Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The True Historical Aspect Of The " Religious And Military" Order Of The Temple ; Ci-Devant " Masonic.'
THE TRUE HISTORICAL ASPECT OF THE " RELIGIOUS AND MILITARY" ORDER OF THE TEMPLE ; ci-devant " MASONIC . '
BT WALTER , SPENCER , F . E . G . S ., Member of the International Congress of Orientalists , & c . & c . OF affiliated Masonic Orders , or side degrees , there has been none more honourable than that of " Masonic Knights Templar . " A change Avas effected in its
constitution upon the installation as Grand Master , of the Heir-Apparent , in full conclave of Knights from all parts of the kingdom , with a ceremonial memorable from traditions and surroundings as Avell as from the evident earnestness imparted to it by the Prince .
In their main features , the remodelled Statutes have reverted to the constitution of antiquity , and have discontinued the use of the prefix " Masonic , " which during more than a century , marked the transition from enforced obscurity to reviving splendour . Theoretically , the Cross
of the Order has ever conferred a title to chivalry ( anciently " nobility '' ) ; now—the quasi-official acknowledgment implied in the bestoAval of Crosses upon some of the chief potentates of Europe , has ratified its title to honour . Being constituted a Brotherhood of Gentlemen , i . e . of men
whose culture and instincts associated for the furtherance of public welfare , render their Order a social engine of weight and standing , it is , theoretically , the pride and duty of all , from the Grand Master to the youngest Companion , to serve the Order to the best of their ability , for the love of the Order , ennobled by common
disinterestedness . This is true CHIVALRY ; not medieval nor Quixotic , but conceived in the highest instinct of our age , as a counterpoise to the Avorship of Mammon and the love of self . This differentiates the Temple from Universal Masonry—that
general bond , which harmonising men of every creed and status , necessarily perpetuates its interests by appealing to selfish aspirations—temptirg all to office after office , attended by reneAval of honours . The aim of the Temple is that of Masonry ; but , as in olden times its individuals
Avere bound to poverty and chastity , even so now abnegation is required of them . The means employed cannot be " Universality . " The Temple marshals but one corps in the van of progress , and its creed is " Christianity , " Avhich it
heralds as the true civiliser , the surest reformer and the SAviftest accelerator of imperfect manhood tOAvards the millennium of love . Both have their mission , but the Templar is the farther from his goal , and not yet in this Avorld can he expect reward .
In the United States a more methodical organisation , and more definite plans have rendered the Order more powerful than here ; not to be left out of account by public men , whose shifty expediency may invite retribution from a " public opinion , " stimulated by higher principle .
In Republic and Kingdom Statutes may differ , but principles are the same—unselfish adhesion to the Order , respect for its constituents , and pride in its name . These evidently
inspire our Grand Master and Great Prior , and are worthy of the esteemed Officers and Companions Avho have begun to agitate for return to " Masonic " usages , for whose consideration I subjoin the following precis : —
The tale of the atrocious and too successful plot laid by the Pope and the King of France , Avhich brought about the ruin of the Order in A . D . 1307 , of the sufferings and heroic martyrdom of its chiefs , is too well known to need recapitulation ; but this does not close its history . I now
quote from " The History , " by James Burnes , LL . D ., F . R . S ., Knight of tho Royal Guelphic Order , & c , & c , a distinguished Knight Templar : — " The Brotherhood was not suppressed , and there has been a succession of Knights Templar from the twelfth century down to these days ;
the chain of transmission is perfect . Jacques de Malay , Grand Master , anticipating Ids martyrdom , appointed , as his successor . Johannes Marcus Larmenius , of Jerusalem , and from that time there has been a regular line . The Charter of Transmission , with the signatures of the various
chiefs , is stul preserved . Here folloAvs a list of the Grand Masters , according to the signatures of the Charter , from Larmenius onAvard , comprehending the great Du Guesclin
Maine , Conde and Conti . The Grand Mastership , after the French Revolution , Avas preserved in the person of Bernard Raymond Fabre-Palaprat , and by him transmitted to Sir Sydney Smith , AVIIOSC oiom de guerre , " Occur de Lion , " acquired in the Levant , specially pointed him out as
The True Historical Aspect Of The " Religious And Military" Order Of The Temple ; Ci-Devant " Masonic.'
the most Avorthy of Christian Knights for that eminent station . The head-quarters of the Order remained at Paris , but the lamentable prevalence , since 1830 , of faction and political incertitude in that city of ferment , whose baleful
influence other institutions have not escaped , proved stifling to the spirit of the Order , and , so far as I can ascertain , it either languished in retirement or became extinct . The dignity of Grand Prior in this country Avas supported by the Duke of Sussex , on whose shoulders , at
Sir Sydney ' s death , and failing regular succession , the mantle of Grand Master Avould have appropriately descended . Autograph endorsements of his , upon diplomas of the Order issued from Paris , are in my possession . Whether manifold occupations afterwards impeded the
regular discharge of his functions , I know not , but numerous Encampments of Knights Templar , dating from before the days of Grand Master Dunckerly ( Fitz-George ) , were certainly under his command . The origin of these latter is involved in obscurity ; there can be little doubt that , in
this as in other countries , fragments of the Order perpetuated in secret a shadowy existence , unveiled on the advent of propitious days at various centres , and marshalled in due time under a Boyal banner . Of the traditions and functions of the Duke , the present Grand Master is the
natural heir , and details of privilege should give way to Royal prerogative . The spirit of the Charter animates the Order , it's text is but an antiquarian curiosity ; it still survives , and could find no such legitimate owner as H . R . H . the Prince of Wales .
And now , close critics of the hard cynical stamp , and clever iconoclasts of the Findel School , will smile and say" This is a pretty story , and though the existence of the Charter be not disputed , Ave have condemned it long since
for a forgery . " Fortunately , the use of reason , is not confined to the cynical critic or patriotic iconoclast : and I Avill take the liberty to state and examine the charges brought against the Charter , in vindication of its authenticity . *
Tho first , and , as will appear , the only noteworthy attack , is made by M . Gavel , iu his Eistoire pittoresqite de la Franc-Mai ; onnerie , Sfc . Paris : 1843 , p 215 . After stating that he has before him original documents to the following purport , and that Dr . Morrison , of Greenfield ,
intended to publish them , he informs us : " that an association for abominable purposes , Avas formed at the Court of Louis XIV ., Avas suppressed by that monarch , and revived by Philippe d'Orleans in 1705 , for political ends . That an Italian Jesuit then forged the Charter Avith the signatures
of the Grand Masters , that a Minute Book Avas commenced , which was kept up by succeeding Grand Masters . That the Order attempted to open communication Avith the surviving branch of the Templars ( the Order of Christ ) , in Portugal , but Avas met Avith scorn b y King John V .,
who arrested its envoys . That on the death of Grand Master the Due de Cosse-Brissac , in the Revolution , an articleof his furniture containing the Charter and other documents , Avas purchased by his physician , who showed them to a friend and to Fabre-Palaprat , and that this suggested
a revival . " He adds that the founders at once took to manufacturing relics in support of the documents in their possession ; that burnt bones from the pyre of De Malay ,
Avere fabricated b y Leblond and Fabre , that a copper reliquiary and other things , were bought by Leblond of a marine-store-dealer , that a damascened iron casque was stolen by Arnal from a government depot , & c , & c .
The story as told by Clavel reads glibly and smooth ; let us see whether such confident assertion has been supported by , or is capable of proof . Firstly , as general premises , I would remark that the readers of the pages of Clavel must be struck with that
author s proficiency in the art of book-making , and the evident adaptation of his wares " to sell . " I am far from finding fault Avith this propensity , but must point out that a good anecdote-monger and a sprightly cynic does not always stick at trifles , Avhen his knowledge or judgement is at
fault ; that his aptitude for drawing upon imagination must be sometimes gratified at the expense of truth ; that he can hardly fail to pass off some fables for facts , or
unwittingly to recount some facts as fables . Moreover , it must be remembered , and I shall subsequentl y have more to say in that connection , that the main and ostensible cause of the doAvnfall of the Order in the 14 th * See also Sketch of the Knight * Templar , < fr . By Richard Woof , F . 8 . A . Lon < cloHi isftl .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The True Historical Aspect Of The " Religious And Military" Order Of The Temple ; Ci-Devant " Masonic.'
THE TRUE HISTORICAL ASPECT OF THE " RELIGIOUS AND MILITARY" ORDER OF THE TEMPLE ; ci-devant " MASONIC . '
BT WALTER , SPENCER , F . E . G . S ., Member of the International Congress of Orientalists , & c . & c . OF affiliated Masonic Orders , or side degrees , there has been none more honourable than that of " Masonic Knights Templar . " A change Avas effected in its
constitution upon the installation as Grand Master , of the Heir-Apparent , in full conclave of Knights from all parts of the kingdom , with a ceremonial memorable from traditions and surroundings as Avell as from the evident earnestness imparted to it by the Prince .
In their main features , the remodelled Statutes have reverted to the constitution of antiquity , and have discontinued the use of the prefix " Masonic , " which during more than a century , marked the transition from enforced obscurity to reviving splendour . Theoretically , the Cross
of the Order has ever conferred a title to chivalry ( anciently " nobility '' ) ; now—the quasi-official acknowledgment implied in the bestoAval of Crosses upon some of the chief potentates of Europe , has ratified its title to honour . Being constituted a Brotherhood of Gentlemen , i . e . of men
whose culture and instincts associated for the furtherance of public welfare , render their Order a social engine of weight and standing , it is , theoretically , the pride and duty of all , from the Grand Master to the youngest Companion , to serve the Order to the best of their ability , for the love of the Order , ennobled by common
disinterestedness . This is true CHIVALRY ; not medieval nor Quixotic , but conceived in the highest instinct of our age , as a counterpoise to the Avorship of Mammon and the love of self . This differentiates the Temple from Universal Masonry—that
general bond , which harmonising men of every creed and status , necessarily perpetuates its interests by appealing to selfish aspirations—temptirg all to office after office , attended by reneAval of honours . The aim of the Temple is that of Masonry ; but , as in olden times its individuals
Avere bound to poverty and chastity , even so now abnegation is required of them . The means employed cannot be " Universality . " The Temple marshals but one corps in the van of progress , and its creed is " Christianity , " Avhich it
heralds as the true civiliser , the surest reformer and the SAviftest accelerator of imperfect manhood tOAvards the millennium of love . Both have their mission , but the Templar is the farther from his goal , and not yet in this Avorld can he expect reward .
In the United States a more methodical organisation , and more definite plans have rendered the Order more powerful than here ; not to be left out of account by public men , whose shifty expediency may invite retribution from a " public opinion , " stimulated by higher principle .
In Republic and Kingdom Statutes may differ , but principles are the same—unselfish adhesion to the Order , respect for its constituents , and pride in its name . These evidently
inspire our Grand Master and Great Prior , and are worthy of the esteemed Officers and Companions Avho have begun to agitate for return to " Masonic " usages , for whose consideration I subjoin the following precis : —
The tale of the atrocious and too successful plot laid by the Pope and the King of France , Avhich brought about the ruin of the Order in A . D . 1307 , of the sufferings and heroic martyrdom of its chiefs , is too well known to need recapitulation ; but this does not close its history . I now
quote from " The History , " by James Burnes , LL . D ., F . R . S ., Knight of tho Royal Guelphic Order , & c , & c , a distinguished Knight Templar : — " The Brotherhood was not suppressed , and there has been a succession of Knights Templar from the twelfth century down to these days ;
the chain of transmission is perfect . Jacques de Malay , Grand Master , anticipating Ids martyrdom , appointed , as his successor . Johannes Marcus Larmenius , of Jerusalem , and from that time there has been a regular line . The Charter of Transmission , with the signatures of the various
chiefs , is stul preserved . Here folloAvs a list of the Grand Masters , according to the signatures of the Charter , from Larmenius onAvard , comprehending the great Du Guesclin
Maine , Conde and Conti . The Grand Mastership , after the French Revolution , Avas preserved in the person of Bernard Raymond Fabre-Palaprat , and by him transmitted to Sir Sydney Smith , AVIIOSC oiom de guerre , " Occur de Lion , " acquired in the Levant , specially pointed him out as
The True Historical Aspect Of The " Religious And Military" Order Of The Temple ; Ci-Devant " Masonic.'
the most Avorthy of Christian Knights for that eminent station . The head-quarters of the Order remained at Paris , but the lamentable prevalence , since 1830 , of faction and political incertitude in that city of ferment , whose baleful
influence other institutions have not escaped , proved stifling to the spirit of the Order , and , so far as I can ascertain , it either languished in retirement or became extinct . The dignity of Grand Prior in this country Avas supported by the Duke of Sussex , on whose shoulders , at
Sir Sydney ' s death , and failing regular succession , the mantle of Grand Master Avould have appropriately descended . Autograph endorsements of his , upon diplomas of the Order issued from Paris , are in my possession . Whether manifold occupations afterwards impeded the
regular discharge of his functions , I know not , but numerous Encampments of Knights Templar , dating from before the days of Grand Master Dunckerly ( Fitz-George ) , were certainly under his command . The origin of these latter is involved in obscurity ; there can be little doubt that , in
this as in other countries , fragments of the Order perpetuated in secret a shadowy existence , unveiled on the advent of propitious days at various centres , and marshalled in due time under a Boyal banner . Of the traditions and functions of the Duke , the present Grand Master is the
natural heir , and details of privilege should give way to Royal prerogative . The spirit of the Charter animates the Order , it's text is but an antiquarian curiosity ; it still survives , and could find no such legitimate owner as H . R . H . the Prince of Wales .
And now , close critics of the hard cynical stamp , and clever iconoclasts of the Findel School , will smile and say" This is a pretty story , and though the existence of the Charter be not disputed , Ave have condemned it long since
for a forgery . " Fortunately , the use of reason , is not confined to the cynical critic or patriotic iconoclast : and I Avill take the liberty to state and examine the charges brought against the Charter , in vindication of its authenticity . *
Tho first , and , as will appear , the only noteworthy attack , is made by M . Gavel , iu his Eistoire pittoresqite de la Franc-Mai ; onnerie , Sfc . Paris : 1843 , p 215 . After stating that he has before him original documents to the following purport , and that Dr . Morrison , of Greenfield ,
intended to publish them , he informs us : " that an association for abominable purposes , Avas formed at the Court of Louis XIV ., Avas suppressed by that monarch , and revived by Philippe d'Orleans in 1705 , for political ends . That an Italian Jesuit then forged the Charter Avith the signatures
of the Grand Masters , that a Minute Book Avas commenced , which was kept up by succeeding Grand Masters . That the Order attempted to open communication Avith the surviving branch of the Templars ( the Order of Christ ) , in Portugal , but Avas met Avith scorn b y King John V .,
who arrested its envoys . That on the death of Grand Master the Due de Cosse-Brissac , in the Revolution , an articleof his furniture containing the Charter and other documents , Avas purchased by his physician , who showed them to a friend and to Fabre-Palaprat , and that this suggested
a revival . " He adds that the founders at once took to manufacturing relics in support of the documents in their possession ; that burnt bones from the pyre of De Malay ,
Avere fabricated b y Leblond and Fabre , that a copper reliquiary and other things , were bought by Leblond of a marine-store-dealer , that a damascened iron casque was stolen by Arnal from a government depot , & c , & c .
The story as told by Clavel reads glibly and smooth ; let us see whether such confident assertion has been supported by , or is capable of proof . Firstly , as general premises , I would remark that the readers of the pages of Clavel must be struck with that
author s proficiency in the art of book-making , and the evident adaptation of his wares " to sell . " I am far from finding fault Avith this propensity , but must point out that a good anecdote-monger and a sprightly cynic does not always stick at trifles , Avhen his knowledge or judgement is at
fault ; that his aptitude for drawing upon imagination must be sometimes gratified at the expense of truth ; that he can hardly fail to pass off some fables for facts , or
unwittingly to recount some facts as fables . Moreover , it must be remembered , and I shall subsequentl y have more to say in that connection , that the main and ostensible cause of the doAvnfall of the Order in the 14 th * See also Sketch of the Knight * Templar , < fr . By Richard Woof , F . 8 . A . Lon < cloHi isftl .