III. — REGULATIONS OF 16G3.

In the reign of Charles I., Henry Jermyn, Earl of St. Albans, being chosen Grand Master, he held a General Assembly and Feast on St. John the Evangelist's day, 1663, when the following regula- tions were adopted :
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1. That no person, of what degree soever, be made or accepted a Freemason, unless in a regular Lodge, whereof one to be a Master or a Warden in that limit or division where such Lodge is kept, and another to be a craftsman in the trade of Freemasonry.
2. That no person shall hereafter be accepted a Freemason but such as are of able body, honest parentage, good repu- tation, and an observer of the laws of the land.
3. That no person hereafter who shall be accepted a Free- mason, shall be admitted into any Lodge or assembly, until he has brought a certificate of the time and place of his ac- ceptation from the Lodge that accepted him, unto the Master of that limit or division where such Lodge is kept ; and the said Master shall enroll the same in a roll of parchment, to be kept for that purpose, and shall give an account of all such acceptations at every General Assembly.
4. That every person who is now a Freemason, shall bring to the Master a note of the time of his acceptation, to the end the same may be enrolled in such priority of place as the Brother deserves ; and that the whole company and Fellows may the better know each other.
5. That for the future the said fraternity of Freemasons shall be regulated and governed by one Grand Master, and as many Wardens as the said society shall think fit to ap- point at every annual General Assembly.
6. That no person shall be accepted, unless he be twenty- one years old or more.
IT. — THE ANCIENT INSTALLATION CHARGES.
These Charges appear from their style to be very old, although their date is uncertain. They were contained in a MS. written in the reign of James II., which extended from 1685 to 1688, which MS., according to Preston, was in possession of the Lodge of Antiquity in London. They are said to have
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50 THE WRITTEN LAW.
been used at the installation of the Master of a Lodge. Probably they are older than the year 1686; but that date is often used as a means of reference. The Charges are as follows :
1. That ye shall be true men to God and the holy church, and. to use no error or heresy by your understanding, and by wise men's teaching.
2. That ye shall be true liegemen to the King of England, without treason or any falsehood, and that ye know no treason but ye shall give knowledge thereof to the king, or to his counsel ; also, ye shall be true one to another, that is to say, every Mason of the craft that is Mason allowed, ye shall do to him as ye would be done unto yourself.
3. And ye shall keep truly all the counsel that ought to be kept in the way of Masonhood, and all the counsel of the Lodge or of the chamber. Also, that ye shall be no thief nor thieves to your knowledge free ; that ye shall be true to the king, lord or master that ye serve, and truly to see and work for his advantage.
4. Ye shall call all Masons your Fellows, or your brethren, and no other names.
5. Ye shall not take your Fellow's wife in villainy, nor de- flower his daughter or servant, nor put him to disworship.
6. Ye shall truly pay for your meat or drink, -wheresoever ye go to table or board. Also, ye shall do no villainy there, whereby the craft or science may be slandered.
Y. — THE ANCIENT CHARGES AT MAKINGS.
The MS. in the archives of the Lodge of Antiquity, from which I have quoted the preceding charges, adds to them fifteen more, which are said to be " Charges single for Masons allowed or accepted, " that is to say, as is added at the end, " Charges and
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covenants to be read . at the mak- ing of a Freemason or Freemasons." They are as follows :
1. That no Mason take on him no lord's work, nor any other man's, unless he know himself well able to perform the work, so that the craft have no slander.
2. Also, that no Master take work but that he take reason- able pay for it ; so that the lord may be truly served, and the Master to live honestly, and to pay his Fellows truly. And that no Master or Fellow supplant others of their work ; that is to say, that if he hath taken a work, or else stand Master of any work, that he shall not put him out, unless he be un- able of cunning to make an end of his work. And no Master nor Fellow shall take no Apprentice for less than seven years. And that the Apprentice be free born, and of limbs whole as a man ought to be, and no bastard. And that no Master nor Fellow take no allowance to be made Mason without the as- sent of his Fellows, at the least six or seven.
3. That he that be made be able in all degrees ; that is, free born, of a good kindred, true, and no bondsman, and that he have his right limbs as a man ought to have.
4. That a Master take no Apprentice without he have occu- pation to occupy two or three Fellows at the least.
5. That no Master or Fellow put away any lord's work to task that ought to be journeywork.
6. That every Master give pay to his Fellows and servants as they may deserve, so that he be not defamed with false working. And that none slander another behind his back to make him lose his good name.
%. That no Fellow hi the house or abroad, answer another ungodly or reproveably without a cause.
8. That every Master Mason do reverence to his elder ; and that a Mason be no common player at the cards, dice or hazard ; or at any other unlawful plays, through the which the science and craft may be dishonored and slandered.
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9. That no Fellow go into the town by night, except he have a Fellow with him, who may bear him record that he was in an honest place.
10. That every Master and Fellow shall come to the assem- bly, if it be within fifty miles of him, if he have any warning. And if he have trespassed against the craft, to abide the re- ward of Masters and Fellows.
11. That every Master Mason and Fellow that hath tres- passed against the craft, shall stand to the correction of other Masters and Fellows to make him accord ; and if they cannot accord, to go to the common law.
12. That a Master or Fellow make not a mould stone, square nor rule, to no lowen, nor let no loweu work work within their Lodge nor without, to mould stone.
13. That every Mason receive and cherish strange Fellows, when they come over the country, and set them on work, if they will work, as the manner is ; that is to say, if the Mason have any mould stone in his place, he shall give him a mould stone, and set him on work ; and if he have none, the Mason shall refresh him with money imto the next Lodge.
14. That every Mason shall truly serve his Master for his pay.
15. That every Master shall truly make an end of his work, task or journey, whitherso it be.