A Foundational Document of Early Freemasonry
The Cooke Manuscript—dating from the late 15th century—is one of the oldest known Masonic texts in existence, second only to the Halliwell or Regius Manuscript. Written in prose and composed in Middle English, it represents a crucial stage in the transition from operative craft guilds to speculative Freemasonry.
This remarkable document presents a legendary history of geometry and Masonry, tracing its origins from Lamech and his sons, through Nimrod, Euclid, and King Solomon, all the way to Saint Alban and Prince Edwin in medieval England. It blends biblical narrative, classical lore, and medieval tradition to establish both a sacred and a social foundation for the Craft.
What distinguishes the Cooke Manuscript from its contemporaries is its didactic tone, its detailed account of the Seven Liberal Arts, and its early articulation of the idea that Freemasonry is both a moral science and a divinely inspired tradition. It also outlines a series of charges or regulations for Masons, many of which appear—refined and codified—in later Constitutions.
