Ob Honoris Causam.

NOAV , I hope all AAUII take in good part Avhat I have said to-day . I may plead my long apprenticeship to the Craft , my length of years , and that I have fairly groAvn grey in Masonry . I want all my younger brethren to think for themselves , ancl to

realize what the outer Avorld may say , of many of those unmeaning decorations I have often looked upon Avith Avonder and amazement .

Let simplicity , therefore , mark our decorations in our Craft Lodges , and let us eschew that vanity , someAvha . t , catching , of endeavouring to attract the admiration of our bretliren , by those Avonderful combinations Ave see on the breasts of many

Freemasons . Nothing is so offensive to good taste or sound sense as taAvdry ornaments or tinsel trappings ; and if I could put into my article , all the remarks I have heard on the subject it would be a very long one indeed . Let us seek to believe , that

while it is perfectly legitimate to Avear the jeAA'el of our degree or our rank , the worthiest jeAvels are those Avhich Ave can fairly say , Ai e put on " Ob Honoris Causam . " MENTOU .

Reviews.

Reviews .

Guilds or Brotherhoods , < J ' c , # c , by W . J . Irons , D . D . Prebendary of St . Paul ' s . T . Hayes , Lyall Place , Eaton Square , . 1873 . English Guilds , by the late Toulmin Smith , Trubner , & Co ., London , 1870 .

We have recently had our attention called to the neAV movement in favour of the resuscitation of guilds , and an effective pamphlet by the Avell-knoAvn and able Avriter , Dr . Irons , brings forward the subject , though from a purely Ecclesiastical ,

and AA'e may add , spiritual point of vieiv . The Rev . Prebendary of St . Paul ' s does not deal Avith the matter historically or archaxilogically at all , he simply treats the question as a Avell established fact in the history of the world and of our country , & id then proceeds AV'ith an " argumentum ad Ecclesiam . ''

Into this domain , hoAA'Over , of argument and theory AVO are unable to folloAv him , as Ave do not profess in this Magazine to deal Avith Ecclesiastical matters as such . Tho AaeAvs Dr . Irons propounds , liOAvever interesting in themselves , and ably put forth by him " more suo , " are , as tho Americans lvould say , somewhat " outside our Platform , " ancl Ave therefore only can treat the matter as an historical and

archaeological question . The more elaborate and posthumous Avork of the late Mr . Toulmin Smith , introduced the subject of the guilds to our notice some three years ago . Not that the guilds Avere unheard of , because allusion had been made to them alike in Kemble ' s Saxons in EnglandThorpe ' s

, Anglo-Saxon Laws , Eden's State of the Poor , Madox ' s Firma Burghi , ancl Mr . Herbert's most painstaking History of the London Livery Companies . Dobson ancl Harland had also published the history of the Preston Guildand some

, information on the subject Avas also to be found in Brady on Boroughs , while references had been made to the English Gmlds , in one or tAvo German AA orks , on the same general subject Idee Wilda ' s and Hartwig ' s . But Ave OAve to that lamented writerMr .

, Toulmin Smith , a great debt of gratitude for this—for the most careful collation of manuscript authorities , and the discovery of the existence of the returns of 500

guilds , and above all , a skilful manipulation of the original documents . The able essay by Dr . Brentano , in the same volume can bo read Avith profit by all , Avhile Miss Toulmin Smith ' s interesting introduction , Avhether looked on as a lucid

statement of the contents of the evidences themselves , or as a touching labour of filial love , deserves our respectful sympathy , and our Avarmest acknoAvledgements . We think it Avell to call the attention of the Craft to our present information as regards the

guild history generally , and Avithout expressing any opinion so far as to the present feasibility , or tho eventual success of the neAidy inaugurated guild movement , Ave Avill try to educe from the documents IIOAV unrolled and decyphered for our

information , a true description of that remarkable characteristic of our social and municipal , and fraternal life some hundreds of years ago , namely , the guilds of our oivn country . It is pretty clear , we think now ; that