The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARhe would found an abbey in honor of the tomb ofChrist. The tempest passed and Peter kept his vowby building a monastery on the banks of the Maesin France. Here he spent the remnant of his daysin penitential works, after the manner of his order.About a year after the taking of Jerusalem, asGodfrey was returning from an expedition, theemir of Caesarea* came out to meet him andof some of the fruitspresented to him an offeringof Palestine. The unsuspecting Godfrey acceptedand ate an. apple. Doubtless it had been poisoned,for the prince almost immediatelyfell ill. It waswith great difficulty that he reached Jaffa, whencehe was conveyed to his capital, where on the i8th ofJuly, noo, he died. His mortal remains were depositedwithin the enclosure of Calvary, near the/ tomb of Christ. He surpassed all the captains ofhis age, and his name will live honored amongstmen as long as the remembrance of the Crusades.Godfrey was succeeded by his brother Baldwin ofEdessa, as Baldwin Jl and upon his death in 1118,was succeeded by Baldwin de Bourg, a cousin ofBaldwin I., under the title of Baldwin II.Ancient Templars.The conquest of the city furnished a new stimulusto the pilgrim age, but Palestine was stillin thehands of the fierce Mohammedans, who soon beganto carry on their work of pillage and murder of.Christian pilgrims with increased vigor. In iiiStwo I'Vench knights, Hugh de Payens and Geoffreyof Saint Omar, perceiving the hardships to which.the Christian travelers were exposed in and about140