A Mosaic Palace – Audio Book

Description

Listen to A Mosaic Palace read aloud in the voice of the author, Martin Faulks.

This is the complete audiobook edition of A Mosaic Palace: Freemasonry and the Art of Memory, recorded by Martin Faulks himself and delivered straight to your phone or tablet through the Glassboxx app.

The Warden of the Lodge. . . shall take trial of the art of memory and science thereof of every fellow craft and every apprentice according to their vocation and in case that they have lost any point thereof. . . pay the penalty as follows for their slothfulness. . . Second Schaw Statutes of 1599.

Issued by William Schaw, the royally appointed Master of the Works, the Statutes gave a code of rules governing the activities of operative masons in Scotland. They are often considered the first conception of Freemasonry as it exists today.

During the sixteenth century the Art of Memory had far greater connotations than it may to the modern reader. It referred to a specific set of memory disciplines and techniques whereby one would create a memory palace. This could be based on a real or imaginary place which, using intensive imagination, one would build up in the memory to the degree that it could be easily visited and used as a kind of mnemonic storehouse.

By Schaw’s time, this art of memory existed in many different forms. Not only was it commonly believed to be a very good method of memorising speeches, but also a great form of moral training – a goal common to Freemasonry. Beyond this, there were some who believed that this mysterious art had far more potential and could even have supernatural effects on the world.

So why did Schaw make it mandatory for Masons to practise the art of memory, and why did they need to be tested in this art? Was it a reference to Masonic ritual, and if so, does this mean the Masonic lodge is a form of memory palace? If this is indeed the case, then by exploring what school of mnemonics it evolved from it can tell us something of the intentions behind the ritual. Was Masonry developed as a form of moral training for good Christian builders, or could its rituals have evolved from a more ambitious or mystical purpose?

Hearing the argument spoken rather than read on the page suits the subject: the Art of Memory was, after all, an oral discipline long before it was a written one, and the audiobook lets you follow it while walking, driving or travelling to lodge.

Audiobook edition – unabridged, read by the author. Seven tracks: an introduction and six chapters, running for approximately one hour and thirty-five minutes.

Listen using the Glassboxx app on your Android or iOS phone or tablet. Also available as an eBook.