Illustrations Of The History Of The Craft.—No. 3.

The Emperor refuses the request , and alleges as a reason , " sed meminiverimus provinciam istam , et prascipiuas eas civitates , ab ejus modi factionibus esse vexatas . " A remarkable witness " surely to the power and

actual customs and usages of such secret confraternities ! That these collegia came over into England may be proved from monumental evidence . There is still extant , at Chichester , the oldest ,

so far , Roman inscription known , which is a tablet declaring that the " collegium Fabrorum" in this country " had erected a temple to Neptune and Minerva .. This is the first proof so far of associated artificers in England .

Later proof is however supplied by Musgrave's learned work * of such a sodality in this country . And in Sir P . Palgrave ' s interesting work , the ' "' ' History of the Anglo-Saxons /' ' referring to the Roman occupation of this country we find the following most striking and apposite passage .

" Each city or ' municipium contained various colleges or companies , or guilds of trades and artificers , and if I were a Preemason , which I am not , I should perhaps be able to ascertain whether the Lodge of Antiquity at York is , as the

members of the Craft say , a real scion from the Roman stock , existing through so many changes . " I propose in the next chapter to continue the history of the sodalities to the Norman conquest

Mason's Square In Gloucester Cathedral.

MASON'S SQUARE IN GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL .

By Bro . HENRY JEFFS . Posbrooke , in his "History of Gloucester , " says . " On one side of the steps , going round to the choir , is a curious shelf monument to John Gower , the workman who finished the Gothic

work of the cathedral . The monument erected to him is an excellent piece of workmanship . The figure of the old man has a budget of masons ' tools before him , whilst he supports the monument , the top of which forms a mason ' s square . Under

the top is the figure of his son , shewing the different orders of the Gothic . " Mr . Carter says : " The figure of the father is below , as supporting , or having constructed , the basement ; aud above is the figure of the son ,

Mason's Square In Gloucester Cathedral.

hanging to groin work , as being the finisher or decorator of this part of the church . " The reader will do well to refer to the interesting letters which appeared in the FREEMASONS MAGAZINE ( Feb . 12 , 1870 , p . p . 127-128 ) from the

pen of Mr . Niblett , an antiquarian of some repute . He alleges : " This bracket has evidently supported the image of some patron saint ; the iron dowels that held the effigy still remain ; whilst a battlemented moulding above shows how far the

head of the effigy extended , and forms a finished mai'gin to the work . " Mr . Ashbee , architect , who has charge of the extensive restorations now going forward at the cathedral , in company with myself , having

examined the holes where the iron dowels were , dissents from Mr . Niblett as to an image ever having been placed upon the top of the square , or if so , it was an after-thought , and not in character with its original design and construction .

Mr . Niblett designates the lower figure on the bracket as a "Master Mason / ' but it must be understood he is not a Freemason , and regards the square with different eyes to those belonging to the Craft .

If the upper figure may be assumed as " hanging to groin work , " no doubt the artist would have put the arms perpendicular instead of horizontal , if he could have done so , the style he had to show also being perpendicular ; but as they are ,

they have a significance which will bereadily recognised . It is a fair question as to the orthodox number of degrees in the time of Gower , and what authority we have for those now adopted by the Craft .

If we had to deal with merelyja Mason's Square unadorned , or even with a bag of tools , those who are arguing for a comparatively recent date for "Adopted or Accepted Masonry , " such as 1717 , might go on arguing still , but the figures on this

square may well induce disputants to take breath and ponder anew . Mr . Waller in his admirable work on the " Architectural description of the Cathedral , " remarks , " The transepts cased by Abbots Wigmore and Horton 1330 to 1377 , have

the original outline of the early work , complete both in the exterior and interior . " Professor Willis avers that the perpendicular style in Gloucester Cathedral is the earliest of any in England . Professor Scott in one of his lectures delivered lately at the Royal . Academy says : —