HISTORY OF MALTA.

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A general Chapter; how composed; Manner of assembling it; of deliber-ating, and collecting Votes; Affairs treated therein ; Time of its Dura-tion. Ordinary, Complete, Secret, and Criminal Councils. Manner inwhich the Dignities of the Order were divided among the different Lan-guages. Names of the Places in the Gift of the Grand-Master andCouncil. Election of the Grand-Master; his Revenue.

Having already mentioned that the legislative power wasvested in the general chapter, and the principal part of theexecutive entrusted to the councils, it will be now necessary tospeak of their origin, composition, and functions.

In former times the general chapters were regularly heldevery five years, and in urgent cases were even convened oncein three years; but these assemblies afterwards only met everytenth year, and there was an interval of nearly a century anda half between the last two that were held*: the popes andgrand-masters being constantly agreed in avoiding these meet-ings, which, as has been already observed, were both trouble-. some and dangerous.

The persons of whom these assemblies were composed,and the ceremonies observed on the occasion, were as follow:After hearing a solemn mass of the Holy Ghost, the grand-master entered the hall where the general chapter was held,

* The first of these two chapters was held in 1631, daring the grand-mastership ofAntoine de Paule; and the second in that of the grand-master Rohan, in the year 1776*

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