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The "William Watson Ms."
THE "WILLIAM WATSON MS . "
ARMS OF THE FREEMASONS ( ROUGH DRAWING ) . MOTTO— " IN THE LORD IS AM . OUR TRUST . " 1 rlclllKGCL be our glorious God ffather & former of Heaven & Earth H ; of all things yt in them is yt he would vouchsafe of his glorious Godhead for to make soe many things of divers vertues for mankind for he made all worldly things to be obedient & Subject to man & all things yt been Con ' mble of wholsome
nature , he ordained for man food Sustenance , & alsoe he hath given to man wit & understanding of divers Sciences & crafts by ye which we may travell in this world to ! ~ 2 o ] get our Lmeinge wth . To make divers ye things to Gods pleasure & alsoe forour ease & profitt , the wch things if I would rehearse them it were too long to tell or to write , whereof I will leaue , but I will Shew & tell yu p ' te of them & how & in what wise ye Science of Geometrie first began & who were ye founders
thereof & of ye other crafts moe , as yt is noted in ye Bible & in other Stories moe . How & in what mauner this worthy Science of Geometrie first began , I will tell yu as I sd before , ye shall understand [ 40 ] yt there been Seaven liberall Sciences by ye which Seaven Sciences all ye Sciences & Crafts in ye world were first found and especially out of Geometrie for he is ye causer of all ye other , the wch Seaven Sciences been called thus . A . II . for ye first he is called foundament
of Sciences his name is Grammer he teacheth a man right fully to write & to speake truely . The Second is Rhetoricke & he teacheth a man to Speake formable & fair . The third is Logicke for he teacheth a man to discerne ye trueth from ye false and most com ' only it is called ye art of Sophistrie . The fourth is called Arithmetique wch [ 60 ] teacheth a man ye craft of number for to reckon & make
accounts of all mauner of things . The fifth is Geometrie wch teacheth a man mett ^ Si measures Si ponderations or vveight ^ nes of all mariner of crafts . The Sixth is Musicke yt teacheth a man ye craft of Songs of a & yee & organs trump & harpe & all other appertaining to them . The Seaventh is Astronomie yt teacheth a man to know ye houres of ye Sun & ye moon Si all other planetts Si Starrs of Heaven .
Our intent is principally to treat of ye first foundation of ye worthy Science of Geometrie & who were [ 80 ] ye founders thereof as I sd before , yt there been Seaven liberall Sciences yt is to Say Seaven Sciences or crafts yt been free in themselves ye wch Seaven Sciences been all by one & yt is Geometrie , A . Geometro , is as much to say as ye measure of ye Earth et fo a qc qd et tent lati e et melron mensure , on Geometrie , i mesure terre noefra yt is to say in English yt Geomitry
is as I sd of geo in Greek Earth & metron yt is to say measure , and thus is this name Geometrie compounded , & is sd ye measure of ye Earth , marvaile ye not yt I sd all Sciences lean [ 100 ] only by ye Science of Geometry , for there is noe Artificial ! nor handicraft yt is wrought by mans hand but it is wrought by Geometry & a notable cause , for if a man worke wth his hands he worketh wth some mauner of tool , & there is noe instrument of materiall things in this world , but it cometh of ye kind of Earth Sz to Earth it will returne againe .
And there is noe instrument , yt is to say A tool to worke wth but it hath Some proportion either more or les , and proportion is measure and ye tool earth , & therefore every instrument is Earth , & Geometry is said ye measure of ye Earth , wherefore [ 120 ] I may say yt all men live by Geometry , for all men in ye world Hue by ye labour of their hands , many more probations I would tell yu wherefore Geometry is the science yt reasonable men Hue by wherefore I leaue it at this time for ye long p ' sesse of writeing , and now I will proceed further on my matter .
You shall understand yt amongst all ye crafts in ye { end of first strip ] World of manuell Crafts , Masonrie hath ye most notability , & most p'te of this Science of Geometry as it is noted & Said as well in ye Histories & in ye Bible & in ye Mass Stories and in Policronion [ 140 ] , it is a Story proved & alsoe in Doctors of Stories yt been named , Beda de imagine we imagine mudeiSz helidore , ethemologioru methodius ep ' us and marten & others , I suppose it may well be Sd for it was found
as it is noted in ye Bible in ye first book of Genesis . Adam this linely maill soon aft ye Son descended downe [ 160 ] ye Seaventy age of Adam , before Noahs flood there was a man called Lamech ye wch had two wiues ye het Adala & ye other Zillah , by ye first wife yt was called Adala , he got two Sons ye one was named Jaball & the other het Juball , ye elder Son Jaball was ye first yt ever found Geometry , intentords at at qfi pastor yt is to Say ye father of men came ye master
Mason & governour of this worke when [ 180 ] he made ye Citty of Henoch yt was ye first Citty yt ever was made , & yt made Cane , Adams Son & gave it to his ovvne Son Enoch & gave ye Citty ye name of his owne Son Enoch & called it ye Citty of Enoch & now it is called Ephrame & there was ye Science of Geometry & Masonry first occupied & contrived for a Science & for a Craft & Soe we may Say yt this was ye first ' cause & foundacon of all Science &
crafts & alsoe this man Jaball was called pastor pastoru Sz as ye master of Stories [ 200 ] Saith & Beda imagine mundi , polocronicon & others moe Saith yt he was ye first yt ever made particon of land yt every man might know his ovvne ground Sz labour thereupon as his owne , he parted nocks of Sheep Soe yt every man might know his owne Sheep , & Soe we may Say
yt he was ye first founder of yt Science , & his brother Juball was ye first founder of Musicke as Pithagoras Saith in Polocronicon , Sz ye Same Saith Isidore in his Ethemologus in ye sixth book he Saith ythe was [ 220 ] ye first founder of Musicke in song & of Organ & of trump & he found ye Science of Smiths Craft by ye sound & ponderation of his brothers Hammers & yt was Juball Cain .
_ Southl y as ye Bible Saith in ye Same Chapter of Genesis yt Lameck begat on , Brothers wife yt hight Zillah a Son & a Daughter whose names were called Hiball Caineyt was his Son , & his Daughters name Madmah & as Polocronicon saith yt Some men did say yt she was anothers man wife , whether it be Soe or not we affirme it not , but this Tuball Caine [ 240 ] was ye first founder of Smiths crafts & of ye other crafts of metall yt is to Say of Iron & of bras of gold & of Silver as soundrie doctor doe entreat , & his Sister Madmah was first founder of
weaver craft for before yt time there was noe cloath woven , but then they did Spin ^ MT k kn ' & made them such cloathing as they could , but as yt woman <» admah found yt craft of weaving , & therefore it was called womans craft , & ¦ fif ^ er Dr etheren had knowledge before yt God would take vengeance for Sin either b
y fire or by water , & they had great care how they might doe to [ 260 ] saue ) e Sciences yt they had there found & to take their councell together , & by all ! eir witts they Said yt there were two mauner of Stones of Such vertue yt ye one would never burne & yt Stone is named Marble , Si another Stone yt would not mk m waters Si yt stone is called Laterus .
, And Soe they devised to write all ye Sciences yt they had found in these two ones Soe yt if God should take vengeance by fire yt then ye Marble Stone Should g ° "" rne , and if God Sent vengeance by water then ye other Should not drowne & st oe the y provided their elder brother Jaball yt he would make two pillars of ye two ¦ ones yt is to Sav Marble [ 280 ! & Laterus and vt he would write in ve two Dillars
vt h nces & crafts yt they all had found & Soe he did , therefore we may Say bef \ f - ^ cun ' K m Sciences , for he first began & p'formed ye last end it sT 1 ° ^ * kindly knowing of yt vengeance yt God would Send whether wist ^ f r 'DG ^ re ° r ky vvater > ye brethren knew it not by mauner of profitt thev pilh t * wou 'd ^ one thereof & therefore they wrote their Sciences in ye two ye S ^ rl ^ tone & Some men doe affirme yt they write all their Seaven Sciences in Was ai . r Stones [ 3 °° ] Sz as they had their minde yt vengeance would come Soe it Wa V 0 tl Sent it by water for yt that there came Such a flood yt all ye world arowned & all men were dead therein saueing eight persons , yt was Noah &
The "William Watson Ms."
his wife & his three sons & their wives , of wch three Sons all ye world came " off & their names was in this mauner , — Sem Cham & Japhett , & this flood was called Noahs flood for he & his Children were Saved , & noe moe , & many years after as Chronicle telleth these two pillars were found [ 320 ] & as polocronicon Saith yt a great Clarke yt men called Pithagoras found ye one & Hermes ye Philosopher found ye other & they taught forth
[ end of second strip ] the Sciences yt they found therein written every ChronicKle & Story , and many other Clerks & ye Bible principally witnesseth of the makenig of ye Tower of Babilon & it is written in ye Bible Geneces Capit decuii how yt Cham , Noahs Son , Nimrod , & he waxed A mi ghty man upon ye Earth and he was a Strong man like unto a Giant Si he was a great King & in ye begining of his Raigneand Kingdome he was ye true King of Babilon & [ 340 ] amad calnethSc ye land of Shinar & these Same mens Brethren began ye Tower of Babilon & he
taught to his workmen ye Craft of Masonry & had with him many Masons , more than fforty thousand & he loved them and cherished them well & as it is written in ye Polo ' cronc Sz in the Mass Stories & in other Stories moe & a part of this witnessed in ye Bible in ye Said tenth Chapter , where he Saith yt Assur was near a kin to Nimrod ' s Seed out of ye Land of Shiner & he built ye Citty of Niniveh in placeas Sz other moe & this he Saith ve ilia taira in Defemare egressus eH Asshur [ 3 5 o ] et edificavit Nlnevi et impleceus anitates et calath et Rlfio qe is Ninivelet calath he crt civitas magr .
Reason would yt Should declare openly now & in what mauner ye charges of Masons craft was first found & who gaue first to it this name of Masonry & yu Shall know well yt it is plainly opened in Pilocrouicou & in Method / ts e / is / opus el marten yt Asshur yt was a worthy Lord Sent to Nimrod ye KingSo Send him masons & workmen of Craft yt might help him to mike his Citty ye which he was purposed to make & finish & Nimrod Sent him thirty [ 380 ] hundred of Masons & when he Should goe & send them forth he called them before him & Said ye must
goe to my Cosin Asshur to help him to build him a Citty but look ye be well governed wth such a charge yt it may be profitable both for yu and me & trul y doe yor labour & craft & take reasonable for yor pains according as yu may deserne & I would yt yu loue together as yu were brethren & hold together truel y & he yt hath most cuning [ 400 ] teach it to his brother or fellow , and look yu goverj ' n lye yor Selves well towards yor Lord and amongst yor Selves Soe yt I may haue worshi p and thanks for Sending yu & teaching ye craft .
And they received their charge of ye King yt was their Lord and master & went forth to Asshur & builded ye Citty of Nineveh in ye Country of Placeas & other Citties more yt men call Calath Reseu yt is a great Cittie between Calath Sz Nineveh & in this maner ye craft of Masonry was preferred first and charged for a Science & Craft .
Reason would yt we Should Shew yu how yt ye Eldars yt were before yt time had ye charge written [ 420 ] in Lattin & in ffrench , & how yt Euclidus came to Geometrie we Should tell yu as it is noted in ye Bible & in other Stories in duodecemo Capit Geneses he telleth how yt Abraham came into ye Land o Canaan &
ye Lord appeared unto him & Said I Shall giue this land to thee & to th y Seed , but there fell a great hunger in ye Land & Abraham took Sarai his wife wth him & went into Egipt in pilgrimage while ye hunger endured he would abide there & Abraham as ye Stories Sayctfj [ 440 ] was a wise man & a great Clerke & he called all the Seaven Sciences & taught ye Egiptians ye Science of Grammar .
This worthy Clerke Euclidus was his Schollar & learned of him Masonry & he gaue yt first ye name of Geometry , but it is Said of Isodus ethemologer in ye first book , Isodus in his Eleniologie in ye fifth book Ethemogior Capitulo pis Saith Euclidus was one of ye first founders of Geometry & he gaue it name for in his time there was a water in ye land of Egipt yt was called Nilo , & it flawed [ 460 ] Soe far in yt land yt men might not dwell therein , and Euclidus taught them to
make great walls & ditches to hold out ye water & he b y Geometry measured out ye land & parted it into divers parts , & made every man to close his owne part wth walls and ditches , and then it became a plentious Country of all mauner of fruit Sz young people both of men & women if there was Soe much people of young fruit yt ye Country might not well Hue & ye Lord ^ of yt Country drew them together & made a Councell [ 480 ] how they might help their Children yt had not
livelihood competent & able to find them & their Children for they haue many amongst them in Councell , and there was this worthy Clarke Euclidus , and when he perceived they all were not able to bring about this matter , he Said to them will yu take to me yor Sons in governance and I shall teach them in Such a Science yt they Shall Hue thereby gentlemen like , under condition yu will be Sworne to me to performe ye governance yt I will tell yee . [ 500 ]
Soe reason would that every man Should grant to ye things yt are profitable to themselues , and they took their Sons to Euclidus to governe them at his owne will , and he taught them ye craft of Masonry and gaue it ye name of Geometry because of parting ye ground yt he had taught ye people in makeing their walls & ditches beforesaid to close out the water , & Isodus Saith in his Ethnologies yt only calleth ye craft Geometrie , and this worth y Clarke gaue it name and [ end of third
strip ] taught [ 520 ] it ye Lords Sons of ye Land that he had in his teaching and he gaue them charge yt they Should call each other ffellow & not otherwise because they were all of one Craft & of gentle birth borne & of Lords Sons & alsoe he yt was most cuning Should be governour of ye worke & Should be called Master , & other charges moe yt been written in ye book of charges , & Soe they wrought wth ye Lords of yt land & made Citties & Townes Castles & Temples & "Lords places & did Hue honestly & truely by ye Said craft .
When the Children of Israeli dwelling [ 540 ] in Egipt they learned ye craft of Masonry & afterwards they were driven out of Egypt they came into ye land of Behest wch now is called Jerusalem and there it was occupied & ye charges holden & kept , and at ye makeing of Solomons Temple yt King David began & King David loved well Masons , & he gave them charges ri ght near as they be now &
ye makeing of Solomons Temple as it is Said in ye Bible in ye third book Regnum in tertio regun regit capital quinto that Solomon had fouer thousand Masons at [ 560 ] his worke & ye Kings Son of Tyre was his Master Mason & in other Cronicles as it is Said in old books of Masonry yt Solomon confirmed ye charges yt his ffather David had giuen ye Masons , Sz Solomon himselfe taught them their mauners , very little differing from the truuners yt now are used .
And from thence this worth y Science was brought into ffrance by ye grace of God & into many other worthy Regions , and in ffrance there was a worthy Knight yt was named Carolus Secundus yt is to Say Charles ye Second and this [ 580 ] Charles was elected King of ffrance by ye grace of God & b y Lineage & yet Some men will say yt he was elected b y fortune only , wch is false & untrue as appeareth by ye Cronicle plainly for he was of ye Kings blood royall Si this Same
King Charles was a Mason before yt he was King & afterwards when he was King he loved well Masons & cherished them and gave ye charge & mauners of his devise whereof Some be used at this pr ' sent in ffrance and ordained yt they Should haue reasonable pay & alsoe yt they Should assemble once in a year & com ' on together of Such things as were amiss Si ye Same to be received b y Masters and ffellowes [ 600 J
Every honest Mason or any other worthy workman yt hath any loue to ye craft of Masonry & would know how ye craft of Masonry came first into England & b y whom it was grounded & confirmed as it is noted & written in Stories of England & in old charges of St Albanes time & King Ethelstone declared yt Amphabell came out of ffrance into England Si he brought St Albone into Christendone Sz
made him a Christian man & he brought wth him ye charges of Masons as they were in ffrance & in other Lands , and & in that time ye King of ye Land yt was a Panem [ Pagan ] dwelled there as St Albans is now & he had many Masons working on ye Towne walls , & as yt time St Albane was ye Kings Steward pay master & Governour of ye Kings work 6 & loved well Masons & cherished them well & made
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The "William Watson Ms."
THE "WILLIAM WATSON MS . "
ARMS OF THE FREEMASONS ( ROUGH DRAWING ) . MOTTO— " IN THE LORD IS AM . OUR TRUST . " 1 rlclllKGCL be our glorious God ffather & former of Heaven & Earth H ; of all things yt in them is yt he would vouchsafe of his glorious Godhead for to make soe many things of divers vertues for mankind for he made all worldly things to be obedient & Subject to man & all things yt been Con ' mble of wholsome
nature , he ordained for man food Sustenance , & alsoe he hath given to man wit & understanding of divers Sciences & crafts by ye which we may travell in this world to ! ~ 2 o ] get our Lmeinge wth . To make divers ye things to Gods pleasure & alsoe forour ease & profitt , the wch things if I would rehearse them it were too long to tell or to write , whereof I will leaue , but I will Shew & tell yu p ' te of them & how & in what wise ye Science of Geometrie first began & who were ye founders
thereof & of ye other crafts moe , as yt is noted in ye Bible & in other Stories moe . How & in what mauner this worthy Science of Geometrie first began , I will tell yu as I sd before , ye shall understand [ 40 ] yt there been Seaven liberall Sciences by ye which Seaven Sciences all ye Sciences & Crafts in ye world were first found and especially out of Geometrie for he is ye causer of all ye other , the wch Seaven Sciences been called thus . A . II . for ye first he is called foundament
of Sciences his name is Grammer he teacheth a man right fully to write & to speake truely . The Second is Rhetoricke & he teacheth a man to Speake formable & fair . The third is Logicke for he teacheth a man to discerne ye trueth from ye false and most com ' only it is called ye art of Sophistrie . The fourth is called Arithmetique wch [ 60 ] teacheth a man ye craft of number for to reckon & make
accounts of all mauner of things . The fifth is Geometrie wch teacheth a man mett ^ Si measures Si ponderations or vveight ^ nes of all mariner of crafts . The Sixth is Musicke yt teacheth a man ye craft of Songs of a & yee & organs trump & harpe & all other appertaining to them . The Seaventh is Astronomie yt teacheth a man to know ye houres of ye Sun & ye moon Si all other planetts Si Starrs of Heaven .
Our intent is principally to treat of ye first foundation of ye worthy Science of Geometrie & who were [ 80 ] ye founders thereof as I sd before , yt there been Seaven liberall Sciences yt is to Say Seaven Sciences or crafts yt been free in themselves ye wch Seaven Sciences been all by one & yt is Geometrie , A . Geometro , is as much to say as ye measure of ye Earth et fo a qc qd et tent lati e et melron mensure , on Geometrie , i mesure terre noefra yt is to say in English yt Geomitry
is as I sd of geo in Greek Earth & metron yt is to say measure , and thus is this name Geometrie compounded , & is sd ye measure of ye Earth , marvaile ye not yt I sd all Sciences lean [ 100 ] only by ye Science of Geometry , for there is noe Artificial ! nor handicraft yt is wrought by mans hand but it is wrought by Geometry & a notable cause , for if a man worke wth his hands he worketh wth some mauner of tool , & there is noe instrument of materiall things in this world , but it cometh of ye kind of Earth Sz to Earth it will returne againe .
And there is noe instrument , yt is to say A tool to worke wth but it hath Some proportion either more or les , and proportion is measure and ye tool earth , & therefore every instrument is Earth , & Geometry is said ye measure of ye Earth , wherefore [ 120 ] I may say yt all men live by Geometry , for all men in ye world Hue by ye labour of their hands , many more probations I would tell yu wherefore Geometry is the science yt reasonable men Hue by wherefore I leaue it at this time for ye long p ' sesse of writeing , and now I will proceed further on my matter .
You shall understand yt amongst all ye crafts in ye { end of first strip ] World of manuell Crafts , Masonrie hath ye most notability , & most p'te of this Science of Geometry as it is noted & Said as well in ye Histories & in ye Bible & in ye Mass Stories and in Policronion [ 140 ] , it is a Story proved & alsoe in Doctors of Stories yt been named , Beda de imagine we imagine mudeiSz helidore , ethemologioru methodius ep ' us and marten & others , I suppose it may well be Sd for it was found
as it is noted in ye Bible in ye first book of Genesis . Adam this linely maill soon aft ye Son descended downe [ 160 ] ye Seaventy age of Adam , before Noahs flood there was a man called Lamech ye wch had two wiues ye het Adala & ye other Zillah , by ye first wife yt was called Adala , he got two Sons ye one was named Jaball & the other het Juball , ye elder Son Jaball was ye first yt ever found Geometry , intentords at at qfi pastor yt is to Say ye father of men came ye master
Mason & governour of this worke when [ 180 ] he made ye Citty of Henoch yt was ye first Citty yt ever was made , & yt made Cane , Adams Son & gave it to his ovvne Son Enoch & gave ye Citty ye name of his owne Son Enoch & called it ye Citty of Enoch & now it is called Ephrame & there was ye Science of Geometry & Masonry first occupied & contrived for a Science & for a Craft & Soe we may Say yt this was ye first ' cause & foundacon of all Science &
crafts & alsoe this man Jaball was called pastor pastoru Sz as ye master of Stories [ 200 ] Saith & Beda imagine mundi , polocronicon & others moe Saith yt he was ye first yt ever made particon of land yt every man might know his ovvne ground Sz labour thereupon as his owne , he parted nocks of Sheep Soe yt every man might know his owne Sheep , & Soe we may Say
yt he was ye first founder of yt Science , & his brother Juball was ye first founder of Musicke as Pithagoras Saith in Polocronicon , Sz ye Same Saith Isidore in his Ethemologus in ye sixth book he Saith ythe was [ 220 ] ye first founder of Musicke in song & of Organ & of trump & he found ye Science of Smiths Craft by ye sound & ponderation of his brothers Hammers & yt was Juball Cain .
_ Southl y as ye Bible Saith in ye Same Chapter of Genesis yt Lameck begat on , Brothers wife yt hight Zillah a Son & a Daughter whose names were called Hiball Caineyt was his Son , & his Daughters name Madmah & as Polocronicon saith yt Some men did say yt she was anothers man wife , whether it be Soe or not we affirme it not , but this Tuball Caine [ 240 ] was ye first founder of Smiths crafts & of ye other crafts of metall yt is to Say of Iron & of bras of gold & of Silver as soundrie doctor doe entreat , & his Sister Madmah was first founder of
weaver craft for before yt time there was noe cloath woven , but then they did Spin ^ MT k kn ' & made them such cloathing as they could , but as yt woman <» admah found yt craft of weaving , & therefore it was called womans craft , & ¦ fif ^ er Dr etheren had knowledge before yt God would take vengeance for Sin either b
y fire or by water , & they had great care how they might doe to [ 260 ] saue ) e Sciences yt they had there found & to take their councell together , & by all ! eir witts they Said yt there were two mauner of Stones of Such vertue yt ye one would never burne & yt Stone is named Marble , Si another Stone yt would not mk m waters Si yt stone is called Laterus .
, And Soe they devised to write all ye Sciences yt they had found in these two ones Soe yt if God should take vengeance by fire yt then ye Marble Stone Should g ° "" rne , and if God Sent vengeance by water then ye other Should not drowne & st oe the y provided their elder brother Jaball yt he would make two pillars of ye two ¦ ones yt is to Sav Marble [ 280 ! & Laterus and vt he would write in ve two Dillars
vt h nces & crafts yt they all had found & Soe he did , therefore we may Say bef \ f - ^ cun ' K m Sciences , for he first began & p'formed ye last end it sT 1 ° ^ * kindly knowing of yt vengeance yt God would Send whether wist ^ f r 'DG ^ re ° r ky vvater > ye brethren knew it not by mauner of profitt thev pilh t * wou 'd ^ one thereof & therefore they wrote their Sciences in ye two ye S ^ rl ^ tone & Some men doe affirme yt they write all their Seaven Sciences in Was ai . r Stones [ 3 °° ] Sz as they had their minde yt vengeance would come Soe it Wa V 0 tl Sent it by water for yt that there came Such a flood yt all ye world arowned & all men were dead therein saueing eight persons , yt was Noah &
The "William Watson Ms."
his wife & his three sons & their wives , of wch three Sons all ye world came " off & their names was in this mauner , — Sem Cham & Japhett , & this flood was called Noahs flood for he & his Children were Saved , & noe moe , & many years after as Chronicle telleth these two pillars were found [ 320 ] & as polocronicon Saith yt a great Clarke yt men called Pithagoras found ye one & Hermes ye Philosopher found ye other & they taught forth
[ end of second strip ] the Sciences yt they found therein written every ChronicKle & Story , and many other Clerks & ye Bible principally witnesseth of the makenig of ye Tower of Babilon & it is written in ye Bible Geneces Capit decuii how yt Cham , Noahs Son , Nimrod , & he waxed A mi ghty man upon ye Earth and he was a Strong man like unto a Giant Si he was a great King & in ye begining of his Raigneand Kingdome he was ye true King of Babilon & [ 340 ] amad calnethSc ye land of Shinar & these Same mens Brethren began ye Tower of Babilon & he
taught to his workmen ye Craft of Masonry & had with him many Masons , more than fforty thousand & he loved them and cherished them well & as it is written in ye Polo ' cronc Sz in the Mass Stories & in other Stories moe & a part of this witnessed in ye Bible in ye Said tenth Chapter , where he Saith yt Assur was near a kin to Nimrod ' s Seed out of ye Land of Shiner & he built ye Citty of Niniveh in placeas Sz other moe & this he Saith ve ilia taira in Defemare egressus eH Asshur [ 3 5 o ] et edificavit Nlnevi et impleceus anitates et calath et Rlfio qe is Ninivelet calath he crt civitas magr .
Reason would yt Should declare openly now & in what mauner ye charges of Masons craft was first found & who gaue first to it this name of Masonry & yu Shall know well yt it is plainly opened in Pilocrouicou & in Method / ts e / is / opus el marten yt Asshur yt was a worthy Lord Sent to Nimrod ye KingSo Send him masons & workmen of Craft yt might help him to mike his Citty ye which he was purposed to make & finish & Nimrod Sent him thirty [ 380 ] hundred of Masons & when he Should goe & send them forth he called them before him & Said ye must
goe to my Cosin Asshur to help him to build him a Citty but look ye be well governed wth such a charge yt it may be profitable both for yu and me & trul y doe yor labour & craft & take reasonable for yor pains according as yu may deserne & I would yt yu loue together as yu were brethren & hold together truel y & he yt hath most cuning [ 400 ] teach it to his brother or fellow , and look yu goverj ' n lye yor Selves well towards yor Lord and amongst yor Selves Soe yt I may haue worshi p and thanks for Sending yu & teaching ye craft .
And they received their charge of ye King yt was their Lord and master & went forth to Asshur & builded ye Citty of Nineveh in ye Country of Placeas & other Citties more yt men call Calath Reseu yt is a great Cittie between Calath Sz Nineveh & in this maner ye craft of Masonry was preferred first and charged for a Science & Craft .
Reason would yt we Should Shew yu how yt ye Eldars yt were before yt time had ye charge written [ 420 ] in Lattin & in ffrench , & how yt Euclidus came to Geometrie we Should tell yu as it is noted in ye Bible & in other Stories in duodecemo Capit Geneses he telleth how yt Abraham came into ye Land o Canaan &
ye Lord appeared unto him & Said I Shall giue this land to thee & to th y Seed , but there fell a great hunger in ye Land & Abraham took Sarai his wife wth him & went into Egipt in pilgrimage while ye hunger endured he would abide there & Abraham as ye Stories Sayctfj [ 440 ] was a wise man & a great Clerke & he called all the Seaven Sciences & taught ye Egiptians ye Science of Grammar .
This worthy Clerke Euclidus was his Schollar & learned of him Masonry & he gaue yt first ye name of Geometry , but it is Said of Isodus ethemologer in ye first book , Isodus in his Eleniologie in ye fifth book Ethemogior Capitulo pis Saith Euclidus was one of ye first founders of Geometry & he gaue it name for in his time there was a water in ye land of Egipt yt was called Nilo , & it flawed [ 460 ] Soe far in yt land yt men might not dwell therein , and Euclidus taught them to
make great walls & ditches to hold out ye water & he b y Geometry measured out ye land & parted it into divers parts , & made every man to close his owne part wth walls and ditches , and then it became a plentious Country of all mauner of fruit Sz young people both of men & women if there was Soe much people of young fruit yt ye Country might not well Hue & ye Lord ^ of yt Country drew them together & made a Councell [ 480 ] how they might help their Children yt had not
livelihood competent & able to find them & their Children for they haue many amongst them in Councell , and there was this worthy Clarke Euclidus , and when he perceived they all were not able to bring about this matter , he Said to them will yu take to me yor Sons in governance and I shall teach them in Such a Science yt they Shall Hue thereby gentlemen like , under condition yu will be Sworne to me to performe ye governance yt I will tell yee . [ 500 ]
Soe reason would that every man Should grant to ye things yt are profitable to themselues , and they took their Sons to Euclidus to governe them at his owne will , and he taught them ye craft of Masonry and gaue it ye name of Geometry because of parting ye ground yt he had taught ye people in makeing their walls & ditches beforesaid to close out the water , & Isodus Saith in his Ethnologies yt only calleth ye craft Geometrie , and this worth y Clarke gaue it name and [ end of third
strip ] taught [ 520 ] it ye Lords Sons of ye Land that he had in his teaching and he gaue them charge yt they Should call each other ffellow & not otherwise because they were all of one Craft & of gentle birth borne & of Lords Sons & alsoe he yt was most cuning Should be governour of ye worke & Should be called Master , & other charges moe yt been written in ye book of charges , & Soe they wrought wth ye Lords of yt land & made Citties & Townes Castles & Temples & "Lords places & did Hue honestly & truely by ye Said craft .
When the Children of Israeli dwelling [ 540 ] in Egipt they learned ye craft of Masonry & afterwards they were driven out of Egypt they came into ye land of Behest wch now is called Jerusalem and there it was occupied & ye charges holden & kept , and at ye makeing of Solomons Temple yt King David began & King David loved well Masons , & he gave them charges ri ght near as they be now &
ye makeing of Solomons Temple as it is Said in ye Bible in ye third book Regnum in tertio regun regit capital quinto that Solomon had fouer thousand Masons at [ 560 ] his worke & ye Kings Son of Tyre was his Master Mason & in other Cronicles as it is Said in old books of Masonry yt Solomon confirmed ye charges yt his ffather David had giuen ye Masons , Sz Solomon himselfe taught them their mauners , very little differing from the truuners yt now are used .
And from thence this worth y Science was brought into ffrance by ye grace of God & into many other worthy Regions , and in ffrance there was a worthy Knight yt was named Carolus Secundus yt is to Say Charles ye Second and this [ 580 ] Charles was elected King of ffrance by ye grace of God & b y Lineage & yet Some men will say yt he was elected b y fortune only , wch is false & untrue as appeareth by ye Cronicle plainly for he was of ye Kings blood royall Si this Same
King Charles was a Mason before yt he was King & afterwards when he was King he loved well Masons & cherished them and gave ye charge & mauners of his devise whereof Some be used at this pr ' sent in ffrance and ordained yt they Should haue reasonable pay & alsoe yt they Should assemble once in a year & com ' on together of Such things as were amiss Si ye Same to be received b y Masters and ffellowes [ 600 J
Every honest Mason or any other worthy workman yt hath any loue to ye craft of Masonry & would know how ye craft of Masonry came first into England & b y whom it was grounded & confirmed as it is noted & written in Stories of England & in old charges of St Albanes time & King Ethelstone declared yt Amphabell came out of ffrance into England Si he brought St Albone into Christendone Sz
made him a Christian man & he brought wth him ye charges of Masons as they were in ffrance & in other Lands , and & in that time ye King of ye Land yt was a Panem [ Pagan ] dwelled there as St Albans is now & he had many Masons working on ye Towne walls , & as yt time St Albane was ye Kings Steward pay master & Governour of ye Kings work 6 & loved well Masons & cherished them well & made