CHAP. V.
The Knights Templars of Scotland.
The Knights of the Temple were introduced into Scotland before 1153 by King David the First, who established them at Temple on the Southesk,[38] and who was so attached to the brotherhood, that we are told by an old historian "Sanctus David de prœclara Militia Templi optimos fratres secum retinens, eos diebus et noctibus morum suorum fecit esse custodes."[39] Malcolm, the grandson of David, conferred on the brethren "in liberam et puram Elymosynam unum plenarium Toftum in quolibet Burgo totius terræ," which foundation was enlarged by his successors, William the Lion and Alexander the Second. The charter of the latter is still in the possession of Lord Torphichen, whereby he grants and confirms "Deo et fratribus Templi Salomonis de Jerusalem omnes illas rectitudines, libertatis et consuetudines quas Rex David et Rex Malcolm et decessus pater meus Rex Willielmus eis dederunt et concesserunt, sicut scripta eorum authentica attestant." This curious document, after enumerating certain of these rights and liberties, scilicet,—the king's sure peace; the privilege of buying, selling, and trading with all his subjects; freedom from all tribute and toll, &c. proceeds "Et nullus eis injuriam faciat, vel fieri consentiat super meam defensionem, Et ubicunque in tota terra mea ad judiorum (q. judicium) venerint, causa eorum primum tractata, et prius rectum suum habeant, et postea faciant. Et nullus ponat hominem predictorum fratrum nostrorum ad foram judicii si noluerint, &c. Et omnes libertates et consuetudines quas ipsi per alias regiones habent in terra mea ubique habeant."
These general privileges, throughout Europe, were very extensive. The Templars were freed from all tythes to the church, and their priests were entitled to celebrate mass, and to absolve from sins to the same extent as bishops, a privilege which was strongly objected to by the latter. Their houses possessed the right of sanctuary or asylum for criminals. They could be witnesses in their own cause, and were exempted from giving testimony in the cause of others. They were relieved by the papal bulls from all taxes, and from subjection and obedience to any secular power. By these great immunities, the Order was rendered in a manner independent, but it would appear, nevertheless, that both the Templars and Hospitallers considered themselves subjects of the countries to which they belonged, and took part in the national wars, for we find by the Ragman Roll, "Freere Johan de Sautre, Mestre de la Chevalier del Temple en Ecoce," and another Brother, swearing fealty to Edward I. in 1296; and the author of the Annals of Scotland, taking notice of the Battle of Falkirk, 12th July 1298, informs us, that the only persons of note who fell were Brian le Jay, Master of the English Templars, and the Prior of Torphichen in Scotland, a Knight of another Order of religious soldiery. The former of these Chevaliers met his death by the hand of the redoubted Sir William Wallace, who advanced alone from the midst of his little band, and slew him with a single blow, although the historian adds, that Sir Brian le Jay was a Knight Templar of high military renown, who had shewn himself most active against the Scots.[40]
Little is known of the farther History of the Knights Templars in Scotland from the time of Alexander II. down to the beginning of the 14th century, excepting that their privileges were continued to them by succeeding Kings, whose bounty and piety were in those ages continually directed towards the religious Orders. By their endowments, and the bequests of the nobles, the possessions of the Order came to be so extensive, that their lands were scattered "per totum regnum Scotiæ, a limitibus versus Angliam, et sic discendo per totum regnum usque ad Orchades." Besides the House of the Temple in Mid-Lothian, the following Establishments or Priories of the Order may be enumerated, viz. St. Germains, in East Lothian; Inchynan, in Renfrewshire; Maryculter, in Kincardineshire; Aggerstone, in Stirlingshire; Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire; Derville or Derval, in Ayrshire; Dinwoodie, in Dumfriesshire; Red-abbey-stedd, in Roxburghshire, and Temple Liston, in West-Lothian.
The date of the spoliation of the Templars of Scotland, corresponds of course with that of the persecution of the Order in other countries, and it is to the credit of our forefathers that we can obtain no account of any Member of the Brotherhood having been subjected to personal torture or suffering amongst them; their estates, however, appear to have been duly transferred to the possession of their rivals, the Knights Hospitallers; into which Order it is not improbable that, like their Brethren in England, a number of the Templars entered.
In November 1309, John de Soleure, the Papal Legate, and William, Bishop of St. Andrews, held an Inquisitorial Court at the Abbey of Holyrood to investigate the charges against the Templars, but Walter de Clifton, Grand Preceptor of the Order in North Britain,[41] and William de Middleton, were the only two Knights who appeared before the Tribunal, the proceedings of which, as recorded at length in Wilkins' Consilia, make no allusion to any punishment being inflicted, so that we may fairly conclude they were soon set at liberty. The Preceptor, in his examination, readily confessed that the rest of the Brethren had fled, and dispersed themselves propter scandalium exortum contra ordinem, and we are told by a learned French writer, that having deserted the Temple, they had ranged themselves under the banners of Robert Bruce, by whom they were formed into a new Order, the observances of which were based on those of the Templars, and became, according to him, the source of Scottish Free Masonry.[42] This statement corresponds with the celebrated Charter of Larmenius already referred to, in which the Scottish Templars are excommunicated as Templi desertores, anathemate percussos; and along with the Knights of St. John, dominiorum Militiæ spoliatores, placed for ever beyond the pale of the Temple, extra gyrum Templi nunc, et in futurum; and it is likewise supported in some measure by the authority of the accurate historian of Free Masonry, M. Thory, who, in his "Acta Latomorum," states that Robert Bruce founded the Masonic Order of Heredom de Kilwinning, after the Battle of Bannockburn, reserving to himself and his successors on the Throne of Scotland, the office and title of Grand Master. Scottish tradition has, moreover, always been in favour of this origin of the Ancient Mother Kilwinning Lodge, which certainly at one time possessed other degrees of Masonry besides those of St. John; and it is well known to our Masonic readers, that there are even in our own days at Edinburgh, a few individuals claiming to be the representatives of the Royal Order established by Bruce, which, though now nearly extinct in this country,[43] still flourishes in France, where it was established by Charter from Scotland, and even by the Pretender himself, in the course of last century, and is now conferred as the highest and most distinguished grade of Masonry, sanctioned by the Grand Orient, under the title of the Rose Croix de Heredom de Kilwinning. It may be interesting to add, that the introduction on the Continent of this ancient branch of our national Masonry, has been commemorated by a splendid medal struck at Paris, bearing, amongst other devices, the Royal Arms and Motto of Scotland; and that the Brethren of the Lodge of Constancy at Arras, still preserve with reverence an original charter of the Order, granted to their Chapter in 1747, by Charles Edward Stuart, and signed by that unfortunate Prince himself as the representative of the Scottish Kings.[44] Nor can any thing indicate more strongly the high estimation in which the chivalry of the Rosy Cross of Kilwinning is held in France, than the fact that the Prince Cambaceres, Arch-chancellor of the Empire, presided over it as Provincial Grand Master, (the office of supreme head being inherent in the Crown of Scotland,) for many years; and that he was succeeded in his dignity, if we mistake not, by the head of the illustrious family of Choiseul.
But whether the Scottish Templars really joined the victorious standard of Robert Bruce, and with him, as our countrymen would fain hope, fought and conquered at Bannockburn, or whether the majority of them transferred themselves along with the possessions of the Order, to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, certain it is, that from the time of the persecution, the Order of the Temple, together with all its wealth, became merged in that of the Hospitallers, though certainly not to such a degree as to obliterate all distinct traces of the Red Cross Knights. On the contrary, we find by a public document recorded entire in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, and dated two centuries after the incorporation of the Orders, that King James the Fourth confirmed all former grants sancto Hospitali de Jerusalem, et fratribus ejusdem militiæ Templi Salomonis,—a satisfactory proof that the Order, although proscribed by the Pope, was still retained conjointly with that of the Hospital, in law papers at least.[45]