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

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARwere mounting to an assault. They who attacked itand they who defended it were equally crushed byits fall; women, children, Christian warriors, all whohad come to seek refuge in the house of the Templars,perished, buried beneath the ruins. Such wasthe dash, bravery and self-sacrifice of the Templarsthroughout the life of the Order. To follow theiracts of true heroism would be to give a history ofthe Crusades.The few Christians stillclinging to the coasttown of Syria made their escape as soon as possibleand left the savage Moslems in complete possessionof the country. After a continuance of 191 years,the contest between the Cross and the Crescenthad ended in a complete restoration of the ancientregime throughout Syria and Asia Minor. TheCrescent of Islam was again in the ascendant.Final Dissolution.In the beginning of the fourteenth century,Philip the Fair, an avaricious and ambitious kingof France, secretly planned with Pope Clement V.for the destruction of the Templars and the appropriationof their revenue. The Order at this timewas enormously wealthy; this aroused his avarice.Their power interfered with his designs of politicalaggrandizement and this alarmed his ambition.Pope Clement, by Philip's direction, wrote, in 1306,to De Molay, the Grand Master, who was then atCyprus, inviting him to come and consult with himon some matters of great importance to the Order.De Molay obeyed the summons and arrived at Pariswith sixty Knights and a large amount of treasure.'50