The Knights Templars.

Christians braved all dangers , the King of Jerusalem performed prodigies of valour and slew two Emirs with his own hand , Avhile the | Templars audacious in courage , hurled the Infidel over the rocks , and put vast numbers of them to the sword .

The Crusaders gaining at the point of the sword foot by foot at length reached the summit , but here , when the victory was in their grasp , as at Thoron , they abaudoned it , fearing that the Sultan of Damascus Avas advancing to surprise them .

They resigned the siege , and to the disgust of the military Orders precipitately retreated from the p lace . The Musselmen immediately followed in pursuit and slew great numbers of them , and had it not been for the gallantry of the Templars and

Hospitallers who guarded the rear , few would have -escaped , The two Orders suffered great loss both in men and horses , and returned to Acre bitterly complaining of the pussillanimity of the Crusaders . De Plessis took no part in this unfortunate affair , he lying dangerously ill at Acre , Avhere he died a short time afterwards .

While the Templars Avere gallantry supporting the cause of the Cross in Palestine , the English Knights were playing no mean part in England . John , who had succeeded his brother Richard ,, was a great patron of the Order , and all his life

had attached himself Avarmly to the Knights . He took up his residence in the New Temple from which he issued several letters for the defence of the kingdom , and in the stormy disputes between him and the Pope the Templars Avere prominent

parties . Pandulph , the Pope ' s legate , sent two of the Templars to the King at Dover , Avho being admitted to his presence said , "We have been ; sent to you , most potent king for the benefit of

yourself and of your kingdom , by Pandulph , the Sub-deacon and familiar of our Lord the Pope , who desires to have an interview with you ; and he will propose to you a form of peace bj r Avhich you can be reconciled to God , and to the church ,

although you have by the Court of Rome been deposed from your right to the sovereignty of England , and been condemned by decree of that Court . " The King upon their solicitation met Pandulph , and submitted to all the requirements

of the Pope , doing homage to the Pontiff , and resigning into his hands the kingdoms of England and Ireland . * The king likewise signed Magna Charta by

The Knights Templars.

the advice and on the earnest solicitation of Almeric de St . Maur , the Prior of the Templars . * It was signed at the new Temple . John freed the Templars from all amerciaments in the Court of Exchequer , and granted them the privilege of not

being compelled to plead , except before the King himself or his chief justice . By his famous charter of 9 th February 1228 he conceded to them privileges and immunities of the most extraordinary and extensive character . f He provided funds for

the support of three Chaplains in the Temple , who Avere to say mass daily in the church , and granted them lands and houses , empowering them to hold fairs and markets in all parts of the kingdom . He gave them moreover Lundy Island at

the mouth of the Bristol Channel . ( To oe continued . )

The Grand Mother Scotch Lodge Of Marseilles.

THE GRAND MOTHER SCOTCH LODGE OF MARSEILLES .

The Bulletin of the Grand Orient of France contains an account from an anonymous pen of an old jurisdiction now extinct , and of which no history appears in the Avorks of the French Masonic authorities , and to which the reference by Thory

Acta Latomorum p . 63 , is not free from error . The origin is traced to the last century . In 1751 Lord George Duvaluon appeared at Marseilles with full powers , dated from Edinburgh 17 of the 4 th month , 5751 , authorising him to

establish lodges in France of the August Worshipful and Perfect Order of Scotch or Ecossais . Bro . Gr . Duvaluon transferred these powers to M .

Alexandre Routier shortly after , but Routier did not use them . Iu 1762 he transferred them to his Lodge St . Jean d' Ecosse at Marseilles , which immediately began to ^ work the rite extensively , and according to all testimony respectably .

Who Mr . George Duvaluon may have been , dubbed by the French Milord , it is impossible to state , and there is every reason to believe that his powers , if he Avere not an impostor , trading on Routier ' s pockets , Avere not derived from Scotland ,

but from some of the many so called Scotch jurisdictions in Europe . The Marseilles people v , ere honest about it , and during the short peace addressed a letter in 1801 to the metropolitan Scotch lodge at Edinburgh , representing their proceed-