That this note may not occupy too much space in your interesting, publication, I would now merely remark that the "convent" was known as the place where the grand master, or his lieutenant, resided, and the "tongue," according to the code of the Order, was the term applied to a nation. A grand prior was the chief of his language, who resided in his native country. A "Turcopolier" was the title of the conventual bailiff of the venerable language of England, "and it took its name from the Turcopoles, a sort of light horse mentioned in the history of the wars carried on by the Christians in Palestine." The English knights won for themselves this high honour by their gallantry in the Holy Land, and in remembrance it ever after remained with their tongue. A Turcopolier was the third dignity in the convent, and the last knight who enjoyed it was Sir Richard Shelley, Prior of England. At his decease the grand master assumed the title for himself. The two interesting letters addressed by Sir Richard Shelley to Henry VIII., in which he complained of his majesty's treatment to the Order of St. John, and pleaded in its favour, were published in the English language, and five years ago were to be seen in the government library of this island. But, on my asking a short time ago to refer to them, I regretted to find that they had been taken from the library by a _gentleman_ who was well introduced to the librarian, and whose conduct in this, and some other transactions where valuable books are concerned, cannot be too strongly condemned. Before returning from this brief digression to the subject of my Note, might I ask if these letters are known in England, and whether copies could be easily procured for a friend who is desirous of having them inserted in a forthcoming publication? The Knights of St. John being members of a masonic institution, termed each other brothers, is customary with members of the craft at the present time. And it may not be out of place to remark that several of the chapels, churches, and fortifications of Malta are ornamented with masonic signs and emblems, which have been several times referred to, and cleverly explained within the last three years in different numbers of the _Masonic Quarterly Review_. Those of your readers who take an interest in masonry may peruse these papers of a distinguished mason, now stationed in the West Indies, with instruction and pleasure. Boisgelin has recorded in the first volume of his _History of Malta_, p. 182., that the Order of St. John of Jerusalem "might with propriety be considered as being at the same time hospitaller, religious, military, republican, aristocratical, monarchical," and lastly, as if these different terms, which, without his explanation, would appear to be incorrect as applying to one institution, were not sufficient, he has added in a note, that in the last days of its existence it might also have been called democratical. He has stated that it was--