Page:History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 1.djvu/560

 528 FRENCH ARCHITECTURE. Part II. that the guild of masons differed in no essential particulars from those of the shoemakers or hatters, the tailors or vintners — all had their masters and past-masters, their wardens, and other officers, and were recruited from a body of apprentices, who were forced to undergo years of j^robationary servitude before they were admitted to j^ractise their arts. But though their organization was the same, the nature of their pursuits forced one very essential distinction upon the masons, for inasmuch as all the usual trades were local, and the exercise of them confined to the locality where the tradesmen resided, the builders were, on the contrary, forced to go wherever any great work was to be executed. Thus the shoemakers, tailors, bakers, and others, lived among their customers, and just in such numbers as were required to supply thei^ usual recurring wants. It is true the apprentices travelled to learn their jirofession and see the world before settling down, but after that each returned to his native town or village, and then established him- self among his friends or relatives, where he was known by all, and where he at once took his station without further troid^le. With the mason it was different : his work never came to him, nor could it be carried on in his OAvn house : he was always forced to go to his work ; and when any great church or building was to be erected in any town, which was beyond the strength of the ordi- nary tradesmen of the place to undertake, masons were sent for, and flocked from all the neighboring towns and districts to obtain employment. At a time when writing was almost unknown among the laity, and not one mason in a thousand could either read or write, it was evi- dently essential that some expedient should be hit upon by which a mason travellins: to his work misht claim the assistance and hospitalitv of his brother masons on the road, and by means of which he might take his rank at once, on reaching the lodge, without going through tedious examinations or giving practical proof of his skill. For this purpose a set of secret signs was invented, which enabled all masons to recognize one another as such, an<l l^y which also each man could make known his grade to those of similar rank, without further trouble than a manual-sign, or the utterance of some recognized pass-word. Other trades had something of the same sort, but it never was necessary for them to carry it either to the same extent nor to practise it so often as the masons, they being for the most part resident in the same place and knowing each other personally. The masons, who thus from circumstances became more completely organized than other trades, were men skilled in the arts of hewing and setting stones, acquainted with all recent inventions and improvements connected with their profession, and capable of carrying out any work that might be en-