History | Page 148

THE STONEMASONS OF GERMANY. 128 Lrotherliood have come from the Lords and cities almost entirely ; but should a master behave otherwise than right in any case, he shall be summoned before the craft, and submit to its And in case of a pending judgment no such master shall be avoided of his judgment. matter be adjudged, unless it be that such a one be disobedient to the in that case he may well be left to go idle. fellows until judgment ; tlie Not No to Lodge witlwut permission. leave the go out from the lodge without leave, or if he go to his broth or any other meal, remain out without leave nor shall any make Holy Monday. If any one do so, he shall stand to punishment by the master and fellows, and the master shall have LI. fellow shall ; power to discharge him in the week when he will. No more LI I. And Beatings. no lodge, no matter for what cause, shall any one be beaten without the knowledge and consent of tlie workmaster. And there shall not in any employment or elsewhere, anything be judged or heard by either masters or fellows, without the superior in future, in workmaster's knowledge and consent in the judgment of the penalty. Not And LIII. run to together in the Lodge. in the future the fellows shall wait in the lodge at their piece of stone, and no longer run together to chatter, so that the Lords be not hindered in their work. Dliat an Apprentice shall vow to the Craft lohen he has served his time and is declared free. LIV. In the first place, every apprentice when he has served his time, and is declared free, on his truth and honour, in lieu of oath, under pain of losing his right to practise masonry, that he will disclose or communicate the mason's greeting and grip to no one, except to him to whom he may justly communicate it and also that he will write shall promise the craft, ; nothing thereof Secondly, He shall promise as aforesaid, to be obedient to the craft of masonry in all things concerning the craft, and if he should be sentenced by the craft he shall conform wholly to such sentence, and yield obedience thereto. He Thirdly, may weaken but shall promise not to to strengthen the craft, so far as his means extend. No one shaU stand by another to hew stones who is not honestly of the craft and employ any one to hew stones who is not a true stonemason, unless it be previously permitted to him of a whole craft.^ Fourthly, no master LV. And no one and him by a lent ; shall shall alter of his craft ;- but if own knowledge, wiU, and approval of a whole ' ' will and power his mark which has been granted it he shall only do it with tlie he ever desire to alter craft. This curious expression probably means, This evidently means by a meeting of the " Of all craft. the members of the craft iu his neighbourhootl."