The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-07-06
--1r KrTGHTs TEMPLAR.
d Rop,onttc account Of Their
~ origin.
Phtlaaelphia Times.
Philadelphia Tines.

,e..,otbinp7 over eight hundred years
~ tbe world has moved fast since
~ tvo French knights, joining with
' 'Zon seven Others, started out as an es-
'npl- to pilgrims to Jerusalem. Baldwin
CT'' .bs chen king Of the crusading occu-
LIZ ',s W. of that ancient town, welcomed
i PEN warmly and gave them lodgings
'ns M supposed site Of the temple Of
e a,1a,,on. Of Era and Of Herod. Their
49, ,bsrg increased until, finally, st.
' parnard, Of Clairvaux, drew up for them
.,,Ias Of life, and they became that curl
~. 80, complex, monastic soldiers. in the
". .or 1891, after fight Of nearly two
g9 ~ wears, they were driven from
h 1s.o their last hold in Syria, with
6iabtfui slaughter, and landed in the
. ne If Cyprus with the knights of st.
T Tobn Ali over Europe at this time the
.,dsr was lush with stately houses OF
.onvocation and immense wealth. The
G Of Europe about then were exceed
;ngiv short Of cash, and Phillip the fair
# France, having persuaded the Pope
CIomepts v. to issue bull authorizing
~ inquiry into the morals and purposes
of the order, took al once occasion to
s,ueezs out of the unfortunate knights
al that the terrible torture of the day
cou1d bring forth. Says an ancient
cbropfcle: "The grand master of the CT
dovant erder of the temple and three
other templars, the visitor Of France and
tho GRAND masters of Normandy and
oonitaine, the right of pronouncing
de6ritive Judgment against whom the
Pope had reserved to himself, appeared
before the archbishop of Sens and an as
sembly of other prelates and doctors Of
divine and ca1on law, convened for this
speeial purpose at Parasitic four above
named then having publicly and sOIemnly
acknowledged the crimes with which they
were accused, were condemned to be
burned to the stake, and were according
" with all due solemnity, roasted to
death. Between his arrest and execution
Jaoues de Molay, Grand Master OF the
Templars, as weak as Cranmer undel
Mary of England, first, in fear of pail
and torture, told or attempted to tell al
he knew, and yet when the stake facec
him died as game as only men can die
The story of, the martyr was this an'
how true the traditions of the TemPlal
are, and how true the claim of those Wh'
use their name to-day is to wear it, cal
only be known by those who can see Il
the old, old story of centuries back
story they can understand:
One of the witnesses, Templar unde
the torture, depOses that when he refuses
to defy God and spit upon the cross, Ray
neud de Brignolles said to him, laugh
ingly: Compose yourself, it is only
farce" In the important deposition Q
the preceptor of Aquitaine there are CIV
en- the details ola ceremony of the times
together with an explanation OF its orr
gin. The knight who initiated the cand]
date, having first invested him with
cloak of the order, presented him with
crucifix ON a mass book, and told him t
deny Christ nailed to the cross. Whe
in great terror he refused, crying out
"Alas, my God, why should l do so?
will In no wise do it," "DO it withou
fear" replied the other. 81 swearby m
soul that you shall sustain no injur
either in soul or conscience, for 1t Is
ceremony of the order, introduced by
wicked grand master, who being taken
prisoner by SOldan, could obtain HI
liberty only by taking his cath to max
all further candidates for admissio
into the order adiure Christ after this fash
ion, which has been ever since, and s
you may we'll doit, and resisted the more
and asked for his uncle and other worth
persons who had brought him there. Blu
the other replied They are gone an
you must do what order YOU" An
still he would not. Seeing his determ
nation the knight then said to him: 81
you will take your oath on Gods hol
gospel that you will tell all the brother
Of the order that you have done all that
have directed, will dispense with you
going through the ceremony" And tn