Masonic Facts.

the Masons to make the centring , price per foot M . — 16 s . Sd , William Wynchester , for resin and wax , bought to make cement for the Masons , 2 s . Od . Masons . Henry Yeveley , Mason , director of the works for his wages from Sept . 28 an . 39 to Sept . 27 in the following yearviz ., for 364 days at Is . per day

, — £ 18 4 s . Od , William Winchester , Mason , and " apparator operantium , " director of the Masons' work , for the same time at Gd . per day— £ 9 2 s . 0 ^ . Other Masons , at Gd ., some 5 d , per day ; carpenters , Gd , to 3 d . per day ; sawyers 5 \ d . in summerand 5 d .

, , in winter ; plumbers , Id . to Gd . per day ; glaziers , Id . to 5 d . per day ; plasterers , 4 d . to 'Id . per day ; lath renders , 5 d . to i \ d , per day ; tilers , Gd . to 5 d . per day ; thatchers , 5 d . per day ; daubator , id . per day ; wall builder , M . to 3 | d per day ; excavators , M . per day .

Payments to officers . William Sleford , Clerk of the Works , £ 18 4 s . Od . ; Adam de Chesterfield , Controller , £ 9 2 s . Od . ; Thomas Chamberlayn , Provisor , £ 616 s . Od . ; Robert atte Pytte , Surveyor of the

Labourers and Keeper of the Tools , £ 5 4 s . Od . —Brayley and Britton ' s Anc . Palace , Westm . 152 . JeanRavy , an Architect and Scul ptor , Avas employed for tAventy-six years at the beginning of the 14 th Cent ., at the Cathedral of Notre Dame ; it is certain that he was engaged on the sculpture of the enclosure of the choirwhich was afterwards

com-, pleted by his nephew , Jean le Boutelier , in the year 1351 . —Felibicn Arch , iv ., p . 227 . 153 . Richard de Earleigh , is supposed to have designed the Tower of Salisbury Cathedral about the middle of the 14 th Cent . He is called a builder (?) , and was employed at the same time on certain works at

the Priory Church of Bath , and at Reading Abbey . In his agreement with the Precentor of Salisbury , July , 1334 , it was stipulated that he should have the custody of the fabric and superintend the Masons and plasterers . " Eor his diligence and labour he was to receive Gd . sterling each day he was present ; and the

additional salary of 10 marks at the four quarterly terms , annexed to the office of Guardian of the Eabric , in case he should survive Robert the Builder . " —Dodsworih's Salisbury Cathedral , p . 151 . 154 . Wages of Masons in the City of London , . D . 1338 to 1353 .

Item . Qe Masons , Carpenters , Plasterers , et Sawyers , preignent parentre Pasche et Seint Michel vi . deniers lejour ; et de Seint Michel a Pasche v deniers ; et preignent la Samady si la semaigne soit entiere pur jour entier , et pur jours festes ; et pur amendement de lour instrumentz ne preignent riens . —Liber Albus , f . 181 .

155 . Extracts from the Eabric Rolls of Holy Island Priory : — 1344 . —To William Smith , for sharpening tools of the masons , 2 s . ; to William the Mason , for 57 weeks , 43 s . lOd . ; to ditto , as an allowance for his robe , 8 s . Od . ; Thomas EUwyk , the Mason , for his shoes , 3 s . id . ; John the Clerkfor shaving the Monks for a year

, , 4 s . Od . —Raine ' s History of JVbrth Durham , p . 86 . _ Inventory of things at Holy Island Priory in 1367 , viz .: five hatchetts for cutting stones , secures pro lapidus scindendis ; two large hammers of iron ( kevills ) ; two hacks , one pulipike , six chisells , two trowels pro cemetar , & c .

Masonic Facts.

156 . Will of Sir Thomas Sampson , Canon of the Church of York , dated Tuesday , next after the Eeast of the Holy Trinity , 1348 . " I give and bequeath to the Eabric of the New Choir of the Cathedral Church of St . Peter of York , twenty pounds sterling , on condition that they begin

the work effectually within one year , as I have often said to Master Thomas de Loudham , and Master Thomas de Patenham . *" 157 . Walter de Weston was Clerk of the Works at the King ' s Palace of Westminster ,, and at the Tower of London , for several years , about the 23 rd

24 th , and 25 th of Edward III . He was Chaplain to the King in 1349 . Peter de Bruges succceeded him as clerk of the works . 158 . John de Lincoln , Master of the Works at St . Stephen ' s Chapel , Westminster in 1350 , Pat ., 24 ,

Edw . III ., pt . 1 , m 26 dorso . —Smith ' s Antiquities of Westminster . ? 159 . The Master Mason at the Tower of London , in the 10 th of Edw . III ., was William de Ramsey , who was also chief overseer of all the King ' s Works ,, in all his castles on the south side of the Trent , with an appointment of one robe yearly , and twelve pence per day paid at the Exchequer . —MaitlantVs Hist , of London , vol . i ., p . 152 .

Adoptive Masonry In Italy.

ADOPTIVE MASONRY IN ITALY .

The Italian Freemasons have just introduced an important innovation into the statutes of the society . The--Correspondence , of Eome , thus describes the ceremony of installation : — " In a room hung with black was raised a table covered with black cloth ; on the table was a skull , and above it was a lamp , which shed a funereal light . Biht personages then entereda venerable Grand Master

g , , a venerable Grand Mistress , a brother orator dressed as a capuchin , a brother inspector , a sister inspectress , and ' brother and sister depositaries , and a sister introductress . These dignitaries wore on their breasts a wide violet ribbon , to which was suspended a little gold trowel ; the Grand Master held a hammer , serving as his sceptre , and marched at the side of the grand mistress ,,

elevated to the rank of honourable companion . The brothers and sisters of the lodge all wore " the mystical apron and white gloves . A novice was to be introduced . The Grand Master struck his hands together five times , and solemnly asked one of the dignataries , 'What are the duties of a Masonic aspirant ? ' The answer was , ' Obedience , labour , and silence . ' The brother orator

then took the novice by the hand and conducted her to a dark room , where having bandaged her eyes , he read her a homily on virtue and charity . When the bandage was removed , she found herself surrounded by the brothers in a circle , their swords crossed over her head . After another homily , pronounced , this time by the Grand Masterhe asked her if she had well reflected

, before entering a society which was unknown to her . and then , after mutual explanations , the proselyte repeated the formula of the oath ; ' I swear and promise to keep faithfully in my heart all the secrets of Freemasonry , and engage to do so under the penalty of being cut in pieces by the sword of the exterminating angel . ' The Grand Master then showed her the si by which

gn the brothers and sisters recognise each other , and the pass word of the order . Then taking the sister by the hand , he respectfully gave her five kisses of peace , and handed her an apron and a pair of gloves . "