Ms. Masonic Constitutions (Or Charges) No. 1.

and had Govornaute of ye Realme and mid also had ye ordering of yo sd TOAVH walls and he Loved Avell Masons and cherished them right much and made their pay right good considering IIOAV Avages ancl other things stood then for he gave them

jjS- —A'id . a AA'eek and iijd . for their nonfinch and before yt time through out all this Land a Mason tooke but a Peny a day until St . Albons advanced it as above sd ancl poured them a chartr of ye King and liis counsell Avhereby for to hold a generall

counsell ancl gave it ye name of Assembly and thereat he AA'as himself and helped to make men masons ancl gave them a charge as yu shall here aftr hear . But it hap peued shortly after ye death of St . Albons y t there arose great Avars in England Avhich

came out of divers nations soe that ye good ordr of Masonrie AA'as destroyed untill yo dayes of King Athelston AA'I IO Avas a Avorthy king of England , and . brought this laud in good rest and peace ancl builded many great Avorkes as Abbyes Toures ancl othr mannrs of Buildings and loved well masons and lie had a Son named Edivin

and he loved masons much more then his Father , ancl he Avas a great practionr in Geomatrie ancl he delited much to talke and commie Avith masons and to learn of them skill and cunning and afterwards for love he bore to Masons and to their Science he Avas made a mason and he poured for

them of ye king his father a chartr and comission to hold every yeare an assembly wheresoevr they Avould Avithin ye Realm of England and to correct within themselves defaults and trespasses yt Avere done Avithin ye craft ancl he himself held an assembly at YORK and there he made Masons and

gave them the charge and taught them yo manners and comanded yt rule to be kept ever after and also tooke for them ye charter to keep and also gave ordr yt it should be renued from king to king . And when ye assembly was gathered together he made pclamation t aU old Masons or

y young yt had any Avriteings or undrstanding of ye charge and ye mannrs concerning Jo said science yt Avere made before in this Land or in any othr yt they should bring the m forth , and when they had vieAved and examined there found some in French

, some in Greek , some in English and some m othr Languages and ye intent and moaning of them was found all out ancl he had made a book thereof IIOAV ye Craft

Avas founded and he himself gave coinand yt it should be read or told when yt any masons should be made and to give them yo charge And from yt clay to this day , manrs of masons lmve been kept and observed in yt forme as Avell as men might

observe ancl govern it . And furthermore at divese assemblyes an aclition of eerfcaine things in ye charge ordained by ye best aclA'ioe of masters and felloAVS—Tune units ex senioribus teneat lAbruin ut Me veil Mi

potictt vel potiant manus sup . IAhrum et tuna preeyta deberent Legi . Every man yt is a Mason take right good heed to these charges ancl if any man find himself guilty in any of these charges yt he amend himselfe before God and in pticulary yee yt are

to be charged take take good heed yt yee may keep these charges right well for it is prillous and great danger for a man to forsAveare himself upon ye holy Scripture . The first charge is that he or those be truemau to God and ye holy church ancl

yt yu use neithr erour nor heresie according to yor OAVII undrstanding or discreet and Aviso mens teaching and also yt he shall be true lege man ancl bear true allegiance to ye king of England without any treason or any othr falshood and if they

knoAV of any treason or treachery yt you amend it privily if ye may or else Avarne ye king or his counsell of it b y declareing it to ye magistrates . Ancl alsoe yee shall be true one to anothr yt is to say to every Mason of ve craft of Masonrie vfc be allou'ed

Masons yu shall doe to them as yu AA ' OUM they should doe to yu . And yt yu keep truely all ye counsell of Lodge and chamber and all other counsell yt ought to be kept by Avay of Masonrie and also yt yu use noe theeverie but keep yorselves

true . And also yu shall be true to ye Lord or mask yu serve and truly see Ms pfitt and advantage pmotod and furthred . ibid also you shall call masons yor Brethren or FOIIOAVS but not any other foul name . Also yu shall not take in villany

yor FelloAves Avifo nor uidaAvfull y desire his daughtr or servt nor put him to any discredit . And also yt yu pay truly for yor meat and drink Avhero you goo to table and yt yu doe not anything AA'hereby ye craft may bo scandalized or Avherebit

y may receive disgrace . These bo ye charges in generall that belongoth every Mason to keep both mastrs and folloAVs . NOAV come I to rehearse eertaine othr charges sin-