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Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. ← Page 3 of 4 Article MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Page 3 of 4 →
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Masonic Notes And Queries.
OEDEE OP CONSTANT I 3 TE . Some of your readers may be interested in the following statement , which has recently appeared in several papers : — " The Roman Senate has lately inscribed in the Golden Book of the Patriciate the name of the sole
descendant in a direct line of the Eastern Emperors and of the last of the Lascaris , known before 1789 , that is to say , Antonio Lascaris Comneno , Grand Duke of Epirus , Larissa , Media , and Macedonia , Prince of the Peloponnesus , aud perpetual Grand Masterby right of hereditary transmissionof the
, , Supreme Constautinian Order of the Knights of St . George . The descendant of this illustrious family was living unknown in Piedmont , when one day he conceived the idea of collecting his genealogical documents and claiming his rights . The Lascaris having belonged to the Roman nobility , he addressed
himself to the Senate , and that body , after having verified the authenticity of his titles according to the documents in the archives , has reinstated him in all his honours and privileges . The Prince is about to leave Turin to fix his residence at Rome . " I , for onethought it worth while to cause the
, attention of the Prince Rhodocanakis to be called to this statement , and the following from the Court Circular of the 17 th ult . is the result : — " We have received the following from his Royal Highness the Prince of Rhodocanakis : —
"' To the Editor of the Court Circular . " ' Sir , —My attention has been called to a paragraph in the Court Circular of the 27 th ult ., and which has also been extensively circulated in other European publications , stating that the Roman Senate has lately inscribed in the Golden Book of the
Patriciate the name of "Antonio Lascaris Comneno" as the " sole descendant in a direct line of the Eastern Emperors and Perpetual Grand Master , by right of hereditary transmission , of the Supreme Constautinian Order of the Kni ghts of Saint George . " "' As the representative of my House in this
country , I basten at once to protest against such inscription by the Roman Senate , and against the claim set up by " Antonio Lascaris Comneno . " My family are the senior direct lineal descendants of the Byzantine Emperors , and the sole legal inheritors of the titles and honours belonging to that dignitynow
im-, properly assumed by " Antonio Lascaris Comneno , " and steps will be forthwith taken to establish our indisputable and acknowledged rights aud privileges . "' RHODOCANAKIS . ' " "' Clarendon Hotel , 169 , New Bond-street .
"' April 15 , 1869 . '" The Grand Dukedom of E pirus may possibly , in this instance , be a titular dignity , as I think the same honour was claimed by Giorgio Castriota Scanderbeg , Duke of San-Pietro , in the Kingdom of Naples , who not long since ( perhaps three or four years ) was
known in this country , and instituted the revival of the Order of Epirus , of which he claimed to be Hereditary Grand Master . —LUPUS . MASTEE MASON DEGEEE . _ Can any brother mention the name of any individual who received the degree of M . M . previous to the year 1700 A . D . ; and , if so , what lodge gave it ? —PICTUS .
Masonic Notes And Queries.
HEBALDIC BADGES . I had no intention that Bro . Haye should find me a cavillist . My only desire was to correct what I supposed was a mere accident . If , however , this leads tomy being myself put right , I shall be indebted to Bro . Haye . I have certainly confounded the blazon
on the Maltese tombs with the shield of the Order ,, and I know of no better source for correct armorial blazonry than the tombs of this and other countries . I shall be glad , apart from this special subject , to learn in what I err when I " confound the blazon on the tombs with the shield ? " Surely , a shield of
arms found depicted on a tomb must be taken to display the accurate armorial bearings which the person ,, whose memory is thus perpetuated , was in life entitled to bear ! At all events , I am not singular in thisbelief , seeing that the Heralds' College of this country receives as evidence the armorial records of
thesemonumental remains . Does not Bro . Haye , rather ,, confound the colour and decoration of the mantle with the armorial bearing of the Order ? I have not access to "Berry" at this moment ; but I have referred to " Gwillim , " and do not find any reference tothe arms of the Order of St . John . The habit ( or
mantle ) is described as of black , bearing a white cross * This was the original habit ; but subsequently the red mantle was adopted as the war-cloak , the black onebeing retained and used when in peace . The shield is an implement of war , and not of peace , and the shield is the origin of all armorial ensigns . Naturally ,,
then , the war colours are displayed on the shield . I have seen the arms of the Hospital displayed in many modes , including official documents and diplomas , but always with a field gules . Bro . Haye states that the Knights of the present day , in Rome , wear a Huecross . If this means that they useas armorial
bear-, ings , a blue cross , I have no remark to offer , as I am not acquainted with their custom in this respect ; but if it means that they wear a blue cross as a decoration , I shall be much obliged for any authority for the statement ? The best modern English and French authorities give the decoration used in the Papal
States as being of white enamel , the same as other existing branches of the Order . I possess three of these crosses , one , I believe , Italian , all of which arein the main features alike . I trust Bro . Haye will believe that my only desire is to be informed . — LUPUS .
P . S . The white cross on a black mantle of the Hospitallers had nothing to do with their standard when in the field , which bore a white cross on a red ground . See Vertot . Vol . 1 , p . 38 . ( Ed . 1757 , Edinburgh ) , where it is stated they " renounced the world , and took the regular habit , which is a plain
black robe , having a white linen cross of eight points fastened to it on the left side near the heart . " Then , at page 45 , it will be seen that Pope Alexander IV . ordered that the Kni ghts should wear " in the camp a sopro-veste , or coat of arms , with a white cross upon a red field like the arms upon the standard of
the Order which are yueules a la croixpleine d ' argent . " The arms of the present King of Italy are " gules a cross argent , " granted to his ancestor for services reudered . It will be observed that the cross in the arms is of the plain form , and not ei ght-pointed as on the mantle . LUPUS .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Notes And Queries.
OEDEE OP CONSTANT I 3 TE . Some of your readers may be interested in the following statement , which has recently appeared in several papers : — " The Roman Senate has lately inscribed in the Golden Book of the Patriciate the name of the sole
descendant in a direct line of the Eastern Emperors and of the last of the Lascaris , known before 1789 , that is to say , Antonio Lascaris Comneno , Grand Duke of Epirus , Larissa , Media , and Macedonia , Prince of the Peloponnesus , aud perpetual Grand Masterby right of hereditary transmissionof the
, , Supreme Constautinian Order of the Knights of St . George . The descendant of this illustrious family was living unknown in Piedmont , when one day he conceived the idea of collecting his genealogical documents and claiming his rights . The Lascaris having belonged to the Roman nobility , he addressed
himself to the Senate , and that body , after having verified the authenticity of his titles according to the documents in the archives , has reinstated him in all his honours and privileges . The Prince is about to leave Turin to fix his residence at Rome . " I , for onethought it worth while to cause the
, attention of the Prince Rhodocanakis to be called to this statement , and the following from the Court Circular of the 17 th ult . is the result : — " We have received the following from his Royal Highness the Prince of Rhodocanakis : —
"' To the Editor of the Court Circular . " ' Sir , —My attention has been called to a paragraph in the Court Circular of the 27 th ult ., and which has also been extensively circulated in other European publications , stating that the Roman Senate has lately inscribed in the Golden Book of the
Patriciate the name of "Antonio Lascaris Comneno" as the " sole descendant in a direct line of the Eastern Emperors and Perpetual Grand Master , by right of hereditary transmission , of the Supreme Constautinian Order of the Kni ghts of Saint George . " "' As the representative of my House in this
country , I basten at once to protest against such inscription by the Roman Senate , and against the claim set up by " Antonio Lascaris Comneno . " My family are the senior direct lineal descendants of the Byzantine Emperors , and the sole legal inheritors of the titles and honours belonging to that dignitynow
im-, properly assumed by " Antonio Lascaris Comneno , " and steps will be forthwith taken to establish our indisputable and acknowledged rights aud privileges . "' RHODOCANAKIS . ' " "' Clarendon Hotel , 169 , New Bond-street .
"' April 15 , 1869 . '" The Grand Dukedom of E pirus may possibly , in this instance , be a titular dignity , as I think the same honour was claimed by Giorgio Castriota Scanderbeg , Duke of San-Pietro , in the Kingdom of Naples , who not long since ( perhaps three or four years ) was
known in this country , and instituted the revival of the Order of Epirus , of which he claimed to be Hereditary Grand Master . —LUPUS . MASTEE MASON DEGEEE . _ Can any brother mention the name of any individual who received the degree of M . M . previous to the year 1700 A . D . ; and , if so , what lodge gave it ? —PICTUS .
Masonic Notes And Queries.
HEBALDIC BADGES . I had no intention that Bro . Haye should find me a cavillist . My only desire was to correct what I supposed was a mere accident . If , however , this leads tomy being myself put right , I shall be indebted to Bro . Haye . I have certainly confounded the blazon
on the Maltese tombs with the shield of the Order ,, and I know of no better source for correct armorial blazonry than the tombs of this and other countries . I shall be glad , apart from this special subject , to learn in what I err when I " confound the blazon on the tombs with the shield ? " Surely , a shield of
arms found depicted on a tomb must be taken to display the accurate armorial bearings which the person ,, whose memory is thus perpetuated , was in life entitled to bear ! At all events , I am not singular in thisbelief , seeing that the Heralds' College of this country receives as evidence the armorial records of
thesemonumental remains . Does not Bro . Haye , rather ,, confound the colour and decoration of the mantle with the armorial bearing of the Order ? I have not access to "Berry" at this moment ; but I have referred to " Gwillim , " and do not find any reference tothe arms of the Order of St . John . The habit ( or
mantle ) is described as of black , bearing a white cross * This was the original habit ; but subsequently the red mantle was adopted as the war-cloak , the black onebeing retained and used when in peace . The shield is an implement of war , and not of peace , and the shield is the origin of all armorial ensigns . Naturally ,,
then , the war colours are displayed on the shield . I have seen the arms of the Hospital displayed in many modes , including official documents and diplomas , but always with a field gules . Bro . Haye states that the Knights of the present day , in Rome , wear a Huecross . If this means that they useas armorial
bear-, ings , a blue cross , I have no remark to offer , as I am not acquainted with their custom in this respect ; but if it means that they wear a blue cross as a decoration , I shall be much obliged for any authority for the statement ? The best modern English and French authorities give the decoration used in the Papal
States as being of white enamel , the same as other existing branches of the Order . I possess three of these crosses , one , I believe , Italian , all of which arein the main features alike . I trust Bro . Haye will believe that my only desire is to be informed . — LUPUS .
P . S . The white cross on a black mantle of the Hospitallers had nothing to do with their standard when in the field , which bore a white cross on a red ground . See Vertot . Vol . 1 , p . 38 . ( Ed . 1757 , Edinburgh ) , where it is stated they " renounced the world , and took the regular habit , which is a plain
black robe , having a white linen cross of eight points fastened to it on the left side near the heart . " Then , at page 45 , it will be seen that Pope Alexander IV . ordered that the Kni ghts should wear " in the camp a sopro-veste , or coat of arms , with a white cross upon a red field like the arms upon the standard of
the Order which are yueules a la croixpleine d ' argent . " The arms of the present King of Italy are " gules a cross argent , " granted to his ancestor for services reudered . It will be observed that the cross in the arms is of the plain form , and not ei ght-pointed as on the mantle . LUPUS .