The Knights Templars.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

By ANTHONY ONEAL HAYE . CHAPTER VI . —( continued ) . ( Continued from page 286 . ) About this time the Caliph of Egypt , threatened

with invasion by the Syrians , sent ambassadors to the Christians imploring their help , and the King of Jerusalem sent Failcher , a Templar , and Hugh of Csesarea , to Egypt , where they had an interview with the Caliph . They were introduced , says

Gibbon , into a palace where never Christian had been permitted to enter before , and conducted through a series of gloomy passages and glittering porticoes . The scene was enlivened by the warbling of birds and the plashing of fountains ,

it was enhanced by a display of rich furniture and rare animals . Of the imperial treasure something was shown to the ambassadors , and much was supposed by them ; and the long order of unfolding doors was guarded by black soldiers and domestic eunuchs . The presence chamber was

veiled by a curtain , and the vizier , Chaver , who conducted the ambassadors , here laid aside the scymetar and prostrated himself three times on the ground . The veil was then withdrawn , and displayed a sanctuary , in which the Caliph sat on

a throne shining with gold and precious stones . Chaver prostrated himself at the feet of his master , and supplicated him to accept of the treaty of alliance with the King of Jerusalem . The Caliph made a sign of approbation , and stretched out his

uncovered hand to the Christian deputies in presence of his courtiers , who were surprised and saddened at such an unwonted spectacle , which told how much glory had departed from their chief , and what terrible danger hung over the kingdom .

The Infidel under Sheerkoh , the uncle of the famous Saladdin , who was a general of Noureddin , entered Egypt at the head of a lai'ge army , but the King of Jerusalem and the Templars giving him battle , routed his army with great slaughter near the Nile .

The year 1162 is a celebrated one in the annals of the Templars , for in this year Pope Alexander IV . granted in their favour the famous bull" Omne datum optimum , " the Magna Charta of the Order and the source of their greatest power . When

Adrian IV . died , two Popes were appointed—Alexander by the Sicilian , and Victor III . by the Imperial party . The Templars at first joined the party of Victor , but at a chapter held at Nazareth ,

in 1161 , they acknowledged Alexander as sovereigu pontiff . Their adherence won the battle , and Alexander ascended the chair of St . Peter . He did not prove himself ungrateful , nor forget the timely assistance of the Templars , and aiming at

universal power , he was perfectly alive to the advantage of attaching the Order peculiarly to himself . He accordingly issued the above bull , which , from the extraordinary powers conferred upon the Knights , appears to have been drawn up

under the direction of the Order . By it they were freed from all spiritual obedience to any one but the Pope , who declared himself their bishop . ; they were permitted to have peculiar buryinggrounds attached to their houses , and to have

chaplains of their own ; they were freed from the burden of tythes , and could , with the consent of the bishop , receive them . By it any one who joined the Order could not leave it , except to enter a stricter one .

Ten bulls were published in favour of the Orde 2 r , during the first and second years of the Pontificate of Alexander IV . These were addressed to the bishops of the universal church , and commanded them to respect and assist in maintaining the

privileges conceded to the Order by the Holy See . ; to judge and punish all . persons who should dare to exact'tythes from the brethren '; to institute to the ecclesiastical benefices of the Order , all clerks presented to them by the preceptors , without

previously requiring the Templars to make a fixed allowance for such clerks , and to punish severely , all who appropriated to their own use the alms , gifts , and eleemosynary donations made to the brotherhood . By these bulls , the Templars were

declared to be exempt from the duty of contributing to the travelling expenses of all nuncios and legates of the Holy See , under the dignity of a cardinal , when passing through their territories , unless express orders to the contrary were given

by apostolic letters , and all the bishops were required earnestly and vigorously to protect and ! defend the right of sanctuary accorded the houses ef the Temple . *

The Order thus became an independent sovereignty , acknowledging no superior but the Pope , before whom the haughtiest monarch bowed , who protected and cherished them as his best defenders . These privileges naturally enough wakened the jealousy of the Hospitallers and the various