THE OLD CHARGES OF BRITISH FREEMASONS.
8i
view, by the compilatiou of his history, whilst ou the other hand he would as naturally
reject whatever might tend to unduly exalt the memory of any patron of the masons, however
ill
whose conduct had been regarded with disfavour by the highest authorities
illustrious,
of
cannot, therefore, be maintained that the legendary history preserved by
the Freemasons of the sixteenth century and later, contained many statements not to be
the Church.
It
found in those of an earlier period, simply ou the ground of their omission in the Halliwell'
Xot that I deprecate criticism of these two MSS., but I think it has
been shown that our attention should be principally directed to what is, rather than what
and Cooke MSS.
it is quite evident that although what I venture to
"
"
the forms of which the
Buchanan (15) presents a
propei
are of more modern transcription, they represent, in the opinion of
typical illustration
experts, originals of higher antiquity than can be claimed for either of the two senior
is
not said, the
term the
"
more especially since
—
"
Old Charges
—
i.e.,
versions or adaptations of the masonic constitutions.
The poem begins without an invocation to the Deity, though, as already stated, it is not deficient in religious sentiment.
It commences the legendary history with an account of Euclid's notable expedient for the
utilisation
craft
of a superabundant population,
com ynto Englond
.
.
.
Yn tyme
and then by a rapid
of good
transition, declares
Kynge Adelstonus day,"^
"
Thys
who "loved
thys craft ful wel," and sought to correct divers faults by holding an assembly of dukes,
"
alle yn here degi'(5," but it is far from being as complete
earls, barons, knights, squires, etc.,
in its traditions as the
"
Constitutions
Of King Athelstan we
"
are told that
"
of a later period.
—
He sende aboute ynto the londe
After alle tbe masonus of the crafte,
A semble
Of dyvers
Dukys,
thenne be cowthe^
yn
lordis,
erlys,
here
and barnes
let
make
state,
also,
Knychtbys, sqwyers, and mony mo,
And
the grete burges of that syte,
ther alle yn here degre
They were
;
Fyftene artyculus they ther sowchton,
And fyftene poyntys ther they wrochton."
After the recital of these thirty rules comes the "Ars quatuor coronatorum," and the
"
we now to God almyght, and to hys moder Mary bryght;" a departure
Pray
from the ordinary invocations which introduces one of the specialities of this MS.
" That we mowe
keepe these artyculus here,
injunction,
And
these poynts wel al y-fere,
As dede
'
It is the
accepted as a
"
Halliwell
groundwork
"
these holy martyres fowre,
That
*
thys craft were of gret honoure."
)Ti
now
MS., and not the Harleian, as cited by Fort (p. 170), which contains the instructions
as applied to Masters (lines 45, 46), and it also acknowledges
"WorshipM"
for the title
the grade or rank of Master-Mason {Mayster Mason).
" "
Geometry is found in the Anglo-Saxon lists of sciences.
of
King Athelstan the honour of the
first
under the Anglo-Saxons, by Thomas "Wright, M.A., F.S.A.,
^
Cowthe, could, was able.
^
The legend
of the
"
.
.
introduction of Euclid's Elements
Holy Martyres Foure
"
p. 83,
Tradition, in after times, gave to the reign
.
"
(Essay on the State of Literature and Learning
London, 1839).
will he fully given in a later portion of this work.
L