The Knights Templars.

of St . Bernard , yet succeeded wonderfully in gaining recruits for the Holy War . The Counts of Champagne , Flanders and Blois , assumed the cross , but this expedition never got further than Constantinople , where war was raging betAveen Alexis

Son of Isaacns , who hacl been dethroned by his brother and the usurper . The details of this Crusade are foreign to our subject . The Templars , meanAvhile , had recaptured their castles and strongholds in Antioch ancl Tripoli ,

and seizing advantage of the feuds among the Musselmen , drove them across the Orontes , ancl restored the mountain districts to the Christian

sway . The Egyptians having seized upon some Christian vessels , opened up fresh ground for advancing the triumphant Beauseant . King Almeric having received no indemnit y from Saif-eddiu , for this

outrage , he and the Grand Master met at Acre to concert measures of reprisal . The Beauseant was unfurled , and at midnight the Templars , accompanied by the King , marched forth . They ravaged the whole country to the Jordan , and captured a

vast quantity of booty , at the same time acquainting their brethren at Acre with their movements by means of carrier pigeons . Coradin , Sultan of Damascus , hearing of this , marched with an army against the Templars' hill fort of Dok , situated

about three miles from Acre . His adyance filled the inhabitants with the greatest consternation , but the Templars falling suddenly upon the Sultan , routed his army Avith great slaughter , and drove Coradin back upon Damascus , Avhen he concluded a truce Avith the Christians . The

Templars , with the Count of Tripoli , and the princes of Antioch thereafter commenced a war ivith the Emirs of Syria . The Templars during the Grand Mastership of de Plessis , lent themselves to the furtherance of

one of those pious frauds , ivith which the annals of the Church of Rome so abound . Daring the year 1204 it Avas reported through the Holy Land , that in a castle of Damascus , a statue of the Virgin Mary hacl become clothed Avith flesh , put forth

breasts , from which there dropped a kind of juice or oil , of wondrous efficacy in removing the sins of pious people . From the distance of the place and the dangers which beset the way , the supply was limited . The Templars who saAv in the sale

of this liquid a source of great gain , took upon themselves the duty of fetching the mirific fluid to the coast that remained in the possession of the

Christians . Wendover gives a detailed account of this statue and of the wonderful efficacy of the fluid in his Chronicle of the year 1204 . It Avas during * the pontificate of Innocent that the first public censure was passed upon the

Templars . Several countries had been in turn placed under interdict , the highest and most terrible punishment that could be inflicted by the Pope . The churches were closed , the sacraments suspended , except the baptism of new born infants and the viaticum . The dead were buried in

the fields Avithout ceremony of any kind , the priests being forbidden to perform any religious service .. We can suppose the state of a people lying under such an awful ban , the holiest and tenderest sentiments and memories broken in upon and

suspended , and Ave can also imagine how eagerly thepious would seek any means to regain admission tothe service of the altar . By the Bull " Omne Datum Optimum , " the Templars had the privilegeof having their chapels thrown open and mass saicl

therein by their priests , in places lying under interdict . This privilege they turned to profit , by affiliating into their Order such persons as might be disposed to pay for that honour . So far was this carried that at leno * th the attention of

Innocent-Avas drawn to ifc , for eveiy man was anxious to havean opportunity of attending mass , and in the event of death , of being buried in consecrated ground . The Pope thereupon Avrote the Grand Master declaring * that to the shame and sorrow of the Holy

Eoman Church , their good mother , who hacl loaded them ivith many blessings ancl endless benefits ,, the Templars dared to preach in public on entering a town under interdict , that they had the power of opening all churches successfully , to-day one church

and to-morrow another , just as they pleased ; and if it happened that there was no church in the place , they hesitated not to celebrate divine service every day in any convenient place with doors open , ancl Avith the ringing of bells , unmindful that such

practices enervated all regular discipline , and rendered useless interdicts . The Templars' privilege only extended to once a year in the same place , and then there was to be no ringing ot bells . The Pope goes on to taunt them with bearing the

cross of Christ upon their breasts , but that they cared not to follow this example , nor his doctrines , which forbade them to give offence to any of the little ones who believed on Him . Furthermore , referring to the indiscriminate affiliation of members , he declared that they followed the doctrines