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APPENDIX. NO. XXI.

All the sovereign chapters shall be summoned by theirgrand-priors to declare their opinions formally and with pre-cision, on the question of referring to the pope to elect a grand-master from the number of professed knights pointed out bythe different priories.

By these means the order will be assured of having agrand-master of its own choice, and from among its own mem-bers ; and the sovereign council may proceed with confidence,according to the wishes and opinions of all the capitularchapters.

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Moreover, the sovereign council represents to all the grand-priors, that it is more important than ever to employ all theirauthority and prudence to prevent every kind of divisionand intrigue, to choose a candidate truly worthy of the so-vereign command, endowed with the necessary qualities tomake the order of general utility and to restore a severe dis-cipline.

Lastly, the sovereign council has in its wisdom judgedthat this was the only method to conciliate the members ii}general, to avoid all pretences for schisms, and to unite allthe scattered knights of the order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Given at St. Petersburg, the 20tli of July, 1801.