The Matthew Cooke Manuscript (c. 1450)

Embark on an enlightening journey back in time with this engaging video that leads you through the fascinating corridors of medieval wisdom and principles. This immersive exploration plunges you into the historical panorama of the Matthew Cooke Manuscript—a revered document penned around 1450, providing a profound examination of societal norms and moral standards from a time long past.Show more

The Matthew Cooke Manuscript, scribed roughly around 1450, is an important Middle English text, acknowledged as the second-oldest known Masonic document. While its origins continue to be a subject of intrigue, this invaluable document delivers an intriguing glimpse into the moral teachings, chivalric tenets, and societal codes prevalent during the Middle Ages.

This video blends modern technology & historical texts thanks to a collaboration between the language model ChatGPT-4, voicechanger.io, VoiceGenerator.io, and the timeless allure of "Greensleeves"; I wouldn't have been able to make this without all of them. It's a testament to the potential of technology in making ancient wisdom more accessible and engaging for everyone.

ORIGINAL TEXT:
The Matthew Cooke Manuscript
One of the oldest known Masonic Documents
Written about 1450

Thanked be God, our glorious Father, the founder and
creator of heaven and earth, and of all things that therein
are, for that he has vouchsafed, of his glorious Godhead,
to make so many things of manifold virtue for the use of
mankind. For he made all things to be subject and
obedient to man. All things eatable of a wholesome
nature he ordained for man's sustenance. And moreover,
he hath given to man wit and the knowledge of divers
things and handicrafts, by the which we may labour in
this world, in order to therewith get our livelihood and
fashion many objects, pleasant in the sight of God, to our
own ease and profit. To rehearse all these matters here
were too long in the writing or telling, I will therefore
refrain; but I will nevertheless, tell you some ; for
instance, how and in what manner the Science of
Geometry was first invented, and who were the
founders both thereof and of several other crafts, as is
declared in the Bible, and other histories.
How, and in what manner this worthy Science of
Geometry took its rise, I will tell you, as I said before.
You must know that there are seven liberal sciences,
from which seven all other sciences and crafts in the
world sprung; but especially is Geometry the first cause
of all the other sciences, whatsoevor they be.
These seven sciences are as follows:
The first, which is called the foundation of all science, is
grammar, which teacheth to write and speak correctly.
The second is rhetoric, which teaches us to speak
elegantly.
The third is dialectic, which teaches us to discern the
true from the false, and it is usually called art or
sophistry (logic).
The fourth is arithmetic, which instructs us in the science
of numbers, to reckon, and to make accounts.
The fifth is Geometry, which teaches us all about
mensuration, measures and weights, of all kinds of
handicrafts.
The sixth is music, and that teaches the art of singing by
notation for the voice, on the organ, trumpet, and harp,
and of all things pertaining thereto.
The seventh is astronomy, which teaches us the course of
the sun and of the moon and of the other stars and
planets of heaven.
Our intent is to treat chiefly of the first foundation of
Geometry and who were the founders thereof. As I said
before, there are seven liberal sciences, that is to say,
seven sciences or crafts that are free in themselves, the
which seven exist only through Geometry. And
Geometry may be described as earth-mensuration, for
Geometry is derived from geo, which is in Greek "earth,"
and metrona or a measure. Thus is the word Geometry
compounded and signifies the measure of the earth.
Marvel not because I said that all sciences exist only
through the science of Geometry. For there is no art or
handicraft wrought by man's hands that is not wrought
by Geometry which is a chief factor (notabulle cause)
thereof. For if a man work with his hands he employs
some sort of tool, and there is no instrument of any
material in this world which is not formed of some sort
of earth (ore) and to earth it will return. And there is no
instrument or tool to work with that has not some
proportion, more or less. And proportion is measure,
and the instrument or tool is earth. And Geometry is
earth-mensuration therefore I affirm that all men live by
Geometry. For all men here to this world live by the
labour of their hands.
Many more proofs could I give you that Geometry is the
science by which all reasoning men live, but I refrain at
this time because the writing of it were a long process.
And now I will enter further into the matter You must
know that among all the crafts followed by man in this
world, Masonry has the greatest renown end the largest
share of this science of Geometry, as is stated in history,
such as the Bible, and the Master of History," and in the
Policronicon a well authenticated (or trustworthy)
chronicle, and in the history called Beda De Imagine
Mundi, and Isodorus Ethomolegiarum Methodius
Episcopus & Martiris. And many others say that
Masonry is the chief part of Geometry and so methinks it
may well be said, for it was the first founded, as is stated
in the Bible, in the first book of Genesis and the fourth
chapter. And moreover all the learned authors above
cited agree thereto. And some of them affirm it more
openly and plainly, precisely as in Genesis in the Bible.
Before Noah's Flood by direct male descent from Adam
in the seventh generation, there lived a man called
Lamech who had two wives, called Adah and Zillah. By
the first wife, Adah, he begat two sons, Jabal and Jubal.
The elder son Jabal was the first man that ever
discovered geometry and masonry, and he made houses,
and is called in the Bible the father of all men who dwell
in tents or dwelling houses. And he was Cain's master
mason and governor of the works when he built the city
of Enoch, which was the first city ever made and was
built by Cain, Adam's son, who gave it to his own son
Enoch, and give the city the name of his son and called it
Enoch, and now it is known as Ephraim. And at that
place was the Science of Geometry and Masonry first
prosecuted and contrived as a science and as a
handicraft. And so we may well say that it is the first
cause and foundation of all crafts and sciences. And also
this man Jabel was called the father of shepherds. The
Master of History says, and Beda De Imagine Mundi and
the Policronicon and many others more say, that he was
the first that made partition of lands, in order that every
man might know his own land and labour thereon for
himself. And also he divided flocks of sheep, that every
man might know his own sheep, and so we may say that
he was the inventor of that science.
And his brother Jubal or Tubal was the inventor of
music and song, as Pythagoras states in Polycronicon,
and the same says Isodorous. In his Ethemolegiis in the
6th book he says that he was the first founder of music
and song, and of the organ and trumpet; and he
discovered that science by the sound of the weights of
his brother's, Tubal-Cain's, hammers.
And of a truth, as the Bible says, that is to say, in the
fourth Chapter of Genesis, Lamech begat by his other
wife Zillah a son and a daughter, and their names Tubal
Cain, that was the son, and the daughter was called
Naamah. And according to the Policronicon, some men
say that she was Noah's wife; but whether this be so or
not, we will not affirm.
Ye must know that this son Tubal Cain was the founder
of the smith's craft and of other handicrafts dealing with
metals, such as iron, brass, gold and silver as some
learned writers say; and his sister Naamah discovered
the craft of weaving for before her time no cloth was
woven, but they span yarn and knit it and made such
clothing as they could. And as this woman Naamah
invented the craft of weaving it was called woman'scraft.
And these four brethren knew that God would take
vengeance for sin, either by fire or water. And they were
much concerned how to save the sciences they had
discovered, and they took counsel together and
exercised all their wits. And they said there were two
kinds of stone of such virtue that the one would not
burn, called marble, and the other named "Lacerus"
would not sink in water. And so they devised to write all
the sciences they had found on these two stones, so that
if God took vengeance by fire the marble would not
burn, and if by water the other would not drown, and
they besought their elder brother Jabal to make two
pillars of these two stones, that is of marble and of
"Lacerus," and to write on the two pillars all the sciences
and crafts which they had found and he did so. And
therefore we may say that he was the wisest in science,
for he first began and carried out their purpose before
Noah's flood,
Fortunately knowing of the vengeance that God would
send, the brethren knew not whether it would be by fire
or water. They knew by a sort of prophecy that God
would send one or the other, and therefore they wrote
their sciences on the two pillars of stone. And some men
say that they wrote on the stones all the seven sciences,
but [this I affirm not]. As they had it in mind that a
vengeance would come, so it befell that God did send
vengeance, and there came such a flood that all the
world was drowned and all men died save only eight
persons. These were Noah and his wife and his three
sons and their wives, of which sons all the world is
descended, and they were named in this wise, Shem,
Ham and Japhet. And this flood is called Noah's Flood,
for he and his children were saved therein. And many
years after the flood, according to the chronicle, these
two pillars were found, and the chronicle says that a
great clerk, Pythagoras, found the one, and Hermes the
philosopher found the other, and they taught the
sciences that they found written thereon.
Every chronicle and history and many other writers and
the Bible especially relate the building or the tower of
Babel; and it is written in the Bible, Genesis, Chap. x how
that Ham, Noah's son, begat Nimrod, who grew a
mighty man upon the earth and waxed strong, like unto
a giant. He was a great king and the beginning of his
kingdom was the kingdom of Babilon proper, and Erech
and Arend and Calnch and the land of Shinar. And this
same Ham began the tower of Babel and taught his
workmen the Craft of Masonry and he had with him
many masons, more than 40,000, and he loved and
cherished them well. And it is written in Polycronicon,
and in the Master of History, and in other histories, and
beyond this the Bible witnesses in the same 10th chapter,
as it is written, that Ashur who was of near kindred to
Nimrod went forth from the land of Shinar and built the
City of Nineveh and Plateas (sic) and many more. For it
is written "Do terra illa" [&c.]
It is but reasonable that we should plainly say how and
in what manner the Charges of the Mason's Craft were
first founded, and who first gave it the name of Masonry
And you must know that it is stated and written in the
Polycronicon and in Methothus Episcopus and Martiris
that Ashur who was a worthy lord of Shinar, sent to
Nimrod the king to send him Masons and workmen of
the Craft that they might help him make his city which
he was minded to make. And Nimrod sent him 3000
masons. And as they were about to depart and go forth,
he called them before him and said to them, "Ye must go
to my cousin Ashur to help him build a city, but see to it,
that ye be well governed, and I will give you a Charge
that shall be to your and my profit.
"When you come to that lord, look that you be true to
him, even as you would be to me, labour at your Craft
honestly, and take a reasonable payment for it such as
you may deserve. Love each other as though you were
brothers and hold together staunchly. Let him that hath
most skill teach his fellow, and be careful that your
conduct amongst yourselves and towards your lord may
be to my credit, that I may have thanks for sending you
and teaching you the Craft." And they received the
charge from him, being their lord and master, and went
forth to Ashur and built the city of Nineveh in the
country of Plateas (sic) and other cities also that are
called Calah and Rosen, which is a great city between
Calah and Nineveh. And in this manner the Craft of
Masonry was first instituted and charged as a science.
Elders of Masons before our times had these charges in
writing as we have them now in our Charges of the story
of Euclid, and as we have seen them written both in
Latin and in French.
But it is only reasonable that we should tell you how
Euclid came to the knowledge of Geometry, as stated in
the Bible and in other histories. In the XlIth chapter of
Genesis it is told how Abraham came to the land of
Canaan and our Lord appeared unto him and said, "I
will give this land to thy seed." But a great famine
reigned in that land and Abraham took Sarah, his wife,
with him and made a journey into Egypt to abide there
whilst the famine lasted. And Abraham, so says the
chronicle, was as a wise man and a learned. And he
knew all the seven sciences and taught the Egyptians the
science of Geometry. And this worthy clerk Euclid was
his pupil and learned of him. And he first gave it the
name of Geometry; although it was practised before his
time, it had not acquired the name of Geometry. But it is
said by Isodoras in the 5th Book and first Chapter of
Ethomolegiarum that Euclid was one of the first
founders of Geometry and gave it that name.
For in his time, the river of Egypt which is called the
Nile so overflowed the land that no man could dwell
therein. Then the worthy clerk Euclid taught them to
make great walls and ditches to keep back the water,
and by Geometry he measured the land and parcelled it
out into sections and caused every man to enclose his
own portion with walls and ditches and thus it became a
country abounding in all kinds of produce, and of young
people and of men and women: so that the youthful
population increased so much as to render earning a
livelihood difficult. And the lords of the country drew
together and took counsel how they might help their
children who had no competent livelihood in order to
provide for themselves and their children, for they had
so many. And at the council amongst them was this
worthy Clerk Euclid and when he saw that all of them
could devise no remedy in the matter be said to them
"Lay your orders upon your sons and I will teach them a
science by which they may live as gentlemen, under the
condition that they shall be sworn to me to uphold the
regulations that I shall lay upon them." And both they
and the king of the country and all the lords agreed
thereto with one consent.
It is but reasonable that every man should agree to that
which tended to profit himself; and so they took their
sons to Euclid to be ruled by him and he taught them the
Craft of Masonry and gave it the name of Geometry on
account of the parcelling out of the ground which he had
taught the people at the time of making the walls and
ditches, as aforesaid, to keep out the water. And Isodoris
says in Ethomologies that Euclid called the craft
Geometry.
And there this worthy clerk Euclid gave it a name and
taught it to the lord's sons of that land whom he had as
pupils.
And he gave them a charge. That they should call each
other Fellow and no otherwise, they being all of one craft
and of the same gentle birth, lords' sons. And also that
the most skilful should be governor of the work and
should be called master; and other charges besides,
which are written in the Book of Charges. And so they
worked for the lords of the land and built cities and
towns, castles and temples and lords' palaces.
During the time that the childen of Israel dwelt in Egypt
they learned the craft of Masonry. And after they were
driven out of Egypt they came into the promised land,
which is now called Jerusalem, and they occupied that
land and the charges were observed there. And [at] the
making of Solomon's Temple which king David began,
King David loved masons well, and gave them [wages]
nearly as they are now. And at the making of the Temple
in Solomon's time, as stated in the Bible in the third book
of Kings and the fifth chapter, Solomon held four score
thousand masons at work. And the son of the king of
Tyre was his master mason. And in other chronicles and
in old books of masonry, it is said that Solomon
confirmed the charges that David his father had given to
masons. And Solomon himself taught them their usages
differing but slightly from the customs now in use.
And from thence this worthy science was brought into
France and into many other regions.
At one time there was a worthy king in France called
Carolus Secondus, that is to say Charles the Second. And
this Charles was elected king of France by the grace of
God and also by right of descent. And some men say he
was elected by good fortune, which is false as by the
chronicles he was of the blood royal. And this same king
Charles was a mason before he became king. And after
he was king he loved masons and cherished them and
gave them charges and usages of his devising, of which
some are yet in force in France; and he ordained that
they should have an assembly once a year and come and
speak together in order that the masters and follows
might regulate all things amiss.
And soon after that came St. Adhabelle into England and
he converted St. Alban to Christianity. And St. Alban
loved well masons and he was the first to give them
charges and customs in England, And he ordained
[wages] adequate to pay for their toil.
And after that there was a worthy king in England,
called Athelstan, and his youngest son loved well the
science of Geometry; and he knew well, as well as the
masons themselves, that their handicraft was the
practice of the science of Geometry. Therefore he drew to
their councils (or took counsel, or lessons, of them) and
learned the practical part of that science in addition to
his theoretical (or book) knowledge. For of the
speculative part he was a master. And he loved well
masonry and masons. And he became a mason himself.
And he give them charges and usages such as are now
customary in England and in other countries. And he
ordained that they should have reasonable pay. And he
purchased a free patent of the king that they might hold
an assembly at what time they thought reasonable and
come together to consult. Of the which charges, usages
and assembly it is written and taught in our Book of
Charges; wherefore I leave it for the present.
Good men! for this cause and in this way Masonry first
arose. It befell, once upon a time, that great lords had so
many free begotten children that their possessions were
not extensive enough to provide for their future.
Therefore they took counsel how to provide for their
children and find them all honest livelihood. And they
sent for wise masters of the worthy science of Geometry,
that through their wisdom they might provide them
with some honest living. Then one of them that was
called Euclid a most subtil and wise inventor regulated
[that science] and art and called it Masonry. And so in
this art of his he honestly taught the children of great
lords according to the desire of the fathers and the free
consent of their children. And having taught them with
great care for a certain time they were not all alike
capable of exercising the said art, wherefore the said
master Euclid ordained that those that surpassed the
others in skill should be honoured above the others. And
[comman]ded to call the more skilful "master" and for
[him] to instruct the less skilful. The which masters were
called masters of nobility, of knowledge and skill in that
art. Nevertheless they commanded that they that were of
less knowledge should not be called servants or subjects,
but fellows, on account of the nobility of their gentle
blood. In this manner was the aforesaid art begun in the
land of Egypt by the aforesaid master Euclid and so it
spread from country to country and from kingdom to
kingdom
Many years after, in the time of king Athelstan,
sometime king of England, by common assent of his
Council and other great lords of the land on account of
great defects found amongst masons, a certain rule was
ordained for them.
Once a year or every three years as might appear
needful to the king and great lords of the land and all the
comunity, congregations should be called by the masters
from country to country and from province to province
of all masters, masons and fellows in the said art. And at
such congregations those that are made masters shall be
examined in the articles hereafter written and be
ransacked whether they be able and skilful in order to
serve the lords to their profit and to the honour of the
aforesaid art. And moreover they shall be charged to
well and truly expend the goods of their lords, as well of
the lowest as of the highest; for those are their lords for
the time being of whom they take their pay in
recompense of their service and toil.
The first article is this. That every master of this art
should be wise, and true to the lord who employs him,
expending his goods carefully as he would his own were
expended; and not give more pay to any mason than he
knows him to have earned, according to the dearth (or
scarcity and therefore price) of corn and victuals in the
country and this without favouritism, for every man is to
be rewarded according to his work.
The Second article is this. That every master of the art
shall be warned beforehand to come to his congregation
in order that he may duly come, there, unless he may
[be] excused for some cause or other. But if he be found
[i.e., accused of being] rebellious at such congregation, or
at fault in any way to his employer's harm or the
reproach of this art, he shall not be excused unless he be
in peril of death. And though he be in peril of death, yet
must, he give notice of his illness, to the master who is
the president of the gathering.
The [third] article is this. That no master take no
apprentice for a shorter term than seven years at least,
for the reason that such as have been bound a shorter
time can not adequately learn their art, nor be able to
truly serve their employer and earn the pay that a mason
should.
The fourth article is this. That no master shall for any
reward take as an apprentice a bondsman born, because
his lord to whom he is a bondsman might take him, as
he is entitled to, from his art and carry him away with
him from out the Lodge, or out of the place he is in. And
because his fellows peradventure might help him and
take his part, and thence manslaughter might arise;
therefore it is forbidden. And there is another reason;
because his art was begun by the freely begotten
children of great lords, as aforesaid.
The fifth article is this. That no master shall pay more to
his apprentice during the time of his apprenticeship,
whatever profit he may take thereby, than he well
knows him to have deserved of the lord that employs
him; and not even quite so much, in order that the lord
of the works where he is taught may have some profit by
his being taught there.
The sixth article is this. That no master from
covetousness or for gain shall accept an apprentice that
is unprofitable; that is, having any maim (or defect) by
reason of which he is incapable of doing a mason's
proper work.
The seventh article is this. That no master shall
knowingly help or cause to be maintained and sustained
any common nightwalker robber by which nightwalking
they may be rendered incapable of doing a fair day's
work and toil: a condition of things by which their
fellows might be made wrath.
The eighth article is this. Should it befall that a perfect
and skilful mason come and apply for work and find one
working who is incompetent and unskilful, the master of
the place shall discharge the incompetent and engage the
skilful one, to the advantage of the employer.
The ninth article is this. That no master shall supplant
another. For it is said in the art of masonry that no man
can so well complete a work to the advantage of the lord,
begun by another as he who began it intending to end it
in accordance with his own plans, or [he] to whom he
shows his plans.
These regulation following were made by the lords
(employers) and masters of divers provinces and divers
congregations of masonry.
[First point] To wit: whosoever desires to become a
mason, it behoves him before all things to [love] God
and the holy Church and all the Saints; and his master
and follows as his own brothers.
The second point. He must give a fair day's work for his
pay.
The third [point]. He shall hele the counsel or his fellows
in lodge and in chamber, and wherever masons meet.
The fourth point. He shall be no traitor to the art and do
it no harm nor conform to any enactments against the art
nor against the members thereof: but he shall maintain
it in all honour to the best of his ability.
The fifth point. When he receives his pay he shall take it
without murmuring, as may be arranged at the time by
the master; and he shall fulfil the agreement regarding
the hours of work and rest, as ordained and set by the
master.
The sixth point. In case of disagreement between him
and his fellows, he shall unquestioningly obey the
master and be silent thereon at the bidding of his master,
or of his master's warden in his master's absence, until
the next following holiday and shall then settle the
matter according to the verdict of his fellows; and not
upon a work-day because of the hindrance to the work
and to the lord's interests.
The seventh point. He shall not covet the wife nor the
daughter of his master or of his fellows unless it be in
marriage neither shall he hold concubines, on account of
the discord this might create amongst them.
The eighth point. Should it befall him to be his master's
warden, he shall be a true mediator between his master
and his fellows: and he shall be active in his master's
absence to the honour of his master and the profit of the
lord who employs him.
The ninth point. If he be more wise and skilful than his
fellow working with him in the Lodge or in any other
place, and he perceive that for want of skill, he is about
to spoil the stone upon which he is working and can
teach him to improve the stone, he shall instruct and
help him; so that love may increase the more amongst
them and the work of his employer be not lost.
When the master and fellows, being forewarned are
come to such congregations, the sheriff of the country or
the mayor of the city or alderman of the town in which
the congregation is held, shall if need be, be fellow and
associate of the master of the congregation, to help him
against disobedient members to maintain the rights of
the realm.
And at the commencement of the proceedings, new men
who have never been charged before are to be charged in
this manner. Ye shall never be thieves nor thieves'
maintainers, and shall do a fair day's work and toil for
your pay that you take of the lord, and shall render true
accounts to your fellows in all matters which should be
accounted for to them, and love them as yourselves. And
ye shall be true to the king of England and to the realm:
and that ye keep with all your might and [power] all the
aforesaid articles.
After that an enquiry shall be held whether any master
or fellow summoned to the meeting, have broken any of
the beforesaid articles, which, if they have done, it shall
be then and there adjudicated upon.
Therefore be it known; if any master or fellow being
forewarned to come to the congregation, be
contumacious and appear not; or having trespassed
against any of the aforesaid articles shall be convicted;
he shall forswear his masonry and shall no longer
exercise the craft. And if he presume so to do, the sheriff
of the country in which he may be found at work shall
put him in prison and take all his goods for the use of
the king, until his (the king's) grace be granted and
showed him.
For this cause chiefly were these congregations ordained; that the lowest as well as the highest might be well and
truly served in the aforesaid art throughout all the
kingdom of England.
Amen, so mote it be.