"by any consideration of their symbolical quality, "or of their relation to the propositions of Euclid." With both of these opinions I cannot help agreeing. It must not, however, be forgotten that if the regular use of masons' marks in this country is assumed to have commenced sometime in the eleventh century, one of the above instances is about five hundred and fifty years, and the other about eight hundred years later. Both come from a time when the mason's craft was little more than the empty shadow of its former self. If it be true that masonry contained some amount of symbolism, in which was embodied important secrets, it would almost naturally follow that a certain amount of this symbolism would find an outcome in the marks. It has already been pointed out that the quarrymarks in Egypt were often religious symbols, but they were at the same time often hieroglyphic characters, which had a definite meaning. I do not, however, suppose that in their use the latter meaning was the object intended. Others take different forms; for example, those from the quarry at Esneh, Assouan, and Koum Ombos (Petrie, A Season in Egypt, 1887), like the quarry-marks from Silweh, are not all hieroglyphics, but in some instances present the forms of the marks of later times. Col. Howard Vyse (Pyramids of Gizeh, i., 278), during his excavations at the Great Pyramid, found in one of the chambers "many quarry-marks "similar to those in the other chambers, and also "several red lines crossing each other "at right angles, with black equi"lateral triangles, described near the "intersection, in order probably to "obtain a right angle." サ Fig. 30. Fig. 31. The old manuscript constitutions of the masons, containing their traditional history and rules, so many of which have now been made available in their original form in the beautiful fac-similes issued by the Lodge Quatuor Coronati, state that the fifth of the Seven Liberal Sciences is Geometry, the most worthy of all, the name having been given to it by Euclid, "and how it is called "throughout all the world masonrie." The earliest known copy of these constitutions-the Halliwell Poem-is called ars gemetrie, and states through good gemetry, Thys onest craft of good masonry At these lordy's prayers they cownterfetyd gemetry, Far the most oneste craft of alle." This manuscript has been variously dated as being of the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The foundation of masonry was geometry, and masons were sometimes called Masters of Geometry. Of course geometry must always have played an important part in the construction of buildings, and there is no doubt in my mind that the early secrets of masonry were the secrets of geometry as applied to building; what were the other secrets, if any, it is not necessary now to enquire. Secrets of how to construct those beautiful arches, columns, windows, and other portions of the magnificent piles of stonework which still remain as monuments of the skill and knowledge of their constructors. The designing of each separate portion required skill and knowledge, which hardly exceeded that expected from the masons who carried out the designs, and who no doubt in many cases created new forms. Prof. Hayter Lewis (Trans. Lodge Quatuor Coronati, iii., p. 72), writes:-"The idea of there "being any secrets in our Craft appears also now "to be somewhat absurd; but it ceases to be so, "if we consider the difficulties of construction in "the stone-work of a great building, the methods "of building up the slender columns of Early "English work, taking the thrusts of the arches, flying buttresses and great vaults, the angles of octagonal spires, and, above all, in the geo"metrical arrangement and proportion of the "various parts, so as to form a graceful and wellproportioned whole. These were, very possibly, "secrets known only to the skilled, and I could "mention some which are well-nigh secrets even 'now." This appears to me to be a just appreciation of the question, and, it must be remembered, is the opinion of one well skilled in the science. It has been asked whether any difference can be found in the marks at different periods. The difference must not be looked for in the manner of cutting the marks, for such differences appear to me to have always existed. Mr. Whitley has carefully compared what appear to be the various classes of marks found upon buildings in the districts of Coventry and Kenilworth. He considers that at certain periods they changed; the difference being very evident on the additions made to Kenilworth by the Earl of Leicester. This I think is evident, and I have myself noticed other similar instances, but the alterations were made by Leicester between the years 1570 and 1575-a very late date-and at a time when the whole craft was undergoing a change. It is however in the new shapes of the marks used, as each succeeding style of architecture rose, that the differences will probably be found to have been gradually introduced, at the same time not superseding but running on contemporaneously with the older forms. Some time ago I formed the theory that the foundation of a large number of marks-even some of those which have the appearance at first sight of being purely alphabetical-must be looked. for in the geometrical bases of construction. The lines, angles, and circles required to make what the old Constitutions call a mould or plan, will furnish an endless series of marks. This may easily be seen by consulting almost any work on architecture. Some of the marks will puzzle at first, but, I doubt not, time and patience, with the assistance of a little knowledge of geometry, will resolve them into their proper forms. Others appear to be taken from the propositions of Euclid. It is evident that a number of the early marks are representations of working tools and other objects -for example, the mason's pick, as well as the triangle with or without the vertical line. This is represented, with other tools, in a stained glass window in Chartres Cathedral, of the thirteenth century, where the level appears as an equilateral triangle. The various angles so often found as marks, the right angle, which perhaps also represented the mason's square, are the simple Definitions. The ordinary mark, two parallel lines intersected diagonally, is the 27th, 28th, 29th, and 31st propositions of the First Book of Euclid. The mysterious pentagon, or a portion of it as often found-for example Ormskirk, No. 12-is nothing more than Euclid iv. 11. The first proposition of the same Book contains the acute angle with one line extended. The ninth proposition is the square divided from the four corners. The sixteenth proposition of the First Book involves at least two well-known marks, as well as the seventeenth. The many forms of the triangle are easily to be traced. The second proposition of the Eleventh Book is a common mark. The fifteenth proposition of Book VI. completes the hour-glass. Of plain crosses and stars, with different numbers of rays, many examples will be found in the Fourth Book. The arrow-head appears in the twentieth proposition of Book III. Of plain lines, also found as marks, and evidently not intended for numerals, many variations could be obtained from the Fifth Book. The letter R, as frequently found lying on its side, is the thirty-second proposition of the First Book. The letter A is the ninth proposition. The M (reversed) and the W are also obtained in the lines required for the construction of the "cen'tering" or temporary mould required in forms of arches. (Britton, Archit. Dict., Arches, plate i.) Other well-known forms of marks will be found in this series of plates and elsewhere. It is needless to multiply the examples, which, with a little trouble, could easily be done. I do not, however, suppose that all marks through the four centuries or so during which masons' marks were of greater importance, were obtained from either the books of Euclid, or from the lines of geometry required for the construction of architectural designs. Many appear to me, however, to have naturally had their origin in these forms; the addition of other lines and marks often more or less disguising the original diagrams. Others were obtained from working tools. For example: Burscough, No. 45, to which I shall again refer, as well as perhaps Ormskirk, No. 7. The Pentalpha, already mentioned, has always, for many reasons, been considered as involving secret and mysterious properties. In the Transactions (N.S. vi., p. 240) Mr. Edward W. Cox, in his valuable and interesting paper on "Liverpool Castle," has worked out his theory with regard to this very puzzling and sacred symbol. It has been used from the sixth century B.C., and |