The Charter of Transmission (Lat. Carta Transmissionis / Charta Transmissionis), also known as the Larmenius Charter
The historical act of transmission of the authority of the Grand Master, dated 13 February 1324 and made public at the Second Revival of the Order (the beginning of the 19th century). The original is a parchment written in the Templar cipher (geometrical signs); below are given its reading in Latin and the translation of the text of the act. The signatures of the succeeding Grand Masters upon the Charter continued down to Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat (1804).
The Text in Latin
Ego frater Johannes Marcus Larmenius, hyerosolimitanus, Dei gratia et secretissimo venerandi sanctissimique martyris, supremi templi militiæ magistri (cui honos et gloria) decreto, communi fratrum consilio confirmato, super universum templi ordinem, summo et supremo magisterio insignitus, singulis has decretales litteras visuris, salutem, salutem, salutem.
Notum sit omnibus præsentibus et futuris, quod, deficientibus meis viribus, ex extrema ætate, rerumque paupertate et regiminis pondere, ad majorem Dei gloriam, et tutelam et salutem ordinis, fratrum, et statutorum, ego præfatus, humilis magister militiæ Templi, in fortiores manus supremum magisterium resignare decrevi.
Quapropter, Deo adjuvante et cum consensu conventus supremi equitum, illustri commendatori et carissimo fratri Francisco Thomæ Theobaldo Alexandrino, auctoritatem et privilegia summi magistri ordinis Templi contuli, et præsenti decreto, ad vitam, confero, cum potestate, secundum temporis et rerum leges, alteri fratri, nobilitate educationis et ingenii, et morum honestate eminentissimo, summum et supremum Templi magisterium, et auctoritatem supremam conferendi: quod fit ad perpetuam successionem summorum magistrorum, continuam seriem successorum, et integritatem statutorum servandam. Nihilominus jubeo, ut summum magisterium non transmittatur sine consensu conventus generalis commilitonum Templi, quoties conventus ille supremus convocari voluerit; et, rebus sic se habentibus, successor eligatur nutu equitum.
Sed ne potestates supremi officii deficiant, sint nunc et in perpetuum quatuor vicarii summi magistri; potestate, eminentia et auctoritate supremis; super universum ordinem, salvo jure summi magistri; qui vicarii ex senioribus eligantur secundum seriem professionis. Quod decretum est secundum votum prædictum, mihi et fratribus commendatum a venerabili et beatissimo magistro martyre (cui honos et gloria). Amen.
Denique, ex decreto conventus supremi fratrum, et auctoritate suprema mihi commissa, scoticos templarios, desertores ordinis, anathemate percussos, et illos et fratres Sancti Johannis Hierosolymitani, spolatores dominiorum militiæ (quorum Deus misereatur) extra Templum, nunc et in futurum, volo, dico et mando. Ideoque signa, pseudfratribus ignota et ab eis non cognoscenda, ore tradenda commilitonibus meis, et eo modo quo, in conventu supremo, jam placuit mihi tradere, stabilivi.
Sed hæc signa nonnisi post debitam professionem et consecrationem equestrem, secundum statuta, ritus et usus commilitonum Templi, a me præfato illustri commendatori tradita, sicut a venerabili et sanctissimo martyre magistro nostro (cui honos et gloria) in manus meas tradita fuerunt, revelanda sunt. Fiat ut dixi. Amen.
Ego Johannes Marcus Larmenius feci, die decima tertia februarii 1324.
Ego Franciscus Thomas Theobaldus Alexandrinus, Deo juvante, suscepi magisterium, 1324.
There followed upon the Charter the signatures of the successors down to Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat (1804).
Translation into English
I, Brother John Mark Larmenius of Jerusalem, by the grace of God and by the most secret decree of the venerable and most holy martyr, supreme master of the militia of the Temple (to whom be honour and glory), confirmed by the common counsel of the brethren and invested with the highest and supreme magistracy over the whole Order of the Temple, to all who shall see these decretal letters — salvation, salvation, salvation.
Let it be known to all, present and to come, that, my strength failing by reason of extreme old age, the poverty of means and the weight of governance, for the greater glory of God and for the protection and salvation of the Order, of the brethren and of the statutes, I, the aforesaid humble master of the militia of the Temple, have resolved to resign the supreme magistracy into stronger hands.
Wherefore, with God's help and with the consent of the Supreme Assembly of the Knights, I have conferred and by this present decree confer for life the authority and the privileges of the supreme master of the Order of the Temple upon the illustrious commander and most beloved brother Francis Thomas Theobald of Alexandria, with the power, according to the laws of time and circumstance, to confer the supreme magistracy of the Order of the Temple and the supreme authority upon another brother, most eminent in the nobility of his upbringing and of his gifts and in the honesty of his morals — that the uninterrupted succession of the supreme masters, the unbroken series of successors and the integrity of the statutes may be preserved. Nevertheless I command that the supreme magistracy be not transmitted without the consent of the General Assembly of the companions of the Temple, as often as that Supreme Assembly shall wish to be convened; and, matters standing thus, let the successor be chosen by the will of the knights.
But lest the powers of the supreme office should fail, let there now be and for ever four vicars of the supreme master, possessing supreme power, eminence and authority over the whole Order, with the right of the supreme master preserved; which vicars are to be chosen from among the senior brethren according to the order of their profession. This is decreed in accordance with the aforesaid vow, entrusted to me and to the brethren by the venerable and most blessed martyr master (to whom be honour and glory). Amen.
Finally, by decree of the Supreme Assembly of the brethren and by the supreme authority entrusted to me, I will, say and command that the Scottish Templars, as deserters of the Order, be struck with anathema, and that they and the brethren of Saint John of Jerusalem, despoilers of the domains of the militia (upon whom may God have mercy), be accounted outside the Temple, now and in the future. Wherefore I have established the signs, unknown to the false brethren and not to be known by them, to be handed down by mouth to my companions, in the manner in which it already pleased me to hand them down at the Supreme Assembly.
These signs, however, are to be revealed only after due profession and equestrian consecration, according to the statutes, rites and usages of the companionship of the Temple, transmitted by me to the aforesaid illustrious commander even as they were placed into my hands by the venerable and most holy martyr, our master (to whom be honour and glory). Let it be as I have said. Amen.
I, John Mark Larmenius, have done this on the thirteenth day of February 1324.
I, Francis Thomas Theobald of Alexandria, with God's help have received the magistracy, 1324.