M A S 
fbat had trefpaffed agsinft the fcience. And thus was the 
fcyence grounded there; and that worthy Mr. Ewclide 
gave it the name of Geometrie. And now it is called 
through all this land Mafonrye. 
“ Sythen longe after, when the Children of Ifraell were 
coming into the Land of Beheaft, that is now called 
amongtt us the Country oFJhrlni, Kinge David began the 
Temple that they called Templum D’ni, and it is named 
with us the Temple of Jerufalem. And the fame King 
David loved Mafons well, and cherilhed them much, and 
gave them good paie. And he gave the charges and the 
manners as he had learned of Egipt given by Ewclide, and 
other charges moe that yee fliall heare afterward. And 
after the deceafe of Kinge David, Solomon, that was Da¬ 
vid’s fohn, performed out the Temple that his father be- 
gonne ; and fent after Mafons into divers countries and 
of divers lands; and gathered them together, fo that he 
had fourfcore thou'fand workers of lione, and were all 
named Mafons. And he chofe out of them three thou- 
fand that were ordayned to be Maifters and governors of 
liis yvorke. And furthermore, there was a Kinge of another 
region, that men called Iram, and he loved well Kinge 
Solomon, and he gave him tymber to his worke. And 
‘he had a fonn that height Ayrom, and he was a Mafter of 
Geometrie, and was chiefe Mafter of all his Mafons, and 
was Mafter of all his gravings and carvings, and of all 
other manner of Mafonrie that longed to the Temple; 
and this is wittneffed by the Bible, in libro Regum the 
third [fifth.] chapter. And this Solomon confirmed both 
the charges anil the manners that his father had given to 
Mafons. And thus was that worthy fcience of Mafonrye 
confirmed in the country of Jerufalem, and in many other 
kingdomes. 
“ Curious craftfmen walked about full wide into divers 
cuntryes, fome becaufe of learninge more craft and cu- 
ninge, and fome to teach them that had but little conynge. 
And foe it befell that there was one curious Mafon that 
height Maymus Grecus, that had beene at the making of 
Solomon’s Temple ; and he came into Fraunce, and there 
he taught the fcience of Mafonrye to men of France. 
And there was one of the regal lyne of Fraunce that height 
Charles Martcll ; and he was a man that loved well fucli 
a fcience, and drew to him this Maymus Grecus that is 
abovefaid, and learned of him the fcience, and tooke upon 
him the charges and manners; and afterward by the grace 
of God he was eleft to be Kinge of Fraunce. And when 
he was in his eftate lie tooke Mafons, and did helpe to make 
men Mafons that were none ; and fet them to worke, and 
gave them both the charges and the manners, and good 
paie, as he had learned of other Mafons ; and confirmed 
them a chartour from yeare to yeare to hold their femble 
wher they would ; and” cherilhed them right much : And 
thus came the fcience into Fraunce. 
“ England in all this feafon ftood voyd as for any charge 
of Mafonrye unto St. Albones tyme. And in his dnyes 
the Kinge of England, that was a Pagan, he did wall the 
towne about that is called Sainff Albones. And Saindt 
Albones was a worthy knight, and fteward with the Kinge 
of his Houlehould, and had governance of the real me, and 
alfo of the makinge of the towne walls; and loved well 
Mafons, and cherilhed them much. And he made their 
paie right good, Itandinge as the rea'me did : for he gave 
them ijr. vj d. a weeke, and \\]d. to their nonefynches. 
And before that time, through all this land, a Mafon 
tooke but a penny a day and Ins nieate, till Sainct Albone 
amended it, and gave them a chartour of the king and Iris 
councell for to hold a general councell, and gave it the 
name of Alfemble ; and thereat he was himfelfe, and 
helped to make Mafons, and gave them charges as yee fliall 
heare afterward. 
“ Right foone after the deceafe of Saint Albone, there 
came divers warrs into the realme of England of divers 
nations, foe.that the good rule of Mafonry was deltroyed 
unto the tyme of Kinge Athelttone dayes, that was a wor¬ 
thy Kinge of England, and brought this land into good 
reft and peace; and builded many great works of Abbyes 
O N R Y.v 479 ? 
and Towres, and other many divers buildings ; and loved 
well Mafons. And he had a foil that height Edwinne, 
and he loved Mafons much more then his father did. 
And he was a great prafftifer in Geometry, and he drew 
him much to talke and to commune with Mafons, and to 
learne of them fcience ; and afterward for love that he had 
to Mafons, and to the fcience, he was made Mafon, and 
lie gatt of the Kinge his father a chartour and commifiion 
to hold every yeare once an Alfemble, wher that ever 
they would, within the realme of England ; and to correct 
within themfelves defaults and trefpaffes that were done 
within the fcience. And he held himfelfe an Alfemble at 
Yorke, and there he made Mafons, and gave them charges, 
and taught them the manners, and commanded that rule 
to be kept ever after, and tooke then the chartour and the 
commiftion to keepe, and made ordinance that it fhould 
be renewed from kinge to kinge. 
“ And when the Alfemble was gathered, he made a cry 
that all old Mafons and young that had any writeirrge or 
underftanding of the charges and the manners that were 
made before in this land or in any other, that they fhould 
fliew them forrh. And when it was proved, there was 
founden fome in Frenche, and fome in Greek, and fome in 
Englifli, and fome.in other languages : and the intent of 
them all was founden all one. And lie did make a booke 
thereof, and how the fcience was founded. And he him¬ 
felfe bade and commanded that it fhould be readd or tould, 
when that any Mafon fhould be made, for to give him his 
charge. And fro that day into this tyme manners of Ma¬ 
fons have beene kept in that forme as well as men might 
governe it. And furthermore divers Affemblies have 
bene put and ordayned certaine charges by the beft advice 
of Matters and Fellowes. Tunc unus ex fenioribus teneat li - * 
brum, ut illi vel ille ponant vdponat manus fuper librum : et 
tunc pracepta deberent legi. 
“ Every man that is a Mafon, take right good heed to 
thefe charges; if that any man find himfelfe guilty in any 
of thefe charges, that lie amend himfelfe again ft God. 
And in principal!, yee that been to be charged, take good 
heed thjt yee may keepe thefe charges right well, for it 
is great perill a man to forfweare himfelfe upon a booke. 
“ The firft charge is, that he or thou fhall be true man 
to God and Holy Church, and that he u(e neither error 
nor heryfie by your underftandinge or difereet men or 
wife men’s teachinge. - And alfo that he fliall be true liege 
man to the Kinge of England without treafon or any 
other falflioode ; and that they know no treafon ne tr*- 
chery, but ye amend it privily if ye may, or elfe warn the 
Kinge or his Councell. And alfo ye fhal be true each 
one to other, (that is to fay) to every Mafon of the fcience 
of Mafonrye that bene Mafons allowed ; yee fliall doe to 
them as yee would that they fhould doe to you ; and alfo 
that yee keepe truly all the counfells of Lodge and Cham¬ 
ber, and all other counfells that ought to be kept by way 
of Mafonhood. And alfo that noe Mafon fnal be in thefte 
nor theeviihe, for as farr forth as he may w'eete or know. 
And alfo that yee fhal be true to the lord or mafter that 
ye ferve, and truly fee his profitt and his advantage. 
And alio ye fliall call Mafons your Brethren, or elfe your 
Fellowes, and none other foule names. And alfo yee fliall 
not take your fellow’s wife in villany, nor defire ungodly 
his daughter nor his fervant, nor put him to noe dilwor- 
fhipp. And alfo that yee pay truly for your meat aqd 
drinke where yee goe to boarde. And alfo yee fliall doe 
noe villiny in that place w here yee goe to board, whereby 
the fcience might be flandered thereby. Thefe be the 
charges in generall that belongeth to every true Mafon to- 
keepe, both Matters and Fellowes. 
“ Rehearfe I will now other charges finguler for Matters 
and Fellowes. Firft, that noe Mafter fhall not take upon 
him noe lord’s worke nor none other man’s worke but hee 
know himfelfe able and fufficient of cuninge to performe 
and end tbe lord’s worke, foe that the lcience have noe 
Dander nor noe difworfhipp, but that the lord may be well 
ferved and truly. And alfo that poe mafter take noe 
worke, but that he take it reafonable, foe that the lord 
4. may 
