Gothic Constitutions—What Are They?

We see that it ia merely a hearsay legend among the ancient brethren five hundred years ago , when the said poem was penned ; and what is more strange , the author of the poem was evidently a Catholic priest , who must have had

access to the Masonic assemblies , to their documents , and Avho must have been in possession of all the legends then knoAvn or in vogue among the brotherhood . The author , however , is entirely silent about York , and does not appear to have

heard that either a St . John , a King Solomon , a Hiram , etc ., etc ., were ever Grand Patrons , Grand Masters , or Masons . This Athelstan , he says , gave the Masons fifteen articles and fifteen points to swear to and observe , as their laws . Some of

the articles specified are still regarded as landmarks by our oracles , such for instance , as " sound limb , " " free born , " etc . The fourteenth point provides that , " To him who would be under awe , a good true oath he must there swear . To his

Master and fellows he must be steadfast and true ; also to all these ordinances , Avheresoever he goes , and his Liege Lord King , to be true to him over all things , and all these points , to him though must needs be SAVore , and all shall swear the same oath . " This is as near as I could make it a

translation into modern English . The next oldest Masonic document in existence was edited by Bro . Mathew Cooke in 1860 . The discoverer claims it to have beeu written in the latter part of the fifteenth century . I , however ,

suspect that it Avas not written until after the Protestant religion Avas established in England . This constitution I have read , and had notes taken from it , but not sufficiently copious to Avarrant me in making criticisms . I have also read

constitutions ( claiming to have been copied from old parchment documents in museums and libraries ) , in the "Freemasons' Magazine , " 1794 , the "Gentleman ' s Magazine , " of 1815 , and in C . W . Moore ' s Magazine of 1842 . Bro . Hughan , of

Truro , England , has , Avithin a year , published five similar documents . These Avill shortly be reprinted by Bro . Bobert Macoy , of New York . Now , in arranging those documents in accordance Avith their apparent seniority , side by side , the

student mry at a glance learn the succesive additions and improvements made to our legends , laws , & c ., previous to the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England , in 1717 . But the intelligent Mason will even learn more than that .

By examining carefully the structure of those documents' he must become convinced that they were written and designed , not only for constitutions , but also for ritualistic purposes , and , in fact ( with the exception of riding the goat and

flourishing the flourishing the gridiron ) , the reading of those documents to the neophyte constituted , in those days , the whole ceremony of nitiation , and . what is more , the whole of Masonry then known or practised .

It is curious to see the changes successively made in th- Masonic 0 . B . According to those documents , the Master having related all the legends , T * hen he ewne to read the laws , the Elder ( an office unknown noAv in our lodges ) was instructed to lay the hand of the candidate on the book to remain there while the laws were

being read . In the constittion printed in Bro . Moore's magazine in 1842 , the Master is instructed before reading the laAvs , after the hand of the candidate was placed on the book , to address thebrethren by way of exhortion , as follows : —

"My loving and respectful friends and brethren I humby beseech you , as you love your soul's eternal welfare , your own credit , and your country's good , be very careful in observation of these articles , that I am about to read to this

deponent , for you are obliged to perform them as Avell as he .. So , hoping of your care herein , I Avill ( by God's grace ) begin the charge . " This last named document appears to be the latest edition , containing the latest improvements and additions . It Avas probably not written until the close of the seventeenth century . It contains

altogether , thirty-one articles . The twenty-fifth winds up with the usual old-fashioned oath . The Master said : " These charges Ave have rehearsed you shall keep , " etc . ; " so help your God , by the contents of this book . " The twenty-sixth

regulation is headed " new articles , " the last of Avhich says : Slstly . That no person shall be accepted a Freemason , or know the secrets of the said society , until he hath first taken the oath of secresy hereafter following : —

" I , A . B ., in the presence of Almighty God , and my fellows and brethren here present , promise and declare that I will not at any time hereafter by any act or circumstance whatsoever , directly or indirectly publish , reveal , or make knovra any of the secrets , privileges , or counsels of the fraternity or felloAvship of Freemasonry , v * hicli at this time ,