Presented by Nicholas J Tambures on June 22, 1983
This is a subject about which the average Brother hears more than he learns. At each Installation Meeting a "Summary of the Antient Charges and Regulations" is read out to the Master-elect and most Freemasons will have read this for themselves in the Book of Constitutions. But few read the fuller version which follows in the same book; this is, however, all that survives in present-day form of a mass of manuscripts of varying age which played a very vital part in the lives of our operative ancestors. Although parallels will be found here and there, no other medieval body, craft, religious or otherwise, is known to have possessed such documents.
No fewer than 125 copies are now known and classified (as compared with the ten only that were known in 1882) and most are available in reliable reproductions, while the original documents can be seen in the British Museum, or in the Grand Lodge or other Masonic libraries although a few remain in private hands.
The two oldest are in the British Museum; the Regius MS. is believed to have been written about 1390 and the Cooke MS. about 1410. The Grand Lodge No. 1 MS., in the possession of the Grand Lodge of England, is dated 1583; several others are ascribed to the seventeenth century and still more were written in the eighteenth century after the formation of Grand Lodge. Great attention has been paid to them by students during the past eighty years or so and, by examining in great detail the various topics, it has been possible to work out lines of descent for, as in many manuscripts, "differences" occur between copy and copy. They are essentially English or of English origin and , as Professor Doughlas Knoop was of the opinion that there was little trace of any Masonic organization in England before about 1375, it will be realized that they bring us very close to the earliest operative Craft system.
Their use will be discussed later; let us first describe them. The two old copies are in book form as are a few of the more recent ones, but many are written on skins stitched end to end in the form of a roll.The text falls into three parts; a prayer, a historical section and the charges.
THE PRAYER
First, a prayer of invocation. The following example is taken from Grand Lodge No. 1 MS of 1583:
"The mighte of the ffather of heaven and the sysedome of the glorious Soonne through the grace & the goodnes of the holly ghoste yt been three p'sons & one god be with us at or beginning, and giue us grace so to gou'ne us here in or lyuing that wee maye come to his blisse that neur shall haune ending. Amen".
THE HISTORY
The following is an abstract of the version given in the Beswicke-Royds MS. which was discovered in 1915 and is now in the possession of the Province of East Lancashire.
This version was probably written in the early part of the sixteenth century and consists of four pieces of parchment about six inches wide stitched together to form a continuous strip six feet ten inches in length.
THE LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
The historical statement opens with an account of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences. These are still referred to in connection with the Second Degree but in medieval times they formed the normal curriculum of the Universities. The place of Geometry will be realized by the following passage:
". . . The wch seaven liberall scienc's bee as it were all one science that is to say Geometry for thus may a man proue that all the scienc's in the world bee found by Geometry for it teacheth meat and measure ponderacon and weight of all maner of kynd & earth and there is no man that worketh by any craft but hee worketh by some measure 6c no man buyes or sells but by measure & weight &all is Geometry. And Craftsmen &: merchants fynd no other of the VII scienc's espetially plowe-men & tillers of graine both corne seeds vynespiants & sellers of all other fruits, for Gramr neither Astronomy nor any of these can fynd a man one measure or meat without Geometry wherefore I thinke that science most worthy that fyndeth all other."
THE TWO PILLARS
The story proper begins with Lamech and his two sons by one wife and one son and one daughter by another. These children were the founders of all Crafts in the world; 3abal of Geometry, Jubal of Music, Tubal Cain of the Smith's craft and the sister who discovered Weaving. These children knew that God would take vengeance for sin either by fire or water.
". . . wherefore they writt these sciend's wch were found in twoe pillars of Stone that they might bee found at after the flood. The one ftone was called marble that cannot burne with fire. The othr was called La teras that cannot drowne wth watr.
Our Intent is now to tell you truly howe & in waht manner these stones were found wheron these Crafts were written. The Greek Hermenes that was some vnto Cus and Cus was sonne vnto Sem who was sonne vnto Noah. This same Herenes was afterwards called Hermes the father of wise men and hee found out the twoe pillars of stone wherein the scienc's were written and taught them forth. And at the makigns of the Tower Babilon there was the Craft of masonry then first found & made much of and the kings of Babilon who was called Hembrother or Nembroth was a mason and loved well the Craft as it is said with the Mr of the stories."
Here we have the original legend of the Phillasrs, not those with which we are familiar today but two others erected by the inhabitants of the ancient world to carry over the knowledge of mankind over an impending destruction which proved to be Noah's flood. Of all our traditions this has the longest pedigree for it was taken by the compiler of the early version from Higden's Polychronicon, a world history written by Ranulf Higden, a monk of Chester, who died about 1364. Higden copied from Josephus who is turn took it from the Greek historian, Berosus, who wrote about 300 B.C. and is believed to have copied from the Sumerian account of about 1500 B. C.
The first Charge was given by the King of Babylon to a party of sixty Masons sent to assist in the building of the city of Nineveh. We then pass to the removal of Abraham and Sarah into Egypt where the partriarchs taught the seven sciences to the Egyptians, a worthy scholar being Euclid.
". . . And it befell in his dayes that the lords and states of this Realme had so many sonnes taht they had begotten some by their wyues and some by ladies of the realme, for that land is an hott land & plenteous generacon and they had no Competent living for their children wherefore they made much sorrowe And the kinge of that land called a great Counsell & a pliamt to knowe how they might fynd there children measnes and they could fynd no good wayes. Then hee caused a cry to bee made throughout the Realme That if there were any man that could informe him that hee should come vnto him and hee should bee well rewarded and hould himselfe well paid. And after this Crye was made, this worthy Clarke Euclid came and said to the kinge and all his great Lords if you will haue yor children governed & taught honestly as gentlemen should bee vnder Condison that you will grant them & mee a Comifsion that I may haue power to rule them honestly as those scienc's ought to bee ruled. And the kinge with his Counsell granted them & sealed that Comifsion and then the worthy docter tooke the Lords sonnes and taught them the science of Geometry in practice to worke masonry and all manner of worthy workes taht belonged to building of Castles & all maner of Courts Temples Churchs with all other buildings & hee bee true unto the kinge and vnto the lord they serued and that they should loue well together and bee true one to anothr and that they should call one & other fellowes & not servant or knaue nor other foule names and that they should truly serue for their paymt the lord they serued".
BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
The next major episode is the building of the Temple.
". . . Longe after the Children of Israel came into the land of Behest wch nowe is called amonst vs is called Jerusalem kinge Dauid began the temple of Jerusalem called with them Templu1 Domini And the same kinge Dauid loued Masons well & cherished them and gaue them paymt And hee gaue them charges as you shall here afterwards. And after the decease of Kinge Dauid Solomon that was sonne vnto Dauid pformed out the Temple his father had begun and hee sent after Masons into dyvers lands and gathered them together so that hee had houre score thoufand workers of stone and they were named Masons and hee had three thoufand of them wch were ordeyned maisters & governors of that worke. And there was a kinge of another Region that men called Hyram and hee loved well kinge Solomon & gaue him timber for his worke and hee had a Sonne that was named Aynon and hee was mr of Geometry and hee was chiefe mr of all his masons and mr of all his Graveinge works & of all othr masons that belonged to the Temple and this witnefseth the Byble in libro Regn IIII capite VII. And this sonne Solomon confirmed both charges & manners wch his father had given to Masons and thus was the worthy craft of masons confirmed in the Cuntry of Jerusalem and in many othr kingdomes glorious craftmen walkinge abrode into dyuers Cuntryes some because of learninge more craft & other sonne to teach their craft."
NAYMUS GRAECUS
The reference above to the son of King Hiram "named Aynon" is interesting. This person is introduced in various guises in the different versions of the Old Charges. Another curious name follows in the next section, Naymus Graecus, the man with the Greek name, probably a reference to Pythagoras. Charles Martell, who is also referred to, is Charlemagne (throughout this history anachronism must be overlooked).
". . . And so it befell yt a curious mason named Naymus Graecus who had beene at the makinge of Solomons Temple came into France & there taught the Craft of masonry to the men of France. And then there was one of the royall blood of France called Charles Martell & hee loued well this Craft and hee drewe to him this Naymus Graecus & learned of him the Craft & tooke upon him the Charges & manners & afterwards by the grace of God hee was elected kinge of France & when hee was in his state hee tooke to him many masons and made mafons there that were none before and sett them on worke & gaue them charges &. manners & good paymt wch hee had learned of other masons & hee confirmed them a Charter from yeare to yeare to hould an afsembly & thus came the Craft of masonry into France."
ST. ALBAN
There immediately follows the story of the introduction of Masonry into England with an account of the fixing of the rate of pay. This is regarded by many authorities as confirmative of the theory that the original traditional history was devised shortly after the Black Death with its economic upheaval.
". . . England all this season stood void both of any charge & Masonry vntill the tyme of St. Albon and in his tyme the kings of England yt was a pagan and hee walled the Towne wch is nowe called St. Albons and so in Albons tyme a worthy knight was chiefe steeward to the kinge & had goumt of the Realme & alfo of makinge the towne walls and hee loued masons well & cherished them & made their paymt right good standinge wages as the Realme did require for hee gaue them euery three weeks Ill's Vid their double wages whereas -before that tyme through all the whole land a mason tooke but a peny a day till the tyme that St. Albon mended it and gott them a charter of the kinge and his Counsell and gaue it the name of an Afsembly & was thereat himselfe & made masons & gaue them charges as you shall here hereaftr."
THE ASSEMBLY AT YORK
There followed a period of inactivity until the time of King Athelstan and here we find an account of the alleged Assembly at York around which a Masonic legend persisted for many centuries.
". . . and he had a sonne that was named Hedwine and hee loued masons much more than his father for hee was full of the practice of Geometry wherefore hee draws himselfe to commune with masons & to learne of them the Craft and afterwards for loue hee had to masons & the craft hee was made mason himselfe & hee fott of his father the kinge a Charter & a Comifsion to hould euer yeare an Afsembly where they would within the realme and to within themselues by statute Trespafses if they were done within the Craft. And hee held himselfe an afsembly at york & there hee made masons & gaue them charges and taught them the manners of masons and commanded that Rule to bee houlden euer after and to him he betooke the Charter & Comifsion to keepe & ordeyned That it should bee ruled from Kinge to Kinge. When the Afsembly was gathered together hee caufsed a Cry to bee made that all masons both ould & yonge That had any writings or vnderstanding of the Charges that were made before either in this land or any othr that they should shewe them forth and there was some in french some in Greeke & some in Englishe and some in othr langages and the intent thereof was found, and thereof hee commanded a booke to bee made, how the Craft was first found & made, and Commanded that it should bee read & tould when any mafon should bee made & to giue them the charge and from tyme till this masonry hath beene kept in that forme and order as well as men might Gouerne the same. And furthermore at dyvers afsemblies hath beene putt to and added certaine charges more by the best aduice of maisters & fellowes".
This ends the historical statement and, at this point in several versions, we find an instruction to take an obligation on the Volume of the Sacred Law. In the Haddon MS. of 1723, this instruction is interposed in Latin:
"Tune unus ex Senioribus teneat Librum, ut illi vel ponat, vel ponat manus super Librum et tune praecipta deberunt legi."
THE CHARGES
The Charges differ widely from the general character of Gild ordinance and, while some set out regulations for the conduct of the work, others may be described as general rules of behaviour. Internal evidence shows that the Charges in the Cooke MS. of about 1410 were taken from an earlier original version than the Regius MS. of about 1390 and again the evidence points to the middle of the fourteenth century.
Here are the Charges as set forth in the Beswicke-Royds MS:
Euery man that is a mason take heed right well of this charge if you fynd your selfe guilty of any of these that you may amend you againe espetially you that are to bee charged take good heed that you may keepe this Charge for it is a great prill for a man to forsweare himselfe vpon a Booke.
These bee the Charges in Gen'all wch euery mason should hould both maisters & fellowes. Now followe other Charges in peticuler for maisters & fellowes.
These charges that are here rehearsed and all other that belonge to masonry you shall truly keepe to the vttermost of yur knowledge, So helpe you God and by the Contents of this Book.
The English character of the Charges is indicated by the fact that in the Scottish version we find the craftsmen pledging obedience to the King of England, a very curious provision before the Union of the two countries.
USE OF THE OLD CHARGES
We have now described very briefly the general form of the Old Charges. What were their uses?
We gather from the historical portion that Prince Edwin, son of Athelstan, collected the writings and understandings of the Craft at his Assembly at York. It is doubtful whether this history was ever read or recited in full but the possession of a copy seems to have served very much the same purpose as a Lodge Warrant today. This is borne out in the Sloane 3848 MS. to the effect that it was finished by Edward Sankey on the 16th day of October, 1646. This was the day on which Elias Ashmole was initiated at Warrington, the earliest recorded initiation in an English Lodge. Richard Sankey was one of the members and it is almost certain that the documents were prepared for use on that occasion. There is a note on the Scarborough MS. of a meeting at Scarborough in 1705 when six gentlemen were admitted.
The last section .... the Charges, general and particular.... poses some interesting questions. They are of different classes. How came they to be included?
They reveal a mixture of what we may call the operative and the speculative sides. About a score contain an Apprentice Charge of a definitely operative character. Of these, some, mainly, though not exclusively, associated with the latter part of the pre-Grand Lodge era, contain New Articles of a speculative character, and other copies refer to Masonic secrets.
It is a curious fact that these documents contain no mention of the use of a Mason's Mark, a very essential feature of operative life which comes into full prominence in Scottish records.
There was a ritual side. Two distinguished Brethren, the late E. I. Hawkins and the late R. H. Baxter, devoted much time to analyzing and identifying passages which have now passed into the ritual or may have inspired it. One small group of these old manuscripts goes so far as to describe the ceremonial at the conferment of secrets. These were written in the latter part of the sixteenth and early part of the seventeenth century and link up with another type of document which is more closely associated with speculative Freemasonry.
Here are a few examples from versions of the Old Charges. They were selected by R. H. Baxter.
BUCHANAN MS. (Second half seventeenth century.)
"These Charges that you have Received you shall well and truly keepe, not discloseing the Secrecy of our lodge to man, woman, nor child, stick nor stone, thing moueable nor immoueable, so God you helpe and his holy Doome. Amen."
HARRIS MS., No. 1 {Second half seventeenth century.)
"These Charges wch wee now rehearse to you and all other the Charges, Secrets and Myste ries belonging to Free-Maosnry, you shall faithfully and truly keep together with the Council of this lodge or Chamber. You shall not for any Gift, Bribe or Reward, favour or affection, directly or Indirectly, for any Cause whatsoever divulge or disclose to either Father or Mother, Sister or Brother, Wife, Child, friend, Relation or Stranger, or any other person whatsoever. So help you God your Holydoom and the Contents of this Book."
HARLEIAN MS., No. 1942 (Second half seventeenth century.)
"I.A: B: Doe in the presence of Almighty God and my fellowes and Brethren here present, promise and declare that I will not at any time, hereafter, by any Act, or Circumstances whatsoever, Directly or Indirectly, Publish, discover, reveale or make knowne any of the secrets privilidges, or Councells of the ffraternity or fellowship of free masonry, which at this time, or any time herafter shall bee made knowne vnto mee, soe helpe me God and they holy contents of this booke."
DOMFRIES-KILWINNING MS., No. 4 (First half eighteenth century.)
"The charges we now w Rehearse to you wt. all other charges and secrets otherways belonging to free masons or any that enter their interest for curiocitie together wt. the counsels of this holy ludge chamber or hall you shall not for any gift bribe or Reward favour of affection directly or indirectly nor for any case qt. soever devulge disclose ye same to either father or mother sister or brother or children or stranger or any person qt. soever, so help you God."You yt. are under vouees take hee yt. you keep ye ath and promise you made in presence of allmighty God think not yt. a mental reservation or equivocation will serve for to be sure every word you speak the whole time of you Admission is ane oath."
The Working Tools are suggested by the Melrose No. 2 MS. (1674). "..... and he ought not to let you know the priviledge of ye compass, Square, levell and ye plumrule."
There is an interesting endorsement of the Grand Lodge No. 1 MS. which, as we have already mentioned, is dated 1583. The addition was probably made about a couple of centuries later but is very suggestive of early Royal Arch Freemasonry:
"In the beginning was the Word, And the Word was with God, And the Word was God. Whose Sacred and universal law I shall endeavour to observe So help me God."
The original Grand Lodge of England underlined the importance of the Old Charges when in 1719 they requested the Craft to bring in old records.
The first Book of Constitutions published in 1723 is claimed by its author, Dr. James Anderson, to contain a digest of the old Records. We may here mention that two copies of the Cooke MS. (the Woodford MS. and the Supreme Council MS.) were made in 1728. The former bears the endorsement:
"This is a very Ancient Record of Masonry wch was copyed for me by Wm. Reid Secretary to the Grand Lodge 1718."
It is a curious fact that, despite this display of official interest, the study of the Old Charges did not seriously begin for more than a century and was then inspired by a non-Mason who drew public attention to the long-overlooked document now known as the Regius MS. The first analysis into what we know today as "families", enabling lines of descent of groups of these documents to be ascertained and studied, was undertaken by a German, Dr. Bergemann, and was continued and developed in this country by those two giants of Masonic research, W. J. Hughan and R. F. Gould. The two great experts of this century, so far, have been the late Douglas Knoop and the late Reverend Herbert Poole. As has already been mentioned, the majority of these Old Charges are available for study in facsimile or reliable transcript.