Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 024.djvu/898

 and seven Squires or Novices, all bearing tapers, and attired in black, with scarfs of crape, now entered the temple, one by one, and silently as shadows. They stood opposite to the skeletons and the coffin, and were addressed by the Grand Master, who, in few words, informed them that the purpose of their assemblage was to hold a judgment on the Knight, whose mortal remains were before them.

It is midnight;’ he continued, ‘and the grave is ready. Our brother knight has finished his earthly probation. Let us look back upon his life, and see how he has stood the test. If any of you can accuse the deceased of wrong, let him stand forth and declare it.’

“A deep unbroken silence prevailed throughout the assemblage, and, after a long pause, the senior Knight Preceptor advanced to the head of the coffin, begged permission to speak, and thus began:

Brother Grand Master!

Brother Preceptors, Companions, and Novices!

It belongs not unto man, but unto God, to judge the dead. He alone can reward and punish—he alone can look into our souls, and know our most secret doings. Therefore, brother Grand Master! wert thou to call upon us even thrice to accuse our departed brother, thou wouldst call in vain, for we are all brethren in Christ our Lord.’

It is my bounden duty,’ resumed the Grand Master, ‘again to ask you. Brother Templars! ye are free members of the order: speak, if ye have aught to speak, against the departed.’ Again he paused, but the death-like stillness remained unbroken. Then did the Grand Master exclaim, with a loud voice; ‘As there is no accuser, there can be no judgment. Does no man accuse the dead?’

“And all the Templars knelt down and answered, ‘God is our judge.’ The Grand Master now raised an iron hammer, struck with it three heavy blows upon an iron cross, placed at the head of the coffin, and called aloud, ‘Open the gates of Death!

I had read thus far, when I heard three knocks, which sounded seemingly from the corridor. I started, closed the book involuntarily, and listened long and anxiously, but all was silent. “It was delusion,” whispered common sense; “my heated imagination carried me amidst the Templars, and the blows of the Grand Master’s hammer struck not my outward, but my fancy’s ear.” Determining to place this probable construction on the mysterious sounds, I again opened the little book, which had laid a strong hold of my curiosity, and pursued as follows:

“And now the Novices rolled up the tapestry, which covered the floor on the left side of the trestle, and behold! there was an open grave close to the coffin. Then did the three junior Novices deck the brink of the grave with garlands of red and white roses; and, while they were thus employed, the Grand Master said, ‘Brother Preceptors! give answer to my questions. When will God judge the dead?’

“First Preceptor. On the day of judgment.

“Grand Master. Who will be man’s accuser?

“Second Preceptor. His conscience.

“Grand Master. Who his defender?

“Third Preceptor. No one.

“Grand Master. Who will have mercy on him?

“Fourth Preceptor. No one.

“Grand Master. No one?

“Fifth Preceptor. God is our judge.

“Grand Master. Is not God almighty?

“Sixth Preceptor. Almighty and all-just.

“Grand Master. Hear, then, brother Templars! God is almighty and all-just; therefore, obey his laws.

“Seventh Preceptor. The grave is ready. Commit our brother to his mother-earth.

“And again the Grand Master struck the iron cross thrice with his hammer, and the brotherhood knelt around the grave, and kissed the earth in silence.”

At this moment I again heard three knocks more distinctly than before, succeeded, too, by a low sound of mingled muttering and lamentation. I distinguished both sounds with a clearness which no excitement of my imagination could supply, and I observed that the three knocks resembled the ringing sound of iron upon iron. I gazed in alarm at the door which opened on the long corridor, from whence the noise had seemed to proceed; and with growing horror, I now