Masonic Orders Of Knighthood.

Order , I have much pleasure in referring them to the highly interesting sketch of Bro . Richard Woof , 30 ° . I have no doubt but that these so-called Masonic Orders of Kni ghthood arose from that mania for high degrees which was prevalent during the last century

and the early part of the present one . Many Masonic degrees and various "Rites" were invented , each of them possessing an infinite variety of "fancy" degrees , and , besides this , Masonic secrets and ceremonies were attributed to military orders ; and the inventors of these , although knowing nothing of the

original orders but the title , claimed to have the privilege of perpetuating the pernicious nonsense , of which they were the authors , under the name of the ancient and venerable Order whose style they had borrowed .

Among these Orders was the one entitled the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine . The real Order was instituted in A . D . 312 by Constantine the Great , and , we need not say , was totally unconnected with Masonry , the Graud Masters being the Emperors of Constantinople for the time being . Tbe Masonic

Order , although purporting to be of very ancient origin and derived from the Order of Constantine , in reality was invented scarcel y more than fifty years ago . It was , as I learn from a Scottish ritual , invented in England , and the Duke of Sussex , no doubt as a

punishment for some of his Masonic sins , was placed at its head , as well as at the head of every other degree of Freemasonry—good policy , no doubt , on the part of its inventors . It was worked as a side degree , little thought of or appreciated , and was only given to

Masonic Knights Templar . I may mention that the ceremonial used in those times differed exceedingly from that which was introduced at the so-called revival three or four years ago , under Lord Kenlis .

The " second officer of the conclave " the Viceroy Eusebius , is an invention of the present system , as in the old ritual the officers were Grand Commander , Senior aud Junior Aides-de-Camp , and a Guard or Tyler , and the reception itself consisted only of one point or degree , instead of three as at present . The

sigus , words , and secrets of this old side degree were also entirely different , and I am prepared to prove that any reference in old charters to a Red Cross degree ' s to be attributed to the Red Cross Swords of Babylon , or Babylonish-pass , and uot to the Order of

Rome , & c . This Babylonish degree was formerly given by Masonic Templar Encampments , and is still given in England by one or two , notably the Ancient York Conclave at Hull , the Albert at Rochdale , aud the Royal Kent at Newcastle-on-Tyne .

In Scotland every Royal Arch chapter is empowered by their warrant to confer this degree , which is commonly done immediately after the degree of Royal

Masonic Orders Of Knighthood.

Ark Mariner , which is also under the superintendance of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter . Had the present heads of the Order of Red Cross of Rome , & c , the good sense to say they only claimed from the Duke of Sussex , and the establishment of the Order in his day , we could then afford to class

it , with several other things in the Masonic world , per se not very wrong , but more honoured in the breach than in the observance . But when we are distinctly told hy the Grand Recorder of the Anglican Order that it is the only legal representative of the Order ' of Constantine , to the exclusion of all and sundry , it

becomes the duty of every man , Mason or not , who knows the truth , to take up arms in defence of truth . Bro . the Prince Rhodocanakis has , at tbe express solicitation of Bro . John Yarker and myself , placed his magnificent library at our disposal , ' and has

procured us access to the ancient vellum rolls , parchments , and documents which have been in the possession of his illustrious family since the tenth century , with official records of the Order of Constantine , since A . D . 1294 .

It is , therefore , our intention as soon as possible , to publish an historical account of the genuine Order with a chronological table of the Grand Masters from the earliest period , which will at once put to the blush ; , the absurd pretensions of the body styling itself the Anglican Branch of the Order of

Constantine . I trust soon to be permitted to refer to the other Orders of Knig hthood in connection with Freemasonry ( the Royal Order of Scotland , in particular ) , which time and space compel me to leave undone at present .

Masonic Jottings.—No. 14.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 14 .

BY A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER . ANTIENT NATIONS . It may be inferred from historical records that there existed in some ancient nations institutions resembling Masonry in what constitutes its essential part , although altogether devoid of analogous

organisation and ceremonies . —Papers of a Deceased Mason . BUILDING CORPORATIONS OP THE ROMANS . A Correspondent is mistaken . Very many learned brothers in England , in Germany , and in France have never ceased to assert that our Ereemasasonry can

be shown to have existed in the building corporations of the Romans . SEEDS-GRAINS OP WHEAT , In remote times Speculative Masonry was ever in the lodge , dormant indeed , but not dead—like seeds

buried deep in the earth , or like grains of wheat enclosed in an Egyptian mummy case , which preserved their vitality for ages .