Masonic Musings.

Pagan countries , and also ol the Hebrews , till the Christian era , should contain a secret chamber or adytum , not to be approached but by certain privileged individuals , while the Temple

itself was open either entirely , or partially to the people without distinction . To the initiated , after many an awful trial of competency and fortitude , the lesser , and then the greater mysteries ,

were sparingly disclosed ; and in the dark or barely lighted penetralia of the heathen temple , tlie traditionary lore of an antediluvian world , was figuratively or enigmatically dispensed .

Having thus taken a general view of the materials of which Freemasonry is composed ; having laid down to thc best of my ability , a definition of it and entered to some extent upon

the consideration of that branch which we call the Art , as it has been applied especially to sacred buildings . I have only to express the hope that I have succeeded in the aim I had in view and

shewn at least that Masonry is not a mere empty name : —if so , then would I fondly trust that those members of the Craft who may peruse these lines , may be induced to regard the Order to

which they belong in its highest point of view may carry , out into tiie world those lessons which are so beautifully illustrated within the tiled portals of his lodge ; that they may

Bear and forbear with their brothers If they would be happy here ; Hear and forbear , loving others If they would be loved and

dear;that the charge delivered to them with the badge on their entrance into the mystic rite's , may not be confined to its mere literal significance , but bear with it a wider and ever-extending import : and that

Those hearts that have been long estranged , And friends that have grown cold , May meet again , like parted streams

And mingle as of old ; and that finally they be further urged on to study its true nature aud to trace its stililine and

salutary operation , not alone in the history of man at large , but also in the utmost recesses of that Temple , the human heart , whose adytum is open done to themselves and to Gotl . And should

there remarks fall perchance in the way of one without the pale of the ' mystic tie , ' let no loolish scolfor flippant jest , at the expense of the Order , rise on his lips . —let him learn , if he

knew it not before , and bear in his mind , that , as t'M ' ellentlv expressed bv an eloquent Divine" Freciiia' -uii ' . 'y teaches us to be what Christianity

would have us lie , imitators and followers of all that is great , and noble , ami good , and excellent , ami irue . And if he is a man and worthy ol of acccj'taiKv as a brother , his creed will be

" i v .. onlv noble to be gootl : Kind h ; ails arc more than coronets Viui simple faith than Aoniian blood .

L'he ceremony of installation will be worked by iivo . E . Gouheil , P . M ., on Wednesday , September i ith , ~ . ; , o p . m ., at the Conlidence Lotige of libinii'iiui ! . Bro . J'WSIIT ' . S Railway Tavern , Ee » -

cnurch-. ' ireel , K . C . Brethren desirous of becoming proficient in the above ceremony , are ¦ laited to attend , especially as it is so . seldom j-. aCcm . ! , i ii ) ;\ Lodge of instruction , more particularly by one so well able to perform the duty as Bro . Gollltci :.

Notes On The " United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital."

NOTES ON THE " UNITED ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL . "

A Lecture delivered before the Fratres of the Prudence Encampment of Alasonic Knights Templar , at Ipswich , on the 31 st July , 1872 . BY EMRA HOLMES , 31 ,

Eminent Commander of thc Encampment , Grand I ' rovosl of England , Provincial Grand Banner Bearer of the Royal Order of Scotland , & c . CConti . nncd from page 515 J

Jaques de Molay and three other of the most illustrious of the Templars were at this time kept in close imprisonment in Paris , and in March , 1313 , they were brought out on to a

great scaffold , erected opposite the Cathedral of Notre Dame , to renew their confessions before the eyes of the world . Two of the four did whatever was required of them , but not so the Grand Master .

When he had first appeared before the Pope s Commissioners in 1309 , I gather from Bro . A . O . Haye ' s most interesting account of the Templars , published in the Freemason' sMagazine ,

1 S 6 S and 1 S 6 9 , ( which , if it had been as full and exhaustive as to the Masonic Order , as it was of the old Kni ghts , would have been invaluable)—he cried out at once against the

avowals which had been inserted in the apostolic letters and solemnly denied them ; and in regard to these apostolic letters one circumstance

required some little consideration . The confessions which were imputed to De Molai and which he stated were fabrications were

inserted in the bull Lticiens Misericordium addressed to all the courts in Christendom . This bull is dated 12 August , although the Festival of thc Assumption , the 16 th Aug ., is given as the day

on which the Grand Master is declared to have made them ; in fact four days after the bill was issued . This very important circumstance was first noticed by Fleury . It was therein declared

that the heads of the Order had confessed and been absolved , yet before the Commissioners we find De Molai still treated as a heretic and unreconciled to the Church , and as such sent back

to his prison at Paris , and denied both pecuniary and spiritual aid , being a heretical and unreconciled Templar . When De Molai was again brought before the Commissioners , after relating

all that the Templars had done for Christendom he added " In fact there is no order that has spent so much blood for the Church and made themselves so redoubtable to the enemies of tlie Catholic faith .

Ihe Commissioners admitted the jiraisewortliiness of their actions , but said without faith they were as nolhing . Tlie Grand Master replied , says Uro . Have ,

in these noble words , " We acknowledge the truth of what you state , but in faith the order has never been wanting . 1 attest that 1 believe in God , in the persons of the Trinity , and in all

the other Articles of the Catholic Faith . I believe that there is but one God , one Faith , one Baptism , one Church , and that in death when the soul is separated from tlie body , there is but

one Judge ot the good and evil . This is the belief of the Order of the Temple . " Subsequently , however , after a long term oi

imprisonment , and the use of torture as well , Jaques de Molai did make some sort of confession hut when brought with his companions on to

Notes On The " United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital."

the scaffold , to the astonishment of all present the Grand Master advancing and raising his chainbound hands on high , and , addressing the mi ghty multitude assembled , said in a loud voice : —It is

just that , in so terrible a day , and in the last moments of my life , 1 should discover all the iniquity of falsehood , and make the truth to triumph , I declare then , in the face of heaven and

earth , and acknowledge , though to my eternal shame , that I have committed the greatest of crimes ; but it has been thc acknowledging of those which have been so foully charged on the Order .

I attest , and truth obliges me to attest , that it is innocent . I made the contrary declaration only to suspend the excessive pains of torture , and to mollify those who made me endure them . I

knew the punishments whicli have been inflicted on all the Knights wlio had the courage to make a similar confession ; but the dreadful spectacle which is presented to me is not able to make me

confirm one he by another . The life offered me on such infamous terms I abandon -without regret . " The other Templar followed the grand

example set him when both were hurried back to prison . So maddened was Philip by this unexpected overthrow of all his precious scheme s to leave the evidence of the head of the Order on

record against it , that that very same evening he and his companions were burnt to death by small fires of charcoal , which protracted their agonies to the last possible moment . No traces of thc

former weakness or indecision were visible ; the two died as greatly , as they had determined to do , Haye says that while the executioners were pushing the preparation for their death . s

De Molai , addressing thc people , said " I declare , Sirs , before heaven and in the sight of God who hears me , and before whom I am this day to appear , and I declare by the most solemn and

sacred oaths of our Holy Religion , that we are innocent of the crimes imputed to us , and that the Hol y Order , which has honoured us beyond our deserts in admitting us into it sacred

brotherhood , is not at all guilty ; it is pure , and infinitely useful lo our Holy Religion . But we have been guilty of the most execrable crimes in

charging ourselves in our depositions , and m charging our Order with impieties and abominations which never existed but in the hearts of

our traducers and murderers . To thc last they endured their awful torments with admirable calmness , neither cry nor groan

escaped them . They implored the mercy of God , aud although their bodies were half burnt away , they sang songs of rejoicing , and still maintained the innocence and holiness of their

Order . It has been said that the last words of Dc Molai were " Clement , false judge and cruel butcher , 1 summon thee to appear within forty

days before the tribunal of the Soverign Judge ; and thou Philip , infamous and wretched king , before the same tribunal within a year . The

Dauphin , who died with him , expired repeating the devout motto which the Templars bore on their standards— " Non nobis Dotuiue , non nobis , sed nomine , tua ad glorium . "

Knight mentions this legend , which is well know 11 , and which Bro . Haye thinks may have arisen after the event . Be that as it may , the Pope did die within thc