4 THE BUILDERS OF THE MIDDLE AGES
An article by Armand Bédarride published in the May 1929 issue of Symbolisme, 'Les Idées de nos Précurseurs', provides the occasion for some useful reflections. The subject of the article, is the guilds of the Middles Ages insofar as they have transmitted something of their spirit and traditions to modern Masonry.
In this connection, let us first note that the distinction between 'Operative Masonry' and 'Speculative Masonry' should be taken in quite another sense than that normally attributed to it. Indeed, it is often thought that 'Operative' Masons were mere workers or artisans and nothing else, and that the more or less profound meaning of their symbolism only occurred quite late, following the admission to the guild organizations of people unfamiliar with the art of building. This however is not the opinion of Bédarride, who cites a great many examples, notably from religious monuments, of figures with an incontestably symbolic character. He speaks in particular of the two columns of Würtzbourg cathedral, 'which prove,' he says, 'that Masons of the fourteenth century practiced a philosophical symbolism.' This is correct on condition, it goes without saying, that he means 'Hermetic philosophy' and not 'philosophy' in the current sense, which is wholly profane, and has never made the least use of any symbolism. Such examples could be multiplied indefinitely, since the very plans of the cathedrals are eminently symbolic, as we have already observed on other occasions; and we might add that in addition to the common medieval symbols of which modern Masons have preserved some memory-
though hardly understanding their significance any longer-there are many others of which they have not the least notion. [1]
In our opinion one must go against the current way of thinking and consider 'Speculative Masonry' as being in many ways merely a degeneration of 'Operative Masonry'. The latter was indeed truly complete in its own order, possessing both theory and corresponding practice, and in this respect its name can best be understood as alluding to the 'operations' of the 'sacred art', of which building in accordance with the traditional rules was one application. As for 'Speculative Masonry', which moreover arose at a time when the building guilds were in full decline, its name indicates clearly enough that it is confined to 'speculation' pure and simple, that is to say to a theory lacking any realization. Surely, it would require an odd twist to regard this as 'progress'. If again there had only been a diminution, the harm would not have been as great as it is in reality; but as we have frequently said, there has been a real deviation since the start of the eighteenth century, when the Grand Lodge of England was established, this being the starting-point of all modern Masonry. We shall not dwell further at present, although we do wish to make the point that if one really wants to understand the spirit of the medieval builders, these observations are quite essential, for otherwise the conception one might form of them would be false or at least very incomplete.
Another idea no less important to rectify is that the use of symbolic forms was imposed for reasons of mere prudence. We do not contest that such reasons did sometimes exist, but this is only the most outward and least interesting aspect of the question. We have spoken of them in connection with Dante and the 'Fedeli d'Amore', [2] and can reiterate it all the more as regards the building guilds since fairly close ties have been maintained between all these organizations which seem so different in character but which all
participated in the same traditional knowledge. [3] Now it is precisely symbolism that is the normal mode of expression for knowledge of this order, this being its true raison d'être in all times and in all countries, even in cases where there was no reason to conceal things, and this quite simply because there are things which by their very nature cannot be expressed otherwise than under this form.
The error too often made in this connection, of which we find an echo in Bédarride's article, seems to derive from two chief causes, the first being that the medieval Catholicism is generally rather poorly understood. It should not be forgotten that just as there is an Islamic esoterism, so also at the time was there a Catholic esoterism also, by which we mean an esoterism taking as its basis and support the symbols and rites of the Catholic faith, being superimposed on the latter without in any way opposing it; and there is no doubt that certain religious Orders were no strangers to this esoterism. If the tendency of most present-day Catholics is to deny the existence of such things, this proves only that they are no better informed in this respect than are the rest of our contemporaries.
The second cause of error is that it is believed that what lies hidden behind the symbols in question are almost exclusively social or political ideas, [4] whereas in reality it is a matter of something quite different. In the eyes of those who possess certain knowledge, ideas of this order could after all have only a very secondary importance, that of one possible application among many others. We will even add that wherever they came to assume too great a role and became predominant, they have invariably been a cause of degeneration and deviation. [5] Is this not precisely what has caused modern Masonry to lose its understanding of what it still preserves of the ancient symbolism and traditions of which, in spite of all its insufficiencies, it still seems to be sole heir in the present Western world? If the more
or less licentious satirical figures sometimes found in their works is adduced as evidence of the social preoccupations of the builders, we simply reply that these figures were intended primarily to put off the profane, who stop at outer appearances and do not see that they conceal what is most profound. Nor is this something specific to builders, for certain writers, Boccacio and Rabelais in particular, and many others besides, have worn the same mask and employed the same means. And it must be acknowledged that this stratagem has worked well, since in our day doubtless more than ever before, the profane are still taken in by them.
If we wish to get to the bottom of things, we must see in the symbolism of the builders the expression of certain traditional sciences related to what can in general be called 'Hermeticism'. But in speaking here of 'sciences' it should not be thought that we mean something comparable to profane science, almost the only science known to modern people. Such an identification conforms to the mentality of Bédarride, who speaks of 'the changing form of the positive knowledge of science'-an observation that applies clearly and exclusively to profane science-and who, taking purely symbolic images literally, believes he finds therein 'evolutionist' and even 'transformist' ideas, ideas which stand in absolute contradiction to all traditional teachings. In several of our works we have developed at length the essential difference between sacred or traditional science and profane science, and although we cannot repeat it all here, we thought it well at least to draw attention to this important point.
In closing, let us add that it is not without reason that among the Romans Janus was both the god of initiation into the mysteries and the god of the artisans' guilds; nor is it without reason that the builders of the Middle Ages kept the two solstitial festivals. This same Janus then becomes in Christianity the two Saint Johns, of winter and summer; [6] and when we once know the connection of Saint John with the esoteric side of Christianity, do we not then immediately see that, making due allowance for circumstances and 'cyclical laws', what is involved is the same initiation into the mysteries that is in question?