a person employed under the direction of an architect, in the raising of a stone-building. The chief business of a mason is to make the mortar; raise the walls from the foundation to the top, with the necessary retreats and perpendiculars; to form the vaults, and employ the stones as delivered to him. When the stones are large, the business of hewing or cutting them belongs to the stone-cutters, though these are frequently confounded with masons: the ornaments of sculpture are performed by carvers in stones or sculptors. The tools or implements principally used by them are the square, level, plumb-line, bevel, compass, hammer, chisel, mallet, saw, trowel, &c. See Square, &c.

Besides the common instruments used in the hand, they have likewise machines for raising of great burdens, and the conducting of large stones; the principal of which are the lever, pulley, wheel, crane, &c. See Lever, &c.

Free and Accepted Masons, a very ancient society or body of men so called, either from some extraordinary knowledge of masonry or building, which they are supposed to be masters of, or because the first founders of the society were persons of that profession. These are now very considerable, both for number and character, being found in every country in Europe, and consisting principally of persons of merit and consideration. As to antiquity, they lay claim to a standing of some thousand years. What the end of their institution is, seems still in some measure a secret; and they are said to be admitted into the fraternity by being put in possession of a great number of secrets, called the mason's word, which have been religiously kept from age to age, being never divulged. See Free-Masonry.