The Knights Templars.

the Order justice , as they could not doubt the innocence of the Knights , after the miracle which had occured , where several Templars condemned to be burned , when fastened to a post in the midst of a blazing pile , the flames spared them .

This miracle was a fabrication of the Waldgrave , but the President did not dare to deny it . He repeated his intention of interceding with the Pope on their behalf , and had little doubt that his Holiness would listen to the voice of the Council .

The Waldgrave then offered to undergo the ordeal of glowing iron ; he stated that he had known the Grand Master , De Molai , intimately , in the East and believed him to be as good a Christian as any man . The President did not think this trial

necessary ; but the Waldgrave resolving to give the Council some proof , set fire to his cloak , an example followed by his companions . They were not burned ; but in all probability their armour protected them , if the story is not altogether a

fable . The Walgrave and his companions then left the Council . The President kept his promise , and wrote the Pope what had passed , expressed the great danger which would result by proceeding

against the Order , and insinuated that thez-e could exist no doubt as to the inncence of the Knights . The Abbot of Crudau wrote him also , and detailed the menacing language used by the Waldgrave , the danger of proceeding against the Order in Germany , and the popular belief in the innocence

of the Templars . Upon receiving these letters , the Pope became alarmed at the charge of illegality of election , brought against him by the Waldgrave , and , on the 1 st of July , sent a fresh commission to Mayence , with instructions to absolve the

Knights , and to declare them innocent , but to incorporate them with some of the other military Orders , as the Templars were dissolved . This was accordingly done . The Waldgrave and his companions were summoned to the Council , and

informed that the Order of the Temple being dissolved , they were to be incorporated with another Order . They chose that of the Teutonic Knights . The conduct of the German Kni ghts proves , that had ihe French Templars not been secretly arrested , they would have , in defending themselves , in all probability shaken Philip ' s crown .

The Order of St . John and the Temple , in Scotland , became extinct at the reformation , when Sir James So . udila . nds , the Grand Prior , turned Protestant . At the same period , the same fate in

The Knights Templars.

a manner , befell the Teutonic Knights ; but , instead of giving birth to a Torphichen family , as in Scotland , the successors of the Templars in Germany founded the Prussian kingdom . ( To be continued . )

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

WILLIAM THE LION ' S CHARTER . I have the pleasure now of annexing copy of this Charter as given at pages 66 , 67 , No . 76 , Vol . I . of the " Registrum Glasguensis Episcopis , " Bannatyne and Maitland Clubs' joint publication , 730-g-14-15 ( 1134 ) , British Museum's Catalogue , which "A Masonic Student'' asks for . —ANTHONY ONEAL HATE .

De pteccoe hnfcom ecce Glasg . ' Wills Dei gra Rex Scottoru . omnibz plis hominibus toci tre sue clicis et Laicis salem . Neeessitati Gfasguens ecclie . Pietate debita eompacientes et earn summi Regis , et scissimi Kentegni . confessoris intuitu deuocoe non modica . diligentes . desolaeoi iius eura nolumq

cop solacois adhibere . et earn qoad possumq regie ptectois munimine cfoue . Qm ante mat mltarum gentiu . exilis anhac et angusta . ad honors Dei ampliari desiderat , et pterea in hiis diebs nris igne cosumpta ad sui reparaeoem amplissimis expensis indigens et nrm et pliu pbom hominum subsidium expostulat . frnitate qam

ad eiq costructoem venablis Joe . ' - eiusde ecclie eps de cosilio abb aim priora et albius chri epabus sui costifcuifc . Devote reeipimq . et regie cocessionis munimine usq . ad ipius ecclie pfectoem conftrmamq . et oes eiqde fraitatis collectoves . et ad eiq fabricam auetoritate Epi et capitli ipius ecclie . auxilium postulantes . in

nra firma pace et ptectoe suscipimq omnibs Ballis nris et ministris firmit peipientes . vt eos vbiq in regno nro ptegant et manuteneant et districte phibentes . ne quis eis iniuria violenciam ant eotumeliam aliqam mferat sup nram plenaria forisfcuram . Test . JIugone caneellar nro . Archenb Abbe de Dunfermel . Willo de Lundes justic . Philippe de Valonia . and Rokesburg .

( 1 ) . " De protectione benefaetorum ecclessie Glasguensis . '' I have contracted as nearly as possible with the original . I add the passage commencing at line eight of Charter to show the . difference between the words in extenso and in contraction : —¦ "Mater multariuu gentium e . vilis antehae et angusta ,

ad honorem Dei ampliari desiderat , et preterea in hiis diebus nostris igne eonsumpta ad sui reparacionem amplissimis expensis indigens et nostrum et plurium . proborum hominum subsidium expostulat . " ( 2 ) . Mr . Cosmo Innes says in his introduction , vol . 1 p . xxv .: — " Jocelin founded a society to collect

, funds for its'' ( the Cathedral ' s ) " restoration , for which he obtained the royal sanction and protection . This decides the question , so far as Mr . Innes is concerned , or he has changed his mind since editing the work .

CHRISTIAN MASONRY . Templarism is an institution of legitimate Christian form . I have understood that there are Rose Croix Chapters in this country , of the same form , and most