The Knights Templars.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

LONDON , SATURDAY , SFPTFMBEB 5 , 1803 .

By ANTHONY ONEAL HAVE , ( Continued from page 168 ) . BOOK THIBD—CHAPTEB TWELYE .

GRAND MASTEB—JACQUES DE MOLAT . Sis family . —" Election . — -Character . —Last attempt of the Templars to conquer the Holy Land , A . D . 1298-1303 . Upon tlie death of Gaudinius a chapter-general was held afc Paris in 1295 , when Jacques de Molai ,

the Grand Prior of England , was elected Grand Master . De Molai belonged to the family of the Lords of Layvic and Baon , in Burgundy , and one of the greatest and most powerful in that country . His eldest brother possessed immense estates

there , and an account of his wealth made a great figure . De Molai entered the order when but a youth , and by his bravery and piety early became one of its most distinguished knights . He was sent to England as Visitor General , and on the death of Guido de Eoresta , in 1293 , he was created Grand Prior . "While in England he held several i

chapters , and framed laws for the reform of abuses and the better guidance of the Order . Hugh de Travaus states that De Molai attained the throne by an artifice not unlike that employed by Sixfcus V , for arriving at the Papacy . The chapter ,

accoi'ding to this knight , could not agree to the brother to be elected to the Grand Mastership , one party being for De Molai , and the other and larger for Hugh de Peyrand , the Grand Prior of Prance . De Molai perceiving that his chance of success was

very small , assured several of the principal knights that he was not anxious for the office , and that he himself ivould vote for his competitor . Believing him , they joyfully made him Electing Prior . His tone now altered . "The mantle is done / ' he

said ; " now put the hood on it . . You have made me Electing Prior , and , whether you will or not , I shall be Grand Master also . " The astonished

knights instantly chose him . We give this anecdote , not that it is true , but to pave the way for enquiring into the mass of lies which was extorted by torture from the knights shortly after , for De Molai was not present at this election , and

messengers were sent to England to convey to him the tidings of his being raised to the supreme command . The character of De Molai is an amiable one . He was a man of true merit , brave , full of spirit .

mild , moderate , and conciliating ; his morals were pure , and his conduct without reproach . He had at the court of France made the friendship of the . King and many of the most powerful nobles , not only on account of his family's influence , but

likewise by his personal merit . In 1297 he left England for Paris , where he held the fourth son of the King at the baptismal font . De Molai had watched ivell the signs of the times . He saw that the people among whom the

Templars lived were apt to look upon them ivith disdain as deficient in that spirit which , in their ancestors , had made the Order the bulwark of Christianity . While they lived at ease in Europe the Hospitallers were still at war with the infidel

and de Molai resolved to make one final attempt to secure a footing in the East , and so wipe out the disgrace which the loss of the Holy Land had entailed upon the Knights . - Eor this purpose he set sail for Cyprus at the head of a body of troops , there to concert measures for the new

campaign . Casan Cham , Emperor of the Mogul Tartars , King of Persia , declared war against the Musselmen of Syria . The Tartars had not yet embraced : Mahometism , and it was their interest to raise up as many enemies against the' Musselmen as

possible . Casan had married a daughter of Leon , King of Armenia , to whom he was devotedly attached , and was thus naturally bound by many ties to the Christians , whom he looked upon as his best allies . Casan sent to Jacques cle Molai , and

invited him to take part in the war against the ancient enemies of the Order . The Templars in the spring of 1299 left Cyprus in seven galleys and five small vessels , and landed near Inadia .

The Tartars were encamped close to the ruins of Antioch , and the Templars without much difficulty joined them there . Casan was much pleased with , the Grand Master , and placed a force of fift y thousand men at his command . The army then

advanced upon Damascus by way of the valley of Orontes . A great battle was fought near Emes __ a , where the troops of the Saltans of Damascus and Egypt were defeated with immense slaughter , and the fugitives pursued by tho Armenian cavalry to

the verge of the desert . Aleppo and Damascus surrendered to the victor , and the Templars pushing onwards once more entered Jerusalem in triumph , visited the Holy Sepulchre and celebrated Easter on Mount Sion . While encamped at Jerusalem Casan sent aia «