THE OLD CHARGES OF BRITISH FREEMASONS.
74
he caused them to assemble at York,
manners, and obtained for them of his father a free-Charter. Whereupon
such charges and manners, as they then
and to bring all the old Books of their craft, and out of them ordained
or Parchment volum, are in part declared ; and thus was the
thought fit which charges on the said Schrole
and confirmed in England. It is also there declared that these charges and manners
craft of masonry grounded
this right
were after perused and approved by King Hen. 6. and his council, both as to Masters and Fellows of
" Schrole of
It is impossible to decide as to the date of the
parchment," so I have inserted
Worshipfull craft."
the latest estimate that can be fixed, and simply remark at present that no existing MS. agrees exactly witli
;
these references or extracts from the
"
parchment volum."
41.
The
extract
"Hargrove."
*17tli Century.
from a MS. not now known, and which was
said to be at
York
a.d. 1818, in Hargrove's History
which reason Hughan, in his
any
"
" Old
a portion of the quotation, the remainder being, And when this Assembly was gathered
Charges," gives
both old and young, that had any writeinge or understanding of the
together, they made a cry, that all masons,
of that city,' does not agree with
existing MS., either at
York
or elsewhere, for
that they should bring them forth ; and when they
charges that were before in the land, or in any other land
there was found some in French, some in Greek, some in English, and some in
were secured and examined,
other languages and he commanded a booke thereof to be made, and that it should be read and told when any
Mason should be made and to give his charge ; and from that time to this. Masons have kept and observed
;
this form."
Grand Lodge, when this work was written, was Mr Blanchard,
The author (Hargrove) states :— " About the year 1787, the meetings of
this (Grand) Lodge were discontinued, and the only member now remaining is Mr Blanchard, to whom the
He was a member many years, and being 'Grand Secretary,'
writer is indebted for information on the subject.
The only
living
proprietor of the
"
member
of the extinct
York Chronicle."
^
In the extract the " Royal
the books and jjapers which belonged to the Lodge are still in his possession."
"
"
"
Edwin is spoken of as a Great Protector for the craft, and it is also recorded that " When the ancient
all
Mysterie of Masonrie had been depressed in England by reason of great warrs, through diverse nations, then
of the
Athelston, our worthye king, did bring the land to rest and peace." In some respects the language
"
extract agrees more nearly with the quotation from an old MS. noted in Dr Anderson's
Constitutions," than
with any of the existing
texts.
No. 38.
42. See Ante.
43.
"Masons' Co."
*1 7th Century.
In the " Edinburgh Review," 1839,3 jg jm interesting article by Sir Francis Palgrave, wherein mention is
made of an inventory of the contents of the chest of the London (Masons') Company, " which not very long since
contained
{i.e.,
shortly before 1839), a
an 113 annals of the antiquity,
rise,
Book wrote on parchment, and bound
and progress
of the art
or sticht in parchment, containing
and mystery of Masonry."
44. (MS. 11) "Egberts."
*17tli Century.
The library of the late Mr Richard Spencer contained several rare masonic works, some being unique copies.
"
"
was published in 1722 at the moderate price of sixpence.* How many the
No. 240 at the Spencer-Sale
"
edition consisted of (hundreds or thousands) I cannot say, but in the catalogue it is described as unique, the
>
s
*
finest
Hargrove's History of the Ancient City of York, 1818, vol. ii., pp. 475-480.
Sir F. Palgrave adds: "But this document
Vol. Ixix., April 1839, p. 103.
The only copy known was purchased at
Masonic
^
is
now not
Ibid., p.
476
(see
No.
15).
to be found."
on behalf of Mr R. F. Bower, of Keokuk, Iowa, who has one of the
some thousands of volumes of books, pamphlets, MSS., and medals.
this sale
libraries in the world, consisting of
The valuable works and MSS. at the sale were mainly divided by comiietition
price paid for it was £8, 10s.
between him and his friend Mr Carson, the eminent Masonic bibliographer.
The