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peers came thither, armed with clubs and staves; on which account it received the name of the Bat Parliament, and at this time the act against masons was made. This was owing to the influence of the bishop, who wished to destroy the meetings of the fraternity, on account of the secrecy observed in them. Dr. Anderson, in the first edition of the Book of Constitutions, makes the following observation upon this act: "It was made in ignorant times, when true learning was a crime, and geometry condemned for conjuration; but it cannot derogate from the honour of the ancient fraternity, who, to be sure, would never encourage any such confederacy of their working brethren. By tradition, it is believed that the parliament were then too much influenced by the illiterate clergy, who were not accepted masons, nor understood architecture, (as the clergy of some former ages) and were generally thought unworthy of this brotherhood. Thinking they had an indefeasible right to know all secrets, by virtue of auricular confession, and the masons never confessing any thing thereof, the said clergy were highly offended; and, at first, suspecting them of wickedness, represented them as dangerous to the state during that minority; and soon influenced the parliament to lay hold of such supposed arguments of the working masons, for making an act that might seem to reflect dishonour upon even the whole fraternity, in whose favour several acts had been made before that period, and were made after it.”

The bishop was soon after this diverted from his persecution of the masons by an affair of a more important kind. He had formed a design of surprising the city of London on the evening of St. Simon and St. Jude's day, that on which the lord mayor was invested with his office. But the plot having been discovered by the duke of Gloucester, the mayor was sent for while at dinner, and ordered to keep a strict watch for that night. The bishop's party accordingly made an attempt to enter by the bridge about nine the next morning, but were repulsed by the vigilance of the citizens. At this the prelate was so much enraged, that he collected a numerous body of archers, and men at arms, commanding them to assault the gate with shot. By the prudence of the magistrates, however, all violent measures were stopped; but no reconciliation could be procured betwixt the two parties, though it was attempted by the archbishop of Canterbury, and Peter, duke of Coimbra,

eldest son to the king of Portugal, with several other persons of distinction. At last the bishop wrote a letter to the duke of Bedford, urging his return to England, and informing him of the danger there was of a civil war, and reflecting upon the duke of Gloucester. This letter had the desired effect. The regent returned, and held a great council at St. Albans, on the 21st of February, but adjourned it to the 15th of March, at Northampton, and to the 25th of June, at Leicester. Bats and staves were now prohibited at these meetings; but the parties assembled with weapons no less formidable, viz, with slings, stones, and leaden plummets. The duke of Bedford employed all his authority to reconcile the differences; and at last obliged the two rivals to promise, before the assembly, that they would bury all animosities in oblivion. During the discussion of this matter, five charges were exhibited by the duke of Gloucester against the bishop; one of which was, that he had, in his letter to the duke of Bedford, at France, plainly declared his malicious purpose of assembling the people, and stirring up a rebellion in the nation, contrary to the king's peace." To this the bishop answered, "That he never had any intention to disturb the peace of the nation, or raise a rebellion; but that he sent to the duke of Bedford to solicit his return to England, to settle all those differences which were so prejudicial to the peace of the kingdom: that though he had indeed written in the letter, that if he tarried, we should put the land in adventure by a field, such a brother you have here, he did not mean it of any design of his own, but concerning the seditious assemblies of masons, carpenters, tylers, and plaisterers; who being distressed by the late act of parliament against the excessive wages of these trades, had given out many seditious speeches and menaces against certain great men, which tended much to rebellion," &c.

Notwithstanding this heavy charge, the duke of Glouces. ter, who knew the innocence of the parties accused, took the masons under his protection, and transferred the charge of sedition and rebellion from them to the bishop and his followers. By the interest of the latter, however, the king granted him a pardon for all offences; and though the duke drew up fresh articles of impeachment against him in 1442, and presented them in person to the king, the council, being composed mostly of ecclesiastics, proceeded so slowly

in the business, that the duke, wearied out with the tediousness of the matter, dropped the prosecution entirely.

This contest terminated in the impeachment, imprisonment, and murder of the duke of Gloucester himself. This event might have been attended with bad consequences, had not their inveterate enemy, the prelate himself, been taken off by death, in about two months after the duke. The masons then continued, not only to meet in safety, but were joined by the king himself. He was, that very year, (1442) initiated into masonry, and from that time spared no pains to become completely master of the art. He perused the ancient charges, revised the constitutions, and, with the consent of his council, honoured them with his sanction. The example of the sovereign was followed by many of the nobility, who assiduously studied the art. The king presided over the lodges in person, nominating William Waneflect, bishop of Winchester, grand-master. This bishop, at his own expense, built Magdalene college, Oxford, and several religious houses. Eton college, near Windsor, and King's college, at Cambridge, were also founded during this reign. Henry himself founded Christ's college, Cambridge, as his queen Margaret of Anjou did Queen's college in the same university.

About this time, also, the masons were protected and encouraged by James I. of Scotland; who, after his return from captivity, became a zealous patron of the arts and learning of all kinds. He honoured the lodges with his royal presence, and settled an annual revenue of four pounds Scots (an English noble) to be paid by every mastermason in Scotland, to a grand-master chosen by the grandlodge, and approved by the crown, one nobly born, or an eminent clergyman who had his deputies in cities and counties: something was likewise paid him by every new brother at his entry. His office entitled him to regulate every thing in the fraternity, which could not come under the jurisdiction of the law-courts; and, to prevent law-suits, both mason and lord, or builder and founder, appealed to him. In his absence, they appealed to his deputy, or grandwarden, who resided next the premises.

The flourishing state of masonry was interrupted by the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, which brought it almost totally into neglect. About 1471, however, it revived under the auspices of Robert Beauchamp, ishop of Sarum, who had been appointed grand-master by

Edward IV. and honoured with the title of Chancellor of the Garter, for repairing the castle and chapel of Windsor. It again declined during the reigns of Edward V. and Richard III.; but came once more into repute on the accession of Henry VII. in 1485. It was now patronised by the mas ter and fellows of the order of St. John at Rhodes (now Malta); who assembled their grand-lodge in 1500, and chose Henry for their protector. On the 24th of June, 1502, a lodge of masters was formed in the palace, at which the king presided as grand-master; and having appointed John Islip, abbot of Westminster, and sir Reginald Bray, knight of the garter, his wardens for the occasion, proceeded in great state to the east end of Westminster abbey, where he laid the first stone of that excellent piece of Gothic architecture, called Henry the Seventh's Chapel. The cape-stone of this building was celebrated in 1507. The palace of Richmond, as well as many other noble structures, were raised under the direction of sir Reginald Bray; and the college of Brazen-Nose, in Oxford, and Jesus and St. John's, in Cambridge, were all finished in this reign.

On the accession of Henry VIII. Cardinal Wolsey was appointed grand-master; who built Hampton-court, Whitehall, Christ-church college, Oxford, with several other noble edifices; all of which, upon the disgrace of that prelate, were forfeited to the crown in 1530. Wolsey was succeeded as grand-master in 1534, by Thomas Cromwell, earl of Essex; who employed the fraternity in building St. James's palace, Christ's hospital, and Greenwich castle. Cromwell being beheaded in 1540, John Touchet, lord Audley, succeeded to the office of grand-master, and built Magdalen college, in Cambridge, and many other structures. In 1547, the duke of Somerset, guardian to the king, and regent of the kingdom, became superintendant of the masons, and built Somerset-house, in the Strand; which, on his being beheaded, was forfeited to the crown in 1552.

After the death of the duke of Somerset, John Poynet, bishop of Winchester, presided over the lodges till the death of the king in 1558. From this time they continued without any patron till the reign of Elizabeth, when Sir Thomas Sackville accepted of the office of grand-master. Lodges, however, had been held during this period in different parts of England; but the general, or grand-lodge, assembled in the city of York, where, it is said, the fraternity were numerous and respectable. Of the queen we

have the following curious anecdote with regard to the masons: Hearing that they were in possession of many secrets which they refused to disclose, and being naturally jealous of all secret assemblies, she sent an armed force to York to break up their annual grand-lodge. The design was prevented by the interposition of Sir Thomas Sackville, who took care to initiate some of the chief officers, whom she had sent on this duty, in the secrets of masonry. These joined in communication with their new brethren, and made so favourable a report to the queen on their return, that she countermanded her orders, and never afterwards attempted to disturb the meeting of the fraternity. In 1567, Sir Thomas Sackville resigned the office of grand-master in favour of Francis Russel, earl of Bedford, and Sir Thomas Gresham, an eminent merchant. The former had the care of the brethren in the northern part of the kingdom assigned to him, while the latter was appointed to superintend the meetings in the south, where the society had considerably increased, in consequence of the honourable report which had been made to the queen. The general assembly, however, continued to meet at York as formerly; and here all records are kept, and appeals made, on every important occasion, to the assembly.

Sir Thomas Gresham, abovementioned, proposed to erect a building in the city of London for the benefit of commerce; provided the citizens would purchase a spot proper for the purpose. Accordingly, some houses between Cornhill and Threadneedle-street, being pulled down, the foundation-stone of the building was laid on the 7th of June, 1566, and with such expedition was the work carried on, that the whole was finished in November, 1567. This building, which was constructed on the plan of the exchange of Antwerp, was called at first simply the Bourse, but in January, 1570, the queen having dined with Sir Thomas, returned through Cornhill, entered the Bourse on the south side, and having viewed every part of the building, particularly the gallery which extended round the whole structure, and which was furnished with shops filled with all sorts of the finest merchandize in the city, she caused the edifice to be proclaimed, in her presence, by herald and trumpet, the Royal Exchange; and on this occasion, it is said Sir Thomas appeared publicly in the character of grand-master.

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