wise be for gude menne and treu, kennynge eidher oder to be suche, doeth always love the more as thay be more gude.

Here endethe the questyonnes and answeres.

Notes and Observations on the foregoing Questions.

BY MR. LOCKE.

(1) JOHN LEYLANDE was appointed by Henry VIII. at the dissolution of monasteries, to search for and save such books and records as were valuable among them. He was a man of great labour and industry.

(2) HIS HIGHNESSE, meaning the said King Henry VIII. Our kings had not then the title of majesty.

(3) WHAT mote ytt be ?] That is, what may this mystery of Masonry be? The answer imports, that it consists in natural, mathematical, and mechanical knowledge. Some part of which (as appears by what follows) the Masons pretend to have taught the rest of mankind, and some part they still conceal.

(4) (5) FYRSTE men in the este, &c.] It should seem by this that Masons believe there were men in the east before Adam, who is called "the ffyrste manne of the weste;" and that arts and sciences began in the cast. Some authors of great note for learning have

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been of the same opinion; and it is certain that Europe and Africa (which, in respect to Asia, may be called western countries) were wild and savage, long after arts and politeness of manners were in great perfection in China and the Indies.

(6) THE Venetians, &c.] In the times of monkish ignorance, it is no wonder that the Phoenicians should be mistaken for the Venetians. Or, perhaps, if the people were not taken one for the other, similitude of sound might deceive the clerk who first took down the examination. The Phoenicians were the greatest voyagers among the ancients, and were in Europe thought to be the inventors of letters, which perhaps they brought from the east with other arts.

who

(7) PETER Gower.] This must be another mistake of the writer. I was puzzled at first to guess Peter Gower should be, the name being perfectly English; or how a Greek should come by such a name: but as soon as I thought of Pythagoras, I could scarce forbear smiling, to find that a philosopher had undergone a metempsychosis he never dreamt of. We need only consider the French pronunciation of his name, Pythagore, that is Petagore, to conceive how easily such a mistake might be made by an unlearned clerk. That Pythagoras travelled for knowledge into Egypt, &c. is known to all the learned; and that he was initiated into several different orders of priests, who, in those days, kept all their learning secret from the vulgar, is as well known. Pythagoras also made every geometrical theorem a secret, and admitted only such to the knowledge of them, as had first undergone

a five years silence. He is supposed to be the inventor of the 47th proposition of the first book of Euclid, for which, in the joy of his heart, it is said he sacrificed an hecatomb. He also knew the true system of the world, lately revived by Copernicus; and certainly was a most wonderful man. See his life by DION. HAL.

(8) GRECIA MAGNA, a part of Italy formerly so called, in which the Greeks had settled a large colony.

(9) WYSEACRE.] The word at present signifies simpleton, but formerly had a quite contrary meaning. Weisager, in the old Saxon, is philosopher, wiseman, or wizard, and having been frequently used ironically, at length came to have a direct meaning in the ironical sense. Thus, Duns Scotus, a man famed for the subtilty and acuteness of his understanding, has, by the same method of irony, given a general name to modern dunces.

(10) GROTON.] Groton is the name of a place in England. The place here meant is Crotona, a city of Grecia Magna, which, in the time of Pythagoras, was very populous.

(11) FYRSTE made.] The word MADE, I suppose, has a particular meaning among the Masons: perhaps it signifies initiated.

(12) MACONNES haueth communycatedde, &c.] This paragraph hath something remarkable in it. It contains a justification of the secrecy so much boasted

of by Masons, and so much blamed by others; asserting that they have in all ages discovered such things as might be useful, and that they conceal such only as would be hurtful either to the world or themselves.-What these secrets are, we see afterwards.

(13) THE artes, agricultura, &c.] It seems a bold pretence this of the Masons, that they have taught mankind all these arts. They have their own authority for it; and I know not how we shall disprove thern. But what appears most odd is, that they reckon religion among the arts.

(14) ARTE of ffynding neue artes.] The art of inventing arts, must certainly be a most useful art.— My Lord Bacon's Novum Organum is an attempt towards somewhat of the same kind. But I much doubt, that if ever the Masons had it, they have now lost it; since so few new arts have been lately invented, and so many are wanted. The idea I have of such an art is, that it must be something proper to be applied in all the sciences generally, as is algebra in numbers, by the help of which, new rules of arithmetic are, and may be found.

(15) PREISE.] It seems the Masons have great regard to the reputation as well as the profit of their order; since they make it one reason for not divulging an art in common, that it may do honour to the possessors of it. I think in this particular they shew too much regard for their own society, and too little for the rest of mankind.

(16) ARTE of keepyng secrettes.] What kind of an art this is, I can by no means imagine. But certainly such an art the Masons must have: for though, as some people suppose, they should have no secret at all, even that must be a secret which, being discovered, would expose them to the highest ridicule and therefore it requires the utmost caution to conceal it.

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(17) ARTE of chaunges.] I know not what this means, unless it be the transmutation of metals.

(18) FACULTYE of Abrac.] Here I am utterly in the dark.

(19) UNIVERSELLE longage of Maconnes.] An universal language has been much desired by the learned of many ages. It is a thing rather to be wished than hoped for. But it seems the Masons pretend to have such a thing among them. If it be true, I guess it must be something like the language of the Pantomimes among the ancient Romans, who are said to be able, by signs only, to express and deliver any oration intelligibly to men of all nations and languages. A man who has all these arts and advantages, is certainly in a condition to be envied: but we are told, that this is not the case with all Masons; for though these arts are among them, and all have a right and an opportunity to know them, yet some want capacity, and others industry to acquire them. However, of all their arts and secrets, that which I must desire to know is, "The skylle of becommynge gude and parfyghte;" and I wish it were communicated to all mankind, since there is nothing more true than the beautiful sentence con