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Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries

University of Nebraska Lincoln Year

The Constitutions of the Free-Masons(1734). An Online Electronic Edition.

James Anderson∗ Benjamin Franklin†

Paul Royster‡

∗Right Worshipful Fraternity of Accepted Free-Masons,†Grand Master of Masons of Pennsylvania,‡University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

This paper is p osted at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/25



Title page of the 1734 Philadelphia edition,which measures approximately 5 3 / 4 x 8 inches

T

C O N S T I

O F

FREE - MC O N T A I

Hi#ory, Charge

of that most A Worshipful F

For the Use of

L O N D O N Re-printed in Philadelphia

of the Brethren in NIn the Year of Masonr



T

His G R A C E th

MONT

My Lord, Y Orde

D U K E

the preshipful

of the Free-Masons

uty , I humbly dedithe Constitutions ofternity to your Graof your honourab



vigilant Discharge of the Office of our GR A N D-M ASTER last Year.

I need not tell your Grace whatPains our learned Author has takenin compiling and digesting thisBook from the old Records , and how accurately he has compar’d andmade every thing agreeable to His- tory and Chronology , so as to render

these NEW CONSTITUTIONS a just and exact Account of Masonry from the Beginning of the Worldto your Grace’s Mastership, still pre-serving all that was truly ancientand authentick in the old ones : Forevery Brother will be pleas’d with

the Performance, that knows it had your Grace’s Perusal and Approba-tion, and that it is now printed forthe Use of the Lodges , after it was

approv’d by the G your Grace was G All the Brother-h

member the Honhas done them, antheir Peace, HarmFriendship: Whicduly sensible of th

My LO R D ,

Your G R A C E

most oblig’d,

most obed

and Fa

J . T . DDeput

D E D I C A T I O N . D E D I C A



[ 7

T H

CONSTITHistory, Laws, CRegulations,

O F T

Right Worshipful F

O F A C C

Free-MCollected from their genetheir faithful T R A Ages.

T O B E

At the Admission of a Nthe Master or Warden shBrother to read as follows

DAM , our fi

Image of Godverse , must ha particularly Gfor even since t

of it in the Hearts of his Offsof time, have been drawn fortof Propositions , by observing t



[ 44 ] [ 45

way peculiar to themselves, which the most Cunning and the most Learned cannot penetrate into, though it has beenoften attempted ; while They know and love one another,even without the Help of Speech, or when of differentLanguages.

And now the Freeborn BRITISH NATIONS, disintan-

gled from foreign and civil Wars, and enjoying the good Fruits of Peace and Liberty, having of late much indulg’d their happy Genius for Masonry of every sort, and reviv’d the drooping Lodges of London , this fair Metropolis flour-isheth, as well as other Parts, with several worthy particular Lodges, that have a quarterly Communication , and an an-nual grand Assembly , wherein the Forms and Usages of themost ancient and worshipful Fraternity are wisely propagat-ed, and the Royal Art duly cultivated, and the Cement of theBrotherhood preserved ; so that the whole Body resembles a

well built Arch ; several NoblemRank, with Clergymen and leasions and Denominations, havited to take the Charges , and to wAccepted Mason , under our presmost noble PRINCE John Duk

Besides more of the same Roman Style, and yet many more in Imi- tation of it, which though they cannot be reduc’d to any certain Style,are stately, beautiful, and convenient Structures, notwithstanding the Mistakes of their several Architects : And besides the sumptuous and venerable Gothick Buildings, past reckoning, as Cathedrals, Par-ish-Churches, Chappels, Bridges, old Palaces of the Kings, of the Nobility , of the Bishops, and the Gentry , known well to Travellers,and to such as peruse the Histories of Counties, and the ancient Monu- ments of great Families, &c. as many Erections of the Roman Style may be review’d in Mr. Campbell the Architect’s ingenious Book,call’d VITRUVIUS BRITANNICUS : And if the Disposition

for true ancient Masonry prevails, for some time, with Nobelemen,Gentlemen, and learned Men, (as it is likely it will) this ISLAND will become the MISTRESS of the Earth, for Designing, Drawing,and Conducting, and capable to instruct all other Nations in all things relating to the ROYAL ART .



[ 47

TH

C H A RO f a F R E E

Extracted from the aLodges beyond Sea, anScotland, and Ireland ,in London : To be readBrethren, or when the M

The G E N E R A

I. F GOD and REII. Of the CI

supreme and suIII. Of LOD

IV. Of MASTERS, Ward

V. Of the Management of th VI. Of BEHAVIOUR, vi

1. In the Lodge whil2. After the Lodge is

gone.



[ 56 ] [ 57

to be thankfully submitted to by the contending Brethren ;and if that Submission is impracticable, they must howevercarry on their Process or Law-Suit without Wrath and Ran-cor (not in the common way) saying or doing nothing whichmay hinder Brotherly Love, and good Offices to be renew’d

and continu’d ; that all may see the benign Influence of MA-SONRY, as all true Masons have done from the Beginning of the World, and will do to the End of Time.

AMEN SO MOTE IT BE.

P O S T S

A Worthy BROTH ER, lmunicated to the Autho

ing) the Opinion of the Great against Masons , 3 Hen . VI. Cthis Book, , and whiccompar’d with the Original, vi

COKE’s Institutes ,

The CAUSE wherefore this for that the good Course and Ebourers were thereby violatedLord COKE) all the Statutes this Act, and whereunto this Ac

Statute of 5 Eliz. Chap. 4. whemaking of this Act is taken awaybecome of no Force or Effect ; forsat ipsa Lex : And the Indictmemust contain, that those Chapto the violating and breaking oof the Statutes of Labourers ; wbecause these Statutes be repeal’dout of the Charge of JusticesLAMBERT, pag . 227.

This Quotation confirms tthat this most learned JUDGEcient Lodge , and was a faithful



[ 59

zBXzBXzBXz

GENER AL R ECompiled first by Mr. G E O

1720, when he was GRA

prov’d by the GRAND-Ltist’ s Day, Anno 1721 ; a

DON; when the most noof MONTAGU was u

GRAND-MASTER for

JOHN BE AL, M.D.

and Mr. Josiah Villeneau Mr. Tho. Morris, jun.

And now, by the Comma

shipful GRAND-MASTAuthor of this Book has

reduc’d them to the anci

rial Usage, of the Fraterni

this new Method, with sev

for the Use of the Lodges

Westminster .

I. HE GRAND- T Y, hath Ato be present i preside where

of the Lodge on his Left-Handdens to attend him, who are no

{ }



[ 76 ] [ 77

Then the GRAND-MASTER, placing the Candidate on his left Hand, having ask’d and obtain’d the unanimousConsent of all the Brethren, shall say, I constitute and form these good Brethren into a new Lodge, and appoint you the Master of it, not doubting of your Capacity and Care to preserve the Cement of the Lodge, &c. with some other Expressions

that are proper and usual on that Occasion, but not properto be written.

Upon this the Deputy shall rehearse the Charges of aMaster , and the GRAND-MASTER shall ask the Candi- date , saying, Do you submit to these Charges as Masters have done in all Ages ? And the Candidate signifying his cordialSubmission thereunto, the Grand-Master shall, by certainsignificant Ceremonies and ancient Usages, install him,and present him with the Constitutions , the Lodge-Book , and the Instruments of his Office, not all together, but one after

another ; and after each of them, the Grand-Master or hisDeputy , shall rehearse the short and pithy Charge that issuitable to the Thing presented.

After this, the Members of this new Lodge , bowing alltogether to the Grand-Master , shall return his Worship Thanks, and immediately do their Homage to their new Master , and signify their Promise of Subjection and Obedi-ence to him by the usual Congratulation .

The Deputy and the Grand-Wardens , and any otherBrethren present, that are not Members of this new Lodge,

shall next congratulate the new Master ; and he shall re-turn his becoming Acknowledgements to the Grand-Master first, and to the rest in their Order.

Then the Grand-Master desires the new Master to enterimmediately upon the Exercise of his Office, in chusing hisWardens : And the new Master , calling forth two Fellow-

Craft , presents them to the Grtion, and to the new Lodge foring granted,

The senior or junior GraBrother for him, shall rehearand the Candidates being solem

shall signify their Submission tUpon which the new Mast

Instruments of their Office, shin their proper Places ; and theshall signify their Obedience usual Congratulation .

And this LODGE being shall be register’d in thby his Order notified to



[ 90 ]

I.

COME let us prepare,We Brothers that are

Assembled on merry Occasion :Let’s drink, laugh, and sing ;Our Wine has a Spring :

Here’s a Health to an Accepted Mason .

II.

The World is in painOur Secrets to gain,

And still let them wonder and gaze on ; They ne’er can divineThe Word or the Sign

Of a Free and an Accepted Mason .

III.

’Tis This , and ’tis That , They cannot tell What ,

Why so many Great Men of the NationShould Aprons put on, To make themselves one

With a Free and an Accepted Mason .

IV.

Great Kings , Dukes , and Lords ,Have laid by their Swords,

Our Myst’ry to put a good Grace on, And ne’er been asham’d To hear themselves nam’d

With a Free and an Accepted Mason .

V.

Antiquity’s Pride We have on our side, And it maketh Men just in their Station:

There’s nought but what’s good To be understood

By a Free and an Accepted Mason .

VI.

Then join Hand in Hand , T’each other firm stand,

Let’s be merry, and put a bright Face on:What Mortal can boastSo NOBLE A TOAST,

As a Free and an Accepted Mason ?

T H E

Enter’d ’PRENTICES SONG.By our late BR O T H E R

Mr. M A T T H E W B I R K H E A D , deceas’d.

To be sung when all grave Business is over, and with the MASTER’s Leave .

I.

W HAT though they call us MasonFools,

We prove by Geometry and Rules,We’ve Arts are taught in all our School

They charge us falsely then.We make it plainly to appear,By our Behaviour every where That where you meet a Mason, there

You meet a Gentleman.

II.

’Tis true we once have charged beenWith Disobedience to our Queen ;But after Monarchs plain have seen,

The Secrets they have sought.We hatch no Plots against the State,Nor ’gainst great Men in Power prateBut all that’s generous, good and great

Is daily by us taught.

A New



L O N D O N , this 17th Day of January , 1722,3.

A T the Quarterly Communication , This Book, which was undertaken at the Command of His GRACE the

DUKE of MONTAGU, our late Grand -Master , having been regularly approved in Manuscript by the Grand-Lodge , was this Day produced here in Print, and approved by theSOCIET Y : Wherefore we do hereby Order the same to bePublished, and recommend it for the Use of the LODGES.

PHILIP DUKE of WHARTON, Grand-Master . J. T. DESAGULIERS, Deputy Grand-Master .

F I N I S .

[ 92 ]

Editoria

James Anderson (c.16cated in Aberdeen, Scotland.

in the Church of Scotland in 1 where he ministered to the Glauntil 1710, and to the Presbyteruntil 1734, and at Lisle Streetis reported to have lost a largeSea Company crash of 1720. AMasonic lodge and a Grand WHe was commissioned to writesons by the Grand Lodge of LSeptember of 1721, and it was

edition, much expanded, appetranslated into many languagGerman (1741), and French works include Royal Genealogisonry (1738?), News from Elysical History of the House of Yvethe present work is declared on

Benjamin Franklin delphia from Boston in 1723, abusiness in 1728, in partnershileft in 1730. He began to publin October of 1729 and becamcolony of Pennsylvania in 173the St. John’s Lodge of Free-Mcame a junior grand warden of Grand Master of Masons of P



This edition retains the spelling, capitalization, italics,and punctuation of the 1734 Philadelphia edition. No at-tempt has been made to standardize spellings or orthogra- phy. Some typographical errors have been corrected, and alist of emendations is given below, keyed to page and linenumber of the present edition (the line count includes chap-

ter headings, but not running heads or hairlines):

Page.line 1734 reading emended to 10.29 perpendciular perpendicular

20.20 which (which

22.5 PYTAHGORAS PYTHAGORAS

24.31 exellent excellent

33.25 Conjurnation Conjuration

40.30* TRINITY COLLEGE TRINITY-COLLEGE

41.37 Fief Fife

43.10* County County,43.12* Drumlanrig Castle Drumlanrig-Castle

43.18 Clysdaleshire Clydsdaleshire

43.19* Wanstead House Wanstead-House

43.21* Mereworth Castle Mereworth-Castle

43.26 Earle Earl 48.16 may distinguish’d may be distinguish’d

80.9b THO THO.

80.28b Master Master.

83.38 belov’d belov’d.

83.29b Art Art.

85.29 thriv’d thriv’d.87.6b King King ;

88.5b compleat ? compleat ;

90.22b T’each each T’each

91.14b are are !

96

The five emendations indicsions where the text of the PhLondon source-document with wise faithful to that source. InLondon text has been adoptedhave been restored). In all othe

typographical errors, the Phila The following bibliographie

ful to those seeking further sou

“Masonry and the Printed Worington, MA 02421 http://www

Brandy Farese, “Freemasonry i www.louisville.edu/a-s/englishfarebiblio.html

“DOCUMENTARY HISTOR

UNTARISM IN THE UNITghome.harvard.edu/~phall/doc

“Freemasonry, “ http://en.wik

Walgren, Kent Logan, Freemathe United States, 1734-1850, A B Antiquarian Society, 2003.



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