The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-03 00:00:00

SIMMONDS'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE.

"Progress of Discovery in Australia" is an interest-
ing narrative of the return of Captain Sturt's expedition,
and is agreeably written, rather in a strain of accuracy
than of elegance. A long poem, descriptive of the
death of the Rev. Ernest Schlotz, and headed " The
Missionary's Grave," is remarkable more for its length
than for any intrinsic poetic force; the inferred moral,
however, is instructive if not very impressive. From
the statistical papers upon Van Diemen's Land and
Antigua, much useful information may be gleaned; and
the tables appear to be compiled with no inconsiderable
care. Charles Hooton supplies the most readable por-
tion of the magazine, and the " Australian Sketches"
are not devoid of an air of actuality. With its accus-
tomed amount of correspondence, and a pleasant sprink-
ling of miscellaneous subjects, the Colonial for July is, as a
whole, creditable to its indefatigable editor.

THEFREEMASON'S Q UARTERLY REVIEW.
We have repeatedly had occasion to notice the meri-
torious manner in which this publication is conducted;
and, as far as its particular class of readers is concerned,
it need dread no " damning with faint praise." " The
Freemason's Lexicon" alone, which is continued
from number to number, must prove a most
acceptable boon to all members of that mystic brother-
hood; while it evinces the earnest regard which the
entrepreneur has to their interest. One of the best con-
tributions before us is the article upon the " Knights
Templar," an order founded in 1110 by Pope Galasius.
Though at the outset this celebrated order of knight-
hood consisted of only nine members, its numerical
force increased rapidly under the fostt ring influence of
the Crusaders; but the name of Templars was only
conferred upon the members some time after the origi-
nal institution of the order. Baldwin 11. appears to
have first chriatened them. By the Council of Trent,
A.D. 1127, all the donations, privileges, lands, and ho-
nours granted by successive Pontiffs to the Knights
Templars were fully confirmed; but they were subse-
quently, in 1186, scattered throughout Christendom
when Jerusalem was captured by Saladin. Their prin-
cipal celebrity, as a wise, sagacious, and erudite race of
men, devoted to a half-clerical, half-chivalric existence,
dates from this period, when the Grand Master esta-
blished himself at Cyprus. They have since, after en-
joying considerable political authority, dwindled
down to a comparative insignificance, and still
remain secretly in existence in various parts of
Europe. This circumstance, nevertheless, we cannot
induce ourselves to regret, as, however admirably their
power might have influenced society many centuries
back, we believe they woald be little better than a
Quixotic race of beings now-a-days. Their time has
gone by—like many other orders, and like many empires
and cities, they have flourished, have performed the
duties for which they were summoned into being, and
have fallen. The paper in connexion with the Associa-
tion, in the Freemason's Review, is a document found
under the high altar of the Temple Church, London, in
1540 ; it is an extraordinary curiosity.