THE OLD CHARGES OF BRITISH FREEMASOXS.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
"
Apprentices to keep their maj-ster conwsel iii chamber and yn loggc."
" No mon to
"
have the same lawe."
liys craft be false," and apprentices to
Masons to accept their pay meekly from the master, and not to strive,
But
to seek in all
"
that they stonde wel yn Goddes lawe."
"
Respect the chastity of his master's wife, and liis felows concubyne."
" To his
Be a true mediator
mayster and felows fre," and act fairly to all.
ways
"
pay well, and truly To mon or to wommon, whether he be."
Disobedient masons dealt with l)y the Assembly, the Law, and forswear the craft.
As steward
9.
1 0.
11.
Masons
12.
The
"
13.
to
to help one another
decisions of the
instructing those deficient in knowledge
by
Assembly
to be respected, or
imprisonment
may
and
skill.
follow.
schal swere never to be no thef," and never to succour any of " fals craft."
true " to hys lyge Lord the Kynge," and be sworn to keep all these points.'
He
14.
Be
15.
There
83
"
"
And
obey the Assembly on pain of having to forsake the
no mention whatever of the City of York
and be imprisoned.
craft,
the place for
tlie holding of the
assemblies being evidently left to the decision of the members in attendance at the annual
"
meetings, one reason given why every IMayster, most ben at the generale congregacyon,"
"
being that he may know where the next semble schal be holde." Prominence is given to the
is
;
"
"
take here
power of the Sheriff to
putte yn duppe prison," contumacious members, and
"
"
and here cattelle
that officer for the county, also
the Meyr of that syte, where the
goodes
;
convened, and knights, squires, and other aldermen," having the privilege
assembly
as well as the master and fellows more immediately concerned.
is
"COOKE"
(E)
The expression
of thankfulness
historical narration in No. 2, differs
as
Mr
to
MS.
God our
(No. 2).
Glorious
Fader," which introduces the
somewhat from the extract which
much
Norton,^ has pointed out, so
"
indeed, as to lead
so,
to attend,
is
given by Halliwell,
some readers
to suppose that
the excerpt was taken from an entirely distinct i\IS.
As the phraseology of No. 2, however,
more closely resembles it than that of any other existing version, and as it is scarcely possible
"
"
any MS. Constitution has disappeared since the publication of the first edition of Mr
Halliwell's work in 1840, we may fairly assume that the quotation is given by that well-known
antiquary without the exercise of his usual care and exactitude. We shall see as we proceed
that
much more
like the ordinary j\ISS. than its senior, and hence will be found ' to
contain nearly all the legend of the usual " Charges," as in No. 15, though not always in quite
that No. 2
is
such an orderly fashion, for at line 644, the historical introduction
Euclid and other celebrities.*
'
"
And
alle
luf,
ben they loght,
alle these
poyntcs hyr byfore,
That hath ben ordeynt by ful good
—Lines
^
" 'God alone
is
gracious
begun anew respecting
schul swere the same ogth
Of the Masomis, ben they
To
is
and powerful
!
Thanks be
"
lore.
437-440.
to our gracious God, Father of
things that in them are, that he has vouchsafed to give power unto men.'
"
constitutions of Masonry
(Halliwell, p. 7; t-i'