Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-22
THE EARLY HISTORY OF FREEMAsoNRY

Some few years since, while examining somt
MSS. in the British Museum, Mr.. IIaliiwell,a liter
AIRY antiquarian of note, found a MS. containing &
curious poem Of the fourteenth century, on thu
early history of Freemasonry. Mr.. IIalliwell con
sidercd this relic worthy Of preservation, and pub
lished it in IL small volume. As the book is prob
ably unknown 10 our readers, we have deemed i
worth our while to give a slight sketch Of its con
tents, moderizing the photography as much rs pos
sibie in our extracts.
The poem commences by stating the. origin o.
The craft, which is accounted for according to 9
popular legend. Certain lords and ladies Of Egypt
by marriages and intermarriages, had got into the
state of the
odd woman who lived in q shoe,
And had so many children she didn't know what
to do
Their muster roll of young l~ordlings had in
creased much faster than their rent rolls, and it be
came evident that the rising generations must earn
their own bread. In this %junctUre, Euclid was
sent for, that he might devise some honest way of
getting a living. lie went the right way to work,
by first educating them in the seven liberal scien.
ces, and banding them together as brothers in the
noble craft of Masonry.
In the time of King Athelstnnc this craft was
established in England. The King himself was n
member of it, and built many churches aud tow
es for the worship Of God and the advancement
of the craft. lie found, however. that sundry de-
fects had crept in, so he called an assembly Of the
wisest men of the craft, who established the rules
in fifteen articles and fifteen points.
The first article directs the master mason to nav
his men their full wages and no more. lie shall
take bride from neither lord nor servant, but stand
uprighta as n judge.
The second article insists on every master mason
being present Mt the general assembly, unless pre-
vented by fraud or sickness.
The third article subjects every learner TO n seven
years apprenticeship to the craft.
The C,urth article nrnvnpts tha t,L;nn ~ lo-l
man as apprentice AZ when a lord came to
claim his bondm n out of the lodge, the brother
hood might resist, whereat much trouble would
cnsue.
The fifth article stipulates that the apprentice
should be whole and sound in body.
The sixth article forbids the apprentice taking
as ~muclnwages as tits customary to give Il mas
ter.
The seventh ordains
THAT no master, for favor or dread,
Shall no theft neither clotho nor feed,
Thieves he shall harbor never one,
Nor him that hath killed a man,
Nor he that hath a feeble name,
Lest it would turn the craft to shame"
The eighth directs that any master havinga poor
workman shall exchange him for a perfect one, lest
the craft be disgraced.
The ninth forbids a master taking work in hand
that he is not competent to perform.
THE tenth article is for 10 know
Among the craft, to high and low,
There shalFnO master supplaut other,
But be together as sister and brother"
No mason, says the eleventh article, shall work
by night, If it can possibly be avoided.
"The twelfth article of high honesty
To every mason, wheresoever he be;
lie shall not his fellows work deprave,
IL that he will his honesty save
With honest words he it commend,
BY the wit That God did thee send
But it amend by all that thou may,
Between you both without n nay"
The thirteenth article commands the master to
make his prentice perfect in the craft and the
fourteenth torbids the prentice being taken if there
is not work enough for him to learn by.
The fifteenth article maketh an end,
For to the master he is a friend
To learn him sc. that for no man,
No false maintenance he take him uron,
Nor maintain his fellows in their sin,
For no good that he might win,
Nor no false swear suffer him to make,
For dread of their souls sake
Lest it would turn the craft to shame,
And himself TO much blame"
After these articles follow the fifteen points, which
direct the mason to love God and the Church
his master and his fellow craftsman to laboI
truly on weekdays, and to keep the secrets Of III,
craft.
THE priyity of the chamber tell 70 man,
Nor in the lodge whatsoever is done
Whatever thou nearest or seest them do,
Tell it to no man, wheresoever thou co."
Truth and obedience to the craft are inculcatcd
the master is ordered to give his men due warning
before Diminishing them; wrangling, lust, Islander
and treachery are condemned, and the candidates
for admission must swear neither to steal nor
cheat.
The remaining points relate to the order of as.
sembly. The nobility and great officers of state are
ordered TO be present, and 10 the ordinances when
made all must submit. Any one trespassing the
ordinances, on being proved guilty is to be expelled
from the craft, and never to be r~e-admitted. Res
for wrong done is also ordered, or the often
Ter is to be handed over to Justice.
This concludes all that relates to Freemasonrv
IN particular, though it only occupies about half
The poem the remainder being taken up with rules
and precepts relative to conduct in society, very in
as showing the domestic manners of the
,ims, Llt LaXi1 ? n. no. r..= nm do ...LL. ...C, %