The Knights Templars.

Rideford , the following Grand Master . The envoys accordingly departed , ancl at Rome had an intervieAV -with the Pope , AvhoAvas mxich distressed at the sad tidings which they brought . The Pope wrote a letter to Henry , calling npon him to fulfil the conditions of his absolution for the murder of

A Beckett , ancl threatening him with the judgments of Heaven if he refused . At Verona , toAvards the close of 1184 , Arnold de Turrirubra fell sick and died ; but Heraclius and Roger , the Master of the Hospitallers , proceeded on their journey to

England , where they arrived in the beginning of 1135 , and had an intervieAV Avith Henry at Reading . Heraclius presented to the king the Pope ' s letter , explained , Avith bitter lamentations , the ¦ object of their journey , the desolate condition of

the city and Avhole country of Jerusalem . The recital moved the king and all the assembly to tears , for the petition of the Patriarch took notice of the Holy Places sanctified by our Lord ' s Nati-vity , his Passion , and Resurrection . The Patriarch also presented to him the keys of the Holy Sepulchre , of the ToAver of David , and of

the city of Jerusalem , along Avith the royal banner of the Latin kingdom . Roger of Wendover , moreover , states that the barons of the Holy Land commissioned him to offer the sovereignty to King Henry , a very probable thing . The king gave

the envoys considerable encouragement , and promised to bring the Avhole matter before the parliament , Avhich Avas convoked for the first Sunday in Lent . Heraclius and his companions then left the king and , proceeding to London ,

took up their residence Avith the Templars at their house of the Ne * v Temple . In the month of February , Heraclius consecrated the beautiful Temple Church which had just been erected , and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin Mary . A Latin

inscription Avas placed over the door leading into the cloister to commemorate the event- This is the inscription : —¦ t & ima ? oil ? Kixcaritattone ? © oinhtw

j $ M . V £ Xffl . iBctiicata . tjcc . ( £ mtsta , in . ijonore ? tatc . ftTartc , a ? 33 uo . ( frailto ? Set dUw ? Sec ? EesuiTCCttcmis - lEccksic . 3-3 a = triarrija . itti - Stilts + jTrfmtarti ? JH ? © a 33 nitaum . tyctcttb , tre , Sibuta . < S „ tymitctm 3 LX *© ta 3 * 3 uti & tstt *

" On the 10 th of February , m the year from the Incarnation of our Lord , 1185 , this Church- ivas G onsecrated , in honour of the Blessed Mary , by the

Lord Heraclius , hij the Grace of God Patriarch , of the Church of ihe Resurrection , who hath granted an Indulgence of Sixty Bays of Penance to those yearly visiting it . " The parliament met at Clerkenwell on the ISth

of March , at the House of the Hospitallers . The king , Heraclius , the Master of the Hospitallers , the bishops , abbots , earls , and barons of England , William , king of Scotland , and his brother David , together with the earls and barons of Scotland ,

Avere present . The Patriarch again stated the purpose of his mission , and called upon Henry to obey the commands of the Pope . The barons , however , taking into consideration the advanced age of the king , the troubled state of the kingdom , and the solemn oath which Henry had taken at his coronation , an obligation antecedent to the

penance imposed on him by the Pope , considered it of more advantage to England that the king should remain at home , than depart for the protection of the Holy Land . The Patriarch then demanded that one of the king ' s sons should be

sent ; but the assembly did not deem it meet to come to any decision respecting this , as the princes Avere absent . Fabian gives the following account of the close of this meeting - : — " Lastly , the king gave answer and said , that

he might not leave his land Avithout keeping , nor yet leave it to the prey and robbery of Frenchmen . But he Avould give largely of his own to such as Avould take upon them that voyage . With this answer the Patriarch Avas discontented , and

said , — 'We seek a man , ancl not money ; well nigh every Christian region sendeth us money , but no land sendeth us a mince . '"

This Avas one of the principal reasons of the zeal for the Crusade abating at this time ; and the bad character of the Patriarch , Avhich had preceded him into Europe , made his Avords listened to with suspicion , and consequently could not arouse any

enthusiasm in the Avestern Christians . Had a prince gone out to the Holy Land at this crisis , the example would have fired nations , and , in all jirobability , have checked the successes of Saladin . Heraclius

continued"' Therefore , Ave ask a prince that needeth money , and not money that needeth a prince . ' But the king made such excuses , that the Patriarch departed from him discontented and comfortless ; whereof the king being advertised , intending

someAvhat to comfort him Avith pleasant Avords , folloAved him to the sea-side . But the more the