Masonry. it wasenacted that, in case of resistance, the Justices of the Peace might call inthe assistence of the Sheriff of the country, or the Mayor of the city, or theAlderman of the town; the must, therefore, have been present at their quartelymeetings. The most ancient constitution of 1427, and Anderson, following itslead, attempt to turn this circunstance into an honour for the fraternity,leading us to suppose that these various officers were present in the capacityof initiated bretren. But we cannot believe that, at that period, amateurscould have been present accepted Masons, or as honorary members. No and then, possibly, the patrons who werenominated by the King to superintend the erection of buildings might have beenpresent at a meeting, but they had certainly no knwledge of the secret customsand usages of the Craft. Findel, p. 77.Em 1389, diz Findel, dando umhistorico dos atos legislativos da Inglaterra com relacao a Maconaria foipromulgado que, em caso de resistencia, os Juizes de Paz podiam recorrer aassistencia do xerife do condado, ou ao prefeito da cidade, ou ao Vereador dacidade; eles devem, portanto, ter estado presente em suas reunioes trimestrais.A constituicao mais antiga, de 1427, e Anderson seguindo sua indicacao, tentatransformar essa circunstancia em uma honra para a fraternidade, levando-nos asupor que esses diferentes oficiais estiveram presentes na qualidade de irmaosiniciados. Mas, nao podemos acreditar que, naquele periodo, amadores pudessemter estado presentes como macons aceitos, ou como membros honorarios. Vez poroutra, possivelmente, aqueles patronos que eram nomeados pelo rei para supervisionara construcao de edificios podem ter estado presentes em uma reuniao, mas elescertamente nao tinham qualquer conhecimento dos costumes e usos secretos doOficio. Findel , P. 77.It is easy to say, we cannot believe thatat that period amateurscould have been present, and so on; butall this is evidently the mere assertion of a preconceived opinion, -- aforegone conclusion. We have made up our that there was nothing in Masonry,during medieval times, or indeed till the eighteenth century, but mereoperative masonry; and therefore, there could be no amateurs accepted asmembers of the Lodges! and so let the world take this for argument, and adoptour opinion! Let the sentence already quoted from Findel, concerning theadmission of amateurs in the Lodges of the Steinmtzen of Germany, be for amoment considered and the confidence with which he declares his opinion of theimpossibility that amateurs could be present as accepted Masons, or as honorarymembers, in England, in the fourteenth century, must seem almost ridiculous. Inlike manner, his declaration that nowand then possibly, those patrons who were nominated by the King to superintendthe erecition of buildings might have been present at a meeting, but they hadcertainly no knowledge of the secret customs and usages of the craft, mustbe set aside as mere gratuitous assertion, -- the expression of an opinion forwhich no fundation is shown. Nay, in this assertion it is implied that thepatrons nominated by the King were merely nominated the erection of particularbuildings, -- of which we are far from having any proof. There might be somedifficulty in showing what was really the fact in England; but we have, is