The Preface.

landlady Avho Avas jealous of missing several pewter pots and dishes , had tlie curiosity to peep into his room , and to her grand surprise found them aU converted into gold and silver ; away goes the good woman

fetches an officer of justice , seizes poor cuhuit ere his breeches could be tucked up , ¦ iiul carrying him before a magistrate for the loss of her baser metal , ho escapes ancl running into the Imperial court , throws

himself down at the Emperor ' s feet , but being close pursued by justice , had no other time but to ask his life ; the Emperor amazed , asked the reason , his answer Avas , lie had forfeited his life by robbing his

landlady of her pewter pots and transmuting them into gold ; " is that all" quoth the Emperor , " order them to be brought hither , I -will secure your life , provided aH the pewter , & c , in the Imperial palace be

converted into standard gold or silver . " The man was doomed the remaining part of his life to the mines hi Germany , ancl the secret Avas discovered .

The might of the Father of heaven , Avith the wisdom of his glorious Son , through the goodness of the Holy Ghost , Avhich be three persons in one Godhead , be Avith us at our beginning , ancl g ive us grace so to

govern us in our living that we may come to the bliss that never shall have ending . Good brethren ancl felloAVS , our purpose 's to lot you know IIOAV , and in what maimer this craft of Masonry Avas begun ,

THE HISTORY OF THE FREE—MASONS NOW MI 1 UCUL 0 USLY DISCOVERED .

and afterwards IIOAV it was founded by ff orth y kings and princes , and many other worth y men , and also to them that be here " W'cwill declare the charges that cloth belong 0 ° very true Mason to keep ; for in good : u th , if you take heed thereunto , it is well ^ pt , for a worthy craft and curious science ; 0 f there be seven liberal sciences of Avhich

Grammar , Rhetorick , Logiok , Arithmetick , Geometry , Musick ancl Astronomy , Grammar teacheth a man to speak and Avrite truly . Rhetorick , teacheth a man to speak fair and in subtile terms .

Logick teacheth to discern truth from falshood . Arithmetick teacheth to reckon and count all manner of numbers , Geometry teacheth to mete and measure the earth , and the tilings of the same , of

Avhich science is Masonry . Musick that teacheth the voice as harp and organ . Astronomy teacheth to know the course of the Sun and Moon , and other ornaments

of the heavens . The seven liberal sciences are all but one science , that is to say Geometry .

Thus a man may prove that all the sciences in the Avorld be found in Geometry ; for it teacheth mete measure , ponderation , and weight of all kinds of earth ; ancl there is no man Avorketh by any craft , but he

worketk by some measure ; and no man buyeth and selleth but by measure and Aveight ; and all Geometricians , Craftsmen , and Merchants , find out the seven sciences especially Ploughmen ancl Tillers of all

manner of grain , both corn , seeds , vines , plants , tillers of all other fruits , for neither Grammar nor Astronomy , or any of all these can find a man to measure , or mete , Avithout Geometry , Avherefore I think that science most worthy .

That findeth IIOAV this worthy science Avas first found out . I shall tell you before Noah ' s flood there was a man called Lamech , as it is Avritten hi the fourth chapter of Genesis ; and Lamech had tAvo

Avives the one Avife Avas called Adah , and the other Zillah ; and by the first Avife , Adah , ho bogat two sons , the one Avas called Jabal , and the other Jubal ; and by the other Avife he had one son and one daughter , and these four children found