ethe, and the treu way of techynge the same. Whatt odher menne doethe ffynde out, ys onelyche bey chaunce, and herfore but lytel I tro.

Quest. Whatt dothe the Maconnes concele, and hyde?

Answ. Thay concelethe the arte of ffyndynge neue artes, and thattys for here owne proffytte, and preise: Thay concelethe the arte of kepynge secrettes, thatt soe the worlde mayeth nothinge concele from them. Thay concelethe the arte of wunderwerckynge, and of fore sayinge thynges to comme, thatt so thay same artes may not be usedde of the wyckedde to an euylle ende; thay also conceuethe the arte of chaunges, the wey of wynnynge the facultye of Abrac,† the skylle of becommynge gude and parfyghte wythouten the holpynges of fere, and hope; and the universelle‡ longage of Maconnes

Quest. Wylle he teche me thay same artes?

Answ. Ye shalle be techedde yff ye be werthye, and able to lerne.

Quest. Dothe alle Maconnes kunne more then odher menne?

Answ. Not so. Thay onlyche haueth recht, and occasyonne more then odher menne to kunne, butt manye doeth fale yn capacitye, and manye more doth want industrye, that ys pernecessarye for the gaynynge all kunnynge.

Quest. Are Maconnes gudder menne then odhers?

Answ. Some Maconnes are nott so vertuous as some odher menne; but yn the moste parte, thay be more gude then thay woulde be yf thay war not Maconnes.

Quest. Doth Maconnes love eidther odher myghtylye as beeth sayde?

The transmutation of metals.

† Facultye of Abrac.

An abbreviation of the word Abracadabra. In the days of Ignorance and Superstition, that word had a magical signification; but the explanation of it is now lost.

The being able by secret and inviolable signs, carefully preserved among the Fraternity throughout the world, to express themselves intelligibly to men of all languages and nations. "A man who has all these arts and advantages, is certainly in a condition to be envied: But we are told, that this is not the case with all Masons; for though these arts are among them, and all have a right and an opportunity to know them, yet some want capacity, and others industry to acquire them. However, of all their arts, and secrets, that which I most desire to know, is, The skylle of becommynge gude and parfyghte; and I wish it were communicated to all mankind, since there is nothing more true than the beautiful sentence contained in the last answer, "that the better men are, the more they love one another." Virtue having in itself something so amiable as to charm the hearts of all that behold it."

Answ. Yea verylyche, and yt may not odherwyse be: For gude menne, and true, kennynge eidher odher to be soche, doeth always love the more as thay be more gudc.

Here endethe the Questyonnes and Awnsweres.*

A letter from Mr. Locke to the Right Honorable Thomas Earl of Pembroke, to whom he sent this ancient manuscript, concludes as follows, viz: "I know not what effect the sight of this old paper may have upon your Lordship; but for my own part I cannot deny, that it has so much raised my curiosity, as to induce me to enter myself into the Fraternity; which I am determined to do (if I may be admitted) the next time I go to London, (and that will be shortly.) I am, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient, and most humble servant,

JOHN LOCKE."

* Glossary, to explain the Old Words in the foregoing

Manuscript.

VII.

Ancient Charges at the Constituting of a Lodge: Extracted from a Manuscript, in the possession of the Lodge of Antiquity in London, written in the time of James the Second.

****And furthermore, at diverse assemblies have been put and ordained diverse crafties by the best advise of magistrates and Fellows. Tunc unus ex senioribus tenet, librum, et illi ponent manum suam super librum.

"Every man that is a Mason take good heed to these charges (we pray) that if any man find himselfe guilty of any of these charges, that he may amend himselfe, or principally for dread of God, you that be charged to take good heed that you keepe all these charges well, for it is a great evill for a man to forswear himselfe upon a book.

"The first charge is, That yee shall be true men to God and the holy church, and to use no error or heresie by your understanding and by wise men's teaching. Allso,

"Secondly, That yee shall be true liege men to the King of England, without treason or any falshood, and that yee know no treason or treachery, but yee shall give knowledge thereof to the King or to his counsell; allso yee shall be true one to another, that is to say, every Mason of the Craft that is Mason allowed, yee shall doe to him as yee would be done unto yourselfe.

"Thirdly, And yee shall keepe truly all the counsell that ought to be kept in the way of Masonhood, and all the counsell of the Lodge or of the chamber. Allso, that yee shall be no thiefe nor thieves to your knowledge free: That yee shall be true to the King, Lord, or Master that yee serve, and truely to see and worke for his advantage.

"Fourthly, Yee shall call all Masons your Fellows, or your Brethren, and no other names.

"Fifthly, Yee shall not take your Fellow's wife in villany, nor deflower his daughter or servant, nor put him to no disworship.

"Sixthly, Yee shall truely pay for your meat or drinke wheresoever yee goe, to table or bord. Also, yee shall doe no villany there, whereby the Craft or Science may be slandered.

"These be the charges general to every true Mason, both Masters and Fellowes.

"Now will I rehearse other charges single for Masons allowed or accepted.

"First, That no Mason take on him no Lord's worke, nor any other man's, unlesse he know himselfe well able to perform the worke, so that the Craft have no slander.

"Secondly, Allso, that no Master take worke but that he take reasonable pay for itt; so that the Lord may be truly served, and the Master to live honestly, and to pay his Fellows truely. And that no Master or Fellow supplant others of their worke; that is to say, that if he hath taken a worke, or else stand Master of any worke, that he shall not put him out, unless he be unable of cunning to make an end of his worke. And no Master nor Fellow shall take no apprintice for less than seaven yeares. And that the apprintice be free born, and of limbs whole as a man ought to be, and no bastard. And that no Master or Fellow take no allowance to be made Mason without the assent of his Fellows, at the least six or seaven.

"Thirdly, That he that be made be able in all degrees; that is, free born, of a good Kindred, true, and no bondsman, and that he have his right limbs, as a man ought to have.

"Fouthly, That a Master take no apprintice without he have occupation to occupy two or three Fellows at the least

"Fifthly, That no Master or Fellow put away any Lord's worke to taske that ought to be journey worke.

"Sixthly, That every Master give pay to his fellows and servants as they may deserve, soe that he be not defamed with false workeing: And that none slander another behind his backe, to make him loose his good name.

"Seaventhly, That no Fellow in the house or abroad answear another ungodly or reproveably without a cause.

"Eighthly, That every Master Mason doe reverence his elder; and that a Mason be no common plaier at the cards, dice, or hazzard, nor at any other unlawfull plaies, through the which the science and Craft may be dishonoured or slandered.

"Ninthly, That no Fellow goe into the town by night, except he have a Fellow with him, who may beare him record that he was in an honest place.

Tenthly, That every Master and Fellow shall come to the assemblie, if itt be within fifty miles of him, if he have any warning. And if he have trespassed against the Craft, to abide the award of Masters and Fellows.

"Eleventhly, That every Master Mason and Fellow that hath trespassed against the Craft shall stand to the correction of other Masters and Fellows to make him accord, and if they cannot accord, to go to the common law.

"Twelvethly, That a Master or Fellow make not a mould stone, square, nor rule, to no lowen, nor let no lowen worke within their Lodge, nor without to mould stone.

"Thirteenthly, That every Mason receive and cherish strange Fellowes when they come over the countrie, and set them on worke if they will worke, as the manner is; that is to say, if the Mason have any mould stone in his place, he shall give him a mould stone, and sett him on worke; and if he have none, the Mason shall refresh him with money unto the next Lodge.

"Fourteenthly, That every Mason shall truely serve his Master for his pay.

"Fifteenthly, That every Master shall truely make an end of his worke, taske or journey whethersoe it be.

"These be all the charges and covenants that ought to be read at the installment of Master, or makeing of a Free Mason or Free Masons. The Almighty God of Jacob who ever have you and me in his keeping, bless us now and Amen."

ever.

VIII.

Extract from the Diary of Elias Ashmole, a learned Antiquary.

"I was made a Free Mason at Warrington, Lancashire, with Colonel Henry Mainwaring, of Kerthingham, in Cheshire, by Mr. Richard Penket, the Warden, and the Fellow Crafts (all of whom are specified) on 16th October,

1646."

In another place of his Diary, he says,

"On March the 10th, 1682, about 5 hor. post merid. I received a summons to appear at a Lodge to be held the next day at Masons' Hall in London. March 11, accordingly I went, and about noon were admitted into the fellowship of Free Masons, Sir William Wilson, Knt. Capt. Richard Borthwick, Mr. William Woodman, Mr. William Gray, Mr. Samuel Taylour, and Mr. William Wise. I was the senior Fellow among them, it being thirty-five years since