ve and
long-continued thought, than do the mere historical and social
photographs which constitute the bulk of Scott's, as of all novels, and
form the favorites of the mass of readers for entertainment.

First among these characters, and most important as indicating direct
historical familiarity with the obscure subject of the Oriental heresies
of the Middle Ages in Europe, I would place that of the Templar, Brian
de Bois Guilbert, who is generally regarded by readers as simply 'a
horrid creature,' who chased 'that darling Rebecca' out of the window to
the verge of the parapet; or at best as a knightly ruffian, who, like
most ruffianly sinners, quieted conscience by stifling it with doubt.
Very different, however, did the Templar appear to Scott himself, who,
notwithstanding the poetic justice meted to the knight, evidently
sympathized in secret more warmly with him than with any other character
in the gorgeous company of 'Ivanhoe.' Among them all he is the only one
who fully and fairly appreciates the intellect of Rebecca, and, seen
from the stand-point of rigid historical probability which Scott would
not violate, _all allowance being made for what the Templar was_, he
appears by far the noblest and most intelligent of all the knightly
throng. I say that though a favorite, Scott would not to favor him,
violate historical probability. Why should he? It formed no part of his
plan to give the public of his day lessons in _illuminee_-ism. Had he
done so he would have failed like 'George Sand' in 'Consuelo;' but a
very small proportion indeed of whose readers retain a recollection of
the doctrines which it is the main object of the book to set forth. I
trust there is no slander in the remark, but I _must_ believe it to be
true until I see that the majority of the readers of that work have also
taken to zealously investigating the sources of that most forbidden
lore, which has most certainly this peculiarity, that no one can
_comprehend_ it ever so little without experiencing an insatiable,
never-resting desire to exhaust it, like everything which is prohibited.
There is no such thing as knowing it a little. As one of its sages said
of old, its knowledge rushes forth into infinite lands.

It was, I believe, some time before 'Ivanhoe' appeared, that Baron von
Hammer Purgstall had published his theory that the Knights Templars
were, although most unjustly treated, still guilty, in a certain sense,
of the extraordinary charge