therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a deoree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifice, and let the foundation's thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber and let the expenses be given out of the king's, house. And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. Now therefore, Tatnai, governor, beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence; let the work of this house of God alone, let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in his place. Moreover, I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God; that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt-offer

U

ings of the God of Heaven; wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail; that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and, being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed. Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, She tharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo ; and they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king," and in the year of the world 3489.

Nehemiah iv. 7-21. "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, their they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together, to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. And it came to pass, that, when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us, they will be upon you. Therefore set I in the lower places, behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses. And it came to pass,

when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass, from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded: and he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another: In what place, therefore, ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for

us."

CHAPTER III.

Observations on the Orders of Knights Templars, and Knights of Malta.

ACCORDING to the Abbe de Vertot, the order of Knights of Malta, who were originally called

Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, took its rise about the year 1099; from which time to the year 1188, their whole employment was works of charity, and taking care of the sick.

Some time after the establishment of this order, nine gentlemen (of whose names two only remain on record, viz. Hugho de Paganis and Godfrey Adelman) formed a society to guard and protect the Christian pilgrims who travelled from abroad to visit the holy sepulchre.

These inen were encouraged by the Abbot of Jerusalem, who assigned them and their companions a place of retreat in a christian church, called the Church of the Holy Temple, from which they were called Templars, and not from the temple of Jerusalem, that having been destroyed by Titus Vespasian, 982 years before the society of Templars was instituted.

The society increased rapidly, and was much respected; but had neither habit, order, or mark of distinction, for the space of nine years, when pope Honorius II. at the request of Stephen, patriarch of Jerusalem, laid down a rule and manner of life for them; and ordained that they should be clothed in white; to which garment pope Eugenius III. added a red cross, to be worn on the breast, which they promised by a solemn oath to observe for ever. 25013 667