Chapter 27

VI. — MSS. not enumerated in the preceding categories (32-51) — viz., Late Transcripts,

✦

Printed Copies, Extracts, or Pieferences in printed books.^

' Printed in the Masonic Monthly, Dec. 1882, p. 377.

- In omitting Nos. 25 (York, 4)— on which rests the theory of female membership— and 28 (Scarborough) from
Class I., it may be remarked that they do not, at least in my judgment, reach the highest pinnacle of authority.

3 Although many of the documents combine features which would justify their inclusion within more classes than
one each is shown above in that class or division only, which determines their relative authority as historical witnesses.

< See Chap. II., last page ; and " Deserijitivc List of ' Old Charges,' "post (49).

5 It will be seen that Nos. 3 (Lansdowne) and 11 (Harleian, 1942), both in their way departures from the ordinary
text, and as such relied upon accordingly by theorists, are placed in the Ji/th class of these documents. Nos. 12
(Harleian, 2054), 13 (Sloane, 3848), 25 (York, 4), and 28 (Scarborough), all, for reasons which it is hoped have been
sufficiently disclosed, are included in the second category.

« Of these the most important are, the Dowland (39), Plot (40), and Eoberts (44) MSS. No. 39 is regarded by
Woodford as representing the oldest /orm of the Constitutions, with the single exception of No. 25 (York, 4), which
latter, in the passage recognising female membership, he considers, takes us back to " the GuUd of Masons mentioned
in the York Fabric HoUs." In No. 40 we have the earliest printed reference to the " Old Charges ; " and in No. 44 an
allusion to a "General Assembly," held Dec. 8, 1G63, which, if based on fact, would make it by far the most valuable
record of our Society.

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND. 193

The above classification will show the relative estimation in which — according to my
judgment — the " Old Charges " should be regarded as authoritative or accredited writings.

In setting a value on these documents, I have endeavoured in each case to hold the scales
evenly, and whilst in a few instances the inclusion of some within either of the two leading
classes may, at the first view, appear as unreasonable as the exclusion of others, I trust
that the principles by which I have been guided, in making what I shall venture to term an
" historical inventory " of our manuscript Constitutions, may meet with the ultimate approval
of the few antiquaries who will alone fully traverse the ground over which my remarks extend.

In all cases, however, where the places assigned to those MSS., which are grouped in the
first or second class, may appear to have been wrongly determined, it will only be necessary
to refer to the "descriptive list" at p. 19-i, where the form of each document, and the
material on which it is written, together with the information already supplied in Chapter IT.,
will afford criteria for the formation of an independent judgment.

The following table, which I have drawn up with some care, will serve the double purpose
of saving trouble to those who take my statements on trust, whilst indicating to the more
cautious reader the sources of authority upon which he must mainly rely for verifying them.
The MSS. ISTos. 3, 14, 22, and 25, in each case with an a superadded — Melrose No. 1, the Lech-
mere and the two Colnes — are additions to the general list given in Chapter II. ]\Ielrose
No. 1 is indeed named in the text, though omitted from the roll of these documents. These are
shown in the subjoined table in italics. No. 14a — in the possession of Sir Edward Lechmere —
I bring down to a later date than has been assigned to it by Woodford (1G46).^ Its text
resembles that of No. 13. Nos. 22a and 25a — preserved in the archives of the " Eoyal
Lancashire Lodge," No. 116, Colne — have been transcribed by Hughan, on whose authority
they are now described. No. 22a — of which the junior Colne MS. (25rt) is a copy, though the
latter does not contain the "Apprentice" Charges given in the former — presents some un-
important variations from the common readings.

The words Lodge Eccord, under the column headed " Form," describe in each case documents
coming from the proper custody, and where there has apparently been no interruption of
possession. Some of the other MSS. may have been, and doubtless were, veritable " Lodge
Eecords " in the same sense, but having passed out of the proper custody, now fail in the
highest element of proof The muniments in Class II. stand indeed only one step below what
I term " Lodge Eecords " as historical documents, and very slightly above the " EoUs " or
" Scrolls," and copies in " Book Form ; " ^ still between each of the three divisions there is a
marked deterioration of proof, which steadily increases, until at the lower end of the scale tlie
inference that some of the manuscripts were solely %(,sed for antiquarian purposes merges into
absolute certainty.

1 Freemason, Nov. 18, 1882.

" The authority of Dr Tregelles might be made to cover tlie inclusion of MSS. from tlie hands of anonymous
copyists, in the first class. He observes : " Nor can it be urged as an objection of any weight, that wo do not know
by whom the ancient copies were written ; if there had been any force of argument in the remark, it would apply quite
as much to a vast number of tlie modern codices. If I find an anonymous writer, who appears to bo intelligently
acquainted with his subject, and if in many ways I have had the opportunity of testing and confirming his accuracy, I
do not the less accept him as a witness of historic facts, than I should if I knew his name and personal circumstances."
(The Greek New Testament, p. 176).

VOL. II. 2 B

194

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND.

Descriptive List of the " Old Chakges."

No.

TiTLS.

FOBU.

Material.

Date.

Page.
Chap. II.

Halliwell

Book

Vellum

Late 14th Century

Cooke

Book

Vellum

Early 15th Century

Lansdowne

Ordinary MS.

Paper

16th Century

MelrOse, No. 1

Not known

1581

Grand Lodge

RoU

Parchment

1583

York, No. 1

Roll

Parchment

17th Century

6 & 7 Wilson

Ordinary MS.

Vellum

17th Century

Inigo Jones

Book (foUo MS.)

Paper

1607

Wood

Book

Parchment

1610

York, No. 3

Roll

Parchment

1630

Harleian, 1942

Ordinary MS.

Paper

17th Century

Harleian, 2054

Ordinary MS.

Paper

17th Century

Sloane, 3848

Ordinary MS.

Paper

1646

Sloane, 3323

Ordinary MS.

Paper

1659

14a

Lechmere

Roll

Parchment

Late 17th Century

[Not cited']

Buchanan

RoU

Parchment

17th Century

Kilwinning

Lodge Record

Paper

1675

Atcheson Haven

Lodge Record

Paper

1666

Aberdeen

Lodge Record

Paper

1670

Melrose, No. 2

Lodge Record

Paper

1674

Hope

Roll

Parchment

17th Century

York, No. 5

Roll

Paper

17th Century

York, No. 6

RoU

Parchment

17th Century

22a

Colne, No. 1

Ron

Paper

Late 17th Century

\_Not cited]

Antiquity

Roll and Lodge Record

Parchment

1686

Supreme Council,

No. 1 RoU

Parchment

1686

York, No. 4

RoU

Paper

1693

25a

Colne, No. 2

RoU

Paper

Early 18th Century

[Not cited]

Alnwick

Lodge Record

Paper

1701

York, No. 2

RoU

Parchment

1704

Scarborough

RoU (?)

Paper

1705

Papworth

RoU

Paper

1714

Gateshead

Lodge Record

Paper

1730

Eawlinson

Ordinary MS.

Paper

1730

31a

Harris

RoU

Parchment

18th Century

106

The documents above enumerated constitute the first five of the classes or divisions in
which I have arranged the manuscript " Constitutions." Those composing the sixth or last
group, not being of equal importance, will be described with less particularity. Nos.
32-37 are late transcripts, and the remainder, printed copies, extracts, or references, except the
Harris MS., which, to avoid confusion, appears below as No. 49, though newly classified as
No. 31a in the preceding list.^

Sec Chap. II., last page.

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND.

195

No.

Title.

Date.

Spencer

1726

Woodford

1728

Supreme Coimcil, No. 2

1728

Melrose, No. 3

1762

Tunnah

1828

Wren

1852

Dermott

16tli Century

Dowland

17th Century

Plot

17tli Century

Hargrove

17tli Century

■ Old Charges " {continued), Class VI.

No. Title.

42 Morgan

43 Masons' Co.

44 Roberts

45 Briscoe

46 Baker

47 Cole

48 Dodd

49 Harris ^

50 Batty Langley

51 Kiause

Date.
17th Century
17tb Century
17th Century
17th Century
17th Century
17th Century
17th Century
18th Century
IStk Century
18th Century

Such is the fallibility of judgment from internal evidence, that we may well lament oui-
incapacity to trace every distinct version of the " Old Charges " from the hands of the scribe,
to its first possessor, and thence through its successive places of deposit. But we are pre-
cluded from dealing with these documents according to the rules of legal testimony ; we can
neither cross-examine nor confront the original copyists. " If insufficient, we cannot summon
more than are to be had ; if uninformed, we must not indoctrinate them ; if silly, we cannot
make them wise. When they stop short, we cannot extract an additional word. Livy may
be a credulous writer, but how shall we supply his place if we teU Livy to go down ? " ^

Wliilst, however, fully conceding that " the forensic treatment of history is the application
of a process entirely unsuitable to the materials," nevertheless, as it seems to me, in dealing
with the " Old Charges " as historical muniments, a classification of their relative authority,
based on legal principles, is an essential preliminary.

When, in a court of law, ancient documents are tendered in support of ancient ^wsscssion,
care is especially taken to ascertain thQ genuineness of the ancient documents produced; and
this may in general be shown, primd facie, by proof that they come from the proper custody?
It is not, however, necessary that they shoidd he found in the lest and most proper place of
deposit,* but it must appear that the instrument comes from such custody, as though not
strictly proper in point of law, is sufficient to afford a reasonable presumption in favour of its
genuineness; and that it is otherwise free from just ground of suspicion.^ Where old deeds
have been produced as evidence in cases of title, from collections of manuscrip)ts made for
antiquarian purposes, they have been rejected. They must be produced from the custody of
persons interested in the estate." Thus an ancient writing, enumerating the possessions of a
monastery, produced from the Herald's office; a curious manuscript book, entitled the
" Secretum Abbatis," preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, containing a grant to au

' See Chap. II., last page. ' Palgi-ave, History of Normandy and England, vol. i., p. 113.

8 J. Pitt Taylor, The Law of Evidence, 3d edit., 1858, p. 542.

* Per Chief Justice Tindal, Bingham, New Cases, vol. i., pp. 200-202.

" Taylor, op. cit., 7th edit., p. 105. The "proper custody " means that in which the document may be reasonably
expected to be found, although in strictness it ought to be in some other place. Thus a collector's book may be pro-
duced from the possession either of his executor or his successor, and a document relating to a Bishop's See from the
custody either of his descendants or of his successors in the See (Hid., edit. 1858, pp. 515, 516).

" Phillipps, Law of Evidence, vol. ii., p. 157.

196 EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND.

abbey ; and an old grant to a priory, brought from the Cottonian MSS. in the British Museum
— have in each case been held to be inadmissible.^

On one important point the writers of the text-books from which I have last quoted are
at variance. It is urged by Mr Phillipps, that in order to render ancient documents admis-
sible, proof, if possible, must be given of some act done with reference to them, and that where
the nature of the case does not admit of such proof, ads of modern enjoyment must at least be
shown.^ This doctrine, however, in the opinion of Mr Pitt Taylor, is unsupported by the
current of modern decisions ; " for although it is perfectly true that the mere production of
an ancient document, unless supported by some corroborative evidence of aclinfj under it or of
modern 2Mssession, would be entitled to little, if any, weight, still there appears to be no strict
rule of law, which would authorise the judge in withdrawing the deed altogether from the
consideration of the jury; — in other words, the absence of proof of possession affects merely
the weight, and not the admissibility, of the instrument." ^

As already observed,* the historian has no rules as to exclusion of evidence or incompetency
of witnesses. In his court every document may be read, every statement may be heard. But
in proportion as he admits all evidence indiscriminately, he must exercise discrimination in
judging of its effect. Especially is this necessary in a critical survey of the " Old Charges."
The evidence of some of these documents is quite irreconcilable with that of others. The
truth which certainly lies between them cannot be seized by conjecture, and is only to be got
at by a review of facts, and not by an attempt to reconcile conflicting statements.^

It being convenient at this point to introduce the promised explanation of the plates of
Arms and Seals, which will carry the chapter to its allotted limits, I shall resume and
conclude in Chapter XV. my examination of Seventeenth Century Freemasonry, as disclosed
to us by the evidence of Ashmole, Plot, Eandle Holme, and our old manuscript Constitutions,
not forgetting, however, the concurrent existence in North Britain of a Masonic system akin
to, if not absolutely identical with, our own, but which, for convenience sake, I have up to
tliis period, as far as possible, treated separately and disjunctively.

Description of Plates of Arms and Seals.

Mention has already been made of the arms of the Masons' Company of London, but
for convenience it may be well to repeat here a description of the arms given by Stow in the
edition of the " Survey of London " 1633. In his woodcut the field is printed the proper
colour, also the chevron and towers, but the compasses have been left white. The correct
blazon of the arms would be : sable, on a chevron between three castles argent, a pair of

' Taylor, Law of Evidence, 1858, p. 544. ' Phillipps, Law of Evidence, vol. i., pp. 276, 278.

'Taylor, Law of Evidence, p. 547. * Chap. I., p. 4.

^ Commenting on the histories of the Council of Trent, by Sarpi and Pallavicini, Ranke "observes : " It has been
said that the truth is to be obtained from the collective results of these two works. Perhaps, as regards a very general
view, this may be the case ; it is certainly not so as to particulars" (History of the Popes, trans, by Mrs Austen, 1842,
vol. iii., App., p. 79). This reminds me of a custom which prevailed on the Home Circuit in regard to cases referred
to arbitration at the Assize time. The briefs of plaintiff and defendant were both read by the arbitrator, and an award
delivered accordingly !

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND. 197

compasses somewhat extended of the first. This description perfectly agrees with the arms
as painted on the roll of " Old Charges," in the possession of the Lodge of Antiquity, No.
2, and also that in the museum at 33 Golden Square, both which MSS. are dated 168(5. In all
three instances, it must be again noticed, the chevron is no longer engrailed, as in the original
grant of arms to the Masons' Company.

The Masons' Companies in several cities of England appear to have varied the colours of
the field or the charges, possibly to distinguish them from the London Company. For example :
Guillim, as already mentioned, gives the field in one instance azure,^ and Sir Bernard Burke,^
copying Edmondson, "Body of Heraldry," 1780, in describing the Company of Edinburgh,
blazons the chevron azure, the compasses or, and the castles proper masoned sable (see plate).

Again, copying Edmondson, we are told that " the Freemasons' Society use the following
Arms, Crest, and Supporters, viz. : Sa., on a chev. betw. three towers ar., a pair of compatses
open chevron-wise of the first ; Crest — a dove ppr. ; Supporters — two beavers ppr. ; " and the
" Freemasons (Gateshead-on-Tyne), same arms : Crest — a tower or ; Motto — The Lord is our
Trust." 3

" The Masons' Company of London : Sa,, on a chev. between three towers ar., a pair of
compasses of the first ; Crest — a castle as in the arms ; Motto— In the Lord is all our Trust."

Burke omits a note by Edmondson (1780) on the arms of the "Freemasons' Society,"
referring in all probability to a seal, which will be given in a future plate : " N.B. — These
are engraved on their public seal."

The marblers, statuaries, or sculptors, as they were called, do not appear to have been
separately incorporated as a company, but, as Stow says, seem " to hold some friendship with
the Masons, and are thought to be esteemed among their fellowship." Their arms may be thus
described : * gules, a chevron argent between two chipping axes in chief of the last, and a
mallet in base or ; Crest — on a wreath an arm embowed, vested azure, cuffed argent, holding
in the hand proper an engraving chisel of the last ; Motto — Grind Well.

The arms of the joiners of London are thus described by Guillim : gules, a chevron argent
between two pairs of compasses above, and a sphere in base or, on a chief of the third two
roses of the first, and between them a pale sable charged with an escallop shell of the second.
The pale not being figured by Stow in his woodcut, as already mentioned, it has been added in
the arms given in the plate ; and the proper colours have been for uniformity engraved in
this as well as in the coats of the marblers and carpenters.

The Company of Carpenters, unlike that of the IMasons, have retained the engrailed
chevron as originally granted to " the felowship of the Crafte of Carpenters of the "WorshipfuU
and noble Citee of London," by William Hawkeslowe, Clarenceux, November 24, 6th of
Edward IV. [1466], or six years before the grant of arms was made to the Masons' Company
of London.

It will be seen that in the arms of the masons, carpenters, and joiners, the compasses, so
necessary an instrument for the correct working of their " crafte," always appear. We learn *

' As now borne by llic Grand Lodge of Freemasons, Scotland. " General Armory, 1878.

' The arms of the Freemasons have been discussed at some length by Jlr W. T. K. Marvin iu a privately iirinted
tract, 1880.

* Berry, Encyclopa:dia Heraldica.

' Hiudley, Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings, 1875, p. 369.

198 EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND.

that the " Three Compasses " is a particularly favourite sign in all parts of the kingdom,
" which may be accounted for from the circumstance that three compasses are a charge in the
arms of the Carpenters' Company, while two are used in the arms of the Joiners' Company,
and one in the Masons' or Freemasons' Company. Frequently the sign of the compasses
contains between the legs the following good advice : —

" ' Keep within compass,

And then you'll be sure
To avoid many troubles
That others endure.' " ^

Tn the list of London tavern signs for the year 1864 there will be found 14 Carpenters' Arms,^
9 Masons' Arms, and 21 Three Compasses.^ There are 19 Ca.stles in the same list. This sign
may have originally referred to the Masons' Arms, although, doubtless, in many instances
such signs took their origin from the fact that of old the castles of the nobility were open to
the weary traveller, and he was sure to obtain there food and shelter.*

Another sign, " The Tliree Old Castles," occurs at Mandeville, near Somerton.

The Axe is found combined with various other carpenters' tools, as the Axe and Saw, the
Axe and Compasses, and the Axe and Cleaver.^ Although the Axe finds no place in the arms
of the English Companies, it does in those of France, and, with the other charges, naturally
connects itself with the workers of wood.

One other sign must not be overlooked. The well-known engraving in Picart's " Eeligious
Ceremonies," " figures No. 129 on the screen of lodges as the " Masons Arms, Plymouth." It
appears not to have been observed that the arms figured there, have dragons or griffins for the
supporters, and are not the arms of the Masons. If not those of some peer, which seems most
probable, the sign may be an attempt to represent the coat of the marblers.

The arms granted to the Carpenters' Company may be blazoned as follows : Argent, a
chevron engrailed between three pairs of compasses extended points downwards sable. A
copy of the arms and grant will be found in Jujjp's " History of the Carpenters' Company,"
p. 10, and a facsimile of the patent, dated 1466, in the " Catalogue " of the Exhibition at Iron-
mongers' Hall, 1869, vol. i., p. 264. A facsimile of the arms will be given in a future plate,
with the arms of the Masons' Company and others.

The coat occupying the centre of the plate is taken from Heideloff,' and is thus described
by him : " He [Maximilian I., 1498] is said to have granted to them [tlie ' fraternity of Free-
masons ' — ? the Masons] a new coat of arms, namely, on a field azure, four compasses or,
arranged in square ; on the helmet the Eagle of St John the Evangelist (the patron saint of
the old Masons), the head surrounded by a glory (see cut adjoining, which is copied from an
old drawing). The lodges had beyond this each one its special badge."

This description is not quite complete. The eagle holds in its beak the quill, referring, it

' See also History of Siguboarils, by Larwood and Hotten, 8th edit., 1875, p. 146.

^ In the early lists of Lodges are found the "Masons Arms," the "Three Compasses," and the "Square and Com-
pass" (see Four Old Lodges, Multa Panels, etc.).

^ Larwood and Hotten, History of Signboards, 8th edit, 1875, pp. 43, 44.

•" Ibid., p. 487. 5 ma,, p. 346. " Vol vi., 1737, p. 202.

' Bauhiitte des Miltelalters in Deulschl'inJ, Nuruberg, 1S44, pp. 23, 24.

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND. 199

may be supposed, to the pea with which the Gospels of St John were written : it should be
described as a demi-eagle, wings displayed, issuing from a ducal coronet, which surmounts the
helm of a knight, and the annular nimbus placed behind the head of the eagle bears the

words S lOANNES EVANGELISTA.

In the description of the arms no mention is made of the globe placed in the centre of the
shield. The compasses are arranged in cross, not in square, which is an impossible term in
heraldrj'. A reference to the plate will show the exact and unusual position of these charges.

The remaining arms figured on the plate are from the banners of various companies as
given by Lacroix and Serd iu their magnificent work, " Le Moyen Age et la Eenaissance."
They are here given as falling naturally into the series, and as they exhibit the tendency
there was of granting to the various crafts, for a bearing, the tools with which their labour was
executed. The French Companies being, however, not intimately connected with those of
England, it will only be necessary to describe the arms —

Masons of Saumur : azure, a trowel in fesse or.

Masons of Tours : sable, a trowel erect or.

Masons of Beaulieu : azure, a rule and a square in saltire, accompanied by a pair of com-
passes extended chevronwise, and a level in pale or ; ^ interlaced and bound together by a
serpent erect twisted among them, gold.

Tilers of Tours : azure, a tower roofed argent, masoned and pierced sable, vaned or, the
port gules, between on the dexter side a ladder of the second, and on the sinister a trowel,
gold.

Tilers of Eochelle : sable, a fesse between two trowels erect in chief, and a mill-pick also
erect in base argent.

Tilers of Paris : azure, a ladder in pale or, between two trowels in fesse argent, handled
gold.

Carpenters of Villefranche : azure, a pair of compasses extended, points downwards, and in
base a square, or.

Carpenters of Angers : azure, a hatchet in fesse argent, and in chief a mallet erect or.

Carpenters of Bayonne : sable, a hatchet in bend argent.

Joiners of Metz : gules on a chevron argent, a torteaux.

Joiners of Peronne : argent, a saltire paly of six, sable and or.

Joiners of Amiens : argent, two pallets indented sable.

The plate of seals and tokens of French and German Guilds includes specimens of various
dates. To the work of Lacroix and Sere, already mentioned, I am indebted for the earliest in
date — the seal of the Corporation of the Joiners of Bruges, and that of the Corporation of
the Carpenters of the same city, both of the date 1356, taken from impressions in green wax
preserved among the archives of Bruges.^ The centre of the seal of the Joiners is occupied by
a chest, such as were probably used for the preservation of the records of the Guild. Eound the
edge is the following inscription: — s'. tn: 0[djr£i]iufacvlur0bab.[faan?] . . . That of the
Carpenters, which is much more ornamental in character, bears perhaps the arms of the
Corporation, an axe and a square, with the words, s. aniocbte : bamtrcm [jt'mmJErmans.

' No level is shown in the wooacut given by Lacroix, which is here copied in the jilatc.
• Lacroix, " Le Moyen Age et la Renaissance," vol. iii.. Corporations (le Metiers, fol. .xii.

20O EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND.

Eeference has already been made to the original act ^ in the British Museum, constituting
a municipal council for the city of Cologne, dated September 14, 1396. This interesting
document, which is in an admirable state of preservation, has supplied the seals next in date.
After rehearsing the terms of the incorporation, the document is sealed with the large seal of
the town, followed by twenty-two seals of various trades. The whole of the seals are pendent
by cords of silk, neatly laced through the vellum, and the name of each trade is written above
ou the folded edge. The eleventh place is occupied by the " Steynmetzen " or Stonemasons,
and the twenty-second by the " Vasbender " - or Coopers. The former bears what is evidently
the arms of the Guild of Stonemasons of Cologne in fesse, two hammers crossed in saltire
to dexter, and two axes crossed in saltire to sinister, and in chief three crowns : no doubt
referring to the three kings of Cologne,^ who, as already stated, were confused with the
" Quatuor Corouati." The inscription round the edge is so fragmentary that it is difficult to
obtain a correct reading, . . . i&r(1) . . . ftcgmmEtjjcr | fantftr | .cj(?) . . .

The seal of the Coopers is even more broken at the edge, and only a few letters of tlie
inscription remain: *s | tier &afli[cnlicr]. . . . The centre is not occupied, like that of the
Stonemasons, with a coat of arms, but has over a gi'ound covered with vines bearing grapes, a
brewer's pulley used for sliding barrels down on an incline, a goat, over which is what may be
a pair of pincers, but more probably a pair of compasses. A friend, on seeing tlie seal,
suggested to me that it was probably the origin of the sign, " Goat and compasses." This
appears to be a far more probable explanation than that usually accepted, " God encompasseth
us," which it would be difficult to represent upon a sign. On turning to " The History of Sign-
boards," * I find the following reference to the opinion of the late Mr P. Cuningham :

" At Cologne, in the Church of S. Maria di Capitolio, is a flat stone on the floor, professing
to be the ' Grabstein der Bruder iind Sch wester eines Ehrbahren Wein und Pass Ampts, anno
1693.' That is, I suppose, a vault belonging to the Wine Coopers' Company. The arms
exhibit a shield with a pair of compasses, an axe, and a dray or truck, with goats for supporters.
In a country Like England, dealing so much at one time in Rhenish wine, a more likely origin
for such a sign [as the Goat and Compasses] could hardly be imagined."

The next in date, also taken from Lacroix and Ser^,^ is the seal of the Caipenters of Saint
Troud, from an impression preserved among the archives of that town. The date of the seal is
1481, and it is much less ornamental than those of earlier date given above. The centre is
occupied by a shield of arms bearing an axe and a pair of compasses, the latter reversed. The
inscription running round the edge reads : sicgcl • titx ' timerlietiE • ban • fintrulJEn.

Heideloff,* from whom the large seal in the centre of the plate is taken, of which he gives
the date 1524, thus describes the seals engraved in his work: " The Strassburg coat of arms or
seal is the Mother of God, with the Child within a glory of rays, supporting a shield ; this
shield is gules, with the silver bend of the episcopal arms of Strassburg, of Bishop Werner of
Strassburg ; in the upper part of the red field is a level, in the lower a compass or ; on the white
bend are two masons' hammers gold."

' In the King's library, ante, Chap. III., p. 169.

» Kow Fassbinder. " The arms of the city of Cologne are : Argent on a chief gules, three crowns or.

* By Jacob Larwood and J. Camden Ilotten, 8th edit., 1875, p. 147.

° Le Moyen Age, etc., vol. iii. , Corporations de Metiers, fol. xii.

" Bauhiitte des Mittelalters in Deutschlaud, Niiruberg, 4to, 1844, pp. 22, 23.

SEALS AND TOKENS OF FRENCH & GERMAN GUIL.DS.

.SV<// ,tl Ihe Corporation of

CARPENTERS OF SAINT JROUD . Jiefyium

liSl.

Seal of the Guild of

MASON S OF COLOG NE .

C/larifr AJ). 1396 Bril. Mus.

Seal of thf I'm/'oration of

JOINERS OF BRUGES .

AD. 1350.

Token or JeJon de presence '

of the Corporation of

CARPENTERS OF ANTWERP.

A.II. 1004-.

Seal of the Guild of

COOPERS OF COLOGNE.

Charier AD. Kige Brif.Mus

Mark of
SMITHS OF MACDEBURO

Berlepsch

Seal of the Corporation of

CARPENTERS OF BRUGES.
Merean fimerairi- of '^^ -'•'■''*

CARPENTERS OF MAE5TRICHT

.Teton, de prenence 'of the Coipi^rahon ,■/

CARPENTERS OF MAESTRICHT

.\D.lti83.'

Token of llu-
CARPENTERS OF MAESTRICHT.
All. loll

Sealoflhc
MASONS OF DRESDE N

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND. 201

" The Nurenberg Lodge, whose seal I have before me, possessed the same coat of
arms, with this difference, that the central bend, on which are the two hammers, was red ^
instead of white, with the enclosing motto, The Craft Seal of the Stone Masons of
Nuremberg."

This seal bears the inscription, stainmetzt • handwerck • zve • strasburg, and the smaller one
of Nurenberg, handwerckss : d[ek] : steinmtzen in nurnberg. The smaller seal of the Stein-
metzen of Strasburg, and that of the Dresden Guild, are from the work of Stieglitz.- The former
exactly agrees in the armorial bearings with that given by Heideloff, and the inscription differs
bfit Little ; it is, steines handwerck zv strasburg. The seal of the Guild of Dresden bears in the
arms the usual tools of the craft, the compasses, square, and level, and is an interesting instance
of the two former being placed in a position in which they are now so often represented ; it
is, as the inscription informs us, the seal of das handwerk dee steinmetzen zv Dresden.
Stieglitz states ^ that the Eochlitz Lodge in 1725 petitioned the Strasburg Lodge (by whose
permission they had already received from that of Dresden extracts of the Strasburg Ordi-
nances) to send them a copy of the Imperial Confirmation of 1621, and a printed brother-
book.

This request was granted by the Strasburg Lodge, by a letter dated July 5, 1725, signed
Johann Michael Ehrlacher, Workmaster of the High Foundation. This copy of the confirma-
tion of Ferdinand II. is still preserved at Eochlitz, and is attested by the Notary Johann
Adam Oesinger, and sealed with the Strasburg seal of red wax, in a tin box.

The copy of a confirmation by Matthias, Emperor of Germany, who died in 1619, is also
stdl preserved, and is attested by the Notary Basilius Petri. It was sent by the Strasburg
Lodge to that of Dresden, who forwarded it to the Lodge of Eochlitz, having previously
attached their own seal in brown wax, also in a tin case. From this, it would appear that
the small seals of the Steinmetzen of Strasburg and Dresden were in use in 1725. And the
date of that of Nurnberg is in all probability of the same period.

Before describing the tokens of Maestricht and Antwerp, it will be well to give some
account of the mark of the Smiths of Magdeburg, which, connected as it is with seal-marks, is
of some little interest, and shows a curious custom in use in this Guild.

Berlepsch,* to whose work I am indebted for the drawing and account, states, on the
authority of the keeper of the Magdeburg Archives, that the mark is made by the Elder
of the Magdeburg Smiths in opening their meetings. Having knocked three times on the
table with a hammer, he commands — " By your favour, fellow crafts, be still," etc. The
proper official then brings in the chest, which is opened with proper dialogue. The Elder
next places his finger and thumb on the open ends of the outside circle, in saying — " By
your favour I thus draw the fellow circle — it be as round or large as it may I span it
[note that it is a symbol of his presidency], I write herein all the fellows that are at work
here," etc. Knocks with the hammer, " with your favour I have might and right, and close
the fellow circle." He then completes the circle with chalk ; the meeting being formed, they

' This is contrary to the laws of heraldry, colour upon colour, but other instances will be founil in the arms of
various con/rirics, quoted by Lacroix, Ibid., vol. ill.. Corporations de Metiers, fol. xxviii.

' Ueber die Kirche der Heiligen Kunigunde zu Rochlitz. ' Ibid., p. 17.

* Chronik der Gewerbo, vol. vii., pp. 68, 69 ; citing Stock, Gruudzuge der Verfassung. See this reference in Chap.
III., i>. 167, note 1.

VOL. II. 2 c

202 EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND.

proceed to business. At the end of the ceremony be closed the meeting, and rubbed the
chalk ring out with his hand.

The work of Lacroix and Ser^ ^ is the source whence have been obtained the various
tokens figured on the plate. The earliest, in the possession of Professor Serrure of Ghent, is
that of the Corporation of the Carpenters of Antwerp, dated 1G04. In the centre in a form of
cartouche are represented a number of implements belonging to the trade. There is no
evidence on the token itself as to the place from whence it was issued, but we may conclude
that M. Paul Lacroix or its possessor had good authority for attributing it to Antwerp.

The same remark will apply to the remaining tokens of the Corporation of Carpenters of
the town of Maestricht. The earliest, dated 1677, in the collection of M. A. Perreau, bears
on one side the compasses, cleaver, and another object difficult to describe, and on the reverse
" Theodocus herkenrad." The next in date, 1682, bears the same form of compasses and
cleaver, but in the centre is placed a skull. This was also in the collection of M, Perreau, and
is called, in the work of M. Lacroix, a " Mereau funeraire," or funeral token, which is explained
to be intended to prove that the members of the corporation were present at the obsequies of
their confrere.

The last of the series, also in the collection of M. Perreau, who supposed that it had belonged
to a Protestant Carpenter, is dated 1683. It bears on one side an axe, cleaver, and another
uncertain object in the centre, while round the edge runs the following : — eert godt maeia sios
EPONSENPAT, and on the reverse the letters bovrs h. In this instance the words have no
marks of division. I have above given the inscriptions on the various seals and tokens as they
are represented in the works quoted from, but am inclined to believe that the engravers who
copied the original seals, have not always reproduced them with perfect exactitude. The
"M(5reau, or Jeton de Presence," as these tokens are called, had probably a similar use to the
" Mdreau funeraire," only in this in.stance it was to prove the attendance of the members at
meetings of the corporation.

' Le Moyen Age, etc., vol. iii.. Corporations de Metiers, fol. xii.

EARLY BRITISH FREEMASONRY— ENGLAND. 203