THE ANTIQUITY OF MASONRY
by R.W. Bro. George W. Warvelle, Grand Orator
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY R.'..W.'. BRO.'. GEORGE W.
WARVELLE, GRAND ORATOR BEFORE THE GRAND LODGE OF ILLINOIS,
OCTOBER 7, 1891. Most Worshipful Grand Master, Grand Officers
and Brethren of the Grand Lodge: The regularly ordained
grand orator having failed to materialize, the powers that
be, unwilling to disturb the precedents that for half a century
have prevailed in this Grand Lodge, have resolved that a
substitute shall perform the duties of his office, and by
some unfortunate combination of circumstances I have been
selected as that substitute. I freely confess to you that I
entertain but very vague and uncertain ideas of the duties
and requirements of this office into which, at the eleventh
hour, I have been installed, but I remember having read in
the old books that it was a custom of our Masonic ancestors,
after the labors of the Lodge had been concluded, to listen to
an "entertaining and instructive discourse" by the grand orator.
To entertain is not an easy task, while to be instructive is
attended with even greater difficulties, but to be
both entertaining and instructive at one and the same time is
an undertaking that blot few of us can hope to successfully
accomplish, and I frankly admit my inability at the
outset. My general recollection of the annual addresses
of my illustrious predecessors is that they were generally
didactic in character, with a strong moral bent, a
circumstance that may possibly be attributed to the fact that in
most cases the incumbent of the office has been a clergyman;
but I shall not take advantage of your helpless condition to
inflict upon you a sermon or tax your patience with a
rehearsal of moral platitudes. During the few minutes
that are allotted to me I propose to talk, in a plain,
matter-of-fact way, on that time-worn and threadbare subject,
the antiquity of Masonry. Possibly no topic has more
frequently engaged the attention of Masonic orators or writers
than the one now under consideration. Its elucidation has
called forth the best thoughts of the brightest intellects of this
and of past ages, and upon it the student and philosopher
have written tomes almost innumerable, and yet, after two
centuries of research, thought, and discussion, it is the one
topic of all others concerning which the great body of the craft
entertain the most hazy, indistinct, and incorrect
ideas. LEGENDS OF MASONIC HISTORY
The legendary
history of Freemasonry locates its origin at or immediately
anterior to the building of King Solomon's temple at Jerusalem,
while numerous learned and industrious brethren have
endeavored to demonstrate the fact of its existence for
thousands of years prior to that event. Now, I do not propose to
enter into any controversial arguments to show the truth or
falsity of these claims, nor am I inclined to strike with
iconoclastic hand the cherished idols and traditions of the
craft. I only say that no evidence, to my mind, sufficient to
substantiate the truth of these assertions has ever been brought
to my attention, and every at tempt to show a line of
unbroken continuity between the temple-builders and the Masons
of to-day has resulted, so far as my observation goes, in
utter failure. And because we are unable to prove by
irrefutable evidence that this Grand Lodge, sitting in annual
communication on the banks of Lake Michigan, is the direct
descendant and lineal successor of King Solomon's artificers at
Jerusalem 3,000 years ago, no inconsiderable number of the craft
have conceived an idea that we have no past; that our claim of
antiquity is a fable, and that our title of "ancient" is based
on no better grounds than simply priority over the numerous
imitative societies that have followed us. But in reply to
this I can say: If our claims of remote antiquity are
doubtful, assertions of modern origin are absolutely false,
and in making this statement I am prepared to fully sustain
the position I have taken by evidence of undoubted authenticity.
Freemasonry is an ancient society, with a long and honorable
record, and the contemplation of its development from the guilds
of humble artisans to the powerful, influential, and
far-reaching organization of to-day is, to my mind, a
spectacle of far deeper interest than all its mythic glory under
the patronage of Israel's wise king. Society in the
tenth century was just emerging from the lethargy, gloom, and
barbarism of the dark ages. Individual liberty so long re
strained now began to be asserted; the liberal arts, for ages
preceding the sole property of the church and confined to
monastic communities, gave faint evidence of an existence among
the people, and while the cloister still directed the hands of
the workmen it no longer held him in a tenacious grasp. In
the eleventh century the spirit of progress was still more
manifest in the revival of commerce. the extension of
manufacture, and the cultivation of handicrafts, and about this
time occurred the organization of the guilds of artificers,
which were afterwards to play such important parts in the
political drama. In the twelfth century these guilds had
spread with marvelous rapidity over the greater part of Europe,
embracing nearly every trade and occupation, and from that
time until the present Freemasonry in some form has been a
living, potential energy in the social life of the civilized
world. Of the progress of the Masons' guild upon the continent
of Europe, its trials, its triumphs, and its glorious
achievements, time does not permit me to speak and I shall
confine the remainder of my remarks to a very brief summary of
its career in England, the birthplace of speculative
Masonry. PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIVE MASONRY
From the
best attainable sources of information it would seem that
the principles of the operative art were derived from France
and numerous examples of mediaeval architecture are still extant
in various parts of Great Britain, which bear upon them the
name of the French master who directed the work. In England, as
upon the continent, the early policy of the craft was shaped
bythe church, under whose protecting care it flourished and
waxed strong, and the titles still employed in the nomenclature
of some of the officers of the Lodge are directly
attributable to the ecclesiastical supervision of that
period. It is a matter of congratulation for us that in
tracing our Masonic genealogy, and proving our descent from
the English craftsmen, we are compelled to rely on no
doubtful theories or unsubstantial legends. Fortunately there
exists authentic data in the shape of contemporaneous
documentary evidence, upon which we may with confidence reply,
and which fully confirms all our claims of ancient and
honorable lineage. These documents, for the most part, consist
of manuscript versions of what are known as the old charges, or
the regulations for a government of the craft, and of these
there are some thirty-one copies in existence of undoubted
antiquity. They are deposited in the British museum, the
Grand Lodge of England, and in the archives of its constituents,
and may be seen by any person who may desire to investigate for
himself the stability of our claims. The earliest document
yet brought to light connected with the progress of
Freemasonry in England is known as the Halliwell manuscript,
dating from the fourteenth century - November, 1388 - and is
supposed to have been made in obedience to an ordinance of
Richard II. calling for returns from the guilds and crafts.
It is in every respect a remarkable document and the most precious
heritage that has come down to us. It is written on vellum, and
its composition is in meter or a sort of rude verse. From
international evidence it is supposed to be the work of a
poet priest or monk of that day, a supposition that
is strengthened by the well-known facts of early
ecclesiastical patronage, and the probable dearth of clerical
attainments among the workmen of that period. Here, then, we
have authentic evidence 500 years old of the existence of a
Masons' guild at that time in full and vigorous life, and in
these days of mushroom societies with doubtful pedigrees, 500
years is not too short a period on which to predicate the
term "ancient." The next in importance is known as the Coke
manuscript, which, like the one I have just described, is
contained within the archives of the British museum. It is in
a fine state of preservation and its original cover of wood still
remains, together with the rough twine connecting the vellum
sheets, apparently as it was sewed 400 years ago. Then there
is the Lansdown manuscript, dating from the sixteenth century,
written upon three and one-half sheets of stout paper, and the
parchment roll in the custody of the Grand Lodge of England,
bearing date Dec. 25, 1583. There are besides a large number of
other ancient documents, many of which bear evidence of being
copied from others still older, all tending to indicate the
existence of the society at a very early date. These
documents have reference to Masonry as an artificer's guild only,
and such it continued to be until late in the sixteenth century.
Prior to the year 1424 it was strictly an operative
association, working privately with closed doors and
sedulously guarding the secrets of the trade, and Scotch Masonry
so continued long after it ceased in England. At this time,
however, occurred a most remarkable circumstance that completely
changed the character of the association as well as its future
destinies, and to which we owe the fact of our assembly here
to-day. It would seem that the power and influence of the trades
union were not unknown even in those days and that our ancient
operative brethren had arrived at a full understanding of its
value, for we find that in this year, being the third year of
Henry VI., an enactment was had called the statute of
laborers, whereby Masons were no longer permitted to assemble as a
body of operative workmen or to exercise their handicraft with
guarded doors, nor were they permitted to fix the price of
their labor or establish ordinances affecting apprentices.
The object of the statute was to break up the guilds by denying
them the benefits of combination, but, like many other at tempts
of suppression, the results were far different from the
expectation for, notwithstanding this prohibition, the society
continued to exist as a benevolent and fraternal association,
with its membership confined to workmen actually engaged in
operative Masonry. But during the sixteenth century, while it
still continued to be a trade society, its benefits and
advantages were no longer confined to operative Masons, and
work men in other lines were received, until finally in
the century followed it became purely speculative, and men
from every walk of life, including persons of rank, began to
seek admission. During this period was engrafted upon it the
system of mystical philosophy which has ever since formed oneof
its distinguishing characteristics, and about this time may
properly be fixed the birth of modern Freemasonry as a system
of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by
symbols. MASONRY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
The
latter half of the seventeenth century was a period of turmoil and
civil dissensions, and these, together with other causes, led to
a partial disruption of the society, so that for several
years it remained in a rather dormant condition. Many of the
Lodges practically disbanded, and but little activity seems
to have been manifested until what is known as the revival of
1716 and the subsequent assembly of 1717, out of which sprang
the Grand Lodge of England - the mother of all Grand
Lodges. As the enactment of the statute of laborers marked an
epoch in the life of Masonry, so the revival of 1716 marked
another, and no event in the history of the craft is more
replete with stirring interest. It would seem, however, that no
minutes were kept of these early meetings, or at least none have
yet been found for six years after this assembly, and the
only information we possess of the transactions is contained in
the edition of "Anderson's Constitution," published soon
after by authority of the Grand Lodge. From these we learn that King
George I. entered London most magnificently Sept. 20, 1717, and
that after the rebellion was over, in 1716, the few London
Lodges thought fit to cement under a Grand Master as the
center of union and harmony. Therefore, they and some of the old
brethren met at the Apple-Tree tavern, and having put into
the chair the oldest Master Mason present (being the Master
of a lodge) they constituted themselves into a Grand Lodge
and resolved to hold the annual feast and assembly, and to
choose a Grand Master from among themselves until they should
have the honor of a noble brother at their head. Accordingly
St. John's day, 1717, the annual assembly and feast was held
at the Goose and Gridiorn alehouse; a list of candidates was
proposed, and the brethren by a majority of hands elected
Anthony Sayre, gentleman, Grand Master. And so at the assembly
of June 24, 1718, it is related that after dinner Brother
Sayregathered the votes and proclaimed George Payne, Esq.,
Grand Master. Thus matters progressed until 1720, when a
noble seems to have been received, for at the assembly held on
Lady day, 1721, John, duke of Montague, was named as Grand
Master, and then, as the old records say, ''They all expressed
great joy at the happy prospect of being again patronized by noble
Grand Masters as in the prosperous times of Freemasonry." From
that time until the year 1738 everything passed smoothly; the
craft prospered and all went well, but in this latter year
occurred an event which may well be said to mark the third
epoch in Masonry, being nothing more nor less than a schism.
Now, if there is anything that we Americans firmly believe it is
the doctrine of political unity. "United we stand, divided we
fall," has long been a watchword, while, "In union is
strength" is a principle instilled into us almost with the very
elements of our being, and yet, paradoxical as it may seem,
no small degree of the popularity and success which has attended
this fraternity, as well as its wide diffusion in all lands,
is due to the fact that English Masonry was a divided house
for seventy-five years, for it was not until the year 1813
that the rival factions came together and formed the present
United Grand Lodge of England. I have thus, brethren, in a
very brief, desultory and fragmentary manner endeavored to
sketch the origin, progress, and development of Masonry as
revealed to us by the authentic data now in our possession. If
it lacks the romantic glamour with which it was clothed on its
first presentation to you attribute it not to the unsympathetic
nature of the speaker, but to the cold, hard facts of
history. No royal mandate or princely fiat gave it birth, nor
did it spring into a vigorous life with one grand impulse, on
the contrary its beginnings were of the most humble kind, and
its evolution from the primitive association of timid
workmen, laboring under the shadow of the church, to the
magnificent philosophical brotherhood that constitutes its
organization in the nineteenth century has been the slow and
constant work of nearly a thousand years. And let it be a
matter of congratulation for us that we are unable to connect
ourselves with the learned and mystical societies of the
ancient world, for, by the light of authentic history, our
path has ever been onward and up ward, with no diminishing
glories, lost arts, or forgotten
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