the Roman empire .

Without pinning our faith too closely to Mr . Hope s somewhat florid argument in this respect , on the whole , I am inclined to think he gives us in general outline the true facts of the case , though he may amplify and colour with the reality of subsequent knowledge the position and practices of the

earliest Gilds . Whence he derives his authority for his description of the Masonic Gilds in such very early times I know not , and never have been able to find , as certainly none of the early writers , that I am aware of , give any such paiticulars . We probably shall never fully realize the exact truth of the case until we light on some early rules of a Masonic Gild .

A Word To The Wise.

A WORD TO THE WISE .

BY BRO . T . B . WHYTEHEAD . I am indebted to Bro . J . S . Cumberland , P . M . of York , who is always on the qui vive to secure everything of Masonic interest , for the loan of a curious old work under the above title . It is , I suspect , a scarce book . At any rate I have seen it for the first time ; and although its authoritative value may be as inconsiderable as its literary merit , yet its author makes certain statements , which , from the circumstance of the date of their publication , are worth picking out .

The full title of this work , which in size is little more than a pamphlet , is as follows : —

FREEMASONRY . A WORD TO THE WISE ; being a Vindication of the Science as patronised by the Grand Lodge of England

and the Devices of the Craft-y in the I'Yaternity , Disclosed under the following heads : Elect of Nine ; of Perignan ; of Fifteen ;

Noachites ; Architects ; _ Excellents ; Grand Architects ; Super Excellents ; Scots Masters ; _ Super Intendants ; Knights of the Sword and of the East ; Rosycrucians ; Knight Templars ;

& c , & c . LONDON : Printed for VV . Thiselton , George-street , Tottenham Court Road . 57 Q 6 .

First comes an " exordium , in which thc writer gives a very brief sket ; h of the history of Masonry , and attacks the system of the Christian Degrees . He says that the Grand Lodge never recognised anything beyond the Three Degrees , except Royal Arch Masonry , and this they did by inserting the dates of the meetings of Grand Chapter in the Grand Lodge Calendars Irom 1777 to 1792 . He quotes Anderson to prove that no other Degrees were in existence in 1723 , and says that Grand Lodge "is in possession of every authentic iota relative to Freemasonry . "

Then comes the most remarkable portion of the book , wherein its author accuses the Masons at York of being thc originators of the High Grades , and makes some other statements , of note in view of the date of publication ( 1796 ); Hc says— "This point being established , the next inquiry will be into the line of conduct pursued by the old lodge at York City : upon

examination it will appear that having declared for independency , they have attempted superiority by grafting on the good old stock sprigs of folly and falsehood : in other words , their successors at least pretend to the knowled ge of seven degrees , and without the initiation of their disciples into the highest , they arc considered as aliens , and are not permitted to partake of

A Word To The Wise.

the repast prepared only for the well informed in thc Sanctum Sanctorum . Not content with the boundary prescribed by their predecessors , they have actually granted Constitutions as agrand lodge , and have at this time several lodges in the metropolis , and as a further insult to the Grand Lodge of England , a Deputy Grand Lodge of York Masons is held in London ' . "

If there is any truth at all in these statements , they afford fresh ground for investigation . According to our present information the old lodge at York ( Grand Lodge of all England ) ceased to exist about 1792 , yet here we have the assertion that four years later it had " several lodges " working under its charters in London as well as a " Deputy Grand Lodge of York

Masons . What lodges were these , ancl what has become of their charters ? He docs not mean the Grand Lodge of the Ancients , because a little further on he says— * ' a Grand Lodge of another description , under the appellatum of Ancient Masons , is likewise held in London . . . but they have attempted no subtetfuge . " Was thc " Grand Lodge South of the Trent " in existence as late as 1796 , and is that the body referred to ?

Next comes a series of attacks upon the various High Grade Degrees . The writer refers in terms of great contempt to men who make a trade of Masonry , and who , he alleges , " purchased ideal MSS . at the decease of one of the Principal impostors , " and j . dds—" the iniquity of this part ofthe business consists not merely in the introduction of candidates but in contributing to the existence of York Masons . "

The system of the Knights Templars he declares to be a " glaring imposition , " buthe appears to have had a tender place for " the Harodims "" , " on the ground that the brother promoting the Order had great abilities , and did not do it for " pre-eminence , " but because "that method of delivering information is superior and more likely to be retained in the memory . "

His title of " Rosycrucians " is evidently intended to refer to the Rose Croix , or present eighteenth Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . In his attack on the Templars , he says he has great respect for those working the Degree , but it has no connection with Masono ' . He gives a short history of the old Order , and concludes : " It is evident the Order was abolished , and if it had subsisted to the present day , that not the most

remote connection between it and Freemasonry can be drawn . Royal Arch Masonry is coeval with the creation itself ; Craft Masonry from the days of Solomon ; but the Knight Templars of the present age have no antiquity to boast of , * even tlie name is not to be met with either in sacred or profane history till the time of the Crusades . That a Society has a few years subsisted in the metropolis under this appellation is a fact well knownbut to

, gain admittance therein it was not a necessary qualification for a person to be a Free or a Royal Arch Mason , for many have been accepted without these distinctions . That the York Masons have this as a Masonic Degree is equally certain , but it is onc of their impositions which disgraces them as Masons , and it is with concern observed , from a MS . addition to the statutes

of the Knight templars , printed for the first time in 1791 , that in the list of chapters , one at York is acknowledged , under the title ' Redemption , ' in conjunction with one in London , as the 'Chapter of Observance , 'and a third at Bath , as thc 'Chapter of Antiquity , ' all which are stated as being assembled from time immemorial . "

He then quotes the title-page of the first Book of Constitutions of the Order of the Temple , a copy of which I am fortunate enough to possess , and mercilessly ridicules the several titles . Occasionally the writer becomes somewhat involved and indistinct , and towards the end of his essay he refers to certain individuals as " foreigners , " who , he says , were the " authors or transcribers of thc MS . rituals of these

Orders , and then suddenl y changes into the singular number , and says"for many years it is well known that he chiefly existed by the profit of his writings , paintings , and engravings on Masonry , " and was also "the author of a Freemasonry for the Ladies . " This appears to me to point to thc probability of the delinquent "foreigner " being Lambert de Lintot , who was mixed up with the Lodge of Perfect Observance , under the Grand Lodge

South ot the lient , and the publisher of a number of Masonic engravings . I do not know that much historical dependence can be placed upon an author who declares his faith in Royal Arch Masonry being coeval with thc creation , and Craft Masonry dating from Solomon , but the man seems to have possessed a certain amount of good sense , as is testified by his peroration in which he speaks of the unsatisfactory nature of continual bare

repetition of Lodge ceremonies , as calculated to weary and drive away the better class of members , and declares that a reference to the minute books of various lodges in thc earlier dates shows that they were not content with proceeding in the usual form , but lectures were occasionally given . The " Stewards' Lodge , in particular , on public nights , entertained their visitors

with a diversity of knowledge that they had been unaccustomed to receive in a Masons' lodge . Natural philosophy in general , dissertations on thc laws and properties of nature , the doctrine of ' fluids , & c „ were commented on and explained . " With the exception of " Fluids , " I fear most of our present day lodges are not disposed to offer their visitors any programme beyond the never-ending , still-beginning , monotony of the Three Degrees .

P . G . M . Wilford , in his oration at thc laying of a foundation-stone at Yorktown , U . S . A ., said : " Freemasonry is in no sense a secret society . It is a confidential society . The times and places of our meetings , our purposes and our objects , our roll of membership , our code of morals , arc all publicly known and avowed . Our membership embraces men of every grade of reputable society , every sect of religion , every shade of political

opinion , and it is the privilege of every member of one lodge in good standing with his own lodge to attend any of the meetings of sister lodges . Our code of morals is known and understood to be the same which is proclaimed from every Christian pulpit and Hebrew synagogue wherever the people are assembled for the worshi p of thc living God . Every Mason is enjoined to be a peaceable man , and never lo allow himself to be involved in

conspiracies against the pubile peace and thc welfare of the nation . " Thefollowing is the ruling of P . G . M . J . F . Izlar , G . L . South Carolina : _ " After a candidate has taken the Master ' s degree he can apply to any lodge in the jurisdiction for membershi p . The mere fact of having taken thc Master ' s degree in a certain lodge docs not make him a member of that lodge . The only advantage hc has in joining the lodge hi which he was

raised is lhat he can become a member simply by signing the constitution and bye-laws , whereas , if he desires to become a member of another lodge , he must apply regularly for affiliation , and stand the ballot . " Our Constitution , under Private Lodges , reads : "Clause 14 . —Every candidate initiated in a lod ge becomes a member thereof from the date of his initiation , and is liable for regular lodge dues . " We think our system the best ,- — Canadian Craftsman .