Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-10-05


his oourge"-C0l. j. W. Forney.
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.-TheK knights
Templir were originally religious and
military order. founded at Jerusalem in
the beginning of the twelfth century by
Hughes de Pasganes, Godfrey de St.
Omer. and seven other French knights,
for the protection of the Holy Sepulchre
and of pilgrims visiting thither. Bald
win IL, King of Jerusalem, bestowed on
this order their first place of residence,
and an additional building was acquired
from the abbot and canons of the church
and convent of the Temple, whence the
order obtained the name of the "Poor Sol
diers of the Temple of Solomon" after
wards abbreviated into Templars. The
knights were bound by their rule to bear
the holy office every day, or, if prevented
by their military duties, to say certain
number of paternosters instead they
were to abstain from flesh four days in
the week, and from eggs and milk on Fri
day. They might have each three horses
and an esquire, but were forbidden TO
hunt or foul.
In the earlier part of their history the
After the conquest of Jerusalem by the
Saracens they spread over Europe; their
valor became everywhere celebrated, i'm
mense donations in land and money were
showered upon them, and numbers of the
most distinguished families thought them
selves honored by enrolment in the Or
der. In every country where they exist
ed they had their governor, called Master
of the Temple, or of the militia of the
Temple. The Templars had settlements
in Eogland for long period. Their first
was in London. and from 1885 their prin-
cipal seat was in Fleet street, still known
ms the Temple. The round church. which
bears their name, was dedicated by Her
aclius, Patriarch of the Church of the
Resurrection, in Jerusalem. in 1875, and
the chancel was consecrated in 1910.
The Templars were at first all laymen
and of noble birth. Pope Alexander Ill,
however, in 1852, authorized the admis-
sion of spiritual persons not bound by
previous vows, as champions to the Or
der, who were not required to adopt the
military vows. A third class was after
wards introduced, consisting of laymen
not of noble birth, who entered as serving
brothers, some of them being attendant
on the knights. and others exercising
trades in the houses or lands of the Or
der Eventually many persons became
affiliated members without taking the
vows for the sake of the protection af
forded them. AS the Templars increased
in power and prosperity the French kings
made pretext for endeavoring to sup
press them and lay hold of their posses
Of rryhJ h 70
absurd and Incredible, were brought
against them by two members of their
own body.
Their pincipal enemy was Philip, ".
of France, who induced Pope Clement V.
to aoce1e TO a scheme by which members
of the order were seized and imprisoned.
their lands confscsted, and many of them
tried, convicted and executed for capital
crimes. The English Templars were ar
rested by command of Edward IT,. and
council held in London In 1909, having
convicted them of various crimes, most of
which are probably imaginary, the King
seized their possessions. In 1912 the
whole order throughout Europe was sup
pressed by the Council of Vienna, and its
property bestowed on the Knights of ST.
John, to which latter order their E0glish
possessions were formally transferred by a
statute of Edward H.. in 1923.
Subsequently they became part of the
Masonic Order in the United Stat s, rs
we'll as in Europe, where they are also a
part of the Masonic Order, though seps-
rate and distinct from the American
Order of Masonry, the highest grade of
which is the Royal Arch. What are their
obligations are only known to those who
have been initiated, but friendship is one
of the strong links which binds them to-
gether.
The Grand Encampment in the United
States ia the body from which emanates
all the laws by which the State Grind
Eocampnents and subordinate Comman-
deries are governed
The first Grand Commandery was held
in New York, July 81, 1914, under the
auspices of the Sovereign Grand Consis-
tory of the chief of exalted Masonry,
known as the Cerneau Council, s. G. |. G..
SD degree of the ancient and accepted
Scottish rite. The celebrated De Witt
Clinton was elected the first Grand Master
of the Grand Encampment