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  • The Masonic Magazine
  • March 1, 1880
  • Page 9
  • THE OLD CHARGES OF THE BRITISH FREEMASONS.
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The Masonic Magazine, March 1, 1880: Page 9

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    Article THE OLD CHARGES OF THE BRITISH FREEMASONS. ← Page 4 of 6 →
Page 9

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Old Charges Of The British Freemasons.

well ye Craft & drew to this Namus Greus that was abovesaid & learned of him ye Craft ancl took upon him ye charges ancl manners affwards by ye Grace of God hee was elected to bee King of France & when hee was iu his estate , hee took Masons & did help to make men Masons that were none & sett them to work & gave them both ye charges and ye manners & good pay as hee had learned of other Masons and Confirmed them a Chart from yeare to yeare to

hold their Assembly Avhere they would & cherished them much & thus came ye Craft into France . Ancl England all this season stood void for any charge of Masonrie untill S' Albones time & in his dayes ye King of Eng ( l that was a Pagan , he did wall ye ToAvne about y is called St Albones & St Albone was a ivorthy Knight & Steivard of ye Kings household & had Govemin of ye Realme and alsoe in

making of ye Towne Walls & loA'ed Masons & cherished them very much & hee made their pay right good standing as ye Realme did , for hee gave them Two ShilF six pence p . week & Three pence to their nonesinces & before y time through all this Land a Mason took a penny a clay & his meate till S ' Albone amended it & gave them a Chart ' from ye King & his Councell & gave it ye name of Assembly & hee ivas himself a help to make Masons & gave them charges as ye shall heare afterwards . Presently , aftr ye decease of St Albone there came clivers Warrs into ye Realme of Engd of divers Nations , soe that ye good rulers of Masonry was

destroyed unto ye time of King Athestons days ytwas a ivorthy King of Engd & brought this land into Peace ancl builclecl many great works of Abbies & Towers and other divs building & hee loved well Masons & hee had a Sonne yt was called-Edwine & and hee loved Masons much more than his Father did & hee was a great Practiconr in Geometry & hee did Comune & talk with Masons & to learn of them ye Craft , Ancl aftr ward for ye love hee had to Masons and ye Craft hee Avas made Mason & he obtained of ye King his father a Chartr & ¦

Comissiou to hold every yeare one Assembly , where yt evr they would Avithin ye Realm of Engd & to correct within themselves defaults & trespasses that were done against ye Craft & held himselfe an Assembly att Yorke & there hee made Masons & gave them charges & taught them ye Manners & Cornanded yt rule to bee kept ever after & gave them ye Chartr & Com-on to keep & made an ordinance yt it should bee renewed from King to King . And yt when ye

Assembly was gathered hee made a cry yt all old Masons & young , yt had any Avriting & undrstanding of ye charges & manners yt were made before in this Land , or in any other , yt they should sheiv them forth , ancl when yt was proved , there were found some in French & some in Greeke & somein English ancl some in other Languages , and ye intent of them was found to noe sense , ancl hee did make a book thereofAnd now ye Craft was founded and hee

him-, selfe Cornanded yt it should be read or told , when any Mason should bee made , for to give him his charge , ancl from yt clay unto ye time , Manners of Masons have been kept in yt forme , as well as as well as men might goi'ern it . And f urthrmore divers assemblies have beene made & ordained cerfcaine Charges by ye best advice of Masters & fellows

Tunc tmtcs e . v Senioribus tenebat libru tile velle illepoiiat * velponat maims , sup libru et tunc precepta seberent legi Every man yt is a Mason take good heed to these charges , yt if any man find himselfe guilty of any of these charges , yt hee amend & yon yt are to bee charged , principally take heed yt ye may keep these charges well , for it is a great danger for a man to forsweare himselfe upon a book

The first Charge is , That hee or you shalbee a true Man to God & ye Church & yt hee use neither Error nor Heresie according to his or their understandings .

“The Masonic Magazine: 1880-03-01, Page 9” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 29 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmg/issues/mmg_01031880/page/9/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
THE RECORDS OF AN ANCIENT LODGE. Article 1
THE OLD CHARGES OF THE BRITISH FREEMASONS. Article 6
AS WE MAKE IT. Article 11
THE LAWS OF THE CRUSADERS IN CYPRUS. Article 12
MASONIC STORIES. Article 13
A MASONIC DREAM. Article 14
A STRANGE LANGUAGE. Article 17
THE MYSTIC CHORD. Article 18
" GREAT ANNIVERSARY SPELL. Article 20
THE UNIVERSALITY OF MASONRY. Article 24
THE LONDON LIVERY COMPANIES. Article 25
CHURCH BELLS AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS. Article 26
THE MASONIC VETERANS' ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK. Article 29
FOUND. Article 33
LITTLE BRITAIN. Article 34
OUR GRAND BROTHERHOOD. Article 38
A CATALOGUE OF MASONIC BOOKS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. Article 41
NORAH'S REMONSTRANCE. Article 44
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Page 9

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Old Charges Of The British Freemasons.

well ye Craft & drew to this Namus Greus that was abovesaid & learned of him ye Craft ancl took upon him ye charges ancl manners affwards by ye Grace of God hee was elected to bee King of France & when hee was iu his estate , hee took Masons & did help to make men Masons that were none & sett them to work & gave them both ye charges and ye manners & good pay as hee had learned of other Masons and Confirmed them a Chart from yeare to yeare to

hold their Assembly Avhere they would & cherished them much & thus came ye Craft into France . Ancl England all this season stood void for any charge of Masonrie untill S' Albones time & in his dayes ye King of Eng ( l that was a Pagan , he did wall ye ToAvne about y is called St Albones & St Albone was a ivorthy Knight & Steivard of ye Kings household & had Govemin of ye Realme and alsoe in

making of ye Towne Walls & loA'ed Masons & cherished them very much & hee made their pay right good standing as ye Realme did , for hee gave them Two ShilF six pence p . week & Three pence to their nonesinces & before y time through all this Land a Mason took a penny a clay & his meate till S ' Albone amended it & gave them a Chart ' from ye King & his Councell & gave it ye name of Assembly & hee ivas himself a help to make Masons & gave them charges as ye shall heare afterwards . Presently , aftr ye decease of St Albone there came clivers Warrs into ye Realme of Engd of divers Nations , soe that ye good rulers of Masonry was

destroyed unto ye time of King Athestons days ytwas a ivorthy King of Engd & brought this land into Peace ancl builclecl many great works of Abbies & Towers and other divs building & hee loved well Masons & hee had a Sonne yt was called-Edwine & and hee loved Masons much more than his Father did & hee was a great Practiconr in Geometry & hee did Comune & talk with Masons & to learn of them ye Craft , Ancl aftr ward for ye love hee had to Masons and ye Craft hee Avas made Mason & he obtained of ye King his father a Chartr & ¦

Comissiou to hold every yeare one Assembly , where yt evr they would Avithin ye Realm of Engd & to correct within themselves defaults & trespasses that were done against ye Craft & held himselfe an Assembly att Yorke & there hee made Masons & gave them charges & taught them ye Manners & Cornanded yt rule to bee kept ever after & gave them ye Chartr & Com-on to keep & made an ordinance yt it should bee renewed from King to King . And yt when ye

Assembly was gathered hee made a cry yt all old Masons & young , yt had any Avriting & undrstanding of ye charges & manners yt were made before in this Land , or in any other , yt they should sheiv them forth , ancl when yt was proved , there were found some in French & some in Greeke & somein English ancl some in other Languages , and ye intent of them was found to noe sense , ancl hee did make a book thereofAnd now ye Craft was founded and hee

him-, selfe Cornanded yt it should be read or told , when any Mason should bee made , for to give him his charge , ancl from yt clay unto ye time , Manners of Masons have been kept in yt forme , as well as as well as men might goi'ern it . And f urthrmore divers assemblies have beene made & ordained cerfcaine Charges by ye best advice of Masters & fellows

Tunc tmtcs e . v Senioribus tenebat libru tile velle illepoiiat * velponat maims , sup libru et tunc precepta seberent legi Every man yt is a Mason take good heed to these charges , yt if any man find himselfe guilty of any of these charges , yt hee amend & yon yt are to bee charged , principally take heed yt ye may keep these charges well , for it is a great danger for a man to forsweare himselfe upon a book

The first Charge is , That hee or you shalbee a true Man to God & ye Church & yt hee use neither Error nor Heresie according to his or their understandings .

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