DUFFIELD CASTLE. 1 69 



24. Lichfield Cath. ; Scarboro' Castle ; Kalats-ab-Shukif (Lebanon). 



26. Lichfield Cath. ; Peak Castle. 



27. The Temple. 



28. Lichfield Cath. ; Peak Castle ; Dale Abbey ; Baalbec ; the Temple. 



29. Canterbury Cath. 



30. Strasbourg Cath. 



The subject of Masons' Marks is an intricate one, and has 

 sometimes been made the vehicle of much wild talk and ran- 

 dom writing. Though much of it may be rightly explained in 

 a satisfactory and rational way, other sides of the subject evade 

 elucidation, the difficulties being increased by the widespread use 

 of these marks, as is to some extent illustrated by the foregoing 

 table of the places where the Duffield marks are found.* The 

 fact is, that no one or two theories will explain it, for their use has 

 arisen from a variety of causes, and represents a variety of original 

 intentions. 



Freemasons, at a very early period, were unions or guilds of 

 masons, who, having possessed themselves of a knowledge of the 

 leading principles of architecture and building, sought to retain 

 this knowledge as an impenetrable secret, so as to perpetuate a 

 monopoly in building, to the exclusion of all others who were not 

 of their society. To check this, so far as England was concerned, 

 an Act was passed in 1424 making such combinations penal, and 

 forbidding their congregations and chapters. But they still met at 

 their lodges for improving themselves in liberal arts pertaining to 

 building. The Reformation put a summary check to their chief 

 occupation, which had been to so great an extent connected with 

 the Church, and from that period it seems that the fraternity began 

 to cease to be practical masons. Henceforth the society was com- 

 posed in the main of mere nominal masons, but, to justify their 

 title, they retained, in their allegorical proceedings the tools 

 and marks of real masons, as distinguishing figures of various 

 degrees. 



* The Rev. Canon Taylor, LL.D., the learned author of the great work on 

 the Alphabet, and better acquainted with all known letters and characters than 

 any living Englishman, writing to us on this subject, says : — " You will not 

 make much out of the Masons' Marks, or, if you do, you will have earned a 

 title to indelible fame." 



