Masonic Notes And Queries.

DUNCKERLEY ON THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . Having lately met with a MS . book in which is inserted A Brief Chronological Sketch ofthe Order of Knights Templar , by tbe late Thomas Dunckerley , Esq ., Provincial Grand Master for Hampshire , & c , & c , and not knowing if the same has or has not appeared in print , I forward a copy of it for " Masonic Notes and Queries : "—

"After the Temple , rebuilt by Zerubbabel , had remained 575 years , it was pillaged by the Emperor Antiochus , 170 years u . c . ; afterwards by Croesus and Ponipey , and , at last , totally destroyed by Titus A espasian , who took Jerusalem hy storm A . D . 74 . In 138 the Emperor Adrian rebuilt that city , but had not time to lay the foundation of the Temple , for the Persians took it from Mmand the Saracens became masters of it A . D . 040 . During

, all this time the Nethenimes ( a posterity of Gibeonites , condemned by Joshua to he hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Temple ) distinguished themselves hy their virtue ; in time they became Knights of the East and Eoyal Arch Masons . They were esteemed for their retired life and simplicity of manners , their sobriety and charity , and took the name of Essenes . They elected a Grand Master for lifeand engaged to

, worship the true God ; to do justice ; to be loyal to their Sovereign ; and obey their Grand Master . These brethren embraced the neio law , and became Christians ; they retired to Sicily and other places , and in 1020 they were created Knights of the Eastern Star .

"In 10 S 3 , Godfrey of Bouillon and peter the Hermit laid a plan for the conquest of Jerusalem . " A . D . 1100 , the Christians associated , by a solemn vow , to establish the Temple in the Holy Land , and the Masonic Knights agreed to retain their ancient signs to know each other from the Saracens at a distance , in order to avoid surprise . They communicated their signs and words to those only who

promised , with the greatest solemnity , at the foot of the altar , never to reveal them . That obligation was a sacred bond to keep the individuals of several kingdoms in the same society . "Six millions of people , of different nations , united and vowed to conquer Jerusalem ; they wore the Calvary Cross on the shoulder , and , as the Emperor Constantino the Great had , in 1083 seen the red cross in the air with ' In hoc vinces' they

, , took that motto ; ancl the word for charging the enemy ' Dieu le vent . ' There was also a cross of distinction for the different countries . The English ( at that time ) wore white ; the Erench , red ; the Flemings , green ; the Germans , black ; the Italians , yellow ; & c * Many Eoyal Arch Masons and Knights of the Eastern Star , who were Christ ' s faithful soldiers and servants , had built a churchon the site where the Temple of Solomon

, bad been erected , which they dedicated to St . John of Jerusalem ; and when that eity was taken by Godfrey Bouillon , A . D . 1103 , he gave the care of the holy sepulchre to the Knights of the Eastern Star , with the additional title of Knights liosa . Crusis . Their duty was to guard the sepulchre and escort the ' pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem .

" A . D . 1118 , King Baldwin II . instituted the Order of Knights Templar of St . John of Jerusalem , in which he incorporated seven knights Rosa : Crucis " . After nine years had expired this military Order was consecrated by the Pope , and to their vow of obedience to the Grand Master , and charity to the poor , they added celibacy . The Knights Hospitallers , originated from the Order of St . Lazarus , attended the sick and wounded ; they afterwards became Knihts of Iihodesand areat this time

g , , , Knights of Malta . " After the ninth crusade , A . D . 1272 , the institution of Knights of the East and AA est ivas established . Those knights had taken a solemn oath to shed their blood to establish the worship ofthe God ofthe Christians in His Temple at Jerusalem , which , when they found it impossible to accomplish , they returned to their respective countries , aud , in order to establish in their

hearts what they could not realise by action , they solemnly engaged not to admit a brother to the sixth degree until he had given proof of his friendship , zeal , and discretion ; and they were created Knights of the East and AVest by King Edward I ., of England ( who at that time was informed of the death of his father , King Henry III . ) His Majesty also dubbed them Knights of the Temple of Palestine ; for , the infidels having changed or altered the Church of St . John into a Mosque , our

brethren denominated the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the Temple of Palestine , from its being situated on Mount Calvary , which is without the walls . Immediately after , King Edward returned to England with his subjects , and became Grand Patron of the Knights Templar , & c , in . Britain . " The origin and history of the seventh degree , or -Knights Kadosh , may not be written . "N . B . —In 1295 tbe Popeas Grand Patriarch of those

, , military ancl religious Orders , directed that the Knights who had sewed in the Crusades should , in future , wear a golden cross . " Everything that bears the name of being the production of Dunckerley must have an interest to tbe studious Freemason , and in such a spiritit is forwarded by -G . O . K T .

THE MASONIC SCHOOLS AND THEIR TRAINING . In these days of competitive examinations , ?/ ken an examiner attends periodically at our schools to put tbe pupils through a series of questions , and make a longwinded report , akin to " much ado about nothing , " it is very surprising that an old-fashioned test of tbe value of tbe education received by the childrenin showing what

, tbey are fitted for in tbe battle of life , should not have been revived . In an old report of tbe Boys' School , dated 1817 , tbe names of the lads who left it from 1798 , to tbe former year , are regularly given , and there is a column stating " bow disposed of , " by ' which it is easy to see for what tbe majority were qualified . Of course , as there were many , for whom tbere . was no opening on their

leavingthe school , tbe entry , " returned to their friends , "is very numerous ; still those who were apprenticed give tbe tone of theiriitnessby tbe trades which tbey were supposed to be competent to learn , and , accordingly , there are several bound to coopers , tailors , carpenters , and other handicraftsmen , chiefly residing in the eastern portion ofthe metropolis ; and it is but fair to infer tbe education tbey received was only snob as to qualify them for those employments . What we all should like " to know now is ,

What has tbe training of our schools done for their scholars ? What position in life do tbey attain ; ancl bow soon , after leaving , are tbey enabled to commence labouring for their bread ; or is it requisite that tbey should , after their school time has expired , resort elsewhere to be further instructed before tbey take their share in tbe common toil of humanity ? Information of this kind

would really give tbe subscribers some notion of the value of tbe training of the schools , and not leave them , as now , " to gather figs of thistles " from the report of an examiner who , for aught that is known to tbe contrary , may have some educational crotchet of bis own as a touchstone of ability , or be personally interested in tbe welfare of the teachers . Our schools ought to give an

education neither too high to render tbe pupils dissatisfied with their position in after life , nor too low , so as to fit them only to be menials ; but it should be thoroughly useful , and , to judge of its utility , a list should be given , year by year , of those situations , or employments , ivhich have been obtained by tbe pupils , as the truest guide to tho fitting of the sons and daughters of our poorer brethren by tbe schools from whence they have derived their training . —PRECEPTOR .

HIDING A BROTHER . It so happened , during the War of Independence , that Joseph Burnham , a prisoner of war , who was brought to New York , and of course confined to prison , made bis escape ; but not knowing where to fly , fortunately found bis way to the Green Bay Tree Tavern , in Fair-street , where St . John ' s Lodge was heldaudindeedtbe onl

, , , y one held in this city at that time , where he was kindly received , and brotherly protection afforded him by Bro . Hopkins ( commonly called Daddy Hopkins ) , the then keeper of the bouse . Bro . Hopkins soon prepared a habitation of safety from tbe pursuers of the afflicted prisoner , by securing him in bis garret . In this place he fed and nourished him for a considerable time , waiting