Provost's Oath
Henceforth, you will hold to these conditions of our Order, which have been made known to you here, in the presence of your fellow Provosts. You shall be a loyal subject to our Sovereigns, King ____ and Queen ___, Monarchs of Atlantia, and to their successors. You will serve them and theirs against all nations to the best of your ability. You shall be a true Provost, teaching others to uphold our traditions, to love truth and knowledge, and to hate falsehood and ignorance, as you and other Provosts do. You shall teach only those who have proven themselves worthy of the responsibility that comes with this knowledge; as such, you shall not teach any suspect person, as a murderer, a thief, a common drunkard, or those who be common quarrelers.
When called upon to render judgment on any prize, game, or bout, you shall promptly speak the truth of what you have witnessed as it appears to you, setting aside all bias. You shall lend your strength to any Provost or Free Scholar should they be wronged, and if you know of any Provost who has fallen victim to circumstance, you shall put them into remembrance at all prizes and games as you would have others do for you.
You shall not promote any Free Scholar without the accord of two Provosts besides yourself. You shall not arrange a Free Scholar prize without first consulting the Provosts and attaining their general good will on behalf of the candidate, but after which you will make your plans known to all.
You shall always be merciful to any who are true subjects of Atlantia, and should you have the upper hand over them, you shall not kill them should you be able to preserve yourself without further bloodshed. You shall keep this Provost’s Oath in all things declared unto you in the presence of your brethren of this Academie, on your sacred honor.
Ancient (original) Version
Imprimis, you shall uphold, maintain and keep to your power all such articles as shall be declared unto you here in the presence of these your fellow Provosts.
You shall be loyal subject to our Sovereigns, King __ and Queen __, and their successors, monarchs of this Realm of Atlantia, and not to know of any treason but that you utter it within four and twenty hours at the farthest, and sooner if you can, and to serve them and theirs against all nations to the uttermost of your power.
You shall be a true Provost from this day unto the last of your life, to love and serve the truth and hate falsehood, as other Provosts have done heretofore, according to the ancient orders of our science. You shall not teach any suspect person, as a murderer, a thief, a common drunkard, or such as be common quarrelers, but to avoid your hands of them and keep no company with them, so nigh as you can. You shall not teach any person, whatsoever he or they be, without you do assure yourself that they will uphold the ideals and tenets of this Academie.
That any prize or game where you shall be, either to sticle or stand by, you shall say the truth of that which you shall see when you be asked or called to speak. And when you shall be so asked or demanded, you shall give true judgement of that which you shall have seen, so nigh as you can, setting all affections apart, and rightly to judge without fraud or guile, even as you would be judged.
You shall aid and strengthen to your power (if you see them wronged) and help all Provosts and Free Scholars of this science, all widows and fatherless children, and if you know any Provost of this science that is fallen into sickness being in poverty, you shall put the Provost in rememberance at all prizes and games and other assemblies that they may see him to have duty, and have him in rememberance the sooner for your good word even as others shall do for you if the cause were a like.
You shall not allow or enable any Free Scholar license without the consent of two Provosts at the least beside your self. And you shall not compact with any person under coullier or deceit to keep school for you or in your name so that he or they shall have their profit thereof and you bear the name by which means other Provosts which stood in place for it have their livings taken from them but you shall farther, do your dilligence and good will to the apprehending and putting down of all such as do take upon them to teach without sufficient licences or law full authority to the great scandle and hinderance of our science.
You shall at no time set forward any manner of Provost or Free Scholar prize but that you first call the Provosts together requiring their goodwills in that behalf and with the consents of them having their goodwills to give lawfull warning as you shall be instructed by the assents, where it shall be played, and what day is appointed.
You shall always be merciful, and whereas it may happen that you have the upper hand of your enemy, that is to say, under your feet, or without weapon, or some other advantage, you shall not kill him, if he be a true subject of Atlantia, saving yourself without danger of death or bodily hurt according to your first oath which you received entering to learn this science.
You shall keep or cause to be kept, our orders, rules, and conventions in all prizes, as we have declared unto you.
You shall keep this Provost’s oath in all points now given and declared unto you in the presence of these, your brethren of this Academie, on your sacred honor.