246 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly August 



Let us now enter the chapel. This chapel was referred 

 to in the tragic drama of the unjust dissolution of the 

 Order in 131 2. The initiation into the Order was strictly 

 secret, insomuch that the south wall of the chapel had no 

 windows — the present two south windows (debased perpen- 

 dicular) are doubtless insertions, as a Templar's tomb-slab 

 with a cross flory forms the fiat head of one of them ; the 

 east and the west walls had windows very high up ; also 

 that the west door had a bar right across from the inside. 

 Still at this distant date, the stones are eloquent, and do 

 reveal something about the initiation ; on entering the 

 chapel and closing the west door, one would notice on the 

 left a large stone with a deep hole (the right one is filled 

 up) for the bolt across. On this stone, a roughly incised 

 bent or halting leg with pointed shoe (no spur) appears ; 

 and on the right wall (where the stoup ought to be), two 

 fishes bound together by their tails appear. 1 Still facing 

 the west door, and on looking up one sees a cracked 

 tympanum with incised spear, ladder, three nails, tau cross 

 with crown above, sword, sponge on a reed, and cup with 

 cover. To interpret the above, I would venture the follow- 

 ing : — The candidate for initiation into the Order is led 

 blindfolded to the chapel ; therefore, he enters cautiously 

 with bent or halting steps. After taking the vows of 

 poverty, chastity, and obedience, he is invested with a white 

 mantle, 2 decorated with the instruments of the passion of 

 our Lord as represented on the tympanum. Lastly, he is 

 taken by the hand and welcomed as a brother, symbolised 

 by the tied fishes. 3 



Near by the west door, a " dug-out " would be noticed. 

 It is made of a good, sound butt of oak, measuring about 

 8 feet 6 inches in length, 1 foot 4 inches in depth, and I foot 



of the metropolis of the Greek Empire. The Eastern Empire is the moon ; the 

 Western Empire the sun. The horse-shoe is the true emblem for Moslems. 



1 "Curious mystical figures are always seen upon the Templars' monuments : 

 in the fishes bound together by the tails, on the tombs in Italy, and appearing on 

 the vaulting of the Temple Church, London." — Hargrave Jennings. 



2 Pope Honorius, at the request of Stephen, Patriarch of Jerusalem, prescribed 

 an Order of life, whereby they were to wear a white garment ; and Pope 

 Eugenius added thereto a red cross. 



3 The fish in ecclesiastical archaeology has a double meaning : (i) Christian 

 people, and (2) sacred acrostic. 



