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UNITED STATES,

KENTUCKY DISTRICT SCT.

E IT REMEMBERED, that on the thirtieth day of March, in the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, and in the thirty-second year of the Independence of the United States of America, James Moore and Cary L. Clarke, of the said district, deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, (to wit.) "Ma "sonic Constitutions, or Illustrations of Masonry; compiled by the direction of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, and adopted by them for the regulation and government of the Subordinate Lodges under their jurisdiction-With an Appendix, containing remarks on the Degrees of Master Mark Masons, Super Excellent Master, and Royal Arch Masons”—In conformity to the act of congress of the United States of America, entitled," An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." And also to an act, entitled" An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the authors and propri etors of such copies during the terms therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints."

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, as Clerk of the District Om-0 Court of the United States, in and for the Kentucky District aforesaid, and the seal L. S. of my said office at Frankfort, this 30th day of March, 1808, and of the indepen dence of the United States the thirty-second. m-0

THOS. TUNSTALL, C. K. D. C.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.

BE IT KNOWN, that we James Moore and Cary L. Clarke, do hereby assign all our right, title, claim or demand, to the title of the above mentioned work, to George M. Bibb, as acting G. M. of Free and Accepted Masons for the state of Kentucky and his successors forever. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 30th day of March, A. D. 1808, A. L. 5808.

TESTE,

GEORGE GREER,

THOS. TUNSTALL.

JAMES MOORE,
CARY L. CLARKE,

(Seal) (Seal

PREFACE.

THE necessity of a work explanatory of the principles and constitutions of ancient Masonry, has long been obvious to the brethren of the western country. Impressed with this opinion, and desirous of remedying the deficiency, the Grand Lodge of Kentucky appointed a committee to prepare and arrange a treatise upon that subject; in pursuance of which appointment, the following sheets have been compiled and arranged for their inspection in doing which, the compilers have endeavoured to combine utility with precision, instruction with amusement, and advantage with convenience; still having special regard to the ancient land marks. How far they have succeeded is left to the candour and good sense of the honest reader to determine: from their brethren, they ask for that indulgence for imperfections which the want of extensive opportunities of research, and their attention to busy avocations, may demand; to those authors from whom they have largely extracted, they are bound to acknowledge the amount of their obligations; from the older and more scientific Masons, they expect that candour and forbearance which are characteristic of the fraternity. Happy however in the sanction and the approbation of the Grand Lodge of Kentueky, if any brother shall be instructed or improved, if the craft in general shall be benefited, and the science of Masonry be exhibited in a more correct point of view, then will the reward indeed be ample,

Of the Society's sincere friends,

THE COMPILERS.

1

INTRODUCTION.

THE Almighty Architect and Grand Master of the Universe having created all things very good, and according to Geometry, last of all formed man after his own image, engraving on his heart the said noble science; which Adam soon discovered by surveying his earthly paradise, and the fabrication of the arbour, or sylvan lodgment that God had prepared for him, a well proportioned and convenient place of shelter from heat, and of retirement, rest and repast after his wholesome labour in cultivating his garden of delights, and the first temple or place of worship, agreeably to his original perfect and innocent state.

It is very immaterial whether we should antiquate our mystery or make it coeval with mankind, by insisting that the first man, Adam, had some knowledge of geometry; yet it is a very probable assertion that Adam's time must have been employed in those preservative inventions that were coincident with his existence, and that he contrived for his dear associate, the fair and delicate Eve, some covering, with curtains of safety around her mossy sofa, from the inclemencies of the weather, as well as from the danger of being devoured by the wild beasts, with which they were surrounded; from hence we may derive those innate affections, the peculiar regard and special attachment that Masons, independent of nature and improved politeness, have ever preserved for the fair sex.

The traditional account upon this subject is, that Adam after having been driven from paradise on account of his disobedience to the commands of his Creator, together with his sons, held frequent conventions or Lodges for the purpose of devising and inventing such improvements in Architecture and Geometry as would be conducive to their future happiness and convenience in the world.

The information of Moses, the Grand Master of Israel, may certainly be relied on, who informs us that Jabel, the son of Lamach, was the father of such as dwelt in tents, and of such as have cattle; his brother's name was Jubal, he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ,

That Tubal-Cain, so called by the Hebrews, and eighth man from Adam, had so improved himself in geometry that he became the first inventer as well as instructer of curious smith-work. The most learned expositions agree, that the Egyptians and Grecians called him by the name of Hephaistos, and held him to be the first, inventer of Metallic operations by fire-the Romans ascribed to him the same art, by the name of Vulcan.

The sons and grand sons of Adam, were successors of each other in the direction of the Grand works of Architecture and Geometry, till godly Enoch, who was a prophet, foretold the destruction of the earth for sin, first by water, and afterwards dy fire; wherefore Enoch erected two large pillars, the one of stone, the other of brick, whereon he engraved the abridgment of the arts and sciences, particularly Geometry and Masonry. Josephus confirms this account of the pillars having been erected and the discoveries particularly in astronomy having been engraved thereon, and also that the stone pillar was standing in his time. Lib. 1. chap. 2.

At last when the world's destruction drew nigh, God commanded Noah to build the great Ark or floating Castle, and his three sons assisted as deputy and two wardens; that edifice though of wood only, was fabricated by Geometry, a curious and large piece of Architecture, and finished when Noah entered into his six hundredth year-on board of which he and his three sons and their four wives passed, and having received their cargo of animals by God's direction, they were saved in the Ark. Thus from these four grand officers the whole race of mankind are descended.

After the flood, Noah and his three sons having preserved the knowledge of the arts and sciences, communicated them to their growing offspring, who were all of one language or speech; and it came to pass as they journeyed from the east towards the west, they found a plain in the land of Shinai and dwelt there as Noacides or sons of Noah.

One hundred and one years after the flood, the descendants of Noah becoming numerous, he partitioned the earth amongst them and ordered them to disperse and take possession; but fearing the ill consequences of their separation they were unwilling to disperse, but resolved if they must do so to transmit their memoral illustrious to all future generations: they accordingly em

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