THE REGIUS
MANUSCRIPT=
13;
A Poem of Mo=
ral
Duties
Here begin the
constitutions of the art of Geometry accord=
ing
to Euclid.
Whoever will bo=
th
well read and look=
13;
He may find wri=
tten
in old book
Of great lords =
and
also ladies,
That had many
children together, certainly;=
13;
And had no inco=
me
to keep them with,=
13;
Neither in town=
nor
field nor enclosed wood;=
13;
A council toget=
her
they could them take,=
13;
To ordain for t=
hese
children's sake,=
13;
How they might =
best
lead their life=
13;
Without great
disease, care and strife;=
13;
And most for the
multitude that was coming=
13;
Of their childr=
en
after great clerks,=
13;
To teach them t=
hen
good works;
And pray we the=
m,
for our Lord's sake.=
13;
To our children
some work to make,=
13;
That they might=
get
their living thereby,=
13;
Both well and
honestly full securely.=
13;
In that time,
through good geometry,=
13;
This honest cra=
ft
of good masonry=
13;
Was ordained and
made in this manner,=
13;
Counterfeited of
these clerks together;=
13;
At these lord's
prayers they counterfeited geometry,
And gave it the
name of masonry,=
13;
For the most ho=
nest
craft of all.
These lords'
children thereto did fall,=
13;
To learn of him=
the
craft of geometry,=
13;
The which he ma=
de
full curiously;=
13;
Through fathers'
prayers and mothers' also,=
13;
This honest cra=
ft
he put them to.=
13;
He learned best,
and was of honesty,=
13;
And passed his
fellows in curiosity,=
13;
If in that craf=
t he
did him pass,
He should have =
more
worship than the less,=
13;
This great cler=
k's
name was Euclid,=
13;
His name it spr=
ead
full wonder wide.=
13;
Yet this great
clerk ordained he=
13;
To him that was
higher in this degree,=
13;
That he should
teach the simplest of wit=
13;
In that honest
craft to be perfect;=
13;
And so each one
shall teach the other,=
13;
And love togeth=
er
as sister and brother.=
13;
Futhermore yet =
that
ordained he,
Master called so
should he be;
So that he were
most worshipped,=
13;
Then should he =
be
so called;
But masons shou=
ld
never one another call,=
13;
Within the craft
amongst them all,=
13;
Neither subject=
nor
servant, my dear brother,=
13;
Though he be no=
t so
perfect as is another;=
13;
Each shall call
other fellows by friendship,=
13;
Because they co=
me
of ladies' birth.=
13;
On this manner,
through good wit of geometry,
Began first the
craft of masonry;=
13;
The clerk Eucli=
d on
this wise it found, =
13;
This craft of
geometry in Egypt land.=
13;
In Egypt he tau=
ght
it full wide,
In divers lands=
on
every side;
Many years
afterwards, I understand,=
13;
Ere that the cr=
aft
came into this land.=
13;
This craft came
into England, as I you say,=
13;
In time of good
King Athelstane's day;=
13;
He made then bo=
th
hall and even bower,=
13;
And high temple=
s of
great honour,
To disport him =
in
both day and night,=
13;
And to worship =
his
God with all his might.=
13;
This good lord
loved this craft full well,=
13;
And purposed to
strengthen it every part,=
13;
For divers faul=
ts
that in the craft he found;=
13;
He sent about i=
nto
the land
After all the
masons of the craft,=
13;
To come to him =
full
even straight,=
13;
For to amend th=
ese
defaults all
By good counsel=
, if
it might fall.=
13;
An assembly then
could let make=
13;
Of divers lords=
in
their state,
Dukes, earls, a=
nd
barons also,
Knights, squires
and many more,=
13;
And the great
burgesses of that city,=
13;
They were there=
all
in their degree;=
13;
There were there
each one always,=
13;
To ordain for t=
hese
masons' estate,=
13;
There they soug=
ht
by their wit,
How they might
govern it;
Fifteen articles
they there sought,=
13;
And fifteen poi=
nts
there they wrought,=
13;
=
div>
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