The Beaumont Ms.

and y 3 Brother Tuball found out y Smith crafte to work in Gold , Silver , brass , copper Iron and Steele , & ye Daughter Naamah found oute y crafte oi weaving , and these children knew y t God wold take vengiance for sin ns either by fire or water wherefore they writt the Sciences they hadd in 2 Pillo of Stone y t they might be founde when God hadd taken vengiance for sinn , the one stone was marble & would not burne w fire and the other it was

caled lateras ft it would not dround in water , there resteth more to tell you how the stones weare found y t y- sciences weare written in . After ye destruction of the world by Noahs fludd the great Hermerius who was Chuss sonn y w ' was ye sonn of Sem , the sonn of Noah . Hermerius was after caled Hermes ye father of y wise men he found oute one of y 2 pil ! o of stone & found the Sciences written therein it he tought y to other men . And

all ye making of ye Tower of Babylon . Masonrye was made much of . The King of Babylon j t Height Nimroth was a mason himselfe , and loved well the crafte as is saide w all the Maisters of Historys and w the Citty Nineveh and other cittyes of ye East Assia shold be made , this Nimroth King of Babylon sent thither threscore att y desire of y King of Nineveh his Cousin , & w they went forthe he gave

ym a charge in this mannor y t they shold be true eatch of them to other , X : y t they shold love truly together , so y t he might have worshipp for sending y to his Cousin y King of Nineveh it further he gave them 2 charges as concerning their Science ft they weare the first Charges y t ever mason hadd of his worke and Craft . Moreover when Abraham & Sarah his wife went into Egipt , he taught y seaven Sciences to y Egiptions , & he had a

worthy scollar wose name was Euclid w Learned very well it became Maister of the 7 Sciences and itt befell in his days that Lords & great men of these Quarters & Dominions Had so many sonns by theire wives & some by other women for those countries are very hott of Nature & Generation & they had not compitent lands & goods to mentaine their children w made much care . So y King of y t land considering theire Poverty ,

caled his Counsell Together , ft caused ye Parlimt to be holden , y greatest of his Interest was to know how they shold mentaine their Children , it they cold not find any way unless by Cunning & good science whereupon he let a Proclaimation be made through his Relme That if there weare anny cold inform y in any good cunning arts or Science he shold come unto him & be very well contented for his Pains & Travell . After this Proclaimation made

came this worthy Clerke Euclid & said unto ye King it nobles , if you will betake your Children unto my goverm ' . I shall teach y y 7 Sciences whereby they may live honnestly & like Gentlemen . Upon condition y t you grant me a Comition to have rule it power over them . The King it his Counsell granted y same it sealed y Comition it then this worthy doctor tooke unto him these Lords sonns it taught ym y sience of geometry

in practis for to worke all manno of worthy workes that should belong to building of temples , Churches Castles Mannors Towers Houses & Manno" of Buildings it he gave them a charge the first was y they shold be true to ye King it y Lords they served & that they shold love well togeather it be true eatch one to another it to call each one his Fellow or Brother & not servant or Knave or any other

foule name & y t they shold ordaine y wisest of them , To be Maister of theire Lord it Maiste rfi worke . & y t neither Lord , nor man of great Linage or Riches or for favo r should make & ordaine such an one to Beare rule ft to be Governor of theire worke , y t hath small knowledge or Understandinge in ye Science wheare by y owner of y e worke shold be evle served and you ashamed of yo workmanshipp & also to call y Governor of the worke , Maister , whilst they wrought with him ; and many other charges w <* weare

to long to tell , k to all ye charges he made them to sweare the Great Oath wdi men use att v time , & he ordained for y reasonable wages that they might live w honesty . And also that they should come it assemble themselves once every yeare , that they might take advise it councell among themselves , how they might worke best to serve theire Lord it Maister , for his prollitt & theire own credditt it Honnesty . And to correct among y selves , him or

them y t erred or transgressed . & thus was the Crafte or Science of Geometry grounded there . And y' worthy Maister gave y t ye name of Geometry & now it is caled Masonry since the children of Israeli weare come into y land of Vshest that wheii is now caled the Land of Canaan . The Citty of Jerusalem , King David begun y Temple wc >> is caled Templum Dominis i \ - is named with us The temple of Jerusalem : And ye same King David loved

Masons well , & cherished ym it gave good payment unto them it gave them ye charges in mannor as he had in Egipt by Euclid it other charges more as you _ shall heare afterwards following , and after ye death of King David , Solomon sonne of ye saide Kinge finnished ye temple w his father had begunn it he sent after Masons of Divers Tounes it Countrys it gatherd y togeather for y t he hadd 2400 Masons it a 1000 of them weare

ordained Maisters it Governo of theire worke , it there was a King of another land whose name was Hiiram it he loved King David well it he gave him timber for his worke it he hadd a sonn named Aymon it he was Maister Geometry k the Chiefest Maister of all his Masons it Governor of all his graven & carved worke & : of all other masonry w >> belonged to y temple & all this witnesseth ye 4 th Booke of Kings in ye Byble it this

same King Solomon confirmed both Charges it Manno" that his father had guiven to Masons it so was this worthy Crafte or Science of Masonry confirmed in ye Cuntry of Jerusalem it in many other countrys it kingdoms , Glorious Craftsmen walking full wide aboute in divers countrys it kingdoms , some because of Iearninge more Knowledge & skill in ye Crafte it some to teach others it so it befell y t there was a Curiouse Mason whose name was

Mamon Grecus that hadd been at yc building of Solomons temple it he came into France & there he taught ye Craft of Masonry to men in France it there was a man in France Caralus Marehill came unto this Mamon Greus afforesaide it learned of him ye craft of Masonry it he loved Masonry well it took upon him the charges & afterwards by ye grace of God he was elected King of France it when he was in his Estate he tooke a many masons it helpt to make new masons y t were none before , it sett y on worke it gave good

wages , it confirmed to y a charter to hold their assembly from yeare to yeare wheare they would it cherished y much k thus came ye Craft of masonry into France . England stood att y t time void of anny charge of Masonry untill ye time of St Albon it in his time ye King of England being * Pagan waled y toune about w is now caled St Albons , it at Albon was a worth knight it chief Stuard w y King is had ye goverm' of the Relme ft also of making ye Toune walls and also he loved Masons well it cherished y right much ft he made theire

pay right good , standing as the Relme did then , for he gave y '" Two shillings 1 sixpence a weeke it threepence for their Noonshings , and before y t time j Mason took only a penny a day it ineate . Untill St Albons mended it and he gave to ym a charter wch he hadd obtained from y King it his Louncell , for to hold a Generall Councell and he gave y t y name of an assembl y it he beinge a Mason himselfe , whereas he was , he helped to make Masons it gave ym yc charges as you shall heare afterwards . Right soon alter yc death of St . Albon , there came men of divers nations to war against

The Beaumont Ms.

ye Relme of England so y t ye Rule of Masonry was destroyed untill ye time of King Athelson . In his days there was a worthy King in England who brought ye land to Rest it Peace ft builded many great buildings of Abbys , it Castles , it divers other buildings & he loved Masons well ft he hadd a sonn caled Edwin ft he loved Masons much more than his father did , it he was a great practiser in Geometry it came himselfe to commune it h

talk much w ' Masons it to learne of ym ye craft ft afterwards for the love he hadd to Masons , and to ye Crafte , he was made a Mason himselfe , it he obtained of his Father the King a charter it a commition to assemble every yeare and wheare they would within ye relme of England that they might correct falts errors it trespasses , if y t anny weare committed and done concerning ye crafte of Masonry , and he with many other Masons held an

assembly at Yorke it there he made Masons it gave y a charge ft commanded y' rule to be holden and kept for ever thereafter . And he gave y a charter & Comition to keepe and made an ordinance that y t should be Renud from King to King , And when they weare gathered together he caused a loye to be made in this Mannor that all old Masons it young y t had anny writings or understandinge of y Charges it Mannor y t before weare made in ys land or in anny other Country y t they shold shew y forth

and theare was som found in Greeke som in Latin sortie in French it som in English it some in other languiges and y meaning of y were all one and he caused a book to be Reade whensoever y t anny Mason shold be made for to guive him ye charges & from y t till this time , Masonry has beene kept and y t from time to time as well as men might Governe itt it furthermore theare hath beene putt and ordained at . divers assembleys certain charges by y best advised Masons it fellows . The manno of taking an oath at the making Free Masons .

Tunc Unus ex senioribus tendat Librum utt illi veil ille ponant vel ponat manum supra librum tunc precepta debeant legi . Every man y t is a mason take heed right wisely to these charges if you find yo selves guilty of anny of these charges y t you may amend of yor errors against God ft principally they y t be charged for itt is a Great Perrill to forsweare ymselves upon a book .

I The Charge is y t you shall be true men to God & his holy Church y t you use no hereci nor error in ye understandinge to distract mens teaching . 2 ' y That you be true men to y . e King without treason or falshood ft y t you shall know no treason or ' falshood but y t you shall amend it or else guive notis or knowled g to y King & his Councellor . officers thereof .

3 ' > ' And also that you be true each one to another ( vid ) to every Maist" and-Fellow of . ye crafte of Masonry that be Masons allowed k do you to ym as you wold they shold do to you , 4 ly That every Mason keepe councell truly of Lodg it of ye Craft it all other Councell y t ought to bee kept by way of Masonry . 5 ly And also y t no man be a theife or accessory to a theife as farr forth as he shall know .

6 ' y And also y t you be true to y e Lord ft Maister you serve ft truly see to ye profitt it advantige . 7 ly Also you shall call Masons your fellows or bretheren nor no other foule name , nor to take your fellows wife violently nor desire his daughter ungodly or his serv in villany . 8 ' y Also you shall truly pay for the table ft for ye meat , Drinke where you go to table .

9 ly And also y t you do no Villanny in the house where you go to table whereby you may be ashamed . These be ye charges in generall y t every Maister shall have , both Maist's it Fellows .

These be ye charges of every man it fellow as followeth—I That no mason take upon him anny L « Worke or other mens worke unlesse he know himselfe to be able it skillfull to Pforme itt so as y « Craft may leave no disgrace but y t ye Ld it owner of ye worke may be well it truly served .

2 ' y And also that no maister or fellow take any worke but y t he take it reasonably so y t ye Ld may be truly served w" > his owne goods it y Maister may live honestly ft pay his fellows truly as mannors asked of ye Craft . 3 And also y t no Maister nor fellow shall supplant any other man of his workey t is to say , if he have taken itt of a Ld or Maister y t you put him not oute unless he be unable in Knowledge to finish y « worke . t

4 And also yno Maister or fellow take anny apprentis to be allowed to be his apprentis anny longer than 7 yeares & ye apprentis to be able of birth it limbs as he ought to bee . 5 And y t no maister or fellow shall take anny allowance to be allowed to make anny free Mason without ye consent of 5 or 6 of his fellows , it that they be free borne of Good kindred it not a bondman & have by yr wright limbs as a man ought to have .

6 And also y t no Maist r or fellows put any Lords worke to taske , y t was wont to go journey by false workmen . 7 And y * no Maister shall give or pay to his fellow but as he may deserve so as they may not be desseived . 8 And also y t no fellow slander another behind his back whearby he may loose his good name or worldly goods .

9 And also y t no fellow within y Lodge or without ye I , odge missweare one another ungodl y without just cause . 10 And also y t everyone reverence his fellow Elder putt him to worshipp . * i 1 ¦ And also that noe mason should play at Cards or Dice or anv oilier Unlawful ! , games of Hazard whereby the Craft should he slandered ^ 12 And also y t no Fellow be a common Ribald in Letchcry to make ye Craft slandred .

' 3 And also y' no Fellow shall go into ye Towne by night whereat is a Lodg of l < ellows without some to bear him witness y t was in an honest place . 14 And also y t every Maister and Fellow shall come to ye Assembl y if he be within 7 miles ab l Him if he have warning , or else to stand to the Award of ye Maister it Fellows .

15 And also y t every Maister ft Fellow if he have trespassed shall stand to the award of Maisters it Fellows , to make the accord if he may it if he may not accord to go to the Common Law . 16 And also y t no Mason make mold , nor square , nor rule to any be within lodg or without ye l . odg how to mould stones without a mould of his owne makinge .

17 And also y t every Mason receive and cherish every Strang Mason when they come to their country and sett them to Worke as the mannor is ( videl if he have mould stones in ye place , he shall sett him a fortnight at least to worke it give him his pay , ft if he have no stones lie shall refresh him w th mony to ye next Lodg .

18 AndyoushalleverymasonservehisLordtrul yforhispay & trulyfinnish his worke be it taske or jurney if you may have your pay as you ought to have . These charges if you have received , it all y t belong to Masonry you shall , soe hel p you God k his holy Do me , it by this Booke to yor pow ' .