The Charter Of Cologne.

turn invenitur , tabernaculis in usa sunt , quorum ministeria et labores , quanquam Scotoram more ordinati , in eo tamen , quae originem , propositum et institutionem spectant , non ab iis , quibus nos ultimur , divergunfc .

N . Haecdum nostra societas uno tantum et general ! principe , diversa autem magisteria , quibus constat , variis superioribus magistris , pro variarum regionum , regnorumque ratione atque egestate , regantur , nihil magis necesse est , quam conformitas quaedam omnium per totum ten-arum orbem dispertitorum , quasi membrorum

unius vero corporis compositi , sicuti etiam nuntiorum et literarum commercium , ubicunqne locbrum sibi suisque doctrinis consentaneum : quam ob rem hae praesentes naturam atque indolem nostrae societatis testantes literae ad omnia singulaque ordinis , quae adhucdum exstant , collegia mittentur .

Harum itaque , ob supra memoratas causas hunc in modum confectarum , literarum Dovendeoim exemplaria unisona , ejusdem plane tenoris , nostris subscriptionibus et subsignationibus coufirmata et munita , data sunt Ooloniae Agrippinae ad Rhenum , anno millesimo quingentesimo tricesimo quinto , die vicesimo quarto , mensis

Junii , secundum aeram quae Christiana inscribitur . Harmanus f . Carlton . Jo . Bruce . Fr . v . Upna . Cornelis Banning . De Colligni . Virieux . Johann Schroder . Hofmann 1535 . Icobus Propositus . A . Nobel . Ignatius della Torre . Doria . Jacob Uttinhove . Falk . Niclaes van Noot . Philippus Melanthon . Huyssen . Wormer Abel .

The Charter of Cologne is described as being written in medieval Latin , abounding in grammatical solecisms and errors of orthography . Its history as given by Br . J . G . Findel of Leipsic , the famous historian of Freemasonry , is as follows : — " In 1816 , Prince Frederick ( Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands ) received a packet of papers , and amongst them a letter written in a woman ' s hand and signed 0 . nee von T ., in which it was announced that the enclosed papers had been found amongst the manuscripts left by her father on his demise , and which had always been most carefully preserved by him : she believed he had received them from Mr . Van Boetzelaar . Another tradition maintains that

these papers had been long in the possession of the family von Wassenaar . In the packet there were , together with some few unimportant writings , the following : 1 . The so-called charter of Cologne , i . e ., a document signed by nineteen Master-Masons in Cologne , June 24 , 1535 , in cipher , on parchment . 2 . The minutes of a Lodge supposed to have existed in the Hague from 1519—1638 , hefc Vrecledall or Frederick ' s Vi-edendall , and written in Dutch . . . The Grand Master of the Netherlands had copies of these documents made , sent the Latin text [ of the charter ] with a Dutch translation to all the Netherlands Lodges in 1818 , and bad likewise the documents closely investigated by competent , judges , who immediately raised doubts as to their genuineness . Notwithstanding this , some of the Lodges in the Netherlands believed in them . * The first German translation appeared in Br . Heldmann ' s

and Middleburg Tabernacles , and in that which is found erected at Venice , whose ministrations and labours , though they be ordained after the manner of the Scots , differ not from those which are used by us in so far as they respect the origin , design , and institution . N . Thisour Societybeing superintended

, , by One General Prince , while the different Governments of which it consists are ruled by various Superior Masters , adapted to various regions and kingdoms as requires , nothing is more necessary than a certain conformity among all those who are dispersed throughout the whole world , as members of one aggregate body ; and likewise an

intercourse of missionaries and correspondence harmonising with them and with their doctrines in all places . Wherefore these present letters testifying the nature and spirit of our Society , shall be sent to all [ and ] sundry Colleges of the Order , as yet existing . For these reasons above mentioned , niuteen uniform duplicates of letters

composed in this form , exactly of the same tenor ^ confirmed and corroborated by our subscriptions and signatures , are given at Cologne on the Rhine in the year One thousand five hundred and thirty-five , on the twenty-fourth day of the month of June , according to the Era designated Christian .

Harmanusf . Carlton . Jo . Bruce . Fr . Von Upna . Cornelis Banning . DeColligne . Varieux . Johani Schroder . Hofman , 1535 Jacobus Propositus , A . Nobel . Ignatius de la Terre . Doira . Jacob Uttenhove . Falck Nicolaes Va . Noot . Phillippus Melanthon . Hugssen . Wormer Abel .

Certified in form to the printed exemplar deposited into the Archives of the Gr . and Sublime Chap , of the Temples Interior Sitting in the East of Namur . The Gr . Chancellor of that Chief . Chap ., t DE MARCHOT .