THE THE MS. of which a transcript is now given to Masonic students, was originally sold by public auction in London, and fell into the hands of the well-known firm of Pickering and Co., formerly in Piccadilly, now in the Haymarket, from whom it was purchased by its present possessor. It is a curious and valuable MS. " per se," not only on account of its special verbiage, but because it possesses a frontispiece of Masons at work, with "Inigo Jones, fecit," at the bottom. It is also highly ornamented throughout, both in the capital letters, and with "finials." It is, we apprehend, pretty certain that it did belong to Inigo Jones. It is of date 1607. THE ANTIENT CONSTITUTION OF THE FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS. 1607. THE MIGHT of the FATHER of HEAVEN, and the Wisdō of the Glorious SON, through the Grace and Goodness of the HOLY GHOST, three Persons and One GOD; Be with us and Give us Grace so to Govern us here in our Living, that we may come to his Bliss that never shall have ending. AMEN. GOOD BRETHREN and FELLOWS, Our Purpose is to tell you how and in what manner this Worthy Craft of MASONRY, was begun; And afterward; how it was kept and Encouraged by Worthy KINGS and Princes, and by many other Worthy Men. AND ALSO to those that be here; We will Charge by the Charges that belongeth to Every FREE MASON to keep; FOR in good Faith, If they take Good heed to it, it's worthy to be well kept FOR MASONRY is a Worthy Craft, and a Curious SCIENCE, and One of the LIBERAL Sciences. THE Names of the Seven liberall Sciences are these I. GRAMMAR, and that teacheth a Man to Speak and write truly. II. RHETORICK, and that teacheth a Man to Speak fair, and in soft terms. III. LOGICK, and that teacheth a Man to discern truth from falsehood. IV. ARITHMETICK, which teacheth a Man to Reckon, and Count all manner of Numbers. V. GEOMETRY, and that teacheth a Man the Mete and Measure of the Earth, and of all other things; which SCIENCE is Called MASŌRY. VI. MUSICK, wich Gives a Man Skill of Singing, teaching him the ART of Composition; & playing upon Diverse Instruments, as the ORGAN and HARP methodically. B VII. ASTRONOMY, which teacheth a Man to know the Course of Sun Moon and Starrs. NOTE I pray you, that these Seven are contain'd under Geometry, for it teacheth Mett and Measure, Ponderation and Weight, for Every thing in and upon the whole Earth for you to know; That every Crafts man, work's by Measure. He y buys or sells is by weight or Measure. Husbandmen, Navigators, Planters and all of them use GEOMETRY; for neither GRAMMAR, LOGICK nor any other of the said Sciences, can Subsist without GEOMETRY; ergo, most Worthy and Honourable. You ask me how this Science was Invented, My Answer is this: That before the Generall Deluge, which is commonly Called NOAH'S Flood, there was a Man called LAMECH, as you may read in IV. Chapter of Genesis; who had two Wives, the One called ADA, the other ZILLA; By ADA, he begat two SONS, IABAL and IUBAL, by ZILLA, he had One SON called TUBALL and a daughter called Naamah: These four Children found the begining of all Crafts in the World: IABAL found out GEOMETRY, and he Divided Flocks of Sheep, He first built a House of Stone and Timber. HIS Brother IUBAL found the ART of MUSICK He was the Father of all such as Handle the Harp and Organ. TUBAL-CAIN was the Instructer of Every Artificer in Brass and Iron, And the Daughter found out the ART of Weaving. THESE Children knew well that GOD would take Vengeance for SIN either by Fire or Water; Wherefore they Wrote their SCIENCES that they had found in Two Pillars, that they might be found after NOAH's Flood. ONE of the Pillars was Marble, for that will not Burn with any Fire, And the other Stone was Laternes for that will not drown with any Water. Our Intent next is to Tell you Truely, how and in What manner these STONES were found whereon these SCIENCES were Written THE Great HERMES (Surnamed TRISMAGISTUS, or three times Great) Being both King, Priest and Philosopher, (in EGYPT) He found One of them, and Lived in the Year of the World Two Thousand and Seventy Six, in the Reign of NINUS, and some think him to be Grandson to CUSH, which was Grandson to NOAH, he was the first that began to Leave off Astrology. To Admire the other Wonders of Nature; He proved, there was but One GOD, Creator of all Things, He divided the Day into Twelve Hours. He is also thought to be the first who Divided the ZODIACK into Twelve SIGNES, He was to OSYRIS King of EGYPT; And is said to have Invented Ordinary Writing, and Hierogliphiks. the first Laws of the Egyptians; And Divers Sciences, and Taught them unto other Men. And at the Building of Babilon Masonry was much made of; And the King of Babilon the Mighty NIMROD, was a Mason himselfe, As it's reported by Antient Histories, And when the City of NINEVE, and Other Cities of the East, were to be Built, NIMROD the King of Babilon Sent thither Masons at the request of the King of NINEVE his Cousin; And when he sent them Anno MDCCCX. forth, He gave them a CHARGE in this Manner. That they should be true to one another, and Love truely together; And that they should serve the Lord truely for their Pay, so, that their Master might have Honour, and all that belong unto him, And Severall other Charges He gave them; And this was the First Time that Ever any MASON had any Charge of his CRAFT. MOREOVER when ABRAHAM and SARAH his Wife, went into * Anno Mondi. MIXILVIII. EGYPT, and there taught the Seven Sciences to the EGYPTIANS; He had a Worthy SCHOLLAR whose name was *Enclyde, and He learned right well, and became a Great Master of the Seven Sciences; and in His Days, it Befell, That the Lords and the Estates of the Realm, had so many Sons; And they had no competent Livelyhood to find their Children. WHEREFORE they took Councell together with the King of the Land, How they might find their Children Honestly as Gentlemen, But could find no Manner of Good way, And then Did they Proclaime through all the Land, that if there were any Man, that could Inform them, that he should be well rewarded for his Travell, And that he should hold him well pleased. AFTER this CRY was made; then came the worthy CLARK EUCLYDE, and said to the King and the LORDS. IF YEA will Give me Your Children to Govern, I will Teach them One of the Seven SCIENCES, whereby they may live Honestly, as Gentlemen should; Under Conditions, that Yea will Grant them, and That I may have Power to Rule them after the manner that Science ought to be Ruled. And that the King and the Councell Grant Anon and Seale his Commission And then this Worthy Clark EUCLIDE took to him these Lord's Sons, and taught them the SCIENCE of GEOMETRY, in Practick, for to Work in STONE, all manner of worthy Work, that belongeth to Building of CHURCHES, TEMPLES, TOWERS, ČASTLES; And all other manner of Buildings; And He gave them a Charge in this Manner. FIRST that they should be true to the King, and to the Lord, that they Serve; and To the Fellowship whereof they are Admitted; And that they should Love and be true to one another; And that they should Call Each other his Fellow, or Else BROTHER; and not his Servant or Knave, nor no other foul Name; and that they should truely deserve their Pay of the Lord; Or the Master of the Work that they Serve. THAT they should Ordain the Wisest of them to be the MASTER of the Work; And neither for Love nor Lynage, Riches nor Favour, to Sett another, that hath but little Cunning, to be Master of the Lord's Work; whereby the Lord should be Evil Served, and they Ashamed; and Also, that they should Call the Governour of the Work MASTER in the time that they work with him. AND many other Charges He gave them, that are too long to tell, And to all these Charges He made them Swear a great Oath, that Men Used at that time. AND He Ordain'd for them, a reasonable Pay, whereby they may live honestly; And Also that they should come and Assemble together every Year Once, to consult how they might Work best to serve the LORD, for his profit, And to their Own Credit, And to Correct within themselves him that had trespassed against the CRAFT. AND thus was the Craft Grounded there, And that WORTHY Clark EUCLEDE, Gave it the Name of GEOMETRY; And now it's call'd through all the LAND MASONRY. * Anno Mundi. SITHENCE Long time after when the Children of ISRAEL were come into the Lad of the IEBUSITES which is now call'd IERUSALEM King DAVID began the Temple, that is called (TEMPLUM DOMINI) with us the TEMPLE of 24 Sam!! v: VI. IERUSALEM, alias the TEMPLE of the LORD. MMCCCCLXXIV. THE same King DAVID Loved MASONS and Cherished them, and gave ym Good Pay. And he gave them the Charges in manner as they were given in EGYPT, by EUCLYDE; and other Charges more, as you shall Hear after wards. AFTER the decease of King DAVID. SOLOMON sent to HIRAM King of TYRE for one who was a Cunning Workman (called HIRAM ABIF) the Son of a woma of the Line of Naptali and of Urias the Israelite. &c. SOLOMON to HIRAM the King. KNOW thou that my Father having a will to Build a 1 Kings, 7 chap. 13 verse. Temple to God. Hath been withdrawn frō the Performance thereof by the Continual warrs and Troubles he hath had; for he never took rest before he Either defeated his Enemies, or made them tributaries unto him. FOR mine own part I thank GOD for the peace which I possess; And for that, by the means thereof, I have opportunity (according to mine Own desire) to Build a Temple unto GOD; for he it is that Foretold my Father, that his House should be Builded during my Reigne, FOR which Cause, I Pray you, send me some one of yo! Skilfullest men with my Servants to the wood Libanus, to Hew down Trees in that place; for the MACEDONIANS are more Skilfull in Hewing and preparing Timber, than our People are; And I will pay the Cleavers of wood according to your Direction. HIRAM UNTO KING SOLOMON. THOU hast Cause to thank GOD; in yt he had delivered thy Father's Kingdom into thy hands; TO thee I say, who art a Man, wise & full of Vertue; for which cause, Since no news can come unto me more gracious, nor Office of Love more esteemed than this, I will accomplish all that thou requestest: for after I have caused a great quantity of Caedar & Cyprus wood to be cut down, I will send it thee by sea, by my servants; whom I will command (and furnish with Convenient Vessells of Burthen) to the end they may deliver the same in what place of thy Kingdome it shall best please thee; that afterwards, thy Subjects may Transport them to Jerusalem. YOU shall provide to furish us with CORNE, whereof we stand in need, because we Inhabit an Island. SOLOMON King David's Son to finish the TEMPLE that his Father had begun, sent for MASONS into divers Countries, and gathered them togather, so that he had Fourscore thousand Workmen that were workers of STONE, and were all named MASONS, and he chose three THOUSAD of them to be Masters & Governours of his work. AND HIRAM King of Tyre sent his servants unto SOLOMON, for he was ever a Lover of King David; And he sent Solomon Timber and workmen to help forward the Buildig of the Temple; And he sent one * first of Kings that was Named HIRAM* ABIF a widows Son of the Line VII. XIV. of Nephtali; He was a Master of Geometry, and was of all his Masons, Carvers, Ingravers and workmen, and Casters of Brass and all other Metalls that were used about the Temple. KING SOLOMON confirmed both the Charges and manners, that his Father had given to MASONS. thus was the worthy work of MASONRY Confirmed in Jerusalem, and many other Kingdoms. And he finished ye Temple Anno Mundi MMM. CURIOUS Craftsmen walked about full wide in divers Countries; some to Learn more Craft and Cunning, others to teach them that had but little Cunning. MMMCCCCXXXI *Anno Mundi AND at the Destruction* of the FIRST Temple by NEBUCHADNEZAR, after it had stood ccccxxx years. THE SECOND Temple Began in the Reign of SYRUS LXX Years after the Destruction, it being hindred; It was XLVI Years in Building and was finished in Darius his reign.* MMMDXXII IN the Reign of Ptolmie and Cleopatra, ONIAS built a Iewish Temple in Egypt, in the place Called Bubastiss, and Called after his own Name. THE Tower of Straton (alias Cæsaria)* built by HEROD in Palistine, and many other curious works of Marble, As the Temple of Cæsar Agrippa to his Memory, in the Country called Zenodoras, near to a place called Panion. HE also pulled down the second Temple, that was finished in DARIUS his reign, and appointed one Thousand Carriages to draw stone to ye place; And chose out Ten Thousand Cunning and expert workmen, to hew, and mould Stone; And One Thousand he chose out and Cloathed, and made them Masters and Rulers of the work; And built a New* Temple on the Foundation, which SOLOMON had laid, not inferior to ye first; And was finished Nine years before the birth of our SAVIOR.* *MMMDCCCCXLVII *MMMDCCCLVII. Anno Christi AFTER the birth of our Saviour, Aururiagus being King of Britain, Claudius the Emperor came over with an Army; and fearing to be overthrow, made a League with him; and gave him his Daughter in marriage; and that he should hold his Kingdom of Romans, and so the Emperor the returned. IN the Year XLIII after the birth of CHRIST, Masons came into England, and built a goodly Monastry near unto Glassenbury, with many CASTLES and TOWERS. XLIII Anno Christi CXVII THIS sumptious Art of GEOMETRY; it being profest by Emperors, Kings, Popes, Cardinals and Princes innumerable, who have all of them left us the Permanient Monuments of it in their several places of their Dominions; Nor will this I presume be denyed, when well considered, that Renowned Example the TRAJAN COLLUM; it being one of the most superb Remainders of the Romans Magnificence, to be now seen standing; And which has more Immortallized the Emperor TRAJAN, than all the PENS of Historians. it was erected to him, by the Senate and People of Rome; In memory of those Great services he had rendred the Country, and to the end, the memory of it might remain to all succeeding Ages; and continue so long as the very Empire it selfe. AND in Saint ALBANES time, the King of England Anno Christi ccc that was a Pagan, Did wall ye Town that was called Verulum; And Saint ALBAN was a worthy Knight, and Steward of the King's Houshold; and had got the Government of ye Realm, and also the Town walls, and Loved Masons well and cherished them much, and he made their Pay Right good, standing as the Realm then did; for he gave them two Shillings per week, and three pence to their Chear-For before that time through all the Land, a MASON had but a Penny a day and his meat, untill Saint ALBAN mended it. And he got them a CHARTER of ye King for to hold a Councell Yearly. and gave it the Name of an Assembly; and was thereat himselfe, and helped to make MASON, and gave them charges as yea shall have afterwards. IT happened presently after the Martyrdō of St. Alban, who is truly termed England's Proto-Martyr; that a Certan King Invaded the Land and destroyed most of the Natives by fire and sword That the SCIENCES of Masonry, was much decayed, untill the Reign of Anno Domini DXCVI. ETHELBERT King of Kent, Gregory the First Surnamed Magnus, sent into the Isle of Britaine a Monk with other Learned Men, to Preach the Christian Faith, for this Natio as yet, had not fully received it. this said Ethelbert, built a Church in Canterbury and Dedicated it to St. Peter, and St. Paul; and is supposed to have built, or restored the Church of St. Paul's in London: he also built the Church of St. Andrews in Rochester. * SIBERT King of the East Saxons by perswasions of ATHELBERT King of Kent, having received the Christain faith; built the Monastry at Westminster, to the Honour of God, and St. Peter. SIGEBERT King of the East Angles began to Erect the University of Cambridge. * Anno Domini DCXXX * DCXCXCV. ATHELSTANE began his Reign he was a Man beloved of all Men, he had great devotion towards the Churches, as appeared in the Building, adorning and Endowing of Monasterys. He built one at Wilton in the Diocess |