The Knights Templars.

devils . Nor would such a sight fail to dispose the onlookers in favour of the cause of the Templarsfor they could not but believe in the innocence of those men , who , mildly , but courageously , faced them , with the valour of innocence lighting up their brows , who had never ajDpeared so worthy of reverence , when they held high places at Court and in armies , as now , dishonoured , disgraced , and condemned men .

As they arrived in Paris , they were conducted before _ the Commissioners , and all , with a few exceptions , declared their willingness to defend the Order , crying out against the vileness of the accusations , aud protesting their innocence . They demanded that they should have restored to them

the habits of the Order , of which they had been despoiled , and , above all , to be admitted to the Sacraments of the Church . Several of them put into their responses that frankness and energy which is its true characteristic , and becomes so well innocence . The Commissioners , upon asking

them if they would defend the Order , received the following replies : —John de Chames , Raynaud de Paris , Matthew de Table , Nicholas de Compiegne Arnold de Perche , Denis Neveu . —To the death . Raoul de Taverni . —Until the end . Richard de Marseille . —Yes , because I wish to save my soul . Robert de Sorney . —It has ever been my wish . Bertrand de Saint Paul . —I have never confessed

the crimes imputed to the Order . I will never confess them . They are calumnies . I believe that God would , by a miracle , prove our innocence , if you caused to be administered the Holy Sacrament at the same time to those who confessed , and to those who denied the charges . Twelve Knights . With bod

— y and soul . Nine Kni ghts . —Before all and against all , aye , unto the death . Peter deilarville and John de Portini .- —Against all living men , except the Pope and the King . Seven Kni ghts who had been interrogated in the presence of the Pope—although we in the of

presence the Pope made several avowals against the Order and against ourselves , we declare that we lied before him ; we revoke these avowals ; and demand to be enrolled as defenders of the Order . John de Valgelle . —And I also . I have been presented to the Pope , but I made no avowal

. I demand to defend the Order . Bernard de A ' ado . —I have been dreadfully tortured , I was held so long before a scorching lire , that the flesh of my Feet was burnt away . These two bones which I present to you were detached from my heels . Look , they are wanting from my body ; still I shall defend the Order . '

A very remarkable incident occurred during these presentations . A Templar , Laurence de Beaune , presented a letter to the Commissioners , which the clerk , John Chapini , had handed to him at Sens , when the Bishop of Orleans came to examine them . The letter bore the seals of Philip de Voet aud John de Jainville , Wardens of the Templars , the one being appointed by the

The Knights Templars.

Pope , the other by the Kiug , and was addressed to Laurence de Beaune , and the other accused , confined at Sens . The letter contained proposals from the Pope and King , and invited the captives to make the required confessions , threatening those who failed to do so with death by fire . The

Commissioners ordered Philip de Voet to be brought before them , and shewed him the letter . He said , — "I do not remember having sent this letter . I do not know whether it is stamped with my seal . Sometimes it has been left in the hands of my secretary . I have neither ordered nor

consented that it should be affixed . I have always told the accused to speak the truth . - ' Since De Voet did not recognise the letter , why did the Commissioners not examine his secretary , who had at times the custody of his seal ? They ought , likewise , to have examined John de Jainville ,

whose seal was also affixed , and John Chapini , who had delivered the letter to De Beaune , From this incident , we learn that the King ' s agents had recourse to all sorts of means whereby to intimidate the accused ; and , certainly , the horrible menace of consigning those who retracted to the flames ,, sufficiently establishes this . ( To be eontimied . )

Funeral Oration.

FUNERAL ORATION .

Brother Richard Watson , a native of Falkirk , died at Grangemouth , and was buried at the expense of the Lodge Zetland . A large attendance of the brethren were present , including a deputation from Lodge St . John Falkirk . Our deceased brother had been a Mason for upwards of half a

century , and was held iu high respect by the brethren and by the general public . The oration which we append , was read over the grave by Bro ,. W . M . Bryce , the highly respected Grand Tyler of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The funeral took lace in the Old Church Yard of Falkirk : — -

p Brethren , —The solemn notes that betoken the dissolution of our earthly tabernacle , have been sounding an alarm at our outer door , and a spirit has been summoned out from amongst us unto that land where our fathers have all gone before us ; and you , my brethren , have been summoned here among the

habitations of the dead to look into this narrow house appointed for all living . Here around us in a peace that the world kuoweth not , and in a peace that the world cannot give , sleep the unnumbered dead . For years the gentle breeze has been fanning the verdant covering , they heed it not ; the suu shines , and the

storms have alike been passing over them , but they have ne ' er been disturbed ; lettered stones and sculptured monuments alike stand around us , testifying as to the affections of some surviving friend . They speak not , neither does any sound proceed from them , save iving a silent but thrilling admonition" Be also

g , ye ready ; " admonishing us all to seek early that narrow path and that straight gate that leads eastwards , onwards , and upwards to the realms of everlasting bliss . Ye have also been summoned here , my brethren , on three points of our Urder ; to consider