The City Of Jerusalem.—Origin Of The Templars.

mansions of their future greatness . In whatever part of the world he may live , the heart ' s desire of a JCAV is to be buried at Jerusalem . " The day spring from on high first dawned upon this distinguished city ; aud from thence has

spread its meridian splendour upon this benighted world . The celebrated temple was utterly destroyed , and the ploughshare obliterated its very site . A neiv Jerusalem and a neAV temple were . erected .

" No easy task bath builded thee ! Long did the chisels ring around ! ¦ Long did the mallet's blows rebound ! Long worked the head and toiled the hand Ere stood thy stones as now they stand . "

The Temple of Solomon , the Mount of Olives over against the city , the Garden of Gethsemane , the Judgment Hall of Caiaphas , the sacred Mount of Calvary , and the Tomb of Joseph , became objects of interest to the dwellers in the

farthermost parts of the Avorld . Pilgrims from remoter regions than ever before again flocked to this -distant city . The Psalms of David Avere again -chanted by those Aveary travellers when they first -caught view of the sacred city , as did the pilgrim Jews ages before , mingled with suck hymns as the Breviary contains .

" Jerusalem , thou City blest ! Dear vision of celestial rest ! AVhich far above the starry sky , Piled up with living stones on high , Art , as a Bride , encircled bright With million angel-forms of light . " The Jerusalem of David's conception , to the

Christain Pilgrim became the prophecy of the ' New Jerusalem to which he aspired ; and he repaired to these holy places , rendered sacred in his sight , to kindle anew his love and zeal , and enable limi to secure an entrance into those mansions of

peace iu the city of his God . Beyond this went the superstititiou of the times ¦ so far , that these holy shrines and relics Avere believed to possess miraculous poAver to heal the sick and eyen pardon sin . So , from all parts of

• Christendom , flocked pilgrims to the Holy Land , to the Jerusalem where once the Saviour of the world sojourned , and where so ignoiuiniously he perished . Yast numbers of all ranks and both ¦ . sexes , clergy as Avell as laity , annually repaired to

the Tomb of Christ . In process of time danger to these pilgrims became imminent- as the Holy Land ivas in a disturbed and unquiet state . The Egyptians on

one side , and the Turks on the other ; the Arab tribes , with their usual predatory habits , infesting the whole country with hostile excursions ; the Mussulman , and the disaffections between the Syrians and the Latins , combined to expose the

pilgrim to numerous dangers . Peril beset him at the port at which he landed ; IIOAV perils awaited him on the banks of the Jordan , or AA'hen he Avent to pluck his branch of consecrated palm in the gardens of Jericho .

In consequence of these dangers and difficulties , nine pious knights formed themselves into au association , combining the characters of the monk and the knight , ancl at the tomb of the Saviour made a solemn Aroiv to devote themselAres to a life

of chastity and piety , and with their swords to protect pilgrims on their visit to the Holy Land . The patriarch and the king approved of their course , aud they ivere assigned places of abode near the temple , and hence styled themselves

soldiery of the Temple , Templars , and Knight Templars . The novelty of this plan excited considerable attention ; for in the Eastern Church any alliance betiveen the relig ious and the warlike had been discouraged . St . Basil , one of the Grecian patriarchs , had established a canon

directing that he AA'ho had slam an enemy in battle should abstain during three years from partaking of the holy sacraments . It is related that as a priest of a- little toAvn in Cilicia ivas one day saying mass , a band of

Saracens burst into the toAvn and began to plunder ifc . Without waiting to take off his priestly vestments , he seized an instrument made use of at the altar , and flying among the infidels , plied his Aveapon with such force as to compel them

to flee , and so saved the toAvn . The gallant priest received as a reward for these services a censure from his superior ; his voice was silenced ; and in other respects he Avas so ill-treated , that he threw off his robes and joined the Saracens , where

his martial and energetic creed and manly sentiments were better appreciated;—so little did religion and the deeds of arms accord in the minds of the members of the Eastern Church . The religion of the West Avas martial ; and hence the

Order of the Temple , the only task of Avhose members was that of fighting against the infidels , was held in high estimation throughout Europe . Zealous , devotional , religious , and warlike , courageous , valliant , and magnanimous , these Knights of the Temple early attracted the attention of the