Table Of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bro . Emra Holmes ' s Lecture 827 Consecration o £ a Lodge at Stratford 827 Consecration of a Rose Croix Chapter at Brighton 828 Consecration of a Chapter at Car nar \ on S 29 CORRESPONDENCE : —

Bro . Holmes ' s Notes 829 CRAFT M ASONRY : — Provincial 830

Poetry 832 "Reviews 832 Masonic Meetings for next week 832 Advertisements 825 , 826 , 833 , 834 , 835 , 836

EXTRA SHEET : Title Page and Index to Vol . V . MARK MASONRY : Provincial S 37 Masonic Ball at Darlington 838

Masonic Ball at Rochdale 839 Grand Lodge Affairs 839 Interesting Art Presentation at Liverpool 840 Grand Orient of France S 42 CORRESPONDENCE . *—A Correction S 42

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

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

NOTES BY LUPUS . —No . 1 . I venture to trouble the readers of The Freemason with a few remarks upon statements made in recent portions of Bro . Holmes' lecture , and

to offer for consideration such additional historic facts as appear to me necessary to prevent erroneous inferences on the points to which I propose to refer .

I much appreciate the labour of Bro Holmes , and I pen these lines with a full conviction that he will read them as being published with a complete absence of any discourtesy to himself .

I will first address myself to the existence of the present English langue of the Order of St . John of Jerusalem , of which His Grace the Duke of Manchester is Grand Prior : with a

view to its being known to your readers , once for all , what this bod y is . Bro . Holmes says , at page 711 : — "Between the years 1826 and 1831 , an English langue had been

reorganised under the authority of the French Knights j" and he subsequentl y refers to it as " a Protestant body , under the Duke of Manchester , appointed b y

themselves . These brief notices constitute the main references to it . At the same page Bro . Holmes tells us that during the congress of Vienna , "several knights formed a

General Chapter at Paris under the Prince de Rohan" and petitioned the Congress for the sovereignty of an island in lieu of Malta , but without success . Let me now call attention to the

fact that these " several kni ghts" were appointed ib y a Chapter General assembled at Paris in 1814 , and formed a commission , which was confirmed by Pontificial Bull of Pope Pius VII . on the ioth

of August in that year , and was recognized by the then Sacred Council of the Order by an instrument dated the 9 th of October following , and addressed to seven distinguished Baillis and Commanders of the Order , including the Prince

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

de Rohan . This commission treated on behalf of the whole Order at the Congress of Vienna in 1814 ; with the French King and Chambers in J 816 ; again at the Congress of Verona in 1822 .

On many other important occasions it exercised powers of a full y representative character , and its numerous and important services met the approval of the Order . It will thus be seen that

instead of " several knights" the French Commision was an important and authorised body , treating on behalf of the Order with congresses of nations and with royal governments . The

English langue , as it now exists , was revived by deeds , or articles of convention dated the nth of June , 1826 , and the 24 th of August and 1 Cth of October , 1872 , made by the knights then

composing the French Commission , at chapters representative of five out ofthe eig ht divisions of the Order , and the Langue has pursued an unobtrusive career to the present date ; it has no

connection with Freemasonry in any shape , and therefore , offers no rivalry to any Masonic body . The roll of the English Langue probably does not record more than 1 io names , but amongst

the number may be found very many which are historically distinguished , as well as representatives ofthe highest attainments in the world of science . The revenue of the Langue is devoted

to the relief of convalescent patients of some of our hospitals , as well as to other objects , having for their intention the benefit of our suftering fellows , whilst its aid in the cause of the sick and

wounded during the recent calamitous war , and the brave and indefatigable exertions of many of its members , both abroad and at home , have been before the public and are well known .

The additions to the ranks of the Langue may generally be seen in the Times , and no secret is sou ght to be made of its operations . There are no doubt members of the Order in

England who are of the Roman Catholic Faith , and who derive their appointment from the Roman Council of the Order , but whether a Priory of these Knights has been established , or

not , I am unable to say . There is room for all , and I shall gladly learn that difference of faith can , at all events , make no difference in work pro utUitatehominum . I have written this article

only in reference to that body , of which the members mostly belong to tlie Church of England and I express my conviction that the Langue

which they compose has still before it a future of much social importance in the country , and , let us hope , of advantage to its suftering poor .

Consecration Of The Langthorne Lodge (No. 1421), At Stratford, E.

CONSECRATION OF THE LANGTHORNE LODGE ( No . 1421 ) , AT STRATFORD , E .

That tlie cause of Freemasonry is making rapid progress in the East-end of London , is a fact too well known amongst the members of the Craft to admit of a single doubt , and which

a perusal of the Masonic Calendar will at once establish , as year after year we find new lodges added to the long list of those already flourishing

in and around this vast metropolis . Thursday , the 12 th of December , 1872 , will be a day long to be remembered b y the Freemasons of Stratford and the surrounding neighbourhood ,

Consecration Of The Langthorne Lodge (No. 1421), At Stratford, E.

it being the day on which the Langthorne Lodge was ushered into existence , with more eclat than the most sanguine of its promoters could have anticipated . In so populous a town as Stratford ,

containing , as it does , many zealous and painstaking members of the Craft , the want of a " local habitation " has long been felt by them , and several difficulties have hatl to be overcome

ere the promoters of the new lodge felt they could present a petition likely to find favour with the Grand Master and his officers . Happily , their efforts have been crowned with

success , and the new lodge was solemnly consecrated and dedicated on Thursday last , at the Strand Hotel , Stratford , E ., by the very Worshipful Bro . John Hervey , Grand Secretary ( the

officer appointed by the Grand Master ) , assisted by Bros , the Rev . R . J . Simpson , Past Grand Chaplain * the Very Worshipful J ohn Boyd , Grand Pursuivant ; the Worship ful James

Brett , Past Grand Pursuivant ; R . Wentworth Little , Prov . Grand Secretary Middlesex ; and Bro . James Terry , P . Prov . G . S . B . Herts . The ceremony was fixed to take

place at 3 o ' clock , by which hour not less than 150 brethren had assembled to meet the Grand Officers , and to witness the beautiful ceremony of consecration . The Grand Officers having

arrived , and assumed the regalia of their several offices , a procession was formed , which m arched to the lodge room under the direction of Bros . 11 . Wentworth Little , and Thos . Mortlock ,

Acting Directors of Ceremonies . Bro . J ohn Hervey , Grand Secretary , ( as consecrating officer ) then assumed the chair , and appointed as his Wardens pro . tem . ; Bros . James

Brett , P . G . P ., S . W . ; and James Terry , P . P . G . S . B . Herts , J . W . The lodge was opened in the three degrees , and an address on the nature of the meeting

delivered by the presiding officer . Prayer was then offered by the Chaplain ; after which Bro . R . Wentworth Little , on behalf of the brethren of the new lodge , addressed the presiding

officer , praying him to constitute them into a regular Iodge . The brethren of the new lodge , were then arranged in order , and the petition and

warrant having been read by the Acting Secretary , the brethren signified their approval of the officers named therein in Masonic form . The

Presiding Officer then formally constituted the lodge , and a beautiful oration on the nature and princip les of the Institution was delivered by the Chaplain , which was listened to

with rapt attention , and gained for the reverend brother the ecomiums of all present . The anthem ( 133 rd Psalm ) " Behold how good and joyful" was then sung , and the

first portion of the dedication prayer offered by the Chaplain , followed by the Sanctus " Glory be to thee Oh Lord'' by the Choir . A portion of Scripture ( 2 nd Chron ., 2 nd Chap .

v . 1 to 16 . ) having been read by the Chaplain , the Lodge board was uncovered , and the Elements of Consecration carried three times round the lodge by the presiding Officer and Wardens

pro . tem . The lodge was then solemnly dedicated , and the Anthem " Glory be to God on High " sung , after which the censer was taken three times round the lodge by the Chaplain , who delivered the second portion of the dedica-