Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1910-03-31

as ignorant of the outer world as Their
domestic animals. The Greek AMI
Saracenic civi 'ization was imbibcd by
those who visited the east, and ON
their return to Europe, their CHn
countries fe t the Influence in science.
art and literature.
Among those who returned 10 i'm
press ct home the improvement n
mannera and customs none mora nj lu-
e1ia than the knights IF the several
orders Their influence, stdnlin: ana
power increased. and as hu Il; rr;nrn
so often does, they became to al
classes distasteful by their arrogant
conduct to high and low, until finally
the king of France, styled by Dante
"The Curse of France" and Pope
Clement, for their own selfish pur-
poses and to gain wealth of these or.
ders, determined to suppress them;
which resulted in their imprisonment
for several years, and after the minds
of the people had become sufficiently
reconc'led to their suppression, they
were publicly executed. "The chief
cause of the ruin of the Templars,"
Fuller justly remarks, was their eX-
traordinary wealth. Philip would
never have taken their lives if he
could have taken the lands without
putting them to death; but unfortun-
ately for the Knights he cou dn't ge;
the honey unless he burned the bees.
The persecution of the Templars Of
the fourteenth century, however does
not close the histor yof the order;
TO rthough the Knigts were spoliated,
the order was not annihi'ated.
Truth crushed to earth shall rise
again"
In truth, the Cavaliers were not
guilty; the Brotherhood was not sup
pressed, and startling as is the as
sertiOn, there has been succession of
the Knights Templars in France at
least from the twelft hcentury even
down to these days, the chain of
transmission was perfect IN al its
links. James de Mo'ay, grand master
at the time of the persecution, antici-
pating his own martyrdom, appointed
as his successor in power and dignity
Johannes Marcus Larmenius, of Jeru-
the present there has been a regular
and uninterrupted line of grand mas
| ters. The charter of transmission,
with signatures from the vario
chiefs of the temple, is preserved at
Paris, with the ancient statutes o.
| the order, rituals, records, seals,
standards and the cary memorials of
the early Templars. magma est veri-
tas ct prevalent"
Do you ask what is the connect on
between these noble spirits, who gave
their fortunes and tneir lives to the
cause of Christ against the infide's
and Mohammedans of Asia, and our
modern Templars, who do not use i'm
elements of carnal warfare, but
employ the legitimate symbols of the
knightly armor to contend against
the devil, the world and the tie.
We may say that, while evidence is
not lacking that the appendant degrees
of Knights Templars were conferred
on American shores to American Ma
sons by knights Templars from across
the seas, it is not claimed that there
is direct connection between the Cru
saders of old and the present Templar
| Sy SLSII. CT, ]lhC l1NClo IOullu
in many parts of the world where
can trace the waters thereof until
| they disappear on one side of the
mountain and discover where the
| same waters again appear on the
other sled, and then proceed onward to
the sea, so the same Towing spirit
which was manifested in the lives
| the original Templars can be clearly
| traced now in the Temp'ar rituals G
England and the United States. The
fundamental principles of the ancient
order are here-diety, truth justice,
| liberty; and these without those SUI
perstitions which have always ac-
companied the priestly orders of the
Roman Catholic church. In our ale
glance to and worship of the Risen
Christ in spirit and in truth, we are
kin by hearts blood to the brave old
Hugo the First, who throughout life
we'll spent that gave itself for the
protection of his Saviour's tomb. And
when we swear to wie'd our sword
in defense of innocent maidens, help
less orphans, destitute widows, and
the Christian religion, we have con.
served all that is true and good in the
beautiful fact of chivarly, without the
evtravaganzas of Don Quixote and
Sancho Panza.
| have gone back thus far in the
'nnals of time that you may know
three things
1T. TEMPLARTSM HAS A HIS
TORY.
AS long as deep calls unto deep, and
love leaps to love; as long as mems
hearts are strong and women's hearts
are tender; as long as persecution
wakes dint of pity, and, seeing no.
BILE deeds,
Our hearts in glad surprise
To higher levels r,se,-
the story of the C4usades will hold
the mind of maid and man. and put
mayhap a nameless longing in the
heart for the years when Knight
Was in Flower"
Tho n,iIOconbar of history will fpd