THE STONEMASONS OF GERMANY.
no
of
theii-
success
to
Eoman
remnants of the
tlie
colleges,
which were never thoroughly
Gaul, and, passing through Britain and Scandinavia,^ ultimately laid the
suppressed
But I am quite unable to agree
foundations of the craft guild system in Germany.
with him, for the simple reason that at the time of these early convent builders we have
in
no sign of the least approach to a craft guild in Germany nor indeed can we imagine
such an institution until the cities had made considerable progress towards opulence.
;
Whatever connection may possibly be traceable between the Eoman colleges and the
formation of craft guilds can have had no influence on the earliest buUders in the forests
and by the streams of Germany. Their gradual perfection in the art of masonry must be
considered as self- evolved, and the result of constant practice, and endeavours to excel.
Or
it
if
be absolutely necessary to presuppose a higher knowledge of art and architecture
we need go no further than the British monks. Britain at that time,
in their leaders,
by war, and invasions innumerable, was by no means destitute of
It would be difficult to decide what pretensions to art the
productions.
distracted
although
architectui-al
celebrated monasteries of the Culdees in
Anglo-Saxon churches
near
Stamford,
Abbey
;
in
in
still
Lincolnshire
the southern porch
at
existence,
;
Mona, lona, and Bangor possessed; but we have
or at least parts of them
such as Tickencote,
of
part
—
St
Peter's,
Shireburn Minster
;
at
Oxford
the towers
of
part
;
of Earl's
St
Alban's
Barton church,
Our earliest
Northamptonshire; and of Sompting, in Sussex; and numerous others.cathedrals were also begun in the seventh century, although in many cases no part of the
for instance, Canterbury a.d. 600, Eochester 602, St
original structure now remains
;
Paul's
Westminster 605.
604,
The
monks, both papal and non-papal,
and we are told that Iso, the most learned Englishman of
influx of British
continued until a very late period
the ninth century, lived in the convent at St Gall.^
;
St Columbanus,
who
in a.d. 002 crossed
over to Burgundy and Germany, and- founded several convents,* either by himself or by
his discijDles, was renowned throughout Europe as the most accomplished man of his time
;
and St Boniface in the reign of Ki