{"product_id":"the-regius-poem-bilingual-edition-in-modern-and-middle-english","title":"The Regius Poem - Bilingual Edition in Modern and Middle English","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Harry G. de Vries\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong fr-original-style=\"\"\u003eThe Regius Poem, or Halliwell Manuscript (c. 1425), is the oldest known Masonic text: a medieval account of the origins, duties and moral conduct of the craft of stonemasonry. Its importance to Freemasonry is that it forms the earliest surviving written link between the working stonemason's craft and the ethical, fraternal and symbolic ideals of the Craft today.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003eThe Regius Poem, also known as the Halliwell Manuscript, is a lengthy work composed in rhyming couplets and is generally regarded as the earliest surviving example of \u003cem\u003eThe \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eOld Charges \u003c\/em\u003eof Masonry. It was identified in the British Museum by James O. Halliwell in 1838. Although the poem has sometimes been associated with the reign of King Athelstan, from 924 to 939, the surviving manuscript actually dates back to approximately the beginning of the fifteenth century. Whether it was derived from an earlier text originating in Athelstan’s time remains unknown. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003eThe manuscript sets out principles governing how Masons should conduct themselves towards one another and towards the civil authorities. It also explores the history, traditions and moral philosophy of the Craft. Anyone interested in the history of Freemasonry will find it valuable to compare the rules and ideals expressed in the poem with the regulations under which modern lodges are governed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003eFreemasons throughout the world are finally able to study a six-hundred-year-old manuscript of \u003cem\u003eThe Old Charges \u003c\/em\u003ethanks to an unprecedented translation in modern English that has preserved the original\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erhyme\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003e scheme\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"es-419\"\u003e. For these Brothers, it may provide new and meaningful insight into the history of the Craft from a medieval perspective, which is more about the actual do\u003c\/span\u003es and don'ts for ancient stonemasons than tod\u003cspan lang=\"es-419\"\u003eay'\u003c\/span\u003es Brotherhood and its symbolism. Nonetheless, it offers a lot of recognition when it comes to the origin of modern Masonic practices. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEver since James Halliwell (1820 1899) discovered \u003cem\u003eThe Regius Poem\u003c\/em\u003e in 1842, English-speaking Masons have had to make considerable effort to cope with its language, which dates back to approximately 1425. Until now, the manuscript could only be read in its original wording, in modern prose or in attempts that failed to qualify as poetry. This implies that, in actual practice, the earliest document of \u003cem\u003eThe Old Charges\u003c\/em\u003e has mostly been appreciated for its wisdom and strength - at the expense of its beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo reinstall this trinity, Brother Harry G. de Vries has translated the old text from rhymed Middle English to rhymed Modern English for the first time. It was his aim, he says, to facilitate his English-speaking brothers with a version in which the essential literary ingredient of rhyme would be revived in order to rekindle the poem's 600-years-old beauty. As a result, it helps bring today's Masons much closer to the impact the poem would have had on its medieval audiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the foreword, the Dutch author explains why being a native speaker of Dutch may have been a considerable help to understand and translate the language of The Regius Poem. You can check the results of his labour in this edition, in which each left-hand page has the original text and each right-hand page displays the modern translation. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrother Harry takes you back to a medieval lodge where a travelling word artist served masons the history of their craft as it was seen at the time - after the day's work had ended. At Lewis Masonic we are sure that this unique version in rhymed modern English will provide Freemasons with a new perspective on the beauty of their Craft. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong fr-original-style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong fr-original-style=\"\"\u003eLimited Edition of 500 only\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrinted on Artisanal Textured Italian Paper\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCloth Bound\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeautiful End Papers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e152 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e168 x 240\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e978-0-85318-655-7\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lewis Masonic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56386713092481,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0192\/1843\/2064\/files\/dsc00313_117c187ef5.jpg?v=1791590937","url":"https:\/\/ravenmasonicbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-regius-poem-bilingual-edition-in-modern-and-middle-english","provider":"Raven Masonic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}