171 THE TIM PI. ABB l.N CYPKUS. [ACT V. Brood, dark midnight ! [The Stage becomes completely dark. The trial's ended. Forth to the reception ! [He leads ADALBERT to the left-hand steps, which they asceiul together. NOTE.—On thin Scene, Carlylo thus comment»: " How much of this mummery is copied fmm the net uni practice of the Templars we know not with certainty : nor what precisely either they or Werner intended, by this marvellous story of the 1-alien Master, to shadow forth. At first view one might take it for an allegory, couched in Masonic language,—and truly no flattering allegory,—of the Catholic Church : and this trampling on tho Cross, which i» said to have leen actually enjoined on every Templar at his initiation, to be a type of his secret behest to undermine that Institution, and redeem the Spirit of Ueligion from the state of thraldom and distortion, where it was then held. It is known at least, nnd was well known to Werner, that the heads of the Templars entertained views, both on religion nnd politics, which they did not think meet for communicating to their age, and only imparted by degrees, and under mysterious adumbrations, to the wiser of their own Order. " But on these secret principles of theirs, ns on Werner's manner of conceiving them, we arc only enabled to guess: for Werner, too, has an esoteric doctrine which he does not promulgate, except in dark Sibylline enigmas, to the uninitiated."—Lift and Writings of Werner.—Trans. SCENE III. Interior of the great Chapel of St. John. Midway in the background, the altar, with life-sized statue of John, and fully illuminated teith tapers. In a semi-circle on cither side of the altar, covering half the stage, the choir, with the stalls of the Brothers. On the right of the altar, raised by a step, the throne of the MASTER to the left opposite him two tabourets, all splendidly decorated, High mass is being celebrated. The PRESBYTER of the Order and two CHAPLAINS stand before the altar vested in. rich chasubles embroidered with the Cross of the Order. Two Clioristers ministering in surplices, MOLAT and all the i Templar-Knights kneeling ; the first in the centre, the rest on each side of him, all forming a semi-circle round the altar, and facing towards it.