Bro. Holmes's Lecture On The Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.

BRO . HOLMES'S LECTURE ON THE ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL .

By LUPUS . Before proceeding to reply to the last communication of Bro . Holmes , or to consider the wellknown document of which he is made the channel of this new publication , accompanied by so remarkable a translation , I would crave indulgence for a

few preliminary observations . The Order of St . John of Jerusalem wanever an Imperial , Royal , or Papal Institution , but was in its constitution chapteral , at once aristocratic , and republican ; a federation of separate langues , forming in the aggregate a

sovereign and independent power . Each langue retained its separate principles of self-government , of which no more prominent instance can be given than the election of Grand Master , which was effected by delegates who were chosen , three by each langue in its own chapel . The

Bailiwick of Brandenburg , on adopting the evangelical faith , separated itself from the main body of the Order in 1319 , but was afterwards fully recognised , as I have shown . The Order in England was , by Statute in 1540 , declared dissolved and void , and its possessions confiscated .

It was revived by Charter of the 2 nd April , 1 _< , - ] , and its property partly restored , but again to be absorbed by the Crown , with other general ecclesiastical possessions , under the Statute of 1 558 , though the latter enactment did not declare the re-suppression of the Order in England . The

three French Langues were suppressed , and their property confiscated by an Edict of the Directory , on the 19 th September , 1792 , but were , as was the English , still deemed existent at Malta , where the French Knights formed , as they ever had done , the great proportion of the Order ,

tliere being at the cession of the island 200 of their members out of the total of the 332 Knights then at the chef-lieu . The French Langues possessed and enjoyed much authority and consideration ; they had contributed , perhaps ( I speak from memory ) , forty of the sevei ^ v-one

Grand Masters who have ruled the Order , and Vertot , who is on all hands acknowledged as its chief historian , tells us the French always alleged "that the Order owed its foundation entirely to their ancestor ; that if , in the series of time , ther nations had been admitted into ; it , ; still it

was the French alone who hatl adopted them ; that the other Ianguagesought always to consider them as their first parents . " Thus four out of the eight divisions of the Order were in a dormant condition in the nations of their languages , though all recognised at the chef-lieu The

growing power ot Napoleon in the latter part of the last century , and the then unsettled scale of Europe , induced the Order to [ look outside its own limits for support , and , no doubt , viewing Russia as a great bulwark against the aggression of Napoleon , the Order induced the Emperor Paul

to accept the position of " Protector . " Malta fell in 1798 , the Knights became scattered , and , as Colonel Porter justly remarks , the Order was entirely disintegrated , and the whole of the langues were reduced to the same position as that of England , entirel y separate as a federation

but still retaining in some degree their organisation as separate entities . Those Knights who had sought refuge in Russia naturally looked to Paul , already the " Protector , " as their most probable aid in restoring the sovereignty of the Order , and thus , in extremis and grasping at a

straw , they proceeded to his election as Grand Master , of which we have heard ; an independent course of action to which they did not then , or thereafter , think it necessary to invite the Papal sanction ; indeed , the historian Sutherland says "the election was bitterl y reprobated by the

Pope ; and the elector of Bavaria , to get rid of the disputes in which it involved him , abolished the Order in his dominion . " Although this election was an utterly illegal proceeding , yet excuses may bc found in the divided condition of the Order at the time , by which any united action was

rendered impracticable ; indeed , the Knights themselves proclaimed that their action had been taken , "knowing the impossibility , in our present circumstances , the members of our Order being generally dispersed , of preserving all the forms and customs prescribed in our Constitution and Statutes . " Paul died in 1801 , and his son and

Bro. Holmes's Lecture On The Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.

successor Alexander immediately assumed the title of "Protector ; " but on the 22 nd of June , in the same year , he convened a Council of the Order of St . Petersburg , . which called itself the " Sovereign Council of the Order , " when a substitute was proposed for the

orig inal mode of election of a Grand Master , by which lists of names were to be submitted to the Pope , and from which he Avas to select a Grand Master ; but it was stipulated that this expedient should not form any precedent for a future election . His Holiness , the Pope made , I think

three nominations , but without success , as the nominees each declined , or would not enter upon the office ; at length , on the recommendation of the Emperor Alexander and the King of Naples , the Pope , on the 9 th of February , 1802 , named the Count Giovanni di Tommasi as Grand

Master of the Order . Colonel Porter says , " This nomination was , of course , in direct contravention of the Statutes , but was accepted by the few fragments of the dispersed fraternity who could be assembled together . Tommasi proclaimed his appointment to a conclave who had

met in the Priory Church of Alessina , on the 27 th of June , 1802 . Nothing of any importance in the interests ofthe Order was proposed at this meeting , nor indeed were they capable of much ameliora tion . Tommasi resided until ; his death at Catania , and when that event took p lace , in June , 1805 , thc

Pope , who declined any longer to take upon himself the responsibility of naming a Grand Master in violation of the Statutes , contented himself with selecting the Bailiff Guevara Stiardo as lieutenant , and from that day till now he has continued these appointments . "

These lieutenants , some of whose names were enumerated in the imperfect list quoted by Bro . Holmes , have presided over the body known as the Sacred Council , which continued located at Catania until 1827 , when it was removed to Ferrara , and from thence to Rome , in 1834 ,

where it still remains . In 1 S 14 the French Knights , encouraged by the humiliation of their enemy , Napoleon , assembled themselves at Paris , under the presidency of the Prince Camille de Rohan , Grand Prior of Actiuitaine , and elected a permanent

Commission determining to do their utmost to restore the position of the Order at large . This movement met with approval ; the Pope confirmed it by Bull of the toth August , 1814 , and the Sacred Council recognised it by an instrument , dated the 9 th Octoberjfollowing , addressed

to the chiefs of the French langues in their official capacity as such . This Commission exercised most important acts on behalf of the General Order during a series of years . It negociated , but unsuccessfully , with the King for the restoration of the estates of the Order .

It treated in 1814 with the Congress of Vienna for a new chef-lieu in the Mediterranean . It represented the whole Order , in 1816 , in an appeal to the French King and Chambers ; again in 1832 at the Congress of Verona , and if it did not accomplish all its aims , it certainly was not , as

the Sacred Council admitted , the fault of the workmen . It appears to have been for so long a period , and on such important occasions , the only active representation of the Order , that there seems no doubt it was invested with full and entire powers and authority . If this was not so , the Sacred Council would itself have been to the

front , as representing the Orderin which they claim so high a place , and would not have sat by , whilst a subordinate body , with limited authority , was carrying on one long struggle to enter into treaties for the benefit of the Order for which it was professing to act . ( To /• < ¦ Continued . )

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INSTALLATION * 01 ' LORD SKELMEKSDALI :. — At a Provincial Grand Lodge , held on Thursday , at the Town Hall , Liverpool ( the use of which was kindly given by Bro . Samuelson , Mayor , P . Prov . J . G . D ., Cheshire ) , the Right Hon . Lord Skelmersdale was installed with the usual impressive ceremonial as Right Worshipful

Provincial Grand Master of the Province of the Western Division of the County of Lancaster . The ceremony was performed by Bro . Starkie , R . W . P . G . M . for the Eastern Division of Lancashire , who had been nominated by the M . W . G . M ., the Marquess of Ripon , to do the work , His Worship the Mayor entertained Bro .

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Lord Skelmersdale , and Prov . G . Officers to breakfast at the Town Hall , after which the Craft and Provincial Grand Lodges were opened , and the important business proceeded with , and

a large number ofthe brethren banquetted at the Adelphi Hotel in the evening . Owing to the ceremony being performed towards the end of the week , a full report of the interesting meeting is reserved till our next

THE MASONIC BALL IN LIVERPOOL . —Thanks to the zeal and excellent generalship ot Bro . Dr . J . K . Smith , Hon . Sec , P . M ., 249 , who received able help from an active Committee , no less a sum than £ 150 9 s . 6 d . has been handed over to the Treasurer of the West Lancashire Masonic

Educational Institution , as the monetary result ofthe brilliant Masonic Ball , recentl y held at tho Town Hall , Liverpool . With the exception of what is known as the " loyal visitors' year , " when the suite of rooms both at the Town Hall , and adjoining Exchange News Room , had to be

used , this is the largest sum which has been handed over to the funds of this noble institution , and therefore , great credit is due to all concerned , Chairman . Hon . Sec ., Hon . Treasurer , and Committee , for the manner in which they worked , and the unusual success which has crowned their efforts . At a recent closing meetins- of the

General Committee of the Ball , hearty thanks were passed to Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Skelmersdale , R . W . P . G . M . for West Lancashire , and Lady Skelmersdale , for their presence on the occasion ; and an equally cordial vote of thanks were passed to his Worship , the Mayor of Liverpool , Bro . E . Samuelson , for receiving and entertaining the noble visitors .

Metropolitan Masonic Meetings.

METROPOLITAN MASONIC MEETINGS .

Fur the Week ending Friday , March 7 , 1873 . The Editor will be glad to have notice from Secretaries ot Lodges and Chapters of any change in place or time of meeting .

Saturday , Marc ' i 1 . General Committee Hoys' School , Freemasons'llall , at 4 . Lodge 142 , St . Thomas , Caledonian Hotel , Adelphi . Chap . 1 ) 75 , Koseot Denmark , Star and Garter , Kew Bridge . Star Lodge of j Instruction ( 1275 ) , Marquis of Granby ,

New Cross-road , at ;; Bro . C . G ., Dilley , Preceptor . Mount Sinai Chapter of Instruction , Union Tavern , Airstreet , at 8 ; Comp . Brett , Preceptor . Manchester Lodge of Instruction , Yorkshire Grey , Londonstreet , Fit / . roy-s-juare , at 8 ; Bro . Ash , P . M .,

Precep-. Sphinx Lodge of Instruction ( 1329 ) , Castle Tavern , Camhcrwell-road , at 7 ; Bros . John Thomas ami E . Worthington , Preceptors . Lily Lodge of Instruction ( 820 ) , Greyhound Hotel , Richmond , Surrey , at 7 .

Monday , March 3 . Lodge 12 , Fortitude and Old Cumberland , Ship and Turtle Leadenhall-street . ,, 25 , Robert Burns , Freemasons' Hall . „ 72 , Royal Jubilee , Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-st . „ S 3 , United Lodge of Prudence , Albion Tavern Aldersgate-st .

„ 144 , St . Luke ' s , Masons' Hall , Basinghall-street . „ 188 , Joppa , Albion Tavern , Aldersgate-street . „ 25 6 , Unions , Freemasons' 1 lall . ,, 1319 , Asaph , Fieemasons' Hall . Chap . 1 74 , Sincerity , Cheshire Cheese , Crutched Friars . „ 105 G , Victoria , Masons' Hall , Basinghall-st . Red Cross Conclave , Premier , Freemasosn' Tavern .

Strong Man Lodge of Instruction ( 45 ) , Old Jerusalem Tavern , St . John ' s-gatc , Clerkenwell , at 8 ; Bro . Beckett , Preceptor . Sincerity Lodge of Instruction ( 174 ) , Railway Tavern , Fenchurch-street Station , at 7 . Camden Lotlge of Instruction ( 704 ) , Adelaide Tavern ,

Haverstock-hill , at 8 ; Bro . T . A . Adams , Preceptor . Eastern Star Lodge of Instruction ( 95 ) , Royal Hotel , Mileend-road , at 7 . 30 j Bro . E . Gottheil , Preceptor . British Oak Lodge of Instruction , Bank of Friendship 'tavern , Mile-end , at 7 for 8 . St . James ' s Union Lodge of Instruction ( 180 ) , Horse and Groom Tavern , Winsley-street ( opposite the Pantheon ) ,

Oxfortl-street , at 8 ; Bro . J . R . Stacey , Preceptor . Wellington Lotlge of Instruction , White Swan Tavern , Deptford , at 8 ; Bro . C . G . Dilley , P . M . 1155 , Preceptor . St . John of Wapping Lotlge of Instruction ( 1306 ) , Gun Tavern , High-street , Wapping , at 8 ; Bro . T . Mortlock ,

Pieceptor . West Kent Lodgeof Improvement ( 1297 ) , St . Saviour ' s College , Stausted-road , Forest-hill , at 7 . 30 ; Bro . Ii . W . Lindus , Pieceptor . High Cross Lotlge of Instruction , White Ilait Tavern . T . ; ttuiham .

Tuesday , March 4 . Colonial Board , at 3 . Lodge 7 , Royal York of Perseverance , Fieemasons' llall . „ 9 , Albion , Freemasons' 1 lall . „ 18 , Old Dundee , London Tavern , Bishopsgate-st . „ ioi | Temple , Ship ami Turtle , LcailenlialUstrect . _ J