The Knights Templars,

the passengers , more room was wanted for the travellers , so great and numerous was the crowd . " Headed by Walter the Pennyless , Peter the Hermit , and Gottschalk , a priest , three immense hordes of people marched away towards the East ;

but they never reached the Holy City , for the infidels , through whoso lands their journey lay , rose and attacked them , drivino- them back and cutting them to pieces . These adventurers , however , Avere soon followed by Godfrey de

Bouillon , and other famous leaders . The ostensible object of the first Crusade * was the vindication of the rights of pilgrims to visit the holy places in safety . The ri ght of possession Avas an after thought . The presence of the Crusaders , however , did

not afford immunity to pilgrims . The possession of the Holy City , and daily battles which ensued , covered the land with enemies , and made the approaches to Jerusalem yet more dangerous . The Egyptians held a threatening position on the

south of the Holy Land , the Turks a similar on the north and east , while the Arabs , from their plundering aud hostile incursive instincts , attracted by the rich caravans of pilgrims , bearing treasure to the shrines , infested the highways , robbing

and slaughtering all who fell into their hands . The Syrian Christians , too , hating the Latin , joined with these parties in maltreating and grossly abusing the devoted pilgrims . These causes had the effect of producing the noble Order of the Kni ghts Templars . ( To be contained . )

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

THE MORAL LAW BEEOUE JESUS CHEIST CAME . In ansiver to the inquiry of a learned correspondent , I say that for the period ' Avhich immediately followed the dawn of civilisation in Europe , and preceded the coming of Jesus Christ , the Freemason seeks tho moral law in the precepts and sayings of ancient and

sages philosophers of Greece , preserved by Greek and Roman writers in the Greek gnomic poets , in the golden verses attributed to Pythagoras , which , although not his , show the moral traditions of his school , in the ivorks of Plato and Xenophon , and more especiallthe parts recording the teachings of

y Socrates , in tho allegorical picture of Cebes , in the ethics of Aristotle , in tho characters of Theophrastus , and in the offices of Cicero . —C . P . COOPER . SOCKATES AXJJ OUll SECKET SOC'IETIF . S . Brother ¦ , you are right . Socrates taught that

the Great Architect of the Universe knows our secret intentions . Tacryr ) BoiAeuo . ucj / a C . P . CoOPEE . THE PAESEES . Amongst the Parsees ( ancient Persians ) when Zoroaster had taught , Preemasonry became possible ,, that is to say , about the middle of the sixth century ,

before the birth of Christ . — Prom a bundle of Masonic memoranda in Bro . Purton Cooper ' s manuscript collections ,

GRASS LODGE EEJECXS THE CHEVALIEE EAJTSAT S 5 "EAV KITE ASS SEAV GEADES . Somewhere in Bro . Thory ' s " Histoire de la Fondation du Grand Orient de France" there is the following note : — "Ramsay , Chevalier Eeossais , essaya d ' e ' tablir a Londres un nouveau grade

Maconnique . On sait que la Grande Loge nationale Jes rejeta , malgre le grand nombre de proselytes qu'il avaifc faifcs . Son rite consistait en trois grades principalis , sous-divises en beaucoup d ' autres ; savoir ,. l'Ecossais le novice , et le Chevalier du Temple . Ce rite avait ete institue , disait il , par Godefroid de Boullion , a Pepoque des Croisades . "—Prom a bundle of Masonic memoranda in Bro . Purton Cooper's manuscript collections .

A DEEIXITIOX 03 ? TEUE rEEElIASOXET . The following definition of true Preemasonry has been sent to me by an Oxford brother : — "True-Preemasonry admits those who acknoAvIedge , and shuts out those Avho deny , the religion of nature . " I can discoA T er no objection to this definition that a fewminutes' reflection will not remove . —C . P . Coorant .

LIBEETY . The liberty of which a brother writes , is liberty in a philosophical sense . The questions concerning that liberty are , perhaps , the most difficult that metaphysics present . The prudent Freemason does not meddle with them . He considers that this libert

y follows necessarily from his moral obligation , and he is conscious that he possesses that liberty . He considers that an acquaintance with the innumerable treatises upon this obscure subject is not necessary for his guidance in life . —C . P . COOPEB .

EELIGIOSf 03 ? THE ENGLISH TREEIIASOS " . Prom the third century to the end of tho seventh century the English Freemason was always a Christian . Prom the end of the seventeenth century to the present time he has not always been a Christian . He has sometimes been a Theist . —From a manuscript A'ohune in Bro . Purton Cooper ' s Masonic collections , entitled "Freemasons' Table Talk . "

THE COintESTATOE . The Masonic notes and queries following suit with the Avell established " Notes and Queries , " have done much good and brought out a mass of correspondence , which would not most likely have been contributed in a more studied form . As yours is a literary

journal , why not extend this as a means of communication among your readers , and an auxiliary to "iYotes and Queries . " I would suggest a department to he called " The Commentator , " to contain notes and communications on archeology , literature , folklore , philology , rninology , genealogy , & c . Ton have many