The Knights Templars.

and courage of the kni g ht , possessed resistless attraction . The aspirant , by joining their ranks , could gratif y his love of warfare Avithout sacrificing the interests of his soul ; and the road to salvation stretched out into a clear A ista , where he saw more

profit accrue to the Christian faith b y his cracking the croAvns of infidel Moslems , —more protection to the pious p ilgrim , in his joining the ranks of the Templars , —than ever could be derived from his chaunting long Latin prayers , or serving in the

offices of the Church , Avhich had the tendency to set him asleep . The men of the time Avere men of action , not of mind . They were the descendants of a long line of heroes , whose deeds had been the theme of their earliest admiration , and Avhose g bry

they panted to emulate . The Church was the nearest path to heaven , aud the Church and their inclinations did not clash in their thus joining the Templars . Nor were their relations averse to such a change . A son in the ranks of the Order Avas a

hi gh honour , so that the aspirant , if qualified for taking the vows , met little opposition to his desire of donning the Avhite cloak of the Temple . Hugo cle Payens having made a considerable stay in Europe , in the year 1129 returned fo

Palestine , where he Avas received by the King and Patriarch of Jerusalem with distinguished honour , and Avas thanked for tlie army he had brought with him to the Hol y Land . In his train Avere three hundred Kni ghts , the flower of Europe ' s

noblest families , and an immense concourse of p ilgrims . Pulk , of Anjou , although advanced in years , accompanied him , having been solicited b y King Baldwin , to repair to Jerusalem , for the purpose of espousing his daughter , and succeeding

him in the throne . Fulk reunited himself to the Templars , ancl from his position did much to promote the interests of the Order . The wealth which now flowed in so copiously to the coffers of the Templars , determined cle Payens to carry out

the scheme which had been ripening in his thoughts , and by enlarging the sphere of action of the Kni g hts , to render the Order still more useful . For this purpose he hired troops of li ght horse and infantry , and formed the Order into a

standing army . The fame of the Templars like-Avise attracted many adventurers to their standard , so that Avhen their ensign Avas raised , the Grand Master was attended by an armament inferior to no barons of Palestine . Shortly after the arrival of de Payens in the Hol y Land , an expedition Avas undertaken against

Damascus , by King Balcbvin , at the instigation of Aboo-1-Wefa ( Father of Fidelity ) , a chief of the Assassins . These Assassins Avere a peculiar bod y of fanatics , who had settled among the mountains of Tripoli , and are generally supposed to have been the descendants of the Persian Ismaelians ..

They Avere ruled over by a chief , who was called the " Old Man of the Mountain , " and whoseinstructions they blindl y obeyed on all occasions .. By his directions they committed the most atrocious , crimes , and carried on an extensive system of . murder ancl assassination . Both the Christian and Moslem writers of the time mention them

Avith every expression of horror and disgust , and record the names of many illustrious personages . Avho perished beneath their daggers . They Avere protean in their disguises , assuming all kinds of characters to effect their purposes . Their arms

Avere generally small poniards , concealed in the folds of their dress , and called in the Persian . " hassissin , " from Avhence Ave derive the word "assassin . "

The Prince of Damascus had given them the Castle of Banias ; ancl during the twelve following yearsthey acquired successively all the fortresses in theneighbourhood , removing their seat of government to Massyat . Like the Jesuits of a later period , the Assassins constantly laboured to insinuate themselves ,

into the confidence of those princes , Avith whom they Avere on terms of amity , and an Ismaelite agent Avas always resident at their courts . Aboo-1-Wef ' a , the agent at Damascus , so Avon the favour of the Prince and his Yizier , that he Avas appointed to the office of

supreme judge ; and he resolved to make his position and influence subservient to the interests of his order ... Conceiving that a position on the sea-coast Avould headvantageous to the society , he fixed his eyes upon Tyre , and concluded a secret treaty with the King of

Jerusalem , guaranteeing that , should Baldwin agree to deliver up thnt city to them , he would place him in possession of Damascus . Leagues between the-Chi-istians and a division of the Infidel Avere not uncommon , but this Avas the first time a league was . entered into Avith the Assassins , and de Payens is said

to have brought this one about . This charge will be . considered at another time , when Ave come to discuss tbe absurdities alleged by Yon Hammer against the Order , but it Avill be sufficient here to deny that any secret alliance existed between tbe Templars and the Assassins . The dissensions that arose amongst the

Moslem made the weaker party desire the assistance of the valiant soldiers of the Cross , Avhile the-Christians Avere not slow to perceive the advantages arising to themselves from these discords , nor scruple-