268 FROM THE ART OF BUILDING TO THE ART OF THINKINGappearance and development of modern speculative Freemasonry, we
have assumed that since the time when modern Freemasonry was con-
stitutionally formulated in 1717, operative masonry was for all intents
and purposes finished.
Along with many contemporary authors, we can certainly deny the
validity of the theory of a transition—at least for England but not
Scotland. Many believe that modern Freemasonry has nothing in com-
mon with the craft of masonry and that the people who made up its
membership after around 1690 had quite simply decided to adopt the
rites of masons to make their meetings more interesting. It is plausible
that this may well have been the case for the four lodges that formed
the Grand Lodge of London.
This line of reasoning, however, cannot escape the fact that in 1717
there were still a large number of lodges whose origin was incontestably
operative. But wouldn't these lodges also have consisted exclusively of
speculative members? There is one other fact that is certain. In modern
Freemasonry lodges there was not a word mentioned of operative mem-
bers. Did they just leave everywhere of their own accord? Why did they
become invisible and mute? These craft masons nonetheless continued
to practice their profession. Did they all simply and unanimously
renounce their rites and customs? Raising such questions does sow
some doubts.
It is reasonable to assume that an operative masonry continued to
exist and more or less continued to practice its traditional rites. It is the
trace of this activity that needs to be rediscovered. Unfortunately, no
definitive elements remain in this regard. It is true that we can cite the
revelations made by Brother Clement Stretton and Brother John Yarker
between 1908 and 1913, which were published in a variety of Masonic
magazines such as The Freemason and The Co-Mason in London and
The American Freemason in Iowa. Their information was then
reprinted in a series of articles by the English magazine The Speculative
Mason between 1950 and 1957. Rene Guenon mentioned his interest
in it a number of times in Etudes Traditionnelles.
Clemont Stretton said he had established contact with a lodge that
was still operating under the principles of the former operative masonry
that had survived beyond 1717 in Leicester County. He declared that