138 



The Fraternities of Sarum. 



associations which are generally described as the " Eeligious " or 

 " Social Gilds." I am glad to have the support of Dr. Malet Lambert 

 for my opinion that it would be much better to invariably distinguish 

 them by the designation " Fraternity," which was so generally used 

 in the ancient societies. Because, by whatever term you describe 

 them, you cannot help a confusion so long as you employ the word 

 " Gild." And again, it is quite impossible to separate the two aspects 

 in these associations. What was a social gild was also a religious 

 gild. The social life and the religious life in mediaeval times were 

 never separated. There is no one particular which so much 

 accounts for the traditional title of " Merrie England " as do these 

 Fraternities, and it is perfectly impossible to examine their history 

 without proving at every turn how completely the religious and 

 the social aspects are interwoven. 



In this typical English city all the needs of civilised life have 

 ever been exhibited. Trade has had the place that it must take 

 always and everywhere. That involved here, as everywhere, 

 regulation, control, and government. This was of course provided 

 by the Gild Merchant, which at Salisbury, as at Andover, was not 

 only in existence but chartered in 1175. But it is worth mentioning 

 that there was this peculiarity. In 1306 a composition was entered 

 into between the citizens and the Bishop of Salisbury : — 



" Also, from the time of making of these presents there shall be, in the city 

 aforesaid, a Gild of Merchants, in which thenceforth are included, as subject 

 and devoted to the same Lord Bishop .... from henceforth only they 

 shall participate in the said gild and the liberties obtained, who by the said 

 Lord Bishop, his successors, the mayor of the city for the time being, shall 

 happen to be thereunto admitted." 



At Andover the records of the Gild Merchant are particularly 

 numerous and perfect. 



The Craft Gilds were very powerful in Salisbury, always a most 

 important factor in the life of the city, and even now perhaps hardly 

 extinguished. The halls of some of these gilds have been amongst 

 the relics of the past you have noticed in this visit. The Weavers' 

 Gild was one of the chief of them, which I mention particularly 

 because I shall have to allude to it again presently. In the splendid 



