The "Hughan Ms."

no man that buyeth or selleth but he buyeth or selleth by some Measure or some Weight all which is GEOMETRY . Wherefore we think y t . ye . Science of Geometry most worth y as that which findeth all other Now how this worthy Science was first begun , I shall you tell Before Noah ' s flood there was a Man called Lantech as it is written in y e - Bible in .,. 4 H 1 . Chap of Genisis & this Lantech had 2 Wives y - one wife called

Adah it ye- other / ilia it by his I - wife Adah he begott 2 Sons ye- one called Jabel and ye- other Jubal & by ye- other wife Zilla he begot a Son and Daug hter & these 4 Children founded y - begining of all ye- craft it Sciences in ye . world for ye- eldest Son Jabal found ye- craft of Geometry & he parted ( locks of Sheep & Lands in ye- ffield it first rough house of Stone & Tree as it is noted in ye Chap , above sd- ( verse 21 ) And his Bro - Juball found

ye . craft of Musi ' ck & Song of Tongue Harp & Organ & y c - s - Brother Jubalkaine found Smiths craft of gold Silver , Copper Iron it Steel & y c- Daughter found ye- craft of weaving and those Children knew y t God would take Vengeance for sin either by fire or water wherefore they wrote their Sciences they found in 2 pillars of Stone yt- they might be found after Noahs flood & ye . one Stone was Marble for that would not burn with any ( Tire & y - other Stone was Latern & that would not drown in ye- waters .

Our Intent is to tell you truely how & what manner these stones were found whereon these Sciences were written . The great Hermaines yt- was Cubb his Son which Cubb was Cham his son & Ham Noah ' s son This s - Hermaines was afterw ds - called Hermes ye . ( lather of ye- wisemen : he found one of ye . 2 pillars of Stone it y e . Sciences written thereon and he taught it to other men And at ye . makeing of ye . Tower of Babylon Masonary was made much on And

ye . King of Babylon that height Nemroth was a Mason himself it loved yc . craft of Masonary as is said w' - ye . Master of Histories . And when yc . City of Nineveh k other Citys of ye- East should be made Nemroth ye- King of Bab y lon sent thither 60 Masons at ye . rogation of ye . King of Nineveh his Cousin and when he sent them forth he gave them a charge on this manner That they should be true each of them to other it that they should love truely together & thattheyshouldserve 3 * . Lord truly for ye- pay so y t- y - Mar- may iiave worship & all that belong to him it other more charges he gave them & this was ye- first time y t - ever Mason had any charge of his Craft .

Moreover when Abraham & Sarah his Wife went into Egypt there taught ye . 7 Sciences to ye . Egyptians and he had a worthy Scholar called Euclid it . he learned right well and was a Mar . of all ye- 7 Sciences Liberal k in his days it befell yt- ye . Lords k Estates had so many Sons yt- they had gotten some b 3 ' their Wifes and some b y other Ladies of ye . Realm ( ior yt- Land is a hot Land & plentious of Generacon ) and they had not competent Living

to find y - Children wherefore they made much care it them ye . King of ye- Land made a great Councel k Parlimt- viz' - how they might find their Children honestly as Gentlemen & they found no manner of Good way . Then they made a cry thro'out all ye- realm yt- if there were any man \ 't- would informe ym . y t . he should come to y - & should be so rewarded for his Travil y t- he should be well pleased After this cry was made came

this worthy Clark EUCLID and said to ye- King and Lords If ye will take me your Children to govern I shall teach y » - one of ye- 7 Sciences wherewith they may live honnestly as Gentlemen sh d . under Condicon yt- you will grant me & them a Comision yt . I may power to rule ym . after y ° . maner y' - ye- Science requires And yt- ye . King & all his Councel granted him

alone and Sealed him ye- Comission . And then this worthy Doctor took to him these Lords Sons it taught- ye . Science of Geometry for to work in Stones all maner of worthy work that belongeth to Building of Temples , Churches Castles Towers it Mannors of all maner of Buildings and he gave them a Charge as followeth .

The first was y t - they should be true to y - King it Lord yt- Jiey serve fv yt- they should love well together & be true to each other and yt- they should call each other his fellow or else Bror . it not his Servant nor his Slave nor none other foul name and y t . they should truely serve for their pay of y- Lord or ye- Master y t - they Serve and y t- they should ordain ye . wisest of ym . to be Master of y - work & neither for Love nor great Linage nor

Kiches nor for favour to set another that hath little Cunning to bc Master ol )*• Lords work whereby ye . Lord should be evill served it they ashamed And also y t they should call yc Governour of ye . work Master in ye . time yt- they work with him and many other charges y t - were too long to tell . Aud to all these Charges he made them sweare a great Oath that Men used

in y' . time and ordained for them reasonable pay that they may live honnestl y with . And also that they should come & Assemble togeth r - every year once how they may work best to serve ye- Lord for his p'fitt and to their own worships it to correct within y - selves ym y t- had trespassed against y- craft And thus was ye- craft governed it grounded there first and that worthey Ma - Euclid gave it y - name of Geometrt' and now it is called MASONARY .

And long after this when ye- Children of Israel were come unto ye- Land "f Behest which is called among us ye- Country of Jerusalem David began } " ' ¦ Temple which is called Templum Domini it is named with us ye- Temple ° f Jerusalem and y - same King David loved Masons well it cherished )''"•much it gave y - good pay and he gave y - y - charges & manners he had learnt of ye . Egyptians given by Euclid and other charges which you shall hear afterwards . After yc decease of King David Soloman King

uavid son performed out y - Temple which his fTather had begun it he sent after divers workmen to divers Countrys and Lands it gathered together so J" 1- lie had ITourscore Thousand Workers of Stone and were all named Masons and he chose of them 3 Thousand which were ordained to be R asters 2 c Governors of his work and furthermore there was a King in a luriher Region and that men called Hiram and he loved well King Soloman and gave him Timber to his work it sent him a man named also Ham who

was a Master of Geometry it chief Master of all his Masons it was blaster of all his Graveings and carvings and of all other manner of "' asonry y ^ t . belong to y - Temple this is witnessed in y - Bible I Kings 5 " ' 5- II Chron . 2 . 13 . 19 . And this Soloman conlirmed to Alasons both charge it ye . manners y t- his ftathcr had given & thus was y - worthy craft ,. MASONARY confirmed in v ' Country of Jerusalem and many other kl "ffdomes .

, Curious Craftsmen walked abou ' e full wide into divers Countrys some bu ' } - ° ^ learning more craft and cunning & some to teach them that had cill 1 ' ? ' £ f ancl so 't fc " out y t . there was one curious Mason y t . was ^ led Nainus Greecus y - had been one at ye- making of Solomans Temple ffr- Came ' ^ rance & there lie taught ye- Science of Masonry to men oi vt . tlpCe an {* t'lerc was one J was called Charles Marccll k he was a Man lit ° vc < i wc " sucn a craft & went ' t , 1 ' Nainus Greecus yt- is above afto ? arnec * ° f Wm ye- Craft and took upon him y - Charge it maners k rw « s . by yc grace of God he was elect to bc King of ffrance & when he

The "Hughan Ms."

was in his Estate he took Masons and did help to make Men Masons yt- were none & did set them on work it gave ym- both ye . charge & yemanners it good pay as he had Learnd of other Masons it confirmed y - a Charter from year to year to hold their Assembly where they would & cherished ym - much and thus came craft into ffrance .

ENGLAND in all this Season stood void of any charge of Masonry unto St Albans time it in his days ye- King of England that was a Pagan did wall y Town about that is called St Albans and St Alban was a worthy Kt- and S ' eward of ye- Kings household it had govenancc of ye . Kings realm & also of

ye- making of y - Town walls & he loved well Masons \ t cherrished ym- very much & he made them their pay very good ( standing as y - realm did ) for he gave ym- .... a week & three pence to their . . . . and before y t- time thro' all his Land a Mason took but a penny a day & his Meat till St Alban amended it .

And he gave them a Charter from ye- King & his Councel to hold a general Councel and gave it ye . name of an Assembly and thereat he was himself & helped to make Masons and gave y m . charges as you shall hear afterwards .

Right soon after ye . decease of St Alban there came divers warrs into ye- realm of England of divers nations so yt- ye . good rule of Masonr y was destroyed unto ye . time of King Athelston who was a worthy K ' ng of England & brought y - Land into good rest it peace it build'd many great works of Abbyes Castles it Towers & divers other buildings & he loved well Masons & he had a son y t . was called Edwin it he loved Masons much

more than his ftalher did & he greatly practised Geometry & he loved to talk it commune wth- Masons & to learn of them ye . craft it afterwards for Love y t . he had to Masons & to y e - Craft he was made Mason it he got of ye . King his Father a Charter k Commission to hold every year once an Assembly wheresoever they would within y c - realm of England it to correct within themselves all ffaults & Trespasses y t . were done within ye- craft and

he held himself an Assembly at York & there he made Masons and gave ym- charges k taught ym . & commanded y - rule to be kept ever after it took ym . yc . Charter and Comission to keep and made ordainance y t . ye . same should be renewed from King to King . And when y c - assembly was gathere . d he made a cry y t . all old masons and Young that had any Writings or made standing of y - Charges it manners y t . were made before t

in this Land or in any other y . they should show ym . forth and it was proved that there were found some in ffrench it some in Greek some in English & some in oth r - Language it yc intent of y " . all was found to be all one it they commanded a Book to be made thereof & how y - craft was founded & he himself bid it commanded 3 't- it should be read or told when y t- any Mason was made and see to give him his charge it from yt- day to

this time manners of Masons have been kept in yt- ITorme as well as Men might Govern it . And furthermore at divers Assemblyes have been put it ordained certain charges by y - advice of y - best Masters it fTellows THEN shall one of ye . most antient of y - hold a Book yt- he or they ( which are to be made Masons ) may lay his or their Hand or Hands upon ye . same & these Precepts following ought lo be read .

EVERY Man yt- is a Mason take right good heed to these charges it if any Man find himself Guilty in any of these charges y t . he amend himself towards God & principally you 3 't . be to be charged take good heed yt- 3 'ou may keep these charges for it is great a man to swear himself upon a Book . The first charge is that you shall be true man to God it holy Church &

that you use neither errour nor heresy b 3 'your understanding nor b y discreet it wisemen teaching And also that you shall be true Liegmen to ye . King of England without Treason or any other falsehood and yt- ye- know no Treason nor Trechery but that ye amend it privily if yc may or else warn yc King or his councel and also yt- ye be true each one to other ( that is to say ) every Mason of y - Craft of Masonry that be Masons allowed you shall

do to them as 3 'ou would they should do unto you and also yt- y » - keep all the Councells of Lodge it of Chamber it other Councells y t . ought to be kept in y - way of Masonhood and also y t . ye . be no Thieves nor Thieve's fellows as farr as yu know and also yt- ye shall bc true to yr . Lord or to the Master yt- ye serve & truely to see his prollitt it advantage and also that ye

call all Masons your Brethren or else your fellows it none other foul name and also yt- 3 'e shall not take 3 'our fellows wife in villany nor defile his Daughter nor his servants nor put him to 3113 ' Disworship and also yt- ye pay truely for yr- meat S : Drink where ye go to board and also y t- 3-0 shall do no villany in yt- place where ye goe to Board whereby ye . craft might be slandered .

THESE be y - Charges in general y t . belong to every true Mason to keep both for Masters it fTellows . NOW will I rehearse other charges Singular for Masters and fellows . FIRST y t . no Mastcr take upon him any Lords Work nor any other mans work but yt- he know himself able it sullicicnt to perforincye . work so yt- ye- craft may have no slander nor Disworship but yc Lord may bc truely served and well .

And also y t . no Master take any work but yt- he take reasonable pay so y t . ye- Lord may be truely served with his own goodsand y t- ye- Master may live honnestly it pay his fellows truely their pay as ye . manner is . Also yt- no Master nor fellow shall supplant other of their work that is

to say If he have taken work or else stand Master of a work you shall not put him out except he bc unable of cunning to end yc work And also yt- no Master nor fellow take any Aprentice within yc Terme of Seven years it y t . the Apprentice be able of Birth free borne and whole of Limbs as a Man ought to be .

And also that no Mastcr or fellow take any allowance to make any Mason without ye- assent and consent of his fellows being at y e - least Six or Seven And he y t . shall bc made Mason to be able in all manner of degrees that is lo say , free borne & of good Kindred and true and no Bond man it also y t- he have right Limbs as a man ought to have And also y t . no Mason take Apprentice except he have sufficient occupation for to occupy Two or Three ffellows at ye . least in work .

And also that no Mastcr nor ffclow put any Lords work to task that was used to goe to Journey work and also that every Mastcr shall give pay to his ffellows but as he may deserve so that they may not be deceived by false workmen .

And also that none slander annother behind his back to make him loose his name or his worldly goods . And also that no ieUow within y « - Lodge nor without misanswer other ungodly or irreverently without reasonable cause also that every Mason reverance his elder and put him to worship . Also that no Mason shall be a Common player at Dice nor any other unlawful ! game whereby tlie Craft might be slandered .