Translated Cooke Manuscript

The Cooke MS. was most certainly in the hands of Mr. George Payne, when in his second term as Grand Master in 1720 he compiled the "General Regulations", and which Anderson included in his own version of the "Constitutions" published in 1723. Anderson himself evidently made use of lines 901-960 of the MS.

The Lodge Quatuor Coronati reprinted the Cooke in facsimile in Vol. II of its Antigrapha in 1890, and included therewith a Commentary by George William Speth which is, in my own amateur opinion, an even more brilliant piece of work than Gould's Commentary on the Regius. Some of Speth's conclusions are of permanent value. I paraphrase his findings in my own words:

The M.S. is a transcript of a yet older document and was written by a Mason. There were several versions of the Charges to a Mason in circulation at the time. The MS. is in two parts, the former of which is an attempt at a history of the Craft, the latter of which is a version of the Charges. Of this portion Speth writes that it is "far and away the earliest, best and purest version of the 'Old Charges' which we possess." The MS. mentions nine "articles", and these evidently were legal enforcements at the time; the nine "points" given were probably not legally binding but were morally so. "Congregations" of Masons were held here and there but no "General Assembly" (or "Grand Lodge"); Grand Masters existed in fact but not in name and presided at one meeting of a congregation only. "Many of our present usages may be traced in their original form to this manuscript."

The History and Articles of Masonry; (Now first published from a MS. in the British Museum,), Dedicated, by permission, to, The W. Bro. John Havers, Esq., P.S.G.D., President of the Board of General Purposes, by the Editor, Matthew Cooke. London: Bro. Richard Spencer, 26 Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., and of the editor, 78, George Street, Euston Road, N.W., 1861. Printed by Bro. J.H. Gaball, at the office of "The Freemasons' Magazine," Salisbury Street, Strand, W.C. [163 pages plus 10 page Preface and a list of subscribers.]

The facsimile is are the work of Mr. F. Compton Price, accompanying G.W. Speth's corrected version, as printed in Quatuor Coronatorum Antigrapha Vol. II, 1890.

In both Speth's and Cooke's published editions line 899 has been numbered 900, so that there are in fact only 959 lines in the poem. Either this was an error, or both copyist chose to count the appended line at the bottom of Fol. 35 b. as a full line. If this was the case, it was inconsistent with the numbering of earlier appended lines.

The original hand-lettered manuscript made use of a number of abbreviations and characters not found in current usage. These are highlighted in the text above with line brackets. Cooke had custom letters cut for his edition,

THonkyd be god	[Fol. 4]
our glorious
ffadir and foun \|
der and former of heuen
and of erthe and of all
thygis that in hym is
that he wolde foche \|s\|aue of
his glorius god hed for to
make \|s\|o mony thyngis of d
uers vertu for mankynd.	[10]
ffor he mader all thyngis for
to be abedient & \|s\|oget to man
ffor all thyngis that ben come\|s\|
tible of hol \|s\|ome nature he
ordeyned hit for manys \|s\|usty	[Fol.4 b.]
na \|n\|s. And all to be hath yif
to man wittys and cony \|n\|g
of dy \|ver\|s thyngys and craft
tys by the whiche we may
trauayle in this worlde to [20]
gete \|wit\| our lyuyg to make
diuers thingys to goddis ple
\|s\|ans and also for our e \|s\|e and
profyt. The whiche thingis
if I \|s\|cholde reher \|s\|e hem hit
wre to longe to telle and to
wryte. Wherfor I woll leue.
but I \|s\|chall \|s\|chew you \|s\|ome
that is to \|s\|ey ho and in what	[Fol. 5]
wyse the \|s\|ciens of Gemetry	[30]
fir \|s\|te be ganne and who \|wer\|
the founders therof and of
othur craftis mo as hit is no
tid in \|the\| bybill and in othur
\|s\|tories.
HOw and in what ma
ner \|th\|at this worthy
\|s\|ciens of Gemetry be gan I
wole tell you as I sayde bi
fore. ye \|s\|chall undirstonde	[40]
\|that\| \|ther\| ben vi \|i\| \|liberall \|s\|ciens
by the whiche vi \|i\| all \|s\|ciens
and craftis in the world were	[Fol. 5 b.]
fyr \|s\|te founde. and in especiall
for he is causer of all. \|that\| is to
sey \|the\| \|s\|ciens of Gemetry of all
other that be. the whiche v \|i\|i sci
ens ben called thus. as for the
fir \|s\|t \|that\| is called fundament
of sciens his name is gra \|mmer\|	[50]
he techith a man ry \|g\|thfully to
\|s\|peke and to write truly. The
\|s\|econde is rethorik. and he te
chith a man to \|s\|peke formabe
ly and fayre. The thrid is
dioletic \|us\|. and \|that\| \|s\|ciens techith
a man to discerne the trowthe	[Fol. 6]
fro \|the\| fals and comenly it is
tellid art or \|s\|oph'stry. The fourth
ys callid ar \|s\|metryk \|the\| whiche	[60]
techeth a man the crafte of
nowmbers for to rekyn and
to make a coun \|t\| of all th \|y\|ge
The ffte Gemetry the which
techith a man all the met \|t\|
and me \|s\|u \|r\|s and ponderat \|o\|n
of wy \|g\|htis of all mans craf \|t\|
The. vi. is musi \|k\| that techith
a man the crafte of \|s\|ong in
notys of voys and organ &	[70]
trompe and harp and of all	[Fol. 6 b.]
othur \|p\|teynyng to hem. The
vi \|i\| is a \|s\|tronomy that techith
man \|the\| cours of the \|s\|onne
and of \|the\| moune and of ot \|her\|
\|s\|terrys & planetys of heuen.
OWr entent is princi
pally to trete of fyrst
fundacion of \|the\| worthe \|s\|cy \|en\|s
of Gemetry and we were	[80]
\|the\| founders \|ther\| of as I seyde
by fore there ben vi \|i\| liberall
\|s\|cyens \|that\| is to\|s\|ay vi \|i\| \|s\|ciens or
craftys that ben fre in hem
selfe the whiche vi \|i\|. lyuen	[Fol. 7.]
only by Gemetry. And Ge
metry is as moche to \|s\|ey
as the me \|s\|ure of the erth
Et sic dici \|t\| a geo \|ge\| q \|ui\|n \|R\| ter
a latine & metro \|n\| quod \|e\|	[90]
men \|s\|ura. U \|na\| Gemetria. i,
mens \|u\|r terre uel terra \|rum\|.
that is to \|s\|ay in englische that
Gemetria is I \|s\|eyd of geo \|that\| is
in gru. erthe, and metro \|n\| \|that\| is
to \|s\|ey me \|s\|ure. And thus is \|this\|
nam of Gemetria c \|om\|pounyd
as is \|s\|eyd the me \|s\|ur of \|the\| erthe.
MErvile ye not that I
\|s \|eyd that all \|s\|ciens lyu\|e\|	[100]
all only by the \|s\|ciens of Geme
try. ffor there is none artifici \|-\|
all ne honcrafte that is wro \|g\|th
by manys hond bot hit is
wrou \|g\|ght by Gemetry. and a
notabull cau \|s\|e. for if a man
worche \|wit\| his hondis he wor
chyth \|wit\| so \|m\|e ma \|nner\| tole and
\|ther\| is none in \|s\|trument of ma \|-\|
teriall thingis in this worlde	[110]
but hit come of \|the\| kynde of
erthe and to erthe hit wole
turne a yen. and ther is n \|one\|	[Fol. 8.]
in \|s\|trument \|that\| is to \|s\|ay a tole
to wirche \|wit\| but hit hath
some p \|ro\|op \|r\|orcion more or la \|s\|\|s\|e
And some proporcion is me \|s\|ure
the tole er the in \|s\|trment
is erthe. And Gemetry is
\|s\|aid the me \|s\|ure of erth \|e\| Whe \|re\|
fore I may \|s\|ey \|that\| men lyuen
all by Gemetry. ffor all
men here in this worlde lyue
by \|the\| labour of her hondys.
Mony mo pbacions I
wole telle yow why \|that\|
Gemetry is the \|s\|ciens \|that\| all re	[Fol. 8 b.]
sonable m \|e\|n lyue by. but I
leue hit at \|this\| tyme for \|the\| l \|o\|ge
\|pro\|ce \|s\|\|s\|e of wrytyng. And now	[130]
I woll \|prp\|cede forthe \|r\| on me ma
ter. ye \|s\|chall under \|s\|tonde \|that\|
amonge all \|the\| craftys of \|the\|
worlde of mannes crafte
ma \|s\|onry hath the mo \|s\|te no
tabilite and mo \|s\|te \|par\|te of \|this\|
\|s\|ciens Gemetry as hit is
notid and \|s \|eyd in \|s \|toriall
as in the bybyll and in the
ma \|s \|\|ter \| of \|s \|tories. And in poli/cronico	[140]
a cronycle \|pri \|nyd and in the	[Fol. 9.]
\|s \|tories \|that \| is named Beda
De Imagine m \|un \|di & Isodo \|rus \|
ethomologia \|rum \|. Methodius
epus & marti \|rus \|. And ot \|her \|
meny mo \|s \|eyd \|that \| ma \|s \|on \|r \|y is
principall of Gemetry as
me thenkyth hit may well
be \|s \|ayd for hit was \|the \| first
that was foundon as hit is	[150]
notid in the bybull in \|the \| first
boke of Genesis in the iii \|i \|
chap \|ter \|. And al \|s \|o all the doc
tours afor \|s \|ayde acordeth \|ther \| to
And \|s \|\|u \|me of hem \|s \|eythe hit	[Fol. 9. b.]
more openly and playnly
ry \|g \|t as his \|s \|eithe in the by
bull Gene \|s \|is
ADam is line linyalle
\|s \|one de \|s \|cendyng doun \|e \|	[160]
the vi \|i \| age of adam byfore
noes flode \|ther \| was a ma \|n \| \|that \|
was clepyd lameth the
whiche hadde i \|i \| wyffes \|the \|
on hyght ada & a nother
\|s \|ella by the fyr \|s \|t wyffe \|th \|at
hyght ada \|he \| be gate i \|i \| \|s \|onys
\|that \| one hyght Jobel and the o \|ther \|
height juball. The elder \|s \|one	[Fol 10.]
Jobell he was the fists ma \|n \| [170]
\|that \| e \|ver \| found gemetry and
ma \|s \|onry. and he made how
\|s \|is & namyd in \|the \| bybull
Pa \|ter \| habitantci \|um \| in tento \|- \|
ris atq \|ue \| pasto \|rum \| That is to
\|s \|ay fader of men dwellyng
in tentis \|that \| is dwellyng
how \|s \|is. A. he was Cayin is
ma \|s \|\|ter \| ma \|s \|on and go \|ver \|nor
of all his werkys whan	[180]
he made \|the \| Cite of Enoch
that was the fir \|s \|te Cite
that was the fir \|s \|t Cite \|th \|at	[Fol. 10 b.]
e \|ver \| was made and \|that \| made
Kayme Adam is \|s \|one. \|an \|d
yaf to his owne \|s \|one. Enoch
and yaff the Cyte the n \|am \|e
of his \|s \|one and kallyd hit
Enoch. and now hit is
callyd Effraym and \|ther \| wa \|s \|	[190]
\|s \|ciens of Gemetry and ma
\|s \|onri fyr \|s \|t occupied and
c \|on \|trenyd for a \|s \|ciens and
for a crafte and \|s \|o we may
\|s \|ey \|that \| hit was cav \|s \|e & f \|un \|
dacion of all craftys and
\|s \|ciens. And al \|s \|o \|this \| ma \|n \|	[Fol. 11.]
Jobell was called Pa \|ter \|
Pasto \|rum \|
THe mas \|ter \| of \|s \|tories	[200]
\|s \|eith and beda de yma
gyna m \|un \|di policronicon &
other mo \|s \|eyn that he wa \|s \|
\|th \|e first that made de \|per \|ce \|s \|on
of lond \|that \| e \|ver \|y man myght
knowe his owne grounde
and labou \|re \| the \|re \| on as for
his owne. And also he de
\|par \|tid flockes of \|s \|chepe \|that \|
e \|ver \|y man myght know hi \|s \|	[210]
owne \|s \|chepe and \|s \|o we may	[Fol. 11 b.]
\|s \|ey that he was the fir \|s \|t
founder of \|that \| \|sciens. And his
brother Juball. or tuball
was founder of my \|s \|yke &
\|s \|ong as pictogoras \|s \|eyth
in policronycon and the
\|s \|ame \|s \|eythe ylodou \|re \| in his
ethemologi \|i \| in the v \|i \| boke
there he \|s \|eythe that he was	[220]
\|the \| fir \|s \|t foundere of my \|s \|yke
and \|s \|ong and of organ &
trompe and he founde \|th \|at
\|s \|ciens by the \|s \|oune of pon/deracion
of his brotheris hamers \|that \|	[Fol. 12.]
was tubalcaym.
SOthely as \|the \| bybull
\|s \|eyth in the chapitre
\|that \| is to \|s \|ey the iii \|i \| of Gene \|s \|'
\|that \| he \|s \|eyth lameth gate apon	[230]
his other wiffe \|that \| height \|s \|ella
a \|s \|one & a do \|ou \|c \|ter \| \|the \| names of
th \|em \| were clepid tubalcaym
\|that \| was \|the \| \|s \|one. & his doghter
hight neema & as the poli
cronycon \|s \|eyth \|that \| \|s \|ome men
\|s \|ey \|that \| \|s \|che was noes wyffe
we \|ther \| h \|it \| be \|s \|o o \|ther \| no we afferme/ hit nott
YE \|s \|chul \|le \| under \|s \|tonde
\|that \| \|th \|is \|s \|one tubalcaym	[240]
was founder of \|s \|mythis
craft and o \|ther \| craft of
meteil \|that \| is to \|s \|ey of eyron
of braffe of golde & of \|s \|il \|ver \|
as \|s \|ome docturs \|s \|eyn & his
\|s \|ys \|ter \| neema was fynder of
we \|ver \|scraft. for by fore \|that \| time
was no cloth weuyn but
they did spynne yerne and
knytte hit & made h \|em \| \|s \|uch \|e \|	[250]
clothyng as they couthe
but as \|the \| woman neema
founde \|the \| craft of weuyng	[Fol. 13.]
& \|ther \|fore hit was kalled wo
menys craft. and \|th \|es ii \|i \|
brotheryn afore \|s \|ayd had know
lyche \|that \| god wold take ven
gans for \|s \|ynne o \|ther \| by fyre
or watir and they had gre \|ter \|
care how they my \|s \|t do to	[260]
\|s \|aue \|the \| \|s \|ciens that \|th \|ey fo \|un \|de
and \|th \|ey toke her con \|s \|el \|le \|
to gedyr & by all her wit \|ts
\|th \|ey \|s \|eyde \|that \| were. i \|i \| ma \|ner \| of
\|s \|tonn of \|s \|uche \|ver \|tu \|that \| \|the \| one
wolde ne \|ver \| brenne & \|that \| \|s \|to \|ne \|
is callyd marbyll. & \|that \| o \|ther \| sto \|ne \|
\|that \| woll not \|s \|ynke in wa \|ter \|. &
\|that \| stone is named la \|tr \|us. and
\|s \|o \|th \|ey deuy \|s \|yed to wryte all	[270]
\|the \| \|s \|ciens \|that \| \|th \|ey had ffounde in
this i \|i \| \|s \|tonys if \|that \| god wol \|de \|
take vengns by fyre \|that \| \|the \|
marbyll \|s \|cholde not bren \|ne \|
And yf god \|s \|ende vengans
by wa \|ter \|\|that \| \|th \|e o \|ther \| \|s \|cholde not
droune. & so \|th \|ey prayed \|ther \|
elder brother jobell \|that \| wold
make i \|i \|. pillers of \|th \|es. i \|i \|
\|s \|tones \|that \| is to \|s \|ey of marb \|yll \|	[280]
and of la \|tr \|us and \|that \| he wold	[Fol. 14.]
write in the i \|i \|. pylers al \|l \|
\|the \| \|s \|ciens & craf \|ts \| \|that \| al \|l \| \|th \|ey
had founde. and \|s \|o he did
and \|ther \|for we may \|s \|ey \|that \|
he was mo \|s \|t co \|nn \|yng in
\|s \|ciens for he fyr \|s \|t bygan
& \|per \|formed the end by for
noes flode.
KYndly knowyng of	[290]
\|that \| venganns \|that \| god
wolde \|s \|end whether hit
\|s \|cholde be bi fyre or by wa \|ter \|
the bretherne hadde hit n \|ot \|
by a ma \|ner \| of a \|pro \|phecy they	[Fol. 14 b.]
wi \|s \|t \|that \| god wold \|s \|end one \|ther \|
of. and \|ther \| for thei writen
he \|re \| \|s \|ciens in \|the \|. i \|i \|. pilers
of \|s \|tone. And \|s \|\|u \|me men \|s \|ey
\|that \| \|th \|ey writen in \|the \|. \|s \|tonis	[300]
all \|th \|e. vi \|i \| \|s \|ciens. but as
\|th \|ey in here mynde \|that \| a ven
ganns \|s \|cholde come. And
to hit was \|that \| god \|s \|entd ven
ganns \|s \|o \|that \| \|ther \| come \|s \|uche
a flode \|th \|at al \|le \| \|the \| worl was
drowned. and al \|le \| men w \|er \|
dede \|ther \| in \|s \|aue. vii \|i \|. \|per \|sonis
And \|that \| was noe and his	[Fol. 15.]
wyffe. and his ii \|i \|. sonys &	[310]
here wyffes. of whiche. ii \|i \|
sones a \|ll \| \|the \| world cam of.
and here namys were na
myd in this ma \|ner \|. Sem. Cam.
& Japhet. And \|this \| flode was
kalled noes flode ffor he &
his children were \|s \|auyed \|ther \|
in. And af \|ter \| this flode many
yeres as \|the \| cronycle telleth
thes. i \|i \| pillers were founde	[320]
& as \|the \| polycronicon \|s \|eyth \|that \|
a grete clerke \|that \| callede puto \|- \|/goras
\|f \|onde \|that \| one and hermes \|the \|
philisophre fonde \|that \| other. &
thei tought forthe \|the \| \|s \|ciens \|that \|
thei fonde \|ther \| y wryten.
Every cronycle and \|s \|to
riall and meny other
clerkys and the bybull in \|pri \|nci
pall wittenes of the makyn \|ge \|	[330]
of the toure of babilon and hit
is writen in \|the \| bibull Gene \|sis
Cap \|ter \| \|x \| wo \|that \| Cam noes
\|s \|one gate nembrothe and he
war a myghty man apon \|the \|
erthe and he war a stron \|ge \|
man like a Gyant and he w \|as \|	[Fol. 16.]
a grete Kyng. and the bygyn
yn \|ge \| of his kyngdom was
trew kyngd \|om \| of babilon and	[340]
arach. and archad. & talan &
the lond if \|s \|ennare. And this
same Cam Nemroth be gan \|the \| towre
of babilon and he taught and
he taught to his werkemwn \|the \|
crafte of ma \|s \|uri and he had
\|wit \| h \|ym \| mony ma \|s \|onys mo \|th \|\|an \|
\|x \|l \|th \|ou \|s \|and. and he louyd &
chere \|s \|ched them well. and hit
is wryten in policronicon and	[350]
in \|the \| mas \|ter \| of \|s \|tories and in
other \|s \|tories mo. and \|this \| a part
wytnes bybull in the \|s \|ame
\|x \|. chap \|ter \| he \|s \|eyth \|that \| a
\|s \|ure \|that \| was nye kynne to
Cam Nembrothe yede owt of \|the \| londe of
\|s \|enare and he bylled the Cie
Nunyve and plateas and o \|ther \|
mo \|th \|us he \|s \|eyth. De tra illa
& de \|s \|ennare egreffus est a \|s \|u \|re \|	[360]
& edificauit Nunyven & pla \|- \|
teas ciuiya \|te \| & cale & Jesu q \|o \|q \|z \|
in \|ter \| nunyven & hec \|est \| Ciuita \|s \|
magna.
RE \|s \|on wolde \|that \| we \|s \|chold	[Fol. 17.]
tell opunly how & in
what ma \|ner \| that \|the \| charges
of ma \|s \|oncraft was fyr \|s \|t fo \|un \|
dyd & ho yaf fir \|s \|t \|the \| name
to hit of ma \|s \|onri and ye	[370]
\|s \|chyll knaw well \|that \| hit told
and writen in policronicon &
in methodus ep \|iscopu \|s and mar \|ter \|
\|that \| a \|s \|ur \|that \| was a worthy lord
of \|s \|ennare \|s \|ende to nembroth
\|the \| kynge to \|s \|ende h \|ym \| ma \|s \|ons
and workemen of craft \|that \| myght
helpe hym to make his Cite
\|that \| he was in wyll to make.	[Fol. 17 b.]
And nembroth \|s \|ende h \|ym \| \|xxx \|	[380]
C. of masons. And whan \|th \|ey
\|s \|cholde go & \|s \|ende h \|em \| forth. he
callyd hem by for h \|ym \| and \|s \|eyd
to hem ye mo \|s \|t go to my co
\|s \|yn a \|s \|ure to helpe h \|ym \| to bilde
a cyte but loke \|that \| ye be well
go \|uer \|nyd and I \|s \|chall yeue
yov a charge \|pro \|fitable for
you & me.
WHen ye come to \|that \| lord	[390]
loke \|that \| ye be trewe to
hym lyke as ye wolde be to
me. and truly do your labour	[Fol. 18.]
and craft and takyt re \|s \|on \|- \|
abull your mede \|ther \|for as ye
may de \|s \|erue and al \|s \|o \|that \| ye
loue to gedyr as ye were
bre \|th \|eryn and holde to gedyr
truly. & he \|that \| hath most c \|on \|\|yn \|g
teche hit to hys felaw and	[400]
louke ye go \|uer \|ne you ayen \|s \|t
yowr lord and a monge
yowr selfe. \|that \| I may haue
worchyppe and thonke for
me \|s \|endyng and techyng
you the crafte. and \|th \|ey re \|s \|/ceyuyd
the charge of h \|ym \| \|that \| was here	[Fol. 18 b.]
mai \|s \|\|ter \| and here lorde. and
wente forthe to a \|s \|ure. &
bilde the cite of nunyve in	[410]
\|the \| count \|r \|e of plateas and o \|ther \|
Cites mo \|that \| men call cale
and Jesen \|that \| is a gret Cite
bi twene Cale and nunyve
And in this ma \|ner \| \|the \| craft
of ma \|s \|onry was fyr \|s \|t \|pre \|fer
ryd & chargyd hit for a \|s \|ci \|en \|s.
ELders \|that \| we \|re \| bi for us
of ma \|s \|ons had te \|s \|e
charges wryten to hem as	[420]
we haue now in owr char	[Fol. 19.]
gys of \|the \| \|s \|tory of Enclidnis
as we have \|s \|eyn hem writ \|en \|
in latyn & in Fre \|s \|nche bothe
but ho \|that \| Enclyd come to ge \|- \|
metry re \|s \|on wolde we
\|s \|cholde telle yow as hit is
notid in the hybull & in other
\|s \|tories. In \|xii \| Capitl \|or \| Gene \|sis \|
he tellith how \|that \| abrah \|am \| com to	[430]
the lond of Canan and owre
lord aperyd to h \|ym \| and \|s \|eyd I
\|s \|chall geue this lond to \|th \|i
\|s \|eed. but \|ther \| \|s \|yll a grete hun \|ger \|
in \|that \| lond. And abraham toke	[Fol. 19 b.]
\|s \|ara his wiff \|wit \| him and
yed in to Egypte in pylgre \|- \|
mage whyle \|the \| hunger du
red he wolde hyde \|ther \|. And A
brah \|am \| as \|the \| cronycull \|s \|eyth	[440]
he was a wy \|s \|e man and a
grete clerk. And covthe all
\|the \|vi \|i \| \|s \|ciens. and taughte
the egypeyans \|the \| \|sciens of
Gemetry. And this worthy
clerk Enclidnis was his
clerke and lerned of hym.
And he yaue \|the \| fir \|s \|te name
of Gemetry all be \|that \| hit	[Fol. 20.]
was ocupied bifor hit had	[450]
no name of gemetry. But
hit is \|s \|eyd of ylodour Ethe
mologia \|rum \| in \|the \| v. boke. Ethe
mologia \|rum \| Cap \|itolo \| p'mo. \|s \|eyth
\|that \| Enclyde was on of \|the \| fir \|s \|t
founders of Gemetry &
he yaue hit name. ffor \|in \|
his tyme ther was a wa
ter in \|that \| lond of Egypt \|that \|
is callyd Nilo and hit flowid	[460]
\|so \| ferre in to \|the \| londe \|that \| men
myght not dwelle \|ther \|in
THen this worthi
clerke Enclide taught
hem to make grete wallys
and diches to holde owt \|the \|
watyr. and he by Gemet'
me \|s \|ured \|the \| londe and de \|par \|
tyd hit in dy \|ver \|s \|par \|tys. &
mad e \|ver \|y man to clo \|s \|e his	[470]
awne \|par \|te \|wit \| walles and
diches an \|the \|en hit be c \|am \|e
a plentuos c \|on \|untre of all
ma \|ner \| of freute and of yon \|ge \|
peple of men and women
that \|ther \| was \|s \|o myche pepull
of yonge frute \|that \| they couth'
not well lyue. And \|the \| lordys
of the countre drew hem to
gedyr and made a councell	[480]
how they myght helpe her
childeryn \|that \| had no lyflode
c \|om \|potente & abull for to fyn \|de \|
hem selfe and here childron
for \|th \|ey had \|s \|o many. and
a mong hem all in councell
was \|this \| worthy clerke Encli
dnis and when he \|s \|a \|we \| \|th \|at
all they cou \|th \|e not btynge
a bout this mater. he \|s \|eyd	[490]
to hem woll ye take y \|our \| \|s \|on \|ys \|	[Fol. 21 b.]
in go \|uer \|nanns & I \|s \|chall tec \|he \|
hen \|s \|uche a sciens \|that \| they
\|s \|chall iyue ther by \|j \|entel
manly vnder condicion \|that \|
ye wyll be \|s \|wore to me to
\|per \|fourme the go \|uer \|na \|nn \|s \|that \|
I \|s \|chall \|s \|ette you too and
hem bothe and the kyng
of \|the \| londe and all \|the \| lordys	[500]
by one a \|ss \|ent gra \|un \|tyd \|ther \| too.
REson wolde \|that \| e \|uer \|y m \|an \|
woulde graunte to \|that \|
thyng \|that \| were \|pro \|fetable to h \|im \|
\|s \|elf. and they toke here \|s \|o	[Fol 22.]
nys to enclide to go \|uer \|ne
hem at his owne wylle &
he taught to hem the craft
masonry and yaf hit \|th \|e
name of Gemetry by cav \|s \|e	[510]
of \|the \| \|par \|tyng of \|the \| grounde \|that \|
he had taught to \|the \| peple
in the time of \|the \| makyng
of \|the \| wallys and diches a
for \|s \|ayd to claw \|s \|e out \|the \|
watyr. & I \|s \|odor \|s \|eyth in his
Ethemolegies \|that \| Enclide
callith the craft Gemetrya
And \|ther \| this worthye clerke	[Fol. 22 b.]
yaf hit name and taught	[520]
hitt the lordis \|s \|onys of \|the \|
londe \|that \| he had in his tech \|in \|g
And he yaf h \|em \| a charge \|that \|
they scholde calle here eche

... to spread the cement of brotherly love and affection, that cement which unites us into one sacred band or society of brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble emulation of who can best work or best agree ...

Masonic quotes by Brothers

The Matthew Cooke Manuscript

with translation