Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

166 COMACINE
COMACINE
of the cathedrals of this period and when
charges were introduced they became general,
thereby creating a unity of purpose and an
interchange of ideas which spoke the existence
of some kind of gild or fraternity with
a perfected organization . That the Comacines
received ideas which somewhat influenced
their building art is probably true,
particularly their decorations . On the latter
question Miiller in his Archceology der
Kunst says : "From Constantinople as a
center of mechanical skill, a knowledge of art
radiated to distant countries, and corporations
of builders of Grecian birth were permitted
to exercise a judicial government
among themselves) according to the laws of
the country to which they owed allegiance ."
This was the age when more symbolism
was made use of than at any other period,
the reason being that the Christian religion
having so lately supplanted Paganism, and
as most converts could not read, the Bible
was spread over the front of the cathedrals in
the form of sculptured saints, animals and
symbolic figures. Hope says : "Pictures
can always be read by all people and when
symbolic uses are made and once explained
will be ever after understood ."
The Eastern branch of the Church at
Constantinople prohibited imagery and other
forms of adornment of their churches, and
like disputants, when one denies, the other
affirms, the Western branch of Rome espoused
the carving of images and beautiful
sculpture . This caused the Eastern sculptors
to come to Italy, where they were welcomed
by the Roman branch of the Church .
That policy of the Roman branch was carried
throughout the cathedral building period
that followed in Europe for several centuries
and to this day is a dominant element with
them, for they still believe that to properly
epread their religion, noble architecture,
fine sculpturing and painting, and inspiring
music are prime requisites . We Speculative
Masons should give full credit to the Roman
Catholic Church for employing and fostering
our Operative Brethren through many
centuries and making possible Speculative
Freemasonry of to-day, even though the
Church is now our avowed enemy .
Combining some arguments that have been
reasonably put forward for the maintenance
of this theory, and adding others, it may
be pointed out that the identical form of
Lodges in different cities is a strong argument
that the same ruling body governed
them all . An argument equally strong is
the ubiquity of the members. We find the
same men employed in one Lodge after another,
as work required. Not only were
these changes or migrations from one cathedral
to another accomplished in Italy, but
we have many examples of Masters and
special workmen going into France, Germany
and other countries . Unfortunately, no
documents exist of the early Lombard times,
but the archives of the Opera which in most
cities have been faithfully kept since the
thirteenth century, would, if thoroughly
examined, prove to be valuable stores from
which to draw a history of the Masonic
Gild. They have only begun to examine
carefully these records, and when completed
we may reasonably expect to learn much
concerning this period. Leder Scott has
examined several and gives continuous lists
of Masters of the School or Lodge in different
cities. In Sienese School, a list of
sixty-seven Masters in continuous succession
from 1259 to 1423 ; at Florence Lodge,
seventy-eight Masters from 1258 to 1418 ;
at Milan Lodge, seventy-nine Masters from
1387 to 1647 . She (for Leder Scott was a
woman, whose real name was Mrs . Lucy
Baxter) gives headings of laws for these
Lodges, and it may be interesting to glance
over the headings of statutes of these Masonic
Gilds, which will throw light on all the
organizations . The Sienese Gild is a typical
one and will serve our purpose . There
are forty-one chapters, but the headings of
only twelve will be selected :
C .1 . One who curses God or the Saints .
A fine of 25 lira.
C .2 . One who opposes the Signora of city .
A fine of 25 lira .
C.5 . How to treat underlings (sottoposti or
apprentices) .
C.11 . That no one take work from another
Master.
C.13. How the feast of the Four Holy Martyrs
is to be kept . Feast of the Dead,
November. Two half-pound candles and
offering ; grand fete of the Gild in June .
C.16. The camerlingo shall hand all receipts
to Grand Master .
C.19 . One who is sworn to another Gild
cannot be either Grand Master or camerlingo
.
C.22 . How members are to be buried .
C.23 . How to insure against risks .
C.24. No argument or business discussion to
be held in public streets .
C.30 . That no Master shall undertake a
second work till the first has been paid .
C .34 . On those who lie against others.
These statutes are very fair and well
composed and must certainly have been
made from long experience in the Gild .
The genealogy of the styles of architecture
has baffled many . Leder Scott believes
this to be the line of descent : First, the
Comacines continued Roman traditions,
as the Romans continued Etruscan ones ;
next, they orientalized their style by their
connection with the East through Aquileia,
and the influx of the Greek exiles into the
Gild . Later came a different influence
through the Saracens into the South, and
the Italian-Gothic was born . In the old times
(sixth to the tenth centuries) before the painters
and sculptors, and after them the metal
workers, split off and formed companies of
their own, every kind of decoration was
practised by the Masters, as the letter of
Theodoric plainly shows. A church was not