The Wilson Manuscript Constitution.

of kinge Athelstone that Avas a Avooithie kinge of England and brought all this land into rest and peace And builded manie greate Avorkes of Abbies . . . other buildings . And hee loved Avell masons and

had a sonne that hight EdAvyn and he loved masons much more than his father did And he was a greate practizer of Geometrie And he drue lim much common and talke Avith masons to learn of them the craft . And

after-Avards for love that hee had to masons and to the craft hee was made a mason And he gatt of the kinge his father a charter of commission to hold an assembly Avhere they AVOUM within the realme once a yeare And to correct within themselves faults and trespasses that were done within the crafte And he held an assemblie him seafe at Yorke

and there he made masons and gave them charges and taught them and commanded that rule to be kept for ever after And gave them the charter and comission to keepe and made an ordinance that it shoulde be reneAved

from kinge to ginge And AA hen the assemblie was gathered togeather' he made a crie that all old masons and young that had any writeing or understanding of the charges and manners that Avas made before in this lande or in

any other that they shoulde bring and sheAve them furth And when it was proved there Avere found some in Frenck some in Greeke and some in English and some in other languages and they Avere all to one intente And he made a booke there of howe the craft Avas founded and he him selfe bid and commanded it shoulde he read or tolde Avhen

anie mason shoulde be made and for to give him his charges And from that daye untill this time manners of masons have beene kept in that forme as Avell as men might governe it Furthermore att divers assemblies

certaine charges have been made and ordained by the best advise of maisters and felloAves . Tunc unus ex seniority tenet libra et ille vel illi apponunt manus sup libra et tunc precepta debent legi .

Everie man that is a Mason take right good heede to theis charges and if any man finde limselfe guiltie in any of theis charges That he amende limselfe against God And especially ye that are to be charged take good heede that you

maie keepe theis charges right Avell for it is a greate perrill a man to forsAvare himselfe upon a Booke The first charge is this y * yee shall bee true men to God and holy Church And that ye use noe error nor heresie by your understandinge

or descretion but bee ye discreate men or Avise men in eache thinge And alsoe y' yee should bee leige men to the Kinge of England Avithout treason or anie other fals hode And that ye knoAve noe treason nor treacherie but you amende itt iff you maie , or else Avame y kinge or his counsell thereof And also yee shall be true eache onto other that is to saie

to every mason of the crafte of masonrie that be masons allowed yee shall doe unto them as you Avoulde that they shoulde doe unto you And also thaty you keepe all the councells of your felloAves trulie be it in lodge or in chamber and all other councells that

ought to be kepte by the Avay of Brotherhood And also that noe mason shall bee a thiefe or farrforth as he may AAitt or knoAve And alsoe that yee shall bee . true eache . unto other and to the lorde or maister that ye

serve aud truly to see to lisprofitts and his advantage And alsoe ye shall call masons your fellowes or brethren and non other foAvle name And alsoe ye shall not take your felloAves Avyfe in villaine , nor desire ungodlie his Daughter

or lis servant nor put him to noe dis-Avorshipp And alsoe that you paye trulie for your meate and drinke theare Avhere you goe to horde whereby y crafte might bee slandred Theis bee the charges in general ! that longeth to every true mason to keepe both maisters and fellowes .

Eeherfe I will other charges in singuler for maisters and felloAves First that noe maister or felloAve shall take uppon him any lords Avoorke nor any other man ' s Avoorke unlesse hee knowe limselfe able and sufficient