of intrigue which resulted in the
destruction and plunder of the order.

The famous Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, founded in 1118
by a small band of nine French knights, sworn to protect
Christian pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre, had become, in
almost every kingdom of the West, a powerful, wealthy,
semimilitary, semimonastic republic, governed by its own
laws, animated by the closest corporate spirit, under the
severest internal discipline, an all-pervading organization,
independent alike of the civil power and of the spiritual
hierarchy.

During two centuries as crusaders, the knights fought
valiantly and shed their blood in defence of the Sepulchre
of our Lord, earning the devout admiration of Western
Christendom, and receiving splendid endowments of lands,
castles, and riches of all kinds as contributions to the
cause of the holy wars.

But despite their valor, Mahometan persistency prevailed,
and the total expulsion of the Templars, with the rest of
the Christian establishments from Palestine, followed the
downfall of Acre in 1291.

F. C. WOODHOUSE

The loss of Palestine led indirectly to the ruin of the order of the
Templars. The record is one of the dark episodes of history, encompassed
with contradictions, full of surprises, painful to contemplate, whatever
view may be taken, whichever side espoused.

It is difficult to understand how an order of men who for nearly two
hundred years earned the thanks and praise of Christendom for their
bravery and devotion; who had shed blood like water to defend the places
dearest to all Christian hearts; who had been recruited from the noblest
families in every country in Europe, and had had princes of royal blood
in their ranks; who claimed to act upon the purest and most exalted
Christian principles; and who proved the sincerity of their professions
by their lives of self-sacrifice, and their deaths, for the cause they
had taken up; who had been honored and favored and dowered with gifts
and privileges, in gratitude for their exploits--should suddenly have
fallen into the blackest crimes. So it is no less difficult to
understand how public opinion should turn against them as it did, and
how all Europe should set itself to disgrace and despoil, to malign and
execrate, those who had so long been its favorites and its champions. It
is not easy to understand this, and it is painful to read the story in
its sad and miserable