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142
ANNUAL REGISTER

Answ. The Venetians, whoo beynge [[being]] grate merchaundes, comed ffyrste ffromme the Efte ynn Venetia, for the commodyte of marchaundysynge beithe este and weste, bey the Redde and Myddlelonde sees.

Quest. How comede ytt ynn Englonde?

Answ. Peter Gower a Grecian, journeydde for kunnynge yn Egypte, and yn Syria, and everyche Londe whereas the Venetians addeh plauntedde Maconrye, and wynnynge entraunce yn al lodges of Maconnes, he lerned muche, and retournedde, and woned yn Grecia Magna wachsynge, and becommynge a myghtye [[mighty]] wyseacre, and ratelyche renowned, and her he framed a grate lodge at Groton and maked manye Maconnes, some whereoffe dyd journeye yn Fraunce, and maked manye Maconnes, wherefrom, yn processe of tyme, the arte passed yn Engelonde.

Quest. Dothe Maconnes discouer here artes unto odhers?

Answ. Peter Gower whenne he jurneyedde to lernne, was ffyrste made, and anonnetechedde; evenne foe fhulde all odhers be yn recht. Nathelefs Maconnes hauethe alweys yn everyche tyme from tyme to tyme communycatedde to mankynde [[mankind]] soche of her secrettes as generallyche mighte be usefulle; they haueth keped backed soche allein as shulde be harmefulle yff they commed yn euylle haundes, oder soche as ne myghte be holpynge wythouten the techynges to be joynedde herwythe in the lodge, oder soche as do bynde the freres more stronglyche togeder, bey the proffytte and commodytye comynge to the aonfrerie herfromme.

Quest. What artes haueth the Maconnes techedde Mankynde?

Answ. The artes Agricultura, Architectura, Astronomia, Geometria, Numeres, Musica, Poesie, Kymistrye, Governmente, and Relygyonna.

Quest. How commethe Maconnes more techers than odher menne?

Answ. They hemselfe haueth allien the arte of fyndynge neue artes, whyche art the fiyrste Maconnes receaued from Godde; by the whyche they fyndethe whatte artes hem plesethe, and the treu way of techynge the same. What odher menne doethe ffynde out, ys onlyche bey chaunce, and herfore but lytel I tro.

Quest. What dothe the Maconnes concele, and hyde?

Answ. They concelethe the arte of ffyndynge neue artes, and thattys for here owne proffytte, and preise: they concelethe the arte of kepynge secrettes, that soe the worlde mayeth nothinge concele from them. Thay concelethe the arte of wunderwerckynge, and of fore saying thynges to comme, thatt so thay same artes may not be usedde of the wyckedde to an euylle ende; that also concelethe the arte of chaunges, the wey of wynnynge the facultye of Abrac, the skylle of becommynge gude and parfyghte withouten the holpynges of fere and hope; and the universelle longage of Maconnes.

Quest. Wylle he teache me thay same artes?

Answ. Ye shalle be techedde yff ye be werthye [[worthy]], and able to lerne [[learn]].

Quest. Dothe alle Maconnes kunne more then odher menne?

Answ. Notso. They only haueth recht, and occasyonne more then odher 

For the YEAR 1772.
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odher menne to kunne, butt many doeth fale yn capacity; and many more doth want industrye, thatt ys pernecessary for the gaynynge all kunnynge.

Quest. Are Maconnes gudder menne than odhers [[others]]?

Answ. Some Maconnes are not so vertuous as some odher menne; but yn in the moste parte, they be more gude then thay would be yf thay war not Maconnes.

Quest. Doth Maconnes love eidther oder myghtylye, as beeth sayde?

Answ. Yea verylyche, and yt may odherwyse be: for gude menne, and true, kennynge eidher odher to be soche, doeth always love the more as they may be more gude [[good]].

Here endeth the Questyonnes and Awnsweres.

Transcription Notes:
The characters s versus f are hard to make out. When looking closely, the f seems to have a line in front whereas the s looks like the f but without the line in front. I transcribed as best I could looking closely to capture s and f characters as accurately as possible. I can not make out the word before "herfromme" in the last sentence in the first column of this page. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-13 07:21:12