The historian, Raymouard, thus formally excuses himself from
speculating on the fate of the disbanded Scottish Knights:--"Que
devinrent-ils? Ce n'est pas à moi de soulever le voile mystérieux de
ces infortunés: l'histoire publique se tait, mon devoir est de me taire
comme elle."--MONUMENS HISTORIQUES.
[43] An attempt has been very recently made to revive this Order, by
the initiation of a number of new members, chiefly Brethren of the
Lodge of St. David, Edinburgh.
[44] The medal alluded to was struck at the expense of the Chapitre
du Choix at Paris, to celebrate the establishment in France of a
Provincial Grand Lodge of Heredom de Kilwinning, by a Charter, dated
Edinburgh the 1st of May 1786, constituting Mr. John Mattheus, a
distinguished merchant of Rouen, Provincial Chief, with very ample
powers, to disseminate the Order. The Chapitre du Choix was itself
erected by a charter from Edinburgh in the same year, addressed to
Nicholas Chabouille, avocat en parlement, and other brethren. Both
these documents bear the signatures of William Charles Little, Deputy
Grand Master, William Mason, and William Gibb. At a later date, a
Provincial Grand Master was also appointed for Spain, in the person of
Mr. James Gordon, a merchant at Xeres de la Frontera, whose commission
was signed by Deputy Grand Master Dr. Thomas Hay, and Messrs. Charles
Moor and John Brown, as heads of the Royal Order. In 1811, there were
no less than twenty-six Chapters of Heredom holding of the Provincial
Grand Lodge of the Order in France, including some in Belgium and
Italy.--HISTOIRE DE LA FONDATION DU GRAND ORIENT DE FRANCE. _Paris,
1812._
[45] An abstract of this interesting document will be found in the
Appendix.
[46] The reader will find the Preceptor's motives and proceedings
explained in an authentic family document printed from a manuscript
copy in the Advocates Library, in a little work named, "Templaria.
Edinburgh, 1828." We extract from it the following account of the
surrender of the Preceptory:--"He personally compeirit in presence
of the Queen's Majesty, the Lord Chancelour, the Earles of Murray,
Marischall, and diuers others of her Hiehnes Privy Council, and
there, as the only lawful undoubted Titular, and present possessor of
the Lordship and Preceptorie of Torphephen, which was never subject
to any Chapter or Conuent whatsomever, except only the Knights of
Jerusalem and Temple of Solomon, Genibus flexis et reverentia qua
decuit, resigned and ouergave in the hands of our Souerane Lady, his
undoubted Superior, ad perpetuam remanentiam, all Right, Property,
and Possession, which he had, or any way could pretend to the said
Preceptorie, or any part thereof, in all time Coming; to the effect the
same might remain perpetually, with her Hyeness and her Successours,
as a Part of Property and Patrimony of her Crown for ever. After this
resignation in the Queen's Majesty's hands, ad Remanentiam, of this
Benefice, be the lawful Titular thereof, her Hyeness, in remembrance of
the good service of the said Sir James Sandilands, gave and grantid and
dispon'd, in feu-farme, heritably, to the said Sir James, his heirs and
assignies, All and Haill, the said Preceptorie and Lordship."
That the payment of the above sum of ten thousand crowns of the
Sun subsequently involved Sandilands in serious difficulties and
embarrassments, we are instructed by the works referred to, in which
it is stated that--"albeit the charter bears present payment of ten
thousand crowns, that the money was paid at divers times, partly upon
Her Majesty's precepts to her servants, French Paris, Sir Robert
Melvin, Sir James Balfour, and Captain Anstruther; and the rest of the
sum to Mr. Robert Richardson, treasurer for the time, whereof there
is a receipt under the privy seal. That a great part of that money,
numbered in gold and silver, was borrowed from Timothy Corneoli, an
Italian gentleman of the Preceptor's acquaintance at Genoa, and a
banker of the house of------resident in Scotland for the time. That
this nobleman being burthened with great debts, for his exoneration and
relief, was forced to let in feu-farm his own roumes for a reasonable
composition," &c.; and he was afterwards obliged to part with some of
the larger baronies of the estate.
[47] To satisfy the curious, a copy of the translated document is
inserted in the Appendix.
[48] Il est certain que l'invention des hauts grades maçonniques a
fait le plus grand tort á l'institution, en dènaturant son objet,
et en l'affublant de titres pompeux et de cordons qui ne lui
appartiennent pas. On conviendra que jamais elle n'eût êté proscrite,
dans une partie d'Allemagne, si les dissentions occasioneés par la
Stricte-Observance, les pretentions de soidisant successeurs des Frères
de la Rose-Croix, et surtout l'invention de l'illuminatisme qu'on
introduisit dans quelques L. n'eussent rendu "l'association suspecté
aux gouvernemens."--Acta Latomorum.
[49] There have been at least a hundred grades of Continental Masonry
denominated "Ecossais."
[50] On this subject we shall let the Baron de Hund speak for
himself:--Les Frères de la Stricte-Observance se disent les successeurs
des Templiers, et leur doctrine consiste a perpétuer l'existence de
l'Ordre sous le voile de la Franche Maçonnerie. Voici l'Histoire
de l'Institution, selon le Baron de Hund; Dans l'année 1303, deux
Chevaliers, nommés Noffodoi et Florian, furent punis pour crimes.
Tous deux perdirent leurs commanderies et particulièrement, le
dernier, celle de Montfaucon. Ils en demandérent de nouvelles au
Gr.-Maître provincial de Mont-Carmel; et comme il les leur refusa,
ils l'assassinérent dans sa maison de campagne, prés de Milan, et
cachérent son corps dans le jardin, sous des arbrisseaux. Ils se
refugiérent ensuite á Paris, ou ils accusérent l'Ordre des crimes les
plus horribles, ce qui entraina sa perte, et par suite le supplice
de J. Molay. Après la catastrophe, le Grand-Maître provincial de
l'Auvergne, Pierre d'Aumont, s'enfuit avec deux Commandeurs et cinq
Chevaliers. Pour n'être point reconnus, ils se deguisérent en ouvriers
maçons, et se refugiérent dans une ile Ecossaise, ou ils trouvérent le
Grand-Commandeur Haupton-court, Georges de Hasris, et plusieurs autres
Frères avec lesquels ils resolurent de continuer l'Ordre. Ils tinrent,
le jour de St.-Jean 1313, un Chapitre dans lequel Aumont, premier du
nom, fut nommé Grand-Maitre. Pour'se soustraire aux persécutions,
ils empruntèrent des symboles pris dans l'art de la Maçonnerie, et
se denommérent Maçons libres.... En 1361, le Grand-Maitre du Temple
transporta son siege a Aberdeen, et par suite l'Ordre se repandit, sous
le voile de la Fr.-Maçonnerie, en Italie, en Allemagne, en France, en
Portugal, en Espagne et ailleurs. Der Signatsterne, etc., p. 178.
[51] It is stated in the Freemason's Review, that, according to
authentic documents, the Aberdeen Lodge has existed since 1541.
* * * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Obvious misspellings and omissions were corrected.
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up
paragraphs and so that they are next to the text they illustrate.
Errors in punctuation and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected
unless otherwise noted.
Incorrect and omitted page numbering has been corrected.