ANTIQUITIES:

CONSISTING OF A NUMBER OF EXTRACTS FROM OLD MANUSCRIPTS AND RECORDS IN ENGLAND.

No. I.

An old manuscript, which was destroyed with many others in 1720, said to have been in the possession of Nicholas Stone, a curious sculptor under Inigo Jones, contains the following particulars :

"St. Albans loved Masons well, and cherished them much, and made their pay right good; for he gave them 2 shillings per week, and 3d. to their cheer; whereas, before that time, in all the land, a Mason had but a penny a day, and his meat, until St. Albans mended itt, and he gott them a charter from the King and his counsell for to hold a general counsell, and gave it the name of assemblie. Thereat he was himselfe, and did helpe to make masons, them good charges."

No. II.

and gave

A record of the society, written in the reign of Edward IV., formerly in possession of the famous Elias Ashmole, the founder of the Museum at Oxford, England.

Though the ancient records of the Brotherhood in England were many of them destroyed or lost in the wars of the Saxons and Danes, yet King Athelstane, (the grandson of King Alfred the Great, a mighty architect,) the first anointed King of England, and who translated the Sacred Scriptures into the Saxon tongue, (A. D. 930,) when he

had brought the land into rest and peace, built many great works, and encouraged many Masons from France, who were appointed overseers thereof, and brought with them the charges and regulations of the lodges, preserved since the Roman times; who also prevailed with the king to improve the constitution of the English lodges according to the foreign model, and to increase the wages of working Masons.

The said king's brother, Prince Edwin, being taught Masonry, and taking upon him the charges of a Master Mason, for the love he had to the said craft, and the honourable principles whereon it is grounded, purchased a free charter of King Athelstane, for the Masons having a correction among themselves (as it was anciently expressed,) or a freedom and power to regulate themselves, to amend what might happen amiss, and to hold a yearly communication and general assembly.

Accordingly, Prince Edward summoned all the Masons in the realm to meet him in a congregation at York,* who came and composed a general Lodge, of which he was Grand Master; and having brought with him all the writ ings and records extant, some in Greek, some in Latin, some in French, and other languages, from the contents thereof the assembly did frame the constitution and charges of the ancient English Lodge; they made a law to preserve and observe the same in all time coming, and ordained good pay for working masons, &c. And he made a book thereof, how the craft was founded: and he himself ordered and commanded that it should be read, and told when any Mason should be made, and for to give him his charges. And from that day until this time, manners of Masons have been kept in that form, as well as men might govern.

"Furthermore, however, at diverse assemblies certain

* Hence the origin of Ancient York Masonry.

charges have been made and ordained by the best advice of of Masters and fellowes, as the exigencies of the craft made necessarie."

No. III.

In the reign of King Edward the Third, when Lodges were more frequent, the Right worshipful the Master and fellows, with the consent of the lords of the realm, (for most great men were then masons) ordained as follows:

"That for the future, at the making or admission of a Brother, the constitution and the ancient charges should be read by the Master or Wardens.*

"That such as were to be admitted Master Masons, or Masters of the Work, should be examined whether they be able to serve their respective Lords, as well the lowest as the highest, to the honour and worship of the aforesaid art, and to the profit of their Lord or Master, for they be their Lords or Masters that employ and pay them for their service and travel.

The following particulars are also contained in a very old manuscript, of which a copy was in the possession of the Right Worshipful George Payne, Grand Master, in 1718.

No. IV.

That when the Master and Wardens meet in a Lodge, if need be, the sheriff of the county, or the mayor of the city, or alderman of the town, in which the congregation is held, should be made fellow and sociate to the Master, in help of him against rebels, and for upbearing the rights of the realm.

That entered prentices, at their making, were charged not to be thieves, or thieves' maintainers; that they should travel honestly for their pay, and love their fellowes as

* This good rule ought to be always enforced.

themselves, be true to the King of England, to the realm, and to the Lodge.

That as such congregations it shall be enquired, whether any Master or fellow has broken any of the articles agreed to; and if the offender, being duly cited to appear, prove rebel, and will not attend, then the Lodge shall determine against him, that he shall forswear (or renounce) his Masonry, and shall no more use this Craft, the which if he presume for to do, the sheriff of the county shall prison him, and shall take all his goods into the king's hands, untill his grace be granted him and issued. For this cause principally have these congregations been ordained, that as well the lowest as the highest should be well and truly served in the aforesaid art, throughout all the Kingdom of England.

No. V.

The Latin register of William Molart, Prior of Canterbury, in manuscript paper 88, dated 1429, informs us, that in the year 1429, during the minority of Henry the Sixth, a respectable Lodge was held at Canterbury, under the patronage of Henry Chichely, the Archbishop, at which were present Thomas Stapylton, the Master, John Morris, Custos de la Lodge Lathomorum, or Warden of the Lodge of Masons, with fifteen fellow crafts, and three entered apprentices, all of whom are particularly named.

A record of the same period says:

The Company of Masons, being otherwise termed Free Masons, of auntient staunding, and gude reckoninge, by means of affable and kind meetings dyverse tymes, and as a loving brotherhood used to do, did frequent this mutual assembly in the time of Henry the 4th in the 12th year of his reign A. D. 1434.*

* Extract of Stowe's Survey, chap. v. p. 215.

The same record in another part says:

That the charges and laws of the Free Masons have been seen and perused by our late sovereign, King Henry the 6th, and by the lords of his most honourable council, who have allowed them and declared, that they be right good and reasonable to be holden, as they have been drawn out and collected from the records of auntient tymes, &c. &c.

No. VI.

ANCIENT CHARGES.

Ye shall be true to the King, and the master you serve, and to the fellowship whereof you are admitted. Ye shall be true to and love eidher odher. Ye shall call eidher odher Brother or fellow, not slave, nor any unkind name.

Ye shall ordain the wisest to be master of the work; and neither for love nor lineage, riches nor favour, set one over the work who hath but little knowledge; whereby the master would be evil served, and ye ashamed, and also ye shall call the governour of the work master in the time of working with him; and ye shall truly deserve your reward of the master ye serve.

All the Freres* shall treat the peculiarities of eidher odher with the gentleness, decencie, and forbearance he thinks due to his own.

Ye shall have a reasonable pay, and live honestly.

Once a year ye are to come and assemble together, to consult how ye may best work to serve the craft, and to your own profit and credit.

No. VII.

A manuscript copy of an examination of some of the Brotherhood, taken before King Henry the 6th, was found

* Freres. French, signifying Brethren.