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The Freemason , SATURDAY , MARCH 22 , 187 , 3 .

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

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

JW Lui-us . Anti now , nftcr having indulged in a general view , let us inspect the interior ol' the scare-crow , which is so skilfully padded into shape , that its outer proportions , from the enchanting distance occupied b y Bro . Holmes , actually lend it a dummy-like semblance to an honest reality , and may thus enable it to cist figurative dust into the

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

mental vision of unwary beholders . Such is the cunning mode of this composition that whilst its general tone is intended to infer a declaration that the English Langue is an unauthorised body , yet not one single passage can be found which

impeaches its validity in a greater degree than that of the Russian , Austrian , Polish , or other branches of the Order , each of which are as completely and perfectly lawful as the Council at Rome .

These then are the allegations ofthe "protest " to which attention is called . 1 . That tlie signatories had diseorered that their names , and that of the Lieutenant of the Mastership , had been included in " lists" published by the English Langue , inferentiall y with the improper pretence that they were members of the same branch of the Order .

2 . That the Roman Council had never been iu any " organic" connection with the " honourable society , " at its ori g in , or any later period , and had nothing to do with its re-organisation , personal composition , or action .

, 3 . That the onl y Grand Priories in communion of jurisdiction and obedience with the Grand Mastership and Council , are Rome , Lombardo-Venetia , including Parma and Modena , and Bohemia . 4 . That the existence ol the Grand Bailiwick of Brandenburg is recognised as perfectly legal .

' 5 . That beyond the Priories enumerated , and certain Kni ghts of J ustice and Devotion , who do not belong by birth to any of such Priories , all those who may call themselves Knights of St . John "are legally ignored b y our Sacred Order . "

6 The signataries demand that the names of the Lieutenant of the Mastership , and their own , be erased from the lists referred to in No . 1 . I hope I have fairly set forth these points , and I proceed to a few comments for the consideration of your leaders .

j . The cunning composition of the Iirst portion would lead to an inference that the English Langue , although described as " an honourable society , " had been long publishing in " lists" the names of the Lieutenant of the Mastership , and MM . de Spada and de Gozze , with a view

improperly to put forward such names as connected with the English Langue ; this however , distinctly , is not the fact . The English Secretary , confident in the completion of the alliance , to whicli both parties hatl agreed in writing as previously detailed , caused an additional sheet to

be printed , ready for insertion in the pamphlet , referred to in tlie " protest" as the " synoptical sketch . " This sheet was not published , nor intended to be so , until the alliance was signed and sealed . Jt was , no doubt , and as the result proves , a premature proceeding ; but one to which

no blame or suspicion of dishonour can attach , nor can it be saitl , with truth , that any wrong , however slight was done . The cost of printing was wasted , and beyond this 110 body suffered . In the ingeniously worded protest it is made to appear , inferentially , that the names of the

Lieutenant of the Mastership , and the two signataries had been included in lists of members and widely circulated . Whilst , in " act , the olVending sheet , of which a print Ii . s before me , bears the names of the three dignitaries at the to ]) , separated and distinct from the title of the langue of

England , which then follows below , with an enumeration of its ollieers : Indeed the fact that the sheet had been printed was made known by a member , or members , ofthe langue , with a re-till oi whicli the secret details are in existence

it was , as 1 have said , never distributed , or published , and immediately on the breach of the negotiations , and before the date of the " protest , " was destroyed , with the exception of twelve copies which had passed into the hands of members of the Council .

Jl any intention hatl ever existed on the part of the English Langue to put forward the names of members of the Roman Council with any such unworthy intent as that which it is endeavoured dishonourabl y to imply , plenty of time

and opportunity had occurred during the nearl y thirty years which had then elapsetl of the active existence of the revived langue . Aud so this small circumstance , this too sanguine reliance on good faith , was greedily and joyfully seized by the coneoetors of the " protest , "

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

in the hope of stigmatising in high quarters the " heretical " langue , they hypocritically called " an honourable society , " with the brand of false pretence . It was made known that thc sheet had been printed , it was not a surreptitious act suddenly discovered , it was well known that it had not been published , and it is therefore plain

that the advisers of the signataries made this the stalking horse by which the English Langue was to be paraded before the attention of the Prince , Albert the Good , and the ceremonial officials of the kingdom , solely for the purpose , if possible , of casting upon it the slanderous suspicion of dishonour and deceit . And the Prince

acknowledged its recei pt ! But I am very glad to knowthat it did not , with him , have the effect which was intended , and fondly hoped by its authors . It was deposited with secret dispatch , the actors

in the plot avoided the daylight , and forgot to give any intimation of their work to the " honorable society , " whose credit and fair fame they hoped secretly to undermine . 2 . We are here told that the branch of the

Order represented by the protesting parties had no " organic" connection with the English Langue . Bro . Holmes calls it " organised connection whatever . " What right , or motive can he hays for interpolating the word " ' whatever , " unless it be an anxious desire to support his allies at any

price ! Jf thc passage means , as I conclude it must , that the Roman Council took no personal action in reviling the English Langue , nobody wishes to gainsay it . I have already stated that the revival was accomplished by a representation of five-sevenths of the then majority ofthe Order ,

of which majority ttic Roman Council did not form part . It is , therefore , true that they had no " organic " connection with the English Langue ; but it is equally true that the Roman Council was not long afterwartls made acquainted with the fact of the revival , antl did not dipsute , or object to it . It is

equally true that , certainly , as early as 1 S 37 , the Council in London was in direct correspondence with the Lieutenant of the Mastership and Roman Council , antl it is no less true that no difficulty in an alliance between the two councils was ever made on any other ground than that

of religious belief . I'he document proceeds to state that the cavillers and protesters had no connection with the organisation of the English Langue , nor with its personal composition or objects . These statements hardly need comment ; it is of course plain that the Roman Council did

not carry out the organisation ; of its personal composition they woultl , I am sure , admit that they have no reason to be ashamed , and with its objects it would be a very desirable thing that they had something , instead of nothing , to do . This is entirely a question between doing

something , and doing nothing . Yet still , notwithstanding the English Council having expressly stipulated that the Langue of England and the Langue of Italy must meet each other on terms of strict reciprocity ; that the Order in England should preserve entire

independence 111 the election ol its Grand Prior , Oflicers , and members ; that the government of the langue should be in conformity with the existing habits and feelings of British society ; that the langue should be accepted as it then stood , anil that the admission of members should not be influenced by religious distinctions , yet , I

say , notwithstanding all this , the Roman Council were prepared to accept the alliance with more than delight , had it not been that intolerance prevailed over charity , antl religion was sacrificed to creed . Could but the Christian counsels of Pius VI . have prevailed , the union of the now , unhappily , antagonistic langues would have been eagerly confirmed .

3 . Here we find that certain enumerated Grand Priories are in communion of jurisdiction and obedience with the Grand Mastership and Council . " There is no " Grand Mastership , " but this is not material , as it is not a question of words . Bnt what then ? Are all the branches

ol the Order not in such communion rendered illegal by this fact ? Feeble nonsense : What becomes of Austria ? Where are the two Grand Priories of Russia ? Burke does say that their " connection with the chapter at Rome is of a very loose character ; " what of the Sicilies , and what of Poland ? Can any sane individual for one moment believe that thc knights of these branches