Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Notes Relative To The Order Of The Temple.
hiatus which cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed . This hiatus is directed against tbe Scottish Order of Templars , and proves that tbe author was not only acquainted with the existence of the Scottish Templars , but that he also considered it necessary to destroy their old list of succession in order to substantiate the ideal claims of the others . * We have here most valuable evidence of the importance of the Scottish Order —useful also in another sense as destroying the credibility of the charter ,
the author of which has miserably exposed himself , by making Larmenius put tbe Brethren of St . John under the ban ; for how could the brotherhood which was never within the circle of the Temple be driven out of it ? The two Orders were quite distinct and independent of each other ; they were , in fact , excessively jealous of each other ; and the excommunication would have been equally as foolish as if , in our clays , the Knights of the Garter were to pronounce a similar sentence against those of the Golden Fleece .
So much for the French Order of the Temple ; we will now go over to tbe history of the Order in Scotland . The Scotch line which , in our opinion , may justly be considered as the only legitimate branch of the Order , begins with Walter cle Clifton , Grancl Preceptor of Scotland , in the year 1309 , and afterwards Grancl Master . Long before this time the Templars had landed property in ScotJanci , and enjoyed the particular protection and favour of the Scottish kings . Out of our acquaintance with the independent spirit of those princesand
, the opposition they constantly gave to the encroachments of the Romish stool , we may safely conclude that the persecutions of the Templars would not have extended to Scotland if a native prince had sat upon the throne ; but in 1309 Robert Bruce was declared an outlawed fugitive ; four years before that time Sir William Wallace was killed upon a scaffold , and the rapacious Edward of England possessed the whole country . In fact we find in an old chronicle called Ragman ' s Rollthat in 1291
, Sir Brian ( le Jay ?) the Preceptor of the Temple in Scotland , was compelled to take the oath of allegiance to the English king . t The same chronicle proves that in 1296 the then Master of the Temple in Scotland , Johan de Santre , with many others had sworn the same homage to Edward of England . J This prince acted in the same manner to the Scottish Templars as he did to the members of the Order in his own inheritance . We find in
Wilkin ' s Consilia , that in the year 1309 the Preceptor Walter de Clifton , and William cle Middleton , went through a judicial examination before the Popish legate , Jan van Soleme and the Bishop of St . Andrews . The Preceptor , in his defence , stated that the remainder of the brethren were fled , and had scattered themselves propter scandalium exortum contra ordinem ; but from what afterwards occurred , it appears clearly that they hacl chosen the same place for a refuge as their fugitive King
Robert Bruce . Scotland , in fact , appears to have been the only place where the persecuted Templars of the continent could find a refuge ; for Wilcke relates , that on taking the members of the Order prisoners in France , Peter van Boulogne , Grand Prelate and Procurator-general at the court of Rome , fled with many others into Scotland , ancl there found au asylum . It does not appear that Clifton and Middleton
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Notes Relative To The Order Of The Temple.
hiatus which cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed . This hiatus is directed against tbe Scottish Order of Templars , and proves that tbe author was not only acquainted with the existence of the Scottish Templars , but that he also considered it necessary to destroy their old list of succession in order to substantiate the ideal claims of the others . * We have here most valuable evidence of the importance of the Scottish Order —useful also in another sense as destroying the credibility of the charter ,
the author of which has miserably exposed himself , by making Larmenius put tbe Brethren of St . John under the ban ; for how could the brotherhood which was never within the circle of the Temple be driven out of it ? The two Orders were quite distinct and independent of each other ; they were , in fact , excessively jealous of each other ; and the excommunication would have been equally as foolish as if , in our clays , the Knights of the Garter were to pronounce a similar sentence against those of the Golden Fleece .
So much for the French Order of the Temple ; we will now go over to tbe history of the Order in Scotland . The Scotch line which , in our opinion , may justly be considered as the only legitimate branch of the Order , begins with Walter cle Clifton , Grancl Preceptor of Scotland , in the year 1309 , and afterwards Grancl Master . Long before this time the Templars had landed property in ScotJanci , and enjoyed the particular protection and favour of the Scottish kings . Out of our acquaintance with the independent spirit of those princesand
, the opposition they constantly gave to the encroachments of the Romish stool , we may safely conclude that the persecutions of the Templars would not have extended to Scotland if a native prince had sat upon the throne ; but in 1309 Robert Bruce was declared an outlawed fugitive ; four years before that time Sir William Wallace was killed upon a scaffold , and the rapacious Edward of England possessed the whole country . In fact we find in an old chronicle called Ragman ' s Rollthat in 1291
, Sir Brian ( le Jay ?) the Preceptor of the Temple in Scotland , was compelled to take the oath of allegiance to the English king . t The same chronicle proves that in 1296 the then Master of the Temple in Scotland , Johan de Santre , with many others had sworn the same homage to Edward of England . J This prince acted in the same manner to the Scottish Templars as he did to the members of the Order in his own inheritance . We find in
Wilkin ' s Consilia , that in the year 1309 the Preceptor Walter de Clifton , and William cle Middleton , went through a judicial examination before the Popish legate , Jan van Soleme and the Bishop of St . Andrews . The Preceptor , in his defence , stated that the remainder of the brethren were fled , and had scattered themselves propter scandalium exortum contra ordinem ; but from what afterwards occurred , it appears clearly that they hacl chosen the same place for a refuge as their fugitive King
Robert Bruce . Scotland , in fact , appears to have been the only place where the persecuted Templars of the continent could find a refuge ; for Wilcke relates , that on taking the members of the Order prisoners in France , Peter van Boulogne , Grand Prelate and Procurator-general at the court of Rome , fled with many others into Scotland , ancl there found au asylum . It does not appear that Clifton and Middleton