ARCHITECTURAL STYLES IN FORDIXGTOX CHURCH. 175 



matters architectural, and continental masons who built more 

 Romano were chiefly employed at least until they had initiated 

 the natives in the " mysteries " of their craft. 



This would be consistent with the existence of a corporate 

 body such as the Freemasons afterward became. 



But it is admitted on all hands that in the Tenth Century a 

 body of men calling themselves Freemasons claimed the right, 

 under Papal privilege, of exercising their craft throughout 

 Christendom. 



This accounts for the marvellous uniformity of detail in 

 structures of every period all over the kingdom owing to their 

 diffusion, and they carried with them the same rules, forms, hands, 

 and tools, to work with, under the dicta laid down from their 

 Grand Lodge and its Master. Freemasonry was eventually banned 

 by the Pope. Hope (an authority) gives a picturesque descrip- 

 tion of a lodge which Masons established for a time where they 

 were engaged in any work : 



" Wherever they came in the suite of missionaries, or were 

 " called by the natives, or arrived of their own accord to seek 

 " employment, they appeared headed by a chief surveyor, who 

 " governed the whole troop, and named one man out of every 

 " ten, under the name of Warden, to overlook the nine others, 

 " set themselves to build temporary huts for their habitation, 

 " around the spot where the work was to be carried on ; 

 " regularly organised their different departments, fell to work, 

 " sent for fresh supplies of their brethren, as the object 

 "demanded them, often made the wealthy inhabitants of the 

 " neighbourhood, out of devotion, or commutation of penance, 

 " furnish the requisite materials and carriages, and the others 

 "assist in the manual labour, shortened or prolonged the 

 " completion of the edifice as they liked, or were averse to the 

 " place, or were more or less wanted in others, and, when all was 

 " finished, again raised their encampment and went elsewhere to 

 " undertake other jobs." 



As late as the reign of Henry VI., in an indenture of covenants 

 made between the churchwardens of a parish in Suffolk and a 



