Masonic Notes And Queries.

The aspirant , if no objection was made , was then led into a chamber near tbe chapter-room ; and two or three reputable knights , ofthe oldest in the house , was sent to lay before him what it was needful for him to know . They commenced by saying , " Brother , are you desirous of being associated to the Order ? " It he answered in the affirmative , they stated to him the whole rigour of the Order . Should he reply that be was willing to endure

everything for the sake of Gocl , and to be all his life long the servant and slave of the Order , they asked him if he had a wife , or was betrothed ? If he had made profession or vows in any other Order ? If he owed to any man in the world more than be eould pay ? If he was of sound body , ancl had no secret infirmity , and if he was the servant of any one ? Should his answers be in the negative , the brethren went back to the chapter , and informed the Master or his representative of tbe result of the examination .

The latter then asked once more if anyone knew anything to the contrary ; if all were silent , he said : — " Are you willing that he should be brought in , in God ' s name ? " The knights then said , " Let him be brought in , in God ' s name . " Those who had been already with him then went out again , and asked him if he persisted in his resolution ? If he said that be did , they instructed him in what he was to do when suing for admission . Tbey then led him back to the chapter , where , casting himself on bis knees , with

folded bands before tbe Receptor , he said , " Sir , I am come before God , and before you and the brethren , and pray and beseech you for the sake of God ancl our dear Lady Mary , to admit me into your Society , ancl the good deeds of tbe Order , as one who will be all his life long the servant and slave of the Order . " The Receptor then replied , "Beloved brother , you are desirous of a great matter , for you see nothing but the outward shell of our Order . It is only the outward shell when you see that we have fine horses ancl

rich caparisons , that we eat and drink well , and are splendidly clothed . From this you conclude that you will be well off with us . But you know not the rigorous maxims which are in our interior . For it is a bard matter for you , who are your own master , to become the servant of another . You will hardly be able to perform

in future what you wish yourself . For when you may wish to be on this side of the sea , you will be sent to the other sicle ; when you wish to be in Acre , you will be sent to the district of Antioch , to Tripolis , or to Armenia , or you will be sent to Apulia , to Sicily , or to Lombardy , or to Burgundy , France , England , or any other country where we have houses or possessions ; when you wish to sleep you will be ordered to watch ; when you will wish to watch , then you will be ordered to bed ; when you will wish to eat , then

you will be ordered to do something else . And as both we and you might suffer great inconvenience from what you bave mayhap concealed from ns , look here on the Holy Evangelists ancl the Word of Gocl , ancl answer the truth to the questions which we shall put to you ; for if you lie you will be perjured , and may be expelled the Order , from whicli God keep you . " He was now asked over again by the Receptor the same questions as before , and moreover if he had made any simoniacal contract

ivith a Templar or any other for admission . If his answers proved satisfactory , the Preceptor proceeded , " Beloved brother , take good care that you have spoken the truth to us , for should you have spoken false in any one point , you might be put out of the Order , from ivhich God keep yon ; now , beloved brother , attend strictly to what we shall say unto you . Do you promise to God and our clear Lady Mary , to be all your life long obedient to the Master of the Temple , and to the Prior who shall be set over you ?" ¦ — " Yea , Sir ,

with the help of Gocl . " " Do you promise to God aud our dear Lady Mary , to live chaste of your body all your life long ?"— " Yea , Sir , with the help of God . " " Do you promise to God and our clear Lady Mary , to observe all your life long the laudable manners and euston * of qui- Order , both those which are already in use , ancl those which the Master and knights may add ?"— " Yea , Sir , with the help of God . " "Do you promise to Gocl ancl our dear LadMarythat will

y , you , with the strength ancl powers which Gocl has bestowed on you , help as long as you live to conquer the holy land of Jerusalem ; and that you ivill , with all your strength , aid to keep and guard that which the Christians possess ?"¦— " Yea , Sir , with the help of God . " " Do you promise to Gocl , and our dear Lady Mary , never to hold this Order for stronger or weaker , for better or worse , than with the permission of the chapter , which has the authority ?"—Yea ,

Sir , with the help of Gocl . " " Do you finally promise to God ancl our dear Lad y M ; iry never to be present when a Christian is unjustly and unlawfully despoiled ofhis heritage , and that you will never , by council or by act , take part therein ?—Yea , Sir , with the help of God . " In the name , then , of God and our clear Lady Mary , and in the name of St . Peter of Rome , and of our father the Pope , and in the name of all the brethren of the Temple , we receive to all the good works of the Order , whicli have been performed from the beginning , and shall be performed to the end of you , your father , your mother ,

ancl all of your family whom you will let bave share therein . In like manner do yon receive us to all the good works which you have performed ancl shall perform . We assure you of bread and water , and of tbe poor clothing of the Order , and labour and toil enow . The Master then took the distinguishing habit of the Ordernamely , the white mantle , with the red cross , and putting it about the neck of the candidateclasped it firmly . The Chaplain then

, repeated the 132 nd Psalm , Ecce quam lorvum , ancl the prayer ofthe-Holy Ghost , Deus qui corda jidelium , and each brother repeated a Paler Noster . The Master and the Chaplain then kissed him on . the mouth , ancl be sat down before the Master , who delivered to him a discourse , of which the following is the substance : —He wasnot to strike or wound any Christian ; not to swear ; not to receive any attendance from a woman without the permission of his superior ; .

not on any account to kiss a woman , even if she was his mother or his sister ; to hold no child at the baptismal font , or be a godfather ;; to abuse no man , or call him foul names ; but to be always courteous and polite . He was to sleep in a linen shirt , drawers , and hose , ancl . girded with a small girdle . He was to attend Divine Service punctually , and at table he was to commence and conclude with prayer . During the meal he was to preserve silence . When the Master died he was , be where he might , to repeat- 200 Paternosters

for the rdpose of his soul . Each knight was supplied with clothes , arms , and equipments out of the funds of the Order . His dress was a long white tunic , nearly resembling that of priests in shape , with a red cross on the back and . top of it ; his girdle was under this , over his linen shirt . Overall , he wore bis white mantle , with its red cross of four arms ( the under one being the longest ) on the left breast . Hishead was covered by a cap or hood attached to bis mantle . His arms were shield , lance , sword , ancl mace ; and owing to the heat of the East , and the necessity of activity in combats with the Turks ancl Saracens , his arms and equipments , in general , were lighter than those used by tbe

secular knights . He was allowed three horses and an esquire , who was either a serving brother of the Order , or some layman , who was hired for the purpose . The reception of the clergy ( first admitted 1162 ) was the same as that ofthe knights , with the omission of such questions as did not apply to them . They were only required to take the three vows of poverty , chastity , ancl obedience . Tbe ritual of their reception was in Latin , ancl was almost precisely the same ivith that

of the Benedictines . Like that of the knights , their reception was secret . When the Psalms hacl been sung , the Master put on the recipient the dress of the Order , and the girdle , and if he was a priest , the cap called barei . The habit of the Chaplain of the Order was a white , close-fitting tunic , with a reel cross on the left breast . The reception of the serving brethren was the same as that of the two higher classesthe necessary difference being made in the

, questions which were asked . As tbe Order woulcl receive no slave into their body , the candidate was required to aver that he was a freeborn man ; be was moreover obliged to declare that he was not a knight . As the more disagreeable duties of the Order probably fell to their share , the general duties and obligations were laid before them in stronger ancl more explicit terms than were thought necessary in the case of knights and priests . In the times of the poverty of the Order , tbe clothing of the serving brethren of the

Order was the cast-off' garments of the knights , but this custom did not long continue ; and as some abuses arose from all the members of the Order being clad in white , the serving brethren were appointed to wear black or brown kirtles , with the red cross upon them , to indicate that they belonged to the Order . In battle their arms were nearly the same as the knights , but of a lighter kind , as they had frequently to jump from their horses and fight on foot .. They were allowed but one horse by the Order , but the Master was empowered to lend him another , if he thought it expedient , which horse was to be afterwards returned .

After givinga list of encampments , provinces , and Prov . Gf . Commanders , "I" says : — " The foregoing list shows serious neglect among some of the Prov . G . Commanders , and should receive the attention of the G . M . before their reappointment takes place . " Allow me , first , to inform you that the patents of Prov . G . C . are for life , or I should say at least until some serious charge has been preferred

and substantiated before the Commander of Grand Conclave , and the decision thereof referred to the Grand Master for confirmation ; secondty , the late Grand Master was , it is well-known to those in office , not responsible ( except in onesense ) for the laches of his officers . It is certainly sad to contemplate that the late G . M . should , through his age and infirmities , have been recommended to make appointments without due regard to the requirements of the province ;