The Old Charges Of The British Freemasons.

and many other Charges that were to Longe to tell , Ancl all those he made them SAveare a great Oath they vsecl in that time ancl Ordained for their reasonable pay that they might Live Honestly ancl also that they should come and Assemble to gether every yeare Once and consult best how to serve the Lord for his profitt ancl their Owne Worshipp ancl to correct within themselves him that had Trespassed against the Craftancl thus Avas the Science grounded thereand

, , that Worthy Master Euclid , gave it the name of Geometry and now it is called through all this Land Masonry . Long after Avhen the Children of Israeli Avere come into the Land of promise King David began the Temple att Jerusalem Avhich Avas call Templnm Domin ancl he Loved Avell Masons ancl Cherished them much and gave them good pay , and he gave them the charges ancl manners that he had learned of the

Egyptians left them by Vclid , and other charges more that yow . shall afterwards , After the decease of Kinge David , Solomon bis Sonn finishinge the Temple AA bicb his Father had begnnn and be sent for workemen into divers Countries ancl gathered to gether Eighty Thousand Workers of Stone and were all named Masons and he Chose out of them three Thousand of them that were Ordained Masters and GoA ernors of his Worke and there AA'as a Kinge of an other

nation which men called Hiram ancl he loved Avell King Solomon and he gave him Timber for bis Worke , and he bad a Sonn called Aynon and he was master of Geometry and Choise Master of all his Masons , and was Master of all his Gravinge and earvinge and all other manner of Masonry that belongeth to the Temple ancl this Solomon confirmed both charges ancl the manners that his Father had given to Masons ancl thus was that Avorthy Craft Confirmed in the City of Jerusalem ancl many other Kingdomes .

Curious Crafts men Travillecl into divers Countries some to Learne more Craft and Cunninge ancl Some to teach them that had but the Cunninge ancl So it befell that there was Curious Masons that was called Naynus Greens that had been at the Buildinge of Solomons Temple ancl was come into France and there he taught the Science of Masonry ancl there was one of the Eoyall line called Charles Martell ancl be was a man that loved Avell this Craft , ancl he came to this Naynus Greens and Learned of him the Craftand took of him the

, charges & manners and afterwards by the Grace of God he was Elected Kinge of France , and AA'hen he Avas in this State be tooke Masons and did help to make men Masons , ancl Sett them to Worke ancl gave them both the charge and the manners that be bad Learned of other Masons confirming them A charter from yeare to yeare to Hold their Assembly Avhere they would ancl thus came the Craft into France .

England all this While was . void of Masons vntill St : Albons ancl in his daies the Kinge of England Walled the Towne that is called St : Albons , Now this St : Albon was a Worthy Knight ancl Steward to the Kings Household and was Governor of the Maysons That made the ToArae Walls and loved them well ancl chei'issed them right much and he made there pay right good ( i . e . ) two shillings six pence a Weeke ancl three pence to their Nousyon before that time through all this land a Mason tooke but a 1 penny a day & his meate till

St . Albon mended it , ancl got them a Charter of the Kinge ancl Councell for to bold a Generall Oouncel ] and gave it a name of Assembly an d there at he was himselfe ancl helped to make Masons ancl gave them charges as yow . shall here afterward Right soon after the death of St : Albon there was Great Warrs in England sO that the Craft Avas almost lost vntill the time of Athelston a Worth y King ancl he brought the Land to rest ancl peace he Builded many great great

Workes as Churches , Abbyes Castles and many other Buildings he loved well Masons and he had a Son called Edwin he loved Masons much more than his Father did ancl he Avas a great Practiser of Geometry vseing much to talke with Masons ancl learned of them the Craft afterwards for the love he had to Masons he Avas made One himselfe ancl got of the King his Father a Charter and Commission to bold every yeare once an Assembly within theRealnic of England , to