[Devises et figure en tête du manuscrit]
be just and trwe which, after death gives life to you
Under no less a penalty
Keep round within of your appointed sp[here] be ready for your latter end daws near
[Catéchisme]
Question. Wt manner of man are you ? Answer. I am a mason.
Q. How shall I know that ? A. By ye signs, tokens, & points of my entry.
Q. Where were you entered ? A. In a full, & perfect lodge.
Q. Wt makes a full, & perfect lodge ? A. three masters, 3 fellow craftsmen, & 3 enterprentices.
Q. How stands yr lodge ? A. East, & west like ye temple of Jerusalem.
Q. Where sits ye master ? A. In a Chair of bone in ye middle of a four square pavement.
Q. Wt sits he there for ? A. To observe the sons rising to see to set his men to work.
Q. How high is yr lodge ? A. As high as ye stars inches, & feet innumerable.
Q. Where do you keep the key of ye lodge ? A. In a box of bone within a foot, & of ye lodge door.
Q. How far is it from ye table to ye anchor ? A. As far as from ye tongue to ye heart.
Q. Which way blows ye wind ? A. East & west & out of ye south.
[Signes et mots]
The common sign is with your right hand rub yr mouth then cross yr throat & lay it on ye left brea[st.] The Masters sign is back bone, the word matchpin. The fellow craftsman's sign is knuckles, & sinues ye word Jachquin. The Enterprentice's sign is sinues, the word Boaz or its hollow. Squeese the Master by ye back bone, put your knee between his, & say Matchpin. Squeese the fellow craftsman in knuckles, & sinues & say Jachquin [.] squees the enterprentice in sinues, & say boaz, or its hollow. To know in ye dark if there be a mason in Company, Say ye day was made for seeing, & ye night for hearing. If you are amongst the fraternity, & they drink to you, turn ye top of the glass down and if after two or three times so doing, they say drink & i'll warrant you, then they will pay your clubb. or if you say ye squire is lean, or throw a tobacco stopper to one of them & say change me yt groat, & they pay your club. To Send for a brother the signes are these. if you say ye lodge is untiled, that is as much as to say there is some one in ye Company you suspect for a brother. To bring a man from a scaffold, or any other place, hold yr heels together, and yr toes open, & look up, then with yr hand, or Cane make a right angle. this as all other Motions must be done very carelessly.
[Endorsement] Free Masonry Feb: 1711.
Reproduction intégrale de la transcription citée en tête de page, dans l'orthographe d'origine, sans commentaire ni modernisation. Les titres et notes d'époque sont conservés ; l'appareil éditorial moderne a été écarté.