THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

Company.
III.
The text of the "Cooke" preface, as far as the same is complete, has been used
for this document, the remainder being taken from the "Watson MS.," which is a
document complete in itself, but with many errors of the copyist. The author
speaks of "old books of Charges," existing before his time, and he has possibly
mistaken "Martellus" for "Secundus," inasmuch as Charles Martel was not King
but Regent, and only "came to his {538} kingdom" in his children, Charlemagne
being his grandson, who had a grandson Charles Il.
IV.
MODERN CHARGES.
These modern Charges, of which there are about 70 copies, of which no two are
exactly alike, are an abridgement of the "Watson MS." series, which had become
too lengthy for use in Lodge work. The version given is a fair representative of all
the others and is a York MS. circa 1600. The portion in brackets [ ], and Charges
19-25 are found in the "Tew MS.," West Riding of Yorkshire.
V.
The Southern Variation of No. 5 is peculiar and found in a few MSS. The
evidence of causing Edwin to be made a Mason at Windsor shews that it was
compiled in the South, though Winchester is probably meant, as King Athelstan
had his royal residence in that city. The version is a late 16th century view found
in the "Lansdowne MS.," the "Probity MS.," and the "Antiquity MS."
VI.
The "Apprentice Charge" attached to a MS. which contains the "New
Regulations," are found in many MSS., and are those used in the written
Indentures of an Apprentice. The "New Regulations" are found in the "Harleian
MS.," which is the one we give; (2{1?}) the "Grand Lodge MS. 2," numbered 29 c.
33; (2) the "Roberts MS.," numbered 1 to 7; (3) the "McNab MS."; (4) a MS. seen
by Dr. James Anderson, number 1 to 7; but there must have been an older
original. The Harleian, Grand Lodge, and McNab MSS. give no date of the
Assembly; Roberts and Anderson give 1663; probably there was no date in the
oldest original. The British Museum officials consider the "Harleian MS." to be
early 17th century; it forms a species of Grand Lodge, and inaugurates a Charge
for Apprentices.
VII.
The Addition of 1663 to the "New Articles," and numbered 6, is given by
Anderson in the copy he saw, and also in the copy printed by Roberts in 1722.
But as it appears in "Grand Lodge MS. 2," as Article 32, it may have been
omitted by accident from VI. version.
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I.