The Order Of St. John.

of the White Cross * aud the standard of the Bauseaut led their gallant followers to victory on the plains of Syria . It is not our province in this brief notice to recount the deeds of valour , the acts of humanity ,

the indomitable perseverance of these children of chivalry in the course of their long and chequered career ; it will suffice to say that , in the middle of the twelfth century , the Order of Knights Hospitallers numbered 80 , 000 members , their treasury

was the richest in Europe , and their Master was considered the most powerful potentate in the East .

Oration Delivered At The Quarterly Meeting Of The Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

ORATION DELIVERED AT THE QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

By Bro . the Rev . PETER BKOWNE . Your extreme kindness has elevated me to a giddy eminence from whence I would be sure to fall without the consciousness of having your cheering countenance and support ; my feeble hands

would soon haug down and sink beneath the task you have this day assigned me , on so short a notice , was I not assured that your brotherly love and sympathy sustained me . I never would have voluntarily undertaken to deliver this " oration "

—so called—conscious as I am of my utter incapacity , from want of experience , from want of eloquence ( for I meekly say with Moses : " I am not eloquent" ) to do justice to a theme which has occupied the mind , the tongue , the pen , of the

greatest and most illustrious men that have adorned the world and transmitted an imperishable name to posterity .

The nightingale may claim the topmost bough , While the poor grasshopper must chirp below ; Like him unnoticed , I , and such as I , Spread little wings , and rather skip than fly . When the stripling David was reproached by his brethren for presumption iu offering to

encounter the blaspheming Philistine who defied the armies of the living God , with a "heart touched by God , " and the fire of patriotism burning in his heart , answered , Ts there not a cause ? " And is not the burning love of Masonry a sufficient cause to impel me forward to the front rank to

gratify your wishes on this occasion , and out of the abundance of my heart to speak its praises ? David trusted not in the armour which he had not proved , and in the use of which he was inexperienced , but in the simple sling and pebble to which

he was accustomed , and so was divinely blessed in his enterprise . And on this occasion , when , by your command , I handle a subject solemn and majestic in its nature , and g igantic in its dimensions , I shall not ransack the exhaustless stores of

Masonic literature , or wield the rusty weapons of its armoury , however interesting and instructive the one , and powerful for offence and defence the other , but on the sling of truth , simplicity , and love , while I touch as briefly as possible on the

fundamental , moral , and religious principles on which our beloved institution is founded , which having been originally built by the " wise man , " King Solomon , on the Rock of the Temple at Jerusalem , whatever rains have descended ,

whatever floods have came , whatever winds have beat against it , it has withstood the shock and shall never fall . What , then , are the grand fundamental

principles on which our glorious temple is laid ? First—The Word of God . "What advantage , then , hath the Jew ? " argued the great Apostle of the Gentiles . "Much every way , but chiefly that unto them were committed the lively oracles

of God . " Upon these ( the Old Testament Scriptures ) , it is quite evident to you all , the first degrees of Masonry , with which you are cognisant , are entirely built ; thus incidentally , but conclusively , establishing the antiquity of our system .

Such of you as have attained to the higher degrees of the art have seen and felt the beauteous concurrent harmony between the Old and New Testament Scripturesdeveloped in those most interesting

orders , of which we cannot here speak more particularly . A whole Bible we make the basis of our entire proceedings ; we place it where it ought to be , on the most honourable aud conspicuous pedestal in our lodges ; it is carried before us in all

our public processions , and , like the Sanctuary of the Ark which contained that sacred treasure , it is accompanied and carried by the Levites and ministers of the Word—we so make it the " lantern of our feet , and the light of our paths . " The

great philosopher , John Locke , who wrote on the "Human Understanding , " said of the inspired volume— "It has God for its author , salvation for its end , and truth without any mixture of error for its matter . " And of it the poet Cowper has sung :