Briscoe's Ms.—Printed A.D. 1724-5.

BRISCOE'S MS . —PRINTED A . D . 1724-5 .

] 7 ^ ABLY last century there were several transcripts of li old MSS . published , notably those of Cole , 1729 . and Mrs . Dohb , 1738 . Tho version of Cole ' s has since been reprinted 1731 , 1751 , & c , and of late years a facsimile edition was issued by Bro . Hughan in I 860 , copies of

which are now rarely met with , and command quite fabulous prices . Bro . Spencer in 1871 published a splendid series of the " Old Constitutions , " including Cole ' s MS . of 1726 ( circa ) . Copies of these excellent and useful reprints may still be had .

Mrs . Doc ] d's MS . of 1738 is now being reprinted for the first time in the Masonic Review of Cincinnati , and in order that we may keep pace with the times , and prove a fit Chronicle of Freemasonry , its History , Bibliography , & c , we havo decided to reprint Briscoe ' s MS . of A . D . 1724 , verbatim ei literatim .

Tho oldest printed transcript of a Masonic MS . was Roberts ' s of 1722 , reprinted in Bro . Spencer ' s " Old Constitutions , " and tho next in point of priority of publication is Briscoe ' s . The Masonic student should consult Bro . Husrhan ' s

" Old Charges of British Freemasons , " which is the only work that fully treats of this important subject , and brethren wishing just a glance at the question will do well to re-peruse the communication from Bro . Hughan , which appeared in our issue of the 25 th March last . *

The following bibliographical notes will doubtless prove interesting to our readers . The pamphlet , now reproduced , is in octavo , and of 47 pages . The short title is The Secret History of the Freemasons Discovered , Sfc . ( on the wrapper ) . The inner title is a long one , aud purports to

be an Accidental Discovery of the Ceremonies made use of % n the several Lodges , upon ihe admittance of a Brother as a Free and Accepted Mason , Src , London , printed for Sam . Briscoe at the Bell Savage , on Ludgate Hill , & c , & c . No date , but of the year 1724 . The preface consists of IV .

pages , and is of an amusing and partly absurd character . Then follows the MS . proper , said to be " of near 300 years Translation into the English , " the original of which has not for certainty been traced . After the MS . are " Observations and Critical Remarks on the new

Constitutions of the Freemasons , written by James Anderson , A . M ., & c , " and the Finale is " A Short Dictionary explaining tho Private Signs or Signals used among the Freemasons . " The MS . has never been printed this century .

THE HISTORY OF FEEEMASONS NOW MIRACULOUSLY DISCOVERED . Tho Might of the Father of Heaven , with tho Wisdom of His Glorious Son , through the Goodness of the Holy Ghost , which bo Three Persons in one Godhead , be with us at our Beginning , and give us Grace so to govern us in our Living , that we may come to the Bliss that never shall have ending . GOOD BRETHREN and FELLOWS , our purpose is to let yon know how ,

and in what manner this Craft of MASONRY was begun ; aud afterwards how it was Founded b y Worthy Kings and Princes , and many other Worthy Men : And also to them that bo here wo will declare tho CHARGE that doth belong to every True MASON to keep ; for in good Faith , if you take heed thereunto , it is well kept for a worthy Craft , and curious Science ; for there be Seven Liberal SCIENCES , of which

Grammar , Ehetorick , Logic !; , Arithmetic !; , Geometry , Music ! :, and Astronomy . GRAMMAR teacheth a Man to Speak and Write truly . EHETORICK , teacheth a Man to Speak Fair and in Sabtile Terms . LOGICK , teacheth to discern Truth from Falshood . ARITIIMETICK , teacheth to Reckon and Count all manner of Num . hers .

GEOMETRY , teacheth to Mete and Measure the Earth , and the Things of the same , which SCIENCE is MASONRY . MUSICK , that teacheth the Voice , as Harp and Organ . ASTRONOMY , teacheth to know the Course of the Sun and Moon , and other Ornaments of the Heavens . THE Seven Liberal SCIENCES are all but Ono SCIENCE , that is to

say , GEOMETRY . THUS a Man may prove that all the SCIENCES in the World be found in GEOMETRY ; for it teacheth Mete Measure , Ponderation , and Weight of all Kiuds of Earth , and there is no Man worketh by any Craft , but he worketh by some Measure ; and no Man Buveth and Selleth

but by Measure and Weight ; and all GEOMETRICIANS , CRAFTSMEN , and MERCHANTS , find out the SEVEN SCIENCES , especially PLOUGH MEM , and TILLERS of all manner of GRAIN , both Corn , Seeds , Vines , Plants , TILLERS of all other Fruits ; for neither GRAMMAR nor ASTRONOMY or any of all These can find a Man to Measure , or Mete , without GEOMETRY , wherefore I think that SCIENCE most worthy .

THAT findefch how this Worthy SCIENCE was first found out : I shall tell you , before NOAH ' S flood there was a man called LAMECH , as it is Written in the fourth chapterof GENESIS ; and LAMECH had two Wives , tho one Wife was called AUAU . and the other ZILLAU ; and by the first Wife ADAH ho begat Two Sons , the one was called JABAL , and tho other JUBAL ; and bv tho other Wife he had One Son and Ono Daughter ,

and these Four Children found out tho Beginning of all CRAFTS in the World . This JABAL was tho Oldest Son , and he found ont the Craft of GEOMETRY , and ho parted Flocks , Sheep , and Lambs iu the Fields ; and ho First Wrought House of Stone , & o ., there as it is noted in the Chapter abovesaid , & c .. his Brother JUBAL found Mn'ick of HARP and

ORGAN ; and tbe 3 rd Brother , TUBAL , found the Smith's Craft , as of Iron aud Steel ; and their Sister found out Weaving , Spinning , and Knitting ; And these Children did know that God would take Vengeance for Sin , either by Fire or Water , therefore they wrote the SCIENCES , what they found , in Two Pillars of Stone , that thev might be found after the Flood : That one Stone was called Marble , and that cannot

burn with Fire : Tho other called Loteras , that cannot drown with Water : Our intent is to let yon know truly and in what manner these Stones were found that those CRAFTS wero written on . THIS Greek HERMEN is ho that was Son unto Cus , and was Son unto SEM , the which wns Son nnto NOAH ; the same HERMEN waa after called HERMES , the Father of tho Wise Men , and ho found out the

Two Pillars of Stone , the SCIENCES written therein , and tanght them hereinfofh at tho making of the Tower of Babylon : There was the Craft of MASONRY first found , and made much of . And tho King of Babylon that was called HEMBROTH , or NEMBROTII , was a MASON , and loved well the CRAFT , as it is sail by the Masters of the Stories : And when the Cities of EAST ASIA should he made , HEMBROTH the

King of BABYLON , sent thither sixty MASONS at the Desire of the King of NINIVETH , his Cousin : And they went forth , and he gave them Charges after this Manner , That they should be True , and Love Truly together ; and that thoy should serve their Lord Truly for their Payment , so that he might have Worship for sending ofthem to him : And other Charges he gave them , and this was the first Time that

any MASON had any Charge of his CRAFT . Moreover , when ABRAHAM aud SARAH his wife went into Egypt they were taught tho Seven SCIENCES unto the EGYPTIANS , and had a worthy scholar call'd EACHLID , and he learned right well , aud was Master of all the Seven SCIENCES : And in his Days it befel , that tho Lords and States of the Eealm had so many Sons , which they had begat , some by their Wives

and some by their Ladies of the Eealm , for that Land is a Holy Land , and a plentions Generation , and they had noLivingcompetentfor their Children : Wherefore they made much Sorrow , and the King made a great Counsel , and a srreat Parliament , to know how thoy might find their Children , and they could find no good Ways ; and he caused a Cry to be made throughout Hie Eenlm , if there were any Man that

would Inform him , that he should be well Eewarded and hold him well paid . AFTER this cry was made came this W irthy Clerk EACHLID , and said unto the King , and all his Great Lords , If you will take us , your Children to Govern , and Teach them Honestly , let % ' ¦ be under < ' onditinn you will G'ant thetn nnd me a Commission that I may have Power

to Rule them Honestly , as the SCIENCE ought to be Ruled . And the King and his Connc'l granted them a Vow , and sealed that Commission , and then that Doctor took to him the Lords Sons , and tanght the Worthy SCIENCE of GEOMETRY , Practice to work Mvst . eries of all Manner of Works that belong to Buildinsr of Castles , all Manner of Courts and Temples , and Churches , with all other Building : And he

gave them Charge on this Manner ; first they should bo True to the King and to the Lord that they served , and that they shou'd Love well together , and be Trno to one another ; and that they should call one another Fellows , and not Servants , nor his Knave , nor any foal Names ; and that they shou'd truly deserve their Payment to the Lord that they serve ; and that they should Ordain the Wisest to be

the Maste'S of the Work , whereby he should not be evil served , and they ashamed ; and that they should call him the Governour of the Work whilst they worked with him ; and many other Charges which aro too long to tell ; and to all these Charges he made them swear the Great Oath that Men used to swear at that Time , and ordained for them reasonable Payment , that they might live by it Honestly ;

and also that they should come and Assemble there together , that they mig ht have Counsel in their CRAFT how they might work best to serve their Lord for their Profit and Worship , and to correct them , selves if they have trespassed ; thus the CRAFT of GEOMETRY was governed there , and the worthy Master called it GEOMETRY , and it is called MASONRY in this Land .

Since 1 m-. r after the Children of Israel were come into the Land of Bethel , nov called amongst us the country of Hierusalem , the holy City , that is with them , Templum Dei ; and the same King DAVID loved MASONS well , and cherished them , and gave them good Pay . ment ; and ho gave them Charges that afterwards , and after the Decease of King DAVID , SOLOMON his Son performed out the Ternplo

that his father had begun ; and be sent after for MASONS oat of divers Lan ls and gathered them together . So that he had Eisrhty Thousand of them , and thoy were named MASONS , and ho had Threo Thousand that were ordained to be Masters and Governours of that work . And there was a King of another Nation that was called HYROM ,

and he loved well King SOLOMON , and gave him Timber for his Work ; he had a son was called AYNON , and ho was Master of GEOMETRY , and he was chief Master of all the MASONS , and Masters of all his gravening Work , and all other of MASONRY that belongeth to the Temple , and this witnesseth the Bible , in tho 5 th Book of Kings , and elsewhere .

And this "ame SOLOMON confirmed both Charges and Manners that his Father hid given to MASONRY confirmed in the country olHierusa . ( em , and in many other Kingdoms , glorious CRAFTSMEN walking ibroad into divers Countries , some because ofjearniug more CHAFFY , nd others to ' enr-h them more GRAFT . And EO it Toefol that la carious MASON that was named NAINUS