KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. The natural desire of visiting those holy places which have been sanctified by the presence, and rendered memorable by the sufferings of the founder of the Christian religion, drew, during the early ages of Christianity, crowds of devout worshipers and pilgrims to Jerusalem. To such a height did this religions enthusiasm arrive that, in 1064, not less than 7,000 pilgrims assembled from all parts of Europe the holy sepulcher. The year following Jerusalem was conquered by the wild Turco mans, three thousand of the citizens were massacred, and the command over the holy city and territory was confided to the Emir Ortok, the chief of a savage pastoral tribe. Under the iron yoke of these fierce northern strangers, the Christians were fearfully oppressed; they were driven from their churches and plundered, and the patriach of the holy city was dragged by the hair of his head over the sacred pavement of the Church of the Resurrection, and cast into a dungeon, to extort a ransom from the sympathy of his flock. The intelligence of these cruelties aroused the religious chivalry of Christendom; "a nerve was touched of exquisite feeling, and the sensation vibrated to the heart of Europe." Then arose the wild enthusiasm of the Crusades, and men of all ranks, and even priests and monks, were animated with the "pious and glorious enterprise" of rescuing the holy sepulcher of Christ from the foul and polluting abomi nations of the heathen. When the intelligence of the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders (A. D. 1099) had been conveyed to Europe, the zeal of pilgrimage blazed forth with increased fierceness. The infidels had, indeed, been driven out of Jerusalem, but not out of Palestine. The lofty mountains bordering the sea coast were infested by warlike bands of fugitive Musselmen, who maintained themselves in various impregnable castles and strongholds, from whence they issued. forth upon the high roads, cut off the communication between Jerusalem and the seaports, and revenged themselves for the loss of their habita tions and property by the indiscriminate pillage of all travelers. To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which they were exposed, nine noble gentlemen, who had greatly distinguished themselves at the siege and capture of Jeru salem, formed a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid one another in clearing the high ways, and in protecting the pilgrims through the passes and defiles of the Mountains, to the Holy City. Warmed with the religions and military fervor of the day, and animated by the sacredness of the cause to which they had devoted their swords, they called themselves the Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ. In 1118 Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, granted them a place of habitation within the sacred inclosure of the temple on Mount Moriah; thenceforward they became known by the name of "THE KNIGHTHOOD OF THE TEMPLE OF The views and exertions of the Order now became more extensive, and it added to its- profession, of protecting poor pilgrims, that of defending the kingdom of Jerusalem, and the whole eastern church, from the attacks of infidels. Hugues de Payens was chosen by the Knights to be the superior of the new religious and military society, by the title of " The Master of the Temple," and he has, consequently, generally been called the founder of the Order. The name and reputation of the Order spread rapidly through Europe, and many princes, nobles, and gentlemen of the best houses of France, Germany, Italy, and England, became members of it. In 1128 they received rules and regulations for their
governance from the Pope, which had been expressly arranged for them by St. Bernard. The illustrious Order of the Temple has, through many vicissitudes, survived to our times; and, indeed, of late yearS a great, and we may say an astonishing, influence has been exercised in the Masonic Craft by this brotherhood in England, on the continent of Europe, and in the United States. Notwithstanding the persecution the Order was subjected to, consequent upon the machinations of Philip le Bel and Pope Clement, it continued to exist, if not to flourish. Jaques de Molay, the martyred Grand Master, in anticipation of his fate, appointed his successor to rule the Fraternity, and from that time to the present there has been an uninterrupted succession of Grand Masters. It is true that as years passed on, and clouds arose still more ominous to the existence of the society, the remplars were amalgamated with their ancient brothers in arms, the Knights of Malta. The Knights Templar degree is highly valued in all countries, and its ritual is nearly identical. The candidate for its honors must be a Royal Arch Mason, and as such he presents himself at the Commandery—as the bodies are called—in the character and garb of a pilgrim, r palmer, as they were designated in the Holy Land; he figuratively undergoes seven years' travel, and then seven years' warfare, when, having conducted himself courageously through his trials, he is finally admitted into the Order. There is not a vestige of Freemasonry, as such, in the degree, save the absolute necessity of candidates having been admitted into the Royal Arch. The throne is situated in the East, above which is suspended a white banner, on which is painted a red passion cross, edged with gold and irradiated at the crossings with rays of light; on the right and left are two sky-blue banners, on one of which is painted a Paschal Lamb and a red Templar's Cross, with the words "The will of God." On the other, the emblems of the Order are displayed. The symbolic colors of the Order are white and black, properly intersp3rsed with gold and silver. The Grand Standard of the Order is displayed in the West, in charge of the Standard-bearer. The Beauseant, or battle-flag of the Ancient Templars, is displayed in the South, in charge of the Senior Warden. The following is the Templar uniform adopted by the Grand Encampment of the United States, September, 1862: Full Dress—Black frock coat, black pantaloons, scarf, sword, belt, shoulder-straps, gauntlets and chapeau, with appropriate trimmings. Fatigue Dress—Same as full dress, except for chapeau a black cloth cap, navy form, with appropriate cross in front, and for gauntlets white gloves. In the United States, the assembly is called a Commandery, and has the following officers: 1. Eminent Commander; 2. 3. Captain General; 4. Prelate; - 5. Senior Warden; 6. Junior 'Warden; 7. Treasurer; 8. Recorder; 9. Standard-Bearer; 10. Sword-Bearer; 11. Warder; 12. Three Guards; 13. Sentinel. Commandeiies are dedicated to Saint John the Almoner. The candidate receiving this Order is said to be "dubbed and created a Knight of the valiant and magnanimous Order of Knights Templar." The motto of the Order is, "In hoc sign vinces"—in this sign we conquer.