Here begin the constitutions of the art of Geometry
according to Euclid.
Whoever will both well read and look He may find
written in old book Of great lords and also ladies, That had many children
together, certainly; And had no income to keep them with, Neither in town
nor field nor enclosed wood; A council together they could them take, To
ordain for these children's sake, How they might best lead their
life Without great disease, care and strife; And most for the multitude
that was coming Of their children after great clerks, To teach them then
good works;
And pray we them, for our Lord's sake. To our children
some work to make, That they might get their living thereby, Both well and
honestly full securely. In that time, through good geometry, This honest
craft of good masonry Was ordained and made in this manner, Counterfeited
of these clerks together; At these lord's prayers they counter- feited
geometry, And gave it the name of masonry, For the most honest craft of
all. These lords' children thereto did fall, To learn of him the craft of
geometry, The which he made full curiously;
Through fathers' prayers
and mothers' also, This honest craft he put them to. He learned best, and
was of honesty, And passed his fellows in curiosity, If in that craft he
did him pass, He should have more worship than the less, This great
clerk's name was Euclid, His name it spread full wonder wide. Yet this
great clerk ordained he To him that was higher in this degree, That he
should teach the simplest of wit In that honest craft to be perfect; And
so each one shall teach the other, And love together as sister and
brother.
Futhermore yet that ordained he, Master called so should he
be; So that he were most worshipped, Then should he be so called; But
masons should never one another call, Within the craft amongst them
all, Neither subject nor servant, my dear brother, Though he be not so
perfect as is another; Each shall call other fellows by
friendship, Because they come of ladies' birth. On this manner, through
good wit of geometry, Began first the craft of masonry; The clerk Euclid
on this wise it found, This craft of geometry in Egypt land.
In Egypt
he taught it full wide, In divers lands on every side; Many years
afterwards, I understand, Ere that the craft came into this land. This
craft came into England, as I you say, In time of good King Athelstane's
day; He made then both hall and even bower, And high temples of great
honour, To disport him in both day and night, And to worship his God with
all his might. This good lord loved this craft full well, And purposed to
strengthen it every part, For divers faults that in the craft he found; He
sent about into the land
After all the masons of the craft, To come to
him full even straight, For to amend these defaults all By good counsel,
if it might fall. An assembly then could let make Of divers lords in their
state, Dukes, earls, and barons also, Knights, squires and many
more, And the great burgesses of that city, They were there all in their
degree; There were there each one always, To ordain for these masons'
estate, There they sought by their wit, How they might govern
it;
Fifteen articles they there sought, And fifteen points there they
wrought,
Here begins the first article.
The first article of this
geometry;- The master mason must be full securely Both steadfast, trusty
and true, It shall him never then rue; And pay thy fellows after the
cost, As victuals goeth then, well thou knowest; And pay them truly, upon
thy faith, What they may deserve; And to their hire take no more, But
what that they may serve for; And spare neither for love nor dread,
Of
neither parties to take no bribe; Of lord nor fellow, whoever he be, Of
them thou take no manner of fee; And as a judge stand upright, And then
thou dost to both good right; And truly do this wheresoever thou
goest, Thy worship, thy profit, it shall be most.
Second
article.
The second article of good masonry, As you must it here hear
specially, That every master, that is a mason, Must be at the general
congregation, So that he it reasonably be told Where that the assembly
shall be held;
And to that assembly he must needs go, Unless he have a
reasonable excuse, Or unless he be disobedient to that craft Or with
falsehood is overtaken, Or else sickness hath him so strong, That he may
not come them among; That is an excuse good and able, To that assembly
without fable.
Third article.
The third article forsooth it
is, That the master takes to no 'prentice, Unless he have good assurance
to dwell Seven years with him, as I you tell, His craft to learn, that is
profitable;
Within less he may no be able To lords' profit, nor to his
own As you may know by good reason.
Fourth article.
The fourth
article this must be, That the master him well besee, That he no bondman
'prentice make, Nor for no covetousness do him take; For the lord that he
is bound to, May fetch the 'prentice wheresoever he go. If in the lodge he
were taken, Much disease it might there make, And such case it might
befall, That it might grieve some or all.
For all the masons that be
there Will stand together all together. If such one in that craft should
dwell, Of divers disease you might tell; For more ease then, and of
honesty, Take a 'prentice of higher degree. By old time written I
find That the 'prentice should be of gentle kind; And so sometime, great
lords' blood Took this geometry that is full good.
Fifth
article.
The fifth article is very good, So that the 'prentice be of
lawful blood; The master shall not, for no advantage,
Make no
'prentice that is deformed; It is mean, as you may hear That he have all
his limbs whole all together; To the craft it were great shame, To make a
halt man and a lame, For an imperfect man of such blood Should do the
craft but little good. Thus you may know every one, The craft would have a
mighty man; A maimed man he hath no might, You must it know long ere
night.
Sixth article.
The sixth article you must not
miss
That the master do the lord no prejudice, To take the lord for
his 'prentice, As much as his fellows do, in all wise. For in that craft
they be full perfect, So is not he, you must see it. Also it were against
good reason, To take his hire as his fellows do.
This same article in
this case, Judgeth his prentice to take less Than his fellows, that be
full perfect. In divers matters, know requite it, The master may his
'prentice so inform, That his hire may increase full soon, And ere his
term come to an end, His hire may full well amend.
Seventh
article.
The seventh article that is now here, Full well will tell you
all together, That no master for favour nor dread, Shall no thief neither
clothe nor feed. Thieves he shall harbour never one, Nor him that hath
killed a man, Nor the same that hath a feeble name, Lest it would turn the
craft to shame.
Eighth article.
The eighth article sheweth you
so, That the master may it well do. If that he have any man of
craft, And he be not so perfect as he ought, He may him change soon
anon, And take for him a more perfect man. Such a man through
recklessness, Might do the craft scant worship.
Ninth
article.
The ninth article sheweth full well, That the master be both
wise and strong; That he no work undertake, Unless he can both it end and
make; And that it be to the lords' profit also, And to his craft,
wheresoever he go; And that the ground be well taken, That it neither flaw
nor crack.
Tenth article.
The tenth article is for to
know, Among the craft, to high and low, There shall no master supplant
another, But be together as sister and brother, In this curious craft,
all and some, That belongeth to a master mason. Nor shall he supplant no
other man, That hath taken a work him upon, In pain thereof that is so
strong,
That weigheth no less than ten pounds, but if that he be
guilty found, That took first the work on hand; For no man in
masonry Shall not supplant other securely, But if that it be so
wrought, That in turn the work to nought; Then may a mason that work
crave, To the lords' profit for it to save In such a case if it do
fall, There shall no mason meddle withal. Forsooth he that beginneth the
ground, If he be a mason good and sound, He hath it securely in his
mind
To bring the work to full good end.
Eleventh
article.
The eleventh article I tell thee, That he is both fair and
free; For he teacheth, by his might, That no mason should work by
night, But if be in practising of wit, If that I could amend
it.
Twelfth article.
The twelfth article is of high honesty To
every mason wheresoever he be, He shall not his fellows' work deprave, If
that he will his honesty save; With honest words he it commend,
By the
wit God did thee send; But it amend by all that thou may, Between you both
without doubt.
Thirteenth article.
The thirteenth article, so God
me save, Is if that the master a 'prentice have, Entirely then that he him
tell, That he the craft ably may know, Wheresoever he go under the
sun.
Fourteenth article.
The fourteenth article by good
reason, Sheweth the master how he shall do; He shall no 'prentice to him
take, Unless diver cares he have to make, That he may within his
term, Of him divers points may learn.
Fifteenth article.
The
fifteenth article maketh an end, For to the master he is a friend; To
teach him so, that for no man, No false maintenance he take him upon, Nor
maintain his fellows in their sin, For no good that he might win; Nor no
false oath suffer him to make, For dread of their souls' sake, Lest it
would turn the craft to shame, And himself to very much blame.
Plural
constitutions.
At this assembly were points ordained more, Of great
lords and masters also. That who will know this craft and come to
estate, He must love well God and holy church always, And his master
also that he is with, Whersoever he go in field or enclosed wood, And thy
fellows thou love also, For that thy craft will that thou do.
Second
Point.
The second point as I you say, That the mason work upon the
work day, As truly as he can or may,
To deserve his hire for the
holy-day, And truly to labour on his deed, Well deserve to have his
reward.
Third point.
The third point must be severely, With the
'prentice know it well, His master's counsel he keep and close, And his
fellows by his good purpose; The privities of the chamber tell he no
man, Nor in the lodge whatsoever they do; Whatsoever thou hearest or seest
them do, Tell it no man wheresoever you go; The counsel of hall, and even
of bower,
Keep it well to great honour, Lest it would turn thyself to
blame, And bring the craft into great shame.
Fourth point.
The
fourth point teacheth us also, That no man to his craft be false; Error he
shall maintain none Against the craft, but let it go; Nor no prejudice he
shall no do To his master, nor his fellow also; And though the 'prentice
be under awe, Yet he would have the same law.
Fifth point.
The
fifth point is without doubt, That when the mason taketh his pay Of the
master, ordained to him, Full meekly taken so must it be; Yet must the
master by good reason, Warn him lawfully before noon, If he will not
occupy him no more, As he hath done there before; Against this order he
may no strive, If he think well for to thrive.
Sixth point.
The
sixth point is full given to know, Both to high and even low,
For such
case it might befall; Among the masons some or all, Through envy or deadly
hate, Oft ariseth full great debate. Then ought the mason if that he
may, Put them both under a day; But loveday yet shall they make
none, Till that the work-day you must well take Leisure enough loveday to
make, Hinder their work for such a fray; To such end then that you them
draw.
That they stand well in God's law.
Seventh point.
The
seventh point he may well mean, Of well long life that God us lend, As it
descrieth well openly, Thou shalt not by thy master's wife lie, Nor by thy
fellows', in no manner wise, Lest the craft would thee despise; Nor by thy
fellows' concubine, No more thou wouldst he did by thine. The pain thereof
let it be sure, That he be 'prentice full seven year, If he forfeit in any
of them So chastised then must he be; Full much care might there
begin, For such a foul deadly sin.
Eighth point.
The eighth
point, he may be sure, If thou hast taken any cure, Under thy master thou
be true, For that point thous shalt never rue; A true mediator thou must
needs be To thy master, and thy fellows free; Do truly all that thou
might, To both parties, and that is good right.
Ninth
point.
The ninth point we shall him call, That he be steward of our
hall, If that you be in chamber together, Each one serve other with mild
cheer; Gentle fellows, you must it know, For to be stewards all in
turn, Week after week without doubt, Stewards to be so all in turn
about, Amiably to serve each one other, As though they were sister and
brother; There shall never one another cost Free himself to no
advantage, But every man shall be equally free
In that cost, so must
it be; Look that thou pay well every man always, That thou hast bought any
victuals eaten, That no craving be made to thee, Nor to thy fellows in no
degree, To man or to woman, whoever he be, Pay them well and truly, for
that will we; Therof on thy fellow true record thou take, For that good
pay as thou dost make, Lest it would thy fellow shame, And bring thyself
into great blame. Yet good accounts he must make Of such goods as he hath
taken,
Of thy fellows' goods that thou hast spent, Where and how and
to what end; Such accounts thou must come to, When thy fellows wish that
thou do.
Tenth point.
The tenth point presenteth well good
life, To live without care and strife; For if the mason live amiss, And
in his work be false I know,
And through such a false excuse May
slander his fellows without reason, Through false slander of such
fame
May make the craft acquire blame. If he do the craft such
villainy, Do him no favour then securely, Nor maintain not him in wicked
life, Lest it would turn to care and strife; But yet him you shall not
delay, Unless that you shall him constrain, For to appear wheresoever you
will, Where that you will, loud, or still; To the next assembly you him
call, To appear before his fellows all, And unless he will before them
appear,
The craft he must need forswear; He shall then be punished
after the law That was founded by old day.
Eleventh point.
The
eleventh point is of good discretion, As you must know by good reason; A
mason, if he this craft well know, That seeth his fellow hew on a
stone, And is in point to spoil that stone, Amend it soon if that thou
can, And teach him then it to amend, That the lords' work be not
spoiled, And teach him easily it to amend,
With fair words, that God
thee hath lent; For his sake that sit above, With sweet words nourish his
love.
Twelfth point.
The twelfth point is of great
royalty, There as the assembly held shall be, There shall be masters and
fellows also, And other great lords many more; There shall be the sheriff
of that country, And also the mayor of that city, Knights and squires
there shall be,
And also aldermen, as you shall see; Such ordinance as
thy make there,
They shall maintain it all together Against that man,
whatsoever he be, That belongeth to the craft both fair and free. If
he any strife against them make, Into their custody he shall be
taken.
Thirteenth point.
The thirteenth point is to us full
lief, He shall swear never to be no thief, Nor succour him in his false
craft, For no good that he hath bereft, And thou must it know or
sin, Neither for his good, nor for his kin.
Fourteenth
point.
The fourteenth point is full good law To him that would be
under awe; A good true oath he must there swear To his master and his
fellows that be there; He must be steadfast be and true also To all this
ordinance, wheresoever he go, And to his liege lord the king, To be true
to him over all thing. And all these points here before To them thou must
need be sworn, And all shall swear the same oath Of the masons, be they
lief be they loath. To all these points here before,
That hath been
ordained by full good lore. And they shall enquire every man Of his party,
as well as he can, If any man may be found guilty In any of these points
specially; And who he be, let him be sought, And to the assembly let him
be brought.
Fifteen point.
The fifteenth point is full good
lore, For them that shall be there sworn, Such ordinance at the assembly
was laid Of great lords and masters before said; For the same that be
disobedient, I know,
Against the ordinance that there is, Of these
articles that were moved there, Of great lords and masons all
together, And if they be proved openly Before that assembly, by and
by, And for their guilt's no amends will make, Then must they need the
craft forsake; And no masons craft they shall refuse, And swear it never
more to use. But if that they will amends make, Again to the craft they
shall never take; And if that they will no do so, The sheriff shall come
them soon to,
And put their bodies in deep prison, For the trespass
that they have done, And take their goods and their cattle Into the king's
hand, every part, And let them dwell there full still, Till it be our
liege king's will.
Another ordinance of the art of geometry.
They
ordained there an assembly to be hold, Every year, wheresoever they
would, To amend the defaults, if any were found Among the craft within the
land; Each year or third year it should be held,
In every place
weresoever they would; Time and place must be ordained also, In what place
they should assemble to, All the men of craft there they must be, And
other great lords, as you must see, To mend the faults the he there
spoken, If that any of them be then broken. There they shall be all
sworn, That belongeth to this craft's lore, To keep their statutes every
one That were ordained by King Althelstane; These statutes that I have
here found
I ordain they be held through my land, For the worship of
my royalty, That I have by my dignity. Also at every assembly that you
hold, That you come to your liege king bold, Beseeching him of his
grace, To stand with you in every place, To confirm the statutes of King
Athelstane, That he ordained to this craft by good reason.
The art of
the four crowned ones.
Pray we now to God almighty, And to his mother
Mary bright,
That we may keep these articles here, And these points
well all together, As did these holy martyrs four, That in this craft were
of great honour; They were as good masons as on earth shall go, Gravers
and image-makers they were also. For they were workmen of the best, The
emperor had to them great liking; He willed of them an image to make That
might be worshipped for his sake; Such monuments he had in his day, To
turn the people from Christ's law.
But they were steadfast in Christ's
law, And to their craft without doubt; They loved well God and all his
lore, And were in his service ever more. True men they were in that
day, And lived well in God's law; They thought no monuments for to
make, For no good that they might take, To believe on that monument for
their God, They would not do so, though he was furious; For they would not
forsake their true faith,
And believe on his false law, The emperor
let take them soon anon, And put them in a deep prison; The more sorely he
punished them in that place, The more joy was to them of Christ's
grace, Then when he saw no other one, To death he let them then go; By
the book he might it show In legend of holy ones, The names of the
four-crowned ones.
Their feast will be without doubt, After
Hallow-e'en eighth day. You may hear as I do read, That many years after,
for great dread That Noah's flood was all run, The tower of Babylon was
begun, As plain work of lime and stone, As any man should look
upon; So long and broad it was begun, Seven miles the height shadoweth the
sun. King Nebuchadnezzar let it make To great strength for man's
sake, Though such a flood again should come, Over the work it should not
take; For they had so high pride, with strong boast All that work
therefore was lost; An angel smote them so with divers speech, That never
one knew what the other should tell. Many years after, the good clerk
Euclid Taught the craft of geometry full wonder wide, So he did that other
time also, Of divers crafts many more. Through high grace of Christ in
heaven, He commenced in the sciences seven;
Grammar is the first
science I know, Dialect the second, so I have I bliss, Rhetoric the third
without doubt, Music is the fourth, as I you say,
Astronomy is the
fifth, by my snout, Arithmetic the sixth, without doubt, Geometry the
seventh maketh an end, For he is both meek and courteous, Grammar forsooth
is the root, Whoever will learn on the book; But art passeth in his
degree, As the fruit doth the root of the tree;
Rhetoric measureth
with ornate speech among, And music it is a sweet song; Astronomy
numbereth, my dear brother, Arithmetic sheweth one thing that is
another, Geometry the seventh science it is, That can separate falsehood
from truth, I know These be the sciences seven, Who useth them well he may
have heaven. Now dear children by your wit Pride and covetousness that you
leave it, And taketh heed to good discretion, And to good nurture,
wheresoever you come. Now I pray you take good heed,
For this you must
know needs, But much more you must know, Than you find here written. If
thee fail therto wit, Pray to God to send thee it; For Christ himself, he
teacheth us That holy church is God's house, That is made for nothing
else But for to pray in, as the book tells us; There the people shall
gather in, To pray and weep for their sin. Look thou come not to church
late, For to speak harlotry by the gate;
Then to church when thou
dost fare, Have in thy mind ever more To worship thy lord God both day and
night, With all thy wits and even thy might. To the church door when thou
dost come Of that holy water there some thou take, For every drop thou
feelest there Quencheth a venial sin, be thou sure. But first thou must do
down thy hood, For his love that died on the rood. Into the church when
thou dost go, Pull up thy heart to Christ, anon;
Upon the rood thou
look up then, And kneel down fair upon thy knees, Then pray to him so here
to work, After the law of holy church,
For to keep the commandments
ten, That God gave to all men; And pray to him with mild voice To keep
thee from the sins seven, That thou here may, in this life, Keep thee well
from care and strife; Furthermore he grant thee grace, In heaven's bliss
to have a place.
In holy church leave trifling words Of lewd speech
and foul jests, And put away all vanity, And say thy pater noster and
thine ave; Look also that thou make no noise, But always to be in thy
prayer; If thou wilt not thyself pray, Hinder no other man by no
way. In that place neither sit nor stand, But kneel fair down on the
ground, And when the Gospel me read shall,
Fairly thou stand up from
the wall, And bless the fare if that thou can, When gloria tibi is
begun; And when the gospel is done, Again thou might kneel down, On
both knees down thou fall, For his love that bought us all; And when thou
hearest the bell ring To that holy sacrament, Kneel you must both young
and old, And both your hands fair uphold, And say then in this
manner,
Fair and soft without noise; "Jesu Lord welcome thou be, In
form of bread as I thee see, Now Jesu for thine holy name, Shield me from
sin and shame; Shrift and Eucharist thou grand me both, Ere that I shall
hence go, And very contrition for my sin, That I never, Lord, die
therein; And as thou were of maid born, Suffer me never to be lost; But
when I shall hence wend,
Grant me the bliss without end; Amen! Amen!
so mote it be! Now sweet lady pray for me." Thus thou might say, or some
other thing, When thou kneelest at the sacrament. For covetousness after
good, spare thou not To worship him that all hath wrought;
For glad
may a man that day be, That once in the day may him see; It is so much
worth, without doubt, The virtue thereof no man tell may; But so much good
doth that sight,
That Saint Austin telleth full right, That day thou
seest God's body, Thou shalt have these full securely:- Meet and drink at
thy need, None that day shalt thou lack; Idle oaths and words both, God
forgiveth thee also; Sudden death that same day Thee dare not dread by no
way; Also that day, I thee plight, Thou shalt not lose thy eye
sight; And each foot that thou goest then,
That holy sight for to
see, They shall be told to stand instead, When thou hast thereto great
need; That messenger the angel Gabriel, Will keep them to thee full
well. From this matter now I may pass, To tell more benefits of the
mass: To church come yet, if thou may, And hear the mass each day; If
thou may not come to church, Where that ever thou dost work, When thou
hearest the mass toll,
Pray to God with heart still, To give thy part
of that service, That in church there done is. Furthermore yet, I will you
preach To your fellows, it for to teach, When thou comest before a
lord, In hall, in bower, or at the board, Hood or cap that thou off
do, Ere thou come him entirely to; Twice or thrice, without doubt, To
that lord thou must bow; With thy right knee let it be done,
Thine own
worship thou save so. Hold off thy cap and hood also, Till thou have leave
it on to put. All the time thou speakest with him, Fair and amiably hold
up thy chin; So after the nurture of the book, In his face kindly thou
look. Foot and hand thou keep full still, For clawing and tripping, is
skill; From spitting and sniffling keep thee also, By private expulsion
let it go, And if that thou be wise and discrete,
Thou has great need
to govern thee well. Into the hall when thou dost wend, Amongst the
gentles, good and courteous, Presume not too high for nothing, For thine
high blood, nor thy cunning, Neither to sit nor to lean, That is nurture
good and clean. Let not thy countenance therefor abate, Forsooth good
nurture will save thy state. Father and mother, whatsoever they be, Well
is the child that well may thee, In hall, in chamber, where thou dost
go;
Good manners make a man. To the next degree look wisely, To do
them reverence by and by; Do them yet no reverence all in turn, Unless
that thou do them know. To the meat when thou art set, Fair and honestly
thou eat it; First look that thine hands be clean, And that thy knife be
sharp and keen, And cut thy bread all at thy meat, Right as it may be
there eaten, If thou sit by a worthier man,
Then thy self thou art
one, Suffer him first to touch the meat, Ere thyself to it reach. To
the fairest morsel thou might not strike, Though that thou do it well
like; Keep thine hands fair and well, From foul smudging of thy
towel; Thereon thou shalt not thy nose blow, Nor at the meat thy tooth
thou pick; Too deep in cup thou might not sink, Though thou have good will
to drink, Lest thine eyes would water thereby-
Then were it no
courtesy. Look in thy mouth there be no meat, When thou begins to drink or
speak. When thou seest any man drinking, That taketh heed to thy
speech, Soon anaon thou cease thy tale, Whether he drink wine or
ale, Look also thou scorn no man, In what degree thou seest him
gone; Nor thou shalt no man deprave, If thou wilt thy worship save; For
such word might there outburst.
That might make thee sit in evil
rest. Close thy hand in thy fist, And keep thee well from "had I
known." Hold thy tongue and spend thy sight; Laugh thou not with no great
cry, Nor make no lewd sport and ribaldry. Play thou not but with thy
peers, Nor tell thou not all that thou hears; Discover thou not thine own
deed, For no mirth, nor for no reward; With fair speech thou might have
thy will, With it thou might thy self spoil.
When thou meetest a
worthy man, Cap and hood thou hold not on; In church, in market, or in the
gate, Do him reverance after his state. If thou goest with a worthier
man Then thyself thou art one, Let thy foremost shoulder follow his
back, For that is nurture without lack;
When he doth speak, hold thee
still, When he hath done, say for thy will, In thy speech that thou be
discreet, And what thou sayest consider thee well; But deprive thou not
him his tale, Neither at the wine nor at the ale. Christ then of his high
grace, Save you both wit and space, Well this book to know and
read, Heaven to have for your reward. Amen! Amen! so mote it be! So say
we all for charity.