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description
of the cook Ms.
From The Old Charges Of British Freemasons
by William James Hughan, London 1895
We rest on firm ground, masonically, in respect to this, the
smallest, handsomest and oldest version of the "Old Charges" extant. It is the
"Additional MS. 23,198" preserved in the British Museum, and is duly
described in the Catalogue of accessions to our National Library, 1875, (page
841).
The entry (folio 1) made by Sir Frederick Madden, as
Keeper of the MSS., is to the effect that it was "Purchased of Mrs Caroline
Baker, 14th Oct., 1859." There are also other modern notes on
the folios 1 to 3, but of no importance; the MS. beginning on folio 4,
and ending on folio 38. There are thus, 78 pages visible, the version being
written on one side only of each leaf. There are forty leaves in all, of vellum
(the first and last of which are pasted on the two covers respectively)
measuring fully 4,25 inches by rather over 3,25 inches; the oak covers
originally having had clasps, the ends of which still remain.
Herr Findel made a singular mistake as to this ancient MS. by
styling it the "Cooke-Baker document". Mr. Matthew Cooke having brought out a
reproduction in 1861 (after whom it was named by Masonic students), and Dr.
Rawlinson having stated about 1730 that he had seen " One, of these rolls in the
possession of Mr. Baker" (X2); led the German Masonic Historian to look
upon these two MSS. as one and the same. It was a roll however, not a
book, that was in possession of "the Carpenter in Moorfields" early last
century, about which nothing has since transpired, and as to Mrs. Caroline Baker
we are in like ignorance.
Mr. Cooke's transcript is fairly well done, as also his
modernized reproduction, but the most unfortunate rendering of lines 140-1
"And in policronico a cronycle p'uyd" as printed, instead of
preuyd " or proved, led most of us astray as to the period of the transcription
of the original, until a careful examination of the text by Mr. Speth revealed
the right word.
The " Polycronicon was not "Imprinted and set in
forme" after "a little embellishment" by Caxton, until 1482 but the
compilation in Latin by Ralph Higden (based, it is believed, upon extracts from
numerous old Chronicles, by Roger, Monk of St. Werberg, Chester - Blades' Caxton,
1882), was circulated in Manuscript considerably more than a hundred years
earlier, and Trevisa's translation was made in 1387. Some of the Masonic
traditions (with variations) are to be found in this old work.
POLICRONICON,
(Liber secundus)
''Therfor
bookes that they had made by greet traueyl and studye he closed hem in
two grete pilers made of marble and of brente tile. In a pyler of marbel for
water, and in a pyler of tyle for fyre. For it should be saued by that manner
to helpe of mankynde me seyth that the piler of stone escaped the flode."
And they toke her conselle to gedyr, & by alle here witte
tbey seyde that were ij maner of stonn of suche vertu that the one wolde neuer
brenne, & that stone is callyd marbylle, & that other stoun that wolle not synke
in water, & that stone is namyd lacerus, and so they deuysyd to wryte alle the
Sciens that they had ffounde in this ij stonys." (lines 262-272)
Mr. Edward A. Bond, late principal Librarian, stated (when
Keeper of the MSS., 1869,) that the "Cooke MS." was "of the middle or latter
part of the fifteenth century," but rather inclined to the first half of that
century. This appears to be a safe estimate, the caligraphy apparently being
about 1450, or possibly slightly earlier.
As Mr. Spencer's volume of 1861 is still in print, it will
not be necessary to refer at length to the character and contents of this
Manuscript, which in consequence of its date, and being the oldest bona fide
copy of the "Old Charges" in existence, is of exceptional value and
importance. The "Commentary" on the document by Mr. G. W. Speth, is
exceedingly well done, on quite original lines, and ably describes and discusses
the chief features of the text; other experts have also written most
interestingly and helpfully on the subject, their various papers being enshrined
in the "Ars Quatuor Coronatorum."
The MS. begins with an Invocation, or Introduction, which
differs from the later versions generally, excepting the "William Watson" (a
younger relative), and reads as follows
"Thonkyd be god our glorious ffadir, and founder and former
of heuen and of erthe, and of alle thyngis that in hym is, that he wolde
fochesaue of his glorious god hed for to make so mony thyngis of diuers vertu
for mankind. ffor he made alle thyngis for to be abedient & soget [subject] to
man."
The Seven Sciences are duly recorded, termed "fre in hem
selfe," the narrative being founded on "the bybille and in othur stories;"
Herodotus, the Policronicon, with the Histories "named Beda, De Imagine mundi
& Isodorus ethomolegiarum, Methodius episcopus & martins." Then Noah's
flood is mentioned in the account of Adam and his descendants; the preservation
of the sciences they had discovered, by writing them on the two stones (which
stones were subsequently found by Pythagoras and Hermes), are carefully detailed
with other events, such as the building of the Tower of Babel and Nimrod's
assistance of " Ashur, who was a worthy lord of Shinar" (Speth's rendering), and
built the city of Nineveh when the " crafte of masonry was fyrst preferryd &
charged hit for a sciens."
"Elders that were bi for us of masons [before our times] had
these chargys wryten to hem as we haue now in owre chargys of the story of
Euclidnis."
Euclid's method of employing and sustaining the superabundant
population is described at length, and his Charge is cited, after which the
experience of "the children of isrle" in Egypt and the "londe of hihest and is
now callyd ierlem," with the spread of the Science of Geometry to France under "Carolus
secundus that ys to sey Charles the secunde" are briefly described.
"And sonne after that come Seynt Ad habelle into Englond, and
he conuertyd Seynt Albon to cristendome. And Seynt Albon lovyd welle masons and
he yaf hem first here charges and maners first in Englond. And he ordeyned
conuenyent to pay for their trauayle. And after that was a worthy Kynge in
Englond that was callyd Athelstone, and his yongest sone lovyd welle the sciens
of Gemetry, and he wyst welle that hand craft had the practyke of the sciens of
Gemetry so welle as Masons, wherefore he drew hym to conselle and lernyd
practyke of that sciens to his speculatyf ffor of speculatyfe he was a master
and he yaf hem charges and names as hit is now vysd in Englond and in othere
countres."
This youngest son of the King [Edwin] purchased a free
patent of the King for the Masons to hold an Assembly, and take "counselle of
the whiche charges, manors & semble as is write and taught in the boke
of oure charges wher for I leue hit at this tyme." This brings the narrative
down to line 642, the most of which is reproduced in the "William Watson " of
later date; only that the junior MS. gives prominence to the improvement in
wages secured by St. Albans for the Craftsmen, who also "got them charges and
manners as St. Amphabell had taught him, & they doe but a little differ from ye
charges yt be used at this time," and calls "Edwine" by name (the King's
Son), as well as records the Assembly at York.
Line 643 evidently introduces another MS., so that the
"Cooke" document really gives the chief portions of two versions, the second of
which, as Mr. Speth first pointed out, is really the older of the two. The same
excellent author suggests that the second MS. is " neither more nor less than
the Boke of Chargys' itself" to which the transcriber alludes in the premier
part.
"And further than this, it is undoubtedly the purest, least
altered copy of these Constitultios that has at present come down to us, and
therefore the must valuable; far exceeding in intrinsic value the metrical
version of it preserved to us in the Regius MS. No. 17 A1, because less
altered by poetical license. With two exceptions, I believe it to be in
all probability, the exact counterpart of the first and original 'Constitution.'
These are first the outer garb of language, which between, say the
twelfth and fifteenth centuries, altered very considerably; and secondly, it is
possible that the original version began with King Athelstan, and that the
legend of Euclid represents the first of a long series of embellishments applied
throughout the ages to the laws of the Craft."
In Mr. Speth's opinion, the "Matthew Cooke MS." taken as a
whole, consists of a Commentary, preceding a version of the "Old Charges"; the
former being incorporated with the Book itself by later transcribers.
I am not willing
to give such a subordinate position to the first portion, which was probably as
much derived from a separate copy of the "Old Charges" as the second, and
possibly older part, only from a later compilation. It seems clear that the
second MS. copied by the same scribe (early in the fifteenth century), was from
an original document written some years prior to the first that was also
reproduced by him; but I think it likely that there were two (or possibly more)
independent versions circulating at that period, one older than the other, and
that the copyist of what is known as the "Cooke MS." gave the chief portions of
these documents.
It will be seen that the " William Watson " begins to differ
from the "Cooke MS." soon after the 6ooth line of the latter is reached, and yet
both before and after the recital of the Athelstan and Edwin legends, the
continuity of the former document is well preserved, each division doing its
part towards making up a complete and homogeneous version.
The older portion of the "Cooke MS., " (line 643), commences
with the Euclid tradition, which appears to be cited to form a preface to the
Regulations agreed to for the Masons by King Athelstan and his Council. In the
previous clauses it is stated that the free patent obtained from this Sovereign
provided that they might hold an assembly at what time they thought
reasonable, whereas in those following from line 643, it is ordered that they
should congregate once a year, or every three years as they deemed
desirable. The reference to York as the first city selected for these
Annuals is not met with until the sixteenth century MSS. are reached, neither is
the mileage specified for obligatory attendance at such gatherings before that
period.
There are nine "Articles" and as many " Points" framed on
similar lines to those found in the ordinary versions, each Brother of the Craft
being enjoined to "hele the councelle of his fellows in logge and in
chambre, &c.," so as to duly discharge their duties as members of their
particular Fraternity. The agreement as to these Regulations, between the "Regius"
and the "Cooke," as well as (substantially) the later versions is remarkable,
and proves how desirous the members were to preserve the earliest laws intact,
allowance being made for changes in phraseology, habits and circumstances. How
much and how long these Laws were operative or accepted as the actual
Regulations for the government of the Craft during the period covered from the
twelfth to the end of the seventeenth century, are matters requiring most
careful consideration and elucidation; for as the years rolled onward, the Laws,
["Articles and "Points"] gradually became quite as much of traditional import as
the legendary history, and of just as little practical utility, save as moral
guides on which to base the later Constitutions of the Fraternity. Ultimately,
the "Old Charges " from beginning to end became obsolete, and were only
preserved as objects of curiosity, copied to exhibit the ancient customs, and
accepted simply as containing Regulations of the Brotherhood, when mainly, if
not exclusively, operative. So long as the Fraternity lasts they should be
revered, studied and followed in spirit as far as possible. In this view the
nearer we get to the original form or version of the "Old Charges," the better
we shall he able to appreciate and estimate the value of all later varieties.
The great importance of the "Cooke" versions is therefore
established, including all transcripts of the same Family, especially the
invaluable "William Watson" scroll. The opinion held for sometime by Dr.
Begemann that the "Cooke" text has served in part as a prototype for the
ordinary versions of the old Constitutions, which have come down to us from the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is abundantly confirmed by discoveries made
during the present decade. But no cautious student would give the preference to
the "Cooke MS." simply because it is the senior of the numerous versions, seeing
that a later transcript may be truer to the original and more complete. The
chief two members of this Family are about equally balanced as to their textual
value, but if either be the superior, the preference should be awarded to the
"William Watson" version, because of its "transparent unity," the "Cooke MS."
not being consistent and uniform throughout.
From line 901 to 960 the Manuscript refers to the
necessity of attendance at the Congregation by "the Master and ye felawes," when
duly warned; the "Schereffe of ye countre or the mayer of ye cyte, or alderman
of ye towne in wyche the congregation ys holde" being empowered to help the
Master against Rebels, &c.. "New men" were to be charged as to their duty to the
Craft, to "be trewe to the Kynge of Englond and to the reme and that kepe wt all
thr myght and alle the articles a for sayd." Penalties were to follow anyone who
was disobedient, even to "forswere his masonri and schale no more vse his
Craft." The Sheriff was to imprison those who continued contumacious and "take
all his godys in to ye Kyngs hond." The concluding words "Amen so mote hit
be" are alter the manner of the "Regius MS."
These lines 901-60 were apparently familiar to Dr.
Anderson, who quoted from them, or others such, in his " Constitutions" of 1723,
and stated they were from "another Manuscript more ancient " than the
"Record of Free Masons written in the Reign of King Edward IV," from which he
had been making liberal extracts, and which referred to the approval of " King Hlenry
VI and the Lords of his honourable Council" (page 38). Though not
ipsissima verba as the "Cooke MS.," the excerpts are so little
garbled that their origin may be accurately determined. With the Doctor's love
of variety, similar extracts, only modified and differently arranged, are given
in the 2nd edition (1738), as under the Reign of Edward III., (p.71).
From the Diary of the Rev. William
Stukeley, M.D., (Surtees' Society, 1880-5), who was initiated in London,
January 6th, 1721, we read, under June 24th of that year,
''The Masons had a dinner at Stationers' Hall, present, Duke
of Montague, Ld. Herbert, Ld. Stanhope, Sir And. Fountain, &c. Dr. Desaguliers
pronounced an oration. The Gd. Mr., Mr. Pain, produce'd an old MS. of the
Constitutions, which he got in the West of England, 500 years old."
The Editor of these "Stukeley's Diaries and Letters " (the
Rev. W. C. Lukis), found amongst some old papers of Dr. Stukeley's a tracing of
part of "the first and last pages of a Vellum MS.," which was there and then
exhibited (A.D. 1721), and were evidently partial facsimiles of the
"Cooke MS.," so that there is no reason to doubt Dr. Anderson's familiarity with
this celebrated MS. of Mr. George Payne's. The latter gentleman first compiled
the "General Regulations" when he was Grand Master, A.D. 1720,
(which are printed in Anderson's Constitutions, 1723 - pp. 58-74), and
doubtless afforded the author every assistance, as he was "order'd to digest the
old Gothic Constitutions in a new and better method."
Reproduced in 1861 by the Editor, Matthew Cooke, in
his " History and Articles of Masonry," (London, Richard Spencer), in
simulated facsimile. Also Vol. II. "Masonic Reprints" of the Q.C. Lodge, 1890,
in full facsimile with transcript, a modernized version and Commentary by Mr. G.
W. Speth, the Editor. Likewise 100 copies in facsimile, and bound in
exact imitation of the precious original.
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