The York Ms. No. 5, A.D. 1670.

sion to hold every year an assembly wheresoever they would within the realm of England to correct within themselves y trespasses & y falts y' were done within y ° craft & he himself Held an assembl y at York & there he made masons & gave y y Charge & taught y y manners and Commanded y rules to be kept ever after and took for y y Charter to keep & also gave orders y' itt should be Renewed from King to King & when y ° assembly was gathered together he

made proclamation y' all old masons & young y' had any writings or understandings of y ° Charge of y manners Concerning y Said Science y' were made before in y land or any other they should bring them forth & when they had viewed and examined there found some in french Some in Greek & some in English & Some in other Languages & y Intent & meaning' of y was found out and he made a Book thereof how this Craft was found out

& he himself gave Command y' they Should be read or told wlien y' any Mason should be made & he gave y y Charge & from y day to y manner of master have been kept and observed in y' form as well as men might observe & governe Itt & furthermore att clivers assemblies and addition of Divers things in y Charge ordained but y ° best advice both of Masters and fellows every man y Is a Mason take good heed to these Charges and y' he may amend himselfe before God If he find himselfe Guilty of any of those Charges & in particular

you that are to be Charged take good heed y' you may keep those Charges right well for Itt is perilous and great , danger for a man to forswear himselfe upon y" Holy Scripture . The First Charge is y be or thou bo true to man & god & y holy Church & y use neither error nor Herisie according to your own understanding or discretion on wise men teaching and also y 1 , he shall be a true Liegeman & bear true allegiance to e King of England without treason

y any or any other falshood If you know of any treason y you may amend it privil y if you may or else warn y ' King & bis Council of Itt by Declareing itt to y magistrates & also y Shall be true one to another y' Is to say to every Mason of y Craft of Masonrie y' be allowed masons you Should do to y " as you would they should do to you & y you keep truly y Councill of Lodge & Chamber & all other Couiicell which ought to be kept by way of Masonrie & y also you

Shall use no thieft but keep your Selves true & also you Shall be true to y master you serve & truly se his his proffifc and advantage promoted and furthered & also you shall call Masons your brethren or fellows but not any other foule names , also you Shall not take in cvill any of your fellows Wifes nor unlawfully his daughter or Servant or put him to any discredit & also y * you pay truly for your meat & drink where you go to table & y' you do not any thing whereby y Craft may be Scandalized these be y ° Charges In general 1 which belongeth to every Free Mason to keep both masters & fellows ;

Now come I to rehearse Certain other Charges ; Singularly for Masters & fellows Viz . y no master shall take upon him any Lords work or any other mans work except he know himselfe to be of Suffitient Skill & Cunning ' to perform and finish the same so y y Craft thereby receave no Slander or discredit but y' y « Lord may be well Served & have his work sufficiently clone & also y * no master take any work at unreasonable rates but so reasonable y' y Lord

or owner truly served with his own goods & y" master to live honestly thereby & to pay his fellows their wages as y ° manner is & also y' no master or fellow have taken any work to do & therefore Stand as Master of y Said work y shall not put liim out of Rt unless he be unable of Skill or Cunning to perforate y same to y end & also y' no master or fellow Shall take any Apprentice under y tearm of Seven years and l such an Apprentice sufficientlable of

y y body and Sound of his limbs & also of good birth free born no Alien but Dissended of a true and honest kindred & no bondman & also y no mason take any apprentice unless he have Suffitient occupation whereon to employ 2 or 3 fellows at y least & also y * no master or fellow shall take any Lords work over another mans head or from his fellow mason y' was wont to work