Ms. Masonic Constitutions (Or Charges) No. 2.

begtnmg and give us grace so to goA'ne us in our lyving , that AA'e may come to his blisse that nev shall haA'e ending . Good Bretheren and felloAA'es our purpose is to tell yu IIOAV and in AA'ht manr this craft of Masonrie AA'as begun , and afterwards founded by Avorthy Kings and

princes and many oilier Avorll men and also to them yt be here Ave AA'ill declare to them the charge that doth belonge to eA'y true Mason to keepe , for in good sooth if yu take heed thereunto it is AA'ell Avorthy to be kept , for a Avorthy trust and a curious

scyence , for thor be 7 severall sciences of the AA'di it is one : vidlt the first is Gramthat teacheth a man to speake truly and to AAU-ite truly : the second is Eetoricke that teacheth a man to speake fine and in subtill terme , the third is Logique , that teacheth

to diserne truth fro falshood ye fourth is Arethmaticke that teacheth to account and recount all manner of numbs , the fift is called Geometry and it teacheth a man to meat and measure of the earth and other things , AVCII science is Masonrie the sixt is Musick AVCII teacheth songe and voice of Tonge or Organs and harpes : the seaventh is called astrologie , AA'ch teacheth to

knoAV the course of sun and moone and other ornamtl of the heaA'ens , the 7 liberall sciences the AA'ch be all one science , yt is to say : Geomatry ; thus may a man prove -that all the sciences in the Avorld be found by Geomatry for it teacheth to meat and

. mesure ponder and AA'aight of all manr of earth and there is no man that AA'orketh by any craft but he AA'orketh by some measure and AA'aight , and all Geo : and crafts men and merchants and other of the 7 sciences and especiall y ploAV men and tillers of all

manr of ground both corne fields , plants , sellers of all fruits for grane , nether Astronomy any of all these can find a man one measure or meate Avth out Geomatry : AA'herfore I thinke that science most worthy that findeth all others . HOAV this Avorth

y science AA'as first begun I shall tell yu . Before Noah ' s flood AA'as a man called ' Lameth as it is Avritten in the 4 ehapt : of Genesis , and this Lameth had 2 Avives the one AA'as called Ada and the other Seala and by the 1 Avife Ada he begott 2 sones the one Avas

called Jabell and the othr Jubell ; and by ye other Avife he had one son and a daughter and these foure children found the bcg ining of all crafts in all the Avorld , this Jabell AA-as A-e elder sone and he found the

craft of Geometry , and he departed flockes of shcepe and lambes in the feild , and he first AAi-ought house of stone and tree and it is noted in the chapter aforesd that his Brother Juball found Musick of songs harpe and organs . The brother of Juball found Smith ' s craft as of iron and Steele

and their sister found Avaveing and these children did knoAV that God Avould take vengeance for sin either by fire or Avater AA'herel' ore they AAi-itt the sciences that AA'ere found in tAvo pillars of stone that they mig ht be found after the flood the one

stone called Marble that canot burne Avith fire , the other AA-as called Latera AA'hich canot droAvne AA'ith Avator , our intent is to tell yon truly IIOAV and in AA'hat manr these stones were found , AA'here those crafts Avere written in Greeke . Hermenes that Avas

son to Cus and C ' as Avas son to Shem AVCII AA'as sone to Noah , the same Hermenes Avas afterwards called Hermes , the father of AA'ise men ; and he found out the 2 pillars of stone Avhere the sciences Avere noAv Avritten and taught them both and at yo making of the toAver of Babilon there Avas the craft of Masonrie first found and made much of , and the King of Babilon Aveh

Avas called Hembroth or Kembroth AA'as a mason and loved Avell the craft as it is said of ye Maister of the stories , and AA'hen the eitty of Ninivie and other cittyes of Est Azia should be made , the Kinge of Babilon sent thither sixty masons at the desire of the Kinge of Ninivie his cOseu

and AA'hen they Avent forth , he gave them charge in this nianer , that the should be true and live togathor truly and that the should serve the Lord truely for there payment ; so that he might have Avorsp for sending them and other charg he gave

them ; and this AA'as the first tyme that any mason had any charge of craft , moreovr AA'hen Abraham and Sarai his Avife went into Egypt there Avere taught the 7 sciences unto the Egyptians and he had a Avorthy seholler called Euchild and he learned

right AA'ell and AA'as Mr of all the 7 sciences and it befell in his dayes that the Lords and such of the relme had so many sones that they had begotten , some by there AA'ives and some by Ladyes of the realme ( for yt land is a holy land and plenyshed

generacon and they had no competent liA'eing for there children Avherefore they mad much sorroAA' ) and the King of the land made a counsell and a pliamt to knoAV