The might of the Father of Kings,* with the wisdom of his glorious Son, through the grace of the goodness of the Holy Ghost, there been three persons in one Godhead, be with us at our beginning, and give us grace so to govern us here in this mortal life living, that we may come to his Kingdome that never shall have ending. Amen.

(* In the Lands down, and most of the other MSS., the formula is "the Father of the Heavens," or "of Heaven.")

"Good Brethren and Follows: Our purpose is to tell you how and in what manner this worthy science of Masonry was begun, and afterwards how it was favored by worthy Kings and Princes, and by many other worshipful men. And also to those that be willings, wee will declare the charge that belongeth to any true Mason to keep for in good faith. And ye have good heed thereto; it is well worthy to be well kept for a worthy craft and a curious science.

"For there be Seven liberal Sciences, of the which seven it is one of them. And the names of the Seven Essences been these: First is Grammar, and it teacheth man to speak truly and write truly. And the second is Rhetoric; and teacheth a man to speak faire in subtle terms. And the third is Dialectyk; and teacheth a man for to discern or know truth from false. And the fourth is Arithmetic; and that teacheth a man for to reckon and to account all manner of numbers. And the fifth is called Geometry; and that teacheth met and measure of earth and of all other things; of the which science is called Masonry. And the sixth science is called Music; and that teacheth a man of song and voice, of tongue and organ, harp and tromp. And the Seventh science is called Astronomy; and that teacheth a man the course of the sun, moon and starts. These be the Seven liberal Sciences, the which been all founded by one Science, that is to say Geometric. And this may a man prove, that the science of the work is founded by Geometric, for Geometry teacheth a man met and measure, ponderation and weight, of all manner of things on earth, for there is no man that worketh any science, but he worketh by some met or measure, nor no man that buyeth or selleth, but he buyeth or selleth by some measure or by some weight, and all these is Geometric. And these use merchants and all craftsmen, and all other of the Seven Sciences, and in especial the plowman and tillers of all manner of grounds, graynes, vynes, flowers and setters of other fruits; for Grammar or Rhetoric, neither Astronomy nor none of all the other Seven Sciences can no manner find met nor measure without Geometric. Wherefore methinketh that the science of Geometry is most worthy, and that findeth * all other.

(* Used in its primitive Anglo-Saxon meaning of "to invent, to devise." Geometry invented or devised all the other sciences.)

"How that these worthy Sciences were first begun, I shall you tell. Before Noah's flood, there was a man called Lamech, as it is written in the Bible in the iiijth CHAPTER of Genesis; and this Lamech had two wives, and the one height Ada, and that other height Sella; by his first wife Ada he got two sons, and that one Jabel and the other Tubal, and by that other wife Sella he got a son and a daughter. And these four children founden the beginning of all sciences in the world. And this elder son Jabel found the science of Geometric, and he departed flocks of sheep and lambs in the field, and first wrought house of stone and tree, * as is noted in the CHAPTER above said. And his brother Tuball found the science of music, song of tong, harp and organ. And the third brother, Tuball Cain, found smithcraft of gold, silver, copper, iron and steel; and the daughter found the craft of Weaving. And these children knew well that God would take vengeance for sin, either by fire or by water; wherefore they writ their science that they had found in two pillars of stone, that they might be found after Noha's flood. And that one stone was marble, for that would not burn with fire; and that other stone was clapped lanterns, ** and would not drown in no water.

(* This is an instance of the inaccuracy of these old records in historical lore. So far from Jabal being the first who "wrought house of stone and tree," he was the originator of the nomadic life, in which such buildings are never used. He invented tents, made most probably of skins, to be the temporary residence of a pastoral people, led by the exigency of a want of food to remove their flocks from time to time to new pastures.)

(** This word is a corruption of the Latin "later," brick.)

"Our intent is to tell you truly how and in what manner these stones were found that these sciences were written in. The great Hermaryns, that was Cuby's son, the which Cub was Sem's son, that was Noah's son. This Hermaryns afterwards was called Harms, the father of wise men; he found one of the two pillars of stone, and found the science written there, and he taught it to other men. And at the making of the Tower of Babylon there was Masonry first made much of. And the King of Babylon that height Nimrod, was a mason himself; and loved well the science, and it is said with masters of histories. And when the City of Nineveh and other cities of the East should be made, Nimrod, the King of Babylon, sent thither three score Masons at the rogation of the King of Nineveh, his cozen. And when he sent them forth, he gave them a charge on this manner. That they should be true each of them to other, and that they should love truly together, and that they should serve their lord truly for their pay; so that the master may have worship and all that long to him. And other mo charges he gave them. And this was the first time that ever Masons had any charge of his science.

"Moreover when Abraham and Sara his wife went into Egypt, there he taught the Seven Sciences to the Egyptians; and he had a worthy scholar that height Ewclyde,* and he learned right well and was a master of all the seven Sciences liberal. And in his days it befell that the lord and the estates of the realm had so many sons that they had gotten, some by their wives and some by other ladies of the realm; for that land is a hot land and a plenteous of generation. And they had not competent live lode to find with their children, where for they made much care, and then the king of the land made a great Counsel and a Parliament, to wit, how they might find their children honestly as gentlemen; and they could find no manner of good way. And then they did cry through all the realm, if there were any man that inform them, that he should come to them, and he should be so rewarded for his travail, that he should hold him pleased.

(* Bro. Matthew Cooke, in his Notes to the MS. which he was the first to publish, and which thence bears his name, protests against being held responsible for the chronology which makes Abraham and Euclid contemporaries. It will hereafter be seen that this legend of Euclid is merely a symbol.)

"After that this cry was made, then came this worthy Clarke Ewclyde and said to the king and all his great lords, If ye will take me your children to govern, and to teach them one of the Seven Sciences, wherewith they may live honestly as gentlemen should, under a condition, that ye will grant me and them a commission that I may have power to rule them after the manner that the science ought to be ruled.' And that the king and all his Counsel granted to him anon and sealed their commission. And then this worthy Doctor took to him these lord's sons, and taught that the science of Geometry in practice, for to work in stones all manner of worthy work that belongeth to building churches, temples, castles, towers, and manors, and all other manner of buildings; and he gave them a charge in this manner.

"The first was that they should be true to the King, and to the Lord that they owe. And that they should love well together and be true each one to other. And that they should call each other his fellow or else brother and not by servant nor his knave, nor none other foul name. And that they should deserve their pale of the lord or of the master that they serve. And that they should ordain the wisest of them to be master of the work and nether for love nor great lineage, ne riches ne for no favor to let another that hath little conning for to be master of the lord's work, where through the lord should be evil served and they ashamed. And also that they should call their governors of the work, Master, in the time that they work with him. And other many more charges that long to tell. And to all these charges he made them to swear a great oath that men used in that time; and ordained them for reasonable wages, that they might live honestly by. And also that they should come and assemble together every year once, how they might work best to serve the lord for his profit and to their own worship; and to correct within themselves him that had trespassed against the science. And thus was the scenic grounded there; and that worthy Mr. Ewclyde gave it the name of Geometry. And now it is called through all this land, Masonry.

"Sythen long after,* when the children of Israel were coming into the land of Beheast, ** that is now called amongst us, the country of Jhrlm. King David began the Temple that they called Templum D'ni, and it is named with us the Temple of Jerusalem. And the same King David loved Masons well and cherished them much, and gave them good pale. And he gave the charges and the manners as he had learned of Egypt given by Ewclyde, and other charges more that ye shall hear afterward. And after the decease of King David, Solomon, that was David's son, performed out the Temple that his father be gone; and sent after Masons into divers countries and of divers lands; and gathered them together, so that he had fourscore thousand workers of stone, and were all named Masons. And he chose out of them three thousand that were ordained to be masters and governors of his work. And furthermore there was a King of another region that men called Iram, *** and he loved well King Solomon and he gave him timber to his work. And he had a son that height Aynon, **** and he was a Master of Geometric, and was chief Master of all his Masons, and was Master of all his gravings and carving, and of all manner of Masonry that longed to the Temple; and this is witnessed by the Bible, in libro Regum, the third CHAPTER. And this Solomon confirmed both charges and the manners that his father had given to Masons. And thus was that worthy Science of Masonry confirmed in the country of Jerusalem, and in many other kingdoms.

(* Since then long after-long after that time.)

(** The Land of Promise, or the Promised Land. "Beheste Promissio," says the Promptorium Parvulorum.)

(*** It is scarcely necessary to explain that this is meant for Hiram.)

(**** The true origin and meaning of this name, for which some of the modern Speculative Masons have substituted Hiram, Abiff, and others Adoniram, will be hereafter discussed.)

"Curious craftsmen walked about full wide into divers countries, some because of learning more craft and cunning, and some to teach them that had but little cunning. And so it befell that there was one curious Mason that height Maymus Grecus,* that had been at the making of Solomon's Temple, and he came into France, and there he taught the science of Masonry to men of France. And there was one of the Regal line of France that height Charles Martell; ** and he was a man that loved well such a science, and drew to this Maymus Grecus that is above - said, and learned of him the science, and took upon him the charges and manners; and afterwards by them.

(* This name has been a Sphinxian enigma which many a Masonic CEdipos has failed to solve. I shall refer to it in a subsequent page.)

(** The introduction of this monarch into the Legend leads us to an inquiry into an interesting period of French Masonic history that will be hereafter discussed. grace of God, he was elect to be King of France. And when he was in his estate, he took Masons, and did help to make men Masons that were none; and set them to work, and gave them both the charge and the manners and good pale, as he had learned of other Masons; and confirmed them a charter from year to year, to hold their symbol when they would; and cherished them right much; and thus came this science into France.)

"England in all this season stood voyd, as for any charge of Masonry unto St Adbons * time. And in his days the King of England that was a Pagan, he did wall the town about, that is called Saint Albons. And Saint Albons was a worthy Knight and Stewart with the King of his household, and had governance of the realm, and also of the making of the town walls; and loved well Masons and cherished them much. And he made their paid right good, standing as the realm did; for he gave them ijs. vjd. a week and iijd. to their none synchs. ** And before that time, through all this land, a Mason took but a penny a day and his meat, till Saint Albons amended it, and gave them a charter of the King and his Counsel for to hold a general counsel, and gave it the name of Assemble; and thereat he was himself, and helped to make Masons and gave them charges as you shall hear afterward.

(* St. Alban, the protomartyr of England. Of his connection with the Legend, more hereafter.)

(** A corruption of the old English word noonshun, from which comes our modern luncheon. It meant the refreshment taken at noon, when laborers desist from work to shun the heat. It may here mean food or subsistence in general. St. Alban gave his Masons two shillings a week and three pence for their daily food. (See Nonesynches in ,Mackey's " Encyclopedia of Freemasonry."))

"Right soon after the decease of Saint Albone, there came divers wars into the realm of England of divers Nations so that the good rule of Masonry was destroyed unto the time of King Athelstone's days that was a worthy King of England and brought this land into good rest and peace; and builded many great works of Abbys and Tours, and other many divers buildings; and loved well Masons. And he had a son that height Edwin, and he loved Masons much more than his father did. And he was a great practicer in Geometric; and he drew him much to talk and to commune with Masons, and to learn of them science; and afterwards for love that he had to Masons, and to the science, he was made Mason, and he gat of the King his father, a Charter and Commission to hold every year

once an Assemble, where that ever they would, within the realm of England; and to correct within themselves defaults and trespasses that were done within the science. And he held himself an Assemble at York, * and these he made Masons, and gave them charges, and taught them the manners, and commanded that rule to be kept ever after, and took then the charter and commission to keep, and made ordinance that it should be renewed from king to king.

(* This part of the Legend which refers to Prince Edwin and the Assembly at York is so important that it demands and will receive a future comprehensive examination.)

"And when the Assemble was gathered he made a cry that all old Masons and young that had any writing or understanding of the charges and the manners that were made before in this land, or in any other, that they should show them forth. And when it was proved, there were founden some in French, and some in Greek, and some in English and some in other languages; and the intent of them all was founden all one. And he did make a book thereof, and how the science was founded. And he himself bad and commanded that it should be read or told, when that any Mason should be made for to give him his charge. And fro that day into this time manners of Masons have been kept in that form as well as men might govern it. And furthermore divers Assembles have been put and ordained certain charges by the best advice of Masters and fellows."

Then follow the charges that are thus said to have been enacted at York and at other General Assemblies, but which properly constitute no part of the Legend, at least no part connected with the legendary details of the rise and progress of the Institution. The Legend ends with the account of the holding of an Assembly at York, and other subsequent ones, for the purpose of enacting laws for the government of the Order.

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