A Lecture On Temperance.

we all , of every religion and clime assemble together in brotherly affection , and in happiness , may ive part to practise in all things that Masonic lesson taught by the cardinal virtue , Temperance , bearing in mind the words of our sacred law : —

" Add to your faith virtue , and to virtue knoivledge , and to knowledge temperance , and to temperance patience , ancl to patience godliness , and to godliness brotherly kindness , and to brotherly kindness , CHARITY . "—Bi . rmah Quarterly Record .

The Knights Templars.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

By ANTHONY ONEAL HAVE . ( Continued from page 366 ) . BOOK IV . —CHAPTER VIII .

Seventy-two Templars bwut / ht before the Pope at Poictiers . —De Molai , and the Grand Officers detained by the intrigues of the King , at Chinon . —The Templars' depositions read before the Pope , Cardinal * , and people . —The Pope sends legates to examine the Grand Officers at Chinon . —They falsify their report . —The Templars sent

bach to their prisons . —The Pope issues tioo Bulls regarding the examination of the Templars . —Writes a letter to the Dulce of Calabria , calling upon him to prosecute the Templars . —Project for founding a Boyal Order . — A . D . 1308 .

Philip , to remove whatever remaining scruples the Pope might entertain regarding the abolition of the Order , proposed that he should appoint certain cardinals to examine the Templars . The Pope , however , wished to do this himself , and

issued a Bull ordering them to be brought to Poictiers . He especially commanded that the Grand Master and the Grand Officers should he among the number . This Order disconcerted the King . His anxious desire was to prevent a

meeting taking place between De Molai and the Po | je , as it would lead to unpleasant explanations and produce disastrous results . But the King ivas equal to . the emergency ; in fact , the delays , ancl the evident reluctance of the Pope to proceed in the

matter , would have defeated the jiirojects of any other than the determined Philip , who looked after his own affairs , nor left them to be bungled by supine ministers . He Avas the soul of the attack upon the Order ; and Pope , cardinals , prelates ,

nobles , and people appear but as puppets in his hands . Orders ivere immediately despatched for the conducting of the Templars to Poictiers . Great care ivas necessary in selecting the proper captives for this purpose , but Imberfc choose seventy-two

j who , he imagined , could stand before the Pope , acknowledge their guilt , and not embarrass Philip's schemes by pleading innocence . The Grand Master and the Grand Officers were more difficult to manage ; and , as they could not he-.

persuaded to plead guilty , Imbert resolved that they should not be present at the interview . The-Grand Officers ivho accompanied De Molai were Hugo de Peyraud , Guy the Prince Dauphin ,, Geoffrey de Goneville , the Grand Prior of Cyprus ,, and the Preceptor of Poitou .

The Grand Officers ivere hi ghly elated at the prospect of this conference with the Pope , who , they had little doubt , ivould , upon their statements be satisfied with their innocence , set them at liberty , ancl restore the Order to its former gran < -

deur . This hope cheered them on the first part of their journey , and made them bear with patience the agony which they suffered from their wounds . It must be remembered that the six Grand Officers had been fearfully tortured ; their limbs were

dislocated , and several were covered with painful sores . Some of them , however , had recovered from the effects of the torture , although others were still in a precarious state of health . They ivere forced to travel on horseback , and the

jolting , besides causing intense agony to those whowere still in infirm health , opened their wounds , so that , upon arriving at the castle of Chinon , they were lifted from their horses in a lifeless condition .

They were put to bed in the castle ; but on the morrow they demanded litters , that they might proceed on their journey to Poictiers , which ivas only a short distance , but these were refused them ; and , as they were unable to sit on

horseback , they were left behind at Chinon . The gallant Knights attempted to mount their horses , but their distorted limbs refused to support themj every motion caused them such severe agony , that n ature succumbed , and they fell swooning to th e

ground . One would have thought that such of the Grand Officers as were able to proceed on horseback would have been permitted to continue the journey to Poictiers . This was not allowed . They were all detained at Chinon .

Litters had been provided for those of the seventy-two ivho required them , and who had been chosen to appear before the Pope . They Avere conducted before him , and examined on the 29 th and 30 th June , and 1 st July , 1308 . Most of them , according to the Papal record of the proceedings , recanted their former declarations of