...along came one of the most influential of all Renaissance writers,
Henry Cornelius of Agrippa. His book, De Occulta Philosophiae, contains
references to the Order, for reasons that remain obscure. Agrippa presents the
Knights Templar as a bunch of witches who needed no broom to fly. He was
favourable to the Templars, although he went heavily into the magic thing in his
discussion of the Order. It can be said that during this period there was a
two-fold
shift in the attitude towards the Order: they were increasingly seen as
victims, not
as malefactors, and on the other hand, they were moving from militant
knights into
capable magicians.
nter the Freemasons. The time frame here is about the early 17th century,
during which time the foundation of Freemasonry was laid in Europe.
Freemasonry bases its history on a document called "The Old Charges" dated in
1440, claiming to be a copy of an even older document. As the new movement
gathered new recruits into its seemingly egalitarian and free system, the
need to
a history of the movement became evident. A Frenchman called Chevalier
Ramsay came up with and presented the idea of Crusading Masons, in other
words, Crusaders who had already possessed the Mason train of thought. He
went even so far as to concoct the idea that the Biblical builders of the
Temple of
Solomon were the spiritual forefathers of 18th century Freemasons. According to
Ramsay, the Crusaders had founded [fictitional] lodges, most of whom had since
lapsed except those in Scotland and England. Historical proof of such
organizations is apparently nonexistent, we must note. And I've recently
been told
that Ramsay's ideas have since been discarded by modern Freemasons, who
now claim descent from the ancient operative stonemasons' guilds.
That's the quote, here's the link (I'm checking out the one you suggested)
http://www.trantex.fi/staff/heikkih/knights/portcull.htm
Brett
Returning,
rBERTS%n
Rabble Sonnet Retort
Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.
Conte Vittorio Alfieri