In this captivating historical detective narrative, the authors of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" follow the path of the Knights Templar after 1309, from Europe to Scotland, where the Templar legacy would take root and be maintained by a network of noble families. This legacy, as well as the freemasonry that emerged from it, became an integral part of the Stuart cause. The Temple and the Lodge traces the birth of Freemasonry through the preservation of Templar traditions, the currents of European thought, the mystery surrounding the Rosslyn Chapel, and an elite army of aristocrats linked as personal bodyguards of the French king. Following Freemasonry through the 17th and 18th centuries, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh reveal its contribution to fostering tolerance, progressive values, and cohesion in English society, helping to prevent a French-style revolution. Even more dramatically, the influence of Freemasonry emerges as key in shaping the United States of America as the embodiment of the ideal of 'Masonic Democracy'.