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( Contents . PAGE The Templars and Freemasonry—By Lupus 101 The Lodge of Glasgow St . John—By Bro . W . P . Buchan ... The Rise and Purposes of Speculative Masonry 10-1 Masonic Jottings—No . 5 10 ' The Stuarts and Freemasonry 108 Masonic Notes and Queries 110

Correspondence Ill Masonic Mems 112 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their AVidows 112 CRAPT LODGE MEETISGS : — Metropolitan 113 Provincial 114 Scotland 116 116

New Zealand Roya ! Arch 117 Mark Masonry 118 Masonic Festivities 118 A Lecture—By Bro . James Frederick Spurr 119 Poetry 119 Scientific Meetings for the AVeek 119 List of Lodge , & c , Meetings for ensuing week 120 To Correspondents 120

The Templars And Freemasonry.

THE TEMPLARS AND FREEMASONRY .

LONDON , SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 5 , 1870 .

By LUPUS . In my last communication , page 82 , it is stated that ; David Seton , who was said to be the last Prior of Scotland , retired to Germany in 1752-3 . This is a misprint for 1572-3 .

In reference to the improbability of Lord Dundee having been Grand Prior in 1689 , I have given the names of three of those dignitaries who held office about that time ; it may perhaps be more satisfactory if I append a complete list of

the Grand Priors during the whole of that century . Andrew Wyse , appointed 1593 ; died 1631 . Giovanni Battista JSTari , appointed 1631 . Alessandro Zanibeccari , appointed 1639 .

Geronimo Alliata , appointed 1648 . Stefano Maria Lornellino , appointed 1654 . Henry Pitz-James , appointed 1687 ; resigned 1701 .

The last named Prior was appointed by the Grand Master , Gregory Caraffa , at Malta ; the other five were nominated by Papal brief , and the whole of them are registered in the records at Malta .

It appears equally impossible that Lord Dundee could have been Grand Master in 1689 if we are dealing with the Templars as combined in the Order of St . John ; and here I think I may call attention to what should be a special proposition

to be decided : Does the Masonic Order of the Temple claim an affinity with the combined Orders as represented in David Seton , said to have been

The Templars And Freemasonry.

the last Grand Prior of Scotland ? or , Does it claim to originate in some revival of the Templar Order alone , eliminated out of the Order of St * John after the hotter had ceased to exist in Scotland ? A decision upon these questions appears to me

necessary before inquiry can be concentrated into one channel . If the claim is through the combined Orders , Dundee could not have been Grand Master in 1689 , because there could be only one Grand Master , and there is no difficulty in ascertaining

that Adrian de Vignacourt was appointed to that dignity in 1689 , not upon the death of Dundee , but upon the demise of the 60 th Grand Master , Gregory Caraffa . If , on the other hand , the reply be that Ave claim a revival of the Templar Order , pure and simple , then should we honestly abandon

any title to the Order of St . John as untenable , and turn , our attention to inquiry whether Lord Dundee was the Grand Master of such revival of the Templars , and in what manner the succession to him has been preserved . I am aware it has

been said that John ( 11 th ) , Earl of Mar , succeeded Lord Dundee , and was followed by the 2 nd Duke of Athol , as Eegent of the Order ; that Prince Charles Edward was elected Grand Master in 1745 , and that on his death , in 1788 , he was

succeeded by John Oliphant , who died on the 15 th . November , 1795 , Avhen no new election occurred , We have important historic proof in the letter of the elder Pretender ( to which I have referred at page 82 ) , that as to the original combined Orders there was no Grand Prior in 1725 other than the

one appointed by the Papal brief , the then Grand Prior being Francesco Perretti . It does not appear that either the Grand Master or the Pope were much moved by the Prince ' s remonstrance , for we find that on the 9 th of August , 1726 , tho Papal

brief elevated the Knight Nicolo Giraldin to the dignity of Grand Prior in the place of the deceased Perretti .

It Avill probably have been noticed that in these communications I have mostly treated the subject in reference to the claims of the Scottish branch of the Order , and in my own justification I may remark that this has been induced by the

statement inthe preface to the Scottish Statutes of 1856 , Avhere , speaking of the two classes into which that branch had at one time been divided , Ave read ;—" The chivalric class was one and uadivisible , and alone had the right of appointing the Grand Master ; and although permanently located in Scotlaud , its powers extendedover the whole world .