command them, to make use of them, and apply them to his service as he pleases: but whereas men have only dominion over other sublunary creatures, kings have an authority even over men themselves, and a right of ruling them by will and pleasure. Now, he that is master of those who are masters of all things else hath no earthly thing above him."

The power of Women and of Truth.

Then began Zerubbabel upon the power of women and of truth, and spoke as follows:

"O princes and rulers, the force of wine is not to be denied; neither is that of kings, that unites so many men in one common bond of allegiance; but the supereminency of women is yet above all this; for kings are but the gifts of women, and they are also the mothers of those that cultivate our vineyards. Women have the power to make us abandon our very country and rela tions, and many times to forget the best friends' we have in the world, and, forsaking all other comforts, to live and die with them. But when all is said, neither they, nor wine, nor kings, are comparable to the almighty force of truth. As for all other things, they are mortal and transient, but truth alone is unchangeable and everlasting; the benefits we receive from it are subject to no variations or vicissitudes of time and fortune. In her judgment is no unrighteousness, and she is the strength, wisdom, power and majesty of all ages. Blessed be the God of truth."

When Zerubbabel had finished speaking, the princes and rulers cried out,

Great is truth, and mighty above all things."

Then said the king to Zerubbabel,

"Ask what thou wilt, and I will give it thee, because thou art found wisest among thy companions."

Then said he to Darius,

"O king, remember thy vow, which thou hast vowed, to build Jerusalem in the day when thou shouldest come to thy kingdom, and to restore the holy vessels which were taken away out of Jerusalem. Thou hast / also vowed to build up the temple, which was burned when Judah was made desolate by the Chaldees. And now, O King, this is that I desire of thee, that thou make good the vow, the performance whereof with thine own mouth thou hast vowed to the King of Heaven,"

Ezra vi.-" Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifice, and let the foundations 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 offerings 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. 1 Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed."

Then Darius the king stood up and embraced him, and gave him passports and letters to his governors and officers, that they should safely convey both him, and those who should go with him, to Jerusalem; and that they should not be delayed or hindered from building the city and the temple, until they should be finished. He also restored all the holy vessels remaining in his possession, that had been taken from Jerusalem, when

the children of Israel were carried away captive to Babylon, and reserved by Cyrus.

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"Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily," Neh. iv.—“ 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."

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.

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 1118, 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 men 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