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diff --git a/44376-0.txt b/44376-0.txt index a469c8d..e0f5ea1 100644 --- a/44376-0.txt +++ b/44376-0.txt @@ -1,39 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Knights Templars, by C. G. (Charles -Greenstreet) Addison - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Knights Templars - Third Edition - - -Author: C. G. (Charles Greenstreet) Addison - - - -Release Date: December 6, 2013 [eBook #44376] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS*** - - -E-text prepared by Chris Curnow, Paul Clark, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44376 *** Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. @@ -10866,362 +10831,4 @@ Transcriber's note: "his beloved clerk," William de Langford," and farmed out the rents "his beloved clerk," William de Langford, "and farmed out the rents - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS*** - - -******* This file should be named 44376-0.txt or 44376-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/3/7/44376 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Knights Templars - Third Edition - - -Author: C. G. (Charles Greenstreet) Addison - - - -Release Date: December 6, 2013 [eBook #44376] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS*** - - -E-text prepared by Chris Curnow, Paul Clark, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 44376-h.htm or 44376-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44376/44376-h/44376-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44376/44376-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/knightstemplars00addirich - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS, - -by - -C. G. ADDISON ESQE. - -Barrister at Law - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - -THIRD EDITION. - -London, -Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. -Paternoster Row, 1852. - - - -[Illustration: THE ADMISSION OF A NOVICE TO THE VOWS OF THE ORDER OF -THE TEMPLE] - - - - -PREFACE - -TO THE FIRST EDITION. - - -Having some years ago, during a pilgrimage to the Holy City of -Jerusalem, gained admission to the courts of the ancient Temple of the -Knights Templars, which still exists on Mount Moriah in a perfect state -of preservation as a Mussulman Mosque, and having visited many of the -ruined fortresses and castles of the ancient order of the Temple, whose -shattered walls are still to be seen at intervals in Palestine and in -Syria, from Gaza to Antioch, and from the mountains of the Dead Sea to -the shores of the Mediterranean, I naturally became greatly interested -in the history of the order, and in the numerous remains and memorials -of the Knights Templars still to be met with in various stages of decay -and ruin in almost every part of Europe. The recent restoration of the -Temple Church at London, the most beautiful and the best preserved of -all the ancient ecclesiastical edifices of the western provinces of the -Temple, first suggested to me the idea of writing a short historical -account of the varied fortunes of that great religious and military -fraternity of knights and monks by whom it was erected, and of their -dark and terrible end. - -Born during the first fervour of the Crusaders, the Templars were -flattered and aggrandized as long as their great military power -and religious fanaticism could be made available for the support of -the Eastern church and the retention of the Holy Land; but when the -crescent had ultimately triumphed over the cross, and the religious and -military enthusiasm of Christendom had died away, they encountered the -basest ingratitude in return for the services they had rendered to the -Christian faith, and were plundered, persecuted, and condemned to a -cruel death by those who ought in justice to have been their defenders -and supporters. - -The memory of these holy warriors is embalmed in all our recollections -of the wars of the cross; they were the bulwarks of the Latin kingdom -of Jerusalem during the short period of its existence, and were the -last band of Europe's host that contended for the possession of -Palestine. To the vows of the monk and the austere life of the convent, -they added the discipline of the camp, and the stern duties of the -military life, joining "the fine vocation of the sword and lance" -with the holy zeal and body-bending toil of a poor brotherhood. The -vulgar notion that they were as wicked as they were fearless and brave, -has not yet been entirely exploded; but it is hoped that the copious -account of the proceedings against the order in this country given -in the ensuing volume, will dispel many unfounded prejudices still -entertained against the fraternity, and excite emotions of admiration -for their constancy and courage, and of pity for their unmerited and -cruel fate. - -The accounts, even of the best of the ancient historians concerning the -Templars ought not to be implicitly relied upon. William of Tyre, for -instance, tells us that Nassr-ed-deen, son of sultan Abbas, was taken -prisoner by the Templars, and whilst in their hands became a convert to -Christianity; that he had learned the rudiments of the Latin language, -and earnestly sought to be baptized, but that the Templars were bribed -with sixty thousand pieces of gold to surrender him to his enemies in -Egypt, where certain death awaited him; and that they stood by to see -him bound hand and foot with chains, and placed in an iron cage, to -be conducted across the desert to Cairo. The Arabian historians, on -the other hand, tell us that Nassr-ed-deen and his father murdered the -caliph, threw his body into a well, and then fled into Palestine; that -the sister of the murdered caliph wrote immediately to the commander -of the garrison of the Knights Templars at Gaza, offering a handsome -reward for the capture of the fugitives; that they were accordingly -intercepted, and Nassr-ed-deen was sent to Cairo, where the female -relations of the caliph caused his body to be cut into small pieces in -the seraglio! The above act has constantly been made a matter of grave -accusation against the Templars; but what a different complexion does -the case assume on the testimony of the Arabian authorities! It must -be remembered that William, archbishop of Tyre, was hostile to the -order on account of its vast powers and privileges, and carried his -complaints to a general council of the Church at Rome. He is abandoned, -in everything that he says to the prejudice of the fraternity, by -James of Vitry, bishop of Acre, a learned and most talented prelate, -who wrote in Palestine subsequently to William of Tyre, and has copied -largely from the history of the latter. The bishop of Acre speaks -of the Templars in the highest terms, and declares that they were -universally loved by all men for their piety and humility. - -The celebrated orientalist Von Hammer has recently brought forward -various extraordinary and unfounded charges, destitute of all -authority, against the Templars; and Wilcke, who has written a -German history of the order, seems to have imbibed all the vulgar -prejudices against the fraternity. I might have added to the interest -of the ensuing work, by making the Templars horrible and atrocious -villains; but I have endeavoured to write a fair and impartial account -of the order, not slavishly adopting everything I find detailed in -ancient writers, but such matters only as I believe, after a careful -examination of the best authorities, to be true. - - - - -PREFACE - -TO THE THIRD EDITION. - - -The favourable reception given to the first edition of the ensuing -work, and the interest that was taken in the extraordinary and romantic -career of the Knights Templars, induced me to publish a second edition -greatly enlarged, and to introduce various collateral matters of an -antiquarian and local character, interesting only to a comparatively -small number of readers. This enlarged edition having been exhausted, -it occurred to me, in preparing a third edition for the press, that -the work might be materially shortened and reduced in price without -in anywise detracting from its value and interest as a record of the -chief events of one of the most remarkable and interesting periods of -history, and of the extraordinary and romantic achievements of the -first and most ancient of the great religio-military orders of knights -and monks established during the crusades. - -The dry matters of detail, of local and partial interest, which -interfered with the continuity of the main narrative, have been struck -out of the body of the work, and the more striking incidents of the -history have been thus brought into greater prominence. The long Latin -and French extracts from the old chronicles have also been discarded -from the notes, but the historical references have been preserved to -enable the reader, if he thinks fit, to study the quaint and curious -language of the originals. By these means, and by enlarging the size of -the page, the work has been compressed into a smaller compass, and the -price reduced nearly one half. - -It is hoped that these alterations will be found to be improvements. - -_Inner Temple, December 8, 1851._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - The pilgrimages to Jerusalem--Origin of the Templars--The - dangers to which pilgrims were exposed--The formation - of the brotherhood of the poor fellow-soldiers of - Jesus Christ to protect them--Their location in - the Temple--A description of the Temple--Origin of - the name Templars--Hugh de Payens chosen Master of - the Temple--Is sent to Europe by King Baldwin--Is - introduced to the Pope--The assembling of the Council - of Troyes--The formation of a rule for the government - of the Templars--The most curious parts of the rule - displayed--The confirmation of the rule by the - Pope--The visit of Hugh de Payens, the Master of - the Temple, to England--His cordial reception--The - foundation of the Order in this country--Lands and - money granted to the Templars--Their popularity in - Europe--The rapid increase of their fraternity--St. - Bernard takes up the pen in their behalf--He displays - their valour and piety _Page_ 5 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Hugh de Payens returns to Palestine--His death--Robert de - Craon made Master--Success of the Infidels--The second - Crusade--The Templars assume the Red Cross--Their - gallant actions and high discipline--Lands, manors, and - churches granted them in England--Bernard de Tremelay - made Master--He is slain by the Infidels--Bertrand de - Blanquefort made Master--He is taken prisoner, and - sent in chains to Aleppo--The Pope writes letters in - praise of the Templars--Their religious and military - enthusiasm--Their war banner called _Beauseant_--The - rise of the rival religio-military order of the - Hospital of St. John--The contests between Saladin and - the Templars--The vast privileges of the Templars--The - publication of the bull, _omne datum optimum_--The Pope - declares himself the immediate Bishop of the entire - Order--The Master of the Temple is taken prisoner, - and dies in a dungeon--Saladin's great success--The - Christians purchase a truce--The Master of the Temple - and the Patriarch Heraclius proceed to England for - succour--The consecration of the TEMPLE CHURCH AT - LONDON 24 - - - CHAPTER III. - - The Temple at London--The vast possessions of the Templars - in England--The territorial divisions of the order--The - different preceptories in this country--The privileges - conferred on the Templars by the kings of England--The - Masters of the Temple at London--Their power and - importance 44 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - The Patriarch Heraclius quarrels with the king of - England--He returns to Palestine without succour--The - disappointment and gloomy forebodings of the - Templars--They prepare to resist Saladin--Their defeat - and slaughter--The valiant deeds of the Marshal - of the Temple--The fatal battle of Tiberias--The - captivity of the Grand Master and the true - cross--The captive Templars are offered the Koran or - death--They choose the latter, and are beheaded--The - fall of Jerusalem--The Moslems take possession of - the Temple--They purify it with rose-water, say - prayers, and hear a sermon--The Templars retire to - Antioch--Their letters to the king of England and the - Master of the Temple at London--Their exploits at the - siege of Acre 68 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Richard Coeur de Lion joins the Templars before Acre--The - city surrenders, and the Templars establish the chief - house of their order within it--Coeur de Lion takes up - his abode with them--He sells to them the island of - Cyprus--The Templars form the van of his army--Their - foraging expeditions and exploits--Coeur de Lion quits - the Holy Land in the disguise of a Knight Templar--The - Templars build the Pilgrim's Castle in Palestine--The - exploits of the Templars in Egypt--The letters of the - Grand Master to the Master of the Temple at London--The - Templars reconquer Jerusalem--The state of the order in - England--King John resides in the Temple at London--The - barons come to him at that place, and demand MAGNA - CHARTA--Consecration of the nave or oblong portion of - the Temple Church at London 129 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - The conquest of Jerusalem by the Carizmians--The - slaughter of the Templars, and the death of the Grand - Master--Rise and progress of the Comans--They are - defeated and destroyed by the Templars--The exploits - of the Templars in Egypt--King Louis of France visits - the Templars in Palestine--He assists them in putting - the country into a defensible state--Henry III., - king of England, visits the Temple at Paris--The - magnificent hospitality of the Templars in England - and France--Bendoedar, sultan of Egypt, invades - Palestine--He defeats the Templars, takes their - strong fortresses, and decapitates six hundred of - their brethren--The Grand Master comes to England for - succour--The renewal of the war--The fall of Acre--The - Templars establish their head-quarters in the island - of Cyprus--Their alliance with the king of Persia--The - reconquest of Jerusalem--The desolation of the Holy - Land--The final extinction of the Templars in Palestine - 180 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - The downfall of the Templars--The cause thereof--The - Grand Master comes to Europe at the request of the - Pope--He is imprisoned, with all the Templars in - France, by command of king Philip--They are put to - the torture, and confessions of the guilt of heresy - and idolatry are extracted from them--Edward III., - king of England, stands up in defence of the Templars, - but afterwards persecutes them at the instance of the - Pope--The imprisonment of the Master of the Temple - and all his brethren in England--Their examination - upon eighty-seven horrible and ridiculous articles - of accusation before foreign inquisitors appointed - by the Pope--A council of the church assembles at - London to pass sentence upon them--The curious - evidence adduced as to the mode of admission into - the order, and of the customs and observances of the - fraternity--The Templars in France having revoked - their rack-extorted confessions, are treated as - relapsed heretics, and burnt at the stake--Solitary - confinement of the Templars in England in separate - dungeons--Torture--Confessions and recantations--The - Master of the Temple at London dies in the Tower--The - Grand Master is burnt at the stake--The abolition of - the order and disposal of its property. Grant of the - Temple at London to a body of lawyers--Introduction - into the profession of the law of an order of knights - and serving-brethren 236 - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - "Go forth to battle and employ your substance and your persons - for the advancement of God's religion. Verily, God loveth those - who fight for his religion in battle array."--KORAN, _chapter 56, - entitled_ BATTLE ARRAY. - - "O Prophet, stir up the faithful to war! If twenty of you persevere - with constancy they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be - one hundred of you they shall overcome one thousand of those who - believe not."--_Chapter 8, entitled_ THE SPOILS. - - "Verily, if God pleased, he could take vengeance on the unbelievers - without your assistance, but he commandeth you to fight his battles - that he may prove the one of you by the other; and as to those who - fight in defence of God's true religion, God will not suffer their - works to perish."--KORAN, _chapter 47, entitled_ WAR. - - -To be propagated by the sword was a vital principle of Mahommedanism. -War against infidels for the establishment and extension of the faith -was commanded by the Prophet, and the solemn injunction became hallowed -and perpetuated by success. - -A century after the death of Mahomet, the Moslems had extended their -religion and their arms from India to the Atlantic Ocean; they had -subdued and converted, by the power of the sword, Persia and Egypt, -and all the north of Africa, from the mouth of the Nile to the extreme -western boundary of that vast continent; they overran Spain, invaded -France, and turning their footsteps towards Italy they entered the -kingdoms of Naples and Genoa, threatened Rome, and subjected the -island of Sicily to the laws and the religion of their Prophet. But at -the very period when they were about to plant the Koran in the very -heart of Europe, and were advancing with rapid strides to universal -dominion, intestine dissensions broke out amongst them which undermined -their power, and Europe was released from the dread and danger of -Saracen dominion. - -In the tenth century of the Christian era, however, the ferocious -and barbarous Turcomans appeared as the patrons of Mahommedanism, -and the propagators of the Koran. These were wild pastoral tribes of -shepherds and hunters, who descended from the frozen plains to the -north of the Caspian, conquered Persia, embraced the religion and the -law of Mahomet, and became united under the standard of the Prophet -into one great and powerful nation. They overran the greater part of -the Asiatic continent, destroyed the churches of the Christians and -the temples of the Pagans, and appeared (A. D. 1084) in warlike array -on the Asiatic shore of the Hellespont in front of Constantinople. -The terrified emperor Alexius sent urgent letters to the Pope and -the christian princes of Europe, exhorting them to assist him and -their common Christianity in the perilous crisis. The preachings of -Peter the hermit, and the exhortations of the Pope, forthwith aroused -Christendom; Europe was armed and precipitated upon Asia; the Turkish -power was broken; the Christian provinces of the Greek empire of -Constantinople were recovered from the grasp of the infidels; and the -Latin kingdom of Jerusalem was reared upon the ruins of the Turkish -empire of sultan Soliman. The monastic and military order of the Temple -was then called into existence for the purpose of checking the power -of the infidels, and fighting the battles of Christendom in the plains -of Asia. "Suggested by fanaticism," as Gibbon observes, but guided by -an intelligent and far reaching policy, it became the firmest bulwark -of Christianity in the East, and mainly contributed to preserve Europe -from Turkish desolation, and probably from Turkish conquest. - -Many grave and improbable charges have been brought against the -Templars by monks and priests who wrote in Europe concerning events in -the Holy Land, and who regarded the vast privileges of the order with -indignation and aversion. Matthew Paris tells us that they were leagued -with the infidels, and fought pitched battles with the rival order of -Saint John; but as contemporary historians of Palestine, who describe -the exploits of the Templars, and were eye-witnesses of their career, -make no mention of such occurrences, and as no allusion is made to -them in the letters of the Pope addressed to the Grand Master of the -order of Saint John shortly after the date of these pretended battles, -I have omitted all mention of them, feeling convinced, after a careful -examination of the best authorities, that they never did take place. - -At this distant day, when the times and scenes in which the Templars -acted are changed, and the deep religious fervour and warm fresh -feelings of bygone ages have given way to a cold and calculating -philosophy, we may doubt the sincerity of the military friars, exclaim -against their credulity, and deride their zeal; but when we call to -mind the hardships and fatigues, the dangers, sufferings, and death, -to which they voluntarily devoted themselves in a far distant land, -the sacrifice of personal comforts, of the ties of kindred, and of all -the endearments of domestic life, which they made without any prospect -of worldly gain or temporal advantage, for objects which they believed -to be just, and noble, and righteous, we must ever rank the generous -impulses by which they were actuated among the sublime emotions which -can influence the human character in those periods when men feel rather -than calculate, before knowledge has chilled the sensibility, or -selfish indifference hardened the heart. - - - - -THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - The pilgrimages to Jerusalem--Origin of the Templars--Their - location in the Temple--Hugh de Payens chosen Master of the - Temple--His introduction to the Pope--The assembling of the - Council of Troyes--The formation of a rule for the government of - the Templars--The most curious parts of the rule displayed--Visit - of Hugh de Payens to England--The foundation of the Order in this - country--Lands and money granted to the Templars--St. Bernard - displays their valour and piety. - - "Yet 'midst her towering fanes in ruin laid, - The pilgrim saint his murmuring vespers paid; - 'Twas his to mount the tufted rocks, and rove - The chequer'd twilight of the olive grove; - 'Twas his to bend beneath the sacred gloom, - And wear with many a kiss Messiah's tomb." - - -The natural desire of visiting those holy spots which have been -sanctified by the presence, and rendered memorable by the sufferings, -of the Son of God, drew, during the early ages of Christianity, -crowds of devout worshippers and pilgrims to Jerusalem. Among the -most illustrious and enthusiastic of the many wanderers to the Holy -City was the empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, who, with -the warm feelings of a recent conversion, visited in person every -place and every object in Palestine associated with the memory of him -who died for mankind on the blessed cross. With a holy zeal and a -lively enthusiasm, she attempted to fix by unquestionable tradition -the scene of each memorable event in the gospel narrative; and -Christendom is indebted to her for the real or pretended discovery -(about two hundred and ninety-eight years after the death of Christ) -of the Holy Sepulchre. Over this sacred monument the empress and -her son Constantine caused to be erected the magnificent church of -the Resurrection, or, as it is now called, the church of the Holy -Sepulchre; and they adorned all those places in the Holy Land which -remind us most forcibly of the earthly existence and death of Jesus -Christ, with magnificent churches and religious houses. - -The example of this pious princess, and the pretended discoveries made -by her of holy relics, caused a great increase in the pilgrimages to -Jerusalem. The conquest of Palestine by the Arabians, (A. D. 637,) -stimulated rather than suppressed them; it added to the merit by -increasing the danger and difficulty of the undertaking, whilst the -enthusiasm which prompted the long and perilous journey was increased -by the natural feelings of sorrow and indignation at the loss of the -holy places, and the possession of them by the conquering infidels. -Year after year, and century after century, hundreds and thousands of -both sexes, of all ranks and every age, the monarch and the peasant, -the noble and the beggar, flocked to the shrines and the altars of -Palestine. They visited, with pious affection, Bethlehem, where the -Saviour first saw the light; they bathed in the waters of the river -Jordan, wherein he was baptized, and wept and prayed upon Mount -Calvary, where he was crucified. - -On the conquest of Jerusalem by the Arabians, the security of the -christian population had been provided for in a solemn guarantee -given under the hand and seal of the caliph Omar, to Sophronius the -patriarch. One fourth of the entire city, with the church of the -Resurrection, the Holy Sepulchre, and the great Latin convent, had been -left in the hands of the Christians and the pilgrims were permitted, -on payment of a trifling tribute, freely to visit the various objects -of their regard. When the sceptre was transferred from the family of -the Abassides to the Fatimites, and the caliphs of Egypt obtained -possession of Palestine, the same mild and tolerant government was -continued. In the eleventh century, the zeal of pilgrimage had reached -its height, and the caravans of pilgrims had become so numerous as to -be styled _the armies of the Lord_. The old and the young, women and -children, flocked in crowds to Jerusalem, and in the year 1064 the -Holy Sepulchre was visited by an enthusiastic band of seven thousand -pilgrims. The year following, however, Jerusalem was conquered by the -wild Turcomans, three thousand of the citizens were massacred, and -the command over the holy city and territory was confided to the emir -Ortok, the chief of a savage pastoral tribe. - -Under the iron yoke of these fierce northern strangers, the Christians -were fearfully oppressed; they were driven from their churches; divine -worship was ridiculed and interrupted; and the patriarch of the Holy -City was dragged by the hair of his head over the sacred pavement of -the church of the Resurrection, and cast into a dungeon, to extort -a ransom from the sympathy of his flock. The pilgrims who, through -innumerable perils, had reached the gates of the Holy City, were -plundered, imprisoned, and frequently massacred; a piece of gold, was -exacted as the price of admission to the holy sepulchre, and many, -unable to pay the tax, were driven by the swords of the Turcomans from -the very threshold of the object of all their hopes, the bourne of -their long pilgrimage, and were compelled to retrace their weary steps -in sorrow and anguish to their distant homes. The intelligence of these -cruelties aroused the religious chivalry of Christendom; "a nerve was -touched of exquisite feeling, and the sensation vibrated to the heart -of Europe." Then arose the wild enthusiasm of the crusades, and men of -all ranks, and even monks and priests, animated by the exhortations -of the pope and the preachings of Peter the Hermit, flew to arms, -and enthusiastically undertook "the pious and glorious enterprize" of -rescuing the holy sepulchre of Christ from the foul abominations of the -heathen. - -When intelligence of the CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM by the CRUSADERS (A. D. -1099) had been conveyed to Europe, the zeal of pilgrimage blazed -forth with increased fierceness: it had gathered intensity from the -interval of its suppression by the wild Turcomans, and promiscuous -crowds of both sexes, old men and children, virgins and matrons, -thinking the road then open and the journey practicable, successively -pressed forwards towards the Holy City. The infidels had indeed been -driven out of Jerusalem, but not out of Palestine. The lofty mountains -bordering the sea coast were infested by warlike bands of fugitive -Mussulmen, who maintained themselves in various impregnable castles -and strongholds, from whence they issued forth upon the high-roads, -cut off the communication between Jerusalem and the sea-ports, and -revenged themselves for the loss of their habitations and property by -the indiscriminate pillage of all travellers. The Bedouin horsemen, -moreover, making rapid incursions from beyond the Jordan, frequently -kept up a desultory and irregular warfare in the plains; and the -pilgrims, consequently, whether they approached the Holy City by land -or by sea, were alike exposed to almost daily hostility, to plunder, -and to death. - -To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which they were exposed, to -guard the honour of the saintly virgins and matrons, and to protect the -gray hairs of the venerable palmer, nine noble knights, who had greatly -distinguished themselves at the siege and capture of Jerusalem, formed -a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid -one another in clearing the highways, and in protecting the pilgrims -through the passes and defiles of the mountains to the Holy City. -Warmed with the religious and military fervour of the day, and animated -by the sacredness of the cause to which they had devoted their swords, -they called themselves the _Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ_. -They renounced the world and its pleasures, and in the holy church of -the Resurrection, in the presence of the patriarch of Jerusalem, they -embraced vows of perpetual chastity, obedience, and poverty, after the -manner of monks. Uniting in themselves the two most popular qualities -of the age, devotion and valour, and exercising them in the most -popular of all enterprises, they speedily acquired a famous reputation. - -At first, we are told, they had no church, and no particular place -of abode, but in the year of our Lord 1118, (nineteen years after -the conquest of Jerusalem by the Crusaders,) they had rendered such -good and acceptable service to the Christians, that Baldwin the -Second, king of Jerusalem, granted them a place of habitation within -the sacred inclosure of the Temple on Mount Moriah, amid those holy -and magnificent structures, partly erected by the Christian Emperor -Justinian, and partly built by the Caliph Omar, which were then -exhibited by the monks and priests of Jerusalem, whose restless zeal -led them to practise on the credulity of the pilgrims, and to multiply -relics and all objects likely to be sacred in their eyes, as the TEMPLE -OF SOLOMON, whence the Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ came -thenceforth to be known by the name of "THE KNIGHTHOOD OF THE TEMPLE OF -SOLOMON." - -By the Mussulmen, the site of the great Jewish temple on Mount Moriah -has always been regarded with peculiar veneration. Mahomet, in the -first year of the publication of the Koran, directed his followers, -when at prayer, to turn their faces towards it, and pilgrimages -have constantly been made to the holy spot by devout Moslems. On -the conquest of Jerusalem by the Arabians, it was the first care of -the Caliph Omar to rebuild "the Temple of the Lord." Assisted by -the principal chieftains of his army, the Commander of the Faithful -undertook the pious office of clearing the ground with his own hands, -and of tracing out the foundations of the magnificent mosque which now -crowns with its dark and swelling dome the elevated summit of Mount -Moriah. - -This great house of prayer, the most holy Mussulman Temple in the world -after that of Mecca, is erected over the spot where "Solomon began -to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where -the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had -prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite." It remains to -this day in a state of perfect preservation, and is one of the finest -specimens of Saracenic architecture in existence. It is entered by -four spacious doorways, each door facing one of the cardinal points; -the _Bab el D'Jannat_, or gate of the garden, on the north; the _Bab -el Kebla_, or gate of prayer, on the south; the _Bab ib'n el Daoud_, -or the gate of the son of David, on the east; and the _Bab el Garbi_, -on the west. By the Arabian geographers it is called _Beit Allah_, the -house of God, also _Beit Almokaddas_, or _Beit Almacdes_, the holy -house. From it Jerusalem derives its Arabic name, _el Kods_, the holy, -_el Schereef_, the noble, and _el Mobarek_, the blessed. - -The crescent had been torn down by the crusaders from the summit of -this great Mussulman Temple, and replaced by an immense golden cross, -and the edifice was consecrated to the services of the christian -religion, but retained its simple appellation of "The Temple of the -Lord." William, Archbishop of Tyre and Chancellor of the Kingdom of -Jerusalem, gives an interesting account of the building as it existed -in his time during the Latin dominion. He speaks of the splendid mosaic -work on the walls; of the Arabic characters setting forth the name of -the founder, and the cost of the undertaking; and of the famous rock -under the centre of the dome, which is to this day shown by the Moslems -as the spot whereon the destroying angel stood, "with his drawn sword -in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem."[1] This rock, he informs -us, was left exposed and uncovered for the space of fifteen years after -the conquest of the holy city by the crusaders, but was, after that -period, cased with a handsome altar of white marble, upon which the -priests daily said mass. - -To the south of this holy Mussulman temple, on the extreme edge of -the summit of Mount Moriah, and resting against the modern walls of -the town of Jerusalem, stands the venerable christian church of the -Virgin, erected by the Emperor Justinian, whose stupendous foundations, -remaining to this day, fully justify the astonishing description given -of the building by Procopius. That writer informs us that in order to -get a level surface for the erection of the edifice, it was necessary, -on the east and south sides of the hill, to raise up a wall of masonry -from the valley below, and to construct a vast foundation, partly -composed of solid stone and partly of arches and pillars. The stones -were of such magnitude, that each block required to be transported in -a truck drawn by forty of the emperor's strongest oxen; and to admit -of the passage of these trucks it was necessary to widen the roads -leading to Jerusalem. The forests of Lebanon yielded their choicest -cedars for the timbers of the roof, and a quarry of variegated marble, -in the adjoining mountains, furnished the edifice with superb marble -columns.[2] The interior of this interesting structure, which still -remains at Jerusalem, after a lapse of more than thirteen centuries, -in an excellent state of preservation, is adorned with six rows of -columns, from whence spring arches supporting the cedar beams and -timbers of the roof, and at the end of the building is a round tower, -surmounted by a dome. The vast stones, the walls of masonry, and the -subterranean colonnade raised to support the south-east angle of the -platform whereon the church is erected, are truly wonderful, and may -still be seen by penetrating through a small door, and descending -several flights of steps at the south-east corner of the enclosure. -Adjoining the sacred edifice, the emperor erected hospitals, or houses -of refuge, for travellers, sick people, and mendicants of all nations, -the foundations whereof, composed of handsome Roman masonry, are still -visible on either side of the southern end of the building. - -On the conquest of Jerusalem by the Moslems, this venerable church -was converted into a mosque, and was called _D'Jamé al Acsa_; it was -enclosed, together with the great Mussulman Temple of the Lord erected -by the Caliph Omar, within a large area by a high stone wall, which -runs around the edge of the summit of Mount Moriah, and guards from -the profane tread of the unbeliever the whole of that sacred ground -whereon once stood the gorgeous temple of the wisest of kings. When the -Holy City was taken by the crusaders, the _D'Jamé al Acsa_, with the -various buildings constructed around it, became the property of the -kings of Jerusalem: and is denominated by William of Tyre "the palace," -or "royal house to the south of the Temple of the Lord, vulgarly called -the TEMPLE OF SOLOMON." It was this edifice or temple on Mount Moriah -which was appropriated to the poor fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ, as -they had no _church_ and no particular place of abode, and from it they -derived their name of Knights Templars.[3] The canons of the Temple -of the Lord conceded to them the large court extending between that -building and the Temple of Solomon; the king, the patriarch, and the -prelates of Jerusalem, and the barons of the Latin kingdom, assigned -them various gifts and revenues for their maintenance and support, and -the order being now settled in a regular place of abode, the knights -soon began to entertain more extended views, and to seek a larger -theatre for the exercise of their holy profession. - -Their first aim and object had been, as before mentioned, simply to -protect the poor pilgrims, on their journey backwards and forwards, -from the sea-coast to Jerusalem; but as the hostile tribes of -Mussulmen, which everywhere surrounded the Latin kingdom, were -gradually recovering from the terror into which they had been plunged -by the successful and exterminating warfare of the first crusaders, -and were assuming an aggressive and threatening attitude, it was -determined that the holy warriors of the Temple should, in addition to -the protection of pilgrims, make the defence of the christian kingdom -of Jerusalem, of the eastern church, and of all the holy places, a part -of their particular profession. The two most distinguished members of -the fraternity were Hugh de Payens and Geoffrey de St. Aldemar, or St. -Omer, two valiant soldiers of the cross, who had fought with great -credit and renown at the siege of Jerusalem. Hugh de Payens was chosen -by the knights to be the superior of the new religious and military -society, by the title of "The Master of the Temple;" and he has, -consequently, generally been called the founder of the order. - -Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, foreseeing that great advantages would -accrue to the Latin kingdom by the increase of the power and numbers of -these holy warriors, despatched two Knights Templars to St. Bernard, -the holy Abbot of Clairvaux, with a letter, telling him that the -Templars whom the Lord had deigned to raise up, and whom in a wonderful -manner he preserved for the defence of Palestine, desired to obtain -from the Holy See the confirmation of their institution, and a rule -for their particular guidance, and beseeching him "to obtain from the -Pope the approbation of their order, and to induce his holiness to send -succour and subsidies against the enemies of the faith."[4] Shortly -afterwards Hugh de Payens himself proceeded to Rome, accompanied by -Geoffrey de St. Aldemar, and four other brothers of the order, who -were received with great honour and distinction by Pope Honorius. A -great ecclesiastical council was assembled at Troyes, (A. D. 1128,) -which Hugh de Payens and his brethren were invited to attend, and the -rules to which the Templars had subjected themselves being there -described, the holy Abbot of Clairvaux undertook the task of revising -and correcting them, and of forming a code of statutes fit and proper -for the governance of the great religious and military fraternity of -the Temple. - - -Regula Pauperum Commilitonum Christi et Templi Salomonis. - -"THE RULE OF THE POOR FELLOW SOLDIERS OF JESUS CHRIST AND OF THE TEMPLE -OF SOLOMON," arranged by St. Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy -Fathers of the Council of Troyes, for the government and regulation -of the monastic and military society of the Temple, is principally -of a religious character, and of an austere and gloomy cast. It is -divided into seventy-two heads or chapters, and is preceded by a short -prologue, addressed "to all who disdain to follow after their own -wills, and desire with purity of mind to fight for the most high and -true king," exhorting them to put on the armour of obedience, and to -associate themselves together with piety and humility for the defence -of the holy catholic church; and to employ a pure diligence, and a -steady perseverance in the exercise of their sacred profession, so that -they might share in the happy destiny reserved for the holy warriors -who had given up their lives for Christ. - -The rule enjoins severe devotional exercises, self-mortification, -fasting, and prayer, and a constant attendance at matins, vespers, and -on all the services of the church, that "being refreshed and satisfied -with heavenly food, instructed and stablished with heavenly precepts, -after the consummation of the divine mysteries," none might be afraid -of the _fight_, but be prepared for the _crown_. The following extracts -from this rule may be read with interest. - -"VIII. In one common hall, or refectory, we will that you take meat -together, where, if your wants cannot be made known by signs, ye are -softly and privately to ask for what you want. If at any time the thing -you require is not to be found, you must seek it with all gentleness, -and with submission and reverence to the board, in remembrance of the -words of the apostle, _Eat thy bread in silence_, and in emulation of -the psalmist, who says, _I have set a watch upon my mouth_; that is, -I have communed with myself that I may not offend, that is, with my -tongue; that is, I have guarded my mouth, that I may not speak evil. - -"XI. Two and two ought in general to eat together, that one may have an -eye upon another.... - -"XVII. After the brothers have once departed from the hall to bed, it -must not be permitted any one to speak in public, except it be upon -urgent necessity. But whatever is spoken must be said in an under tone -by the knight to his esquire. Perchance, however, in the interval -between prayers and sleep, it may behove you, from urgent necessity, no -opportunity having occurred during the day, to speak on some military -matter, or concerning the state of your house, with some portion of -the brethren, or with the Master, or with him to whom the government -of the house has been confided: this, then, we order to be done in -conformity with that which hath been written: _In many words thou shalt -not avoid sin;_ and in another place, _Life and death are in the hands -of the tongue._ In that discourse, therefore, we utterly prohibit -scurrility and idle words moving unto laughter, and on going to bed, if -any one among you hath uttered a foolish saying, we enjoin him, in all -humility, and with purity of devotion, to repeat the Lord's Prayer. - -"XX. ... To all the professed knights, both in winter and summer, we -give, if they can be procured, WHITE GARMENTS, that those who have cast -behind them a dark life may know that they are to commend themselves -to their Creator by a pure and white life. For what is whiteness but -perfect chastity, and chastity is the security of the soul and the -health of the body. And unless every knight shall continue chaste, he -shall not come to perpetual rest, nor see God, as the apostle Paul -witnesseth: _Follow after peace with all men, and chastity, without -which no man shall see God_.... - -"XXI. ... Let all the esquires and retainers be clothed in _black_ -garments: but if such cannot be found, let them have what can be -procured in the province where they live, so that they be of one -colour, and such as is of a meaner character, viz. brown. - -"XXII. It is granted to none to wear WHITE habits, or to have WHITE -mantles, excepting the above-named knights of Christ. - -"XXXVII. We will not that gold or silver, which is the mark of private -wealth, should ever be seen on your bridles, breastplates, or spurs, -nor should it be permitted to any brother to buy such. If, indeed, such -like furniture shall have been charitably bestowed upon you, the gold -and silver must be so coloured, that its splendour and beauty may not -impart to the wearer an appearance of arrogance beyond his fellows. - -"XLI. It is in no wise lawful for any of the brothers to receive -letters from his parents, or from any man, or to send letters, without -the license of the Master, or of the procurator. After the brother -shall have had leave, they must be read in the presence of the Master, -if it so pleaseth him. If, indeed, anything whatever shall have been -directed to him from his parents, let him not presume to receive it -until information has been first given to the Master. But in this -regulation the Master and the procurators of the houses are not -included. - -"XLII. We forbid, and we resolutely condemn, all tales related by -any brother, of the follies and irregularities of which he hath been -guilty in the world, or in military matters, either with his brother -or with any other man. It shall not be permitted him to speak with his -brother of the irregularities of other men, nor of the delights of the -flesh with miserable women; and if by chance he should hear another -discoursing of such things, he shall make him silent, or with the swift -foot of obedience he shall depart from him as soon as he is able, and -shall lend not the ear of the heart to the vender of idle tales. - -"XLIII. If any gift shall be made to a brother, let it be taken to the -Master or the treasurer. If, indeed, his friend or his parent will -consent to make the gift only on condition that he useth it himself, -he must not receive it until permission hath been obtained from the -Master. And whosoever shall have received a present, let it not grieve -him if it be given to another. Yea, let him know assuredly, that if he -be angry at it, he striveth against God. - -"XLVI. We are all of opinion that none of you should dare to follow -the sport of catching one bird with another: for it is not agreeable -unto religion for you to be addicted unto worldly delights, but rather -willingly to hear the precepts of the Lord, constantly to kneel down to -prayer, and daily to confess your sins before God with sighs and tears. -Let no brother, for the above especial reason, presume to go forth with -a man following such diversions with a hawk, or with any other bird. - -"XLVII. Forasmuch as it becometh all religion to behave decently and -humbly without laughter, and to speak sparingly but sensibly, and not -in a loud tone, we specially command and direct every professed brother -that he venture not to shoot in the woods either with a long-bow or a -cross-bow; and for the same reason, that he venture not to accompany -another who shall do the like, except it be for the purpose of -protecting him from the perfidious infidel; neither shall he dare to -halloo, or to talk to a dog, nor shall he spur his horse with a desire -of securing the game. - -"LI. Under Divine Providence, as we do believe, this new kind of -religion was introduced by you in the holy places, that is to say, the -union of WARFARE with RELIGION, so that religion, being armed, maketh -her way by the sword, and smiteth the enemy without sin. Therefore we -do rightly adjudge, since ye are called KNIGHTS OF THE TEMPLE, that for -your renowned merit, and especial gift of godliness, ye ought to have -lands and men, and possess husbandmen and justly govern them, and the -customary services ought to be specially rendered unto you. - -"LV. We permit you to have married brothers in this manner, if such -should seek to participate in the benefit of your fraternity; let -both the man and his wife grant, from and after their death, their -respective portions of property, and whatever more they acquire in -after life, to the unity of the common chapter; and, in the interim, -let them exercise an honest life, and labour to do good to the -brethren: but they are not permitted to appear in the white habit and -white mantle. If the husband dies first, he must leave his portion of -the patrimony to the brethren, and the wife shall have her maintenance -out of the residue, and let her depart therewith; for we consider it -most improper that such women should remain in one and the same house -with the brethren who have promised chastity unto God. - -"LVI. It is moreover exceedingly dangerous to join sisters with you in -your holy profession, for the ancient enemy hath drawn many away from -the right path to paradise through the society of women: therefore, -dear brothers, that the flower of righteousness may always flourish -amongst you, let this custom from henceforth be utterly done away with. - -"LXIV. The brothers who are journeying through different provinces -should observe the rule, so far as they are able, in their meat -and drink, and let them attend to it in other matters, and live -irreproachably, that they may get a good name out of doors. Let them -not tarnish their religious purpose either by word or deed; let them -afford to all with whom they may be associated, an example of wisdom, -and a perseverance in all good works. Let him with whom they lodge be -a man of the best repute, and, if it be possible, let not the house of -the host on that night be without a light, lest the dark enemy (from -whom God preserve us) should find some opportunity. - -"LXVIII. Care must be taken that no brother, powerful or weak, strong -or feeble, desirous of exalting himself, becoming proud by degrees, -or defending his own fault, remain unchastened. If he showeth a -disposition to amend, let a stricter system of correction be added: but -if by godly admonition and earnest reasoning he will not be amended, -but will go on more and more lifting himself up with pride, then let -him be cast out of the holy flock in obedience to the apostle, _Take -away evil from among you._ It is necessary that from the society of -the Faithful Brothers the dying sheep be removed. But let the Master, -who _ought to hold the staff and the rod in his hand_, that is to say, -the staff that he may support the infirmities of the weak, and the -rod that he may with the zeal of rectitude strike down the vices of -delinquents; let him study, with the counsel of the patriarch and with -spiritual circumspection, to act so that, as blessed Maximus saith, The -sinner be not encouraged by easy lenity, nor hardened in his iniquity -by immoderate severity. LASTLY. We hold it dangerous to all religion -to gaze too much on the countenance of women; and therefore no brother -shall presume to kiss neither widow, nor virgin, nor mother, nor -sister, nor aunt, nor any other woman. Let the knighthood of Christ -shun _feminine kisses_, through which men have very often been drawn -into danger, so that each, with a pure conscience and secure life, may -be able to walk everlastingly in the sight of God." - - -After the confirmation by a Papal bull of the rules and statutes of -the order, Hugh de Payens proceeded to France, and from thence he came -to England, and the following account is given of his arrival, in the -Saxon chronicle. "This same year, (A. D. 1128,) Hugh of the Temple -came from Jerusalem to the king in Normandy, and the king received him -with much honour, and gave him much treasure in gold and silver, and -afterwards he sent him into England, and there he was well received -by all good men, and all gave him treasure, and in Scotland also, and -they sent in all a great sum in gold and silver by him to Jerusalem, -and there went with him and after him so great a number as never before -since the days of Pope Urban."[5] Grants of lands, as well as of money, -were at the same time made to Hugh de Payens and his brethren, some -of which were shortly afterwards confirmed by King Stephen on his -accession to the throne, (A. D. 1135.) Among these is a grant of the -manor of Bistelesham made to the Templars by Count Robert de Ferrara, -and a grant of the church of Langeforde in Bedfordshire made by Simon -de Wahull, and Sibylla his wife, and Walter their son. - -Hugh de Payens, before his departure, placed a Knight Templar at the -head of the order in this country, who was called the Prior of the -Temple, and was the procurator and vicegerent of the Master. It was -his duty to manage the estates granted to the fraternity, and to -transmit the revenues to Jerusalem. He was also delegated with the -power of admitting members into the order, subject to the control and -direction of the Master, and was to provide means of transport for such -newly-admitted brethren to the far east, to enable them to fulfil the -duties of their profession. As the houses of the Temple increased in -number in England, sub-priors came to be appointed, and the superior -of the order in this country was then called the Grand Prior, and -afterwards Master of the Temple. - -An astonishing enthusiasm was excited throughout Christendom in behalf -of the Templars; princes and nobles, sovereigns and their subjects, -vied with each other in heaping gifts and benefits upon them, and -scarce a will of importance was made without an article in it in their -favour. Many illustrious persons on their deathbeds took the vows, that -they might be buried in the habit of the order; and sovereign princes, -quitting the government of their kingdoms, enrolled themselves amongst -the holy fraternity, and bequeathed even their dominions to the Master -and the brethren of the Temple. St. Bernard, at the request of Hugh de -Payens, took up his powerful pen in their behalf. In a famous discourse -"In praise of the New Chivalry," the holy abbot sets forth, in eloquent -and enthusiastic terms, the spiritual advantages and blessings enjoyed -by the military friars of the Temple over all other warriors. He draws -a curious picture of the relative situations and circumstances of the -_secular_ soldiery and the soldiery of CHRIST, and shows how different -in the sight of God are the bloodshed and slaughter perpetrated by -the one, from that committed by the other. Addressing himself to the -secular soldiers he says "Ye cover your horses with silken trappings, -and I know not how much fine cloth hangs pendent from your coats of -mail. Ye paint your spears, shields, and saddles; your bridles and -spurs are adorned on all sides with gold, and silver, and gems, and -with all this pomp, with a shameful fury and a reckless insensibility, -ye rush on to death. Are these military ensigns, or are they not rather -the garnishments of women? Can it happen that the sharp-pointed sword -of the enemy will respect gold, will it spare gems, will it be unable -to penetrate the silken garment? Lastly, as ye yourselves have often -experienced, three things are indispensably necessary to the success -of the soldier; he must be bold, active, and circumspect; quick in -running, prompt in striking; ye, however, to the disgust of the eye, -nourish your hair after the manner of women, ye gather around your -footsteps long and flowing vestures, ye bury up your delicate and -tender hands in ample and wide-spreading sleeves. Among you, indeed, -nought provoketh war or awakeneth strife, but either an irrational -impulse of anger, or an insane lust of glory, or the covetous desire of -possessing another man's lands and possessions. In such causes it is -neither safe to slay nor to be slain. - -"And now we will briefly display the mode of life of the Knights of -Christ, such as it is in the field and in the convent, by which means -it will be made plainly manifest to what extent the soldiery of GOD -and the soldiery of the WORLD differ from one another.... The soldiers -of Christ live together in common in an agreeable but frugal manner, -without wives, and without children; and that nothing may be wanting to -evangelical perfection, they dwell together without separate property -of any kind, in one house, under one rule, careful to preserve the -unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. You may say, that to the -whole multitude there is but one heart and one soul, as each one in -no respect followeth after his own will or desire, but is diligent to -do the will of the Master. They are never idle nor rambling abroad, -but when they are not in the field, that they may not eat their bread -in idleness, they are fitting and repairing their armour and their -clothing, or employing themselves in such occupations as the will of -the Master requireth, or their common necessities render expedient. -Among them there is no distinction of persons; respect is paid to the -best and most virtuous, not the most noble. They participate in each -other's honour, they bear one another's burthens, that they may fulfil -the law of Christ. An insolent expression, a useless undertaking, -immoderate laughter, the least murmur or whispering, if found out, -passeth not without severe rebuke. They detest cards and dice, they -shun the sports of the field, and take no delight in that ludicrous -catching of birds, (hawking,) which men are wont to indulge in. -Jesters, and soothsayers, and storytellers, scurrilous songs, shows and -games, they contemptuously despise and abominate as vanities and mad -follies. They cut their hair, knowing that, according to the apostle, -it is not seemly in a man to have long hair. They are never combed, -seldom washed, but appear rather with rough neglected hair, foul with -dust, and with skins browned by the sun and their coats of mail. -Moreover, on the approach of battle they fortify themselves with faith -within, and with steel without, and not with gold, so that armed and -not adorned, they may strike terror into the enemy, rather than awaken -his lust of plunder. They strive earnestly to possess strong and swift -horses, but not garnished with ornaments or decked with trappings, -thinking of battle and of victory, and not of pomp and show, and -studying to inspire fear rather than admiration.... - -"There is a Temple at Jerusalem in which they dwell together, unequal, -it is true, as a building, to that ancient and most famous one of -Solomon, but not inferior in glory. For truly, the entire magnificence -of that consisted in corrupt things, in gold and silver, in carved -stone, and in a variety of woods; but the whole beauty of this resteth -in the adornment of an agreeable conversation, in the godly devotion -of its inmates, and their beautifully-ordered mode of life. That was -admired for its various external beauties, this is venerated for its -different virtues and sacred actions, as becomes the sanctity of the -house of God, who delighteth not so much in polished marbles as in -well-ordered behaviour, and regardeth pure minds more than gilded -walls. The face likewise of this Temple is adorned with arms, not -with gems, and the wall, instead of the ancient golden chapiters, is -covered around with pendent shields. Instead of the ancient candelabra, -censers, and lavers, the house is on all sides furnished with bridles, -saddles, and lances, all which plainly demonstrate that the soldiers -burn with the same zeal for the house of God, as that which formerly -animated their great leader, when, vehemently enraged, he entered into -the Temple, and with that most sacred hand, armed not with steel, -but with a scourge which he had made of small thongs, drove out the -merchants, poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables of -them that sold doves; most indignantly condemning the pollution of the -house of prayer, by the making of it a place of merchandize." - -St. Bernard then congratulates Jerusalem on the advent of the soldiers -of Christ, "Be joyful, O Jerusalem," says he, in the words of the -prophet Isaiah, "and know that the time of thy visitation hath -arrived. Arise now, shake thyself from the dust, &c., &c. HAIL, O -holy city, hallowed by the tabernacle of the Most High! HAIL, city of -the great King, wherein so many wonderful and welcome miracles have -been perpetually displayed. HAIL, mistress of the nations, princess -of provinces, possession of patriarchs, mother of the prophets and -apostles, initiatress of the faith, glory of the christian people, -whom God hath on that account always from the beginning permitted to -be visited with affliction, that thou mightest thus be the occasion of -virtue as well as of salvation to brave men. HAIL, land of promise, -which, formerly flowing only with milk and honey for thy possessors, -now stretchest forth the food of life, and the means of salvation -to the entire world. Most excellent and happy land, I say, which, -receiving the celestial grain from the recess of the paternal heart, -in that most fruitful bosom of thine, has produced such rich harvests -of martyrs from the heavenly seed, and whose fertile soil has no less -manifoldly engendered fruit a thirtieth, sixtieth, and a hundredfold -in the remaining race of all the faithful throughout the entire world. -Whence most agreeably satiated, and most abundantly crammed with the -great store of thy pleasantness, those who have seen thee diffuse -around them in every place the remembrance of thy abundant sweetness, -and tell of the magnificence of thy glory to the very end of the earth -to those who have not seen thee, and relate the wonderful things that -are done in thee. - -"Glorious things are spoken concerning thee, CITY OF GOD!" - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Hugh de Payens returns to Palestine--His death--Robert de Craon - made Master--The second Crusade--The Templars assume the Red - Cross--Lands, manors, and churches granted them in England--Bernard - de Tremelay made Master--He is slain by the Infidels--Bertrand - de Blanquefort made Master--He is taken prisoner, and sent in - chains to Aleppo--the Pope confers vast privileges upon the - Templars--The knights, priests, and serving brethren of the - order--Their religious and military enthusiasm--Their war banner - called _Beauseant_--Rise of the rival religio-military order - of the Hospital of St. John--Contests between Saladin and the - Templars--Imprisonment and death of the Grand Master--The new - Master and the Patriarch go to England for succour--Consecration of - the Temple church at London. - - "We heard the _tecbir_, so the Arabs call - Their shout of onset, when with loud appeal - They challenge _heaven_, as if commanding conquest." - - -Hugh de Payens, having now laid in Europe the foundations of the great -monastic and military institution of the Temple, which was destined -shortly to spread its ramifications to the remotest quarters of -Christendom, returned to Palestine at the head of a valiant band of -newly-elected Templars, drawn principally from England and France. On -their arrival at Jerusalem they were received with great distinction -by the king, the clergy, and the barons of the Latin kingdom. Hugh -de Payens died, however, shortly after his return, and was succeeded -(A. D. 1136) by the Lord Robert, surnamed the Burgundian, (son-in-law -of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury,) who, after the death of his -wife, had taken the vows and the habit of the Templars.[6] At this -period the fierce religious and military enthusiasm of the Mussulmen -had been again aroused by the warlike Zinghis, and his son Noureddin, -two of the most famous chieftains of the age. The one was named -_Emod-ed-deen_, "Pillar of religion;" and the other _Nour-ed-deen_, -"Light of Religion," vulgarly, Noureddin. The Templars were worsted -by overpowering numbers. The latin kingdom of Jerusalem was shaken to -its foundations, and the oriental clergy in trepidation and alarm sent -urgent letters to the Pope for assistance. - -The Lord Robert, Master of the Temple, had at this period (A. D. 1146) -been succeeded by Everard des Barres, Prior of France, who convened -a general chapter of the order at Paris, which was attended by Pope -Eugenius the Third, Louis the Seventh, king of France, and many -prelates, princes, and nobles, from all parts of Christendom. The -second crusade was there arranged, and the Templars, with the sanction -of the Pope, assumed the blood-red cross, the symbol of martyrdom, as -the distinguishing badge of the order, which was appointed to be worn -on their habits and mantles on the left side of the breast over the -heart, whence they came afterwards to be known by the name of the _Red -Friars_ and the _Red Cross Knights_. At this famous assembly various -donations were made to the Templars, to enable them to provide more -effectually for the defence of the Holy Land. Bernard Baliol, through -love of God and for the good of his soul, granted them his estate -of Wedelee, in Hertfordshire, which afterwards formed part of the -preceptory of Temple Dynnesley. This grant is expressed to be made at -the chapter held at Easter, in Paris, in the presence of the Pope, the -king of France, several archbishops, and one hundred and thirty Knights -Templars clad in white mantles.[7] - -Brother Everard des Barres, the newly-elected Master of the Temple, -having collected together all the brethren from the western provinces, -joined the second crusade to Palestine. During the march through Asia -Minor, the rear of the christian army was protected by the Templars, -who greatly signalized themselves on every occasion. Odo of Deuil, or -Diagolum, the chaplain of King Louis, and his constant attendant upon -this expedition, informs us that the king loved to see the frugality -and simplicity of the Templars, and to imitate it; he praised their -union and disinterestedness, admired above all things the attention -they paid to their accoutrements, and their care in husbanding and -preserving their equipage and munitions of war, and proposed them as a -model to the rest of the army.[8] - -Conrad, emperor of Germany, had preceded King Louis at the head of a -powerful army, which was cut to pieces by the infidels in the north -of Asia; he fled to Constantinople, embarked on board some merchant -vessels, and arrived with only a few attendants at Jerusalem, where -he was received and entertained by the Templars, and was lodged in -the Temple in the Holy City. Shortly afterwards King Louis arrived, -accompanied by the new Master of the Temple, Everard des Barres; and -the Templars now unfolded for the first time the red-cross banner -in the field of battle. This was a white standard made of woollen -stuff, having in the centre of it the blood-red cross granted by Pope -Eugenius. The two monarchs, Louis and Conrad, took the field, supported -by the Templars, and laid siege to the magnificent city of Damascus, -"the Queen of Syria," which was defended by the great Noureddin, "Light -of religion," and his brother _Saif-eddin_, "Sword of the faith." - -The services rendered by the Templars are thus gratefully recorded in -the following letter sent by Louis, the French king, to his minister -and vicegerent, the famous Suger, abbot of St. Denis: "I cannot imagine -how we could have subsisted for even the smallest space of time in -these parts, had it not been for their (the Templars') support and -assistance, which have never failed me from the first day I set foot in -these lands up to the time of my despatching this letter--a succour -ably afforded and generously persevered in. I therefore earnestly -beseech you, that as these brothers of the Temple have hitherto -been blessed with the love of God, so now they may be gladdened and -sustained by our love and favour. I have to inform you that they have -lent me a considerable sum of money, which must be repaid to them -quickly, that their house may not suffer, and that I may keep my -word...."[9] - -Among the English nobility who enlisted in the second crusade were the -two renowned warriors, Roger de Mowbray and William de Warrenne. Roger -de Mowbray was one of the most powerful and warlike of the barons of -England, and was one of the victorious leaders at the famous battle of -the standard: he marched with King Louis to Palestine; fought under -the banners of the Temple against the infidels, and, smitten with -admiration of the piety and valour of the holy warriors of the order, -he gave them, on his return to England, many valuable estates and -possessions. Among these were the manors of Kileby and Witheley, divers -lands in the isle of Axholme, the town of Balshall in the county of -Warwick, and various places in Yorkshire: and so munificent were his -donations, that the Templars conceded to him and to his heirs various -special privileges. About the same period, Stephen, King of England, -granted and confirmed "to God and the blessed Virgin Mary, and to the -brethren of the Knighthood of the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem, -all the manor of Cressynge, with the advowson of the church of the -same manor, and also the manors of Egle and Witham." Queen Matilda, -likewise, granted them the manor of Covele or Cowley in Oxfordshire, -two mills in the same county, common of pasture in Shotover forest, and -the church of Stretton in Rutland. Ralph de Hastings and William de -Hastings also gave to the Templars, in the same reign, (A. D. 1152,) -lands at Hurst and Wyxham in Yorkshire, afterwards formed into the -preceptory of Temple Hurst. William Asheby granted them the estate -whereon the house and church of Temple Bruere were afterwards erected; -and the order continued rapidly to increase in power and wealth in -England and in all parts of Europe, through the charitable donations of -pious Christians.[10] - -After the miserable failure of the second crusade, brother Everard -des Barres, the Master of the Temple, returned to Paris, with his -friend and patron Louis, the French king; and the Templars, deprived -of their chief, were now left, alone and unaided, to withstand the -victorious career of the fanatical Mussulmen. Their miserable situation -is pourtrayed in a melancholy letter from the treasurer of the order, -written to the Master, Everard des Barres, during his sojourn at the -court of the king of France, informing him of the slaughter of the -prince of Antioch and all his nobility. "We conjure you," says he, "to -bring with you from beyond sea all our knights and serving brothers -capable of bearing arms. Perchance, alas! with all your diligence, you -may not find one of us alive. Use, therefore, all imaginable celerity; -pray forget not the necessities of our house: they are such that no -tongue can express them. It is also of the last importance to announce -to the Pope, to the king of France, and to all the princes and prelates -of Europe, the approaching desolation of the Holy Land, to the intent -that they succour us in person, or send us subsidies." - -The Master of the Temple, however, instead of proceeding to Palestine, -abdicated his authority, and entered into the monastery of Clairvaux, -where he devoted the remainder of his days to the most rigorous -penance and mortification. He was succeeded (A. D. 1151) by Bernard de -Tremelay, a nobleman of an illustrious family in Burgundy, in France, -and a valiant and experienced soldier.[11] - -Shortly after his accession to power, the infidels crossed the -Jordan, and advanced within sight of Jerusalem. Their banners waved -on the summit of the Mount of Olives, and the warlike sound of their -kettle-drums and trumpets was heard within the sacred precincts of the -holy city. They encamped on the mount over against the Temple; and had -the satisfaction of regarding from a distance the _Beit Allah_, or -Temple of the Lord, their holy house of prayer; but in a night attack -they were defeated with terrible slaughter, and were pursued all the -way to the Jordan, five thousand of their number being left dead on the -plain. - -On the 20th of April, A. D. 1153, the Templars lost their great patron -Saint Bernard, who died in the sixty-third year of his age. On his -deathbed he wrote three letters in behalf of the order. The first -was addressed to the patriarch of Antioch, exhorting him to protect -and encourage the Templars, a thing which the holy abbot assures him -will prove most acceptable to God and man. The second was written to -Melesinda, queen of Jerusalem, praising her majesty for the favour -shown by her to the brethren of the order; and the third, addressed to -Brother André de Montbard, a Knight Templar, conveys the affectionate -salutations of St. Bernard to the Master and brethren, to whose prayers -he recommends himself. - -The same year the Master of the Temple perished at the head of his -knights whilst attempting to carry the important city of Ascalon by -storm. Passing through a breach made in the walls, he penetrated into -the centre of the town, and was there surrounded and overpowered. -The dead bodies of the Master and his ill-fated knights were exposed -in triumph from the walls; and, according to the testimony of an -eye-witness, not a single Templar escaped. - -De Tremelay was succeeded (A. D. 1154) by Brother Bertrand de -Blanquefort, a knight of a noble family of Guienne, called by William -of Tyre a pious and God-fearing man. On Tuesday, June 19, A. D. 1156, -the Templars were drawn into an ambuscade whilst marching with Baldwin, -king of Jerusalem, near Tiberias, three hundred of the brethren were -slain on the field of battle, and eighty-seven fell into the hands of -the enemy, among whom was Bertrand de Blanquefort himself, and Brother -Odo, marshal of the kingdom. Shortly afterwards, a small band of them -captured a large detachment of Saracens; and in a night attack on the -camp of Noureddin, they compelled that famous chieftain to fly, without -arms and half-naked, from the field of battle. In this last affair the -name of Robert Mansel, an Englishman, and Gilbert de Lacy, preceptor of -the Temple of Tripoli, are honourably mentioned.[12] - -The fiery zeal and warlike enthusiasm of the Templars were equalled, -if not surpassed, by the stern fanaticism and religious ardour of the -followers of Mahomet. "Noureddin fought," says his oriental biographer, -"like the meanest of his soldiers, saying, 'Alas! it is now a long time -that I have been seeking martyrdom without being able to obtain it.' -The Imaum Koteb-ed-din, hearing him on one occasion utter these words, -exclaimed, 'In the name of God do not put your life in danger, do not -thus expose Islam and the Moslems. Thou art their stay and support, -and if (but God preserve us therefrom) thou shouldest be slain, we -are all undone.' 'Ah! Koteb-ed-deen,' said he, 'what hast thou said, -who can save _Islam_ and our country, but that great God who has no -equal?' 'What,' said he, on another occasion, 'do we not look to the -security of our houses against robbers and plunderers, and shall we not -defend RELIGION?'"[13] Like the Templars, Noureddin fought constantly -with spiritual and with carnal weapons. He resisted the world and -its temptations, by fasting and prayer, and by the daily exercise of -the moral and religious duties and virtues inculcated in the Koran. -He fought with the sword against the foes of Islam, and employed -his whole energies, to the last hour of his life in the enthusiastic -and fanatic struggle for the recovery of Jerusalem.[14] In his camp, -all profane and frivolous conversation was severely prohibited; the -exercises of religion were assiduously practised, and the intervals of -action were employed in prayer, meditation, and the study of the Koran. -"The sword," says the prophet Mahomet, in that remarkable book, "is the -key of heaven and of hell; a drop of blood shed in the cause of God, a -night spent in arms, is of more avail than two months of fasting and -of prayer. Whosoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven him. At -the day of judgment his wounds will be resplendent as vermillion, and -odoriferous as musk, and the loss of limbs shall be supplied by the -wings of angels and cherubims." - -Among the many instances of the fanatical ardour of the Moslem -warriors, are the following, extracted from the history of _Abu -Abdollah Alwakidi_, Cadi of Bagdad. "Methinks," said a valiant Saracen -youth, in the heat of battle--"methinks I see the black-eyed girls -looking upon me, one of whom, should she appear in this world, all -mankind would die for love of her; and I see in the hand of one of them -a handkerchief of green silk, and a cap made of precious stones, and -she beckons me, and calls out, Come hither quickly, for I love thee." -With these words, charging the Christian host, he made havoc wherever -he went, until at last he was struck down by a javelin. "It is not," -said another dying Arabian warrior, when he embraced for the last time -his sister and mother--"it is not the fading pleasure of this world -that has prompted me to devote my life in the cause of RELIGION, I -seek the favour of GOD and his APOSTLE, and I have heard from one of -the companions of the prophet, that the spirits of the martyrs will be -lodged in the crops of green birds who taste the fruits and drink of -the waters of paradise. Farewell: we shall meet again among the groves -and fountains which God has prepared for his elect."[15] - -The Master of the Temple, Brother Bertrand de Blanquefort, was -liberated from captivity at the instance of Manuel Comnenus, Emperor -of Constantinople. After his release, he wrote several letters to -Louis VII., king of France, describing the condition and prospects -of the Holy Land: the increasing power and boldness of the infidels; -and the ruin and desolation caused by a dreadful earthquake, which -had overthrown numerous castles, prostrated the walls and defences of -several towns, and swallowed up the dwellings of the inhabitants. "The -persecutors of the church," says he, "hasten to avail themselves of -our misfortunes; they gather themselves together from the ends of the -earth, and come forth as one man against the sanctuary of God." - -It was during his mastership, that Geoffrey, the Knight Templar, and -Hugh of Cæsarea, were sent on an embassy into Egypt, and had their -famous interview with the Caliph. They were introduced into the palace -of the Fatimites through a series of gloomy passages and glittering -porticos, amid the warbling of birds and the murmur of fountains; the -scene was enriched by a display of costly furniture and rare animals; -and the long order of unfolding doors was guarded by black soldiers and -domestic eunuchs. The sanctuary of the presence chamber was veiled with -a curtain, and the vizier who conducted the ambassadors laid aside his -scimitar, and prostrated himself three times on the ground; the veil -was then removed, and they saw the Commander of the Faithful.[16] - -Brother Bertrand de Blanquefort, in his letters to the king of France, -gives an account of the military operations undertaken by the order of -the Temple in Egypt, and of the capture of the populous and important -city of Belbeis, the ancient Pelusium.[17] During the absence of the -Master with the greater part of the fraternity on that expedition, -the sultan Noureddin invaded Palestine; he defeated with terrible -slaughter the serving brethren and Turcopoles, or light horse of the -order, who remained to defend the country, and sixty of the knights who -commanded them were left dead on the plain. Amalric, king of Jerusalem, -the successor of Baldwin the Third, in a letter "to his dear friend -and father," Louis the Seventh, king of France, beseeches the good -offices of that monarch in behalf of all the devout Christians of the -Holy Land; "but above all," says he, "we earnestly entreat your Majesty -constantly to extend to the utmost your favour and regard to the -Brothers of the Temple, who continually render up their lives for God -and the faith, and through whom we do the little that we are able to -effect, for in them indeed, after God, is placed the entire reliance of -all those in the eastern regions who tread in the right path."[18] The -Master, Brother Bertrand de Blanquefort, was succeeded, (A. D. 1167,) -by Philip of Naplous, the first Master of the Temple who had been born -in Palestine. He had been Lord of the fortresses of Krak and Montreal -in Arabia Petræa, and took the vows and the habit of the order of the -Temple after the death of his wife.[19] - -We must now pause to take a glance at the rise of another great -religio-military institution which, from henceforth, takes a leading -part in the defence of the Latin kingdom. In the eleventh century, when -pilgrimages to Jerusalem had greatly increased, some Italian merchants -of Amalfi, who carried on a lucrative trade with Palestine, purchased -of the Caliph _Monstasserbillah_, a piece of ground in the Christian -quarter of the Holy City, near the church of the Resurrection, whereon -two hospitals were constructed, the one being appropriated for the -reception of male pilgrims, and the other for females. Several pious -and charitable Christians, chiefly from Europe, devoted themselves in -these hospitals to constant attendance upon the sick and destitute. -Two chapels were erected, the one annexed to the female establishment -being dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, and the other to St. John the -Eleemosynary, a canonized patriarch of Alexandria, remarkable for his -exceeding charity. The pious and kind-hearted people who here attended -upon the sick pilgrims, clothed the naked and fed the hungry, were -called "The Hospitallers of St. John." On the conquest of Jerusalem -by the Crusaders, these charitable persons were naturally regarded -with the greatest esteem and reverence by their fellow-christians -from the west; many of the soldiers of the cross, smitten with their -piety and zeal, desired to participate in their good offices, and -the Hospitallers, animated by the religious enthusiasm of the day, -determined to renounce the world, and devote the remainder of their -lives to pious duties and constant attendance upon the sick. They took -the customary monastic vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, and -assumed as their distinguishing habit a _black_ mantle with a _white_ -cross on the breast. Various lands and possessions were granted them by -the lords and princes of the Crusade, both in Palestine and in Europe, -and the order of the hospital of St. John speedily became a great and -powerful institution. - -Gerard, a native of Provence, was at this period at the head of the -society, with the title of "Guardian of the Poor." He was succeeded -(A. D. 1118) by Raymond Dupuy, a knight of Dauphiné, who drew up a -series of rules for the direction and government of his brethren. In -these rules no traces are discoverable of the military spirit which -afterwards animated the order of the Hospital of St. John. The first -authentic notice of an intention on the part of the Hospitallers to -occupy themselves with military matters, occurs in the bull of Pope -Innocent the Second, dated A. D. 1130. This bull is addressed to the -archbishops, bishops, and clergy of the church universal, and informs -them that the Hospitallers then retained, at their own expense, a -body of horsemen and foot soldiers, to defend the pilgrims in going -to and returning from the holy places; the pope observes that the -funds of the hospital were insufficient to enable them effectually -to fulfil the pious and holy task, and he exhorts the archbishops, -bishops, and clergy, to minister to the necessities of the order out of -their abundant property. The Hospitallers consequently at this period -had resolved to add the task of _protecting_ to that of tending and -relieving pilgrims. - -After the accession (A. D. 1168) of Gilbert d'Assalit to the -guardianship of the Hospital--a man described by De Vertot as "bold -and enterprising, and of an extravagant genius"--a military spirit -was infused into the Hospitallers, which speedily predominated over -their pious and charitable zeal in attending upon the poor and the -sick. Gilbert d'Assalit was the friend and confidant of Amalric, -king of Jerusalem, and planned with that monarch a wicked invasion -of Egypt in defiance of treaties. The Master of the Temple being -consulted concerning the expedition, flatly refused to have anything -to do with it, or to allow a single brother of the order of the -Temple to accompany the king in arms: "For it appeared a hard matter -to the Templars," says William of Tyre, "to wage war without cause, -in defiance of treaties, and against all honour and conscience, upon -a friendly nation, preserving faith with us, and relying on our own -faith." Gilbert d'Assalit consequently determined to obtain for the -king from his own brethren that aid which the Templars denied; and to -tempt the Hospitallers to arm themselves generally as a great military -society, in imitation of the Templars, and join the expedition to -Egypt, Gilbert d'Assalit was authorised to promise them in the name of -the king, the possession of the wealthy and important city of Belbeis, -the ancient Pelusium, in perpetual sovereignty. - -According to De Vertot, the senior Hospitallers were greatly averse -to the military projects of their chief: "They urged," says he, "that -they were a religious order, and that the church had not put arms into -their hands to make conquests;" but the younger and more ardent of -the brethren, burning to exchange the monotonous life of the cloister -for the enterprise and activity of the camp, received the proposals -of their superior with enthusiasm, and a majority of the chapter -decided in favour of the plans and projects of their Guardian. They -authorised him to borrow money of the Florentine and Genoese merchants, -to take hired soldiers into the pay of the order, and to organize the -Hospitallers as a great military society. - -It was in the first year of the government of Philip of Naplous (A. D. -1168) that the king of Jerusalem and the Hospitallers marched -forth upon their memorable and unfortunate expedition. The Egyptians -were taken completely by surprise; the city of Belbeis was carried by -assault, and the defenceless inhabitants were barbarously massacred. -The cruelty and the injustice of the Christians, however, speedily -met with condign punishment. The king of Jerusalem was driven back -into Palestine; Belbeis was abandoned with precipitation; and the -Hospitallers fled before the infidels in sorrow and disappointment to -Jerusalem. There they vented their indignation and chagrin upon the -unfortunate Gilbert d'Assalit, their superior, who had got the order -into debt to the extent of 100,000 pieces of gold; they compelled him -to resign his authority, and the unfortunate guardian of the hospital -fled from Palestine to England, and was drowned in the Channel. From -this period, however, the character of the order of the Hospital of -St. John was entirely changed: the Hospitallers appear henceforth as a -great military body; their superior styles himself Master, and leads -in person the brethren into the field of battle. Attendance upon the -poor and the sick still continued, indeed, one of the duties of the -fraternity, but it must have been feebly exercised amid the clash of -arms and the excitement of war.[20] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, Philip of Naplous, resigned his -authority after a short government of three years, and was succeeded -(A. D. 1170) by Brother Odo de St. Amand, a proud and fiery warrior, -of undaunted courage and resolution; having, according to William, -Archbishop of Tyre, the fear neither of God nor of man before his -eyes.[21] It was during his Grand Mastership (A. D. 1172) that the -Knight Templar Walter du Mesnil slew an envoy or minister of the -assassins. These were an odious religious sect, settled in the -fastnesses of the mountains above Tripoli, and supposed to be descended -from the Ismaelians of Persia. They devoted their souls and bodies in -blind obedience to a chief who is called by the writers of the Crusades -"the old man of the mountain," and were employed by him in the most -extensive system of murder and assassination known in the history of -the world. Both Christian and Moslem writers enumerate with horror the -many illustrious victims that fell beneath their daggers. They assumed -all shapes and disguises for the furtherance of their deadly designs, -and carried, in general, no arms except a small poniard concealed in -the folds of their dress, called in the Persian tongue _hassissin_, -whence these wretches were called _assassins_, their chief the prince -of the assassins; and the word itself, in all its odious import, has -passed into most European languages.[22] - -Raimond, son of the count of Tripoli, had been slain by these fanatics -whilst kneeling at the foot of the altar in the church of the Blessed -Virgin at Carchusa or Tortosa; the Templars flew to arms to avenge -his death; they penetrated into the fastnesses and strongholds of -"the mountain chief," and at last compelled him to purchase peace -by the payment of an annual tribute of two thousand crowns into the -treasury of the order. In the ninth year of Amalric's reign, _Sinan -Ben Suleiman_, imaun of the assassins, sent a trusty counsellor to -Jerusalem, offering, in the name of himself and his people, to embrace -the christian religion, provided the Templars would release them from -the tribute money. The proposition was favourably received; the envoy -was honourably entertained for some days, and on his departure he was -furnished by the king with a guide and an escort to conduct him in -safety to the frontier. The Ismaelite had reached the borders of the -Latin kingdom, and was almost in sight of the castles of his brethren, -when he was slain by the Knight Templar Walter du Mesnil, who attacked -the escort with a body of armed followers. The king of Jerusalem -assembled the barons of the kingdom at Sidon to determine on the best -means of obtaining satisfaction for the injury; and it was determined -that two of their number should proceed to Odo de St. Amand to demand -the surrender of the criminal. The haughty Master of the Temple bade -them inform his majesty the king, that the members of the order were -not subject to his jurisdiction, nor to that of his officers; that the -Templars acknowledged no earthly superior except the pope; and that -to the holy pontiff alone belonged the cognizance of the offence. He -declared, however, that the crime should meet with due punishment: that -he had caused the criminal to be arrested and put in irons, and would -forthwith send him to Rome, but till judgment was given in his case, he -forbade all persons of whatsoever degree to meddle with him.[23] - -The Templars were now destined to meet with a more formidable opponent -than any they had hitherto encountered in the field, one who was again -to cause the _crescent_ to triumph over the CROSS, and to plant the -standard of the prophet upon the walls of the holy city. When the -Fatimite caliph had received intelligence of king Amalric's invasion of -Egypt, (ante p. 36) he sent the hair of his women, one of the greatest -tokens of distress known in the East, to the pious Noureddin, who -immediately despatched a body of troops to his assistance, headed by -Sheerkoh, and his nephew, _Youseef-Ben-Acoub-Ben-Schadi_ the famous -Saladin. Sheerkoh died immediately after his arrival, and Youseef -succeeded to his command, and was appointed vizier of the caliph. He -had passed his youth in pleasure and debauchery, sloth and indolence, -but as soon as he grasped the power of the sword, and obtained the -command of armies, he renounced the pleasures of the world, and assumed -the character of a saint. His dress was a coarse-woollen garment; -water was his only drink; and he carefully abstained from everything -disapproved of by the Mussulman religion. Five times each day he -prostrated himself in public prayer, surrounded by his friends and -followers, and his demeanour became grave, serious, and thoughtful. His -nights were often spent in watching and meditation, he was diligent in -fasting and in the study of the Koran, and his admiring brethren gave -him the name of _Salah-ed-deen_, "Integrity of Religion," vulgarly -called Saladin. - -Having aroused the religious enthusiasm of the Moslems he proceeded to -take vengeance upon the Christians for their perfidious invasion of -Egypt. He assembled an army of forty thousand horse and foot, crossed -the desert and besieged the fortified city of Gaza, which belonged to -the Knights Templars, and was considered to be the key of Palestine -towards Egypt. The luxuriant gardens, the palm and olive groves of -this city of the wilderness were destroyed by the wild cavalry of -the desert, and the innumerable tents of the Arab host were thickly -clustered on the neighbouring sand-hills. The warlike monks of the -Temple in their turn fasted and prayed, and invoked the aid of the God -of battles; they made a desperate defence, and in an unexpected sally -upon the enemy's camp, they performed such prodigies of valour, that -Saladin, despairing of being able to take the place, abandoned the -siege, and retired into Egypt.[24] - -On the death of Noureddin, sultan of Damascus, (A. D. 1175,) Saladin -raised himself to the sovereignty both of Egypt and of Syria. He -again levied an immense army, crossed the desert, and planted the -standard of Mahomet upon the sacred territory of Palestine. His forces -were composed of twenty-six thousand light infantry, eight thousand -horsemen, a host of archers and spearmen mounted on dromedaries, -eighteen thousand common soldiers, and a body-guard of a thousand -Mamlook emirs, clothed in yellow cloaks, worn over their shirts of -mail. In the great battle fought near Ascalon, (Nov. 1, A. D. 1177,) -Odo de St. Amand, the Master of the Temple, at the head of eighty of -his knights, broke through the guard of Mamlooks, slew their commander, -and penetrated to the imperial tent, from whence Saladin escaped with -great difficulty, almost naked, upon a fleet dromedary. The year -following, the Templars, in order to protect and cover the road leading -from Damascus to Jerusalem, commenced the erection of a strong fortress -on the northern frontier of the Latin kingdom, close to Jacob's ford on -the river Jordan, at the spot where now stands _Djiss'r Beni Yakoob_, -"the bridge of the sons of Jacob." Saladin advanced at the head of his -forces to oppose the progress of the work, and the king of Jerusalem -and all the chivalry of the Latin kingdom were gathered together in the -plain to protect the Templars and their workmen. In a general action -the entire army of the cross was defeated with immense slaughter. The -Templars and the Hospitallers, with the count of Tripoli, stood firm -on the summit of a small hillock, and for a long time presented a bold -and undaunted front to the victorious enemy. The count of Tripoli at -last cut his way through the infidels, and fled to Tyre; the Master of -the Hospital, after seeing most of his brethren slain, swam across the -Jordan, and fled, covered with wounds, to the castle of Beaufort; and -the Templars after fighting with their accustomed zeal and fanaticism -around the red-cross banner, which waved to the last over the field of -blood, were all killed or taken prisoners, and the Master, Odo de St. -Amand, fell alive into the hands of the enemy. Saladin then laid siege -to the newly-erected fortress, which was defended by thick walls, -flanked with large towers furnished with military engines, and after -a gallant resistance on the part of the garrison, it was set on fire, -and then stormed. "The Templars," says Abulpharadge, "flung themselves -some into the fire, where they were burned, some cast themselves into -the Jordan, some jumped down from the walls on to the rocks, and were -dashed to pieces: thus were slain the enemy." The fortress was reduced -to a heap of ruins, and the enraged sultan, it is said, ordered all -the Templars taken in the place to be sawn in two, excepting the most -distinguished of the knights, who were reserved for a ransom, and were -sent in chains to Aleppo. Saladin offered Odo de St. Amand his liberty -in exchange for the freedom of his own nephew, who was a prisoner in -the hands of the Templars; but the Master of the Temple haughtily -replied, that he would never, by his example, encourage any of his -knights to be mean enough to surrender, that a Templar ought either to -vanquish or die, and that he had nothing to give for his ransom but -his girdle and his knife. The proud spirit of Odo de St. Amand could -but ill brook confinement; he languished and died in the dungeons of -Damascus, and was succeeded (A. D. 1180) by Brother Arnold de Torroge, -who had filled some of the chief situations of the order in Europe. - -The affairs of the Latin Christians were at this period in a deplorable -situation. Saladin encamped near Tiberias, and extended his ravages -into almost every part of Palestine. His light cavalry swept the valley -of the Jordan to within a day's march of Jerusalem, and the whole -country as far as Panias on the one side, and Beisan, D'Jeneen, and -Sebaste, on the other, was destroyed by fire and the sword. The houses -of the Templars were pillaged and burnt; various castles belonging to -the order were taken by assault; but the immediate destruction of the -Latin power was arrested by some partial successes obtained by the -Christian warriors, and by the skilful generalship of their leaders. -Saladin was compelled to retreat to Damascus, after he had burnt -Naplous, and depopulated the whole country around Tiberias. A truce was -proposed, (A. D. 1184,) and as the attention of the sultan was then -distracted by the intrigues of the Turcoman chieftains in the north -of Syria, and he was again engaged in hostilities in Mesopotamia, he -agreed to a suspension of the war for four years, in consideration of -the payment by the Christians of a large sum of money.[25] - -Immediate advantage was taken of this truce to secure the safety of the -Latin kingdom. A grand council was called together at Jerusalem, and it -was determined that Heraclius, the patriarch of the Holy City, and the -Masters of the Temple and Hospital, should forthwith proceed to Europe, -to obtain succour from the western princes. The sovereign mostly -depended upon for assistance was Henry the Second, king of England, -grandson of Fulk, the late king of Jerusalem, and cousin-german to -Baldwin, the then reigning sovereign. Henry had received absolution -for the murder of Saint Thomas à Becket, on condition that he should -proceed in person at the head of a powerful army to the succour of -Palestine, and should, at his own expense, maintain two hundred -Templars for the defence of the holy territory. The patriarch and the -two Masters landed in Italy, and after furnishing themselves with the -letters of the pope, threatening the English monarch with the judgments -of heaven if he did not forthwith perform the penance prescribed him, -they set out for England. At Verona, the Master of the Temple fell -sick and died, but his companions proceeding on their journey, landed -in safety in England at the commencement of the year 1185. They were -received by the king at Reading, and throwing themselves at the feet -of the English monarch, they with much weeping and sobbing saluted -him in behalf of the king, the princes, and the people of the kingdom -of Jerusalem. They explained the object of their visit, and presented -him with the pope's letters, with the keys of the holy sepulchre, -of the tower of David, and of the city of Jerusalem, together with -the royal banner of the Latin kingdom. Their eloquent and pathetic -narrative of the fierce inroads of Saladin, and of the miserable -condition of Palestine, drew tears from king Henry and all his court. -The English sovereign gave encouraging assurances to the patriarch -and his companions, and promised to bring the whole matter before the -parliament, which was to meet the first Sunday in Lent.[26] - -The patriarch, in the mean time, proceeded to London, and was received -by the Knights Templars at the Temple in that city, the chief house of -the order in Britain, where, in the month of February, he consecrated -the beautiful Temple church, dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, -which had just then been erected.[27] - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - The Temple at London--The vast possessions of the Templars in - England--The territorial divisions of the order--The different - preceptories in this country--The privileges conferred on the - Templars by the kings of England--The Masters of the Temple at - London--Their power and importance. - - Li fiere, li Mestre du Temple - Qu'estoient rempli et ample - D'Or et d'argent et de richesse, - Et qui menoient tel noblesse, - Ou sont-il? que sont devenu? - Que tant ont de plait maintenu, - Que nul a elz ne s'ozoit prendre - Tozjors achetoient sans vendre - Nul riche a elz n'estoit de prise; - Tant va pot a eue qu'il brise. - - _Chron._ à la suite du Roman de Favel. - - -The Knights Templars first established the chief house of their order -in England, without Holborn Bars, on the south side of the street, -where Southampton House formerly stood, adjoining to which Southampton -Buildings were afterwards erected: and it is stated, that about a -century and a half ago, part of the ancient chapel annexed to this -establishment, of a circular form, and built of Caen stone, was -discovered on pulling down some old houses near Southampton Buildings -in Chancery Lane.[28] This first house of the Temple, established by -Hugh de Payens himself, before his departure from England, on his -return to Palestine, was adapted to the wants and necessities of the -order in its infant state, when the knights, instead of lingering in -the preceptories of Europe, proceeded at once to Palestine, and when -all the resources of the society were strictly and faithfully forwarded -to Jerusalem, to be expended in defence of the faith; but when the -order had greatly increased in numbers, power, and wealth, and had -somewhat departed from its original purity and simplicity, we find that -the superior and the knights resident in London began to look abroad -for a more extensive and commodious place of habitation. They purchased -a large space of ground, extending from the White Friars westward to -Essex House without Temple Bar, and commenced the erection of a convent -on a scale of grandeur commensurate with the dignity and importance of -the chief house of the great religio-military society of the Temple in -Britain. It was called the _New_ Temple, to distinguish it from the -original establishment at Holborn, which came thenceforth to be known -by the name of the _Old_ Temple. This New Temple was adapted for the -residence of numerous military monks and novices, serving brothers, -retainers, and domestics. It contained the residence of the superior -and of the knights, the cells and apartments of the chaplains and -serving brethren, the council chamber where the chapters were held, -and the refectory or dining-hall, which was connected, by a range of -handsome cloisters, with the magnificent church, consecrated by the -patriarch. Alongside the river extended a spacious pleasure ground for -the recreation of the brethren, who were not permitted to go into the -town without the leave of the Master. It was used also for military -exercises and the training of horses. - -The year of the consecration of the Temple Church, Geoffrey, the -superior of the order in England, caused an inquisition to be made -of the lands of the Templars in this country, and the names of the -donors thereof,[29] from which it appears, that the larger territorial -divisions of the order were then called bailiwicks, the principal -of which were London, Warwic, Couele, Meritune, Gutinge, Westune, -Lincolnscire, Lindeseie, Widine, and Eboracisire (Yorkshire). -The number of manors, farms, churches, advowsons, demesne lands, -villages, hamlets, windmills, and watermills, rents of assize, rights -of common and free warren, and the amount of all kinds of property -possessed by the Templars in England at the period of the taking of -this inquisition, are astonishing. Upon the great estates belonging -to the order, prioral houses had been erected, wherein dwelt the -procurators or stewards charged with the management of the manors -and farms in their neighbourhood, and with the collection of the -rents. These prioral houses became regular monastic establishments, -inhabited chiefly by sick and aged Templars, who retired to them to -spend the remainder of their days, after a long period of honourable -service against the infidels in Palestine. They were cells to the -principal house at London. There were also under them certain smaller -administrations established for the management of the farms, consisting -of a Knight Templar, to whom were associated some serving brothers -of the order, and a priest who acted as almoner. The commissions -or mandates directed by the Master of the Temple to the officers -at the head of these establishments were called precepts, from the -commencement of them, "_Præcipimus tibi_," we enjoin or direct you, &c. -&c. The knights to whom they were addressed were styled _Præceptores -Templi_, or Preceptors of the Temple, and the districts administered by -them _Præceptoria_, or preceptories. - -[Illustration: The ancient inscription on the Temple Church as it stood -over the door leading into the cloister. - - ON THE 10th OF FEBRUARY, - IN - THE YEAR FROM THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD, 1185, - THIS CHURCH WAS CONSECRATED IN HONOUR OF THE BLESSED MARY - BY THE LORD HERACLIUS, - BY - THE GRACE OF GOD PATRIARCH OF THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION, - WHO - HATH GRANTED AN INDULGENCE OF SIXTY DAYS - TO THOSE YEARLY VISITING IT. - -Translation of the inscription on the Temple Church, as it stood over -the doorway leading into the cloister.] - -It will now be as well to take a general survey of the possessions -and organization of the order both in Europe and Asia, "whose -circumstances," saith William, archbishop of Tyre, writing from -Jerusalem about the period of the consecration at London of the Temple -Church, "are in so flourishing a state, that at this day they have in -their convent (the Temple on Mount Moriah) more than three hundred -knights robed in the white habit, besides serving brothers innumerable. -Their possessions indeed beyond the sea, as well as in these parts, are -said to be so vast, that there cannot now be a province in Christendom -which does not contribute to the support of the aforesaid brethren, -whose wealth is said to equal that of sovereign princes."[30] - -The eastern provinces of the order were, 1. Palestine, the ruling -province. 2. The principality of Antioch. 3. The principality of -Tripoli. In Palestine the Templars possessed, in addition to the -Temple at Jerusalem, the chief house of the order, and the residence -of the Master, the fortified city of Gaza, the key of the kingdom -of Jerusalem on the side next Egypt, which was granted to them in -perpetual sovereignty, by Baldwin king of Jerusalem; also the Castle of -Saphet, in the territory of the ancient tribe of Naphtali; the Castle -of the Pilgrims, in the neighbourhood of Mount Carmel; the Castle of -Assur near Jaffa, and the house of the Temple at Jaffa; the fortress -of Faba, or La Feue, the ancient Aphek, not far from Tyre, in the -territory of the ancient tribe of Asher; the hill-fort Dok between -Bethel and Jericho; the castles of La Cave, Marle, Citern Rouge, Castel -Blanc, Trapesach, Sommelleria of the Temple, in the neighbourhood of -Acca, now St. John d'Acre; Castrum Planorum, and a place called Gerinum -Parvum.[31] The Templars, moreover, purchased the castle of Beaufort -and the city of Sidon; they also got into their hands a great part of -the town of St. Jean d'Acre, where they erected a famous TEMPLE, and -almost all the sea coast of Palestine was in the end divided between -them and the Hospitallers of St. John. The principal houses of the -Temple in the PROVINCE OF ANTIOCH were at Antioch itself, at Aleppo, -and Haram; and in the PRINCIPALITY OF TRIPOLI, at Tripoli, Tortosa, the -ancient Antaradus; Castel Blanc in the same neighbourhood; Laodicea and -Beyrout. - -In the western province of APULIA AND SICILY, the Templars possessed -numerous houses, viz., at Palermo, Syracuse, Lentini, Butera, -and Trapani. The house of the Temple at this last place has been -appropriated to the use of some monks of the order of St. Augustin. In -a church of the city is still to be seen the celebrated statue of the -Virgin, which Brother Guerrege and three other Knights Templars brought -from the East, with a view of placing it in the Temple Church on the -Aventine hill in Rome, but which they were obliged to deposit in the -island of Sicily. This statue is of the most beautiful white marble, -and represents the Virgin with the infant Jesus reclining on her left -arm; it is of about the natural height, and, from an inscription on the -foot of the figure, it appears to have been executed by a native of the -island of Cyprus, A. D. 733. The Templars possessed valuable estates in -Sicily, around the base of Mount Etna, and large tracts of land between -Piazza and Calatagirone, in the suburbs of which last place there was a -Temple house, the church whereof, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, still -remains. They possessed also many churches in the island, windmills, -rights of fishery, of pasturage, of cutting wood in the forests, and -many important privileges and immunities. The chief house was at -Messina, where the Grand Prior resided.[32] - -UPPER AND CENTRAL ITALY also contained numerous preceptories of the -order of the Temple, all under the immediate superintendence of the -grand Prior or Preceptor of Rome. There were large establishments at -Lucca, Milan, and Perugia, at which last place the arms of the Temple -are still to be seen on the tower of the holy cross. At Placentia -there was a magnificent and extensive convent, called Santa Maria del -Tempio, ornamented with a very lofty tower. At Bologna there was also -a large Temple house, and on a clock in the city is the following -inscription, "_Magister Tosseolus de Miolâ me fecit ... Fr. Petrus de -Bon, Procur. Militiæ Templi in curiâ Romanâ_, MCCCIII." In the church -of St. Mary in the same place, which formerly belonged to the Knights -Templars, is the interesting marble monument of Peter de Rotis, a -priest of the order. - -In the PROVINCE OF PORTUGAL, the military power and resources of the -order were exercised in almost constant warfare against the Moors, and -Europe derived essential advantage from the enthusiastic exertions -of the warlike monks in that quarter against the infidels. In every -battle, indeed, fought in the south of Europe, after the year 1130, -against the enemies of the cross, the Knights Templars are to be found -taking an active and distinguished part. They were extremely popular -with all the princes and sovereigns of the great Spanish peninsula, and -were endowed with cities, villages, lordships, and splendid domains. -The Grand Prior or Preceptor of Portugal resided at the castle of -Tomar. It is seated on the river Narboan, in Estremadura, and is still -to be seen towering in gloomy magnificence on the hill above the -town. The castle at present belongs to the order of Christ, and was -lately one of the grandest and richest establishments in Portugal. It -possessed a splendid library, and a handsome cloister, the architecture -of which was much admired. The houses or preceptories of the Temple -in the province of Castile and Leon were those of Cuenca, and -Guadalfagiara; Tine and Aviles in the diocese of Oviedo, and Pontevreda -in Galicia. In Castile alone the order is said to have possessed -twenty-four bailiwicks. - -In ARAGON the Templars possessed the castles of Dumbel, Cabanos, Azuda, -Granena, Chalonere, Remolins, Corbins, Lo Mas de Barbaran, Moncon, and -Montgausi, with their territories and dependencies. They were lords of -the cities of Borgia and Tortosa; they had a tenth part of the revenues -of the kingdom, the taxes of the towns of Huesca and Saragossa, and -houses, possessions, privileges, and immunities in all parts.[33] They -possessed likewise lands and estates in the Balearic Isles, which -were under the management of the Prior or Preceptor of the island of -Majorca, who was subject to the Grand Preceptor of Aragon. - -In GERMANY AND HUNGARY the houses and preceptories most known were at -Homburg, Assenheim, Rotgen in the Rhingau, Mongberg in the Marché of -Brandenbourg, Nuitz on the Rhine, Tissia Altmunmunster near Ratisbon -in Bavaria, Bamberg, Middleburgh, Hall, and Brunswick. The Templars -possessed the fiefs of Rorich, Pausin and Wildenheuh in _Pomerania_, -an establishment at Bach in _Hungary_, several lordships in _Bohemia_ -and _Moravia_, and lands, tithes, and large revenues, the gifts of -pious German crusaders.[34] In GREECE the Templars also possessed lands -and establishments. Their chief house was at Constantinople, in the -quarter called Omonoia, where they had an oratory dedicated to the holy -martyrs Marin and Pentaleon.[35] In FRANCE the principal preceptories -were at Besançon, Dole, Salins, à la Romagne, à la ville Dieu, Arbois -in _Franche Comté_. Dorlesheim near Molsheim, where their still remains -a chapel called Templehoff, Fauverney, where a chapel dedicated to the -Virgin still preserves the name of the Temple, Des Feuilles, situate -in the parish of Villett, near the chateau de Vernay, and Rouen, where -there were two houses of the Temple; one of them occupied the site of -the present _maison consulaire_, and the other stood in the street now -called _La Rue des Hermites_. The preceptories and houses of the Temple -in France, indeed, were so numerous, that it would be a wearisome and -endless task to repeat the names of them. Between Joinville and St. -Dizier may still be seen the remains of Temple Ruet, an old chateau -surrounded by a moat; and in the diocese of Meaux are the ruins of -the great manorial house of Choisy le Temple. Many interesting tombs -are there visible, together with the refectory of the knights, which -has been converted into a sheepfold. The chief house of the order for -France, and also for Holland and the Netherlands, was the Temple at -Paris, an extensive and magnificent structure, surrounded by a wall and -a ditch. It extended over all that large space of ground, now covered -with streets and buildings, which lies between the Rue du Temple, the -Rue St. Croix, and the environs de la Verrerie, as far as the walls and -the fossés of the port du Temple. It was ornamented with a great tower, -flanked by four smaller towers, erected by the Knight Templar Brother -Herbert, almoner to the king of France, and was one of the strongest -edifices in the kingdom.[36] Many of the modern streets of Paris which -now traverse the site of this interesting structure, preserve in the -names given to them some memorial of the ancient Temple. For instance, -_La rue du Temple_, _La rue des fossés du Temple_, _Boulevard du -Temple_, _Faubourg du Temple_, _rue de Faubourg du Temple_, _Vieille -rue du Temple_, _&c._, _&c._ - -[Illustration: TOWER OF THE PRECEPTORY OF TEMPLE BRUERE, LINCOLNSHIRE.] - -All the houses of the Temple in Holland and the Netherlands were under -the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Temple at Paris. The -preceptories in these kingdoms were very numerous, and the property -dependent upon them was of great value. - -In ENGLAND there were in bygone times the preceptories of Aslakeby, -Temple Bruere, Egle, Malteby, Mere, Wilketon, and Witham, in -_Lincolnshire_. North Feriby, Temple Hurst, Temple Newsom, -Pafflete, Flaxflete, and Ribstane, in _Yorkshire_. Temple Cumbe, in -_Somersetshire_. Ewell, Strode and Swingfield, near Dover, in _Kent_. -Hadescoe, in _Norfolk_. Balsall and Warwick, in _Warwickshire_. Temple -Rothley, in _Leicestershire_. Wilburgham Magna, Daney, and Dokesworth, -in _Cambridgeshire_. Halston, in _Shropshire_. Temple Dynnesley, in -_Hertfordshire_. Temple Cressing and Sutton, in _Essex_. Saddlescomb -and Chapelay, in _Sussex_. Schepeley, in _Surrey_. Temple Cowley, -Sandford, Bistelesham, and Chalesey, in _Oxfordshire_. Temple Rockley, -in _Wiltshire_. Upleden and Garwy, in _Herefordshire_. South Badeisley, -in _Hampshire_. Getinges, in _Worcestershire_. Giselingham and Dunwich, -in _Suffolk_. - -There were also several smaller administrations established, as -before mentioned, for the management of the farms and lands, and the -collection of rent and tithes. Among these were Liddele and Quiely in -the diocese of Chichester; Eken in the diocese of Lincoln; Adingdon, -Wesdall, Aupledina, Cotona, &c. The different preceptors of the Temple -in England had under their management lands and property in every -county of the realm.[37] - -In _Leicestershire_ the Templars possessed the town and the soke -of Rotheley; the manors of Rolle, Babbegrave, Gaddesby, Stonesby, -and Melton; Rothely wood, near Leicester; the villages of Beaumont, -Baresby, Dalby, North and South Mardefeld, Saxby, Stonesby, and Waldon, -with land in above _eighty_ others! They had also the churches of -Rotheley, Babbegrave, and Rolle; and the chapels of Gaddesby, Grimston, -Wartnaby, Cawdwell, and Wykeham.[38] - -In _Hertfordshire_ they possessed the town and forest of Broxbourne, -the manor of Chelsin Templars, (_Chelsin Templariorum_,) and the manors -of Laugenok, Broxbourne, Letchworth, and Temple Dynnesley; demesne -lands at Stanho, Preston, Charlton, Walden, Hiche, Chelles, Levecamp, -and Benigho; the church of Broxbourne, two watermills, and a lock on -the river Lea; also property at Hichen, Pyrton, Ickilford, Offeley -Magna, Offeley Parva, Walden Regis, Furnivale, Ipolitz, Wandsmyll, -Watton, Therleton, Weston, Gravele, Wilien, Leccheworth, Baldock, -Datheworth, Russenden, Codpeth, Sumershale, Buntynford, &c., &c., -and the Church of Weston.[39] In the county of _Essex_ they had the -manors of Temple Cressynge, Temple Roydon, Temple Sutton, Odewell, -Chingelford, Lideleye, Quarsing, Berwick, and Witham; the church of -Roydon, and houses, lands, and farms, both at Roydon, at Rivenhall, -and in the parishes of Prittlewall and Great and Little Sutton; an old -mansion-house and chapel at Sutton, and an estate called Finchinfelde -in the hundred of Hinckford.[40] In _Lincolnshire_ the Templars -possessed the manors of La Bruere, Roston, Kirkeby, Brauncewell, -Carleton, Akele, with the soke of Lynderby, Aslakeby, and the churches -of Bruere, Asheby, Akele, Aslakeby, Donington, Ele, Swinderby, Skarle, -&c. There were upwards of thirty churches in the county which made -annual payments, to the order of the Temple, and about forty windmills. -The order likewise received rents in respect of lands at Bracebrig, -Brancestone, Scapwic, Timberland, Weleburne, Diringhton, and a hundred -other places; and some of the land in the county was charged with the -annual payment of sums of money towards the keeping of lights eternally -burning on the altars of the Temple church. William Lord of Asheby -gave to the Templars the perpetual advowson of the church of Asheby in -Lincolnshire, and they in return agreed to find him a priest to sing -for ever twice a week in his chapel of St. Margaret. - -In _Yorkshire_ the Templars possessed the manors of Temple Werreby, -Flaxflete, Etton, South Cave, &c.; the churches of Whitcherche -Keluntune, &c.; numerous windmills and lands and rents at Nehus, -Skelture, Pennel, and more than sixty other places besides. In -_Warwickshire_ they possessed the manors of Barston, Shirburne, -Balshale, Wolfhey, Cherlecote, Herbebure, Stodleye, Fechehampstead, -Cobington, Tysho and Warwick; lands at Chelverscoton, Herdwicke, -Morton, Warwick, Hetherburn, Chesterton, Aven, Derset, Stodley, -Napton, and more than thirty other places, the several donors whereof -are specified in Dugdale's history of Warwickshire (p. 694) also -the churches of Sireburne, Cardington, &c., and more than thirteen -windmills. In 12 Hen. II., William Earle of Warwick built a new church -for them at Warwick.[41] In _Kent_ they had the manors of Lilleston, -Hechewayton, Saunford, Sutton, Dartford, Halgel, Ewell, Cocklescomb, -Strode, Swinkfield Mennes, West Greenwich, and the manor of Lydden, -which now belongs to the archbishop of Canterbury; the advowsons of -the churches of West Greenwich and Kingeswode juxta Waltham; extensive -tracts of land in Romney marsh, and farms and assize rents in all -parts of the county. In _Sussex_ they had the manors of Saddlecomb -and Shipley; lands and tenements at Compton and other places; and the -advowsons of the churches of Shipley, Wodmancote, and Luschwyke. - -In _Surrey_ they had the manor farm of Temple Elfand or Elfant, and -an estate at Merrow in the hundred of Woking. In _Gloucestershire_, -the manors of Lower Dowdeswell, Pegsworth, Amford, Nishange, and five -others which belonged to them wholly or in part, the church of Down -Ammey, and lands in Frampton, Temple Guting, and Little Rissington. -In _Worcestershire_, the manor of Templars Lawern, and lands in -Flavel, Temple Broughton, and Hanbury. In _Northamptonshire_, the -manors of Asheby, Thorp, Watervill, &c., &c.; they had the advowson -of the church of the manor of Hardwicke in Orlington hundred, and we -find that "Robert Saunford, Master of the soldiery of the Temple in -England," presented to it in the year 1238.[42] In _Nottinghamshire_, -the Templars possessed the church of Marnham, lands and rents at -Gretton and North Carleton; in _Westmoreland_, the manor of Temple -Sowerby; in the Isle of Wight, the manor of Uggeton, and lands in -Kerne. But it would be tedious further to continue with a dry detail -of ancient names and places; sufficient has been said to give an idea -of the enormous wealth of the order in this country, where it is known -to have possessed some hundreds of manors, the advowson or right of -presentation to churches innumerable, and thousands of acres of arable -land, pasture, and woodland, besides villages, farm-houses, mills, and -tithes, rights of common, of fishing, of cutting wood in forests, &c., -&c. There were also several preceptories in Scotland and Ireland, which -were dependent on the Temple at London. - -The annual income of the order in Europe has been roughly estimated -at six millions sterling! According to Matthew Paris, the Templars -possessed _nine thousand_ manors or lordships in Christendom, besides a -large revenue and immense riches arising from the constant charitable -bequests and donations of sums of money from pious persons.[43] The -Templars, in imitation of the other monastic establishments, obtained -from pious and charitable people all the advowsons within their reach, -and frequently retained the tithe and the glebe in their own hands, -deputing a priest of the order to perform divine service and administer -the sacraments. The manors of the Templars produced them rent either -in money, corn, or cattle, and the usual produce of the soil. By the -custom in some of these manors, the tenants were annually to mow -three days in harvest, one at the charge of the house, and to plough -three days, whereof one at the like charge; to reap one day, at which -time they should have a ram from the house, eight pence, twenty-four -loaves, and a cheese of the best in the house, together with a pailful -of drink. The tenants were not to sell their horse-colts if they were -foaled upon the land belonging to the Templars, without the consent of -the fraternity, nor marry their daughters without their licence. There -were also various regulations concerning the cocks and hens and young -chickens. - -King Henry the Second, for the good of his soul and the welfare of -his kingdom, granted the Templars a place situate on the river Fleet, -near Bainard's Castle, with the whole current of that river at London, -for erecting a mill; also a messuage near Fleet-street; the church of -St. Clement, "quæ dicitur Dacorum extra civitatem Londoniæ;" and the -churches of Elle, Swinderby and Skarle in Lincolnshire, Kingeswode -juxta Waltham in Kent, the manor of Stroder in the hundred of Skamele, -the vill of Kele in Staffordshire, the hermitage of Flikeamstede, and -all his lands at Lange Cureway, a house in Brosal, and the market -at Witham; lands at Berghotte, a mill at the bridge of Pembroke -Castle, the vill of Finchinfelde, the manor of Rotheley, with its -appurtenances, and the advowson of the church and its several chapels, -the manor of Blalcolvesley, the park of Halshall, and three _fat bucks_ -annually, either from Essex or Windsor Forest. He likewise granted them -an annual fair at Temple Bruere, and superadded many rich benefactions -in Ireland.[44] - -The Templars, in addition to their amazing wealth, enjoyed vast -privileges and immunities within this realm. They were freed from -all amerciaments in the Exchequer, and obtained the privilege of not -being compelled to plead except before the king or his chief justice. -By special grant from the kings of England, they enjoyed free warren -in all their demesne lands, also the power of holding courts to judge -their villains and vassals, and to try thieves and malefactors; they -were relieved from all the customary feudal suits and services, from -the works of parks, castles, bridges, the building of royal houses, and -all other works; and also from waste regard and view of foresters, and -from toll in all markets and fairs, and at all bridges, and upon all -highways throughout the kingdom. They had also the chattels of felons -and fugitives, and all waifs within their fee.[45] In addition to the -particular privileges conceded to them by the kings of England, the -Templars enjoyed, under the authority of divers Papal bulls, various -immunities and advantages, which gave great umbrage to the clergy. They -were freed, as before mentioned, from the obligation of paying tithes, -and might, with the consent of the bishop, receive them. No brother -of the Temple could be excommunicated by any bishop or priest, nor -could any of the churches of the order be laid under interdict except -by virtue of a special mandate from the holy see. When any brother of -the Temple, appointed to make charitable collections for the succour -of the Holy Land, should arrive at a city, castle, or village, which -had been laid under interdict, the churches, on their welcome coming, -were to be thrown open, (once within the year,) and divine service was -to be performed in honour of the Temple, and in reverence for the holy -soldiers thereof. The privilege of sanctuary was thrown around their -dwellings; and by various papal bulls it is solemnly enjoined that no -person shall lay violent hands either upon the persons or the property -of those flying for refuge to the Temple houses.[46] - -Sir Edward Coke, in the second part of the Institute of the Laws of -England, observes, that "the Templars did so overspread throughout -Christendome, and so exceedingly increased in possessions, revenues, -and wealth, and specially in England, as you will wonder to reade in -approved histories, and withall obtained so great and large privileges, -liberties, and immunities for themselves, their tenants, and farmers, -&c., as no other order had the like." He further observes, that the -Knights Templars were _cruce signati_, and as the cross was the ensign -of their profession, and their tenants enjoyed great privileges, they -did erect crosses upon their houses, to the end that those inhabiting -them might be known to be the tenants of the order, and thereby be -freed from many duties and services which other tenants were subject -unto; "and many tenants of other lords, perceiving the state and -greatnesse of the knights of the said order, and withall seeing the -great privileges their tenants enjoyed, did set up crosses upon their -houses, as their very tenants used to doe, to the prejudice of their -lords." - -This abuse led to the passing of the statute of Westminster, the -second, _chap. 33_, which recites, that many tenants did set up crosses -or cause them to be set up on their lands in prejudice of their lords, -that the tenants might defend themselves against the chief lord of -the fee by the privileges of TEMPLARS, and enacts that such lands -shall be forfeited to the chief lords or to the king. Sir Edward Coke -observes, that the Templars were freed from tenths and fifteenths to be -paid to the king; that they were discharged of purveyance; that they -could not be sued for any ecclesiastical cause before the ordinary, -_sed coram conservatoribus suorum privilegiorum_; and that of ancient -time they claimed that a felon might take to their houses, having -their crosses for his safety, as well as to any church. And concerning -these conservers or keepers of their privileges, he remarks, that the -Templars and Hospitallers "held an ecclesiasticall court before a -canonist, whom they termed _conservator privilegiorum suorum_, which -judge had indeed more authority than was convenient, and did dayly, -in respect to the height of these two orders, and at their instance -and direction, incroach upon and hold plea of matters determinable -by the common law, for _cui plus licet quam par est, plus vult quam -licet_; and this was one great mischiefe. Another mischiefe was, -that this judge likewise at their instance, in cases wherein he had -jurisdiction, would make general citations as _pro salute animæ_, and -the like, without expressing the matter whereupon the citation was -made, which also was against law, and tended to the grievous vexation -of the subject."[47] To remedy these evils, another act of parliament -was passed, prohibiting the Templars from bringing any man in plea -before the keepers of their privileges, for any matter the knowledge -whereof belonged to the king's court, and commanding such keepers of -their privileges thenceforth to grant no citation at the instance of -the Templars, before it be expressed upon what matter the citation -ought to be made.[48] - -[Illustration: CHAPEL OF THE PRECEPTORY OF TEMPLE SWINGFIELD, DOVER.] - -The Grand Master of the Temple ranked in Europe as a sovereign prince, -and had precedence of all ambassadors and peers in the general councils -of the church. He was elected to his high office by the chapter of the -kingdom of Jerusalem, which was composed of all the knights of the East -and of the West who could manage to attend. The western nations or -provinces of the order were presided over by the provincial Masters, -otherwise Grand Priors or Grand Preceptors, who were originally -appointed by the Chief Master at Jerusalem, and were in theory mere -trustees or bare administrators of the revenues of the fraternity, -accountable to the treasurer-general at Jerusalem, and removeable at -the pleasure of the Chief Master. The superior of the Temple at London -is always styled "Master of the Temple," and holds his chapters and has -his officers corresponding to those of the Chief Master in Palestine. -The latter, consequently, came to be denominated _Magnus Magister_, or -Grand Master. The titles given indeed to the superiors of the different -nations or provinces into which the order of the Temple was divided, -are numerous and somewhat perplexing. In the East, these officers were -known only, in the first instance, by the title of Prior, as Prior -of England, Prior of France, Prior of Portugal, &c., and afterwards -Preceptor of England, Preceptor of France, &c.; but in Europe they were -called Grand Priors, and Grand Preceptors, to distinguish them from -the Sub-priors and Sub-preceptors, and also Masters of the Temple. The -Prior and Preceptor _of_ England, therefore, and the Grand Prior, Grand -Preceptor, and Master of the Temple _in_ England, were one and the same -person. There were also at the New Temple at London, in imitation -of the establishment at the chief house in Palestine, in addition to -the Master, the Preceptor of the Temple, the Prior of London, the -Treasurer, and the Guardian of the church, who had three chaplains -under him called readers. - -The Master at London had his general and particular, or his ordinary -and extraordinary chapters. The first were composed of the grand -preceptors of Scotland and Ireland, and all the provincial priors -and preceptors of the three kingdoms, who were summoned once a year -to deliberate on the state of the Holy Land, to forward succour, to -give an account of their stewardship, and to frame new rules and -regulations for the management of the temporalities.[49] The ordinary -chapters were held at the different preceptories, which the Master -of the Temple visited in succession. In these chapters new members -were admitted into the order; lands were bought, sold, and exchanged; -and presentations were made by the Master to vacant benefices. Many -of the grants and other deeds of these chapters, with the seal of -the order of the Temple annexed to them, are to be met with in the -public and private collections of manuscripts in this country. One -of the most interesting and best preserved, is the Harleian charter, -(83, c. 39,) in the British Museum, which is a grant of land made by -Brother William de la More THE MARTYR, the last Master of the Temple -in England, to the Lord Milo de Stapleton. It is expressed to be made -by him, with the common consent and advice of his chapter, held at the -Preceptory of Dynneslee, on the feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, -and concludes, "In witness whereof, we have to this present indenture -placed the seal of our chapter." A facsimile of this seal is given -at the head of the present chapter. On the reverse of it is a man's -head, decorated with a long beard, and surmounted by a small cap, and -around it are the letters TESTIS SVM AGNI. The same seal is to be met -with on various other indentures made by the Master and Chapter of -the Temple.[50] The more early seals are surrounded with the words, -Sigillum _Militis_ Templi, "Seal of the _Knight_ of the Temple;" as in -the case of the deed of exchange of lands at Normanton in the parish of -Botisford, in Leicestershire, entered into between Brother Amadeus de -Morestello, Master of the chivalry of the Temple in England, and his -chapter, of the one part, and the Lord Henry de Coleville Knight, of -the other part. The seal annexed to this deed has the addition of the -word _Militis_, but in other respects it is similar to the one above -delineated.[51] - -The Master of the Temple in England sat in parliament as first baron -of the realm, but that is to be understood among priors only. To the -parliament holden in the twenty-ninth year of King Henry the Third, -there was summoned sixty-five abbots, thirty-five priors, and the -Master of the Temple.[52] The oath taken by the grand priors, grand -preceptors, or provincial Masters in Europe, on their assumption of -the duties of their high administrative office, was drawn up in the -following terms:--"I _A. B._, Knight of the Order of the Temple, -just now appointed Master of the knights who are in ----, promise -to Jesus Christ my Saviour, and to his vicar the sovereign pontiff -and his successors, perpetual obedience and fidelity. I swear that I -will defend, not only with my lips, but by force of arms and with all -my strength, the mysteries of the faith; the seven sacraments, the -fourteen articles of the faith, the creed of the Apostles, and that -of Saint Athanasius; the books of the Old and the New Testament, with -the commentaries of the holy fathers, as received by the church; the -unity of God, the plurality of the persons of the holy Trinity; and -the doctrine that Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, of the tribe -of Judah, and of the race of David, remained always a virgin before -her delivery, during and after her delivery. I promise likewise to -be submissive and obedient to the Master-general of the order, in -conformity with the statutes prescribed by our father Saint Bernard; -that I will at all times in case of need pass the seas to go and -fight; that I will always afford succour against the infidel kings and -princes; that in the presence of three enemies I will fly not, but cope -with them, if they are infidels; that I will not sell the property of -the order, nor consent that it be sold or alienated; that I will always -preserve chastity; that I will be faithful to the king of ----; that I -will never surrender to the enemy the towns and places belonging to the -order; and that I will never refuse to the religious any succour that -I am able to afford them; that I will aid and defend them by words, by -arms, and by all sorts of good offices; and in sincerity and of my own -free will I swear that I will observe all these things."[53] - -Among the earliest of the Masters, or Grand Priors, or Grand Preceptors -of England, whose names figure in history, is Richard de Hastings, -who was at the head of the order in this country on the accession of -King Henry the Second to the throne, (A. D. 1154,) and was employed -by that monarch in various important negotiations. He was the friend -and confidant of Thomas à Becket, and vainly endeavoured to terminate -the disputes between that haughty prelate and the king.[54] Richard -de Hastings was succeeded by Richard Mallebeench, who confirmed a -treaty of peace and concord which had been entered into between his -predecessor and the abbot of Kirkested; and the next Master of the -Temple appears to have been Geoffrey son of Stephen, who received the -patriarch Heraclius as his guest at the new Temple on the occasion of -the consecration of the Temple church. He styles himself "_Minister_ of -the soldiery of the Temple in England."[55] - -In consequence of the high estimation in which the Templars were held, -and the privilege of sanctuary enjoyed by them, the Temple at London -came to be made "a storehouse of treasure." The wealth of the king, -the nobles, the bishops, and of the rich burghers of London, was -generally deposited therein, under the safeguard and protection of -the military friars. The money collected in the churches and chapels -for the succour of the Holy Land was also paid to the treasurer of -the Temple, to be forwarded to its destination: and the treasurer was -at different times authorised to receive the taxes imposed upon the -moveables of the ecclesiastics, also the large sums of money extorted -by the rapacious popes from the English clergy, and the annuities -granted by the king to the nobles of the kingdom.[56] The money and -jewels of Hubert de Burgh, earl of Kent, the chief justiciary, and at -one time governor of the king and kingdom of England, were deposited in -the Temple, and when that nobleman was disgraced and committed to the -Tower, the king attempted to lay hold of the treasure. Matthew Paris -gives the following curious account of the affair:--"It was suggested," -says he, "to the king, that Hubert had no small amount of treasure -deposited in the New Temple, under the custody of the Templars. The -king accordingly, summoning to his presence the Master of the Temple, -briefly demanded of him if it was so. He indeed, not daring to deny -the truth to the king, confessed that he had money of the said Hubert, -which had been confidentially committed to the keeping of himself and -his brethren, but of the quantity and amount thereof he was altogether -ignorant. Then the king endeavoured with threats to obtain from the -brethren the surrender to him of the aforesaid money, asserting that it -had been fraudulently subtracted from his treasury. But they answered -to the king, that money confided to them in trust they would deliver -to no man without the permission of him who had intrusted it to be -kept in the Temple. And the king, since the above-mentioned money had -been placed under their protection, ventured not to take it by force. -He sent, therefore, the treasurer of his court, with his justices of -the Exchequer, to Hubert, who had already been placed in fetters in -the Tower of London, that they might exact from him an assignment of -the entire sum to the king. But when these messengers had explained -to Hubert the object of their coming, he immediately answered that he -would submit himself and all belonging to him to the good pleasure of -his sovereign. He therefore petitioned the brethren of the chivalry -of the Temple that they would, in his behalf, present all his keys to -his lord the king, that he might do what he pleased with the things -deposited in the Temple. This being done, the king ordered all that -money, faithfully counted, to be placed in his treasury, and the amount -of all the things found to be reduced into writing and exhibited before -him. The king's clerks, indeed, and the treasurer acting with them, -found deposited in the Temple gold and silver vases of inestimable -price, and money and many precious gems, an enumeration whereof would -in truth astonish the hearers."[57] - -The kings of England frequently resided in the Temple, and so also did -the haughty legates of the Roman pontiffs, who there made contributions -in the name of the pope upon the English bishoprics. Matthew Paris -gives a lively account of the exactions of the nuncio Martin, who -resided for many years at the Temple, and came there armed by the pope -with powers such as no legate had ever before possessed. "He made," -says he, "whilst residing at London in the New Temple, unheard of -extortions of money and valuables. He imperiously intimated to the -abbots and priors that they must send him rich presents, desirable -palfreys, sumptuous services for the table, and rich clothing; which -being done, that same Martin sent back word that the things sent were -insufficient, and he commanded the givers thereof to forward him -better things, on pain of suspension and excommunication."[58] - -The convocations of the clergy and the great ecclesiastical councils -were frequently held at the Temple, and laws were there made by the -bishops and abbots for the government of the church and monasteries in -England.[59] - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - The patriarch Heraclius quarrels with the king of England--He - returns to Palestine without succour--The disappointment and gloomy - forebodings of the Templars--They prepare to resist Saladin--Their - defeat and slaughter--The valiant deeds of the Marshal of the - Temple--The fatal battle of Tiberias--The captivity of the Grand - Master and the true cross--The captive Templars are offered the - Koran or death--They choose the latter, and are beheaded--The fall - of Jerusalem--The Moslems take possession of the Temple--They - purify it with rose-water, say prayers, and hear a sermon--The - Templars retire to Antioch--Their letters to the king of England - and the Master of the Temple at London--Their exploits at the siege - of Acre. - - "The foes of the Lord break into his holy city, even into that - glorious tomb where the virgin blossom of Mary was wrapt up in - linen and spices, and where the first and greatest flower on earth - rose up again."--_S. Bernardi_, epist. cccxxii. - - -The Grand Master, Arnold de Torroge, who died on his journey to -England, as before mentioned, was succeeded by Brother Gerard de -Riderfort.[60] - -On the 10th of the calends of April, a month after the consecration -by the patriarch Heraclius of the Temple church, the grand council or -parliament of England, composed of the bishops, earls, and barons, -assembled in the house of the Hospitallers at Clerkenwell in London. -It was attended by William king of Scotland and David his brother, -and many of the counts and barons of that distant land. The august -assembly was acquainted, in the king's name, with the object of the -solemn embassy just sent to him from Jerusalem, and with the desire -of the royal penitent to fulfil his vow and perform his penance; but -the barons were at the same time reminded of the old age of their -sovereign, of the bad state of his health, and of the necessity for -his presence in England. They accordingly represented to King Henry -that the solemn oath taken by him on his coronation was an obligation -antecedent to the penance imposed on him by the pope; that by that oath -he was bound to stay at home and govern his dominions, and that, in -their opinion, it was more wholesome for the king's soul to defend his -own country against the barbarous French, than to desert it for the -purpose of protecting the distant kingdom of Jerusalem.[61] - -Fabian, in his chronicle, gives the following quaint account of the -king's answer to the patriarch, taken from the Chron. Joan Bromton: -"Lasteley the kynge gaue answere, and sayde that he myghte not leue hys -lande wythoute kepynge, nor yet leue yt to the praye and robbery of -Frenchemen. But he wolde gyue largely of hys own to such as wolde take -upon theym that vyge. Wyth thys answere the patryarke was dyscontente, -and sayde, 'We seke a man, and not money; welnere euery crysten regyon -sendyth unto us money, but no land sendyth to us a prince. Therefore -we aske a prynce that nedeth money, and not money that nedeth a -prynce.' But the kynge layde for hym suche excuses, that the patryarke -departed from hym dyscontentyd and comforteless, whereof the kynge -beynge aduertysed, entendynge somwhat to recomforte hym with pleasaunte -words, folowed hym to the see syde. But the more the kynge thought -to satysfye hym with hys fayre speche, the more the patryarke was -dyscontentyd, in so myche that at the last he sayde unto hym, 'Hytherto -thou haste reygned gloryously, but here after thou shalt be forsaken -of hym whom thou at thys tyme forsakeste. Thynke on hym what he hath -gyuen to thee, and what thou haste yelden to him agayne: howe fyrste -thou were false unto the kynge of Fraunce, and after slewe that holy -man Thomas of Caunterburye, and lastely thou forsakeste the proteccyon -of Crystes faith.' The kynge was amoued wyth these wordes, and sayde -unto the patryarke, 'Though all the men of my lande were one bodye, and -spake with one mouth, they durste not speke to me such wordys.' 'No -wonder,' sayde the patryarke, 'for they loue thyne and not the; that -ys to meane, they loue thy goodes temporall, and fere the for losse of -promocyon, but they loue not thy soule.' And when he hadde so sayde, -he offeryd hys hedde to the kynge, sayenge, 'Do by me ryghte as thou -dyddest by that blessed man Thomas of Caunterburye, for I had leur to -be slayne of the, then of the Sarasyns, for thou art worse than any -Sarasyn.' But the kynge kepte hys paycence, and sayde, 'I may not wende -oute of my lande, for myne own sonnes wyll aryse agayne me whan I were -absente.' 'No wonder,' sayde the patryarke, 'for of the deuyll they -come, and to the deuyll they shall go,' and so departyd from the kynge -in great ire."[62] - -According to Roger de Hoveden, however, the patriarch, on the 17th -of the calends of May, accompanied King Henry into Normandy, where -a conference was held between the sovereigns of France and England -concerning the proposed succour to the Holy Land. Both monarchs were -liberal in promises and fair speeches; but as nothing short of the -presence of the king of England, or of one of his sons, in Palestine, -would satisfy the patriarch, that haughty ecclesiastic failed in his -negotiations and returned in disgust and disappointment to the Holy -Land. On his arrival at Jerusalem with intelligence of his ill success -the greatest consternation prevailed amongst the Latin Christians: and -it was generally observed that the true cross, which had been recovered -from the Persians by the Emperor Heraclius, was about to be lost under -the pontificate, and by the fault of a patriarch of the same name. A -cotemporary writer of Palestine tells us that the patriarch was a very -handsome person, and, in consequence of his beauty, the mother of the -king of Jerusalem fell in love with him, and made him archbishop of -Cæsarea. He then describes how he came to be made patriarch, and how -he was suspected to have poisoned the archbishop of Tyre. After his -return from Rome he fell in love with the wife of a haberdasher who -lived at Naplous, twelve miles from Jerusalem. He went to see her very -often, and, not long after the acquaintanceship commenced, the husband -died. Then the patriarch brought the lady to Jerusalem, clothed her in -rich apparel, bought her a house, and furnished her with an elegant -retinue.[63] - -Baldwin the fourth, who was the reigning sovereign of the Latin -kingdom at the period of the departure of the patriarch Heraclius -and the Grand Master of the Temple for Europe, was afflicted with a -frightful leprosy, which rendered it unlawful for him to marry, and -he was consequently deprived of all hope of having an heir of his -body to inherit the crown. Sensible of the dangers and inconvenience -of a female succession, he selected William V. marquis of Montferrat, -surnamed "Long-sword," as a husband for his eldest sister Sibylla. -Shortly after his marriage the marquis of Montferrat died, leaving -by Sibylla an infant son named Baldwin. Sibylla's second husband was -Guy de Lusignan, a nobleman of a handsome person, and descended of an -ancient family of Poitou in France. Her choice was at first approved of -by the king, who received his new brother-in-law with favour, loaded -him with honours, and made him regent of the kingdom. Subsequently, -through the intrigues of the count of Tripoli, the king was induced to -deprive Guy de Lusignan of the regency, and to set aside the claims -of Sibylla to the throne, in favour of her son the young Baldwin, who -was then about five years of age. He gave orders for the coronation of -the young prince, and resigned his authority to the count of Tripoli, -who was appointed regent of the kingdom during the minority of the -sovereign, whilst all the fortresses and castles of the land were -committed to the safe keeping of the Templars and Hospitallers. The -youthful Baldwin was carried with vast pomp to the great church of the -Holy Sepulchre, and was there anointed and crowned by the patriarch -in the presence of the Grand Masters of the Temple and the Hospital. -According to ancient custom he was taken, wearing his crown, to the -Temple of the Lord, to make certain offerings, after which he went to -the Temple of Solomon, where the Templars resided, and was entertained -at dinner, together with his barons, by the Grand Master of the Temple -and the military friars. Shortly after the coronation (A. D. 1186) -the ex-king, Baldwin IV., died at Jerusalem, and was buried in the -church of the Resurrection, by the side of Godfrey de Bouillon, and the -other Christian kings. His death was followed, in the short space of -seven months, by that of the infant sovereign Baldwin V., and Sibylla -thus became the undoubted heiress to the throne. The count of Tripoli -refused, however, to surrender the regency, accusing Sibylla of the -horrible and improbable crime of poisoning her own child. But Gerard -de Riderfort, the Grand Master of the Temple, invited her to repair to -Jerusalem, and gave orders for the coronation. He sent letters, in the -queen's name, to the count of Tripoli and the rebellious barons who -had assembled with their followers in arms at Naplous, (the ancient -Shechem,) requiring them to attend at the appointed time to do homage, -and take the oath of allegiance, but the barons sent back word that -they intended to remain where they were; and they despatched two -Cistercian abbots to the Grand Master of the Temple, and the patriarch -Heraclius, exhorting them for the love of God and his holy apostles -to refrain from crowning Isabella countess of Jaffa, as long as she -remained the wife of Guy de Lusignan. They represented that the latter -had already manifested his utter incapacity for command, both in the -field and in the cabinet; that the kingdom of Jerusalem required an -able general for its sovereign; and they insisted that Sibylla should -be immediately divorced from Guy de Lusignan, and should choose a -husband better fitted to protect the country and undertake the conduct -of the government. - -As soon as this message had been received, the Grand Master of the -Temple directed the Templars to take possession of all the gates of -the city of Jerusalem, and issued strict orders that no person should -be allowed to enter or withdraw from the Holy City without an express -permission from himself. Sibylla and Guy de Lusignan were then taken, -guarded by the Templars, to the great church of the Resurrection, where -the patriarch Heraclius and all his clergy were in readiness to receive -them. The crowns of the Latin kingdom were kept in a large chest in the -treasury, fastened with two locks. The Grand Master of the Temple kept -the key of one of these locks, and the Grand Master of the Hospital -had the other. On their arrival at the church, the key of the Grand -Master of the Temple was produced, but the key of the Grand Master of -the Hospital was not forthcoming, nor could that illustrious chieftain -himself anywhere be found. Gerard de Riderfort and Heraclius at last -went in person to the Hospital, and after much hunting about they found -the Grand Master, and immediately demanded the key in the queen's name. - -The powerful Superior of the Hospitallers at first refused to produce -it, but being pressed by many arguments and entreaties, he at last -took out the key and flung it upon the ground, whereupon the patriarch -picked it up, and proceeding to the treasury, speedily produced the -two crowns, one of which he placed upon the high altar of the church -of the Resurrection, and the other by the side of the chair upon -which the countess of Jaffa was seated. Heraclius then performed the -solemn ceremony of the coronation, and when he had placed the crown -on the queen's head, he reminded her that she was a frail and feeble -woman, but ill fitted to contend with the toil and strife in which -the beleaguered kingdom of Palestine was continually involved, and he -therefore exhorted her to make choice of some person to govern the -kingdom in conjunction with herself; whereupon her majesty, taking -up the crown which had been placed by her side, and calling for her -husband, Guy de Lusignan, thus addressed him:--"Those whom God hath -joined, let no man put asunder. Sire, receive this crown, for I know -none more worthy of it than yourself." And immediately Guy de Lusignan -was crowned king of Jerusalem, and received the blessing of the -patriarch. - -Great was the indignation of the count of Tripoli and the barons, when -they received intelligence of these events. They raised the standard -of revolt, and proclaimed the princess Isabella, the younger sister -of Sibylla, who had been married, at the early period of eight years, -to Humphrey de Thoron, queen of Jerusalem. As soon as Humphrey de -Thoron heard of the proceedings of the count of Tripoli and the barons, -he hurried with the princess to Jerusalem, and the two, throwing -themselves at the feet of the king and queen, respectfully tendered -to them their allegiance. This loyal and decisive conduct struck -terror and dismay into the hearts of the conspirators, most of whom -now proceeded to Jerusalem to do homage; whilst the count of Tripoli, -deserted by his adherents, retired to the strong citadel of Tiberias, -of which place he was the feudal lord, and there remained, proudly -defying the royal power.[64] - -The king at first sought to avail himself of the assistance of the -Templars against his rebellious vassal, and exhorted them to besiege -Tiberias; but they refused, as it was contrary to their oaths, and -the spirit of their institution, for them to undertake an aggressive -warfare against any christian prince. The king then gave orders for the -concentration of an army at Nazareth; the count of Tripoli prepared to -defend Tiberias, and it appears unquestionable that he sent to Saladin -for assistance, and entered into a defensive and independent alliance -with that monarch. The citadel of Tiberias was a place of great -strength, the military power of the count was very considerable, and -the friends of the king, foreseeing that the infidels would not fail to -take advantage of a civil war, earnestly besought his majesty to offer -terms of reconciliation to his powerful vassal. It was accordingly -agreed that the Grand Masters of the Temple and the Hospital should -proceed with the archbishop of Tyre, the Lord Balian d'Ibelin, and -the Lord Reginald of Sidon, to Tiberias, and attempt to bring back -the count to his allegiance. These illustrious personages set out -from Jerusalem, and slept the first night at Naplous, of which town -Balian d'Ibelin was the feudal lord, and the next day they journeyed -on towards Nazareth. As they drew near that place, the Grand Master of -the Temple proceeded to pass the night at a neighbouring fortress of -the Knights Templars, called "the castle of La Feue," and was eating -his supper with the brethren in the refectory of the convent, when -intelligence was brought to him that a strong corps of the Mussulman -cavalry, under the command of Malek al Afdal, one of Saladin's sons, -had crossed the Jordan at sunrise, and was marching through the -territories of the count of Tripoli. - -The chronicle of the Holy Land, written by Radolph, abbot of the -monastery of Coggleshale in Essex, forms the most important and -trustworthy account now in existence of the conquest of Jerusalem by -Saladin, for the writer was, as he tells us, an eye-witness of all -the remarkable events he relates. Radolph was an English monk of the -Cistercian order, and a man of vast learning and erudition. He went on -a pilgrimage to Palestine, and was there on the breaking out of the war -which immediately preceded the loss of the Holy City. He was present -at the siege of Jerusalem, and was wounded by an arrow, "which," says -the worthy abbot, "pierced through the nose of the relator of these -circumstances; the wood was withdrawn, but a part of the iron barb -remains to this day." His chronicle was published in 1729, by the -fathers Martene and Durand, in their valuable collection of ancient -chronicles and manuscripts. It commences in the year 1187, and finishes -in 1191. - -As soon as the Grand Master of the Temple heard that the infidels had -crossed the Jordan and were ravaging the christian territories, he -sent messengers to a castle of the Templars called "The Convent of -Caco," situate four miles distant from La Feue, commanding all the -knights that could be spared from the garrison at that place to mount -and come to him with speed. The knights had retired to rest when the -messengers arrived, but they arose from their beds, and at midnight -they were encamped with their horses around the walls of the castle of -La Feue. The next morning, as soon as it was light, the Grand Master, -at the head of ninety of his knights, rode over to Nazareth, and was -joined at that place by the Grand Master of the Hospital and forty -knights of the garrison of Nazareth. The Templars and Hospitallers -were accompanied by four hundred of their foot soldiers, and the -whole force, under the command of the two Grand Masters, amounted to -about six hundred men. With this small but valiant band, they set out -in quest of the infidels, and had proceeded about seven miles from -Nazareth in the direction of the Jordan, when they came suddenly upon a -strong column of Mussulman cavalry amounting to several thousand men, -who were watering their horses at the brook Kishon. Without waiting -to count the number of their enemies, the Templars raised their war -cry, unfolded the blood-red banner, and dashed into the midst of the -astonished and terrified Mussulmen, dealing around them, to use the -words of Abbot Coggleshale, "death and damnation." The infidels, taken -by surprise, were at first thrown into confusion, discomfited, and -slaughtered; but when the smallness of the force opposed to them became -apparent, they closed in upon the Templars, overwhelmed them with -darts and missiles, and speedily thinned their ranks with a terrific -slaughter. An eye-witness tells us that the military friars were to be -seen bathed with blood and sweat; trembling with fatigue; with their -horses killed under them, and with their swords and lances broken, -closing with the Mussulman warriors, and rolling headlong with them in -the dust. Some tore the darts with which they had been transfixed from -their bodies, and hurled them back with a convulsive effort upon the -enemy; and others, having lost all their weapons in the affray, clung -around the necks of their opponents, dragged them from their horses, -and endeavoured to strangle them under the feet of the combatants. -Jacqueline de Mailly, Marshal of the Temple, performed prodigies of -valour. He was mounted on a white horse, and clothed in the white habit -of his order, with the blood-red cross, the symbol of martyrdom, on -his breast; he became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, an -object of admiration, even to the Moslems. Radolph compares the fury -and the anger of this warlike monk, as he looked around him upon his -slaughtered brethren, to the wrath of the lioness who has lost her -whelps; and his position and demeanour in the midst of the throng of -infidels, he likens to that of the wild boar when surrounded by dogs -whom he is tearing with his tusks. Every blow of this furious man, says -the worthy abbot, "despatched an infidel to hell;" but with all his -valour Jacqueline de Mailly was slain. - -In this bloody battle perished the Grand Master of the Hospital and -all the Templars excepting the Grand Master, Gerard de Riderford, and -two of his knights, who broke through the dense ranks of the Moslems, -and made their escape to Nazareth. The Mussulmen severed the heads of -the slaughtered Templars from their bodies, and attaching them with -cords to the points of their lances, they marched off in the direction -of Tiberias. This disastrous engagement was fought on Friday, the 1st -of May, the feast of St. James and St. Philip. "In that beautiful -season of the year," says Abbot Coggleshale, "when the inhabitants of -Nazareth were wont to seek the rose and the violet in the fields, they -found only the sad traces of carnage, and the lifeless bodies of their -slaughtered brethren. With mourning and great lamentation they carried -them into the burial-ground of the blessed Virgin Mary at Nazareth, -crying aloud, 'Daughters of Galilee, put on your mourning clothes, and -ye daughters of Zion, bewail the misfortunes that threaten the kings of -Judah.'" - -Whilst this bloody battle was being fought, the Lord Balian d'Ibelin -was journeying with another party of Templars from Naplous to join the -Grand Master at Nazareth, and the following interesting account is -given of their march towards that place. "When they had travelled two -miles, they came to the city of Sebaste. It was a lovely morning, and -they determined to march no further until they had heard mass. They -accordingly turned towards the house of the bishop and awoke him up, -and informed him that the day was breaking. The bishop accordingly -ordered an old chaplain to put on his clothes and say mass, after which -they hastened forwards. Then they came to the castle of La Feue, (a -fortress of the Templars,) and there they found, outside the castle, -the tents of the convent of Caco pitched, and there was no one to -explain what it meant. A varlet was sent into the castle to inquire, -but he found no one within but two sick people who were unable to -speak. Then they marched towards Nazareth, and after they had proceeded -a short distance from the castle of La Feue, they met a brother of the -Temple on horseback, who galloped up to them at a furious rate, calling -out, 'Bad news, bad news;' and he informed them how that the Master of -the Hospital had had his head cut off, and how of all the brothers of -the Temple there had escaped but three, the Master of the Temple and -two others, and that the knights whom the king had placed in garrison -at Nazareth, were all taken and killed." "If Balian d'Ibelin," says -the chronicler, "had marched straight to Nazareth, with his knights, -instead of halting to hear mass at Sebaste, he would have been in time -to have saved his brethren from slaughter." As it was, he arrived just -in time to hear the funeral service read over their dead bodies by -William, archbishop of Tyre.[65] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, who was at Nazareth, suffering severely -from his wounds, hastened to collect together a small force at that -place to open the communications with Tiberias, which being done, the -Lord Balian d'Ibelin and the archbishop of Tyre proceeded to that place -to have their interview with the count of Tripoli. The Grand Master -accompanied them as far as the hill above the citadel, but not liking -to trust himself into the power of the count, he then retraced his -steps to Nazareth. Both the Moslem and the Christian writers agree in -asserting that the count of Tripoli had at this period entered into -an alliance with Saladin; nevertheless, either smitten with remorse -for his past conduct, or moved by the generous overtures of the king, -he consented to do homage and become reconciled to his sovereign, and -for this purpose immediately set out from Tiberias for Jerusalem. The -interview and reconciliation between the king and the count took place -at Joseph's well, near Naplous, in the presence of the Templars and -Hospitallers, and the bishops and barons. The count knelt upon one knee -and did homage, whereupon the king raised him up and kissed him, and -they then both returned together to Naplous to take measures for the -protection of the country. - -Saladin, on the other hand, was concentrating together a large -army and rapidly maturing his plans for the reconquest of the -Holy City--the long-cherished enterprise of the Mussulmen. Whilst -discord and dissensions had been gradually undermining the strength -of the Christian empire, Saladin had been carefully extending and -consolidating his power. He had reduced the various independent -chieftains of the north of Syria to submission to his throne and -government; he had conquered the cities of Mecca and Medina, and the -whole of Arabia Felix; and his vast empire now extended from Tripoli, -in Africa, to the Tigris, and from the Indian Ocean to the mountains -of Armenia. The Arabian writers enthusiastically recount his pious -exhortations to the true believers to arm in defence of Islam, and -describe with vast enthusiasm his glorious preparations for the holy -war. Bohadin, son of Sjeddadi, his friend and secretary, and great -biographer, before venturing upon the sublime task of describing his -famous and sacred actions, makes a solemn confession of faith, and -offers up praises to the one true God. "Praise be to GOD," says he, -"who hath blessed us with _Islam_, and hath led us to the understanding -of the true faith beautifully put together, and hath befriended us; -and, through the intercession of our prophet, hath loaded us with every -blessing. I bear witness that there is no God but that one GREAT GOD -who hath _no partner_, (a testimony that will deliver our souls from -the smoky fire of hell,) that MOHAMMED is his _servant_ and _apostle_, -who hath opened unto us the gates of the right road to salvation. These -solemn duties being performed, I will begin to write concerning the -victorious DEFENDER _of the_ FAITH, the tamer of the followers of the -cross, the lifter up of the standard of justice and equity, the saviour -of the world and of religion, Saladin Aboolmodaffer Joseph, the son of -Job, the son of Schadi, Sultan of the Moslems, ay, and of Islam itself; -the deliverer of the holy house of God (the Temple) from the hands of -the idolaters, the servant of two holy cities, whose tomb may the Lord -moisten with the dew of his favour, affording to him the sweetness of -the fruits of the faith."[66] - -Crowds of Mussulmen from all parts of Asia crowded round the standard -of Saladin, and the caliph of Bagdad and all the imauns put up daily -prayers for the success of his arms. After protecting the return of the -caravan from Mecca, Saladin marched to Ashtara, probably the Ashtaroth -Karnain of scripture, belonging to the tribe of Manasseh, not far from -Damascus. He was there met by his son, _Al Malek al Afdal_, "Most -excellent Prince," and _Moh-hafferoddin ibn Zinoddin_, with the army -under their command. Being afterwards joined by the forces of _Al -Mawsel_, commanded by _Màsûd al Zaf'arâni_, _Maredin_, and _Hamah_, he -reviewed his army, first on the hill called Tel Taisel, and afterwards -at Ashtara, the place of general rendezvous. Whilst completing his -preparations at this place, Saladin received intelligence of the -reconciliation of the count of Tripoli with the king of Jerusalem, and -he determined instantly to lay siege to Tiberias. For this purpose, -on Friday the 17th of the month Rabi, he advanced in three divisions -upon Al Soheira, a village situate at the northern end of the Lake of -Tiberias, where he encamped for the night. The next day he marched -round to the western shore of the lake, and proceeded towards Tiberias -in battle array. On the 21st Rabi, he took the town by storm, put all -who resisted to the sword, and made slaves of the survivors. The place -was then set on fire and reduced to ashes. The countess of Tripoli -retired with the garrison into the citadel, and from thence she -sent messengers to her husband and the king of Jerusalem, earnestly -imploring instant succour. - -The king had pitched his tents at Sepphoris, and all the chivalry of -the Latin kingdom were hastening to join his standard and make a last -effort in defence of the tottering kingdom of Jerusalem. The Templars -and Hospitallers collected together a strong force from their different -castles and fortresses,[67] and came into the camp with the holy cross -which had been brought from the church of the Resurrection, to be -placed in the front of the christian array. The count of Tripoli joined -them with the men of Tripoli and Galilee. Prince Reginald of Mount -Royal, made his appearance at the head of a body of light cavalry. -The Lord Balian of Naplous came in with all his armed retainers, and -Reginald, Lord of Sidon, marched into the camp with the men from the -sea coast. - -The Grand Master of the Temple had brought with him the treasure which -had been sent to the Templars by the king of England, to be employed -in the defence of the Holy Land, in expiation of the murder of St. -Thomas à Becket, and it was found very acceptable in the exhausted -condition of the Latin treasury. Whilst the christian forces were -assembling at Sepphoris, Saladin sent forward a strong corps of -cavalry, which ravaged and laid waste all the country around the -brook Kishon, from Tiberias to Bethoron, and from the mountains of -Gilboa and Jezreel to Nazareth. From all the eminences nought was to -be seen but the smoking ruins of the villages, hamlets, and scattered -dwellings of the christian population. The whole country, before the -very noses of the warriors of the cross, was enveloped in flame and -smoke, and the christian camp was filled with fugitives who had fled -with terror before the merciless swords of the Moslems. To complete -the misfortunes of the Latins, the king was irresolute and continually -giving contradictory commands, and the christian chieftains, having -lost all confidence in their leader, and despairing of being able to -contend with success against the vast power of Saladin, seemed to be -preparing for a retreat to the sea coast, rather than for a desperate -struggle with the infidels for the preservation of Jerusalem. Upon -this ground only can be explained the long delay of the christian army -at Sepphoris. This place, the ancient capital of Galilee, is situate -between Nazareth and Acre, and an army could at any time secure an easy -and safe retreat from it to the port of the last-named city. Here, -then, the Christians remained, quietly permitting Saladin to occupy a -strong position from whence he could pour his vast masses of cavalry -into the great plain of Esdraelon, and open for himself a direct road -to the Holy City, either through the valley of the Jordan, or through -the great plain along the bases of the mountains of Gilboa. - -When the messengers from the countess of Tripoli arrived in the -christian camp, with intelligence that Saladin had burnt and stormed -the town of Tiberias, and that the countess had retired into the -citadel, the king called a council of war. This council assembled in -the royal tent, on the evening of the 2nd of July, A. D. 1187, and -there were present at it, Gerard de Riderfort, the Grand Master of the -Temple, the newly-elected Grand Master of the Hospital, the archbishop -of Tyre, the count of Tripoli, Balian d'Ibelin, lord of Naplous, and -nearly all the bishops and barons of Palestine. The count of Tripoli, -although his capital was in flames, his territories spoiled by the -enemy, and his countess closely besieged, advised the king to remain -inactive where he was; but the Grand Master of the Temple, hearing -this advice, rose up in the midst of the assembly, and stigmatized the -count as a traitor, urging the king instantly to march to the relief -of Tiberias. The barons, however, sided with the count of Tripoli, -and it was determined that the army should remain at Sepphoris. The -council broke up; each man retired to his tent, and the king went to -supper. But the Grand Master of the Temple, agitated by a thousand -conflicting emotions, could not rest. At midnight he arose and sought -the presence of the king. He reproached him for remaining in a state of -inaction at Sepphoris, whilst the enemy was ravaging and laying waste -all the surrounding country, and reducing the Christian population to -a state of hopeless bondage. "It will be an everlasting reproach to -you, sire," said he, "if you quietly permit the infidels to take before -your face an important christian citadel, which you ought to feel it -your first duty to defend. Know that the Templars will sooner tear the -white mantle from their shoulders, and sell all that they possess, than -remain any longer quiet spectators of the injury and disgrace that have -been brought upon the christian arms." - -Moved by the discourse of the Grand Master, the king consented to -march to the relief of Tiberias, and at morning's dawn the tents of -the Templars were struck, and the trumpets of the order sounded the -advance. In vain did the count of Tripoli and the barons oppose this -movement, the king and the Templars were resolute, and the host of -the cross soon covered, in full array, the winding road leading to -Tiberias. The count of Tripoli insisted upon leading the van of the -army, as the christian forces were marching through his territories, -and the Templars consequently brought up the rear. The patriarch -Heraclius, whose duty it was to bear the holy cross in front of the -christian array, had remained at Jerusalem, and had confided his sacred -charge to the bishops of Acre and Lidda, a circumstance which gave rise -to many gloomy forebodings amongst the superstitious soldiers of Christ. - -As soon as Saladin heard of the advance of the christian army, he -turned the siege of the citadel of Tiberias into a blockade, called -in his detachments of cavalry, and hastened to occupy all the passes -and defiles of the mountains leading to Tiberias. The march of the -infidel host, which amounted to 80,000 horse and foot, over the hilly -country, is compared by an Arabian writer, an eye-witness, to mountains -in movement, or to the vast waves of an agitated sea. Saladin encamped -on the hills beyond Tiberias, resting his left wing upon the lake, -and planting his cavalry in the valleys. When the Latin forces had -arrived within three miles of Tiberias, they came in sight of the -Mussulman army, and were immediately assailed by the light cavalry -of the Arabs. During the afternoon of that day a bloody battle was -fought. The Christians attempted, but in vain, to penetrate the defiles -of the mountains; and when the evening came they found that they had -merely been able to hold their ground without advancing a single step. -Instead of fighting his way, at all hazards, to the lake of Tiberias, -or falling back upon some position where he could have secured a supply -of water, the king, following the advice of the count of Tripoli, -committed the fatal mistake of ordering the tents to be pitched. "When -the Saracens saw that the Christians had pitched their tents," says the -chronicler, "they came and encamped so close to them that the soldiers -of the two armies could converse together, and not even a cat could -escape from the Christian lines without the knowledge of the Saracens." -It was a sultry summer's night, the army of the cross was hemmed in -amongst dry and barren rocks, and both the men and horses, after their -harassing and fatiguing march, threw themselves on the parched ground, -sighing in vain for water. During the livelong night, not a drop of -that precious element touched their lips, and the soldiers arose -exhausted and unrefreshed, for the toil, and labour, and fierce warfare -of the ensuing day. - -At sunrise the Templars formed in battle array in the van of the -Christian army, and prepared to open a road through the dense ranks of -the infidels to the lake of Tiberias. An Arabian writer, who witnessed -the movement of their dense and compact columns at early dawn, speaks -of them as "terrible in arms, having their whole bodies cased with -triple mail." He compares the noise made by their advancing squadrons -to the _loud humming of bees!_ and describes them as animated with -"a flaming desire of vengeance."[68] Saladin had behind him the lake -of Tiberias, his infantry was in the centre, and the swift cavalry -of the desert was stationed on either wing, under the command of -_Faki-ed-deen_ (teacher of religion). The Templars rushed, we are told, -like lions upon the Moslem infidels, and nothing could withstand their -heavy and impetuous charge. "Never," says an Arabian doctor of the law, -"have I seen bolder or more powerful soldiers; none more to be feared -by the believers in the true faith." Saladin set fire to the dry grass -and dwarf shrubs which lay between both armies, and the wind blew the -smoke and the flames directly into the faces of the military friars -and their horses. The fire, the noise, the gleaming weapons, and all -the accompaniments of the horrid scene, have given full scope to the -descriptive powers of the oriental writers. They compare it to the last -judgment; the dust and the smoke obscured the face of the sun, and -the day was turned into night. Sometimes gleams of light darted like -the rapid lightning amid the throng of combatants; then you might see -the dense columns of armed warriors, now immoveable as mountains, and -now sweeping swiftly across the landscape like the rainy clouds over -the face of heaven. "The sons of paradise and the children of fire," -say they, "then decided their terrible quarrel; the arrows rustled -through the air like the wings of innumerable sparrows, the sparks flew -from the coats of mail and the glancing sabres, and the blood spurting -forth from the bosom of the throng deluged the earth like the rains of -heaven."... "The avenging sword of the true believers was drawn forth -against the infidels; the faith of the UNITY was opposed to the faith -of the TRINITY, and speedy ruin, desolation, and destruction, overtook -the miserable sons of baptism!" - -The lake of Tiberias was two miles distant from the Templars, and ever -and anon its blue and placid waters were to be seen calmly reposing -in the bright sun-beams, or winding gracefully amid the bosom of the -distant mountains; but every inch of the road was fiercely contested; -the expert archers of the Mussulmen lined all the eminences, and the -thirsty soil was drenched with the blood of the best and bravest of the -christian warriors. After almost superhuman exertions, the Templars -and Hospitallers halted, and sent to the king for succour. At this -critical juncture the count of Tripoli, who had always insisted on -being in the van, and whose conduct, from first to last, had been most -suspicious, dashed with a few followers through a party of Mussulmen, -who opened their ranks to let him pass, and fled in safety to Tyre. -The flight of this distinguished nobleman gave rise to a sudden panic, -and the troops that were advancing to the support of the Templars were -driven in one confused mass upon the main body. The military friars, -who rarely turned their backs upon the enemy, maintained, alone and -unaided, a short, sharp, and bloody conflict, which ended in the death -or captivity of every one of them excepting the Grand Master of the -Hospital, who clove his way from the field of battle, and reached -Ascalon in safety, but died of his wounds the day after his arrival. - -The Christian soldiers now gave themselves up to despair; the infantry, -which was composed principally of the native population of Palestine, -men taken from the plough and the pruning-hook, crowded together in -disorder and confusion, around the bishops and the holy cross. They -were so wedged together that they were unable to act against the enemy, -and they refused to obey their leaders. Brother Terric, Grand Preceptor -of the Temple, who had been attached to the person of the king, the -Lord Reginald of Sidon, Balian d'Ibelin, lord of Naplous, and many of -the lesser barons and knights, collected their followers together, -rushed over the rocks, down the mountain sides, pierced through the -enemies' squadrons, and leaving the infantry to their fate, made their -escape to the sea coast. The Arab cavalry dashed on, and surrounding, -with terrific cries, the trembling and unresisting foot soldiers, they -mowed them down with a frightful carnage. - -In vain did the bishops of Ptolemais and Lidda, who supported with -difficulty the Holy Cross in the midst of the disordered throng, -attempt to infuse into the base-born peasantry some of that daring -valour and fiery-religious enthusiasm which glowed so fiercely in the -breasts of the Moslems. The Christian fugitives were crowded together -like a flock of sheep when attacked by dogs, and their bitter cries -for mercy ever and anon rent the air, between the loud shouts of ALLAH -_acbar_--"GOD is victorious." The Moslem chieftains pressed into the -heart of the throng, and cleft their way towards the Holy Cross; the -bishop of Ptolemais was slain, the bishop of Lidda was made captive, -and the cross itself fell into the hands of the infidels. The king of -Jerusalem, the Grand Master of the Temple, the Marquis of Montferrat, -the Lord Reginald de Chatillon, and many other nobles and knights, -were at the same time taken prisoners and led away into captivity. -"Alas, alas," says Abbot Coggleshale, "that I should have lived to -have seen in my time these awful and terrible calamities." When the -sun had sunk to rest, and darkness had put an end to the slaughter, -a crowd of Christian fugitives, who survived the long and frightful -carnage, attempted to gain the summit of Mount Hittin, in the vain hope -of escaping from the field of blood, under cover of the obscurity of -the night. But every pass and avenue were strictly watched, and when -morning came they were found cowering on the elevated summit of the -mountain. They were maddened with thirst and exhausted with watching, -but despair gave them some energy; they availed themselves with success -of the strength of their position, and in the first onslaught the -Moslems were repulsed. The sloping sides of Mount Hittin were covered -with dry grass and thistles, which had been scorched and killed by the -hot summer's sun, and the Moslems again resorted to the expedient of -setting fire to the parched vegetation. The heat of a July sun, added -to that of the raging flames, soon told with fearful effect upon the -weakened frames of the poor Christian warriors, who were absolutely -dying with thirst; some threw away their arms and cast themselves -upon the ground; some cried for mercy, and others calmly awaited the -approach of death. - -The Moslem appetite for blood had at this time been slaked; feelings -of compassion for the misfortunes of the fallen had arisen in their -breasts, and as resistance had now ceased in every quarter of the -field, the lives of the fugitives on Mount Hittin were mercifully -spared. Thus ended the memorable battle of Tiberias, which commenced on -the afternoon of the 3rd of July, and ended oh the morning of Saturday, -the 5th. The multitude of captives taken by the Moslems was enormous; -cords could not be found to bind them, the tent ropes were all used -for the purpose, but were insufficient, and the Arabian writers tell -us, that on seeing the dead, one would have thought that there could -have been no prisoners, and on seeing the prisoners, that there could -be no dead. "I saw," says the secretary and companion of Saladin, who -was present at this terrible fight, and is unable to restrain himself -from pitying the disasters of the vanquished--"I saw the mountains and -the plains, the hills and the valleys, covered with their dead. I saw -their fallen and deserted banners sullied with dust and with blood. I -saw their heads broken and battered, their limbs scattered abroad, and -the blackened corpses piled one upon another like the stones of the -builders. I called to mind the words of the Koran, 'The infidel shall -say, What am I but _dust_?'... I saw thirty or forty tied together by -one cord. I saw in one place, guarded by one Mussulman, two hundred of -these famous warriors gifted with amazing strength, who had but just -now walked forth amongst the mighty: their proud bearing was gone: they -stood naked with downcast eyes, wretched and miserable.... The lying -infidels were now in the power of the true believers. Their king and -their cross were captured, that cross before which they bow the head -and bend the knee; which they bear aloft and worship with their eyes; -they say that it is the identical wood to which the God whom they -adore was fastened. They had adorned it with fine gold and brilliant -stones; they carried it before their armies; they all bowed towards it -with respect. It was their first duty to defend it; and he who should -desert it would never enjoy peace of mind. The capture of this cross -was more grievous to them than the captivity of their king. Nothing can -compensate them for the loss of it. It was their God; they prostrated -themselves in the dust before it, and sang hymns when it was raised -aloft!" - -As soon as all fighting had ceased on the field of battle, Saladin -proceeded to a tent, whither, in obedience to his commands, the king -of Jerusalem, Gerard de Riderfort, the Grand Master of the Temple, -and Reginald de Chatillon had been conducted. This last nobleman had -greatly distinguished himself in various daring expeditions against -the caravans of pilgrims travelling to Mecca, and had become on that -account particularly obnoxious to the pious Saladin. The sultan, -on entering the tent, ordered a bowl of sherbet, the sacred pledge -amongst the Arabs of hospitality and security, to be presented to the -fallen monarch of Jerusalem, and to the Grand Master of the Temple; -but when Reginald de Chatillon would have drunk thereof, Saladin -prevented him, and reproaching the christian nobleman with perfidy and -impiety, he commanded him instantly to acknowledge the prophet whom he -had blasphemed, or to be prepared to meet the death he had so often -deserved. On Reginald's refusal, Saladin struck him with his scimitar, -and he was immediately despatched by the guards. Bohadin, Saladin's -friend and secretary, an eye-witness of the scene, gives the following -account of it: "Then Saladin told the interpreter to say thus to the -king, 'It is thou, not I, who givest drink to this man!' Then the -sultan sat down at the entrance of the tent, and they brought Prince -Reginald before him, and after refreshing the man's memory, Saladin -said to him, 'Now then, I myself will act the part of the defender of -Mohammed!' He then offered the man the Mohammedan faith, but he refused -it; then the king struck him on the shoulder with a drawn scimitar, -which was a hint to those that were present to do for him; so they sent -his soul to _hell_, and cast out his body before the tent door!" - -The next day Saladin proceeded in cold blood to enact the grand -concluding tragedy. The warlike monks of the Temple and of the -Hospital, the bravest and most zealous defenders of the christian -faith, were, of all the warriors of the cross, the most obnoxious to -zealous Mussulmen, and it was determined that death or conversion to -Mahometanism should be the portion of every captive of either order, -excepting the Grand Master of the Temple, for whom it was expected a -heavy ransom would be given. Accordingly, on the christian Sabbath, -at the hour of sunset, the appointed time of prayer, the Moslems -were drawn up in battle array under their respective leaders. The -Mamlook emirs stood in two ranks clothed in yellow, and, at the sound -of the holy trumpet, all the captive knights of the Temple and of the -Hospital were led on to the eminence above Tiberias, in full view of -the beautiful lake of Gennesareth, whose bold and mountainous shores -had been the scene of so many of their Saviour's miracles. There, as -the last rays of the sun were fading away from the mountain tops, -they were called upon to deny him who had been crucified, to choose -God for their Lord, Islam for their faith, Mecca for their temple, -the Moslems for their brethren, and Mahomet for their prophet. To a -man they refused, and were all decapitated in the presence of Saladin -by the devout zealots of his army, and the doctors and expounders of -the law. An oriental historian, who was present, says that Saladin -sat with a smiling countenance viewing the execution, and that some -of the executioners cut off the heads with a degree of dexterity that -excited great applause. "Oh," say Omad'eddin Muhammed, "how beautiful -an ornament is the blood of the infidels sprinkled over the followers -of the faith and the true religion!"[69] If the Mussulmen displayed -a becoming zeal in the decapitation and annihilation of the infidel -Templars, these last manifested a no less praiseworthy eagerness for -martyrdom by the swords of the unbelieving Moslems. The Knight Templar, -Brother Nicolas, strove vigorously, we are told, with his companions -to be the first to suffer, and with great difficulty accomplished -his purpose. It was believed by the Christians, in accordance with -the superstitious ideas of those times, that heaven testified its -approbation by a visible sign, and that for three nights, during which -the bodies of the Templars remained unburied on the field, celestial -rays of light played around the corpses of those holy martyrs. - -Immediately after this fatal battle, the citadel of Tiberias -surrendered to Saladin, and the countess of Tripoli was permitted to -depart in safety in search of her fugitive husband. There was now no -force in the Latin kingdom capable of offering the least opposition -to the victorious career of the infidels, and Saladin, in order that -he might overrun and subjugate the whole country with the greatest -possible rapidity, divided his army into several bodies, which were -to proceed in different directions, and assemble at last under the -walls of Jerusalem. One strong column, under the command of Malek -el Afdal, proceeded to attack La Feue or Faba, the castle of the -Knights Templars. Nearly all the garrison had perished in the battle -of Tiberias, and after a short conflict the infidels walked into -the fortress, over the dead bodies of the last of its defenders. -From thence they crossed the great plain to Sebaste, and entered the -magnificent church erected by the empress Helena, over the prison in -which St. John the Baptist was beheaded, and over the humble grave -where still repose the remains of St. John and of Zacharias and -Elizabeth his parents. The terrified bishop and clergy had removed all -the gold and silver vessels from the altars and the rich copes and -vestments of the priests, to conceal them from the cupidity of the -Moslems, whereupon these last caused the bishop to be stripped naked -and beaten with rods, and led away all his clergy into captivity. The -wild Turcoman and Bedouin cavalry then dashed up the beautiful valley -of Succoth to Naplous, the ancient Shechem; which they found deserted -and desolate; the inhabitants had abandoned their dwellings and fled -to Jerusalem, and the Mussulmen planted their banners upon the gray -battlements of the castle, and upon the lofty summit of Mount Gerizim. -They then pitched their tents around the interesting well where our -Saviour spoke with the woman of Samaria, and pastured their cavalry in -the valley where Joseph's brethren were feeding their flocks when they -sold him to the wandering Ishmaelites. Here they remained to gather -some tidings of the operations of their fellow-soldiers on the other -side of the Jordan, and then proceeded to ravage and lay waste all -the country between Naplous and Jerusalem, "continuing," says Abbot -Coggleshale, "both by night and by day to slaughter every living thing -that they met." - -The column which was to proceed through the valley of the Jordan, -entered the great plain of Esdraelon by Mount Thabor, and taking the -direction of Nain and Endor to Jezreel, they crossed the mountains of -Gilboa to Beisan, and descended the valley of the Jordan, as far as -Jericho. Thence they proceeded to lay siege to a solitary castle of -the Templars, seated upon that celebrated mountain where, according -to tradition, our Saviour was tempted by the Devil with the visionary -scene of "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." In -this castle the Templars maintained a garrison, for the protection of -the pilgrims who came to bathe in the Jordan, and visit the holy places -in the neighbourhood of Jericho. From the toppling crag, whereon it -was seated, the eye commanded an extensive view of the course of the -Jordan, until it falls into the Dead Sea, also of the eastern frontier -of the Latin kingdom, and of the important passes communicating with -Jerusalem. The place was called _Maledoim_, or "the Red Mountain," on -account of the blood that had been shed upon the spot. Fifty Tyrian -dinars had been offered by Saladin, for the head of every Knight -Templar that was brought him, and the blood-thirsty infidels surrounded -the doomed castle eager for the reward. The whole garrison was put -to the sword, and the place was left a shapeless ruin. The infidels -then marched off in the direction of Jerusalem, and laid waste all the -country between Jericho and the Holy City. They pitched their tents at -Bethany, upon the spot where stood the houses of Simon the leper, and -of Mary Magdalene and Martha, and they destroyed the church built over -the house and tomb of Lazarus. The wild Arab cavalry then swept over -the Mount of Olives; they took possession of the church constructed -upon the summit of that sacred edifice, and extended their ravages up -to the very gates of Jerusalem. - -In the mean time Saladin's valiant brother Saifeddin, "sword of -the faith," had crossed the desert from Egypt, to participate in -the plunder and spoil of the christian territories. He laid waste -all the country from Daron and Gerar to Jerusalem. In front of his -fierce warriors were to be seen the long bands of mournful captives -tied together by the wrists, and behind them was a dreary desert, -soaked with christian blood. Saifeddin had besieged the strong town -of Mirabel, and placed his military engines in position, when the -terrified inhabitants sent a suppliant deputation to implore his -clemency. He agreed to spare their lives in return for the immediate -surrender of the place, and gave them an escort of four hundred -Mussulmen, to conduct them in safety to Jerusalem. Accompanied by their -wives and little ones, the miserable Christians cast a last look upon -their once happy homes, and proceeded on their toilsome journey to the -Holy City. On their arrival at an eminence, two miles from Jerusalem, -their Arabian escort left them, and immediately afterwards a party of -Templars dashed through the ravine, charged the retiring Moslems, and -put the greater part of them to the sword. - -The great Saladin, on the other hand, immediately after the battle -of Tiberias, hastened with the main body of his forces to Acre, and -the terrified inhabitants threw open their gates at his approach. -From thence he swept the whole sea coast to Jaffa, reducing all the -maritime towns, excepting the city of Tyre, which manfully resisted -him. The savage Turcomans from the north, the predatory Bedouins, -the fanatical Arabians, and the swarthy Africans, hurried across the -frontiers, to share in the spoil and plunder of the Latin kingdom. -Radolph, our worthy abbot of Coggleshale, one of those who fled before -the ruthless swords of the infidels, gives a frightful picture of the -aspect of the country. He tells us that the whole land was covered -with dead bodies, rotting and putrifying in the scorching sun-beams. -At early morning you might see the rich and stately church, with the -bright and happy dwellings scattered around it, the blooming garden, -the silvery olive grove, and the rich vineyard; but the fading rays of -the evening sun would fall on smoking masses of shapeless ruins, and -on a dreary and solitary desert. The holy abbot mourns over the fall -of Nazareth, and the desecration by the infidels of the magnificent -church of the Holy Virgin at that place. Sidon, Caiphas, Sepphoris, -Nazareth, Cæserea, Jaffa, Lidda, and Rama, successively fell into the -hands of the Moslems; the inhabitants were led away into captivity, and -the garrisons were put to the sword. The infidels laid waste all the -country about Mount Carmel and Caiphas, and they burnt the celebrated -church of Elias, on the mountain above the port of Acre, which served -as a beacon for navigators. - -The government of the order of the Temple, in consequence of the -captivity of the Grand Master Gerard de Riderfort, who was detained in -prison, with Guy, king of Jerusalem, at Damascus, devolved upon Brother -Terric, the Grand Preceptor of Jerusalem, who addressed letters to all -the brethren in the west, imploring aid and assistance. One of these -letters was duly received by Brother Geoffrey, Master of the Temple at -London, as follows:--"Brother Terric, Grand Preceptor of the poor house -of the Temple, and every poor brother, and the whole convent, now, -alas! almost annihilated, to all the preceptors and brothers of the -Temple, to whom these letters shall come, salvation through him to whom -our fervent aspirations are addressed, through him who causeth the sun -and the moon to reign marvellous. - -"The many and great calamities wherewith the anger of God, excited -by our manifold sins, hath just now permitted us to be afflicted, we -cannot for grief unfold to you, neither by letters nor by our sobbing -speech. The infidel chiefs having collected together a vast number -of their people, fiercely invaded our Christian territories, and -we, assembling our battalions, hastened to Tiberias to arrest their -march. The enemy having hemmed us in among barren rocks, fiercely -attacked us; the holy cross and the king himself fell into the hands -of the infidels, the whole army was cut to pieces, two hundred and -thirty of our knights were beheaded, without reckoning the sixty who -were killed on the 1st of May. The Lord Reginald of Sidon, the Lord -Ballovius, and we ourselves, escaped with vast difficulty from that -miserable field. The pagans, drunk with the blood of our Christians, -then marched with their whole army against the city of Acre, and took -it by storm. The city of Tyre is at present fiercely besieged, and -neither by night nor by day do the infidels discontinue their furious -assaults. So great is the multitude of them, that they cover like ants -the whole face of the country from Tyre to Jerusalem, and even unto -Gaza. The holy city of Jerusalem, Ascalon, and Tyre, and Beyrout, are -yet left to us and to the christian cause, but the garrisons and the -chief inhabitants of these places, having perished in the battle of -Tiberias, we have no hope of retaining them without succour from heaven -and instant assistance from yourselves."[70] Saladin, on the other -hand, sent triumphant letters to the caliph. "God and his ANGELS," says -he, "have mercifully succoured ISLAM. The infidels have been sent to -feed the _fires_ of HELL! The cross is fallen into our hands, around -which they fluttered like the moth round a light; under whose shadow -they assembled, in which they boldly trusted as in a wall; the cross, -the centre and leader of their pride, their superstition, and their -tyranny."... - -Saladin pursued his rapid conquests along the sea coast to the north -of Acre, and took by storm several castles of the Templars. After -a siege of six days, the strong fortress of Tebnin, on the road to -Beirout, was taken by assault, the garrison was put to the sword, -and the fortifications were razed to the ground. On the 22nd, Jomada, -the important city of Beirout, surrendered to Saladin, and shortly -afterwards the castles of Hobeil and Bolerum. The old chronicle -published by Martene, has the following strange passage concerning -the last named castle. "To this castle belonged the lady whom the -count of Tripoli refused to give up to Gerard de Riderfort, the Grand -Master of the Temple, whence arose the great quarrel between them, -which caused the loss of the Holy Land." After the reduction of all -the maritime towns between Acre and Tripoli, Saladin ordered his -different detachments to concentrate before Jerusalem, and hastened -in person to the south to complete the conquest of the few places -which still resisted the arms of the Mussulmen. He sat down before -Ascalon, and whilst preparing his military engines for battering the -walls, he sent messengers to the Templars at Gaza, representing to -them that the whole land was in his power, that all further efforts -at resistance were useless, and offering them their lives and a -safe retreat to Europe, if they would give up to him the important -fortress committed to their charge. But the military friars sent back -a haughty defiance to the victorious sultan, and recommended him to -take Ascalon before he ventured to ask for the surrender of Gaza. The -season was now advancing--vague rumours were flying about of stupendous -preparations in Europe for the recovery of Palestine, and Saladin -was anxious to besiege and take Jerusalem ere the winter's rains -commenced. When, therefore, his military engines were planted under -the walls of Ascalon, he once more, as the place was strong, summoned -the inhabitants to surrender, and they then agreed to capitulate on -receiving a solemn promise from Saladin that he would forthwith set at -liberty the king of Jerusalem and the Grand Master of the Temple, and -would respect both the persons and the property of the inhabitants. -These terms were acceded to, and on the 4th of September the gates of -Ascalon were thrown open to the infidels.[71] - -The inhabitants of this interesting city appear to have been much -attached to their king, Guy de Lusignan, and his queen Sibylla. They -had received them when they came from Jerusalem, as fugitives from the -wrath of Baldwin IV., and protected them against the power of that -monarch. The sultan imposed such conditions upon the prisoners as were -necessary for his own security. They were to quit Palestine never more -to return, and were in the mean time, until a fitting opportunity for -their embarkation to Europe could be found, to take up their abode at -Naplous, under the surveillance of the Moslem garrison. Immediately -after the capture of Ascalon, Saladin pitched his tents beneath the -walls of Gaza, the great fortress of the Knights Templars. He had been -repulsed by the military friars with great loss in a previous attack -upon this important station, and he now surrounded it with his numerous -battalions, thirsting for vengeance. The place surrendered after a -short siege; the fortifications were demolished, but the fate of the -garrison has not been recorded. - -Having subjugated all the country bordering upon the sea coast, Saladin -moved forward in great triumph towards the sacred city of Jerusalem. He -encamped the first night at Bersabee, the ancient Beersheba, around the -well digged by Abraham, in the land of the Philistines, and on the spot -where Abraham delivered the seven ewe lambs, and made the covenant with -Abimelech, and planted a grove, and called "on the name of the Lord, -the everlasting God." The next day Saladin marched towards Bethlehem, -halting on the way before a castle of the Hospitallers, which he -summoned to surrender, but in vain. Leaving a party of horse to watch -the place, he pitched his tents the same evening around Bethlehem, and -the next morning at sunrise, the Moslem soldiers might be seen pouring -into the vast convent and the magnificent church erected by the -empress Helena and her son Constantine, over the sacred spot where the -Saviour of the world was born. They wandered with unbounded admiration -amid the unrivalled Corinthian colonnade, formed by a quadruple row of -forty ancient columns, which support a barn-roof constructed of the -cedar of Lebanon. They paused to admire the beautiful mosaics which -covered the lofty walls, the richly carved screen on either side of the -high altar, and the twenty-five imperial eagles. Saladin was present -in person, and no serious disorders appear to have been committed. -The inhabitants of the town had all fled to Jerusalem, with whatever -property they could carry with them, and in the afternoon, after -establishing a garrison in the place, the sultan commenced his march -towards the Holy City. - -At the hour of sunset, when the bells of the churches of Jerusalem were -tolling to vespers, the vast host of Saladin crowned in dark array the -bleak and desolate eminences which surround the city of David. The -air was rent with the loud Mussulman shouts _El Kods, El Kods_--"The -Holy City, the Holy City!" and the green and yellow banners of the -prophet, and the various coloured emblems of the Arabian tribes, were -to be seen standing out in bold relief upon the lofty ridges of the -hills, and gleaming brightly in the last trembling rays of the setting -sun. The Arabian writers descant with enthusiasm upon the feelings -experienced by their countrymen on beholding "the long lost sister of -Mecca and Medina," on gazing once more upon the swelling domes of the -Mosque of Omar, and on the sacred eminence from whence, according to -their traditions, "Mahomet ascended from earth to heaven." It must have -been, indeed, a strange, and an awful scene. The Moslem host took up -their stations around the Holy City at the very hour when the followers -both of the Christian and Mahometan religion were wont to assemble to -offer up their prayers to the one Great God, the common Father of us -all. On the one hand, you might hear the sound of the sweet vesper -bells from the towers of the Christian churches wafted softly upon the -evening breeze, the hoarse chant of the monks and priests, and the loud -swelling hymn of praise; while on the other, over all the hills and -eminences around Jerusalem, stole the long shrill cry of the muezzins, -loudly summoning the faithful to their evening devotions. Within the -walls, for one night at least, the name of CHRIST was invoked with true -piety and fervent devotion; while without the city, the eternal truth -and the Moslem fiction were loudly proclaimed, "There is but one GOD, -and _Mahomet_ is his apostle." - -That very night, when the Mussulmen had finished their prayers, and -ere darkness spread its sable shroud over the land, the loud trumpets -of Saladin summoned the Christians to surrender "the house of God" to -the arms of the faithful: but the Christians returned for answer, that, -please God, the Holy City should _not_ be surrendered. The next morning -at sunrise, the terrified inhabitants were awakened by the clangour of -horns and drums, the loud clash of arms, and the fierce cries of the -remorseless foe. The women and children rushed into the churches, and -threw themselves on their knees before the altars, weeping and wailing, -and lifting up their hands to heaven, whilst the men hastened to man -the battlements. The Temple could no longer furnish its hundreds and -thousands of brave warriors for the defence of the holy sanctuary of -the Christians; a few miserable knights, with some serving brethren, -alone remained in its now silent halls and deserted courts. For fifteen -days did the Christians successfully resist the utmost efforts of the -enemy; the monks and the canons, the bishops and the priests, took arms -in defence of the Holy Sepulchre, and lined in warlike array the dark -gray battlements and towers of Jerusalem. But the Mussulman archers -soon became so numerous and so expert, that the garrison durst not -show themselves upon the walls "Their arrows fell," says our worthy -countryman, abbot Coggleshale, one of the brave defenders of the place, -"as thick as hail upon the battlements, so that no one could lift a -finger above the walls without being maimed. So great indeed was the -number of the wounded, that it was as much as all the doctors of the -city and of the Hospital could do to extract the weapons from their -bodies. The face of the narrator of these events was lacerated with -an arrow which pierced right through his nose; the wooden shaft was -withdrawn, but a piece of the iron head remains there to this day."[72] - -Jerusalem was crowded with fugitives who had been driven into the -Holy City from the provinces. The houses could not contain them, and -the streets were filled with women and children, who slept night -after night upon the cold pavement. At the expiration of a fortnight, -Saladin finding his incessant attacks continually foiled, retired from -the walls, and employed his troops in the construction of military -engines, stationing ten thousand cavalry around the city to intercept -fugitives, and prevent the introduction of supplies. When his engines -were completed, he directed all his efforts against the northern wall -of the city, which extends between St. Stephen's gate and the gate of -Jaffa. Ten thousand soldiers were attached to the military engines, -and were employed day and night in battering the fortifications. -Barefoot processions of women, monks, and priests were made to the -holy sepulchre, to implore the Son of God to save his tomb and his -inheritance from impious violation. The females, as a mark of humility -and distress, cut off their hair and cast it to the winds; and the -ladies of Jerusalem made their daughters do penance by standing up -to their necks in tubs of cold water placed upon Mount Calvary. But -it availed nought, "for our Lord Jesus Christ," says the chronicler, -"would not listen to any prayer that they made, for the filth, the -luxury, and the adultery which prevailed in the city did not suffer -prayer or supplication to ascend before God." - -To prevent the garrison from attempting to break the force of the -battering-rams, Saladin constructed vast mangonels and machines, -which cast enormous stones and flaming beams of timber, covered with -pitch and naptha, upon the ramparts, and over the walls into the city. -He moreover employed miners to sap the foundations of the towers, -and on the 16th of October the angle of the northern wall, where it -touches the valley of Gehinnon, was thrown down with a tremendous -crash. The appalling intelligence spread through the city, and filled -every heart with mourning. Friends embraced one another as it were for -the last time; mothers clung to their little ones, anticipating with -heart-rending agony the fearful moment when they would be torn from -them for ever; and the men gazed around in gloomy silence, appalled -and stupified. Young mothers might be seen carrying their babes in -their arms to Mount Calvary, and placing them before the altars of the -church of the Resurrection, as if they thought that the sweet innocence -of these helpless objects would appease the wrath of heaven. The -panic-stricken garrison deserted the fortifications, but the infidels -fortunately deferred the assault until the succeeding morning. During -the night attempts were made, but in vain, to organize a strong guard -to watch the breach. "With my own ears," says abbot Coggleshale, "I -heard it proclaimed, between the wall and the counterscarp, by the -patriarch and the chief men of the city, that if fifty strong and -valiant foot soldiers would undertake to guard for one night only the -angle which had been overthrown, they should receive fifty golden -bezants; but none could be found to undertake the duty." - -In the morning a suppliant deputation proceeded to Saladin to implore -his mercy, but ere they reached the imperial tent the assault had -commenced, and twelve banners of the prophet waved in triumph upon the -breach. The haughty sultan accordingly refused to hear the messengers, -and dismissed them, declaring that he would take Jerusalem from the -Franks as they had taken it from the Moslems, that is say, _sword -in hand_. But some spirit of resistance had at last been infused -into the quailing garrison, the few Templars and Hospitallers in -Jerusalem manned the breach, and in a desperate struggle the Moslems -were repulsed, and the standards of the prophet were torn down from -the walls. The messengers then returned to Saladin, and declared that -if he refused to treat for the surrender of Jerusalem, the Christians -would set fire to the TEMPLE or Mosque of Omar, would destroy all -the treasures they possessed in the city, and massacre their Moslem -prisoners. The announcement of this desperate determination, which -was accompanied with the offer of a very considerable ransom, induced -Saladin to listen to terms, and a treaty was entered into with the -Christians to the following effect. The Moslems were immediately to -be put into possession of all the gates of Jerusalem, and the liberty -and security of the inhabitants were to be purchased in the following -manner. Every man was to pay to Saladin ten golden bezants as a ransom, -every woman five, and every child under seven years was to pay one -bezant. - -When these terms, so disgraceful to the christian negotiators, were -known in the Holy City, nothing could exceed the grief and indignation -of the poorer classes of people, who had no money wherewith to pay the -ransom, and had consequently been delivered up to perpetual bondage -by their richer _christian_ brethren. All resistance on their part, -however, to the treaty was then hopeless; the poor had been betrayed -by the rich; the infidels were already in possession of the tower of -David, and their spears were gleaming in the streets of the Holy City. -It is recorded to the praise of the few Templars and Hospitallers who -were then in Jerusalem, that they spent all the money they possessed in -ransoming their poor christian brethren, whom they escorted in safety -to Tripoli. The number of those who, being unable to pay the ransom, -were reduced to a state of hopeless slavery, is estimated at fourteen -thousand, men, women, and children. They were sold in the common -slave-markets, and distributed through all the Mussulman countries -of Asia. The women became the concubines and the handmaids of their -masters, and the children were educated in the Mohammedan faith. - -The Arabian writers express their astonishment at the number of the -christian captives, and give a heart-rending account of their sorrows -and misfortunes. One of them tells us that he saw in his native -village a fair European woman, bright as the morning star, who had -two beautiful children. She seldom spoke, but remained the live-long -day absorbed in melancholy contemplation; there was, says he, such a -sweetness and gentleness in her deportment, that it made one's heart -ache to see her. "When I was at Aleppo," says the historian, Azz'eddin -Ali Ibn-Al'atsyr, who fought in Saladin's army, and was present at the -battle of Tiberias, "I had for a slave one of the christian women taken -at Jaffa. She had with her a little child, about a year old, and many -a bitter tear did she shed over this tender infant. I did my best to -comfort her, but she exclaimed, 'Alas, sir, it is not for this child -that I weep; I had a husband and two sisters, and I know not what has -become of them. I had also six brothers, all of whom have perished.' -This is the case of one person only. Another day I saw at Aleppo a -christian slave accompanying her master to the house of a neighbour. -The master knocked at the door, and another Frank woman came to open -it; the two females immediately give a loud cry; they rush into each -other's arms; they weep; they sit down on the ground and enter into -conversation. They were two sisters who had been sold as slaves to -different masters, and had been brought without knowing it to the same -town."[73] - -Thus fell the holy city of Jerusalem, eighty-eight years after its -conquest by Godfrey de Bouillon and the crusaders. Our excellent -chronicler, Radolph, abbot of Coggleshale, who was redeemed from -bondage by payment of the ten golden bezants, throws a pitying glance -upon the misfortunes and miseries of the poor captives, but attributes -the fall of Jerusalem, and all the calamities consequent thereon, to -the sins and iniquities of the inhabitants. "They honoured God," says -he, "with their lips, but their hearts were far from him." He speaks -of the beautiful women who thronged Jerusalem, and of the general -corruption of the city, and exclaims, in the words of the prophet, -"The Lord hath said unto the heathen, Go ye up against her walls and -destroy, take away her battlements, for they are not the Lord's." - -Immediately after the surrender of the city (October 11, A. D. 1187) -the Moslems rushed to the TEMPLE (Templum Domini, ante p. 12) in -thousands. "The imauns and the doctors and expounders of the wicked -errors of Mahomet," says Abbot Coggleshale, "first ascended to -the Temple of the Lord, called by the infidels _Beit Allah_, (the -house of God,) in which, as a place of prayer and religion, they -place their great hope of salvation. With horrible bellowings they -proclaimed the law of Mahomet, and vociferated, with polluted lips, -ALLAH _acbar_--ALLAH _acbar_ (GOD is victorious). They defiled all -the places that are contained within the Temple; i. e. the place of -the presentation, where the mother and glorious Virgin Mary delivered -the Son of God into the hands of the just Simeon; and the place of -the confession, looking towards the porch of Solomon, where the -Lord judged the woman taken in adultery. They placed guards that no -Christian might enter within the seven atria of the Temple; and as -a disgrace to the Christians, with vast clamour, with laughter and -with mockery, they hurled down the golden cross from the pinnacle of -the building, and dragged it with ropes throughout the city, amid the -exulting shouts of the infidels and the tears and lamentations of the -followers of Christ." When every Christian had been removed from the -precincts of the Temple, Saladin proceeded with vast pomp to say his -prayers in the _Beit Allah_, the holy house of God, or "Temple of the -Lord," erected by the Caliph Omar. He was preceded by five camels -laden with rose-water, which he had procured from Damascus, and he -entered the sacred courts to the sound of martial music, and with his -banners streaming in the wind. The _Beit Allah_, "the Temple of the -Lord," was then again consecrated to the service of one God and his -prophet Mahomet; the walls and pavements were washed and purified with -rose-water; and a pulpit, the labour of Noureddin, was erected in the -sanctuary.[74] - -The following account of these transactions was forwarded to Henry the -Second, king of England. "To the beloved Lord Henry, by the grace of -God, the illustrious king of the English, duke of Normandy and Guienne, -and count of Anjou, Brother Terric, formerly Grand Preceptor of the -house of the Temple at JERUSALEM, sendeth greeting,--salvation through -him who saveth kings. Know that Jerusalem, with the citadel of David, -hath been surrendered to Saladin. The Syrian Christians, however, -have the custody of the holy sepulchre up to the fourth day after -Michaelmas, and Saladin himself hath permitted ten of the brethren of -the Hospital to remain in the house of the hospital for the space of -one year, to take care of the sick.... Jerusalem, alas, hath fallen; -Saladin hath caused the cross to be thrown down from the summit of the -Temple of the Lord, and for two days to be publicly kicked and dragged -in the dirt through the city. He then caused the Temple of the Lord to -be washed within and without, upwards and downwards, with rose-water, -and the law of Mahomet to be proclaimed throughout the four quarters of -the Temple with wonderful clamour...."[75] - -Bohadin, Saladin's secretary, mentions as a remarkable and happy -circumstance, that the holy city was surrendered to the sultan of most -pious memory, and that God restored to the faithful their sanctuary -on the 27th of the month Regeb, on the night of which very day their -most glorious prophet Mahomet performed his wonderful nocturnal journey -from the Temple of the Lord, through the seven heavens, to the throne -of God. He also describes the sacred congregation of the Mussulmen -gathered together in the Temple and the solemn prayer offered up to -God; the shouting and the sounds of applause, and the voices lifted -up to heaven, causing the holy buildings to resound with thanks and -praises to the most bountiful Lord God. He glories in the casting -down of the golden cross, and exults in the very splendid triumph of -Islam. Saladin restored the sacred area of the Temple to its original -condition under the first Mussulman conquerors of Jerusalem (ante, -p. 12). The ancient christian church of the Virgin (the mosque _Al -Acsa_, and "Temple of Solomon") was washed with rose-water, and was -once again dedicated to the religious services of the Moslems. On -the western side of this venerable edifice the Templars had erected, -according to the Arabian writers, an immense building in which they -lodged, together with granaries of corn and various offices, which -enclosed and concealed a great portion of the edifice. Most of these -were pulled down by the sultan to make a clear and open area for the -resort of the Mussulmen to prayer. Some new erections placed between -the columns in the interior of the structure were taken away, and the -floor was covered with the richest carpets. "Lamps innumerable," says -Ibn Alatsyr, "were suspended from the ceiling; verses of the Koran -were again inscribed on the walls; the call to prayer was again heard; -the bells were silenced; the exiled faith returned to its ancient -sanctuary; the devout Mussulmen again bent the knee in adoration of -the one only God, and the voice of the imaun was again heard from the -pulpit, reminding the true believers of the resurrection and the last -judgment."[76] - -The Friday after the surrender of the city, the army of Saladin, -and crowds of true believers, who had flocked to Jerusalem from all -parts of the East, assembled in the Temple of the Lord to assist -in the religious services of the Mussulman sabbath. Omad, Saladin's -secretary, who was present, gives the following interesting account -of the ceremony, and of the sermon that was preached. "On Friday -morning at daybreak," says he, "everybody was asking whom the sultan -had appointed to preach. The Temple was full; the congregation was -impatient; all eyes were fixed on the pulpit; the ears were on the -stretch; our hearts beat fast, and tears trickled down our faces. On -all sides were to be heard rapturous exclamations of 'What a glorious -sight! What a congregation! Happy are those who have lived to see the -resurrection of ISLAM.' At length the sultan ordered the judge (doctor -of the law) _Mohieddin Aboulmehali-Mohammed_ to fulfil the sacred -function of imaun. I immediately lent him the black vestment which I -had received as a present from the caliph. He then mounted into the -pulpit and spoke. All were hushed. His expressions were graceful and -easy, and his discourse was eloquent and much admired. He displayed the -virtue and sanctity of Jerusalem; he spoke of the purification of the -Temple; he alluded to the silence of the bells, and to the flight of -the infidel priests. In his prayer he named the caliph and the sultan, -and terminated his discourse with that chapter of the Koran in which -God orders justice and good works. He then descended from the pulpit, -and prayed in the Mihrab. Immediately afterwards a sermon was preached -before the congregation." - -This sermon was delivered by _Mohammed Ben Zeky_. "Praise be to God," -saith the preacher, "who by the power of his might hath raised up -Islamism on the ruins of polytheism; who governs all things according -to his will; who overthroweth the devices of the infidels, and causeth -the TRUTH to triumph! I praise God, who hath succoured his elect, who -hath rendered them victorious and crowned them with glory, who hath -purified his holy house from the filthiness of idolatry.... I bear -witness that there is no God but that one great God who standeth -_alone_ and hath no PARTNER; sole, supreme, eternal; who begetteth not -and is not begotten, and hath NO EQUAL. I bear witness that Mahomet -is his servant, his envoy, and his prophet, who hath dissipated -doubts, confounded polytheism, and put down LIES! O men, declare ye -the blessings of God, who hath restored to you this holy city, after -it has been left in the power of the infidels for a hundred years. -This HOLY HOUSE of the LORD hath been built, and its foundations -have been established, for the glory of God. This sacred spot is the -dwelling-place of the prophets, the _kebla_ (place of prayer) towards -which you turn at the commencement of your religious duties, the -birth-place of the saints, the scene of the revelation. It is thrice -holy, for the angels of God spread their wings over it. This is that -blessed land of which God hath spoken in his sacred book. In this house -of prayer, Mahomet prayed with the angels who approach God. It is to -this spot that all fingers are turned after the two holy places. This -conquest, O men, hath opened unto you the gates of heaven; the angels -rejoice, and the eyes of the prophets glisten with joy." The preacher -proceeds, in a high strain of enthusiasm, to enlarge upon the merits of -the holy war. "The holy war, the holy war!" says he, "is better than -religious worship; it is the noblest of your occupations. Aid God, and -he will assist you; protect the Lord, and he will protect you; remember -him, and he will have you in remembrance; do good to him, and he will -do good to you. Cut off the branches of iniquity; purify the earth from -unbelievers, and destroy the nations who have excited the wrath of God -and his apostle, &c...."[77] - -Omad informs us that the marble altar and chapel which had been erected -over the sacred rock in the Temple of the Lord, or Mosque of Omar, -was removed by Saladin, together with the stalls for the priests, the -marble statues, and all the abominations which had been placed in the -venerated building by the Christians. The Mussulmen discovered with -horror that some pieces of the holy stone or rock had been cut off by -the Franks, and sent to Europe. Saladin caused it to be immediately -surrounded by a grate of iron. He washed it with rose-water, and -Malek-Afdel covered it with magnificent carpets. Saladin, in his -famous letter to the caliph, giving an account of the conquest of -Jerusalem, exclaims--"God hath at length turned towards the supporters -of the true faith; he hath let loose his wrath against the infidels, -and hath driven them from his sanctuary.... The infidels have erected -churches in the holy city, and the great houses of the Templars and -Hospitallers. In these structures are rich marbles and many precious -things. Thy servant hath restored the Mosque Al-Acsa (the Temple of -the Knights Templars, ante p. 12) to its ancient destination. He hath -appointed imauns to celebrate divine service, and on the 14th chaaban -they preached, the _khotbeh_ (sermon). The heavens are rent with joy -and the stars dance with delight. The word of God hath been exalted, -and the tombs of the prophets, which the infidel hath defiled, have -been purified."[78] Saladin restored the fortifications of Jerusalem; -he founded several schools, and converted the great house of the -Hospitallers into a college. He then quitted the Holy City to pursue -his military operations in the field. - -The Templars still maintained themselves in some of the strongest -castles of Palestine, and the maritime city of Tyre continued to resist -all the attacks of the Moslems. This important sea-port was preserved -to the Christians by the valour and military talents of the young -Conrad, marquis of Montferrat, who digged a ditch across the isthmus -which connects Tyre with the main land, repaired the fortifications -and planted catapults and balistæ in boats, so as to command the only -approach to the town. Saladin proceeded in person to Tyre, to conduct -the operations against this important place. He was on horseback -from morn till night, and was assisted by his sons, his brother, and -his nephew, all of whom commanded in the field under the eye of the -sultan, and animated the troops by their example. The following account -of the state of affairs in Palestine is contained in a letter from -Brother Terric, Grand Preceptor of the Temple, and Treasurer General -of the order, to Henry the Second, king of England. "The brothers -of the hospital of Belvoir as yet bravely resist the Saracens; they -have captured two convoys, and have valiantly possessed themselves -of the munitions of war and provisions which were being conveyed by -the Saracens from the fortress of La Feue. As yet, also, Carach, in -the neighbourhood of Mount Royal, Mount Royal itself, the Temple of -Saphet, the hospital of Carach, Margat, and Castellum Blancum, and the -territory of Tripoli, and the territory of Antioch, resist Saladin.... -From the feast of Saint Martin, up to that of the circumcision of the -Lord, Saladin hath besieged Tyre incessantly, by night and by day, -throwing into it immense stones from thirteen military engines. On the -vigils of St. Silvester, the Lord Conrad, the marquis of Montferrat, -distributed knights and foot soldiers along the wall of the city, -and having armed seventeen galleys and ten small vessels, with the -assistance of the house of the Hospital and the brethren of the Temple, -he engaged the galleys of Saladin, and vanquishing them he captured -eleven, and took prisoners the great admiral of Alexandria and eight -other admirals, a multitude of the infidels being slain. The rest of -the Mussulman galleys, escaping the hands of the Christians, fled to -the army of Saladin, and being run aground by his command, were set -on fire and burnt to ashes. Saladin himself, overwhelmed with grief, -having _cut off the ears and the tail of his horse_, rode that same -horse through his whole army in the sight of all. Farewell!"[79] Tyre -continued to be valiantly defended until the winter had set in, and -then the disappointed sultan, despairing of taking the place, burnt his -military engines and retired to Damascus. - -The king of Jerusalem, and the Grand Master of the Temple, who had, -as before mentioned, been residing at Naplous, under the surveillance -of Saladin's officers, were now set at full liberty, pursuant to the -treaty of Ascalon, on the understanding that they would immediately -proceed to Tyre and embark for Europe. Queen Sibylla, who was in -Jerusalem at the time of its surrender to Saladin, had been permitted -to join her royal husband at Naplous, and the king, the queen, and the -Grand Master of the Temple, consequently proceeded together to Tyre. On -their arrival at that place, they found the gates shut against them. -The young Conrad declared, that as the city had been preserved solely -by the swords of himself and his followers, it justly belonged to -him, and that neither the king nor the queen of Jerusalem any longer -possessed authority within it. Cruelly repelled from Tyre, the king and -queen, with their infant children, the Grand Master of the Temple, and -the patriarch Heraclius, proceeded to Antioch. - -As soon as the winter rains had subsided, Saladin took the field, -and attempted to reduce various strong castles of the Templars and -Hospitallers. The most formidable of these were the castles of Saphet -and Kowkab (the star); the one belonging to the order of the Temple, -and the other to the order of the Hospital of Saint John. Saphet is -one of the four holy cities of the Talmud, and is held in peculiar -veneration by the Jews. The castle of the Templars crowned the summit -of a lofty mountain, along the sides of which extended the houses -and churches of the town. It was the strongest fortress possessed by -the order in Palestine. From the ramparts the eye ranged over a rich -prospect of luxuriant vineyards and smiling villages, and embraced -a grand panoramic view of lofty mountains. Through the valley below -rolled the Jordan; to the southward extended the vast blue expanse -of the lake of Tiberias; and in the north-east the snowy summits of -Anti-Lebanon might be seen piercing the skies. This important fortress -commanded the greater part of Galilee; it had always been a great -check upon the incursions of the infidels, and was considered one of -the bulwarks of the Latin kingdom. Saladin's exertions, consequently, -for the capture of the place were strenuous and incessant. He planted -a large body of troops around it, under the command of his brother -Saifeddin; but the season was not far enough advanced for their -operations to be carried on with any chance of success. The tents of -the besiegers were blown off the mountain by the furious whirlwinds, -and the operation of the military engines was impeded by heavy rains. -The Templars made continued sallies upon the works, burnt the military -engines, butchered the soldiers in their sleep, and harassed them with -incessant alarms in the dead of night. The siege was consequently -turned into a blockade, and Saladin drew off the greater part of his -forces to attack the Christian possessions in the principality of -Antioch. He divided his army into several detachments, which were sent -in different directions, with orders to ravage all the neighbouring -country, drive away the oxen, sheep, and cattle, and collect the booty -together in the plain of the Orontes, along the banks of the lake of -Kades. He crossed the vast mountain ranges which extend between the -Orontes and the sea-coast, and appeared in arms before the gates of -Tripoli. Strenuous preparations had been made to receive him, and the -sultan contented himself with reconnoitering the place and examining -its defences; having done which, he directed his march upon Tortosa. -The Grand Master of the Temple, who was anxiously watching Saladin's -movements, immediately threw himself into the strong castle of the -Templars at that place, and prepared to defend the town; but the -fortifications were weak, the inhabitants were panic-stricken, and -the Templars, after a short struggle, were compelled to abandon the -city, and retire behind their fortifications. There they maintained -a fierce and bloody contest with the Moslems, and during the various -assaults and sallies the town was set on fire and burnt to the ground. -Bohadin gives a fearful account of the destruction by fire of the -great cathedral church, and of the roaring and crackling of the flames -as they burst through the huge cedar beams and timbers of the roof. -He says that thousands of faithful Mussulmen gathered around the vast -and venerable pile, and raised exulting shouts as they witnessed the -progress of the fire, lifting up their voices to heaven, and returning -thanks to the most bountiful Lord God! - -Having failed in all his attempts to take the castle of the Templars, -Saladin drew off his forces, leaving the once populous and flourishing -town of Tortosa a dreary desert. He then besieged and took the city of -Gabala, and then approached in warlike array the far-famed Laodicea. -The panic-stricken inhabitants refused to defend the town, and -abandoned the fortifications, but some Templars and other knights, -throwing themselves into the citadel with their followers, boldly -resisted the attacks of the infidels. After a desperate defence a -capitulation was signed, the garrison marched out with all the honours -of war, and the banners of Islam were then planted upon the towers -and battlements. Both Ibn Alatsyr and Bohadin give an enthusiastic -description of the town and its environs. They speak of its noble -harbour, its beautiful houses, elegant villas, rich marbles, luxuriant -gardens, and shady groves. All these became the prey of the fierce -Mussulman soldiery, who committed great excesses. They broke to -pieces the choice specimens of ancient sculpture, considering them -hated evidences of idolatry; they stripped all the churches of their -ornaments, and sold the sacred vestments of the priests. From Laodicea, -Saladin marched to Sohioun or Sekyun, a fortress of prodigious -strength, situate amongst the mountains midway between Gabala and -the Orontes. It was almost entirely surrounded by a deep precipitous -ravine, the sides of which were in many places perpendicular. After a -siege of five days, a part of the Mussulman soldiers clambered over -some rocks which were thought to be inaccessible, climbed the outer -wall of the town, and opened the gates to their companions; the -second and third walls were then carried by assault, and the citadel -surrendered after a short siege. Many other important cities and -castles speedily fell into the hands of the victorious Saladin. Among -these were the city of Bakas, or Bacas, on the banks of the Orontes, -and the castle of Al Shokhr, which was connected with the town by -a bridge over the river; the castle of Al Jahmàhûnîn, near Gabala; -Blatanous, near Antioch; Sarminiah, or Sarmaniya, a fortress, a day's -journey N. E. of Aleppo; and many other places of note. All the towns -and castles between Sarminiah and Gabala surrendered to the Moslems. -"Glory be to God," says Ibn Alatsyr, "who hath made easy that which -appeared to be difficult." - -Saladin then recrossed the Orontes, and laid siege to Berzyeh, or -Borzya, a fortress which commanded the high road from Antioch to Emesa, -or Hems, and was, therefore, a place of very great importance. During -a very hot day, when the garrison had been fighting from sunrise till -noon, Saladin suddenly called up his reserve, placed himself at their -head, scaled the fortifications, and entered the town sword in hand. -The houses were set on fire, the streets were drenched with blood, -and all the inhabitants who escaped the general massacre, were made -slaves. From Berzyeh, Saladin marched down the vast and fertile plain -of the Orontes, to the famous iron bridge over that river, about six or -seven miles from Antioch, with a view of besieging the strong castle of -the Knights Templars, called Derbazâc, or Darbêsak. On the 8th Regeb, -having collected his forces together, and procured a vast number of -powerful military engines, he moved forward and invested the place. The -walls were surrounded with wooden towers, filled with expert archers, -who swept the battlements with their arrows. Under cover of these -towers, battering-rams were placed in position, and a vast breach was -made in the walls. Saladin's body-guard moved forward to the assault, -supported by crowds of archers on either flank, but the Templars -filled up the breach with their bodies, and after a bloody contest the -Mussulmen were driven back, leaving the ground covered with their dead. -The Templars repaired the breach, and the sultan shifted his ground of -attack. Hurdles covered with raw hides were advanced against the walls, -and an expert party of miners were employed, under cover of these -hurdles, to undermine a huge tower, which was considered to be the -key of the fortifications. The tower was so well and strongly built, -that it resisted for a length of time all the efforts of the miners; -they dug away a great part of the foundations, and the tower appeared, -says Ibn Alatsyr, to be suspended in the air. At last, however, it -fell with a tremendous crash, carrying along with it into the ditch a -vast portion of the walls on either side, so that a large yawning gap -was opened in the fortifications. Again the Mussulmen rushed to the -assault with loud shouts, and again they were hurled back by the stout -arms of the Templars, leaving the heaps of stone, and the vast masses -of shattered walls around them, crimsoned with the blood of their best -men. Bohadin, who witnessed the assault, declares that he never saw -such an obstinate defence. As soon as any one of the Templars fell, -another, he tells us, would immediately take his place, and thus they -remained upon the breach immoveable as a rock. At last, it was agreed -that if the fortress was not succoured by the prince of Antioch, within -a given period, the Templars should surrender it, and march out with -their arms in their hands. No succour arrived by the appointed time, -and the place was consequently given up to the Mussulmen.[80] - -Immediately after the surrender of Darbêsak, Saladin marched upon -Bagras, a town situate at the foot of Mount Al Locam, and pushed on -his advanced guard to the environs of the vast and populous city of -Antioch, but he contented himself with the mere sight of the place, -and declined to undertake the siege of it. He remained for some time -in observation before the city, and sent out detachments in different -directions to lay waste the surrounding country, and collect spoil. -The population of Antioch was estimated at 150,000 souls: nearly all -the surviving Templars of the principality were collected together -within the walls, under the command of their valiant Grand Master, and -the Prince Bohemond was at the head of a numerous and well-organized -force, fully prepared for a desperate struggle in defence of his rich -and princely city. Saladin consequently preferred entering into a truce -to continuing the war, and concluded a treaty with Bohemond, whereby -a suspension of arms was agreed upon for the term of eight months, -to commence from the first of the approaching month of November, and -it was stipulated that all the Moslem prisoners detained in Antioch -should be set at liberty. Saladin then returned by the valley of -the Orontes to Damascus, and his troops became very impatient to be -dismissed to their homes for the winter, but he reminded them of the -brevity and uncertainty of human life, told them that there was plenty -of work before them, and that they ought not to leave for to-morrow -that which could be done to-day. He accordingly set out from Damascus -at the head of a large body of forces, and proceeded to lay siege -to Saphet, the strong and important castle of the Knights Templars. -Bohadin accompanied the sultan, and gives an interesting account of -his incessant exertions for the capture of the place. During a windy -and tempestuous night, he superintended the planting of five besieging -engines. To every soldier he allotted a specific task, and turning to -his secretary he said, "Let us not go to bed to-night, until these -five engines are completed." Every now and then messengers came in to -narrate the progress of the work, and Saladin spent the intermediate -time in cheerful converse with his friend. The night was dark and -long, the weather miserably wet and cold, and the ground covered with -mud. Bohadin ventured to address some observations to his royal -master, upon the imprudence of exposing himself to the inclemency of -the season, and to so much watching and fatigue, but the pious sultan -reminded him of the words of the prophet, "The fire of hell shall not -prevail against the eye that wakes and watches in the service of God, -and the eye that weeps through fear of God." - -The Templars manfully defended themselves, and their brethren in -Tyre made an attempt to send them succour. Two hundred valiant and -determined soldiers set out from that city, and marched through the -country by night, sheltering themselves in the day-time in caverns -and solitary places amongst the mountains. They reached Saphet, and -attempted to conceal themselves in the neighbourhood of the castle, -until they could find an opportunity of communicating with their -beleaguered brethren. Unfortunately one of their number strayed from -his place of concealment, and was seen by a Mussulman emir, who -immediately called out a strong guard, searched the neighbourhood, -and took the whole party prisoners. They were brought into Saladin's -presence and condemned to death; but before the sentence was carried -into execution negotiations were entered into for the surrender of -Saphet. The Templars in the fortress were ill provided with provisions; -they had now lost all hope of succour, and they agreed to surrender, on -condition that they should be permitted to march out with their arms to -Tyre, in company with the prisoners whom Saladin had just taken. These -terms were acceded to, and the fortifications of the strong castle of -Saphet were speedily demolished by the infidels.[81] - -In the mean time all Europe had been thrown into consternation by the -dismal intelligence of the fall of Jerusalem. Public prayers were -put up in the churches, and fasts were ordered, as in times of great -national calamities. Pope Urban III. is said to have died of grief, -and the cardinals made a solemn resolution to renounce all kinds of -diversions and pleasures, to receive no presents from any one who -had causes depending in the court of Rome, and never to mount a horse -as long as the Holy Land was trodden under foot by the infidels. Pope -Gregory VIII. addressed apostolical letters to the sovereigns, bishops, -nobles, and people of all christian countries, painting in pathetic -terms the miserable disasters of the Latin Christians, the capture of -the holy cross, the slaughter of the Templars and Hospitallers, and the -fall of Jerusalem, and exhorting all faithful Christians immediately to -assume the cross, and march to the deliverance of the Holy City. Crowds -of armed pilgrims again quitted the shores of Europe for Palestine, -and the Templars, obedient to the pressing calls of their brethren, -hurried from their preceptories to the seaports of the Mediterranean, -and embarked in the ships of Genoa, Pisa, and Venice. The Grand Master -of the Temple, and the king of Jerusalem, placed themselves at the -head of the newly arrived battalions, and established their head -quarters at Ras el Ain, a small village on the main land opposite Tyre. -Many valiant Templars from the Temple at London, and the different -preceptories of England, Scotland, and Ireland, joined their chief, and -brought with them arms, horses, clothing, and munitions of war, with -a vast amount of treasure, which had been collected in the churches. -They were the bearers likewise of a large sum of money which had been -sent by king Henry the Second for the defence of Tyre. This money was -delivered to the Grand Master, but as the siege of Tyre had been raised -before its arrival, and the young Conrad claimed the sovereignty of -the city, and set up his authority in opposition to that of the king -of Jerusalem, Gerard de Riderfort very properly refused to deliver the -money into his hands; whereupon Conrad wrote letters filled with bitter -complaints to the archbishop of Canterbury and to king Henry.[82] - -At the commencement of the summer, the king and the Grand Master took -the field at the head of an army of 9,000 men, and marched along the -coast with the intention of laying siege to the important city of Acre. -Saladin wrote to all the governors of the Moslem provinces, requiring -them to join him without delay, and directed his army to concentrate -at Sepphoris. From thence he marched to Keruba, and then moved in -order of battle to Tel Kaisan, where the plain of Acre begins. The -city of Acre had been regularly invested for some days previous to his -arrival, and after reconnoitering the position of the christian army, -he encamped, extending his left wing to Al Nahr Al Halu, "the sweet -river," and his right to Tel Al'Ayâdhiya, in such a manner, that the -besiegers themselves became the besieged. He then made a sudden attack -upon the weakest part of the christian camp, broke through the lines, -penetrated to the gate of Acre, called Karàkûsh, which he entered, and -threw into the city a reinforcement of 5,000 warriors, laden with arms, -provisions, clothing, and everything necessary for the defence of the -place. Having accomplished this bold feat, Saladin made a masterly -retreat to his camp at Tel Al'Ayâdhiya. - -On the 4th of October, the newly-arrived warriors from Europe, eager -to signalize their prowess against the infidels, marched out of their -intrenchments to attack Saladin's camp. The holy gospels, wrapped -in silk, were borne by four knights on a cushion, before the king -of Jerusalem, and the patriarch Heraclius and the western bishops -appeared at the head of the christian forces with crucifixes in their -hands, exhorting them to obtain the crown of martyrdom in defence of -the christian faith. The Templars marched in the van, and led the -assault; they broke through the right wing of the Mussulman army, -which was commanded by Saladin's nephew, and struck such terror into -the hearts of the Moslems, that some of them fled, without halting, -as far as Tiberias. The undisciplined masses of the christian army, -however, thinking that the day was their own, rushed heedlessly on -after the infidels, and penetrating to the imperial tent, abandoned -themselves to pillage. The Grand Master of the Temple, foreseeing the -result, collected his knights and the forces of the order around him. -The infidels rallied, they were led on by Saladin in person, and the -Christian army would have been annihilated but for the Templars. Firm -and immoveable, they presented for the space of an hour an unbroken -front to the advancing Moslems, and gave time for the discomfited and -panic-stricken crusaders to recover from their terror and confusion; -but ere they had been rallied, and had returned to the charge, the -Grand Master Gerard de Riderfort, was slain; he fell, pierced with -arrows, at the head of his knights, the seneschal of the order shared -the same fate, and more than half the Templars were numbered with the -dead.[83] - -To Gerard de Riderfort succeeded (A. D. 1189) the Knight Templar, -Brother WALTER.[84] Never did the flame of enthusiasm burn with fiercer -or more destructive power than at this famous siege of Acre. Nine -pitched battles were fought, with various fortune, in the neighbourhood -of Mount Carmel, and during the first year of the siege a hundred -thousand Christians are computed to have perished. The tents of the -dead, however, were replenished by new-comers from Europe; the fleets -of Saladin succoured the town, the Christian ships brought continual -aid to the besiegers, and the contest seemed interminable. Saladin's -exertions in the cause of the prophet were incessant. The Arab authors -compare him to a mother wandering with desperation in search of her -lost child, to a lioness who has lost its young. "I saw him," says his -secretary Bohadin, "in the fields of Acre afflicted with a most cruel -disease, with boils from the middle of his body to his knees, so that -he could not sit down, but only recline on his side when he entered -into his tent, yet he went about to the stations nearest to the enemy, -arranged his troops for battle, and rode about from dawn till eve, now -to the right wing, then to the left, and then to the centre, patiently -enduring the severity of his pain." Having received intelligence of the -mighty preparations which were being made in Europe for the recovery of -Jerusalem, and of the march of the emperor Frederick Barbarossa through -Hungary and Greece to Constantinople, with a view of crossing the -Hellespont, into Asia, Saladin sent orders to the governors of Senjâr, -Al Jazîra, Al Mawsel, and Arbel, ordering them to attend him with their -troops, and directed his secretary Bohadin to proceed to the caliph Al -Nâssr Deldin'illah, at Bagdad, humbly to request the Mussulman pontiff -to use his spiritual authority and influence to induce all the Moslem -nations and tribes to heal their private differences and animosities, -and combine together against the Franks, for the defence of Islam. -Bohadin was received with the greatest distinction and respect by -the caliph and the whole divan at Bagdad, and whilst the pope was -disseminating his apostolical letters throughout Christendom, calling -upon the western nations to combine together for the triumph of the -CROSS, the Mussulman pontiff was addressing, from the distant city of -Bagdad, his pious exhortations to all true believers, to assemble under -the holy banners of the prophet, and shed their blood in defence of -_Islam_. - -Shortly after the commencement of the new year, (586, Hejir which -began Feb. 9th, A. D. 1190,) Saladin collected his troops together, -to raise the siege of Acre. He moved from Al Kherûba to Tel Al Ajûl, -where he pitched his camp. He was there joined by his son Al Malek, -Al Daher Gayâtho'ddîn Gâzi, the governor of Aleppo, with a select -body of cavalry, and by Mohaffero'ddîn I'Bn Zinoddin, with his light -horse. The Templars and the crusaders, during the winter, had not been -idle; they had dug trenches around their camp, thrown up ramparts, -and fortified their position in such a way that it would have been -difficult, says the Arabian writer, for even a bird to get in. They -had, moreover, filled up the ditch around the town, and constructed -three enormous towers, the largest of which was much higher than the -walls, was sixty cubits in length, and could contain from five to six -hundred warriors, with a proper quantity of arms and military engines. -These towers were covered with the raw hides of oxen soaked in vinegar -and mud, to render them incombustible; they were strengthened from top -to bottom with bands of iron, and were each divided into five platforms -or galleries filled with soldiers and military engines. They were -rolled on wheels to the walls, and the Templars and the crusaders were -about to descend from the platforms and galleries upon the battlements -of the city, when the towers, and all the warriors upon them, were -consumed by some inextinguishable inflammable composition, discharged -out of brass pots by a brazier from Damascus. "We were watching," says -Bohadin, who was standing in the Moslem camp by Saladin's side, "with -intense anxiety the movements of the soldiers upon the towers, and -thought that the city must inevitably be taken, when suddenly we saw -one of them surrounded with a blaze of light, which shot up into the -skies; the heavens were rent with one joyous burst of acclamation from -the sons of Islam, and in another instant another tower was surrounded -with raging flames and clouds of black smoke, and then the third; they -were ignited one after the other in the most astonishing and surprising -manner, with scarce an interval of a minute between them. The sultan -immediately mounted his horse, and ordered the trumpets to sound to -arms, exclaiming with a loud voice, in the words of the prophet, 'When -the gate of good fortune is thrown open, delay not to enter in.'" - -At the commencement of the summer Saladin detached a considerable -portion of his forces to the north, to oppose the progress of the -German crusaders and Templars, who were advancing from Constantinople, -under the command of the emperor Frederic Barbarossa. These advancing -Templars were the especial favourites of Barbarossa, and after his -melancholy death, from the effects of a cold bath in the river Cydnus, -they formed part of the body-guard of his son the duke of Suabia. - -In the month of July the Templars suffered severe loss in another -attack upon Saladin's camp. The christian soldiery, deceived by the -flight of the Mussulmen, were again lured to the pillage of their -tents, and again defeated by the main body of Saladin's army, which had -been posted in reserve. The Templars were surrounded by an overpowering -force, but they fought their way through the dense ranks of the -infidels to their own camp, leaving the plain of Acre strewed with the -lifeless bodies of the best and bravest of their warriors. "The enemies -of God," says Bohadin, "had the audacity to enter within the camp of -the lions of Islamism, but they speedily experienced the terrible -effects of the divine indignation. They fell beneath the sabres of -the Mussulmen as the leaves fall from the trees during the tempests -of autumn. Their mangled corpses, scattered over the mountain side, -covered the earth even as the branches and boughs cover the hills and -valleys when the woodsman lops the forest timber." "They fell," says -another Arabian historian, "beneath the swords of the sons of Islam as -the wicked will fall, at the last day, into the everlasting _fire_ of -HELL. Nine rows of the dead covered the earth between the sea-shore and -the mountains, and in each row might be counted the lifeless bodies of -at least one thousand warriors." - -The Moslem garrison continued manfully to defend the town; they kept -up a constant communication with Saladin, partly by pigeons, partly -by swimmers, and partly by men in small skiffs, who traversed the -port in secresy, by favour of the night, and stole into the city. At -one period the besieged had consumed nearly all their provisions, and -were on the point of dying with famine, when Saladin hit upon the -following stratagem, for the purpose of sending them a supply. He -collected together a number of vessels at Beirout laden with sacks of -meal, cheese, onions, sheep, rice, and other provisions. He disguised -the seamen in the Frank habit, put crosses on their pendants, and -covered the decks of the vessels with hogs. In this way the little -fleet sailed safely through the blockading squadron of the Christians, -and entered the port of Acre. On another occasion Saladin sent 1,000 -_dinars_ to the garrison, by means of a famous diver named Isa; the -man was unfortunately drowned during his passage to the city, but -the money, being deposited in three bladders, tied to his body, was -a few days afterwards thrown ashore near the town, and reached the -besieged in safety. At the commencement of the winter the garrison -was again reduced to great straits for want of food, and was on the -point of surrendering, when three vessels from Egypt broke through -the guard-ships of the Christians, and got safely into the harbour -with a copious supply of provisions, munitions of war, and everything -requisite to enable the city to hold out until the ensuing spring. - -To prevent the further introduction of succours by sea, the crusaders -endeavoured to take possession of the tower of Flies, a strong castle, -built upon a rock in the midst of the sea at the mouth of the harbour, -which commanded the port. The Templars employed one of their galleys -upon this service, and crowds of small boats, filled with armed men, -military engines, and scaling-ladders, were brought against the little -fortress, but without effect. The boats and vessels were set on fire -by the besieged and reduced to ashes, and after losing all their men, -the Christians gave over the attempt. On the land side, the combats and -skirmishes continued to be incessant. Wooden towers, and vast military -machines, and engines, were constantly erected by the besiegers, and -as constantly destroyed by the sallies and skilful contrivances of the -besieged. The Templars, on one occasion, constructed two battering -machines of a new invention, and most enormous size, and began -therewith furiously to batter the walls of the town, but the garrison -soon destroyed them with fire-darts, and beams of timber, pointed with -red-hot iron.[85] - -At the commencement of the next year, (587, Hejir. which began Jan. -29th, A. D. 1191,) a tremendous tempest scattered the fleet of the -crusaders, and compelled their ships to take refuge in Tyre. The sea -being open, Saladin hastily collected some vessels at Caiphas, threw a -fresh body of troops into Acre, and withdrew the exhausted garrison, -which had already sustained so many hardships and fatigues in defence -of the town. This exchange of the garrison was most happily timed, -for almost immediately after it had been effected, the walls of the -city were breached, and preparations were made for an assault. The -newly-arrived troops, however, repulsed the assailants, repaired the -walls, and once more placed the city in a good posture of defence. The -scarcity and famine in the christian camp continued to increase, and a -vast many of the crusaders, utterly unable to withstand the hardships -and difficulties of their position, deserted to Saladin, embraced the -Mohammedan faith, and were employed by him, at their own request, in -cruising off the coast against their quondam friends. Bohadin tells us -that they met with vast success in their employment. On board one of -their prizes was found a silver table, and a great deal of money and -plate, which the captors brought to the sultan, the 13th Dhu'lhajja, -but Saladin returned the treasure to them, saying, that it was a -sufficient satisfaction to him and the Moslems, to see that the Franks -pillaged and plundered one another with such alacrity. - -Famine and disease continued to make frightful ravages amongst the -crusaders. The duke of Suabia, Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, the -patriarch Heraclius, four archbishops, twelve bishops, forty counts, -and five hundred other nobles and knights, besides common soldiers, -fell victims to the malady. From two to three hundred persons died -daily, and the survivors became unequal to the task of burying the -dead. The trenches which the Christians had dug for their protection, -now became their graves. Putrefying corpses were to be seen floating -upon the sea, and lining the sea-shore, and the air was infected with -an appalling and intolerable effluvia. The bodies of the living became -bloated and swollen, and the most trifling wounds were incurable. -In addition to all this, numbers of the poorer class of people died -daily from starvation. The rich supported themselves for a time upon -horse-flesh, and Abbot Coggleshale tells us, that a dinner off the -entrails of a horse cost 10_d._ Bones were ground to powder, mixed with -water, and eagerly devoured, and all the shoes, bridles, and saddles, -and old leather in the camp, were boiled to shreds, and greedily eaten. - -Queen Sibylla, who appears to have been sincerely attached to the -unpopular husband she had raised to the throne, was present in the -christian camp with four infant daughters. She had wandered with the -king, Guy de Lusignan, from one place to another, ever since his -liberation from captivity, and had been his constant companion through -all the horrors, trials, and anxieties of the long siege of Acre. -Her delicate frame, weakened by sorrow and misfortune, was unable to -contend with the many hardships and privations of the christian camp. -She fell a victim to the frightful epidemic which raged amongst the -soldiers, and her death was speedily followed by that of her four -children. The enemies of the king now maintained that the crown of -the Latin kingdom had descended upon Isabella, the younger sister of -Sibylla, and wife of Humphrey de Thoron, Lord of Montreal, or Mount -Royal; but the latter seemed to think otherwise, and took no steps -either to have his wife made queen, or himself king. The enterprising -and ambitious Conrad, Marquis of Montferrat, accordingly determined to -play a bold game for the advancement of his own fortunes. He paid his -addresses to Isabella, and induced her to consent to be divorced from -Humphrey de Thoron, and take him for her husband. He went to the bishop -of Beauvais, and persuaded that prelate to pronounce the divorce, and -immediately after it had been done, he carried off Isabella to Acre, -and there married her. As soon as the nuptials had been performed, -Conrad caused himself and his wife to be proclaimed king and queen of -Jerusalem, and forthwith entered upon the exercise of certain royal -functions. He went to the christian camp before Acre, and his presence -caused serious divisions and dissensions amongst the crusaders. The -king, Guy de Lusignan, stood upon his rights; he maintained that, as he -had been once a king, he was always a king, and that the death of his -wife could not deprive him of the crown which he had solemnly received, -according to the established usage of the Latin kingdom. A strong -party in the camp declared themselves in his favour, and an equally -strong party declared in favour of his rival, Conrad, who prepared to -maintain his rights, sword in hand. The misfortunes of the Christians -appeared, consequently, to have approached their climax. The sword, the -famine, and the pestilence, had successively invaded their camp, and -now the demon of discord came to set them one against the other, and to -paralyse all their exertions in the christian cause.[86] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Richard Coeur de Lion joins the Templars before Acre--The city - surrenders, and the Templars establish the chief house of their - order within it--Coeur de Lion takes up his abode with them--He - sells to them the island of Cyprus--The Templars form the van - of his army--Their campaigns--The destruction of towns and - villages--The treaty with Saladin--Coeur de Lion quits the Holy - Land in the disguise of a Knight Templar--The Templars build the - Pilgrim's Castle in Palestine--The exploits of the Templars in - Egypt--The letters of the Grand Master to the Master of the Temple - at London--The Templars reconquer Jerusalem--The state of the order - in England--King John resides in the Temple at London--The barons - come to him at that place, and demand MAGNA CHARTA--Consecration of - the nave or oblong portion of the Temple Church at London. - - "Therefore, friends, - As far as to the sepulchre of Christ - (Whose soldier now under whose blessed cross - We are impressed and engag'd to fight,) - Forthwith a power of English shall we levy - Whose arms were moulded in their mother's womb, - To chase these pagans, in those holy fields, - Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, - Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd, - For our advantage, on the bitter cross." - - -In the mean time the crusade continued to be preached with great -success in Europe. William, archbishop of Tyre, had proceeded to the -courts of France and England, and had represented in glowing colours -the miserable condition of Palestine, and the horrors and abominations -which had been committed by the infidels in the holy city of Jerusalem. -The English and French monarchs laid aside their private animosities, -and agreed to fight under the same banner against the infidels, and -towards the close of the month of May, in the second year of the siege -of Acre, the royal fleets of Philip Augustus and Richard Coeur de Lion -floated in triumph in the bay of Acre. The Templars had again lost -their Grand Master, and Brother Robert de Sablè, or Sabloil, a valiant -knight of the order, who had commanded a division of the English -fleet on the voyage out, was placed (A. D. 1191) at the head of the -fraternity.[87] The Templars performed prodigies of valour; "Their name -and reputation, and the fame of their sanctity," says James of Vitry, -bishop of Acre, "like a chamber of perfume sending forth a sweet odour, -were diffused throughout the entire world, and all the congregation -of the saints will recount their battles and glorious triumphs over -the enemies of Christ; knights, indeed, from all parts of the earth, -dukes, and princes, after their example, casting off the shackles of -the world, and renouncing the pomps and vanities of this life, for -Christ's sake, hastened to join them, and to participate in their holy -profession and religion." They carried before them, at this time, -to battle, "a bipartite banner of black and white, which they call -_beauseant_, that is to say, in the Gallic tongue, _bienseant_, because -they are fair and favourable to the friends of Christ, but black and -terrible to his enemies."[88] - -Saladin had passed the winter on the heights of Schaferan and Keruba. -His vast army had been thinned and weakened by incessant watching, by -disease, and continual battles, and he himself was gradually sinking -under the effects of a dreadful disease, which baffled all the skill -of his medical attendants, and was gradually drawing him towards the -grave. But the proud soul of the great chieftain never quailed; nor -were his fire and energy at any time deadened. As soon as he heard of -the arrival of the two powerful christian monarchs, he sent envoys -and messengers throughout all Mussulman countries, earnestly demanding -succour, and on the Mussulman sabbath, after prayers had been offered -up to God for the triumph of his arms, and the deliverance of Islam, he -caused to be read, in all the mosques letters to the following effect;-- - -"In the name of GOD, the most MERCIFUL and COMPASSIONATE. To all devout -Believers in the one only God, and his prophet Mahomet, our Master. -The armies of the infidels, numerous as the stars of heaven, have come -forth from the remote countries situate beyond Constantinople, to wrest -from us those conquests which have gladdened the hearts of all who put -their trust in the Koran, and to dispute with us the possession of that -holy territory whereon the Caliph Omar, in bygone days, planted the -sacred standard of the Prophet. O men, prepare ye to sacrifice your -lives and fortunes in defence of _Islam_. Your marches against the -infidels, the dangers you encounter, the wounds you receive, and every -minute action, down to the fording of a river, are they not written -in the book of God? Thirst, hunger, fatigue, and death, will they -not obtain for you the everlasting treasures of heaven, and open to -your gaze the delicious groves and gardens of Paradise? In whatsoever -place ye remain, O men, death hath dominion over you, and neither -your houses, your lands, your wives, your children, nor the strongest -towers, can defend you from his darts. Some of you, doubtless, have -said one to another, Let us not go up to fight during the heat of -summer; and others have exclaimed, Let us remain at home until the snow -hath melted away from the mountain tops; but is not the fire of hell -more terrible than the heats of summer, and are not its torments more -insupportable than the winter's cold? Fear GOD, and not the _infidels_; -hearken to the voice of your chief, for it is Saladin himself who calls -you to rally around the standard of _Islam_. If you obey not, your -families will be driven out of Syria, and God will put in their places -a people better than you. JERUSALEM, the holy, the sister of Medina and -Mecca, will again fall into the power of the idolaters, who assign to -God a son, and raise up an equal to the Most High. Arm yourselves then, -with the buckler and the lance, scatter these children of fire, the -wicked sons of hell, whom the sea hath vomited forth upon our shores, -repeating to yourselves these words of the Koran, 'He who abandoneth -his home and family to defend our holy religion, shall be rewarded with -happiness, and with many friends.'"[89] - -The siege of Acre was now pressed with great vigour; the combined -fleets of France and England completely deprived the city of all -supplies by sea, and the garrison was reduced to great straits. -The sultan despaired of being able to save the city, and was sick, -Bohadin tells us, both in mind and body. He could neither eat nor -drink. At night he would lie down upon the side of the hill Aladajia, -and indulge in some broken slumbers, but at morning's dawn he was on -horseback, ordering his brazen drum to be sounded, and collecting his -army together in battle array. At last letters were received, by means -of pigeons, announcing that the garrison could hold out no longer. -"Saladin gazed," says Bohadin, "long and earnestly at the city, his -eyes were suffused with tears, and he sorrowfully exclaimed, '_Alas for -Islam!_'" On the morning of the 12th of July, (A. D. 1191,) the kings -of France and England, the christian chieftains, and the Turkish emirs -with their green banners, assembled in the tent of the Grand Master of -the Temple, to treat for the surrender of Acre; and on the following -day the gates were thrown open to the exulting warriors of the cross. -The Templars took possession of their ancient quarters by the side of -the sea, and mounted a large red-cross banner upon the tower of the -Temple. They possessed themselves of three extensive localities along -the sea-shore, and the Temple at Acre from thenceforth became the chief -house of the order. Richard Coeur de Lion took up his abode with the -Templars whilst Philip Augustus resided in the citadel. - -By the terms of the surrender of Acre, the inhabitants were to pay -a ransom of two hundred thousand pieces of gold for their lives and -liberties; two thousand noble and five hundred inferior christian -captives were to be set at liberty, and the true cross, which had -been taken at the battle of Tiberias, was to be restored to the -Latin clergy. Two months were accorded for the performance of these -conditions. I'Bn Alatsyr, who was then in Saladin's camp, tells us that -Saladin had collected together 100,000 pieces of gold, that he was -ready to deliver up the two thousand five hundred christian captives, -and restore the true cross, but his Mamlook emirs advised him not to -trust implicitly to the good faith of the christian adventurers of -Europe for the performance of their part of the treaty, but to obtain -from the Templars, of whose _regard for their word, and reverence for -the sanctity of an oath_, the Moslems had, he tells us, a high opinion, -a solemn undertaking for the performance, by the Christians, of the -stipulations they had entered into. Saladin accordingly sent to the -Grand Master of the Temple, to know if the Templars would guarantee -the surrender to him of all the Moslem prisoners, if the money, the -christian captives, and the true cross, were sent to them; but the -Grand Master declined giving any guarantee of the kind. The doubts -about the agreement, and the delay in the execution of it, kindled the -fierce indignation of the English monarch, and Richard Coeur de Lion -led out all his prisoners, 2,000 in number, into the plain of Acre, -and caused them all to be beheaded in sight of the sultan's camp![90] -During his voyage from Messina to Acre, king Richard had revenged -himself on Isaac Comnenus, the ruler of the island of Cyprus, for an -insult offered to the beautiful Berengaria, princess of Navarre, his -betrothed bride. He had disembarked his troops, stormed the town of -Limisso, and conquered the whole island; and shortly after his arrival -at Acre he sold it to the Templars for 300,000 livres d'or.[91] - -On the 21st of August, (A. D. 1191,) the Templars joined the standard -of king Richard, and left Acre for the purpose of marching upon -Jerusalem, by way of the sea-coast. They crossed the river Belus, and -pitched their tents on its banks, where they remained for three days, -to collect all the troops together. The most copious and authentic -account of their famous march by the side of the king of England, -through the hostile territories of the infidels, is contained in the -history of king Richard's campaign, by Geoffrey de Vinisauf, who -accompanied the crusaders on their expedition, and was an actor in the -stirring events he describes.[92] On Sunday, the 25th of August, the -Templars, under the conduct of their Grand Master, and the crusaders, -under the command of king Richard, commenced their march towards -Cæsarea. The army was separated into three divisions, the first of -which was led by the Templars, and the last by the Hospitallers. The -baggage moved on the right of the army, between the line of march and -the sea, and the fleet, loaded with provisions, kept pace with the -movements of the forces, and furnished them daily with the necessary -supplies. Saladin, at the head of an immense force, exerted all his -energies to oppose their progress, and the march to Jaffa formed one -perpetual battle. Vast masses of cavalry hovered upon their flanks, cut -off all stragglers, and put every prisoner that they took to death. The -first night after leaving the Belus, the Templars and the crusaders -encamped along the banks of the brook Kishon, around some wells in the -plain between Acre and Caiphas. The next day they forded the brook, -fought their way to Caiphas, and there halted for one day, in order -that the reluctant crusaders, who were lingering behind at Acre, might -come on and join them. On Wednesday, September 28, at dawn of day, -they prepared to force the passes and defiles of Mount Carmel. All the -heights were covered with dense masses of Mussulmen, who disputed the -ground inch by inch. The Templars placed themselves in the van of the -christian army, and headed the leading column, whilst the cavalry of -the Hospitallers protected the rear. They ascended the heights through -a dense vegetation of dry thistles, wild vines, and prickly shrubs, -drove the infidels before them, crossed the summit of Mount Carmel, -and descending into the opposite plain, encamped for the night at the -pass by the sea-shore, called "the narrow way," about eight miles from -Caiphas. Here they recovered possession of a solitary tower, perched -upon a rock overhanging the pass, which had been formerly built by the -Templars, but had for some time past been in the hands of the Saracens. -After lingering at this place an entire day, waiting the arrival of the -fleet and the barges, laden with provisions, they recommenced their -march (Friday, the 13th of August) to Tortura, the ancient Dora, about -seven miles distant. The Grand Master of the Temple, and his valiant -knights, were, as usual, in the van, forcing a passage through the -dense masses of the Moslems. The country in every direction around -their line of march, was laid waste, and every day the attacks became -more daring. The military friars had hitherto borne the brunt of the -affray, but on the march to Tortura, they suffered such heavy loss, -that king Richard determined the next day to take the command of the -van in person, and he directed them to bring up the rear. - -On the fifth day from their leaving the river Belus, the Templars and -the crusaders approached the far-famed Cæsarea, where St. Paul so long -resided, and where he uttered his eloquent oration before king Agrippa -and Felix. But the town was no longer visible; the walls, the towers, -the houses, and all the public buildings, had been destroyed by command -of Saladin, and the place was left deserted and desolate. The Templars -pitched their tents on the banks of the Crocodile river, the _flumen -crocodilon_ of Pliny, having been five days in performing the journey -from the river Belus, a distance of only thirty-six miles. The army -halted at Cæsarea during the whole of Sunday, the 1st of September, and -high mass was celebrated by the clergy with great pomp and solemnity, -amid the ruins of the city. On Monday, the 2nd of September, the tents -of the Templars were struck at morning's dawn, and they commenced -their march, with the leading division of the army, for the city of -Jaffa, which is about thirty miles distant from Cæsarea. They forded -the Crocodile river, and proceeded on their journey through a long -and narrow valley, torn by torrents, and filled with vast masses of -rock, which had been washed down from the heights by the winter rains. -They had the sea on their right, and on their left, a chain of craggy -eminences. Every advantage was taken by the enemy of the irregularity -of the ground; the Mussulman archers lined the heights, and vast masses -of cavalry were brought into action, wherever the nature of the country -admitted of their employment. The christian warriors were encumbered -with their heavy armour and military accoutrements, which were totally -unfit for the burning climate, yet they enthusiastically toiled on, -perseveringly overcoming all obstacles. - -Bohadin speaks with admiration of the valiant and martial bearing of -the warriors of the cross, and of their fortitude and patient endurance -during the long and trying march from Acre to Jaffa. "On the sixth -day," says he, "the sultan rose at dawn as usual, and heard from his -brother that the enemy were in motion. They had slept that night in -suitable places about Cæsarea, and were now dressing and taking their -food. A second messenger announced that they had begun their march; -our brazen drum was sounded, all were alert, the sultan came out, and -I accompanied him: he surrounded them with chosen troops, and gave -the signal for attack. The archers were drawn out, and a heavy shower -of arrows descended, still the enemy advanced.... Their foot soldiers -were covered with thick-strung pieces of cloth, fastened together -with rings, so as to resemble coats of mail. I saw with my own eyes -several who had not one or two, but _ten darts sticking in their -backs_! and yet marched on with a calm and cheerful step, without any -trepidation. They had a division of infantry in reserve, to protect -those who were weary, and look after the baggage. When any portion of -their men became exhausted and gave way through fatigue or wounds, this -division advanced and supported them. Their cavalry in the mean time -kept together in close column, and never moved away from the infantry, -except when they rushed to the charge. In vain did our troops attempt -to lure them away from the foot soldiers; they kept steadily together -in close order, protecting one another and slowly forcing their way -with wonderful perseverance." - -After a short march of only eight miles from Cæsarea, the Templars -pitched their tents on the banks of the Nahr al Kasab, a small river, -called by Geoffrey de Vinisauf "_the dead river_." Here they remained -two nights, waiting for the fleet. On the 4th of September they resumed -their march through a desert country which had been laid waste in every -direction by command of Saladin. Finding their progress along the shore -impeded by the tangled thickets, they quitted the plain and traversed -the hills which run parallel with the sea. Their march was harassed -by incessant charges of cavalry. The Templars brought up the rear -of the army, and lost so many horses during the day, that they were -almost driven to despair. At nightfall they descended to the beach, -and encamped on the banks of a salt creek, close by the village of Om -Khaled, near the ruins of the ancient Apollonias, having performed -a march of five miles. The next morning, being Thursday, the 5th of -September, the Templars set out at sunrise from the salt creek in -battle array, having received intelligence that Saladin had prepared -an ambuscade in the neighbouring forest of Arsoof, and intended to -hazard a general engagement. Scouts were sent on into the forest, who -reported that the road was clear; and the whole army, ascending a -slight rising ground, penetrated through the wood, and descended into -the plain of Arsur or Arsoof. Through the midst of this plain rolls a -mountain torrent, which takes its rise in the mountains of Ephraim, and -on the opposite side of the stream Saladin had drawn up his army in -battle array. The Templars encamped for the night on the right bank of -the stream, having during the day marched nine miles. - -On Saturday, the 7th of November, king Richard, having completed all -his arrangements for a general engagement, drew up his army at dawn. -The Templars again formed the first division, and were the first to -cross the mountain torrent, and drive in Saladin's advanced guard. -They were followed by Guy, king of Jerusalem, who was at the head of -the division of Poitou, and then by the main body of the army under -the personal conduct of king Richard. Geoffrey de Vinisauf tells us, -that on all sides, far as the eye could reach, from the sea-shore to -the mountains, nought was to be seen but a forest of spears, above -which waved banners and standards innumerable. The wild Bedouins, -the children of the desert, with skins blacker than soot, mounted on -their fleet Arab mares, coursed with the rapidity of lightning over -the vast plain, and darkened the air with clouds of missiles. They -advanced to the attack with horrible screams and bellowings, which, -with the deafening noise of the trumpets, horns, cymbals, and brazen -kettle-drums, produced a clamour that resounded through the plain, -and would have drowned even the thunder of heaven. King Richard -received the attack in close and compact array, strict orders having -previously been given that all the soldiers should remain on the -defensive until two trumpets had been sounded in the front, two in -the centre, and two in the rear of the army, when they were in their -turn to become the assailants. The ferocious Turks, the wild Bedouins, -and the swarthy Æthiopians, gathered around the advanced guard of -the Templars, and kept up a distant and harassing warfare with their -bows and arrows, whilst the swift cavalry of the Arabs dashed down -upon the foot soldiers as if about to overwhelm them, then suddenly -checking their horses, they wheeled off to the side, raising clouds of -smothering, suffocating dust, which oppressed and choked the toiling -warriors. The baggage moved on between the army and the sea, and the -Christians thus continued slowly to advance under the scorching rays -of an autumnal sun. "They moved," says Vinisauf, "inch by inch; it -could not be called walking, for they were pushing and hacking their -way through an overpowering crowd of resisting foes." Emboldened by -their passive endurance, the Moslems approached nearer, and began to -ply their darts and lances. The Marshall of the Hospital then charged -at the head of his knights, without waiting for the signal, and in an -instant the action became general. The clash of swords, the ringing of -armour, and the clattering of iron clubs and flails, as they descended -upon the helmets and bucklers of the European warriors, became mingled -with the groans of the dying, and with the fierce cries of the wild -Bedouins. Clouds of dust were driven up into the skies, and the plain -became covered with banners, lances, and all kinds of arms, and with -emblems of every colour and device, torn and broken, and soiled with -blood and dust. Coeur de Lion was to be seen everywhere in the thickest -of the fight, and after a long and obstinate engagement the infidels -were defeated; but amid the disorder of his troops Saladin remained -on the plain without lowering his standard or suspending the sound of -his brazen kettle-drums; he rallied his forces, retired upon Ramleh, -and prepared to defend the mountain passes leading to Jerusalem. The -Templars pushed on to Arsoof, and pitched their tents before the gates -of the town. - -On Monday, September 9th, the christian forces moved on in battle -array to Jaffa, the ancient Joppa, about eight miles from Arsoof. The -Templars brought up the rear of the army; and after marching about -five miles, they reached the banks of the Nahr el Arsoof, or river -of Arsoof, which empties itself into the sea, about three miles from -Jaffa, and pitched their tents in a beautiful olive grove on the -sea-shore. Saladin laid waste all the country around them, drove away -the inhabitants, and carried off all the cattle, corn, and provisions. -The towns of Cæsarea, Ramleh, Jaffa, Ascalon, and all the villages, -had been set on fire and burnt to ashes, and all the castles and -fortresses within reach of the crusading army were dismantled and -destroyed. Among these last were the castles of St. George, Galatia, -Blancheward, Beaumont, Belvoir, Toron, Arnald, Mirabel, the castle of -the plain, and many others. Every place, indeed, of strength or refuge -was utterly destroyed by command of the inexorable Saladin. Bohadin -tells us that the sultan mourned grievously over the destruction of -the fair and beautiful city of Ascalon, saying to those around him, -"By God, I would sooner lose my sons than touch a stone of this goodly -city, but what God wills, and the good of Islam requires, must be -done." The walls and fortifications of Ascalon were of great extent and -stupendous strength, and an army of thirty thousand men was employed -for fourteen days in the work of demolition. "The weeping families -were removed from their houses, amid the most heart-rending confusion -and misery," says Bohadin, "that I ever witnessed." Thousands of men -were employed in dashing down the towers and the walls, and throwing -the stones into the ditches and into the adjoining sea, and thousands -were occupied in carrying away property and the contents of the public -granaries and magazines. But ere half the effects had been removed, -the impatient sultan ordered the town to be set on fire, "and soon," -says Bohadin, "the raging flames were to be seen, tearing through the -roofs, and curling around the minarets of the mosques." The great tower -of the Hospitallers was the only edifice that resisted the flames -and the exertions of the destroyers. It stood frowning in gloomy and -solitary magnificence over the wide extended scene of ruin. "We must -not depart," said Saladin, "until yon lofty tower has been brought -low," and he ordered it to be filled with combustibles and set on -fire. "It stood," says Bohadin, "by the sea-side, and was of amazing -size and strength. I went into it, and examined it. The walls and the -foundations were so solid, and of such immense width, that no battering -machines could have produced the slightest effect upon them." Every -heart was filled with sorrow and mourning at the sight of the scorched -and blackened ruins of the once fair and beautiful Ascalon. "The city," -says Bohadin, "was very elegant, and, in truth, exquisitely beautiful; -its stupendous fortifications and lofty edifices possessed a majesty -and grandeur which inspired one with awe."[93] - -Ascalon, once the proudest of the five satrapies of the lords of the -Philistines, is now uninhabited. The walls still lie scattered in huge -fragments along the sea-shore, mixed with columns and broken pillars, -which are wedged in among them, and amid the confused heaps of ruin -which mark the site of the ancient city, not a single dwelling is now -visible. "The king shall perish from Gaza," saith the prophet, "and -ASCALON shall _not be inhabited_." - -On the 16th of October Coeur de Lion wrote a letter to Saladin, -exhorting him to put an end to the holy war; but he demanded, as the -price of peace, the restitution of Jerusalem, of Palestine, and the -true cross. "Jerusalem," says the king, "we consider to be the seat of -our religion, and every one of us will perish rather than abandon it. -Do you restore to us the country on this side Jordan, together with -the holy cross, which is of no value to you, being in your eyes a mere -piece of wood, but which we Christians prize greatly; we will then make -peace, and repose from our incessant toils." "When the sultan," says -Bohadin, who was himself a participator in the negotiation, "had read -this letter, he took counsel with his emirs, and sent a reply to the -following effect:--'The Holy City is held in as great reverence and -estimation by the Moslems, as it is by you, ay, and in much greater -reverence. From thence did our prophet Mahomet undertake his nocturnal -journey to heaven, and upon that holy spot have the angels and the -prophets at different periods been gathered together. Think not that we -will ever surrender it. Never would we be so unmindful of our duty, and -of that which it behoves us to do, as good Mussulmen. As to the country -you speak of, it hath belonged to us of old, and if you took it from -the Moslems when they were weak, they have taken it from you now that -they are strong, as they have a right to do. You may continue the war, -but God will not give you a stone of the land as a possession, for he -hath given the country to the Moslems, to be by them plentifully and -bountifully enjoyed. As to the cross, the reverence you pay to that bit -of wood is a scandalous idolatry, disrespectful to the Most High, and -hateful in the sight of God. We will, therefore, not give it to you, -unless by so doing we can secure some great and manifest advantage for -Islam.'" - -On the 15th of November, the Templars marched out of Jaffa with -king Richard and his army, and proceeded through the plain towards -Jerusalem. As they advanced, Saladin slowly retired before them, laying -waste the surrounding country, destroying all the towns and villages, -and removing the inhabitants. Between noon and evening prayers, the -sultan rode over to the city of Lidda, where St. Peter cured Æneas of -the palsy, and employed his army, and a number of christian slaves, in -the destruction of the noble cathedral church erected by Justinian, -and in the demolition of the town. He then fell back with his army to -Beitnubah, a small village seated upon an eminence at the extremity -of the plain of Ramleh, at the commencement of the hill country of -Judea, and there encamped. "On Friday morning, at an early hour," says -Bohadin, "the sultan mounted on horseback, and ordered me to accompany -him. The rain fell in torrents. We marched towards Jerusalem. We -dismounted at the monastery near the church of the Resurrection, and -Saladin remained there to pass the night." The next morning at dawn -the sultan again mounted on horseback, and rode round the walls of the -Holy City. The whole population, together with two thousand christian -captives, had for weeks past been diligently employed in the reparation -and reconstruction of the fortifications. Forty expert masons had -arrived from Mossul, together with engineers and artificers from all -the Mussulman countries of Asia. Two enormous towers were constructed, -new walls were built, ditches were hollowed out of the rocks, and -countless sums, says Bohadin, were spent upon the undertaking. -Saladin's sons, his emirs, and his brother Adel, were charged with -the inspection of the works; and the sultan himself was on horseback -every morning from sunrise to sunset, stimulating the exertions of the -workmen. - -Whilst Saladin was making these vigorous preparations for the defence -of Jerusalem, the Templars halted at Ramleh, the ancient Arimathea, -situate in the middle of the plain, about nine miles from Jaffa, and -lingered with the crusaders amid the ruins of the place for six weeks. -In one of their midnight sallies they captured and brought into the -camp more than two hundred oxen. On New Year's day, A. D. 1192, they -marched to Beitnubah, and encamped at the entrance of the gorges and -defiles leading to the Holy City; but these defiles were guarded by a -powerful army under the personal command of Saladin, and the warriors -of the cross ventured not to penetrate them. The weather became -frightful; tempests of rain and hail, thunder and lightning, succeeded -one another without cessation; the tents were torn to pieces by furious -whirlwinds, and all the provisions of the army were destroyed by the -wet. Many of the camels, horses, and beasts of burthen, perished from -fatigue and the inclemency of the weather, and orders were given for a -retrograde movement to the Mediterranean. - -The Templars faithfully adhered to the standard of Coeur de Lion, -and marched with him from Jaffa along the sea-coast to the ruins -of Ascalon; but the other warriors, who owned no allegiance to the -sovereign of England, abandoned him. The duke of Burgundy and the -French proceeded to enjoy themselves in the luxurious city of Acre: -some of the crusaders remained at Jaffa, and others went to Tyre and -joined the rebellious party of Conrad, marquis of Montferrat. During -the march from Jaffa to Ascalon, a distance of twenty-eight miles, the -Templars suffered great hardships from hail-storms and terrific showers -of rain and sleet; and on their arrival amid the ruins of the once -flourishing city, they were nearly starved, by reason of the shipwreck -of their vessels freighted with the necessary supplies. They pitched -their tents among the ruins on the 20th of January, A. D. 1192, and -for eight days were compelled to subsist on the scanty supply of food -they had brought with them from Jaffa. During the winter they assisted -king Richard in the reconstruction of the fortifications, and took an -active part in the capture of several convoys and caravans which were -traversing the adjoining desert from Egypt. - -Whilst the Templars and the kings of England and Jerusalem thus -remained under tents or in the open fields planning the overthrow -and destruction of the infidels, Conrad, marquis of Montferrat, -the pretender to the throne of the Latin kingdom, was traitorously -intriguing with Saladin for the advancement of his own schemes of -private ambition. He was supported by the duke of Burgundy and the -French, and was at the head of a strong party who hated king Richard, -and envied him the fame of his military exploits. The marquis of -Montferrat went to Saladin's camp. He offered, Bohadin tells us, to -make war upon king Richard, to attack the city of Acre, and join his -forces to those of the sultan, provided the latter would cede to him -the maritime towns of Tyre, Sidon, and Beirout, and all the sea-coast -between them; but before these traitorous designs could be carried -into execution, the marquis of Montferrat was assassinated. Six days -after his death, the fickle princess Isabella, his wife, the younger -sister of the late queen Isabella, married Henry, count of Champagne, -nephew of king Richard. This nobleman possessed great influence in -the councils of the christian chieftains, and a general desire was -manifested for his recognition as KING of JERUSALEM. The Templars -accordingly induced Guy de Lusignan to abdicate in favour of Isabella -and the count of Champagne, offering him as a recompense the wealthy -and important island of Cyprus, which had been ceded to them, as before -mentioned, by king Richard. - -Coeur de Lion and the Templars remained encamped amid the ruins of -Ascalon, and employed themselves in intercepting the caravans and -convoys which were crossing the neighbouring desert, from Egypt to -Palestine, and succeeded in setting at liberty many christian captives. -The second Sunday after Trinity, the tents were struck, and they once -more resumed their march, with the avowed intention of laying siege to -the Holy City. They again proceeded, by easy stages, across the plain -of Ramleh, and on the 11th of June, five days after they had left -Ascalon, they reached Beitnubah where they again halted for the space -of an entire month, under the pretence of waiting for Henry, the new -king of Jerusalem, and the forces which were marching under his command -from Tyre and Acre. But the rugged mountains between Beitnubah and -Jerusalem were the real cause of delay, and again presented a barrier -to their further progress. Saladin had fixed his station in the Holy -City, leaving the main body of his army encamped among the mountains -near Beitnubah. His Mamlooks appear to have been somewhat daunted by -the long continuance of the war, and the persevering obstinacy of the -Christians. They remembered the bloody fate of their brethren at Acre, -and pressed the sultan to reserve _his_ person and _their_ courage -for the future defence of their religion and empire. Bohadin gives -a curious account of their misgivings and disinclination to stand a -siege within the walls of Jerusalem. He made an address to them at the -request of the sultan, and when he had ceased to speak, Saladin himself -arose. A profound silence reigned throughout the assembly,--"they -were as still as if BIRDS _were sitting on their_ HEADS." "Praise be -to God," said Saladin, "and may his blessing rest upon our Master, -Mahomet, his prophet. Know ye not, O men, that ye are the only army -of ISLAM, and its only defence. The lives and fortunes and children -of the Moslems are committed to your protection. If ye now quail from -the fight, (which God avert,) the foe will roll up these countries -as the angel of the Lord rolls up the book in which the actions of -men are written down." After an eloquent harangue from the sultan, -Saifeddin Meshtoob, and the Mamlooks exclaimed with one voice, "My -Lord, we are thy servants and slaves; we swear, by God, that none of -us will quit thee so long as we shall live."[94] But the anxiety of -Saladin and the Mamlooks was speedily calmed by the retreat of the -christian soldiers who fell back upon the sea-coast and their shipping. -The health of king Richard and of Saladin was in a declining state, -they were mutually weary of the war, and a treaty of peace was at last -entered into between the sultan, the king of England, Henry, king of -Jerusalem, and the Templars and Hospitallers, whereby it was stipulated -that the christian pilgrims should enjoy the privilege of visiting -the Holy City and the Holy Sepulchre without tribute or molestation; -that the cities of Tyre, Acre, and Jaffa, with all the sea-coast -between them, should belong to the Latins, but that the fortifications -recently erected at Ascalon should be demolished. Immediately after the -conclusion of peace, king Richard, being anxious to take the shortest -and speediest route to his dominions, induced Robert de Sablè, the -Grand Master of the Temple, to place a galley of the order at his -disposal, and it was determined that, whilst the royal fleet pursued -its course with queen Berengaria through the Straits of Gibraltar to -Britain, Coeur de Lion himself, disguised in the habit of a Knight -Templar, should secretly embark and make for one of the ports of the -Adriatic. The plan was carried into effect on the night of the 25th of -October, and king Richard set sail, accompanied by some attendants, and -four trusty Templars. The habit he had assumed, however, protected him -not, as is well known, from the cowardly vengeance of the base duke of -Austria.[95] - -In the year 1194, Robert de Sablè, the Grand Master of the Temple, -was succeeded by Brother Gilbert Horal or Erail, who had previously -filled the high office of Grand Preceptor of France.[96] The Templars, -to retain and strengthen their dominion in Palestine, commenced the -erection of several strong fortresses, the stupendous ruins of many of -which remain to this day. The most famous of these was the Pilgrim's -Castle, which commanded the coast-road from Acre to Jerusalem. It -derived its name from a solitary tower erected by the early Templars -to protect the passage of the pilgrims through a dangerous pass in the -mountains bordering the sea-coast, and was commenced shortly after the -removal of the chief house of the order from Jerusalem to Acre. A small -promontory which juts out into the sea a few miles below Mount Carmel, -was converted into a fortified camp. Two gigantic towers, a hundred -feet in height and seventy-four feet in width, were erected, together -with enormous bastions connected together by strong walls furnished -with all kinds of military engines. The vast inclosure contained a -palace for the use of the Grand Master and knights, a magnificent -church, houses and offices for the serving brethren and hired soldiers, -together with pasturages, vineyards, gardens, orchards, and fishponds. -On one side of the walls was the salt sea, and on the other, within -the camp, were delicious springs of fresh water. The garrison amounted -to four thousand men in time of war.[97] Considerable remains of -this famous fortress are still visible on the coast, a few miles to -the south of Acre. It is still called by the Levantines, _Castel -Pellegrino_. Pocock describes it as "very magnificent, and so finely -built, that it may be reckoned one of the things that are best worth -seeing in these parts." "It is encompassed," says he, "with two walls -fifteen feet thick, the inner wall on the east side cannot be less than -forty feet high, and within it there appear to have been some very -grand apartments. The offices of the fortress seem to have been at the -west end, where I saw an oven fifteen feet in diameter. In the castle -there are remains of a fine lofty church of ten sides, built in a light -gothic taste: three chapels are built to the three eastern sides, -each of which consists of five sides, excepting the opening to the -church; in these it is probable the three chief altars stood." Irby and -Mangles, referring at a subsequent period to the ruins of the church, -describe it as a double hexagon, and state that the half then standing -had six sides. Below the cornice are human heads and heads of animals -in alto relievo, and the walls are adorned with a double line of arches -in the gothic style, the architecture light and elegant. - -On the death of Saladin, (13th of March, A. D. 1193,) the vast and -powerful empire that he had consolidated fell to pieces, the title to -the thrones of Syria and Egypt was disputed between the brother and -the sons of the deceased sultan; and the pope, thinking that these -dissensions presented a favourable opportunity for the recovery of the -Holy City, caused another (the fourth) crusade to be preached. Two -expeditions organized in Germany proceeded to Palestine and insisted on -the immediate commencement of hostilities, in defiance of the truce. -The Templars and Hospitallers, and the Latin Christians, who were in -the enjoyment of profound peace under the faith of treaties, insisted -upon the impolicy and dishonesty of such a proceeding, but were -reproached with treachery and lukewarmness in the christian cause; and -the headstrong Germans sallying out of Acre, committed some frightful -ravages and atrocities upon the Moslem territories. The infidels -immediately rushed to arms; their intestine dissensions were at once -healed, their chiefs extended to one another the hand of friendship, -and from the distant banks of the Nile, from the deserts of Arabia, and -the remote confines of Syria, the followers of Mahomet rallied again -around the same banner, and hastened once more to fight in defence of -_Islam_. Al-Ma-lek, Al-a-del, Abou-becr Mohammed, the renowned brother -of Saladin, surnamed _Saif-ed-din_, "Sword of the Faith," took the -command of the Moslem force, and speedily proved himself a worthy -successor to the great "Conqueror of Jerusalem." He concentrated a vast -army, and by his rapid movements speedily compelled the Germans to quit -all the open country, and throw themselves into the fortified city of -Jaffa. By a well-executed manoeuvre, he then induced them to make a rash -sortie from the town, and falling suddenly upon the main body of their -forces, he defeated them with terrific slaughter. He entered the city, -pell-mell, with the fugitives, and annihilated the entire German force. -The small garrison of the Templars maintained in the Temple of Jaffa -was massacred, the fortifications were razed to the ground, and the -city was left without a single christian inhabitant.[98] Such were the -first results of this memorable crusade. - -The Templars on the receipt of this disastrous intelligence, assembled -their forces, and marched out of the city of Acre, in the cool of the -evening, to encamp at Caiphas, four miles distant from the town. The -king placed himself at the castle window to see them pass, and was -leaning forward watching their progress across the neighbouring plain, -when he unfortunately overbalanced himself, and fell headlong into the -moat. He was killed on the spot, and queen Isabella was a second time -a widow, her divorced husband, Humphry de Thoron being, however, still -alive. She had three daughters by king Henry, Mary, who died young, -Alix, and Philippine. Radolph of Tiberias became an aspirant for the -hand of the widowed queen, but the Templars rejected his suit because -he was too poor, declaring that they would not give the queen and the -kingdom to a man who had nothing. They sent the chancellor of the -emperor of Germany, who was staying at Acre, to Amauri, king of Cyprus, -offering him the hand of Isabella and the crown of the Latin kingdom. -Amauri had succeeded to the sovereignty of the island on the death of -his brother Guy de Lusignan, (A. D. 1194,) and he eagerly embraced -the offer. He immediately embarked in his galleys at Nicosia, landed -at Acre, and was married to queen Isabella and solemnly crowned a few -weeks after the death of the late king. - -On the arrival of a second division of the crusaders, under the command -of the dukes of Saxony and Brabant, the Templars again took the field -and overthrew the Arab cavalry in a bloody battle, fought in the plain -between Tyre and Sidon. The entire Mussulman army was defeated, and -Saif-ed-din, desperately wounded, fell back upon Damascus. Beirout -was then besieged and taken, and the fall of this important city -was followed by the reduction of Gabala and Laodicea, and all the -maritime towns between Tripoli and Jaffa.[99] Intelligence now reached -Palestine of the death of the emperor Henry VI., whereupon all the -German chieftains hurried home, to pursue upon another theatre their -own schemes of private ambition. After having provoked a terrific and -sanguinary war they retired from the contest, leaving their brethren -in the East to fight it out as they best could. These last, on viewing -their desolated lands, their defenceless cities, and their dwellings -destroyed by fire, exclaimed with bitterness and truth, "Our fellow -Christians and self-styled allies found us at _peace_, they have -left us at WAR. They are like those ominous birds of passage whose -appearance portends the coming tempest." To add to the difficulties and -misfortunes of the Latin Christians, a quarrel sprung up between the -Templars and Hospitallers touching their respective rights to certain -property in Palestine. The matter was referred to the pope, who gravely -admonished them, representing that the infidels would not fail to take -advantage of their dissensions, to the great injury of the Holy Land, -and to the prejudice of all Christendom. He exhorts them to maintain -unity and peace with one another, and appoints certain arbitrators -to decide the differences between them. The quarrel was of no great -importance, nor of any long duration, for the same year pope Innocent -wrote to both orders, praising them for their exertions in the cause -of the cross, and exhorting them strenuously and faithfully to support -with all their might the new king of Jerusalem.[100] - -In the year 1201 the Grand Master of the Temple, Gilbert Horal, was -succeeded by brother Philip Duplessies, or De Plesseis,[101] who found -himself, shortly after his accession to power, engaged in active -hostilities with Leon I., king of Armenia, who had taken possession -of the castle of Gaston, which belonged to the Knights Templars. The -Templars drove King Leon out of Antioch, compelled him to give up the -castle of Gaston and sue for peace. A suspension of arms was agreed -upon; the matters in dispute between them were referred to the pope, -and were eventually decided in favour of the Templars. The Templars -appear at this period to have recovered possession of most of their -castles and strongholds in the principalities of Tripoli and Antioch. -Taking advantage of the dissensions between the neighbouring Moslem -chieftains, they gradually drove the infidels across the Orontes, -and restored the strong mountain districts to the christian arms. -Some European vessels having been plundered by Egyptian pirates, the -Templars unfolded their war-banner, and at midnight they marched out -of Acre, with the king of Jerusalem, to make reprisals on the Moslems; -they extended their ravages to the banks of the Jordan, and collected -together a vast booty, informing their brethren in Acre of their -movements by letters tied to the necks of pigeons. Coradin, sultan -of Damascus, assembled a large body of forces at Sepphoris, and then -marched against the hill fort Doc, which belonged to the Templars. The -place was only three miles distant from Acre, and the population of the -town was thrown into the utmost consternation. But the military friars, -assembling their forces from all quarters, soon repulsed the invaders, -and restored tranquillity to the Latin kingdom. - -At this period king Amauri, having partaken somewhat too plentifully -of a favourite dish of fish, was seized with an alarming illness, and -died at Acre on the 1st of April, A. D. 1205. He had issue by Isabella -one daughter; but before the close of the year both the mother and the -child died. The crowns of Jerusalem and Cyprus, which were united on -the heads of Amauri and Isabella, were now after their decease again -divided. Mary, the eldest daughter of the queen, by the famous Conrad, -marquis of Montferrat, was acknowledged heiress to the crown of the -Latin kingdom, and Hugh de Lusignan, the eldest son of Amauri by his -first wife, succeeded to the sovereignty of the island of Cyprus. This -young prince married the princess Alice, daughter of Isabella by king -Henry, count of Champagne, and half sister to the young queen Mary by -the mother's side. The young and tender princess who had just now -succeeded to the throne of the Latin kingdom, was fourteen years of -age, and the Templars and Hospitallers became her natural guardians -and protectors. They directed the military force of the Latin empire -in the field, and the government of the country in the cabinet: and -defended the kingdom during her minority with zeal and success against -all the attacks of the infidels. As soon as the young queen arrived at -marriageable years, the Templars and Hospitallers sent over the bishop -of Acre and Aimar, lord of Cæsarea, to Philip Augustus, king of France, -requesting that monarch to select a suitable husband for her from -among his princes and nobles. The king's choice fell upon the count -of Brienne, who left France with a large cortége of knights and foot -soldiers, and arrived in Palestine on the 13th of September. The day -after his arrival he was married to the young queen, who had just then -attained her seventeenth year, and on the succeeding Michaelmas-day, he -was crowned king of Jerusalem. - -At this period the truce with the infidels had expired, the Grand -Master of the Temple having previously refused to renew it. Hostilities -consequently recommenced, and the Templars again took the field with -the new king of Jerusalem and his French knights. Some important -successes were gained over the Moslems, but the Latin kingdom was -thrown into mourning by the untimely death of the young queen Mary. She -died at Acre, in the twentieth year of her age, leaving by the king -her husband, an infant daughter, named Violante. The count de Brienne -continued, after the example of Guy de Lusignan, to wear the crown, and -exercise all the functions of royalty, notwithstanding the death of -the queen. Pope Innocent III. had long been endeavouring to throw an -additional lustre around his pontificate by achieving the re-conquest -of Jerusalem. By his bulls and apostolical letters he sought to awaken -the ancient enthusiasm of Christendom in favour of the holy war; and -following the example of pope Urban, he at last called together a -general council of the church to aid in the arming of Europe for -the recovery of the Holy City. This council assembled at Rome in the -summer of the year 1215, and decreed the immediate preaching of another -crusade. The emperor Frederick, John, king of England, the king of -Hungary, the dukes of Austria and Bavaria, and many prelates, nobles, -and knights, besides crowds of persons of inferior degree, assumed the -cross. Some prepared to fulfil their vow, and embark for the far East, -but the far greater portion of them paid sums of money to the clergy -to be exempt from the painful privations, dangers, and difficulties -consequent upon the long voyage. The king of Hungary, and the dukes -of Austria and Bavaria, were the first to set out upon the pious -enterprise. They placed themselves at the head of an army composed of -many different nations, embarked from Venice, and landed at the port of -St. Jean d'Acre at the commencement of the year 1217. The day after the -feast of All Saints they marched out of Acre, and pitched their tents -upon the banks of the brook Kishon; and the next day the patriarch of -Jerusalem, and the Templars and Hospitallers, came with great pomp and -solemnity into the camp, bearing with them "a piece of the true cross!" -It was pretended that this piece of the cross had been cut off before -the battle of Tiberias, and carefully preserved by the oriental clergy. -The kings and princes went out bare-foot and uncovered to receive the -holy relic; they placed it at the head of their array, and immediately -commenced a bold and spirited march to the Jordan. - -Under the guidance of the Templars they followed the course of the -brook Kishon, by the ruins of Endor, to the valley of Jezreel, -and traversing the pass through the mountains of Gilboa to Bisan -or Scythopolis, they descended into the valley of the Jordan, and -pitched their tents on the banks of that sacred river. From Bisan they -proceeded up the valley of the Jordan to the lake of Tiberias, skirted -its beautiful shores to Bethsaida, passing in front of the strong -citadel of Tiberias, and then proceeded across the country to Acre, -without meeting an enemy to oppose their progress. The Templars then -pressed the christian chieftains to undertake without further loss -of time the siege of the important fortress of Mount Thabor, and at -the commencement of the autumn the place was regularly invested, but -the height and steepness of the mountain rendered the transportation -of heavy battering machines and military engines to the summit a -tedious and laborious undertaking. The troops suffered from the want -of water, their patience was exhausted, and the four kings and their -followers, being anxious to return home, speedily found excuses for the -abandonment of the siege. The customary scene of disorder and confusion -then ensued; a large body of Arab horsemen, which had crossed the -Jordan, infested the rear of the retiring crusaders. The disordered -pilgrims and foot soldiers were panic-stricken, and fled to the hills; -and the retreat would have been disastrous, but for the gallant conduct -of the Templars and Hospitallers, who covered the rear and sustained -the repeated charges of the Arab cavalry. The two orders sustained -immense loss in men and horses, and returned in sorrow and disgust to -their quarters at Acre.[102] - -The Grand Master Philip Duplessies had been unable to take part in -the expedition; he was confined to the Temple at Acre by a dangerous -illness, of which he died a few days after the return of the Templars -from Mount Thabor. Immediately after his decease a general chapter of -knights was assembled, and Brother William de Chartres was elevated -(A. D. 1217) to the vacant dignity of Grand Master.[103] Shortly after -his election he was called upon to take the command of a large fleet -fitted out by the order of the Temple against the Egyptians. He set sail -from Acre in the month of May, cast anchor in the mouth of the Nile, -and proceeded, in conjunction with the crusaders, to lay siege to -the wealthy and populous city of Damietta. The Templars pitched their -tents in the plain on the left bank of the Nile, opposite the town, -and surrounded their position with a ditch and a wall. They covered -the river with their galleys, and with floating rafts furnished with -military engines, and directed their first attacks against a castle in -the midst of the stream, called the castle of Taphnis. - -Large towers were erected upon floating rafts to protect their -operations, but they were constantly destroyed by the terrible -Greek fire, which was blown out of long copper tubes, and could be -extinguished with nothing but vinegar and sand. At last a number of -flat-bottomed boats were lashed together, and a tower, higher than -the castle of the enemy, was erected upon them. It was ninety feet in -height, thirteen cubits in length, and was divided into platforms or -stages, filled with archers; numerous loop-holes were pierced in the -walls, and the ponderous structure was thickly covered in every part -with raw hides, to preserve it from the liquid fire of the enemy. -Upon the top of the tower was a drawbridge, which could be raised and -lowered with chains, and on each platform were grappling irons, to be -made fast to the battlements and parapets of the castle. On the 24th -of August, the vast floating tower was towed to the point of attack, -and the left bank of the Nile was covered with a long procession of -priests and monks, who traversed the winding shore, with naked feet -and uplifted hands, praying to the God of battles for victory. Whilst -the infidels were hurrying to the summit of the castle of Taphnis, to -direct the Greek fire upon the wooden tower, and to pour boiling oil -and red-hot sand upon the heads of the assailants, some Templars, who -were stationed in the lowest platform of the structure near the water, -threw out their grapling-irons, and made a lodgment upon the causeway -in front of the castle. Without a moment's delay, they handed out a -battering-ram, and with one blow knocked in the door of the fortress. -Combustibles were immediately thrown into the interior of the -building, the place was enveloped in smoke and flames, and the garrison -surrendered at discretion. The vast chain between the castle and the -river was then rent asunder, and the large ships of the crusaders -ascended the Nile, and took up a position in front of the town. - -Toward the close of autumn, when the inundation of the Nile was at -its height, a strong north wind arose, and impeded the descent of -the waters to the Mediterranean. The christian camp was overflowed, -the Templars lost all their provisions, arms, and baggage; and when -the waters receded, several large fish were found in their tents. -This catastrophe was followed by an epidemic fever, which carried -off the Grand Master, William de Chartres, and many of the brethren. -The Grand Master was succeeded (A. D. 1218) by the veteran warrior, -Brother Peter de Montaigu, Grand Preceptor of Spain. At this period the -renowned Saif-ed-din, "sword of the faith," the brother and successor -of Saladin, died, having appointed his _fifteen_ sons to separate and -independent commands in his vast dominions. After his decease they -quarrelled with one another for the supremacy, and the Templars crossed -the Nile to take advantage of the dispute. The infidels fiercely -opposed their landing, and one of the Temple vessels being boarded by -an overpowering force, the military friars cut a hole in the bottom -of it with their hatchets, and all on board met with a watery grave -in the deep bosom of the Nile. When the landing was effected, the -Templars were the first to charge the enemy; the Moslems fled and -abandoned their tents, provisions, and arms, and their camp was given -up to plunder. A trench was then drawn around the city of Damietta, -and the army took up a position which enabled them to deprive the -town of all succour. Two bridges of boats were thrown across the -Nile to communicate between the new camp of the crusaders and the -one they had just quitted; and one of these bridges was placed under -the protection of the Templars. After many brilliant exploits and -sanguinary encounters, Damietta was reduced to great straits; terms -of surrender were offered and refused; and on the 5th of November a -wooden bridge was thrown over the ditch; scaling ladders were reared -against the battlements, and the town was taken by assault. When the -Templars entered the place, they found the plague in every house, and -the streets strewed with the dead. - -Immediately after the capture of Damietta, the Grand Master of the -Temple returned with the king of Jerusalem to Palestine, to oppose -a fresh army of Moslems who, under the command of Coradin, a famous -chieftain, had invaded the country, blockaded the city of Acre, and -laid siege to the Pilgrim's Castle. In their intrenched camp at this -castle, the Templars mustered a force of upwards of four thousand -men, who valiantly and successfully defended the important position -against the obstinate and persevering attacks of the infidels. During -the different assaults upon the place, Coradin lost six emirs, two -hundred Mamlooks, and a number of archers; and on one day alone he had -a hundred and twenty valuable horses slain, one of which cost fourteen -thousand marks.[104] The Templars sent urgent letters to the pope for -succour. They exhorted his holiness to compel the emperor Frederick to -perform his vow, and no longer to permit the crusaders to compound with -money for the non-fulfilment of their engagements, declaring that such -compositions had been most injurious to the cause of the cross. The -Grand Master also wrote to the pope, complaining to his holiness of the -misapplication by the clergy of the money collected from their flocks, -towards the expenses of the holy war, declaring that not a twentieth -part of it ever reached the empty treasury of the Latin kingdom. The -holy pontiff, in his reply, protests that he has not himself fingered a -farthing of the money. "If you have not received it," says he, "it is -not our fault, it is because we have not been obeyed." - -In a mournful letter to the bishop of Ely, the Grand Master gives the -following gloomy picture of the state of affairs. "Brother Peter de -Montaigu, Master of the Knights of the Temple, to the reverend brother -in Christ, N, by the grace of God, bishop of Ely, salvation. We proceed -by these our letters to inform your paternity how we have managed the -affairs of our Lord Jesus Christ since the capture of Damietta and -the castle of Taphnis. Be it known to you, that during the spring -passage to Europe, immediately subsequent to the capture of Damietta, -so many of the pilgrims returned home, that the residue of them scarce -sufficed to garrison the town, and the two intrenched camps. Our -lord the legate, and the clergy, earnestly desiring the advancement -of the army of Jesus Christ, constantly and diligently exhorted our -people forthwith to take the field against the infidels; but the -chieftains from these parts, and from beyond the sea, perceiving that -the army was totally insufficient in point of numbers to guard the -city and the camps, and undertake further offensive operations for the -advancement of the faith of Jesus Christ, would on no account give -their consent. The sultan of Egypt, at the head of a vast number of -the perfidious infidels, lies encamped a short distance from Damietta, -and he has recently constructed bridges across both branches of the -Nile, to impede the further progress of our christian soldiers. He -there remains, quietly awaiting their approach; and the forces under -his command are so numerous, that the faithful cannot quit their -intrenchments around Damietta, without incurring imminent risk. In the -mean time, we have surrounded the town, and the two camps, with deep -trenches, and have strongly fortified both banks of the river as far -as the sea-coast, expecting that the Lord will console and comfort us -with speedy succour. But the Saracens, perceiving our weakness, have -already armed numerous galleys, and have inflicted vast injury upon us -by intercepting all the succours from Europe; and such has been our -extreme want of money, that we have been unable for a considerable -period to man and equip our galleys and send them to sea for our -protection. Finding, however, that the losses go on increasing to the -great detriment of the cause of the cross, we have now managed to arm -some galleys, galliots, and other craft, to oppose the ships of the -infidels. - -"Also be it known to you that Coradin, sultan of Damascus, having -collected together a vast army of Saracens, hath attacked the cities -of Tyre and Acre; and as the garrisons of these places have been -weakened to strengthen our forces in Egypt, they can with difficulty -sustain themselves against his attacks. Coradin hath also pitched -his tents before our fortress, called the Pilgrim's Castle, and hath -put us to immense expense in the defence of the place. He hath also -besieged and subjugated the castle of Cæsarea of Palestine. We have -now for a long time been expecting the arrival of the emperor, and the -other noble personages who have assumed the cross, by whose aid we -hope to be relieved from our dangers and difficulties, and to bring -all our exertions to a happy issue. But if we are disappointed of the -succour we expect in the ensuing summer (which God forbid) all our -newly-acquired conquests, as well as the places that we have held for -ages past, will be left in a very doubtful condition. We ourselves, -and others in these parts, are so impoverished by the heavy expenses -we have incurred in prosecuting the affairs of Jesus Christ, that we -shall be unable to contribute the necessary funds, unless we speedily -receive succour and subsidies from the faithful. Given at Acre, xii. -kal. Octob., A. D. 1220."[105] - -The urgent solicitations of the Templars for money created loud -murmurs in England, and excited the wrath of the great historian, -Matthew Paris, the monk of St. Albans, who hated the order on account -of its vast privileges, and the sums it constantly drew away from -the hands of other religious bodies. The clergy, who had probably -misapplied the money collected by them for the relief of the Holy -Land, joined eagerly in an outcry against the Templars, accusing them -of squandering their funds upon magnificent churches and expensive -buildings in Europe, or of spending them at home in luxurious ease at -their different preceptories, instead of faithfully employing them in -the prosecution of the holy war. The pope instituted an inquiry into -the truth of the charges, and wrote to his legate at Damietta, to the -patriarch of Jerusalem, and the principal chieftains of the army of -the crusaders, for information. In their reply, the legate and the -patriarch state that the charges were untrue, and that the Templars -had expended their money in the prosecution of the siege of Damietta, -and had impoverished themselves by their heavy expenses in Egypt. -During the summer of the year 1221, considerable succours arrived in -Palestine and Egypt from Europe; the troops of the sultan of Damascus -were repulsed and driven beyond the frontier of the Latin kingdom, and -the Grand Master of the Temple returned to Damietta to superintend the -military operations in Egypt. Cardinal Pelagius, the papal legate, -though altogether ignorant of the art of war, had unfortunately assumed -the inconsistent character of commander-in-chief of the army of the -cross. Contrary to the advice of the Templars, he urged the crusaders, -during the autumnal season, when the waters of the Nile were rising, to -march out of Damietta to undertake an expedition against Grand Cairo. -The disastrous results of that memorable campaign are narrated in the -following letter from Peter de Montaigu to the Master of the English -province of the order. - -"Brother Peter de Montaigu, humble Master of the soldiers of Christ, -to our vicegerent and beloved brother in Christ, Alan Marcell, -Preceptor of England. Hitherto we have had favourable information to -communicate unto you touching our exertions in the cause of Christ; -now, alas! such have been the reverses and disasters which our sins -have brought upon us in the land of Egypt, that we have nothing but ill -news to announce. After the capture of Damietta, our army remained -for some time in a state of inaction, which brought upon us frequent -complaints and reproaches from the eastern and the western Christians. -At length, after the feast of the holy apostles, the legate of the -holy pontiff, and all our soldiers of the cross, put themselves in -march by land and by the Nile, and arrived in good order at the spot -where the sultan was encamped, at the head of an immense number of the -enemies of the cross. The river Taphneos, an arm of the great Nile, -flowed between the camp of the sultan and our forces, and being unable -to ford this river, we pitched our tents on its banks, and prepared -bridges to enable us to force the passage. In the mean time, the annual -inundation rapidly increased, and the sultan, passing his galleys and -armed boats through an ancient canal, floated them into the Nile below -our positions, and intercepted our communications with Damietta."... -"Nothing now was to be done but to retrace our steps. The sultans of -Aleppo, Damascus, Hems, and Coilanbar, the two brothers of the sultan, -and many chieftains and kings of the pagans, with an immense multitude -of infidels who had come to their assistance, attempted to cut off our -retreat. At night we commenced our march, but the infidels cut through -the embankments of the Nile, the water rushed along several unknown -passages and ancient canals, and encompassed us on all sides. We lost -all our provisions, many of our men were swept into the stream, and the -further progress of our christian warriors was forthwith arrested. The -waters continued to increase upon us, and in this terrible inundation -we lost all our horses and saddles, our carriages, baggage, furniture, -and moveables, and everything that we had. We ourselves could neither -advance nor retreat, and knew not whither to turn. We could not attack -the Egyptians on account of the great lake which extended itself -between them and us; we were without food, and being caught and pent up -like fish in a net, there was nothing left for us but to treat with the -sultan. - -"We agreed to surrender Damietta, with all the prisoners which we -had in Tyre and at Acre, on condition that the sultan restored to -us the wood of the true cross and the prisoners that he detained at -Cairo and Damascus. We, with some others, were deputed by the whole -army to announce to the people of Damietta the terms that had been -imposed upon us. These were very displeasing to the bishop of Acre, -(James de Vitry, the historian,) to the chancellor, and some others, -who wished to defend the town, a measure which we should indeed have -greatly approved of, had there been any reasonable chance of success; -for we would rather have been thrust into perpetual imprisonment than -have surrendered, to the shame of Christendom, this conquest to the -infidels. But after having made a strict investigation into the means -of defence, and finding neither men nor money wherewith to protect the -place, we were obliged to submit to the conditions of the sultan, who, -after having extracted from us an oath and hostages, accorded to us a -truce of eight years. During the negotiations the sultan faithfully -kept his word, and for the space of fifteen days furnished our soldiers -with the bread and corn necessary for their subsistence. Do you, -therefore, pitying our misfortunes, hasten to relieve them to the -utmost of your ability. Farewell."[106] - -Shortly after the disasters in Egypt, and the conclusion of the eight -years' truce with the infidels, John de Brienne, the titular king of -Jerusalem, prepared to bid adieu for ever to Palestine. Since the -death of the young queen, his wife, he had regarded his kingdom as a -place of exile, and was anxious to escape from the toil and turmoil -and incessant warfare in which his feeble dominions were continually -involved. His daughter Violante, the young queen of Jerusalem, had -just attained her thirteenth year, and the king was anxious to seek a -suitable husband for her from among the European princes. Accompanied -by the fair Violante, he landed in Italy, and attended a council of -the clergy and the laity assembled at Ferentino, in the Campagna -di Roma, in the summer of the year 1223. Pope Honorius the Third, -the emperor Frederick, the patriarch of the Holy City, the bishop of -Bethlehem, the Grand Master of the Hospital, and one of the Grand -Preceptors of the Temple, were present at this council, and the pope -urged the emperor to fulfil the vow which he had made eight years -before to lead an army to the succour of the Holy Land; offering him -the hand of the lovely Violante, and with her the crown of the Latin -kingdom. This offer was accepted, the nuptials were shortly afterwards -celebrated, and the emperor solemnly took his oath upon the Holy Gospel -to lead in person a great expedition for the recovery of Jerusalem. - -Violante had been accompanied from Palestine by a female cousin, -possessed of powerful charms and many graceful accomplishments. The -emperor became captivated with her beauty, he dishonoured her, and -treated his young wife, who was a mere child in years, with coldness -and neglect. He then, in the middle of August, A. D. 1227, set sail -for Acre with a powerful army, and was at sea three days, when he -became sea-sick, and returned to land on a plea of ill health. He was -consequently publicly excommunicated by the pope in the great church of -Anagni. Without troubling himself to obtain a reconciliation with the -holy see, he again embarked with his forces, and arrived in the port -of St. Jean d'Acre on the 8th of September, A. D. 1228. The pope then -sent letters to Palestine denouncing him as publicly excommunicated, -and commanded the Templars not to join his standard. They accordingly -refused to take the field, and as the forces under the command of -the emperor did not amount to ten thousand men, he was obliged to -remain inactive during the winter. He, however, carried on friendly -negotiations with the infidels, and a treaty was entered into whereby -Jerusalem was nominally surrendered to him. It was stipulated that the -Christian and Mussulman religion should meet with equal toleration in -the Holy City; that the followers of Mahomet should possess the Mosque -of Omar, and the Christians the great church of the Resurrection; that -the Moslems should be governed by their own laws, and that the court of -judicature in the forum of Al Rostak should be under the direction of a -Moslem governor.[107] - -Immediately after the conclusion of this curious treaty, the emperor -made a peaceful march to the Holy City with a few attendants, and -performed the solemn farce of crowning himself in the church of the -Resurrection. After a stay of a few days in Jerusalem, he hurried back -to Acre to prepare for his departure for Europe. No christian garrison -was established in the city, nor did the Templars and Hospitallers -venture to return to their ancient abodes. His conduct, immediately -preceding his departure, is thus described in a letter from the -patriarch of Jerusalem to the pope. "The emperor placed archers at the -gates of the city of Acre, to prevent the Templars from entering into -or proceeding out of the town. He moreover placed soldiers in all the -streets leading to our quarter and the Temple, keeping us in a state of -siege; and it is evident that he has never treated the Saracens half so -badly as he has treated the Christians. For a long time he refused to -permit any provisions to be brought to us, and instructed his soldiers -to insult the priests and the Templars whenever they met them. He -moreover got possession of the magazines, and removed all the military -machines and arms, preserved for the defence of the city, with a view -of rendering good service to his kind friend the sultan of Egypt; and -afterwards, without saying adieu to anybody, he embarked secretly -on the 1st of May, (A. D. 1229,) leaving us worse off than he found -us."[108] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, Peter de Montaigu, died at Acre at -an advanced age, and was succeeded (A. D. 1233) by Brother Hermann -de Perigord, Grand Preceptor of Calabria and Sicily.[109] Shortly -after his accession to power, the truce with the sultan of Aleppo -expired, and Brother William de Montferrat, Preceptor of Antioch, -having besieged a fortress of the infidels, refused to retreat before a -superior force, and was surrounded and overwhelmed; a hundred knights -of the Temple, and three hundred cross-bowmen were slain, together -with many secular warriors, and a large number of foot soldiers. The -_Balcanifer_, or standard-bearer, on this occasion, was an English -Knight Templar, named Reginald d'Argenton, who performed prodigies of -valour. He was disabled and covered with wounds, yet he unflinchingly -bore the Beauseant aloft with his bleeding arms into the thickest of -the fight, until he at last fell dead upon a heap of his slaughtered -comrades. The Preceptor of Antioch, before he was slain, "sent -sixteen infidels to hell." As soon as the Templars in England heard -of this disaster, they sent, (A. D. 1236,) in conjunction with the -Hospitallers, instant succour to their brethren. "Having made their -arrangements," says Matthew Paris, "they started from the house of the -Hospitallers at Clerkenwell in London, and passed through the city -with spears held aloft, shields displayed, and banners advanced. They -marched in splendid pomp to the bridge, and sought a blessing from -all who crowded to see them pass. The brothers indeed, uncovered, -bowed their heads from side to side, and recommended themselves to the -prayers of all." - -A new crusade had already been preached in Europe by Pope Gregory IX., -and the Templars, expecting the arrival of speedy succour, and being -desirous of taking advantage of the dissensions that had arisen amongst -the Saracens, had recommenced hostilities with the sultans of Egypt -and Damascus. Thibaut I., king of Navarre, and count of Champagne, the -duke of Burgundy, and the counts of Brittany and Bar, who had arrived -in Palestine with several other nobles and knights, and a considerable -force of armed pilgrims, marched with a party of Templars to attack -the sultan of Egypt, whilst the Grand Master prepared to invade the -territory of the sultan of Damascus. In a bloody battle fought with the -Mamlooks, near Gaza, the count de Bar and many knights and persons of -quality, and all the foot soldiers, were slain; the count de Montfort -was taken prisoner, and all the equipage and baggage of the army was -lost. The king of Navarre and the survivors then retreated to Jaffa, -and set sail from that port for St. Jean d'Acre. On their arrival -at this place, they joined the Grand Master of the Temple, who was -encamped at the palm-grove of Caiphas. Thence they marched towards -Tiberias, and on their arrival at Sepphoris, they met some messengers -who were proceeding from Saleh Ismael, the sultan of Damascus, to the -Grand Master of the Temple, with overtures of peace, and offers to -surrender Jerusalem upon the following terms:--The Moslem and christian -prisoners of war were immediately to be set at liberty; all Palestine, -between the sea-coast and the Jordan, excepting the cities of St. -Abraham, Naplous, and Bisan, was to be surrendered to the Christians; -the Christians were to assist the sultan of Damascus in a war which -had broken out between him and Nojmoddin Ayoub sultan of Egypt; they -were to march with all their forces to the south to occupy Jaffa -and Ascalon, and prevent the latter potentate from marching through -Palestine to attack the sultan of Damascus; and lastly, no truce -was to be entered into with the sultan of Egypt by the Christians, -unless the sultan of Damascus was included therein. The Grand Master -of the Temple acceded to these terms, and induced the chiefs of the -crusaders to assent to the compact; but the Grand Master of the -Hospital refused to be a party to it. It is said that he entered into -a separate and independent treaty with Nojmoddin Ayoub, who had just -mounted the throne of Egypt, so that one of the great military orders -remained at war with the sultan of Damascus, and the other with the -sultan of Egypt. Immediately after the conclusion of this treaty, the -Templars assembled all their disposable forces and proceeded to Jaffa -with the count de Nevers, and a body of newly arrived crusaders, and -co-operated with an army which the sultan of Damascus had sent into -that neighbourhood to act against the Egyptians. In the mean time, -Richard, earl of Cornwall, the brother of Henry III., king of England, -having assumed the cross, arrived in Palestine, and proceeded with a -small force of English pilgrims, knights, and foot soldiers, to the -camp of the Templars at Jaffa. With this welcome reinforcement the -Grand Master of the Temple marched at once upon Ascalon, re-constructed -the castle and restored the fortifications to the state in which they -were left by Richard Coeur de Lion. The Templars then endeavoured to -obtain possession of their ancient fortress of Gaza, (ante, p. 49,) a -place of very great importance. An invading army from the south could -approach Jerusalem only by way of Gaza, or by taking a long and tedious -route through the desert of Arabia Petræa, to Karac, and from thence to -Hebron, by the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. The want of water -and forage presented an insuperable obstacle to the march of a large -body of forces in any other direction. Towards the close of autumn, the -Templars marched against Gaza in conjunction with Saleh Ismael, sultan -of Damascus; they drove out the Egyptians, and obtained possession of -the dismantled fortifications. Large sums of money were expended in -the re-construction of the walls of the castle, a strong garrison was -established in the important post, and the Templars then marched upon -Jerusalem. - -The fortifications of the Holy City had been dismantled by Malek Kamel, -at the period of the siege of Damietta, when alarmed at the military -success of the Franks in Egypt, he was anxious to purchase the safety -of the country by the cession of Jerusalem. The Templars, consequently, -entered the Holy City without difficulty or resistance; the Mussulman -population abandoned their dwellings on their approach, and the -military friars once more entered the city of David, bare-footed and -bare-headed, singing loud hymns and songs of triumph. They rushed to -the church of the Resurrection, and fell prostrate on their knees -before the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre; they ascended Mount Calvary, -and visited the reputed scene of the crucifixion, and then hastened -in martial array, and with sound of trumpet, through the forlorn and -deserted streets of the city of Zion, to take possession of their -ancient quarters on Mount Moriah. - -The golden crescent was once more removed from the lofty pinnacle of -the Temple of the Lord, or Mosque of Omar, and this Holy Mussulman -house of prayer was once again surmounted by the glittering cross. The -Temple of the Knights Templars or Mosque at Acsa, (ante, p. 12,) was -again purified and re-consecrated, and its sombre halls and spacious -areas were once more graced with the white, religious, and military -habit of the knights of the Temple. The greater part of the old -convent, adjoining the Temple, had been destroyed, as before mentioned, -by the great Saladin, and the military friars were consequently obliged -to pitch numerous tents in the spacious area for the accommodation of -the brethren. The sound of the bell once more superseded the voice of -the muezzin, "the exiled faith returned to its ancient sanctuary," -and the name of JESUS was again invoked in the high places and -sanctuaries of _Mahomet_. The great court of the Mussulmen around -the revered Mosque of Omar, called by them _El Scham Schereef_, "the -noble retirement," again rung with the tramp of the war-steed, and its -solitudes were once more awakened with the voice of the trumpet. - -Nothing could exceed the joy with which the intelligence of the -re-occupation of Jerusalem was received throughout Palestine, and -through all Christendom. The Hospitallers, now that the policy of the -Templars had been crowned with success, and that Jerusalem had been -regained, no longer opposed the treaty with the sultan of Damascus, -but hastened to co-operate with them for the preservation of the Holy -City, which had been so happily recovered. The patriarch returned -to Jerusalem, (A. D. 1241,) with all his clergy; the churches were -re-consecrated, and the Templars and Hospitallers emptied their -treasuries in rebuilding the walls. The following account of these -gratifying events was transmitted by brother Hermann de Perigord to the -Master of the Temple at London. "Brother Hermann de Perigord, humble -minister of the poor knights of the Temple, to his beloved brother in -Christ Robert de Sandford, Preceptor in England, salvation through the -Lord. - -"Since it is our duty, whenever an opportunity offers, to make -known to the brotherhood, by letters or by messengers, the state -and prospects of the Holy Land, we hasten to inform you, that after -our great successes against the sultan of Egypt, and Nasser, his -supporter and abettor, the great persecutor of the Christians, whom we -have unceasingly endeavoured with all our might to subdue, they were -unwillingly compelled to treat with us concerning the establishment -of a truce, promising us to restore to the followers of Jesus Christ -all the territory on this side Jordan. We despatched certain of our -brethren, noble and discreet personages, to Cairo, to have an interview -with the sultan upon these matters. But the latter broke the promise -which he had made to us, retaining in his own hands Gaza, St. Abraham, -Naplous, Varan, and other places; he detained our messengers in custody -for more than half a year, and endeavoured to amuse us with deceitful -words and unmeaning propositions. But we, with the Divine assistance, -were enabled to penetrate his craft and perfidy, and plainly saw that -he had procured the truce with us that he might be enabled the more -readily to subjugate to his cruel dominion the sultan of Damascus, and -Nasser lord of Carac, and their territories; and then, when he had got -possession of all the country surrounding our christian provinces, we -plainly foresaw that he would break faith with us, after the custom of -his unbelieving generation, and attack our poor Christianity on this -side the sea, which in its present weak and feeble state would have -been unable effectually to resist him. - -"Having therefore deliberated, long and earnestly, upon these matters, -we determined, with the advice of the bishops and some of the barons of -the land, to break off at once with the sultan of Egypt, and enter into -a treaty with the sultan of Damascus, and with Nasser lord of Carac, -whereby all the country on this side Jordan, excepting St. Abraham, -Naplous, and Bisan, has been surrendered to the christian worship; -and, to the joy of angels and of men, the holy city of Jerusalem is -now inhabited by Christians alone, all the Saracens being driven out. -The holy places have been re-consecrated and purified by the prelates -of the churches, and in those spots where the name of the Lord has -not been invoked for fifty-six years, now, blessed be God, the divine -mysteries are daily celebrated. To all the sacred places there is again -free access to the faithful in Christ, nor is it to be doubted but -that in this happy and prosperous condition we might long remain, if -our Eastern Christians would from henceforth live in greater concord -and unanimity. But, alas! opposition and contradiction, arising from -envy and hatred, have impeded our efforts in the promotion of these -and other advantages for the Holy Land. With the exception of the -prelates of the churches, and a few of the barons, who afford us all -the assistance in their power, the entire burthen of its defence rests -upon our house alone. With the assistance of the sultan of Damascus, -and the lord of Carac, we have obtained possession of the city of Gaza, -situate on the confines of the territory of Jerusalem and the territory -of Egypt. And as this important place commands the entrance from the -latter country into the Holy Land, we have, by vast exertions, and at -an enormous expense, and after having incurred great risk and danger, -put it into a state of defence. But we are afraid that God will take -heavy vengeance for past ingratitude, by punishing those who have been -careless, and indifferent, and rebellious in the prosecution of these -matters. - -"For the safeguard and preservation of the holy territory, we propose -to erect a fortified castle near Jerusalem, which will enable us the -more easily to retain possession of the country, and to protect it -against all enemies. But indeed we can in nowise defend for any great -length of time the places that we hold, against the powerful and crafty -sultan of Egypt, unless Christ and his faithful followers extend to us -an efficacious support."[110] - -We must now refer to a few events connected with the English province -of the order of the Temple. - -Brother Geoffrey, who was Master of the Temple at London, at the period -of the consecration of the Temple Church by Heraclius, patriarch of -Jerusalem, died shortly after the capture of the Holy City by Saladin, -and was succeeded by Brother Amaric de St. Maur, who is an attesting -witness to the deed executed by king John, (A. D. 1203,) granting a -dowry to his young queen, the beautiful Isabella of Angouleme. King -John frequently resided in the Temple for weeks together, the writs -to his lieutenants, sheriffs, and bailiffs, being dated therefrom. -The orders for the concentration of the English fleet at Portsmouth, -to resist the formidable French invasion instigated by the pope, are -dated from the TEMPLE at London, and the convention between the king -and the count of Holland, whereby the latter agreed to assist King -John with a body of knights and men-at-arms, in case of the landing of -the French, was published at the same place. In all the conferences -and negotiations between king John and the Roman pontiff, the Knights -Templars took an active and distinguished part. Two brethren of the -order were sent to him by Pandulph, the papal legate, to arrange that -famous conference between them which ended in the complete submission -of the king to all the demands of the holy see. By the advice and -persuasion of the Templars, John repaired to the preceptory of Temple -Ewell, near Dover, where he was met by the legate Pandulph, who crossed -over from France to confer with him, and the mean-hearted king was -there frightened into that celebrated resignation of the kingdoms of -England and Ireland, "to God, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, -to the holy Roman church his mother, and to his lord, Pope Innocent -the Third, and his catholic successors, for the remission of all his -sins and the sins of all his people as well the living as the dead." -The following year, the commands of king John for the extirpation of -the heretics in Gascony, addressed to the seneschal of that province, -were issued from the Temple at London, and about the same period, the -Templars were made the depositaries of various private and confidential -matters pending between king John and his illustrious sister-in-law, -"the royal, eloquent, and beauteous" Berengaria of Navarre, the -youthful widowed queen of Richard _Coeur de Lion_. The Templars in -England managed the money transactions of that fair princess. She -directed her dower to be paid in the house of the New Temple at London, -together with the arrears due to her from the king, amounting to -several thousand pounds. - -John was resident at the Temple when he was compelled by the barons of -England to sign MAGNA CHARTA. Matthew Paris tells us that the barons -came to him whilst he was residing in the New Temple at London, "in a -very resolute manner, clothed in their military dresses, and demanded -the liberties and laws of king Edward, with others for themselves, the -kingdom, and the church of England."[111] - -Brother Amaric de St. Maur, the Master of the English province of -the order, was succeeded by brother Alan Marcell, the friend and -correspondent of the Grand Master Peter de Montaigu (ante p. 161). -He was at the head of the order in England for the space of sixteen -years, and was employed by king Henry the Third in various important -negotiations. He was Master of the Temple at London, when Reginald, -king of the island of Man, by the advice and persuasion of the legate -Pandulph, made a solemn surrender at that place of his island to the -pope and his catholic successors, and consented to hold the same from -thenceforth as the feudatory of the church of Rome. On the 28th of -April, A. D. 1224, the Master, Brother Alan Marcell, was employed -by king Henry to negotiate a truce between himself and the king of -France. The king of England appears at that time to have been resident -at the Temple, the letters of credence being made out at that place, -in the presence of the archbishop of Canterbury, several bishops, and -Hubert, the chief justiciary. The year after, Alan Marcell was sent -into Germany, to negotiate a treaty of marriage between king Henry -and the daughter of the duke of Austria.[112] Brother Alan Marcell -was succeeded by Brother Amberaldus. The next Master of the English -province was Robert Mounford, and he was followed by Robert Sanford -(ante p. 56). - -During the Mastership of Robert Sanford, on Ascension Day, A. D. 1240, -the oblong portion of the Temple Church, which extendeth eastward -from "THE ROUND," was consecrated in the presence of king Henry the -Third and all his court, and much of the nobility of the kingdom. -This portion of the sacred edifice was of a lighter and more florid -style of architecture than the earlier Round Church consecrated by the -patriarch Heraclius (ante p. 46). The walls were pierced with numerous -triple lancet windows filled with stained glass, and the floor was -covered with tesselated pavement. The roof was supported by dark grey -Purbeck marble columns, and the vaulted ceiling was decorated with -the star of Bethlehem, and with ornaments of frosted silver placed on a -blue ground. The extensive area of the church was open and unencumbered -by pews, and the beauty of the columns and windows, the lively colours -of the tiled floor, and the elegant proportions of the fabric were -seen at a glance. After the consecration, the king made provision for -the maintenance in the Temple of three chaplains, who were to say -three masses daily for ever, one for the king himself, another for all -christian people, and the third for the faithful departed.[113] - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE CHURCH] - -King Henry III. was one of the greatest of the benefactors of the -order. He granted to the Templars the manors of Lilleston, Hechewayton, -and Saunford, the wood of Carletone, Kingswood near Chippenhan, a -messuage, and six bovates of land with their appurtenances in Great -Lymburgh; a fair at Walnesford, in the county of Essex, every three -years for three days, to commence on the anniversary of the beheading -of St. John the Baptist; also annual fairs and weekly markets at -Newburgh, Walnesford, Balsall, Kirkeby, and a variety of other places; -he granted them free warren in all their demesne lands; and by his -famous charter, dated the 9th day of February, in the eleventh year of -his reign, he confirmed to them all the donations of his predecessors, -and of their other benefactors, and conferred upon them vast privileges -and immunities in the following pious and reverential terms. - -"The king, &c., to all the archbishops, bishops, barons, &c. &c., to -whom these presents shall come, salvation through the Lord. Be it -known to you that we have granted and confirmed to God and the blessed -Mary, and the brethren of the chivalry of the Temple of Solomon, all -reasonable donations of lands, men, and eleemosynary gifts, bestowed on -them by our predecessors, or by others in times past, or by ourselves -at this present period, or which may be hereafter conferred on them -by kings or by the liberality of subjects, or may be acquired, or -be about to be acquired in any other manner, as well churches as -worldly goods and possessions; wherefore we will and firmly command -that the aforesaid brethren and their men may have and hold all their -possessions and eleemosynary donations with all liberties and free -customs and immunities, in wood and plain, in meadow and pasture, in -water and water-mills, on highways and byeways, in ponds and running -streams, in marshes and fisheries, in granges and broad acres, -within burgh and without the burgh, with soc and sac, tol and theam, -infangenethef and unfangenethef, and hamsoc and grithbrich, and blodwit -and fictwit, and flictwit and ferdwite, and hengewite and lierwite, and -flemenefrith, murder, robbery, forstall, ordel, oreste, in season and -out of season, at all times and in all places, &c. - -"We ordain, likewise, that the aforesaid brethren shall for ever -hereafter be freed from royal aids, and sheriff's aids, and officer's -aids, and from hidage and carucage, and danegeld and hornegeld, and -from military and wapentake services, and scutages and lastages and -stallages, shires and hundreds, pleas and quarrels, ward and wardpeny, -and averpeni and hundredspeni, and borethalpeni and thethingepeni, -and from the works of castles, parks, bridges, and inclosures; and -from the duty of providing carriages and beasts of burthen, boats, and -vessels, and from the building of royal houses, and all other works. -And we prohibit all persons from taking timber from their woods and -forests for such works, or for any other purposes whatever: neither -shall their corn, nor the corn of their men, nor any of their goods, -nor the goods of any belonging to them, be taken to fortify castles. We -will also that they shall have free and full liberty to cut and fell -timber whenever they please, in all their woods, for the use of their -fraternity, without any let or hindrance whatever; and for doing so -they shall not incur forfeiture or waste, or in any way be punishable -by law. And all their lands, and the ground which they or their men -have cleared of wood, and recovered from the forest, or which they may -clear in time to come, with the assent of the king, we make quit and -free for ever hereafter from waste regard, and view of foresters, and -from all other customs. And we concede also to the aforesaid brethren -the privilege of cutting down trees in all the woods they possess at -present within the forest boundaries, and of clearing and bringing the -land into cultivation without any license from our bailiffs, so that -they may never at any time hereafter be in any way called to account by -ourselves, or our heirs, or any of our bailiffs. - -"We ordain, moreover, that the aforesaid brethren and their men shall -be quit and free from every kind of toll in all markets and fairs, and -upon crossing bridges, roads, and ferries, throughout the whole of -our kingdom, and throughout all lands in which we are able to grant -liberties; and all their markets, and the markets of their men, shall -in like manner be quit and free from all toll. We grant and confirm -also to the aforesaid brethren, that if any of their men be condemned -to lose life or limb for crime, or shall have fled from justice, or -have committed any offence for which he hath incurred forfeiture of his -goods and chattels, the goods and chattels so forfeited shall belong to -the aforesaid brethren, whether the cognizance of the offence belongeth -to our court or to any other inferior court; and it shall be lawful for -the aforesaid brethren, under such circumstances and in such cases, -to put themselves in possession of the aforesaid goods and chattels -at such time as our bailiffs would or ought to have seized them into -our hands, had such goods and chattels belonged to ourselves, without -the molestation or hindrance of the sheriffs or bailiffs, or any other -persons whatever. - -"We concede also to the aforesaid brethren, that animals called _waif_, -lost by their owners, and found within the feud of the Templars, shall -belong to the aforesaid brethren, unless they are followed by some one -able and willing to prove that they are his own, and unless they shall -be sought after and taken possession of by the owner within a moderate -period of time, according to the custom of the country. And if any of -the tenants of the aforesaid brethren shall happen to have incurred a -forfeiture of his feud, it shall be lawful for the said brethren to -take possession of the said feud, and hold the same, notwithstanding -the law which concedes to ourselves the possession of the feud of -fugitives and criminals, for the space of a year and a day. In like -manner, if any of the men of the aforesaid brethren shall have incurred -a fine to be paid to ourselves or to any of our bailiffs, under any -process, or for any crime, or any other matter, the amercements of -money shall be collected and brought in a purse to our exchequer, and -there handed over to the aforesaid brethren; judgment of death and limb -being always reserved to the royal authority. - -"We moreover ordain, that if any of the liberties and privileges -contained in this our charter shall happen to have been disused for -a length of time, such disuse shall in no respect prejudice the -right, but such liberty or privilege may be again exercised without -contradiction, notwithstanding that it may have been discontinued and -disused as aforesaid. And all the aforesaid things, and all other -secular services and customs which are not included in this present -writing, we, through love of God, and for the good of the soul of -the lord king John, our father, and for the good of the souls of all -our predecessors and successors, grant and confirm to them, as a -perpetual alms-gift, with all liberties and free customs, as fully, -freely, and effectually as the royal power can confer them upon any -religious house. And we prohibit all persons, on pain of forfeiture, -from proceeding against them or their men contrary to this our charter, -for we have taken the aforesaid brethren, and all their goods, and -possessions, and all their men, under our especial guardianship and -protection. As witness the king, at Westminster, the 9th day of -February, in the eleventh year of our reign."[114] - -By the royal grant of _soc_ and _sac_, _tol_ and _theam_, &c. &c, -the Templars were clothed with the power of holding courts to impose -and levy fines and amerciaments upon their tenants, to judge and -punish their villeins and vassals--to take cognizance of quarrels and -controversies that arose amongst them--to try thieves and malefactors -belonging to their manors, and all foreign thieves taken within -the precincts thereof--to try and punish trespasses and breaches -of the peace, and all unlawful entries into the houses of their -tenants--to impose and levy amerciaments for cutting and maiming, -and for bloodshed--to judge and punish by fine or imprisonment the -seducers of their bond women, and all persons who committed adultery -and fornication within their manors. They had the power of trying -criminals by ordeal, or the terrible test of fire and water; and they -had, lastly, the tremendous privilege of pit or gallows, i. e. the -power of putting convicted thieves to death, by hanging them if they -were men, and drowning them if they were women! By the royal charter, -the Templars were, in the next place, freed from the fine of right -payable to the king for the hanging of thieves without a formal trial -and judgment according to law; they were exempted from the taxes on -pasture-lands, and plough-lands, and horned cattle; from the Danish -tribute, and from all military services, and from all the ordinary -feudal burthens.[115] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - The conquest of Jerusalem by the Carizmians--Rise and progress of - the Comans--They are defeated and destroyed by the Templars--The - exploits of the Templars in Egypt--King Louis of France visits - the Templars in Palestine--He assists them in putting the country - into a defensible state--Henry III., king of England, visits the - Temple at Paris--The magnificent hospitality of the Templars - in England and France--Bendocdar, sultan of Egypt, invades - Palestine--He defeats the Templars, takes their strong fortresses, - and decapitates six hundred of their brethren--The Grand Master - comes to England for succour--The renewal of the war--The fall of - Acre--The Templars establish their head-quarters in the island of - Cyprus--Their alliance with the king of Persia--The reconquest of - Jerusalem--The desolation of the Holy Land--The final extinction of - the Templars in Palestine. - - "The Knights of the TEMPLE ever maintained their fearless and - fanatic character; if they neglected to _live_, they were prepared - to _die_ in the service of Christ."--_Gibbon._ - - -Shortly after the recovery of the holy city, (A. D. 1242,) -Djemal'eddeen, the Mussulman, paid a visit to Jerusalem. "I saw," says -he, "the monks and the priests masters of the Temple of the Lord. I saw -the vials of wine prepared for the sacrifice. I entered into the Mosque -Al Acsa, (the Temple of the Knights Templars, ante, p. 12,) and I saw a -bell suspended from the dome. The rites and ceremonies of the Mussulmen -were abolished; the call to prayer was no longer heard. The infidels -publicly exercised their idolatrous practices in the sanctuaries of -the Mussulmen."[116] By the advice of Benedict, bishop of Marseilles, -who came to the holy city on a pilgrimage, the Templars rebuilt their -ancient and once formidable castle of Saphet, the dilapidated ruins -of which had been ceded to them by their recent treaty with Saleh -Ismael. During a pilgrimage to the lake of Tiberias and the banks of -the Jordan, the bishop of Marseilles had halted at Saphet, and spent a -night amid the ruins of the ancient castle, where he found a solitary -Knight Templar keeping watch in a miserable hovel. Struck with the -position of the place, and its importance in a military point of view, -he sought on his return to Acre an interview with the Grand Master -of the Temple, and urged him to restore the castle of Saphet to its -pristine condition. The bishop was invited to attend a general chapter -of the order of the Temple, when the matter was discussed, and it was -unanimously determined that the mountain of Saphet should immediately -be refortified. The bishop himself laid the first stone, and animated -the workmen by a spirited oration. Eight hundred and fifty masons -and artificers, and four hundred slaves, were employed in the task. -During the first thirty months after the commencement of operations, -the Templars expended eleven thousand golden bezants upon the works, -and in succeeding years they spent upwards of forty thousand. The -walls, when finished, were sixty French feet in width, one hundred -and seventy in height, and the circuit of them was two thousand two -hundred and fifty feet. They were flanked by seven large round towers, -sixty feet in diameter, and seventy-two feet higher than the walls. -The fosse surrounding the fortress was thirty-six feet wide, and was -pierced in the solid rock to a depth of forty-three feet. The garrison -in time of peace amounted to one thousand seven hundred men, and to -two thousand two hundred in time of war. Twelve thousand mule loads -of corn and barley were consumed annually within the walls of the -fortress; and in addition to all the ordinary expenses and requirements -of the establishment, the Templars maintained a well-furnished table -and excellent accommodation for all way-worn pilgrims and travellers. -"The generous expenditure of the Templars at this place," says a -cotemporary historian, "renders them truly worthy of the liberality -and largesses of the faithful."[117] - -The ruins of this famous castle, crowning the summit of a lofty -mountain, torn and shattered by earthquakes, still present a stupendous -appearance. In Pocock's time "two particularly fine large round towers" -were entire: and Van Egmont and Heyman give the following account of -the condition of the fortress at the period of their visit. "The next -place that engaged our attention was the citadel, which is the greatest -object of curiosity in Saphet, and is generally considered one of the -most ancient structures remaining in the country. In order to form -some idea of this fortification in its present state, imagine a lofty -mountain, and on its summit a round castle, with walls of incredible -thickness, and with a _corridor_ or covered passage extending round -the walls, and ascended by a winding staircase. The thickness of the -walls and corridor together was twenty paces. The whole was of hewn -stone, and some of the stones are eight or nine spans in length.... -This castle was anciently surrounded with stupendous works, as appears -from the remains of two moats lined with free-stone, several fragments -of walls, bulwarks, towers, &c., all very solid and strongly built; -and below these moats other massive works, having corridors round them -in the same manner as the castle; so that any person, on surveying -these fortifications, may wonder how so strong a fortress could ever be -taken." Amongst the various interesting remains of this castle, these -intelligent travellers describe "a large structure of free-stone in -the form of a cupola or dome. The stones, which are almost white, are -of astonishing magnitude, some being twelve spans in length and five -in thickness. The inside is full of niches for placing statues, and -near each niche is a small cell. An open colonnade extends quite round -the building, and, like the rest of the structure, is very massive and -compact."[118] - -When the sultan of Egypt had been informed of the march of the Templars -to Jerusalem, and the re-possession by the military friars of the holy -places and sanctuaries of the Mussulmen, he sent an army of several -thousand men across the desert, to drive them out of the Holy City -before they had time to repair the fortifications and re-construct the -walls. The Templars assembled all their forces and advanced to meet the -Egyptians. They occupied the passes and defiles of the hill country -leading to Jerusalem, and gained a glorious victory over the Moslems, -driving the greater part of them into the desert. Ayoub, sultan of -Egypt, finding himself unable to resist the formidable alliance of the -Templars with Saleh Ismael, called in to his assistance the fierce -pastoral tribes of the Carizmians. These were a warlike race of -people, who had been driven from their abodes, in the neighbourhood -of the Caspian, by the successful arms of the Moguls, and had rushed -headlong upon the weak and effeminate nations of the south. They had -devastated and laid waste Armenia and the north-western parts of -Persia, cutting off by the sword, or dragging away into captivity, all -who had ventured to oppose their progress. For years past they had -been leading a migratory, wandering life, exhausting the resources of -one district, and then passing onwards into another, without making -any fixed settlement, or having any regular places of abode, and their -destructive progress has been compared by the Arabian writers to the -wasting tempest or the terrible inundation. The rude hardships of their -roving life had endowed them with a passive endurance which enabled -them to surmount all obstacles, and to overcome every difficulty. Their -clothing consisted of a solitary sheep's skin, or a wolf's skin, tied -around their loins; boiled herbs and some water, or a little milk, -sufficed them for food and beverage; their arms were the bow and the -lance; and they shed the blood of their fellow-creatures with the same -indifference as they would that of the beasts of the field. Their -wives and their children accompanied their march, braving all dangers -and fatigues; their tents were their homes, and the site of their -encampment their only country. Nothing could exceed the terror inspired -in Armenia and Persia by the military expeditions of these rude and -ferocious shepherds of the Caspian, who were the foes of all races -and of all people, and manifested a profound indifference for every -religion. - -The Carizmians were encamped on the left bank of the Euphrates, -pasturing their cavalry in the neighbouring plains, when their chief, -Barbeh Khan, received a deputation from the sultan of Egypt, inviting -their co-operation and assistance in the reduction of Palestine. Their -cupidity was awakened by an exaggerated account of the fertility and -the wealth of the land, and they were offered a settlement in the -country as soon as it was rescued from the hands of the Franks. The -messengers displayed the written letters of the sultan of Egypt; they -presented to the Carizmian chief some rich shawls and magnificent -presents, and returned to their master at Grand Cairo with promises -of speedy support. The Carizmians assembled together in a body; they -crossed the Euphrates (A. D. 1244) in small leathern boats, ravaged the -territories of the sultan of Aleppo, and marched up the plain of the -Orontes to Hems, wasting all the country around them with fire and the -sword. The intelligence of these events reached the Grand Master of the -Temple when he was busily engaged in rebuilding the vast and extensive -fortifications of the Holy City. A council of war was called together, -and it was determined that Jerusalem was untenable, and that the Holy -City must once again be abandoned to the infidels. The Hospitallers -in their black mantles, and the Templars in their white habits, were -drawn up in martial array in the streets of Jerusalem, and the weeping -Christians were exhorted once again to leave their homes and avail -themselves of the escort and protection of the military friars to -Jaffa. Many gathered together their little property and quitted the -devoted city, and many lingered behind amid the scenes they loved and -cherished. Soon, however, frightful reports reached Jerusalem of the -horrors of the Carizmian invasion, and the fugitives, who had fled -with terror and astonishment from their destructive progress, spread -alarm and consternation throughout the whole land. Several thousand -Christians, who had remained behind, then attempted to make their -escape, with their wives and children, through the mountains to the -plain of Ramleh and the sea-coast, relying on the truce and treaty of -alliance which had been established with Nasser Daoud, lord of Carac, -and the mountaineers. But the inhabitants of the mountain region, -being a set of lawless robbers and plunderers, attacked and pillaged -them. Some were slain, and others were dragged away into captivity. A -few fled back to Jerusalem, and the residue, after having been hunted -through the mountains, descended into the plain of Ramleh, where they -were attacked by the Carizmians, and only three hundred out of the -whole number succeeded in reaching Jaffa in safety. All the women and -children had been taken captive in the mountains, and amongst them -were several holy nuns, who were sent to Egypt and sold in the common -slave-markets. - -The Carizmians had advanced into the plain of Ramleh by way of Baalbec, -Tiberias, and Naplous, and they now directed their footsteps towards -Jerusalem. They entered the Holy City sword in hand, massacred the few -remaining Christians in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, pillaged the -town, and rifled the tombs of the kings for treasure. They then marched -upon Gaza, stormed the city, and put the garrison to the sword, after -which they sent messengers across the desert to the sultan of Egypt to -announce their arrival. Ayoub immediately sent a robe of honour and -sumptuous gifts to their chief, and despatched his army from Cairo in -all haste, under the command of Rokmeddin Bibars, one of his principal -Mamlooks, to join them before Gaza. The Grand Masters of the Temple and -the Hospital, on the other hand, collected their forces together, and -made a junction with the troops of the sultan of Damascus and the lord -of Carac. They marched upon Gaza, attacked the united armies of the -Egyptians and Carizmians, and were exterminated in a bloody battle of -two days' continuance. The Grand Master of the Temple and the flower of -his chivalry perished in that bloody encounter, and the Grand Master of -the Hospital was taken prisoner, and led away into captivity.[119] - -The government of the order of the Temple, in consequence of the death -of the Grand Master, temporarily devolved upon the Knight Templar, -Brother William de Rochefort, who immediately despatched a melancholy -letter addressed to the pope and the archbishop of Canterbury, -detailing the horrors and atrocities of the Carizmian invasion. "These -perfidious savages," says he, "having penetrated within the gates -of the holy city of Israel, the small remnant of the faithful left -therein, consisting of children, women, and old men, took refuge in -the church of the sepulchre of our Lord. The Carizmians rushed to that -holy sanctuary; they butchered them all before the very sepulchre -itself, and cutting off the heads of the priests who were kneeling -with uplifted hands before the altars, they said one to another, 'Let -us here shed the blood of the Christians _on the very place where they -offer up wine to their GOD, who they say was hanged here_.' Moreover, -in sorrow be it spoken, and with sighs we inform you, that laying -their sacrilegious hands on the very sepulchre itself, they sadly -knocked it about, utterly battering to pieces the marble shrine which -was built around that holy sanctuary. They have defiled, with every -abomination of which they were capable, Mount Calvary, where Christ was -crucified, and the whole church of the resurrection. They have taken -away, indeed, the sculptured columns which were placed as a decoration -before the sepulchre of the Lord; and, as a mark of victory, and as a -taunt to the Christians, they have sent them to the sepulchre of the -wicked Mahomet. They have violated the tombs of the happy kings of -Jerusalem in the same church, and they have scattered, to the hurt of -Christendom, the ashes of those holy men to the winds, irreverently -profaning the revered Mount Sion. The Temple of the Lord, the church -of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the Virgin lies buried, the church -of Bethlehem, and the place of the nativity of our Lord, they have -polluted with enormities too horrible to be related, far exceeding the -iniquity of all the Saracens, who, though they frequently occupied the -land of the Christians, yet always reverenced and preserved the holy -places...." The subsequent military operations are then described; the -march of the Templars and Hospitallers, on the 4th of October, A. D. -1244, from Acre to Cæsarea; the junction of their forces with those of -the Moslem sultans; the retreat of the Carizmians to Gaza, where they -received succour from the sultan of Egypt; and the preparation of the -Hospitallers and Templars for the attack before that place. "Those holy -warriors," say they, "boldly rushed in upon the enemy, but the Saracens -who had joined us, having lost many of their men, fled, and the -warriors of the cross were left alone to withstand the united attack -of the Egyptians and Carizmians. Like stout champions of the Lord, and -true defenders of catholicity, whom the same faith and the same cross -and passion make true brothers, they bravely resisted; but as they were -few in number in comparison with the enemy, they at last succumbed, so -that of the convents of the house of the chivalry of the Temple, and of -the house of the hospital of St. John at Jerusalem, only thirty-three -Templars and twenty-six Hospitallers escaped; the archbishop of Tyre, -the bishop of St. George, the abbot of St. Mary of Jehoshaphat, and the -Master of the Temple, with many other clerks and holy men, being slain -in that sanguinary fight. We ourselves, having by our sins provoked -this dire calamity, fled half dead to Ascalon; from thence we proceeded -by sea to Acre, and found that city and the adjoining province filled -with sorrow and mourning, misery and death. There was not a house or a -family that had not lost an inmate or a relation.... - -"The Carizmians have now pitched their tents in the plain of Acre, -about two miles from the city. They have spread themselves over the -whole face of the country as far as Nazareth and Saphet. They have -slaughtered or driven away the house-holders, occupied their houses, -and divided their property amongst them. They have appointed bailiffs -and tax-gatherers in the towns and villages, and they compel the -countrymen and the villeins of the soil to pay to themselves the -rents and tribute which they have heretofore been wont to pay to the -Christians, so that the church of Jerusalem and the christian kingdom -have now no territory, except a few fortifications, which are defended -with great difficulty and labour by the Templars and Hospitallers.... -To you, dear Father, upon whom the burthen of the defence of the -cause of Christ justly resteth, we have caused these sad tidings to -be communicated, earnestly beseeching you to address your prayers -to the throne of grace, imploring mercy from the Most High; that -he who consecrated the Holy Land with his own blood in redemption -of all mankind, may compassionately turn towards it and defend it, -and send it succour. But know, assuredly, that unless, through the -interposition of the Most High, or by the aid of the faithful, the Holy -Land is succoured in the next spring passage from Europe, its doom -is sealed, and utter ruin is inevitable. Given at Acre, this fifth -day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and -forty-four."[120] - -The above letter was read before a general council of the church, which -had been assembled at Lyons by pope Innocent IV., and it was resolved -that a new crusade should be preached. It was provided that those who -assumed the cross should assemble at particular places to receive the -pope's blessing; that there should be a truce for four years between -all christian princes; that during all that time there should be no -tournaments, feasts, nor public rejoicings; that all the faithful -in Christ should be exhorted to contribute, out of their fortunes -and estates, to the defence of the Holy Land; and that ecclesiastics -should pay towards it the tenth, and cardinals the twentieth, of all -their revenues, for the term of three years successively. The ancient -enthusiasm, however, in favour of distant expeditions to the East had -died away; the addresses and exhortations of the clergy now fell on -unwilling ears, and the Templars and Hospitallers, for several years, -received only some small assistance in men and money. The emperor -Frederick, who still bore the empty title of king of Jerusalem, made -no attempt to save the wreck of his feeble kingdom. His bride, the -fair and youthful Violante, queen of the Latin kingdom, had been dead -several years, killed by his coldness and neglect; and the emperor -bestowed no thought upon his eastern subjects and the Holy Land, except -to abuse those by whom that land had been so gallantly defended. In a -letter to Richard earl of Cornwall, the brother of Henry the Third, -king of England, Frederick accuses the Templars of making war upon -the sultan of Egypt, in defiance of a treaty entered into with that -monarch, of compelling him to call in the Carizmians to his assistance; -and he compares the union of the Templars with the infidel sultan, for -purposes of defence, to an attempt to extinguish a fire by pouring upon -it a quantity of oil. "The proud religion of the Temple," says he, in -continuation, "nurtured amid the luxuries of the barons of the land, -waxeth wanton. It hath been made manifest to us, by certain religious -persons lately arrived from parts beyond sea, that the aforesaid -sultans and their trains were received with pompous alacrity within -the gates of the houses of the Temple, and that the Templars suffered -them to perform within them their superstitious rites and ceremonies, -with invocation of Mahomet, and to indulge in secular delights."[121] -In the midst of all these terrible disasters, a general chapter of -Knights Templars was assembled in the Pilgrim's Castle, and the -veteran warrior, Brother WILLIAM DE SONNAC, was chosen (A. D. 1247) -Grand Master of the Order.[121] Circular mandates were, at the same -time, sent to the western preceptories, summoning all the brethren to -Palestine, and directing the immediate transmission of all the money -in the different treasuries to the head-quarters of the Order at Acre. -These calls were promptly attended to, and the pope praises both the -Templars and Hospitallers for the zeal and energy displayed by them in -sending out the newly admitted knights and novices with armed bands and -a large amount of treasure to the succour of the holy territory. - -Whilst the proposed crusade was slowly progressing, the holy pontiff -wrote to the sultan of Egypt, the ally of the Carizmians, proposing -a peace or a truce, and received the following grand and magnificent -reply to his communication:--"To the pope, the noble, the great, the -spiritual, the affectionate, the holy, the thirteenth of the apostles, -the leader of the sons of baptism, the high priest of the Christians, -(may God strengthen him and establish him, and give him happiness!) -from the most powerful sultan ruling over the necks of nations; -wielding the two great weapons, the sword and the pen; possessing -two pre-eminent excellencies--that is to say, learning and judgment; -king of two seas; ruler of the South and North; king of the region of -Egypt and Syria, Mesopotamia, Media, Idumea, and Ophir; king Saloph -Beelpheth, Jacob, son of Sultan Kamel, Hemevafar Mehameth, son of -Sultan Hadel, Robethre, son of Jacob, whose kingdom may the Lord God -make happy. - -"IN THE NAME OF GOD THE MOST MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE. The letters -of the pope, the noble, the great, &c., &c., have been presented to -us. May God favour him who earnestly seeketh after righteousness and -doeth good, and wisheth peace, and walketh in the ways of the Lord. May -God assist him who worshippeth him in truth. We have considered the -aforesaid letters, and have understood the matters treated of therein, -which have pleased and delighted us; and the messenger sent by the holy -pope came to us, and we caused him to be brought before us with honour, -and love, and reverence; and we brought him to see us face to face, -and inclining our ears towards him, we listened to his speech, and we -have put faith in the words he hath spoken unto us concerning Christ, -upon whom be salvation and praise. But we know more concerning that -same Christ than ye know, and we magnify him more than ye magnify him. -And as to what you say concerning your desire for peace, tranquillity, -and quiet, and that you wish to put down war, so also do we; we desire -and wish nothing to the contrary. But let the pope know, that between -ourselves and the emperor (Frederick) there hath been mutual love, and -alliance, and perfect concord, from the time of the sultan, my father, -(whom may God preserve and place in the glory of his brightness!) and -between you and the emperor there is, as ye know, strife and warfare; -whence it is not fit that we should enter into any treaty with the -Christians until we have previously had his advice and assent. We -have therefore written to our envoy at the imperial court upon the -propositions made to us by the pope's messenger, &c.... This letter was -written on the seventh of the month _Maharan_. Praise be to the one -only God, and may his blessing rest upon our master, _Mahomet_."[122] - -In the course of a few years the Carizmians were annihilated. The -sultan of Egypt having no further need of their services, left them to -perish in the lands they had wasted. They were attacked by the sultans -of Aleppo and Hems, and were pursued with equal fury by Moslems and -by Christians. Several large bodies of them were cut up in detail by -the Templars and Hospitallers, and they were at last slain to a man. -Their very name perished from the face of the earth, but the traces of -their existence were long preserved in the ruin and desolation they -had spread around them.[123] The Holy Land, although happily freed -from the destructive presence of these barbarians, had yet everything -to fear from the powerful sultan of Egypt, with whom hostilities -still continued; and Brother William de Sonnac, the Grand Master of -the Temple, for the purpose of stimulating the languid energies of -the English nation, and reviving their holy zeal and enthusiasm in -the cause of the cross, despatched a distinguished Knight Templar to -England, charged with the duty of presenting to king Henry the Third a -magnificent crystal vase, containing, as it was alleged, a portion of -the blood of Jesus Christ! - -A solemn attestation of the genuineness of this precious relic, signed -by the patriarch of Jerusalem, and the bishops, abbots, and barons of -the Holy Land, was forwarded to London, and was deposited, together -with the vase and its contents, in the cathedral church of St. Paul. -The king ordered the bishops and clergy devoutly and reverently to -assemble at St. Paul's, on the anniversary of the translation of St. -Edward the Confessor, in full canonicals, with banners, crosses, and -lighted wax-candles. On the eve of that day, according to the monk of -St. Albans, who personally assisted at the ceremony, "our lord the -king, with a devout and contrite spirit, as became that most christian -prince, fasting on bread and water, and watching all night with a -great light, and performing many pious exercises, prudently prepared -himself for the morrow's solemnity." On the morrow a procession of -bishops, monks, and priests, having been duly marshalled and arranged, -king Henry made his appearance upon the steps at the south door -of St. Paul's cathedral, and receiving with "the greatest honour, -and reverence, and fear, the little vase containing the memorable -treasure, he bore it publicly through the streets of London, holding it -aloft just above his face. Bareheaded, and clothed in a humble habit, -he walked afoot without halting, to Westminster Abbey; and although he -passed over rough and uneven pavements, yet he invariably kept his eyes -stedfastly fixed, either on heaven or on that vase." He made a solemn -procession round the Abbey, then round the palace at Westminster, and -then round his own bed-chamber, all the while unweariedly bearing -aloft the precious relic, after which he presented it to God, and the -church of St. Peter, to his dear Edward, and the sacred convent at -Westminster.[124] - -In the mean time the Comans, another fierce pastoral tribe of wandering -Tartars, made their way through the christian province of Armenia into -the principality of Antioch, and ravaged both banks of the Orontes, -carrying away the inhabitants into captivity. The king of Armenia -and the prince of Antioch despatched messengers to the Templars and -Hospitallers for succour; and the Grand Masters, collecting all their -disposable forces, hurried to the relief of the distressed provinces. -In a long and bloody battle, fought in the neighbourhood of the iron -bridge over the Orontes, the Comans were overthrown and slaughtered, -and the vast and wealthy city of Antioch was saved from pillage. The -Hospitallers suffered severe loss in this engagement, and Brother -Bertrand de Comps, their Grand Master, died of his wounds four days -after the battle. - -In the month of June, A. D. 1249, the galleys of the Templars left Acre -with all their disposable forces on board, under the command of the -Grand Master William de Sonnac, and joined the great French expedition -of Louis king of France which had been directed against the infidels -in Egypt. After the capture of Damietta, the following letter was -forwarded by Brother William de Sonnac to the Master of the Temple at -London:--"Brother William de Sonnac, by the grace of God Master of -the poor chivalry of the Temple, to his beloved brother in Christ, -Robert de Sanford, Preceptor of England, salvation through the Lord. -We hasten to unfold to you by these presents, agreeable and happy -intelligence.... (He details the landing of the French, the defeat of -the infidels with the loss of one christian soldier, and the subsequent -capture of the city.) Damietta, therefore, has been taken, not by our -deserts, nor by the might of our armed bands, but through the divine -power and assistance. Moreover, be it known to you that king Louis, -with God's favour, proposes to march upon Alexandria or Cairo for the -purpose of delivering our brethren there detained in captivity, and of -reducing, with God's help, the whole land to the christian worship. -Farewell."[125] - -The Lord de Joinville, the friend of king Louis, and one of the bravest -of the French captains, gives a lively and most interesting account -of the campaign, and of the exploits of the Templars. During the -march towards Cairo, they led the van of the christian army, and on -one occasion, when the king of France had given strict orders that no -attack should be made upon the infidels, and that an engagement should -be avoided, a body of Turkish cavalry advanced against them. "One of -these Turks," says Joinville, "gave a Knight Templar in the first rank -so heavy a blow with his battle-axe, that it felled him under the feet -of the Lord Reginald de Vichier's horse, who was Marshal of the Temple; -the Marshal, seeing his man fall, cried out to his brethren, 'At them -in the name of God, for I cannot longer stand this.' He instantly stuck -spurs into his horse, followed by all his brethren, and as their horses -were fresh, not a Saracen escaped." After marching for some days, the -Templars arrived on the banks of the Tanitic branch of the Nile, (the -ancient Pelusiac mouth of the river,) and found the sultan encamped -with his entire force on the opposite side, to prevent and oppose -their passage. King Louis attempted to construct a bridge to enable him -to cross the stream, and long and earnestly did the Templars labour at -the task, "but," says Joinville, "as fast as we advanced our bridge -the Saracens destroyed it; they dug, on their side of the river, wide -and deep holes in the earth, and as the water recoiled from our bridge -it filled these holes with water, and tore away the bank, so that what -we had been employed on for three weeks or a month they ruined in one -or two days." To protect the soldiers employed upon the construction -of the bridge large wooden towers were erected, and _chas chateils_ -or covered galleries, and the infidels exerted all their energies to -destroy them with the terrible Greek fire. "At night," says Joinville, -"they brought forward an engine called by them La Perriere, a dreadful -engine to do mischief, and they flung from it such quantities of Greek -fire that it was the most horrible sight ever witnessed.... This Greek -fire was like a large tun, and its tail was of the length of a long -spear; the noise which it made was like to thunder, and it seemed a -great dragon of fire flying through the air, giving so great a light -with its flame, that we saw in our camp as clearly as in broad day." - -The military engines and machines were all burnt, and the Christians -were about to yield themselves up to despair, when a Bedouin Arab -offered, for a bribe of five hundred golden bezants, to show a safe -ford. At dawn of day, on Shrove Tuesday, the French knights mounted -on horseback to make trial of the ford of the Bedouin. "Before we set -out," says Joinville, "the king had ordered that the Templars should -form the van, and the Count d'Artois, his brother, should command the -second division after the Templars; but the moment the Count d'Artois -had passed the ford, he and all his people fell on the Saracens, and -putting them to flight, galloped after them. The Templars sent to call -the Count d'Artois back, and to tell him that it was his duty to march -behind and not before them; but it happened that the Count d'Artois -could not make any answer by reason of my Lord Foucquault du Melle, who -held the bridle of his horse, and my Lord Foucquault, who was a right -good knight, being deaf, heard nothing the Templars were saying to the -Count d'Artois, but kept bawling out, '_Forward! forward!_' ('Or a -eulz! or a eulz!') When the Templars perceived this, they thought they -should be dishonoured if they allowed the Count d'Artois thus to take -the lead; so they spurred their horses more and more, and faster and -faster, and chased the Turks, who fled before them, through the town of -Mansourah, as far as the plains towards Babylon."[126] - -The Arabian writers, in their account of the entry of the Templars into -Mansourah, tell us that 2,000 horsemen galloped into the place sword -in hand and surprised Fakho'ddin Othman, commonly called Ibn Saif, -the Moslem general, and one of the principal Mamlook emirs, in the -bath, and barbarously cut him to pieces as he was painting his beard -before a glass.[127] But the impetuous courage of the Count d'Artois -and the Templars had led them far away from the support of the main -body of the army, and their horsemen became embarrassed in the narrow -streets of Mansourah, where there was no room to charge or manoeuvre -with effect. The infidels rallied; they returned to the attack with -vast reinforcements; the inhabitants of the town mounted to their -house-tops, and discharged stones and brickbats upon the heads of the -christian knights, and the Templars were defeated and driven out of -the city with dreadful carnage. "The Count d'Artois and the Earl of -Leicester were there slain, and as many as three hundred other knights. -The Templars lost, as their chief informed me, full fourteen score -men-at-arms, and all their horsemen." The Grand Master of the Temple -also lost an eye, and cut his way through the infidels to the main body -of the christian army, accompanied only by two Knights Templars. There -he again mixed in the affray, took the command of a vanguard, and is -to be found fighting by the side of the lord de Joinville at sunset. - -At the close of the long and bloody day, the Christians regained -their camp in safety. King Louis, Joinville, and the Grand Master of -the Temple had been fighting side by side during a great part of the -afternoon; Joinville had his horse killed under him, and performed -prodigies of valour. He was severely wounded, and on retiring to his -quarters he found that a magnificent tent had been sent to him by the -Grand Master of the Temple, as a testimony of regard and esteem. On -the first Friday in Lent, Bendocdar, the great Mamlook general and -lieutenant of the sultan of Egypt, advanced at the head of a vast army -of horse and foot to attack the Crusaders in their intrenchments. King -Louis drew out his army in battle array, and posted them in eight -divisions in front of the camp. The Templars, under their venerable -Grand Master, formed the fourth division, and the fate of their gallant -chieftain is thus described by the lord de Joinville. "The next -battalion was under the command of Brother William de Sonnac, Master -of the Temple, who had with him the small remnant of the brethren of -his order who survived the battle of Shrove Tuesday. The Master of -the Temple made of the engines which he had taken from the Saracens -a sort of rampart in his front, but when the Saracens marched up to -the assault, they threw Greek fire upon it, and as the Templars had -piled up many planks of fir-wood amongst these engines, they caught -fire immediately; and the Saracens, perceiving that the brethren of -the Temple were few in number, dashed through the burning timbers, and -vigorously attacked them. In the preceding battle of Shrove Tuesday, -Brother William, the Master of the Temple, lost one of his eyes, and in -this battle the said lord lost his other eye, and was slain. God have -mercy on his soul! And know that immediately behind the place where the -battalion of the Templars stood, there was a good acre of ground, so -covered with darts, arrows, and missiles, that you could not see the -earth beneath them, such showers of these had been discharged against -the Templars by the Saracens."[128] - -The command over the surviving brethren of the order now devolved upon -the Marshal, Brother Reginald de Vichier, who, collecting together -the small surviving remnant of the Templars, retreated to the camp to -participate in the subsequent horrors and misfortunes of the campaign. -"At the end of eight or ten days," says Joinville, "the bodies of those -who had been slain and thrown into the Nile rose to the top of the -water. These bodies floated down the river until they came to the small -bridge that communicated with each part of our army; the arch was so -low that it prevented the bodies from passing underneath, and the river -was consequently covered with them from bank to bank, so that the water -could not be seen.... God knows how great was the stench. I never heard -that any who were exposed to this infectious smell ever recovered their -health. The whole army was seized with a shocking disorder, which dried -up the flesh on our legs to the bone; and our skins became tanned as -the ground, or like an old boot that has long lain behind a coffer.... -The barbers were forced to cut away very large pieces of flesh from the -gums to enable their patients to eat; it was pitiful to hear the cries -and groans, they were like the cries of women in labour." - -The army attempted to retreat when retreat was almost impossible; -the soldiers became dispersed and scattered; thousands died by the -way-side, and thousands fell alive into the hands of the enemy, among -which last were the king and Joinville. They were both attacked by -the disease, and king Louis laid himself down to die in an Arab hut, -where he was found and kindly treated by the Saracens. Reginald de -Vichier, the Marshal of the Templars, and a few of his brethren, -reached Damietta in safety, and took measures for the defence of the -place. All those of the prisoners who were unable to redeem their lives -by services as slaves to the conquerors, or by ransom, were inhumanly -massacred, and a grim circle of christian heads decorated the walls -and battlements of Cairo. The Egyptians required as the price of the -liberty of the French monarch the surrender of all the fortresses of -the order of the Temple in Palestine; but the king told them that the -Templars were not subject to his command, nor had he any means of -compelling them to give effect to such an agreement. Louis and his -friend Joinville at last obtained their deliverance from captivity by -the surrender of Damietta, and by the payment of two hundred thousand -pieces of gold; and the liberation of the king's brother, and of the -other captive nobles and knights was to be purchased by the payment -of a similar sum. The king immediately went on board the French fleet -which was at anchor before Damietta, and exerted himself to raise the -residue of the ransom; and all Saturday and Sunday were employed in -collecting it together. - -"On Sunday evening," says Joinville, "the king's servants, who were -occupied in counting out the money, sent to say that there was a -deficiency of thirty thousand livres. I observed to the king that we -had better ask the commander and Marshal of the Temple, since the -Master was dead, to give us the thirty thousand livres. Brother Stephen -d'Otricourt, knight commander of the Temple, hearing the advice I gave -to the king, said to me, 'Lord de Joinville, the counsel you give the -king is not right nor reasonable, for you know that we receive every -farthing of our money on our oaths;' and Brother Reginald de Vichier, -who was Marshal of the Temple, said to the king, 'Sire, it is as our -commander has said, we cannot dispose of any of the money intrusted -to us but for the means intended, in accordance with the rules of our -institution, without being perjured. Know that the seneschal hath ill -advised you to take our money by force, but in this you will act as you -please; should you, however, do so, _we will make ourselves amends out -of the money you have in Acre_.' I then told the king that if he wished -I would go and get the money, and he commanded me so to do. I instantly -went on board one of the galleys of the Templars, and demanded of the -treasurer the keys of a coffer which I saw before me. They refused, and -I was about to break it open with a wedge in the king's name, when the -Marshal, observing I was in earnest, ordered the keys to be given to -me. I opened the coffer, took out the sum wanting, and carried it to -the king, who was much rejoiced at my return." King Louis returned with -the Templars to Palestine; and was received with great distinction by -the order at Acre, where he remained four years! - -In the year 1251 a general chapter of Knights Templars being assembled -in the Pilgrim's Castle, the Marshal, Brother REGINALD DE VICHIER, who -had commanded with great skill and prudence in Egypt after the death -of Brother William de Sonnac, was chosen to fill the vacant dignity -of Grand Master. Henry III., king of England, had assumed the cross -shortly after intelligence had been conveyed to England of the horrors -and atrocities committed by the Carizmians in the Holy City. Year after -year, he had promised to fulfil his vow, and the pope issued numerous -bulls, kindly providing for the tranquillity and security of his -dominions during his absence, and ordered prayers to be offered up to -God for the success of his arms, in all the churches of Christendom. -King Henry assembled a parliament to obtain the necessary supplies, and -fixed the 24th day of June, A. D. 1255, as the period of his departure. -His knights and barons, however, refused him the necessary funds, and -the needy monarch addressed the military orders of the Temple and -the Hospital in the following very curious letter. "As you are said -to possess a well-equipped fleet, we beseech you to set apart for -our own use some of your strongest vessels, and have them furnished -and equipped with provisions, sailors, and all things requisite for -a twelvemonth's voyage, so that we may be able, ere the period for -our own departure arrives, to freight them with the soldiers, arms, -horses, and munitions of war that we intend to send to the succour of -the Holy Land. You will also be pleased to provide secure habitations -and suitable accommodation for the said soldiers and their equipage, -until the period of our own arrival. You will then be good enough to -send back the same vessels to England to conduct ourselves and suite to -Palestine; and by your prompt obedience to these our commands, we shall -judge of your devotion to the interests of the Holy Land, and of your -attachment to our person."[129] - -King Louis, in the mean time, assisted the Templars in repairing the -fortifications of Jaffa and Cæsarea. The lord de Joinville who was with -him tells us that the scheik of the assassins, who still continued to -pay tribute to the Templars, sent ambassadors to the king to obtain a -remission of the tribute. He gave them an audience, and declared that -he would consider of their proposal. "When they came again before the -king," says Joinville, "it was about vespers, and they found the Master -of the Temple on one side of him, and the Master of the Hospital on -the other. The ambassadors refused to repeat what they had said in the -morning, but the Masters of the Temple and the Hospital commanded them -so to do. Then the Masters of the Temple and Hospital told them that -their lord had very foolishly and impudently sent such a message to the -king of France, and had they not been invested with the character of -ambassadors, they would have thrown them into the filthy sea of Acre, -and have drowned them in despite of their master. 'And we command you,' -continued the Masters, 'to return to your lord, and to come back within -fifteen days with such letters from your prince, that the king shall -be contented with him and with you.'" The ambassadors accordingly -did as they were bid, and brought back from their scheik a shirt, the -symbol of friendship, and a great variety of rich presents, "crystal -elephants, pieces of amber, with borders of pure gold," &c., &c. "You -must know that when the ambassadors opened the case containing all -these fine things, the whole apartment was instantly embalmed with the -odour of their sweet perfumes." - -The treaty entered into between king Louis and the infidels having been -violated by the murder of the sick at Damietta, and by the detention, -in a state of slavery, of many knights and soldiers, as well as of a -large body of christian children, the Templars recommenced hostilities, -and marched with Joinville and the French knights against the strong -castle of Panias, and after an obstinate resistance, carried the place -sword in hand. The sultan of Damascus immediately took the field; he -stormed the Temple fort Dok, slaughtered the garrison, and razed the -fortifications to the ground; the castle of Ricordane shared the same -fate, and the city of Sidon was taken by assault, (A. D. 1254,) whilst -the workmen and artificers were diligently employed in rebuilding the -walls; eight hundred men were put to the sword, and four hundred masons -and artificers were taken prisoners and carried off to Damascus. After -residing nearly two years at Acre, and spending vast sums of money upon -the defences of the maritime towns of Palestine, king Louis returned -to France. He set sail from Acre on the 24th of April, with a fleet of -fourteen sail, his ship being steered by Brother Rèmond, the pilot of -the Grand Master of the Temple, who was charged to conduct the king -across the wide waters in safety to his own dominions. On his arrival -in France, Louis manifested his esteem for the Templars by granting -them the château and lordship of Bazèes, near Bauvez, in Aquitaine. The -deed of gift is expressed to be made in consideration of the charitable -works which the king had seen performed amongst the Templars, and in -acknowledgment of the services they had rendered to him, and to the -intent that he might be made a participator in the good works done -by the fraternity, and be remembered in the prayers of the brethren. -This deed was delivered on the day of Pentecost to Brother Hugh, Grand -Preceptor of Aquitaine, in the cathedral church of Angouleme, in the -presence of numerous archbishops, bishops, counts, and barons.[130] - -At the period of the return of the king of France to Europe, Henry the -Third, king of England, was in Gascony with Brother Robert de Sanford, -Master of the Temple at London, who had been previously sent by the -English monarch into that province to appease the troubles which had -there broken out. King Henry proceeded to the French capital, and was -magnificently entertained by the Knights Templars at the Temple in -Paris, which Matthew Paris tells us was of such immense extent that -it could contain within its precincts a numerous army. The day after -his arrival, king Henry ordered an innumerable quantity of poor people -to be regaled at the Temple with meat, fish, bread, and wine; and at -a later hour the king of France and all his nobles came to dine with -the English monarch. "Never," says Matthew Paris, "was there at any -period in bygone times so noble and so celebrated an entertainment. -They feasted in the great hall of the Temple, where hang the shields on -every side, as many as they can place along the four walls, according -to the custom of the order beyond sea...." The Knights Templars in this -country likewise exercised a magnificent hospitality, and constantly -entertained kings, princes, nobles, prelates, and foreign ambassadors -at the Temple. Immediately after the return of king Henry to England, -some illustrious ambassadors from Castile came on a visit to the Temple -at London; and as the king "greatly delighted to honour them," he -commanded three pipes of wine to be placed in the cellars of the Temple -for their use, and ten fat bucks to be brought them at the same place -from the royal forest in Essex. He, moreover, commanded the mayor and -sheriffs of London, and the commonalty of the same city, to take with -them a respectable assemblage of the citizens, and to go forth and meet -the said ambassadors without the city, and courteously receive them, -and honour them, and conduct them to the Temple.[131] - -During the first and second years of the pontificate of pope Alexander -IV. ten bulls were published in favour of the Templars, addressed to -the bishops of the church universal, commanding them to respect and -maintain the privileges conceded to them by the holy see; to judge and -punish all persons who should dare to exact tythe from the fraternity; -to institute to the ecclesiastical benefices of the order, all clerks -presented to them by the preceptors, without previously requiring them -to make a fixed maintenance for such clerks, and severely to punish, -all who appropriated to their own use the alms gifts and eleemosynary -donations made to the brotherhood. By these bulls the Templars are -declared to be exempt from the duty of contributing to the travelling -expenses of all nuncios and legates of the holy see, under the dignity -of a cardinal, when passing through their territories, unless express -orders to the contrary are given by apostolic letters, and all the -bishops are required earnestly and vigorously to protect and defend the -right of sanctuary accorded the houses of the Temple.[132] - -In the year 1257, Brother Reginald de Vichier, the Grand Master of the -Temple, fell sick and died, at an advanced age. He was succeeded by -the English Knight Templar Brother THOMAS BERARD. Shortly after his -election the terrible Moguls and Tartars, those fierce vagrant tribes -of shepherds and hunters, whose victorious arms had spread terror and -desolation over the greater part of Europe and Asia, invaded Palestine, -under the command of the famous Holagou, and spread themselves like a -cloud of devouring locusts over the whole country. The Templars, under -the command of Brother Etienne de Sisi, Grand Preceptor of Apulia, -hastened to meet them, and were cut to pieces in a sanguinary fight. -The Tartars besieged and took the rich and populous cities of Aleppo, -Hamah, Hems, Damascus, Tiberias, and Naplous, and at last entered in -triumph the holy city of Jerusalem.[133] The Grand Master Brother -Thomas Berard wrote a melancholy letter to king Henry the Third for -succour. "With continual letters and many prayers," says he, "has our -poor Christianity on this side the sea besought the assistance of the -kings and princes of this world, and above all, the aid and succour of -your majesty, imploring your royal compassion with sighs and tears, and -a loud sounding voice, and crying out with a bitter cry in the hope -that it would penetrate the royal ear, and reach the ends of the earth, -and arouse the faithful from their slumbers, and draw them to the -protection of the Holy Land."[134] The king of England, however, was in -pecuniary embarrassments, and unable to afford the necessary succour. -He was reduced, indeed, to the cruel necessity of borrowing money in -France upon the security of his regalia and crown jewels, which were -deposited in the Temple at Paris, as appears from the letter of the -queen of France "to her very dear brother Henry, the illustrious king -of England," giving a long list of golden wands, golden combs, diamond -buckles, chaplets, and circlets, golden crowns, imperial beavers, -rich girdles, golden peacocks, and rings innumerable, adorned with -sapphires, rubies, emeralds, topazes, and carbuncles, which she says -she had inspected in the presence of the treasurer of the Temple at -Paris, and that the same were safely deposited in the coffers of the -Templars.[135] - -In the mean time the Mamlooks, "who had breathed in their infancy the -keenness of a Scythian air," advanced from the banks of the Nile to -contend with the Tartars for the dominion of Palestine. Under the -command of Bendocdar, the Mamlook general, they gained a complete -victory over them in the neighbourhood of Tiberias, and drove back -the stream of hostility to the eastward of the Euphrates. Bendocdar -returned to Egypt the idol of his soldiers, and clothed with a -popularity which rendered him too powerful for a subject. He aspired -to the possession of the throne which he had so successfully defended, -and slew with his own hand his sovereign and master Kothuz, the third -Mamlook sultan of Egypt. The Mamlooks hailed him with acclamations -as their sovereign, and on the 24th day of October, A. D. 1260, he -was solemnly proclaimed sultan of Egypt, in the town of Salahieh in -the Delta. Bendocdar was one of the greatest men of the age, and soon -proved the most formidable enemy that the Templars had encountered -in the field since the days of Saladin. The first two years of his -accession to power were employed in the extension and consolidation of -his sway over the adjoining Mussulman countries. The holy cities of -Mecca and Medina acknowledged him for their sovereign, as did Damascus, -Aleppo, Hems, and Jerusalem. His sway extended over Egypt, Nubia, -Arabia, and Syria; and his throne was defended by twenty-five thousand -Mamlook cavalry. His power was further strengthened by an army of one -hundred and seven thousand foot, and by the occasional aid of sixty-six -thousand Arabians. - -After receiving the homage and submission of the rulers and people -of Aleppo, Bendocdar made a hostile demonstration against the vast -and wealthy city of Antioch; but finding the place well defended, he -retired with his army, by way of Hems, Damascus, and Tiberias, to -Egypt. The next year (A. D. 1264) he crossed the desert at the head -of thirty thousand cavalry, and overran all Palestine up to the very -gates of Acre. He burned the great churches of Nazareth and Mount -Tabor; and sought to awaken the zeal and enthusiasm of his soldiers in -behalf of Islam by performing the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and visiting -with great devotion the Mosque of Omar. He then retired to Cairo with -his troops, and the Templars and Hospitallers became the assailants. -They surprised and stormed the castle of Lilion, razed the walls and -fortifications to the ground, and brought off three hundred prisoners -of both sexes, together with a rich prize of sheep and oxen. On the -15th of June, they marched as far as Ascalon, surprised and slew two -Mamlook emirs, and put twenty-eight of their followers to the sword. -They then turned their footsteps towards the Jordan, and on the 5th of -November, they destroyed Bisan or Scythopolis, and laid waste with fire -and sword all the valley of the Jordan, as far as the lake of Tiberias. - -In the depth of winter, (A. D. 1265,) Bendocdar collected his forces -together, and advanced, by rapid marches, from Egypt. He concealed his -real intentions, made a long march during the night, and at morning's -dawn presented himself before the city of Cæsarea. His troops descended -into the ditch by means of ropes and ladders, and climbed the walls -with the aid of iron hooks and spikes; they burst open the gates, -massacred the sentinels, and planted the standard of the prophet on -the ramparts, ere the inhabitants had time to rouse themselves from -their morning slumbers. The citadel, however, still remained to be -taken, and the garrison being forewarned, made an obstinate defence. -The Arabian writers tell us, that the citadel was a strong and handsome -fortification, erected by king Louis, and adorned with pillars and -columns. It stood on a small neck of land which jutted out into the -sea, and the ditches around the fortress were filled with the blue -waters of the Mediterranean. Bendocdar planted huge catapults and -cross-bows upon the tower of the cathedral, and shot arrows, darts, and -stones, from them upon the battlements of the citadel. He encouraged -the exertions of his soldiers by promises of reward, and gave robes of -honour to his principal emirs. Weapons of war were distributed in the -most lavish manner, every captain of a hundred horse receiving for the -use of himself and his men _four thousand arrows_! - -During a dark winter's night the garrison succeeded in making their -escape, and the next morning the Moslems poured into the citadel by -thousands, and abandoned themselves to pillage. The fortifications -were levelled with the dust, and Bendocdar assisted with his own hands -in the work of demolition. He then detached some Mamlook emirs with -a body of cavalry against Caiphas, and proceeded himself to watch -the movements of the Templars, and examine into the defences of the -Pilgrim's Castle. Finding the place almost impregnable, and defended by -a numerous garrison, he suddenly retraced his steps to the south, and -stormed, after a brave and obstinate defence, the strongly fortified -city of Arsoof, which belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of St. -John. The greater part of the garrison was massacred, but one thousand -captives were reserved to grace the triumph of the conqueror. They were -compelled to march at the head of his triumphal procession, with their -banners reversed, and with their crosses, broken into pieces, hung -round their necks. Bendocdar had already despatched his bravest Mamlook -generals, at the head of a considerable body of forces, to blockade -Beaufort and Saphet, two strong fortresses of the order of the Temple, -and he now advanced at the head of a vast army to conduct the siege -of the latter place in person. On 21 Ramadan, the separate timbers -of his military machines arrived from Damascus at Jacob's bridge on -the Jordan; the sultan sent down his emirs and part of his army, with -hundreds of oxen, to drag them up the mountains to Saphet, and went -with his principal officers to assist in the transport of them. "I -worked by the sultan's side, and aided him with all my might," says the -cadi Mohieddin; "being fatigued, I sat down. I began again, and was -once more tired, and compelled to take rest, but the sultan continued -to work without intermission, aiding in the transport of beams, bolts, -and huge frames of timber." The Grand Master of the Temple ordered out -twelve hundred cavalry from Acre to create a diversion in favour of the -besieged; but a treacherous spy conveyed intelligence to Bendocdar, -which enabled him to surprise and massacre the whole force, and return -to Saphet with their heads stuck on the lances of his soldiers. At -last, after an obstinate defence, during which many Moslems, say the -Arabian writers, obtained the crown of martyrdom, the huge walls were -thrown down, and a breach was presented to the infidels; but that -breach was so stoutly guarded that none could be found to mount to the -assault. Bendocdar offered a reward of three hundred pieces of gold to -the first man who entered the city; he distributed robes of honour and -riches to all who were foremost in the fight, and the outer inclosure, -or first line of the fortifications was, at last, taken. - -The Templars retired into the citadel, but their efforts at defence -were embarrassed by the presence of a crowd of two thousand fugitives, -who had fled to Saphet for shelter, and they agreed to capitulate on -condition that the lives and liberties of the Christians should be -respected, and that they should be transported in safety to Acre. -Bendocdar acceded to these terms, and solemnly promised to fulfil them; -but as soon as he had got the citadel into his power, he offered to all -the Templars the severe alternative of the Koran or death, and gave -them until the following morning to make their election. The preceptor -of Saphet, a holy monk and veteran warrior, assisted by two Franciscan -friars, passed the night in pious exhortations to his brethren, -conjuring them to prefer the crown of martyrdom to a few short years -of miserable existence in this sinful world, and not to disgrace -themselves and their order by a shameful apostasy. At sunrise, on the -following morning, the Templars were led on to the brow of the hill, in -front of the castle of Saphet, and when the first rays of the rising -sun gilded the wooded summits of Mount Hermon, and the voice of the -muezzin was heard calling the faithful to morning prayer, they were -required to join in the Moslem chaunt, _La-i-la i-la Allah, Mahommed -re sul Allah_, "There is no God but God, and Mahomet is his apostle;" -the executioners drew near with their naked scimitars, but not a man -of the noble company of knightly warriors, say the Christian writers, -would renounce his faith, and one thousand five hundred heads speedily -rolled at the feet of Bendocdar. "The blood," says Sanutus, "flowed -down the declivities like a rivulet of water." The preceptor of Saphet, -the priests of the order, and brother Jeremiah, were beaten with clubs, -flayed alive, and then beheaded! The Arabian writers state that the -lives of two of the garrison were spared, one being an Hospitaller -whom the besieged had sent to Bendocdar to negotiate the treaty of -surrender, and the other a Templar, named _Effreez Lyoub_, who embraced -the Mahomedan faith, and was circumcised and entered into the service -of the sultan.[136] Immediately after the fall of Saphet, the infidels -stormed the castles of Hounin and Tebnin, and took possession of the -city of Ramleh. - -The Grand Master of the Hospital now sued for peace, and entered into -a separate treaty with the infidels. He agreed to renounce the ancient -tribute of one hundred pieces of gold paid to the order by the district -of Bouktyr; also the annual tribute of four thousand pieces of gold -paid to them by the sultans of Hems and Hamah; a tribute of twelve -hundred pieces of gold, fifty thousand bushels of wheat, and fifty -thousand bushels of barley annually rendered to them by the Assassins -or Ismaelians of the mountains of Tripoli: and the several tributes -paid by the cities or districts of Schayzar, Apamea, and Aintab, which -consisted of five hundred crowns of Tyrian silver, two measures of -wheat, and two pieces of silver for every two head of oxen pastured in -the district. These terms being arranged, the emir Fakir-eddin, and the -cadi Schams-eddin were sent to receive the oath of the Grand Master of -the Hospital to fulfil them, and a truce was then accorded him for ten -years, ten days, and ten months. - -Bendocdar then concentrated his forces together at Aleppo, and marched -against the christian province of Armenia. The prince of Hamah -blockaded Darbesak, which was garrisoned by the Knights Templars, -and forced the mountain passes leading into the ancient Cilicia. The -Moslems then marched with incredible rapidity to Sis, the capital of -the country, which fell into their hands after a short siege. Leon, -king of Armenia, was led away into captivity, together with his -uncle, his son, and his nephew; many others of the royal family were -killed, and some made their escape. All the castles of the Templars -in Armenia were assaulted and taken, and the garrisons massacred. The -most famous of these was the castle of Amoud, which was stormed after -an obstinate defence, and every soul found in it was put to the sword. -The city of Sis was pillaged, and then delivered up to the flames; -the inhabitants of all the towns were either massacred or reduced to -slavery; their goods and possessions were divided amongst the soldiers, -and the Moslems returned to Aleppo laden with booty and surrounded by -captives fastened together with ropes. Great was the joy of Bendocdar. -The musicians were ordered to play, and the dancing girls to beat the -tambour and dance before him. He made a triumphant entry into Damascus, -preceded by his royal captives and many thousand prisoners bound with -chains. "Thus did the sultan," says the Arabian historian, "cut the -sugar-canes of the Franks!" - -On the 1st of May, A. D. 1267, Bendocdar collected together a strong -body of cavalry, divided them into two bodies, and caused them to -mount the banners and emblems of the Hospital and Temple. By this ruse -he attempted to penetrate the east gate of Acre, but the cheat was -fortunately discovered, and the gates were closed ere the Arab cavalry -reached them. The infidels then slaughtered five hundred people outside -the walls, cut off their heads and put them into sacks. Amongst them -were some poor old women who gained a livelihood by gathering herbs! -The ferocious Mamlooks then pulled down all the houses and windmills, -plucked up the vines, cut down all the fruit trees and burnt them, -and filled up the wells. Some deputies, sent to sue for peace, were -introduced to Bendocdar through a grim and ghastly avenue of christian -heads planted on the points of lances, and their petition was rejected -with scorn and contempt. "The neighing of our horses," said the -ferocious sultan, "shall soon strike you with deafness, and the dust -raised by their feet shall penetrate to the inmost chambers of your -dwellings." - -On the 7th of March, A. D. 1268, the sultan stormed Jaffa, put the -garrison to the sword, set fire to the churches, and burnt the -crucifixes and crosses and holy relics of the saints. "He took away -the head of St. George and burnt the body of St. Christina," and then -marched against the strongly fortified city of Beaufort, which belonged -to the order of the Temple. Twenty-six enormous military engines were -planted around the walls, and the doctors of the law and the _Fakirs_, -or teachers of religion, were invited to repair to the Moslem camp, -and wield the sword in behalf of Islam. The town was defended by two -citadels, the ancient and the new one. The former was garrisoned by -the Templars, and the latter by the native militia. These last, after -sustaining a short siege, set fire to their post and fled during the -night. "As for the other citadel," says the cadi Mohieddin, "it made -a long and vigorous defence," and Bendocdar, after losing the flower -of his army before the place, was reluctantly compelled to permit the -garrison to march out, sword in hand, with all the honours of war. The -fortress was then razed to the ground so effectually that not a trace -of it was left. - -The sultan now separated his army into several divisions, which -were all sent in different directions through the principality of -Tripoli to waste and destroy. All the churches and houses were set -on fire; the trees were cut down, and the inhabitants were led away -into captivity. A tower of the Templars, in the environs of Tripoli, -was taken by assault, and every soul found in it was put to death. -The different divisions of the army were then concentrated at Hems, -to collect together and to divide their spoil. They were then again -separated into three corps, which were sent by different routes against -the vast and wealthy city of Antioch, the ancient "Queen of Syria." -The first division was directed to take a circuitous route by way of -Darbesak, and approach Antioch from the north; the second was to march -upon Suadia, and to secure the mouth of the Orontes, to prevent all -succour from reaching the city by sea; and the third and last division, -which was led by Bendocdar in person, proceeded to Apamea, and from -thence marched down the left bank of the river Orontes along the base -of the ancient Mons Casius, so as to approach and hem in Antioch from -the south. On the 1st Ramadan, all these different divisions were -concentrated together, and the city was immediately surrounded by a -vast army of horse and foot, which cut off all communication between -the town and the surrounding country, and exposed a population of -160,000 souls to all the horrors of famine. The famous stone bridge -of nine arches, which spanned the Orontes, and communicated between -the city and the right bank of the river, was immediately attacked; -the iron doors which guarded the passage were burst open with the -battering-rams, and the standard of the prophet was planted beneath the -great western gate. The Templars of the principality, under the command -of their Grand Preceptor, made a vain effort to drive back the infidels -and relieve the city. They sallied out of the town, with the constable -of Antioch, but were defeated by the Mamlook cavalry, after a sharp -encounter in the plain, and were compelled to take refuge behind the -walls. - -For three days successively did the sultan vainly summon the city to -surrender, and for three days did he continue his furious assaults. On -the fourth day the Moslems scaled the walls where they touch the side -of the mountain; they rushed across the ramparts, sword in hand, into -the city, and a hundred thousand Christians are computed to have been -slain! About eight thousand soldiers, accompanied by a dense throng -of women and children, fled from the scene of carnage to the citadel, -and there defended themselves with the energy of despair. Bendocdar -granted them their lives, and they surrendered. They were bound with -cords, and the long string of mournful captives passed in review before -the sultan, who caused the scribes and notaries to take down the names -of each of them. After several days of pillage, all the booty was -brought together in the plain of Antioch, and equally divided amongst -the Moslems; the gold and silver were distributed by measure, and -merchandize and property of all kinds, piled up in heaps, were drawn -for by lot. The captive women and girls were distributed amongst the -soldiery, and they were so numerous that each of the slaves of the -conquerors was permitted to have a captive at his disposal. The sultan -halted for several weeks in the plain, and permitted his soldiers to -hold a large market, or fair, for the sale of their booty. This market -was attended by Jews and pedlars from all parts of the East, who -greedily bought up the rich property and costly valuables of the poor -citizens of Antioch. - -These last might have borne with fortitude the loss of their worldly -possessions, and the luxuries of this life, but when they were -themselves put up to auction--when the mother saw her infant child -handed over to the avaricious Jew for the paltry sum of five pieces -of silver, and sold into irredeemable bondage, the bitter cries that -resounded through the plain, touched even the hearts of the Moslems. -"It was," says the cadi Mohieddin, "a fearful and a heart-rending -sight. Even the hard stones were softened with grief." He tells us, -that the captives were so numerous, that a fine hearty boy might be -purchased for _twelve_ pieces of silver, and a little girl for _five_! -When the work of pillage had been completed, when all the ornaments -and decorations had been carried away from the churches, and the lead -torn from the roofs, Antioch was fired in different places, amid the -loud thrilling shouts of ALLAH ACBAR, "GOD _is_ VICTORIOUS!" The great -churches of St. Paul and St. Peter burnt with terrific fury for many -days, and the vast and venerable city was left without a habitation, -and without an inhabitant! - -Thus fell Antioch, one hundred and seventy years after its recovery -from the dominion of the infidels by the crusaders, under the command -of the valiant Godfrey, Boemond, and Tancred. Near six centuries of -Moslem domination have now again rolled over the ancient Queen of the -East, but the genius of destruction which accompanied the footsteps -of the armies of the ferocious Bendocdar has ever since presided -over the spot. The once fair and flourishing capital of Syria, the -ancient "throne of the successors of Alexander, the seat of Roman -government in the east, which had been decorated by Cæsar with the -titles of free, and holy, and inviolate," is, at this day, nothing -more than a miserable mud village; and the ancient and illustrious -church of Antioch, which, in the fourth century of the christian era, -numbered one hundred thousand persons, now consists only of a few Greek -families, who still cling to the christian faith amid the insults and -persecutions of the infidels. Immediately after the destruction of the -city, Bendocdar caused the following letter to be written to the prince -of Antioch, who was at Tripoli: "Since not a soul has escaped to tell -you what has happened, we will undertake the pleasing task of informing -you.... We have slain all whom you appointed to defend Antioch. We have -crushed your knights beneath the feet of our horses, and have given -up your provinces to pillage: your gold and silver have been divided -amongst us by the quintal, and four of your women have been bought and -sold for a crown. There is not a single christian in the province that -does not now march bound before us, nor a single young girl that is not -in our possession. Your churches have been made level with the dust, -and our chariot wheels have passed over the sites of your dwellings. If -you had seen the temples of your God destroyed, the crosses broken, and -the leaves of the gospel torn and scattered to the winds of heaven; if -you had seen your Mussulman enemy marching into your tabernacles, and -immolating upon your shrines and your altars, the priest, the deacon, -and the bishop; if you had seen your palaces delivered to the flames, -and the bodies of the dead consumed by the fire of this world, whilst -their souls were burning in the everlasting _fire of_ HELL; doubtless, -you would have exclaimed, _Lord, I am become but as dust_; your soul -would have been ready to start from its earthly tenement, and your eyes -would have rained down tears sufficient to have extinguished the fires -that we have kindled around you."[137] - -On the fall of Antioch the Templars abandoned Bagras, a rich and -flourishing town, on the road to Armenia and Cilicia, which had -belonged to the order for more than a century. This town of the -Templars, Mohieddin tells us, had long been a source of intense anxiety -and annoyance to the Moslems. "Over and over again," says he, "it -had been attacked, but the Templars foiled the utmost efforts of the -faithful, until, at last, Providence gave it into our hands." The -Templars also abandoned the castles of Gaston and Noche de Rusol, and -the territory of Port Bounel, at the entrance of Armenia. The towns of -Darbesak, Sabah, Al Hadid, and the sea-port of Gabala, successively -fell into the hands of Bendocdar, and the whole country from Tripoli to -Mount Taurus was made desolate, the houses were set on fire, the fruit -trees were cut down, and the churches were levelled with the dust. The -wealthy and populous maritime towns of Laodicea, Tripoli, Tortosa, -Beirout, Tyre, and Sidon, however, still remained to the Christians, -and as these cities were strongly fortified, and the christian fleets -kept the command of the sea, Bendocdar postponed their destruction for -a brief period, and granted separate truces to them in consideration of -the payment of large sums of money. - -In the year 1269, a terrible famine, consequent upon the ravages of -the infidels, afflicted Syria and Palestine, and many of those whom -the sword had spared, now died of hunger. Louis IX., king of France, -being deeply affected by the intelligence of the misfortunes of the -Latin Christians, attended an assembly of Preceptors of the Temple -in France, to devise means of forwarding succour to the Holy Land, -and caused a quantity of corn to be sent from Languedoc to Palestine. -He moreover determined to embark in another crusade, and he induced -prince Edward of England to assume the cross, and prepare to join -his standard. Bendocdar, on the other hand, returned from Egypt to -Palestine; he surprised and cut to pieces several bands of Christians, -and made his public entry into Damascus, preceded by many hundred -ghastly heads stuck on the points of lances, and by a vast number of -weeping captives of both sexes, and of every age. He then proceeded to -Hamah and Kafarthab, and attempted to undertake the siege of the strong -fortress of Merkab, but the winter rains and the snow on the mountain -compelled him to abandon the enterprise. He then made an attack upon -the castle of the Kurds, which belonged to the Hospitallers, but -receiving intelligence of the sailing of the expedition of king Louis, -who had left the ports of France with an army of sixty thousand men, -and a fleet of eighteen hundred vessels; he hurried with all his -forces to Egypt to protect that country against the French. Instead -of proceeding direct to the Holy Land, king Louis was unfortunately -induced to steer to Tunis. He fell a victim to the insalubrity of the -climate, and his army, decimated by sickness, sailed back to France. -Bendocdar immediately returned to Palestine. He halted at Ascalon, -and completed the destruction of the fortifications of that place; -he stormed Castel Blanc, a fortress of the Templars, and appeared -with his Mamlook cavalry before the gates of Tripoli. He ravaged the -surrounding country, and then retired into winter quarters, leading -away many christian prisoners of both sexes into captivity. The next -year he stormed the fortified town of Safitza, and laid siege to Hassan -el Akrad, or the castle of the Kurds. His victorious career was checked -by the arrival (A. D. 1271) of prince Edward of England, who joined the -Grand Master of the Temple at the head of a welcome reinforcement of -knights and foot soldiers. Various successes were then obtained over -the infidels, and on the 21st Ramadan, (April 23rd, A. D. 1272,) a -truce was agreed upon for the space of ten years and ten months, as far -as regarded the town and plain of Acre, and the road to Nazareth. - -On the 18th of June, prince Edward was stabbed with a poisoned dagger -by an assassin. Though dangerously wounded, he struck the assailant to -the ground, and caused him to be immediately despatched by the guards. -The same day the prince made his will; it is dated at Acre, June 18, -A. D. 1272, and Brother Thomas Berard, Grand Master of the Temple, -appears as an attesting witness. The life of the prince, however, was -happily preserved, the effects of the poison being obviated by an -antidote administered by the Grand Master of the Temple. On the 14th of -September, the prince returned to Europe, and thus terminated the last -expedition undertaken for the relief of Palestine. Whilst prince Edward -was pursuing his voyage to England, his father, king Henry III., died, -and the council of the realm, composed of the archbishops of Canterbury -and York, and the English bishops and barons, assembled in the Temple -at London, and swore allegiance to the prince. They there caused -him to be proclaimed king of England, and, with the consent of the -queen-mother, they appointed Walter Giffard, archbishop of York, and -the earls of Cornwall and Gloucester, guardians of the realm. Letters -were written from the Temple to acquaint the young sovereign with -the death of his father, and many of the acts of the new government -emanated from the same place.[138] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, Brother Thomas Berard, died at Acre -on the 8th of April, and on the 13th of May, A. D. 1273, the general -chapter of the Templars being assembled in the Pilgrim's Castle, chose -for his successor Brother WILLIAM DE BEAUJEU, Grand Preceptor of -Apulia. The late Vice-Master, Brother William de Poucon, was sent to -Europe with Brother Bertrand de Fox, to announce to him the tidings of -his elevation to the chief dignity of the order. The following year -William de Beaujeu, accompanied by the Grand Master of the Hospital, -proceeded to Lyons, to attend a general council which had been summoned -by the pope to provide succour for the Holy Land. The two Grand Masters -took precedence of all the ambassadors and peers present at that famous -assembly. It was determined that a new crusade should be preached, that -all ecclesiastical dignities and benefices should be taxed to support -an armament, and that the sovereigns of Europe should be compelled by -ecclesiastical censures to suspend their private quarrels, and afford -succour to the desolate land of promise. More than a thousand bishops, -archbishops, and ambassadors from the different princes and potentates -of Europe, graced the assembly with their presence. From Lyons, the -Grand Master William de Beaujeu proceeded to England, and called -together a general chapter of the order at London. Whilst resident at -the Temple in that city, he received payment of a large sum of money, -which the young king Edward had borrowed of the Templars during his -stay at Acre.[139] - -Pope Gregory X. died in the midst of his exertions for the creation -of another crusade. The enthusiasm which had been partially awakened -subsided; those who had assumed the cross forgot their engagements, -and the Grand Master of the Temple at last returned, in sorrow and -disappointment, to the far East. He reached Acre on St. Michael's day, -A. D. 1275, attended by a band of Templars, drawn from the preceptories -of England and France. Shortly after his arrival Bendocdar was -poisoned, and was succeeded by his son, Malek Said. Malek Said only -mounted the throne to descend from it. He was deposed by the rebellious -Mamlooks, and the sceptre was grasped by Malek-Mansour-Kelaoun, the -bravest and most distinguished of the emirs. As there was now no hope -of recovering the towns, castles, and territories taken by Bendocdar, -the Grand Master directed all his energies to the preservation of the -few remaining possessions of the Christians in the Holy Land. At the -expiration of the ten years' truce, he entered into various treaties -with the infidels. One of these, called "the peace of Tortosa," is -expressed to be made between sultan Malek-Mansour-Kelaoun, and his -son Malek-Saleh-Ali, "honour of the world and of religion," of the -one part, and Afryz Dybadjouk, (William de Beaujeu,) Grand Master -of the order of the Templars, of the other part. It relates to the -territories and possessions of the order of the Temple at Tortosa, -and provides for their security and freedom from molestation by the -infidels. The truce is prolonged for ten years and ten months from the -date of the execution of the treaty, (A. D. 1282,) and the contracting -parties strictly bind themselves to make no irruptions into each -other's territories during the period. To prevent mistakes, the lands -and villages, towers, corn-mills, gardens, brooks, and plantations, -belonging to the Templars are specified and defined, together with the -contiguous possessions of the Moslems. By this treaty, the Templars -engage not to rebuild any of their citadels, towers, or fortresses, nor -to cut any new ditch or fosse in their province of Tortosa. - -Another treaty entered into between William de Beaujeu and the -infidels, is called the peace of Acre. It accords to the Christians -Caiphas and seven villages, the province of Mount Carmel the town and -citadel of Alelyet, the farms of the Hospitallers in the province of -Cæsarea, the half of Alexandretta, the village of Maron, &c., and -confirms the Templars in the possessions of Sidon and its citadel, and -its fifteen cantons. By this treaty, sultan Malek Mansour conceded to -the inhabitants of Acre a truce of ten years, ten months, and ten days; -and he swore to observe its provisions and stipulations in the presence -of the Grand Master of the Temple and the vizir Fadhad. But all these -treaties were mere delusions. Bendocdar had commenced the ruin of the -Christians, and sultan Kelaoun now proceeded to complete it. - -The separate truces and treaties of peace which Bendocdar had accorded -to the maritime towns of Palestine, in return for payments of money, -were encumbered with so many minute provisions and stipulations, that -it was almost impossible for the Christians to avoid breaking them in -some trifling and unimportant particular; and sultan Kelaoun soon found -a colourable pretence for recommencing hostilities. He first broke with -the Hospitallers and stormed their strong fortress of Merkab, which -commanded the coast road from Laodicea to Tripoli. He then sought out -a pretext for putting an end to the truce which the count of Tripoli -had purchased of Bendocdar by the payment of eleven thousand pieces -of gold. He maintained that a watch-tower had been erected on the -coast between Merkab and Tortosa, in contravention of the stipulation -which forbad the erection of new fortifications; and he accordingly -marched with his army to lay siege to the rich and flourishing city -of Laodicea. The Arabian writers tell us that Laodicea was one of the -most commercial cities of the Levant, and was considered to be the -rival of Alexandria. A terrible earthquake, which had thrown down the -fortifications, and overturned the castle at the entrance of the port, -unfortunately facilitated the conquest of the place, and Laodicea -fell almost without a struggle. The town was pillaged and set on -fire, and those of the inhabitants who were unable to escape by sea, -were either slaughtered or reduced to slavery, or driven out homeless -wanderers from their dwellings, to perish with hunger and grief in the -surrounding wilderness. Shortly after the fall of Laodicea, the castle -of Krak, which belonged to the Hospitallers, was besieged and stormed; -the garrison was put to the sword, and some other small places on the -sea-coast met with a similar fate. - -On the 13th Moharran (9th of February,) A. D. 1287, the sultan marched -against Tripoli at the head of ten thousand horse, and thirty-three -thousand foot. The separate timbers of nineteen enormous military -engines were transported in many hundred wagons drawn by oxen; and -fifteen hundred engineers and firework manufacturers were employed to -throw the terrible Greek fire and combustible materials, contained in -brass pots, into the city. After thirty-four days of incessant labour, -the walls were undermined and thrown into the ditch, and the engineers -poured an incessant stream of Greek fire upon the breach, whilst the -Moslems below prepared a path for the cavalry. Brother John de Breband, -Preceptor of the Temple at Tripoli, fought upon the ramparts with a -few knights and serving brethren of the order; but they were speedily -overthrown, and the Arab cavalry dashed through the breach into the -town. Upwards of one thousand Christians fell by the sword, and the -number of captives was incalculable. Twelve hundred trembling women -and children were crowded together for safety in a single magazine of -arms, and the conquerors were embarrassed with the quantity of spoil -and booty. More than four thousand bales of the richest silks were -distributed amongst the soldiers, together with ornaments and articles -of luxury and refinement, which astonished the rude simplicity of the -Arabs. When the city had been thoroughly ransacked, orders were issued -for its destruction. Then the Moslem soldiers were to be seen rushing -with torches and pots of burning naphtha to set fire to the churches, -and the shops, and the warehouses of the merchants; and Tripoli was -speedily enveloped in one vast, fearful, wide-spreading conflagration. -The command for the destruction of the fortifications was likewise -issued, and thousands of soldiers, stonemasons, and labourers, were -employed in throwing down the walls and towers. The Arabian writers -tell us that the ramparts were so wide that three horsemen could ride -abreast upon them round the town. Many of the inhabitants had escaped -by sea during the siege, and crowds of fugitives fled before the swords -of the Moslems, to take refuge on the little island of Saint Nicholas -at the entrance of the port. They were there starved to death; and when -Abulfeda visited the island a few days after the fall of Tripoli, he -found it covered with the dead bodies of the unburied Christians. Thus -fell Tripoli, with its commerce, its silk manufactories, churches, -and public and private buildings. Everything that could contribute to -prosperity in peace, or defence in war, perished beneath the sword, the -hammer, and the pick-axe of the Moslems. In the time of the crusaders, -the port was crowded with the fleets of the Italian republics, and -carried on a lucrative trade with Marseilles, Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa, -Venice, and the cities of the Grecian islands; but the rich stream of -commerce hath never since revisited the inhospitable shore. - -Shortly after the fall of Tripoli, Gabala, Beirout, and all the -maritime towns and villages between Sidon and Laodicea, fell into the -hands of the infidels; and sultan Kelaoun was preparing to attack the -vast and populous city of Acre, when death terminated his victorious -career. He was succeeded, A. D. 1291, by his eldest son, Aschraf -Khalil, who hastened to execute the warlike projects of his father. He -assembled the ulemas and cadis around his father's tomb, and occupied -himself in reading the Koran, in prayer, and invocation of Mahomet. -He then made abundant alms-giving, collected his troops together, -and marched across the desert to Damascus, where he was joined by -Hosam-eddin Ladjin, viceroy of Syria, Modaffer, prince of Hems, and -Saifeddin, lord of Baalbec, with the respective forces under their -command. Ninety-two enormous military engines had been constructed at -Damascus, which were transported across the country by means of oxen; -and in the spring of the year, after the winter rains had subsided, -sultan Khalil marched against Acre at the head of sixty thousand horse, -and a hundred and forty thousand foot. - -After the loss of Jerusalem, the city of Acre became the metropolis -of the Latin Christians, and was adorned with a vast cathedral, with -numerous stately churches, and elegant buildings, and with acqueducts, -and an artificial port. The houses of the rich merchants were decorated -with pictures and choice pieces of sculpture, and boasted of the -rare advantage of glass windows. An astonishing, and probably an -exaggerated, account has been given of the wealth and luxury of the -inhabitants. We read of silken canopies and curtains stretched on cords -to protect the lounger from the scorching sunbeams, of variegated -marble fountains, and of rich gardens and shady groves, scented with -the delicious orange blossom, and adorned with the delicate almond -flower; and we are told that the markets of the city could offer the -produce of every clime, and the interpreters of every tongue. The vast -and stupendous fortifications consisted of a double wall, strengthened -at proper intervals with lofty towers, and defended by the castle -called the King's Tower, and by the convent or fortress of the Temple. -Between the ramparts extended a large space of ground, covered with the -chateaus, villas, and gardens of the nobility of Galilee, the counts -of Tripoli and Jaffa, the lords of Tyre and Sidon, the papal legate, -the duke of Athens, and the princes of Antioch. The most magnificent -edifices within the town were, the cathedral church of St. Andrew, -the churches of St. Saba, St. Thomas, St. Nicholas, and St. John, the -tutelar saint of the city; the abbey of St. Clare, the convents of the -Knights Hospitallers and the Knights Templars, and various monasteries -and religious houses. - -William de Beaujeu, the Grand Master of the Temple, a veteran warrior -of a hundred fights, took the command of the garrison, which amounted -to about twelve thousand men, exclusive of the forces of the Temple and -the Hospital, and a body of five hundred foot and two hundred horse, -under the command of the king of Cyprus. These forces were distributed -along the walls in four divisions, the first of which was commanded -by Hugh de Grandison, an English knight. The siege lasted six weeks, -during the whole of which period the sallies and the attacks were -incessant. Neither by night nor by day did the shouts of the assailants -and the noise of the military engines cease; huge stones and beams of -timber and pots of burning tar and naphtha were continually hurled into -the city; the walls were battered from without, and the foundations -were sapped by miners, who were incessantly labouring to advance their -works. More than six hundred catapults, balistæ, and other instruments -of destruction, were directed against the fortifications; and the -battering machines were of such immense size and weight, that a hundred -wagons were required to transport the separate timbers of one of them. -Moveable towers were erected by the Moslems, so as to overtop the -walls; their workmen and advanced parties were protected by hurdles -covered with raw hides, and all the military contrivances which the art -and the skill of the age could produce, were used to facilitate the -assault. For a long time their utmost efforts were foiled by the valour -of the besieged, who made constant sallies upon their works, burnt -their towers and machines, and destroyed their miners. Day by day, -however, the numbers of the garrison were thinned by the sword, whilst -in the enemy's camp the places of the dead were constantly supplied by -fresh warriors from the deserts of Arabia, animated with the same wild -fanaticism in the cause of _their_ religion as that which so eminently -distinguished the military monks of the Temple. - -On the 4th of May, after thirty-three days of constant fighting, the -great tower considered the key of the fortifications, and called -by the Moslems "the cursed tower," was thrown down by the military -engines. To increase the terror and distraction of the besieged, sultan -Khalil mounted three hundred drummers, with their drums, upon as many -dromedaries, and commanded them to make as much noise as possible -whenever a general assault was ordered. From the 4th to the 14th of May -the attacks were incessant. On the 15th, the double wall was forced, -and the king of Cyprus, panic-stricken, fled in the night to his -ships, and made sail for the island of Cyprus, with all his followers, -and with near three thousand of the best men of the garrison. On the -morrow the Saracens attacked the post he had deserted; they filled -up the ditch with the bodies of dead men and horses, piles of wood, -stones, and earth, and their trumpets then sounded to the assault. -Ranged under the yellow banner of Mahomet, the Mamlooks forced the -breach, and penetrated sword in hand to the very centre of the city; -but their victorious career and insulting shouts were there stopped -by the mail-clad Knights of the Temple and the Hospital, who charged -on horseback through the narrow streets, drove them back with immense -carnage, and precipitated them headlong from the walls. - -At sunrise on the following morning the air resounded with the -deafening noise of drums and trumpets, and the breach was carried -and recovered several times, the military friars at last closing up -the passage with their bodies, and presenting a wall of steel to the -advance of the enemy. Loud appeals to God, and to Mahomet, to Jesus -Christ, to the Virgin Mary, to heaven and the saints, were to be heard -on all sides; and after an obstinate engagement from sunrise to sunset, -darkness put an end to the slaughter. The miners continued incessantly -to advance their operations; another wide breach was opened in the -walls, and on the third day (the 18th) the infidels made the final -assault on the side next the gate of St. Anthony. The army of the -Mamlooks was accompanied by a troop of sectaries called _Chagis_, -a set of religious fanatics, whose devotion consisted in suffering -all sorts of privations, and in sacrificing themselves in behalf of -Islam. The advance of the Mamlook cavalry to the assault was impeded -by the deep ditch, which had been imperfectly filled by the fallen -ruins and by the efforts of the soldiers, and these religious madmen -precipitated themselves headlong into the abyss and formed a bridge -with their bodies, over which the Mamlooks passed to reach the foot of -the wall. Nothing could withstand the fierce onslaught of the Moslems. -In vain were the first ranks of their cavalry laid prostrate with -the dust, and both horses and riders hurled headlong over the ruined -walls and battlements into the moat below; their fall only facilitated -the progress of those behind them, who pressed on sword in hand over -the lifeless bodies of men and horses, to attack the faint and weary -warriors guarding the breach. - -The Grand Masters of the Temple and Hospital fought side by side at -the head of their knights, and for a time successfully resisted all -the efforts of the enemy. But as each knight fell beneath the keen -scimitars of the Moslems, there were none in reserve to supply his -place, whilst the vast hordes of the infidels pressed on with untiring -energy and perseverance. Brother Matthew de Clermont, Marshal of the -Hospital, after performing prodigies of valour, fell covered with -wounds, and William de Beaujeu, as a last resort, requested the Grand -Master of that order to sally out of an adjoining gateway at the -head of five hundred horse, and attack the enemy's rear. Immediately -after the Grand Master of the Temple had given these orders, he was -himself struck down by the darts and the arrows of the enemy; the -panic-stricken garrison fled to the port, and the infidels rushed -on with tremendous shouts of _Allah acbar! Allah acbar!_ "GOD is -victorious!" Thousands of panic-stricken Christians now rushed to -the sea-side, and sought with frantic violence to gain possession of -the ships and boats that rode at anchor in the port, but a frightful -storm of wind, and rain, and lightning, hung over the dark and -agitated waters of the sea; the elements themselves warred against -the poor Christians, and the loud-pealing thunder became mingled with -the din and uproar of the assault and the clash of arms. The boats -and vessels were swamped by the surging waves; and the bitter cries -of the perishing fugitives ascended alike from the sea and shore. -Thousands fled to the churches for refuge, but found none; they -prostrated themselves before the altars, and embraced the images of the -saints, but these evidences of idolatry only stimulated the merciless -fanaticism of the Moslems, and the Christians and their temples, their -images and their saints, were all consumed in the raging flames kindled -by the inexorable sons of Islam. The churches were set on fire, and the -timid virgin and the hardened voluptuary, the nun and the monk, the -priest and the bishop, all perished miserably before the altars and the -shrines which they had approached in the hour of need, but which many -of them had neglected in days of prosperity and peace. The holy nuns -of St. Clare, following the example and exhortations of their abbess, -mangled and disfigured their faces and persons in a most dreadful -manner, to preserve their chastity from violation by the barbarous -conquerors, and were gloriously rewarded with the crown of martyrdom, -by the astonished and disgusted infidels, who slaughtered without mercy -the whole sisterhood! - -Three hundred Templars, the sole survivors of their order in Acre, had -kept together and successfully withstood the victorious Mamlooks. In a -close and compact column they fought their way, accompanied by several -hundred christian fugitives, to the convent of the Temple at Acre, and -shut the gates. They then assembled together in solemn chapter, and -appointed the Knight Templar, Brother GAUDINI, Grand Master. The Temple -at Acre was surrounded by walls and towers, and was a place of great -strength, and of immense extent. It was divided into three quarters, -the first and principal of which contained the palace of the Grand -Master, the church, and the habitation of the knights; the second, -called the Bourg of the Temple, contained the cells of the serving -brethren; and the third, called the Cattle Market, was devoted to the -officers charged with the duty of procuring the necessary supplies for -the order and its forces. The following morning very favourable terms -were offered to the Templars by the victorious sultan, and they agreed -to evacuate the Temple on condition that a galley should be placed at -their disposal, and that they should be allowed to retire in safety -with the christian fugitives under their protection, and to carry -away as much of their effects as each person could load himself with. -The Mussulman conqueror pledged himself to the fulfilment of these -conditions, and sent a standard to the Templars, which was mounted -on one of the towers of the Temple. A guard of three hundred Moslem -soldiers, charged to see the articles of capitulation properly carried -into effect, was afterwards admitted within the walls of the convent. -Some Christian ladies and women of Acre were amongst the fugitives, -and the Moslem soldiers, attracted by their beauty, broke through -all restraint, and violated the terms of the surrender. The enraged -Templars closed and barricaded the gates of the Temple; they set upon -the treacherous infidels, and put every one of them, "from the greatest -to the smallest," to death. Immediately after this massacre, the Moslem -trumpets sounded to the assault, but the Templars successfully defended -themselves until the next day (the 20th). The Marshal of the order and -several of the brethren were then deputed by Gaudini with a flag of -truce to the sultan, to explain the cause of the massacre of his guard. -The enraged monarch, however, had no sooner got them into his power, -than he ordered every one of them to be decapitated, and pressed the -siege with renewed vigour. - -In the night, Gaudini, with a chosen band of his companions, collected -together the treasure of the order, and the ornaments of the church, -and sallying out of a secret postern of the Temple which communicated -with the harbour, they got on board a small vessel, and escaped in -safety to the island of Cyprus. The residue of the Templars retired -into the large tower of the Temple, called "The Tower of the Master," -which they defended with desperate energy. The bravest of the Mamlooks -were driven back in repeated assaults, and the little fortress was -everywhere surrounded with heaps of the slain. The sultan, at last, -despairing of taking the place by assault, ordered it to be undermined. -As the workmen advanced, they propped the foundations with beams of -wood, and when the excavation was completed, these wooden supports were -consumed by fire; the huge tower then fell with a tremendous crash, -and buried the brave Templars in its ruins. The sultan set fire to -the town in four places; the walls, the towers, and the ramparts were -demolished, and the last stronghold of the christian power in Palestine -was speedily reduced to a smoking solitude.[140] - -A few years back, the ruins of the christian city of Acre were well -worthy of the attention of the curious. You might still trace the -remains of thirty churches; and the quarter occupied by the Knights -Templars continued to present many interesting memorials of that proud -and powerful order. "The carcass," says Sandys, "shows that the body -hath been strong, doubly immured; fortified with bulwarks and towers, -to each wall a ditch lined with stone, and under those, divers secret -posterns. You would think, by the ruins, that the city consisted of -divers conjoining castles, which witness a notable defence, and an -unequal assault; and that the rage of the conquerors extended beyond -conquest; the huge walls and arches turned topsy-turvy, and lying -like rocks upon the foundation." At the period of Dr. Clarke's visit -to Acre, the ruins, with the exception of the cathedral, the arsenal, -the convent of the knights, and the palace of the Grand Master, -were so intermingled with modern buildings, and in such a state of -utter subversion, that it was difficult to afford any satisfactory -description of them. "Many superb remains were observed by us," says -he, "in the pasha's palace, in the khan, the mosque, the public bath, -the fountains, and other parts of the town, consisting of fragments of -antique marble, the shafts and capitals of granite and marble pillars, -masses of the verd antique breccia, of the ancient serpentine, and -of the syenite and trap of Egypt. In the garden of Djezzar's palace, -leading to his summer apartment, we saw some pillars of variegated -marble of extraordinary beauty." - -After the fall of Acre, the head-quarters of the Templars were -established at Limisso in the island of Cyprus, and urgent letters -were sent to Europe for succour. The armies of sultan Kelaoun in the -mean time assaulted and carried Tyre, Sidon, Tortosa, Caiphas, and -the Pilgrim's Castle. The last three places belonged to the Templars, -and were stoutly defended, but they were attacked by the Egyptian -fleet by sea, and by countless armies of infidels by land, and were at -last involved in the common destruction. The Grand Master, Gaudini, -overwhelmed with sorrow and vexation at the loss of the Holy Land, and -the miserable situation of his order, stripped of all its possessions -on the Asiatic continent, died at Limisso, after a short illness, and -was succeeded (A. D. 1295) by Brother JAMES DE MOLAY, of the family of -the lords of Longvic and Raon in Burgundy. This illustrious nobleman -was at the head of the English province of the order at the period of -his election to the dignity of Grand Master. He was first appointed -Visitor-General, then Grand Preceptor of England, and was afterwards -placed at the head of the entire fraternity. During his residence in -Britain he held several chapters or assemblies of the brethren at the -Temple at London, and at the different preceptories, where he framed -and enforced various rules and regulations for the government of the -fraternity in England.[141] Shortly after his appointment to the office -of Grand Master, he crossed the sea to France, and had the honour of -holding the infant son of Philip le Bel at the baptismal font. He then -proceeded to Cyprus, carrying out with him a numerous body of English -and French Knights Templars, and a considerable amount of treasure. -Soon after his arrival he entered into an alliance with the famous -Casan Cham, emperor of the Mogul Tartars, king of Persia, and the -descendant or successor of Genghis Khan, and landed in Syria with his -knights and a body of forces, to join the standard of that powerful -monarch. Casan had married the daughter of Leon, king of Armenia, a -christian princess of extraordinary beauty, to whom he was greatly -attached, and who was permitted the enjoyment and public exercise of -the christian worship. The Tartar emperor naturally became favourably -disposed towards the Christians, and he invited the Grand Master of the -Temple to join him in an expedition against the sultan of Egypt. - -In the spring of the year 1299, the Templars landed at Suadia, and made -a junction with the Tartar forces which were encamped amid the ruins -of Antioch. An army of thirty thousand men was placed by the Mogul -emperor under the command of the Grand Master, and the combined forces -moved up the valley of the Orontes towards Damascus. In a great battle -fought at Hems, the troops of the sultans of Damascus and Egypt were -entirely defeated, and pursued with great slaughter until nightfall. -Aleppo, Hems, Damascus, and all the principal cities, surrendered to -the victorious arms of the Moguls, and the Templars once again entered -Jerusalem in triumph, visited the Holy Sepulchre, and celebrated -Easter on Mount Zion. Casan sent ambassadors to the pope, and to the -sovereigns of Europe, announcing the victorious progress of his arms, -soliciting their alliance, and offering them in return the possession -of Palestine. But the Christian nations heeded not the call, and none -thought seriously of an expedition to the east excepting the ladies -of Genoa, who, frightened by an interdict which had been laid upon -their town, assumed the cross as the best means of averting the divine -indignation. The Grand Master of the Temple advanced as far as Gaza, -and drove the Saracens into the sandy deserts of Egypt; but a Saracen -chief, who had been appointed by the Tartars governor of Damascus, -instigated the Mussulman population of Syria to revolt, and the Grand -Master was obliged to retreat to Jerusalem. He was there joined by -the Tartar general, Cotulosse, who had been sent across the Euphrates -by Casan to support him. The combined armies were once more preparing -to march upon Damascus, when the sudden illness of Casan, who was -given over by his physicians, disconcerted all their arrangements, and -deprived the Grand Master of his Tartar forces. The Templars were then -compelled to retreat to the sea-coast and embark their forces on board -their galleys. The Grand Master sailed to Limisso, stationing a strong -detachment of his soldiers on the island of Aradus, near Tortosa, which -they fortified; but they were speedily attacked in that position by a -fleet of twenty vessels, and an army of ten thousand men, and after a -gallant defence they were compelled to abandon their fortifications, -and were all killed or taken prisoners.[142] - -Thus ended the dominion of the Templars in Palestine, and thus -closed the long and furious struggle between the CRESCENT and the -CROSS! The few remaining Christians in the Holy Land were chased from -ruin to ruin, and exterminated. The churches, the houses, and the -fortifications along the sea-coast, were demolished, and everything -that could afford shelter and security, or invite the approach of the -crusaders from the west, was carefully destroyed. The houses were all -set on fire, the trees were cut down and burnt, the land was everywhere -laid waste, and all the maritime country, from Laodicea to Ascalon, was -made desert. "Every trace of the Franks," says the Arabian chronicler, -Ibn Ferat, "was removed, and thus it shall remain, please God, till the -day of judgment!"[143] - -Near six centuries have swept over Palestine since the termination -of the wars of the cross, and the land still continues _desolate_. -The proud memorials of past magnificence are painfully contrasted -with present ruin and decay, and the remains of the rich and populous -cities of antiquity are surrounded by uncultivated deserts. God hath -said, "I will smite the land with a _curse_. I will bring the worst -of the heathen and they shall possess it." "Thorns shall come up in -her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof, and the -defenced city shall be left desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and -left like a wilderness." - -"The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be on the vine; -the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; -the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd -in the stall." But brighter and happier times are yet to come, for the -Lord God hath also said, "To the mountains of Israel, to the hills, and -to the rivers, to the valleys, and the desolate wastes, and the cities -that are forsaken, which became a prey and a derision to the heathen. -Behold I am for you, I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and -sown, and I will multiply men upon you, and they shall build up the -old waste cities, the desolation of many generations!" - -"In the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the -cities of Judah, _shall the flocks pass again under the hand of him -that telleth them, saith_ THE LORD!" - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - The downfall of the Templars--The cause thereof--The Grand Master - comes to Europe at the request of the pope--He is imprisoned, with - all the Templars in France, by command of king Philip--They are - put to the torture, and confessions of the guilt of heresy and - idolatry are extracted from them--Edward II., king of England, - stands up in defence of the Templars, but afterwards persecutes - them at the instance of the pope--The imprisonment of the Master of - the Temple and all his brethren in England--Their examination upon - eighty-seven horrible and ridiculous articles of accusation before - foreign inquisitors appointed by the pope--The curious evidence - adduced as to the mode of admission into the order, and of the - customs and observances of the fraternity--The Templars in France - having revoked their rack-extorted confessions, are treated as - relapsed heretics, and burnt at the stake--Solitary confinement of - the Templars in England in separate dungeons--Torture--Confessions - and recantations--The Master of the Temple at London dies in the - Tower--The Grand Master is burnt at the stake--The abolition of the - order and disposal of its property. - - En cel an qu'ai dist or endroit, - Et ne sait a tort ou a droit, - Furent li Templiers, sans doutance, - Tous pris par le royaume de France. - Au mois d'Octobre, au point du jor, - Et un vendredi fu le jor. - - _Chron. MS._ - - -It now only remains for us to relate the miserable and cruel fate of -the surviving brethren of the order of the Temple, and to tell of the -ingratitude they encountered at the hands of their fellow-Christians in -the West. After the loss of all the christian territory in Palestine, -and the destruction of every serious hope of recovering and retaining -the Holy City, the services of the Templars ceased to be required, and -men began to regard with an eye of covetousness their vast wealth and -immense possessions. The clergy regarded with jealousy and indignation -their removal from the ordinary ecclesiastical jurisdiction, their -exemption from tithe, and the privilege they possessed of celebrating -divine service during interdict; and their hostility to the order -was manifested in repeated acts of injustice, which drew forth many -severe bulls from the Roman pontiffs.[144] The Templars, moreover, -became unpopular with the European sovereigns and their nobles. The -revenues of the former were somewhat diminished through the immunities -conceded to the order by their predecessors, and the paternal estates -of the latter had been diminished by the grant of many thousand -manors, lordships, and fair estates to the fraternity by their pious -and enthusiastic ancestors. Considerable dislike also began to be -manifested to the annual transmission of large sums of money, the -revenues of the Templars, from the European states, to be expended in a -distant warfare in which Christendom now took comparatively no interest. - -Shortly after the fall of Acre, and the total loss of Palestine, -Edward I., king of England, seized and sequestered to his own use -the monies which had been accumulated by the Templars, to forward to -their brethren in Cyprus, alleging that the property of the order -had been granted to it by the kings of England, his predecessors, -and their subjects, for the defence of the Holy Land, and that since -the loss thereof, no better use could, be made of the money than by -appropriating it to the maintenance of the poor. At the earnest request -of the pope, however, the king afterwards permitted their revenues to -be transmitted to them in the island of Cyprus in the usual manner. -King Edward had previously manifested a strong desire to lay hands -on the property of the Templars. On his return from his victorious -campaign in Wales, finding himself unable to disburse the arrears of -pay due to his soldiers, he went with Sir Robert Waleran and some armed -followers to the Temple, and calling for the treasurer, he pretended -that he wanted to see his mother's jewels, which were there kept. -Having been admitted to the house, he deliberately broke open the -coffers of the Templars, and carried away ten thousand pounds with him -to Windsor Castle. His son, Edward II, on his accession to the throne, -committed a similar act of injustice. He went with his favourite, -Piers Gaveston, to the Temple, and took away with him fifty thousand -pounds of silver, with a quantity of gold, jewels, and precious stones, -belonging to the bishop of Chester. The impunity with which these acts -of violence were committed, manifests that the Templars then no longer -enjoyed the power and respect which they possessed in ancient times. - -As the enthusiasm, too, in favour of the holy war diminished, -large numbers of the fraternity remained at home in their western -preceptories, and took an active part in the politics of Europe. They -interfered in the quarrels of christian princes, and even drew their -swords against their fellow-Christians. Thus we find the members of the -order taking part in the war between the houses of Anjou and Aragon, -and aiding the king of England in his warfare against the king of -Scotland. In the battle of Falkirk, fought on the 22nd of July, A. D. -1298, seven years after the fall of Acre, perished both the Master of -the Temple at London, and his vicegerent the Preceptor of Scotland. All -these circumstances, together with the loss of the Holy Land, and the -extinction of the enthusiasm of the crusades, diminished the popularity -of the Templars. The rolls of the English parliament about this time -begin to teem with complaints and petitions from the fraternity, of the -infringement of their charters, franchises, liberties, and privileges, -in all parts of the realm.[145] - -At the period of the fall of Acre, Philip the Fair, son of St. Louis, -occupied the throne of France. He was a needy and avaricious monarch, -and had at different periods resorted to the most violent expedients -to replenish his exhausted exchequer. On the death of pope Benedict -XI., (A. D. 1304,) he succeeded, through the intrigues of the French -Cardinal Dupré, in raising the archbishop of Bordeaux, a creature -of his own, to the pontifical chair. The new pope removed the holy -see from Rome to France; he summoned all the cardinals to Lyons, and -was there consecrated, (A. D. 1305,) by the name of Clement V., in -the presence of king Philip and his nobles. Of the ten new cardinals -then created, _nine_ were Frenchmen, and in all his acts the new pope -manifested himself the obedient slave of the French monarch. The -character of this pontiff has been painted by the Romish ecclesiastical -historians in the darkest colours. - -On the 6th of June, A. D. 1306, a few months after his coronation, he -addressed letters from Bordeaux to the Grand Masters of the Temple and -Hospital at Limisso, in the island of Cyprus, expressing his earnest -desire to consult them with regard to the measures necessary to be -taken for the recovery of the Holy Land. He tells them that they are -the persons best qualified to give advice upon the subject, and to -conduct and manage the enterprise, both from their great military -experience and the interest they had in the success of the expedition. -"We order you," says he, "to come hither without delay, with as much -secrecy as possible, and with a very little retinue, since you will -find on this side the sea a sufficient number of your knights to attend -upon you." The Grand Master of the Hospital declined obeying this -summons; but the Grand Master of the Temple forthwith accepted it, and -unhesitatingly placed himself in the power of the pope and the king of -France. He landed in France, attended by sixty of his knights, at the -commencement of the year 1307, and deposited the treasure of the order, -which he had brought with him from Cyprus, in the Temple at Paris. He -was received with distinction by the king, and then took his departure -for Poictiers to have an interview with the pope. - -The secret agents of the French king immediately circulated various -dark rumours and odious reports concerning the Templars. According -to some writers, Squin de Florian, a citizen of Bezieres, who had -been condemned to death or perpetual imprisonment in one of the -royal castles for his iniquities, was brought before king Philip, -and received a free pardon, and was well rewarded, in return for -an accusation on oath, charging the Templars with heresy, and with -the commission of the most horrible crimes. According to others, -Nosso de Florentin, an apostate Templar, who had been condemned by -the Grand Preceptor and chapter of France to perpetual imprisonment -for impiety and crime, made in his dungeon a voluntary confession -of the sins and abominations charged against the order. Be this as -it may, upon the strength of an information sworn to by a condemned -criminal, king Philip, on the 14th of September, despatched secret -letters to all the baillis of the different provinces in France, -accusing the Templars of infidelity; of mocking the sacred image of -the Saviour; of sacrificing to idols; and of abandoning themselves to -impure practices and unnatural crimes! "We being charged," says he, -"with the maintenance of the faith; after having conferred with the -pope, the prelates, and the barons of the kingdom, at the instance -of the inquisitor, from the informations already laid, from violent -suspicions, from probable conjectures, from legitimate presumptions, -conceived against the enemies of heaven and earth! and because the -matter is important, and it is expedient to prove the just like gold in -the furnace, by a rigorous examination, have decreed that the members -of the order who are our subjects shall be arrested and detained to be -judged by the church, and that all their real and personal property -shall be seized into our hands!" &c. The baillis and seneschals were -required accurately to inform themselves, with great secrecy, and -without exciting suspicion, of the number of the houses of the Temple -within their respective jurisdictions; to provide an armed force -sufficient to overcome all resistance, and on the 13th of October to -surprise the Templars in their preceptories, and make them prisoners. -The inquisition is then directed to assemble to examine the guilty, -and to employ TORTURE if it be necessary. "Before proceeding with the -inquiry," says Philip, "you are to inform them (the Templars) that the -pope and ourselves have been convinced, by irreproachable testimony, of -the errors and abominations which accompany their vows and profession; -you are to promise them _pardon_ and _favour_ if they CONFESS the -truth, but if not, you are to acquaint them that they will be condemned -to death." - -As soon as Philip had issued these orders, he wrote to the principal -sovereigns of Europe, urging them to follow his example, and sent a -confidential agent, named Bernard Peletin, with a letter to the young -king, Edward the Second, who had just then ascended the throne of -England, representing in frightful colours the pretended sins of the -Templars. On the 22nd of September, (A. D. 1306,) king Edward replied -to this letter, observing that he had considered of the matters -mentioned therein, and had listened to the statements of that discreet -man, Master Bernard Peletin; that he had caused the latter to unfold -the charges before himself, and many prelates, earls, and barons of -his kingdom, and others of his council; but that they appeared so -astonishing as to be beyond belief; that such abominable and execrable -deeds had never before been heard of by the king, and the aforesaid -prelates, earls, and barons, and it was therefore hardly to be expected -that an easy credence could be given to them. The English monarch, -however, informs king Philip, that by the advice of his council he had -ordered the seneschal of Agen, from whose lips the rumours were said to -have proceeded, to be summoned to his presence, that through him he -might be further informed concerning the premises; and he states that, -at the fitting time, after due inquiry, he will take such steps as will -redound to the praise of God, and the honour and preservation of the -catholic faith.[146] - -On the night of the 13th of October, all the Templars in the French -dominions were simultaneously arrested. Monks were appointed to preach -against them in the public places of Paris, and in the gardens of the -Palais Royal; and advantage was taken of the folly, the superstition, -and the credulity of the age, to propagate the most horrible and -extravagant charges against them. They were accused of worshipping an -idol covered with an old skin, embalmed, having the appearance of a -piece of polished oil-cloth. "In this idol," we are assured, "there -were two carbuncles for eyes, bright as the brightness of heaven, and -it is certain that all the hope of the Templars was placed in it; it -was their sovereign god, and they trusted in it with all their heart." -They are accused of burning the bodies of the deceased brethren, and -making the ashes into a powder, which they administered to the younger -brethren in their food and drink, to make them hold fast their faith -and idolatry; of cooking and roasting infants, and anointing their -idols with the fat; of celebrating hidden rites and mysteries, to -which young and tender virgins were introduced, and of a variety of -abominations too absurd and horrible to be named. Guillaume Paradin, in -his history of Savoy, seriously repeats these monstrous accusations, -and declares that the Templars had "un lieu creux ou cave en terre, -fort obscur, en laquelle ils avoient un image en forme d'un homme, sur -lequel ils avoient appliqué la peau d'un corps humain, et mis deux -clairs et luisans escarboucles au lieu des deux yeux. A cette horrible -statue etoient contraints de sacrifier ceux qui vouloient etre de leur -damnable religion, lesquels avant toutes ceremonies ils contragnoient -de renier Jesus Christ, et fouler la croix avec les pieds, et apres ce -maudit sacre auquel assistoient femmes et filles (seduites pour etre -de ce secte) ils estegnoient les lampes et lumieres qu'ils avoient -en cett cave.... Et s'il advenoit que d'un Templier et d'un pucelle -nasquit un fils, ils se rangoient tous en un rond, et se jettoient -cet enfant de main en main, et ne cessoient de le jetter jusqu'a ce -qu'il fu mort entre leurs mains; etant mort ils se rotissoient (chose -execrable) et de la graisse ils en ognoient leur grand statue!" The -character of the charges preferred against the Templars proves that -their enemies had no serious crimes to allege against the order. Their -very virtues, indeed, were turned against them, for we are told that, -"to conceal the iniquity of their lives, they made much almsgiving, -constantly frequented church, comported themselves with edification, -frequently partook of the holy sacrament, and manifested always much -modesty and gentleness of deportment in the house, as well as in -public." - -During twelve days of severe imprisonment, the Templars remained -constant in the denial of the horrible crimes imputed to the -fraternity. The king's promises of pardon extracted from them no -confession of guilt, and they were therefore handed over to the tender -mercies of the brethren of St. Dominic, who were the most refined -and expert torturers of the day. On the 19th of October, the grand -inquisitor proceeded with his myrmidons to the Temple at Paris, and a -hundred and forty Templars were one after another put to the torture. -Days and weeks were consumed in the examination, and thirty-six -Templars perished in the hands of their tormentors, maintaining, with -unshaken constancy to the very last, the entire innocence of their -order! Many of them lost the use of their feet from the application -of the torture of fire, which was inflicted in the following -manner:--their legs were fastened in an iron frame, and the soles of -their feet were greased over with fat or butter; they were then placed -before the fire, and a screen was drawn backwards and forwards, so as -to moderate and regulate the heat. Such was the agony produced by this -roasting operation, that the victim often went raving mad. Brother -Bernarde de Vado, on subsequently revoking a confession of guilt, -wrung from him by this description of torment, says to the commissary -of police, before whom he was brought to be examined, "They held me -so long before a fierce fire that the flesh was burnt off my heels, -two pieces of bone came away, which I present to you."[147] Another -Templar, on publicly revoking his confession, declared that four of his -teeth were drawn out, and that he confessed himself guilty to save the -remainder. Others of the fraternity deposed to the infliction on them -of the most revolting and indecent torments;[148] and, in addition to -all this, it appears that forged letters from the Grand Master were -shown to the prisoners, exhorting them to confess themselves guilty! -Many of the Templars were accordingly compelled to acknowledge whatever -was required of them, and to plead guilty to the commission of crimes -which, in the previous interrogatories, they had positively denied. - -These violent proceedings excited the astonishment of Europe. On the -20th of November, the king of England summoned the seneschal of Agen -to his presence, and examined him concerning the truth of the horrible -charges preferred against the Templars; and on the 4th of December, -the English monarch wrote letters to the kings of Portugal, Castile, -Aragon, and Sicily, to the following effect:--"To the magnificent -prince the Lord Dionysius, by the grace of God the illustrious king -of Portugal, his very dear friend, Edward, by the same grace king of -England, &c. Health and prosperity. It is fit and proper, inasmuch as -it conduceth to the honour of God and the exaltation of the faith, -that we should prosecute with benevolence those who come recommended -to us by strenuous labours and incessant exertions in defence of the -Catholic faith, and for the destruction of the enemies of the cross of -Christ. Verily, a certain clerk (Bernard Peletin,) drawing nigh unto -our presence, applied himself, with all his might, to the destruction -of the order of the brethren of the Temple of Jerusalem. He dared to -publish before us and our council certain horrible and detestable -enormities repugnant to the Catholic faith, to the prejudice of the -aforesaid brothers, endeavouring to persuade us, through his own -allegations, as well as through certain letters which he had caused to -be addressed to us for that purpose, that by reason of the premises, -and without a due examination of the matter, we ought to imprison all -the brethren of the aforesaid order abiding in our dominions. But, -considering that the order, which hath been renowned for its religion -and its honour, and in times long since passed away was instituted, -as we have learned, by the Catholic Fathers, exhibits, and hath from -the period of its first foundation exhibited, a becoming devotion to -God and his holy church, and also, up to this time, hath afforded -succour and protection to the Catholic faith in parts beyond sea, it -appeared to us that a ready belief in an accusation of this kind, -hitherto altogether unheard of against the fraternity, was scarcely to -be expected. We affectionately ask, and require of your royal majesty, -that ye, with due diligence, consider of the premises, and turn a -deaf ear to the slanders of ill-natured men, who are animated, as we -believe, not with a zeal of rectitude, but with a spirit of _cupidity_ -and envy, permitting no injury unadvisedly to be done to the persons or -property of the brethren of the aforesaid order, dwelling within your -kingdom, until they have been legally convicted of the crimes laid to -their charge, or it shall happen to be otherwise ordered concerning -them in these parts." - -A few days after the transmission of this letter, king Edward wrote -to the pope, expressing his disbelief of the horrible and detestable -rumours spread abroad concerning the Templars. He represents them -to his holiness as universally respected by all men in his dominions -for the purity of their faith and morals. He expresses great sympathy -for the affliction and distress suffered by the Master and brethren, -by reason of the scandal circulated concerning them; and he strongly -urges the holy pontiff to clear, by some fair course of inquiry, -the character of the order from the unjust and infamous aspersions -cast against it.[149] On the 22nd of November, however, a fortnight -previously, the pope had issued the following bull to king Edward. -"Clement, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his very dear -son in Christ, Edward, the illustrious king of England, health and -apostolical blessing. - -"Presiding, though unworthy, on the throne of pastoral pre-eminence, -by the disposition of him who disposeth all things, we fervently seek -after this one thing above all others; we with ardent wishes aspire -to this, that shaking off the sleep of negligence, whilst watching -over the Lord's flock, by removing that which is hurtful, and taking -care of such things as are profitable, we may be able, by the divine -assistance, to bring souls to God. In truth, a long time ago, about -the period of our first promotion to the summit of the apostolical -dignity, there came to our ears a light rumour to the effect that the -Templars, though fighting ostensibly under the guise of religion, have -hitherto been secretly living in perfidious apostasy, and in detestable -heretical depravity. But, considering that their order, in times long -since passed away, shone forth with the grace of much nobility and -honour, and that they were for a length of time held in vast reverence -by the faithful, and that we had then heard of no suspicion concerning -the premises, or of evil report against them; and also, that from the -beginning of their religion, they have publicly borne the cross of -Christ, exposing their bodies and goods against the enemies of the -faith, for the acquisition, retention, and defence of the Holy Land, -consecrated by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, -we were unwilling to yield a ready belief to the accusation...." - -The holy pontiff then states, that afterwards, however, the same -dreadful intelligence was conveyed to the king of France, who, animated -by a lively zeal in the cause of religion, took immediate steps to -ascertain its truth. He describes the various confessions of the guilt -of idolatry and heresy made by the Templars in France, and requires the -king forthwith to cause all the Templars in his dominions to be taken -into custody on the same day. He directs him to hold them, in the name -of the pope, at the disposition of the Holy See, and to commit all -their real and personal property to the hands of certain trustworthy -persons, to be faithfully preserved until the holy pontiff shall give -further directions concerning it. King Edward received this bull -immediately after he had despatched his letter to the pope, exhorting -his holiness not to give ear to the accusations against the order. -The young king was now either convinced of the guilt of the Templars, -on the high authority of the sovereign pontiff, or hoped to turn the -proceedings against them to a profitable account, as he yielded a ready -and prompt compliance with the pontifical commands. An order in council -was made for the arrest of the Templars, and the seizure of their -property. Inventories were directed to be taken of their goods and -chattels, and provision was made for the sowing and tilling of their -lands during the period of their imprisonment. - -On the 26th of December the king wrote to the pope, informing his -holiness that he would carry his commands into execution in the best -and speediest way that he could; and on the 8th of January, A. D. 1308, -the Templars were suddenly arrested in all parts of England, and their -property was seized into the king's hands. Brother William de la More -was at this period Master of the Temple, or Preceptor of England. He -succeeded the Master Brian le Jay, who was slain, as before mentioned, -in the battle of Falkirk, and was taken prisoner, together with all -his brethren of the Temple at London, and committed to close custody in -Canterbury Castle. He was afterwards liberated on bail at the instance -of the bishop of Durham.[150] - -On the 12th of August, the pope addressed the bull _faciens -misericordiam_ to the English bishops as follows:--"Clement, bishop, -servant of the servants of God, to the venerable brethren the -archbishop of Canterbury, and his suffragans, health and apostolical -benediction. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, using mercy with -his servant, would have us taken up into the eminent mirror of the -apostleship, to this end, that being, though unworthy, his vicar upon -earth, we may, as far as human frailty will permit in all our actions -and proceedings, follow his footsteps." He describes the rumours -which had been spread abroad in France against the Templars, and his -unwillingness to believe them, "because it was not likely, nor did seem -credible, that such religious men, who continually shed their blood -for the name of Christ, and were thought to expose their persons to -danger of death for his sake; and who often showed many and great signs -of devotion, as well in the divine offices as in fasting and other -observances, should be so unmindful of their salvation as to perpetrate -such things; we were unwilling to give ear to the insinuations and -impeachments against them, being taught so to do by the example of -the same Lord of ours, and the writings of canonical doctrine. But -afterwards, our most dear son in Christ, Philip, the illustrious king -of the French, to whom the same crimes had been made known, _not -from motives of avarice_, (since he does not design to apply or to -appropriate to himself any portion of the estates of the Templars, -nay, has washed his hands of them!) but inflamed with zeal for the -orthodox faith, following the renowned footsteps of his ancestors, -getting what information he properly could upon the premises, gave -us much instruction in the matter by his messengers and letters." The -holy pontiff then gives a long account of the various confessions made -in France, and of the absolution granted to such of the Templars as -were truly contrite and penitent; he expresses his conviction of the -guilt of the order, and makes provision for the trial of the fraternity -in England. King Edward in the mean time, had begun to make free with -their property, and the pope, on the 4th of October, wrote to him to -the following effect: - -"Your conduct begins again to afford us no slight cause of affliction, -inasmuch as it hath been brought to our knowledge from the report of -several barons, that in contempt of the Holy See, and without fear of -offending the divine Majesty, you have, of your own sole authority, -distributed to different persons the property which belonged formerly -to the order of the Temple in your dominions, which you had got into -your hands at our command, and which ought to have remained at our -disposition.... We have therefore ordained that certain fit and proper -persons shall be sent into your kingdom, and to all parts of the world -where the Templars are known to have had property, to take possession -of the same conjointly with certain prelates specially deputed to that -end, and to make an inquisition concerning the execrable excesses -which the members of the order are said to have committed."[151] To -this letter of the supreme pontiff, king Edward sent the following -short and pithy reply:--"As to the goods of the Templars, we have done -nothing with them up to the present time, nor do we intend to do with -them aught but what we have a right to do, and what we know will be -acceptable to the Most High." - -On the 13th of September, A. D. 1309, the king granted letters of safe -conduct "to those discreet men, the abbot of Lagny, in the diocese of -Paris, and Master Sicard de Vaur, canon of Narbonne," the inquisitors -appointed by the pope to examine the Grand Preceptor and brethren of -the Temple in England; and the same day he wrote to the archbishop of -Canterbury, and the bishops of London and Lincoln, enjoining them to -be personally present with the papal inquisitors, at their respective -sees, as often as such inquisitors, or any one of them, should proceed -with their inquiries against the Templars.[152] - -Among the prisoners confined in the Tower were Brother William de la -More, Knight, Grand Preceptor of England, otherwise Master of the -Temple; Brother Himbert Blanke, Knight, Grand Preceptor of Auvergne, -one of the veteran warriors who had fought to the last in defence of -Palestine, had escaped the slaughter at Acre, and had accompanied -the Grand Master from Cyprus to France, whence he crossed over to -England, and was rewarded for his meritorious and memorable services, -in defence of the christian faith, with a dungeon in the Tower. Brother -_Radulph de Barton_, priest of the order of the Temple, custos or -guardian of the Temple church, and prior of London; Brother _Michael -de Baskeville_, Knight, Preceptor of London; Brother _John de Stoke_, -Knight, Treasurer of the Temple at London; together with many other -knights and serving brethren of the same house. There were also in -custody in the Tower the Knights Preceptors of the preceptories of -Ewell in Kent, of Daney and Dokesworth in Cambridgeshire, of Getinges -in Gloucestershire, of Cumbe in Somersetshire, of Schepeley in Surrey, -of Samford and Bistelesham in Oxfordshire, of Garwy in Herefordshire, -of Cressing in Essex, of Pafflet, Huppleden, and other preceptories, -together with several priests and chaplains of the order. A general -scramble appears to have taken place for possession of the goods -and chattels of the imprisoned Templars; and the king, to check the -robberies that were committed, appointed Alan de Goldyngham and John -de Medefeld to inquire into the value of the property that had been -carried off, and to inform him of the names of the parties who had -obtained possession of it. The sheriffs of the different counties were -also directed to summon juries, through whom the truth might he better -obtained.[153] - -On the 22nd of September, the archbishop of Canterbury, acting in -obedience to the papal commands, before a single witness had been -examined in England, caused to be published in all churches and -chapels a papal bull, wherein the pope declares himself perfectly -convinced of the guilt of the order, and solemnly denounces the -penalty of excommunication against all persons, of whatever rank, -station, or condition in life, whether clergy or laity, who should -knowingly afford, either publicly or privately, assistance, counsel, or -kindness to the Templars, or should dare to shelter them, or give them -countenance or protection, and also laying under interdict all cities, -castles, lands and places, which should harbour any of the members of -the proscribed order! At the commencement of the month of October, the -inquisitors arrived in England, and immediately published the bull -appointing the commission, enjoining the citation of criminals, and of -witnesses, and denouncing the heaviest ecclesiastical censures against -the disobedient, and against every person who should dare to impede the -inquisitors in the exercise of their functions. Citations were made in -St. Paul's Cathedral, and in all the churches of the ecclesiastical -province of Canterbury, at the end of high mass, requiring the Templars -to appear before the inquisitors at a certain time and place, and -the articles of accusation were transmitted to the constable of the -Tower, in Latin, French, and English, to be read to all the Templars -imprisoned in that fortress. - -On Monday, the 20th of October, after the Templars had been languishing -in the English prisons for more than a year and eight months, the -tribunal constituted by the pope to take the inquisition in the -province of Canterbury assembled in the episcopal hall of London. It -was composed of the bishop of London Dieudonné, abbot of the monastery -of Lagny, in the diocese of Paris, and Sicard de Vaur, canon of -Narbonne, the pope's chaplain, and hearer of causes in the pontifical -palace. They were assisted by several foreign notaries. After the -reading of the papal bulls, and some preliminary proceedings, the -articles of accusation, a monument of human folly, superstition, and -credulity, were solemnly exhibited. It was urged against the Templars: -"1. That at their first reception into the order, or at some time -afterwards, or as soon as an opportunity occurred, they were induced -or admonished by those who had received them within the bosom of the -fraternity, to deny Christ or Jesus, or the crucifixion, or at one -time God, and at another time the blessed Virgin, and sometimes all -the saints.--5. That the receivers told and instructed those that -were received, that Christ was not the true God, or sometimes Jesus, -or sometimes the person crucified.--7. That they said he had not -suffered for the redemption of mankind, nor been crucified but for -his own sins.--9. That they made those they received into the order -spit upon the cross, or upon the sign or figure of the cross, or the -image of Christ.--10. That they caused the cross itself to be trampled -under foot.--11. That the brethren themselves did sometimes trample on -the same cross.--12. Item quod mingebant interdum, et alios mingere -faciebant, super ipsam crucem.--14. That they worshipped a cat, which -was placed in the midst of the congregation.--16. That they did not -believe the sacrament of the altar nor the other sacraments of the -church.--24. That they believed, and so it was told them, that the -Grand Master of the order could absolve them from their sins.--25. That -the visitor could do so.--26. That the preceptors, of whom many were -laymen, could do it.--36. That the receptions of the brethren were made -clandestinely.--37. That none were present but the brothers of the -said order.--38. That for this reason there has for a long time been a -vehement suspicion against them." - -The succeeding articles charge the Templars with crimes and abominations -too horrible and disgusting to be named. - -"46. That the brothers themselves had idols in every province, viz. -heads; some of which had three faces, and some one, and some a man's -skull.--47. That they adored that idol, or those idols, especially -in their great chapters and assemblies--48. That they worshipped -them.--49. As their God.--50. As their Saviour.--51. That some of them -did so.--52. That the greater part did.--53. They said that those -heads could save them.--54. That they could produce riches.--55. That -they had given to the order all its wealth.--56. That they caused -the earth to bring forth seed.--57. That they made the trees to -nourish.--58. That they bound or touched the heads of the said idols -with cords, wherewith they bound themselves about their shirts, or -next their skins.--59. That at their reception the aforesaid little -cords, or others of the same length, were delivered to each of the -brothers.--60. That they did this in worship of their idols.--61. That -it was enjoined them to gird themselves with the said little cords, as -before mentioned, and continually to wear them.--62. That the brethren -of the order were generally received in that manner.--63. That they did -these things out of devotion.--64. That they did them everywhere.--65. -That the greater part did.--66. That those who refused the things above -mentioned at their reception, or to observe them afterwards, were -killed or cast into prison."[154] The remaining articles, twenty-one in -number, are directed principally to the mode of confession practised -amongst the fraternity, and to matters of heretical depravity.--Such an -accusation as this, justly remarks Voltaire, _destroys itself_. - -Brother William de la More, and thirty more of his brethren, being -interrogated before the inquisitors, positively denied the guilt of -the order, and affirmed that the Templars who had made the confession -alluded to in France _had lied_. They were ordered to be brought up -separately to be examined. On the 23rd of October, Brother William -Raven, being interrogated as to the mode of his reception into the -order, states that he was admitted by Brother William de la More, the -Master of the Temple at Temple Coumbe, in the diocese of Bath; that he -petitioned the brethren of the Temple that they would be pleased to -receive him into the order to serve God and the blessed Virgin Mary, -and to end his life in their service; that he was asked if he had a -firm wish so to do; and replied that he had; that two brothers then -expounded to him the strictness and severity of the order, and told him -that he would not be allowed to act after his own will, but must follow -the will of the preceptor; that if he wished to do one thing, he would -be ordered to do another; and that if he wished to be at one place, -he would be sent to another; that having promised so to act, he swore -upon the holy gospels of God to obey the Master, to hold no property, -to preserve chastity, never to consent that any man should be unjustly -despoiled of his heritage, and never to lay violent hands on any man, -except in self-defence, or upon the Saracens. He states that the oath -was administered to him in the chapel of the preceptory of Temple -Coumbe, in the presence only of the brethren of the order; that the -rule was read over to him by one of the brothers, and that a learned -serving brother, named John de Walpole, instructed him, for the space -of one month, upon the matters contained in it. The prisoner was then -taken back to the Tower, and was directed to be strictly separated from -his brethren, and not to be suffered to speak to any one of them. - -The next two days (October 24th and 25th) were taken up with a similar -examination of Brothers Hugh de Tadecastre and Thomas le Chamberleyn, -who gave precisely the same account of their reception as the previous -witness. Brother Hugh de Tadecastre added, that he swore to succour -the Holy Land with all his might, and defend it against the enemies of -the christian faith; and that after he had taken the customary oaths -and the three vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, the mantle of -the order with the cross and the coif were delivered to him in the -church, in the presence of the Master, the knights, and the brothers, -all seculars being excluded. Brother Thomas le Chamberleyn added, that -there was the same mode of reception in England as beyond sea, and the -same mode of taking the vows; that all seculars were excluded, and that -when he himself entered the Temple church to be professed, the door -by which he entered was closed after him; that there was another door -looking into the cemetery, but that no stranger could enter that way. -On being asked why none but the brethren of the order were permitted to -be present at the reception and profession of brothers, he said he knew -of no reason, but that it was so written in their book of rules. - -Between the 25th of October and the 17th of November, thirty-three -knights, chaplains, and serving brothers, were examined, all of whom -positively denied every article imputing crime or infidelity to their -order. When Brother Himbert Blanke was asked why they had made the -reception and profession of brethren secret, he replied, "through our -own unaccountable folly." They avowed that they wore little cords -round their shirts, but for no bad end; they declared that they never -touched idols with them, but that they were worn by way of penance, or -according to a knight of forty-three years standing, by the instruction -of the holy father St. Bernard. Brother Richard de Goldyngham says that -he knows nothing further about them than that they were called girdles -of chastity. They state that the receivers and the party received -kissed one another on the face, but everything else regarding the -kissing was false, abominable, and had never been done. - -Radulph de Barton, priest of the order of the Temple, and custos or -guardian of the Temple church at London, stated, with regard to Article -24, that the Grand Master in chapter could absolve the brothers from -offences committed against the rules and observances of the order, but -not from private sin, as he was not a priest; that it was perfectly -true that those who were received into the order swore not to reveal -the secrets of the chapter, and that when any one was punished in the -chapter, those who were present at it durst not reveal it to such as -were absent; but if any brother revealed the mode of his reception, -he would be deprived of his chamber, or else stripped of his habit. -He declares that the brethren were not prohibited from confessing to -priests not belonging to the order of the Temple; and that he had never -heard of the crimes and iniquities mentioned in the articles of inquiry -previous to his arrest, except as regarded the charges made against -the order by Bernard Peletin, when he came to England from king Philip -of France. He states that he had been custos of the Temple church -at London for ten years, and for the last two years had enjoyed the -dignity of preceptor at the same place. He was asked about the death -of Brother Walter le Bachelor, knight, formerly Preceptor of Ireland, -who died in the Temple at London, but he declares that he knows nothing -about it, except that the said Walter was fettered and placed in -prison, and there died; that he certainly had heard that great severity -had been practised towards him, but that he had not meddled with the -affair on account of the danger of so doing; he admitted also that the -aforesaid Walter was not buried in the cemetery of the Temple, as he -was considered excommunicated on account of his disobedience of his -superior, and of the rule of the order. - -Many of the brethren thus examined had been from twenty to thirty, -forty, forty-two, and forty-three years in the order, and some were old -veteran warriors who had fought for many a long year in the thirsty -plains of Palestine. Brother Himbert Blanke, Knight, Preceptor of -Auvergne, had been in the order thirty-eight years. He was received -at the city of Tyre, had been engaged in constant warfare against the -infidels, and had fought to the last in defence of Acre. Brother Robert -le Scott, Knight, a brother of twenty-six years' standing, had been -received at the Pilgrim's Castle, the famous fortress of the Knights -Templars in Palestine, by the Grand Master, Brother William de Beaujeu, -the hero who died so gloriously at the head of his knights at the last -siege and storming of Acre. He states that from levity of disposition -he quitted the order after it had been driven out of Palestine, and -absented himself for two years, during which period he came to Rome, -and confessed to the pope's penitentiary, who imposed on him a heavy -penance, and enjoined him to return to his brethren in the East, and -that he went back and resumed his habit at Nicosia in the island of -Cyprus, and was re-admitted to the order by command of the Grand -Master, James de Molay. He adds, also, that Brother Himbert Blanke (the -previous witness) was present at his first reception at the Pilgrim's -Castle. - -On the 22nd day of the inquiry, the following entry was made on the -record of the proceedings:--"Memorandum. Brothers Philip de Mewes, -Thomas de Burton, and Thomas de Staundon, were advised and earnestly -exhorted to abandon their religious profession, who severally replied -that they would rather die than do so." On the 19th and 20th of -November, seven lay witnesses, unconnected with the order, were -examined before the inquisitors in the chapel of the monastery of the -Holy Trinity. Master William le Dorturer, notary public, declared that -the Templars rose at midnight, and held their chapters before dawn, and -he _thought_ that the mystery and secrecy of the receptions were owing -to a bad rather than a good motive, but declared that he had never -observed that they had acquired, or had attempted to acquire, anything -unjustly. Master Gilbert de Bruere, clerk, said that he had never -suspected them of anything worse than an excessive correction of the -brethren. William Lambert, formerly a "messenger of the Temple," knew -nothing bad of the Templars, and thought them perfectly innocent of all -the matters alluded to. And Richard de Barton, priest, and Radulph de -Rayndon, an old man, both declared that they knew nothing of the order, -or of the members of it, but what was good and honourable. - -On the 25th of November, a provincial council of the church, composed -of the bishops, abbots, priors, heads of colleges, and all the -principal clergy, assembled in St. Paul's Cathedral, and a papal bull -was read, in which the holy pontiff dwells most pathetically upon the -awful sins of the Templars, and their great and tremendous fall from -their previous high estate. Hitherto, says he, they have been renowned -throughout the world as the special champions of the faith, and the -chief defenders of the Holy Land, whose affairs have been mainly -regulated by those brothers. The church, following them and their order -with the plenitude of its especial favour and regard, armed them with -the emblem of the cross against the enemies of Christ, exalted them -with much honour, enriched them with wealth, and fortified them with -various liberties and privileges. The holy pontiff displays the sad -report of their sins and iniquities which reached his ears, filled -him with bitterness and grief, disturbed his repose, smote him with -horror, injured his health, and caused his body to waste away! He gives -a long account of the crimes imputed to the order, of the confessions -and depositions that had been made in France, and then bursts out into -a paroxysm of grief, declares that the melancholy affair deeply moved -all the faithful, that all Christianity was shedding bitter tears, was -overwhelmed with grief, and clothed with mourning. He concludes by -decreeing the assembly of a general council of the church at Vienne to -pronounce the abolition of the order, and to determine on the disposal -of its property, to which council the English clergy are required to -send representatives. - -In Scotland, in the mean time, similar proceedings had been instituted -against the order. On the 17th of November, Brother Walter de Clifton -being examined in the parish church of the Holy Cross at Edinburgh, -before the bishop of St. Andrews and John de Solerio, the pope's -chaplain, states that the brethren of the order of the Temple in the -kingdom of Scotland received their orders, rules, and observances from -the Master of the Temple in England, and that the Master in England -received the rules and observances of the order from the Grand Master -and the chief convent in the East; that the Grand Master or his deputy -was in the habit of visiting the order in England and elsewhere; of -summoning chapters and making regulations for the conduct of the -brethren, and the administration of their property. Being asked as to -the mode of his reception, he states that when William de la More, the -Master, held his chapter at the preceptory of Temple Bruere in the -county of Lincoln, he sought of the assembled brethren the habit and -the fellowship of the order; that they told him that he little knew -what it was he asked, in seeking to be admitted to their fellowship; -that it would be a very hard matter for him, who was then his own -master, to become the servant of another, and to have no will of his -own; but notwithstanding their representations of the rigour of their -rules and observances, he still continued earnestly to seek their habit -and fellowship. He states that they then led him to the chamber of the -Master, where they held their chapter, and that there, on his bended -knees, and with his hands clasped, he again prayed for the habit and -the fellowship of the Temple; that the Master and the brethren then -required him to answer questions to the following effect:--Whether he -had a dispute with any man, or owed any debts? whether he was betrothed -to any woman? and whether he had any secret infirmity of body? or -knew of anything to prevent him from remaining within the bosom of the -fraternity? And having answered all these questions satisfactorily, the -Master then asked of the surrounding brethren, "Do ye give your consent -to the reception of Brother Walter?" who unanimously answered that they -did; and the Master and the brethren then standing up, received him the -said Walter in this manner. On his bended knees, and with his hands -joined, he solemnly promised that he would be the perpetual servant of -the Master, and of the order, and of the brethren, for the purpose of -defending the Holy Land. Having done this, the Master took out of the -hands of a brother chaplain of the order the book of the holy gospels, -upon which was depicted a cross, and laying his hand upon the book, and -upon the cross, he swore to God and the blessed Virgin Mary to be for -ever thereafter chaste, obedient, and to live without property. And -then the Master gave to him the white mantle, and placed the coif on -his head and admitted him to the kiss on the mouth, after which he made -him sit down on the ground, and admonished him to the following effect: -that from thenceforth he was to sleep in his shirt, drawers, and -stockings, girded with a small cord over his shirt; that he was never -to tarry in a house where there was a woman in the family way; never to -be present at a marriage or at the purification of women; and likewise -instructed and informed him upon several other particulars. Being asked -where he had passed his time since his reception, he replied that he -had dwelt three years at the preceptory of Blancradok in Scotland; -three years at Temple Newsom in England; one year at the Temple at -London, and three years at Aslakeby. Being asked concerning the other -brothers in Scotland, he stated that John de Hueflete was Preceptor of -Blancradok, the chief house of the order in that country, and that he -and the other brethren, having heard of the arrest of the Templars, -threw off their habits, and fled, and that he had not since heard aught -concerning them. - -Forty-one witnesses, chiefly abbots, priors, monks, priests, and -serving men, and retainers of the order in Scotland, were examined -upon various interrogatories, but nothing of a criminatory nature -was elicited. The monks observed that the receptions of other orders -were public, and were celebrated as great religious solemnities, and -the friends, parents, and neighbours of the party about to take the -vows were invited to attend; while the Templars, on the other hand, -shrouded their proceedings in mystery and secrecy, and therefore they -_suspected_ the worst. The priests thought them guilty, because they -were always against the church! Others condemned them because (as they -say) the Templars closed their doors against the poor and the humble, -and extended hospitality only to the rich and the powerful. The abbot -of the monastery of the Holy Cross at Edinburgh declared that they -appropriated to themselves the property of their neighbours, right -or wrong. The abbot of Dumferlyn knew nothing of his own knowledge -against them, but had _heard_ much, and _suspected_ more. The serving -men and the tillers of the lands of the order stated that the chapters -were held sometimes by night and sometimes by day, with extraordinary -secrecy; and some of the witnesses had heard old men say that the -Templars would never have lost the Holy Land if they had been good -Christians! - -On the 9th of January, A. D. 1310, the examination of witnesses was -resumed at London, in the parish church of St. Dunstan's West, near -the Temple. The rector of the church of St. Mary de la Strode declared -that he had strong _suspicions_ of the guilt of the Templars; he had, -however, often been at the Temple church, and had observed that the -priests performed divine service there just the same as elsewhere. -William de Cumbrook, of St. Clement's church, near the Temple, the -vicar of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and many other priests and -clergymen of different churches in London, all declared that they had -nothing to allege against the order. - -On the 27th of January, Brother John de Stoke, a serving brother of the -order of the Temple, of seventeen years' standing, being examined by -the inquisitors in the chapel of the Blessed Mary of Berkyngecherche -at London, states, amongst other things, that secular persons were -allowed to be present at the burial of Templars; that the brethren -of the order all received the sacraments of the church at their last -hour, and were attended to the grave by a chaplain of the Temple. Being -interrogated concerning the burial of the Knight Templar Brother Walter -le Bacheler, Grand Preceptor of Ireland, who had been confined in the -penitential cell in the Temple, for disobedience to his superiors, -and was reported to have been there starved to death, he deposes that -the said knight was buried like any other Christian, except that he -was not buried in the burying-ground, but in the court of the house -of the Temple at London; that he confessed to Brother Richard de -Grafton, a priest of the order, then in the island of Cyprus, and -partook, as he believed, of the sacrament. He states that he himself -and Brother Radulph de Barton carried him to his grave at the dawn of -day, and that the deceased knight was in prison, as he believes, for -the space of eight weeks; that he was not buried in the habit of his -order, and was interred without the cemetery of the brethren, because -he was considered to be excommunicated, in pursuance, as he believed, -of a rule or statute among the Templars, to the effect that every one -who privily made away with the property of the order, and did not -acknowledge his fault, was deemed excommunicated. - -On the 30th of March, the papal inquisitors opened their commission -at Lincoln, and numerous Templars were examined in the chapter-house -of the cathedral, amongst whom were some of the veteran warriors of -Palestine, who had moistened with their blood the distant plains of -the far East. Brother William de Winchester, a member of twenty-six -years' standing, stated that he had been received into the order at -the castle _de la Roca Guille_, in the province of Armenia, bordering -on Syria, by the valiant Grand Master William de Beaujeu. He states -that the same mode of reception existed there as in England, and -everywhere throughout the order. Brother Robert de Hamilton declares -that the girdles said to be worn by the brethren were called girdles -of Nazareth, because they had been pressed against the column of the -Virgin at that place, and were worn in remembrance of the blessed Mary. - -At York, the examination commenced on the 28th of April, and lasted -until the 4th of May, during which period twenty-three Templars, -prisoners in York Castle, were examined in the chapter-house of the -cathedral, and followed the example of their brethren in maintaining -their innocence. Brother Thomas de Stanford, a member of thirty years' -standing, had been received in the East by the Grand Master William -de Beaujeu, and Brother Radulph de Rostona, a priest of the order, of -twenty-three years' standing, had been received at the preceptory of -Lentini in Sicily, by Brother William de Canello, the Grand Preceptor -of Sicily. Brother Stephen de Radenhall refused to reveal the mode of -reception, because it formed part of the secrets of the chapter, and -if he discovered them he would lose his chamber, be stripped of his -mantle, or be committed to prison.[155] - -The proceedings against the order in France had, in the mean time, -assumed a most sanguinary character. On the 28th of March, (A. D. 1310) -five hundred and forty-six Templars, who persisted in maintaining the -innocence of their order, were assembled in the garden of the bishop's -palace at Paris, to hear the articles of accusation read over to them, -and a committee of their number was authorised to draw up a written -defence. They asked to have an interview with the Grand Master and -the heads of the order, but this was refused. The total number of -Templars, immured in the prisons of Paris, was nine hundred. In the -course of the examination before the papal commissioners, Brother -Laurent de Beaume produced a letter which had been sent to him and -his fellow-prisoners at Sens, warning them against a retractation of -their confessions in the following terms: "_Sachez que notre pere le -pape a mande que tuit cil qui aurent fayt les suizitos confessions -devant ses anvouez, qui en cele confessions ne voudroient perseverès, -que il sorent mis a damnazion et destruit au feu._" This threat was -carried into execution, and Brother Laurent de Beaume was one of the -first victims. The defence drawn up by the brethren and presented -to the commissioners by Brother Peter de Bologna, begins by stating -the origin and objects of their institution, the vows to which they -subjected themselves, and the mode in which persons were received into -the fraternity. They give a frightful account of the tortures that had -been inflicted upon them, and declare that those who had escaped with -life from the hands of the tormentors, were either ruined in health -or injured in intellect, and that as pardon and forgiveness had been -freely offered to those knights who would confess, it was not wonderful -that false confessions had been made. They observed that a vast number -of knights had died in prison, and they exhorted the commissioners to -interrogate the guards, jailers, and executioners, and those who saw -them in their last moments, concerning the declarations and confessions -they had made at the peril of their souls when dying. They maintained -that it was a most extraordinary thing that so many knights of -distinguished birth and noble blood, members of the most illustrious -families in Europe, should have remained from an early age up to the -day of their death, members of the order, and should never, in days -of sickness, or at the hour of death, have revealed any of the horrid -iniquities and abominations charged against it.[156] All the Templars, -indeed, who had made confessions were rapidly following one another's -example in retracting them, and maintaining their innocence, and the -king hastened to arrest the unfavourable march of events. - -The archbishop of Sens, whose ecclesiastical authority extended over -the diocese of Paris, having died, the king obtained the vacant see for -Philip de Martigny, a creature of his own, who was installed therein -in the month of April. In a letter to Clement urging this appointment, -Philip reminds the holy pontiff that the new archbishop would have to -preside over a provincial council wherein would be transacted many -things which immediately concerned the glory of God, the stability of -the faith, and of the holy church. Immediately after the enthronement -of this new archbishop, the provincial council of Sens was convoked at -Paris, and on the 10th of May, all the Templars who had revoked their -confessions, and had come forward to maintain the innocence of their -order, were dragged before it, and sentence of death was passed upon -them by the archbishop in the following terms:--"You have avowed," said -he, "that the brethren who are received into the order of the Temple -are compelled to renounce Christ and spit upon the cross, and that you -yourselves have participated in that crime; you have thus acknowledged -that you have fallen into the sin of _heresy_. By your confession -and repentance you had merited absolution, and had once more become -reconciled to the church. As you have revoked your confession, the -church no longer regards you as reconciled, but as having fallen back -to your first errors. You are, therefore, _relapsed heretics_, and as -such, we condemn you to the fire!" As soon as the commissioners had -received intelligence of this extraordinary decree, they despatched -messengers to the archbishop and his suffragans, praying them to delay -the execution of their sentence, as very many persons affirmed that the -Templars who died in prison had proclaimed with their last breath the -innocence of their order. But these representations were of no avail. -The archbishop, who was paying the price of his elevation to a hard -creditor, proceeded to make short work of the business. - -The very next morning, (Tuesday, May 12,) fifty-four Templars were -handed over to the secular arm, and were led out to execution by the -king's officers. They were conducted, at daybreak, into the open -country, in the environs of the Porte St. Antoine des Champs at -Paris, and were there fastened to stakes driven into the ground, and -surrounded by faggots and charcoal. In this situation, they saw the -torches lighted, and the executioners approaching to accomplish their -task, and they were once more offered pardon and favour if they would -confess the _guilt_ of their order; they persisted in the maintenance -of its _innocence_, and were burnt to death in a most cruel manner -before slow fires! All historians speak with admiration of the heroism -and intrepidity with which they met their fate. Many hundred other -Templars were dragged from the dungeons of Paris before the archbishop -of Sens and his council. Those whom neither the agony of torture nor -the fear of death could overcome, but who remained stedfast amid all -their trials in the maintenance of their innocence, were condemned to -perpetual imprisonment as _unreconciled heretics_; whilst those who, -having made the required confessions of guilt, continued to persevere -in them, received absolution, were declared reconciled to the church, -and were set at liberty.[157] - -On the 18th of August, four other Templars were condemned as relapsed -heretics by the council of Sens, and were likewise burnt by the Porte -St. Antoine; and it is stated that a hundred and thirteen Templars -were, from first to last, burnt at the stake in Paris. Many others -were burned in Lorraine; in Normandy; at Carcassone; and nine, or, -according to some writers, twenty-nine, were burnt by the archbishop -of Rheims at Senlis! King Philip's officers, indeed, not content -with their inhuman cruelty towards the living, invaded the sanctity -of the tomb; they dragged a dead Templar, who had been treasurer of -the 93. Temple at Paris, from his grave, and burnt the mouldering -corpse as a heretic. In the midst of all these sanguinary atrocities, -the examinations continued before the ecclesiastical tribunals. Many -aged and illustrious warriors, who merited a better fate, appeared -before their judges pale and trembling. At first they revoked their -confessions, declared their innocence, and were remanded to prison; and -then, panic-stricken, they demanded to be led back before the papal -commissioners, when they abandoned their retractations, persisted -in their previous avowals of _guilt_, humbly expressed their sorrow -and repentance, and were then pardoned, absolved, and reconciled to -the church! The torture still continued to be applied, and out of -thirty-three Templars confined in the chateau d'Alaix, four died in -prison, and the remaining twenty confessed, amongst other things, the -following absurdities:--that in the provincial chapter of the order -held at Montpelier, the Templars set up a head and worshipped it; that -the devil often appeared there in the shape of a cat, and conversed -with the assembled brethren, and promised them a good harvest, with the -possession of riches, and all kinds of temporal property. Some asserted -that the head worshipped by the fraternity possessed a long beard; -others that it was a woman's head; and one of the prisoners declared -that as often as this wonderful head was adored, a great number of -devils made their appearance in the shape of beautiful women...!! - -We must now unfold the dark page in the history of the order in -England. All the Templars in custody in this country had been -examined separately, and had, notwithstanding, deposed in substance -to the same effect, and given the same account of their reception -into the order, and of the oaths that they took. Any reasonable and -impartial mind would consequently have been satisfied of the truth -of their statements; but it was not the object of the inquisitors to -obtain evidence of the _innocence_, but proof of the _guilt_ of the -order. At first, king Edward the Second, to his honour, forbade the -infliction of torture upon the illustrious members of the Temple in his -dominions--men who had fought and bled for Christendom, and of whose -piety and morals he had a short time before given such ample testimony -to the principal sovereigns of Europe. But the virtuous resolution of -the weak king was speedily overcome by the all-powerful influence of -the Roman pontiff, who wrote to him in the month of June, upbraiding -him for preventing the inquisitors from submitting the Templars to the -discipline of the rack. Influenced by the admonitions of the pope, -and the solicitations of the clergy, king Edward sent orders to the -constable of the Tower, to deliver up the Templars to certain gaolers -appointed by the inquisitors, in order that the inquisitors might -do with the bodies of the Templars whatever should seem fitting, in -accordance with ecclesiastical law. The ecclesiastical council then -assembled, and ordered that the Templars should be again confined in -separate cells; that fresh interrogatories should be prepared, to see -if by such means the _truth_ could be extracted, and if by straitenings -and confinement they would _confess nothing further_, then the torture -was to be applied; but it was provided that the examination by torture -should be conducted without the PERPETUAL MUTILATION OR DISABLING OF -ANY LIMB, AND WITHOUT A VIOLENT EFFUSION OF BLOOD! and the inquisitors -and the bishops of London and Chichester were to notify the result to -the archbishop of Canterbury, that he might again convene the assembly -for the purpose of passing sentence, either of absolution or of -condemnation. - -Fresh instructions were then sent by the king to the constable of the -Tower, and the sheriffs of London, informing them that the king, on -account of his respect for the holy apostolical see, had conceded to -the inquisitors the power of examining the Templars by TORTURE; and -strictly enjoining them to deliver up the Templars to the inquisitors, -and receive them back when required so to do. The king then acquainted -the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of his faithful city of London, -that out of reverence to the pope he had authorised the inquisitors, -sent over by his holiness, to question the Templars by TORTURE; and he -commands them, in case it should be notified to them by the inquisitors -that the prisons provided by the sheriffs were insufficient for their -purposes, to procure without fail fit and convenient houses in the -city, or near thereto, for carrying into effect the contemplated -measures. Shortly afterwards, he again wrote to the mayor, aldermen, -and commonalty of London, acquainting them that the sheriffs had made -a return to his writ, to the effect that the four gates (prisons) of -the city were not under their charge, and that they could not therefore -obtain them for the purposes required; and he commands the mayor, -aldermen, and commonalty, to place those four gates at the disposal -of the sheriffs. Shortly afterwards orders were given for all the -Templars in custody in London to be loaded with chains and fetters! -the myrmidons of the inquisitors were to be allowed to make periodical -visits to see that the imprisonment was properly carried into effect, -and were to be allowed to TORTURE the bodies of the Templars in any way -that they might think fit.[158] - -On the 30th of March, A. D. 1311, the examination was resumed -before the inquisitors, and the bishops of London and Chichester, -at the several churches of St. Martin's Ludgate, and St. Botolph's -Bishopsgate. The Templars had now been in prison in England for the -space of three years and some months. During the whole of the previous -winter they had been confined in chains in the dungeons of the city -of London, compelled to receive their scanty supply of food from the -officers of the inquisition, and to suffer from cold, from hunger, and -from torture. They had been made to endure all the horrors of solitary -confinement, and had none to solace or to cheer them during the long -hours of their melancholy captivity. They had been already condemned -collectively by the pope, as members of an heretical and idolatrous -society, and as long as they continued to persist in the truth of -their first confessions, and in the avowal of their innocence, they -were treated as obstinate, unreconciled heretics, living in a state -of excommunication, and doomed, when dead, to everlasting punishment -in hell. They had heard of the miserable fate of their brethren in -France, and they knew that those who had confessed crimes of which -they had never been guilty, had been immediately declared reconciled -to the church, had been absolved and set at liberty, and they knew -that freedom, pardon, and peace could be immediately purchased by a -confession of guilt; notwithstanding all which, every Templar, at this -last examination, persisted in the maintenance of his innocence, and -in the denial of all knowledge of, or participation in, the crimes -and heresies imputed to the order. They were therefore again sent -back to their dungeons, and loaded with chains; and the inquisitors, -disappointed of the desired confessions, addressed themselves to the -enemies of the order for the necessary proofs of guilt. - -During the month of April, seventy-two witnesses were examined in -the chapter-house of the Holy Trinity. They were nearly all monks, -Carmelites, Augustinians, Dominicans, and Minorites; their evidence -is all hearsay, and the nature of it will be seen from the following -choice specimens:--Henry Thanet, an Irishman, had _heard_ that a -certain Preceptor of the Pilgrim's Castle was in the habit of making -all the brethren he received into the order deny Christ. He had _heard_ -also that a certain Templar had in his custody a brazen head with two -faces, which would answer all questions put to it!--Master John de -Nassington had _heard_ that the Templars celebrated a solemn festival -once a year, at which they worshipped a _calf_!--John de Eure, knight, -sheriff of the county of York, deposed that he had once invited Brother -William de la Fenne, Preceptor of Wesdall, to dine with him, and that -after dinner the Preceptor drew a book out of his bosom, and delivered -it to the knight's lady to read, who found a piece of paper fastened -into the book, on which were written abominable heretical doctrines, to -the effect that Christ was not the Son of God, nor born of a virgin, -but conceived of the seed of Joseph, the husband of Mary, after the -manner of other men, and that Christ was not a true but a false -prophet, and was not crucified for the redemption of mankind, but for -his own sins; and many other things contrary to the christian faith. On -the production of this important evidence, Brother William de la Fenne -was called in and interrogated; he admitted that he had dined with the -sheriff of York, and had lent his lady a book to read, but he swore -that he was ignorant of the piece of paper fastened into the book, and -of its contents. It appears that the sheriff of York had kept this -discovery to himself for the space of six years! - -William de la Forde, a priest, rector of the parish of Crofton in the -diocese of York, had _heard_ William de Reynbur, priest of the order -of St. Augustine, who was then dead, say, that the Templar, Brother -Patrick of Rippon, son of William of Gloucester, had confessed to him, -that at his entrance into the order, he was led, clothed only in his -shirt and trousers, through a long passage to a secret chamber, and -was there made to deny his God and his Saviour; that he was then shown -a representation of the crucifixion, and was told that since he had -previously honoured that emblem he must now dishonour it and spit upon -it, and that he did so. "Item dictum fuit ei quod, depositis brachis, -dorsum verteret ad crucifixum," and this he did bitterly weeping. -After this they brought an image, as it were, of a calf, placed upon -an altar, and they told him he must kiss that image, and worship it, -and he did so; and after all this they covered up his eyes and led him -about, kissing and being kissed by all the brethren, but he could not -recollect in what part. The worthy priest was asked when he had _first -heard_ all these things, and he replied _after_ the arrest of the -brethren by the king's orders! - -Robert of Oteringham, senior of the order of Minorites, stated that on -one occasion he was partaking of the hospitality of the Templars at -the preceptory of Ribstane in Yorkshire, and that when grace had been -said after supper, the chaplain of the order reprimanded the brethren, -saying, "The devil will burn you;" and hearing a bustle, he got up, -and, as far as he recollects, saw one of the brothers of the Temple, -"brachis depositis, tenentem faciem versus occidentem et posteriora -versus altare!" He then states, that about twenty years before that -time, he was the guest of the Templars, at the preceptory of Wetherby -in Yorkshire, and when evening came he heard that the preceptor was not -coming to supper, as he was arranging some relics that he had brought -with him from the Holy Land, and afterwards at midnight he heard a -confused noise in the chapel, and getting up he looked through the -keyhole, and saw a great light therein, either from a fire or from -candles, and on the morrow he asked one of the brethren of the Temple -the name of the saint in whose honour they had celebrated so grand a -festival during the night, and that brother, aghast and turning pale, -thinking he had seen what had been done amongst them, said to him, "Go -thy way, and if you love me, or have any regard for your own life, -never speak of this matter!" Brother John de Wederel, another Minorite, -stated that he had lately _heard_ in the country, that a Templar, -named Robert de Baysat, was once seen running about a meadow uttering, -"Alas! alas! that ever I was born, seeing that I have denied God and -sold myself to the devil!" Brother N. de Chinon, another Minorite, had -_heard_ that a certain Templar had a son who peeped through a chink -in the wall of the chapter-room and saw a person who was about to be -professed, slain because he would not deny Christ, and afterwards the -boy was asked by his father to become a Templar, but refused, and he -immediately shared the same fate. Twenty other witnesses, who were -examined in each other's presence, related similar absurdities. - -At this stage of the proceedings, the papal inquisitor, Sicard de -Vaur, exhibited two rack-extorted confessions of Templars which had -been obtained in France. The first was from Robert de St. Just, who -had been received into the order by Brother Himbert, Grand Preceptor -of England, but had been arrested in France, and there tortured. In -this confession Robert de St. Just states that, on his admission to -the vows of the Temple, he denied Christ, and spat _beside_ the cross. -The second confession had been extorted from Geoffrey de Gonville, -Knight of the Order of the Temple, Preceptor of Aquitaine and Poitou. -In this confession, (which had been revoked, but of which revocation -no notice was taken by the inquisitors,) Geoffrey de Gonville states -that he was received into the order in England in the house of the -Temple at London, by Brother Robert de Torvile, Knight, the Master of -all England, about twenty-eight years before that time; that the Master -showed him on a missal the image of Jesus Christ on the cross, and -commanded him to deny him who was crucified; that, terribly alarmed, he -exclaimed, "Alas! my lord, why should I do this? I will on no account -do it." But the Master said to him, "Do it boldly; I swear to thee that -the act shall never harm either thy soul or thy conscience;" and then -proceeded to inform him that the custom had been introduced into the -order by a certain bad Grand Master, who was imprisoned by a certain -sultan, and could escape from prison only on condition that he would -establish that form of reception in his order, and compel all who were -received to deny Christ Jesus! but the deponent remained inflexible; -he refused to deny his Saviour, and asked where were his uncle and -the other good people who had brought him there, and was told that -they were all gone; and at last a compromise took place between him -and the Master, who made him take his oath that he would tell all his -brethren that he had gone through the customary form, and never reveal -that it had been dispensed with! He states also that the ceremony was -instituted in memory of St. Peter, who three times denied Christ! This -knight had been tortured in the Temple at Paris, by the brothers of -St. Dominic, in the presence of the grand inquisitor, and he made his -confession when suffering on the rack; he afterwards revoked it, and -was then tortured into a withdrawal of his revocation, notwithstanding -which the inquisitor made the unhappy wretch, in common with others, -put his signature to the following interrogatory, "Interrogatus, utrum -_vi_ vel _metu carceris_ aut _tormentorum_ immiscuit in suâ depositione -aliquam falsitatem, dicit _quod non_!" - -Ferinsius le Mareschal, a secular knight, being examined, declared that -his grandfather entered into the order of the Temple, active, healthy, -and blithesome as the birds and the dogs, but on the third day from -his taking the vows he was dead, and, as he _now suspects_, was killed -because he refused to participate in the iniquities practised by the -brethren. An Augustine monk declared that he had heard a Templar say -that a man after death had no more soul than a dog. Brother John de -Gertia, a Minorite, had _heard_ from a certain woman called Cacocaca! -who had it from Exvalettus, Preceptor of London, that one of the -servants of the Templars entered the Temple hall where the chapter was -held, and secreted himself, and after the door had been shut and locked -by the last Templar who entered, and the key had been brought by him to -the superior, the assembled Templars jumped up and went into another -room, and opened a closet, and drew therefrom a certain black figure -with shining eyes, and a cross, and they placed the cross before the -Master, and the "culum idoli vel figuræ" they placed upon the cross, -and carried it to the Master, who kissed the said image, (in ano,) -and all the others did the same after him; and when they had finished -kissing, they all spat three times upon the cross, except one, who -refused, saying, "I was a bad man in the world, and placed myself in -this order for the salvation of my soul; what could I do worse? I will -not do it;" and then the brethren said to him, "Take heed, and do as -you see the order do;" but he answered that he would not do so, and -then they placed him in a well which stood in the midst of their house, -and covered the well up, and left him to perish. Being asked as to the -time when the woman heard this, the deponent stated that she told it to -him about fourteen years back at London, where she kept a shop for her -husband, Robert Cotacota! - -John Walby de Bust, another Minorite, had _heard_ John de Dingeston say -that _he had heard_ that there was in a secret place of the house of -the Templars at London a gilded head, and that when one of the masters -was on his death-bed, he summoned to his presence several preceptors, -and told them that if they wished for power, and dominion, and honour, -they must worship that head. Gaspar de Nafferton, chaplain of the -parish of Ryde, deposed that he was in the employ of the Templars -when William de Pokelington was received into the order; that he well -recollected that the said William made his appearance at the Temple on -Sunday evening, with the equipage and habit of a member of the order, -accompanied by Brother William de la More, the Master of the Temple, -Brother William de Grafton, Preceptor of Ribbestane and Fontebriggs, -and other brethren: that the same night, during the first watch, they -assembled in the church, and caused the deponent to be awakened to say -mass; that, after the celebration of the mass, they made the deponent -with his clerk go out into the hall beyond the cloister, and then -sent for the person who was to be received; and on his entry into the -church, one of the brethren immediately closed all the doors opening -into the cloister, so that no one within the chambers could get out, -and thus they remained till daylight; but what was done in the church -the deponent knew not; the next day, however, he saw the said William -clothed in the habit of a Templar, looking very sorrowful. The deponent -also declared that he had threatened to peep through a secret door to -see what was going on, but was warned that it was inevitable death so -to do. He states that the next morning he went into the church, and -found the books and crosses all removed from the places in which he had -previously left them. - -The evidence given before this papal tribunal affords melancholy proof -of the immorality, the credulity, and the profligacy of the age. -Abandoned women were brought before the inquisitors, and were induced -unblushingly to relate, in the presence of the archbishop of Canterbury -and the English bishops, the most disgusting and ridiculous enormities; -and evidence was taken down by notaries, and quietly listened to by the -most learned and distinguished characters of the age, which in these -days would be scouted with scorn and contempt from almost every court -in Christendom.[159] On the 22nd of April all the Templars in custody -in the Tower and in the prisons of the city were assembled before the -inquisitors and the bishops of London and Chichester, in the church of -the Holy Trinity, to hear the depositions of the witnesses publicly -read. The Templars required copies of these depositions, which were -granted them, and they were allowed eight days from that period to -bring forward any defences or privileges they wished to make use of. -Subsequently, before the expiration of the eight days, the officer -of the bishop of London was sent to the Tower with scriveners and -witnesses, to know if they would then set up any matters of defence, -to whom the Templars replied that they were unlettered men, ignorant -of the law, and that all means of defence were denied them, since -they were not permitted to employ those who could afford them fit -counsel and advice. They observed, however, that they were desirous of -publicly proclaiming the faith, and the religion of themselves and of -the order to which they belonged, of showing the privileges conceded to -them by the chief pontiffs, and their own depositions taken before the -inquisitors, all which they said they wished to make use of in their -defence. - -On the eighth day, being Thursday the 29th of April, they appeared -before the papal inquisitors and the bishops of London and Chichester, -in the church of All Saints of Berkyngecherche, and presented to them -the following declaration, which they had drawn up amongst themselves, -as the only defence they had to offer against the injustice, the -tyranny, and the persecution of their powerful oppressors; adding, that -if they had in any way done wrong, they were ready to submit themselves -to the orders of the church. This declaration is written in the Norman -French of that day, and is as follows:-- - -"_Conue chese seit a nostre honurable père, le ercevesque de -Canterbiere, primat de toute Engletere, e a touz prelaz de seinte -Elise, e a touz Cristiens, qe touz les frères du Temple que sumes ici -assemblez et chescune singulere persone par sen sumes cristien nostre -seignur Jesu Crist, e creoms en Dieu Père omnipotent, qui fist ciel e -terre, e en Jesu soen fiz, qui fust conceu du Seint Esperit, nez de -la Virgine Marie, soeffrit peine e passioun, morut sur la croiz pour -touz peccheours, descendist e enferns, e le tierz jour releva de mort -en vie, e mounta en ciel, siet au destre soen Père, e vendra au jour -de juise, juger les vifs, e les morz, qui fu saunz commencement, e -serra saunz fyn; e creoms comme seynte eglise crets, e nous enseigne. -E que nostre religion est foundée sus obedience, chasteté, vivre sans -propre, aider a conquere la seint terre de Jerusalem, a force e a -poer, qui Dieu nous ad preste. E nyoms e firmement en countredioms -touz e chescune singulere persone par sei, toutes maneres de heresies -e malvaistes, que sount encountre la foi de Seinte Eglise. E prioms -pour Dieu e pour charité a vous, que estes en lieu nostre seinte père -l'apostoile, que nous puissoms aver lez drettures de seinte église, -comme ceus que sount les filz de sainte église, que bien avoms garde, -e tenu la foi, e la lei de seinte église, e nostre religion, la quele -est bone, honeste e juste, solom les ordenaunces, e les priviléges de -la court de Rome avons grauntez, confermez, e canonizez par commun -concile, les qels priviléges ensemblement ou lestablisement, e la règle -sount en la dite court enregistrez. E mettoms en dur e en mal eu touz -Cristiens sauue noz anoisourz, par la ou nous avoms este conversaunt, -comment nous avoms nostre vie demene. E se nous avoms rien mesprys -de aucun parole en nos examinacions par ignorance de seu, si comme -nous sumez genz laics prest sûmes, a ester a lesgard de seint eglise, -comme cely que mourust pour nouz en la beneite de croiz. E nous creoms -fermement touz les sacremenz de seinte église. E nous vous prioms pour -Dieu e pour salvacioun de vous almes, que vous nous jugez si comme vous -volez respoundre pour vous et pour nous devaunt Dieu: e que nostre -examinement puet estre leu e oii devaunt nous e devaunt le people, -salom le respouns e le langage que fust dit devaunt vous, e escrit en -papier._" - -"Be it known to our honourable father, the archbishop of Canterbury, -primate of all England, and to all the prelates of holy church, and -to all Christians, that all we brethren of the Temple here assembled, -and every of one of us are Christians, and believe in our Saviour -Jesus Christ, in God the Father omnipotent, &c., &c.... And we believe -all that the holy church believes and teaches us. We declare that our -religion is founded on vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, and -of aiding in the conquest of the Holy Land of Jerusalem, with all -the power and might that God affordeth us. And we firmly deny and -contradict, one and all of us, all manner of heresy and evil doings, -contrary to the faith of holy church. And for the love of God, and for -charity, we beseech you, who represent our holy father the pope, that -we may be treated like true children of the church, for we have well -guarded and preserved the faith, and the law of the church, and of our -own religion, that which is good, honest, and just, according to the -ordinances and the privileges of the court of Rome, granted, confirmed, -and canonized by common council; the which privileges, together with -the rule of our order, are enregistered in the said court. And we would -bring forward all Christians, (save our enemies and slanderers,) with -whom we are conversant, and among whom we have resided, to say how and -in what manner we have spent our lives. And if, in our examinations, we -have said or done anything wrong through ignorance of a word, since we -are unlettered men, we are ready to suffer for holy church like him who -died for us on the blessed cross. And we believe all the sacraments of -the church. And we beseech you, for the love of God, and as you hope to -be saved, that you judge us as you will have to answer for yourselves -and for us before God; and we pray that our examination may be read and -heard before ourselves and all the people, in the very language and -words in which it was given before you, and written down on paper." - -The above declaration was presented by Brother William de la More, the -Master of the Temple; the Knights Templars Philip de Mewes, Preceptor -of Garwy; William de Burton, Preceptor of Cumbe; Radulph de Maison, -Preceptor of Ewell; Michael de Baskevile, Preceptor of London; Thomas -de Wothrope, Preceptor of Bistelesham; William de Warwick, Priest; and -Thomas de Burton, Chaplain of the Order; together with twenty serving -brothers. The same day the inquisitors and the two bishops proceeded to -the different prisons of the city to demand if the prisoners confined -therein wished to bring forward anything in defence of the order, who -severally answered that they would adopt and abide by the declaration -made by their brethren in the Tower. In the prison of Aldgate there -were confined Brother William de Sautre, Knight, Preceptor of Samford; -Brother William de la Ford, Preceptor of Daney; Brother John de -Coningeston, Preceptor of Getinges; Roger de Norreis, Preceptor of -Cressing; Radolph de Barton, priest, Prior of the New Temple; and -several serving brethren of the order. In the prison of Crepelgate were -detained William de Egendon, Knight, Preceptor of Schepeley; John de -Moun, Knight, Preceptor of Dokesworth; and four serving brethren. In -the prison of Ludgate were five serving brethren; and in Newgate was -confined Brother Himbert Blanke, Knight, Grand Preceptor of Auvergne. - -The above declaration of faith and innocence was far from agreeable -to the papal inquisitors, who required a confession of _guilt_, and -the torture was once more directed to be applied. The king sent fresh -orders to the mayor and the sheriffs of the city of London, commanding -them to place the Templars in separate dungeons; to load them with -chains and fetters; to permit the myrmidons of the inquisitors to -pay periodical visits to see that the wishes and intentions of the -inquisitors, with regard to the severity of the confinement, were -properly carried into effect; and lastly, to inflict TORTURE upon the -bodies of the Templars, and generally to do whatever should be thought -fitting and expedient in the premises, according to the ecclesiastical -law. In conformity with these orders, we learn from the record of the -proceedings, that the Templars were placed in solitary confinement in -loathsome dungeons; that they were put on a short allowance of bread -and water, and periodically visited by the agents of the inquisition; -that they were moved from prison to prison, and from dungeon to -dungeon; were now treated with rigour, and anon with indulgence; and -were then visited by learned prelates, and acute doctors in theology, -who, by exhortation, persuasion, and by menace, attempted in every -possible mode to wring from them the required avowals! We learn that -all the engines of terror wielded by the church were put in force, and -that torture was unsparingly applied "_usque ad judicium sanguinis!_" -The places in which these atrocious scenes were enacted were the Tower, -the prisons of Aldgate, Ludgate, Newgate, Bishopgate, and Crepelgate, -the house formerly belonging to John de Banguel, and the tenements -once the property of the brethren of penitence.[160] It appears that -some French monks were sent over to administer the torture to the -unhappy captives, and that they were questioned and examined in the -presence of notaries whilst suffering under the torments of the rack. -The relentless perseverance and the incessant exertions of the foreign -inquisitors were at last rewarded by a splendid triumph over the powers -of endurance of two poor serving brethren, and one chaplain of the -order, who were at last induced to make the long desired avowals. - -On the 23rd of June, Brother Stephen de Staplebrugge, described as -an apostate and fugitive of the order of the Temple, captured by the -king's officers in the city of Salisbury, deposed in the house of -the head gaoler of Newgate, in the presence of the bishops of London -and Chichester, the chancellor of the archbishop of Canterbury, Hugh -de Walkeneby, doctor of theology, and other clerical witnesses, that -there were two modes of profession in the order of the Temple, the one -good and lawful, and the other contrary to the christian faith; that -he himself was received into the order by Brother Brian le Jay, Grand -Preceptor of England, at Dynneslee, and was led into the chapel, the -door of which was closed as soon as he had entered; that a crucifix -was placed before the Master, and that a brother of the Temple, with -a drawn sword, stood on either side of him; that the Master said to -him, "Do you see this image of the crucifixion?" to which he replied, -"I see it, my lord;" that the Master then said to him, "You must deny -that Christ Jesus was God and man, and that Mary was his mother; and -you must spit upon this cross;" which the deponent, through immediate -fear of death, did with his mouth, but not with his heart, and he spat -_beside_ the cross, and not on it; and then falling down upon his -knees, with eyes uplifted, with his hands clasped, with bitter tears -and sighs, and devout ejaculations, he besought the mercy and the -favour of holy church, declaring that he cared not for the death of the -body, or for any amount of penance, but only for the salvation of his -soul! - -On Saturday, the 25th of June, Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby, -serving brother of the order of the Temple, described as an apostate -who had escaped from Lincoln after his examination at that place by -the papal inquisitors, but had afterwards surrendered himself to -the king's officers, was brought before the bishops of London and -Chichester, the archdeacon of Salisbury, and others of the clergy in -St. Martin's Church, in Vinetriâ; and being again examined, he repeated -the statement made in his first deposition, but added some particulars -with regard to penances imposed and absolutions pronounced in the -chapter, showing the difference between sins and defaults, the priest -having to deal with the one, and the Master with the other. He declared -that the little cords were worn from honourable motives, and relates a -story of his being engaged in a battle against the Saracens, in which -he lost his cord, and was punished by the Grand Master for a default -in coming home without it. He gives the same account of the secrecy -of the chapters as all the other brethren, states that the members -of the order were forbidden to confess to the friars mendicants, -and were enjoined to confess to their own chaplains; that they did -nothing contrary to the christian faith, and as to their endeavouring -to promote the advancement of the order by any means, right or wrong, -that exactly the contrary was the case, as there was a statute in the -order to the effect, that if any one should be found to have acquired -anything unjustly, he should be deprived of his habit, and be expelled -the order. Being asked what induced him to become an apostate, and -to fly from his order, he replied that it was through fear of death, -because the abbot of Lagny, (the papal inquisitor,) when he examined -him at Lincoln, asked him if he would not confess anything further, -and he answered that he knew of nothing further to confess, unless -he was to say things that were not true; and that _the abbot, laying -his hand upon his breast, swore by the word of God that he would make -him confess before he had done with him!_ and that being terribly -frightened, he afterwards bribed the gaoler of the castle of Lincoln, -giving him forty florins to let him make his escape. - -The abbot of Lagny, indeed, was as good as his word, for on the 29th -of June, four days after this imprudent avowal, Brother Thomas Tocci -de Thoroldeby was brought back to St. Martin's Church, and there, in -the presence of the same parties, he made a third confession, in which -he declares that, coerced by two Templars with drawn swords in their -hands, he denied Christ with his mouth, but not with his heart; and -spat _beside_ the cross, but not on it; that he was required to spit -upon the image of the Virgin Mary, but contrived, instead of doing so, -to give her a kiss on the foot. He declares that he had heard Brian le -Jay, the Master of the Temple at London, say a hundred times over, that -Jesus Christ was not the true God, but a man: and that the smallest -hair out of the beard of one Saracen, was of more worth than the whole -body of any Christian. He declares that he was once standing in the -presence of Brother Brian, when some poor people besought charity of -him for the love of God and our lady the blessed Virgin Mary; and he -answered, "_Que dame, alez vous pendre a vostre dame_"--"What lady, -go and be hanged to your lady," and violently casting a halfpenny -into the mud, he made the poor people hunt for it, although it was in -the depth of a severe winter. He also relates that, at the chapters, -the priest stood like a beast, and had nothing to do but to repeat -the psalm, "God be merciful unto us, and bless us," which was read at -the closing of the chapter. (The Templars, by the way, must have been -strange idolaters to have closed their chapters, in which they are -accused of worshipping a cat, a man's head, and a black idol, with the -reading of the beautiful psalm, "God be merciful unto us, and bless us, -and show us the light of thy countenance, that thy way may be known -upon earth, thy saving health among all nations," &c., Psalm lxvii.) -This witness further states, that the priest had no power to impose a -heavier penance than a day's fast on bread and water, and could not -even do that without the permission of the brethren. He is made also to -relate that the Templars always favoured the Saracens in the holy wars -in Palestine, and oppressed the Christians! and he declares, speaking -of himself, that for three years before he had never seen the body of -Christ without thinking of the devil, nor could he remove that evil -thought from his heart by prayer, or in any other way that he knew -of; but that very morning he had heard mass with great devotion, and -since then had thought only of Christ, and thinks there is no one in -the order of the Temple whose soul will be saved, unless a reformation -takes place. - -Previous to this period, the ecclesiastical council had again -assembled, and these last depositions of Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge -and Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby having been produced before them, -the solemn farce of their confession and abjuration was immediately -publicly enacted. It is thus described in the record of the -proceedings:--"To the praise and glory of the name of the most high -Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to the confusion of -heretics, and the strengthening of all faithful Christians, begins the -public record of the reconciliation of the penitent heretics, returning -to the orthodox faith published in the council, celebrated at London in -the year 1311. In the name of God, Amen. In the year of the incarnation -of our Lord, 1311, on the twenty-seventh day of the month of June, in -the hall of the palace of the bishop of London, before the venerable -fathers the Lord Robert by the grace of God archbishop of Canterbury, -primate of all England, and his suffragans in provincial council -assembled, appeared Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge, of the order of -the chivalry of the Temple; and the denying of Christ and the blessed -Virgin Mary his mother, the spitting upon the cross, and the heresies -and errors acknowledged and confessed by him in his deposition, being -displayed, the same Stephen asserted in full council, before the people -of the city of London, introduced for the occasion, that all those -things so deposed by him were true, and that to that confession he -would wholly adhere; humbly confessing his error on his bended knees, -with his hands clasped, with much lamentation and many tears, he again -and again besought the mercy and pity of holy mother church, offering -to abjure all heresies and errors, and praying them to impose on him -a fitting penance, and then the book of the holy gospels being placed -in his hands, he abjured the aforesaid heresies in this form ;--'I, -Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge, of the order of the chivalry of the -Temple, do solemnly confess,' &c., &c., (he repeats his confession, -makes his abjuration, and then proceeds;) 'and if at any time hereafter -I shall happen to relapse into the same errors, or deviate from any -of the articles of the faith, I will account myself _ipso facto_ -excommunicated; I will stand condemned as a manifest perjured heretic, -and the punishment inflicted on perjured relapsed heretics, shall be -forthwith imposed upon me without further trial or judgment!!'" - -He was then sworn upon the holy gospels to stand to the sentence of the -church in the matter, after which Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby -was brought forward to go through the same ceremony, which being -concluded, these two poor serving brothers of the order of the Temple, -who were so ignorant that they could not write, were made to place -their mark on the record of their abjuration. "And then our lord the -archbishop of Canterbury, for the purpose of absolving and reconciling -to the unity of the church the aforesaid Thomas and Stephen, conceded -his authority and that of the whole council to the bishop of London, in -the presence of me the notary, specially summoned for the occasion, -in these words: 'We grant to you the authority of God, of the blessed -Mary, of the blessed Thomas the Martyr our patron, and of all the -saints of God (sanctorum atque _sanctarum_ Dei) to us conceded, and -also the authority of the present council to us transferred, to the -end that thou mayest reconcile to the unity of the church these -miserables, separated from her by their repudiation of the faith, and -now brought back again to her bosom, reserving to ourselves and the -council the right of imposing a fit penance for their transgressions!' -And as there were two penitents, the bishop of Chichester was joined -to the bishop of London for the purpose of pronouncing the absolution, -which two bishops, putting on their mitres and pontificals, and being -assisted by twelve priests in sacerdotal vestments, placed themselves -in seats at the western entrance of the cathedral church of St. Paul, -and the penitents, with bended knees, humbly prostrating themselves -in prayer upon the steps before the door of the church, the members -of the council and the people of the city standing around; and the -psalm, _Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness_, having -been chaunted from the beginning to the end, and the subjoined prayers -and sermon having been gone through, they absolved the said penitents, -and received them back to the unity of the church in the following -form:--'In the name of God, Amen. Since by your confession we find -that you, Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge, have denied Christ Jesus -and the blessed Virgin Mary, and have spate _beside_ the cross, and -now taking better advice wishest to return to the unity of the holy -church with a true heart and sincere faith, as you assert, and all -heretical depravity having for that purpose been previously abjured by -you according to the form of the church, we, by the authority of the -council, absolve you from the bond of excommunication wherewith you -were held fast, and we reconcile you to the unity of the church, if you -shall have returned to her in sincerity of heart, and shall have obeyed -her injunctions imposed upon you.'" Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby -was then absolved and reconciled to the church in the usual manner, -after which various psalms (Gloria Patri, Kyrie Eleyson, Christe -Eleyson, &c. &c.) were sung, and prayers were offered up, and then the -ceremony was concluded. - -On the 1st of July, an avowal of guilt was wrung by the inquisitors -from Brother John de Stoke, chaplain of the order, who, being brought -before the bishops of London and Chichester in St. Martin's Church, -deposed that he was received in the mode mentioned by him on his first -examination; but a year and fifteen days after that reception, being at -the preceptory of Garwy in the diocese of Hereford, he was called into -the chamber of Brother James de Molay, the Grand Master of the order, -who, in the presence of two other Templars of foreign extraction, -informed him that he wished to make proof of his obedience, and -commanded him to take a seat at the foot of the bed, and the deponent -did so. The Grand Master then sent into the church for the crucifix, -and two serving brothers, with naked swords in their hands, stationed -themselves on either side of the doorway. As soon as the crucifix -made its appearance, the Grand Master, pointing to the figure of our -Saviour nailed thereon, asked the deponent whose image it was, and he -answered, "The image of Jesus Christ, who suffered on the cross for the -redemption of mankind;" but the Grand Master exclaimed, "Thou sayest -wrong, and art much mistaken, for he was the son of a certain woman, -and was crucified because he called himself the Son of God, and I -myself have been in the place where he was born and crucified, and thou -must now deny him whom this image represents." The deponent exclaimed, -"Far be it from me to deny my Saviour;" but the Grand Master told him -he must do it, or he would be put into a sack and be carried to a place -which he would find by no means agreeable, and there were swords in -the room, and brothers ready to use them, &c. &c.; and the deponent -asked if such was the custom of the order, and if all the brethren -did the same; and being answered in the affirmative, he, through fear -of immediate death, denied Christ with his _tongue_, but not with his -_heart_. Being asked in whom he was told to put his faith after he had -denied Christ Jesus, he replies, "In that great Omnipotent God who -created the heaven and the earth!" - -On Monday, July 5th, at the request of the ecclesiastical council, the -bishop of Chichester had an interview with Sir William de la More, -the Master of the Temple, taking with him certain learned lawyers, -theologians, and scriveners. He exhorted and earnestly pressed him to -abjure the heresies of which he stood convicted, by his own confessions -and those of his brethren, respecting the absolutions pronounced by -him in the chapters, and submit himself to the disposition of the -church; but the Master declared that he had never been guilty of the -heresies mentioned, and that he would not abjure crimes which he had -never committed; so he was sent back to his dungeon. The next day, the -bishops of London, Winchester, and Chichester, had an interview in -Southwark with the Knight Templar Philip de Mewes, Preceptor of Garwy, -and some serving brethren of the New Temple at London, and told them -that they were manifestly guilty of heresy, as appeared from the pope's -bulls, and the depositions taken against the order both in England and -France, and also from their own confessions regarding the absolutions -pronounced in their chapters, explaining to them that they had -grievously erred in believing that the Master of the Temple, who was a -mere layman, had power to absolve them from their sins by pronouncing -absolution, and they warned them that if they persisted in that error -they would be condemned as heretics, and that, as they could not clear -themselves therefrom, it behoved them to abjure all the heresies of -which they were accused. The Templars replied that they were ready to -abjure the error they had fallen into respecting the absolution and all -heresies of every kind, before the archbishop of Canterbury and the -prelates of the council, whenever they should be required so to do, -and they humbly and reverently submitted themselves to the orders of -the church, beseeching pardon and grace. A sort of compromise was then -made with most of the Templars in custody in London. They were required -publicly to repeat a form of confession and abjuration drawn up by the -bishops of London and Chichester, and were then solemnly absolved and -reconciled to the church. - -On the 9th of July, Brother Michael de Baskevile, Knight, Preceptor -of London, and seventeen other Templars, were absolved and reconciled -in full council, in the Episcopal Hall of the see of London, in the -presence of a vast concourse of the citizens. On the 10th of the -same month, the Preceptors of Dokesworth, Getinges, and Samford, the -guardian of the Temple church at London, Brother Radulph de Evesham, -chaplain, with other priests, knights, and serving brethren of the -order, were absolved by the bishops of London, Exeter, Winchester, -and Chichester, in the presence of the archbishop of Canterbury, and -the whole ecclesiastical council. The next day many more members of -the fraternity were publicly reconciled to the church on the steps -before the south door of Saint Paul's cathedral, and were afterwards -present at the celebration of high mass in the interior of the sacred -edifice, when they advanced in a body towards the high altar bathed -in tears, and falling down on their knees, they devoutly kissed the -sacred emblems of Christianity. The day after, (July 12,) nineteen -other Templars were publicly absolved and reconciled to the church in -the same place, in the presence of the earls of Leicester, Pembroke, -and Warwick, and afterwards assisted in like manner at the celebration -of high mass. The priests of the order made their confessions and -abjurations in Latin; the knights pronounced them in Norman French, and -the serving brethren for the most part repeated them in English. The -vast concourse of people collected together could have comprehended but -very little of what was uttered, whilst the appearance of the penitent -brethren, and the public spectacle of their recantation, answered the -views of the papal inquisitors, and doubtless impressed the commonalty -with a conviction of the guilt of the order. Many of the Templars were -too _sick_ (from the effect of torture) to be brought down to Saint -Paul's, and were therefore absolved and reconciled to the church by the -bishops of London, Winchester, and Chichester, at Saint Mary's chapel -near the Tower. Among these last were many old veteran warriors in the -last stage of decrepitude and decay. "They were so old and so infirm," -says the public notary who recorded the proceedings, "that they were -unable to stand;" their confessions were consequently made before two -masters in theology; they were then led before the west door of the -chapel, and were publicly reconciled to the church by the bishop of -Chichester; after which they were brought into the sacred building, and -were placed on their knees before the high altar, which they devoutly -kissed, whilst the tears trickled down their furrowed cheeks. All these -penitent Templars were now released from prison, and directed to do -penance in different monasteries. Precisely the same form of proceeding -was followed at York; the reconciliation and absolution being there -carried into effect before the south door of the cathedral.[161] - -Similar measures had, in the mean time, been prosecuted against the -Templars in all parts of Christendom. On the 18th of March, the pope -wrote to the kings of Castile, Leon, Aragon, and Portugal, complaining -of the omission to torture the Templars in their dominions. "The -bishops and delegates," says the holy pontiff, "have imprudently -neglected these means of obtaining the truth; we therefore expressly -order them to employ TORTURE against the knights, that the truth may -be more readily and completely obtained!" The order for TORTURING the -Templars was transmitted to the patriarch of Constantinople, the bishop -of Negropont, and the duke of Achaia; and it crossed the seas to the -king of Cyprus, and the bishops of Famagousta and Nicosia! The councils -of Tarragona and Aragon, after applying the torture, pronounced the -order free from heresy. In Portugal and in Germany the Templars were -declared innocent: and in no place situate beyond the sphere of the -influence of the king of France and his creature the pope was a single -Templar condemned to death.[162] - -On the 16th of October the general council of the church which had -been convened by the pope to pronounce the abolition of the order, -assembled at Vienne, near Lyons in France. It was opened by the holy -pontiff in person, who caused the different confessions and avowals of -the Templars to be read over before the assembled nobles and prelates. -Although the order was now broken up, and the best and bravest of -its members had either perished in the flames or were languishing -in dungeons, yet nine fugitive Templars had the courage to present -themselves before the council, and demand to be heard in defence of -their order, declaring that they were the representatives of from 1,500 -to 2,000 Templars, who were wandering about as fugitives and outlaws in -the neighbourhood of Lyons. Monsieur Raynouard has fortunately brought -to light a letter from the pope to king Philip, which states this fact, -and also informs us how the holy pontiff acted when he heard that these -defenders of the order had presented themselves. Clement caused them to -be thrown into prison, where they languished and died. He affected to -believe that his life was in danger from the number of the Templars at -large, and he immediately took measures to provide for the security of -his person. - -The assembled fathers, to their honour, expressed their disapprobation -of this flagrant act of injustice, and the entire council, with the -exception of an Italian prelate, nephew of the pope, and the three -French bishops of Rheims, Sens, and Rouen, all creatures of Philip, -who had severally condemned large bodies of Templars to be burnt at -the stake in their respective dioceses, were unanimously of opinion, -that before the suppression of so celebrated and illustrious an order, -which had rendered such great and signal services to the christian -faith, the members belonging to it ought to be heard in their own -defence.[163] Such a proceeding, however did not suit the views of the -pope and king Philip, and the assembly was abruptly dismissed by the -holy pontiff, who declared that since they were unwilling to adopt -the necessary measures, he himself, out of the plenitude of the papal -authority, would supply every defect. Accordingly, at the commencement -of the following year, the pope summoned a private consistory; and -several cardinals and French bishops having been gained over, the holy -pontiff abolished the order by an apostolical ordinance, perpetually -prohibiting every one from thenceforth entering into it, or accepting -or wearing the habit thereof, or representing themselves to be -Templars, on pain of excommunication.[164] - -On the 3rd of April, the second session of the council was opened -by the pope at Vienne. King Philip and his three sons were present, -accompanied by a large body of troops, and the papal decree abolishing -the order was published before the assembly. The members of the council -appear to have been called together merely to hear the decree read. -History does not inform us of any discussion with reference to it, -nor of any suffrages having been taken. A few months after the close -of these proceedings, Brother William de la More, the Master of the -Temple in England, died of a broken heart in his solitary dungeon in -the Tower, persisting with his last breath in the maintenance of the -innocence of his order. King Edward, in pity for his misfortunes, -directed the constable of the Tower to hand over his goods and -chattels, valued at the sum of 4_l._ 19_s._ 11_d._, to his executors, -to be employed in the liquidation of his debts, and he commanded -Geoffrey de la Lee, guardian of the lands of the Templars, to pay the -arrears of his prison pay (2_s._ per diem) to the executor, Roger -Hunsingon. - -Among the Cotton MS. is a list of the Masters of the Temple, otherwise -the Grand Priors or Grand Preceptors of England, compiled under the -direction of the prior of the Hospital of Saint John at Clerkenwell, -to the intent that the brethren of that fraternity might remember -the ancient Masters of the Temple in their prayers.[165] A few names -have been omitted which are here supplied. Magister R. de Pointon. -Rocelinus de Fossa. Richard de Hastings, (A. D. 1160). Richard -Mallebeench. Geoffrey, son of Stephen, (A. D. 1180). Thomas Berard, -(A. D. 1200). Amaric de St. Maur, (A. D. 1203). Alan Marcel, (A. D. -1224). Amberaldus, (A. D. 1229). Robert Mountforde, (A. D. 1234). Robert -Sanford, (A. D. 1241). Amadeus de Morestello, (A. D. 1254). Himbert -Peraut, (A. D. 1270). Robert Turvile, (A. D. 1290). Guido de Foresta, -(A. D. 1292). James de Molay, (A. D. 1293). Brian le Jay, (A. D. 1295). -WILLIAM DE LA MORE THE MARTYR.[166] - -The only other Templar in England whose fate merits particular -attention is Brother Himbert Blanke, the Grand Preceptor of Auvergne. -He appears to have been a knight of high honour and of stern unbending -pride. From first to last he had boldly protested against the violent -proceedings of the inquisitors, and had fearlessly maintained, amid all -his trials, his own innocence and that of his order. This illustrious -Templar had fought under four successive Grand Masters in defence of -the christian faith in Palestine, and, after the fall of Acre, had led -in person several daring expeditions against the infidels. For these -meritorious services he was rewarded in the following manner:--After -having been tortured and half-starved in the English prisons for the -space of five years, he was condemned, as he would make no confession -of guilt, to be shut up in a loathsome dungeon, to be loaded with -double chains, and to be occasionally visited by the agents of the -Inquisition, to see if he would confess _nothing further_.[167] In this -miserable situation he remained until death at last put an end to his -sufferings. - -James de Molay, the Grand Master of the Temple, Guy, the Grand -Preceptor, a nobleman of illustrious birth, brother to the prince of -Dauphiny, Hugh de Peralt, the Visitor-general of the order, and the -Grand Preceptor of Aquitaine, had now languished in the prisons of -France for the space of five years and a half. The secrets of their -dark dungeons were never brought to light, but on the 18th of March, -A. D. 1313, a public scaffold was erected before the cathedral church of -Notre Dame, at Paris, and the citizens were summoned to hear the order -of the Temple convicted by the mouths of its chief officers, of the -sins and iniquities charged against it. The four knights, loaded with -chains and surrounded by guards, were then brought upon the scaffold -by the provost, and the bishop of Alba read their confessions aloud in -the presence of the assembled populace. The papal legate then, turning -towards the Grand Master and his companions, called upon them to renew, -in the hearing of the people, the avowals which they had previously -made of the guilt of their order. Hugh de Peralt, the Visitor-general, -and the Preceptor of the Temple of Aquitaine, signified their assent -to whatever was demanded of them, but the Grand Master, raising his -arms bound with chains towards heaven, and advancing to the edge of -the scaffold, declared in a loud voice, that to say that which was -untrue was a crime, both in the sight of God and man. "I do," said -he, "confess my guilt, which consists in having, to my shame and -dishonour, suffered myself, through the pain of torture and the fear of -death, to give utterance to falsehoods, imputing scandalous sins and -iniquities to an illustrious order, which hath nobly served the cause -of Christianity. I disdain to seek a wretched and disgraceful existence -by engrafting another lie upon the original falsehood." He was here -interrupted by the provost and his officers, and Guy, the Grand -Preceptor, having commenced with strong asseverations of his innocence, -they were both hurried back to prison. - -King Philip was no sooner informed of the result, than, upon the first -impulse of his indignation, without consulting either pope, or bishop, -or ecclesiastical council, he commanded the instant execution of both -these gallant noblemen. The same day at dusk they were led out of their -dungeons, and were burned to death in a slow and lingering manner upon -small fires of charcoal which were kindled on the little island in the -Seine, between the king's garden and the convent of Saint Augustine, -close to the spot where now stands the equestrian statue of Henri -IV.[168] Thus perished the last Grand Master of the Temple. - -The fate of the persecutors of the order is not unworthy of notice. - -A year and one month after the above horrible execution, the pope -was attacked by a dysentery, and speedily hurried to his grave. The -dead body was transported to Carpentras, where the court of Rome then -resided; it was placed at night in a church which caught fire, and the -mortal remains of the holy pontiff were almost entirely consumed. His -relations quarrelled over the immense treasures he left behind him, and -a vast sum of money, which had been deposited for safety in a church at -Lucca, was stolen by a daring band of German and Italian freebooters. -Before the close of the same year, king Philip died of a lingering -disease which had baffled all the art of his medical attendants, -and the condemned criminal, upon the strength of whose information -the Templars were originally arrested, was hanged for fresh crimes. -"History attests," says Monsieur Raynouard, "that all those who were -foremost in the persecution of the Templars, came to an untimely and -miserable death. The last days of Philip were embittered by misfortune; -his nobles and clergy leagued against him to resist his exactions; the -wives of his three sons were accused of adultery, and two of them were -publicly convicted of that crime. The misfortunes of Edward the Second, -king of England, and his horrible death in Berkeley Castle, are too -well known to be further alluded to." - -"The chief cause of the ruin of the Templars," justly remarks Fuller, -"was their extraordinary wealth. As Naboth's vineyard was the chiefest -ground of his blasphemy, and as in England Sir John Cornwall Lord -Fanhope said merrily, not he, but his stately house at Ampthill, in -Bedfordshire, was guilty of high treason, so certainly their wealth was -the principal cause of their overthrow.... We may believe that king -Philip would never have taken away their lives if he might have taken -their lands without putting them to death, but the mischief was, he -could not get the honey unless he burnt the bees." King Philip, the -pope, and the European sovereigns, appear to have disposed of all the -personalty of the Templars, the ornaments, jewels, and treasures of -their churches and chapels, and during the period of five years, over -which the proceedings against the order extended, they remained in the -actual receipt of the vast rents and revenues of the fraternity. King -Philip put forward a claim upon their lands in France to the extent -of two hundred thousand pounds for the expenses of the prosecution, -and Louis, his son, claimed a further sum of sixty thousand pounds: -"J'ignore," says Voltaire, "ce qui revint au pape, mais je vois -evidemment que les frais des cardinaux, des inquisiteurs déléguès -pour faire ce procès épouvantable monterent à des sommes immenses." -The holy pontiff, according to his own account, received only a _small -portion_ of the personalty of the order, but others make him a large -participator in the good things of the fraternity.[169] - -On the imprisonment of the Templars in England, the Temple at London, -and all the preceptories dependent upon it, with the manors, farms, -houses, lands, and revenues of the order, were placed under the survey -of the Court of Exchequer, and extents were directed to be taken of the -same, after which they were confided to the care of certain trustworthy -persons, styled "Guardians of the lands of the Templars," who were -to account for the rents and profits to the king's exchequer. These -guardians were directed to pay various pensions to the old servants and -retainers of the Templars dwelling in the different preceptories, also -the expenses of the prosecution against the order; and they were at -different times required to victual the king's castles and strongholds. -In the month of February, A. D. 1312, the king gave the Temple manors -of Etton and Cave to David, earl of Athol, directing the guardians of -the lands and tenements of the Templars in the county of York to hand -over to the said earl all the corn in those manors, the oxen, calves, -ploughs, and all the goods and chattels of the Templars existing -therein, together with the ornaments and utensils of the chapel of the -Temple. But on the 16th of May the pope addressed bulls to the king, -and to all the earls and barons of the kingdom, setting forth the -proceedings of the council of Vienne, and the publication of a papal -decree, vesting the property late belonging to the Templars in the -brethren of the Hospital of St. John, and he commands them forthwith -to place the members of that order in possession thereof. Bulls were -also addressed to the archbishops of Canterbury and York and their -suffragans, commanding them to enforce by ecclesiastical censures -the execution of the papal commands. King Edward and his nobles very -properly resisted this decree, and on the 21st of August the king wrote -to the Prior of the Hospital of St. John at Clerkenwell, telling him -that the pretensions of the pope to dispose of property within the -realm of England, without the consent of parliament, were derogatory to -the dignity of the crown and the royal authority. The following year -the king granted the Temple at London, with the church and all the -buildings therein, to Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke; and on the -5th of May of the same year, he caused several merchants, from whom he -had borrowed money, to be placed in possession of many of the manors of -the Templars.[170] - -Yielding, however, at last to the exhortations and menaces of the pope, -the king, on the 21st of Nov., A. D. 1313, granted the property to the -Hospitallers, and sent orders to the guardians of the lands of the -Templars, and to various powerful barons who were in possession of the -estates, commanding them to deliver them up to certain parties deputed -by the Grand Master and chapter of the Hospital of St. John to receive -them. At this period many of the heirs of the donors, whose title had -been recognised by the law, were in possession of the lands, and the -judges held that the king had no power of his own sole authority to -transfer them to the order of the Hospital. The thunders of the Vatican -were consequently vigorously made use of, and all the detainers of the -property were doomed by the Roman pontiff to everlasting damnation. -Pope John, in one of his bulls, dated A. D. 1322, bitterly complains -of the disregard by all the king's subjects of the papal commands. He -laments that they had hardened their hearts and despised the sentence -of excommunication fulminated against them, and declares that his heart -was riven with grief to find that even the ecclesiastics, who ought to -have been as a wall of defence to the Hospitallers, had themselves been -heinously guilty in the premises.[171] - -At last (A. D. 1324) the pope, the bishops, and the Hospitallers, by -their united exertions, succeeded in obtaining an act of parliament, -vesting all the property late belonging to the Templars in the brethren -of the Hospital of St. John, in order that the intentions of the donors -might be carried into effect by the appropriation of it to the defence -of the Holy Land and the succour of the christian cause in the East. -This statute gave rise to the greatest discontent. The heirs of the -donors petitioned parliament for its repeal, alleging that it had been -made against law, and against reason, and contrary to the opinion of -the judges; and many of the great barons who held the property by a -title recognised by the common law, successfully resisted the claims -of the order of the Hospital, maintaining that the parliament had no -right to interfere with the tenure of private property, and to dispose -of their possessions without their consent. This struggle between the -heirs of the donors on the one hand, and the Hospitallers on the other, -continued for a lengthened period; and in the reign of Edward the Third -it was found necessary to pass another act of parliament, confirming -the previous statute in their favour, and writs were sent to the -sheriffs (A. D. 1334) commanding them to enforce the execution of the -acts of the legislature, and to take possession, in the king's name, of -all the property unjustly detained from the brethren of the Hospital of -St. John.[172] - -Whilst the vast possessions, late belonging to the Templars, thus -continued to be the subject of contention, the surviving brethren -of that dissolved order continued to be treated with the utmost -inhumanity and neglect. The ecclesiastical council had assigned to each -of them a pension of fourpence a day for subsistence, but this small -pittance was not paid, and they were consequently in great danger of -dying of hunger. The king, pitying their miserable situation, wrote -to the prior of the hospital of St. John at Clerkenwell, earnestly -requesting him to take their hard lot into his serious consideration, -and not suffer them to come to beggary in the streets. The archbishop -of Canterbury also exerted himself in their behalf, and sent letters -to the possessors of the property, reproving them for the non-payment -of the allotted stipends. "This inhumanity," says he, "awakens our -compassion, and penetrates us with the most lively grief. We pray -and conjure you in kindness to furnish them, for the love of God and -for charity, with the means of subsistence." The archbishop of York -caused many of them to be supported in the different monasteries of his -diocese.[173] - -We have already seen (ante, p. 298) that the Temple at London, the -chief house of the English province of the order, had been granted -(A. D. 1313) by king Edward the Second to Aymer de Valence, earl of -Pembroke. As Thomas earl of Lancaster, the king's cousin and first -prince of the blood, however, claimed the Temple by escheat, as the -immediate lord of the fee, the earl of Pembroke, on the 3rd of October, -A. D. 1315, at the request of the king, and in consideration of the -grant to him by his sovereign of other land, gave up the property to -the earl of Lancaster. This earl of Lancaster was president of the -council, and the most powerful and opulent subject of the kingdom, -and we are told that the students and professors of the common law -made interest with him for a lodging in the Temple, and first gained a -footing therein as his _lessees_. They took possession of the old Hall -and the gloomy cells of the military monks, and converted them into -the great and most ancient Common Law University in England. From that -period to the present time the retreats of the religious warriors have -been devoted to "the studious and eloquent pleaders of causes," a new -kind of TEMPLARS, who, as Fuller quaintly observes, now "defend one -Christian from another, as the old ones did Christians from Pagans." - -Subsequently to this event the fee simple or inheritance of the -place passed successively through various hands. On the memorable -attainder and ignominious execution before his own castle of the earl -of Lancaster it reverted to the crown, and was again granted to Aymer -de Valence, earl of Pembroke, who was shortly afterwards murdered at -Paris. He died without issue, and the Temple accordingly once more -vested in the crown.[174] It was then granted to the royal favourite, -Hugh le Despenser the younger, and on his attainder and execution by -the Lancastrian faction, it came into the hands of the young king -Edward the Third, who had just then ascended the throne, and was -committed by him to the keeping of the Mayor of London, his escheator -in the city. The mayor closed the gate leading to the waterside, which -stood at the bottom of the present Middle Temple Lane, whereby the -lawyers were much incommoded in their progress backwards and forwards -from the Temple to Westminster. Complaints were made to the king on -the subject, who, on the 2nd day of November, in the third year of -his reign, (A. D. 1330,) wrote as follows to the mayor:--"The king -to the mayor of London, his escheator in the same city. Since we -have been given to understand that there ought to be a free passage -through the court of the New Temple at London to the river Thames, -for our justices, clerks, and others, who may wish to pass by water -to Westminster to transact their business, and that you keep the gate -of the Temple shut by day, and so prevent those same justices, clerks -of ours, and other persons, from passing through the midst of the -said court to the waterside, whereby as well our own affairs as those -of our people in general are oftentimes greatly delayed, we command -you, that you keep the gates of the said Temple open by day, so that -our justices and clerks, and other persons who wish to go by water to -Westminster may be able so to do by the way to which they have hitherto -been accustomed." The following year (A. D. 1331) the king wrote to -the mayor, his escheator in the city of London, informing him that -he had been given to understand that the pier in the said court of -the Temple, leading to the river, was so broken and decayed, that his -clerks and law officers, and others, could no longer get across it, and -were consequently prevented from passing by water to Westminster. "We -therefore," he proceeds, "being desirous of providing such a remedy -as we ought for this evil, command you to do whatever repairs are -necessary to the said pier, and to defray the cost thereof out of the -proceeds of the lands and rents appertaining to the said Temple now in -your custody; and when we shall have been informed of the things done -in the matter, the expense shall be allowed you in your account of the -same proceeds."[175] - -Two years afterwards (6 E. III., A. D. 1333) the king committed the -custody of the Temple to "his beloved clerk," William de Langford, -"and farmed out the rents and proceeds thereof to him for the term of -ten years, at a rent of 24_l._ per annum, the said William undertaking -to keep all the houses and tenements in good order and repair, and so -deliver them up at the end of the term." In the mean time, however, the -pope and the bishops had been vigorously exerting themselves to obtain -a transfer of the property to the order of the Knights Hospitallers of -Saint John. The Hospitallers petitioned the king, setting forth that -the church, the cloisters, and other places within the Temple, were -consecrated and dedicated to the service of God, that they had been -unjustly occupied and detained from them by Hugh le Despenser the -younger, and, through his attainder, had lately come into the king's -hands, and they besought the king to deliver up to them possession -thereof. King Edward accordingly commanded the mayor of London, his -escheator in that city, to take inquisition concerning the premises. - -From this inquisition, and the return thereof, it appears that many -of the founders of the Temple Church, and many of the brethren of the -order of Knights Templars, then lay buried in the church and cemetery -of the Temple; that the bishop of Ely had his lodging in the Temple, -known by the name of the bishop of Ely's chamber; that there was a -chapel dedicated to St. Thomas-à-Becket, which extended from the door -of the TEMPLE HALL as far as the ancient gate of the Temple; also a -cloister which began at the bishop of Ely's chamber, and ran in an -easterly direction; and that there was a wall which ran in a northerly -direction as far as the said king's highway; that in the front part of -the cemetery towards the north, bordering on the king's highway, were -thirteen houses formerly erected, with the assent and permission of -the Master and brethren of the Temple, by Roger Blom, a messenger of -the Temple, for the purpose of holding the lights and ornaments of the -church; that the land whereon these houses were built, the cemetery, -the church, and all the space enclosed between St. Thomas's chapel, the -church, the cloisters, and the wall running in a northerly direction, -and all the buildings erected thereon, together with the hall, -cloisters, and St. Thomas' chapel, were sanctified places dedicated to -God; that Hugh le Despenser occupied and detained them unjustly, and -that through his attainder and forfeiture, and not otherwise, they came -into the king's hands.[176] - -After the return of this inquisition, the said sanctified places were -assigned to the prior and brethren of the Hospital of Saint John; and -the king, on the 11th of January, in the tenth year of his reign, A. D. -1337, directed his writ to the barons of the Exchequer, commanding -them to take inquisition of the value of the said sanctified places, -so given up to the Hospitallers, and of the residue of the Temple, -and certify the same under their seals to the king, in order that a -reasonable abatement might be made in William de Langford's rent. From -the inquiry made in pursuance of this writ before John de Shoreditch, -a baron of the Exchequer, it further appears that on the said residue -of the Temple upon the land then remaining in the custody of William -de Langford, and withinside the great gate of the Temple, were another -HALL and four chambers connected therewith, a kitchen, a garden, a -stable, and a chamber beyond the great gate; also eight shops, seven of -which stood in Fleet Street, and the eighth in the suburb of London, -without the bar of the New Temple; that the annual value of these shops -varied from ten to thirteen, fifteen, and sixteen shillings; that the -fruit out of the garden of the Temple sold for sixty shillings per -annum in the gross, that seven out of the thirteen houses erected by -Roger Blom were each of the annual value of eleven shillings; and that -the eighth, situated beyond the gate of entrance to the church, was -worth four marks per annum. It appears, moreover, that the total annual -revenue of the Temple then amounted to 73_l._ 6_s._ 11_d._, equal to -about 1,000_l._ of our present money, and that William de Langford was -abated 12_l._ 4_s._ 2_d._ of the said rent.[177] - -Three years after the taking of this inquisition, and in the -thirteenth year of his reign, A. D. 1340, king Edward the Third, in -consideration of the sum of one hundred pounds, which the prior of -the Knights Hospitallers promised to pay him towards the expense of -his expedition into France, granted to the said prior all the residue -of the Temple then remaining in the king's hands, to hold, together -with the cemetery, cloisters, and the other sanctified places, to the -said prior and his brethren, and their successors, of the king and his -heirs, for charitable purposes, for ever. From this grant it appears -that the porter of the Temple received sixty shillings and tenpence -per annum, and twopence a day wages, which were to be paid him by the -Hospitallers. At this period Philip Thane was prior of the Hospital; -and he exerted himself to impart to the celebration of divine service -in the Temple Church, the dignity and the splendour it possessed in the -time of the Templars. He, with the unanimous consent and approbation -of the whole chapter of the Hospital, granted to Hugh de Lichefield, -priest, and to his successors, guardians of the Temple Church, towards -the improvement of the lights and the celebration of divine service -therein, all the land called Ficketzfeld, and the garden called -Cotterell Garden; and two years afterwards he made a further grant, to -the said Hugh and his successors, of a thousand fagots a year to be cut -out of the wood of Lilleston, and carried to the New Temple to keep up -the fire in the said church.[178] - -King Edward III., in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, A. D. 1362, -notwithstanding the grant of the Temple to the Hospitallers, exercised -the right of appointing to the porter's office, and by his letter -patent he promoted Roger Small to that post for the term of his -life, in return for the good service rendered him by the said Roger -Small.[179] - -It appears that the lawyers in the Temple had at this period their -purveyor of provisions as at present, and were then keeping commons -or dining together in the hall. The poet Chaucer, who was born at the -close of the reign of Edward II., A. D. 1327, and was in high favour at -court in the reign of Edward III., thus speaks of the MANCIPLE, or the -purveyor of provisions of the lawyers in the Temple:-- - - "A gentil Manciple was there of the TEMPLE, - Of whom achatours mighten take ensample, - For to ben wise in bying of vitaille. - For whether that he paid or toke by taille, - Algate he waited so in his achate, - That he was aye before in good estate. - Now is not that of God a full fayre grace, - That swiche a lewed mannes wit shal pace, - The wisdome of an hepe of lerned men?" - "Of maisters had he mo than thries ten, - THAT WERE OF LAWE EXPERT AND CURIOUS; - Of which there was a dosein in that hous - Worthy to ben stewardes of rent and lond - Of any lord that is in Englelond, - To maken him live by his propre good, - In honour detteles, but if he were wood, - Or live as scarsly, as him list desire; - And able for to helpen all a shire, - In any cas that mighte fallen or happe; - And yet this manciple sette hir aller cappe."[180] - -At the period of the dissolution of the order of the Templars many -of the retainers of the ancient knights were residing in the Temple, -supported by pensions from the crown. These were of the class of free -servants of office, they held their posts for life, and not having -been members of the order, they were not included in the general -proscription of the fraternity. On the seizure by the sheriffs and -royal officers of the property of their ancient masters, they had -been reduced to great distress, and had petitioned the king to be -allowed their customary stipends. Edward II. had accordingly granted -to Robert Styfford clerk, chaplain of the Temple Church, two deniers a -day for his maintenance in the house of the Temple at London, and five -shillings a year for necessaries, provided he did service in the Temple -Church; and when unable to do so, he was to receive only his food -and lodging. Geoffrey Talaver, Geoffrey de Cave, clerk, and John de -Shelton, were also, each of them, to receive for their good services, -annual pensions for the term of their lives. Some of these retainers, -in addition to their various stipends, were to have a gown of the class -of free-serving brethren of the order of the Temple each year; one old -garment out of the stock of old garments belonging to the brethren; one -mark a year for their shoes, &c.; their sons also received so much _per -diem_, on condition that they did the daily work of the house.[181] -These domestics and retainers of the ancient brotherhood of the Knights -Templars, appear to have transferred their services to the learned -society of lawyers established in the Temple, and to have continued and -kept alive amongst them many of the ancient customs and observances of -the old Knights. The chaplain of the Temple Church took his meals in -the hall with the lawyers as he had been wont to do with the Knights -Templars; and the rule of their order requiring "two and two to eat -together," and "all the fragments to be given in brotherly charity to -the domestics," continued to be observed, and prevails to this day; -whilst the attendants at table continued to be, and are still called -_paniers_, as in the days of the Knights Templars.[182] - -In the sixth year of the reign of Edward III., (A. D. 1333,) a few -years after the lawyers had established themselves in the convent -of the Temple, the judges of the Court of Common Pleas were made -KNIGHTS,[183] being the earliest instance on record of the grant of the -honour of knighthood for services purely civil, and the professors -of the common law, who had the exclusive privilege of practising -in that court, assumed the title or degree of FRERES SERJENS or -FRATRES SERVIENTES, so that an order of knights and serving-brethren -was most curiously revived in the Temple, and introduced into the -profession of the law. It is true that the word _serviens_, _serjen_, -or serjeant, was applied to the professors of the law long before the -reign of Edward III., but not to denote a _privileged brotherhood_. -It was applied to lawyers in common with all persons who did any -description of work for another, from the _serviens domini regis ad -legem_, who prosecuted the pleas of the crown in the county court, -to the _serviens_ or _serjen_ who walked with his cane before the -concubine of the patriarch Heraclius in the streets of Jerusalem. -The priest who worked for the Lord was called _serjen de Dieu_, and -the lover who served the lady of his affections _serjen d'amour_. -It was in the order of the Temple that the word _freres_ serjens or -_fratres_ servientes first signified an honorary title or degree, -and denoted a powerful privileged class of brethren. The _fratres -servientes armigeri_ or _freres serjens des armes_, of the chivalry of -the Temple, were of the rank of gentlemen. They united in their own -persons the monastic and the military character, they were allotted one -horse each, they wore the cross of the order of the Temple on their -breasts, they participated in all the privileges of the brotherhood, -and were eligible to the dignity of Preceptor. Large sums of money -were frequently given by seculars who had not been advanced to the -honour of knighthood, to be admitted amongst this highly esteemed -order of men. These _freres serjens_ of the Temple wore linen _coifs_, -and red caps close over them.[184] At the ceremony of their admission -into the fraternity, the Master of the Temple placed the coif upon -their heads, and threw over their shoulders the white mantle of the -Temple; he then caused them to sit down on the ground, and gave them a -solemn admonition concerning the duties and responsibilities of their -profession. The knights and Serjeants of the common law, on the other -hand, have ever constituted a privileged _fraternity_, and always -address one another by the endearing term _brother_. The religious -character of the ancient ceremony of admission into this legal -brotherhood, which took place in the Temple Church, and its striking -similarity to the ancient mode of reception into the fraternity of the -Temple, are curious and remarkable. "Capitalis Justitiarius," says an -ancient MS. account of the creation of serjeants-at-law, "monstrabat -eis plura bona exempla de eorum prædecessoribus, et tunc. posuit -les _coyfes_ super eorum capitibus, et induebat eos singulariter de -capital de skarletto, et sic creati fuerunt _servientes ad legem_." -In his admonitory exhortation, the chief-justice displays to them the -moral and religious duties of their profession. "Ambulate in vocatione -in quâ vocati estis.... Disce cultum Dei, _reverentiam superioris, -misericordiam pauperi_." He tells them the coif is sicut vestis -_candida_ et immaculata, the emblem of purity and virtue, and he -commences a portion of his discourse in the scriptural language used -by the popes in the famous bull conceding to the Templars their vast -spiritual and temporal privileges, "_Omne datum optimum et omne donum -perfectum desursum est descendens a patre luminum_," &c. &c.[185] It -has been supposed that the coif was first introduced by the clerical -practitioners of the common law to hide the _tonsure_ of those priests -who practised in the Court of Common Pleas, notwithstanding the -ecclesiastical prohibition. This was not the case. The early portraits -of our judges exhibit them with a coif of very much larger dimensions -than the coifs now worn by the serjeants-at-law, very much larger than -would be necessary to hide the _mere clerical tonsure_. A covering for -that purpose indeed would be absurd. - -From the inquisition into the state of the Temple, taken 10 E. III., -A. D. 1337, it appears, as we have already seen, that in the time of the -Knights Templars there were TWO HALLS in the Temple, the one being the -hall of the knights, and the other the hall of the _freres serjens_, or -serving-brethren of the order. One of these halls, the present Inner -Temple Hall, had been assigned, the year previous to the taking of -that inquisition, to the prior and brethren of the Hospital of Saint -John, together with the church, cloisters, &c., as before mentioned, -whilst the other hall remained in the hands of the crown, and was -not granted to the Hospitallers until 13 E. III., A. D. 1340. It was -probably soon after this period that the Hospitallers conceded the use -of _both halls_ to the professors of the law, and these last, from -dining apart and being attached to different halls, at last separated -into two societies. When the lawyers originally came into the Temple as -lessees of the earl of Lancaster, they found engraved upon the ancient -buildings the armorial bearings of the order of the Temple, which were, -on a shield argent, a plain cross gules, and (_brochant sur le tout_) -the holy lamb bearing the banner of the order, surmounted by a red -cross. These arms remained the emblem of the Temple until the fifth -year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, when unfortunately the society -of the Inner Temple, yielding to the advice and persuasion of Master -Gerard Leigh, a member of the College of Heralds, abandoned the ancient -and honourable device of the Knights Templars, and assumed in its place -a galloping winged horse called a Pegasus, or, as it has been explained -to us, "a horse striking the earth with its hoof, or _Pegasus luna on -a field argent_!" Master Gerard Leigh, we are told, "emblazoned them -with precious stones and planets, and by these strange arms he intended -to signify that the knowledge acquired at the learned seminary of the -Inner Temple would raise the professors of the law to the highest -honours, adding, by way of motto, _volat ad æthera virtus_, and he -intended to allude to what are esteemed the more liberal sciences, by -giving them Pegasus forming the fountain of Hippocrene, by striking his -hoof against the rock, as a proper emblem of lawyers becoming poets, as -Chaucer and Gower, who were both of the Temple!" - -The Society of the Middle Temple, with better taste, still preserves, -in that part of the Temple over which its sway extends, the -widely-renowned and time-honoured badge of the ancient order of the -Temple. - -On the dissolution of the order of the Hospital of Saint John, (32 -Hen. 8,) the Temple once more reverted to the crown, and the lawyers -again became the immediate lessees of the sovereign. In the reign of -James I., however, some Scotchman attempted to obtain from his majesty -a grant of the fee simple or inheritance of the Temple, which being -brought to the knowledge of the two law societies, they forthwith made -"humble suit" to the king, and obtained a grant of the property to -themselves. By letters patent, bearing date at Westminster the 13th -of August, in the sixth year of his reign, A. D. 1609, king James -granted the Temple to the Benchers of the two societies, their heirs -and assigns for ever, for the lodging, reception, and education of -the professors and students of the laws of England, the said Benchers -yielding and paying to the said king, his heirs and successors, ten -pounds yearly for the mansion called the Inner Temple, and ten pounds -yearly for the Middle Temple.[186] - -There are but few remains of the ancient Knights Templars now existing -in the Temple beyond the CHURCH. The present Inner Temple Hall was -the ancient HALL OF THE KNIGHTS, but it has at different periods -been so altered and repaired as to have lost almost every trace and -vestige of antiquity. In the year 1816 it was nearly rebuilt, and the -following extract from "The Report and Observations of the Treasurer -on the late Repairs of the Inner Temple Hall," may prove interesting, -as showing the state of the edifice previous to that period. "From -the proportions, the state of decay, the materials of the eastern and -southern walls, the buttresses of the southern front, the pointed -form of the roof and arches, and the rude sculpture on the two doors -of public entrance, the hall is evidently of very great antiquity.... -The northern wall appears to have been rebuilt, except at its two -extremities, in modern times, but on the old foundations.... The roof -was found to be in a very decayed and precarious state. It appeared to -have undergone reparation at three separate periods of time, at each of -which timber had been unnecessarily added, so as finally to accumulate -a weight which had protruded the northern and southern walls. It -became, therefore, indispensable to remove all the timber of the roof, -and to replace it in a lighter form. On removing the old wainscoting -of the western wall, a perpendicular crack of considerable height and -width was discovered, which threatened at any moment the fall of that -extremity of the building with its superincumbent roof.... The turret -of the clock and the southern front of the hall are only cased with -stone; this was done in the year 1741, and very ill executed. The -structure of the turret, composed of chalk, ragstone, and rubble, (the -same material as the walls of the church,) seems to be very ancient.... -The wooden cupola of the bell was so decayed as to let in the rain, and -was obliged to be renewed in a form to agree with the other parts of -the southern front." - -"Notwithstanding the Gothic character of the building, in the year -1680, during the treasurership of Sir Thomas Robinson, prothonotary of -C. B., a Grecian screen of the Doric order was erected, surmounted by -lions' heads, cones, and other incongruous devices. In the year 1741, -during the treasurership of John Blencowe, esq., low windows of Roman -architecture were formed in the southern front. The dates of such -innovations appear from inscriptions with the respective treasurers' -names." - -This ancient hall formed the far-famed refectory of the Knights -Templars, and was the scene of their proud and sumptuous hospitality. -Within its venerable walls they at different periods entertained king -John, king Henry the Third, the haughty legates of the Roman pontiffs, -and the ambassadors of foreign powers. The old custom, alluded to by -Matthew Paris, (ante, p. 203,) of hanging around the walls the shields -and armorial devices of the ancient knights, is still preserved, and -each succeeding treasurer of the Temple still continues to hoist his -coat of arms on the wall, as in the high and palmy days of the warlike -monks of old. Here, in the time of the Knights Templars, the discipline -was administered to disobedient brethren, who were scourged upon their -bare backs with leathern thongs. Here also was kept, according to -the depositions of the witnesses who brought such dark and terrible -accusations against the Templars before the ecclesiastical tribunal -assembled in London, the famous black idol with shining eyes, and the -gilded head, which the Templars worshipped! and from hence was taken -the refractory knight, who having refused to spit upon the cross, was -plunged into the well which stood in the middle of the Temple court! -The general chapters of the Templars were frequently held in the Temple -Hall, and the vicar of the church of St. Clements at Sandwich, swore -before the Papal inquisitors assembled at London, that he had heard -that a boy had been murdered by the Templars in the Temple, because he -had crept by stealth into the Hall to witness the proceedings of the -assembled brethren. - -At the west end of the hall are considerable remains of the ancient -convent of the Knights. A groined Gothic arch of the same style of -architecture as the oldest part of the Temple Church forms the roof of -the present buttery, and in the apartment beyond is a groined vaulted -ceiling of great beauty. The ribs of the arches in both rooms are -elegantly moulded, but are sadly disfigured with a thick coating of -plaster and barbarous whitewash. In the cellars underneath these rooms -are some old walls of immense thickness, the remains of an ancient -window, a curious fireplace, and some elegant pointed Gothic arches -corresponding with the ceilings above; but they are now, alas! shrouded -in darkness, choked with modern brick partitions and staircases, and -soiled with the damp and dust of many centuries. These interesting -remains form an upper and an under story, the floor of the upper story -being on a level with the floor of the hall, and the floor of the -under story on a level with the terrace on the south side thereof. -They were formerly connected with the church by means of a covered way -or cloister, which ran at right angles with them over the site of the -present cloister-chambers, and communicated with the upper and under -story of the chapel of St. Anne, which formerly stood on the south side -of the church. By means of this corridor and chapel the brethren of the -Temple had private access to the church for the performance of their -strict religious duties, and of their secret ceremonies of admitting -novices to the vows of the order. In 9 Jac. I., A. D. 1612, some brick -buildings three stories high were erected over this ancient cloister by -Francis Tate, esq., and being burnt down a few years afterwards, the -interesting covered way which connected the church with the ancient -convent was involved in the general destruction, as appears from -the following inscription upon the present buildings:--VETUSTISSIMA -TEMPLARIORUM PORTICU IGNE CONSUMPTA, ANNO 1678, NOVA HÆC, SUMPTIBUS -MEDII TEMPLI EXTRUCTA, ANNO 1681, GULIELMO WHITELOCKE ARMIGERO, -THESAURARIO. "The very ancient portico of the Templars being consumed -by fire in the year 1678, these new buildings were erected at the -expense of the Middle Temple in the year 1681, during the treasurership -of William Whitelocke, esq." - -The cloisters of the Templars formed the medium of communication -between the halls, of the church, and the cells of the serving brethren -of the order. During the formation of the present new entrance into -the Temple, by the church, at the bottom of the Inner Temple lane, -a considerable portion of the brickwork of the old houses was pulled -down, and an ancient wall of great thickness was disclosed. It was -composed of chalk, ragstone, and rubble, exactly resembling the walls -of the church. It ran in a direction east and west, and appeared to -have formed the extreme northern boundary of the old convent. The exact -site of the remaining buildings of the ancient Temple cannot now be -determined with certainty. - -Among the many interesting objects to be seen in the ancient church -of the Knights Templars which still exists in a wonderful state of -preservation, is the PENITENTIAL CELL, a dreary place of solitary -confinement formed within the thick wall of the building, only four -feet six inches long and two feet six inches wide, so narrow and -small that a grown person cannot lie down within it.[187] In this -narrow prison the disobedient brethren of the ancient Templars were -temporarily confined in chains and fetters, "in order that their -souls might be saved from the eternal prison of hell." The hinges and -catch of a door firmly attached to the doorway of this dreary chamber -still remain, and at the bottom of the staircase is a stone recess or -cupboard, where bread and water were placed for the prisoner. In this -cell Brother Walter le Bachelor, Knight, Grand Preceptor of Ireland, is -said to have been starved to death. - - - THE END. - - - LONDON: - G. J. PALMER, SAVOY STREET, STRAND. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] _Will. Tyr._ lib. i. cap. 2, lib. viii. cap. 3. _Jac. de Vitr. -Hist. Hierosol._ cap. lxii. p. 1080. _D'Herbelot Bib. Orient._ p. 270, -687, ed. 1697. - -[2] _Procopius_ de ædificiis Justiniani, lib. 5. - -[3] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xii. cap. 7, lib. viii. cap. 3. _Hist. Orient. -Jac. de Vitr. apud Thesaur. Nov. Anecd. Martene_, tom. iii. col. 277. -_Phocæ descript. Terr. Sanct._ cap. 14, col. 1653. - -[4] _Chrysost. Henriq. de Priv. Cist._ p. 477. - -[5] See also Hoveden apud X script. page 479. Hen. Hunting. ib. page -384. - -[6] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xiii. cap. 26; _Anselmus_, lib. iii. epistolarum, -epist. 43, 63, 66, 67. - -[7] _Reg. Cart. S. Joh. Jerus. in Bib. Cotton. Nero E. b._ No. xx. fo. -118. - -[8] _Odo de Diogilo de Ludov._ vii. _profectione in Orientem_, p. 67. - -[9] _Duchesne hist. franc. scrip._ tom. iv. p. 512; epist. 58, 59. - -[10] _Dugd. Monast._ vol. vii. p. 838; vol. ii. p. 820, 843, ed. 1830. -Baronage, tom. i. p. 122. - -[11] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xvii. cap. 21, cap. 9. - -[12] _Registr. epist._ apud _Martene_, tom. ii. col. 647. - -[13] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xvii. cap. 27; lib. xviii. cap. 14; lib. xix. -cap. 8. - -[14] Keightley's Crusaders. The virtues of Noureddin are celebrated -by the Arabic Historian _Ben-Schunah_, by _Azzeddin Ebn-al-athir_, -by _Khondemir_, and in the work entitled, "The flowers of the two -gardens," by _Omaddeddin Kateb_. See also _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. cap. 33. - -[15] _Alwakidi_, translated by Ockley, _Hist. Saracen._ _Cinnamus_, -lib. iv. num. 22. - -[16] His. de Saladin, per _M. Marin_, tome i. p. 120, 1. _Gibbon_, cap. -59. - -[17] _Hist. Franc. Script._ tom. iv. p. 692, 693. _Gesta Dei_, epist. -xiv. p. 1178, 9. - -[18] _Martene_, vet. Script., tom. ii. col. 846, 847, 883. _Gesta Dei_, -tom. i. p. 1181-1184. _Duchesne._ Hist. Franc. script. p. 698. - -[19] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xxii. cap. 5. - -[20] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xviii. cap. 4, 5. lib. xx. cap. 5. _Hoveden_ in -Hen. 2, p. 622. _De Vertot_, Hist. des Chevaliers de Malte, liv. ii. p. -150 to 161, ed. 1726. - -[21] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xxi. cap. 29. - -[22] Académie des Inscriptions, tom. xvii. p. 127, 170. - -[23] Adjecit etiam et alia _a spiritu superbiæ_, quo ipse plurimum -abundabat, dictata, quæ præsenti narrationi non multum necessarium est -interserere.--_Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. cap. 32. - -[24] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. xxi. xxii. - -[25] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx-xxii. _Abulpharadge_ Chron. Syr. p. 379-381. - -[26] _Hemingford_, cap. 33. _Hoveden_, ad ann. 1185; _Radulph de -Diceto_, p. 622-626. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. iv, p. 788. _Matt. West._ -ad ann. 185; _Guill. Neubr._ tom. i. lib. iii. cap. 12, 13. - -[27] _Speed._ Hist. Britain, p. 506. A. D. 1185. - -[28] _Stowe's_ Survey. _Tanner_, Notit. Monast. _Dugd._ Orig. Jurid. -_Herbert_, Antiq. Inns of Court. - -[29] _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol vi. part ii. p. 820. - -[30] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xii. cap. 7. - -[31] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. cap. 21. _Rob. de Monte_, appen. ad chron. -Sig. p. 631. _Marin_, _Sanut._ p. 221. _Bernard_, Thesaur. p. 768. -_Matt. Par._ p. 142. - -[32] _Roccus Pyrrhus_, Sicil. Antiq. tom. iii. col. 1000, 1093, 4, 5, -6, 7, &c. - -[33] _Mariana_, de. reb. Hist. lib. ii. cap. 23. - -[34] Script. rer. Germ. tom. ii. col. 584. - -[35] Constantinop. Christ. lib. iv. p. 157. - -[36] Hist. Gen. de Languedoc. Hist. de la ville de Paris, tom. i. p. -174. Gall. christ. nov. tom. vi., tom. vii. col. 853. - -[37] _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 800 to 817. Concil. -Magnæ Britanniæ, tom. iii. p. 333 to 382. Acta _Rymeri_, tom iii. p. -279, 288, 291, 295, &c. - -[38] _Nichol's_ Hist. of Leicestershire. - -[39] _Clutterbuck's_ Hist. of Hertfordshire. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. -p. 133, 134. _Dodsworth_, MS. vol. xxxv. - -[40] _Morant's_ Hist. Essex. _Rymer_, tom. iii. p. 290 to 294. - -[41] Inquis. terrar. ut sup. _Peck's_ MS. in Musseo Britannico, vol. -iv. fol. 95. _Dodsworth_, MS. vol. xx. p. 65, 67. _Dugd._ Baron, tom. -i. p. 70. - -[42] Monast. Angl. _Hasted._ Hist. Kent. _Manning's_ Surrey. _Atkyn's_ -Gloucestershire; and see the references in _Tanner_. _Nash's_ -Worcestershire. _Bridge's_ Northamptonshire, vol. ii. p. 100. - -[43] _Thoroton's_ Nottinghamshire. _Burn and Nicholson's_ Westmoreland. -_Worsley's_ Isle of Wight. _Mat. Par._ p. 615, ed. Lond. 1640. - -[44] _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. p. 838. - -[45] _Dugd._ Monast. p. 844. - -[46] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 30-32, 54, 298, 574, 575. - -[47] 2 Inst. p. 432, 465. - -[48] Stat. Westr. 2, cap. 43, 13 Ed. I. - -[49] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 335, 339, 340, 355, 356. Monast. -Angl. p. 818. - -[50] _Peck's_ MS. in Museo Brittannico, vol. iv. p. 65. - -[51] _Nicholl's_ Hist. Leicestershire, vol. iii. pl. cxxvii. fig. 947, -p. 943; vol. ii. pl. v. fig. 13. - -[52] Rot. claus. 49. H. III. m. xi. d. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 802. - -[53] L'Histoire des Cisteaux, _Chrisost Henriques_, p. 479. - -[54] _Lord Littleton's_ Life of Henry II. tom. ii. p. 356. _Hoveden_, -453. _Chron. Gervasii_, p. 1386, apud X. script. - -[55] _Lansdowne_ MS. 207 E. fol. 467. Ibid. fol. 201. - -[56] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 442, 4, 5. _Wilkins_. Concilia, tom. ii. -p. 230. - -[57] _Matt. Par._ p. 381. - -[58] _Matt. Par._ p. 253, 645. - -[59] _Wilkins_. Concilia Magnæ Britanniæ, tom. ii. p. 19, 26, 93, 239, -253, 272, 292. - -[60] _Muratori_ script. rer. Ital. p. 792. _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. vi. p. -60, fol. 466. - -[61] _Radulph de Diceto_, p. 626. _Matt. Par._ ad ann. 1185. _Hoveden_, -p. 636, 637. - -[62] The above passage is almost literally translated from the _Chron. -Joan. Bromton_, abbatis Jornalensis, script. X. p. 1144, ad ann. 1185. - -[63] Contin. hist. apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 606. - -[64] Contin. Hist. _Will. Tyr._ apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 585, -593-596. This valuable old chronicle appears to have been written by a -resident in Palestine. It was translated into Latin by Francis Piper -and published by Muratori inter rer Italicar. script. tom. vii. as the -chronicle of Bernard the treasurer. Assizes de Jerusalem, cap. 287, 288. - -[65] _Rad. Cogg._ apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 550-552. Contin. Hist., -ib. col. 599, 600. - -[66] _Bohadin ib'n Sjeddadi_, apud _Schultens_, ex. MS. Arab. Pref. - -[67] _Rad. Cogg._ col. 552, 553. _Abulfed._ Chron. Hejir. 582. - -[68] _Muhammed_, _F. Muhammed_, _N. Koreisg. Ispahan_, apud _Schultens_, -p. 18. - -[69] _Omad'eddin Kateb_, in the book called Fatah. Extraits Arabes, -_Michaud. Radulph Coggleshale_. Chron. Terr. Sanct. apud _Martene_, -tom. v. col. 552 to 559. Contin. Hist. ib. col. 602--608. _Bohadin_, -p. 70. _Jac. de Vitr._ cap. xciv. _Abulfeda_, cap. 27. _Abulpharag._ -Chron. Syr. p. 399, 401, 402. Gesta Dei, tom. i. p. 1150, 1. -_Vinisauf._ apud _Gale_, p. 15. - -[70] _Hoveden_, rer. Angl. script. post Bedam, p. 636, 637. Chron. -_Gervas._ ib. col. 1562. - -[71] Contin. Hist. col. 611. _Jac. de Vitr._ cap. xc. _Vinisauf_, p. -257. _Michaud_, Extr. - -[72] _Rad. Cogg._ col. 567, 568. - -[73] _Ibn-Alatsyr._ Extraits par _M. Michaud_. Bib. des Croisaides, p. -464. - -[74] _Rad. Cogg._ col. 570-573. Contin. Hist. Bell. Sacr. col. -614, 615, 621. _Bohadin_, cap. xxxvi. and the Arab Extracts, apud -_Schultens_, cap. xxvii. p. 42, 43. - -[75] _Hoveden_, Rer. Angl. script. post Bedam, p. 645, 646. - -[76] _Bohadin_ apud _Schultens_, cap. 36. _Abulfeda_, ib. cap. xxvii. -p. 43. _Wilken_ Comment. p. 148. - -[77] Khotbeh, or sermon of _Mohammed Ben Zeky_.--_Michaud_, Extraits -Arabes. - -[78] _Michaud_, Pieces justificatives, No. ix. 485. - -[79] _Hoveden_, p. 646. Contin. Hist. col. 623. _Ibn-Alatsyr_, p. -474-477. - -[80] Ipse meis vidi oculis, uno eorum cadente, alter mox eundem locum -occuparet, immotique, perstarent ad instar muri. _Bohadin_ apud -_Schultens_, p. 85. _Michaud_, Extraits, p. 487, 488. - -[81] _Ibn Alatsyr_, ut sup. p. 479-484, 492. _Bohadin_, cap. 41-44, 48, -49. - -[82] _Radulph de Diceto_, apud X. script. p. 642. - -[83] _Vinisauf_ apud _Gale_ XV. script, vol. 2. p. 270. _Rad. Cogg._ -col. 574. Gesta Dei, tom. 1, part 2, p. 1165. _Radulph de Diceto_ col. -649. - -[84] _Ducange_, Gloss, tom. vi. p. 1036. Cotton MS. Nero E. vi. p. 60, -fol. 466. - -[85] _Bohadin_, cap. 55-58, 75-84. _Ibn Alat_. ut sup. p. 499, 500, -510-514. _Vinisauf_, apud _Gale_ XV. script. cap. 58-60. _D'Herbelot_, -Bib. Orient, p. 743. - -[86] _Rad. Cogg_. col. 557. _Vinisauf_, cap. 64, 74. L'Art de Verif. -tom. 4, p. 59, ed. 1818. - -[87] Hist. de la maison de Sablè, liv. vi. chap. 5. p. 174, 175. -Cotton MS. Nero, E. vi. p. 60. folio 466, where he is called Robert de -Sambell. L'Art de Verif. tom. v. p. 347. - -[88] _Jac. de Vitr._ Gesta Dei, cap. 65. - -[89] _Michaud_, Hist. des Croisades, tom. ii. p. 383, 384. - -[90] _Bohadin_, cap. 95-110, 112. _I'Bn Alat._ p. 520. _Bohadin_, cap. -115. Contin. Hist. col. 634, 635. - -[91] Contin. Hist. col. 633. _Trivet_ ad ann. 1191. Chron. de S. Denis, -lib. ii. cap. 7. - -[92] Itinerarium regis Anglorum Ricardi et aliorum in terram -Hierosolymorum auctore _Gaufrido de Vinisauf_. _Gale's_ scriptores -Historiæ Anglicanæ, tom. ii. p. 247-429. - -[93] Erat autem perelegans ea et per sane venusta, validissimis -moenibus, celsissimis ædificiis, ita ut terrorem quendam gravitate et -firmitate incuteret. _Bohadin_, apud _Schultens_, pp. 100-201. _Ibn -Alat._ p. 523-525. _Vinisauf_, lib. iv. - -[94] _Bohadin_, apud _Schultens_, cap. 156, p. 235, 236. - -[95] _Vinisauf_, lib. vi. _Bohadin_, p. 238. _Abulfeda_, p. 51. Contin. -Hist. col. 638, 641. - -[96] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI. 23, i. - -[97] _Jac. de Vitry_, Gest. Dei, tom i. pars. 9, p. 1113. - -[98] _Michaud_, Hist. des Croisades, tom. iii. p. 39. - -[99] _Othonis de S. Blazio_, apud _Martene_, tom. vi. p. 886. Contin. -Hist. ib. tom. v. - -[100] Lib. i. ii. epistolarum. _Inn. III._, epist. 138, 567. - -[101] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI., p. 60, fol. 466. _Ducange_, Gloss. tom. -vi. p. 1036. - -[102] _Bernardus_ Thesaurarius, Script, rer. Italicar. tom. vii. cap. -187. p. 823. - -[103] _Cotton_, MS. Nero E. VI. fol. 23 i.--p. 60, fol. 466. _Ducange_, -Gloss. tom. vi. col. 1036. - -[104] _Bern_ Thesaur. cap. 190-200, Script. Ital. tom. viii. _Jac. de -Vitr._ p. 1135-1143. _Martene._ Thesaur. anec. tom. iii. col. 294, &c. -_Ibn Ferat_ p. 770. _Ibn Alat._ p. 538. _Oliverii_, Hist. Damiatana, -tom. ii. cap. 31. - -[105] Epist. apud _Matt. Par._ p. 312, 313. _Martene_, tom. v. col. -1480. - -[106] _Matt. Par._ p. 314. See also another letter, p. 313. - -[107] _Ibn Schunah_, ad ann. Hejir 626. _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. -695-699. _Marin Sanut._ p. 213. - -[108] _Od Rainald_, ad ann. 1229. - -[109] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI. 23 i. p. 60, fol. 466. L'Art de Verif. -tom. v. p. 351. - -[110] _Matt. Par._ p. 615. _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. 722-725. _Marin -Sanut._ cap. 15. _Michaud_, Extr. p. 549. _Ibn Schunah_, Hejir. 638. - -[111] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 134, 165, 170, 194, 195, 208, 209. -_Matt. Par._ p. 234-237, 253. _Matt. West._ p. 271. - -[112] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 234, 258, 270, 275, 311, 373, 380. - -[113] _Addison's_ Temple Church. - -[114] Cart. 11, _Hen._ 3, m. 33. _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2. -p. 844. - -[115] _Plac. de Quo Warranto_ temp. EDW. 1, rot. 4, d. p. 191. -_Spelman_, Gloss p. 251. - -[116] _Djemal'eddeen_, ad ann. Hejir. 841. _Michaud_, Extraits Arabes, -p. 549. - -[117] _Steph. Baluz_, Miscell. lib. vi. p. 357, de constructione Castri -SAPHET. - -[118] _Conder's_ Modern Traveller.--Palestine, p. 335, 337-339. - -[119] _Marin. Sanut._ p. 217. _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. 731, 732. -_Michaud_, Extraits, p. 551, 718. _Matt. Par._ 631, 632. - -[120] _Matt. Par._ p. 631 to 633. _Abulpharag_, p. 486. _D'Herbelot_, -Bib. Orient. p. 357, 628. - -[121] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI. p. 60, fol. 466. L'Art de Verif. tom. v. -552. _Matt. Par._ p. 618-620. - -[122] _Matt. Par._ p. 711. - -[123] _Matt. Par._ p. 733. - -[124] _Matt. Par._ p. 736, et in additamentis, p. 161, ad ann. 1247. - -[125] _Matt. Par._ in additamentis, p. 168, 169. - -[126] _Joinville_, p. 47. - -[127] _Ibn Schunah_, ad ann. Hejir, 648. - -[128] _Joinville_, p. 58. _Matt. Par._ Chron. Nan. p. 790. - -[129] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 473. - -[130] Gal. Christ. nov. tom. ii. col. 1008. _Tyr._ Contin. col. 735. - -[131] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 474, 557, 558. _Matt. Par._ p. 899. - -[132] Reg. et constit. ord. Cisterc. p. 480. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. -575-582. - -[133] _Od. Rainald_, ad ann. 1257. _Tyr._ Contin. col. 732, 735-737. - -[134] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 698. - -[135] Ib. p. 730, 878, 879. - -[136] _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. 737, 742. _Sanut._ p. 220-222. -_Abulfeda_, apud _Wilkins_, p. 223. _Ibn Ferat_ Chron. Arab ad ann. -Hejir. 662, 664. _Mohieddin_, by _Schafi Ibn Ali Abbas_. _Michaud_ -Extraits, 668, 669, 673, 674. - -[137] _Ibn Ferat._ Hejir. 666. _Michaud_, Extr. 675-785. _Tyr._ Contin. -col. 743 - -[138] _Tyr._ Contin. col. 745. _Sanut_, p. 224. _Michaud_, p. 757. -_Trivet_, ad ann. 1272. _Walsingham_, p. 43. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. -885, 889; tom. ii. p. 2. - -[139] _Tyr._ Contin. col. 746, 747. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. ii. p. 34. - -[140] De excidio urbis Acconis apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 757, 782. -_De Guignes_, Hist. des Huns, tom. iv. p. 162. _Abulfarag._ Chron. Syr. -p. 595. _Wilkens_, Comment. Abulfed. Hist. p. 231-234. _Marin. Sanut. -Torsell_, lib. iii. pars 12, cap. 21, 22. _Makrisi_, ad ann. Hejir. -689, 690. _Hermann Cornarius_, Collect. _d'Ekard Michaud_, Bib. des -Croisades, tom. ii. - -[141] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 350-352, 387, 388. _Cotton_ MS. -Nero E. VI. 23 i. p. 60, fol. 466. L'Art de Verif. tom. i. p. 523, ed. -1783. _Rainald_, tom. xiv. ad ann. 1294. - -[142] _Haiton_, Hist. Tartar. cap. 43. Chron. de _Nangis Rainald_, ad -ann. 1299, 1300, n. 34. _Marin. Sanut._ p. 242. _De Guignes_, tom iv. -p. 184. - -[143] _Ibn Ferat_, ad ann. Hejir. 690. _Sanut._ p. 232. - -[144] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 575-579, 582, tom. ii. p. 529. -_Martene_, tom. vii. col. 156. - -[145] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. ii. p. 683. _Hemingford_, vol. i. p. 159, -244. Rolls of Parliament, vol. i. p. 2. Ib. No. 7. - -[146] _Dupuy_, tom. ii. p. 309. Chron. St. Denis. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. -iii. p. 18. - -[147] Ostendens duo ossa quod dicebat illa esse quæ ceciderunt de talis -suis. _Processus contra Templarios._ _Raynouard_, Monumens Historiques, -p. 73, ed. 1813. - -[148] Ponderibus appensis in genitalibus, usque ad exanimationem. Ib. -p. 35. - -[149] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 35, 37. - -[150] _Knyghton_, apud X. script. col. 2494, 2531. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. -iii. p. 30-32, 34, 35, 45. - -[151] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 100-103, 111, 121, 122. - -[152] Acta _Rymeri_, p. 168, 169. - -[153] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 346, 347. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. -p. 174, 175, 178, 179. - -[154] The original draft of these articles of accusation, with the -corrections and alterations, is preserved in the Tresor des Chartres. -_Raynouard_, Monumens Historiques, p. 50, 51. The proceedings against -the Templars in England are preserved in MS. in the British Museum, -Harl. No. 252, 62, f. p. 113; No. 247, 68, f. p. 144. Bib. Cotton. -Julius, b. xii. p. 70; and in the Bodleian Library and Ashmolean -Museum. The principal part of them has been published by _Wilkins_ in -the Concilia Magnæ Britanniæ, tom ii. p. 329-401, and by _Dugdale_, in -the Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part ii. p. 844-848. - -[155] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 350-383. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. -p. 179, 180. - -[156] _Raynouard_, p. 52, 57, 75, ed. 1813. _Dupuy_, p. 138, 139, 174, -ed. 1700. - -[157] Chron. Cornel. _Zanfliet_ apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 159. -_Bocat._ de cas. vir. illustr. lib. ix. cap. 21. _Joan. Can. Sti. -Vict._ Contin. de _Nangis_, ad ann. 1310. _Rayn._ - -[158] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 194, 195, 224, 225, 227, 230-235. -Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 305-314; tom. iii. p. 228, 229. - -[159] AGNES LOVECOTE dixit quod ... fratres aperuerunt quandam voltam -et perduxerunt de illo loco monstrum quoddam ad formam seu imaginem -diaboli, habens loco oculorum lapides rutilantes et illuminantes -capitulum, cujus culum osculabantur omnes, primo Magister, et postea -alii, et postea ponebant unam crucen nigram ad culum dicti monstri, et -spuebant omnes in crucem...! Deponit se audivisse à quâdam _dominâ_ -Agnete, quæ dicebat se audivisse à sorore cujusdam Templarii, quod cum -ipsa soror denudasset fratrem suum post mortem, credens invenire signa -salutis, invenit in braccis dicti Templarii fratis sui crucem pendentem -contra anum...! Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 350-364. - -[160] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 290. MS. Bodl. F. 5, 2. Concil. p. -364, 365. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 228, 231, 232. - -[161] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 383-391, 394-401. - -[162] Concilia Hispaniæ, tom. v. p. 223. _Raynouard_, p. 199-204. - -[163] Secund. vit. Clem. 5, p. 43. _Rainald_, ad ann. 1311, n. 55. -_Walsingham_, p. 99. Antiq. Britann. p. 210. - -[164] _Maratorii_ collect. tom. iii. p. 448; tom. x. col. 377. -_Mariana_, tom. iii. p. 157. _Raynouard_, p. 191, 192. - -[165] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. vi. 23 i. Ib. p. 60, fol. 466. Acta -_Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 380. - -[166] _Lansdown_ MS. 207, E. vol. v. fol. 162, 163, 201, 284, 317, 467. -Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 134, 342, 344, 345, part 3, p. 104. _Matt. -Par._ p. 253-255, 258, 270, 314, 615, et in ad. p. 480. Concil. Mag. -Brit. tom. ii. p. 340; tom. xi. p. 335, 339, 341, 343, 344. _Prynne_, -collect. 3, 143. - -[167] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 393. - -[168] _Villani_, lib. viii. cap. 92. _Dupuy_, ed. 1700, p. 71, 128, -139. _Raynouard_, p. 60, 209, 210. - -[169] _Dupuy_, p. 179, 184. _Raynouard_, 197-199. _De Vertis_, liv. iii. - -[170] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 130, 134, 139, 279-297, 321-327, 337, -409, 410. _Dodsworth_, MS. vol. xxxv. p. 65, 67. - -[171] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 451, 454, 455, 457, 459-463, 956-959. -_Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 809, 849, 850. Rolls of -Parliament, vol. ii. p. 41. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 499. - -[172] Statutes at Large, vol. 9. Appendix, p. 23. Rolls of Parliament, -vol. ii. p. 41, No. 52. Monast. Angl. p. 880. - -[173] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 472. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. -_Walsingham_, p. 99. - -[174] Pat. 8, E. 2. m. 17. Ancient MS. account of the Temple, formerly -the property of lord Somers, and afterwards of Nicholls, the celebrated -antiquary. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 936, 940. _Lel._ coll. vol. i. -p. 668. Rot. Escaet. 1, E. 3. _Dugd._ baron. vol. i. p. 777, 778. - -[175] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iv. p. 406, 464. - -[176] Rot. Escaet. 10, E. 3, 66. Claus. 4, E. 3, p. 1, m. 10. - -[177] Sunt etiam ibidem claustrum, capella Sancti Thomæ, et quædam -platea terræ eidem capellæ annexata, cum _una aula_ et camera supra -edificata, quæ sunt loca sancta, et Deo dedicata, et dictæ ecclesiæ -annexata, et eidem Priori per idem breve liberata.... Item dicunt, quod -præter ista, sunt ibidem in custodia Wilielmi de Langford, infra Magnam -Portam dicti Novi Templi, _extra metas et disjunctiones prædictas_ una -_aula_ et quatuor cameræ, una coquina, unum gardinum, unum stabulum, -et una camera ultra Magnam Portam prædictam, &c. In memorandis -Scacc. inter recorda de Termino Sancti Hilarii. 11 E. 3, in officio -Remembratoris Thesaurarii. - -[178] _Dugd._ Monast. vol. vii. p. 810, 811. Ib. tom. vi. part 2, p. -832. - -[179] Pat. 35 E. 3, p. 2, m 33. - -[180] Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. The wages of the Manciples of -the Temple, tomp. Henry VIII. were xxxvis. per annum. Bib. _Cotton_. -Vitellius, c. 9, f. 320, a. - -[181] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 292, 294, 331, 332. - -[182] Thomas of Wothrope, at the trial of the Templars in England, was -unable to give an account of the reception of some brethren into the -order, quia erat _panetarius_ et vacabat circa suum officium. Concil. -Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 355. Ita appellabant officialem domesticum, qui -mensæ panem, mappas et manutergia subministrabat. _Ducange_, Gloss. -verb. PANETARIUS. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 371-373. MS. Inner -Temple Library, div. 9, shelf 5, vol. xvii. fol. 393. - -[183] _Dugd._ Orig. Jurid. cap. xxxix. p. 102. - -[184] _Will. Tyr._ lib. i. p. 50, lib. xii. p. 814. _Dugd._ Hist. -Warwickshire, p. 704. Et tune Magister Templi dedit sibim antellum, -et imposuit pileum capiti suo, et tune fecit eum sedere ad terram, -injungens sibi, &c. Acta _contra Templarios_. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. -ii. p. 300. See also p. 335. - -[185] Ex cod. MS. apud sub-thesaurarium Hosp. Medii Templi, f. 4, a. -_Dugd._ Orig. Jurid. cap. 43, 46. - -[186] _Hargrave_, MS. No. 19, 81, f. 5, fol. 46. - -[187] For an account of the Temple Church and its antiquities, see -_Addison's_ "Temple Church." - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - - Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as - possible, including inconsistencies in Arabic transcription. Some - changes have been made. They are listed below. - - References to footnotes [14] and [71] were missing in the original. - They have been added. - - The following is a list of changes made to the original. - The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one. - - Page vi: - - Henry II., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - Henry III., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - - Page 3: - - but as cotemporary historians of Palestine, who describe the exploits - but as contemporary historians of Palestine, who describe the exploits - - Page 8: - - themselves in various impregnable castles and strong holds, - themselves in various impregnable castles and strongholds, - - Page 10: - - The crescent had been torn down by the crusders from the summit - The crescent had been torn down by the crusaders from the summit - - Page 14: - - arranged by St Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy Fathers - arranged by St. Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy Fathers - - Page 16: - - XLI. It is in no wise lawful for any of the brothers to receive - "XLI. It is in no wise lawful for any of the brothers to receive - - Page 17: - - "LXVIII. Care must be taken that no brother, powerful or weak - "LXVIII. Care must be taken that no brother, powerful or weak, - - Page 20: - - In such causes it is neither safe to slay nor to be slain." - In such causes it is neither safe to slay nor to be slain. - - Page 23: - - and relate the wonderful things that are done in thee." - and relate the wonderful things that are done in thee. - - Page 26: - - his minister and vicegerent, the famous Suger, abbot of St. Denis - his minister and vicegerent, the famous Suger, abbot of St. Denis: - - Page 31: - - is of more avail than two two months of fasting and of prayer. - is of more avail than two months of fasting and of prayer. - - Page 32: - - the vizier who conducted the ambassadors laid aside his scimetar, - the vizier who conducted the ambassadors laid aside his scimitar, - - Page 35: - - had not put arms into their hands to make conquests; but the - had not put arms into their hands to make conquests;" but the - - Page 39: - - On the death of Nourdedin, sultan of Damascus, (A. D. 1175,) - On the death of Noureddin, sultan of Damascus, (A. D. 1175,) - - Page 52: - - In FRANCE the principal preceptories were at Besancon, Dole, Salins, - In FRANCE the principal preceptories were at Besançon, Dole, Salins, - - Page 53: - - the immediate jnrisdiction of the Master of the Temple at Paris. - the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Temple at Paris. - - Page 54 footnote: - - _Dudg._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 800 to 817. - _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 800 to 817. - - Page 58 footnote: - - _Dug._ Monast. Angl. p. 838. - _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. p. 838. - - Page 66: - - better things, on pain of suspension and excommunication. - better things, on pain of suspension and excommunication." - - Page 68: - - the royal penitent to fulfil his vow and and perform his penance; - the royal penitent to fulfil his vow and perform his penance; - - Page 70: - - 'No wonder.' sayde the patryarke, 'for of the deuyll they come, - 'No wonder,' sayde the patryarke, 'for of the deuyll they come, - - and returned in disgust and disappointment to the Holy Land - and returned in disgust and disappointment to the Holy Land. - - Page 77: - - be became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, - he became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, - - Page 86: - - now sweeping swifty across the landscape like the rainy clouds - now sweeping swiftly across the landscape like the rainy clouds - - Page 87: - - every one of them excepting the Grand Master of the the Hospital, - every one of them excepting the Grand Master of the Hospital, - - Page 89: - - and the blackened corses piled one upon another like the stones - and the blackened corpses piled one upon another like the stones - - Page 98: - - The place surrrendered after a short siege; the fortifications - The place surrendered after a short siege; the fortifications - - and on the spot were Abraham delivered the seven ewe lambs, - and on the spot where Abraham delivered the seven ewe lambs, - - Page 108: - - He then descended from the pulpit, and prayed in the Mihrah. - He then descended from the pulpit, and prayed in the Mihrab. - - Page 118: - - The Templars, manfully defended themselves, and their brethren - The Templars manfully defended themselves, and their brethren - - Page 122: - - then to the centre, patiently enduring the severity of his pain. - then to the centre, patiently enduring the severity of his pain." - - Page 156: - - to the summit of the castle of Taphnis, to dirct the Greek fire - to the summit of the castle of Taphnis, to direct the Greek fire - - the structure near the water, threw out their grapling-irons, - the structure near the water, threw out their grappling-irons, - - Page 174: - - employed by king Henry the Third in various important negociations. - employed by king Henry the Third in various important negotiations. - - "This portion of the sacred edifice was of a lighter and more - This portion of the sacred edifice was of a lighter and more - - Page 180: - - Henry II., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - Henry III., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - - Page 186: - - and were extirminated in a bloody battle of two days' continuance. - and were exterminated in a bloody battle of two days' continuance. - - Page 219: - - king Edward had borrowed of the Templars during his stay at Acre." - king Edward had borrowed of the Templars during his stay at Acre. - - Page 221: - - The separate truces and treaties of peace which Bendocdor had - The separate truces and treaties of peace which Bendocdar had - - Page 242: - - delares that the Templars had "un lieu creux ou cave en terre, - declares that the Templars had "un lieu creux ou cave en terre, - - Page 278: - - que nous puissoms aver lez drettures de seinte eglise, comme - que nous puissoms aver lez drettures de seinte église, comme - - Page 296: - - mischief was, he could not get the honey unless he burnt the bees. - mischief was, he could not get the honey unless he burnt the bees." - - Page 307: - - fragments to be given in brotherly charity to the domestics, - fragments to be given in brotherly charity to the domestics," - - Page 310: - - It was brobably soon after this period that the Hospitallers - It was probably soon after this period that the Hospitallers - - Page 320: - - "his beloved clerk," William de Langford," and farmed out the rents - "his beloved clerk," William de Langford, "and farmed out the rents - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS*** - - -******* This file should be named 44376-8.txt or 44376-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/3/7/44376 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Knights Templars - Third Edition - - -Author: C. G. (Charles Greenstreet) Addison - - - -Release Date: December 6, 2013 [eBook #44376] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS*** - - -E-text prepared by Chris Curnow, Paul Clark, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 44376-h.htm or 44376-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44376/44376-h/44376-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44376/44376-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/knightstemplars00addirich - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS, - -by - -C. G. ADDISON ESQE. - -Barrister at Law - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - -THIRD EDITION. - -London, -Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. -Paternoster Row, 1852. - - - -[Illustration: THE ADMISSION OF A NOVICE TO THE VOWS OF THE ORDER OF -THE TEMPLE] - - - - -PREFACE - -TO THE FIRST EDITION. - - -Having some years ago, during a pilgrimage to the Holy City of -Jerusalem, gained admission to the courts of the ancient Temple of the -Knights Templars, which still exists on Mount Moriah in a perfect state -of preservation as a Mussulman Mosque, and having visited many of the -ruined fortresses and castles of the ancient order of the Temple, whose -shattered walls are still to be seen at intervals in Palestine and in -Syria, from Gaza to Antioch, and from the mountains of the Dead Sea to -the shores of the Mediterranean, I naturally became greatly interested -in the history of the order, and in the numerous remains and memorials -of the Knights Templars still to be met with in various stages of decay -and ruin in almost every part of Europe. The recent restoration of the -Temple Church at London, the most beautiful and the best preserved of -all the ancient ecclesiastical edifices of the western provinces of the -Temple, first suggested to me the idea of writing a short historical -account of the varied fortunes of that great religious and military -fraternity of knights and monks by whom it was erected, and of their -dark and terrible end. - -Born during the first fervour of the Crusaders, the Templars were -flattered and aggrandized as long as their great military power -and religious fanaticism could be made available for the support of -the Eastern church and the retention of the Holy Land; but when the -crescent had ultimately triumphed over the cross, and the religious and -military enthusiasm of Christendom had died away, they encountered the -basest ingratitude in return for the services they had rendered to the -Christian faith, and were plundered, persecuted, and condemned to a -cruel death by those who ought in justice to have been their defenders -and supporters. - -The memory of these holy warriors is embalmed in all our recollections -of the wars of the cross; they were the bulwarks of the Latin kingdom -of Jerusalem during the short period of its existence, and were the -last band of Europe's host that contended for the possession of -Palestine. To the vows of the monk and the austere life of the convent, -they added the discipline of the camp, and the stern duties of the -military life, joining "the fine vocation of the sword and lance" -with the holy zeal and body-bending toil of a poor brotherhood. The -vulgar notion that they were as wicked as they were fearless and brave, -has not yet been entirely exploded; but it is hoped that the copious -account of the proceedings against the order in this country given -in the ensuing volume, will dispel many unfounded prejudices still -entertained against the fraternity, and excite emotions of admiration -for their constancy and courage, and of pity for their unmerited and -cruel fate. - -The accounts, even of the best of the ancient historians concerning the -Templars ought not to be implicitly relied upon. William of Tyre, for -instance, tells us that Nassr-ed-deen, son of sultan Abbas, was taken -prisoner by the Templars, and whilst in their hands became a convert to -Christianity; that he had learned the rudiments of the Latin language, -and earnestly sought to be baptized, but that the Templars were bribed -with sixty thousand pieces of gold to surrender him to his enemies in -Egypt, where certain death awaited him; and that they stood by to see -him bound hand and foot with chains, and placed in an iron cage, to -be conducted across the desert to Cairo. The Arabian historians, on -the other hand, tell us that Nassr-ed-deen and his father murdered the -caliph, threw his body into a well, and then fled into Palestine; that -the sister of the murdered caliph wrote immediately to the commander -of the garrison of the Knights Templars at Gaza, offering a handsome -reward for the capture of the fugitives; that they were accordingly -intercepted, and Nassr-ed-deen was sent to Cairo, where the female -relations of the caliph caused his body to be cut into small pieces in -the seraglio! The above act has constantly been made a matter of grave -accusation against the Templars; but what a different complexion does -the case assume on the testimony of the Arabian authorities! It must -be remembered that William, archbishop of Tyre, was hostile to the -order on account of its vast powers and privileges, and carried his -complaints to a general council of the Church at Rome. He is abandoned, -in everything that he says to the prejudice of the fraternity, by -James of Vitry, bishop of Acre, a learned and most talented prelate, -who wrote in Palestine subsequently to William of Tyre, and has copied -largely from the history of the latter. The bishop of Acre speaks -of the Templars in the highest terms, and declares that they were -universally loved by all men for their piety and humility. - -The celebrated orientalist Von Hammer has recently brought forward -various extraordinary and unfounded charges, destitute of all -authority, against the Templars; and Wilcke, who has written a -German history of the order, seems to have imbibed all the vulgar -prejudices against the fraternity. I might have added to the interest -of the ensuing work, by making the Templars horrible and atrocious -villains; but I have endeavoured to write a fair and impartial account -of the order, not slavishly adopting everything I find detailed in -ancient writers, but such matters only as I believe, after a careful -examination of the best authorities, to be true. - - - - -PREFACE - -TO THE THIRD EDITION. - - -The favourable reception given to the first edition of the ensuing -work, and the interest that was taken in the extraordinary and romantic -career of the Knights Templars, induced me to publish a second edition -greatly enlarged, and to introduce various collateral matters of an -antiquarian and local character, interesting only to a comparatively -small number of readers. This enlarged edition having been exhausted, -it occurred to me, in preparing a third edition for the press, that -the work might be materially shortened and reduced in price without -in anywise detracting from its value and interest as a record of the -chief events of one of the most remarkable and interesting periods of -history, and of the extraordinary and romantic achievements of the -first and most ancient of the great religio-military orders of knights -and monks established during the crusades. - -The dry matters of detail, of local and partial interest, which -interfered with the continuity of the main narrative, have been struck -out of the body of the work, and the more striking incidents of the -history have been thus brought into greater prominence. The long Latin -and French extracts from the old chronicles have also been discarded -from the notes, but the historical references have been preserved to -enable the reader, if he thinks fit, to study the quaint and curious -language of the originals. By these means, and by enlarging the size of -the page, the work has been compressed into a smaller compass, and the -price reduced nearly one half. - -It is hoped that these alterations will be found to be improvements. - -_Inner Temple, December 8, 1851._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - The pilgrimages to Jerusalem--Origin of the Templars--The - dangers to which pilgrims were exposed--The formation - of the brotherhood of the poor fellow-soldiers of - Jesus Christ to protect them--Their location in - the Temple--A description of the Temple--Origin of - the name Templars--Hugh de Payens chosen Master of - the Temple--Is sent to Europe by King Baldwin--Is - introduced to the Pope--The assembling of the Council - of Troyes--The formation of a rule for the government - of the Templars--The most curious parts of the rule - displayed--The confirmation of the rule by the - Pope--The visit of Hugh de Payens, the Master of - the Temple, to England--His cordial reception--The - foundation of the Order in this country--Lands and - money granted to the Templars--Their popularity in - Europe--The rapid increase of their fraternity--St. - Bernard takes up the pen in their behalf--He displays - their valour and piety _Page_ 5 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Hugh de Payens returns to Palestine--His death--Robert de - Craon made Master--Success of the Infidels--The second - Crusade--The Templars assume the Red Cross--Their - gallant actions and high discipline--Lands, manors, and - churches granted them in England--Bernard de Tremelay - made Master--He is slain by the Infidels--Bertrand de - Blanquefort made Master--He is taken prisoner, and - sent in chains to Aleppo--The Pope writes letters in - praise of the Templars--Their religious and military - enthusiasm--Their war banner called _Beauseant_--The - rise of the rival religio-military order of the - Hospital of St. John--The contests between Saladin and - the Templars--The vast privileges of the Templars--The - publication of the bull, _omne datum optimum_--The Pope - declares himself the immediate Bishop of the entire - Order--The Master of the Temple is taken prisoner, - and dies in a dungeon--Saladin's great success--The - Christians purchase a truce--The Master of the Temple - and the Patriarch Heraclius proceed to England for - succour--The consecration of the TEMPLE CHURCH AT - LONDON 24 - - - CHAPTER III. - - The Temple at London--The vast possessions of the Templars - in England--The territorial divisions of the order--The - different preceptories in this country--The privileges - conferred on the Templars by the kings of England--The - Masters of the Temple at London--Their power and - importance 44 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - The Patriarch Heraclius quarrels with the king of - England--He returns to Palestine without succour--The - disappointment and gloomy forebodings of the - Templars--They prepare to resist Saladin--Their defeat - and slaughter--The valiant deeds of the Marshal - of the Temple--The fatal battle of Tiberias--The - captivity of the Grand Master and the true - cross--The captive Templars are offered the Koran or - death--They choose the latter, and are beheaded--The - fall of Jerusalem--The Moslems take possession of - the Temple--They purify it with rose-water, say - prayers, and hear a sermon--The Templars retire to - Antioch--Their letters to the king of England and the - Master of the Temple at London--Their exploits at the - siege of Acre 68 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Richard Coeur de Lion joins the Templars before Acre--The - city surrenders, and the Templars establish the chief - house of their order within it--Coeur de Lion takes up - his abode with them--He sells to them the island of - Cyprus--The Templars form the van of his army--Their - foraging expeditions and exploits--Coeur de Lion quits - the Holy Land in the disguise of a Knight Templar--The - Templars build the Pilgrim's Castle in Palestine--The - exploits of the Templars in Egypt--The letters of the - Grand Master to the Master of the Temple at London--The - Templars reconquer Jerusalem--The state of the order in - England--King John resides in the Temple at London--The - barons come to him at that place, and demand MAGNA - CHARTA--Consecration of the nave or oblong portion of - the Temple Church at London 129 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - The conquest of Jerusalem by the Carizmians--The - slaughter of the Templars, and the death of the Grand - Master--Rise and progress of the Comans--They are - defeated and destroyed by the Templars--The exploits - of the Templars in Egypt--King Louis of France visits - the Templars in Palestine--He assists them in putting - the country into a defensible state--Henry III., - king of England, visits the Temple at Paris--The - magnificent hospitality of the Templars in England - and France--Bendoedar, sultan of Egypt, invades - Palestine--He defeats the Templars, takes their - strong fortresses, and decapitates six hundred of - their brethren--The Grand Master comes to England for - succour--The renewal of the war--The fall of Acre--The - Templars establish their head-quarters in the island - of Cyprus--Their alliance with the king of Persia--The - reconquest of Jerusalem--The desolation of the Holy - Land--The final extinction of the Templars in Palestine - 180 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - The downfall of the Templars--The cause thereof--The - Grand Master comes to Europe at the request of the - Pope--He is imprisoned, with all the Templars in - France, by command of king Philip--They are put to - the torture, and confessions of the guilt of heresy - and idolatry are extracted from them--Edward III., - king of England, stands up in defence of the Templars, - but afterwards persecutes them at the instance of the - Pope--The imprisonment of the Master of the Temple - and all his brethren in England--Their examination - upon eighty-seven horrible and ridiculous articles - of accusation before foreign inquisitors appointed - by the Pope--A council of the church assembles at - London to pass sentence upon them--The curious - evidence adduced as to the mode of admission into - the order, and of the customs and observances of the - fraternity--The Templars in France having revoked - their rack-extorted confessions, are treated as - relapsed heretics, and burnt at the stake--Solitary - confinement of the Templars in England in separate - dungeons--Torture--Confessions and recantations--The - Master of the Temple at London dies in the Tower--The - Grand Master is burnt at the stake--The abolition of - the order and disposal of its property. Grant of the - Temple at London to a body of lawyers--Introduction - into the profession of the law of an order of knights - and serving-brethren 236 - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - "Go forth to battle and employ your substance and your persons - for the advancement of God's religion. Verily, God loveth those - who fight for his religion in battle array."--KORAN, _chapter 56, - entitled_ BATTLE ARRAY. - - "O Prophet, stir up the faithful to war! If twenty of you persevere - with constancy they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be - one hundred of you they shall overcome one thousand of those who - believe not."--_Chapter 8, entitled_ THE SPOILS. - - "Verily, if God pleased, he could take vengeance on the unbelievers - without your assistance, but he commandeth you to fight his battles - that he may prove the one of you by the other; and as to those who - fight in defence of God's true religion, God will not suffer their - works to perish."--KORAN, _chapter 47, entitled_ WAR. - - -To be propagated by the sword was a vital principle of Mahommedanism. -War against infidels for the establishment and extension of the faith -was commanded by the Prophet, and the solemn injunction became hallowed -and perpetuated by success. - -A century after the death of Mahomet, the Moslems had extended their -religion and their arms from India to the Atlantic Ocean; they had -subdued and converted, by the power of the sword, Persia and Egypt, -and all the north of Africa, from the mouth of the Nile to the extreme -western boundary of that vast continent; they overran Spain, invaded -France, and turning their footsteps towards Italy they entered the -kingdoms of Naples and Genoa, threatened Rome, and subjected the -island of Sicily to the laws and the religion of their Prophet. But at -the very period when they were about to plant the Koran in the very -heart of Europe, and were advancing with rapid strides to universal -dominion, intestine dissensions broke out amongst them which undermined -their power, and Europe was released from the dread and danger of -Saracen dominion. - -In the tenth century of the Christian era, however, the ferocious -and barbarous Turcomans appeared as the patrons of Mahommedanism, -and the propagators of the Koran. These were wild pastoral tribes of -shepherds and hunters, who descended from the frozen plains to the -north of the Caspian, conquered Persia, embraced the religion and the -law of Mahomet, and became united under the standard of the Prophet -into one great and powerful nation. They overran the greater part of -the Asiatic continent, destroyed the churches of the Christians and -the temples of the Pagans, and appeared (A. D. 1084) in warlike array -on the Asiatic shore of the Hellespont in front of Constantinople. -The terrified emperor Alexius sent urgent letters to the Pope and -the christian princes of Europe, exhorting them to assist him and -their common Christianity in the perilous crisis. The preachings of -Peter the hermit, and the exhortations of the Pope, forthwith aroused -Christendom; Europe was armed and precipitated upon Asia; the Turkish -power was broken; the Christian provinces of the Greek empire of -Constantinople were recovered from the grasp of the infidels; and the -Latin kingdom of Jerusalem was reared upon the ruins of the Turkish -empire of sultan Soliman. The monastic and military order of the Temple -was then called into existence for the purpose of checking the power -of the infidels, and fighting the battles of Christendom in the plains -of Asia. "Suggested by fanaticism," as Gibbon observes, but guided by -an intelligent and far reaching policy, it became the firmest bulwark -of Christianity in the East, and mainly contributed to preserve Europe -from Turkish desolation, and probably from Turkish conquest. - -Many grave and improbable charges have been brought against the -Templars by monks and priests who wrote in Europe concerning events in -the Holy Land, and who regarded the vast privileges of the order with -indignation and aversion. Matthew Paris tells us that they were leagued -with the infidels, and fought pitched battles with the rival order of -Saint John; but as contemporary historians of Palestine, who describe -the exploits of the Templars, and were eye-witnesses of their career, -make no mention of such occurrences, and as no allusion is made to -them in the letters of the Pope addressed to the Grand Master of the -order of Saint John shortly after the date of these pretended battles, -I have omitted all mention of them, feeling convinced, after a careful -examination of the best authorities, that they never did take place. - -At this distant day, when the times and scenes in which the Templars -acted are changed, and the deep religious fervour and warm fresh -feelings of bygone ages have given way to a cold and calculating -philosophy, we may doubt the sincerity of the military friars, exclaim -against their credulity, and deride their zeal; but when we call to -mind the hardships and fatigues, the dangers, sufferings, and death, -to which they voluntarily devoted themselves in a far distant land, -the sacrifice of personal comforts, of the ties of kindred, and of all -the endearments of domestic life, which they made without any prospect -of worldly gain or temporal advantage, for objects which they believed -to be just, and noble, and righteous, we must ever rank the generous -impulses by which they were actuated among the sublime emotions which -can influence the human character in those periods when men feel rather -than calculate, before knowledge has chilled the sensibility, or -selfish indifference hardened the heart. - - - - -THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - The pilgrimages to Jerusalem--Origin of the Templars--Their - location in the Temple--Hugh de Payens chosen Master of the - Temple--His introduction to the Pope--The assembling of the - Council of Troyes--The formation of a rule for the government of - the Templars--The most curious parts of the rule displayed--Visit - of Hugh de Payens to England--The foundation of the Order in this - country--Lands and money granted to the Templars--St. Bernard - displays their valour and piety. - - "Yet 'midst her towering fanes in ruin laid, - The pilgrim saint his murmuring vespers paid; - 'Twas his to mount the tufted rocks, and rove - The chequer'd twilight of the olive grove; - 'Twas his to bend beneath the sacred gloom, - And wear with many a kiss Messiah's tomb." - - -The natural desire of visiting those holy spots which have been -sanctified by the presence, and rendered memorable by the sufferings, -of the Son of God, drew, during the early ages of Christianity, -crowds of devout worshippers and pilgrims to Jerusalem. Among the -most illustrious and enthusiastic of the many wanderers to the Holy -City was the empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, who, with -the warm feelings of a recent conversion, visited in person every -place and every object in Palestine associated with the memory of him -who died for mankind on the blessed cross. With a holy zeal and a -lively enthusiasm, she attempted to fix by unquestionable tradition -the scene of each memorable event in the gospel narrative; and -Christendom is indebted to her for the real or pretended discovery -(about two hundred and ninety-eight years after the death of Christ) -of the Holy Sepulchre. Over this sacred monument the empress and -her son Constantine caused to be erected the magnificent church of -the Resurrection, or, as it is now called, the church of the Holy -Sepulchre; and they adorned all those places in the Holy Land which -remind us most forcibly of the earthly existence and death of Jesus -Christ, with magnificent churches and religious houses. - -The example of this pious princess, and the pretended discoveries made -by her of holy relics, caused a great increase in the pilgrimages to -Jerusalem. The conquest of Palestine by the Arabians, (A. D. 637,) -stimulated rather than suppressed them; it added to the merit by -increasing the danger and difficulty of the undertaking, whilst the -enthusiasm which prompted the long and perilous journey was increased -by the natural feelings of sorrow and indignation at the loss of the -holy places, and the possession of them by the conquering infidels. -Year after year, and century after century, hundreds and thousands of -both sexes, of all ranks and every age, the monarch and the peasant, -the noble and the beggar, flocked to the shrines and the altars of -Palestine. They visited, with pious affection, Bethlehem, where the -Saviour first saw the light; they bathed in the waters of the river -Jordan, wherein he was baptized, and wept and prayed upon Mount -Calvary, where he was crucified. - -On the conquest of Jerusalem by the Arabians, the security of the -christian population had been provided for in a solemn guarantee -given under the hand and seal of the caliph Omar, to Sophronius the -patriarch. One fourth of the entire city, with the church of the -Resurrection, the Holy Sepulchre, and the great Latin convent, had been -left in the hands of the Christians and the pilgrims were permitted, -on payment of a trifling tribute, freely to visit the various objects -of their regard. When the sceptre was transferred from the family of -the Abassides to the Fatimites, and the caliphs of Egypt obtained -possession of Palestine, the same mild and tolerant government was -continued. In the eleventh century, the zeal of pilgrimage had reached -its height, and the caravans of pilgrims had become so numerous as to -be styled _the armies of the Lord_. The old and the young, women and -children, flocked in crowds to Jerusalem, and in the year 1064 the -Holy Sepulchre was visited by an enthusiastic band of seven thousand -pilgrims. The year following, however, Jerusalem was conquered by the -wild Turcomans, three thousand of the citizens were massacred, and -the command over the holy city and territory was confided to the emir -Ortok, the chief of a savage pastoral tribe. - -Under the iron yoke of these fierce northern strangers, the Christians -were fearfully oppressed; they were driven from their churches; divine -worship was ridiculed and interrupted; and the patriarch of the Holy -City was dragged by the hair of his head over the sacred pavement of -the church of the Resurrection, and cast into a dungeon, to extort -a ransom from the sympathy of his flock. The pilgrims who, through -innumerable perils, had reached the gates of the Holy City, were -plundered, imprisoned, and frequently massacred; a piece of gold, was -exacted as the price of admission to the holy sepulchre, and many, -unable to pay the tax, were driven by the swords of the Turcomans from -the very threshold of the object of all their hopes, the bourne of -their long pilgrimage, and were compelled to retrace their weary steps -in sorrow and anguish to their distant homes. The intelligence of these -cruelties aroused the religious chivalry of Christendom; "a nerve was -touched of exquisite feeling, and the sensation vibrated to the heart -of Europe." Then arose the wild enthusiasm of the crusades, and men of -all ranks, and even monks and priests, animated by the exhortations -of the pope and the preachings of Peter the Hermit, flew to arms, -and enthusiastically undertook "the pious and glorious enterprize" of -rescuing the holy sepulchre of Christ from the foul abominations of the -heathen. - -When intelligence of the CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM by the CRUSADERS (A. D. -1099) had been conveyed to Europe, the zeal of pilgrimage blazed -forth with increased fierceness: it had gathered intensity from the -interval of its suppression by the wild Turcomans, and promiscuous -crowds of both sexes, old men and children, virgins and matrons, -thinking the road then open and the journey practicable, successively -pressed forwards towards the Holy City. The infidels had indeed been -driven out of Jerusalem, but not out of Palestine. The lofty mountains -bordering the sea coast were infested by warlike bands of fugitive -Mussulmen, who maintained themselves in various impregnable castles -and strongholds, from whence they issued forth upon the high-roads, -cut off the communication between Jerusalem and the sea-ports, and -revenged themselves for the loss of their habitations and property by -the indiscriminate pillage of all travellers. The Bedouin horsemen, -moreover, making rapid incursions from beyond the Jordan, frequently -kept up a desultory and irregular warfare in the plains; and the -pilgrims, consequently, whether they approached the Holy City by land -or by sea, were alike exposed to almost daily hostility, to plunder, -and to death. - -To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which they were exposed, to -guard the honour of the saintly virgins and matrons, and to protect the -gray hairs of the venerable palmer, nine noble knights, who had greatly -distinguished themselves at the siege and capture of Jerusalem, formed -a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid -one another in clearing the highways, and in protecting the pilgrims -through the passes and defiles of the mountains to the Holy City. -Warmed with the religious and military fervour of the day, and animated -by the sacredness of the cause to which they had devoted their swords, -they called themselves the _Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ_. -They renounced the world and its pleasures, and in the holy church of -the Resurrection, in the presence of the patriarch of Jerusalem, they -embraced vows of perpetual chastity, obedience, and poverty, after the -manner of monks. Uniting in themselves the two most popular qualities -of the age, devotion and valour, and exercising them in the most -popular of all enterprises, they speedily acquired a famous reputation. - -At first, we are told, they had no church, and no particular place -of abode, but in the year of our Lord 1118, (nineteen years after -the conquest of Jerusalem by the Crusaders,) they had rendered such -good and acceptable service to the Christians, that Baldwin the -Second, king of Jerusalem, granted them a place of habitation within -the sacred inclosure of the Temple on Mount Moriah, amid those holy -and magnificent structures, partly erected by the Christian Emperor -Justinian, and partly built by the Caliph Omar, which were then -exhibited by the monks and priests of Jerusalem, whose restless zeal -led them to practise on the credulity of the pilgrims, and to multiply -relics and all objects likely to be sacred in their eyes, as the TEMPLE -OF SOLOMON, whence the Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ came -thenceforth to be known by the name of "THE KNIGHTHOOD OF THE TEMPLE OF -SOLOMON." - -By the Mussulmen, the site of the great Jewish temple on Mount Moriah -has always been regarded with peculiar veneration. Mahomet, in the -first year of the publication of the Koran, directed his followers, -when at prayer, to turn their faces towards it, and pilgrimages -have constantly been made to the holy spot by devout Moslems. On -the conquest of Jerusalem by the Arabians, it was the first care of -the Caliph Omar to rebuild "the Temple of the Lord." Assisted by -the principal chieftains of his army, the Commander of the Faithful -undertook the pious office of clearing the ground with his own hands, -and of tracing out the foundations of the magnificent mosque which now -crowns with its dark and swelling dome the elevated summit of Mount -Moriah. - -This great house of prayer, the most holy Mussulman Temple in the world -after that of Mecca, is erected over the spot where "Solomon began -to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where -the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had -prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite." It remains to -this day in a state of perfect preservation, and is one of the finest -specimens of Saracenic architecture in existence. It is entered by -four spacious doorways, each door facing one of the cardinal points; -the _Bab el D'Jannat_, or gate of the garden, on the north; the _Bab -el Kebla_, or gate of prayer, on the south; the _Bab ib'n el Daoud_, -or the gate of the son of David, on the east; and the _Bab el Garbi_, -on the west. By the Arabian geographers it is called _Beit Allah_, the -house of God, also _Beit Almokaddas_, or _Beit Almacdes_, the holy -house. From it Jerusalem derives its Arabic name, _el Kods_, the holy, -_el Schereef_, the noble, and _el Mobarek_, the blessed. - -The crescent had been torn down by the crusaders from the summit of -this great Mussulman Temple, and replaced by an immense golden cross, -and the edifice was consecrated to the services of the christian -religion, but retained its simple appellation of "The Temple of the -Lord." William, Archbishop of Tyre and Chancellor of the Kingdom of -Jerusalem, gives an interesting account of the building as it existed -in his time during the Latin dominion. He speaks of the splendid mosaic -work on the walls; of the Arabic characters setting forth the name of -the founder, and the cost of the undertaking; and of the famous rock -under the centre of the dome, which is to this day shown by the Moslems -as the spot whereon the destroying angel stood, "with his drawn sword -in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem."[1] This rock, he informs -us, was left exposed and uncovered for the space of fifteen years after -the conquest of the holy city by the crusaders, but was, after that -period, cased with a handsome altar of white marble, upon which the -priests daily said mass. - -To the south of this holy Mussulman temple, on the extreme edge of -the summit of Mount Moriah, and resting against the modern walls of -the town of Jerusalem, stands the venerable christian church of the -Virgin, erected by the Emperor Justinian, whose stupendous foundations, -remaining to this day, fully justify the astonishing description given -of the building by Procopius. That writer informs us that in order to -get a level surface for the erection of the edifice, it was necessary, -on the east and south sides of the hill, to raise up a wall of masonry -from the valley below, and to construct a vast foundation, partly -composed of solid stone and partly of arches and pillars. The stones -were of such magnitude, that each block required to be transported in -a truck drawn by forty of the emperor's strongest oxen; and to admit -of the passage of these trucks it was necessary to widen the roads -leading to Jerusalem. The forests of Lebanon yielded their choicest -cedars for the timbers of the roof, and a quarry of variegated marble, -in the adjoining mountains, furnished the edifice with superb marble -columns.[2] The interior of this interesting structure, which still -remains at Jerusalem, after a lapse of more than thirteen centuries, -in an excellent state of preservation, is adorned with six rows of -columns, from whence spring arches supporting the cedar beams and -timbers of the roof, and at the end of the building is a round tower, -surmounted by a dome. The vast stones, the walls of masonry, and the -subterranean colonnade raised to support the south-east angle of the -platform whereon the church is erected, are truly wonderful, and may -still be seen by penetrating through a small door, and descending -several flights of steps at the south-east corner of the enclosure. -Adjoining the sacred edifice, the emperor erected hospitals, or houses -of refuge, for travellers, sick people, and mendicants of all nations, -the foundations whereof, composed of handsome Roman masonry, are still -visible on either side of the southern end of the building. - -On the conquest of Jerusalem by the Moslems, this venerable church -was converted into a mosque, and was called _D'Jame al Acsa_; it was -enclosed, together with the great Mussulman Temple of the Lord erected -by the Caliph Omar, within a large area by a high stone wall, which -runs around the edge of the summit of Mount Moriah, and guards from -the profane tread of the unbeliever the whole of that sacred ground -whereon once stood the gorgeous temple of the wisest of kings. When the -Holy City was taken by the crusaders, the _D'Jame al Acsa_, with the -various buildings constructed around it, became the property of the -kings of Jerusalem: and is denominated by William of Tyre "the palace," -or "royal house to the south of the Temple of the Lord, vulgarly called -the TEMPLE OF SOLOMON." It was this edifice or temple on Mount Moriah -which was appropriated to the poor fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ, as -they had no _church_ and no particular place of abode, and from it they -derived their name of Knights Templars.[3] The canons of the Temple -of the Lord conceded to them the large court extending between that -building and the Temple of Solomon; the king, the patriarch, and the -prelates of Jerusalem, and the barons of the Latin kingdom, assigned -them various gifts and revenues for their maintenance and support, and -the order being now settled in a regular place of abode, the knights -soon began to entertain more extended views, and to seek a larger -theatre for the exercise of their holy profession. - -Their first aim and object had been, as before mentioned, simply to -protect the poor pilgrims, on their journey backwards and forwards, -from the sea-coast to Jerusalem; but as the hostile tribes of -Mussulmen, which everywhere surrounded the Latin kingdom, were -gradually recovering from the terror into which they had been plunged -by the successful and exterminating warfare of the first crusaders, -and were assuming an aggressive and threatening attitude, it was -determined that the holy warriors of the Temple should, in addition to -the protection of pilgrims, make the defence of the christian kingdom -of Jerusalem, of the eastern church, and of all the holy places, a part -of their particular profession. The two most distinguished members of -the fraternity were Hugh de Payens and Geoffrey de St. Aldemar, or St. -Omer, two valiant soldiers of the cross, who had fought with great -credit and renown at the siege of Jerusalem. Hugh de Payens was chosen -by the knights to be the superior of the new religious and military -society, by the title of "The Master of the Temple;" and he has, -consequently, generally been called the founder of the order. - -Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, foreseeing that great advantages would -accrue to the Latin kingdom by the increase of the power and numbers of -these holy warriors, despatched two Knights Templars to St. Bernard, -the holy Abbot of Clairvaux, with a letter, telling him that the -Templars whom the Lord had deigned to raise up, and whom in a wonderful -manner he preserved for the defence of Palestine, desired to obtain -from the Holy See the confirmation of their institution, and a rule -for their particular guidance, and beseeching him "to obtain from the -Pope the approbation of their order, and to induce his holiness to send -succour and subsidies against the enemies of the faith."[4] Shortly -afterwards Hugh de Payens himself proceeded to Rome, accompanied by -Geoffrey de St. Aldemar, and four other brothers of the order, who -were received with great honour and distinction by Pope Honorius. A -great ecclesiastical council was assembled at Troyes, (A. D. 1128,) -which Hugh de Payens and his brethren were invited to attend, and the -rules to which the Templars had subjected themselves being there -described, the holy Abbot of Clairvaux undertook the task of revising -and correcting them, and of forming a code of statutes fit and proper -for the governance of the great religious and military fraternity of -the Temple. - - -Regula Pauperum Commilitonum Christi et Templi Salomonis. - -"THE RULE OF THE POOR FELLOW SOLDIERS OF JESUS CHRIST AND OF THE TEMPLE -OF SOLOMON," arranged by St. Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy -Fathers of the Council of Troyes, for the government and regulation -of the monastic and military society of the Temple, is principally -of a religious character, and of an austere and gloomy cast. It is -divided into seventy-two heads or chapters, and is preceded by a short -prologue, addressed "to all who disdain to follow after their own -wills, and desire with purity of mind to fight for the most high and -true king," exhorting them to put on the armour of obedience, and to -associate themselves together with piety and humility for the defence -of the holy catholic church; and to employ a pure diligence, and a -steady perseverance in the exercise of their sacred profession, so that -they might share in the happy destiny reserved for the holy warriors -who had given up their lives for Christ. - -The rule enjoins severe devotional exercises, self-mortification, -fasting, and prayer, and a constant attendance at matins, vespers, and -on all the services of the church, that "being refreshed and satisfied -with heavenly food, instructed and stablished with heavenly precepts, -after the consummation of the divine mysteries," none might be afraid -of the _fight_, but be prepared for the _crown_. The following extracts -from this rule may be read with interest. - -"VIII. In one common hall, or refectory, we will that you take meat -together, where, if your wants cannot be made known by signs, ye are -softly and privately to ask for what you want. If at any time the thing -you require is not to be found, you must seek it with all gentleness, -and with submission and reverence to the board, in remembrance of the -words of the apostle, _Eat thy bread in silence_, and in emulation of -the psalmist, who says, _I have set a watch upon my mouth_; that is, -I have communed with myself that I may not offend, that is, with my -tongue; that is, I have guarded my mouth, that I may not speak evil. - -"XI. Two and two ought in general to eat together, that one may have an -eye upon another.... - -"XVII. After the brothers have once departed from the hall to bed, it -must not be permitted any one to speak in public, except it be upon -urgent necessity. But whatever is spoken must be said in an under tone -by the knight to his esquire. Perchance, however, in the interval -between prayers and sleep, it may behove you, from urgent necessity, no -opportunity having occurred during the day, to speak on some military -matter, or concerning the state of your house, with some portion of -the brethren, or with the Master, or with him to whom the government -of the house has been confided: this, then, we order to be done in -conformity with that which hath been written: _In many words thou shalt -not avoid sin;_ and in another place, _Life and death are in the hands -of the tongue._ In that discourse, therefore, we utterly prohibit -scurrility and idle words moving unto laughter, and on going to bed, if -any one among you hath uttered a foolish saying, we enjoin him, in all -humility, and with purity of devotion, to repeat the Lord's Prayer. - -"XX. ... To all the professed knights, both in winter and summer, we -give, if they can be procured, WHITE GARMENTS, that those who have cast -behind them a dark life may know that they are to commend themselves -to their Creator by a pure and white life. For what is whiteness but -perfect chastity, and chastity is the security of the soul and the -health of the body. And unless every knight shall continue chaste, he -shall not come to perpetual rest, nor see God, as the apostle Paul -witnesseth: _Follow after peace with all men, and chastity, without -which no man shall see God_.... - -"XXI. ... Let all the esquires and retainers be clothed in _black_ -garments: but if such cannot be found, let them have what can be -procured in the province where they live, so that they be of one -colour, and such as is of a meaner character, viz. brown. - -"XXII. It is granted to none to wear WHITE habits, or to have WHITE -mantles, excepting the above-named knights of Christ. - -"XXXVII. We will not that gold or silver, which is the mark of private -wealth, should ever be seen on your bridles, breastplates, or spurs, -nor should it be permitted to any brother to buy such. If, indeed, such -like furniture shall have been charitably bestowed upon you, the gold -and silver must be so coloured, that its splendour and beauty may not -impart to the wearer an appearance of arrogance beyond his fellows. - -"XLI. It is in no wise lawful for any of the brothers to receive -letters from his parents, or from any man, or to send letters, without -the license of the Master, or of the procurator. After the brother -shall have had leave, they must be read in the presence of the Master, -if it so pleaseth him. If, indeed, anything whatever shall have been -directed to him from his parents, let him not presume to receive it -until information has been first given to the Master. But in this -regulation the Master and the procurators of the houses are not -included. - -"XLII. We forbid, and we resolutely condemn, all tales related by -any brother, of the follies and irregularities of which he hath been -guilty in the world, or in military matters, either with his brother -or with any other man. It shall not be permitted him to speak with his -brother of the irregularities of other men, nor of the delights of the -flesh with miserable women; and if by chance he should hear another -discoursing of such things, he shall make him silent, or with the swift -foot of obedience he shall depart from him as soon as he is able, and -shall lend not the ear of the heart to the vender of idle tales. - -"XLIII. If any gift shall be made to a brother, let it be taken to the -Master or the treasurer. If, indeed, his friend or his parent will -consent to make the gift only on condition that he useth it himself, -he must not receive it until permission hath been obtained from the -Master. And whosoever shall have received a present, let it not grieve -him if it be given to another. Yea, let him know assuredly, that if he -be angry at it, he striveth against God. - -"XLVI. We are all of opinion that none of you should dare to follow -the sport of catching one bird with another: for it is not agreeable -unto religion for you to be addicted unto worldly delights, but rather -willingly to hear the precepts of the Lord, constantly to kneel down to -prayer, and daily to confess your sins before God with sighs and tears. -Let no brother, for the above especial reason, presume to go forth with -a man following such diversions with a hawk, or with any other bird. - -"XLVII. Forasmuch as it becometh all religion to behave decently and -humbly without laughter, and to speak sparingly but sensibly, and not -in a loud tone, we specially command and direct every professed brother -that he venture not to shoot in the woods either with a long-bow or a -cross-bow; and for the same reason, that he venture not to accompany -another who shall do the like, except it be for the purpose of -protecting him from the perfidious infidel; neither shall he dare to -halloo, or to talk to a dog, nor shall he spur his horse with a desire -of securing the game. - -"LI. Under Divine Providence, as we do believe, this new kind of -religion was introduced by you in the holy places, that is to say, the -union of WARFARE with RELIGION, so that religion, being armed, maketh -her way by the sword, and smiteth the enemy without sin. Therefore we -do rightly adjudge, since ye are called KNIGHTS OF THE TEMPLE, that for -your renowned merit, and especial gift of godliness, ye ought to have -lands and men, and possess husbandmen and justly govern them, and the -customary services ought to be specially rendered unto you. - -"LV. We permit you to have married brothers in this manner, if such -should seek to participate in the benefit of your fraternity; let -both the man and his wife grant, from and after their death, their -respective portions of property, and whatever more they acquire in -after life, to the unity of the common chapter; and, in the interim, -let them exercise an honest life, and labour to do good to the -brethren: but they are not permitted to appear in the white habit and -white mantle. If the husband dies first, he must leave his portion of -the patrimony to the brethren, and the wife shall have her maintenance -out of the residue, and let her depart therewith; for we consider it -most improper that such women should remain in one and the same house -with the brethren who have promised chastity unto God. - -"LVI. It is moreover exceedingly dangerous to join sisters with you in -your holy profession, for the ancient enemy hath drawn many away from -the right path to paradise through the society of women: therefore, -dear brothers, that the flower of righteousness may always flourish -amongst you, let this custom from henceforth be utterly done away with. - -"LXIV. The brothers who are journeying through different provinces -should observe the rule, so far as they are able, in their meat -and drink, and let them attend to it in other matters, and live -irreproachably, that they may get a good name out of doors. Let them -not tarnish their religious purpose either by word or deed; let them -afford to all with whom they may be associated, an example of wisdom, -and a perseverance in all good works. Let him with whom they lodge be -a man of the best repute, and, if it be possible, let not the house of -the host on that night be without a light, lest the dark enemy (from -whom God preserve us) should find some opportunity. - -"LXVIII. Care must be taken that no brother, powerful or weak, strong -or feeble, desirous of exalting himself, becoming proud by degrees, -or defending his own fault, remain unchastened. If he showeth a -disposition to amend, let a stricter system of correction be added: but -if by godly admonition and earnest reasoning he will not be amended, -but will go on more and more lifting himself up with pride, then let -him be cast out of the holy flock in obedience to the apostle, _Take -away evil from among you._ It is necessary that from the society of -the Faithful Brothers the dying sheep be removed. But let the Master, -who _ought to hold the staff and the rod in his hand_, that is to say, -the staff that he may support the infirmities of the weak, and the -rod that he may with the zeal of rectitude strike down the vices of -delinquents; let him study, with the counsel of the patriarch and with -spiritual circumspection, to act so that, as blessed Maximus saith, The -sinner be not encouraged by easy lenity, nor hardened in his iniquity -by immoderate severity. LASTLY. We hold it dangerous to all religion -to gaze too much on the countenance of women; and therefore no brother -shall presume to kiss neither widow, nor virgin, nor mother, nor -sister, nor aunt, nor any other woman. Let the knighthood of Christ -shun _feminine kisses_, through which men have very often been drawn -into danger, so that each, with a pure conscience and secure life, may -be able to walk everlastingly in the sight of God." - - -After the confirmation by a Papal bull of the rules and statutes of -the order, Hugh de Payens proceeded to France, and from thence he came -to England, and the following account is given of his arrival, in the -Saxon chronicle. "This same year, (A. D. 1128,) Hugh of the Temple -came from Jerusalem to the king in Normandy, and the king received him -with much honour, and gave him much treasure in gold and silver, and -afterwards he sent him into England, and there he was well received -by all good men, and all gave him treasure, and in Scotland also, and -they sent in all a great sum in gold and silver by him to Jerusalem, -and there went with him and after him so great a number as never before -since the days of Pope Urban."[5] Grants of lands, as well as of money, -were at the same time made to Hugh de Payens and his brethren, some -of which were shortly afterwards confirmed by King Stephen on his -accession to the throne, (A. D. 1135.) Among these is a grant of the -manor of Bistelesham made to the Templars by Count Robert de Ferrara, -and a grant of the church of Langeforde in Bedfordshire made by Simon -de Wahull, and Sibylla his wife, and Walter their son. - -Hugh de Payens, before his departure, placed a Knight Templar at the -head of the order in this country, who was called the Prior of the -Temple, and was the procurator and vicegerent of the Master. It was -his duty to manage the estates granted to the fraternity, and to -transmit the revenues to Jerusalem. He was also delegated with the -power of admitting members into the order, subject to the control and -direction of the Master, and was to provide means of transport for such -newly-admitted brethren to the far east, to enable them to fulfil the -duties of their profession. As the houses of the Temple increased in -number in England, sub-priors came to be appointed, and the superior -of the order in this country was then called the Grand Prior, and -afterwards Master of the Temple. - -An astonishing enthusiasm was excited throughout Christendom in behalf -of the Templars; princes and nobles, sovereigns and their subjects, -vied with each other in heaping gifts and benefits upon them, and -scarce a will of importance was made without an article in it in their -favour. Many illustrious persons on their deathbeds took the vows, that -they might be buried in the habit of the order; and sovereign princes, -quitting the government of their kingdoms, enrolled themselves amongst -the holy fraternity, and bequeathed even their dominions to the Master -and the brethren of the Temple. St. Bernard, at the request of Hugh de -Payens, took up his powerful pen in their behalf. In a famous discourse -"In praise of the New Chivalry," the holy abbot sets forth, in eloquent -and enthusiastic terms, the spiritual advantages and blessings enjoyed -by the military friars of the Temple over all other warriors. He draws -a curious picture of the relative situations and circumstances of the -_secular_ soldiery and the soldiery of CHRIST, and shows how different -in the sight of God are the bloodshed and slaughter perpetrated by -the one, from that committed by the other. Addressing himself to the -secular soldiers he says "Ye cover your horses with silken trappings, -and I know not how much fine cloth hangs pendent from your coats of -mail. Ye paint your spears, shields, and saddles; your bridles and -spurs are adorned on all sides with gold, and silver, and gems, and -with all this pomp, with a shameful fury and a reckless insensibility, -ye rush on to death. Are these military ensigns, or are they not rather -the garnishments of women? Can it happen that the sharp-pointed sword -of the enemy will respect gold, will it spare gems, will it be unable -to penetrate the silken garment? Lastly, as ye yourselves have often -experienced, three things are indispensably necessary to the success -of the soldier; he must be bold, active, and circumspect; quick in -running, prompt in striking; ye, however, to the disgust of the eye, -nourish your hair after the manner of women, ye gather around your -footsteps long and flowing vestures, ye bury up your delicate and -tender hands in ample and wide-spreading sleeves. Among you, indeed, -nought provoketh war or awakeneth strife, but either an irrational -impulse of anger, or an insane lust of glory, or the covetous desire of -possessing another man's lands and possessions. In such causes it is -neither safe to slay nor to be slain. - -"And now we will briefly display the mode of life of the Knights of -Christ, such as it is in the field and in the convent, by which means -it will be made plainly manifest to what extent the soldiery of GOD -and the soldiery of the WORLD differ from one another.... The soldiers -of Christ live together in common in an agreeable but frugal manner, -without wives, and without children; and that nothing may be wanting to -evangelical perfection, they dwell together without separate property -of any kind, in one house, under one rule, careful to preserve the -unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. You may say, that to the -whole multitude there is but one heart and one soul, as each one in -no respect followeth after his own will or desire, but is diligent to -do the will of the Master. They are never idle nor rambling abroad, -but when they are not in the field, that they may not eat their bread -in idleness, they are fitting and repairing their armour and their -clothing, or employing themselves in such occupations as the will of -the Master requireth, or their common necessities render expedient. -Among them there is no distinction of persons; respect is paid to the -best and most virtuous, not the most noble. They participate in each -other's honour, they bear one another's burthens, that they may fulfil -the law of Christ. An insolent expression, a useless undertaking, -immoderate laughter, the least murmur or whispering, if found out, -passeth not without severe rebuke. They detest cards and dice, they -shun the sports of the field, and take no delight in that ludicrous -catching of birds, (hawking,) which men are wont to indulge in. -Jesters, and soothsayers, and storytellers, scurrilous songs, shows and -games, they contemptuously despise and abominate as vanities and mad -follies. They cut their hair, knowing that, according to the apostle, -it is not seemly in a man to have long hair. They are never combed, -seldom washed, but appear rather with rough neglected hair, foul with -dust, and with skins browned by the sun and their coats of mail. -Moreover, on the approach of battle they fortify themselves with faith -within, and with steel without, and not with gold, so that armed and -not adorned, they may strike terror into the enemy, rather than awaken -his lust of plunder. They strive earnestly to possess strong and swift -horses, but not garnished with ornaments or decked with trappings, -thinking of battle and of victory, and not of pomp and show, and -studying to inspire fear rather than admiration.... - -"There is a Temple at Jerusalem in which they dwell together, unequal, -it is true, as a building, to that ancient and most famous one of -Solomon, but not inferior in glory. For truly, the entire magnificence -of that consisted in corrupt things, in gold and silver, in carved -stone, and in a variety of woods; but the whole beauty of this resteth -in the adornment of an agreeable conversation, in the godly devotion -of its inmates, and their beautifully-ordered mode of life. That was -admired for its various external beauties, this is venerated for its -different virtues and sacred actions, as becomes the sanctity of the -house of God, who delighteth not so much in polished marbles as in -well-ordered behaviour, and regardeth pure minds more than gilded -walls. The face likewise of this Temple is adorned with arms, not -with gems, and the wall, instead of the ancient golden chapiters, is -covered around with pendent shields. Instead of the ancient candelabra, -censers, and lavers, the house is on all sides furnished with bridles, -saddles, and lances, all which plainly demonstrate that the soldiers -burn with the same zeal for the house of God, as that which formerly -animated their great leader, when, vehemently enraged, he entered into -the Temple, and with that most sacred hand, armed not with steel, -but with a scourge which he had made of small thongs, drove out the -merchants, poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables of -them that sold doves; most indignantly condemning the pollution of the -house of prayer, by the making of it a place of merchandize." - -St. Bernard then congratulates Jerusalem on the advent of the soldiers -of Christ, "Be joyful, O Jerusalem," says he, in the words of the -prophet Isaiah, "and know that the time of thy visitation hath -arrived. Arise now, shake thyself from the dust, &c., &c. HAIL, O -holy city, hallowed by the tabernacle of the Most High! HAIL, city of -the great King, wherein so many wonderful and welcome miracles have -been perpetually displayed. HAIL, mistress of the nations, princess -of provinces, possession of patriarchs, mother of the prophets and -apostles, initiatress of the faith, glory of the christian people, -whom God hath on that account always from the beginning permitted to -be visited with affliction, that thou mightest thus be the occasion of -virtue as well as of salvation to brave men. HAIL, land of promise, -which, formerly flowing only with milk and honey for thy possessors, -now stretchest forth the food of life, and the means of salvation -to the entire world. Most excellent and happy land, I say, which, -receiving the celestial grain from the recess of the paternal heart, -in that most fruitful bosom of thine, has produced such rich harvests -of martyrs from the heavenly seed, and whose fertile soil has no less -manifoldly engendered fruit a thirtieth, sixtieth, and a hundredfold -in the remaining race of all the faithful throughout the entire world. -Whence most agreeably satiated, and most abundantly crammed with the -great store of thy pleasantness, those who have seen thee diffuse -around them in every place the remembrance of thy abundant sweetness, -and tell of the magnificence of thy glory to the very end of the earth -to those who have not seen thee, and relate the wonderful things that -are done in thee. - -"Glorious things are spoken concerning thee, CITY OF GOD!" - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Hugh de Payens returns to Palestine--His death--Robert de Craon - made Master--The second Crusade--The Templars assume the Red - Cross--Lands, manors, and churches granted them in England--Bernard - de Tremelay made Master--He is slain by the Infidels--Bertrand - de Blanquefort made Master--He is taken prisoner, and sent in - chains to Aleppo--the Pope confers vast privileges upon the - Templars--The knights, priests, and serving brethren of the - order--Their religious and military enthusiasm--Their war banner - called _Beauseant_--Rise of the rival religio-military order - of the Hospital of St. John--Contests between Saladin and the - Templars--Imprisonment and death of the Grand Master--The new - Master and the Patriarch go to England for succour--Consecration of - the Temple church at London. - - "We heard the _tecbir_, so the Arabs call - Their shout of onset, when with loud appeal - They challenge _heaven_, as if commanding conquest." - - -Hugh de Payens, having now laid in Europe the foundations of the great -monastic and military institution of the Temple, which was destined -shortly to spread its ramifications to the remotest quarters of -Christendom, returned to Palestine at the head of a valiant band of -newly-elected Templars, drawn principally from England and France. On -their arrival at Jerusalem they were received with great distinction -by the king, the clergy, and the barons of the Latin kingdom. Hugh -de Payens died, however, shortly after his return, and was succeeded -(A. D. 1136) by the Lord Robert, surnamed the Burgundian, (son-in-law -of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury,) who, after the death of his -wife, had taken the vows and the habit of the Templars.[6] At this -period the fierce religious and military enthusiasm of the Mussulmen -had been again aroused by the warlike Zinghis, and his son Noureddin, -two of the most famous chieftains of the age. The one was named -_Emod-ed-deen_, "Pillar of religion;" and the other _Nour-ed-deen_, -"Light of Religion," vulgarly, Noureddin. The Templars were worsted -by overpowering numbers. The latin kingdom of Jerusalem was shaken to -its foundations, and the oriental clergy in trepidation and alarm sent -urgent letters to the Pope for assistance. - -The Lord Robert, Master of the Temple, had at this period (A. D. 1146) -been succeeded by Everard des Barres, Prior of France, who convened -a general chapter of the order at Paris, which was attended by Pope -Eugenius the Third, Louis the Seventh, king of France, and many -prelates, princes, and nobles, from all parts of Christendom. The -second crusade was there arranged, and the Templars, with the sanction -of the Pope, assumed the blood-red cross, the symbol of martyrdom, as -the distinguishing badge of the order, which was appointed to be worn -on their habits and mantles on the left side of the breast over the -heart, whence they came afterwards to be known by the name of the _Red -Friars_ and the _Red Cross Knights_. At this famous assembly various -donations were made to the Templars, to enable them to provide more -effectually for the defence of the Holy Land. Bernard Baliol, through -love of God and for the good of his soul, granted them his estate -of Wedelee, in Hertfordshire, which afterwards formed part of the -preceptory of Temple Dynnesley. This grant is expressed to be made at -the chapter held at Easter, in Paris, in the presence of the Pope, the -king of France, several archbishops, and one hundred and thirty Knights -Templars clad in white mantles.[7] - -Brother Everard des Barres, the newly-elected Master of the Temple, -having collected together all the brethren from the western provinces, -joined the second crusade to Palestine. During the march through Asia -Minor, the rear of the christian army was protected by the Templars, -who greatly signalized themselves on every occasion. Odo of Deuil, or -Diagolum, the chaplain of King Louis, and his constant attendant upon -this expedition, informs us that the king loved to see the frugality -and simplicity of the Templars, and to imitate it; he praised their -union and disinterestedness, admired above all things the attention -they paid to their accoutrements, and their care in husbanding and -preserving their equipage and munitions of war, and proposed them as a -model to the rest of the army.[8] - -Conrad, emperor of Germany, had preceded King Louis at the head of a -powerful army, which was cut to pieces by the infidels in the north -of Asia; he fled to Constantinople, embarked on board some merchant -vessels, and arrived with only a few attendants at Jerusalem, where -he was received and entertained by the Templars, and was lodged in -the Temple in the Holy City. Shortly afterwards King Louis arrived, -accompanied by the new Master of the Temple, Everard des Barres; and -the Templars now unfolded for the first time the red-cross banner -in the field of battle. This was a white standard made of woollen -stuff, having in the centre of it the blood-red cross granted by Pope -Eugenius. The two monarchs, Louis and Conrad, took the field, supported -by the Templars, and laid siege to the magnificent city of Damascus, -"the Queen of Syria," which was defended by the great Noureddin, "Light -of religion," and his brother _Saif-eddin_, "Sword of the faith." - -The services rendered by the Templars are thus gratefully recorded in -the following letter sent by Louis, the French king, to his minister -and vicegerent, the famous Suger, abbot of St. Denis: "I cannot imagine -how we could have subsisted for even the smallest space of time in -these parts, had it not been for their (the Templars') support and -assistance, which have never failed me from the first day I set foot in -these lands up to the time of my despatching this letter--a succour -ably afforded and generously persevered in. I therefore earnestly -beseech you, that as these brothers of the Temple have hitherto -been blessed with the love of God, so now they may be gladdened and -sustained by our love and favour. I have to inform you that they have -lent me a considerable sum of money, which must be repaid to them -quickly, that their house may not suffer, and that I may keep my -word...."[9] - -Among the English nobility who enlisted in the second crusade were the -two renowned warriors, Roger de Mowbray and William de Warrenne. Roger -de Mowbray was one of the most powerful and warlike of the barons of -England, and was one of the victorious leaders at the famous battle of -the standard: he marched with King Louis to Palestine; fought under -the banners of the Temple against the infidels, and, smitten with -admiration of the piety and valour of the holy warriors of the order, -he gave them, on his return to England, many valuable estates and -possessions. Among these were the manors of Kileby and Witheley, divers -lands in the isle of Axholme, the town of Balshall in the county of -Warwick, and various places in Yorkshire: and so munificent were his -donations, that the Templars conceded to him and to his heirs various -special privileges. About the same period, Stephen, King of England, -granted and confirmed "to God and the blessed Virgin Mary, and to the -brethren of the Knighthood of the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem, -all the manor of Cressynge, with the advowson of the church of the -same manor, and also the manors of Egle and Witham." Queen Matilda, -likewise, granted them the manor of Covele or Cowley in Oxfordshire, -two mills in the same county, common of pasture in Shotover forest, and -the church of Stretton in Rutland. Ralph de Hastings and William de -Hastings also gave to the Templars, in the same reign, (A. D. 1152,) -lands at Hurst and Wyxham in Yorkshire, afterwards formed into the -preceptory of Temple Hurst. William Asheby granted them the estate -whereon the house and church of Temple Bruere were afterwards erected; -and the order continued rapidly to increase in power and wealth in -England and in all parts of Europe, through the charitable donations of -pious Christians.[10] - -After the miserable failure of the second crusade, brother Everard -des Barres, the Master of the Temple, returned to Paris, with his -friend and patron Louis, the French king; and the Templars, deprived -of their chief, were now left, alone and unaided, to withstand the -victorious career of the fanatical Mussulmen. Their miserable situation -is pourtrayed in a melancholy letter from the treasurer of the order, -written to the Master, Everard des Barres, during his sojourn at the -court of the king of France, informing him of the slaughter of the -prince of Antioch and all his nobility. "We conjure you," says he, "to -bring with you from beyond sea all our knights and serving brothers -capable of bearing arms. Perchance, alas! with all your diligence, you -may not find one of us alive. Use, therefore, all imaginable celerity; -pray forget not the necessities of our house: they are such that no -tongue can express them. It is also of the last importance to announce -to the Pope, to the king of France, and to all the princes and prelates -of Europe, the approaching desolation of the Holy Land, to the intent -that they succour us in person, or send us subsidies." - -The Master of the Temple, however, instead of proceeding to Palestine, -abdicated his authority, and entered into the monastery of Clairvaux, -where he devoted the remainder of his days to the most rigorous -penance and mortification. He was succeeded (A. D. 1151) by Bernard de -Tremelay, a nobleman of an illustrious family in Burgundy, in France, -and a valiant and experienced soldier.[11] - -Shortly after his accession to power, the infidels crossed the -Jordan, and advanced within sight of Jerusalem. Their banners waved -on the summit of the Mount of Olives, and the warlike sound of their -kettle-drums and trumpets was heard within the sacred precincts of the -holy city. They encamped on the mount over against the Temple; and had -the satisfaction of regarding from a distance the _Beit Allah_, or -Temple of the Lord, their holy house of prayer; but in a night attack -they were defeated with terrible slaughter, and were pursued all the -way to the Jordan, five thousand of their number being left dead on the -plain. - -On the 20th of April, A. D. 1153, the Templars lost their great patron -Saint Bernard, who died in the sixty-third year of his age. On his -deathbed he wrote three letters in behalf of the order. The first -was addressed to the patriarch of Antioch, exhorting him to protect -and encourage the Templars, a thing which the holy abbot assures him -will prove most acceptable to God and man. The second was written to -Melesinda, queen of Jerusalem, praising her majesty for the favour -shown by her to the brethren of the order; and the third, addressed to -Brother Andre de Montbard, a Knight Templar, conveys the affectionate -salutations of St. Bernard to the Master and brethren, to whose prayers -he recommends himself. - -The same year the Master of the Temple perished at the head of his -knights whilst attempting to carry the important city of Ascalon by -storm. Passing through a breach made in the walls, he penetrated into -the centre of the town, and was there surrounded and overpowered. -The dead bodies of the Master and his ill-fated knights were exposed -in triumph from the walls; and, according to the testimony of an -eye-witness, not a single Templar escaped. - -De Tremelay was succeeded (A. D. 1154) by Brother Bertrand de -Blanquefort, a knight of a noble family of Guienne, called by William -of Tyre a pious and God-fearing man. On Tuesday, June 19, A. D. 1156, -the Templars were drawn into an ambuscade whilst marching with Baldwin, -king of Jerusalem, near Tiberias, three hundred of the brethren were -slain on the field of battle, and eighty-seven fell into the hands of -the enemy, among whom was Bertrand de Blanquefort himself, and Brother -Odo, marshal of the kingdom. Shortly afterwards, a small band of them -captured a large detachment of Saracens; and in a night attack on the -camp of Noureddin, they compelled that famous chieftain to fly, without -arms and half-naked, from the field of battle. In this last affair the -name of Robert Mansel, an Englishman, and Gilbert de Lacy, preceptor of -the Temple of Tripoli, are honourably mentioned.[12] - -The fiery zeal and warlike enthusiasm of the Templars were equalled, -if not surpassed, by the stern fanaticism and religious ardour of the -followers of Mahomet. "Noureddin fought," says his oriental biographer, -"like the meanest of his soldiers, saying, 'Alas! it is now a long time -that I have been seeking martyrdom without being able to obtain it.' -The Imaum Koteb-ed-din, hearing him on one occasion utter these words, -exclaimed, 'In the name of God do not put your life in danger, do not -thus expose Islam and the Moslems. Thou art their stay and support, -and if (but God preserve us therefrom) thou shouldest be slain, we -are all undone.' 'Ah! Koteb-ed-deen,' said he, 'what hast thou said, -who can save _Islam_ and our country, but that great God who has no -equal?' 'What,' said he, on another occasion, 'do we not look to the -security of our houses against robbers and plunderers, and shall we not -defend RELIGION?'"[13] Like the Templars, Noureddin fought constantly -with spiritual and with carnal weapons. He resisted the world and -its temptations, by fasting and prayer, and by the daily exercise of -the moral and religious duties and virtues inculcated in the Koran. -He fought with the sword against the foes of Islam, and employed -his whole energies, to the last hour of his life in the enthusiastic -and fanatic struggle for the recovery of Jerusalem.[14] In his camp, -all profane and frivolous conversation was severely prohibited; the -exercises of religion were assiduously practised, and the intervals of -action were employed in prayer, meditation, and the study of the Koran. -"The sword," says the prophet Mahomet, in that remarkable book, "is the -key of heaven and of hell; a drop of blood shed in the cause of God, a -night spent in arms, is of more avail than two months of fasting and -of prayer. Whosoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven him. At -the day of judgment his wounds will be resplendent as vermillion, and -odoriferous as musk, and the loss of limbs shall be supplied by the -wings of angels and cherubims." - -Among the many instances of the fanatical ardour of the Moslem -warriors, are the following, extracted from the history of _Abu -Abdollah Alwakidi_, Cadi of Bagdad. "Methinks," said a valiant Saracen -youth, in the heat of battle--"methinks I see the black-eyed girls -looking upon me, one of whom, should she appear in this world, all -mankind would die for love of her; and I see in the hand of one of them -a handkerchief of green silk, and a cap made of precious stones, and -she beckons me, and calls out, Come hither quickly, for I love thee." -With these words, charging the Christian host, he made havoc wherever -he went, until at last he was struck down by a javelin. "It is not," -said another dying Arabian warrior, when he embraced for the last time -his sister and mother--"it is not the fading pleasure of this world -that has prompted me to devote my life in the cause of RELIGION, I -seek the favour of GOD and his APOSTLE, and I have heard from one of -the companions of the prophet, that the spirits of the martyrs will be -lodged in the crops of green birds who taste the fruits and drink of -the waters of paradise. Farewell: we shall meet again among the groves -and fountains which God has prepared for his elect."[15] - -The Master of the Temple, Brother Bertrand de Blanquefort, was -liberated from captivity at the instance of Manuel Comnenus, Emperor -of Constantinople. After his release, he wrote several letters to -Louis VII., king of France, describing the condition and prospects -of the Holy Land: the increasing power and boldness of the infidels; -and the ruin and desolation caused by a dreadful earthquake, which -had overthrown numerous castles, prostrated the walls and defences of -several towns, and swallowed up the dwellings of the inhabitants. "The -persecutors of the church," says he, "hasten to avail themselves of -our misfortunes; they gather themselves together from the ends of the -earth, and come forth as one man against the sanctuary of God." - -It was during his mastership, that Geoffrey, the Knight Templar, and -Hugh of Caesarea, were sent on an embassy into Egypt, and had their -famous interview with the Caliph. They were introduced into the palace -of the Fatimites through a series of gloomy passages and glittering -porticos, amid the warbling of birds and the murmur of fountains; the -scene was enriched by a display of costly furniture and rare animals; -and the long order of unfolding doors was guarded by black soldiers and -domestic eunuchs. The sanctuary of the presence chamber was veiled with -a curtain, and the vizier who conducted the ambassadors laid aside his -scimitar, and prostrated himself three times on the ground; the veil -was then removed, and they saw the Commander of the Faithful.[16] - -Brother Bertrand de Blanquefort, in his letters to the king of France, -gives an account of the military operations undertaken by the order of -the Temple in Egypt, and of the capture of the populous and important -city of Belbeis, the ancient Pelusium.[17] During the absence of the -Master with the greater part of the fraternity on that expedition, -the sultan Noureddin invaded Palestine; he defeated with terrible -slaughter the serving brethren and Turcopoles, or light horse of the -order, who remained to defend the country, and sixty of the knights who -commanded them were left dead on the plain. Amalric, king of Jerusalem, -the successor of Baldwin the Third, in a letter "to his dear friend -and father," Louis the Seventh, king of France, beseeches the good -offices of that monarch in behalf of all the devout Christians of the -Holy Land; "but above all," says he, "we earnestly entreat your Majesty -constantly to extend to the utmost your favour and regard to the -Brothers of the Temple, who continually render up their lives for God -and the faith, and through whom we do the little that we are able to -effect, for in them indeed, after God, is placed the entire reliance of -all those in the eastern regions who tread in the right path."[18] The -Master, Brother Bertrand de Blanquefort, was succeeded, (A. D. 1167,) -by Philip of Naplous, the first Master of the Temple who had been born -in Palestine. He had been Lord of the fortresses of Krak and Montreal -in Arabia Petraea, and took the vows and the habit of the order of the -Temple after the death of his wife.[19] - -We must now pause to take a glance at the rise of another great -religio-military institution which, from henceforth, takes a leading -part in the defence of the Latin kingdom. In the eleventh century, when -pilgrimages to Jerusalem had greatly increased, some Italian merchants -of Amalfi, who carried on a lucrative trade with Palestine, purchased -of the Caliph _Monstasserbillah_, a piece of ground in the Christian -quarter of the Holy City, near the church of the Resurrection, whereon -two hospitals were constructed, the one being appropriated for the -reception of male pilgrims, and the other for females. Several pious -and charitable Christians, chiefly from Europe, devoted themselves in -these hospitals to constant attendance upon the sick and destitute. -Two chapels were erected, the one annexed to the female establishment -being dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, and the other to St. John the -Eleemosynary, a canonized patriarch of Alexandria, remarkable for his -exceeding charity. The pious and kind-hearted people who here attended -upon the sick pilgrims, clothed the naked and fed the hungry, were -called "The Hospitallers of St. John." On the conquest of Jerusalem -by the Crusaders, these charitable persons were naturally regarded -with the greatest esteem and reverence by their fellow-christians -from the west; many of the soldiers of the cross, smitten with their -piety and zeal, desired to participate in their good offices, and -the Hospitallers, animated by the religious enthusiasm of the day, -determined to renounce the world, and devote the remainder of their -lives to pious duties and constant attendance upon the sick. They took -the customary monastic vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, and -assumed as their distinguishing habit a _black_ mantle with a _white_ -cross on the breast. Various lands and possessions were granted them by -the lords and princes of the Crusade, both in Palestine and in Europe, -and the order of the hospital of St. John speedily became a great and -powerful institution. - -Gerard, a native of Provence, was at this period at the head of the -society, with the title of "Guardian of the Poor." He was succeeded -(A. D. 1118) by Raymond Dupuy, a knight of Dauphine, who drew up a -series of rules for the direction and government of his brethren. In -these rules no traces are discoverable of the military spirit which -afterwards animated the order of the Hospital of St. John. The first -authentic notice of an intention on the part of the Hospitallers to -occupy themselves with military matters, occurs in the bull of Pope -Innocent the Second, dated A. D. 1130. This bull is addressed to the -archbishops, bishops, and clergy of the church universal, and informs -them that the Hospitallers then retained, at their own expense, a -body of horsemen and foot soldiers, to defend the pilgrims in going -to and returning from the holy places; the pope observes that the -funds of the hospital were insufficient to enable them effectually -to fulfil the pious and holy task, and he exhorts the archbishops, -bishops, and clergy, to minister to the necessities of the order out of -their abundant property. The Hospitallers consequently at this period -had resolved to add the task of _protecting_ to that of tending and -relieving pilgrims. - -After the accession (A. D. 1168) of Gilbert d'Assalit to the -guardianship of the Hospital--a man described by De Vertot as "bold -and enterprising, and of an extravagant genius"--a military spirit -was infused into the Hospitallers, which speedily predominated over -their pious and charitable zeal in attending upon the poor and the -sick. Gilbert d'Assalit was the friend and confidant of Amalric, -king of Jerusalem, and planned with that monarch a wicked invasion -of Egypt in defiance of treaties. The Master of the Temple being -consulted concerning the expedition, flatly refused to have anything -to do with it, or to allow a single brother of the order of the -Temple to accompany the king in arms: "For it appeared a hard matter -to the Templars," says William of Tyre, "to wage war without cause, -in defiance of treaties, and against all honour and conscience, upon -a friendly nation, preserving faith with us, and relying on our own -faith." Gilbert d'Assalit consequently determined to obtain for the -king from his own brethren that aid which the Templars denied; and to -tempt the Hospitallers to arm themselves generally as a great military -society, in imitation of the Templars, and join the expedition to -Egypt, Gilbert d'Assalit was authorised to promise them in the name of -the king, the possession of the wealthy and important city of Belbeis, -the ancient Pelusium, in perpetual sovereignty. - -According to De Vertot, the senior Hospitallers were greatly averse -to the military projects of their chief: "They urged," says he, "that -they were a religious order, and that the church had not put arms into -their hands to make conquests;" but the younger and more ardent of -the brethren, burning to exchange the monotonous life of the cloister -for the enterprise and activity of the camp, received the proposals -of their superior with enthusiasm, and a majority of the chapter -decided in favour of the plans and projects of their Guardian. They -authorised him to borrow money of the Florentine and Genoese merchants, -to take hired soldiers into the pay of the order, and to organize the -Hospitallers as a great military society. - -It was in the first year of the government of Philip of Naplous (A. D. -1168) that the king of Jerusalem and the Hospitallers marched -forth upon their memorable and unfortunate expedition. The Egyptians -were taken completely by surprise; the city of Belbeis was carried by -assault, and the defenceless inhabitants were barbarously massacred. -The cruelty and the injustice of the Christians, however, speedily -met with condign punishment. The king of Jerusalem was driven back -into Palestine; Belbeis was abandoned with precipitation; and the -Hospitallers fled before the infidels in sorrow and disappointment to -Jerusalem. There they vented their indignation and chagrin upon the -unfortunate Gilbert d'Assalit, their superior, who had got the order -into debt to the extent of 100,000 pieces of gold; they compelled him -to resign his authority, and the unfortunate guardian of the hospital -fled from Palestine to England, and was drowned in the Channel. From -this period, however, the character of the order of the Hospital of -St. John was entirely changed: the Hospitallers appear henceforth as a -great military body; their superior styles himself Master, and leads -in person the brethren into the field of battle. Attendance upon the -poor and the sick still continued, indeed, one of the duties of the -fraternity, but it must have been feebly exercised amid the clash of -arms and the excitement of war.[20] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, Philip of Naplous, resigned his -authority after a short government of three years, and was succeeded -(A. D. 1170) by Brother Odo de St. Amand, a proud and fiery warrior, -of undaunted courage and resolution; having, according to William, -Archbishop of Tyre, the fear neither of God nor of man before his -eyes.[21] It was during his Grand Mastership (A. D. 1172) that the -Knight Templar Walter du Mesnil slew an envoy or minister of the -assassins. These were an odious religious sect, settled in the -fastnesses of the mountains above Tripoli, and supposed to be descended -from the Ismaelians of Persia. They devoted their souls and bodies in -blind obedience to a chief who is called by the writers of the Crusades -"the old man of the mountain," and were employed by him in the most -extensive system of murder and assassination known in the history of -the world. Both Christian and Moslem writers enumerate with horror the -many illustrious victims that fell beneath their daggers. They assumed -all shapes and disguises for the furtherance of their deadly designs, -and carried, in general, no arms except a small poniard concealed in -the folds of their dress, called in the Persian tongue _hassissin_, -whence these wretches were called _assassins_, their chief the prince -of the assassins; and the word itself, in all its odious import, has -passed into most European languages.[22] - -Raimond, son of the count of Tripoli, had been slain by these fanatics -whilst kneeling at the foot of the altar in the church of the Blessed -Virgin at Carchusa or Tortosa; the Templars flew to arms to avenge -his death; they penetrated into the fastnesses and strongholds of -"the mountain chief," and at last compelled him to purchase peace -by the payment of an annual tribute of two thousand crowns into the -treasury of the order. In the ninth year of Amalric's reign, _Sinan -Ben Suleiman_, imaun of the assassins, sent a trusty counsellor to -Jerusalem, offering, in the name of himself and his people, to embrace -the christian religion, provided the Templars would release them from -the tribute money. The proposition was favourably received; the envoy -was honourably entertained for some days, and on his departure he was -furnished by the king with a guide and an escort to conduct him in -safety to the frontier. The Ismaelite had reached the borders of the -Latin kingdom, and was almost in sight of the castles of his brethren, -when he was slain by the Knight Templar Walter du Mesnil, who attacked -the escort with a body of armed followers. The king of Jerusalem -assembled the barons of the kingdom at Sidon to determine on the best -means of obtaining satisfaction for the injury; and it was determined -that two of their number should proceed to Odo de St. Amand to demand -the surrender of the criminal. The haughty Master of the Temple bade -them inform his majesty the king, that the members of the order were -not subject to his jurisdiction, nor to that of his officers; that the -Templars acknowledged no earthly superior except the pope; and that -to the holy pontiff alone belonged the cognizance of the offence. He -declared, however, that the crime should meet with due punishment: that -he had caused the criminal to be arrested and put in irons, and would -forthwith send him to Rome, but till judgment was given in his case, he -forbade all persons of whatsoever degree to meddle with him.[23] - -The Templars were now destined to meet with a more formidable opponent -than any they had hitherto encountered in the field, one who was again -to cause the _crescent_ to triumph over the CROSS, and to plant the -standard of the prophet upon the walls of the holy city. When the -Fatimite caliph had received intelligence of king Amalric's invasion of -Egypt, (ante p. 36) he sent the hair of his women, one of the greatest -tokens of distress known in the East, to the pious Noureddin, who -immediately despatched a body of troops to his assistance, headed by -Sheerkoh, and his nephew, _Youseef-Ben-Acoub-Ben-Schadi_ the famous -Saladin. Sheerkoh died immediately after his arrival, and Youseef -succeeded to his command, and was appointed vizier of the caliph. He -had passed his youth in pleasure and debauchery, sloth and indolence, -but as soon as he grasped the power of the sword, and obtained the -command of armies, he renounced the pleasures of the world, and assumed -the character of a saint. His dress was a coarse-woollen garment; -water was his only drink; and he carefully abstained from everything -disapproved of by the Mussulman religion. Five times each day he -prostrated himself in public prayer, surrounded by his friends and -followers, and his demeanour became grave, serious, and thoughtful. His -nights were often spent in watching and meditation, he was diligent in -fasting and in the study of the Koran, and his admiring brethren gave -him the name of _Salah-ed-deen_, "Integrity of Religion," vulgarly -called Saladin. - -Having aroused the religious enthusiasm of the Moslems he proceeded to -take vengeance upon the Christians for their perfidious invasion of -Egypt. He assembled an army of forty thousand horse and foot, crossed -the desert and besieged the fortified city of Gaza, which belonged to -the Knights Templars, and was considered to be the key of Palestine -towards Egypt. The luxuriant gardens, the palm and olive groves of -this city of the wilderness were destroyed by the wild cavalry of -the desert, and the innumerable tents of the Arab host were thickly -clustered on the neighbouring sand-hills. The warlike monks of the -Temple in their turn fasted and prayed, and invoked the aid of the God -of battles; they made a desperate defence, and in an unexpected sally -upon the enemy's camp, they performed such prodigies of valour, that -Saladin, despairing of being able to take the place, abandoned the -siege, and retired into Egypt.[24] - -On the death of Noureddin, sultan of Damascus, (A. D. 1175,) Saladin -raised himself to the sovereignty both of Egypt and of Syria. He -again levied an immense army, crossed the desert, and planted the -standard of Mahomet upon the sacred territory of Palestine. His forces -were composed of twenty-six thousand light infantry, eight thousand -horsemen, a host of archers and spearmen mounted on dromedaries, -eighteen thousand common soldiers, and a body-guard of a thousand -Mamlook emirs, clothed in yellow cloaks, worn over their shirts of -mail. In the great battle fought near Ascalon, (Nov. 1, A. D. 1177,) -Odo de St. Amand, the Master of the Temple, at the head of eighty of -his knights, broke through the guard of Mamlooks, slew their commander, -and penetrated to the imperial tent, from whence Saladin escaped with -great difficulty, almost naked, upon a fleet dromedary. The year -following, the Templars, in order to protect and cover the road leading -from Damascus to Jerusalem, commenced the erection of a strong fortress -on the northern frontier of the Latin kingdom, close to Jacob's ford on -the river Jordan, at the spot where now stands _Djiss'r Beni Yakoob_, -"the bridge of the sons of Jacob." Saladin advanced at the head of his -forces to oppose the progress of the work, and the king of Jerusalem -and all the chivalry of the Latin kingdom were gathered together in the -plain to protect the Templars and their workmen. In a general action -the entire army of the cross was defeated with immense slaughter. The -Templars and the Hospitallers, with the count of Tripoli, stood firm -on the summit of a small hillock, and for a long time presented a bold -and undaunted front to the victorious enemy. The count of Tripoli at -last cut his way through the infidels, and fled to Tyre; the Master of -the Hospital, after seeing most of his brethren slain, swam across the -Jordan, and fled, covered with wounds, to the castle of Beaufort; and -the Templars after fighting with their accustomed zeal and fanaticism -around the red-cross banner, which waved to the last over the field of -blood, were all killed or taken prisoners, and the Master, Odo de St. -Amand, fell alive into the hands of the enemy. Saladin then laid siege -to the newly-erected fortress, which was defended by thick walls, -flanked with large towers furnished with military engines, and after -a gallant resistance on the part of the garrison, it was set on fire, -and then stormed. "The Templars," says Abulpharadge, "flung themselves -some into the fire, where they were burned, some cast themselves into -the Jordan, some jumped down from the walls on to the rocks, and were -dashed to pieces: thus were slain the enemy." The fortress was reduced -to a heap of ruins, and the enraged sultan, it is said, ordered all -the Templars taken in the place to be sawn in two, excepting the most -distinguished of the knights, who were reserved for a ransom, and were -sent in chains to Aleppo. Saladin offered Odo de St. Amand his liberty -in exchange for the freedom of his own nephew, who was a prisoner in -the hands of the Templars; but the Master of the Temple haughtily -replied, that he would never, by his example, encourage any of his -knights to be mean enough to surrender, that a Templar ought either to -vanquish or die, and that he had nothing to give for his ransom but -his girdle and his knife. The proud spirit of Odo de St. Amand could -but ill brook confinement; he languished and died in the dungeons of -Damascus, and was succeeded (A. D. 1180) by Brother Arnold de Torroge, -who had filled some of the chief situations of the order in Europe. - -The affairs of the Latin Christians were at this period in a deplorable -situation. Saladin encamped near Tiberias, and extended his ravages -into almost every part of Palestine. His light cavalry swept the valley -of the Jordan to within a day's march of Jerusalem, and the whole -country as far as Panias on the one side, and Beisan, D'Jeneen, and -Sebaste, on the other, was destroyed by fire and the sword. The houses -of the Templars were pillaged and burnt; various castles belonging to -the order were taken by assault; but the immediate destruction of the -Latin power was arrested by some partial successes obtained by the -Christian warriors, and by the skilful generalship of their leaders. -Saladin was compelled to retreat to Damascus, after he had burnt -Naplous, and depopulated the whole country around Tiberias. A truce was -proposed, (A. D. 1184,) and as the attention of the sultan was then -distracted by the intrigues of the Turcoman chieftains in the north -of Syria, and he was again engaged in hostilities in Mesopotamia, he -agreed to a suspension of the war for four years, in consideration of -the payment by the Christians of a large sum of money.[25] - -Immediate advantage was taken of this truce to secure the safety of the -Latin kingdom. A grand council was called together at Jerusalem, and it -was determined that Heraclius, the patriarch of the Holy City, and the -Masters of the Temple and Hospital, should forthwith proceed to Europe, -to obtain succour from the western princes. The sovereign mostly -depended upon for assistance was Henry the Second, king of England, -grandson of Fulk, the late king of Jerusalem, and cousin-german to -Baldwin, the then reigning sovereign. Henry had received absolution -for the murder of Saint Thomas a Becket, on condition that he should -proceed in person at the head of a powerful army to the succour of -Palestine, and should, at his own expense, maintain two hundred -Templars for the defence of the holy territory. The patriarch and the -two Masters landed in Italy, and after furnishing themselves with the -letters of the pope, threatening the English monarch with the judgments -of heaven if he did not forthwith perform the penance prescribed him, -they set out for England. At Verona, the Master of the Temple fell -sick and died, but his companions proceeding on their journey, landed -in safety in England at the commencement of the year 1185. They were -received by the king at Reading, and throwing themselves at the feet -of the English monarch, they with much weeping and sobbing saluted -him in behalf of the king, the princes, and the people of the kingdom -of Jerusalem. They explained the object of their visit, and presented -him with the pope's letters, with the keys of the holy sepulchre, -of the tower of David, and of the city of Jerusalem, together with -the royal banner of the Latin kingdom. Their eloquent and pathetic -narrative of the fierce inroads of Saladin, and of the miserable -condition of Palestine, drew tears from king Henry and all his court. -The English sovereign gave encouraging assurances to the patriarch -and his companions, and promised to bring the whole matter before the -parliament, which was to meet the first Sunday in Lent.[26] - -The patriarch, in the mean time, proceeded to London, and was received -by the Knights Templars at the Temple in that city, the chief house of -the order in Britain, where, in the month of February, he consecrated -the beautiful Temple church, dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, -which had just then been erected.[27] - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - The Temple at London--The vast possessions of the Templars in - England--The territorial divisions of the order--The different - preceptories in this country--The privileges conferred on the - Templars by the kings of England--The Masters of the Temple at - London--Their power and importance. - - Li fiere, li Mestre du Temple - Qu'estoient rempli et ample - D'Or et d'argent et de richesse, - Et qui menoient tel noblesse, - Ou sont-il? que sont devenu? - Que tant ont de plait maintenu, - Que nul a elz ne s'ozoit prendre - Tozjors achetoient sans vendre - Nul riche a elz n'estoit de prise; - Tant va pot a eue qu'il brise. - - _Chron._ a la suite du Roman de Favel. - - -The Knights Templars first established the chief house of their order -in England, without Holborn Bars, on the south side of the street, -where Southampton House formerly stood, adjoining to which Southampton -Buildings were afterwards erected: and it is stated, that about a -century and a half ago, part of the ancient chapel annexed to this -establishment, of a circular form, and built of Caen stone, was -discovered on pulling down some old houses near Southampton Buildings -in Chancery Lane.[28] This first house of the Temple, established by -Hugh de Payens himself, before his departure from England, on his -return to Palestine, was adapted to the wants and necessities of the -order in its infant state, when the knights, instead of lingering in -the preceptories of Europe, proceeded at once to Palestine, and when -all the resources of the society were strictly and faithfully forwarded -to Jerusalem, to be expended in defence of the faith; but when the -order had greatly increased in numbers, power, and wealth, and had -somewhat departed from its original purity and simplicity, we find that -the superior and the knights resident in London began to look abroad -for a more extensive and commodious place of habitation. They purchased -a large space of ground, extending from the White Friars westward to -Essex House without Temple Bar, and commenced the erection of a convent -on a scale of grandeur commensurate with the dignity and importance of -the chief house of the great religio-military society of the Temple in -Britain. It was called the _New_ Temple, to distinguish it from the -original establishment at Holborn, which came thenceforth to be known -by the name of the _Old_ Temple. This New Temple was adapted for the -residence of numerous military monks and novices, serving brothers, -retainers, and domestics. It contained the residence of the superior -and of the knights, the cells and apartments of the chaplains and -serving brethren, the council chamber where the chapters were held, -and the refectory or dining-hall, which was connected, by a range of -handsome cloisters, with the magnificent church, consecrated by the -patriarch. Alongside the river extended a spacious pleasure ground for -the recreation of the brethren, who were not permitted to go into the -town without the leave of the Master. It was used also for military -exercises and the training of horses. - -The year of the consecration of the Temple Church, Geoffrey, the -superior of the order in England, caused an inquisition to be made -of the lands of the Templars in this country, and the names of the -donors thereof,[29] from which it appears, that the larger territorial -divisions of the order were then called bailiwicks, the principal -of which were London, Warwic, Couele, Meritune, Gutinge, Westune, -Lincolnscire, Lindeseie, Widine, and Eboracisire (Yorkshire). -The number of manors, farms, churches, advowsons, demesne lands, -villages, hamlets, windmills, and watermills, rents of assize, rights -of common and free warren, and the amount of all kinds of property -possessed by the Templars in England at the period of the taking of -this inquisition, are astonishing. Upon the great estates belonging -to the order, prioral houses had been erected, wherein dwelt the -procurators or stewards charged with the management of the manors -and farms in their neighbourhood, and with the collection of the -rents. These prioral houses became regular monastic establishments, -inhabited chiefly by sick and aged Templars, who retired to them to -spend the remainder of their days, after a long period of honourable -service against the infidels in Palestine. They were cells to the -principal house at London. There were also under them certain smaller -administrations established for the management of the farms, consisting -of a Knight Templar, to whom were associated some serving brothers -of the order, and a priest who acted as almoner. The commissions -or mandates directed by the Master of the Temple to the officers -at the head of these establishments were called precepts, from the -commencement of them, "_Praecipimus tibi_," we enjoin or direct you, &c. -&c. The knights to whom they were addressed were styled _Praeceptores -Templi_, or Preceptors of the Temple, and the districts administered by -them _Praeceptoria_, or preceptories. - -[Illustration: The ancient inscription on the Temple Church as it stood -over the door leading into the cloister. - - ON THE 10th OF FEBRUARY, - IN - THE YEAR FROM THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD, 1185, - THIS CHURCH WAS CONSECRATED IN HONOUR OF THE BLESSED MARY - BY THE LORD HERACLIUS, - BY - THE GRACE OF GOD PATRIARCH OF THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION, - WHO - HATH GRANTED AN INDULGENCE OF SIXTY DAYS - TO THOSE YEARLY VISITING IT. - -Translation of the inscription on the Temple Church, as it stood over -the doorway leading into the cloister.] - -It will now be as well to take a general survey of the possessions -and organization of the order both in Europe and Asia, "whose -circumstances," saith William, archbishop of Tyre, writing from -Jerusalem about the period of the consecration at London of the Temple -Church, "are in so flourishing a state, that at this day they have in -their convent (the Temple on Mount Moriah) more than three hundred -knights robed in the white habit, besides serving brothers innumerable. -Their possessions indeed beyond the sea, as well as in these parts, are -said to be so vast, that there cannot now be a province in Christendom -which does not contribute to the support of the aforesaid brethren, -whose wealth is said to equal that of sovereign princes."[30] - -The eastern provinces of the order were, 1. Palestine, the ruling -province. 2. The principality of Antioch. 3. The principality of -Tripoli. In Palestine the Templars possessed, in addition to the -Temple at Jerusalem, the chief house of the order, and the residence -of the Master, the fortified city of Gaza, the key of the kingdom -of Jerusalem on the side next Egypt, which was granted to them in -perpetual sovereignty, by Baldwin king of Jerusalem; also the Castle of -Saphet, in the territory of the ancient tribe of Naphtali; the Castle -of the Pilgrims, in the neighbourhood of Mount Carmel; the Castle of -Assur near Jaffa, and the house of the Temple at Jaffa; the fortress -of Faba, or La Feue, the ancient Aphek, not far from Tyre, in the -territory of the ancient tribe of Asher; the hill-fort Dok between -Bethel and Jericho; the castles of La Cave, Marle, Citern Rouge, Castel -Blanc, Trapesach, Sommelleria of the Temple, in the neighbourhood of -Acca, now St. John d'Acre; Castrum Planorum, and a place called Gerinum -Parvum.[31] The Templars, moreover, purchased the castle of Beaufort -and the city of Sidon; they also got into their hands a great part of -the town of St. Jean d'Acre, where they erected a famous TEMPLE, and -almost all the sea coast of Palestine was in the end divided between -them and the Hospitallers of St. John. The principal houses of the -Temple in the PROVINCE OF ANTIOCH were at Antioch itself, at Aleppo, -and Haram; and in the PRINCIPALITY OF TRIPOLI, at Tripoli, Tortosa, the -ancient Antaradus; Castel Blanc in the same neighbourhood; Laodicea and -Beyrout. - -In the western province of APULIA AND SICILY, the Templars possessed -numerous houses, viz., at Palermo, Syracuse, Lentini, Butera, -and Trapani. The house of the Temple at this last place has been -appropriated to the use of some monks of the order of St. Augustin. In -a church of the city is still to be seen the celebrated statue of the -Virgin, which Brother Guerrege and three other Knights Templars brought -from the East, with a view of placing it in the Temple Church on the -Aventine hill in Rome, but which they were obliged to deposit in the -island of Sicily. This statue is of the most beautiful white marble, -and represents the Virgin with the infant Jesus reclining on her left -arm; it is of about the natural height, and, from an inscription on the -foot of the figure, it appears to have been executed by a native of the -island of Cyprus, A. D. 733. The Templars possessed valuable estates in -Sicily, around the base of Mount Etna, and large tracts of land between -Piazza and Calatagirone, in the suburbs of which last place there was a -Temple house, the church whereof, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, still -remains. They possessed also many churches in the island, windmills, -rights of fishery, of pasturage, of cutting wood in the forests, and -many important privileges and immunities. The chief house was at -Messina, where the Grand Prior resided.[32] - -UPPER AND CENTRAL ITALY also contained numerous preceptories of the -order of the Temple, all under the immediate superintendence of the -grand Prior or Preceptor of Rome. There were large establishments at -Lucca, Milan, and Perugia, at which last place the arms of the Temple -are still to be seen on the tower of the holy cross. At Placentia -there was a magnificent and extensive convent, called Santa Maria del -Tempio, ornamented with a very lofty tower. At Bologna there was also -a large Temple house, and on a clock in the city is the following -inscription, "_Magister Tosseolus de Miola me fecit ... Fr. Petrus de -Bon, Procur. Militiae Templi in curia Romana_, MCCCIII." In the church -of St. Mary in the same place, which formerly belonged to the Knights -Templars, is the interesting marble monument of Peter de Rotis, a -priest of the order. - -In the PROVINCE OF PORTUGAL, the military power and resources of the -order were exercised in almost constant warfare against the Moors, and -Europe derived essential advantage from the enthusiastic exertions -of the warlike monks in that quarter against the infidels. In every -battle, indeed, fought in the south of Europe, after the year 1130, -against the enemies of the cross, the Knights Templars are to be found -taking an active and distinguished part. They were extremely popular -with all the princes and sovereigns of the great Spanish peninsula, and -were endowed with cities, villages, lordships, and splendid domains. -The Grand Prior or Preceptor of Portugal resided at the castle of -Tomar. It is seated on the river Narboan, in Estremadura, and is still -to be seen towering in gloomy magnificence on the hill above the -town. The castle at present belongs to the order of Christ, and was -lately one of the grandest and richest establishments in Portugal. It -possessed a splendid library, and a handsome cloister, the architecture -of which was much admired. The houses or preceptories of the Temple -in the province of Castile and Leon were those of Cuenca, and -Guadalfagiara; Tine and Aviles in the diocese of Oviedo, and Pontevreda -in Galicia. In Castile alone the order is said to have possessed -twenty-four bailiwicks. - -In ARAGON the Templars possessed the castles of Dumbel, Cabanos, Azuda, -Granena, Chalonere, Remolins, Corbins, Lo Mas de Barbaran, Moncon, and -Montgausi, with their territories and dependencies. They were lords of -the cities of Borgia and Tortosa; they had a tenth part of the revenues -of the kingdom, the taxes of the towns of Huesca and Saragossa, and -houses, possessions, privileges, and immunities in all parts.[33] They -possessed likewise lands and estates in the Balearic Isles, which -were under the management of the Prior or Preceptor of the island of -Majorca, who was subject to the Grand Preceptor of Aragon. - -In GERMANY AND HUNGARY the houses and preceptories most known were at -Homburg, Assenheim, Rotgen in the Rhingau, Mongberg in the Marche of -Brandenbourg, Nuitz on the Rhine, Tissia Altmunmunster near Ratisbon -in Bavaria, Bamberg, Middleburgh, Hall, and Brunswick. The Templars -possessed the fiefs of Rorich, Pausin and Wildenheuh in _Pomerania_, -an establishment at Bach in _Hungary_, several lordships in _Bohemia_ -and _Moravia_, and lands, tithes, and large revenues, the gifts of -pious German crusaders.[34] In GREECE the Templars also possessed lands -and establishments. Their chief house was at Constantinople, in the -quarter called Omonoia, where they had an oratory dedicated to the holy -martyrs Marin and Pentaleon.[35] In FRANCE the principal preceptories -were at Besancon, Dole, Salins, a la Romagne, a la ville Dieu, Arbois -in _Franche Comte_. Dorlesheim near Molsheim, where their still remains -a chapel called Templehoff, Fauverney, where a chapel dedicated to the -Virgin still preserves the name of the Temple, Des Feuilles, situate -in the parish of Villett, near the chateau de Vernay, and Rouen, where -there were two houses of the Temple; one of them occupied the site of -the present _maison consulaire_, and the other stood in the street now -called _La Rue des Hermites_. The preceptories and houses of the Temple -in France, indeed, were so numerous, that it would be a wearisome and -endless task to repeat the names of them. Between Joinville and St. -Dizier may still be seen the remains of Temple Ruet, an old chateau -surrounded by a moat; and in the diocese of Meaux are the ruins of -the great manorial house of Choisy le Temple. Many interesting tombs -are there visible, together with the refectory of the knights, which -has been converted into a sheepfold. The chief house of the order for -France, and also for Holland and the Netherlands, was the Temple at -Paris, an extensive and magnificent structure, surrounded by a wall and -a ditch. It extended over all that large space of ground, now covered -with streets and buildings, which lies between the Rue du Temple, the -Rue St. Croix, and the environs de la Verrerie, as far as the walls and -the fosses of the port du Temple. It was ornamented with a great tower, -flanked by four smaller towers, erected by the Knight Templar Brother -Herbert, almoner to the king of France, and was one of the strongest -edifices in the kingdom.[36] Many of the modern streets of Paris which -now traverse the site of this interesting structure, preserve in the -names given to them some memorial of the ancient Temple. For instance, -_La rue du Temple_, _La rue des fosses du Temple_, _Boulevard du -Temple_, _Faubourg du Temple_, _rue de Faubourg du Temple_, _Vieille -rue du Temple_, _&c._, _&c._ - -[Illustration: TOWER OF THE PRECEPTORY OF TEMPLE BRUERE, LINCOLNSHIRE.] - -All the houses of the Temple in Holland and the Netherlands were under -the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Temple at Paris. The -preceptories in these kingdoms were very numerous, and the property -dependent upon them was of great value. - -In ENGLAND there were in bygone times the preceptories of Aslakeby, -Temple Bruere, Egle, Malteby, Mere, Wilketon, and Witham, in -_Lincolnshire_. North Feriby, Temple Hurst, Temple Newsom, -Pafflete, Flaxflete, and Ribstane, in _Yorkshire_. Temple Cumbe, in -_Somersetshire_. Ewell, Strode and Swingfield, near Dover, in _Kent_. -Hadescoe, in _Norfolk_. Balsall and Warwick, in _Warwickshire_. Temple -Rothley, in _Leicestershire_. Wilburgham Magna, Daney, and Dokesworth, -in _Cambridgeshire_. Halston, in _Shropshire_. Temple Dynnesley, in -_Hertfordshire_. Temple Cressing and Sutton, in _Essex_. Saddlescomb -and Chapelay, in _Sussex_. Schepeley, in _Surrey_. Temple Cowley, -Sandford, Bistelesham, and Chalesey, in _Oxfordshire_. Temple Rockley, -in _Wiltshire_. Upleden and Garwy, in _Herefordshire_. South Badeisley, -in _Hampshire_. Getinges, in _Worcestershire_. Giselingham and Dunwich, -in _Suffolk_. - -There were also several smaller administrations established, as -before mentioned, for the management of the farms and lands, and the -collection of rent and tithes. Among these were Liddele and Quiely in -the diocese of Chichester; Eken in the diocese of Lincoln; Adingdon, -Wesdall, Aupledina, Cotona, &c. The different preceptors of the Temple -in England had under their management lands and property in every -county of the realm.[37] - -In _Leicestershire_ the Templars possessed the town and the soke -of Rotheley; the manors of Rolle, Babbegrave, Gaddesby, Stonesby, -and Melton; Rothely wood, near Leicester; the villages of Beaumont, -Baresby, Dalby, North and South Mardefeld, Saxby, Stonesby, and Waldon, -with land in above _eighty_ others! They had also the churches of -Rotheley, Babbegrave, and Rolle; and the chapels of Gaddesby, Grimston, -Wartnaby, Cawdwell, and Wykeham.[38] - -In _Hertfordshire_ they possessed the town and forest of Broxbourne, -the manor of Chelsin Templars, (_Chelsin Templariorum_,) and the manors -of Laugenok, Broxbourne, Letchworth, and Temple Dynnesley; demesne -lands at Stanho, Preston, Charlton, Walden, Hiche, Chelles, Levecamp, -and Benigho; the church of Broxbourne, two watermills, and a lock on -the river Lea; also property at Hichen, Pyrton, Ickilford, Offeley -Magna, Offeley Parva, Walden Regis, Furnivale, Ipolitz, Wandsmyll, -Watton, Therleton, Weston, Gravele, Wilien, Leccheworth, Baldock, -Datheworth, Russenden, Codpeth, Sumershale, Buntynford, &c., &c., -and the Church of Weston.[39] In the county of _Essex_ they had the -manors of Temple Cressynge, Temple Roydon, Temple Sutton, Odewell, -Chingelford, Lideleye, Quarsing, Berwick, and Witham; the church of -Roydon, and houses, lands, and farms, both at Roydon, at Rivenhall, -and in the parishes of Prittlewall and Great and Little Sutton; an old -mansion-house and chapel at Sutton, and an estate called Finchinfelde -in the hundred of Hinckford.[40] In _Lincolnshire_ the Templars -possessed the manors of La Bruere, Roston, Kirkeby, Brauncewell, -Carleton, Akele, with the soke of Lynderby, Aslakeby, and the churches -of Bruere, Asheby, Akele, Aslakeby, Donington, Ele, Swinderby, Skarle, -&c. There were upwards of thirty churches in the county which made -annual payments, to the order of the Temple, and about forty windmills. -The order likewise received rents in respect of lands at Bracebrig, -Brancestone, Scapwic, Timberland, Weleburne, Diringhton, and a hundred -other places; and some of the land in the county was charged with the -annual payment of sums of money towards the keeping of lights eternally -burning on the altars of the Temple church. William Lord of Asheby -gave to the Templars the perpetual advowson of the church of Asheby in -Lincolnshire, and they in return agreed to find him a priest to sing -for ever twice a week in his chapel of St. Margaret. - -In _Yorkshire_ the Templars possessed the manors of Temple Werreby, -Flaxflete, Etton, South Cave, &c.; the churches of Whitcherche -Keluntune, &c.; numerous windmills and lands and rents at Nehus, -Skelture, Pennel, and more than sixty other places besides. In -_Warwickshire_ they possessed the manors of Barston, Shirburne, -Balshale, Wolfhey, Cherlecote, Herbebure, Stodleye, Fechehampstead, -Cobington, Tysho and Warwick; lands at Chelverscoton, Herdwicke, -Morton, Warwick, Hetherburn, Chesterton, Aven, Derset, Stodley, -Napton, and more than thirty other places, the several donors whereof -are specified in Dugdale's history of Warwickshire (p. 694) also -the churches of Sireburne, Cardington, &c., and more than thirteen -windmills. In 12 Hen. II., William Earle of Warwick built a new church -for them at Warwick.[41] In _Kent_ they had the manors of Lilleston, -Hechewayton, Saunford, Sutton, Dartford, Halgel, Ewell, Cocklescomb, -Strode, Swinkfield Mennes, West Greenwich, and the manor of Lydden, -which now belongs to the archbishop of Canterbury; the advowsons of -the churches of West Greenwich and Kingeswode juxta Waltham; extensive -tracts of land in Romney marsh, and farms and assize rents in all -parts of the county. In _Sussex_ they had the manors of Saddlecomb -and Shipley; lands and tenements at Compton and other places; and the -advowsons of the churches of Shipley, Wodmancote, and Luschwyke. - -In _Surrey_ they had the manor farm of Temple Elfand or Elfant, and -an estate at Merrow in the hundred of Woking. In _Gloucestershire_, -the manors of Lower Dowdeswell, Pegsworth, Amford, Nishange, and five -others which belonged to them wholly or in part, the church of Down -Ammey, and lands in Frampton, Temple Guting, and Little Rissington. -In _Worcestershire_, the manor of Templars Lawern, and lands in -Flavel, Temple Broughton, and Hanbury. In _Northamptonshire_, the -manors of Asheby, Thorp, Watervill, &c., &c.; they had the advowson -of the church of the manor of Hardwicke in Orlington hundred, and we -find that "Robert Saunford, Master of the soldiery of the Temple in -England," presented to it in the year 1238.[42] In _Nottinghamshire_, -the Templars possessed the church of Marnham, lands and rents at -Gretton and North Carleton; in _Westmoreland_, the manor of Temple -Sowerby; in the Isle of Wight, the manor of Uggeton, and lands in -Kerne. But it would be tedious further to continue with a dry detail -of ancient names and places; sufficient has been said to give an idea -of the enormous wealth of the order in this country, where it is known -to have possessed some hundreds of manors, the advowson or right of -presentation to churches innumerable, and thousands of acres of arable -land, pasture, and woodland, besides villages, farm-houses, mills, and -tithes, rights of common, of fishing, of cutting wood in forests, &c., -&c. There were also several preceptories in Scotland and Ireland, which -were dependent on the Temple at London. - -The annual income of the order in Europe has been roughly estimated -at six millions sterling! According to Matthew Paris, the Templars -possessed _nine thousand_ manors or lordships in Christendom, besides a -large revenue and immense riches arising from the constant charitable -bequests and donations of sums of money from pious persons.[43] The -Templars, in imitation of the other monastic establishments, obtained -from pious and charitable people all the advowsons within their reach, -and frequently retained the tithe and the glebe in their own hands, -deputing a priest of the order to perform divine service and administer -the sacraments. The manors of the Templars produced them rent either -in money, corn, or cattle, and the usual produce of the soil. By the -custom in some of these manors, the tenants were annually to mow -three days in harvest, one at the charge of the house, and to plough -three days, whereof one at the like charge; to reap one day, at which -time they should have a ram from the house, eight pence, twenty-four -loaves, and a cheese of the best in the house, together with a pailful -of drink. The tenants were not to sell their horse-colts if they were -foaled upon the land belonging to the Templars, without the consent of -the fraternity, nor marry their daughters without their licence. There -were also various regulations concerning the cocks and hens and young -chickens. - -King Henry the Second, for the good of his soul and the welfare of -his kingdom, granted the Templars a place situate on the river Fleet, -near Bainard's Castle, with the whole current of that river at London, -for erecting a mill; also a messuage near Fleet-street; the church of -St. Clement, "quae dicitur Dacorum extra civitatem Londoniae;" and the -churches of Elle, Swinderby and Skarle in Lincolnshire, Kingeswode -juxta Waltham in Kent, the manor of Stroder in the hundred of Skamele, -the vill of Kele in Staffordshire, the hermitage of Flikeamstede, and -all his lands at Lange Cureway, a house in Brosal, and the market -at Witham; lands at Berghotte, a mill at the bridge of Pembroke -Castle, the vill of Finchinfelde, the manor of Rotheley, with its -appurtenances, and the advowson of the church and its several chapels, -the manor of Blalcolvesley, the park of Halshall, and three _fat bucks_ -annually, either from Essex or Windsor Forest. He likewise granted them -an annual fair at Temple Bruere, and superadded many rich benefactions -in Ireland.[44] - -The Templars, in addition to their amazing wealth, enjoyed vast -privileges and immunities within this realm. They were freed from -all amerciaments in the Exchequer, and obtained the privilege of not -being compelled to plead except before the king or his chief justice. -By special grant from the kings of England, they enjoyed free warren -in all their demesne lands, also the power of holding courts to judge -their villains and vassals, and to try thieves and malefactors; they -were relieved from all the customary feudal suits and services, from -the works of parks, castles, bridges, the building of royal houses, and -all other works; and also from waste regard and view of foresters, and -from toll in all markets and fairs, and at all bridges, and upon all -highways throughout the kingdom. They had also the chattels of felons -and fugitives, and all waifs within their fee.[45] In addition to the -particular privileges conceded to them by the kings of England, the -Templars enjoyed, under the authority of divers Papal bulls, various -immunities and advantages, which gave great umbrage to the clergy. They -were freed, as before mentioned, from the obligation of paying tithes, -and might, with the consent of the bishop, receive them. No brother -of the Temple could be excommunicated by any bishop or priest, nor -could any of the churches of the order be laid under interdict except -by virtue of a special mandate from the holy see. When any brother of -the Temple, appointed to make charitable collections for the succour -of the Holy Land, should arrive at a city, castle, or village, which -had been laid under interdict, the churches, on their welcome coming, -were to be thrown open, (once within the year,) and divine service was -to be performed in honour of the Temple, and in reverence for the holy -soldiers thereof. The privilege of sanctuary was thrown around their -dwellings; and by various papal bulls it is solemnly enjoined that no -person shall lay violent hands either upon the persons or the property -of those flying for refuge to the Temple houses.[46] - -Sir Edward Coke, in the second part of the Institute of the Laws of -England, observes, that "the Templars did so overspread throughout -Christendome, and so exceedingly increased in possessions, revenues, -and wealth, and specially in England, as you will wonder to reade in -approved histories, and withall obtained so great and large privileges, -liberties, and immunities for themselves, their tenants, and farmers, -&c., as no other order had the like." He further observes, that the -Knights Templars were _cruce signati_, and as the cross was the ensign -of their profession, and their tenants enjoyed great privileges, they -did erect crosses upon their houses, to the end that those inhabiting -them might be known to be the tenants of the order, and thereby be -freed from many duties and services which other tenants were subject -unto; "and many tenants of other lords, perceiving the state and -greatnesse of the knights of the said order, and withall seeing the -great privileges their tenants enjoyed, did set up crosses upon their -houses, as their very tenants used to doe, to the prejudice of their -lords." - -This abuse led to the passing of the statute of Westminster, the -second, _chap. 33_, which recites, that many tenants did set up crosses -or cause them to be set up on their lands in prejudice of their lords, -that the tenants might defend themselves against the chief lord of -the fee by the privileges of TEMPLARS, and enacts that such lands -shall be forfeited to the chief lords or to the king. Sir Edward Coke -observes, that the Templars were freed from tenths and fifteenths to be -paid to the king; that they were discharged of purveyance; that they -could not be sued for any ecclesiastical cause before the ordinary, -_sed coram conservatoribus suorum privilegiorum_; and that of ancient -time they claimed that a felon might take to their houses, having -their crosses for his safety, as well as to any church. And concerning -these conservers or keepers of their privileges, he remarks, that the -Templars and Hospitallers "held an ecclesiasticall court before a -canonist, whom they termed _conservator privilegiorum suorum_, which -judge had indeed more authority than was convenient, and did dayly, -in respect to the height of these two orders, and at their instance -and direction, incroach upon and hold plea of matters determinable -by the common law, for _cui plus licet quam par est, plus vult quam -licet_; and this was one great mischiefe. Another mischiefe was, -that this judge likewise at their instance, in cases wherein he had -jurisdiction, would make general citations as _pro salute animae_, and -the like, without expressing the matter whereupon the citation was -made, which also was against law, and tended to the grievous vexation -of the subject."[47] To remedy these evils, another act of parliament -was passed, prohibiting the Templars from bringing any man in plea -before the keepers of their privileges, for any matter the knowledge -whereof belonged to the king's court, and commanding such keepers of -their privileges thenceforth to grant no citation at the instance of -the Templars, before it be expressed upon what matter the citation -ought to be made.[48] - -[Illustration: CHAPEL OF THE PRECEPTORY OF TEMPLE SWINGFIELD, DOVER.] - -The Grand Master of the Temple ranked in Europe as a sovereign prince, -and had precedence of all ambassadors and peers in the general councils -of the church. He was elected to his high office by the chapter of the -kingdom of Jerusalem, which was composed of all the knights of the East -and of the West who could manage to attend. The western nations or -provinces of the order were presided over by the provincial Masters, -otherwise Grand Priors or Grand Preceptors, who were originally -appointed by the Chief Master at Jerusalem, and were in theory mere -trustees or bare administrators of the revenues of the fraternity, -accountable to the treasurer-general at Jerusalem, and removeable at -the pleasure of the Chief Master. The superior of the Temple at London -is always styled "Master of the Temple," and holds his chapters and has -his officers corresponding to those of the Chief Master in Palestine. -The latter, consequently, came to be denominated _Magnus Magister_, or -Grand Master. The titles given indeed to the superiors of the different -nations or provinces into which the order of the Temple was divided, -are numerous and somewhat perplexing. In the East, these officers were -known only, in the first instance, by the title of Prior, as Prior -of England, Prior of France, Prior of Portugal, &c., and afterwards -Preceptor of England, Preceptor of France, &c.; but in Europe they were -called Grand Priors, and Grand Preceptors, to distinguish them from -the Sub-priors and Sub-preceptors, and also Masters of the Temple. The -Prior and Preceptor _of_ England, therefore, and the Grand Prior, Grand -Preceptor, and Master of the Temple _in_ England, were one and the same -person. There were also at the New Temple at London, in imitation -of the establishment at the chief house in Palestine, in addition to -the Master, the Preceptor of the Temple, the Prior of London, the -Treasurer, and the Guardian of the church, who had three chaplains -under him called readers. - -The Master at London had his general and particular, or his ordinary -and extraordinary chapters. The first were composed of the grand -preceptors of Scotland and Ireland, and all the provincial priors -and preceptors of the three kingdoms, who were summoned once a year -to deliberate on the state of the Holy Land, to forward succour, to -give an account of their stewardship, and to frame new rules and -regulations for the management of the temporalities.[49] The ordinary -chapters were held at the different preceptories, which the Master -of the Temple visited in succession. In these chapters new members -were admitted into the order; lands were bought, sold, and exchanged; -and presentations were made by the Master to vacant benefices. Many -of the grants and other deeds of these chapters, with the seal of -the order of the Temple annexed to them, are to be met with in the -public and private collections of manuscripts in this country. One -of the most interesting and best preserved, is the Harleian charter, -(83, c. 39,) in the British Museum, which is a grant of land made by -Brother William de la More THE MARTYR, the last Master of the Temple -in England, to the Lord Milo de Stapleton. It is expressed to be made -by him, with the common consent and advice of his chapter, held at the -Preceptory of Dynneslee, on the feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, -and concludes, "In witness whereof, we have to this present indenture -placed the seal of our chapter." A facsimile of this seal is given -at the head of the present chapter. On the reverse of it is a man's -head, decorated with a long beard, and surmounted by a small cap, and -around it are the letters TESTIS SVM AGNI. The same seal is to be met -with on various other indentures made by the Master and Chapter of -the Temple.[50] The more early seals are surrounded with the words, -Sigillum _Militis_ Templi, "Seal of the _Knight_ of the Temple;" as in -the case of the deed of exchange of lands at Normanton in the parish of -Botisford, in Leicestershire, entered into between Brother Amadeus de -Morestello, Master of the chivalry of the Temple in England, and his -chapter, of the one part, and the Lord Henry de Coleville Knight, of -the other part. The seal annexed to this deed has the addition of the -word _Militis_, but in other respects it is similar to the one above -delineated.[51] - -The Master of the Temple in England sat in parliament as first baron -of the realm, but that is to be understood among priors only. To the -parliament holden in the twenty-ninth year of King Henry the Third, -there was summoned sixty-five abbots, thirty-five priors, and the -Master of the Temple.[52] The oath taken by the grand priors, grand -preceptors, or provincial Masters in Europe, on their assumption of -the duties of their high administrative office, was drawn up in the -following terms:--"I _A. B._, Knight of the Order of the Temple, -just now appointed Master of the knights who are in ----, promise -to Jesus Christ my Saviour, and to his vicar the sovereign pontiff -and his successors, perpetual obedience and fidelity. I swear that I -will defend, not only with my lips, but by force of arms and with all -my strength, the mysteries of the faith; the seven sacraments, the -fourteen articles of the faith, the creed of the Apostles, and that -of Saint Athanasius; the books of the Old and the New Testament, with -the commentaries of the holy fathers, as received by the church; the -unity of God, the plurality of the persons of the holy Trinity; and -the doctrine that Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, of the tribe -of Judah, and of the race of David, remained always a virgin before -her delivery, during and after her delivery. I promise likewise to -be submissive and obedient to the Master-general of the order, in -conformity with the statutes prescribed by our father Saint Bernard; -that I will at all times in case of need pass the seas to go and -fight; that I will always afford succour against the infidel kings and -princes; that in the presence of three enemies I will fly not, but cope -with them, if they are infidels; that I will not sell the property of -the order, nor consent that it be sold or alienated; that I will always -preserve chastity; that I will be faithful to the king of ----; that I -will never surrender to the enemy the towns and places belonging to the -order; and that I will never refuse to the religious any succour that -I am able to afford them; that I will aid and defend them by words, by -arms, and by all sorts of good offices; and in sincerity and of my own -free will I swear that I will observe all these things."[53] - -Among the earliest of the Masters, or Grand Priors, or Grand Preceptors -of England, whose names figure in history, is Richard de Hastings, -who was at the head of the order in this country on the accession of -King Henry the Second to the throne, (A. D. 1154,) and was employed -by that monarch in various important negotiations. He was the friend -and confidant of Thomas a Becket, and vainly endeavoured to terminate -the disputes between that haughty prelate and the king.[54] Richard -de Hastings was succeeded by Richard Mallebeench, who confirmed a -treaty of peace and concord which had been entered into between his -predecessor and the abbot of Kirkested; and the next Master of the -Temple appears to have been Geoffrey son of Stephen, who received the -patriarch Heraclius as his guest at the new Temple on the occasion of -the consecration of the Temple church. He styles himself "_Minister_ of -the soldiery of the Temple in England."[55] - -In consequence of the high estimation in which the Templars were held, -and the privilege of sanctuary enjoyed by them, the Temple at London -came to be made "a storehouse of treasure." The wealth of the king, -the nobles, the bishops, and of the rich burghers of London, was -generally deposited therein, under the safeguard and protection of -the military friars. The money collected in the churches and chapels -for the succour of the Holy Land was also paid to the treasurer of -the Temple, to be forwarded to its destination: and the treasurer was -at different times authorised to receive the taxes imposed upon the -moveables of the ecclesiastics, also the large sums of money extorted -by the rapacious popes from the English clergy, and the annuities -granted by the king to the nobles of the kingdom.[56] The money and -jewels of Hubert de Burgh, earl of Kent, the chief justiciary, and at -one time governor of the king and kingdom of England, were deposited in -the Temple, and when that nobleman was disgraced and committed to the -Tower, the king attempted to lay hold of the treasure. Matthew Paris -gives the following curious account of the affair:--"It was suggested," -says he, "to the king, that Hubert had no small amount of treasure -deposited in the New Temple, under the custody of the Templars. The -king accordingly, summoning to his presence the Master of the Temple, -briefly demanded of him if it was so. He indeed, not daring to deny -the truth to the king, confessed that he had money of the said Hubert, -which had been confidentially committed to the keeping of himself and -his brethren, but of the quantity and amount thereof he was altogether -ignorant. Then the king endeavoured with threats to obtain from the -brethren the surrender to him of the aforesaid money, asserting that it -had been fraudulently subtracted from his treasury. But they answered -to the king, that money confided to them in trust they would deliver -to no man without the permission of him who had intrusted it to be -kept in the Temple. And the king, since the above-mentioned money had -been placed under their protection, ventured not to take it by force. -He sent, therefore, the treasurer of his court, with his justices of -the Exchequer, to Hubert, who had already been placed in fetters in -the Tower of London, that they might exact from him an assignment of -the entire sum to the king. But when these messengers had explained -to Hubert the object of their coming, he immediately answered that he -would submit himself and all belonging to him to the good pleasure of -his sovereign. He therefore petitioned the brethren of the chivalry -of the Temple that they would, in his behalf, present all his keys to -his lord the king, that he might do what he pleased with the things -deposited in the Temple. This being done, the king ordered all that -money, faithfully counted, to be placed in his treasury, and the amount -of all the things found to be reduced into writing and exhibited before -him. The king's clerks, indeed, and the treasurer acting with them, -found deposited in the Temple gold and silver vases of inestimable -price, and money and many precious gems, an enumeration whereof would -in truth astonish the hearers."[57] - -The kings of England frequently resided in the Temple, and so also did -the haughty legates of the Roman pontiffs, who there made contributions -in the name of the pope upon the English bishoprics. Matthew Paris -gives a lively account of the exactions of the nuncio Martin, who -resided for many years at the Temple, and came there armed by the pope -with powers such as no legate had ever before possessed. "He made," -says he, "whilst residing at London in the New Temple, unheard of -extortions of money and valuables. He imperiously intimated to the -abbots and priors that they must send him rich presents, desirable -palfreys, sumptuous services for the table, and rich clothing; which -being done, that same Martin sent back word that the things sent were -insufficient, and he commanded the givers thereof to forward him -better things, on pain of suspension and excommunication."[58] - -The convocations of the clergy and the great ecclesiastical councils -were frequently held at the Temple, and laws were there made by the -bishops and abbots for the government of the church and monasteries in -England.[59] - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - The patriarch Heraclius quarrels with the king of England--He - returns to Palestine without succour--The disappointment and gloomy - forebodings of the Templars--They prepare to resist Saladin--Their - defeat and slaughter--The valiant deeds of the Marshal of the - Temple--The fatal battle of Tiberias--The captivity of the Grand - Master and the true cross--The captive Templars are offered the - Koran or death--They choose the latter, and are beheaded--The fall - of Jerusalem--The Moslems take possession of the Temple--They - purify it with rose-water, say prayers, and hear a sermon--The - Templars retire to Antioch--Their letters to the king of England - and the Master of the Temple at London--Their exploits at the siege - of Acre. - - "The foes of the Lord break into his holy city, even into that - glorious tomb where the virgin blossom of Mary was wrapt up in - linen and spices, and where the first and greatest flower on earth - rose up again."--_S. Bernardi_, epist. cccxxii. - - -The Grand Master, Arnold de Torroge, who died on his journey to -England, as before mentioned, was succeeded by Brother Gerard de -Riderfort.[60] - -On the 10th of the calends of April, a month after the consecration -by the patriarch Heraclius of the Temple church, the grand council or -parliament of England, composed of the bishops, earls, and barons, -assembled in the house of the Hospitallers at Clerkenwell in London. -It was attended by William king of Scotland and David his brother, -and many of the counts and barons of that distant land. The august -assembly was acquainted, in the king's name, with the object of the -solemn embassy just sent to him from Jerusalem, and with the desire -of the royal penitent to fulfil his vow and perform his penance; but -the barons were at the same time reminded of the old age of their -sovereign, of the bad state of his health, and of the necessity for -his presence in England. They accordingly represented to King Henry -that the solemn oath taken by him on his coronation was an obligation -antecedent to the penance imposed on him by the pope; that by that oath -he was bound to stay at home and govern his dominions, and that, in -their opinion, it was more wholesome for the king's soul to defend his -own country against the barbarous French, than to desert it for the -purpose of protecting the distant kingdom of Jerusalem.[61] - -Fabian, in his chronicle, gives the following quaint account of the -king's answer to the patriarch, taken from the Chron. Joan Bromton: -"Lasteley the kynge gaue answere, and sayde that he myghte not leue hys -lande wythoute kepynge, nor yet leue yt to the praye and robbery of -Frenchemen. But he wolde gyue largely of hys own to such as wolde take -upon theym that vyge. Wyth thys answere the patryarke was dyscontente, -and sayde, 'We seke a man, and not money; welnere euery crysten regyon -sendyth unto us money, but no land sendyth to us a prince. Therefore -we aske a prynce that nedeth money, and not money that nedeth a -prynce.' But the kynge layde for hym suche excuses, that the patryarke -departed from hym dyscontentyd and comforteless, whereof the kynge -beynge aduertysed, entendynge somwhat to recomforte hym with pleasaunte -words, folowed hym to the see syde. But the more the kynge thought -to satysfye hym with hys fayre speche, the more the patryarke was -dyscontentyd, in so myche that at the last he sayde unto hym, 'Hytherto -thou haste reygned gloryously, but here after thou shalt be forsaken -of hym whom thou at thys tyme forsakeste. Thynke on hym what he hath -gyuen to thee, and what thou haste yelden to him agayne: howe fyrste -thou were false unto the kynge of Fraunce, and after slewe that holy -man Thomas of Caunterburye, and lastely thou forsakeste the proteccyon -of Crystes faith.' The kynge was amoued wyth these wordes, and sayde -unto the patryarke, 'Though all the men of my lande were one bodye, and -spake with one mouth, they durste not speke to me such wordys.' 'No -wonder,' sayde the patryarke, 'for they loue thyne and not the; that -ys to meane, they loue thy goodes temporall, and fere the for losse of -promocyon, but they loue not thy soule.' And when he hadde so sayde, -he offeryd hys hedde to the kynge, sayenge, 'Do by me ryghte as thou -dyddest by that blessed man Thomas of Caunterburye, for I had leur to -be slayne of the, then of the Sarasyns, for thou art worse than any -Sarasyn.' But the kynge kepte hys paycence, and sayde, 'I may not wende -oute of my lande, for myne own sonnes wyll aryse agayne me whan I were -absente.' 'No wonder,' sayde the patryarke, 'for of the deuyll they -come, and to the deuyll they shall go,' and so departyd from the kynge -in great ire."[62] - -According to Roger de Hoveden, however, the patriarch, on the 17th -of the calends of May, accompanied King Henry into Normandy, where -a conference was held between the sovereigns of France and England -concerning the proposed succour to the Holy Land. Both monarchs were -liberal in promises and fair speeches; but as nothing short of the -presence of the king of England, or of one of his sons, in Palestine, -would satisfy the patriarch, that haughty ecclesiastic failed in his -negotiations and returned in disgust and disappointment to the Holy -Land. On his arrival at Jerusalem with intelligence of his ill success -the greatest consternation prevailed amongst the Latin Christians: and -it was generally observed that the true cross, which had been recovered -from the Persians by the Emperor Heraclius, was about to be lost under -the pontificate, and by the fault of a patriarch of the same name. A -cotemporary writer of Palestine tells us that the patriarch was a very -handsome person, and, in consequence of his beauty, the mother of the -king of Jerusalem fell in love with him, and made him archbishop of -Caesarea. He then describes how he came to be made patriarch, and how -he was suspected to have poisoned the archbishop of Tyre. After his -return from Rome he fell in love with the wife of a haberdasher who -lived at Naplous, twelve miles from Jerusalem. He went to see her very -often, and, not long after the acquaintanceship commenced, the husband -died. Then the patriarch brought the lady to Jerusalem, clothed her in -rich apparel, bought her a house, and furnished her with an elegant -retinue.[63] - -Baldwin the fourth, who was the reigning sovereign of the Latin -kingdom at the period of the departure of the patriarch Heraclius -and the Grand Master of the Temple for Europe, was afflicted with a -frightful leprosy, which rendered it unlawful for him to marry, and -he was consequently deprived of all hope of having an heir of his -body to inherit the crown. Sensible of the dangers and inconvenience -of a female succession, he selected William V. marquis of Montferrat, -surnamed "Long-sword," as a husband for his eldest sister Sibylla. -Shortly after his marriage the marquis of Montferrat died, leaving -by Sibylla an infant son named Baldwin. Sibylla's second husband was -Guy de Lusignan, a nobleman of a handsome person, and descended of an -ancient family of Poitou in France. Her choice was at first approved of -by the king, who received his new brother-in-law with favour, loaded -him with honours, and made him regent of the kingdom. Subsequently, -through the intrigues of the count of Tripoli, the king was induced to -deprive Guy de Lusignan of the regency, and to set aside the claims -of Sibylla to the throne, in favour of her son the young Baldwin, who -was then about five years of age. He gave orders for the coronation of -the young prince, and resigned his authority to the count of Tripoli, -who was appointed regent of the kingdom during the minority of the -sovereign, whilst all the fortresses and castles of the land were -committed to the safe keeping of the Templars and Hospitallers. The -youthful Baldwin was carried with vast pomp to the great church of the -Holy Sepulchre, and was there anointed and crowned by the patriarch -in the presence of the Grand Masters of the Temple and the Hospital. -According to ancient custom he was taken, wearing his crown, to the -Temple of the Lord, to make certain offerings, after which he went to -the Temple of Solomon, where the Templars resided, and was entertained -at dinner, together with his barons, by the Grand Master of the Temple -and the military friars. Shortly after the coronation (A. D. 1186) -the ex-king, Baldwin IV., died at Jerusalem, and was buried in the -church of the Resurrection, by the side of Godfrey de Bouillon, and the -other Christian kings. His death was followed, in the short space of -seven months, by that of the infant sovereign Baldwin V., and Sibylla -thus became the undoubted heiress to the throne. The count of Tripoli -refused, however, to surrender the regency, accusing Sibylla of the -horrible and improbable crime of poisoning her own child. But Gerard -de Riderfort, the Grand Master of the Temple, invited her to repair to -Jerusalem, and gave orders for the coronation. He sent letters, in the -queen's name, to the count of Tripoli and the rebellious barons who -had assembled with their followers in arms at Naplous, (the ancient -Shechem,) requiring them to attend at the appointed time to do homage, -and take the oath of allegiance, but the barons sent back word that -they intended to remain where they were; and they despatched two -Cistercian abbots to the Grand Master of the Temple, and the patriarch -Heraclius, exhorting them for the love of God and his holy apostles -to refrain from crowning Isabella countess of Jaffa, as long as she -remained the wife of Guy de Lusignan. They represented that the latter -had already manifested his utter incapacity for command, both in the -field and in the cabinet; that the kingdom of Jerusalem required an -able general for its sovereign; and they insisted that Sibylla should -be immediately divorced from Guy de Lusignan, and should choose a -husband better fitted to protect the country and undertake the conduct -of the government. - -As soon as this message had been received, the Grand Master of the -Temple directed the Templars to take possession of all the gates of -the city of Jerusalem, and issued strict orders that no person should -be allowed to enter or withdraw from the Holy City without an express -permission from himself. Sibylla and Guy de Lusignan were then taken, -guarded by the Templars, to the great church of the Resurrection, where -the patriarch Heraclius and all his clergy were in readiness to receive -them. The crowns of the Latin kingdom were kept in a large chest in the -treasury, fastened with two locks. The Grand Master of the Temple kept -the key of one of these locks, and the Grand Master of the Hospital -had the other. On their arrival at the church, the key of the Grand -Master of the Temple was produced, but the key of the Grand Master of -the Hospital was not forthcoming, nor could that illustrious chieftain -himself anywhere be found. Gerard de Riderfort and Heraclius at last -went in person to the Hospital, and after much hunting about they found -the Grand Master, and immediately demanded the key in the queen's name. - -The powerful Superior of the Hospitallers at first refused to produce -it, but being pressed by many arguments and entreaties, he at last -took out the key and flung it upon the ground, whereupon the patriarch -picked it up, and proceeding to the treasury, speedily produced the -two crowns, one of which he placed upon the high altar of the church -of the Resurrection, and the other by the side of the chair upon -which the countess of Jaffa was seated. Heraclius then performed the -solemn ceremony of the coronation, and when he had placed the crown -on the queen's head, he reminded her that she was a frail and feeble -woman, but ill fitted to contend with the toil and strife in which -the beleaguered kingdom of Palestine was continually involved, and he -therefore exhorted her to make choice of some person to govern the -kingdom in conjunction with herself; whereupon her majesty, taking -up the crown which had been placed by her side, and calling for her -husband, Guy de Lusignan, thus addressed him:--"Those whom God hath -joined, let no man put asunder. Sire, receive this crown, for I know -none more worthy of it than yourself." And immediately Guy de Lusignan -was crowned king of Jerusalem, and received the blessing of the -patriarch. - -Great was the indignation of the count of Tripoli and the barons, when -they received intelligence of these events. They raised the standard -of revolt, and proclaimed the princess Isabella, the younger sister -of Sibylla, who had been married, at the early period of eight years, -to Humphrey de Thoron, queen of Jerusalem. As soon as Humphrey de -Thoron heard of the proceedings of the count of Tripoli and the barons, -he hurried with the princess to Jerusalem, and the two, throwing -themselves at the feet of the king and queen, respectfully tendered -to them their allegiance. This loyal and decisive conduct struck -terror and dismay into the hearts of the conspirators, most of whom -now proceeded to Jerusalem to do homage; whilst the count of Tripoli, -deserted by his adherents, retired to the strong citadel of Tiberias, -of which place he was the feudal lord, and there remained, proudly -defying the royal power.[64] - -The king at first sought to avail himself of the assistance of the -Templars against his rebellious vassal, and exhorted them to besiege -Tiberias; but they refused, as it was contrary to their oaths, and -the spirit of their institution, for them to undertake an aggressive -warfare against any christian prince. The king then gave orders for the -concentration of an army at Nazareth; the count of Tripoli prepared to -defend Tiberias, and it appears unquestionable that he sent to Saladin -for assistance, and entered into a defensive and independent alliance -with that monarch. The citadel of Tiberias was a place of great -strength, the military power of the count was very considerable, and -the friends of the king, foreseeing that the infidels would not fail to -take advantage of a civil war, earnestly besought his majesty to offer -terms of reconciliation to his powerful vassal. It was accordingly -agreed that the Grand Masters of the Temple and the Hospital should -proceed with the archbishop of Tyre, the Lord Balian d'Ibelin, and -the Lord Reginald of Sidon, to Tiberias, and attempt to bring back -the count to his allegiance. These illustrious personages set out -from Jerusalem, and slept the first night at Naplous, of which town -Balian d'Ibelin was the feudal lord, and the next day they journeyed -on towards Nazareth. As they drew near that place, the Grand Master of -the Temple proceeded to pass the night at a neighbouring fortress of -the Knights Templars, called "the castle of La Feue," and was eating -his supper with the brethren in the refectory of the convent, when -intelligence was brought to him that a strong corps of the Mussulman -cavalry, under the command of Malek al Afdal, one of Saladin's sons, -had crossed the Jordan at sunrise, and was marching through the -territories of the count of Tripoli. - -The chronicle of the Holy Land, written by Radolph, abbot of the -monastery of Coggleshale in Essex, forms the most important and -trustworthy account now in existence of the conquest of Jerusalem by -Saladin, for the writer was, as he tells us, an eye-witness of all -the remarkable events he relates. Radolph was an English monk of the -Cistercian order, and a man of vast learning and erudition. He went on -a pilgrimage to Palestine, and was there on the breaking out of the war -which immediately preceded the loss of the Holy City. He was present -at the siege of Jerusalem, and was wounded by an arrow, "which," says -the worthy abbot, "pierced through the nose of the relator of these -circumstances; the wood was withdrawn, but a part of the iron barb -remains to this day." His chronicle was published in 1729, by the -fathers Martene and Durand, in their valuable collection of ancient -chronicles and manuscripts. It commences in the year 1187, and finishes -in 1191. - -As soon as the Grand Master of the Temple heard that the infidels had -crossed the Jordan and were ravaging the christian territories, he -sent messengers to a castle of the Templars called "The Convent of -Caco," situate four miles distant from La Feue, commanding all the -knights that could be spared from the garrison at that place to mount -and come to him with speed. The knights had retired to rest when the -messengers arrived, but they arose from their beds, and at midnight -they were encamped with their horses around the walls of the castle of -La Feue. The next morning, as soon as it was light, the Grand Master, -at the head of ninety of his knights, rode over to Nazareth, and was -joined at that place by the Grand Master of the Hospital and forty -knights of the garrison of Nazareth. The Templars and Hospitallers -were accompanied by four hundred of their foot soldiers, and the -whole force, under the command of the two Grand Masters, amounted to -about six hundred men. With this small but valiant band, they set out -in quest of the infidels, and had proceeded about seven miles from -Nazareth in the direction of the Jordan, when they came suddenly upon a -strong column of Mussulman cavalry amounting to several thousand men, -who were watering their horses at the brook Kishon. Without waiting -to count the number of their enemies, the Templars raised their war -cry, unfolded the blood-red banner, and dashed into the midst of the -astonished and terrified Mussulmen, dealing around them, to use the -words of Abbot Coggleshale, "death and damnation." The infidels, taken -by surprise, were at first thrown into confusion, discomfited, and -slaughtered; but when the smallness of the force opposed to them became -apparent, they closed in upon the Templars, overwhelmed them with -darts and missiles, and speedily thinned their ranks with a terrific -slaughter. An eye-witness tells us that the military friars were to be -seen bathed with blood and sweat; trembling with fatigue; with their -horses killed under them, and with their swords and lances broken, -closing with the Mussulman warriors, and rolling headlong with them in -the dust. Some tore the darts with which they had been transfixed from -their bodies, and hurled them back with a convulsive effort upon the -enemy; and others, having lost all their weapons in the affray, clung -around the necks of their opponents, dragged them from their horses, -and endeavoured to strangle them under the feet of the combatants. -Jacqueline de Mailly, Marshal of the Temple, performed prodigies of -valour. He was mounted on a white horse, and clothed in the white habit -of his order, with the blood-red cross, the symbol of martyrdom, on -his breast; he became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, an -object of admiration, even to the Moslems. Radolph compares the fury -and the anger of this warlike monk, as he looked around him upon his -slaughtered brethren, to the wrath of the lioness who has lost her -whelps; and his position and demeanour in the midst of the throng of -infidels, he likens to that of the wild boar when surrounded by dogs -whom he is tearing with his tusks. Every blow of this furious man, says -the worthy abbot, "despatched an infidel to hell;" but with all his -valour Jacqueline de Mailly was slain. - -In this bloody battle perished the Grand Master of the Hospital and -all the Templars excepting the Grand Master, Gerard de Riderford, and -two of his knights, who broke through the dense ranks of the Moslems, -and made their escape to Nazareth. The Mussulmen severed the heads of -the slaughtered Templars from their bodies, and attaching them with -cords to the points of their lances, they marched off in the direction -of Tiberias. This disastrous engagement was fought on Friday, the 1st -of May, the feast of St. James and St. Philip. "In that beautiful -season of the year," says Abbot Coggleshale, "when the inhabitants of -Nazareth were wont to seek the rose and the violet in the fields, they -found only the sad traces of carnage, and the lifeless bodies of their -slaughtered brethren. With mourning and great lamentation they carried -them into the burial-ground of the blessed Virgin Mary at Nazareth, -crying aloud, 'Daughters of Galilee, put on your mourning clothes, and -ye daughters of Zion, bewail the misfortunes that threaten the kings of -Judah.'" - -Whilst this bloody battle was being fought, the Lord Balian d'Ibelin -was journeying with another party of Templars from Naplous to join the -Grand Master at Nazareth, and the following interesting account is -given of their march towards that place. "When they had travelled two -miles, they came to the city of Sebaste. It was a lovely morning, and -they determined to march no further until they had heard mass. They -accordingly turned towards the house of the bishop and awoke him up, -and informed him that the day was breaking. The bishop accordingly -ordered an old chaplain to put on his clothes and say mass, after which -they hastened forwards. Then they came to the castle of La Feue, (a -fortress of the Templars,) and there they found, outside the castle, -the tents of the convent of Caco pitched, and there was no one to -explain what it meant. A varlet was sent into the castle to inquire, -but he found no one within but two sick people who were unable to -speak. Then they marched towards Nazareth, and after they had proceeded -a short distance from the castle of La Feue, they met a brother of the -Temple on horseback, who galloped up to them at a furious rate, calling -out, 'Bad news, bad news;' and he informed them how that the Master of -the Hospital had had his head cut off, and how of all the brothers of -the Temple there had escaped but three, the Master of the Temple and -two others, and that the knights whom the king had placed in garrison -at Nazareth, were all taken and killed." "If Balian d'Ibelin," says -the chronicler, "had marched straight to Nazareth, with his knights, -instead of halting to hear mass at Sebaste, he would have been in time -to have saved his brethren from slaughter." As it was, he arrived just -in time to hear the funeral service read over their dead bodies by -William, archbishop of Tyre.[65] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, who was at Nazareth, suffering severely -from his wounds, hastened to collect together a small force at that -place to open the communications with Tiberias, which being done, the -Lord Balian d'Ibelin and the archbishop of Tyre proceeded to that place -to have their interview with the count of Tripoli. The Grand Master -accompanied them as far as the hill above the citadel, but not liking -to trust himself into the power of the count, he then retraced his -steps to Nazareth. Both the Moslem and the Christian writers agree in -asserting that the count of Tripoli had at this period entered into -an alliance with Saladin; nevertheless, either smitten with remorse -for his past conduct, or moved by the generous overtures of the king, -he consented to do homage and become reconciled to his sovereign, and -for this purpose immediately set out from Tiberias for Jerusalem. The -interview and reconciliation between the king and the count took place -at Joseph's well, near Naplous, in the presence of the Templars and -Hospitallers, and the bishops and barons. The count knelt upon one knee -and did homage, whereupon the king raised him up and kissed him, and -they then both returned together to Naplous to take measures for the -protection of the country. - -Saladin, on the other hand, was concentrating together a large -army and rapidly maturing his plans for the reconquest of the -Holy City--the long-cherished enterprise of the Mussulmen. Whilst -discord and dissensions had been gradually undermining the strength -of the Christian empire, Saladin had been carefully extending and -consolidating his power. He had reduced the various independent -chieftains of the north of Syria to submission to his throne and -government; he had conquered the cities of Mecca and Medina, and the -whole of Arabia Felix; and his vast empire now extended from Tripoli, -in Africa, to the Tigris, and from the Indian Ocean to the mountains -of Armenia. The Arabian writers enthusiastically recount his pious -exhortations to the true believers to arm in defence of Islam, and -describe with vast enthusiasm his glorious preparations for the holy -war. Bohadin, son of Sjeddadi, his friend and secretary, and great -biographer, before venturing upon the sublime task of describing his -famous and sacred actions, makes a solemn confession of faith, and -offers up praises to the one true God. "Praise be to GOD," says he, -"who hath blessed us with _Islam_, and hath led us to the understanding -of the true faith beautifully put together, and hath befriended us; -and, through the intercession of our prophet, hath loaded us with every -blessing. I bear witness that there is no God but that one GREAT GOD -who hath _no partner_, (a testimony that will deliver our souls from -the smoky fire of hell,) that MOHAMMED is his _servant_ and _apostle_, -who hath opened unto us the gates of the right road to salvation. These -solemn duties being performed, I will begin to write concerning the -victorious DEFENDER _of the_ FAITH, the tamer of the followers of the -cross, the lifter up of the standard of justice and equity, the saviour -of the world and of religion, Saladin Aboolmodaffer Joseph, the son of -Job, the son of Schadi, Sultan of the Moslems, ay, and of Islam itself; -the deliverer of the holy house of God (the Temple) from the hands of -the idolaters, the servant of two holy cities, whose tomb may the Lord -moisten with the dew of his favour, affording to him the sweetness of -the fruits of the faith."[66] - -Crowds of Mussulmen from all parts of Asia crowded round the standard -of Saladin, and the caliph of Bagdad and all the imauns put up daily -prayers for the success of his arms. After protecting the return of the -caravan from Mecca, Saladin marched to Ashtara, probably the Ashtaroth -Karnain of scripture, belonging to the tribe of Manasseh, not far from -Damascus. He was there met by his son, _Al Malek al Afdal_, "Most -excellent Prince," and _Moh-hafferoddin ibn Zinoddin_, with the army -under their command. Being afterwards joined by the forces of _Al -Mawsel_, commanded by _Masud al Zaf'arani_, _Maredin_, and _Hamah_, he -reviewed his army, first on the hill called Tel Taisel, and afterwards -at Ashtara, the place of general rendezvous. Whilst completing his -preparations at this place, Saladin received intelligence of the -reconciliation of the count of Tripoli with the king of Jerusalem, and -he determined instantly to lay siege to Tiberias. For this purpose, -on Friday the 17th of the month Rabi, he advanced in three divisions -upon Al Soheira, a village situate at the northern end of the Lake of -Tiberias, where he encamped for the night. The next day he marched -round to the western shore of the lake, and proceeded towards Tiberias -in battle array. On the 21st Rabi, he took the town by storm, put all -who resisted to the sword, and made slaves of the survivors. The place -was then set on fire and reduced to ashes. The countess of Tripoli -retired with the garrison into the citadel, and from thence she -sent messengers to her husband and the king of Jerusalem, earnestly -imploring instant succour. - -The king had pitched his tents at Sepphoris, and all the chivalry of -the Latin kingdom were hastening to join his standard and make a last -effort in defence of the tottering kingdom of Jerusalem. The Templars -and Hospitallers collected together a strong force from their different -castles and fortresses,[67] and came into the camp with the holy cross -which had been brought from the church of the Resurrection, to be -placed in the front of the christian array. The count of Tripoli joined -them with the men of Tripoli and Galilee. Prince Reginald of Mount -Royal, made his appearance at the head of a body of light cavalry. -The Lord Balian of Naplous came in with all his armed retainers, and -Reginald, Lord of Sidon, marched into the camp with the men from the -sea coast. - -The Grand Master of the Temple had brought with him the treasure which -had been sent to the Templars by the king of England, to be employed -in the defence of the Holy Land, in expiation of the murder of St. -Thomas a Becket, and it was found very acceptable in the exhausted -condition of the Latin treasury. Whilst the christian forces were -assembling at Sepphoris, Saladin sent forward a strong corps of -cavalry, which ravaged and laid waste all the country around the -brook Kishon, from Tiberias to Bethoron, and from the mountains of -Gilboa and Jezreel to Nazareth. From all the eminences nought was to -be seen but the smoking ruins of the villages, hamlets, and scattered -dwellings of the christian population. The whole country, before the -very noses of the warriors of the cross, was enveloped in flame and -smoke, and the christian camp was filled with fugitives who had fled -with terror before the merciless swords of the Moslems. To complete -the misfortunes of the Latins, the king was irresolute and continually -giving contradictory commands, and the christian chieftains, having -lost all confidence in their leader, and despairing of being able to -contend with success against the vast power of Saladin, seemed to be -preparing for a retreat to the sea coast, rather than for a desperate -struggle with the infidels for the preservation of Jerusalem. Upon -this ground only can be explained the long delay of the christian army -at Sepphoris. This place, the ancient capital of Galilee, is situate -between Nazareth and Acre, and an army could at any time secure an easy -and safe retreat from it to the port of the last-named city. Here, -then, the Christians remained, quietly permitting Saladin to occupy a -strong position from whence he could pour his vast masses of cavalry -into the great plain of Esdraelon, and open for himself a direct road -to the Holy City, either through the valley of the Jordan, or through -the great plain along the bases of the mountains of Gilboa. - -When the messengers from the countess of Tripoli arrived in the -christian camp, with intelligence that Saladin had burnt and stormed -the town of Tiberias, and that the countess had retired into the -citadel, the king called a council of war. This council assembled in -the royal tent, on the evening of the 2nd of July, A. D. 1187, and -there were present at it, Gerard de Riderfort, the Grand Master of the -Temple, the newly-elected Grand Master of the Hospital, the archbishop -of Tyre, the count of Tripoli, Balian d'Ibelin, lord of Naplous, and -nearly all the bishops and barons of Palestine. The count of Tripoli, -although his capital was in flames, his territories spoiled by the -enemy, and his countess closely besieged, advised the king to remain -inactive where he was; but the Grand Master of the Temple, hearing -this advice, rose up in the midst of the assembly, and stigmatized the -count as a traitor, urging the king instantly to march to the relief -of Tiberias. The barons, however, sided with the count of Tripoli, -and it was determined that the army should remain at Sepphoris. The -council broke up; each man retired to his tent, and the king went to -supper. But the Grand Master of the Temple, agitated by a thousand -conflicting emotions, could not rest. At midnight he arose and sought -the presence of the king. He reproached him for remaining in a state of -inaction at Sepphoris, whilst the enemy was ravaging and laying waste -all the surrounding country, and reducing the Christian population to -a state of hopeless bondage. "It will be an everlasting reproach to -you, sire," said he, "if you quietly permit the infidels to take before -your face an important christian citadel, which you ought to feel it -your first duty to defend. Know that the Templars will sooner tear the -white mantle from their shoulders, and sell all that they possess, than -remain any longer quiet spectators of the injury and disgrace that have -been brought upon the christian arms." - -Moved by the discourse of the Grand Master, the king consented to -march to the relief of Tiberias, and at morning's dawn the tents of -the Templars were struck, and the trumpets of the order sounded the -advance. In vain did the count of Tripoli and the barons oppose this -movement, the king and the Templars were resolute, and the host of -the cross soon covered, in full array, the winding road leading to -Tiberias. The count of Tripoli insisted upon leading the van of the -army, as the christian forces were marching through his territories, -and the Templars consequently brought up the rear. The patriarch -Heraclius, whose duty it was to bear the holy cross in front of the -christian array, had remained at Jerusalem, and had confided his sacred -charge to the bishops of Acre and Lidda, a circumstance which gave rise -to many gloomy forebodings amongst the superstitious soldiers of Christ. - -As soon as Saladin heard of the advance of the christian army, he -turned the siege of the citadel of Tiberias into a blockade, called -in his detachments of cavalry, and hastened to occupy all the passes -and defiles of the mountains leading to Tiberias. The march of the -infidel host, which amounted to 80,000 horse and foot, over the hilly -country, is compared by an Arabian writer, an eye-witness, to mountains -in movement, or to the vast waves of an agitated sea. Saladin encamped -on the hills beyond Tiberias, resting his left wing upon the lake, -and planting his cavalry in the valleys. When the Latin forces had -arrived within three miles of Tiberias, they came in sight of the -Mussulman army, and were immediately assailed by the light cavalry -of the Arabs. During the afternoon of that day a bloody battle was -fought. The Christians attempted, but in vain, to penetrate the defiles -of the mountains; and when the evening came they found that they had -merely been able to hold their ground without advancing a single step. -Instead of fighting his way, at all hazards, to the lake of Tiberias, -or falling back upon some position where he could have secured a supply -of water, the king, following the advice of the count of Tripoli, -committed the fatal mistake of ordering the tents to be pitched. "When -the Saracens saw that the Christians had pitched their tents," says the -chronicler, "they came and encamped so close to them that the soldiers -of the two armies could converse together, and not even a cat could -escape from the Christian lines without the knowledge of the Saracens." -It was a sultry summer's night, the army of the cross was hemmed in -amongst dry and barren rocks, and both the men and horses, after their -harassing and fatiguing march, threw themselves on the parched ground, -sighing in vain for water. During the livelong night, not a drop of -that precious element touched their lips, and the soldiers arose -exhausted and unrefreshed, for the toil, and labour, and fierce warfare -of the ensuing day. - -At sunrise the Templars formed in battle array in the van of the -Christian army, and prepared to open a road through the dense ranks of -the infidels to the lake of Tiberias. An Arabian writer, who witnessed -the movement of their dense and compact columns at early dawn, speaks -of them as "terrible in arms, having their whole bodies cased with -triple mail." He compares the noise made by their advancing squadrons -to the _loud humming of bees!_ and describes them as animated with -"a flaming desire of vengeance."[68] Saladin had behind him the lake -of Tiberias, his infantry was in the centre, and the swift cavalry -of the desert was stationed on either wing, under the command of -_Faki-ed-deen_ (teacher of religion). The Templars rushed, we are told, -like lions upon the Moslem infidels, and nothing could withstand their -heavy and impetuous charge. "Never," says an Arabian doctor of the law, -"have I seen bolder or more powerful soldiers; none more to be feared -by the believers in the true faith." Saladin set fire to the dry grass -and dwarf shrubs which lay between both armies, and the wind blew the -smoke and the flames directly into the faces of the military friars -and their horses. The fire, the noise, the gleaming weapons, and all -the accompaniments of the horrid scene, have given full scope to the -descriptive powers of the oriental writers. They compare it to the last -judgment; the dust and the smoke obscured the face of the sun, and -the day was turned into night. Sometimes gleams of light darted like -the rapid lightning amid the throng of combatants; then you might see -the dense columns of armed warriors, now immoveable as mountains, and -now sweeping swiftly across the landscape like the rainy clouds over -the face of heaven. "The sons of paradise and the children of fire," -say they, "then decided their terrible quarrel; the arrows rustled -through the air like the wings of innumerable sparrows, the sparks flew -from the coats of mail and the glancing sabres, and the blood spurting -forth from the bosom of the throng deluged the earth like the rains of -heaven."... "The avenging sword of the true believers was drawn forth -against the infidels; the faith of the UNITY was opposed to the faith -of the TRINITY, and speedy ruin, desolation, and destruction, overtook -the miserable sons of baptism!" - -The lake of Tiberias was two miles distant from the Templars, and ever -and anon its blue and placid waters were to be seen calmly reposing -in the bright sun-beams, or winding gracefully amid the bosom of the -distant mountains; but every inch of the road was fiercely contested; -the expert archers of the Mussulmen lined all the eminences, and the -thirsty soil was drenched with the blood of the best and bravest of the -christian warriors. After almost superhuman exertions, the Templars -and Hospitallers halted, and sent to the king for succour. At this -critical juncture the count of Tripoli, who had always insisted on -being in the van, and whose conduct, from first to last, had been most -suspicious, dashed with a few followers through a party of Mussulmen, -who opened their ranks to let him pass, and fled in safety to Tyre. -The flight of this distinguished nobleman gave rise to a sudden panic, -and the troops that were advancing to the support of the Templars were -driven in one confused mass upon the main body. The military friars, -who rarely turned their backs upon the enemy, maintained, alone and -unaided, a short, sharp, and bloody conflict, which ended in the death -or captivity of every one of them excepting the Grand Master of the -Hospital, who clove his way from the field of battle, and reached -Ascalon in safety, but died of his wounds the day after his arrival. - -The Christian soldiers now gave themselves up to despair; the infantry, -which was composed principally of the native population of Palestine, -men taken from the plough and the pruning-hook, crowded together in -disorder and confusion, around the bishops and the holy cross. They -were so wedged together that they were unable to act against the enemy, -and they refused to obey their leaders. Brother Terric, Grand Preceptor -of the Temple, who had been attached to the person of the king, the -Lord Reginald of Sidon, Balian d'Ibelin, lord of Naplous, and many of -the lesser barons and knights, collected their followers together, -rushed over the rocks, down the mountain sides, pierced through the -enemies' squadrons, and leaving the infantry to their fate, made their -escape to the sea coast. The Arab cavalry dashed on, and surrounding, -with terrific cries, the trembling and unresisting foot soldiers, they -mowed them down with a frightful carnage. - -In vain did the bishops of Ptolemais and Lidda, who supported with -difficulty the Holy Cross in the midst of the disordered throng, -attempt to infuse into the base-born peasantry some of that daring -valour and fiery-religious enthusiasm which glowed so fiercely in the -breasts of the Moslems. The Christian fugitives were crowded together -like a flock of sheep when attacked by dogs, and their bitter cries -for mercy ever and anon rent the air, between the loud shouts of ALLAH -_acbar_--"GOD is victorious." The Moslem chieftains pressed into the -heart of the throng, and cleft their way towards the Holy Cross; the -bishop of Ptolemais was slain, the bishop of Lidda was made captive, -and the cross itself fell into the hands of the infidels. The king of -Jerusalem, the Grand Master of the Temple, the Marquis of Montferrat, -the Lord Reginald de Chatillon, and many other nobles and knights, -were at the same time taken prisoners and led away into captivity. -"Alas, alas," says Abbot Coggleshale, "that I should have lived to -have seen in my time these awful and terrible calamities." When the -sun had sunk to rest, and darkness had put an end to the slaughter, -a crowd of Christian fugitives, who survived the long and frightful -carnage, attempted to gain the summit of Mount Hittin, in the vain hope -of escaping from the field of blood, under cover of the obscurity of -the night. But every pass and avenue were strictly watched, and when -morning came they were found cowering on the elevated summit of the -mountain. They were maddened with thirst and exhausted with watching, -but despair gave them some energy; they availed themselves with success -of the strength of their position, and in the first onslaught the -Moslems were repulsed. The sloping sides of Mount Hittin were covered -with dry grass and thistles, which had been scorched and killed by the -hot summer's sun, and the Moslems again resorted to the expedient of -setting fire to the parched vegetation. The heat of a July sun, added -to that of the raging flames, soon told with fearful effect upon the -weakened frames of the poor Christian warriors, who were absolutely -dying with thirst; some threw away their arms and cast themselves -upon the ground; some cried for mercy, and others calmly awaited the -approach of death. - -The Moslem appetite for blood had at this time been slaked; feelings -of compassion for the misfortunes of the fallen had arisen in their -breasts, and as resistance had now ceased in every quarter of the -field, the lives of the fugitives on Mount Hittin were mercifully -spared. Thus ended the memorable battle of Tiberias, which commenced on -the afternoon of the 3rd of July, and ended oh the morning of Saturday, -the 5th. The multitude of captives taken by the Moslems was enormous; -cords could not be found to bind them, the tent ropes were all used -for the purpose, but were insufficient, and the Arabian writers tell -us, that on seeing the dead, one would have thought that there could -have been no prisoners, and on seeing the prisoners, that there could -be no dead. "I saw," says the secretary and companion of Saladin, who -was present at this terrible fight, and is unable to restrain himself -from pitying the disasters of the vanquished--"I saw the mountains and -the plains, the hills and the valleys, covered with their dead. I saw -their fallen and deserted banners sullied with dust and with blood. I -saw their heads broken and battered, their limbs scattered abroad, and -the blackened corpses piled one upon another like the stones of the -builders. I called to mind the words of the Koran, 'The infidel shall -say, What am I but _dust_?'... I saw thirty or forty tied together by -one cord. I saw in one place, guarded by one Mussulman, two hundred of -these famous warriors gifted with amazing strength, who had but just -now walked forth amongst the mighty: their proud bearing was gone: they -stood naked with downcast eyes, wretched and miserable.... The lying -infidels were now in the power of the true believers. Their king and -their cross were captured, that cross before which they bow the head -and bend the knee; which they bear aloft and worship with their eyes; -they say that it is the identical wood to which the God whom they -adore was fastened. They had adorned it with fine gold and brilliant -stones; they carried it before their armies; they all bowed towards it -with respect. It was their first duty to defend it; and he who should -desert it would never enjoy peace of mind. The capture of this cross -was more grievous to them than the captivity of their king. Nothing can -compensate them for the loss of it. It was their God; they prostrated -themselves in the dust before it, and sang hymns when it was raised -aloft!" - -As soon as all fighting had ceased on the field of battle, Saladin -proceeded to a tent, whither, in obedience to his commands, the king -of Jerusalem, Gerard de Riderfort, the Grand Master of the Temple, -and Reginald de Chatillon had been conducted. This last nobleman had -greatly distinguished himself in various daring expeditions against -the caravans of pilgrims travelling to Mecca, and had become on that -account particularly obnoxious to the pious Saladin. The sultan, -on entering the tent, ordered a bowl of sherbet, the sacred pledge -amongst the Arabs of hospitality and security, to be presented to the -fallen monarch of Jerusalem, and to the Grand Master of the Temple; -but when Reginald de Chatillon would have drunk thereof, Saladin -prevented him, and reproaching the christian nobleman with perfidy and -impiety, he commanded him instantly to acknowledge the prophet whom he -had blasphemed, or to be prepared to meet the death he had so often -deserved. On Reginald's refusal, Saladin struck him with his scimitar, -and he was immediately despatched by the guards. Bohadin, Saladin's -friend and secretary, an eye-witness of the scene, gives the following -account of it: "Then Saladin told the interpreter to say thus to the -king, 'It is thou, not I, who givest drink to this man!' Then the -sultan sat down at the entrance of the tent, and they brought Prince -Reginald before him, and after refreshing the man's memory, Saladin -said to him, 'Now then, I myself will act the part of the defender of -Mohammed!' He then offered the man the Mohammedan faith, but he refused -it; then the king struck him on the shoulder with a drawn scimitar, -which was a hint to those that were present to do for him; so they sent -his soul to _hell_, and cast out his body before the tent door!" - -The next day Saladin proceeded in cold blood to enact the grand -concluding tragedy. The warlike monks of the Temple and of the -Hospital, the bravest and most zealous defenders of the christian -faith, were, of all the warriors of the cross, the most obnoxious to -zealous Mussulmen, and it was determined that death or conversion to -Mahometanism should be the portion of every captive of either order, -excepting the Grand Master of the Temple, for whom it was expected a -heavy ransom would be given. Accordingly, on the christian Sabbath, -at the hour of sunset, the appointed time of prayer, the Moslems -were drawn up in battle array under their respective leaders. The -Mamlook emirs stood in two ranks clothed in yellow, and, at the sound -of the holy trumpet, all the captive knights of the Temple and of the -Hospital were led on to the eminence above Tiberias, in full view of -the beautiful lake of Gennesareth, whose bold and mountainous shores -had been the scene of so many of their Saviour's miracles. There, as -the last rays of the sun were fading away from the mountain tops, -they were called upon to deny him who had been crucified, to choose -God for their Lord, Islam for their faith, Mecca for their temple, -the Moslems for their brethren, and Mahomet for their prophet. To a -man they refused, and were all decapitated in the presence of Saladin -by the devout zealots of his army, and the doctors and expounders of -the law. An oriental historian, who was present, says that Saladin -sat with a smiling countenance viewing the execution, and that some -of the executioners cut off the heads with a degree of dexterity that -excited great applause. "Oh," say Omad'eddin Muhammed, "how beautiful -an ornament is the blood of the infidels sprinkled over the followers -of the faith and the true religion!"[69] If the Mussulmen displayed -a becoming zeal in the decapitation and annihilation of the infidel -Templars, these last manifested a no less praiseworthy eagerness for -martyrdom by the swords of the unbelieving Moslems. The Knight Templar, -Brother Nicolas, strove vigorously, we are told, with his companions -to be the first to suffer, and with great difficulty accomplished -his purpose. It was believed by the Christians, in accordance with -the superstitious ideas of those times, that heaven testified its -approbation by a visible sign, and that for three nights, during which -the bodies of the Templars remained unburied on the field, celestial -rays of light played around the corpses of those holy martyrs. - -Immediately after this fatal battle, the citadel of Tiberias -surrendered to Saladin, and the countess of Tripoli was permitted to -depart in safety in search of her fugitive husband. There was now no -force in the Latin kingdom capable of offering the least opposition -to the victorious career of the infidels, and Saladin, in order that -he might overrun and subjugate the whole country with the greatest -possible rapidity, divided his army into several bodies, which were -to proceed in different directions, and assemble at last under the -walls of Jerusalem. One strong column, under the command of Malek -el Afdal, proceeded to attack La Feue or Faba, the castle of the -Knights Templars. Nearly all the garrison had perished in the battle -of Tiberias, and after a short conflict the infidels walked into -the fortress, over the dead bodies of the last of its defenders. -From thence they crossed the great plain to Sebaste, and entered the -magnificent church erected by the empress Helena, over the prison in -which St. John the Baptist was beheaded, and over the humble grave -where still repose the remains of St. John and of Zacharias and -Elizabeth his parents. The terrified bishop and clergy had removed all -the gold and silver vessels from the altars and the rich copes and -vestments of the priests, to conceal them from the cupidity of the -Moslems, whereupon these last caused the bishop to be stripped naked -and beaten with rods, and led away all his clergy into captivity. The -wild Turcoman and Bedouin cavalry then dashed up the beautiful valley -of Succoth to Naplous, the ancient Shechem; which they found deserted -and desolate; the inhabitants had abandoned their dwellings and fled -to Jerusalem, and the Mussulmen planted their banners upon the gray -battlements of the castle, and upon the lofty summit of Mount Gerizim. -They then pitched their tents around the interesting well where our -Saviour spoke with the woman of Samaria, and pastured their cavalry in -the valley where Joseph's brethren were feeding their flocks when they -sold him to the wandering Ishmaelites. Here they remained to gather -some tidings of the operations of their fellow-soldiers on the other -side of the Jordan, and then proceeded to ravage and lay waste all -the country between Naplous and Jerusalem, "continuing," says Abbot -Coggleshale, "both by night and by day to slaughter every living thing -that they met." - -The column which was to proceed through the valley of the Jordan, -entered the great plain of Esdraelon by Mount Thabor, and taking the -direction of Nain and Endor to Jezreel, they crossed the mountains of -Gilboa to Beisan, and descended the valley of the Jordan, as far as -Jericho. Thence they proceeded to lay siege to a solitary castle of -the Templars, seated upon that celebrated mountain where, according -to tradition, our Saviour was tempted by the Devil with the visionary -scene of "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." In -this castle the Templars maintained a garrison, for the protection of -the pilgrims who came to bathe in the Jordan, and visit the holy places -in the neighbourhood of Jericho. From the toppling crag, whereon it -was seated, the eye commanded an extensive view of the course of the -Jordan, until it falls into the Dead Sea, also of the eastern frontier -of the Latin kingdom, and of the important passes communicating with -Jerusalem. The place was called _Maledoim_, or "the Red Mountain," on -account of the blood that had been shed upon the spot. Fifty Tyrian -dinars had been offered by Saladin, for the head of every Knight -Templar that was brought him, and the blood-thirsty infidels surrounded -the doomed castle eager for the reward. The whole garrison was put -to the sword, and the place was left a shapeless ruin. The infidels -then marched off in the direction of Jerusalem, and laid waste all the -country between Jericho and the Holy City. They pitched their tents at -Bethany, upon the spot where stood the houses of Simon the leper, and -of Mary Magdalene and Martha, and they destroyed the church built over -the house and tomb of Lazarus. The wild Arab cavalry then swept over -the Mount of Olives; they took possession of the church constructed -upon the summit of that sacred edifice, and extended their ravages up -to the very gates of Jerusalem. - -In the mean time Saladin's valiant brother Saifeddin, "sword of -the faith," had crossed the desert from Egypt, to participate in -the plunder and spoil of the christian territories. He laid waste -all the country from Daron and Gerar to Jerusalem. In front of his -fierce warriors were to be seen the long bands of mournful captives -tied together by the wrists, and behind them was a dreary desert, -soaked with christian blood. Saifeddin had besieged the strong town -of Mirabel, and placed his military engines in position, when the -terrified inhabitants sent a suppliant deputation to implore his -clemency. He agreed to spare their lives in return for the immediate -surrender of the place, and gave them an escort of four hundred -Mussulmen, to conduct them in safety to Jerusalem. Accompanied by their -wives and little ones, the miserable Christians cast a last look upon -their once happy homes, and proceeded on their toilsome journey to the -Holy City. On their arrival at an eminence, two miles from Jerusalem, -their Arabian escort left them, and immediately afterwards a party of -Templars dashed through the ravine, charged the retiring Moslems, and -put the greater part of them to the sword. - -The great Saladin, on the other hand, immediately after the battle -of Tiberias, hastened with the main body of his forces to Acre, and -the terrified inhabitants threw open their gates at his approach. -From thence he swept the whole sea coast to Jaffa, reducing all the -maritime towns, excepting the city of Tyre, which manfully resisted -him. The savage Turcomans from the north, the predatory Bedouins, -the fanatical Arabians, and the swarthy Africans, hurried across the -frontiers, to share in the spoil and plunder of the Latin kingdom. -Radolph, our worthy abbot of Coggleshale, one of those who fled before -the ruthless swords of the infidels, gives a frightful picture of the -aspect of the country. He tells us that the whole land was covered -with dead bodies, rotting and putrifying in the scorching sun-beams. -At early morning you might see the rich and stately church, with the -bright and happy dwellings scattered around it, the blooming garden, -the silvery olive grove, and the rich vineyard; but the fading rays of -the evening sun would fall on smoking masses of shapeless ruins, and -on a dreary and solitary desert. The holy abbot mourns over the fall -of Nazareth, and the desecration by the infidels of the magnificent -church of the Holy Virgin at that place. Sidon, Caiphas, Sepphoris, -Nazareth, Caeserea, Jaffa, Lidda, and Rama, successively fell into the -hands of the Moslems; the inhabitants were led away into captivity, and -the garrisons were put to the sword. The infidels laid waste all the -country about Mount Carmel and Caiphas, and they burnt the celebrated -church of Elias, on the mountain above the port of Acre, which served -as a beacon for navigators. - -The government of the order of the Temple, in consequence of the -captivity of the Grand Master Gerard de Riderfort, who was detained in -prison, with Guy, king of Jerusalem, at Damascus, devolved upon Brother -Terric, the Grand Preceptor of Jerusalem, who addressed letters to all -the brethren in the west, imploring aid and assistance. One of these -letters was duly received by Brother Geoffrey, Master of the Temple at -London, as follows:--"Brother Terric, Grand Preceptor of the poor house -of the Temple, and every poor brother, and the whole convent, now, -alas! almost annihilated, to all the preceptors and brothers of the -Temple, to whom these letters shall come, salvation through him to whom -our fervent aspirations are addressed, through him who causeth the sun -and the moon to reign marvellous. - -"The many and great calamities wherewith the anger of God, excited -by our manifold sins, hath just now permitted us to be afflicted, we -cannot for grief unfold to you, neither by letters nor by our sobbing -speech. The infidel chiefs having collected together a vast number -of their people, fiercely invaded our Christian territories, and -we, assembling our battalions, hastened to Tiberias to arrest their -march. The enemy having hemmed us in among barren rocks, fiercely -attacked us; the holy cross and the king himself fell into the hands -of the infidels, the whole army was cut to pieces, two hundred and -thirty of our knights were beheaded, without reckoning the sixty who -were killed on the 1st of May. The Lord Reginald of Sidon, the Lord -Ballovius, and we ourselves, escaped with vast difficulty from that -miserable field. The pagans, drunk with the blood of our Christians, -then marched with their whole army against the city of Acre, and took -it by storm. The city of Tyre is at present fiercely besieged, and -neither by night nor by day do the infidels discontinue their furious -assaults. So great is the multitude of them, that they cover like ants -the whole face of the country from Tyre to Jerusalem, and even unto -Gaza. The holy city of Jerusalem, Ascalon, and Tyre, and Beyrout, are -yet left to us and to the christian cause, but the garrisons and the -chief inhabitants of these places, having perished in the battle of -Tiberias, we have no hope of retaining them without succour from heaven -and instant assistance from yourselves."[70] Saladin, on the other -hand, sent triumphant letters to the caliph. "God and his ANGELS," says -he, "have mercifully succoured ISLAM. The infidels have been sent to -feed the _fires_ of HELL! The cross is fallen into our hands, around -which they fluttered like the moth round a light; under whose shadow -they assembled, in which they boldly trusted as in a wall; the cross, -the centre and leader of their pride, their superstition, and their -tyranny."... - -Saladin pursued his rapid conquests along the sea coast to the north -of Acre, and took by storm several castles of the Templars. After -a siege of six days, the strong fortress of Tebnin, on the road to -Beirout, was taken by assault, the garrison was put to the sword, -and the fortifications were razed to the ground. On the 22nd, Jomada, -the important city of Beirout, surrendered to Saladin, and shortly -afterwards the castles of Hobeil and Bolerum. The old chronicle -published by Martene, has the following strange passage concerning -the last named castle. "To this castle belonged the lady whom the -count of Tripoli refused to give up to Gerard de Riderfort, the Grand -Master of the Temple, whence arose the great quarrel between them, -which caused the loss of the Holy Land." After the reduction of all -the maritime towns between Acre and Tripoli, Saladin ordered his -different detachments to concentrate before Jerusalem, and hastened -in person to the south to complete the conquest of the few places -which still resisted the arms of the Mussulmen. He sat down before -Ascalon, and whilst preparing his military engines for battering the -walls, he sent messengers to the Templars at Gaza, representing to -them that the whole land was in his power, that all further efforts -at resistance were useless, and offering them their lives and a -safe retreat to Europe, if they would give up to him the important -fortress committed to their charge. But the military friars sent back -a haughty defiance to the victorious sultan, and recommended him to -take Ascalon before he ventured to ask for the surrender of Gaza. The -season was now advancing--vague rumours were flying about of stupendous -preparations in Europe for the recovery of Palestine, and Saladin -was anxious to besiege and take Jerusalem ere the winter's rains -commenced. When, therefore, his military engines were planted under -the walls of Ascalon, he once more, as the place was strong, summoned -the inhabitants to surrender, and they then agreed to capitulate on -receiving a solemn promise from Saladin that he would forthwith set at -liberty the king of Jerusalem and the Grand Master of the Temple, and -would respect both the persons and the property of the inhabitants. -These terms were acceded to, and on the 4th of September the gates of -Ascalon were thrown open to the infidels.[71] - -The inhabitants of this interesting city appear to have been much -attached to their king, Guy de Lusignan, and his queen Sibylla. They -had received them when they came from Jerusalem, as fugitives from the -wrath of Baldwin IV., and protected them against the power of that -monarch. The sultan imposed such conditions upon the prisoners as were -necessary for his own security. They were to quit Palestine never more -to return, and were in the mean time, until a fitting opportunity for -their embarkation to Europe could be found, to take up their abode at -Naplous, under the surveillance of the Moslem garrison. Immediately -after the capture of Ascalon, Saladin pitched his tents beneath the -walls of Gaza, the great fortress of the Knights Templars. He had been -repulsed by the military friars with great loss in a previous attack -upon this important station, and he now surrounded it with his numerous -battalions, thirsting for vengeance. The place surrendered after a -short siege; the fortifications were demolished, but the fate of the -garrison has not been recorded. - -Having subjugated all the country bordering upon the sea coast, Saladin -moved forward in great triumph towards the sacred city of Jerusalem. He -encamped the first night at Bersabee, the ancient Beersheba, around the -well digged by Abraham, in the land of the Philistines, and on the spot -where Abraham delivered the seven ewe lambs, and made the covenant with -Abimelech, and planted a grove, and called "on the name of the Lord, -the everlasting God." The next day Saladin marched towards Bethlehem, -halting on the way before a castle of the Hospitallers, which he -summoned to surrender, but in vain. Leaving a party of horse to watch -the place, he pitched his tents the same evening around Bethlehem, and -the next morning at sunrise, the Moslem soldiers might be seen pouring -into the vast convent and the magnificent church erected by the -empress Helena and her son Constantine, over the sacred spot where the -Saviour of the world was born. They wandered with unbounded admiration -amid the unrivalled Corinthian colonnade, formed by a quadruple row of -forty ancient columns, which support a barn-roof constructed of the -cedar of Lebanon. They paused to admire the beautiful mosaics which -covered the lofty walls, the richly carved screen on either side of the -high altar, and the twenty-five imperial eagles. Saladin was present -in person, and no serious disorders appear to have been committed. -The inhabitants of the town had all fled to Jerusalem, with whatever -property they could carry with them, and in the afternoon, after -establishing a garrison in the place, the sultan commenced his march -towards the Holy City. - -At the hour of sunset, when the bells of the churches of Jerusalem were -tolling to vespers, the vast host of Saladin crowned in dark array the -bleak and desolate eminences which surround the city of David. The -air was rent with the loud Mussulman shouts _El Kods, El Kods_--"The -Holy City, the Holy City!" and the green and yellow banners of the -prophet, and the various coloured emblems of the Arabian tribes, were -to be seen standing out in bold relief upon the lofty ridges of the -hills, and gleaming brightly in the last trembling rays of the setting -sun. The Arabian writers descant with enthusiasm upon the feelings -experienced by their countrymen on beholding "the long lost sister of -Mecca and Medina," on gazing once more upon the swelling domes of the -Mosque of Omar, and on the sacred eminence from whence, according to -their traditions, "Mahomet ascended from earth to heaven." It must have -been, indeed, a strange, and an awful scene. The Moslem host took up -their stations around the Holy City at the very hour when the followers -both of the Christian and Mahometan religion were wont to assemble to -offer up their prayers to the one Great God, the common Father of us -all. On the one hand, you might hear the sound of the sweet vesper -bells from the towers of the Christian churches wafted softly upon the -evening breeze, the hoarse chant of the monks and priests, and the loud -swelling hymn of praise; while on the other, over all the hills and -eminences around Jerusalem, stole the long shrill cry of the muezzins, -loudly summoning the faithful to their evening devotions. Within the -walls, for one night at least, the name of CHRIST was invoked with true -piety and fervent devotion; while without the city, the eternal truth -and the Moslem fiction were loudly proclaimed, "There is but one GOD, -and _Mahomet_ is his apostle." - -That very night, when the Mussulmen had finished their prayers, and -ere darkness spread its sable shroud over the land, the loud trumpets -of Saladin summoned the Christians to surrender "the house of God" to -the arms of the faithful: but the Christians returned for answer, that, -please God, the Holy City should _not_ be surrendered. The next morning -at sunrise, the terrified inhabitants were awakened by the clangour of -horns and drums, the loud clash of arms, and the fierce cries of the -remorseless foe. The women and children rushed into the churches, and -threw themselves on their knees before the altars, weeping and wailing, -and lifting up their hands to heaven, whilst the men hastened to man -the battlements. The Temple could no longer furnish its hundreds and -thousands of brave warriors for the defence of the holy sanctuary of -the Christians; a few miserable knights, with some serving brethren, -alone remained in its now silent halls and deserted courts. For fifteen -days did the Christians successfully resist the utmost efforts of the -enemy; the monks and the canons, the bishops and the priests, took arms -in defence of the Holy Sepulchre, and lined in warlike array the dark -gray battlements and towers of Jerusalem. But the Mussulman archers -soon became so numerous and so expert, that the garrison durst not -show themselves upon the walls "Their arrows fell," says our worthy -countryman, abbot Coggleshale, one of the brave defenders of the place, -"as thick as hail upon the battlements, so that no one could lift a -finger above the walls without being maimed. So great indeed was the -number of the wounded, that it was as much as all the doctors of the -city and of the Hospital could do to extract the weapons from their -bodies. The face of the narrator of these events was lacerated with -an arrow which pierced right through his nose; the wooden shaft was -withdrawn, but a piece of the iron head remains there to this day."[72] - -Jerusalem was crowded with fugitives who had been driven into the -Holy City from the provinces. The houses could not contain them, and -the streets were filled with women and children, who slept night -after night upon the cold pavement. At the expiration of a fortnight, -Saladin finding his incessant attacks continually foiled, retired from -the walls, and employed his troops in the construction of military -engines, stationing ten thousand cavalry around the city to intercept -fugitives, and prevent the introduction of supplies. When his engines -were completed, he directed all his efforts against the northern wall -of the city, which extends between St. Stephen's gate and the gate of -Jaffa. Ten thousand soldiers were attached to the military engines, -and were employed day and night in battering the fortifications. -Barefoot processions of women, monks, and priests were made to the -holy sepulchre, to implore the Son of God to save his tomb and his -inheritance from impious violation. The females, as a mark of humility -and distress, cut off their hair and cast it to the winds; and the -ladies of Jerusalem made their daughters do penance by standing up -to their necks in tubs of cold water placed upon Mount Calvary. But -it availed nought, "for our Lord Jesus Christ," says the chronicler, -"would not listen to any prayer that they made, for the filth, the -luxury, and the adultery which prevailed in the city did not suffer -prayer or supplication to ascend before God." - -To prevent the garrison from attempting to break the force of the -battering-rams, Saladin constructed vast mangonels and machines, -which cast enormous stones and flaming beams of timber, covered with -pitch and naptha, upon the ramparts, and over the walls into the city. -He moreover employed miners to sap the foundations of the towers, -and on the 16th of October the angle of the northern wall, where it -touches the valley of Gehinnon, was thrown down with a tremendous -crash. The appalling intelligence spread through the city, and filled -every heart with mourning. Friends embraced one another as it were for -the last time; mothers clung to their little ones, anticipating with -heart-rending agony the fearful moment when they would be torn from -them for ever; and the men gazed around in gloomy silence, appalled -and stupified. Young mothers might be seen carrying their babes in -their arms to Mount Calvary, and placing them before the altars of the -church of the Resurrection, as if they thought that the sweet innocence -of these helpless objects would appease the wrath of heaven. The -panic-stricken garrison deserted the fortifications, but the infidels -fortunately deferred the assault until the succeeding morning. During -the night attempts were made, but in vain, to organize a strong guard -to watch the breach. "With my own ears," says abbot Coggleshale, "I -heard it proclaimed, between the wall and the counterscarp, by the -patriarch and the chief men of the city, that if fifty strong and -valiant foot soldiers would undertake to guard for one night only the -angle which had been overthrown, they should receive fifty golden -bezants; but none could be found to undertake the duty." - -In the morning a suppliant deputation proceeded to Saladin to implore -his mercy, but ere they reached the imperial tent the assault had -commenced, and twelve banners of the prophet waved in triumph upon the -breach. The haughty sultan accordingly refused to hear the messengers, -and dismissed them, declaring that he would take Jerusalem from the -Franks as they had taken it from the Moslems, that is say, _sword -in hand_. But some spirit of resistance had at last been infused -into the quailing garrison, the few Templars and Hospitallers in -Jerusalem manned the breach, and in a desperate struggle the Moslems -were repulsed, and the standards of the prophet were torn down from -the walls. The messengers then returned to Saladin, and declared that -if he refused to treat for the surrender of Jerusalem, the Christians -would set fire to the TEMPLE or Mosque of Omar, would destroy all -the treasures they possessed in the city, and massacre their Moslem -prisoners. The announcement of this desperate determination, which -was accompanied with the offer of a very considerable ransom, induced -Saladin to listen to terms, and a treaty was entered into with the -Christians to the following effect. The Moslems were immediately to -be put into possession of all the gates of Jerusalem, and the liberty -and security of the inhabitants were to be purchased in the following -manner. Every man was to pay to Saladin ten golden bezants as a ransom, -every woman five, and every child under seven years was to pay one -bezant. - -When these terms, so disgraceful to the christian negotiators, were -known in the Holy City, nothing could exceed the grief and indignation -of the poorer classes of people, who had no money wherewith to pay the -ransom, and had consequently been delivered up to perpetual bondage -by their richer _christian_ brethren. All resistance on their part, -however, to the treaty was then hopeless; the poor had been betrayed -by the rich; the infidels were already in possession of the tower of -David, and their spears were gleaming in the streets of the Holy City. -It is recorded to the praise of the few Templars and Hospitallers who -were then in Jerusalem, that they spent all the money they possessed in -ransoming their poor christian brethren, whom they escorted in safety -to Tripoli. The number of those who, being unable to pay the ransom, -were reduced to a state of hopeless slavery, is estimated at fourteen -thousand, men, women, and children. They were sold in the common -slave-markets, and distributed through all the Mussulman countries -of Asia. The women became the concubines and the handmaids of their -masters, and the children were educated in the Mohammedan faith. - -The Arabian writers express their astonishment at the number of the -christian captives, and give a heart-rending account of their sorrows -and misfortunes. One of them tells us that he saw in his native -village a fair European woman, bright as the morning star, who had -two beautiful children. She seldom spoke, but remained the live-long -day absorbed in melancholy contemplation; there was, says he, such a -sweetness and gentleness in her deportment, that it made one's heart -ache to see her. "When I was at Aleppo," says the historian, Azz'eddin -Ali Ibn-Al'atsyr, who fought in Saladin's army, and was present at the -battle of Tiberias, "I had for a slave one of the christian women taken -at Jaffa. She had with her a little child, about a year old, and many -a bitter tear did she shed over this tender infant. I did my best to -comfort her, but she exclaimed, 'Alas, sir, it is not for this child -that I weep; I had a husband and two sisters, and I know not what has -become of them. I had also six brothers, all of whom have perished.' -This is the case of one person only. Another day I saw at Aleppo a -christian slave accompanying her master to the house of a neighbour. -The master knocked at the door, and another Frank woman came to open -it; the two females immediately give a loud cry; they rush into each -other's arms; they weep; they sit down on the ground and enter into -conversation. They were two sisters who had been sold as slaves to -different masters, and had been brought without knowing it to the same -town."[73] - -Thus fell the holy city of Jerusalem, eighty-eight years after its -conquest by Godfrey de Bouillon and the crusaders. Our excellent -chronicler, Radolph, abbot of Coggleshale, who was redeemed from -bondage by payment of the ten golden bezants, throws a pitying glance -upon the misfortunes and miseries of the poor captives, but attributes -the fall of Jerusalem, and all the calamities consequent thereon, to -the sins and iniquities of the inhabitants. "They honoured God," says -he, "with their lips, but their hearts were far from him." He speaks -of the beautiful women who thronged Jerusalem, and of the general -corruption of the city, and exclaims, in the words of the prophet, -"The Lord hath said unto the heathen, Go ye up against her walls and -destroy, take away her battlements, for they are not the Lord's." - -Immediately after the surrender of the city (October 11, A. D. 1187) -the Moslems rushed to the TEMPLE (Templum Domini, ante p. 12) in -thousands. "The imauns and the doctors and expounders of the wicked -errors of Mahomet," says Abbot Coggleshale, "first ascended to -the Temple of the Lord, called by the infidels _Beit Allah_, (the -house of God,) in which, as a place of prayer and religion, they -place their great hope of salvation. With horrible bellowings they -proclaimed the law of Mahomet, and vociferated, with polluted lips, -ALLAH _acbar_--ALLAH _acbar_ (GOD is victorious). They defiled all -the places that are contained within the Temple; i. e. the place of -the presentation, where the mother and glorious Virgin Mary delivered -the Son of God into the hands of the just Simeon; and the place of -the confession, looking towards the porch of Solomon, where the -Lord judged the woman taken in adultery. They placed guards that no -Christian might enter within the seven atria of the Temple; and as -a disgrace to the Christians, with vast clamour, with laughter and -with mockery, they hurled down the golden cross from the pinnacle of -the building, and dragged it with ropes throughout the city, amid the -exulting shouts of the infidels and the tears and lamentations of the -followers of Christ." When every Christian had been removed from the -precincts of the Temple, Saladin proceeded with vast pomp to say his -prayers in the _Beit Allah_, the holy house of God, or "Temple of the -Lord," erected by the Caliph Omar. He was preceded by five camels -laden with rose-water, which he had procured from Damascus, and he -entered the sacred courts to the sound of martial music, and with his -banners streaming in the wind. The _Beit Allah_, "the Temple of the -Lord," was then again consecrated to the service of one God and his -prophet Mahomet; the walls and pavements were washed and purified with -rose-water; and a pulpit, the labour of Noureddin, was erected in the -sanctuary.[74] - -The following account of these transactions was forwarded to Henry the -Second, king of England. "To the beloved Lord Henry, by the grace of -God, the illustrious king of the English, duke of Normandy and Guienne, -and count of Anjou, Brother Terric, formerly Grand Preceptor of the -house of the Temple at JERUSALEM, sendeth greeting,--salvation through -him who saveth kings. Know that Jerusalem, with the citadel of David, -hath been surrendered to Saladin. The Syrian Christians, however, -have the custody of the holy sepulchre up to the fourth day after -Michaelmas, and Saladin himself hath permitted ten of the brethren of -the Hospital to remain in the house of the hospital for the space of -one year, to take care of the sick.... Jerusalem, alas, hath fallen; -Saladin hath caused the cross to be thrown down from the summit of the -Temple of the Lord, and for two days to be publicly kicked and dragged -in the dirt through the city. He then caused the Temple of the Lord to -be washed within and without, upwards and downwards, with rose-water, -and the law of Mahomet to be proclaimed throughout the four quarters of -the Temple with wonderful clamour...."[75] - -Bohadin, Saladin's secretary, mentions as a remarkable and happy -circumstance, that the holy city was surrendered to the sultan of most -pious memory, and that God restored to the faithful their sanctuary -on the 27th of the month Regeb, on the night of which very day their -most glorious prophet Mahomet performed his wonderful nocturnal journey -from the Temple of the Lord, through the seven heavens, to the throne -of God. He also describes the sacred congregation of the Mussulmen -gathered together in the Temple and the solemn prayer offered up to -God; the shouting and the sounds of applause, and the voices lifted -up to heaven, causing the holy buildings to resound with thanks and -praises to the most bountiful Lord God. He glories in the casting -down of the golden cross, and exults in the very splendid triumph of -Islam. Saladin restored the sacred area of the Temple to its original -condition under the first Mussulman conquerors of Jerusalem (ante, -p. 12). The ancient christian church of the Virgin (the mosque _Al -Acsa_, and "Temple of Solomon") was washed with rose-water, and was -once again dedicated to the religious services of the Moslems. On -the western side of this venerable edifice the Templars had erected, -according to the Arabian writers, an immense building in which they -lodged, together with granaries of corn and various offices, which -enclosed and concealed a great portion of the edifice. Most of these -were pulled down by the sultan to make a clear and open area for the -resort of the Mussulmen to prayer. Some new erections placed between -the columns in the interior of the structure were taken away, and the -floor was covered with the richest carpets. "Lamps innumerable," says -Ibn Alatsyr, "were suspended from the ceiling; verses of the Koran -were again inscribed on the walls; the call to prayer was again heard; -the bells were silenced; the exiled faith returned to its ancient -sanctuary; the devout Mussulmen again bent the knee in adoration of -the one only God, and the voice of the imaun was again heard from the -pulpit, reminding the true believers of the resurrection and the last -judgment."[76] - -The Friday after the surrender of the city, the army of Saladin, -and crowds of true believers, who had flocked to Jerusalem from all -parts of the East, assembled in the Temple of the Lord to assist -in the religious services of the Mussulman sabbath. Omad, Saladin's -secretary, who was present, gives the following interesting account -of the ceremony, and of the sermon that was preached. "On Friday -morning at daybreak," says he, "everybody was asking whom the sultan -had appointed to preach. The Temple was full; the congregation was -impatient; all eyes were fixed on the pulpit; the ears were on the -stretch; our hearts beat fast, and tears trickled down our faces. On -all sides were to be heard rapturous exclamations of 'What a glorious -sight! What a congregation! Happy are those who have lived to see the -resurrection of ISLAM.' At length the sultan ordered the judge (doctor -of the law) _Mohieddin Aboulmehali-Mohammed_ to fulfil the sacred -function of imaun. I immediately lent him the black vestment which I -had received as a present from the caliph. He then mounted into the -pulpit and spoke. All were hushed. His expressions were graceful and -easy, and his discourse was eloquent and much admired. He displayed the -virtue and sanctity of Jerusalem; he spoke of the purification of the -Temple; he alluded to the silence of the bells, and to the flight of -the infidel priests. In his prayer he named the caliph and the sultan, -and terminated his discourse with that chapter of the Koran in which -God orders justice and good works. He then descended from the pulpit, -and prayed in the Mihrab. Immediately afterwards a sermon was preached -before the congregation." - -This sermon was delivered by _Mohammed Ben Zeky_. "Praise be to God," -saith the preacher, "who by the power of his might hath raised up -Islamism on the ruins of polytheism; who governs all things according -to his will; who overthroweth the devices of the infidels, and causeth -the TRUTH to triumph! I praise God, who hath succoured his elect, who -hath rendered them victorious and crowned them with glory, who hath -purified his holy house from the filthiness of idolatry.... I bear -witness that there is no God but that one great God who standeth -_alone_ and hath no PARTNER; sole, supreme, eternal; who begetteth not -and is not begotten, and hath NO EQUAL. I bear witness that Mahomet -is his servant, his envoy, and his prophet, who hath dissipated -doubts, confounded polytheism, and put down LIES! O men, declare ye -the blessings of God, who hath restored to you this holy city, after -it has been left in the power of the infidels for a hundred years. -This HOLY HOUSE of the LORD hath been built, and its foundations -have been established, for the glory of God. This sacred spot is the -dwelling-place of the prophets, the _kebla_ (place of prayer) towards -which you turn at the commencement of your religious duties, the -birth-place of the saints, the scene of the revelation. It is thrice -holy, for the angels of God spread their wings over it. This is that -blessed land of which God hath spoken in his sacred book. In this house -of prayer, Mahomet prayed with the angels who approach God. It is to -this spot that all fingers are turned after the two holy places. This -conquest, O men, hath opened unto you the gates of heaven; the angels -rejoice, and the eyes of the prophets glisten with joy." The preacher -proceeds, in a high strain of enthusiasm, to enlarge upon the merits of -the holy war. "The holy war, the holy war!" says he, "is better than -religious worship; it is the noblest of your occupations. Aid God, and -he will assist you; protect the Lord, and he will protect you; remember -him, and he will have you in remembrance; do good to him, and he will -do good to you. Cut off the branches of iniquity; purify the earth from -unbelievers, and destroy the nations who have excited the wrath of God -and his apostle, &c...."[77] - -Omad informs us that the marble altar and chapel which had been erected -over the sacred rock in the Temple of the Lord, or Mosque of Omar, -was removed by Saladin, together with the stalls for the priests, the -marble statues, and all the abominations which had been placed in the -venerated building by the Christians. The Mussulmen discovered with -horror that some pieces of the holy stone or rock had been cut off by -the Franks, and sent to Europe. Saladin caused it to be immediately -surrounded by a grate of iron. He washed it with rose-water, and -Malek-Afdel covered it with magnificent carpets. Saladin, in his -famous letter to the caliph, giving an account of the conquest of -Jerusalem, exclaims--"God hath at length turned towards the supporters -of the true faith; he hath let loose his wrath against the infidels, -and hath driven them from his sanctuary.... The infidels have erected -churches in the holy city, and the great houses of the Templars and -Hospitallers. In these structures are rich marbles and many precious -things. Thy servant hath restored the Mosque Al-Acsa (the Temple of -the Knights Templars, ante p. 12) to its ancient destination. He hath -appointed imauns to celebrate divine service, and on the 14th chaaban -they preached, the _khotbeh_ (sermon). The heavens are rent with joy -and the stars dance with delight. The word of God hath been exalted, -and the tombs of the prophets, which the infidel hath defiled, have -been purified."[78] Saladin restored the fortifications of Jerusalem; -he founded several schools, and converted the great house of the -Hospitallers into a college. He then quitted the Holy City to pursue -his military operations in the field. - -The Templars still maintained themselves in some of the strongest -castles of Palestine, and the maritime city of Tyre continued to resist -all the attacks of the Moslems. This important sea-port was preserved -to the Christians by the valour and military talents of the young -Conrad, marquis of Montferrat, who digged a ditch across the isthmus -which connects Tyre with the main land, repaired the fortifications -and planted catapults and balistae in boats, so as to command the only -approach to the town. Saladin proceeded in person to Tyre, to conduct -the operations against this important place. He was on horseback -from morn till night, and was assisted by his sons, his brother, and -his nephew, all of whom commanded in the field under the eye of the -sultan, and animated the troops by their example. The following account -of the state of affairs in Palestine is contained in a letter from -Brother Terric, Grand Preceptor of the Temple, and Treasurer General -of the order, to Henry the Second, king of England. "The brothers -of the hospital of Belvoir as yet bravely resist the Saracens; they -have captured two convoys, and have valiantly possessed themselves -of the munitions of war and provisions which were being conveyed by -the Saracens from the fortress of La Feue. As yet, also, Carach, in -the neighbourhood of Mount Royal, Mount Royal itself, the Temple of -Saphet, the hospital of Carach, Margat, and Castellum Blancum, and the -territory of Tripoli, and the territory of Antioch, resist Saladin.... -From the feast of Saint Martin, up to that of the circumcision of the -Lord, Saladin hath besieged Tyre incessantly, by night and by day, -throwing into it immense stones from thirteen military engines. On the -vigils of St. Silvester, the Lord Conrad, the marquis of Montferrat, -distributed knights and foot soldiers along the wall of the city, -and having armed seventeen galleys and ten small vessels, with the -assistance of the house of the Hospital and the brethren of the Temple, -he engaged the galleys of Saladin, and vanquishing them he captured -eleven, and took prisoners the great admiral of Alexandria and eight -other admirals, a multitude of the infidels being slain. The rest of -the Mussulman galleys, escaping the hands of the Christians, fled to -the army of Saladin, and being run aground by his command, were set -on fire and burnt to ashes. Saladin himself, overwhelmed with grief, -having _cut off the ears and the tail of his horse_, rode that same -horse through his whole army in the sight of all. Farewell!"[79] Tyre -continued to be valiantly defended until the winter had set in, and -then the disappointed sultan, despairing of taking the place, burnt his -military engines and retired to Damascus. - -The king of Jerusalem, and the Grand Master of the Temple, who had, -as before mentioned, been residing at Naplous, under the surveillance -of Saladin's officers, were now set at full liberty, pursuant to the -treaty of Ascalon, on the understanding that they would immediately -proceed to Tyre and embark for Europe. Queen Sibylla, who was in -Jerusalem at the time of its surrender to Saladin, had been permitted -to join her royal husband at Naplous, and the king, the queen, and the -Grand Master of the Temple, consequently proceeded together to Tyre. On -their arrival at that place, they found the gates shut against them. -The young Conrad declared, that as the city had been preserved solely -by the swords of himself and his followers, it justly belonged to -him, and that neither the king nor the queen of Jerusalem any longer -possessed authority within it. Cruelly repelled from Tyre, the king and -queen, with their infant children, the Grand Master of the Temple, and -the patriarch Heraclius, proceeded to Antioch. - -As soon as the winter rains had subsided, Saladin took the field, -and attempted to reduce various strong castles of the Templars and -Hospitallers. The most formidable of these were the castles of Saphet -and Kowkab (the star); the one belonging to the order of the Temple, -and the other to the order of the Hospital of Saint John. Saphet is -one of the four holy cities of the Talmud, and is held in peculiar -veneration by the Jews. The castle of the Templars crowned the summit -of a lofty mountain, along the sides of which extended the houses -and churches of the town. It was the strongest fortress possessed by -the order in Palestine. From the ramparts the eye ranged over a rich -prospect of luxuriant vineyards and smiling villages, and embraced -a grand panoramic view of lofty mountains. Through the valley below -rolled the Jordan; to the southward extended the vast blue expanse -of the lake of Tiberias; and in the north-east the snowy summits of -Anti-Lebanon might be seen piercing the skies. This important fortress -commanded the greater part of Galilee; it had always been a great -check upon the incursions of the infidels, and was considered one of -the bulwarks of the Latin kingdom. Saladin's exertions, consequently, -for the capture of the place were strenuous and incessant. He planted -a large body of troops around it, under the command of his brother -Saifeddin; but the season was not far enough advanced for their -operations to be carried on with any chance of success. The tents of -the besiegers were blown off the mountain by the furious whirlwinds, -and the operation of the military engines was impeded by heavy rains. -The Templars made continued sallies upon the works, burnt the military -engines, butchered the soldiers in their sleep, and harassed them with -incessant alarms in the dead of night. The siege was consequently -turned into a blockade, and Saladin drew off the greater part of his -forces to attack the Christian possessions in the principality of -Antioch. He divided his army into several detachments, which were sent -in different directions, with orders to ravage all the neighbouring -country, drive away the oxen, sheep, and cattle, and collect the booty -together in the plain of the Orontes, along the banks of the lake of -Kades. He crossed the vast mountain ranges which extend between the -Orontes and the sea-coast, and appeared in arms before the gates of -Tripoli. Strenuous preparations had been made to receive him, and the -sultan contented himself with reconnoitering the place and examining -its defences; having done which, he directed his march upon Tortosa. -The Grand Master of the Temple, who was anxiously watching Saladin's -movements, immediately threw himself into the strong castle of the -Templars at that place, and prepared to defend the town; but the -fortifications were weak, the inhabitants were panic-stricken, and -the Templars, after a short struggle, were compelled to abandon the -city, and retire behind their fortifications. There they maintained -a fierce and bloody contest with the Moslems, and during the various -assaults and sallies the town was set on fire and burnt to the ground. -Bohadin gives a fearful account of the destruction by fire of the -great cathedral church, and of the roaring and crackling of the flames -as they burst through the huge cedar beams and timbers of the roof. -He says that thousands of faithful Mussulmen gathered around the vast -and venerable pile, and raised exulting shouts as they witnessed the -progress of the fire, lifting up their voices to heaven, and returning -thanks to the most bountiful Lord God! - -Having failed in all his attempts to take the castle of the Templars, -Saladin drew off his forces, leaving the once populous and flourishing -town of Tortosa a dreary desert. He then besieged and took the city of -Gabala, and then approached in warlike array the far-famed Laodicea. -The panic-stricken inhabitants refused to defend the town, and -abandoned the fortifications, but some Templars and other knights, -throwing themselves into the citadel with their followers, boldly -resisted the attacks of the infidels. After a desperate defence a -capitulation was signed, the garrison marched out with all the honours -of war, and the banners of Islam were then planted upon the towers -and battlements. Both Ibn Alatsyr and Bohadin give an enthusiastic -description of the town and its environs. They speak of its noble -harbour, its beautiful houses, elegant villas, rich marbles, luxuriant -gardens, and shady groves. All these became the prey of the fierce -Mussulman soldiery, who committed great excesses. They broke to -pieces the choice specimens of ancient sculpture, considering them -hated evidences of idolatry; they stripped all the churches of their -ornaments, and sold the sacred vestments of the priests. From Laodicea, -Saladin marched to Sohioun or Sekyun, a fortress of prodigious -strength, situate amongst the mountains midway between Gabala and -the Orontes. It was almost entirely surrounded by a deep precipitous -ravine, the sides of which were in many places perpendicular. After a -siege of five days, a part of the Mussulman soldiers clambered over -some rocks which were thought to be inaccessible, climbed the outer -wall of the town, and opened the gates to their companions; the -second and third walls were then carried by assault, and the citadel -surrendered after a short siege. Many other important cities and -castles speedily fell into the hands of the victorious Saladin. Among -these were the city of Bakas, or Bacas, on the banks of the Orontes, -and the castle of Al Shokhr, which was connected with the town by -a bridge over the river; the castle of Al Jahmahunin, near Gabala; -Blatanous, near Antioch; Sarminiah, or Sarmaniya, a fortress, a day's -journey N. E. of Aleppo; and many other places of note. All the towns -and castles between Sarminiah and Gabala surrendered to the Moslems. -"Glory be to God," says Ibn Alatsyr, "who hath made easy that which -appeared to be difficult." - -Saladin then recrossed the Orontes, and laid siege to Berzyeh, or -Borzya, a fortress which commanded the high road from Antioch to Emesa, -or Hems, and was, therefore, a place of very great importance. During -a very hot day, when the garrison had been fighting from sunrise till -noon, Saladin suddenly called up his reserve, placed himself at their -head, scaled the fortifications, and entered the town sword in hand. -The houses were set on fire, the streets were drenched with blood, -and all the inhabitants who escaped the general massacre, were made -slaves. From Berzyeh, Saladin marched down the vast and fertile plain -of the Orontes, to the famous iron bridge over that river, about six or -seven miles from Antioch, with a view of besieging the strong castle of -the Knights Templars, called Derbazac, or Darbesak. On the 8th Regeb, -having collected his forces together, and procured a vast number of -powerful military engines, he moved forward and invested the place. The -walls were surrounded with wooden towers, filled with expert archers, -who swept the battlements with their arrows. Under cover of these -towers, battering-rams were placed in position, and a vast breach was -made in the walls. Saladin's body-guard moved forward to the assault, -supported by crowds of archers on either flank, but the Templars -filled up the breach with their bodies, and after a bloody contest the -Mussulmen were driven back, leaving the ground covered with their dead. -The Templars repaired the breach, and the sultan shifted his ground of -attack. Hurdles covered with raw hides were advanced against the walls, -and an expert party of miners were employed, under cover of these -hurdles, to undermine a huge tower, which was considered to be the -key of the fortifications. The tower was so well and strongly built, -that it resisted for a length of time all the efforts of the miners; -they dug away a great part of the foundations, and the tower appeared, -says Ibn Alatsyr, to be suspended in the air. At last, however, it -fell with a tremendous crash, carrying along with it into the ditch a -vast portion of the walls on either side, so that a large yawning gap -was opened in the fortifications. Again the Mussulmen rushed to the -assault with loud shouts, and again they were hurled back by the stout -arms of the Templars, leaving the heaps of stone, and the vast masses -of shattered walls around them, crimsoned with the blood of their best -men. Bohadin, who witnessed the assault, declares that he never saw -such an obstinate defence. As soon as any one of the Templars fell, -another, he tells us, would immediately take his place, and thus they -remained upon the breach immoveable as a rock. At last, it was agreed -that if the fortress was not succoured by the prince of Antioch, within -a given period, the Templars should surrender it, and march out with -their arms in their hands. No succour arrived by the appointed time, -and the place was consequently given up to the Mussulmen.[80] - -Immediately after the surrender of Darbesak, Saladin marched upon -Bagras, a town situate at the foot of Mount Al Locam, and pushed on -his advanced guard to the environs of the vast and populous city of -Antioch, but he contented himself with the mere sight of the place, -and declined to undertake the siege of it. He remained for some time -in observation before the city, and sent out detachments in different -directions to lay waste the surrounding country, and collect spoil. -The population of Antioch was estimated at 150,000 souls: nearly all -the surviving Templars of the principality were collected together -within the walls, under the command of their valiant Grand Master, and -the Prince Bohemond was at the head of a numerous and well-organized -force, fully prepared for a desperate struggle in defence of his rich -and princely city. Saladin consequently preferred entering into a truce -to continuing the war, and concluded a treaty with Bohemond, whereby -a suspension of arms was agreed upon for the term of eight months, -to commence from the first of the approaching month of November, and -it was stipulated that all the Moslem prisoners detained in Antioch -should be set at liberty. Saladin then returned by the valley of -the Orontes to Damascus, and his troops became very impatient to be -dismissed to their homes for the winter, but he reminded them of the -brevity and uncertainty of human life, told them that there was plenty -of work before them, and that they ought not to leave for to-morrow -that which could be done to-day. He accordingly set out from Damascus -at the head of a large body of forces, and proceeded to lay siege -to Saphet, the strong and important castle of the Knights Templars. -Bohadin accompanied the sultan, and gives an interesting account of -his incessant exertions for the capture of the place. During a windy -and tempestuous night, he superintended the planting of five besieging -engines. To every soldier he allotted a specific task, and turning to -his secretary he said, "Let us not go to bed to-night, until these -five engines are completed." Every now and then messengers came in to -narrate the progress of the work, and Saladin spent the intermediate -time in cheerful converse with his friend. The night was dark and -long, the weather miserably wet and cold, and the ground covered with -mud. Bohadin ventured to address some observations to his royal -master, upon the imprudence of exposing himself to the inclemency of -the season, and to so much watching and fatigue, but the pious sultan -reminded him of the words of the prophet, "The fire of hell shall not -prevail against the eye that wakes and watches in the service of God, -and the eye that weeps through fear of God." - -The Templars manfully defended themselves, and their brethren in -Tyre made an attempt to send them succour. Two hundred valiant and -determined soldiers set out from that city, and marched through the -country by night, sheltering themselves in the day-time in caverns -and solitary places amongst the mountains. They reached Saphet, and -attempted to conceal themselves in the neighbourhood of the castle, -until they could find an opportunity of communicating with their -beleaguered brethren. Unfortunately one of their number strayed from -his place of concealment, and was seen by a Mussulman emir, who -immediately called out a strong guard, searched the neighbourhood, -and took the whole party prisoners. They were brought into Saladin's -presence and condemned to death; but before the sentence was carried -into execution negotiations were entered into for the surrender of -Saphet. The Templars in the fortress were ill provided with provisions; -they had now lost all hope of succour, and they agreed to surrender, on -condition that they should be permitted to march out with their arms to -Tyre, in company with the prisoners whom Saladin had just taken. These -terms were acceded to, and the fortifications of the strong castle of -Saphet were speedily demolished by the infidels.[81] - -In the mean time all Europe had been thrown into consternation by the -dismal intelligence of the fall of Jerusalem. Public prayers were -put up in the churches, and fasts were ordered, as in times of great -national calamities. Pope Urban III. is said to have died of grief, -and the cardinals made a solemn resolution to renounce all kinds of -diversions and pleasures, to receive no presents from any one who -had causes depending in the court of Rome, and never to mount a horse -as long as the Holy Land was trodden under foot by the infidels. Pope -Gregory VIII. addressed apostolical letters to the sovereigns, bishops, -nobles, and people of all christian countries, painting in pathetic -terms the miserable disasters of the Latin Christians, the capture of -the holy cross, the slaughter of the Templars and Hospitallers, and the -fall of Jerusalem, and exhorting all faithful Christians immediately to -assume the cross, and march to the deliverance of the Holy City. Crowds -of armed pilgrims again quitted the shores of Europe for Palestine, -and the Templars, obedient to the pressing calls of their brethren, -hurried from their preceptories to the seaports of the Mediterranean, -and embarked in the ships of Genoa, Pisa, and Venice. The Grand Master -of the Temple, and the king of Jerusalem, placed themselves at the -head of the newly arrived battalions, and established their head -quarters at Ras el Ain, a small village on the main land opposite Tyre. -Many valiant Templars from the Temple at London, and the different -preceptories of England, Scotland, and Ireland, joined their chief, and -brought with them arms, horses, clothing, and munitions of war, with -a vast amount of treasure, which had been collected in the churches. -They were the bearers likewise of a large sum of money which had been -sent by king Henry the Second for the defence of Tyre. This money was -delivered to the Grand Master, but as the siege of Tyre had been raised -before its arrival, and the young Conrad claimed the sovereignty of -the city, and set up his authority in opposition to that of the king -of Jerusalem, Gerard de Riderfort very properly refused to deliver the -money into his hands; whereupon Conrad wrote letters filled with bitter -complaints to the archbishop of Canterbury and to king Henry.[82] - -At the commencement of the summer, the king and the Grand Master took -the field at the head of an army of 9,000 men, and marched along the -coast with the intention of laying siege to the important city of Acre. -Saladin wrote to all the governors of the Moslem provinces, requiring -them to join him without delay, and directed his army to concentrate -at Sepphoris. From thence he marched to Keruba, and then moved in -order of battle to Tel Kaisan, where the plain of Acre begins. The -city of Acre had been regularly invested for some days previous to his -arrival, and after reconnoitering the position of the christian army, -he encamped, extending his left wing to Al Nahr Al Halu, "the sweet -river," and his right to Tel Al'Ayadhiya, in such a manner, that the -besiegers themselves became the besieged. He then made a sudden attack -upon the weakest part of the christian camp, broke through the lines, -penetrated to the gate of Acre, called Karakush, which he entered, and -threw into the city a reinforcement of 5,000 warriors, laden with arms, -provisions, clothing, and everything necessary for the defence of the -place. Having accomplished this bold feat, Saladin made a masterly -retreat to his camp at Tel Al'Ayadhiya. - -On the 4th of October, the newly-arrived warriors from Europe, eager -to signalize their prowess against the infidels, marched out of their -intrenchments to attack Saladin's camp. The holy gospels, wrapped -in silk, were borne by four knights on a cushion, before the king -of Jerusalem, and the patriarch Heraclius and the western bishops -appeared at the head of the christian forces with crucifixes in their -hands, exhorting them to obtain the crown of martyrdom in defence of -the christian faith. The Templars marched in the van, and led the -assault; they broke through the right wing of the Mussulman army, -which was commanded by Saladin's nephew, and struck such terror into -the hearts of the Moslems, that some of them fled, without halting, -as far as Tiberias. The undisciplined masses of the christian army, -however, thinking that the day was their own, rushed heedlessly on -after the infidels, and penetrating to the imperial tent, abandoned -themselves to pillage. The Grand Master of the Temple, foreseeing the -result, collected his knights and the forces of the order around him. -The infidels rallied, they were led on by Saladin in person, and the -Christian army would have been annihilated but for the Templars. Firm -and immoveable, they presented for the space of an hour an unbroken -front to the advancing Moslems, and gave time for the discomfited and -panic-stricken crusaders to recover from their terror and confusion; -but ere they had been rallied, and had returned to the charge, the -Grand Master Gerard de Riderfort, was slain; he fell, pierced with -arrows, at the head of his knights, the seneschal of the order shared -the same fate, and more than half the Templars were numbered with the -dead.[83] - -To Gerard de Riderfort succeeded (A. D. 1189) the Knight Templar, -Brother WALTER.[84] Never did the flame of enthusiasm burn with fiercer -or more destructive power than at this famous siege of Acre. Nine -pitched battles were fought, with various fortune, in the neighbourhood -of Mount Carmel, and during the first year of the siege a hundred -thousand Christians are computed to have perished. The tents of the -dead, however, were replenished by new-comers from Europe; the fleets -of Saladin succoured the town, the Christian ships brought continual -aid to the besiegers, and the contest seemed interminable. Saladin's -exertions in the cause of the prophet were incessant. The Arab authors -compare him to a mother wandering with desperation in search of her -lost child, to a lioness who has lost its young. "I saw him," says his -secretary Bohadin, "in the fields of Acre afflicted with a most cruel -disease, with boils from the middle of his body to his knees, so that -he could not sit down, but only recline on his side when he entered -into his tent, yet he went about to the stations nearest to the enemy, -arranged his troops for battle, and rode about from dawn till eve, now -to the right wing, then to the left, and then to the centre, patiently -enduring the severity of his pain." Having received intelligence of the -mighty preparations which were being made in Europe for the recovery of -Jerusalem, and of the march of the emperor Frederick Barbarossa through -Hungary and Greece to Constantinople, with a view of crossing the -Hellespont, into Asia, Saladin sent orders to the governors of Senjar, -Al Jazira, Al Mawsel, and Arbel, ordering them to attend him with their -troops, and directed his secretary Bohadin to proceed to the caliph Al -Nassr Deldin'illah, at Bagdad, humbly to request the Mussulman pontiff -to use his spiritual authority and influence to induce all the Moslem -nations and tribes to heal their private differences and animosities, -and combine together against the Franks, for the defence of Islam. -Bohadin was received with the greatest distinction and respect by -the caliph and the whole divan at Bagdad, and whilst the pope was -disseminating his apostolical letters throughout Christendom, calling -upon the western nations to combine together for the triumph of the -CROSS, the Mussulman pontiff was addressing, from the distant city of -Bagdad, his pious exhortations to all true believers, to assemble under -the holy banners of the prophet, and shed their blood in defence of -_Islam_. - -Shortly after the commencement of the new year, (586, Hejir which -began Feb. 9th, A. D. 1190,) Saladin collected his troops together, -to raise the siege of Acre. He moved from Al Kheruba to Tel Al Ajul, -where he pitched his camp. He was there joined by his son Al Malek, -Al Daher Gayatho'ddin Gazi, the governor of Aleppo, with a select -body of cavalry, and by Mohaffero'ddin I'Bn Zinoddin, with his light -horse. The Templars and the crusaders, during the winter, had not been -idle; they had dug trenches around their camp, thrown up ramparts, -and fortified their position in such a way that it would have been -difficult, says the Arabian writer, for even a bird to get in. They -had, moreover, filled up the ditch around the town, and constructed -three enormous towers, the largest of which was much higher than the -walls, was sixty cubits in length, and could contain from five to six -hundred warriors, with a proper quantity of arms and military engines. -These towers were covered with the raw hides of oxen soaked in vinegar -and mud, to render them incombustible; they were strengthened from top -to bottom with bands of iron, and were each divided into five platforms -or galleries filled with soldiers and military engines. They were -rolled on wheels to the walls, and the Templars and the crusaders were -about to descend from the platforms and galleries upon the battlements -of the city, when the towers, and all the warriors upon them, were -consumed by some inextinguishable inflammable composition, discharged -out of brass pots by a brazier from Damascus. "We were watching," says -Bohadin, who was standing in the Moslem camp by Saladin's side, "with -intense anxiety the movements of the soldiers upon the towers, and -thought that the city must inevitably be taken, when suddenly we saw -one of them surrounded with a blaze of light, which shot up into the -skies; the heavens were rent with one joyous burst of acclamation from -the sons of Islam, and in another instant another tower was surrounded -with raging flames and clouds of black smoke, and then the third; they -were ignited one after the other in the most astonishing and surprising -manner, with scarce an interval of a minute between them. The sultan -immediately mounted his horse, and ordered the trumpets to sound to -arms, exclaiming with a loud voice, in the words of the prophet, 'When -the gate of good fortune is thrown open, delay not to enter in.'" - -At the commencement of the summer Saladin detached a considerable -portion of his forces to the north, to oppose the progress of the -German crusaders and Templars, who were advancing from Constantinople, -under the command of the emperor Frederic Barbarossa. These advancing -Templars were the especial favourites of Barbarossa, and after his -melancholy death, from the effects of a cold bath in the river Cydnus, -they formed part of the body-guard of his son the duke of Suabia. - -In the month of July the Templars suffered severe loss in another -attack upon Saladin's camp. The christian soldiery, deceived by the -flight of the Mussulmen, were again lured to the pillage of their -tents, and again defeated by the main body of Saladin's army, which had -been posted in reserve. The Templars were surrounded by an overpowering -force, but they fought their way through the dense ranks of the -infidels to their own camp, leaving the plain of Acre strewed with the -lifeless bodies of the best and bravest of their warriors. "The enemies -of God," says Bohadin, "had the audacity to enter within the camp of -the lions of Islamism, but they speedily experienced the terrible -effects of the divine indignation. They fell beneath the sabres of -the Mussulmen as the leaves fall from the trees during the tempests -of autumn. Their mangled corpses, scattered over the mountain side, -covered the earth even as the branches and boughs cover the hills and -valleys when the woodsman lops the forest timber." "They fell," says -another Arabian historian, "beneath the swords of the sons of Islam as -the wicked will fall, at the last day, into the everlasting _fire_ of -HELL. Nine rows of the dead covered the earth between the sea-shore and -the mountains, and in each row might be counted the lifeless bodies of -at least one thousand warriors." - -The Moslem garrison continued manfully to defend the town; they kept -up a constant communication with Saladin, partly by pigeons, partly -by swimmers, and partly by men in small skiffs, who traversed the -port in secresy, by favour of the night, and stole into the city. At -one period the besieged had consumed nearly all their provisions, and -were on the point of dying with famine, when Saladin hit upon the -following stratagem, for the purpose of sending them a supply. He -collected together a number of vessels at Beirout laden with sacks of -meal, cheese, onions, sheep, rice, and other provisions. He disguised -the seamen in the Frank habit, put crosses on their pendants, and -covered the decks of the vessels with hogs. In this way the little -fleet sailed safely through the blockading squadron of the Christians, -and entered the port of Acre. On another occasion Saladin sent 1,000 -_dinars_ to the garrison, by means of a famous diver named Isa; the -man was unfortunately drowned during his passage to the city, but -the money, being deposited in three bladders, tied to his body, was -a few days afterwards thrown ashore near the town, and reached the -besieged in safety. At the commencement of the winter the garrison -was again reduced to great straits for want of food, and was on the -point of surrendering, when three vessels from Egypt broke through -the guard-ships of the Christians, and got safely into the harbour -with a copious supply of provisions, munitions of war, and everything -requisite to enable the city to hold out until the ensuing spring. - -To prevent the further introduction of succours by sea, the crusaders -endeavoured to take possession of the tower of Flies, a strong castle, -built upon a rock in the midst of the sea at the mouth of the harbour, -which commanded the port. The Templars employed one of their galleys -upon this service, and crowds of small boats, filled with armed men, -military engines, and scaling-ladders, were brought against the little -fortress, but without effect. The boats and vessels were set on fire -by the besieged and reduced to ashes, and after losing all their men, -the Christians gave over the attempt. On the land side, the combats and -skirmishes continued to be incessant. Wooden towers, and vast military -machines, and engines, were constantly erected by the besiegers, and -as constantly destroyed by the sallies and skilful contrivances of the -besieged. The Templars, on one occasion, constructed two battering -machines of a new invention, and most enormous size, and began -therewith furiously to batter the walls of the town, but the garrison -soon destroyed them with fire-darts, and beams of timber, pointed with -red-hot iron.[85] - -At the commencement of the next year, (587, Hejir. which began Jan. -29th, A. D. 1191,) a tremendous tempest scattered the fleet of the -crusaders, and compelled their ships to take refuge in Tyre. The sea -being open, Saladin hastily collected some vessels at Caiphas, threw a -fresh body of troops into Acre, and withdrew the exhausted garrison, -which had already sustained so many hardships and fatigues in defence -of the town. This exchange of the garrison was most happily timed, -for almost immediately after it had been effected, the walls of the -city were breached, and preparations were made for an assault. The -newly-arrived troops, however, repulsed the assailants, repaired the -walls, and once more placed the city in a good posture of defence. The -scarcity and famine in the christian camp continued to increase, and a -vast many of the crusaders, utterly unable to withstand the hardships -and difficulties of their position, deserted to Saladin, embraced the -Mohammedan faith, and were employed by him, at their own request, in -cruising off the coast against their quondam friends. Bohadin tells us -that they met with vast success in their employment. On board one of -their prizes was found a silver table, and a great deal of money and -plate, which the captors brought to the sultan, the 13th Dhu'lhajja, -but Saladin returned the treasure to them, saying, that it was a -sufficient satisfaction to him and the Moslems, to see that the Franks -pillaged and plundered one another with such alacrity. - -Famine and disease continued to make frightful ravages amongst the -crusaders. The duke of Suabia, Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, the -patriarch Heraclius, four archbishops, twelve bishops, forty counts, -and five hundred other nobles and knights, besides common soldiers, -fell victims to the malady. From two to three hundred persons died -daily, and the survivors became unequal to the task of burying the -dead. The trenches which the Christians had dug for their protection, -now became their graves. Putrefying corpses were to be seen floating -upon the sea, and lining the sea-shore, and the air was infected with -an appalling and intolerable effluvia. The bodies of the living became -bloated and swollen, and the most trifling wounds were incurable. -In addition to all this, numbers of the poorer class of people died -daily from starvation. The rich supported themselves for a time upon -horse-flesh, and Abbot Coggleshale tells us, that a dinner off the -entrails of a horse cost 10_d._ Bones were ground to powder, mixed with -water, and eagerly devoured, and all the shoes, bridles, and saddles, -and old leather in the camp, were boiled to shreds, and greedily eaten. - -Queen Sibylla, who appears to have been sincerely attached to the -unpopular husband she had raised to the throne, was present in the -christian camp with four infant daughters. She had wandered with the -king, Guy de Lusignan, from one place to another, ever since his -liberation from captivity, and had been his constant companion through -all the horrors, trials, and anxieties of the long siege of Acre. -Her delicate frame, weakened by sorrow and misfortune, was unable to -contend with the many hardships and privations of the christian camp. -She fell a victim to the frightful epidemic which raged amongst the -soldiers, and her death was speedily followed by that of her four -children. The enemies of the king now maintained that the crown of -the Latin kingdom had descended upon Isabella, the younger sister of -Sibylla, and wife of Humphrey de Thoron, Lord of Montreal, or Mount -Royal; but the latter seemed to think otherwise, and took no steps -either to have his wife made queen, or himself king. The enterprising -and ambitious Conrad, Marquis of Montferrat, accordingly determined to -play a bold game for the advancement of his own fortunes. He paid his -addresses to Isabella, and induced her to consent to be divorced from -Humphrey de Thoron, and take him for her husband. He went to the bishop -of Beauvais, and persuaded that prelate to pronounce the divorce, and -immediately after it had been done, he carried off Isabella to Acre, -and there married her. As soon as the nuptials had been performed, -Conrad caused himself and his wife to be proclaimed king and queen of -Jerusalem, and forthwith entered upon the exercise of certain royal -functions. He went to the christian camp before Acre, and his presence -caused serious divisions and dissensions amongst the crusaders. The -king, Guy de Lusignan, stood upon his rights; he maintained that, as he -had been once a king, he was always a king, and that the death of his -wife could not deprive him of the crown which he had solemnly received, -according to the established usage of the Latin kingdom. A strong -party in the camp declared themselves in his favour, and an equally -strong party declared in favour of his rival, Conrad, who prepared to -maintain his rights, sword in hand. The misfortunes of the Christians -appeared, consequently, to have approached their climax. The sword, the -famine, and the pestilence, had successively invaded their camp, and -now the demon of discord came to set them one against the other, and to -paralyse all their exertions in the christian cause.[86] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Richard Coeur de Lion joins the Templars before Acre--The city - surrenders, and the Templars establish the chief house of their - order within it--Coeur de Lion takes up his abode with them--He - sells to them the island of Cyprus--The Templars form the van - of his army--Their campaigns--The destruction of towns and - villages--The treaty with Saladin--Coeur de Lion quits the Holy - Land in the disguise of a Knight Templar--The Templars build the - Pilgrim's Castle in Palestine--The exploits of the Templars in - Egypt--The letters of the Grand Master to the Master of the Temple - at London--The Templars reconquer Jerusalem--The state of the order - in England--King John resides in the Temple at London--The barons - come to him at that place, and demand MAGNA CHARTA--Consecration of - the nave or oblong portion of the Temple Church at London. - - "Therefore, friends, - As far as to the sepulchre of Christ - (Whose soldier now under whose blessed cross - We are impressed and engag'd to fight,) - Forthwith a power of English shall we levy - Whose arms were moulded in their mother's womb, - To chase these pagans, in those holy fields, - Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, - Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd, - For our advantage, on the bitter cross." - - -In the mean time the crusade continued to be preached with great -success in Europe. William, archbishop of Tyre, had proceeded to the -courts of France and England, and had represented in glowing colours -the miserable condition of Palestine, and the horrors and abominations -which had been committed by the infidels in the holy city of Jerusalem. -The English and French monarchs laid aside their private animosities, -and agreed to fight under the same banner against the infidels, and -towards the close of the month of May, in the second year of the siege -of Acre, the royal fleets of Philip Augustus and Richard Coeur de Lion -floated in triumph in the bay of Acre. The Templars had again lost -their Grand Master, and Brother Robert de Sable, or Sabloil, a valiant -knight of the order, who had commanded a division of the English -fleet on the voyage out, was placed (A. D. 1191) at the head of the -fraternity.[87] The Templars performed prodigies of valour; "Their name -and reputation, and the fame of their sanctity," says James of Vitry, -bishop of Acre, "like a chamber of perfume sending forth a sweet odour, -were diffused throughout the entire world, and all the congregation -of the saints will recount their battles and glorious triumphs over -the enemies of Christ; knights, indeed, from all parts of the earth, -dukes, and princes, after their example, casting off the shackles of -the world, and renouncing the pomps and vanities of this life, for -Christ's sake, hastened to join them, and to participate in their holy -profession and religion." They carried before them, at this time, -to battle, "a bipartite banner of black and white, which they call -_beauseant_, that is to say, in the Gallic tongue, _bienseant_, because -they are fair and favourable to the friends of Christ, but black and -terrible to his enemies."[88] - -Saladin had passed the winter on the heights of Schaferan and Keruba. -His vast army had been thinned and weakened by incessant watching, by -disease, and continual battles, and he himself was gradually sinking -under the effects of a dreadful disease, which baffled all the skill -of his medical attendants, and was gradually drawing him towards the -grave. But the proud soul of the great chieftain never quailed; nor -were his fire and energy at any time deadened. As soon as he heard of -the arrival of the two powerful christian monarchs, he sent envoys -and messengers throughout all Mussulman countries, earnestly demanding -succour, and on the Mussulman sabbath, after prayers had been offered -up to God for the triumph of his arms, and the deliverance of Islam, he -caused to be read, in all the mosques letters to the following effect;-- - -"In the name of GOD, the most MERCIFUL and COMPASSIONATE. To all devout -Believers in the one only God, and his prophet Mahomet, our Master. -The armies of the infidels, numerous as the stars of heaven, have come -forth from the remote countries situate beyond Constantinople, to wrest -from us those conquests which have gladdened the hearts of all who put -their trust in the Koran, and to dispute with us the possession of that -holy territory whereon the Caliph Omar, in bygone days, planted the -sacred standard of the Prophet. O men, prepare ye to sacrifice your -lives and fortunes in defence of _Islam_. Your marches against the -infidels, the dangers you encounter, the wounds you receive, and every -minute action, down to the fording of a river, are they not written -in the book of God? Thirst, hunger, fatigue, and death, will they -not obtain for you the everlasting treasures of heaven, and open to -your gaze the delicious groves and gardens of Paradise? In whatsoever -place ye remain, O men, death hath dominion over you, and neither -your houses, your lands, your wives, your children, nor the strongest -towers, can defend you from his darts. Some of you, doubtless, have -said one to another, Let us not go up to fight during the heat of -summer; and others have exclaimed, Let us remain at home until the snow -hath melted away from the mountain tops; but is not the fire of hell -more terrible than the heats of summer, and are not its torments more -insupportable than the winter's cold? Fear GOD, and not the _infidels_; -hearken to the voice of your chief, for it is Saladin himself who calls -you to rally around the standard of _Islam_. If you obey not, your -families will be driven out of Syria, and God will put in their places -a people better than you. JERUSALEM, the holy, the sister of Medina and -Mecca, will again fall into the power of the idolaters, who assign to -God a son, and raise up an equal to the Most High. Arm yourselves then, -with the buckler and the lance, scatter these children of fire, the -wicked sons of hell, whom the sea hath vomited forth upon our shores, -repeating to yourselves these words of the Koran, 'He who abandoneth -his home and family to defend our holy religion, shall be rewarded with -happiness, and with many friends.'"[89] - -The siege of Acre was now pressed with great vigour; the combined -fleets of France and England completely deprived the city of all -supplies by sea, and the garrison was reduced to great straits. -The sultan despaired of being able to save the city, and was sick, -Bohadin tells us, both in mind and body. He could neither eat nor -drink. At night he would lie down upon the side of the hill Aladajia, -and indulge in some broken slumbers, but at morning's dawn he was on -horseback, ordering his brazen drum to be sounded, and collecting his -army together in battle array. At last letters were received, by means -of pigeons, announcing that the garrison could hold out no longer. -"Saladin gazed," says Bohadin, "long and earnestly at the city, his -eyes were suffused with tears, and he sorrowfully exclaimed, '_Alas for -Islam!_'" On the morning of the 12th of July, (A. D. 1191,) the kings -of France and England, the christian chieftains, and the Turkish emirs -with their green banners, assembled in the tent of the Grand Master of -the Temple, to treat for the surrender of Acre; and on the following -day the gates were thrown open to the exulting warriors of the cross. -The Templars took possession of their ancient quarters by the side of -the sea, and mounted a large red-cross banner upon the tower of the -Temple. They possessed themselves of three extensive localities along -the sea-shore, and the Temple at Acre from thenceforth became the chief -house of the order. Richard Coeur de Lion took up his abode with the -Templars whilst Philip Augustus resided in the citadel. - -By the terms of the surrender of Acre, the inhabitants were to pay -a ransom of two hundred thousand pieces of gold for their lives and -liberties; two thousand noble and five hundred inferior christian -captives were to be set at liberty, and the true cross, which had -been taken at the battle of Tiberias, was to be restored to the -Latin clergy. Two months were accorded for the performance of these -conditions. I'Bn Alatsyr, who was then in Saladin's camp, tells us that -Saladin had collected together 100,000 pieces of gold, that he was -ready to deliver up the two thousand five hundred christian captives, -and restore the true cross, but his Mamlook emirs advised him not to -trust implicitly to the good faith of the christian adventurers of -Europe for the performance of their part of the treaty, but to obtain -from the Templars, of whose _regard for their word, and reverence for -the sanctity of an oath_, the Moslems had, he tells us, a high opinion, -a solemn undertaking for the performance, by the Christians, of the -stipulations they had entered into. Saladin accordingly sent to the -Grand Master of the Temple, to know if the Templars would guarantee -the surrender to him of all the Moslem prisoners, if the money, the -christian captives, and the true cross, were sent to them; but the -Grand Master declined giving any guarantee of the kind. The doubts -about the agreement, and the delay in the execution of it, kindled the -fierce indignation of the English monarch, and Richard Coeur de Lion -led out all his prisoners, 2,000 in number, into the plain of Acre, -and caused them all to be beheaded in sight of the sultan's camp![90] -During his voyage from Messina to Acre, king Richard had revenged -himself on Isaac Comnenus, the ruler of the island of Cyprus, for an -insult offered to the beautiful Berengaria, princess of Navarre, his -betrothed bride. He had disembarked his troops, stormed the town of -Limisso, and conquered the whole island; and shortly after his arrival -at Acre he sold it to the Templars for 300,000 livres d'or.[91] - -On the 21st of August, (A. D. 1191,) the Templars joined the standard -of king Richard, and left Acre for the purpose of marching upon -Jerusalem, by way of the sea-coast. They crossed the river Belus, and -pitched their tents on its banks, where they remained for three days, -to collect all the troops together. The most copious and authentic -account of their famous march by the side of the king of England, -through the hostile territories of the infidels, is contained in the -history of king Richard's campaign, by Geoffrey de Vinisauf, who -accompanied the crusaders on their expedition, and was an actor in the -stirring events he describes.[92] On Sunday, the 25th of August, the -Templars, under the conduct of their Grand Master, and the crusaders, -under the command of king Richard, commenced their march towards -Caesarea. The army was separated into three divisions, the first of -which was led by the Templars, and the last by the Hospitallers. The -baggage moved on the right of the army, between the line of march and -the sea, and the fleet, loaded with provisions, kept pace with the -movements of the forces, and furnished them daily with the necessary -supplies. Saladin, at the head of an immense force, exerted all his -energies to oppose their progress, and the march to Jaffa formed one -perpetual battle. Vast masses of cavalry hovered upon their flanks, cut -off all stragglers, and put every prisoner that they took to death. The -first night after leaving the Belus, the Templars and the crusaders -encamped along the banks of the brook Kishon, around some wells in the -plain between Acre and Caiphas. The next day they forded the brook, -fought their way to Caiphas, and there halted for one day, in order -that the reluctant crusaders, who were lingering behind at Acre, might -come on and join them. On Wednesday, September 28, at dawn of day, -they prepared to force the passes and defiles of Mount Carmel. All the -heights were covered with dense masses of Mussulmen, who disputed the -ground inch by inch. The Templars placed themselves in the van of the -christian army, and headed the leading column, whilst the cavalry of -the Hospitallers protected the rear. They ascended the heights through -a dense vegetation of dry thistles, wild vines, and prickly shrubs, -drove the infidels before them, crossed the summit of Mount Carmel, -and descending into the opposite plain, encamped for the night at the -pass by the sea-shore, called "the narrow way," about eight miles from -Caiphas. Here they recovered possession of a solitary tower, perched -upon a rock overhanging the pass, which had been formerly built by the -Templars, but had for some time past been in the hands of the Saracens. -After lingering at this place an entire day, waiting the arrival of the -fleet and the barges, laden with provisions, they recommenced their -march (Friday, the 13th of August) to Tortura, the ancient Dora, about -seven miles distant. The Grand Master of the Temple, and his valiant -knights, were, as usual, in the van, forcing a passage through the -dense masses of the Moslems. The country in every direction around -their line of march, was laid waste, and every day the attacks became -more daring. The military friars had hitherto borne the brunt of the -affray, but on the march to Tortura, they suffered such heavy loss, -that king Richard determined the next day to take the command of the -van in person, and he directed them to bring up the rear. - -On the fifth day from their leaving the river Belus, the Templars and -the crusaders approached the far-famed Caesarea, where St. Paul so long -resided, and where he uttered his eloquent oration before king Agrippa -and Felix. But the town was no longer visible; the walls, the towers, -the houses, and all the public buildings, had been destroyed by command -of Saladin, and the place was left deserted and desolate. The Templars -pitched their tents on the banks of the Crocodile river, the _flumen -crocodilon_ of Pliny, having been five days in performing the journey -from the river Belus, a distance of only thirty-six miles. The army -halted at Caesarea during the whole of Sunday, the 1st of September, and -high mass was celebrated by the clergy with great pomp and solemnity, -amid the ruins of the city. On Monday, the 2nd of September, the tents -of the Templars were struck at morning's dawn, and they commenced -their march, with the leading division of the army, for the city of -Jaffa, which is about thirty miles distant from Caesarea. They forded -the Crocodile river, and proceeded on their journey through a long -and narrow valley, torn by torrents, and filled with vast masses of -rock, which had been washed down from the heights by the winter rains. -They had the sea on their right, and on their left, a chain of craggy -eminences. Every advantage was taken by the enemy of the irregularity -of the ground; the Mussulman archers lined the heights, and vast masses -of cavalry were brought into action, wherever the nature of the country -admitted of their employment. The christian warriors were encumbered -with their heavy armour and military accoutrements, which were totally -unfit for the burning climate, yet they enthusiastically toiled on, -perseveringly overcoming all obstacles. - -Bohadin speaks with admiration of the valiant and martial bearing of -the warriors of the cross, and of their fortitude and patient endurance -during the long and trying march from Acre to Jaffa. "On the sixth -day," says he, "the sultan rose at dawn as usual, and heard from his -brother that the enemy were in motion. They had slept that night in -suitable places about Caesarea, and were now dressing and taking their -food. A second messenger announced that they had begun their march; -our brazen drum was sounded, all were alert, the sultan came out, and -I accompanied him: he surrounded them with chosen troops, and gave -the signal for attack. The archers were drawn out, and a heavy shower -of arrows descended, still the enemy advanced.... Their foot soldiers -were covered with thick-strung pieces of cloth, fastened together -with rings, so as to resemble coats of mail. I saw with my own eyes -several who had not one or two, but _ten darts sticking in their -backs_! and yet marched on with a calm and cheerful step, without any -trepidation. They had a division of infantry in reserve, to protect -those who were weary, and look after the baggage. When any portion of -their men became exhausted and gave way through fatigue or wounds, this -division advanced and supported them. Their cavalry in the mean time -kept together in close column, and never moved away from the infantry, -except when they rushed to the charge. In vain did our troops attempt -to lure them away from the foot soldiers; they kept steadily together -in close order, protecting one another and slowly forcing their way -with wonderful perseverance." - -After a short march of only eight miles from Caesarea, the Templars -pitched their tents on the banks of the Nahr al Kasab, a small river, -called by Geoffrey de Vinisauf "_the dead river_." Here they remained -two nights, waiting for the fleet. On the 4th of September they resumed -their march through a desert country which had been laid waste in every -direction by command of Saladin. Finding their progress along the shore -impeded by the tangled thickets, they quitted the plain and traversed -the hills which run parallel with the sea. Their march was harassed -by incessant charges of cavalry. The Templars brought up the rear -of the army, and lost so many horses during the day, that they were -almost driven to despair. At nightfall they descended to the beach, -and encamped on the banks of a salt creek, close by the village of Om -Khaled, near the ruins of the ancient Apollonias, having performed -a march of five miles. The next morning, being Thursday, the 5th of -September, the Templars set out at sunrise from the salt creek in -battle array, having received intelligence that Saladin had prepared -an ambuscade in the neighbouring forest of Arsoof, and intended to -hazard a general engagement. Scouts were sent on into the forest, who -reported that the road was clear; and the whole army, ascending a -slight rising ground, penetrated through the wood, and descended into -the plain of Arsur or Arsoof. Through the midst of this plain rolls a -mountain torrent, which takes its rise in the mountains of Ephraim, and -on the opposite side of the stream Saladin had drawn up his army in -battle array. The Templars encamped for the night on the right bank of -the stream, having during the day marched nine miles. - -On Saturday, the 7th of November, king Richard, having completed all -his arrangements for a general engagement, drew up his army at dawn. -The Templars again formed the first division, and were the first to -cross the mountain torrent, and drive in Saladin's advanced guard. -They were followed by Guy, king of Jerusalem, who was at the head of -the division of Poitou, and then by the main body of the army under -the personal conduct of king Richard. Geoffrey de Vinisauf tells us, -that on all sides, far as the eye could reach, from the sea-shore to -the mountains, nought was to be seen but a forest of spears, above -which waved banners and standards innumerable. The wild Bedouins, -the children of the desert, with skins blacker than soot, mounted on -their fleet Arab mares, coursed with the rapidity of lightning over -the vast plain, and darkened the air with clouds of missiles. They -advanced to the attack with horrible screams and bellowings, which, -with the deafening noise of the trumpets, horns, cymbals, and brazen -kettle-drums, produced a clamour that resounded through the plain, -and would have drowned even the thunder of heaven. King Richard -received the attack in close and compact array, strict orders having -previously been given that all the soldiers should remain on the -defensive until two trumpets had been sounded in the front, two in -the centre, and two in the rear of the army, when they were in their -turn to become the assailants. The ferocious Turks, the wild Bedouins, -and the swarthy Aethiopians, gathered around the advanced guard of -the Templars, and kept up a distant and harassing warfare with their -bows and arrows, whilst the swift cavalry of the Arabs dashed down -upon the foot soldiers as if about to overwhelm them, then suddenly -checking their horses, they wheeled off to the side, raising clouds of -smothering, suffocating dust, which oppressed and choked the toiling -warriors. The baggage moved on between the army and the sea, and the -Christians thus continued slowly to advance under the scorching rays -of an autumnal sun. "They moved," says Vinisauf, "inch by inch; it -could not be called walking, for they were pushing and hacking their -way through an overpowering crowd of resisting foes." Emboldened by -their passive endurance, the Moslems approached nearer, and began to -ply their darts and lances. The Marshall of the Hospital then charged -at the head of his knights, without waiting for the signal, and in an -instant the action became general. The clash of swords, the ringing of -armour, and the clattering of iron clubs and flails, as they descended -upon the helmets and bucklers of the European warriors, became mingled -with the groans of the dying, and with the fierce cries of the wild -Bedouins. Clouds of dust were driven up into the skies, and the plain -became covered with banners, lances, and all kinds of arms, and with -emblems of every colour and device, torn and broken, and soiled with -blood and dust. Coeur de Lion was to be seen everywhere in the thickest -of the fight, and after a long and obstinate engagement the infidels -were defeated; but amid the disorder of his troops Saladin remained -on the plain without lowering his standard or suspending the sound of -his brazen kettle-drums; he rallied his forces, retired upon Ramleh, -and prepared to defend the mountain passes leading to Jerusalem. The -Templars pushed on to Arsoof, and pitched their tents before the gates -of the town. - -On Monday, September 9th, the christian forces moved on in battle -array to Jaffa, the ancient Joppa, about eight miles from Arsoof. The -Templars brought up the rear of the army; and after marching about -five miles, they reached the banks of the Nahr el Arsoof, or river -of Arsoof, which empties itself into the sea, about three miles from -Jaffa, and pitched their tents in a beautiful olive grove on the -sea-shore. Saladin laid waste all the country around them, drove away -the inhabitants, and carried off all the cattle, corn, and provisions. -The towns of Caesarea, Ramleh, Jaffa, Ascalon, and all the villages, -had been set on fire and burnt to ashes, and all the castles and -fortresses within reach of the crusading army were dismantled and -destroyed. Among these last were the castles of St. George, Galatia, -Blancheward, Beaumont, Belvoir, Toron, Arnald, Mirabel, the castle of -the plain, and many others. Every place, indeed, of strength or refuge -was utterly destroyed by command of the inexorable Saladin. Bohadin -tells us that the sultan mourned grievously over the destruction of -the fair and beautiful city of Ascalon, saying to those around him, -"By God, I would sooner lose my sons than touch a stone of this goodly -city, but what God wills, and the good of Islam requires, must be -done." The walls and fortifications of Ascalon were of great extent and -stupendous strength, and an army of thirty thousand men was employed -for fourteen days in the work of demolition. "The weeping families -were removed from their houses, amid the most heart-rending confusion -and misery," says Bohadin, "that I ever witnessed." Thousands of men -were employed in dashing down the towers and the walls, and throwing -the stones into the ditches and into the adjoining sea, and thousands -were occupied in carrying away property and the contents of the public -granaries and magazines. But ere half the effects had been removed, -the impatient sultan ordered the town to be set on fire, "and soon," -says Bohadin, "the raging flames were to be seen, tearing through the -roofs, and curling around the minarets of the mosques." The great tower -of the Hospitallers was the only edifice that resisted the flames -and the exertions of the destroyers. It stood frowning in gloomy and -solitary magnificence over the wide extended scene of ruin. "We must -not depart," said Saladin, "until yon lofty tower has been brought -low," and he ordered it to be filled with combustibles and set on -fire. "It stood," says Bohadin, "by the sea-side, and was of amazing -size and strength. I went into it, and examined it. The walls and the -foundations were so solid, and of such immense width, that no battering -machines could have produced the slightest effect upon them." Every -heart was filled with sorrow and mourning at the sight of the scorched -and blackened ruins of the once fair and beautiful Ascalon. "The city," -says Bohadin, "was very elegant, and, in truth, exquisitely beautiful; -its stupendous fortifications and lofty edifices possessed a majesty -and grandeur which inspired one with awe."[93] - -Ascalon, once the proudest of the five satrapies of the lords of the -Philistines, is now uninhabited. The walls still lie scattered in huge -fragments along the sea-shore, mixed with columns and broken pillars, -which are wedged in among them, and amid the confused heaps of ruin -which mark the site of the ancient city, not a single dwelling is now -visible. "The king shall perish from Gaza," saith the prophet, "and -ASCALON shall _not be inhabited_." - -On the 16th of October Coeur de Lion wrote a letter to Saladin, -exhorting him to put an end to the holy war; but he demanded, as the -price of peace, the restitution of Jerusalem, of Palestine, and the -true cross. "Jerusalem," says the king, "we consider to be the seat of -our religion, and every one of us will perish rather than abandon it. -Do you restore to us the country on this side Jordan, together with -the holy cross, which is of no value to you, being in your eyes a mere -piece of wood, but which we Christians prize greatly; we will then make -peace, and repose from our incessant toils." "When the sultan," says -Bohadin, who was himself a participator in the negotiation, "had read -this letter, he took counsel with his emirs, and sent a reply to the -following effect:--'The Holy City is held in as great reverence and -estimation by the Moslems, as it is by you, ay, and in much greater -reverence. From thence did our prophet Mahomet undertake his nocturnal -journey to heaven, and upon that holy spot have the angels and the -prophets at different periods been gathered together. Think not that we -will ever surrender it. Never would we be so unmindful of our duty, and -of that which it behoves us to do, as good Mussulmen. As to the country -you speak of, it hath belonged to us of old, and if you took it from -the Moslems when they were weak, they have taken it from you now that -they are strong, as they have a right to do. You may continue the war, -but God will not give you a stone of the land as a possession, for he -hath given the country to the Moslems, to be by them plentifully and -bountifully enjoyed. As to the cross, the reverence you pay to that bit -of wood is a scandalous idolatry, disrespectful to the Most High, and -hateful in the sight of God. We will, therefore, not give it to you, -unless by so doing we can secure some great and manifest advantage for -Islam.'" - -On the 15th of November, the Templars marched out of Jaffa with -king Richard and his army, and proceeded through the plain towards -Jerusalem. As they advanced, Saladin slowly retired before them, laying -waste the surrounding country, destroying all the towns and villages, -and removing the inhabitants. Between noon and evening prayers, the -sultan rode over to the city of Lidda, where St. Peter cured Aeneas of -the palsy, and employed his army, and a number of christian slaves, in -the destruction of the noble cathedral church erected by Justinian, -and in the demolition of the town. He then fell back with his army to -Beitnubah, a small village seated upon an eminence at the extremity -of the plain of Ramleh, at the commencement of the hill country of -Judea, and there encamped. "On Friday morning, at an early hour," says -Bohadin, "the sultan mounted on horseback, and ordered me to accompany -him. The rain fell in torrents. We marched towards Jerusalem. We -dismounted at the monastery near the church of the Resurrection, and -Saladin remained there to pass the night." The next morning at dawn -the sultan again mounted on horseback, and rode round the walls of the -Holy City. The whole population, together with two thousand christian -captives, had for weeks past been diligently employed in the reparation -and reconstruction of the fortifications. Forty expert masons had -arrived from Mossul, together with engineers and artificers from all -the Mussulman countries of Asia. Two enormous towers were constructed, -new walls were built, ditches were hollowed out of the rocks, and -countless sums, says Bohadin, were spent upon the undertaking. -Saladin's sons, his emirs, and his brother Adel, were charged with -the inspection of the works; and the sultan himself was on horseback -every morning from sunrise to sunset, stimulating the exertions of the -workmen. - -Whilst Saladin was making these vigorous preparations for the defence -of Jerusalem, the Templars halted at Ramleh, the ancient Arimathea, -situate in the middle of the plain, about nine miles from Jaffa, and -lingered with the crusaders amid the ruins of the place for six weeks. -In one of their midnight sallies they captured and brought into the -camp more than two hundred oxen. On New Year's day, A. D. 1192, they -marched to Beitnubah, and encamped at the entrance of the gorges and -defiles leading to the Holy City; but these defiles were guarded by a -powerful army under the personal command of Saladin, and the warriors -of the cross ventured not to penetrate them. The weather became -frightful; tempests of rain and hail, thunder and lightning, succeeded -one another without cessation; the tents were torn to pieces by furious -whirlwinds, and all the provisions of the army were destroyed by the -wet. Many of the camels, horses, and beasts of burthen, perished from -fatigue and the inclemency of the weather, and orders were given for a -retrograde movement to the Mediterranean. - -The Templars faithfully adhered to the standard of Coeur de Lion, -and marched with him from Jaffa along the sea-coast to the ruins -of Ascalon; but the other warriors, who owned no allegiance to the -sovereign of England, abandoned him. The duke of Burgundy and the -French proceeded to enjoy themselves in the luxurious city of Acre: -some of the crusaders remained at Jaffa, and others went to Tyre and -joined the rebellious party of Conrad, marquis of Montferrat. During -the march from Jaffa to Ascalon, a distance of twenty-eight miles, the -Templars suffered great hardships from hail-storms and terrific showers -of rain and sleet; and on their arrival amid the ruins of the once -flourishing city, they were nearly starved, by reason of the shipwreck -of their vessels freighted with the necessary supplies. They pitched -their tents among the ruins on the 20th of January, A. D. 1192, and -for eight days were compelled to subsist on the scanty supply of food -they had brought with them from Jaffa. During the winter they assisted -king Richard in the reconstruction of the fortifications, and took an -active part in the capture of several convoys and caravans which were -traversing the adjoining desert from Egypt. - -Whilst the Templars and the kings of England and Jerusalem thus -remained under tents or in the open fields planning the overthrow -and destruction of the infidels, Conrad, marquis of Montferrat, -the pretender to the throne of the Latin kingdom, was traitorously -intriguing with Saladin for the advancement of his own schemes of -private ambition. He was supported by the duke of Burgundy and the -French, and was at the head of a strong party who hated king Richard, -and envied him the fame of his military exploits. The marquis of -Montferrat went to Saladin's camp. He offered, Bohadin tells us, to -make war upon king Richard, to attack the city of Acre, and join his -forces to those of the sultan, provided the latter would cede to him -the maritime towns of Tyre, Sidon, and Beirout, and all the sea-coast -between them; but before these traitorous designs could be carried -into execution, the marquis of Montferrat was assassinated. Six days -after his death, the fickle princess Isabella, his wife, the younger -sister of the late queen Isabella, married Henry, count of Champagne, -nephew of king Richard. This nobleman possessed great influence in -the councils of the christian chieftains, and a general desire was -manifested for his recognition as KING of JERUSALEM. The Templars -accordingly induced Guy de Lusignan to abdicate in favour of Isabella -and the count of Champagne, offering him as a recompense the wealthy -and important island of Cyprus, which had been ceded to them, as before -mentioned, by king Richard. - -Coeur de Lion and the Templars remained encamped amid the ruins of -Ascalon, and employed themselves in intercepting the caravans and -convoys which were crossing the neighbouring desert, from Egypt to -Palestine, and succeeded in setting at liberty many christian captives. -The second Sunday after Trinity, the tents were struck, and they once -more resumed their march, with the avowed intention of laying siege to -the Holy City. They again proceeded, by easy stages, across the plain -of Ramleh, and on the 11th of June, five days after they had left -Ascalon, they reached Beitnubah where they again halted for the space -of an entire month, under the pretence of waiting for Henry, the new -king of Jerusalem, and the forces which were marching under his command -from Tyre and Acre. But the rugged mountains between Beitnubah and -Jerusalem were the real cause of delay, and again presented a barrier -to their further progress. Saladin had fixed his station in the Holy -City, leaving the main body of his army encamped among the mountains -near Beitnubah. His Mamlooks appear to have been somewhat daunted by -the long continuance of the war, and the persevering obstinacy of the -Christians. They remembered the bloody fate of their brethren at Acre, -and pressed the sultan to reserve _his_ person and _their_ courage -for the future defence of their religion and empire. Bohadin gives -a curious account of their misgivings and disinclination to stand a -siege within the walls of Jerusalem. He made an address to them at the -request of the sultan, and when he had ceased to speak, Saladin himself -arose. A profound silence reigned throughout the assembly,--"they -were as still as if BIRDS _were sitting on their_ HEADS." "Praise be -to God," said Saladin, "and may his blessing rest upon our Master, -Mahomet, his prophet. Know ye not, O men, that ye are the only army -of ISLAM, and its only defence. The lives and fortunes and children -of the Moslems are committed to your protection. If ye now quail from -the fight, (which God avert,) the foe will roll up these countries -as the angel of the Lord rolls up the book in which the actions of -men are written down." After an eloquent harangue from the sultan, -Saifeddin Meshtoob, and the Mamlooks exclaimed with one voice, "My -Lord, we are thy servants and slaves; we swear, by God, that none of -us will quit thee so long as we shall live."[94] But the anxiety of -Saladin and the Mamlooks was speedily calmed by the retreat of the -christian soldiers who fell back upon the sea-coast and their shipping. -The health of king Richard and of Saladin was in a declining state, -they were mutually weary of the war, and a treaty of peace was at last -entered into between the sultan, the king of England, Henry, king of -Jerusalem, and the Templars and Hospitallers, whereby it was stipulated -that the christian pilgrims should enjoy the privilege of visiting -the Holy City and the Holy Sepulchre without tribute or molestation; -that the cities of Tyre, Acre, and Jaffa, with all the sea-coast -between them, should belong to the Latins, but that the fortifications -recently erected at Ascalon should be demolished. Immediately after the -conclusion of peace, king Richard, being anxious to take the shortest -and speediest route to his dominions, induced Robert de Sable, the -Grand Master of the Temple, to place a galley of the order at his -disposal, and it was determined that, whilst the royal fleet pursued -its course with queen Berengaria through the Straits of Gibraltar to -Britain, Coeur de Lion himself, disguised in the habit of a Knight -Templar, should secretly embark and make for one of the ports of the -Adriatic. The plan was carried into effect on the night of the 25th of -October, and king Richard set sail, accompanied by some attendants, and -four trusty Templars. The habit he had assumed, however, protected him -not, as is well known, from the cowardly vengeance of the base duke of -Austria.[95] - -In the year 1194, Robert de Sable, the Grand Master of the Temple, -was succeeded by Brother Gilbert Horal or Erail, who had previously -filled the high office of Grand Preceptor of France.[96] The Templars, -to retain and strengthen their dominion in Palestine, commenced the -erection of several strong fortresses, the stupendous ruins of many of -which remain to this day. The most famous of these was the Pilgrim's -Castle, which commanded the coast-road from Acre to Jerusalem. It -derived its name from a solitary tower erected by the early Templars -to protect the passage of the pilgrims through a dangerous pass in the -mountains bordering the sea-coast, and was commenced shortly after the -removal of the chief house of the order from Jerusalem to Acre. A small -promontory which juts out into the sea a few miles below Mount Carmel, -was converted into a fortified camp. Two gigantic towers, a hundred -feet in height and seventy-four feet in width, were erected, together -with enormous bastions connected together by strong walls furnished -with all kinds of military engines. The vast inclosure contained a -palace for the use of the Grand Master and knights, a magnificent -church, houses and offices for the serving brethren and hired soldiers, -together with pasturages, vineyards, gardens, orchards, and fishponds. -On one side of the walls was the salt sea, and on the other, within -the camp, were delicious springs of fresh water. The garrison amounted -to four thousand men in time of war.[97] Considerable remains of -this famous fortress are still visible on the coast, a few miles to -the south of Acre. It is still called by the Levantines, _Castel -Pellegrino_. Pocock describes it as "very magnificent, and so finely -built, that it may be reckoned one of the things that are best worth -seeing in these parts." "It is encompassed," says he, "with two walls -fifteen feet thick, the inner wall on the east side cannot be less than -forty feet high, and within it there appear to have been some very -grand apartments. The offices of the fortress seem to have been at the -west end, where I saw an oven fifteen feet in diameter. In the castle -there are remains of a fine lofty church of ten sides, built in a light -gothic taste: three chapels are built to the three eastern sides, -each of which consists of five sides, excepting the opening to the -church; in these it is probable the three chief altars stood." Irby and -Mangles, referring at a subsequent period to the ruins of the church, -describe it as a double hexagon, and state that the half then standing -had six sides. Below the cornice are human heads and heads of animals -in alto relievo, and the walls are adorned with a double line of arches -in the gothic style, the architecture light and elegant. - -On the death of Saladin, (13th of March, A. D. 1193,) the vast and -powerful empire that he had consolidated fell to pieces, the title to -the thrones of Syria and Egypt was disputed between the brother and -the sons of the deceased sultan; and the pope, thinking that these -dissensions presented a favourable opportunity for the recovery of the -Holy City, caused another (the fourth) crusade to be preached. Two -expeditions organized in Germany proceeded to Palestine and insisted on -the immediate commencement of hostilities, in defiance of the truce. -The Templars and Hospitallers, and the Latin Christians, who were in -the enjoyment of profound peace under the faith of treaties, insisted -upon the impolicy and dishonesty of such a proceeding, but were -reproached with treachery and lukewarmness in the christian cause; and -the headstrong Germans sallying out of Acre, committed some frightful -ravages and atrocities upon the Moslem territories. The infidels -immediately rushed to arms; their intestine dissensions were at once -healed, their chiefs extended to one another the hand of friendship, -and from the distant banks of the Nile, from the deserts of Arabia, and -the remote confines of Syria, the followers of Mahomet rallied again -around the same banner, and hastened once more to fight in defence of -_Islam_. Al-Ma-lek, Al-a-del, Abou-becr Mohammed, the renowned brother -of Saladin, surnamed _Saif-ed-din_, "Sword of the Faith," took the -command of the Moslem force, and speedily proved himself a worthy -successor to the great "Conqueror of Jerusalem." He concentrated a vast -army, and by his rapid movements speedily compelled the Germans to quit -all the open country, and throw themselves into the fortified city of -Jaffa. By a well-executed manoeuvre, he then induced them to make a rash -sortie from the town, and falling suddenly upon the main body of their -forces, he defeated them with terrific slaughter. He entered the city, -pell-mell, with the fugitives, and annihilated the entire German force. -The small garrison of the Templars maintained in the Temple of Jaffa -was massacred, the fortifications were razed to the ground, and the -city was left without a single christian inhabitant.[98] Such were the -first results of this memorable crusade. - -The Templars on the receipt of this disastrous intelligence, assembled -their forces, and marched out of the city of Acre, in the cool of the -evening, to encamp at Caiphas, four miles distant from the town. The -king placed himself at the castle window to see them pass, and was -leaning forward watching their progress across the neighbouring plain, -when he unfortunately overbalanced himself, and fell headlong into the -moat. He was killed on the spot, and queen Isabella was a second time -a widow, her divorced husband, Humphry de Thoron being, however, still -alive. She had three daughters by king Henry, Mary, who died young, -Alix, and Philippine. Radolph of Tiberias became an aspirant for the -hand of the widowed queen, but the Templars rejected his suit because -he was too poor, declaring that they would not give the queen and the -kingdom to a man who had nothing. They sent the chancellor of the -emperor of Germany, who was staying at Acre, to Amauri, king of Cyprus, -offering him the hand of Isabella and the crown of the Latin kingdom. -Amauri had succeeded to the sovereignty of the island on the death of -his brother Guy de Lusignan, (A. D. 1194,) and he eagerly embraced -the offer. He immediately embarked in his galleys at Nicosia, landed -at Acre, and was married to queen Isabella and solemnly crowned a few -weeks after the death of the late king. - -On the arrival of a second division of the crusaders, under the command -of the dukes of Saxony and Brabant, the Templars again took the field -and overthrew the Arab cavalry in a bloody battle, fought in the plain -between Tyre and Sidon. The entire Mussulman army was defeated, and -Saif-ed-din, desperately wounded, fell back upon Damascus. Beirout -was then besieged and taken, and the fall of this important city -was followed by the reduction of Gabala and Laodicea, and all the -maritime towns between Tripoli and Jaffa.[99] Intelligence now reached -Palestine of the death of the emperor Henry VI., whereupon all the -German chieftains hurried home, to pursue upon another theatre their -own schemes of private ambition. After having provoked a terrific and -sanguinary war they retired from the contest, leaving their brethren -in the East to fight it out as they best could. These last, on viewing -their desolated lands, their defenceless cities, and their dwellings -destroyed by fire, exclaimed with bitterness and truth, "Our fellow -Christians and self-styled allies found us at _peace_, they have -left us at WAR. They are like those ominous birds of passage whose -appearance portends the coming tempest." To add to the difficulties and -misfortunes of the Latin Christians, a quarrel sprung up between the -Templars and Hospitallers touching their respective rights to certain -property in Palestine. The matter was referred to the pope, who gravely -admonished them, representing that the infidels would not fail to take -advantage of their dissensions, to the great injury of the Holy Land, -and to the prejudice of all Christendom. He exhorts them to maintain -unity and peace with one another, and appoints certain arbitrators -to decide the differences between them. The quarrel was of no great -importance, nor of any long duration, for the same year pope Innocent -wrote to both orders, praising them for their exertions in the cause -of the cross, and exhorting them strenuously and faithfully to support -with all their might the new king of Jerusalem.[100] - -In the year 1201 the Grand Master of the Temple, Gilbert Horal, was -succeeded by brother Philip Duplessies, or De Plesseis,[101] who found -himself, shortly after his accession to power, engaged in active -hostilities with Leon I., king of Armenia, who had taken possession -of the castle of Gaston, which belonged to the Knights Templars. The -Templars drove King Leon out of Antioch, compelled him to give up the -castle of Gaston and sue for peace. A suspension of arms was agreed -upon; the matters in dispute between them were referred to the pope, -and were eventually decided in favour of the Templars. The Templars -appear at this period to have recovered possession of most of their -castles and strongholds in the principalities of Tripoli and Antioch. -Taking advantage of the dissensions between the neighbouring Moslem -chieftains, they gradually drove the infidels across the Orontes, -and restored the strong mountain districts to the christian arms. -Some European vessels having been plundered by Egyptian pirates, the -Templars unfolded their war-banner, and at midnight they marched out -of Acre, with the king of Jerusalem, to make reprisals on the Moslems; -they extended their ravages to the banks of the Jordan, and collected -together a vast booty, informing their brethren in Acre of their -movements by letters tied to the necks of pigeons. Coradin, sultan -of Damascus, assembled a large body of forces at Sepphoris, and then -marched against the hill fort Doc, which belonged to the Templars. The -place was only three miles distant from Acre, and the population of the -town was thrown into the utmost consternation. But the military friars, -assembling their forces from all quarters, soon repulsed the invaders, -and restored tranquillity to the Latin kingdom. - -At this period king Amauri, having partaken somewhat too plentifully -of a favourite dish of fish, was seized with an alarming illness, and -died at Acre on the 1st of April, A. D. 1205. He had issue by Isabella -one daughter; but before the close of the year both the mother and the -child died. The crowns of Jerusalem and Cyprus, which were united on -the heads of Amauri and Isabella, were now after their decease again -divided. Mary, the eldest daughter of the queen, by the famous Conrad, -marquis of Montferrat, was acknowledged heiress to the crown of the -Latin kingdom, and Hugh de Lusignan, the eldest son of Amauri by his -first wife, succeeded to the sovereignty of the island of Cyprus. This -young prince married the princess Alice, daughter of Isabella by king -Henry, count of Champagne, and half sister to the young queen Mary by -the mother's side. The young and tender princess who had just now -succeeded to the throne of the Latin kingdom, was fourteen years of -age, and the Templars and Hospitallers became her natural guardians -and protectors. They directed the military force of the Latin empire -in the field, and the government of the country in the cabinet: and -defended the kingdom during her minority with zeal and success against -all the attacks of the infidels. As soon as the young queen arrived at -marriageable years, the Templars and Hospitallers sent over the bishop -of Acre and Aimar, lord of Caesarea, to Philip Augustus, king of France, -requesting that monarch to select a suitable husband for her from -among his princes and nobles. The king's choice fell upon the count -of Brienne, who left France with a large cortege of knights and foot -soldiers, and arrived in Palestine on the 13th of September. The day -after his arrival he was married to the young queen, who had just then -attained her seventeenth year, and on the succeeding Michaelmas-day, he -was crowned king of Jerusalem. - -At this period the truce with the infidels had expired, the Grand -Master of the Temple having previously refused to renew it. Hostilities -consequently recommenced, and the Templars again took the field with -the new king of Jerusalem and his French knights. Some important -successes were gained over the Moslems, but the Latin kingdom was -thrown into mourning by the untimely death of the young queen Mary. She -died at Acre, in the twentieth year of her age, leaving by the king -her husband, an infant daughter, named Violante. The count de Brienne -continued, after the example of Guy de Lusignan, to wear the crown, and -exercise all the functions of royalty, notwithstanding the death of -the queen. Pope Innocent III. had long been endeavouring to throw an -additional lustre around his pontificate by achieving the re-conquest -of Jerusalem. By his bulls and apostolical letters he sought to awaken -the ancient enthusiasm of Christendom in favour of the holy war; and -following the example of pope Urban, he at last called together a -general council of the church to aid in the arming of Europe for -the recovery of the Holy City. This council assembled at Rome in the -summer of the year 1215, and decreed the immediate preaching of another -crusade. The emperor Frederick, John, king of England, the king of -Hungary, the dukes of Austria and Bavaria, and many prelates, nobles, -and knights, besides crowds of persons of inferior degree, assumed the -cross. Some prepared to fulfil their vow, and embark for the far East, -but the far greater portion of them paid sums of money to the clergy -to be exempt from the painful privations, dangers, and difficulties -consequent upon the long voyage. The king of Hungary, and the dukes -of Austria and Bavaria, were the first to set out upon the pious -enterprise. They placed themselves at the head of an army composed of -many different nations, embarked from Venice, and landed at the port of -St. Jean d'Acre at the commencement of the year 1217. The day after the -feast of All Saints they marched out of Acre, and pitched their tents -upon the banks of the brook Kishon; and the next day the patriarch of -Jerusalem, and the Templars and Hospitallers, came with great pomp and -solemnity into the camp, bearing with them "a piece of the true cross!" -It was pretended that this piece of the cross had been cut off before -the battle of Tiberias, and carefully preserved by the oriental clergy. -The kings and princes went out bare-foot and uncovered to receive the -holy relic; they placed it at the head of their array, and immediately -commenced a bold and spirited march to the Jordan. - -Under the guidance of the Templars they followed the course of the -brook Kishon, by the ruins of Endor, to the valley of Jezreel, -and traversing the pass through the mountains of Gilboa to Bisan -or Scythopolis, they descended into the valley of the Jordan, and -pitched their tents on the banks of that sacred river. From Bisan they -proceeded up the valley of the Jordan to the lake of Tiberias, skirted -its beautiful shores to Bethsaida, passing in front of the strong -citadel of Tiberias, and then proceeded across the country to Acre, -without meeting an enemy to oppose their progress. The Templars then -pressed the christian chieftains to undertake without further loss -of time the siege of the important fortress of Mount Thabor, and at -the commencement of the autumn the place was regularly invested, but -the height and steepness of the mountain rendered the transportation -of heavy battering machines and military engines to the summit a -tedious and laborious undertaking. The troops suffered from the want -of water, their patience was exhausted, and the four kings and their -followers, being anxious to return home, speedily found excuses for the -abandonment of the siege. The customary scene of disorder and confusion -then ensued; a large body of Arab horsemen, which had crossed the -Jordan, infested the rear of the retiring crusaders. The disordered -pilgrims and foot soldiers were panic-stricken, and fled to the hills; -and the retreat would have been disastrous, but for the gallant conduct -of the Templars and Hospitallers, who covered the rear and sustained -the repeated charges of the Arab cavalry. The two orders sustained -immense loss in men and horses, and returned in sorrow and disgust to -their quarters at Acre.[102] - -The Grand Master Philip Duplessies had been unable to take part in -the expedition; he was confined to the Temple at Acre by a dangerous -illness, of which he died a few days after the return of the Templars -from Mount Thabor. Immediately after his decease a general chapter of -knights was assembled, and Brother William de Chartres was elevated -(A. D. 1217) to the vacant dignity of Grand Master.[103] Shortly after -his election he was called upon to take the command of a large fleet -fitted out by the order of the Temple against the Egyptians. He set sail -from Acre in the month of May, cast anchor in the mouth of the Nile, -and proceeded, in conjunction with the crusaders, to lay siege to -the wealthy and populous city of Damietta. The Templars pitched their -tents in the plain on the left bank of the Nile, opposite the town, -and surrounded their position with a ditch and a wall. They covered -the river with their galleys, and with floating rafts furnished with -military engines, and directed their first attacks against a castle in -the midst of the stream, called the castle of Taphnis. - -Large towers were erected upon floating rafts to protect their -operations, but they were constantly destroyed by the terrible -Greek fire, which was blown out of long copper tubes, and could be -extinguished with nothing but vinegar and sand. At last a number of -flat-bottomed boats were lashed together, and a tower, higher than -the castle of the enemy, was erected upon them. It was ninety feet in -height, thirteen cubits in length, and was divided into platforms or -stages, filled with archers; numerous loop-holes were pierced in the -walls, and the ponderous structure was thickly covered in every part -with raw hides, to preserve it from the liquid fire of the enemy. -Upon the top of the tower was a drawbridge, which could be raised and -lowered with chains, and on each platform were grappling irons, to be -made fast to the battlements and parapets of the castle. On the 24th -of August, the vast floating tower was towed to the point of attack, -and the left bank of the Nile was covered with a long procession of -priests and monks, who traversed the winding shore, with naked feet -and uplifted hands, praying to the God of battles for victory. Whilst -the infidels were hurrying to the summit of the castle of Taphnis, to -direct the Greek fire upon the wooden tower, and to pour boiling oil -and red-hot sand upon the heads of the assailants, some Templars, who -were stationed in the lowest platform of the structure near the water, -threw out their grapling-irons, and made a lodgment upon the causeway -in front of the castle. Without a moment's delay, they handed out a -battering-ram, and with one blow knocked in the door of the fortress. -Combustibles were immediately thrown into the interior of the -building, the place was enveloped in smoke and flames, and the garrison -surrendered at discretion. The vast chain between the castle and the -river was then rent asunder, and the large ships of the crusaders -ascended the Nile, and took up a position in front of the town. - -Toward the close of autumn, when the inundation of the Nile was at -its height, a strong north wind arose, and impeded the descent of -the waters to the Mediterranean. The christian camp was overflowed, -the Templars lost all their provisions, arms, and baggage; and when -the waters receded, several large fish were found in their tents. -This catastrophe was followed by an epidemic fever, which carried -off the Grand Master, William de Chartres, and many of the brethren. -The Grand Master was succeeded (A. D. 1218) by the veteran warrior, -Brother Peter de Montaigu, Grand Preceptor of Spain. At this period the -renowned Saif-ed-din, "sword of the faith," the brother and successor -of Saladin, died, having appointed his _fifteen_ sons to separate and -independent commands in his vast dominions. After his decease they -quarrelled with one another for the supremacy, and the Templars crossed -the Nile to take advantage of the dispute. The infidels fiercely -opposed their landing, and one of the Temple vessels being boarded by -an overpowering force, the military friars cut a hole in the bottom -of it with their hatchets, and all on board met with a watery grave -in the deep bosom of the Nile. When the landing was effected, the -Templars were the first to charge the enemy; the Moslems fled and -abandoned their tents, provisions, and arms, and their camp was given -up to plunder. A trench was then drawn around the city of Damietta, -and the army took up a position which enabled them to deprive the -town of all succour. Two bridges of boats were thrown across the -Nile to communicate between the new camp of the crusaders and the -one they had just quitted; and one of these bridges was placed under -the protection of the Templars. After many brilliant exploits and -sanguinary encounters, Damietta was reduced to great straits; terms -of surrender were offered and refused; and on the 5th of November a -wooden bridge was thrown over the ditch; scaling ladders were reared -against the battlements, and the town was taken by assault. When the -Templars entered the place, they found the plague in every house, and -the streets strewed with the dead. - -Immediately after the capture of Damietta, the Grand Master of the -Temple returned with the king of Jerusalem to Palestine, to oppose -a fresh army of Moslems who, under the command of Coradin, a famous -chieftain, had invaded the country, blockaded the city of Acre, and -laid siege to the Pilgrim's Castle. In their intrenched camp at this -castle, the Templars mustered a force of upwards of four thousand -men, who valiantly and successfully defended the important position -against the obstinate and persevering attacks of the infidels. During -the different assaults upon the place, Coradin lost six emirs, two -hundred Mamlooks, and a number of archers; and on one day alone he had -a hundred and twenty valuable horses slain, one of which cost fourteen -thousand marks.[104] The Templars sent urgent letters to the pope for -succour. They exhorted his holiness to compel the emperor Frederick to -perform his vow, and no longer to permit the crusaders to compound with -money for the non-fulfilment of their engagements, declaring that such -compositions had been most injurious to the cause of the cross. The -Grand Master also wrote to the pope, complaining to his holiness of the -misapplication by the clergy of the money collected from their flocks, -towards the expenses of the holy war, declaring that not a twentieth -part of it ever reached the empty treasury of the Latin kingdom. The -holy pontiff, in his reply, protests that he has not himself fingered a -farthing of the money. "If you have not received it," says he, "it is -not our fault, it is because we have not been obeyed." - -In a mournful letter to the bishop of Ely, the Grand Master gives the -following gloomy picture of the state of affairs. "Brother Peter de -Montaigu, Master of the Knights of the Temple, to the reverend brother -in Christ, N, by the grace of God, bishop of Ely, salvation. We proceed -by these our letters to inform your paternity how we have managed the -affairs of our Lord Jesus Christ since the capture of Damietta and -the castle of Taphnis. Be it known to you, that during the spring -passage to Europe, immediately subsequent to the capture of Damietta, -so many of the pilgrims returned home, that the residue of them scarce -sufficed to garrison the town, and the two intrenched camps. Our -lord the legate, and the clergy, earnestly desiring the advancement -of the army of Jesus Christ, constantly and diligently exhorted our -people forthwith to take the field against the infidels; but the -chieftains from these parts, and from beyond the sea, perceiving that -the army was totally insufficient in point of numbers to guard the -city and the camps, and undertake further offensive operations for the -advancement of the faith of Jesus Christ, would on no account give -their consent. The sultan of Egypt, at the head of a vast number of -the perfidious infidels, lies encamped a short distance from Damietta, -and he has recently constructed bridges across both branches of the -Nile, to impede the further progress of our christian soldiers. He -there remains, quietly awaiting their approach; and the forces under -his command are so numerous, that the faithful cannot quit their -intrenchments around Damietta, without incurring imminent risk. In the -mean time, we have surrounded the town, and the two camps, with deep -trenches, and have strongly fortified both banks of the river as far -as the sea-coast, expecting that the Lord will console and comfort us -with speedy succour. But the Saracens, perceiving our weakness, have -already armed numerous galleys, and have inflicted vast injury upon us -by intercepting all the succours from Europe; and such has been our -extreme want of money, that we have been unable for a considerable -period to man and equip our galleys and send them to sea for our -protection. Finding, however, that the losses go on increasing to the -great detriment of the cause of the cross, we have now managed to arm -some galleys, galliots, and other craft, to oppose the ships of the -infidels. - -"Also be it known to you that Coradin, sultan of Damascus, having -collected together a vast army of Saracens, hath attacked the cities -of Tyre and Acre; and as the garrisons of these places have been -weakened to strengthen our forces in Egypt, they can with difficulty -sustain themselves against his attacks. Coradin hath also pitched -his tents before our fortress, called the Pilgrim's Castle, and hath -put us to immense expense in the defence of the place. He hath also -besieged and subjugated the castle of Caesarea of Palestine. We have -now for a long time been expecting the arrival of the emperor, and the -other noble personages who have assumed the cross, by whose aid we -hope to be relieved from our dangers and difficulties, and to bring -all our exertions to a happy issue. But if we are disappointed of the -succour we expect in the ensuing summer (which God forbid) all our -newly-acquired conquests, as well as the places that we have held for -ages past, will be left in a very doubtful condition. We ourselves, -and others in these parts, are so impoverished by the heavy expenses -we have incurred in prosecuting the affairs of Jesus Christ, that we -shall be unable to contribute the necessary funds, unless we speedily -receive succour and subsidies from the faithful. Given at Acre, xii. -kal. Octob., A. D. 1220."[105] - -The urgent solicitations of the Templars for money created loud -murmurs in England, and excited the wrath of the great historian, -Matthew Paris, the monk of St. Albans, who hated the order on account -of its vast privileges, and the sums it constantly drew away from -the hands of other religious bodies. The clergy, who had probably -misapplied the money collected by them for the relief of the Holy -Land, joined eagerly in an outcry against the Templars, accusing them -of squandering their funds upon magnificent churches and expensive -buildings in Europe, or of spending them at home in luxurious ease at -their different preceptories, instead of faithfully employing them in -the prosecution of the holy war. The pope instituted an inquiry into -the truth of the charges, and wrote to his legate at Damietta, to the -patriarch of Jerusalem, and the principal chieftains of the army of -the crusaders, for information. In their reply, the legate and the -patriarch state that the charges were untrue, and that the Templars -had expended their money in the prosecution of the siege of Damietta, -and had impoverished themselves by their heavy expenses in Egypt. -During the summer of the year 1221, considerable succours arrived in -Palestine and Egypt from Europe; the troops of the sultan of Damascus -were repulsed and driven beyond the frontier of the Latin kingdom, and -the Grand Master of the Temple returned to Damietta to superintend the -military operations in Egypt. Cardinal Pelagius, the papal legate, -though altogether ignorant of the art of war, had unfortunately assumed -the inconsistent character of commander-in-chief of the army of the -cross. Contrary to the advice of the Templars, he urged the crusaders, -during the autumnal season, when the waters of the Nile were rising, to -march out of Damietta to undertake an expedition against Grand Cairo. -The disastrous results of that memorable campaign are narrated in the -following letter from Peter de Montaigu to the Master of the English -province of the order. - -"Brother Peter de Montaigu, humble Master of the soldiers of Christ, -to our vicegerent and beloved brother in Christ, Alan Marcell, -Preceptor of England. Hitherto we have had favourable information to -communicate unto you touching our exertions in the cause of Christ; -now, alas! such have been the reverses and disasters which our sins -have brought upon us in the land of Egypt, that we have nothing but ill -news to announce. After the capture of Damietta, our army remained -for some time in a state of inaction, which brought upon us frequent -complaints and reproaches from the eastern and the western Christians. -At length, after the feast of the holy apostles, the legate of the -holy pontiff, and all our soldiers of the cross, put themselves in -march by land and by the Nile, and arrived in good order at the spot -where the sultan was encamped, at the head of an immense number of the -enemies of the cross. The river Taphneos, an arm of the great Nile, -flowed between the camp of the sultan and our forces, and being unable -to ford this river, we pitched our tents on its banks, and prepared -bridges to enable us to force the passage. In the mean time, the annual -inundation rapidly increased, and the sultan, passing his galleys and -armed boats through an ancient canal, floated them into the Nile below -our positions, and intercepted our communications with Damietta."... -"Nothing now was to be done but to retrace our steps. The sultans of -Aleppo, Damascus, Hems, and Coilanbar, the two brothers of the sultan, -and many chieftains and kings of the pagans, with an immense multitude -of infidels who had come to their assistance, attempted to cut off our -retreat. At night we commenced our march, but the infidels cut through -the embankments of the Nile, the water rushed along several unknown -passages and ancient canals, and encompassed us on all sides. We lost -all our provisions, many of our men were swept into the stream, and the -further progress of our christian warriors was forthwith arrested. The -waters continued to increase upon us, and in this terrible inundation -we lost all our horses and saddles, our carriages, baggage, furniture, -and moveables, and everything that we had. We ourselves could neither -advance nor retreat, and knew not whither to turn. We could not attack -the Egyptians on account of the great lake which extended itself -between them and us; we were without food, and being caught and pent up -like fish in a net, there was nothing left for us but to treat with the -sultan. - -"We agreed to surrender Damietta, with all the prisoners which we -had in Tyre and at Acre, on condition that the sultan restored to -us the wood of the true cross and the prisoners that he detained at -Cairo and Damascus. We, with some others, were deputed by the whole -army to announce to the people of Damietta the terms that had been -imposed upon us. These were very displeasing to the bishop of Acre, -(James de Vitry, the historian,) to the chancellor, and some others, -who wished to defend the town, a measure which we should indeed have -greatly approved of, had there been any reasonable chance of success; -for we would rather have been thrust into perpetual imprisonment than -have surrendered, to the shame of Christendom, this conquest to the -infidels. But after having made a strict investigation into the means -of defence, and finding neither men nor money wherewith to protect the -place, we were obliged to submit to the conditions of the sultan, who, -after having extracted from us an oath and hostages, accorded to us a -truce of eight years. During the negotiations the sultan faithfully -kept his word, and for the space of fifteen days furnished our soldiers -with the bread and corn necessary for their subsistence. Do you, -therefore, pitying our misfortunes, hasten to relieve them to the -utmost of your ability. Farewell."[106] - -Shortly after the disasters in Egypt, and the conclusion of the eight -years' truce with the infidels, John de Brienne, the titular king of -Jerusalem, prepared to bid adieu for ever to Palestine. Since the -death of the young queen, his wife, he had regarded his kingdom as a -place of exile, and was anxious to escape from the toil and turmoil -and incessant warfare in which his feeble dominions were continually -involved. His daughter Violante, the young queen of Jerusalem, had -just attained her thirteenth year, and the king was anxious to seek a -suitable husband for her from among the European princes. Accompanied -by the fair Violante, he landed in Italy, and attended a council of -the clergy and the laity assembled at Ferentino, in the Campagna -di Roma, in the summer of the year 1223. Pope Honorius the Third, -the emperor Frederick, the patriarch of the Holy City, the bishop of -Bethlehem, the Grand Master of the Hospital, and one of the Grand -Preceptors of the Temple, were present at this council, and the pope -urged the emperor to fulfil the vow which he had made eight years -before to lead an army to the succour of the Holy Land; offering him -the hand of the lovely Violante, and with her the crown of the Latin -kingdom. This offer was accepted, the nuptials were shortly afterwards -celebrated, and the emperor solemnly took his oath upon the Holy Gospel -to lead in person a great expedition for the recovery of Jerusalem. - -Violante had been accompanied from Palestine by a female cousin, -possessed of powerful charms and many graceful accomplishments. The -emperor became captivated with her beauty, he dishonoured her, and -treated his young wife, who was a mere child in years, with coldness -and neglect. He then, in the middle of August, A. D. 1227, set sail -for Acre with a powerful army, and was at sea three days, when he -became sea-sick, and returned to land on a plea of ill health. He was -consequently publicly excommunicated by the pope in the great church of -Anagni. Without troubling himself to obtain a reconciliation with the -holy see, he again embarked with his forces, and arrived in the port -of St. Jean d'Acre on the 8th of September, A. D. 1228. The pope then -sent letters to Palestine denouncing him as publicly excommunicated, -and commanded the Templars not to join his standard. They accordingly -refused to take the field, and as the forces under the command of -the emperor did not amount to ten thousand men, he was obliged to -remain inactive during the winter. He, however, carried on friendly -negotiations with the infidels, and a treaty was entered into whereby -Jerusalem was nominally surrendered to him. It was stipulated that the -Christian and Mussulman religion should meet with equal toleration in -the Holy City; that the followers of Mahomet should possess the Mosque -of Omar, and the Christians the great church of the Resurrection; that -the Moslems should be governed by their own laws, and that the court of -judicature in the forum of Al Rostak should be under the direction of a -Moslem governor.[107] - -Immediately after the conclusion of this curious treaty, the emperor -made a peaceful march to the Holy City with a few attendants, and -performed the solemn farce of crowning himself in the church of the -Resurrection. After a stay of a few days in Jerusalem, he hurried back -to Acre to prepare for his departure for Europe. No christian garrison -was established in the city, nor did the Templars and Hospitallers -venture to return to their ancient abodes. His conduct, immediately -preceding his departure, is thus described in a letter from the -patriarch of Jerusalem to the pope. "The emperor placed archers at the -gates of the city of Acre, to prevent the Templars from entering into -or proceeding out of the town. He moreover placed soldiers in all the -streets leading to our quarter and the Temple, keeping us in a state of -siege; and it is evident that he has never treated the Saracens half so -badly as he has treated the Christians. For a long time he refused to -permit any provisions to be brought to us, and instructed his soldiers -to insult the priests and the Templars whenever they met them. He -moreover got possession of the magazines, and removed all the military -machines and arms, preserved for the defence of the city, with a view -of rendering good service to his kind friend the sultan of Egypt; and -afterwards, without saying adieu to anybody, he embarked secretly -on the 1st of May, (A. D. 1229,) leaving us worse off than he found -us."[108] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, Peter de Montaigu, died at Acre at -an advanced age, and was succeeded (A. D. 1233) by Brother Hermann -de Perigord, Grand Preceptor of Calabria and Sicily.[109] Shortly -after his accession to power, the truce with the sultan of Aleppo -expired, and Brother William de Montferrat, Preceptor of Antioch, -having besieged a fortress of the infidels, refused to retreat before a -superior force, and was surrounded and overwhelmed; a hundred knights -of the Temple, and three hundred cross-bowmen were slain, together -with many secular warriors, and a large number of foot soldiers. The -_Balcanifer_, or standard-bearer, on this occasion, was an English -Knight Templar, named Reginald d'Argenton, who performed prodigies of -valour. He was disabled and covered with wounds, yet he unflinchingly -bore the Beauseant aloft with his bleeding arms into the thickest of -the fight, until he at last fell dead upon a heap of his slaughtered -comrades. The Preceptor of Antioch, before he was slain, "sent -sixteen infidels to hell." As soon as the Templars in England heard -of this disaster, they sent, (A. D. 1236,) in conjunction with the -Hospitallers, instant succour to their brethren. "Having made their -arrangements," says Matthew Paris, "they started from the house of the -Hospitallers at Clerkenwell in London, and passed through the city -with spears held aloft, shields displayed, and banners advanced. They -marched in splendid pomp to the bridge, and sought a blessing from -all who crowded to see them pass. The brothers indeed, uncovered, -bowed their heads from side to side, and recommended themselves to the -prayers of all." - -A new crusade had already been preached in Europe by Pope Gregory IX., -and the Templars, expecting the arrival of speedy succour, and being -desirous of taking advantage of the dissensions that had arisen amongst -the Saracens, had recommenced hostilities with the sultans of Egypt -and Damascus. Thibaut I., king of Navarre, and count of Champagne, the -duke of Burgundy, and the counts of Brittany and Bar, who had arrived -in Palestine with several other nobles and knights, and a considerable -force of armed pilgrims, marched with a party of Templars to attack -the sultan of Egypt, whilst the Grand Master prepared to invade the -territory of the sultan of Damascus. In a bloody battle fought with the -Mamlooks, near Gaza, the count de Bar and many knights and persons of -quality, and all the foot soldiers, were slain; the count de Montfort -was taken prisoner, and all the equipage and baggage of the army was -lost. The king of Navarre and the survivors then retreated to Jaffa, -and set sail from that port for St. Jean d'Acre. On their arrival -at this place, they joined the Grand Master of the Temple, who was -encamped at the palm-grove of Caiphas. Thence they marched towards -Tiberias, and on their arrival at Sepphoris, they met some messengers -who were proceeding from Saleh Ismael, the sultan of Damascus, to the -Grand Master of the Temple, with overtures of peace, and offers to -surrender Jerusalem upon the following terms:--The Moslem and christian -prisoners of war were immediately to be set at liberty; all Palestine, -between the sea-coast and the Jordan, excepting the cities of St. -Abraham, Naplous, and Bisan, was to be surrendered to the Christians; -the Christians were to assist the sultan of Damascus in a war which -had broken out between him and Nojmoddin Ayoub sultan of Egypt; they -were to march with all their forces to the south to occupy Jaffa -and Ascalon, and prevent the latter potentate from marching through -Palestine to attack the sultan of Damascus; and lastly, no truce -was to be entered into with the sultan of Egypt by the Christians, -unless the sultan of Damascus was included therein. The Grand Master -of the Temple acceded to these terms, and induced the chiefs of the -crusaders to assent to the compact; but the Grand Master of the -Hospital refused to be a party to it. It is said that he entered into -a separate and independent treaty with Nojmoddin Ayoub, who had just -mounted the throne of Egypt, so that one of the great military orders -remained at war with the sultan of Damascus, and the other with the -sultan of Egypt. Immediately after the conclusion of this treaty, the -Templars assembled all their disposable forces and proceeded to Jaffa -with the count de Nevers, and a body of newly arrived crusaders, and -co-operated with an army which the sultan of Damascus had sent into -that neighbourhood to act against the Egyptians. In the mean time, -Richard, earl of Cornwall, the brother of Henry III., king of England, -having assumed the cross, arrived in Palestine, and proceeded with a -small force of English pilgrims, knights, and foot soldiers, to the -camp of the Templars at Jaffa. With this welcome reinforcement the -Grand Master of the Temple marched at once upon Ascalon, re-constructed -the castle and restored the fortifications to the state in which they -were left by Richard Coeur de Lion. The Templars then endeavoured to -obtain possession of their ancient fortress of Gaza, (ante, p. 49,) a -place of very great importance. An invading army from the south could -approach Jerusalem only by way of Gaza, or by taking a long and tedious -route through the desert of Arabia Petraea, to Karac, and from thence to -Hebron, by the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. The want of water -and forage presented an insuperable obstacle to the march of a large -body of forces in any other direction. Towards the close of autumn, the -Templars marched against Gaza in conjunction with Saleh Ismael, sultan -of Damascus; they drove out the Egyptians, and obtained possession of -the dismantled fortifications. Large sums of money were expended in -the re-construction of the walls of the castle, a strong garrison was -established in the important post, and the Templars then marched upon -Jerusalem. - -The fortifications of the Holy City had been dismantled by Malek Kamel, -at the period of the siege of Damietta, when alarmed at the military -success of the Franks in Egypt, he was anxious to purchase the safety -of the country by the cession of Jerusalem. The Templars, consequently, -entered the Holy City without difficulty or resistance; the Mussulman -population abandoned their dwellings on their approach, and the -military friars once more entered the city of David, bare-footed and -bare-headed, singing loud hymns and songs of triumph. They rushed to -the church of the Resurrection, and fell prostrate on their knees -before the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre; they ascended Mount Calvary, -and visited the reputed scene of the crucifixion, and then hastened -in martial array, and with sound of trumpet, through the forlorn and -deserted streets of the city of Zion, to take possession of their -ancient quarters on Mount Moriah. - -The golden crescent was once more removed from the lofty pinnacle of -the Temple of the Lord, or Mosque of Omar, and this Holy Mussulman -house of prayer was once again surmounted by the glittering cross. The -Temple of the Knights Templars or Mosque at Acsa, (ante, p. 12,) was -again purified and re-consecrated, and its sombre halls and spacious -areas were once more graced with the white, religious, and military -habit of the knights of the Temple. The greater part of the old -convent, adjoining the Temple, had been destroyed, as before mentioned, -by the great Saladin, and the military friars were consequently obliged -to pitch numerous tents in the spacious area for the accommodation of -the brethren. The sound of the bell once more superseded the voice of -the muezzin, "the exiled faith returned to its ancient sanctuary," -and the name of JESUS was again invoked in the high places and -sanctuaries of _Mahomet_. The great court of the Mussulmen around -the revered Mosque of Omar, called by them _El Scham Schereef_, "the -noble retirement," again rung with the tramp of the war-steed, and its -solitudes were once more awakened with the voice of the trumpet. - -Nothing could exceed the joy with which the intelligence of the -re-occupation of Jerusalem was received throughout Palestine, and -through all Christendom. The Hospitallers, now that the policy of the -Templars had been crowned with success, and that Jerusalem had been -regained, no longer opposed the treaty with the sultan of Damascus, -but hastened to co-operate with them for the preservation of the Holy -City, which had been so happily recovered. The patriarch returned -to Jerusalem, (A. D. 1241,) with all his clergy; the churches were -re-consecrated, and the Templars and Hospitallers emptied their -treasuries in rebuilding the walls. The following account of these -gratifying events was transmitted by brother Hermann de Perigord to the -Master of the Temple at London. "Brother Hermann de Perigord, humble -minister of the poor knights of the Temple, to his beloved brother in -Christ Robert de Sandford, Preceptor in England, salvation through the -Lord. - -"Since it is our duty, whenever an opportunity offers, to make -known to the brotherhood, by letters or by messengers, the state -and prospects of the Holy Land, we hasten to inform you, that after -our great successes against the sultan of Egypt, and Nasser, his -supporter and abettor, the great persecutor of the Christians, whom we -have unceasingly endeavoured with all our might to subdue, they were -unwillingly compelled to treat with us concerning the establishment -of a truce, promising us to restore to the followers of Jesus Christ -all the territory on this side Jordan. We despatched certain of our -brethren, noble and discreet personages, to Cairo, to have an interview -with the sultan upon these matters. But the latter broke the promise -which he had made to us, retaining in his own hands Gaza, St. Abraham, -Naplous, Varan, and other places; he detained our messengers in custody -for more than half a year, and endeavoured to amuse us with deceitful -words and unmeaning propositions. But we, with the Divine assistance, -were enabled to penetrate his craft and perfidy, and plainly saw that -he had procured the truce with us that he might be enabled the more -readily to subjugate to his cruel dominion the sultan of Damascus, and -Nasser lord of Carac, and their territories; and then, when he had got -possession of all the country surrounding our christian provinces, we -plainly foresaw that he would break faith with us, after the custom of -his unbelieving generation, and attack our poor Christianity on this -side the sea, which in its present weak and feeble state would have -been unable effectually to resist him. - -"Having therefore deliberated, long and earnestly, upon these matters, -we determined, with the advice of the bishops and some of the barons of -the land, to break off at once with the sultan of Egypt, and enter into -a treaty with the sultan of Damascus, and with Nasser lord of Carac, -whereby all the country on this side Jordan, excepting St. Abraham, -Naplous, and Bisan, has been surrendered to the christian worship; -and, to the joy of angels and of men, the holy city of Jerusalem is -now inhabited by Christians alone, all the Saracens being driven out. -The holy places have been re-consecrated and purified by the prelates -of the churches, and in those spots where the name of the Lord has -not been invoked for fifty-six years, now, blessed be God, the divine -mysteries are daily celebrated. To all the sacred places there is again -free access to the faithful in Christ, nor is it to be doubted but -that in this happy and prosperous condition we might long remain, if -our Eastern Christians would from henceforth live in greater concord -and unanimity. But, alas! opposition and contradiction, arising from -envy and hatred, have impeded our efforts in the promotion of these -and other advantages for the Holy Land. With the exception of the -prelates of the churches, and a few of the barons, who afford us all -the assistance in their power, the entire burthen of its defence rests -upon our house alone. With the assistance of the sultan of Damascus, -and the lord of Carac, we have obtained possession of the city of Gaza, -situate on the confines of the territory of Jerusalem and the territory -of Egypt. And as this important place commands the entrance from the -latter country into the Holy Land, we have, by vast exertions, and at -an enormous expense, and after having incurred great risk and danger, -put it into a state of defence. But we are afraid that God will take -heavy vengeance for past ingratitude, by punishing those who have been -careless, and indifferent, and rebellious in the prosecution of these -matters. - -"For the safeguard and preservation of the holy territory, we propose -to erect a fortified castle near Jerusalem, which will enable us the -more easily to retain possession of the country, and to protect it -against all enemies. But indeed we can in nowise defend for any great -length of time the places that we hold, against the powerful and crafty -sultan of Egypt, unless Christ and his faithful followers extend to us -an efficacious support."[110] - -We must now refer to a few events connected with the English province -of the order of the Temple. - -Brother Geoffrey, who was Master of the Temple at London, at the period -of the consecration of the Temple Church by Heraclius, patriarch of -Jerusalem, died shortly after the capture of the Holy City by Saladin, -and was succeeded by Brother Amaric de St. Maur, who is an attesting -witness to the deed executed by king John, (A. D. 1203,) granting a -dowry to his young queen, the beautiful Isabella of Angouleme. King -John frequently resided in the Temple for weeks together, the writs -to his lieutenants, sheriffs, and bailiffs, being dated therefrom. -The orders for the concentration of the English fleet at Portsmouth, -to resist the formidable French invasion instigated by the pope, are -dated from the TEMPLE at London, and the convention between the king -and the count of Holland, whereby the latter agreed to assist King -John with a body of knights and men-at-arms, in case of the landing of -the French, was published at the same place. In all the conferences -and negotiations between king John and the Roman pontiff, the Knights -Templars took an active and distinguished part. Two brethren of the -order were sent to him by Pandulph, the papal legate, to arrange that -famous conference between them which ended in the complete submission -of the king to all the demands of the holy see. By the advice and -persuasion of the Templars, John repaired to the preceptory of Temple -Ewell, near Dover, where he was met by the legate Pandulph, who crossed -over from France to confer with him, and the mean-hearted king was -there frightened into that celebrated resignation of the kingdoms of -England and Ireland, "to God, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, -to the holy Roman church his mother, and to his lord, Pope Innocent -the Third, and his catholic successors, for the remission of all his -sins and the sins of all his people as well the living as the dead." -The following year, the commands of king John for the extirpation of -the heretics in Gascony, addressed to the seneschal of that province, -were issued from the Temple at London, and about the same period, the -Templars were made the depositaries of various private and confidential -matters pending between king John and his illustrious sister-in-law, -"the royal, eloquent, and beauteous" Berengaria of Navarre, the -youthful widowed queen of Richard _Coeur de Lion_. The Templars in -England managed the money transactions of that fair princess. She -directed her dower to be paid in the house of the New Temple at London, -together with the arrears due to her from the king, amounting to -several thousand pounds. - -John was resident at the Temple when he was compelled by the barons of -England to sign MAGNA CHARTA. Matthew Paris tells us that the barons -came to him whilst he was residing in the New Temple at London, "in a -very resolute manner, clothed in their military dresses, and demanded -the liberties and laws of king Edward, with others for themselves, the -kingdom, and the church of England."[111] - -Brother Amaric de St. Maur, the Master of the English province of -the order, was succeeded by brother Alan Marcell, the friend and -correspondent of the Grand Master Peter de Montaigu (ante p. 161). -He was at the head of the order in England for the space of sixteen -years, and was employed by king Henry the Third in various important -negotiations. He was Master of the Temple at London, when Reginald, -king of the island of Man, by the advice and persuasion of the legate -Pandulph, made a solemn surrender at that place of his island to the -pope and his catholic successors, and consented to hold the same from -thenceforth as the feudatory of the church of Rome. On the 28th of -April, A. D. 1224, the Master, Brother Alan Marcell, was employed -by king Henry to negotiate a truce between himself and the king of -France. The king of England appears at that time to have been resident -at the Temple, the letters of credence being made out at that place, -in the presence of the archbishop of Canterbury, several bishops, and -Hubert, the chief justiciary. The year after, Alan Marcell was sent -into Germany, to negotiate a treaty of marriage between king Henry -and the daughter of the duke of Austria.[112] Brother Alan Marcell -was succeeded by Brother Amberaldus. The next Master of the English -province was Robert Mounford, and he was followed by Robert Sanford -(ante p. 56). - -During the Mastership of Robert Sanford, on Ascension Day, A. D. 1240, -the oblong portion of the Temple Church, which extendeth eastward -from "THE ROUND," was consecrated in the presence of king Henry the -Third and all his court, and much of the nobility of the kingdom. -This portion of the sacred edifice was of a lighter and more florid -style of architecture than the earlier Round Church consecrated by the -patriarch Heraclius (ante p. 46). The walls were pierced with numerous -triple lancet windows filled with stained glass, and the floor was -covered with tesselated pavement. The roof was supported by dark grey -Purbeck marble columns, and the vaulted ceiling was decorated with -the star of Bethlehem, and with ornaments of frosted silver placed on a -blue ground. The extensive area of the church was open and unencumbered -by pews, and the beauty of the columns and windows, the lively colours -of the tiled floor, and the elegant proportions of the fabric were -seen at a glance. After the consecration, the king made provision for -the maintenance in the Temple of three chaplains, who were to say -three masses daily for ever, one for the king himself, another for all -christian people, and the third for the faithful departed.[113] - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE CHURCH] - -King Henry III. was one of the greatest of the benefactors of the -order. He granted to the Templars the manors of Lilleston, Hechewayton, -and Saunford, the wood of Carletone, Kingswood near Chippenhan, a -messuage, and six bovates of land with their appurtenances in Great -Lymburgh; a fair at Walnesford, in the county of Essex, every three -years for three days, to commence on the anniversary of the beheading -of St. John the Baptist; also annual fairs and weekly markets at -Newburgh, Walnesford, Balsall, Kirkeby, and a variety of other places; -he granted them free warren in all their demesne lands; and by his -famous charter, dated the 9th day of February, in the eleventh year of -his reign, he confirmed to them all the donations of his predecessors, -and of their other benefactors, and conferred upon them vast privileges -and immunities in the following pious and reverential terms. - -"The king, &c., to all the archbishops, bishops, barons, &c. &c., to -whom these presents shall come, salvation through the Lord. Be it -known to you that we have granted and confirmed to God and the blessed -Mary, and the brethren of the chivalry of the Temple of Solomon, all -reasonable donations of lands, men, and eleemosynary gifts, bestowed on -them by our predecessors, or by others in times past, or by ourselves -at this present period, or which may be hereafter conferred on them -by kings or by the liberality of subjects, or may be acquired, or -be about to be acquired in any other manner, as well churches as -worldly goods and possessions; wherefore we will and firmly command -that the aforesaid brethren and their men may have and hold all their -possessions and eleemosynary donations with all liberties and free -customs and immunities, in wood and plain, in meadow and pasture, in -water and water-mills, on highways and byeways, in ponds and running -streams, in marshes and fisheries, in granges and broad acres, -within burgh and without the burgh, with soc and sac, tol and theam, -infangenethef and unfangenethef, and hamsoc and grithbrich, and blodwit -and fictwit, and flictwit and ferdwite, and hengewite and lierwite, and -flemenefrith, murder, robbery, forstall, ordel, oreste, in season and -out of season, at all times and in all places, &c. - -"We ordain, likewise, that the aforesaid brethren shall for ever -hereafter be freed from royal aids, and sheriff's aids, and officer's -aids, and from hidage and carucage, and danegeld and hornegeld, and -from military and wapentake services, and scutages and lastages and -stallages, shires and hundreds, pleas and quarrels, ward and wardpeny, -and averpeni and hundredspeni, and borethalpeni and thethingepeni, -and from the works of castles, parks, bridges, and inclosures; and -from the duty of providing carriages and beasts of burthen, boats, and -vessels, and from the building of royal houses, and all other works. -And we prohibit all persons from taking timber from their woods and -forests for such works, or for any other purposes whatever: neither -shall their corn, nor the corn of their men, nor any of their goods, -nor the goods of any belonging to them, be taken to fortify castles. We -will also that they shall have free and full liberty to cut and fell -timber whenever they please, in all their woods, for the use of their -fraternity, without any let or hindrance whatever; and for doing so -they shall not incur forfeiture or waste, or in any way be punishable -by law. And all their lands, and the ground which they or their men -have cleared of wood, and recovered from the forest, or which they may -clear in time to come, with the assent of the king, we make quit and -free for ever hereafter from waste regard, and view of foresters, and -from all other customs. And we concede also to the aforesaid brethren -the privilege of cutting down trees in all the woods they possess at -present within the forest boundaries, and of clearing and bringing the -land into cultivation without any license from our bailiffs, so that -they may never at any time hereafter be in any way called to account by -ourselves, or our heirs, or any of our bailiffs. - -"We ordain, moreover, that the aforesaid brethren and their men shall -be quit and free from every kind of toll in all markets and fairs, and -upon crossing bridges, roads, and ferries, throughout the whole of -our kingdom, and throughout all lands in which we are able to grant -liberties; and all their markets, and the markets of their men, shall -in like manner be quit and free from all toll. We grant and confirm -also to the aforesaid brethren, that if any of their men be condemned -to lose life or limb for crime, or shall have fled from justice, or -have committed any offence for which he hath incurred forfeiture of his -goods and chattels, the goods and chattels so forfeited shall belong to -the aforesaid brethren, whether the cognizance of the offence belongeth -to our court or to any other inferior court; and it shall be lawful for -the aforesaid brethren, under such circumstances and in such cases, -to put themselves in possession of the aforesaid goods and chattels -at such time as our bailiffs would or ought to have seized them into -our hands, had such goods and chattels belonged to ourselves, without -the molestation or hindrance of the sheriffs or bailiffs, or any other -persons whatever. - -"We concede also to the aforesaid brethren, that animals called _waif_, -lost by their owners, and found within the feud of the Templars, shall -belong to the aforesaid brethren, unless they are followed by some one -able and willing to prove that they are his own, and unless they shall -be sought after and taken possession of by the owner within a moderate -period of time, according to the custom of the country. And if any of -the tenants of the aforesaid brethren shall happen to have incurred a -forfeiture of his feud, it shall be lawful for the said brethren to -take possession of the said feud, and hold the same, notwithstanding -the law which concedes to ourselves the possession of the feud of -fugitives and criminals, for the space of a year and a day. In like -manner, if any of the men of the aforesaid brethren shall have incurred -a fine to be paid to ourselves or to any of our bailiffs, under any -process, or for any crime, or any other matter, the amercements of -money shall be collected and brought in a purse to our exchequer, and -there handed over to the aforesaid brethren; judgment of death and limb -being always reserved to the royal authority. - -"We moreover ordain, that if any of the liberties and privileges -contained in this our charter shall happen to have been disused for -a length of time, such disuse shall in no respect prejudice the -right, but such liberty or privilege may be again exercised without -contradiction, notwithstanding that it may have been discontinued and -disused as aforesaid. And all the aforesaid things, and all other -secular services and customs which are not included in this present -writing, we, through love of God, and for the good of the soul of -the lord king John, our father, and for the good of the souls of all -our predecessors and successors, grant and confirm to them, as a -perpetual alms-gift, with all liberties and free customs, as fully, -freely, and effectually as the royal power can confer them upon any -religious house. And we prohibit all persons, on pain of forfeiture, -from proceeding against them or their men contrary to this our charter, -for we have taken the aforesaid brethren, and all their goods, and -possessions, and all their men, under our especial guardianship and -protection. As witness the king, at Westminster, the 9th day of -February, in the eleventh year of our reign."[114] - -By the royal grant of _soc_ and _sac_, _tol_ and _theam_, &c. &c, -the Templars were clothed with the power of holding courts to impose -and levy fines and amerciaments upon their tenants, to judge and -punish their villeins and vassals--to take cognizance of quarrels and -controversies that arose amongst them--to try thieves and malefactors -belonging to their manors, and all foreign thieves taken within -the precincts thereof--to try and punish trespasses and breaches -of the peace, and all unlawful entries into the houses of their -tenants--to impose and levy amerciaments for cutting and maiming, -and for bloodshed--to judge and punish by fine or imprisonment the -seducers of their bond women, and all persons who committed adultery -and fornication within their manors. They had the power of trying -criminals by ordeal, or the terrible test of fire and water; and they -had, lastly, the tremendous privilege of pit or gallows, i. e. the -power of putting convicted thieves to death, by hanging them if they -were men, and drowning them if they were women! By the royal charter, -the Templars were, in the next place, freed from the fine of right -payable to the king for the hanging of thieves without a formal trial -and judgment according to law; they were exempted from the taxes on -pasture-lands, and plough-lands, and horned cattle; from the Danish -tribute, and from all military services, and from all the ordinary -feudal burthens.[115] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - The conquest of Jerusalem by the Carizmians--Rise and progress of - the Comans--They are defeated and destroyed by the Templars--The - exploits of the Templars in Egypt--King Louis of France visits - the Templars in Palestine--He assists them in putting the country - into a defensible state--Henry III., king of England, visits the - Temple at Paris--The magnificent hospitality of the Templars - in England and France--Bendocdar, sultan of Egypt, invades - Palestine--He defeats the Templars, takes their strong fortresses, - and decapitates six hundred of their brethren--The Grand Master - comes to England for succour--The renewal of the war--The fall of - Acre--The Templars establish their head-quarters in the island of - Cyprus--Their alliance with the king of Persia--The reconquest of - Jerusalem--The desolation of the Holy Land--The final extinction of - the Templars in Palestine. - - "The Knights of the TEMPLE ever maintained their fearless and - fanatic character; if they neglected to _live_, they were prepared - to _die_ in the service of Christ."--_Gibbon._ - - -Shortly after the recovery of the holy city, (A. D. 1242,) -Djemal'eddeen, the Mussulman, paid a visit to Jerusalem. "I saw," says -he, "the monks and the priests masters of the Temple of the Lord. I saw -the vials of wine prepared for the sacrifice. I entered into the Mosque -Al Acsa, (the Temple of the Knights Templars, ante, p. 12,) and I saw a -bell suspended from the dome. The rites and ceremonies of the Mussulmen -were abolished; the call to prayer was no longer heard. The infidels -publicly exercised their idolatrous practices in the sanctuaries of -the Mussulmen."[116] By the advice of Benedict, bishop of Marseilles, -who came to the holy city on a pilgrimage, the Templars rebuilt their -ancient and once formidable castle of Saphet, the dilapidated ruins -of which had been ceded to them by their recent treaty with Saleh -Ismael. During a pilgrimage to the lake of Tiberias and the banks of -the Jordan, the bishop of Marseilles had halted at Saphet, and spent a -night amid the ruins of the ancient castle, where he found a solitary -Knight Templar keeping watch in a miserable hovel. Struck with the -position of the place, and its importance in a military point of view, -he sought on his return to Acre an interview with the Grand Master -of the Temple, and urged him to restore the castle of Saphet to its -pristine condition. The bishop was invited to attend a general chapter -of the order of the Temple, when the matter was discussed, and it was -unanimously determined that the mountain of Saphet should immediately -be refortified. The bishop himself laid the first stone, and animated -the workmen by a spirited oration. Eight hundred and fifty masons -and artificers, and four hundred slaves, were employed in the task. -During the first thirty months after the commencement of operations, -the Templars expended eleven thousand golden bezants upon the works, -and in succeeding years they spent upwards of forty thousand. The -walls, when finished, were sixty French feet in width, one hundred -and seventy in height, and the circuit of them was two thousand two -hundred and fifty feet. They were flanked by seven large round towers, -sixty feet in diameter, and seventy-two feet higher than the walls. -The fosse surrounding the fortress was thirty-six feet wide, and was -pierced in the solid rock to a depth of forty-three feet. The garrison -in time of peace amounted to one thousand seven hundred men, and to -two thousand two hundred in time of war. Twelve thousand mule loads -of corn and barley were consumed annually within the walls of the -fortress; and in addition to all the ordinary expenses and requirements -of the establishment, the Templars maintained a well-furnished table -and excellent accommodation for all way-worn pilgrims and travellers. -"The generous expenditure of the Templars at this place," says a -cotemporary historian, "renders them truly worthy of the liberality -and largesses of the faithful."[117] - -The ruins of this famous castle, crowning the summit of a lofty -mountain, torn and shattered by earthquakes, still present a stupendous -appearance. In Pocock's time "two particularly fine large round towers" -were entire: and Van Egmont and Heyman give the following account of -the condition of the fortress at the period of their visit. "The next -place that engaged our attention was the citadel, which is the greatest -object of curiosity in Saphet, and is generally considered one of the -most ancient structures remaining in the country. In order to form -some idea of this fortification in its present state, imagine a lofty -mountain, and on its summit a round castle, with walls of incredible -thickness, and with a _corridor_ or covered passage extending round -the walls, and ascended by a winding staircase. The thickness of the -walls and corridor together was twenty paces. The whole was of hewn -stone, and some of the stones are eight or nine spans in length.... -This castle was anciently surrounded with stupendous works, as appears -from the remains of two moats lined with free-stone, several fragments -of walls, bulwarks, towers, &c., all very solid and strongly built; -and below these moats other massive works, having corridors round them -in the same manner as the castle; so that any person, on surveying -these fortifications, may wonder how so strong a fortress could ever be -taken." Amongst the various interesting remains of this castle, these -intelligent travellers describe "a large structure of free-stone in -the form of a cupola or dome. The stones, which are almost white, are -of astonishing magnitude, some being twelve spans in length and five -in thickness. The inside is full of niches for placing statues, and -near each niche is a small cell. An open colonnade extends quite round -the building, and, like the rest of the structure, is very massive and -compact."[118] - -When the sultan of Egypt had been informed of the march of the Templars -to Jerusalem, and the re-possession by the military friars of the holy -places and sanctuaries of the Mussulmen, he sent an army of several -thousand men across the desert, to drive them out of the Holy City -before they had time to repair the fortifications and re-construct the -walls. The Templars assembled all their forces and advanced to meet the -Egyptians. They occupied the passes and defiles of the hill country -leading to Jerusalem, and gained a glorious victory over the Moslems, -driving the greater part of them into the desert. Ayoub, sultan of -Egypt, finding himself unable to resist the formidable alliance of the -Templars with Saleh Ismael, called in to his assistance the fierce -pastoral tribes of the Carizmians. These were a warlike race of -people, who had been driven from their abodes, in the neighbourhood -of the Caspian, by the successful arms of the Moguls, and had rushed -headlong upon the weak and effeminate nations of the south. They had -devastated and laid waste Armenia and the north-western parts of -Persia, cutting off by the sword, or dragging away into captivity, all -who had ventured to oppose their progress. For years past they had -been leading a migratory, wandering life, exhausting the resources of -one district, and then passing onwards into another, without making -any fixed settlement, or having any regular places of abode, and their -destructive progress has been compared by the Arabian writers to the -wasting tempest or the terrible inundation. The rude hardships of their -roving life had endowed them with a passive endurance which enabled -them to surmount all obstacles, and to overcome every difficulty. Their -clothing consisted of a solitary sheep's skin, or a wolf's skin, tied -around their loins; boiled herbs and some water, or a little milk, -sufficed them for food and beverage; their arms were the bow and the -lance; and they shed the blood of their fellow-creatures with the same -indifference as they would that of the beasts of the field. Their -wives and their children accompanied their march, braving all dangers -and fatigues; their tents were their homes, and the site of their -encampment their only country. Nothing could exceed the terror inspired -in Armenia and Persia by the military expeditions of these rude and -ferocious shepherds of the Caspian, who were the foes of all races -and of all people, and manifested a profound indifference for every -religion. - -The Carizmians were encamped on the left bank of the Euphrates, -pasturing their cavalry in the neighbouring plains, when their chief, -Barbeh Khan, received a deputation from the sultan of Egypt, inviting -their co-operation and assistance in the reduction of Palestine. Their -cupidity was awakened by an exaggerated account of the fertility and -the wealth of the land, and they were offered a settlement in the -country as soon as it was rescued from the hands of the Franks. The -messengers displayed the written letters of the sultan of Egypt; they -presented to the Carizmian chief some rich shawls and magnificent -presents, and returned to their master at Grand Cairo with promises -of speedy support. The Carizmians assembled together in a body; they -crossed the Euphrates (A. D. 1244) in small leathern boats, ravaged the -territories of the sultan of Aleppo, and marched up the plain of the -Orontes to Hems, wasting all the country around them with fire and the -sword. The intelligence of these events reached the Grand Master of the -Temple when he was busily engaged in rebuilding the vast and extensive -fortifications of the Holy City. A council of war was called together, -and it was determined that Jerusalem was untenable, and that the Holy -City must once again be abandoned to the infidels. The Hospitallers -in their black mantles, and the Templars in their white habits, were -drawn up in martial array in the streets of Jerusalem, and the weeping -Christians were exhorted once again to leave their homes and avail -themselves of the escort and protection of the military friars to -Jaffa. Many gathered together their little property and quitted the -devoted city, and many lingered behind amid the scenes they loved and -cherished. Soon, however, frightful reports reached Jerusalem of the -horrors of the Carizmian invasion, and the fugitives, who had fled -with terror and astonishment from their destructive progress, spread -alarm and consternation throughout the whole land. Several thousand -Christians, who had remained behind, then attempted to make their -escape, with their wives and children, through the mountains to the -plain of Ramleh and the sea-coast, relying on the truce and treaty of -alliance which had been established with Nasser Daoud, lord of Carac, -and the mountaineers. But the inhabitants of the mountain region, -being a set of lawless robbers and plunderers, attacked and pillaged -them. Some were slain, and others were dragged away into captivity. A -few fled back to Jerusalem, and the residue, after having been hunted -through the mountains, descended into the plain of Ramleh, where they -were attacked by the Carizmians, and only three hundred out of the -whole number succeeded in reaching Jaffa in safety. All the women and -children had been taken captive in the mountains, and amongst them -were several holy nuns, who were sent to Egypt and sold in the common -slave-markets. - -The Carizmians had advanced into the plain of Ramleh by way of Baalbec, -Tiberias, and Naplous, and they now directed their footsteps towards -Jerusalem. They entered the Holy City sword in hand, massacred the few -remaining Christians in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, pillaged the -town, and rifled the tombs of the kings for treasure. They then marched -upon Gaza, stormed the city, and put the garrison to the sword, after -which they sent messengers across the desert to the sultan of Egypt to -announce their arrival. Ayoub immediately sent a robe of honour and -sumptuous gifts to their chief, and despatched his army from Cairo in -all haste, under the command of Rokmeddin Bibars, one of his principal -Mamlooks, to join them before Gaza. The Grand Masters of the Temple and -the Hospital, on the other hand, collected their forces together, and -made a junction with the troops of the sultan of Damascus and the lord -of Carac. They marched upon Gaza, attacked the united armies of the -Egyptians and Carizmians, and were exterminated in a bloody battle of -two days' continuance. The Grand Master of the Temple and the flower of -his chivalry perished in that bloody encounter, and the Grand Master of -the Hospital was taken prisoner, and led away into captivity.[119] - -The government of the order of the Temple, in consequence of the death -of the Grand Master, temporarily devolved upon the Knight Templar, -Brother William de Rochefort, who immediately despatched a melancholy -letter addressed to the pope and the archbishop of Canterbury, -detailing the horrors and atrocities of the Carizmian invasion. "These -perfidious savages," says he, "having penetrated within the gates -of the holy city of Israel, the small remnant of the faithful left -therein, consisting of children, women, and old men, took refuge in -the church of the sepulchre of our Lord. The Carizmians rushed to that -holy sanctuary; they butchered them all before the very sepulchre -itself, and cutting off the heads of the priests who were kneeling -with uplifted hands before the altars, they said one to another, 'Let -us here shed the blood of the Christians _on the very place where they -offer up wine to their GOD, who they say was hanged here_.' Moreover, -in sorrow be it spoken, and with sighs we inform you, that laying -their sacrilegious hands on the very sepulchre itself, they sadly -knocked it about, utterly battering to pieces the marble shrine which -was built around that holy sanctuary. They have defiled, with every -abomination of which they were capable, Mount Calvary, where Christ was -crucified, and the whole church of the resurrection. They have taken -away, indeed, the sculptured columns which were placed as a decoration -before the sepulchre of the Lord; and, as a mark of victory, and as a -taunt to the Christians, they have sent them to the sepulchre of the -wicked Mahomet. They have violated the tombs of the happy kings of -Jerusalem in the same church, and they have scattered, to the hurt of -Christendom, the ashes of those holy men to the winds, irreverently -profaning the revered Mount Sion. The Temple of the Lord, the church -of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the Virgin lies buried, the church -of Bethlehem, and the place of the nativity of our Lord, they have -polluted with enormities too horrible to be related, far exceeding the -iniquity of all the Saracens, who, though they frequently occupied the -land of the Christians, yet always reverenced and preserved the holy -places...." The subsequent military operations are then described; the -march of the Templars and Hospitallers, on the 4th of October, A. D. -1244, from Acre to Caesarea; the junction of their forces with those of -the Moslem sultans; the retreat of the Carizmians to Gaza, where they -received succour from the sultan of Egypt; and the preparation of the -Hospitallers and Templars for the attack before that place. "Those holy -warriors," say they, "boldly rushed in upon the enemy, but the Saracens -who had joined us, having lost many of their men, fled, and the -warriors of the cross were left alone to withstand the united attack -of the Egyptians and Carizmians. Like stout champions of the Lord, and -true defenders of catholicity, whom the same faith and the same cross -and passion make true brothers, they bravely resisted; but as they were -few in number in comparison with the enemy, they at last succumbed, so -that of the convents of the house of the chivalry of the Temple, and of -the house of the hospital of St. John at Jerusalem, only thirty-three -Templars and twenty-six Hospitallers escaped; the archbishop of Tyre, -the bishop of St. George, the abbot of St. Mary of Jehoshaphat, and the -Master of the Temple, with many other clerks and holy men, being slain -in that sanguinary fight. We ourselves, having by our sins provoked -this dire calamity, fled half dead to Ascalon; from thence we proceeded -by sea to Acre, and found that city and the adjoining province filled -with sorrow and mourning, misery and death. There was not a house or a -family that had not lost an inmate or a relation.... - -"The Carizmians have now pitched their tents in the plain of Acre, -about two miles from the city. They have spread themselves over the -whole face of the country as far as Nazareth and Saphet. They have -slaughtered or driven away the house-holders, occupied their houses, -and divided their property amongst them. They have appointed bailiffs -and tax-gatherers in the towns and villages, and they compel the -countrymen and the villeins of the soil to pay to themselves the -rents and tribute which they have heretofore been wont to pay to the -Christians, so that the church of Jerusalem and the christian kingdom -have now no territory, except a few fortifications, which are defended -with great difficulty and labour by the Templars and Hospitallers.... -To you, dear Father, upon whom the burthen of the defence of the -cause of Christ justly resteth, we have caused these sad tidings to -be communicated, earnestly beseeching you to address your prayers -to the throne of grace, imploring mercy from the Most High; that -he who consecrated the Holy Land with his own blood in redemption -of all mankind, may compassionately turn towards it and defend it, -and send it succour. But know, assuredly, that unless, through the -interposition of the Most High, or by the aid of the faithful, the Holy -Land is succoured in the next spring passage from Europe, its doom -is sealed, and utter ruin is inevitable. Given at Acre, this fifth -day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and -forty-four."[120] - -The above letter was read before a general council of the church, which -had been assembled at Lyons by pope Innocent IV., and it was resolved -that a new crusade should be preached. It was provided that those who -assumed the cross should assemble at particular places to receive the -pope's blessing; that there should be a truce for four years between -all christian princes; that during all that time there should be no -tournaments, feasts, nor public rejoicings; that all the faithful -in Christ should be exhorted to contribute, out of their fortunes -and estates, to the defence of the Holy Land; and that ecclesiastics -should pay towards it the tenth, and cardinals the twentieth, of all -their revenues, for the term of three years successively. The ancient -enthusiasm, however, in favour of distant expeditions to the East had -died away; the addresses and exhortations of the clergy now fell on -unwilling ears, and the Templars and Hospitallers, for several years, -received only some small assistance in men and money. The emperor -Frederick, who still bore the empty title of king of Jerusalem, made -no attempt to save the wreck of his feeble kingdom. His bride, the -fair and youthful Violante, queen of the Latin kingdom, had been dead -several years, killed by his coldness and neglect; and the emperor -bestowed no thought upon his eastern subjects and the Holy Land, except -to abuse those by whom that land had been so gallantly defended. In a -letter to Richard earl of Cornwall, the brother of Henry the Third, -king of England, Frederick accuses the Templars of making war upon -the sultan of Egypt, in defiance of a treaty entered into with that -monarch, of compelling him to call in the Carizmians to his assistance; -and he compares the union of the Templars with the infidel sultan, for -purposes of defence, to an attempt to extinguish a fire by pouring upon -it a quantity of oil. "The proud religion of the Temple," says he, in -continuation, "nurtured amid the luxuries of the barons of the land, -waxeth wanton. It hath been made manifest to us, by certain religious -persons lately arrived from parts beyond sea, that the aforesaid -sultans and their trains were received with pompous alacrity within -the gates of the houses of the Temple, and that the Templars suffered -them to perform within them their superstitious rites and ceremonies, -with invocation of Mahomet, and to indulge in secular delights."[121] -In the midst of all these terrible disasters, a general chapter of -Knights Templars was assembled in the Pilgrim's Castle, and the -veteran warrior, Brother WILLIAM DE SONNAC, was chosen (A. D. 1247) -Grand Master of the Order.[121] Circular mandates were, at the same -time, sent to the western preceptories, summoning all the brethren to -Palestine, and directing the immediate transmission of all the money -in the different treasuries to the head-quarters of the Order at Acre. -These calls were promptly attended to, and the pope praises both the -Templars and Hospitallers for the zeal and energy displayed by them in -sending out the newly admitted knights and novices with armed bands and -a large amount of treasure to the succour of the holy territory. - -Whilst the proposed crusade was slowly progressing, the holy pontiff -wrote to the sultan of Egypt, the ally of the Carizmians, proposing -a peace or a truce, and received the following grand and magnificent -reply to his communication:--"To the pope, the noble, the great, the -spiritual, the affectionate, the holy, the thirteenth of the apostles, -the leader of the sons of baptism, the high priest of the Christians, -(may God strengthen him and establish him, and give him happiness!) -from the most powerful sultan ruling over the necks of nations; -wielding the two great weapons, the sword and the pen; possessing -two pre-eminent excellencies--that is to say, learning and judgment; -king of two seas; ruler of the South and North; king of the region of -Egypt and Syria, Mesopotamia, Media, Idumea, and Ophir; king Saloph -Beelpheth, Jacob, son of Sultan Kamel, Hemevafar Mehameth, son of -Sultan Hadel, Robethre, son of Jacob, whose kingdom may the Lord God -make happy. - -"IN THE NAME OF GOD THE MOST MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE. The letters -of the pope, the noble, the great, &c., &c., have been presented to -us. May God favour him who earnestly seeketh after righteousness and -doeth good, and wisheth peace, and walketh in the ways of the Lord. May -God assist him who worshippeth him in truth. We have considered the -aforesaid letters, and have understood the matters treated of therein, -which have pleased and delighted us; and the messenger sent by the holy -pope came to us, and we caused him to be brought before us with honour, -and love, and reverence; and we brought him to see us face to face, -and inclining our ears towards him, we listened to his speech, and we -have put faith in the words he hath spoken unto us concerning Christ, -upon whom be salvation and praise. But we know more concerning that -same Christ than ye know, and we magnify him more than ye magnify him. -And as to what you say concerning your desire for peace, tranquillity, -and quiet, and that you wish to put down war, so also do we; we desire -and wish nothing to the contrary. But let the pope know, that between -ourselves and the emperor (Frederick) there hath been mutual love, and -alliance, and perfect concord, from the time of the sultan, my father, -(whom may God preserve and place in the glory of his brightness!) and -between you and the emperor there is, as ye know, strife and warfare; -whence it is not fit that we should enter into any treaty with the -Christians until we have previously had his advice and assent. We -have therefore written to our envoy at the imperial court upon the -propositions made to us by the pope's messenger, &c.... This letter was -written on the seventh of the month _Maharan_. Praise be to the one -only God, and may his blessing rest upon our master, _Mahomet_."[122] - -In the course of a few years the Carizmians were annihilated. The -sultan of Egypt having no further need of their services, left them to -perish in the lands they had wasted. They were attacked by the sultans -of Aleppo and Hems, and were pursued with equal fury by Moslems and -by Christians. Several large bodies of them were cut up in detail by -the Templars and Hospitallers, and they were at last slain to a man. -Their very name perished from the face of the earth, but the traces of -their existence were long preserved in the ruin and desolation they -had spread around them.[123] The Holy Land, although happily freed -from the destructive presence of these barbarians, had yet everything -to fear from the powerful sultan of Egypt, with whom hostilities -still continued; and Brother William de Sonnac, the Grand Master of -the Temple, for the purpose of stimulating the languid energies of -the English nation, and reviving their holy zeal and enthusiasm in -the cause of the cross, despatched a distinguished Knight Templar to -England, charged with the duty of presenting to king Henry the Third a -magnificent crystal vase, containing, as it was alleged, a portion of -the blood of Jesus Christ! - -A solemn attestation of the genuineness of this precious relic, signed -by the patriarch of Jerusalem, and the bishops, abbots, and barons of -the Holy Land, was forwarded to London, and was deposited, together -with the vase and its contents, in the cathedral church of St. Paul. -The king ordered the bishops and clergy devoutly and reverently to -assemble at St. Paul's, on the anniversary of the translation of St. -Edward the Confessor, in full canonicals, with banners, crosses, and -lighted wax-candles. On the eve of that day, according to the monk of -St. Albans, who personally assisted at the ceremony, "our lord the -king, with a devout and contrite spirit, as became that most christian -prince, fasting on bread and water, and watching all night with a -great light, and performing many pious exercises, prudently prepared -himself for the morrow's solemnity." On the morrow a procession of -bishops, monks, and priests, having been duly marshalled and arranged, -king Henry made his appearance upon the steps at the south door -of St. Paul's cathedral, and receiving with "the greatest honour, -and reverence, and fear, the little vase containing the memorable -treasure, he bore it publicly through the streets of London, holding it -aloft just above his face. Bareheaded, and clothed in a humble habit, -he walked afoot without halting, to Westminster Abbey; and although he -passed over rough and uneven pavements, yet he invariably kept his eyes -stedfastly fixed, either on heaven or on that vase." He made a solemn -procession round the Abbey, then round the palace at Westminster, and -then round his own bed-chamber, all the while unweariedly bearing -aloft the precious relic, after which he presented it to God, and the -church of St. Peter, to his dear Edward, and the sacred convent at -Westminster.[124] - -In the mean time the Comans, another fierce pastoral tribe of wandering -Tartars, made their way through the christian province of Armenia into -the principality of Antioch, and ravaged both banks of the Orontes, -carrying away the inhabitants into captivity. The king of Armenia -and the prince of Antioch despatched messengers to the Templars and -Hospitallers for succour; and the Grand Masters, collecting all their -disposable forces, hurried to the relief of the distressed provinces. -In a long and bloody battle, fought in the neighbourhood of the iron -bridge over the Orontes, the Comans were overthrown and slaughtered, -and the vast and wealthy city of Antioch was saved from pillage. The -Hospitallers suffered severe loss in this engagement, and Brother -Bertrand de Comps, their Grand Master, died of his wounds four days -after the battle. - -In the month of June, A. D. 1249, the galleys of the Templars left Acre -with all their disposable forces on board, under the command of the -Grand Master William de Sonnac, and joined the great French expedition -of Louis king of France which had been directed against the infidels -in Egypt. After the capture of Damietta, the following letter was -forwarded by Brother William de Sonnac to the Master of the Temple at -London:--"Brother William de Sonnac, by the grace of God Master of -the poor chivalry of the Temple, to his beloved brother in Christ, -Robert de Sanford, Preceptor of England, salvation through the Lord. -We hasten to unfold to you by these presents, agreeable and happy -intelligence.... (He details the landing of the French, the defeat of -the infidels with the loss of one christian soldier, and the subsequent -capture of the city.) Damietta, therefore, has been taken, not by our -deserts, nor by the might of our armed bands, but through the divine -power and assistance. Moreover, be it known to you that king Louis, -with God's favour, proposes to march upon Alexandria or Cairo for the -purpose of delivering our brethren there detained in captivity, and of -reducing, with God's help, the whole land to the christian worship. -Farewell."[125] - -The Lord de Joinville, the friend of king Louis, and one of the bravest -of the French captains, gives a lively and most interesting account -of the campaign, and of the exploits of the Templars. During the -march towards Cairo, they led the van of the christian army, and on -one occasion, when the king of France had given strict orders that no -attack should be made upon the infidels, and that an engagement should -be avoided, a body of Turkish cavalry advanced against them. "One of -these Turks," says Joinville, "gave a Knight Templar in the first rank -so heavy a blow with his battle-axe, that it felled him under the feet -of the Lord Reginald de Vichier's horse, who was Marshal of the Temple; -the Marshal, seeing his man fall, cried out to his brethren, 'At them -in the name of God, for I cannot longer stand this.' He instantly stuck -spurs into his horse, followed by all his brethren, and as their horses -were fresh, not a Saracen escaped." After marching for some days, the -Templars arrived on the banks of the Tanitic branch of the Nile, (the -ancient Pelusiac mouth of the river,) and found the sultan encamped -with his entire force on the opposite side, to prevent and oppose -their passage. King Louis attempted to construct a bridge to enable him -to cross the stream, and long and earnestly did the Templars labour at -the task, "but," says Joinville, "as fast as we advanced our bridge -the Saracens destroyed it; they dug, on their side of the river, wide -and deep holes in the earth, and as the water recoiled from our bridge -it filled these holes with water, and tore away the bank, so that what -we had been employed on for three weeks or a month they ruined in one -or two days." To protect the soldiers employed upon the construction -of the bridge large wooden towers were erected, and _chas chateils_ -or covered galleries, and the infidels exerted all their energies to -destroy them with the terrible Greek fire. "At night," says Joinville, -"they brought forward an engine called by them La Perriere, a dreadful -engine to do mischief, and they flung from it such quantities of Greek -fire that it was the most horrible sight ever witnessed.... This Greek -fire was like a large tun, and its tail was of the length of a long -spear; the noise which it made was like to thunder, and it seemed a -great dragon of fire flying through the air, giving so great a light -with its flame, that we saw in our camp as clearly as in broad day." - -The military engines and machines were all burnt, and the Christians -were about to yield themselves up to despair, when a Bedouin Arab -offered, for a bribe of five hundred golden bezants, to show a safe -ford. At dawn of day, on Shrove Tuesday, the French knights mounted -on horseback to make trial of the ford of the Bedouin. "Before we set -out," says Joinville, "the king had ordered that the Templars should -form the van, and the Count d'Artois, his brother, should command the -second division after the Templars; but the moment the Count d'Artois -had passed the ford, he and all his people fell on the Saracens, and -putting them to flight, galloped after them. The Templars sent to call -the Count d'Artois back, and to tell him that it was his duty to march -behind and not before them; but it happened that the Count d'Artois -could not make any answer by reason of my Lord Foucquault du Melle, who -held the bridle of his horse, and my Lord Foucquault, who was a right -good knight, being deaf, heard nothing the Templars were saying to the -Count d'Artois, but kept bawling out, '_Forward! forward!_' ('Or a -eulz! or a eulz!') When the Templars perceived this, they thought they -should be dishonoured if they allowed the Count d'Artois thus to take -the lead; so they spurred their horses more and more, and faster and -faster, and chased the Turks, who fled before them, through the town of -Mansourah, as far as the plains towards Babylon."[126] - -The Arabian writers, in their account of the entry of the Templars into -Mansourah, tell us that 2,000 horsemen galloped into the place sword -in hand and surprised Fakho'ddin Othman, commonly called Ibn Saif, -the Moslem general, and one of the principal Mamlook emirs, in the -bath, and barbarously cut him to pieces as he was painting his beard -before a glass.[127] But the impetuous courage of the Count d'Artois -and the Templars had led them far away from the support of the main -body of the army, and their horsemen became embarrassed in the narrow -streets of Mansourah, where there was no room to charge or manoeuvre -with effect. The infidels rallied; they returned to the attack with -vast reinforcements; the inhabitants of the town mounted to their -house-tops, and discharged stones and brickbats upon the heads of the -christian knights, and the Templars were defeated and driven out of -the city with dreadful carnage. "The Count d'Artois and the Earl of -Leicester were there slain, and as many as three hundred other knights. -The Templars lost, as their chief informed me, full fourteen score -men-at-arms, and all their horsemen." The Grand Master of the Temple -also lost an eye, and cut his way through the infidels to the main body -of the christian army, accompanied only by two Knights Templars. There -he again mixed in the affray, took the command of a vanguard, and is -to be found fighting by the side of the lord de Joinville at sunset. - -At the close of the long and bloody day, the Christians regained -their camp in safety. King Louis, Joinville, and the Grand Master of -the Temple had been fighting side by side during a great part of the -afternoon; Joinville had his horse killed under him, and performed -prodigies of valour. He was severely wounded, and on retiring to his -quarters he found that a magnificent tent had been sent to him by the -Grand Master of the Temple, as a testimony of regard and esteem. On -the first Friday in Lent, Bendocdar, the great Mamlook general and -lieutenant of the sultan of Egypt, advanced at the head of a vast army -of horse and foot to attack the Crusaders in their intrenchments. King -Louis drew out his army in battle array, and posted them in eight -divisions in front of the camp. The Templars, under their venerable -Grand Master, formed the fourth division, and the fate of their gallant -chieftain is thus described by the lord de Joinville. "The next -battalion was under the command of Brother William de Sonnac, Master -of the Temple, who had with him the small remnant of the brethren of -his order who survived the battle of Shrove Tuesday. The Master of -the Temple made of the engines which he had taken from the Saracens -a sort of rampart in his front, but when the Saracens marched up to -the assault, they threw Greek fire upon it, and as the Templars had -piled up many planks of fir-wood amongst these engines, they caught -fire immediately; and the Saracens, perceiving that the brethren of -the Temple were few in number, dashed through the burning timbers, and -vigorously attacked them. In the preceding battle of Shrove Tuesday, -Brother William, the Master of the Temple, lost one of his eyes, and in -this battle the said lord lost his other eye, and was slain. God have -mercy on his soul! And know that immediately behind the place where the -battalion of the Templars stood, there was a good acre of ground, so -covered with darts, arrows, and missiles, that you could not see the -earth beneath them, such showers of these had been discharged against -the Templars by the Saracens."[128] - -The command over the surviving brethren of the order now devolved upon -the Marshal, Brother Reginald de Vichier, who, collecting together -the small surviving remnant of the Templars, retreated to the camp to -participate in the subsequent horrors and misfortunes of the campaign. -"At the end of eight or ten days," says Joinville, "the bodies of those -who had been slain and thrown into the Nile rose to the top of the -water. These bodies floated down the river until they came to the small -bridge that communicated with each part of our army; the arch was so -low that it prevented the bodies from passing underneath, and the river -was consequently covered with them from bank to bank, so that the water -could not be seen.... God knows how great was the stench. I never heard -that any who were exposed to this infectious smell ever recovered their -health. The whole army was seized with a shocking disorder, which dried -up the flesh on our legs to the bone; and our skins became tanned as -the ground, or like an old boot that has long lain behind a coffer.... -The barbers were forced to cut away very large pieces of flesh from the -gums to enable their patients to eat; it was pitiful to hear the cries -and groans, they were like the cries of women in labour." - -The army attempted to retreat when retreat was almost impossible; -the soldiers became dispersed and scattered; thousands died by the -way-side, and thousands fell alive into the hands of the enemy, among -which last were the king and Joinville. They were both attacked by -the disease, and king Louis laid himself down to die in an Arab hut, -where he was found and kindly treated by the Saracens. Reginald de -Vichier, the Marshal of the Templars, and a few of his brethren, -reached Damietta in safety, and took measures for the defence of the -place. All those of the prisoners who were unable to redeem their lives -by services as slaves to the conquerors, or by ransom, were inhumanly -massacred, and a grim circle of christian heads decorated the walls -and battlements of Cairo. The Egyptians required as the price of the -liberty of the French monarch the surrender of all the fortresses of -the order of the Temple in Palestine; but the king told them that the -Templars were not subject to his command, nor had he any means of -compelling them to give effect to such an agreement. Louis and his -friend Joinville at last obtained their deliverance from captivity by -the surrender of Damietta, and by the payment of two hundred thousand -pieces of gold; and the liberation of the king's brother, and of the -other captive nobles and knights was to be purchased by the payment -of a similar sum. The king immediately went on board the French fleet -which was at anchor before Damietta, and exerted himself to raise the -residue of the ransom; and all Saturday and Sunday were employed in -collecting it together. - -"On Sunday evening," says Joinville, "the king's servants, who were -occupied in counting out the money, sent to say that there was a -deficiency of thirty thousand livres. I observed to the king that we -had better ask the commander and Marshal of the Temple, since the -Master was dead, to give us the thirty thousand livres. Brother Stephen -d'Otricourt, knight commander of the Temple, hearing the advice I gave -to the king, said to me, 'Lord de Joinville, the counsel you give the -king is not right nor reasonable, for you know that we receive every -farthing of our money on our oaths;' and Brother Reginald de Vichier, -who was Marshal of the Temple, said to the king, 'Sire, it is as our -commander has said, we cannot dispose of any of the money intrusted -to us but for the means intended, in accordance with the rules of our -institution, without being perjured. Know that the seneschal hath ill -advised you to take our money by force, but in this you will act as you -please; should you, however, do so, _we will make ourselves amends out -of the money you have in Acre_.' I then told the king that if he wished -I would go and get the money, and he commanded me so to do. I instantly -went on board one of the galleys of the Templars, and demanded of the -treasurer the keys of a coffer which I saw before me. They refused, and -I was about to break it open with a wedge in the king's name, when the -Marshal, observing I was in earnest, ordered the keys to be given to -me. I opened the coffer, took out the sum wanting, and carried it to -the king, who was much rejoiced at my return." King Louis returned with -the Templars to Palestine; and was received with great distinction by -the order at Acre, where he remained four years! - -In the year 1251 a general chapter of Knights Templars being assembled -in the Pilgrim's Castle, the Marshal, Brother REGINALD DE VICHIER, who -had commanded with great skill and prudence in Egypt after the death -of Brother William de Sonnac, was chosen to fill the vacant dignity -of Grand Master. Henry III., king of England, had assumed the cross -shortly after intelligence had been conveyed to England of the horrors -and atrocities committed by the Carizmians in the Holy City. Year after -year, he had promised to fulfil his vow, and the pope issued numerous -bulls, kindly providing for the tranquillity and security of his -dominions during his absence, and ordered prayers to be offered up to -God for the success of his arms, in all the churches of Christendom. -King Henry assembled a parliament to obtain the necessary supplies, and -fixed the 24th day of June, A. D. 1255, as the period of his departure. -His knights and barons, however, refused him the necessary funds, and -the needy monarch addressed the military orders of the Temple and -the Hospital in the following very curious letter. "As you are said -to possess a well-equipped fleet, we beseech you to set apart for -our own use some of your strongest vessels, and have them furnished -and equipped with provisions, sailors, and all things requisite for -a twelvemonth's voyage, so that we may be able, ere the period for -our own departure arrives, to freight them with the soldiers, arms, -horses, and munitions of war that we intend to send to the succour of -the Holy Land. You will also be pleased to provide secure habitations -and suitable accommodation for the said soldiers and their equipage, -until the period of our own arrival. You will then be good enough to -send back the same vessels to England to conduct ourselves and suite to -Palestine; and by your prompt obedience to these our commands, we shall -judge of your devotion to the interests of the Holy Land, and of your -attachment to our person."[129] - -King Louis, in the mean time, assisted the Templars in repairing the -fortifications of Jaffa and Caesarea. The lord de Joinville who was with -him tells us that the scheik of the assassins, who still continued to -pay tribute to the Templars, sent ambassadors to the king to obtain a -remission of the tribute. He gave them an audience, and declared that -he would consider of their proposal. "When they came again before the -king," says Joinville, "it was about vespers, and they found the Master -of the Temple on one side of him, and the Master of the Hospital on -the other. The ambassadors refused to repeat what they had said in the -morning, but the Masters of the Temple and the Hospital commanded them -so to do. Then the Masters of the Temple and Hospital told them that -their lord had very foolishly and impudently sent such a message to the -king of France, and had they not been invested with the character of -ambassadors, they would have thrown them into the filthy sea of Acre, -and have drowned them in despite of their master. 'And we command you,' -continued the Masters, 'to return to your lord, and to come back within -fifteen days with such letters from your prince, that the king shall -be contented with him and with you.'" The ambassadors accordingly -did as they were bid, and brought back from their scheik a shirt, the -symbol of friendship, and a great variety of rich presents, "crystal -elephants, pieces of amber, with borders of pure gold," &c., &c. "You -must know that when the ambassadors opened the case containing all -these fine things, the whole apartment was instantly embalmed with the -odour of their sweet perfumes." - -The treaty entered into between king Louis and the infidels having been -violated by the murder of the sick at Damietta, and by the detention, -in a state of slavery, of many knights and soldiers, as well as of a -large body of christian children, the Templars recommenced hostilities, -and marched with Joinville and the French knights against the strong -castle of Panias, and after an obstinate resistance, carried the place -sword in hand. The sultan of Damascus immediately took the field; he -stormed the Temple fort Dok, slaughtered the garrison, and razed the -fortifications to the ground; the castle of Ricordane shared the same -fate, and the city of Sidon was taken by assault, (A. D. 1254,) whilst -the workmen and artificers were diligently employed in rebuilding the -walls; eight hundred men were put to the sword, and four hundred masons -and artificers were taken prisoners and carried off to Damascus. After -residing nearly two years at Acre, and spending vast sums of money upon -the defences of the maritime towns of Palestine, king Louis returned -to France. He set sail from Acre on the 24th of April, with a fleet of -fourteen sail, his ship being steered by Brother Remond, the pilot of -the Grand Master of the Temple, who was charged to conduct the king -across the wide waters in safety to his own dominions. On his arrival -in France, Louis manifested his esteem for the Templars by granting -them the chateau and lordship of Bazees, near Bauvez, in Aquitaine. The -deed of gift is expressed to be made in consideration of the charitable -works which the king had seen performed amongst the Templars, and in -acknowledgment of the services they had rendered to him, and to the -intent that he might be made a participator in the good works done -by the fraternity, and be remembered in the prayers of the brethren. -This deed was delivered on the day of Pentecost to Brother Hugh, Grand -Preceptor of Aquitaine, in the cathedral church of Angouleme, in the -presence of numerous archbishops, bishops, counts, and barons.[130] - -At the period of the return of the king of France to Europe, Henry the -Third, king of England, was in Gascony with Brother Robert de Sanford, -Master of the Temple at London, who had been previously sent by the -English monarch into that province to appease the troubles which had -there broken out. King Henry proceeded to the French capital, and was -magnificently entertained by the Knights Templars at the Temple in -Paris, which Matthew Paris tells us was of such immense extent that -it could contain within its precincts a numerous army. The day after -his arrival, king Henry ordered an innumerable quantity of poor people -to be regaled at the Temple with meat, fish, bread, and wine; and at -a later hour the king of France and all his nobles came to dine with -the English monarch. "Never," says Matthew Paris, "was there at any -period in bygone times so noble and so celebrated an entertainment. -They feasted in the great hall of the Temple, where hang the shields on -every side, as many as they can place along the four walls, according -to the custom of the order beyond sea...." The Knights Templars in this -country likewise exercised a magnificent hospitality, and constantly -entertained kings, princes, nobles, prelates, and foreign ambassadors -at the Temple. Immediately after the return of king Henry to England, -some illustrious ambassadors from Castile came on a visit to the Temple -at London; and as the king "greatly delighted to honour them," he -commanded three pipes of wine to be placed in the cellars of the Temple -for their use, and ten fat bucks to be brought them at the same place -from the royal forest in Essex. He, moreover, commanded the mayor and -sheriffs of London, and the commonalty of the same city, to take with -them a respectable assemblage of the citizens, and to go forth and meet -the said ambassadors without the city, and courteously receive them, -and honour them, and conduct them to the Temple.[131] - -During the first and second years of the pontificate of pope Alexander -IV. ten bulls were published in favour of the Templars, addressed to -the bishops of the church universal, commanding them to respect and -maintain the privileges conceded to them by the holy see; to judge and -punish all persons who should dare to exact tythe from the fraternity; -to institute to the ecclesiastical benefices of the order, all clerks -presented to them by the preceptors, without previously requiring them -to make a fixed maintenance for such clerks, and severely to punish, -all who appropriated to their own use the alms gifts and eleemosynary -donations made to the brotherhood. By these bulls the Templars are -declared to be exempt from the duty of contributing to the travelling -expenses of all nuncios and legates of the holy see, under the dignity -of a cardinal, when passing through their territories, unless express -orders to the contrary are given by apostolic letters, and all the -bishops are required earnestly and vigorously to protect and defend the -right of sanctuary accorded the houses of the Temple.[132] - -In the year 1257, Brother Reginald de Vichier, the Grand Master of the -Temple, fell sick and died, at an advanced age. He was succeeded by -the English Knight Templar Brother THOMAS BERARD. Shortly after his -election the terrible Moguls and Tartars, those fierce vagrant tribes -of shepherds and hunters, whose victorious arms had spread terror and -desolation over the greater part of Europe and Asia, invaded Palestine, -under the command of the famous Holagou, and spread themselves like a -cloud of devouring locusts over the whole country. The Templars, under -the command of Brother Etienne de Sisi, Grand Preceptor of Apulia, -hastened to meet them, and were cut to pieces in a sanguinary fight. -The Tartars besieged and took the rich and populous cities of Aleppo, -Hamah, Hems, Damascus, Tiberias, and Naplous, and at last entered in -triumph the holy city of Jerusalem.[133] The Grand Master Brother -Thomas Berard wrote a melancholy letter to king Henry the Third for -succour. "With continual letters and many prayers," says he, "has our -poor Christianity on this side the sea besought the assistance of the -kings and princes of this world, and above all, the aid and succour of -your majesty, imploring your royal compassion with sighs and tears, and -a loud sounding voice, and crying out with a bitter cry in the hope -that it would penetrate the royal ear, and reach the ends of the earth, -and arouse the faithful from their slumbers, and draw them to the -protection of the Holy Land."[134] The king of England, however, was in -pecuniary embarrassments, and unable to afford the necessary succour. -He was reduced, indeed, to the cruel necessity of borrowing money in -France upon the security of his regalia and crown jewels, which were -deposited in the Temple at Paris, as appears from the letter of the -queen of France "to her very dear brother Henry, the illustrious king -of England," giving a long list of golden wands, golden combs, diamond -buckles, chaplets, and circlets, golden crowns, imperial beavers, -rich girdles, golden peacocks, and rings innumerable, adorned with -sapphires, rubies, emeralds, topazes, and carbuncles, which she says -she had inspected in the presence of the treasurer of the Temple at -Paris, and that the same were safely deposited in the coffers of the -Templars.[135] - -In the mean time the Mamlooks, "who had breathed in their infancy the -keenness of a Scythian air," advanced from the banks of the Nile to -contend with the Tartars for the dominion of Palestine. Under the -command of Bendocdar, the Mamlook general, they gained a complete -victory over them in the neighbourhood of Tiberias, and drove back -the stream of hostility to the eastward of the Euphrates. Bendocdar -returned to Egypt the idol of his soldiers, and clothed with a -popularity which rendered him too powerful for a subject. He aspired -to the possession of the throne which he had so successfully defended, -and slew with his own hand his sovereign and master Kothuz, the third -Mamlook sultan of Egypt. The Mamlooks hailed him with acclamations -as their sovereign, and on the 24th day of October, A. D. 1260, he -was solemnly proclaimed sultan of Egypt, in the town of Salahieh in -the Delta. Bendocdar was one of the greatest men of the age, and soon -proved the most formidable enemy that the Templars had encountered -in the field since the days of Saladin. The first two years of his -accession to power were employed in the extension and consolidation of -his sway over the adjoining Mussulman countries. The holy cities of -Mecca and Medina acknowledged him for their sovereign, as did Damascus, -Aleppo, Hems, and Jerusalem. His sway extended over Egypt, Nubia, -Arabia, and Syria; and his throne was defended by twenty-five thousand -Mamlook cavalry. His power was further strengthened by an army of one -hundred and seven thousand foot, and by the occasional aid of sixty-six -thousand Arabians. - -After receiving the homage and submission of the rulers and people -of Aleppo, Bendocdar made a hostile demonstration against the vast -and wealthy city of Antioch; but finding the place well defended, he -retired with his army, by way of Hems, Damascus, and Tiberias, to -Egypt. The next year (A. D. 1264) he crossed the desert at the head -of thirty thousand cavalry, and overran all Palestine up to the very -gates of Acre. He burned the great churches of Nazareth and Mount -Tabor; and sought to awaken the zeal and enthusiasm of his soldiers in -behalf of Islam by performing the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and visiting -with great devotion the Mosque of Omar. He then retired to Cairo with -his troops, and the Templars and Hospitallers became the assailants. -They surprised and stormed the castle of Lilion, razed the walls and -fortifications to the ground, and brought off three hundred prisoners -of both sexes, together with a rich prize of sheep and oxen. On the -15th of June, they marched as far as Ascalon, surprised and slew two -Mamlook emirs, and put twenty-eight of their followers to the sword. -They then turned their footsteps towards the Jordan, and on the 5th of -November, they destroyed Bisan or Scythopolis, and laid waste with fire -and sword all the valley of the Jordan, as far as the lake of Tiberias. - -In the depth of winter, (A. D. 1265,) Bendocdar collected his forces -together, and advanced, by rapid marches, from Egypt. He concealed his -real intentions, made a long march during the night, and at morning's -dawn presented himself before the city of Caesarea. His troops descended -into the ditch by means of ropes and ladders, and climbed the walls -with the aid of iron hooks and spikes; they burst open the gates, -massacred the sentinels, and planted the standard of the prophet on -the ramparts, ere the inhabitants had time to rouse themselves from -their morning slumbers. The citadel, however, still remained to be -taken, and the garrison being forewarned, made an obstinate defence. -The Arabian writers tell us, that the citadel was a strong and handsome -fortification, erected by king Louis, and adorned with pillars and -columns. It stood on a small neck of land which jutted out into the -sea, and the ditches around the fortress were filled with the blue -waters of the Mediterranean. Bendocdar planted huge catapults and -cross-bows upon the tower of the cathedral, and shot arrows, darts, and -stones, from them upon the battlements of the citadel. He encouraged -the exertions of his soldiers by promises of reward, and gave robes of -honour to his principal emirs. Weapons of war were distributed in the -most lavish manner, every captain of a hundred horse receiving for the -use of himself and his men _four thousand arrows_! - -During a dark winter's night the garrison succeeded in making their -escape, and the next morning the Moslems poured into the citadel by -thousands, and abandoned themselves to pillage. The fortifications -were levelled with the dust, and Bendocdar assisted with his own hands -in the work of demolition. He then detached some Mamlook emirs with -a body of cavalry against Caiphas, and proceeded himself to watch -the movements of the Templars, and examine into the defences of the -Pilgrim's Castle. Finding the place almost impregnable, and defended by -a numerous garrison, he suddenly retraced his steps to the south, and -stormed, after a brave and obstinate defence, the strongly fortified -city of Arsoof, which belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of St. -John. The greater part of the garrison was massacred, but one thousand -captives were reserved to grace the triumph of the conqueror. They were -compelled to march at the head of his triumphal procession, with their -banners reversed, and with their crosses, broken into pieces, hung -round their necks. Bendocdar had already despatched his bravest Mamlook -generals, at the head of a considerable body of forces, to blockade -Beaufort and Saphet, two strong fortresses of the order of the Temple, -and he now advanced at the head of a vast army to conduct the siege -of the latter place in person. On 21 Ramadan, the separate timbers -of his military machines arrived from Damascus at Jacob's bridge on -the Jordan; the sultan sent down his emirs and part of his army, with -hundreds of oxen, to drag them up the mountains to Saphet, and went -with his principal officers to assist in the transport of them. "I -worked by the sultan's side, and aided him with all my might," says the -cadi Mohieddin; "being fatigued, I sat down. I began again, and was -once more tired, and compelled to take rest, but the sultan continued -to work without intermission, aiding in the transport of beams, bolts, -and huge frames of timber." The Grand Master of the Temple ordered out -twelve hundred cavalry from Acre to create a diversion in favour of the -besieged; but a treacherous spy conveyed intelligence to Bendocdar, -which enabled him to surprise and massacre the whole force, and return -to Saphet with their heads stuck on the lances of his soldiers. At -last, after an obstinate defence, during which many Moslems, say the -Arabian writers, obtained the crown of martyrdom, the huge walls were -thrown down, and a breach was presented to the infidels; but that -breach was so stoutly guarded that none could be found to mount to the -assault. Bendocdar offered a reward of three hundred pieces of gold to -the first man who entered the city; he distributed robes of honour and -riches to all who were foremost in the fight, and the outer inclosure, -or first line of the fortifications was, at last, taken. - -The Templars retired into the citadel, but their efforts at defence -were embarrassed by the presence of a crowd of two thousand fugitives, -who had fled to Saphet for shelter, and they agreed to capitulate on -condition that the lives and liberties of the Christians should be -respected, and that they should be transported in safety to Acre. -Bendocdar acceded to these terms, and solemnly promised to fulfil them; -but as soon as he had got the citadel into his power, he offered to all -the Templars the severe alternative of the Koran or death, and gave -them until the following morning to make their election. The preceptor -of Saphet, a holy monk and veteran warrior, assisted by two Franciscan -friars, passed the night in pious exhortations to his brethren, -conjuring them to prefer the crown of martyrdom to a few short years -of miserable existence in this sinful world, and not to disgrace -themselves and their order by a shameful apostasy. At sunrise, on the -following morning, the Templars were led on to the brow of the hill, in -front of the castle of Saphet, and when the first rays of the rising -sun gilded the wooded summits of Mount Hermon, and the voice of the -muezzin was heard calling the faithful to morning prayer, they were -required to join in the Moslem chaunt, _La-i-la i-la Allah, Mahommed -re sul Allah_, "There is no God but God, and Mahomet is his apostle;" -the executioners drew near with their naked scimitars, but not a man -of the noble company of knightly warriors, say the Christian writers, -would renounce his faith, and one thousand five hundred heads speedily -rolled at the feet of Bendocdar. "The blood," says Sanutus, "flowed -down the declivities like a rivulet of water." The preceptor of Saphet, -the priests of the order, and brother Jeremiah, were beaten with clubs, -flayed alive, and then beheaded! The Arabian writers state that the -lives of two of the garrison were spared, one being an Hospitaller -whom the besieged had sent to Bendocdar to negotiate the treaty of -surrender, and the other a Templar, named _Effreez Lyoub_, who embraced -the Mahomedan faith, and was circumcised and entered into the service -of the sultan.[136] Immediately after the fall of Saphet, the infidels -stormed the castles of Hounin and Tebnin, and took possession of the -city of Ramleh. - -The Grand Master of the Hospital now sued for peace, and entered into -a separate treaty with the infidels. He agreed to renounce the ancient -tribute of one hundred pieces of gold paid to the order by the district -of Bouktyr; also the annual tribute of four thousand pieces of gold -paid to them by the sultans of Hems and Hamah; a tribute of twelve -hundred pieces of gold, fifty thousand bushels of wheat, and fifty -thousand bushels of barley annually rendered to them by the Assassins -or Ismaelians of the mountains of Tripoli: and the several tributes -paid by the cities or districts of Schayzar, Apamea, and Aintab, which -consisted of five hundred crowns of Tyrian silver, two measures of -wheat, and two pieces of silver for every two head of oxen pastured in -the district. These terms being arranged, the emir Fakir-eddin, and the -cadi Schams-eddin were sent to receive the oath of the Grand Master of -the Hospital to fulfil them, and a truce was then accorded him for ten -years, ten days, and ten months. - -Bendocdar then concentrated his forces together at Aleppo, and marched -against the christian province of Armenia. The prince of Hamah -blockaded Darbesak, which was garrisoned by the Knights Templars, -and forced the mountain passes leading into the ancient Cilicia. The -Moslems then marched with incredible rapidity to Sis, the capital of -the country, which fell into their hands after a short siege. Leon, -king of Armenia, was led away into captivity, together with his -uncle, his son, and his nephew; many others of the royal family were -killed, and some made their escape. All the castles of the Templars -in Armenia were assaulted and taken, and the garrisons massacred. The -most famous of these was the castle of Amoud, which was stormed after -an obstinate defence, and every soul found in it was put to the sword. -The city of Sis was pillaged, and then delivered up to the flames; -the inhabitants of all the towns were either massacred or reduced to -slavery; their goods and possessions were divided amongst the soldiers, -and the Moslems returned to Aleppo laden with booty and surrounded by -captives fastened together with ropes. Great was the joy of Bendocdar. -The musicians were ordered to play, and the dancing girls to beat the -tambour and dance before him. He made a triumphant entry into Damascus, -preceded by his royal captives and many thousand prisoners bound with -chains. "Thus did the sultan," says the Arabian historian, "cut the -sugar-canes of the Franks!" - -On the 1st of May, A. D. 1267, Bendocdar collected together a strong -body of cavalry, divided them into two bodies, and caused them to -mount the banners and emblems of the Hospital and Temple. By this ruse -he attempted to penetrate the east gate of Acre, but the cheat was -fortunately discovered, and the gates were closed ere the Arab cavalry -reached them. The infidels then slaughtered five hundred people outside -the walls, cut off their heads and put them into sacks. Amongst them -were some poor old women who gained a livelihood by gathering herbs! -The ferocious Mamlooks then pulled down all the houses and windmills, -plucked up the vines, cut down all the fruit trees and burnt them, -and filled up the wells. Some deputies, sent to sue for peace, were -introduced to Bendocdar through a grim and ghastly avenue of christian -heads planted on the points of lances, and their petition was rejected -with scorn and contempt. "The neighing of our horses," said the -ferocious sultan, "shall soon strike you with deafness, and the dust -raised by their feet shall penetrate to the inmost chambers of your -dwellings." - -On the 7th of March, A. D. 1268, the sultan stormed Jaffa, put the -garrison to the sword, set fire to the churches, and burnt the -crucifixes and crosses and holy relics of the saints. "He took away -the head of St. George and burnt the body of St. Christina," and then -marched against the strongly fortified city of Beaufort, which belonged -to the order of the Temple. Twenty-six enormous military engines were -planted around the walls, and the doctors of the law and the _Fakirs_, -or teachers of religion, were invited to repair to the Moslem camp, -and wield the sword in behalf of Islam. The town was defended by two -citadels, the ancient and the new one. The former was garrisoned by -the Templars, and the latter by the native militia. These last, after -sustaining a short siege, set fire to their post and fled during the -night. "As for the other citadel," says the cadi Mohieddin, "it made -a long and vigorous defence," and Bendocdar, after losing the flower -of his army before the place, was reluctantly compelled to permit the -garrison to march out, sword in hand, with all the honours of war. The -fortress was then razed to the ground so effectually that not a trace -of it was left. - -The sultan now separated his army into several divisions, which -were all sent in different directions through the principality of -Tripoli to waste and destroy. All the churches and houses were set -on fire; the trees were cut down, and the inhabitants were led away -into captivity. A tower of the Templars, in the environs of Tripoli, -was taken by assault, and every soul found in it was put to death. -The different divisions of the army were then concentrated at Hems, -to collect together and to divide their spoil. They were then again -separated into three corps, which were sent by different routes against -the vast and wealthy city of Antioch, the ancient "Queen of Syria." -The first division was directed to take a circuitous route by way of -Darbesak, and approach Antioch from the north; the second was to march -upon Suadia, and to secure the mouth of the Orontes, to prevent all -succour from reaching the city by sea; and the third and last division, -which was led by Bendocdar in person, proceeded to Apamea, and from -thence marched down the left bank of the river Orontes along the base -of the ancient Mons Casius, so as to approach and hem in Antioch from -the south. On the 1st Ramadan, all these different divisions were -concentrated together, and the city was immediately surrounded by a -vast army of horse and foot, which cut off all communication between -the town and the surrounding country, and exposed a population of -160,000 souls to all the horrors of famine. The famous stone bridge -of nine arches, which spanned the Orontes, and communicated between -the city and the right bank of the river, was immediately attacked; -the iron doors which guarded the passage were burst open with the -battering-rams, and the standard of the prophet was planted beneath the -great western gate. The Templars of the principality, under the command -of their Grand Preceptor, made a vain effort to drive back the infidels -and relieve the city. They sallied out of the town, with the constable -of Antioch, but were defeated by the Mamlook cavalry, after a sharp -encounter in the plain, and were compelled to take refuge behind the -walls. - -For three days successively did the sultan vainly summon the city to -surrender, and for three days did he continue his furious assaults. On -the fourth day the Moslems scaled the walls where they touch the side -of the mountain; they rushed across the ramparts, sword in hand, into -the city, and a hundred thousand Christians are computed to have been -slain! About eight thousand soldiers, accompanied by a dense throng -of women and children, fled from the scene of carnage to the citadel, -and there defended themselves with the energy of despair. Bendocdar -granted them their lives, and they surrendered. They were bound with -cords, and the long string of mournful captives passed in review before -the sultan, who caused the scribes and notaries to take down the names -of each of them. After several days of pillage, all the booty was -brought together in the plain of Antioch, and equally divided amongst -the Moslems; the gold and silver were distributed by measure, and -merchandize and property of all kinds, piled up in heaps, were drawn -for by lot. The captive women and girls were distributed amongst the -soldiery, and they were so numerous that each of the slaves of the -conquerors was permitted to have a captive at his disposal. The sultan -halted for several weeks in the plain, and permitted his soldiers to -hold a large market, or fair, for the sale of their booty. This market -was attended by Jews and pedlars from all parts of the East, who -greedily bought up the rich property and costly valuables of the poor -citizens of Antioch. - -These last might have borne with fortitude the loss of their worldly -possessions, and the luxuries of this life, but when they were -themselves put up to auction--when the mother saw her infant child -handed over to the avaricious Jew for the paltry sum of five pieces -of silver, and sold into irredeemable bondage, the bitter cries that -resounded through the plain, touched even the hearts of the Moslems. -"It was," says the cadi Mohieddin, "a fearful and a heart-rending -sight. Even the hard stones were softened with grief." He tells us, -that the captives were so numerous, that a fine hearty boy might be -purchased for _twelve_ pieces of silver, and a little girl for _five_! -When the work of pillage had been completed, when all the ornaments -and decorations had been carried away from the churches, and the lead -torn from the roofs, Antioch was fired in different places, amid the -loud thrilling shouts of ALLAH ACBAR, "GOD _is_ VICTORIOUS!" The great -churches of St. Paul and St. Peter burnt with terrific fury for many -days, and the vast and venerable city was left without a habitation, -and without an inhabitant! - -Thus fell Antioch, one hundred and seventy years after its recovery -from the dominion of the infidels by the crusaders, under the command -of the valiant Godfrey, Boemond, and Tancred. Near six centuries of -Moslem domination have now again rolled over the ancient Queen of the -East, but the genius of destruction which accompanied the footsteps -of the armies of the ferocious Bendocdar has ever since presided -over the spot. The once fair and flourishing capital of Syria, the -ancient "throne of the successors of Alexander, the seat of Roman -government in the east, which had been decorated by Caesar with the -titles of free, and holy, and inviolate," is, at this day, nothing -more than a miserable mud village; and the ancient and illustrious -church of Antioch, which, in the fourth century of the christian era, -numbered one hundred thousand persons, now consists only of a few Greek -families, who still cling to the christian faith amid the insults and -persecutions of the infidels. Immediately after the destruction of the -city, Bendocdar caused the following letter to be written to the prince -of Antioch, who was at Tripoli: "Since not a soul has escaped to tell -you what has happened, we will undertake the pleasing task of informing -you.... We have slain all whom you appointed to defend Antioch. We have -crushed your knights beneath the feet of our horses, and have given -up your provinces to pillage: your gold and silver have been divided -amongst us by the quintal, and four of your women have been bought and -sold for a crown. There is not a single christian in the province that -does not now march bound before us, nor a single young girl that is not -in our possession. Your churches have been made level with the dust, -and our chariot wheels have passed over the sites of your dwellings. If -you had seen the temples of your God destroyed, the crosses broken, and -the leaves of the gospel torn and scattered to the winds of heaven; if -you had seen your Mussulman enemy marching into your tabernacles, and -immolating upon your shrines and your altars, the priest, the deacon, -and the bishop; if you had seen your palaces delivered to the flames, -and the bodies of the dead consumed by the fire of this world, whilst -their souls were burning in the everlasting _fire of_ HELL; doubtless, -you would have exclaimed, _Lord, I am become but as dust_; your soul -would have been ready to start from its earthly tenement, and your eyes -would have rained down tears sufficient to have extinguished the fires -that we have kindled around you."[137] - -On the fall of Antioch the Templars abandoned Bagras, a rich and -flourishing town, on the road to Armenia and Cilicia, which had -belonged to the order for more than a century. This town of the -Templars, Mohieddin tells us, had long been a source of intense anxiety -and annoyance to the Moslems. "Over and over again," says he, "it -had been attacked, but the Templars foiled the utmost efforts of the -faithful, until, at last, Providence gave it into our hands." The -Templars also abandoned the castles of Gaston and Noche de Rusol, and -the territory of Port Bounel, at the entrance of Armenia. The towns of -Darbesak, Sabah, Al Hadid, and the sea-port of Gabala, successively -fell into the hands of Bendocdar, and the whole country from Tripoli to -Mount Taurus was made desolate, the houses were set on fire, the fruit -trees were cut down, and the churches were levelled with the dust. The -wealthy and populous maritime towns of Laodicea, Tripoli, Tortosa, -Beirout, Tyre, and Sidon, however, still remained to the Christians, -and as these cities were strongly fortified, and the christian fleets -kept the command of the sea, Bendocdar postponed their destruction for -a brief period, and granted separate truces to them in consideration of -the payment of large sums of money. - -In the year 1269, a terrible famine, consequent upon the ravages of -the infidels, afflicted Syria and Palestine, and many of those whom -the sword had spared, now died of hunger. Louis IX., king of France, -being deeply affected by the intelligence of the misfortunes of the -Latin Christians, attended an assembly of Preceptors of the Temple -in France, to devise means of forwarding succour to the Holy Land, -and caused a quantity of corn to be sent from Languedoc to Palestine. -He moreover determined to embark in another crusade, and he induced -prince Edward of England to assume the cross, and prepare to join -his standard. Bendocdar, on the other hand, returned from Egypt to -Palestine; he surprised and cut to pieces several bands of Christians, -and made his public entry into Damascus, preceded by many hundred -ghastly heads stuck on the points of lances, and by a vast number of -weeping captives of both sexes, and of every age. He then proceeded to -Hamah and Kafarthab, and attempted to undertake the siege of the strong -fortress of Merkab, but the winter rains and the snow on the mountain -compelled him to abandon the enterprise. He then made an attack upon -the castle of the Kurds, which belonged to the Hospitallers, but -receiving intelligence of the sailing of the expedition of king Louis, -who had left the ports of France with an army of sixty thousand men, -and a fleet of eighteen hundred vessels; he hurried with all his -forces to Egypt to protect that country against the French. Instead -of proceeding direct to the Holy Land, king Louis was unfortunately -induced to steer to Tunis. He fell a victim to the insalubrity of the -climate, and his army, decimated by sickness, sailed back to France. -Bendocdar immediately returned to Palestine. He halted at Ascalon, -and completed the destruction of the fortifications of that place; -he stormed Castel Blanc, a fortress of the Templars, and appeared -with his Mamlook cavalry before the gates of Tripoli. He ravaged the -surrounding country, and then retired into winter quarters, leading -away many christian prisoners of both sexes into captivity. The next -year he stormed the fortified town of Safitza, and laid siege to Hassan -el Akrad, or the castle of the Kurds. His victorious career was checked -by the arrival (A. D. 1271) of prince Edward of England, who joined the -Grand Master of the Temple at the head of a welcome reinforcement of -knights and foot soldiers. Various successes were then obtained over -the infidels, and on the 21st Ramadan, (April 23rd, A. D. 1272,) a -truce was agreed upon for the space of ten years and ten months, as far -as regarded the town and plain of Acre, and the road to Nazareth. - -On the 18th of June, prince Edward was stabbed with a poisoned dagger -by an assassin. Though dangerously wounded, he struck the assailant to -the ground, and caused him to be immediately despatched by the guards. -The same day the prince made his will; it is dated at Acre, June 18, -A. D. 1272, and Brother Thomas Berard, Grand Master of the Temple, -appears as an attesting witness. The life of the prince, however, was -happily preserved, the effects of the poison being obviated by an -antidote administered by the Grand Master of the Temple. On the 14th of -September, the prince returned to Europe, and thus terminated the last -expedition undertaken for the relief of Palestine. Whilst prince Edward -was pursuing his voyage to England, his father, king Henry III., died, -and the council of the realm, composed of the archbishops of Canterbury -and York, and the English bishops and barons, assembled in the Temple -at London, and swore allegiance to the prince. They there caused -him to be proclaimed king of England, and, with the consent of the -queen-mother, they appointed Walter Giffard, archbishop of York, and -the earls of Cornwall and Gloucester, guardians of the realm. Letters -were written from the Temple to acquaint the young sovereign with -the death of his father, and many of the acts of the new government -emanated from the same place.[138] - -The Grand Master of the Temple, Brother Thomas Berard, died at Acre -on the 8th of April, and on the 13th of May, A. D. 1273, the general -chapter of the Templars being assembled in the Pilgrim's Castle, chose -for his successor Brother WILLIAM DE BEAUJEU, Grand Preceptor of -Apulia. The late Vice-Master, Brother William de Poucon, was sent to -Europe with Brother Bertrand de Fox, to announce to him the tidings of -his elevation to the chief dignity of the order. The following year -William de Beaujeu, accompanied by the Grand Master of the Hospital, -proceeded to Lyons, to attend a general council which had been summoned -by the pope to provide succour for the Holy Land. The two Grand Masters -took precedence of all the ambassadors and peers present at that famous -assembly. It was determined that a new crusade should be preached, that -all ecclesiastical dignities and benefices should be taxed to support -an armament, and that the sovereigns of Europe should be compelled by -ecclesiastical censures to suspend their private quarrels, and afford -succour to the desolate land of promise. More than a thousand bishops, -archbishops, and ambassadors from the different princes and potentates -of Europe, graced the assembly with their presence. From Lyons, the -Grand Master William de Beaujeu proceeded to England, and called -together a general chapter of the order at London. Whilst resident at -the Temple in that city, he received payment of a large sum of money, -which the young king Edward had borrowed of the Templars during his -stay at Acre.[139] - -Pope Gregory X. died in the midst of his exertions for the creation -of another crusade. The enthusiasm which had been partially awakened -subsided; those who had assumed the cross forgot their engagements, -and the Grand Master of the Temple at last returned, in sorrow and -disappointment, to the far East. He reached Acre on St. Michael's day, -A. D. 1275, attended by a band of Templars, drawn from the preceptories -of England and France. Shortly after his arrival Bendocdar was -poisoned, and was succeeded by his son, Malek Said. Malek Said only -mounted the throne to descend from it. He was deposed by the rebellious -Mamlooks, and the sceptre was grasped by Malek-Mansour-Kelaoun, the -bravest and most distinguished of the emirs. As there was now no hope -of recovering the towns, castles, and territories taken by Bendocdar, -the Grand Master directed all his energies to the preservation of the -few remaining possessions of the Christians in the Holy Land. At the -expiration of the ten years' truce, he entered into various treaties -with the infidels. One of these, called "the peace of Tortosa," is -expressed to be made between sultan Malek-Mansour-Kelaoun, and his -son Malek-Saleh-Ali, "honour of the world and of religion," of the -one part, and Afryz Dybadjouk, (William de Beaujeu,) Grand Master -of the order of the Templars, of the other part. It relates to the -territories and possessions of the order of the Temple at Tortosa, -and provides for their security and freedom from molestation by the -infidels. The truce is prolonged for ten years and ten months from the -date of the execution of the treaty, (A. D. 1282,) and the contracting -parties strictly bind themselves to make no irruptions into each -other's territories during the period. To prevent mistakes, the lands -and villages, towers, corn-mills, gardens, brooks, and plantations, -belonging to the Templars are specified and defined, together with the -contiguous possessions of the Moslems. By this treaty, the Templars -engage not to rebuild any of their citadels, towers, or fortresses, nor -to cut any new ditch or fosse in their province of Tortosa. - -Another treaty entered into between William de Beaujeu and the -infidels, is called the peace of Acre. It accords to the Christians -Caiphas and seven villages, the province of Mount Carmel the town and -citadel of Alelyet, the farms of the Hospitallers in the province of -Caesarea, the half of Alexandretta, the village of Maron, &c., and -confirms the Templars in the possessions of Sidon and its citadel, and -its fifteen cantons. By this treaty, sultan Malek Mansour conceded to -the inhabitants of Acre a truce of ten years, ten months, and ten days; -and he swore to observe its provisions and stipulations in the presence -of the Grand Master of the Temple and the vizir Fadhad. But all these -treaties were mere delusions. Bendocdar had commenced the ruin of the -Christians, and sultan Kelaoun now proceeded to complete it. - -The separate truces and treaties of peace which Bendocdar had accorded -to the maritime towns of Palestine, in return for payments of money, -were encumbered with so many minute provisions and stipulations, that -it was almost impossible for the Christians to avoid breaking them in -some trifling and unimportant particular; and sultan Kelaoun soon found -a colourable pretence for recommencing hostilities. He first broke with -the Hospitallers and stormed their strong fortress of Merkab, which -commanded the coast road from Laodicea to Tripoli. He then sought out -a pretext for putting an end to the truce which the count of Tripoli -had purchased of Bendocdar by the payment of eleven thousand pieces -of gold. He maintained that a watch-tower had been erected on the -coast between Merkab and Tortosa, in contravention of the stipulation -which forbad the erection of new fortifications; and he accordingly -marched with his army to lay siege to the rich and flourishing city -of Laodicea. The Arabian writers tell us that Laodicea was one of the -most commercial cities of the Levant, and was considered to be the -rival of Alexandria. A terrible earthquake, which had thrown down the -fortifications, and overturned the castle at the entrance of the port, -unfortunately facilitated the conquest of the place, and Laodicea -fell almost without a struggle. The town was pillaged and set on -fire, and those of the inhabitants who were unable to escape by sea, -were either slaughtered or reduced to slavery, or driven out homeless -wanderers from their dwellings, to perish with hunger and grief in the -surrounding wilderness. Shortly after the fall of Laodicea, the castle -of Krak, which belonged to the Hospitallers, was besieged and stormed; -the garrison was put to the sword, and some other small places on the -sea-coast met with a similar fate. - -On the 13th Moharran (9th of February,) A. D. 1287, the sultan marched -against Tripoli at the head of ten thousand horse, and thirty-three -thousand foot. The separate timbers of nineteen enormous military -engines were transported in many hundred wagons drawn by oxen; and -fifteen hundred engineers and firework manufacturers were employed to -throw the terrible Greek fire and combustible materials, contained in -brass pots, into the city. After thirty-four days of incessant labour, -the walls were undermined and thrown into the ditch, and the engineers -poured an incessant stream of Greek fire upon the breach, whilst the -Moslems below prepared a path for the cavalry. Brother John de Breband, -Preceptor of the Temple at Tripoli, fought upon the ramparts with a -few knights and serving brethren of the order; but they were speedily -overthrown, and the Arab cavalry dashed through the breach into the -town. Upwards of one thousand Christians fell by the sword, and the -number of captives was incalculable. Twelve hundred trembling women -and children were crowded together for safety in a single magazine of -arms, and the conquerors were embarrassed with the quantity of spoil -and booty. More than four thousand bales of the richest silks were -distributed amongst the soldiers, together with ornaments and articles -of luxury and refinement, which astonished the rude simplicity of the -Arabs. When the city had been thoroughly ransacked, orders were issued -for its destruction. Then the Moslem soldiers were to be seen rushing -with torches and pots of burning naphtha to set fire to the churches, -and the shops, and the warehouses of the merchants; and Tripoli was -speedily enveloped in one vast, fearful, wide-spreading conflagration. -The command for the destruction of the fortifications was likewise -issued, and thousands of soldiers, stonemasons, and labourers, were -employed in throwing down the walls and towers. The Arabian writers -tell us that the ramparts were so wide that three horsemen could ride -abreast upon them round the town. Many of the inhabitants had escaped -by sea during the siege, and crowds of fugitives fled before the swords -of the Moslems, to take refuge on the little island of Saint Nicholas -at the entrance of the port. They were there starved to death; and when -Abulfeda visited the island a few days after the fall of Tripoli, he -found it covered with the dead bodies of the unburied Christians. Thus -fell Tripoli, with its commerce, its silk manufactories, churches, -and public and private buildings. Everything that could contribute to -prosperity in peace, or defence in war, perished beneath the sword, the -hammer, and the pick-axe of the Moslems. In the time of the crusaders, -the port was crowded with the fleets of the Italian republics, and -carried on a lucrative trade with Marseilles, Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa, -Venice, and the cities of the Grecian islands; but the rich stream of -commerce hath never since revisited the inhospitable shore. - -Shortly after the fall of Tripoli, Gabala, Beirout, and all the -maritime towns and villages between Sidon and Laodicea, fell into the -hands of the infidels; and sultan Kelaoun was preparing to attack the -vast and populous city of Acre, when death terminated his victorious -career. He was succeeded, A. D. 1291, by his eldest son, Aschraf -Khalil, who hastened to execute the warlike projects of his father. He -assembled the ulemas and cadis around his father's tomb, and occupied -himself in reading the Koran, in prayer, and invocation of Mahomet. -He then made abundant alms-giving, collected his troops together, -and marched across the desert to Damascus, where he was joined by -Hosam-eddin Ladjin, viceroy of Syria, Modaffer, prince of Hems, and -Saifeddin, lord of Baalbec, with the respective forces under their -command. Ninety-two enormous military engines had been constructed at -Damascus, which were transported across the country by means of oxen; -and in the spring of the year, after the winter rains had subsided, -sultan Khalil marched against Acre at the head of sixty thousand horse, -and a hundred and forty thousand foot. - -After the loss of Jerusalem, the city of Acre became the metropolis -of the Latin Christians, and was adorned with a vast cathedral, with -numerous stately churches, and elegant buildings, and with acqueducts, -and an artificial port. The houses of the rich merchants were decorated -with pictures and choice pieces of sculpture, and boasted of the -rare advantage of glass windows. An astonishing, and probably an -exaggerated, account has been given of the wealth and luxury of the -inhabitants. We read of silken canopies and curtains stretched on cords -to protect the lounger from the scorching sunbeams, of variegated -marble fountains, and of rich gardens and shady groves, scented with -the delicious orange blossom, and adorned with the delicate almond -flower; and we are told that the markets of the city could offer the -produce of every clime, and the interpreters of every tongue. The vast -and stupendous fortifications consisted of a double wall, strengthened -at proper intervals with lofty towers, and defended by the castle -called the King's Tower, and by the convent or fortress of the Temple. -Between the ramparts extended a large space of ground, covered with the -chateaus, villas, and gardens of the nobility of Galilee, the counts -of Tripoli and Jaffa, the lords of Tyre and Sidon, the papal legate, -the duke of Athens, and the princes of Antioch. The most magnificent -edifices within the town were, the cathedral church of St. Andrew, -the churches of St. Saba, St. Thomas, St. Nicholas, and St. John, the -tutelar saint of the city; the abbey of St. Clare, the convents of the -Knights Hospitallers and the Knights Templars, and various monasteries -and religious houses. - -William de Beaujeu, the Grand Master of the Temple, a veteran warrior -of a hundred fights, took the command of the garrison, which amounted -to about twelve thousand men, exclusive of the forces of the Temple and -the Hospital, and a body of five hundred foot and two hundred horse, -under the command of the king of Cyprus. These forces were distributed -along the walls in four divisions, the first of which was commanded -by Hugh de Grandison, an English knight. The siege lasted six weeks, -during the whole of which period the sallies and the attacks were -incessant. Neither by night nor by day did the shouts of the assailants -and the noise of the military engines cease; huge stones and beams of -timber and pots of burning tar and naphtha were continually hurled into -the city; the walls were battered from without, and the foundations -were sapped by miners, who were incessantly labouring to advance their -works. More than six hundred catapults, balistae, and other instruments -of destruction, were directed against the fortifications; and the -battering machines were of such immense size and weight, that a hundred -wagons were required to transport the separate timbers of one of them. -Moveable towers were erected by the Moslems, so as to overtop the -walls; their workmen and advanced parties were protected by hurdles -covered with raw hides, and all the military contrivances which the art -and the skill of the age could produce, were used to facilitate the -assault. For a long time their utmost efforts were foiled by the valour -of the besieged, who made constant sallies upon their works, burnt -their towers and machines, and destroyed their miners. Day by day, -however, the numbers of the garrison were thinned by the sword, whilst -in the enemy's camp the places of the dead were constantly supplied by -fresh warriors from the deserts of Arabia, animated with the same wild -fanaticism in the cause of _their_ religion as that which so eminently -distinguished the military monks of the Temple. - -On the 4th of May, after thirty-three days of constant fighting, the -great tower considered the key of the fortifications, and called -by the Moslems "the cursed tower," was thrown down by the military -engines. To increase the terror and distraction of the besieged, sultan -Khalil mounted three hundred drummers, with their drums, upon as many -dromedaries, and commanded them to make as much noise as possible -whenever a general assault was ordered. From the 4th to the 14th of May -the attacks were incessant. On the 15th, the double wall was forced, -and the king of Cyprus, panic-stricken, fled in the night to his -ships, and made sail for the island of Cyprus, with all his followers, -and with near three thousand of the best men of the garrison. On the -morrow the Saracens attacked the post he had deserted; they filled -up the ditch with the bodies of dead men and horses, piles of wood, -stones, and earth, and their trumpets then sounded to the assault. -Ranged under the yellow banner of Mahomet, the Mamlooks forced the -breach, and penetrated sword in hand to the very centre of the city; -but their victorious career and insulting shouts were there stopped -by the mail-clad Knights of the Temple and the Hospital, who charged -on horseback through the narrow streets, drove them back with immense -carnage, and precipitated them headlong from the walls. - -At sunrise on the following morning the air resounded with the -deafening noise of drums and trumpets, and the breach was carried -and recovered several times, the military friars at last closing up -the passage with their bodies, and presenting a wall of steel to the -advance of the enemy. Loud appeals to God, and to Mahomet, to Jesus -Christ, to the Virgin Mary, to heaven and the saints, were to be heard -on all sides; and after an obstinate engagement from sunrise to sunset, -darkness put an end to the slaughter. The miners continued incessantly -to advance their operations; another wide breach was opened in the -walls, and on the third day (the 18th) the infidels made the final -assault on the side next the gate of St. Anthony. The army of the -Mamlooks was accompanied by a troop of sectaries called _Chagis_, -a set of religious fanatics, whose devotion consisted in suffering -all sorts of privations, and in sacrificing themselves in behalf of -Islam. The advance of the Mamlook cavalry to the assault was impeded -by the deep ditch, which had been imperfectly filled by the fallen -ruins and by the efforts of the soldiers, and these religious madmen -precipitated themselves headlong into the abyss and formed a bridge -with their bodies, over which the Mamlooks passed to reach the foot of -the wall. Nothing could withstand the fierce onslaught of the Moslems. -In vain were the first ranks of their cavalry laid prostrate with -the dust, and both horses and riders hurled headlong over the ruined -walls and battlements into the moat below; their fall only facilitated -the progress of those behind them, who pressed on sword in hand over -the lifeless bodies of men and horses, to attack the faint and weary -warriors guarding the breach. - -The Grand Masters of the Temple and Hospital fought side by side at -the head of their knights, and for a time successfully resisted all -the efforts of the enemy. But as each knight fell beneath the keen -scimitars of the Moslems, there were none in reserve to supply his -place, whilst the vast hordes of the infidels pressed on with untiring -energy and perseverance. Brother Matthew de Clermont, Marshal of the -Hospital, after performing prodigies of valour, fell covered with -wounds, and William de Beaujeu, as a last resort, requested the Grand -Master of that order to sally out of an adjoining gateway at the -head of five hundred horse, and attack the enemy's rear. Immediately -after the Grand Master of the Temple had given these orders, he was -himself struck down by the darts and the arrows of the enemy; the -panic-stricken garrison fled to the port, and the infidels rushed -on with tremendous shouts of _Allah acbar! Allah acbar!_ "GOD is -victorious!" Thousands of panic-stricken Christians now rushed to -the sea-side, and sought with frantic violence to gain possession of -the ships and boats that rode at anchor in the port, but a frightful -storm of wind, and rain, and lightning, hung over the dark and -agitated waters of the sea; the elements themselves warred against -the poor Christians, and the loud-pealing thunder became mingled with -the din and uproar of the assault and the clash of arms. The boats -and vessels were swamped by the surging waves; and the bitter cries -of the perishing fugitives ascended alike from the sea and shore. -Thousands fled to the churches for refuge, but found none; they -prostrated themselves before the altars, and embraced the images of the -saints, but these evidences of idolatry only stimulated the merciless -fanaticism of the Moslems, and the Christians and their temples, their -images and their saints, were all consumed in the raging flames kindled -by the inexorable sons of Islam. The churches were set on fire, and the -timid virgin and the hardened voluptuary, the nun and the monk, the -priest and the bishop, all perished miserably before the altars and the -shrines which they had approached in the hour of need, but which many -of them had neglected in days of prosperity and peace. The holy nuns -of St. Clare, following the example and exhortations of their abbess, -mangled and disfigured their faces and persons in a most dreadful -manner, to preserve their chastity from violation by the barbarous -conquerors, and were gloriously rewarded with the crown of martyrdom, -by the astonished and disgusted infidels, who slaughtered without mercy -the whole sisterhood! - -Three hundred Templars, the sole survivors of their order in Acre, had -kept together and successfully withstood the victorious Mamlooks. In a -close and compact column they fought their way, accompanied by several -hundred christian fugitives, to the convent of the Temple at Acre, and -shut the gates. They then assembled together in solemn chapter, and -appointed the Knight Templar, Brother GAUDINI, Grand Master. The Temple -at Acre was surrounded by walls and towers, and was a place of great -strength, and of immense extent. It was divided into three quarters, -the first and principal of which contained the palace of the Grand -Master, the church, and the habitation of the knights; the second, -called the Bourg of the Temple, contained the cells of the serving -brethren; and the third, called the Cattle Market, was devoted to the -officers charged with the duty of procuring the necessary supplies for -the order and its forces. The following morning very favourable terms -were offered to the Templars by the victorious sultan, and they agreed -to evacuate the Temple on condition that a galley should be placed at -their disposal, and that they should be allowed to retire in safety -with the christian fugitives under their protection, and to carry -away as much of their effects as each person could load himself with. -The Mussulman conqueror pledged himself to the fulfilment of these -conditions, and sent a standard to the Templars, which was mounted -on one of the towers of the Temple. A guard of three hundred Moslem -soldiers, charged to see the articles of capitulation properly carried -into effect, was afterwards admitted within the walls of the convent. -Some Christian ladies and women of Acre were amongst the fugitives, -and the Moslem soldiers, attracted by their beauty, broke through -all restraint, and violated the terms of the surrender. The enraged -Templars closed and barricaded the gates of the Temple; they set upon -the treacherous infidels, and put every one of them, "from the greatest -to the smallest," to death. Immediately after this massacre, the Moslem -trumpets sounded to the assault, but the Templars successfully defended -themselves until the next day (the 20th). The Marshal of the order and -several of the brethren were then deputed by Gaudini with a flag of -truce to the sultan, to explain the cause of the massacre of his guard. -The enraged monarch, however, had no sooner got them into his power, -than he ordered every one of them to be decapitated, and pressed the -siege with renewed vigour. - -In the night, Gaudini, with a chosen band of his companions, collected -together the treasure of the order, and the ornaments of the church, -and sallying out of a secret postern of the Temple which communicated -with the harbour, they got on board a small vessel, and escaped in -safety to the island of Cyprus. The residue of the Templars retired -into the large tower of the Temple, called "The Tower of the Master," -which they defended with desperate energy. The bravest of the Mamlooks -were driven back in repeated assaults, and the little fortress was -everywhere surrounded with heaps of the slain. The sultan, at last, -despairing of taking the place by assault, ordered it to be undermined. -As the workmen advanced, they propped the foundations with beams of -wood, and when the excavation was completed, these wooden supports were -consumed by fire; the huge tower then fell with a tremendous crash, -and buried the brave Templars in its ruins. The sultan set fire to -the town in four places; the walls, the towers, and the ramparts were -demolished, and the last stronghold of the christian power in Palestine -was speedily reduced to a smoking solitude.[140] - -A few years back, the ruins of the christian city of Acre were well -worthy of the attention of the curious. You might still trace the -remains of thirty churches; and the quarter occupied by the Knights -Templars continued to present many interesting memorials of that proud -and powerful order. "The carcass," says Sandys, "shows that the body -hath been strong, doubly immured; fortified with bulwarks and towers, -to each wall a ditch lined with stone, and under those, divers secret -posterns. You would think, by the ruins, that the city consisted of -divers conjoining castles, which witness a notable defence, and an -unequal assault; and that the rage of the conquerors extended beyond -conquest; the huge walls and arches turned topsy-turvy, and lying -like rocks upon the foundation." At the period of Dr. Clarke's visit -to Acre, the ruins, with the exception of the cathedral, the arsenal, -the convent of the knights, and the palace of the Grand Master, -were so intermingled with modern buildings, and in such a state of -utter subversion, that it was difficult to afford any satisfactory -description of them. "Many superb remains were observed by us," says -he, "in the pasha's palace, in the khan, the mosque, the public bath, -the fountains, and other parts of the town, consisting of fragments of -antique marble, the shafts and capitals of granite and marble pillars, -masses of the verd antique breccia, of the ancient serpentine, and -of the syenite and trap of Egypt. In the garden of Djezzar's palace, -leading to his summer apartment, we saw some pillars of variegated -marble of extraordinary beauty." - -After the fall of Acre, the head-quarters of the Templars were -established at Limisso in the island of Cyprus, and urgent letters -were sent to Europe for succour. The armies of sultan Kelaoun in the -mean time assaulted and carried Tyre, Sidon, Tortosa, Caiphas, and -the Pilgrim's Castle. The last three places belonged to the Templars, -and were stoutly defended, but they were attacked by the Egyptian -fleet by sea, and by countless armies of infidels by land, and were at -last involved in the common destruction. The Grand Master, Gaudini, -overwhelmed with sorrow and vexation at the loss of the Holy Land, and -the miserable situation of his order, stripped of all its possessions -on the Asiatic continent, died at Limisso, after a short illness, and -was succeeded (A. D. 1295) by Brother JAMES DE MOLAY, of the family of -the lords of Longvic and Raon in Burgundy. This illustrious nobleman -was at the head of the English province of the order at the period of -his election to the dignity of Grand Master. He was first appointed -Visitor-General, then Grand Preceptor of England, and was afterwards -placed at the head of the entire fraternity. During his residence in -Britain he held several chapters or assemblies of the brethren at the -Temple at London, and at the different preceptories, where he framed -and enforced various rules and regulations for the government of the -fraternity in England.[141] Shortly after his appointment to the office -of Grand Master, he crossed the sea to France, and had the honour of -holding the infant son of Philip le Bel at the baptismal font. He then -proceeded to Cyprus, carrying out with him a numerous body of English -and French Knights Templars, and a considerable amount of treasure. -Soon after his arrival he entered into an alliance with the famous -Casan Cham, emperor of the Mogul Tartars, king of Persia, and the -descendant or successor of Genghis Khan, and landed in Syria with his -knights and a body of forces, to join the standard of that powerful -monarch. Casan had married the daughter of Leon, king of Armenia, a -christian princess of extraordinary beauty, to whom he was greatly -attached, and who was permitted the enjoyment and public exercise of -the christian worship. The Tartar emperor naturally became favourably -disposed towards the Christians, and he invited the Grand Master of the -Temple to join him in an expedition against the sultan of Egypt. - -In the spring of the year 1299, the Templars landed at Suadia, and made -a junction with the Tartar forces which were encamped amid the ruins -of Antioch. An army of thirty thousand men was placed by the Mogul -emperor under the command of the Grand Master, and the combined forces -moved up the valley of the Orontes towards Damascus. In a great battle -fought at Hems, the troops of the sultans of Damascus and Egypt were -entirely defeated, and pursued with great slaughter until nightfall. -Aleppo, Hems, Damascus, and all the principal cities, surrendered to -the victorious arms of the Moguls, and the Templars once again entered -Jerusalem in triumph, visited the Holy Sepulchre, and celebrated -Easter on Mount Zion. Casan sent ambassadors to the pope, and to the -sovereigns of Europe, announcing the victorious progress of his arms, -soliciting their alliance, and offering them in return the possession -of Palestine. But the Christian nations heeded not the call, and none -thought seriously of an expedition to the east excepting the ladies -of Genoa, who, frightened by an interdict which had been laid upon -their town, assumed the cross as the best means of averting the divine -indignation. The Grand Master of the Temple advanced as far as Gaza, -and drove the Saracens into the sandy deserts of Egypt; but a Saracen -chief, who had been appointed by the Tartars governor of Damascus, -instigated the Mussulman population of Syria to revolt, and the Grand -Master was obliged to retreat to Jerusalem. He was there joined by -the Tartar general, Cotulosse, who had been sent across the Euphrates -by Casan to support him. The combined armies were once more preparing -to march upon Damascus, when the sudden illness of Casan, who was -given over by his physicians, disconcerted all their arrangements, and -deprived the Grand Master of his Tartar forces. The Templars were then -compelled to retreat to the sea-coast and embark their forces on board -their galleys. The Grand Master sailed to Limisso, stationing a strong -detachment of his soldiers on the island of Aradus, near Tortosa, which -they fortified; but they were speedily attacked in that position by a -fleet of twenty vessels, and an army of ten thousand men, and after a -gallant defence they were compelled to abandon their fortifications, -and were all killed or taken prisoners.[142] - -Thus ended the dominion of the Templars in Palestine, and thus -closed the long and furious struggle between the CRESCENT and the -CROSS! The few remaining Christians in the Holy Land were chased from -ruin to ruin, and exterminated. The churches, the houses, and the -fortifications along the sea-coast, were demolished, and everything -that could afford shelter and security, or invite the approach of the -crusaders from the west, was carefully destroyed. The houses were all -set on fire, the trees were cut down and burnt, the land was everywhere -laid waste, and all the maritime country, from Laodicea to Ascalon, was -made desert. "Every trace of the Franks," says the Arabian chronicler, -Ibn Ferat, "was removed, and thus it shall remain, please God, till the -day of judgment!"[143] - -Near six centuries have swept over Palestine since the termination -of the wars of the cross, and the land still continues _desolate_. -The proud memorials of past magnificence are painfully contrasted -with present ruin and decay, and the remains of the rich and populous -cities of antiquity are surrounded by uncultivated deserts. God hath -said, "I will smite the land with a _curse_. I will bring the worst -of the heathen and they shall possess it." "Thorns shall come up in -her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof, and the -defenced city shall be left desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and -left like a wilderness." - -"The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be on the vine; -the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; -the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd -in the stall." But brighter and happier times are yet to come, for the -Lord God hath also said, "To the mountains of Israel, to the hills, and -to the rivers, to the valleys, and the desolate wastes, and the cities -that are forsaken, which became a prey and a derision to the heathen. -Behold I am for you, I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and -sown, and I will multiply men upon you, and they shall build up the -old waste cities, the desolation of many generations!" - -"In the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the -cities of Judah, _shall the flocks pass again under the hand of him -that telleth them, saith_ THE LORD!" - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - The downfall of the Templars--The cause thereof--The Grand Master - comes to Europe at the request of the pope--He is imprisoned, with - all the Templars in France, by command of king Philip--They are - put to the torture, and confessions of the guilt of heresy and - idolatry are extracted from them--Edward II., king of England, - stands up in defence of the Templars, but afterwards persecutes - them at the instance of the pope--The imprisonment of the Master of - the Temple and all his brethren in England--Their examination upon - eighty-seven horrible and ridiculous articles of accusation before - foreign inquisitors appointed by the pope--The curious evidence - adduced as to the mode of admission into the order, and of the - customs and observances of the fraternity--The Templars in France - having revoked their rack-extorted confessions, are treated as - relapsed heretics, and burnt at the stake--Solitary confinement of - the Templars in England in separate dungeons--Torture--Confessions - and recantations--The Master of the Temple at London dies in the - Tower--The Grand Master is burnt at the stake--The abolition of the - order and disposal of its property. - - En cel an qu'ai dist or endroit, - Et ne sait a tort ou a droit, - Furent li Templiers, sans doutance, - Tous pris par le royaume de France. - Au mois d'Octobre, au point du jor, - Et un vendredi fu le jor. - - _Chron. MS._ - - -It now only remains for us to relate the miserable and cruel fate of -the surviving brethren of the order of the Temple, and to tell of the -ingratitude they encountered at the hands of their fellow-Christians in -the West. After the loss of all the christian territory in Palestine, -and the destruction of every serious hope of recovering and retaining -the Holy City, the services of the Templars ceased to be required, and -men began to regard with an eye of covetousness their vast wealth and -immense possessions. The clergy regarded with jealousy and indignation -their removal from the ordinary ecclesiastical jurisdiction, their -exemption from tithe, and the privilege they possessed of celebrating -divine service during interdict; and their hostility to the order -was manifested in repeated acts of injustice, which drew forth many -severe bulls from the Roman pontiffs.[144] The Templars, moreover, -became unpopular with the European sovereigns and their nobles. The -revenues of the former were somewhat diminished through the immunities -conceded to the order by their predecessors, and the paternal estates -of the latter had been diminished by the grant of many thousand -manors, lordships, and fair estates to the fraternity by their pious -and enthusiastic ancestors. Considerable dislike also began to be -manifested to the annual transmission of large sums of money, the -revenues of the Templars, from the European states, to be expended in a -distant warfare in which Christendom now took comparatively no interest. - -Shortly after the fall of Acre, and the total loss of Palestine, -Edward I., king of England, seized and sequestered to his own use -the monies which had been accumulated by the Templars, to forward to -their brethren in Cyprus, alleging that the property of the order -had been granted to it by the kings of England, his predecessors, -and their subjects, for the defence of the Holy Land, and that since -the loss thereof, no better use could, be made of the money than by -appropriating it to the maintenance of the poor. At the earnest request -of the pope, however, the king afterwards permitted their revenues to -be transmitted to them in the island of Cyprus in the usual manner. -King Edward had previously manifested a strong desire to lay hands -on the property of the Templars. On his return from his victorious -campaign in Wales, finding himself unable to disburse the arrears of -pay due to his soldiers, he went with Sir Robert Waleran and some armed -followers to the Temple, and calling for the treasurer, he pretended -that he wanted to see his mother's jewels, which were there kept. -Having been admitted to the house, he deliberately broke open the -coffers of the Templars, and carried away ten thousand pounds with him -to Windsor Castle. His son, Edward II, on his accession to the throne, -committed a similar act of injustice. He went with his favourite, -Piers Gaveston, to the Temple, and took away with him fifty thousand -pounds of silver, with a quantity of gold, jewels, and precious stones, -belonging to the bishop of Chester. The impunity with which these acts -of violence were committed, manifests that the Templars then no longer -enjoyed the power and respect which they possessed in ancient times. - -As the enthusiasm, too, in favour of the holy war diminished, -large numbers of the fraternity remained at home in their western -preceptories, and took an active part in the politics of Europe. They -interfered in the quarrels of christian princes, and even drew their -swords against their fellow-Christians. Thus we find the members of the -order taking part in the war between the houses of Anjou and Aragon, -and aiding the king of England in his warfare against the king of -Scotland. In the battle of Falkirk, fought on the 22nd of July, A. D. -1298, seven years after the fall of Acre, perished both the Master of -the Temple at London, and his vicegerent the Preceptor of Scotland. All -these circumstances, together with the loss of the Holy Land, and the -extinction of the enthusiasm of the crusades, diminished the popularity -of the Templars. The rolls of the English parliament about this time -begin to teem with complaints and petitions from the fraternity, of the -infringement of their charters, franchises, liberties, and privileges, -in all parts of the realm.[145] - -At the period of the fall of Acre, Philip the Fair, son of St. Louis, -occupied the throne of France. He was a needy and avaricious monarch, -and had at different periods resorted to the most violent expedients -to replenish his exhausted exchequer. On the death of pope Benedict -XI., (A. D. 1304,) he succeeded, through the intrigues of the French -Cardinal Dupre, in raising the archbishop of Bordeaux, a creature -of his own, to the pontifical chair. The new pope removed the holy -see from Rome to France; he summoned all the cardinals to Lyons, and -was there consecrated, (A. D. 1305,) by the name of Clement V., in -the presence of king Philip and his nobles. Of the ten new cardinals -then created, _nine_ were Frenchmen, and in all his acts the new pope -manifested himself the obedient slave of the French monarch. The -character of this pontiff has been painted by the Romish ecclesiastical -historians in the darkest colours. - -On the 6th of June, A. D. 1306, a few months after his coronation, he -addressed letters from Bordeaux to the Grand Masters of the Temple and -Hospital at Limisso, in the island of Cyprus, expressing his earnest -desire to consult them with regard to the measures necessary to be -taken for the recovery of the Holy Land. He tells them that they are -the persons best qualified to give advice upon the subject, and to -conduct and manage the enterprise, both from their great military -experience and the interest they had in the success of the expedition. -"We order you," says he, "to come hither without delay, with as much -secrecy as possible, and with a very little retinue, since you will -find on this side the sea a sufficient number of your knights to attend -upon you." The Grand Master of the Hospital declined obeying this -summons; but the Grand Master of the Temple forthwith accepted it, and -unhesitatingly placed himself in the power of the pope and the king of -France. He landed in France, attended by sixty of his knights, at the -commencement of the year 1307, and deposited the treasure of the order, -which he had brought with him from Cyprus, in the Temple at Paris. He -was received with distinction by the king, and then took his departure -for Poictiers to have an interview with the pope. - -The secret agents of the French king immediately circulated various -dark rumours and odious reports concerning the Templars. According -to some writers, Squin de Florian, a citizen of Bezieres, who had -been condemned to death or perpetual imprisonment in one of the -royal castles for his iniquities, was brought before king Philip, -and received a free pardon, and was well rewarded, in return for -an accusation on oath, charging the Templars with heresy, and with -the commission of the most horrible crimes. According to others, -Nosso de Florentin, an apostate Templar, who had been condemned by -the Grand Preceptor and chapter of France to perpetual imprisonment -for impiety and crime, made in his dungeon a voluntary confession -of the sins and abominations charged against the order. Be this as -it may, upon the strength of an information sworn to by a condemned -criminal, king Philip, on the 14th of September, despatched secret -letters to all the baillis of the different provinces in France, -accusing the Templars of infidelity; of mocking the sacred image of -the Saviour; of sacrificing to idols; and of abandoning themselves to -impure practices and unnatural crimes! "We being charged," says he, -"with the maintenance of the faith; after having conferred with the -pope, the prelates, and the barons of the kingdom, at the instance -of the inquisitor, from the informations already laid, from violent -suspicions, from probable conjectures, from legitimate presumptions, -conceived against the enemies of heaven and earth! and because the -matter is important, and it is expedient to prove the just like gold in -the furnace, by a rigorous examination, have decreed that the members -of the order who are our subjects shall be arrested and detained to be -judged by the church, and that all their real and personal property -shall be seized into our hands!" &c. The baillis and seneschals were -required accurately to inform themselves, with great secrecy, and -without exciting suspicion, of the number of the houses of the Temple -within their respective jurisdictions; to provide an armed force -sufficient to overcome all resistance, and on the 13th of October to -surprise the Templars in their preceptories, and make them prisoners. -The inquisition is then directed to assemble to examine the guilty, -and to employ TORTURE if it be necessary. "Before proceeding with the -inquiry," says Philip, "you are to inform them (the Templars) that the -pope and ourselves have been convinced, by irreproachable testimony, of -the errors and abominations which accompany their vows and profession; -you are to promise them _pardon_ and _favour_ if they CONFESS the -truth, but if not, you are to acquaint them that they will be condemned -to death." - -As soon as Philip had issued these orders, he wrote to the principal -sovereigns of Europe, urging them to follow his example, and sent a -confidential agent, named Bernard Peletin, with a letter to the young -king, Edward the Second, who had just then ascended the throne of -England, representing in frightful colours the pretended sins of the -Templars. On the 22nd of September, (A. D. 1306,) king Edward replied -to this letter, observing that he had considered of the matters -mentioned therein, and had listened to the statements of that discreet -man, Master Bernard Peletin; that he had caused the latter to unfold -the charges before himself, and many prelates, earls, and barons of -his kingdom, and others of his council; but that they appeared so -astonishing as to be beyond belief; that such abominable and execrable -deeds had never before been heard of by the king, and the aforesaid -prelates, earls, and barons, and it was therefore hardly to be expected -that an easy credence could be given to them. The English monarch, -however, informs king Philip, that by the advice of his council he had -ordered the seneschal of Agen, from whose lips the rumours were said to -have proceeded, to be summoned to his presence, that through him he -might be further informed concerning the premises; and he states that, -at the fitting time, after due inquiry, he will take such steps as will -redound to the praise of God, and the honour and preservation of the -catholic faith.[146] - -On the night of the 13th of October, all the Templars in the French -dominions were simultaneously arrested. Monks were appointed to preach -against them in the public places of Paris, and in the gardens of the -Palais Royal; and advantage was taken of the folly, the superstition, -and the credulity of the age, to propagate the most horrible and -extravagant charges against them. They were accused of worshipping an -idol covered with an old skin, embalmed, having the appearance of a -piece of polished oil-cloth. "In this idol," we are assured, "there -were two carbuncles for eyes, bright as the brightness of heaven, and -it is certain that all the hope of the Templars was placed in it; it -was their sovereign god, and they trusted in it with all their heart." -They are accused of burning the bodies of the deceased brethren, and -making the ashes into a powder, which they administered to the younger -brethren in their food and drink, to make them hold fast their faith -and idolatry; of cooking and roasting infants, and anointing their -idols with the fat; of celebrating hidden rites and mysteries, to -which young and tender virgins were introduced, and of a variety of -abominations too absurd and horrible to be named. Guillaume Paradin, in -his history of Savoy, seriously repeats these monstrous accusations, -and declares that the Templars had "un lieu creux ou cave en terre, -fort obscur, en laquelle ils avoient un image en forme d'un homme, sur -lequel ils avoient applique la peau d'un corps humain, et mis deux -clairs et luisans escarboucles au lieu des deux yeux. A cette horrible -statue etoient contraints de sacrifier ceux qui vouloient etre de leur -damnable religion, lesquels avant toutes ceremonies ils contragnoient -de renier Jesus Christ, et fouler la croix avec les pieds, et apres ce -maudit sacre auquel assistoient femmes et filles (seduites pour etre -de ce secte) ils estegnoient les lampes et lumieres qu'ils avoient -en cett cave.... Et s'il advenoit que d'un Templier et d'un pucelle -nasquit un fils, ils se rangoient tous en un rond, et se jettoient -cet enfant de main en main, et ne cessoient de le jetter jusqu'a ce -qu'il fu mort entre leurs mains; etant mort ils se rotissoient (chose -execrable) et de la graisse ils en ognoient leur grand statue!" The -character of the charges preferred against the Templars proves that -their enemies had no serious crimes to allege against the order. Their -very virtues, indeed, were turned against them, for we are told that, -"to conceal the iniquity of their lives, they made much almsgiving, -constantly frequented church, comported themselves with edification, -frequently partook of the holy sacrament, and manifested always much -modesty and gentleness of deportment in the house, as well as in -public." - -During twelve days of severe imprisonment, the Templars remained -constant in the denial of the horrible crimes imputed to the -fraternity. The king's promises of pardon extracted from them no -confession of guilt, and they were therefore handed over to the tender -mercies of the brethren of St. Dominic, who were the most refined -and expert torturers of the day. On the 19th of October, the grand -inquisitor proceeded with his myrmidons to the Temple at Paris, and a -hundred and forty Templars were one after another put to the torture. -Days and weeks were consumed in the examination, and thirty-six -Templars perished in the hands of their tormentors, maintaining, with -unshaken constancy to the very last, the entire innocence of their -order! Many of them lost the use of their feet from the application -of the torture of fire, which was inflicted in the following -manner:--their legs were fastened in an iron frame, and the soles of -their feet were greased over with fat or butter; they were then placed -before the fire, and a screen was drawn backwards and forwards, so as -to moderate and regulate the heat. Such was the agony produced by this -roasting operation, that the victim often went raving mad. Brother -Bernarde de Vado, on subsequently revoking a confession of guilt, -wrung from him by this description of torment, says to the commissary -of police, before whom he was brought to be examined, "They held me -so long before a fierce fire that the flesh was burnt off my heels, -two pieces of bone came away, which I present to you."[147] Another -Templar, on publicly revoking his confession, declared that four of his -teeth were drawn out, and that he confessed himself guilty to save the -remainder. Others of the fraternity deposed to the infliction on them -of the most revolting and indecent torments;[148] and, in addition to -all this, it appears that forged letters from the Grand Master were -shown to the prisoners, exhorting them to confess themselves guilty! -Many of the Templars were accordingly compelled to acknowledge whatever -was required of them, and to plead guilty to the commission of crimes -which, in the previous interrogatories, they had positively denied. - -These violent proceedings excited the astonishment of Europe. On the -20th of November, the king of England summoned the seneschal of Agen -to his presence, and examined him concerning the truth of the horrible -charges preferred against the Templars; and on the 4th of December, -the English monarch wrote letters to the kings of Portugal, Castile, -Aragon, and Sicily, to the following effect:--"To the magnificent -prince the Lord Dionysius, by the grace of God the illustrious king -of Portugal, his very dear friend, Edward, by the same grace king of -England, &c. Health and prosperity. It is fit and proper, inasmuch as -it conduceth to the honour of God and the exaltation of the faith, -that we should prosecute with benevolence those who come recommended -to us by strenuous labours and incessant exertions in defence of the -Catholic faith, and for the destruction of the enemies of the cross of -Christ. Verily, a certain clerk (Bernard Peletin,) drawing nigh unto -our presence, applied himself, with all his might, to the destruction -of the order of the brethren of the Temple of Jerusalem. He dared to -publish before us and our council certain horrible and detestable -enormities repugnant to the Catholic faith, to the prejudice of the -aforesaid brothers, endeavouring to persuade us, through his own -allegations, as well as through certain letters which he had caused to -be addressed to us for that purpose, that by reason of the premises, -and without a due examination of the matter, we ought to imprison all -the brethren of the aforesaid order abiding in our dominions. But, -considering that the order, which hath been renowned for its religion -and its honour, and in times long since passed away was instituted, -as we have learned, by the Catholic Fathers, exhibits, and hath from -the period of its first foundation exhibited, a becoming devotion to -God and his holy church, and also, up to this time, hath afforded -succour and protection to the Catholic faith in parts beyond sea, it -appeared to us that a ready belief in an accusation of this kind, -hitherto altogether unheard of against the fraternity, was scarcely to -be expected. We affectionately ask, and require of your royal majesty, -that ye, with due diligence, consider of the premises, and turn a -deaf ear to the slanders of ill-natured men, who are animated, as we -believe, not with a zeal of rectitude, but with a spirit of _cupidity_ -and envy, permitting no injury unadvisedly to be done to the persons or -property of the brethren of the aforesaid order, dwelling within your -kingdom, until they have been legally convicted of the crimes laid to -their charge, or it shall happen to be otherwise ordered concerning -them in these parts." - -A few days after the transmission of this letter, king Edward wrote -to the pope, expressing his disbelief of the horrible and detestable -rumours spread abroad concerning the Templars. He represents them -to his holiness as universally respected by all men in his dominions -for the purity of their faith and morals. He expresses great sympathy -for the affliction and distress suffered by the Master and brethren, -by reason of the scandal circulated concerning them; and he strongly -urges the holy pontiff to clear, by some fair course of inquiry, -the character of the order from the unjust and infamous aspersions -cast against it.[149] On the 22nd of November, however, a fortnight -previously, the pope had issued the following bull to king Edward. -"Clement, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his very dear -son in Christ, Edward, the illustrious king of England, health and -apostolical blessing. - -"Presiding, though unworthy, on the throne of pastoral pre-eminence, -by the disposition of him who disposeth all things, we fervently seek -after this one thing above all others; we with ardent wishes aspire -to this, that shaking off the sleep of negligence, whilst watching -over the Lord's flock, by removing that which is hurtful, and taking -care of such things as are profitable, we may be able, by the divine -assistance, to bring souls to God. In truth, a long time ago, about -the period of our first promotion to the summit of the apostolical -dignity, there came to our ears a light rumour to the effect that the -Templars, though fighting ostensibly under the guise of religion, have -hitherto been secretly living in perfidious apostasy, and in detestable -heretical depravity. But, considering that their order, in times long -since passed away, shone forth with the grace of much nobility and -honour, and that they were for a length of time held in vast reverence -by the faithful, and that we had then heard of no suspicion concerning -the premises, or of evil report against them; and also, that from the -beginning of their religion, they have publicly borne the cross of -Christ, exposing their bodies and goods against the enemies of the -faith, for the acquisition, retention, and defence of the Holy Land, -consecrated by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, -we were unwilling to yield a ready belief to the accusation...." - -The holy pontiff then states, that afterwards, however, the same -dreadful intelligence was conveyed to the king of France, who, animated -by a lively zeal in the cause of religion, took immediate steps to -ascertain its truth. He describes the various confessions of the guilt -of idolatry and heresy made by the Templars in France, and requires the -king forthwith to cause all the Templars in his dominions to be taken -into custody on the same day. He directs him to hold them, in the name -of the pope, at the disposition of the Holy See, and to commit all -their real and personal property to the hands of certain trustworthy -persons, to be faithfully preserved until the holy pontiff shall give -further directions concerning it. King Edward received this bull -immediately after he had despatched his letter to the pope, exhorting -his holiness not to give ear to the accusations against the order. -The young king was now either convinced of the guilt of the Templars, -on the high authority of the sovereign pontiff, or hoped to turn the -proceedings against them to a profitable account, as he yielded a ready -and prompt compliance with the pontifical commands. An order in council -was made for the arrest of the Templars, and the seizure of their -property. Inventories were directed to be taken of their goods and -chattels, and provision was made for the sowing and tilling of their -lands during the period of their imprisonment. - -On the 26th of December the king wrote to the pope, informing his -holiness that he would carry his commands into execution in the best -and speediest way that he could; and on the 8th of January, A. D. 1308, -the Templars were suddenly arrested in all parts of England, and their -property was seized into the king's hands. Brother William de la More -was at this period Master of the Temple, or Preceptor of England. He -succeeded the Master Brian le Jay, who was slain, as before mentioned, -in the battle of Falkirk, and was taken prisoner, together with all -his brethren of the Temple at London, and committed to close custody in -Canterbury Castle. He was afterwards liberated on bail at the instance -of the bishop of Durham.[150] - -On the 12th of August, the pope addressed the bull _faciens -misericordiam_ to the English bishops as follows:--"Clement, bishop, -servant of the servants of God, to the venerable brethren the -archbishop of Canterbury, and his suffragans, health and apostolical -benediction. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, using mercy with -his servant, would have us taken up into the eminent mirror of the -apostleship, to this end, that being, though unworthy, his vicar upon -earth, we may, as far as human frailty will permit in all our actions -and proceedings, follow his footsteps." He describes the rumours -which had been spread abroad in France against the Templars, and his -unwillingness to believe them, "because it was not likely, nor did seem -credible, that such religious men, who continually shed their blood -for the name of Christ, and were thought to expose their persons to -danger of death for his sake; and who often showed many and great signs -of devotion, as well in the divine offices as in fasting and other -observances, should be so unmindful of their salvation as to perpetrate -such things; we were unwilling to give ear to the insinuations and -impeachments against them, being taught so to do by the example of -the same Lord of ours, and the writings of canonical doctrine. But -afterwards, our most dear son in Christ, Philip, the illustrious king -of the French, to whom the same crimes had been made known, _not -from motives of avarice_, (since he does not design to apply or to -appropriate to himself any portion of the estates of the Templars, -nay, has washed his hands of them!) but inflamed with zeal for the -orthodox faith, following the renowned footsteps of his ancestors, -getting what information he properly could upon the premises, gave -us much instruction in the matter by his messengers and letters." The -holy pontiff then gives a long account of the various confessions made -in France, and of the absolution granted to such of the Templars as -were truly contrite and penitent; he expresses his conviction of the -guilt of the order, and makes provision for the trial of the fraternity -in England. King Edward in the mean time, had begun to make free with -their property, and the pope, on the 4th of October, wrote to him to -the following effect: - -"Your conduct begins again to afford us no slight cause of affliction, -inasmuch as it hath been brought to our knowledge from the report of -several barons, that in contempt of the Holy See, and without fear of -offending the divine Majesty, you have, of your own sole authority, -distributed to different persons the property which belonged formerly -to the order of the Temple in your dominions, which you had got into -your hands at our command, and which ought to have remained at our -disposition.... We have therefore ordained that certain fit and proper -persons shall be sent into your kingdom, and to all parts of the world -where the Templars are known to have had property, to take possession -of the same conjointly with certain prelates specially deputed to that -end, and to make an inquisition concerning the execrable excesses -which the members of the order are said to have committed."[151] To -this letter of the supreme pontiff, king Edward sent the following -short and pithy reply:--"As to the goods of the Templars, we have done -nothing with them up to the present time, nor do we intend to do with -them aught but what we have a right to do, and what we know will be -acceptable to the Most High." - -On the 13th of September, A. D. 1309, the king granted letters of safe -conduct "to those discreet men, the abbot of Lagny, in the diocese of -Paris, and Master Sicard de Vaur, canon of Narbonne," the inquisitors -appointed by the pope to examine the Grand Preceptor and brethren of -the Temple in England; and the same day he wrote to the archbishop of -Canterbury, and the bishops of London and Lincoln, enjoining them to -be personally present with the papal inquisitors, at their respective -sees, as often as such inquisitors, or any one of them, should proceed -with their inquiries against the Templars.[152] - -Among the prisoners confined in the Tower were Brother William de la -More, Knight, Grand Preceptor of England, otherwise Master of the -Temple; Brother Himbert Blanke, Knight, Grand Preceptor of Auvergne, -one of the veteran warriors who had fought to the last in defence of -Palestine, had escaped the slaughter at Acre, and had accompanied -the Grand Master from Cyprus to France, whence he crossed over to -England, and was rewarded for his meritorious and memorable services, -in defence of the christian faith, with a dungeon in the Tower. Brother -_Radulph de Barton_, priest of the order of the Temple, custos or -guardian of the Temple church, and prior of London; Brother _Michael -de Baskeville_, Knight, Preceptor of London; Brother _John de Stoke_, -Knight, Treasurer of the Temple at London; together with many other -knights and serving brethren of the same house. There were also in -custody in the Tower the Knights Preceptors of the preceptories of -Ewell in Kent, of Daney and Dokesworth in Cambridgeshire, of Getinges -in Gloucestershire, of Cumbe in Somersetshire, of Schepeley in Surrey, -of Samford and Bistelesham in Oxfordshire, of Garwy in Herefordshire, -of Cressing in Essex, of Pafflet, Huppleden, and other preceptories, -together with several priests and chaplains of the order. A general -scramble appears to have taken place for possession of the goods -and chattels of the imprisoned Templars; and the king, to check the -robberies that were committed, appointed Alan de Goldyngham and John -de Medefeld to inquire into the value of the property that had been -carried off, and to inform him of the names of the parties who had -obtained possession of it. The sheriffs of the different counties were -also directed to summon juries, through whom the truth might he better -obtained.[153] - -On the 22nd of September, the archbishop of Canterbury, acting in -obedience to the papal commands, before a single witness had been -examined in England, caused to be published in all churches and -chapels a papal bull, wherein the pope declares himself perfectly -convinced of the guilt of the order, and solemnly denounces the -penalty of excommunication against all persons, of whatever rank, -station, or condition in life, whether clergy or laity, who should -knowingly afford, either publicly or privately, assistance, counsel, or -kindness to the Templars, or should dare to shelter them, or give them -countenance or protection, and also laying under interdict all cities, -castles, lands and places, which should harbour any of the members of -the proscribed order! At the commencement of the month of October, the -inquisitors arrived in England, and immediately published the bull -appointing the commission, enjoining the citation of criminals, and of -witnesses, and denouncing the heaviest ecclesiastical censures against -the disobedient, and against every person who should dare to impede the -inquisitors in the exercise of their functions. Citations were made in -St. Paul's Cathedral, and in all the churches of the ecclesiastical -province of Canterbury, at the end of high mass, requiring the Templars -to appear before the inquisitors at a certain time and place, and -the articles of accusation were transmitted to the constable of the -Tower, in Latin, French, and English, to be read to all the Templars -imprisoned in that fortress. - -On Monday, the 20th of October, after the Templars had been languishing -in the English prisons for more than a year and eight months, the -tribunal constituted by the pope to take the inquisition in the -province of Canterbury assembled in the episcopal hall of London. It -was composed of the bishop of London Dieudonne, abbot of the monastery -of Lagny, in the diocese of Paris, and Sicard de Vaur, canon of -Narbonne, the pope's chaplain, and hearer of causes in the pontifical -palace. They were assisted by several foreign notaries. After the -reading of the papal bulls, and some preliminary proceedings, the -articles of accusation, a monument of human folly, superstition, and -credulity, were solemnly exhibited. It was urged against the Templars: -"1. That at their first reception into the order, or at some time -afterwards, or as soon as an opportunity occurred, they were induced -or admonished by those who had received them within the bosom of the -fraternity, to deny Christ or Jesus, or the crucifixion, or at one -time God, and at another time the blessed Virgin, and sometimes all -the saints.--5. That the receivers told and instructed those that -were received, that Christ was not the true God, or sometimes Jesus, -or sometimes the person crucified.--7. That they said he had not -suffered for the redemption of mankind, nor been crucified but for -his own sins.--9. That they made those they received into the order -spit upon the cross, or upon the sign or figure of the cross, or the -image of Christ.--10. That they caused the cross itself to be trampled -under foot.--11. That the brethren themselves did sometimes trample on -the same cross.--12. Item quod mingebant interdum, et alios mingere -faciebant, super ipsam crucem.--14. That they worshipped a cat, which -was placed in the midst of the congregation.--16. That they did not -believe the sacrament of the altar nor the other sacraments of the -church.--24. That they believed, and so it was told them, that the -Grand Master of the order could absolve them from their sins.--25. That -the visitor could do so.--26. That the preceptors, of whom many were -laymen, could do it.--36. That the receptions of the brethren were made -clandestinely.--37. That none were present but the brothers of the -said order.--38. That for this reason there has for a long time been a -vehement suspicion against them." - -The succeeding articles charge the Templars with crimes and abominations -too horrible and disgusting to be named. - -"46. That the brothers themselves had idols in every province, viz. -heads; some of which had three faces, and some one, and some a man's -skull.--47. That they adored that idol, or those idols, especially -in their great chapters and assemblies--48. That they worshipped -them.--49. As their God.--50. As their Saviour.--51. That some of them -did so.--52. That the greater part did.--53. They said that those -heads could save them.--54. That they could produce riches.--55. That -they had given to the order all its wealth.--56. That they caused -the earth to bring forth seed.--57. That they made the trees to -nourish.--58. That they bound or touched the heads of the said idols -with cords, wherewith they bound themselves about their shirts, or -next their skins.--59. That at their reception the aforesaid little -cords, or others of the same length, were delivered to each of the -brothers.--60. That they did this in worship of their idols.--61. That -it was enjoined them to gird themselves with the said little cords, as -before mentioned, and continually to wear them.--62. That the brethren -of the order were generally received in that manner.--63. That they did -these things out of devotion.--64. That they did them everywhere.--65. -That the greater part did.--66. That those who refused the things above -mentioned at their reception, or to observe them afterwards, were -killed or cast into prison."[154] The remaining articles, twenty-one in -number, are directed principally to the mode of confession practised -amongst the fraternity, and to matters of heretical depravity.--Such an -accusation as this, justly remarks Voltaire, _destroys itself_. - -Brother William de la More, and thirty more of his brethren, being -interrogated before the inquisitors, positively denied the guilt of -the order, and affirmed that the Templars who had made the confession -alluded to in France _had lied_. They were ordered to be brought up -separately to be examined. On the 23rd of October, Brother William -Raven, being interrogated as to the mode of his reception into the -order, states that he was admitted by Brother William de la More, the -Master of the Temple at Temple Coumbe, in the diocese of Bath; that he -petitioned the brethren of the Temple that they would be pleased to -receive him into the order to serve God and the blessed Virgin Mary, -and to end his life in their service; that he was asked if he had a -firm wish so to do; and replied that he had; that two brothers then -expounded to him the strictness and severity of the order, and told him -that he would not be allowed to act after his own will, but must follow -the will of the preceptor; that if he wished to do one thing, he would -be ordered to do another; and that if he wished to be at one place, -he would be sent to another; that having promised so to act, he swore -upon the holy gospels of God to obey the Master, to hold no property, -to preserve chastity, never to consent that any man should be unjustly -despoiled of his heritage, and never to lay violent hands on any man, -except in self-defence, or upon the Saracens. He states that the oath -was administered to him in the chapel of the preceptory of Temple -Coumbe, in the presence only of the brethren of the order; that the -rule was read over to him by one of the brothers, and that a learned -serving brother, named John de Walpole, instructed him, for the space -of one month, upon the matters contained in it. The prisoner was then -taken back to the Tower, and was directed to be strictly separated from -his brethren, and not to be suffered to speak to any one of them. - -The next two days (October 24th and 25th) were taken up with a similar -examination of Brothers Hugh de Tadecastre and Thomas le Chamberleyn, -who gave precisely the same account of their reception as the previous -witness. Brother Hugh de Tadecastre added, that he swore to succour -the Holy Land with all his might, and defend it against the enemies of -the christian faith; and that after he had taken the customary oaths -and the three vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, the mantle of -the order with the cross and the coif were delivered to him in the -church, in the presence of the Master, the knights, and the brothers, -all seculars being excluded. Brother Thomas le Chamberleyn added, that -there was the same mode of reception in England as beyond sea, and the -same mode of taking the vows; that all seculars were excluded, and that -when he himself entered the Temple church to be professed, the door -by which he entered was closed after him; that there was another door -looking into the cemetery, but that no stranger could enter that way. -On being asked why none but the brethren of the order were permitted to -be present at the reception and profession of brothers, he said he knew -of no reason, but that it was so written in their book of rules. - -Between the 25th of October and the 17th of November, thirty-three -knights, chaplains, and serving brothers, were examined, all of whom -positively denied every article imputing crime or infidelity to their -order. When Brother Himbert Blanke was asked why they had made the -reception and profession of brethren secret, he replied, "through our -own unaccountable folly." They avowed that they wore little cords -round their shirts, but for no bad end; they declared that they never -touched idols with them, but that they were worn by way of penance, or -according to a knight of forty-three years standing, by the instruction -of the holy father St. Bernard. Brother Richard de Goldyngham says that -he knows nothing further about them than that they were called girdles -of chastity. They state that the receivers and the party received -kissed one another on the face, but everything else regarding the -kissing was false, abominable, and had never been done. - -Radulph de Barton, priest of the order of the Temple, and custos or -guardian of the Temple church at London, stated, with regard to Article -24, that the Grand Master in chapter could absolve the brothers from -offences committed against the rules and observances of the order, but -not from private sin, as he was not a priest; that it was perfectly -true that those who were received into the order swore not to reveal -the secrets of the chapter, and that when any one was punished in the -chapter, those who were present at it durst not reveal it to such as -were absent; but if any brother revealed the mode of his reception, -he would be deprived of his chamber, or else stripped of his habit. -He declares that the brethren were not prohibited from confessing to -priests not belonging to the order of the Temple; and that he had never -heard of the crimes and iniquities mentioned in the articles of inquiry -previous to his arrest, except as regarded the charges made against -the order by Bernard Peletin, when he came to England from king Philip -of France. He states that he had been custos of the Temple church -at London for ten years, and for the last two years had enjoyed the -dignity of preceptor at the same place. He was asked about the death -of Brother Walter le Bachelor, knight, formerly Preceptor of Ireland, -who died in the Temple at London, but he declares that he knows nothing -about it, except that the said Walter was fettered and placed in -prison, and there died; that he certainly had heard that great severity -had been practised towards him, but that he had not meddled with the -affair on account of the danger of so doing; he admitted also that the -aforesaid Walter was not buried in the cemetery of the Temple, as he -was considered excommunicated on account of his disobedience of his -superior, and of the rule of the order. - -Many of the brethren thus examined had been from twenty to thirty, -forty, forty-two, and forty-three years in the order, and some were old -veteran warriors who had fought for many a long year in the thirsty -plains of Palestine. Brother Himbert Blanke, Knight, Preceptor of -Auvergne, had been in the order thirty-eight years. He was received -at the city of Tyre, had been engaged in constant warfare against the -infidels, and had fought to the last in defence of Acre. Brother Robert -le Scott, Knight, a brother of twenty-six years' standing, had been -received at the Pilgrim's Castle, the famous fortress of the Knights -Templars in Palestine, by the Grand Master, Brother William de Beaujeu, -the hero who died so gloriously at the head of his knights at the last -siege and storming of Acre. He states that from levity of disposition -he quitted the order after it had been driven out of Palestine, and -absented himself for two years, during which period he came to Rome, -and confessed to the pope's penitentiary, who imposed on him a heavy -penance, and enjoined him to return to his brethren in the East, and -that he went back and resumed his habit at Nicosia in the island of -Cyprus, and was re-admitted to the order by command of the Grand -Master, James de Molay. He adds, also, that Brother Himbert Blanke (the -previous witness) was present at his first reception at the Pilgrim's -Castle. - -On the 22nd day of the inquiry, the following entry was made on the -record of the proceedings:--"Memorandum. Brothers Philip de Mewes, -Thomas de Burton, and Thomas de Staundon, were advised and earnestly -exhorted to abandon their religious profession, who severally replied -that they would rather die than do so." On the 19th and 20th of -November, seven lay witnesses, unconnected with the order, were -examined before the inquisitors in the chapel of the monastery of the -Holy Trinity. Master William le Dorturer, notary public, declared that -the Templars rose at midnight, and held their chapters before dawn, and -he _thought_ that the mystery and secrecy of the receptions were owing -to a bad rather than a good motive, but declared that he had never -observed that they had acquired, or had attempted to acquire, anything -unjustly. Master Gilbert de Bruere, clerk, said that he had never -suspected them of anything worse than an excessive correction of the -brethren. William Lambert, formerly a "messenger of the Temple," knew -nothing bad of the Templars, and thought them perfectly innocent of all -the matters alluded to. And Richard de Barton, priest, and Radulph de -Rayndon, an old man, both declared that they knew nothing of the order, -or of the members of it, but what was good and honourable. - -On the 25th of November, a provincial council of the church, composed -of the bishops, abbots, priors, heads of colleges, and all the -principal clergy, assembled in St. Paul's Cathedral, and a papal bull -was read, in which the holy pontiff dwells most pathetically upon the -awful sins of the Templars, and their great and tremendous fall from -their previous high estate. Hitherto, says he, they have been renowned -throughout the world as the special champions of the faith, and the -chief defenders of the Holy Land, whose affairs have been mainly -regulated by those brothers. The church, following them and their order -with the plenitude of its especial favour and regard, armed them with -the emblem of the cross against the enemies of Christ, exalted them -with much honour, enriched them with wealth, and fortified them with -various liberties and privileges. The holy pontiff displays the sad -report of their sins and iniquities which reached his ears, filled -him with bitterness and grief, disturbed his repose, smote him with -horror, injured his health, and caused his body to waste away! He gives -a long account of the crimes imputed to the order, of the confessions -and depositions that had been made in France, and then bursts out into -a paroxysm of grief, declares that the melancholy affair deeply moved -all the faithful, that all Christianity was shedding bitter tears, was -overwhelmed with grief, and clothed with mourning. He concludes by -decreeing the assembly of a general council of the church at Vienne to -pronounce the abolition of the order, and to determine on the disposal -of its property, to which council the English clergy are required to -send representatives. - -In Scotland, in the mean time, similar proceedings had been instituted -against the order. On the 17th of November, Brother Walter de Clifton -being examined in the parish church of the Holy Cross at Edinburgh, -before the bishop of St. Andrews and John de Solerio, the pope's -chaplain, states that the brethren of the order of the Temple in the -kingdom of Scotland received their orders, rules, and observances from -the Master of the Temple in England, and that the Master in England -received the rules and observances of the order from the Grand Master -and the chief convent in the East; that the Grand Master or his deputy -was in the habit of visiting the order in England and elsewhere; of -summoning chapters and making regulations for the conduct of the -brethren, and the administration of their property. Being asked as to -the mode of his reception, he states that when William de la More, the -Master, held his chapter at the preceptory of Temple Bruere in the -county of Lincoln, he sought of the assembled brethren the habit and -the fellowship of the order; that they told him that he little knew -what it was he asked, in seeking to be admitted to their fellowship; -that it would be a very hard matter for him, who was then his own -master, to become the servant of another, and to have no will of his -own; but notwithstanding their representations of the rigour of their -rules and observances, he still continued earnestly to seek their habit -and fellowship. He states that they then led him to the chamber of the -Master, where they held their chapter, and that there, on his bended -knees, and with his hands clasped, he again prayed for the habit and -the fellowship of the Temple; that the Master and the brethren then -required him to answer questions to the following effect:--Whether he -had a dispute with any man, or owed any debts? whether he was betrothed -to any woman? and whether he had any secret infirmity of body? or -knew of anything to prevent him from remaining within the bosom of the -fraternity? And having answered all these questions satisfactorily, the -Master then asked of the surrounding brethren, "Do ye give your consent -to the reception of Brother Walter?" who unanimously answered that they -did; and the Master and the brethren then standing up, received him the -said Walter in this manner. On his bended knees, and with his hands -joined, he solemnly promised that he would be the perpetual servant of -the Master, and of the order, and of the brethren, for the purpose of -defending the Holy Land. Having done this, the Master took out of the -hands of a brother chaplain of the order the book of the holy gospels, -upon which was depicted a cross, and laying his hand upon the book, and -upon the cross, he swore to God and the blessed Virgin Mary to be for -ever thereafter chaste, obedient, and to live without property. And -then the Master gave to him the white mantle, and placed the coif on -his head and admitted him to the kiss on the mouth, after which he made -him sit down on the ground, and admonished him to the following effect: -that from thenceforth he was to sleep in his shirt, drawers, and -stockings, girded with a small cord over his shirt; that he was never -to tarry in a house where there was a woman in the family way; never to -be present at a marriage or at the purification of women; and likewise -instructed and informed him upon several other particulars. Being asked -where he had passed his time since his reception, he replied that he -had dwelt three years at the preceptory of Blancradok in Scotland; -three years at Temple Newsom in England; one year at the Temple at -London, and three years at Aslakeby. Being asked concerning the other -brothers in Scotland, he stated that John de Hueflete was Preceptor of -Blancradok, the chief house of the order in that country, and that he -and the other brethren, having heard of the arrest of the Templars, -threw off their habits, and fled, and that he had not since heard aught -concerning them. - -Forty-one witnesses, chiefly abbots, priors, monks, priests, and -serving men, and retainers of the order in Scotland, were examined -upon various interrogatories, but nothing of a criminatory nature -was elicited. The monks observed that the receptions of other orders -were public, and were celebrated as great religious solemnities, and -the friends, parents, and neighbours of the party about to take the -vows were invited to attend; while the Templars, on the other hand, -shrouded their proceedings in mystery and secrecy, and therefore they -_suspected_ the worst. The priests thought them guilty, because they -were always against the church! Others condemned them because (as they -say) the Templars closed their doors against the poor and the humble, -and extended hospitality only to the rich and the powerful. The abbot -of the monastery of the Holy Cross at Edinburgh declared that they -appropriated to themselves the property of their neighbours, right -or wrong. The abbot of Dumferlyn knew nothing of his own knowledge -against them, but had _heard_ much, and _suspected_ more. The serving -men and the tillers of the lands of the order stated that the chapters -were held sometimes by night and sometimes by day, with extraordinary -secrecy; and some of the witnesses had heard old men say that the -Templars would never have lost the Holy Land if they had been good -Christians! - -On the 9th of January, A. D. 1310, the examination of witnesses was -resumed at London, in the parish church of St. Dunstan's West, near -the Temple. The rector of the church of St. Mary de la Strode declared -that he had strong _suspicions_ of the guilt of the Templars; he had, -however, often been at the Temple church, and had observed that the -priests performed divine service there just the same as elsewhere. -William de Cumbrook, of St. Clement's church, near the Temple, the -vicar of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and many other priests and -clergymen of different churches in London, all declared that they had -nothing to allege against the order. - -On the 27th of January, Brother John de Stoke, a serving brother of the -order of the Temple, of seventeen years' standing, being examined by -the inquisitors in the chapel of the Blessed Mary of Berkyngecherche -at London, states, amongst other things, that secular persons were -allowed to be present at the burial of Templars; that the brethren -of the order all received the sacraments of the church at their last -hour, and were attended to the grave by a chaplain of the Temple. Being -interrogated concerning the burial of the Knight Templar Brother Walter -le Bacheler, Grand Preceptor of Ireland, who had been confined in the -penitential cell in the Temple, for disobedience to his superiors, -and was reported to have been there starved to death, he deposes that -the said knight was buried like any other Christian, except that he -was not buried in the burying-ground, but in the court of the house -of the Temple at London; that he confessed to Brother Richard de -Grafton, a priest of the order, then in the island of Cyprus, and -partook, as he believed, of the sacrament. He states that he himself -and Brother Radulph de Barton carried him to his grave at the dawn of -day, and that the deceased knight was in prison, as he believes, for -the space of eight weeks; that he was not buried in the habit of his -order, and was interred without the cemetery of the brethren, because -he was considered to be excommunicated, in pursuance, as he believed, -of a rule or statute among the Templars, to the effect that every one -who privily made away with the property of the order, and did not -acknowledge his fault, was deemed excommunicated. - -On the 30th of March, the papal inquisitors opened their commission -at Lincoln, and numerous Templars were examined in the chapter-house -of the cathedral, amongst whom were some of the veteran warriors of -Palestine, who had moistened with their blood the distant plains of -the far East. Brother William de Winchester, a member of twenty-six -years' standing, stated that he had been received into the order at -the castle _de la Roca Guille_, in the province of Armenia, bordering -on Syria, by the valiant Grand Master William de Beaujeu. He states -that the same mode of reception existed there as in England, and -everywhere throughout the order. Brother Robert de Hamilton declares -that the girdles said to be worn by the brethren were called girdles -of Nazareth, because they had been pressed against the column of the -Virgin at that place, and were worn in remembrance of the blessed Mary. - -At York, the examination commenced on the 28th of April, and lasted -until the 4th of May, during which period twenty-three Templars, -prisoners in York Castle, were examined in the chapter-house of the -cathedral, and followed the example of their brethren in maintaining -their innocence. Brother Thomas de Stanford, a member of thirty years' -standing, had been received in the East by the Grand Master William -de Beaujeu, and Brother Radulph de Rostona, a priest of the order, of -twenty-three years' standing, had been received at the preceptory of -Lentini in Sicily, by Brother William de Canello, the Grand Preceptor -of Sicily. Brother Stephen de Radenhall refused to reveal the mode of -reception, because it formed part of the secrets of the chapter, and -if he discovered them he would lose his chamber, be stripped of his -mantle, or be committed to prison.[155] - -The proceedings against the order in France had, in the mean time, -assumed a most sanguinary character. On the 28th of March, (A. D. 1310) -five hundred and forty-six Templars, who persisted in maintaining the -innocence of their order, were assembled in the garden of the bishop's -palace at Paris, to hear the articles of accusation read over to them, -and a committee of their number was authorised to draw up a written -defence. They asked to have an interview with the Grand Master and -the heads of the order, but this was refused. The total number of -Templars, immured in the prisons of Paris, was nine hundred. In the -course of the examination before the papal commissioners, Brother -Laurent de Beaume produced a letter which had been sent to him and -his fellow-prisoners at Sens, warning them against a retractation of -their confessions in the following terms: "_Sachez que notre pere le -pape a mande que tuit cil qui aurent fayt les suizitos confessions -devant ses anvouez, qui en cele confessions ne voudroient perseveres, -que il sorent mis a damnazion et destruit au feu._" This threat was -carried into execution, and Brother Laurent de Beaume was one of the -first victims. The defence drawn up by the brethren and presented -to the commissioners by Brother Peter de Bologna, begins by stating -the origin and objects of their institution, the vows to which they -subjected themselves, and the mode in which persons were received into -the fraternity. They give a frightful account of the tortures that had -been inflicted upon them, and declare that those who had escaped with -life from the hands of the tormentors, were either ruined in health -or injured in intellect, and that as pardon and forgiveness had been -freely offered to those knights who would confess, it was not wonderful -that false confessions had been made. They observed that a vast number -of knights had died in prison, and they exhorted the commissioners to -interrogate the guards, jailers, and executioners, and those who saw -them in their last moments, concerning the declarations and confessions -they had made at the peril of their souls when dying. They maintained -that it was a most extraordinary thing that so many knights of -distinguished birth and noble blood, members of the most illustrious -families in Europe, should have remained from an early age up to the -day of their death, members of the order, and should never, in days -of sickness, or at the hour of death, have revealed any of the horrid -iniquities and abominations charged against it.[156] All the Templars, -indeed, who had made confessions were rapidly following one another's -example in retracting them, and maintaining their innocence, and the -king hastened to arrest the unfavourable march of events. - -The archbishop of Sens, whose ecclesiastical authority extended over -the diocese of Paris, having died, the king obtained the vacant see for -Philip de Martigny, a creature of his own, who was installed therein -in the month of April. In a letter to Clement urging this appointment, -Philip reminds the holy pontiff that the new archbishop would have to -preside over a provincial council wherein would be transacted many -things which immediately concerned the glory of God, the stability of -the faith, and of the holy church. Immediately after the enthronement -of this new archbishop, the provincial council of Sens was convoked at -Paris, and on the 10th of May, all the Templars who had revoked their -confessions, and had come forward to maintain the innocence of their -order, were dragged before it, and sentence of death was passed upon -them by the archbishop in the following terms:--"You have avowed," said -he, "that the brethren who are received into the order of the Temple -are compelled to renounce Christ and spit upon the cross, and that you -yourselves have participated in that crime; you have thus acknowledged -that you have fallen into the sin of _heresy_. By your confession -and repentance you had merited absolution, and had once more become -reconciled to the church. As you have revoked your confession, the -church no longer regards you as reconciled, but as having fallen back -to your first errors. You are, therefore, _relapsed heretics_, and as -such, we condemn you to the fire!" As soon as the commissioners had -received intelligence of this extraordinary decree, they despatched -messengers to the archbishop and his suffragans, praying them to delay -the execution of their sentence, as very many persons affirmed that the -Templars who died in prison had proclaimed with their last breath the -innocence of their order. But these representations were of no avail. -The archbishop, who was paying the price of his elevation to a hard -creditor, proceeded to make short work of the business. - -The very next morning, (Tuesday, May 12,) fifty-four Templars were -handed over to the secular arm, and were led out to execution by the -king's officers. They were conducted, at daybreak, into the open -country, in the environs of the Porte St. Antoine des Champs at -Paris, and were there fastened to stakes driven into the ground, and -surrounded by faggots and charcoal. In this situation, they saw the -torches lighted, and the executioners approaching to accomplish their -task, and they were once more offered pardon and favour if they would -confess the _guilt_ of their order; they persisted in the maintenance -of its _innocence_, and were burnt to death in a most cruel manner -before slow fires! All historians speak with admiration of the heroism -and intrepidity with which they met their fate. Many hundred other -Templars were dragged from the dungeons of Paris before the archbishop -of Sens and his council. Those whom neither the agony of torture nor -the fear of death could overcome, but who remained stedfast amid all -their trials in the maintenance of their innocence, were condemned to -perpetual imprisonment as _unreconciled heretics_; whilst those who, -having made the required confessions of guilt, continued to persevere -in them, received absolution, were declared reconciled to the church, -and were set at liberty.[157] - -On the 18th of August, four other Templars were condemned as relapsed -heretics by the council of Sens, and were likewise burnt by the Porte -St. Antoine; and it is stated that a hundred and thirteen Templars -were, from first to last, burnt at the stake in Paris. Many others -were burned in Lorraine; in Normandy; at Carcassone; and nine, or, -according to some writers, twenty-nine, were burnt by the archbishop -of Rheims at Senlis! King Philip's officers, indeed, not content -with their inhuman cruelty towards the living, invaded the sanctity -of the tomb; they dragged a dead Templar, who had been treasurer of -the 93. Temple at Paris, from his grave, and burnt the mouldering -corpse as a heretic. In the midst of all these sanguinary atrocities, -the examinations continued before the ecclesiastical tribunals. Many -aged and illustrious warriors, who merited a better fate, appeared -before their judges pale and trembling. At first they revoked their -confessions, declared their innocence, and were remanded to prison; and -then, panic-stricken, they demanded to be led back before the papal -commissioners, when they abandoned their retractations, persisted -in their previous avowals of _guilt_, humbly expressed their sorrow -and repentance, and were then pardoned, absolved, and reconciled to -the church! The torture still continued to be applied, and out of -thirty-three Templars confined in the chateau d'Alaix, four died in -prison, and the remaining twenty confessed, amongst other things, the -following absurdities:--that in the provincial chapter of the order -held at Montpelier, the Templars set up a head and worshipped it; that -the devil often appeared there in the shape of a cat, and conversed -with the assembled brethren, and promised them a good harvest, with the -possession of riches, and all kinds of temporal property. Some asserted -that the head worshipped by the fraternity possessed a long beard; -others that it was a woman's head; and one of the prisoners declared -that as often as this wonderful head was adored, a great number of -devils made their appearance in the shape of beautiful women...!! - -We must now unfold the dark page in the history of the order in -England. All the Templars in custody in this country had been -examined separately, and had, notwithstanding, deposed in substance -to the same effect, and given the same account of their reception -into the order, and of the oaths that they took. Any reasonable and -impartial mind would consequently have been satisfied of the truth -of their statements; but it was not the object of the inquisitors to -obtain evidence of the _innocence_, but proof of the _guilt_ of the -order. At first, king Edward the Second, to his honour, forbade the -infliction of torture upon the illustrious members of the Temple in his -dominions--men who had fought and bled for Christendom, and of whose -piety and morals he had a short time before given such ample testimony -to the principal sovereigns of Europe. But the virtuous resolution of -the weak king was speedily overcome by the all-powerful influence of -the Roman pontiff, who wrote to him in the month of June, upbraiding -him for preventing the inquisitors from submitting the Templars to the -discipline of the rack. Influenced by the admonitions of the pope, -and the solicitations of the clergy, king Edward sent orders to the -constable of the Tower, to deliver up the Templars to certain gaolers -appointed by the inquisitors, in order that the inquisitors might -do with the bodies of the Templars whatever should seem fitting, in -accordance with ecclesiastical law. The ecclesiastical council then -assembled, and ordered that the Templars should be again confined in -separate cells; that fresh interrogatories should be prepared, to see -if by such means the _truth_ could be extracted, and if by straitenings -and confinement they would _confess nothing further_, then the torture -was to be applied; but it was provided that the examination by torture -should be conducted without the PERPETUAL MUTILATION OR DISABLING OF -ANY LIMB, AND WITHOUT A VIOLENT EFFUSION OF BLOOD! and the inquisitors -and the bishops of London and Chichester were to notify the result to -the archbishop of Canterbury, that he might again convene the assembly -for the purpose of passing sentence, either of absolution or of -condemnation. - -Fresh instructions were then sent by the king to the constable of the -Tower, and the sheriffs of London, informing them that the king, on -account of his respect for the holy apostolical see, had conceded to -the inquisitors the power of examining the Templars by TORTURE; and -strictly enjoining them to deliver up the Templars to the inquisitors, -and receive them back when required so to do. The king then acquainted -the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of his faithful city of London, -that out of reverence to the pope he had authorised the inquisitors, -sent over by his holiness, to question the Templars by TORTURE; and he -commands them, in case it should be notified to them by the inquisitors -that the prisons provided by the sheriffs were insufficient for their -purposes, to procure without fail fit and convenient houses in the -city, or near thereto, for carrying into effect the contemplated -measures. Shortly afterwards, he again wrote to the mayor, aldermen, -and commonalty of London, acquainting them that the sheriffs had made -a return to his writ, to the effect that the four gates (prisons) of -the city were not under their charge, and that they could not therefore -obtain them for the purposes required; and he commands the mayor, -aldermen, and commonalty, to place those four gates at the disposal -of the sheriffs. Shortly afterwards orders were given for all the -Templars in custody in London to be loaded with chains and fetters! -the myrmidons of the inquisitors were to be allowed to make periodical -visits to see that the imprisonment was properly carried into effect, -and were to be allowed to TORTURE the bodies of the Templars in any way -that they might think fit.[158] - -On the 30th of March, A. D. 1311, the examination was resumed -before the inquisitors, and the bishops of London and Chichester, -at the several churches of St. Martin's Ludgate, and St. Botolph's -Bishopsgate. The Templars had now been in prison in England for the -space of three years and some months. During the whole of the previous -winter they had been confined in chains in the dungeons of the city -of London, compelled to receive their scanty supply of food from the -officers of the inquisition, and to suffer from cold, from hunger, and -from torture. They had been made to endure all the horrors of solitary -confinement, and had none to solace or to cheer them during the long -hours of their melancholy captivity. They had been already condemned -collectively by the pope, as members of an heretical and idolatrous -society, and as long as they continued to persist in the truth of -their first confessions, and in the avowal of their innocence, they -were treated as obstinate, unreconciled heretics, living in a state -of excommunication, and doomed, when dead, to everlasting punishment -in hell. They had heard of the miserable fate of their brethren in -France, and they knew that those who had confessed crimes of which -they had never been guilty, had been immediately declared reconciled -to the church, had been absolved and set at liberty, and they knew -that freedom, pardon, and peace could be immediately purchased by a -confession of guilt; notwithstanding all which, every Templar, at this -last examination, persisted in the maintenance of his innocence, and -in the denial of all knowledge of, or participation in, the crimes -and heresies imputed to the order. They were therefore again sent -back to their dungeons, and loaded with chains; and the inquisitors, -disappointed of the desired confessions, addressed themselves to the -enemies of the order for the necessary proofs of guilt. - -During the month of April, seventy-two witnesses were examined in -the chapter-house of the Holy Trinity. They were nearly all monks, -Carmelites, Augustinians, Dominicans, and Minorites; their evidence -is all hearsay, and the nature of it will be seen from the following -choice specimens:--Henry Thanet, an Irishman, had _heard_ that a -certain Preceptor of the Pilgrim's Castle was in the habit of making -all the brethren he received into the order deny Christ. He had _heard_ -also that a certain Templar had in his custody a brazen head with two -faces, which would answer all questions put to it!--Master John de -Nassington had _heard_ that the Templars celebrated a solemn festival -once a year, at which they worshipped a _calf_!--John de Eure, knight, -sheriff of the county of York, deposed that he had once invited Brother -William de la Fenne, Preceptor of Wesdall, to dine with him, and that -after dinner the Preceptor drew a book out of his bosom, and delivered -it to the knight's lady to read, who found a piece of paper fastened -into the book, on which were written abominable heretical doctrines, to -the effect that Christ was not the Son of God, nor born of a virgin, -but conceived of the seed of Joseph, the husband of Mary, after the -manner of other men, and that Christ was not a true but a false -prophet, and was not crucified for the redemption of mankind, but for -his own sins; and many other things contrary to the christian faith. On -the production of this important evidence, Brother William de la Fenne -was called in and interrogated; he admitted that he had dined with the -sheriff of York, and had lent his lady a book to read, but he swore -that he was ignorant of the piece of paper fastened into the book, and -of its contents. It appears that the sheriff of York had kept this -discovery to himself for the space of six years! - -William de la Forde, a priest, rector of the parish of Crofton in the -diocese of York, had _heard_ William de Reynbur, priest of the order -of St. Augustine, who was then dead, say, that the Templar, Brother -Patrick of Rippon, son of William of Gloucester, had confessed to him, -that at his entrance into the order, he was led, clothed only in his -shirt and trousers, through a long passage to a secret chamber, and -was there made to deny his God and his Saviour; that he was then shown -a representation of the crucifixion, and was told that since he had -previously honoured that emblem he must now dishonour it and spit upon -it, and that he did so. "Item dictum fuit ei quod, depositis brachis, -dorsum verteret ad crucifixum," and this he did bitterly weeping. -After this they brought an image, as it were, of a calf, placed upon -an altar, and they told him he must kiss that image, and worship it, -and he did so; and after all this they covered up his eyes and led him -about, kissing and being kissed by all the brethren, but he could not -recollect in what part. The worthy priest was asked when he had _first -heard_ all these things, and he replied _after_ the arrest of the -brethren by the king's orders! - -Robert of Oteringham, senior of the order of Minorites, stated that on -one occasion he was partaking of the hospitality of the Templars at -the preceptory of Ribstane in Yorkshire, and that when grace had been -said after supper, the chaplain of the order reprimanded the brethren, -saying, "The devil will burn you;" and hearing a bustle, he got up, -and, as far as he recollects, saw one of the brothers of the Temple, -"brachis depositis, tenentem faciem versus occidentem et posteriora -versus altare!" He then states, that about twenty years before that -time, he was the guest of the Templars, at the preceptory of Wetherby -in Yorkshire, and when evening came he heard that the preceptor was not -coming to supper, as he was arranging some relics that he had brought -with him from the Holy Land, and afterwards at midnight he heard a -confused noise in the chapel, and getting up he looked through the -keyhole, and saw a great light therein, either from a fire or from -candles, and on the morrow he asked one of the brethren of the Temple -the name of the saint in whose honour they had celebrated so grand a -festival during the night, and that brother, aghast and turning pale, -thinking he had seen what had been done amongst them, said to him, "Go -thy way, and if you love me, or have any regard for your own life, -never speak of this matter!" Brother John de Wederel, another Minorite, -stated that he had lately _heard_ in the country, that a Templar, -named Robert de Baysat, was once seen running about a meadow uttering, -"Alas! alas! that ever I was born, seeing that I have denied God and -sold myself to the devil!" Brother N. de Chinon, another Minorite, had -_heard_ that a certain Templar had a son who peeped through a chink -in the wall of the chapter-room and saw a person who was about to be -professed, slain because he would not deny Christ, and afterwards the -boy was asked by his father to become a Templar, but refused, and he -immediately shared the same fate. Twenty other witnesses, who were -examined in each other's presence, related similar absurdities. - -At this stage of the proceedings, the papal inquisitor, Sicard de -Vaur, exhibited two rack-extorted confessions of Templars which had -been obtained in France. The first was from Robert de St. Just, who -had been received into the order by Brother Himbert, Grand Preceptor -of England, but had been arrested in France, and there tortured. In -this confession Robert de St. Just states that, on his admission to -the vows of the Temple, he denied Christ, and spat _beside_ the cross. -The second confession had been extorted from Geoffrey de Gonville, -Knight of the Order of the Temple, Preceptor of Aquitaine and Poitou. -In this confession, (which had been revoked, but of which revocation -no notice was taken by the inquisitors,) Geoffrey de Gonville states -that he was received into the order in England in the house of the -Temple at London, by Brother Robert de Torvile, Knight, the Master of -all England, about twenty-eight years before that time; that the Master -showed him on a missal the image of Jesus Christ on the cross, and -commanded him to deny him who was crucified; that, terribly alarmed, he -exclaimed, "Alas! my lord, why should I do this? I will on no account -do it." But the Master said to him, "Do it boldly; I swear to thee that -the act shall never harm either thy soul or thy conscience;" and then -proceeded to inform him that the custom had been introduced into the -order by a certain bad Grand Master, who was imprisoned by a certain -sultan, and could escape from prison only on condition that he would -establish that form of reception in his order, and compel all who were -received to deny Christ Jesus! but the deponent remained inflexible; -he refused to deny his Saviour, and asked where were his uncle and -the other good people who had brought him there, and was told that -they were all gone; and at last a compromise took place between him -and the Master, who made him take his oath that he would tell all his -brethren that he had gone through the customary form, and never reveal -that it had been dispensed with! He states also that the ceremony was -instituted in memory of St. Peter, who three times denied Christ! This -knight had been tortured in the Temple at Paris, by the brothers of -St. Dominic, in the presence of the grand inquisitor, and he made his -confession when suffering on the rack; he afterwards revoked it, and -was then tortured into a withdrawal of his revocation, notwithstanding -which the inquisitor made the unhappy wretch, in common with others, -put his signature to the following interrogatory, "Interrogatus, utrum -_vi_ vel _metu carceris_ aut _tormentorum_ immiscuit in sua depositione -aliquam falsitatem, dicit _quod non_!" - -Ferinsius le Mareschal, a secular knight, being examined, declared that -his grandfather entered into the order of the Temple, active, healthy, -and blithesome as the birds and the dogs, but on the third day from -his taking the vows he was dead, and, as he _now suspects_, was killed -because he refused to participate in the iniquities practised by the -brethren. An Augustine monk declared that he had heard a Templar say -that a man after death had no more soul than a dog. Brother John de -Gertia, a Minorite, had _heard_ from a certain woman called Cacocaca! -who had it from Exvalettus, Preceptor of London, that one of the -servants of the Templars entered the Temple hall where the chapter was -held, and secreted himself, and after the door had been shut and locked -by the last Templar who entered, and the key had been brought by him to -the superior, the assembled Templars jumped up and went into another -room, and opened a closet, and drew therefrom a certain black figure -with shining eyes, and a cross, and they placed the cross before the -Master, and the "culum idoli vel figurae" they placed upon the cross, -and carried it to the Master, who kissed the said image, (in ano,) -and all the others did the same after him; and when they had finished -kissing, they all spat three times upon the cross, except one, who -refused, saying, "I was a bad man in the world, and placed myself in -this order for the salvation of my soul; what could I do worse? I will -not do it;" and then the brethren said to him, "Take heed, and do as -you see the order do;" but he answered that he would not do so, and -then they placed him in a well which stood in the midst of their house, -and covered the well up, and left him to perish. Being asked as to the -time when the woman heard this, the deponent stated that she told it to -him about fourteen years back at London, where she kept a shop for her -husband, Robert Cotacota! - -John Walby de Bust, another Minorite, had _heard_ John de Dingeston say -that _he had heard_ that there was in a secret place of the house of -the Templars at London a gilded head, and that when one of the masters -was on his death-bed, he summoned to his presence several preceptors, -and told them that if they wished for power, and dominion, and honour, -they must worship that head. Gaspar de Nafferton, chaplain of the -parish of Ryde, deposed that he was in the employ of the Templars -when William de Pokelington was received into the order; that he well -recollected that the said William made his appearance at the Temple on -Sunday evening, with the equipage and habit of a member of the order, -accompanied by Brother William de la More, the Master of the Temple, -Brother William de Grafton, Preceptor of Ribbestane and Fontebriggs, -and other brethren: that the same night, during the first watch, they -assembled in the church, and caused the deponent to be awakened to say -mass; that, after the celebration of the mass, they made the deponent -with his clerk go out into the hall beyond the cloister, and then -sent for the person who was to be received; and on his entry into the -church, one of the brethren immediately closed all the doors opening -into the cloister, so that no one within the chambers could get out, -and thus they remained till daylight; but what was done in the church -the deponent knew not; the next day, however, he saw the said William -clothed in the habit of a Templar, looking very sorrowful. The deponent -also declared that he had threatened to peep through a secret door to -see what was going on, but was warned that it was inevitable death so -to do. He states that the next morning he went into the church, and -found the books and crosses all removed from the places in which he had -previously left them. - -The evidence given before this papal tribunal affords melancholy proof -of the immorality, the credulity, and the profligacy of the age. -Abandoned women were brought before the inquisitors, and were induced -unblushingly to relate, in the presence of the archbishop of Canterbury -and the English bishops, the most disgusting and ridiculous enormities; -and evidence was taken down by notaries, and quietly listened to by the -most learned and distinguished characters of the age, which in these -days would be scouted with scorn and contempt from almost every court -in Christendom.[159] On the 22nd of April all the Templars in custody -in the Tower and in the prisons of the city were assembled before the -inquisitors and the bishops of London and Chichester, in the church of -the Holy Trinity, to hear the depositions of the witnesses publicly -read. The Templars required copies of these depositions, which were -granted them, and they were allowed eight days from that period to -bring forward any defences or privileges they wished to make use of. -Subsequently, before the expiration of the eight days, the officer -of the bishop of London was sent to the Tower with scriveners and -witnesses, to know if they would then set up any matters of defence, -to whom the Templars replied that they were unlettered men, ignorant -of the law, and that all means of defence were denied them, since -they were not permitted to employ those who could afford them fit -counsel and advice. They observed, however, that they were desirous of -publicly proclaiming the faith, and the religion of themselves and of -the order to which they belonged, of showing the privileges conceded to -them by the chief pontiffs, and their own depositions taken before the -inquisitors, all which they said they wished to make use of in their -defence. - -On the eighth day, being Thursday the 29th of April, they appeared -before the papal inquisitors and the bishops of London and Chichester, -in the church of All Saints of Berkyngecherche, and presented to them -the following declaration, which they had drawn up amongst themselves, -as the only defence they had to offer against the injustice, the -tyranny, and the persecution of their powerful oppressors; adding, that -if they had in any way done wrong, they were ready to submit themselves -to the orders of the church. This declaration is written in the Norman -French of that day, and is as follows:-- - -"_Conue chese seit a nostre honurable pere, le ercevesque de -Canterbiere, primat de toute Engletere, e a touz prelaz de seinte -Elise, e a touz Cristiens, qe touz les freres du Temple que sumes ici -assemblez et chescune singulere persone par sen sumes cristien nostre -seignur Jesu Crist, e creoms en Dieu Pere omnipotent, qui fist ciel e -terre, e en Jesu soen fiz, qui fust conceu du Seint Esperit, nez de -la Virgine Marie, soeffrit peine e passioun, morut sur la croiz pour -touz peccheours, descendist e enferns, e le tierz jour releva de mort -en vie, e mounta en ciel, siet au destre soen Pere, e vendra au jour -de juise, juger les vifs, e les morz, qui fu saunz commencement, e -serra saunz fyn; e creoms comme seynte eglise crets, e nous enseigne. -E que nostre religion est foundee sus obedience, chastete, vivre sans -propre, aider a conquere la seint terre de Jerusalem, a force e a -poer, qui Dieu nous ad preste. E nyoms e firmement en countredioms -touz e chescune singulere persone par sei, toutes maneres de heresies -e malvaistes, que sount encountre la foi de Seinte Eglise. E prioms -pour Dieu e pour charite a vous, que estes en lieu nostre seinte pere -l'apostoile, que nous puissoms aver lez drettures de seinte eglise, -comme ceus que sount les filz de sainte eglise, que bien avoms garde, -e tenu la foi, e la lei de seinte eglise, e nostre religion, la quele -est bone, honeste e juste, solom les ordenaunces, e les privileges de -la court de Rome avons grauntez, confermez, e canonizez par commun -concile, les qels privileges ensemblement ou lestablisement, e la regle -sount en la dite court enregistrez. E mettoms en dur e en mal eu touz -Cristiens sauue noz anoisourz, par la ou nous avoms este conversaunt, -comment nous avoms nostre vie demene. E se nous avoms rien mesprys -de aucun parole en nos examinacions par ignorance de seu, si comme -nous sumez genz laics prest sumes, a ester a lesgard de seint eglise, -comme cely que mourust pour nouz en la beneite de croiz. E nous creoms -fermement touz les sacremenz de seinte eglise. E nous vous prioms pour -Dieu e pour salvacioun de vous almes, que vous nous jugez si comme vous -volez respoundre pour vous et pour nous devaunt Dieu: e que nostre -examinement puet estre leu e oii devaunt nous e devaunt le people, -salom le respouns e le langage que fust dit devaunt vous, e escrit en -papier._" - -"Be it known to our honourable father, the archbishop of Canterbury, -primate of all England, and to all the prelates of holy church, and -to all Christians, that all we brethren of the Temple here assembled, -and every of one of us are Christians, and believe in our Saviour -Jesus Christ, in God the Father omnipotent, &c., &c.... And we believe -all that the holy church believes and teaches us. We declare that our -religion is founded on vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, and -of aiding in the conquest of the Holy Land of Jerusalem, with all -the power and might that God affordeth us. And we firmly deny and -contradict, one and all of us, all manner of heresy and evil doings, -contrary to the faith of holy church. And for the love of God, and for -charity, we beseech you, who represent our holy father the pope, that -we may be treated like true children of the church, for we have well -guarded and preserved the faith, and the law of the church, and of our -own religion, that which is good, honest, and just, according to the -ordinances and the privileges of the court of Rome, granted, confirmed, -and canonized by common council; the which privileges, together with -the rule of our order, are enregistered in the said court. And we would -bring forward all Christians, (save our enemies and slanderers,) with -whom we are conversant, and among whom we have resided, to say how and -in what manner we have spent our lives. And if, in our examinations, we -have said or done anything wrong through ignorance of a word, since we -are unlettered men, we are ready to suffer for holy church like him who -died for us on the blessed cross. And we believe all the sacraments of -the church. And we beseech you, for the love of God, and as you hope to -be saved, that you judge us as you will have to answer for yourselves -and for us before God; and we pray that our examination may be read and -heard before ourselves and all the people, in the very language and -words in which it was given before you, and written down on paper." - -The above declaration was presented by Brother William de la More, the -Master of the Temple; the Knights Templars Philip de Mewes, Preceptor -of Garwy; William de Burton, Preceptor of Cumbe; Radulph de Maison, -Preceptor of Ewell; Michael de Baskevile, Preceptor of London; Thomas -de Wothrope, Preceptor of Bistelesham; William de Warwick, Priest; and -Thomas de Burton, Chaplain of the Order; together with twenty serving -brothers. The same day the inquisitors and the two bishops proceeded to -the different prisons of the city to demand if the prisoners confined -therein wished to bring forward anything in defence of the order, who -severally answered that they would adopt and abide by the declaration -made by their brethren in the Tower. In the prison of Aldgate there -were confined Brother William de Sautre, Knight, Preceptor of Samford; -Brother William de la Ford, Preceptor of Daney; Brother John de -Coningeston, Preceptor of Getinges; Roger de Norreis, Preceptor of -Cressing; Radolph de Barton, priest, Prior of the New Temple; and -several serving brethren of the order. In the prison of Crepelgate were -detained William de Egendon, Knight, Preceptor of Schepeley; John de -Moun, Knight, Preceptor of Dokesworth; and four serving brethren. In -the prison of Ludgate were five serving brethren; and in Newgate was -confined Brother Himbert Blanke, Knight, Grand Preceptor of Auvergne. - -The above declaration of faith and innocence was far from agreeable -to the papal inquisitors, who required a confession of _guilt_, and -the torture was once more directed to be applied. The king sent fresh -orders to the mayor and the sheriffs of the city of London, commanding -them to place the Templars in separate dungeons; to load them with -chains and fetters; to permit the myrmidons of the inquisitors to -pay periodical visits to see that the wishes and intentions of the -inquisitors, with regard to the severity of the confinement, were -properly carried into effect; and lastly, to inflict TORTURE upon the -bodies of the Templars, and generally to do whatever should be thought -fitting and expedient in the premises, according to the ecclesiastical -law. In conformity with these orders, we learn from the record of the -proceedings, that the Templars were placed in solitary confinement in -loathsome dungeons; that they were put on a short allowance of bread -and water, and periodically visited by the agents of the inquisition; -that they were moved from prison to prison, and from dungeon to -dungeon; were now treated with rigour, and anon with indulgence; and -were then visited by learned prelates, and acute doctors in theology, -who, by exhortation, persuasion, and by menace, attempted in every -possible mode to wring from them the required avowals! We learn that -all the engines of terror wielded by the church were put in force, and -that torture was unsparingly applied "_usque ad judicium sanguinis!_" -The places in which these atrocious scenes were enacted were the Tower, -the prisons of Aldgate, Ludgate, Newgate, Bishopgate, and Crepelgate, -the house formerly belonging to John de Banguel, and the tenements -once the property of the brethren of penitence.[160] It appears that -some French monks were sent over to administer the torture to the -unhappy captives, and that they were questioned and examined in the -presence of notaries whilst suffering under the torments of the rack. -The relentless perseverance and the incessant exertions of the foreign -inquisitors were at last rewarded by a splendid triumph over the powers -of endurance of two poor serving brethren, and one chaplain of the -order, who were at last induced to make the long desired avowals. - -On the 23rd of June, Brother Stephen de Staplebrugge, described as -an apostate and fugitive of the order of the Temple, captured by the -king's officers in the city of Salisbury, deposed in the house of -the head gaoler of Newgate, in the presence of the bishops of London -and Chichester, the chancellor of the archbishop of Canterbury, Hugh -de Walkeneby, doctor of theology, and other clerical witnesses, that -there were two modes of profession in the order of the Temple, the one -good and lawful, and the other contrary to the christian faith; that -he himself was received into the order by Brother Brian le Jay, Grand -Preceptor of England, at Dynneslee, and was led into the chapel, the -door of which was closed as soon as he had entered; that a crucifix -was placed before the Master, and that a brother of the Temple, with -a drawn sword, stood on either side of him; that the Master said to -him, "Do you see this image of the crucifixion?" to which he replied, -"I see it, my lord;" that the Master then said to him, "You must deny -that Christ Jesus was God and man, and that Mary was his mother; and -you must spit upon this cross;" which the deponent, through immediate -fear of death, did with his mouth, but not with his heart, and he spat -_beside_ the cross, and not on it; and then falling down upon his -knees, with eyes uplifted, with his hands clasped, with bitter tears -and sighs, and devout ejaculations, he besought the mercy and the -favour of holy church, declaring that he cared not for the death of the -body, or for any amount of penance, but only for the salvation of his -soul! - -On Saturday, the 25th of June, Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby, -serving brother of the order of the Temple, described as an apostate -who had escaped from Lincoln after his examination at that place by -the papal inquisitors, but had afterwards surrendered himself to -the king's officers, was brought before the bishops of London and -Chichester, the archdeacon of Salisbury, and others of the clergy in -St. Martin's Church, in Vinetria; and being again examined, he repeated -the statement made in his first deposition, but added some particulars -with regard to penances imposed and absolutions pronounced in the -chapter, showing the difference between sins and defaults, the priest -having to deal with the one, and the Master with the other. He declared -that the little cords were worn from honourable motives, and relates a -story of his being engaged in a battle against the Saracens, in which -he lost his cord, and was punished by the Grand Master for a default -in coming home without it. He gives the same account of the secrecy -of the chapters as all the other brethren, states that the members -of the order were forbidden to confess to the friars mendicants, -and were enjoined to confess to their own chaplains; that they did -nothing contrary to the christian faith, and as to their endeavouring -to promote the advancement of the order by any means, right or wrong, -that exactly the contrary was the case, as there was a statute in the -order to the effect, that if any one should be found to have acquired -anything unjustly, he should be deprived of his habit, and be expelled -the order. Being asked what induced him to become an apostate, and -to fly from his order, he replied that it was through fear of death, -because the abbot of Lagny, (the papal inquisitor,) when he examined -him at Lincoln, asked him if he would not confess anything further, -and he answered that he knew of nothing further to confess, unless -he was to say things that were not true; and that _the abbot, laying -his hand upon his breast, swore by the word of God that he would make -him confess before he had done with him!_ and that being terribly -frightened, he afterwards bribed the gaoler of the castle of Lincoln, -giving him forty florins to let him make his escape. - -The abbot of Lagny, indeed, was as good as his word, for on the 29th -of June, four days after this imprudent avowal, Brother Thomas Tocci -de Thoroldeby was brought back to St. Martin's Church, and there, in -the presence of the same parties, he made a third confession, in which -he declares that, coerced by two Templars with drawn swords in their -hands, he denied Christ with his mouth, but not with his heart; and -spat _beside_ the cross, but not on it; that he was required to spit -upon the image of the Virgin Mary, but contrived, instead of doing so, -to give her a kiss on the foot. He declares that he had heard Brian le -Jay, the Master of the Temple at London, say a hundred times over, that -Jesus Christ was not the true God, but a man: and that the smallest -hair out of the beard of one Saracen, was of more worth than the whole -body of any Christian. He declares that he was once standing in the -presence of Brother Brian, when some poor people besought charity of -him for the love of God and our lady the blessed Virgin Mary; and he -answered, "_Que dame, alez vous pendre a vostre dame_"--"What lady, -go and be hanged to your lady," and violently casting a halfpenny -into the mud, he made the poor people hunt for it, although it was in -the depth of a severe winter. He also relates that, at the chapters, -the priest stood like a beast, and had nothing to do but to repeat -the psalm, "God be merciful unto us, and bless us," which was read at -the closing of the chapter. (The Templars, by the way, must have been -strange idolaters to have closed their chapters, in which they are -accused of worshipping a cat, a man's head, and a black idol, with the -reading of the beautiful psalm, "God be merciful unto us, and bless us, -and show us the light of thy countenance, that thy way may be known -upon earth, thy saving health among all nations," &c., Psalm lxvii.) -This witness further states, that the priest had no power to impose a -heavier penance than a day's fast on bread and water, and could not -even do that without the permission of the brethren. He is made also to -relate that the Templars always favoured the Saracens in the holy wars -in Palestine, and oppressed the Christians! and he declares, speaking -of himself, that for three years before he had never seen the body of -Christ without thinking of the devil, nor could he remove that evil -thought from his heart by prayer, or in any other way that he knew -of; but that very morning he had heard mass with great devotion, and -since then had thought only of Christ, and thinks there is no one in -the order of the Temple whose soul will be saved, unless a reformation -takes place. - -Previous to this period, the ecclesiastical council had again -assembled, and these last depositions of Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge -and Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby having been produced before them, -the solemn farce of their confession and abjuration was immediately -publicly enacted. It is thus described in the record of the -proceedings:--"To the praise and glory of the name of the most high -Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to the confusion of -heretics, and the strengthening of all faithful Christians, begins the -public record of the reconciliation of the penitent heretics, returning -to the orthodox faith published in the council, celebrated at London in -the year 1311. In the name of God, Amen. In the year of the incarnation -of our Lord, 1311, on the twenty-seventh day of the month of June, in -the hall of the palace of the bishop of London, before the venerable -fathers the Lord Robert by the grace of God archbishop of Canterbury, -primate of all England, and his suffragans in provincial council -assembled, appeared Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge, of the order of -the chivalry of the Temple; and the denying of Christ and the blessed -Virgin Mary his mother, the spitting upon the cross, and the heresies -and errors acknowledged and confessed by him in his deposition, being -displayed, the same Stephen asserted in full council, before the people -of the city of London, introduced for the occasion, that all those -things so deposed by him were true, and that to that confession he -would wholly adhere; humbly confessing his error on his bended knees, -with his hands clasped, with much lamentation and many tears, he again -and again besought the mercy and pity of holy mother church, offering -to abjure all heresies and errors, and praying them to impose on him -a fitting penance, and then the book of the holy gospels being placed -in his hands, he abjured the aforesaid heresies in this form ;--'I, -Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge, of the order of the chivalry of the -Temple, do solemnly confess,' &c., &c., (he repeats his confession, -makes his abjuration, and then proceeds;) 'and if at any time hereafter -I shall happen to relapse into the same errors, or deviate from any -of the articles of the faith, I will account myself _ipso facto_ -excommunicated; I will stand condemned as a manifest perjured heretic, -and the punishment inflicted on perjured relapsed heretics, shall be -forthwith imposed upon me without further trial or judgment!!'" - -He was then sworn upon the holy gospels to stand to the sentence of the -church in the matter, after which Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby -was brought forward to go through the same ceremony, which being -concluded, these two poor serving brothers of the order of the Temple, -who were so ignorant that they could not write, were made to place -their mark on the record of their abjuration. "And then our lord the -archbishop of Canterbury, for the purpose of absolving and reconciling -to the unity of the church the aforesaid Thomas and Stephen, conceded -his authority and that of the whole council to the bishop of London, in -the presence of me the notary, specially summoned for the occasion, -in these words: 'We grant to you the authority of God, of the blessed -Mary, of the blessed Thomas the Martyr our patron, and of all the -saints of God (sanctorum atque _sanctarum_ Dei) to us conceded, and -also the authority of the present council to us transferred, to the -end that thou mayest reconcile to the unity of the church these -miserables, separated from her by their repudiation of the faith, and -now brought back again to her bosom, reserving to ourselves and the -council the right of imposing a fit penance for their transgressions!' -And as there were two penitents, the bishop of Chichester was joined -to the bishop of London for the purpose of pronouncing the absolution, -which two bishops, putting on their mitres and pontificals, and being -assisted by twelve priests in sacerdotal vestments, placed themselves -in seats at the western entrance of the cathedral church of St. Paul, -and the penitents, with bended knees, humbly prostrating themselves -in prayer upon the steps before the door of the church, the members -of the council and the people of the city standing around; and the -psalm, _Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness_, having -been chaunted from the beginning to the end, and the subjoined prayers -and sermon having been gone through, they absolved the said penitents, -and received them back to the unity of the church in the following -form:--'In the name of God, Amen. Since by your confession we find -that you, Brother Stephen de Stapelbrugge, have denied Christ Jesus -and the blessed Virgin Mary, and have spate _beside_ the cross, and -now taking better advice wishest to return to the unity of the holy -church with a true heart and sincere faith, as you assert, and all -heretical depravity having for that purpose been previously abjured by -you according to the form of the church, we, by the authority of the -council, absolve you from the bond of excommunication wherewith you -were held fast, and we reconcile you to the unity of the church, if you -shall have returned to her in sincerity of heart, and shall have obeyed -her injunctions imposed upon you.'" Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby -was then absolved and reconciled to the church in the usual manner, -after which various psalms (Gloria Patri, Kyrie Eleyson, Christe -Eleyson, &c. &c.) were sung, and prayers were offered up, and then the -ceremony was concluded. - -On the 1st of July, an avowal of guilt was wrung by the inquisitors -from Brother John de Stoke, chaplain of the order, who, being brought -before the bishops of London and Chichester in St. Martin's Church, -deposed that he was received in the mode mentioned by him on his first -examination; but a year and fifteen days after that reception, being at -the preceptory of Garwy in the diocese of Hereford, he was called into -the chamber of Brother James de Molay, the Grand Master of the order, -who, in the presence of two other Templars of foreign extraction, -informed him that he wished to make proof of his obedience, and -commanded him to take a seat at the foot of the bed, and the deponent -did so. The Grand Master then sent into the church for the crucifix, -and two serving brothers, with naked swords in their hands, stationed -themselves on either side of the doorway. As soon as the crucifix -made its appearance, the Grand Master, pointing to the figure of our -Saviour nailed thereon, asked the deponent whose image it was, and he -answered, "The image of Jesus Christ, who suffered on the cross for the -redemption of mankind;" but the Grand Master exclaimed, "Thou sayest -wrong, and art much mistaken, for he was the son of a certain woman, -and was crucified because he called himself the Son of God, and I -myself have been in the place where he was born and crucified, and thou -must now deny him whom this image represents." The deponent exclaimed, -"Far be it from me to deny my Saviour;" but the Grand Master told him -he must do it, or he would be put into a sack and be carried to a place -which he would find by no means agreeable, and there were swords in -the room, and brothers ready to use them, &c. &c.; and the deponent -asked if such was the custom of the order, and if all the brethren -did the same; and being answered in the affirmative, he, through fear -of immediate death, denied Christ with his _tongue_, but not with his -_heart_. Being asked in whom he was told to put his faith after he had -denied Christ Jesus, he replies, "In that great Omnipotent God who -created the heaven and the earth!" - -On Monday, July 5th, at the request of the ecclesiastical council, the -bishop of Chichester had an interview with Sir William de la More, -the Master of the Temple, taking with him certain learned lawyers, -theologians, and scriveners. He exhorted and earnestly pressed him to -abjure the heresies of which he stood convicted, by his own confessions -and those of his brethren, respecting the absolutions pronounced by -him in the chapters, and submit himself to the disposition of the -church; but the Master declared that he had never been guilty of the -heresies mentioned, and that he would not abjure crimes which he had -never committed; so he was sent back to his dungeon. The next day, the -bishops of London, Winchester, and Chichester, had an interview in -Southwark with the Knight Templar Philip de Mewes, Preceptor of Garwy, -and some serving brethren of the New Temple at London, and told them -that they were manifestly guilty of heresy, as appeared from the pope's -bulls, and the depositions taken against the order both in England and -France, and also from their own confessions regarding the absolutions -pronounced in their chapters, explaining to them that they had -grievously erred in believing that the Master of the Temple, who was a -mere layman, had power to absolve them from their sins by pronouncing -absolution, and they warned them that if they persisted in that error -they would be condemned as heretics, and that, as they could not clear -themselves therefrom, it behoved them to abjure all the heresies of -which they were accused. The Templars replied that they were ready to -abjure the error they had fallen into respecting the absolution and all -heresies of every kind, before the archbishop of Canterbury and the -prelates of the council, whenever they should be required so to do, -and they humbly and reverently submitted themselves to the orders of -the church, beseeching pardon and grace. A sort of compromise was then -made with most of the Templars in custody in London. They were required -publicly to repeat a form of confession and abjuration drawn up by the -bishops of London and Chichester, and were then solemnly absolved and -reconciled to the church. - -On the 9th of July, Brother Michael de Baskevile, Knight, Preceptor -of London, and seventeen other Templars, were absolved and reconciled -in full council, in the Episcopal Hall of the see of London, in the -presence of a vast concourse of the citizens. On the 10th of the -same month, the Preceptors of Dokesworth, Getinges, and Samford, the -guardian of the Temple church at London, Brother Radulph de Evesham, -chaplain, with other priests, knights, and serving brethren of the -order, were absolved by the bishops of London, Exeter, Winchester, -and Chichester, in the presence of the archbishop of Canterbury, and -the whole ecclesiastical council. The next day many more members of -the fraternity were publicly reconciled to the church on the steps -before the south door of Saint Paul's cathedral, and were afterwards -present at the celebration of high mass in the interior of the sacred -edifice, when they advanced in a body towards the high altar bathed -in tears, and falling down on their knees, they devoutly kissed the -sacred emblems of Christianity. The day after, (July 12,) nineteen -other Templars were publicly absolved and reconciled to the church in -the same place, in the presence of the earls of Leicester, Pembroke, -and Warwick, and afterwards assisted in like manner at the celebration -of high mass. The priests of the order made their confessions and -abjurations in Latin; the knights pronounced them in Norman French, and -the serving brethren for the most part repeated them in English. The -vast concourse of people collected together could have comprehended but -very little of what was uttered, whilst the appearance of the penitent -brethren, and the public spectacle of their recantation, answered the -views of the papal inquisitors, and doubtless impressed the commonalty -with a conviction of the guilt of the order. Many of the Templars were -too _sick_ (from the effect of torture) to be brought down to Saint -Paul's, and were therefore absolved and reconciled to the church by the -bishops of London, Winchester, and Chichester, at Saint Mary's chapel -near the Tower. Among these last were many old veteran warriors in the -last stage of decrepitude and decay. "They were so old and so infirm," -says the public notary who recorded the proceedings, "that they were -unable to stand;" their confessions were consequently made before two -masters in theology; they were then led before the west door of the -chapel, and were publicly reconciled to the church by the bishop of -Chichester; after which they were brought into the sacred building, and -were placed on their knees before the high altar, which they devoutly -kissed, whilst the tears trickled down their furrowed cheeks. All these -penitent Templars were now released from prison, and directed to do -penance in different monasteries. Precisely the same form of proceeding -was followed at York; the reconciliation and absolution being there -carried into effect before the south door of the cathedral.[161] - -Similar measures had, in the mean time, been prosecuted against the -Templars in all parts of Christendom. On the 18th of March, the pope -wrote to the kings of Castile, Leon, Aragon, and Portugal, complaining -of the omission to torture the Templars in their dominions. "The -bishops and delegates," says the holy pontiff, "have imprudently -neglected these means of obtaining the truth; we therefore expressly -order them to employ TORTURE against the knights, that the truth may -be more readily and completely obtained!" The order for TORTURING the -Templars was transmitted to the patriarch of Constantinople, the bishop -of Negropont, and the duke of Achaia; and it crossed the seas to the -king of Cyprus, and the bishops of Famagousta and Nicosia! The councils -of Tarragona and Aragon, after applying the torture, pronounced the -order free from heresy. In Portugal and in Germany the Templars were -declared innocent: and in no place situate beyond the sphere of the -influence of the king of France and his creature the pope was a single -Templar condemned to death.[162] - -On the 16th of October the general council of the church which had -been convened by the pope to pronounce the abolition of the order, -assembled at Vienne, near Lyons in France. It was opened by the holy -pontiff in person, who caused the different confessions and avowals of -the Templars to be read over before the assembled nobles and prelates. -Although the order was now broken up, and the best and bravest of -its members had either perished in the flames or were languishing -in dungeons, yet nine fugitive Templars had the courage to present -themselves before the council, and demand to be heard in defence of -their order, declaring that they were the representatives of from 1,500 -to 2,000 Templars, who were wandering about as fugitives and outlaws in -the neighbourhood of Lyons. Monsieur Raynouard has fortunately brought -to light a letter from the pope to king Philip, which states this fact, -and also informs us how the holy pontiff acted when he heard that these -defenders of the order had presented themselves. Clement caused them to -be thrown into prison, where they languished and died. He affected to -believe that his life was in danger from the number of the Templars at -large, and he immediately took measures to provide for the security of -his person. - -The assembled fathers, to their honour, expressed their disapprobation -of this flagrant act of injustice, and the entire council, with the -exception of an Italian prelate, nephew of the pope, and the three -French bishops of Rheims, Sens, and Rouen, all creatures of Philip, -who had severally condemned large bodies of Templars to be burnt at -the stake in their respective dioceses, were unanimously of opinion, -that before the suppression of so celebrated and illustrious an order, -which had rendered such great and signal services to the christian -faith, the members belonging to it ought to be heard in their own -defence.[163] Such a proceeding, however did not suit the views of the -pope and king Philip, and the assembly was abruptly dismissed by the -holy pontiff, who declared that since they were unwilling to adopt -the necessary measures, he himself, out of the plenitude of the papal -authority, would supply every defect. Accordingly, at the commencement -of the following year, the pope summoned a private consistory; and -several cardinals and French bishops having been gained over, the holy -pontiff abolished the order by an apostolical ordinance, perpetually -prohibiting every one from thenceforth entering into it, or accepting -or wearing the habit thereof, or representing themselves to be -Templars, on pain of excommunication.[164] - -On the 3rd of April, the second session of the council was opened -by the pope at Vienne. King Philip and his three sons were present, -accompanied by a large body of troops, and the papal decree abolishing -the order was published before the assembly. The members of the council -appear to have been called together merely to hear the decree read. -History does not inform us of any discussion with reference to it, -nor of any suffrages having been taken. A few months after the close -of these proceedings, Brother William de la More, the Master of the -Temple in England, died of a broken heart in his solitary dungeon in -the Tower, persisting with his last breath in the maintenance of the -innocence of his order. King Edward, in pity for his misfortunes, -directed the constable of the Tower to hand over his goods and -chattels, valued at the sum of 4_l._ 19_s._ 11_d._, to his executors, -to be employed in the liquidation of his debts, and he commanded -Geoffrey de la Lee, guardian of the lands of the Templars, to pay the -arrears of his prison pay (2_s._ per diem) to the executor, Roger -Hunsingon. - -Among the Cotton MS. is a list of the Masters of the Temple, otherwise -the Grand Priors or Grand Preceptors of England, compiled under the -direction of the prior of the Hospital of Saint John at Clerkenwell, -to the intent that the brethren of that fraternity might remember -the ancient Masters of the Temple in their prayers.[165] A few names -have been omitted which are here supplied. Magister R. de Pointon. -Rocelinus de Fossa. Richard de Hastings, (A. D. 1160). Richard -Mallebeench. Geoffrey, son of Stephen, (A. D. 1180). Thomas Berard, -(A. D. 1200). Amaric de St. Maur, (A. D. 1203). Alan Marcel, (A. D. -1224). Amberaldus, (A. D. 1229). Robert Mountforde, (A. D. 1234). Robert -Sanford, (A. D. 1241). Amadeus de Morestello, (A. D. 1254). Himbert -Peraut, (A. D. 1270). Robert Turvile, (A. D. 1290). Guido de Foresta, -(A. D. 1292). James de Molay, (A. D. 1293). Brian le Jay, (A. D. 1295). -WILLIAM DE LA MORE THE MARTYR.[166] - -The only other Templar in England whose fate merits particular -attention is Brother Himbert Blanke, the Grand Preceptor of Auvergne. -He appears to have been a knight of high honour and of stern unbending -pride. From first to last he had boldly protested against the violent -proceedings of the inquisitors, and had fearlessly maintained, amid all -his trials, his own innocence and that of his order. This illustrious -Templar had fought under four successive Grand Masters in defence of -the christian faith in Palestine, and, after the fall of Acre, had led -in person several daring expeditions against the infidels. For these -meritorious services he was rewarded in the following manner:--After -having been tortured and half-starved in the English prisons for the -space of five years, he was condemned, as he would make no confession -of guilt, to be shut up in a loathsome dungeon, to be loaded with -double chains, and to be occasionally visited by the agents of the -Inquisition, to see if he would confess _nothing further_.[167] In this -miserable situation he remained until death at last put an end to his -sufferings. - -James de Molay, the Grand Master of the Temple, Guy, the Grand -Preceptor, a nobleman of illustrious birth, brother to the prince of -Dauphiny, Hugh de Peralt, the Visitor-general of the order, and the -Grand Preceptor of Aquitaine, had now languished in the prisons of -France for the space of five years and a half. The secrets of their -dark dungeons were never brought to light, but on the 18th of March, -A. D. 1313, a public scaffold was erected before the cathedral church of -Notre Dame, at Paris, and the citizens were summoned to hear the order -of the Temple convicted by the mouths of its chief officers, of the -sins and iniquities charged against it. The four knights, loaded with -chains and surrounded by guards, were then brought upon the scaffold -by the provost, and the bishop of Alba read their confessions aloud in -the presence of the assembled populace. The papal legate then, turning -towards the Grand Master and his companions, called upon them to renew, -in the hearing of the people, the avowals which they had previously -made of the guilt of their order. Hugh de Peralt, the Visitor-general, -and the Preceptor of the Temple of Aquitaine, signified their assent -to whatever was demanded of them, but the Grand Master, raising his -arms bound with chains towards heaven, and advancing to the edge of -the scaffold, declared in a loud voice, that to say that which was -untrue was a crime, both in the sight of God and man. "I do," said -he, "confess my guilt, which consists in having, to my shame and -dishonour, suffered myself, through the pain of torture and the fear of -death, to give utterance to falsehoods, imputing scandalous sins and -iniquities to an illustrious order, which hath nobly served the cause -of Christianity. I disdain to seek a wretched and disgraceful existence -by engrafting another lie upon the original falsehood." He was here -interrupted by the provost and his officers, and Guy, the Grand -Preceptor, having commenced with strong asseverations of his innocence, -they were both hurried back to prison. - -King Philip was no sooner informed of the result, than, upon the first -impulse of his indignation, without consulting either pope, or bishop, -or ecclesiastical council, he commanded the instant execution of both -these gallant noblemen. The same day at dusk they were led out of their -dungeons, and were burned to death in a slow and lingering manner upon -small fires of charcoal which were kindled on the little island in the -Seine, between the king's garden and the convent of Saint Augustine, -close to the spot where now stands the equestrian statue of Henri -IV.[168] Thus perished the last Grand Master of the Temple. - -The fate of the persecutors of the order is not unworthy of notice. - -A year and one month after the above horrible execution, the pope -was attacked by a dysentery, and speedily hurried to his grave. The -dead body was transported to Carpentras, where the court of Rome then -resided; it was placed at night in a church which caught fire, and the -mortal remains of the holy pontiff were almost entirely consumed. His -relations quarrelled over the immense treasures he left behind him, and -a vast sum of money, which had been deposited for safety in a church at -Lucca, was stolen by a daring band of German and Italian freebooters. -Before the close of the same year, king Philip died of a lingering -disease which had baffled all the art of his medical attendants, -and the condemned criminal, upon the strength of whose information -the Templars were originally arrested, was hanged for fresh crimes. -"History attests," says Monsieur Raynouard, "that all those who were -foremost in the persecution of the Templars, came to an untimely and -miserable death. The last days of Philip were embittered by misfortune; -his nobles and clergy leagued against him to resist his exactions; the -wives of his three sons were accused of adultery, and two of them were -publicly convicted of that crime. The misfortunes of Edward the Second, -king of England, and his horrible death in Berkeley Castle, are too -well known to be further alluded to." - -"The chief cause of the ruin of the Templars," justly remarks Fuller, -"was their extraordinary wealth. As Naboth's vineyard was the chiefest -ground of his blasphemy, and as in England Sir John Cornwall Lord -Fanhope said merrily, not he, but his stately house at Ampthill, in -Bedfordshire, was guilty of high treason, so certainly their wealth was -the principal cause of their overthrow.... We may believe that king -Philip would never have taken away their lives if he might have taken -their lands without putting them to death, but the mischief was, he -could not get the honey unless he burnt the bees." King Philip, the -pope, and the European sovereigns, appear to have disposed of all the -personalty of the Templars, the ornaments, jewels, and treasures of -their churches and chapels, and during the period of five years, over -which the proceedings against the order extended, they remained in the -actual receipt of the vast rents and revenues of the fraternity. King -Philip put forward a claim upon their lands in France to the extent -of two hundred thousand pounds for the expenses of the prosecution, -and Louis, his son, claimed a further sum of sixty thousand pounds: -"J'ignore," says Voltaire, "ce qui revint au pape, mais je vois -evidemment que les frais des cardinaux, des inquisiteurs delegues -pour faire ce proces epouvantable monterent a des sommes immenses." -The holy pontiff, according to his own account, received only a _small -portion_ of the personalty of the order, but others make him a large -participator in the good things of the fraternity.[169] - -On the imprisonment of the Templars in England, the Temple at London, -and all the preceptories dependent upon it, with the manors, farms, -houses, lands, and revenues of the order, were placed under the survey -of the Court of Exchequer, and extents were directed to be taken of the -same, after which they were confided to the care of certain trustworthy -persons, styled "Guardians of the lands of the Templars," who were -to account for the rents and profits to the king's exchequer. These -guardians were directed to pay various pensions to the old servants and -retainers of the Templars dwelling in the different preceptories, also -the expenses of the prosecution against the order; and they were at -different times required to victual the king's castles and strongholds. -In the month of February, A. D. 1312, the king gave the Temple manors -of Etton and Cave to David, earl of Athol, directing the guardians of -the lands and tenements of the Templars in the county of York to hand -over to the said earl all the corn in those manors, the oxen, calves, -ploughs, and all the goods and chattels of the Templars existing -therein, together with the ornaments and utensils of the chapel of the -Temple. But on the 16th of May the pope addressed bulls to the king, -and to all the earls and barons of the kingdom, setting forth the -proceedings of the council of Vienne, and the publication of a papal -decree, vesting the property late belonging to the Templars in the -brethren of the Hospital of St. John, and he commands them forthwith -to place the members of that order in possession thereof. Bulls were -also addressed to the archbishops of Canterbury and York and their -suffragans, commanding them to enforce by ecclesiastical censures -the execution of the papal commands. King Edward and his nobles very -properly resisted this decree, and on the 21st of August the king wrote -to the Prior of the Hospital of St. John at Clerkenwell, telling him -that the pretensions of the pope to dispose of property within the -realm of England, without the consent of parliament, were derogatory to -the dignity of the crown and the royal authority. The following year -the king granted the Temple at London, with the church and all the -buildings therein, to Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke; and on the -5th of May of the same year, he caused several merchants, from whom he -had borrowed money, to be placed in possession of many of the manors of -the Templars.[170] - -Yielding, however, at last to the exhortations and menaces of the pope, -the king, on the 21st of Nov., A. D. 1313, granted the property to the -Hospitallers, and sent orders to the guardians of the lands of the -Templars, and to various powerful barons who were in possession of the -estates, commanding them to deliver them up to certain parties deputed -by the Grand Master and chapter of the Hospital of St. John to receive -them. At this period many of the heirs of the donors, whose title had -been recognised by the law, were in possession of the lands, and the -judges held that the king had no power of his own sole authority to -transfer them to the order of the Hospital. The thunders of the Vatican -were consequently vigorously made use of, and all the detainers of the -property were doomed by the Roman pontiff to everlasting damnation. -Pope John, in one of his bulls, dated A. D. 1322, bitterly complains -of the disregard by all the king's subjects of the papal commands. He -laments that they had hardened their hearts and despised the sentence -of excommunication fulminated against them, and declares that his heart -was riven with grief to find that even the ecclesiastics, who ought to -have been as a wall of defence to the Hospitallers, had themselves been -heinously guilty in the premises.[171] - -At last (A. D. 1324) the pope, the bishops, and the Hospitallers, by -their united exertions, succeeded in obtaining an act of parliament, -vesting all the property late belonging to the Templars in the brethren -of the Hospital of St. John, in order that the intentions of the donors -might be carried into effect by the appropriation of it to the defence -of the Holy Land and the succour of the christian cause in the East. -This statute gave rise to the greatest discontent. The heirs of the -donors petitioned parliament for its repeal, alleging that it had been -made against law, and against reason, and contrary to the opinion of -the judges; and many of the great barons who held the property by a -title recognised by the common law, successfully resisted the claims -of the order of the Hospital, maintaining that the parliament had no -right to interfere with the tenure of private property, and to dispose -of their possessions without their consent. This struggle between the -heirs of the donors on the one hand, and the Hospitallers on the other, -continued for a lengthened period; and in the reign of Edward the Third -it was found necessary to pass another act of parliament, confirming -the previous statute in their favour, and writs were sent to the -sheriffs (A. D. 1334) commanding them to enforce the execution of the -acts of the legislature, and to take possession, in the king's name, of -all the property unjustly detained from the brethren of the Hospital of -St. John.[172] - -Whilst the vast possessions, late belonging to the Templars, thus -continued to be the subject of contention, the surviving brethren -of that dissolved order continued to be treated with the utmost -inhumanity and neglect. The ecclesiastical council had assigned to each -of them a pension of fourpence a day for subsistence, but this small -pittance was not paid, and they were consequently in great danger of -dying of hunger. The king, pitying their miserable situation, wrote -to the prior of the hospital of St. John at Clerkenwell, earnestly -requesting him to take their hard lot into his serious consideration, -and not suffer them to come to beggary in the streets. The archbishop -of Canterbury also exerted himself in their behalf, and sent letters -to the possessors of the property, reproving them for the non-payment -of the allotted stipends. "This inhumanity," says he, "awakens our -compassion, and penetrates us with the most lively grief. We pray -and conjure you in kindness to furnish them, for the love of God and -for charity, with the means of subsistence." The archbishop of York -caused many of them to be supported in the different monasteries of his -diocese.[173] - -We have already seen (ante, p. 298) that the Temple at London, the -chief house of the English province of the order, had been granted -(A. D. 1313) by king Edward the Second to Aymer de Valence, earl of -Pembroke. As Thomas earl of Lancaster, the king's cousin and first -prince of the blood, however, claimed the Temple by escheat, as the -immediate lord of the fee, the earl of Pembroke, on the 3rd of October, -A. D. 1315, at the request of the king, and in consideration of the -grant to him by his sovereign of other land, gave up the property to -the earl of Lancaster. This earl of Lancaster was president of the -council, and the most powerful and opulent subject of the kingdom, -and we are told that the students and professors of the common law -made interest with him for a lodging in the Temple, and first gained a -footing therein as his _lessees_. They took possession of the old Hall -and the gloomy cells of the military monks, and converted them into -the great and most ancient Common Law University in England. From that -period to the present time the retreats of the religious warriors have -been devoted to "the studious and eloquent pleaders of causes," a new -kind of TEMPLARS, who, as Fuller quaintly observes, now "defend one -Christian from another, as the old ones did Christians from Pagans." - -Subsequently to this event the fee simple or inheritance of the -place passed successively through various hands. On the memorable -attainder and ignominious execution before his own castle of the earl -of Lancaster it reverted to the crown, and was again granted to Aymer -de Valence, earl of Pembroke, who was shortly afterwards murdered at -Paris. He died without issue, and the Temple accordingly once more -vested in the crown.[174] It was then granted to the royal favourite, -Hugh le Despenser the younger, and on his attainder and execution by -the Lancastrian faction, it came into the hands of the young king -Edward the Third, who had just then ascended the throne, and was -committed by him to the keeping of the Mayor of London, his escheator -in the city. The mayor closed the gate leading to the waterside, which -stood at the bottom of the present Middle Temple Lane, whereby the -lawyers were much incommoded in their progress backwards and forwards -from the Temple to Westminster. Complaints were made to the king on -the subject, who, on the 2nd day of November, in the third year of -his reign, (A. D. 1330,) wrote as follows to the mayor:--"The king -to the mayor of London, his escheator in the same city. Since we -have been given to understand that there ought to be a free passage -through the court of the New Temple at London to the river Thames, -for our justices, clerks, and others, who may wish to pass by water -to Westminster to transact their business, and that you keep the gate -of the Temple shut by day, and so prevent those same justices, clerks -of ours, and other persons, from passing through the midst of the -said court to the waterside, whereby as well our own affairs as those -of our people in general are oftentimes greatly delayed, we command -you, that you keep the gates of the said Temple open by day, so that -our justices and clerks, and other persons who wish to go by water to -Westminster may be able so to do by the way to which they have hitherto -been accustomed." The following year (A. D. 1331) the king wrote to -the mayor, his escheator in the city of London, informing him that -he had been given to understand that the pier in the said court of -the Temple, leading to the river, was so broken and decayed, that his -clerks and law officers, and others, could no longer get across it, and -were consequently prevented from passing by water to Westminster. "We -therefore," he proceeds, "being desirous of providing such a remedy -as we ought for this evil, command you to do whatever repairs are -necessary to the said pier, and to defray the cost thereof out of the -proceeds of the lands and rents appertaining to the said Temple now in -your custody; and when we shall have been informed of the things done -in the matter, the expense shall be allowed you in your account of the -same proceeds."[175] - -Two years afterwards (6 E. III., A. D. 1333) the king committed the -custody of the Temple to "his beloved clerk," William de Langford, -"and farmed out the rents and proceeds thereof to him for the term of -ten years, at a rent of 24_l._ per annum, the said William undertaking -to keep all the houses and tenements in good order and repair, and so -deliver them up at the end of the term." In the mean time, however, the -pope and the bishops had been vigorously exerting themselves to obtain -a transfer of the property to the order of the Knights Hospitallers of -Saint John. The Hospitallers petitioned the king, setting forth that -the church, the cloisters, and other places within the Temple, were -consecrated and dedicated to the service of God, that they had been -unjustly occupied and detained from them by Hugh le Despenser the -younger, and, through his attainder, had lately come into the king's -hands, and they besought the king to deliver up to them possession -thereof. King Edward accordingly commanded the mayor of London, his -escheator in that city, to take inquisition concerning the premises. - -From this inquisition, and the return thereof, it appears that many -of the founders of the Temple Church, and many of the brethren of the -order of Knights Templars, then lay buried in the church and cemetery -of the Temple; that the bishop of Ely had his lodging in the Temple, -known by the name of the bishop of Ely's chamber; that there was a -chapel dedicated to St. Thomas-a-Becket, which extended from the door -of the TEMPLE HALL as far as the ancient gate of the Temple; also a -cloister which began at the bishop of Ely's chamber, and ran in an -easterly direction; and that there was a wall which ran in a northerly -direction as far as the said king's highway; that in the front part of -the cemetery towards the north, bordering on the king's highway, were -thirteen houses formerly erected, with the assent and permission of -the Master and brethren of the Temple, by Roger Blom, a messenger of -the Temple, for the purpose of holding the lights and ornaments of the -church; that the land whereon these houses were built, the cemetery, -the church, and all the space enclosed between St. Thomas's chapel, the -church, the cloisters, and the wall running in a northerly direction, -and all the buildings erected thereon, together with the hall, -cloisters, and St. Thomas' chapel, were sanctified places dedicated to -God; that Hugh le Despenser occupied and detained them unjustly, and -that through his attainder and forfeiture, and not otherwise, they came -into the king's hands.[176] - -After the return of this inquisition, the said sanctified places were -assigned to the prior and brethren of the Hospital of Saint John; and -the king, on the 11th of January, in the tenth year of his reign, A. D. -1337, directed his writ to the barons of the Exchequer, commanding -them to take inquisition of the value of the said sanctified places, -so given up to the Hospitallers, and of the residue of the Temple, -and certify the same under their seals to the king, in order that a -reasonable abatement might be made in William de Langford's rent. From -the inquiry made in pursuance of this writ before John de Shoreditch, -a baron of the Exchequer, it further appears that on the said residue -of the Temple upon the land then remaining in the custody of William -de Langford, and withinside the great gate of the Temple, were another -HALL and four chambers connected therewith, a kitchen, a garden, a -stable, and a chamber beyond the great gate; also eight shops, seven of -which stood in Fleet Street, and the eighth in the suburb of London, -without the bar of the New Temple; that the annual value of these shops -varied from ten to thirteen, fifteen, and sixteen shillings; that the -fruit out of the garden of the Temple sold for sixty shillings per -annum in the gross, that seven out of the thirteen houses erected by -Roger Blom were each of the annual value of eleven shillings; and that -the eighth, situated beyond the gate of entrance to the church, was -worth four marks per annum. It appears, moreover, that the total annual -revenue of the Temple then amounted to 73_l._ 6_s._ 11_d._, equal to -about 1,000_l._ of our present money, and that William de Langford was -abated 12_l._ 4_s._ 2_d._ of the said rent.[177] - -Three years after the taking of this inquisition, and in the -thirteenth year of his reign, A. D. 1340, king Edward the Third, in -consideration of the sum of one hundred pounds, which the prior of -the Knights Hospitallers promised to pay him towards the expense of -his expedition into France, granted to the said prior all the residue -of the Temple then remaining in the king's hands, to hold, together -with the cemetery, cloisters, and the other sanctified places, to the -said prior and his brethren, and their successors, of the king and his -heirs, for charitable purposes, for ever. From this grant it appears -that the porter of the Temple received sixty shillings and tenpence -per annum, and twopence a day wages, which were to be paid him by the -Hospitallers. At this period Philip Thane was prior of the Hospital; -and he exerted himself to impart to the celebration of divine service -in the Temple Church, the dignity and the splendour it possessed in the -time of the Templars. He, with the unanimous consent and approbation -of the whole chapter of the Hospital, granted to Hugh de Lichefield, -priest, and to his successors, guardians of the Temple Church, towards -the improvement of the lights and the celebration of divine service -therein, all the land called Ficketzfeld, and the garden called -Cotterell Garden; and two years afterwards he made a further grant, to -the said Hugh and his successors, of a thousand fagots a year to be cut -out of the wood of Lilleston, and carried to the New Temple to keep up -the fire in the said church.[178] - -King Edward III., in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, A. D. 1362, -notwithstanding the grant of the Temple to the Hospitallers, exercised -the right of appointing to the porter's office, and by his letter -patent he promoted Roger Small to that post for the term of his -life, in return for the good service rendered him by the said Roger -Small.[179] - -It appears that the lawyers in the Temple had at this period their -purveyor of provisions as at present, and were then keeping commons -or dining together in the hall. The poet Chaucer, who was born at the -close of the reign of Edward II., A. D. 1327, and was in high favour at -court in the reign of Edward III., thus speaks of the MANCIPLE, or the -purveyor of provisions of the lawyers in the Temple:-- - - "A gentil Manciple was there of the TEMPLE, - Of whom achatours mighten take ensample, - For to ben wise in bying of vitaille. - For whether that he paid or toke by taille, - Algate he waited so in his achate, - That he was aye before in good estate. - Now is not that of God a full fayre grace, - That swiche a lewed mannes wit shal pace, - The wisdome of an hepe of lerned men?" - "Of maisters had he mo than thries ten, - THAT WERE OF LAWE EXPERT AND CURIOUS; - Of which there was a dosein in that hous - Worthy to ben stewardes of rent and lond - Of any lord that is in Englelond, - To maken him live by his propre good, - In honour detteles, but if he were wood, - Or live as scarsly, as him list desire; - And able for to helpen all a shire, - In any cas that mighte fallen or happe; - And yet this manciple sette hir aller cappe."[180] - -At the period of the dissolution of the order of the Templars many -of the retainers of the ancient knights were residing in the Temple, -supported by pensions from the crown. These were of the class of free -servants of office, they held their posts for life, and not having -been members of the order, they were not included in the general -proscription of the fraternity. On the seizure by the sheriffs and -royal officers of the property of their ancient masters, they had -been reduced to great distress, and had petitioned the king to be -allowed their customary stipends. Edward II. had accordingly granted -to Robert Styfford clerk, chaplain of the Temple Church, two deniers a -day for his maintenance in the house of the Temple at London, and five -shillings a year for necessaries, provided he did service in the Temple -Church; and when unable to do so, he was to receive only his food -and lodging. Geoffrey Talaver, Geoffrey de Cave, clerk, and John de -Shelton, were also, each of them, to receive for their good services, -annual pensions for the term of their lives. Some of these retainers, -in addition to their various stipends, were to have a gown of the class -of free-serving brethren of the order of the Temple each year; one old -garment out of the stock of old garments belonging to the brethren; one -mark a year for their shoes, &c.; their sons also received so much _per -diem_, on condition that they did the daily work of the house.[181] -These domestics and retainers of the ancient brotherhood of the Knights -Templars, appear to have transferred their services to the learned -society of lawyers established in the Temple, and to have continued and -kept alive amongst them many of the ancient customs and observances of -the old Knights. The chaplain of the Temple Church took his meals in -the hall with the lawyers as he had been wont to do with the Knights -Templars; and the rule of their order requiring "two and two to eat -together," and "all the fragments to be given in brotherly charity to -the domestics," continued to be observed, and prevails to this day; -whilst the attendants at table continued to be, and are still called -_paniers_, as in the days of the Knights Templars.[182] - -In the sixth year of the reign of Edward III., (A. D. 1333,) a few -years after the lawyers had established themselves in the convent -of the Temple, the judges of the Court of Common Pleas were made -KNIGHTS,[183] being the earliest instance on record of the grant of the -honour of knighthood for services purely civil, and the professors -of the common law, who had the exclusive privilege of practising -in that court, assumed the title or degree of FRERES SERJENS or -FRATRES SERVIENTES, so that an order of knights and serving-brethren -was most curiously revived in the Temple, and introduced into the -profession of the law. It is true that the word _serviens_, _serjen_, -or serjeant, was applied to the professors of the law long before the -reign of Edward III., but not to denote a _privileged brotherhood_. -It was applied to lawyers in common with all persons who did any -description of work for another, from the _serviens domini regis ad -legem_, who prosecuted the pleas of the crown in the county court, -to the _serviens_ or _serjen_ who walked with his cane before the -concubine of the patriarch Heraclius in the streets of Jerusalem. -The priest who worked for the Lord was called _serjen de Dieu_, and -the lover who served the lady of his affections _serjen d'amour_. -It was in the order of the Temple that the word _freres_ serjens or -_fratres_ servientes first signified an honorary title or degree, -and denoted a powerful privileged class of brethren. The _fratres -servientes armigeri_ or _freres serjens des armes_, of the chivalry of -the Temple, were of the rank of gentlemen. They united in their own -persons the monastic and the military character, they were allotted one -horse each, they wore the cross of the order of the Temple on their -breasts, they participated in all the privileges of the brotherhood, -and were eligible to the dignity of Preceptor. Large sums of money -were frequently given by seculars who had not been advanced to the -honour of knighthood, to be admitted amongst this highly esteemed -order of men. These _freres serjens_ of the Temple wore linen _coifs_, -and red caps close over them.[184] At the ceremony of their admission -into the fraternity, the Master of the Temple placed the coif upon -their heads, and threw over their shoulders the white mantle of the -Temple; he then caused them to sit down on the ground, and gave them a -solemn admonition concerning the duties and responsibilities of their -profession. The knights and Serjeants of the common law, on the other -hand, have ever constituted a privileged _fraternity_, and always -address one another by the endearing term _brother_. The religious -character of the ancient ceremony of admission into this legal -brotherhood, which took place in the Temple Church, and its striking -similarity to the ancient mode of reception into the fraternity of the -Temple, are curious and remarkable. "Capitalis Justitiarius," says an -ancient MS. account of the creation of serjeants-at-law, "monstrabat -eis plura bona exempla de eorum praedecessoribus, et tunc. posuit -les _coyfes_ super eorum capitibus, et induebat eos singulariter de -capital de skarletto, et sic creati fuerunt _servientes ad legem_." -In his admonitory exhortation, the chief-justice displays to them the -moral and religious duties of their profession. "Ambulate in vocatione -in qua vocati estis.... Disce cultum Dei, _reverentiam superioris, -misericordiam pauperi_." He tells them the coif is sicut vestis -_candida_ et immaculata, the emblem of purity and virtue, and he -commences a portion of his discourse in the scriptural language used -by the popes in the famous bull conceding to the Templars their vast -spiritual and temporal privileges, "_Omne datum optimum et omne donum -perfectum desursum est descendens a patre luminum_," &c. &c.[185] It -has been supposed that the coif was first introduced by the clerical -practitioners of the common law to hide the _tonsure_ of those priests -who practised in the Court of Common Pleas, notwithstanding the -ecclesiastical prohibition. This was not the case. The early portraits -of our judges exhibit them with a coif of very much larger dimensions -than the coifs now worn by the serjeants-at-law, very much larger than -would be necessary to hide the _mere clerical tonsure_. A covering for -that purpose indeed would be absurd. - -From the inquisition into the state of the Temple, taken 10 E. III., -A. D. 1337, it appears, as we have already seen, that in the time of the -Knights Templars there were TWO HALLS in the Temple, the one being the -hall of the knights, and the other the hall of the _freres serjens_, or -serving-brethren of the order. One of these halls, the present Inner -Temple Hall, had been assigned, the year previous to the taking of -that inquisition, to the prior and brethren of the Hospital of Saint -John, together with the church, cloisters, &c., as before mentioned, -whilst the other hall remained in the hands of the crown, and was -not granted to the Hospitallers until 13 E. III., A. D. 1340. It was -probably soon after this period that the Hospitallers conceded the use -of _both halls_ to the professors of the law, and these last, from -dining apart and being attached to different halls, at last separated -into two societies. When the lawyers originally came into the Temple as -lessees of the earl of Lancaster, they found engraved upon the ancient -buildings the armorial bearings of the order of the Temple, which were, -on a shield argent, a plain cross gules, and (_brochant sur le tout_) -the holy lamb bearing the banner of the order, surmounted by a red -cross. These arms remained the emblem of the Temple until the fifth -year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, when unfortunately the society -of the Inner Temple, yielding to the advice and persuasion of Master -Gerard Leigh, a member of the College of Heralds, abandoned the ancient -and honourable device of the Knights Templars, and assumed in its place -a galloping winged horse called a Pegasus, or, as it has been explained -to us, "a horse striking the earth with its hoof, or _Pegasus luna on -a field argent_!" Master Gerard Leigh, we are told, "emblazoned them -with precious stones and planets, and by these strange arms he intended -to signify that the knowledge acquired at the learned seminary of the -Inner Temple would raise the professors of the law to the highest -honours, adding, by way of motto, _volat ad aethera virtus_, and he -intended to allude to what are esteemed the more liberal sciences, by -giving them Pegasus forming the fountain of Hippocrene, by striking his -hoof against the rock, as a proper emblem of lawyers becoming poets, as -Chaucer and Gower, who were both of the Temple!" - -The Society of the Middle Temple, with better taste, still preserves, -in that part of the Temple over which its sway extends, the -widely-renowned and time-honoured badge of the ancient order of the -Temple. - -On the dissolution of the order of the Hospital of Saint John, (32 -Hen. 8,) the Temple once more reverted to the crown, and the lawyers -again became the immediate lessees of the sovereign. In the reign of -James I., however, some Scotchman attempted to obtain from his majesty -a grant of the fee simple or inheritance of the Temple, which being -brought to the knowledge of the two law societies, they forthwith made -"humble suit" to the king, and obtained a grant of the property to -themselves. By letters patent, bearing date at Westminster the 13th -of August, in the sixth year of his reign, A. D. 1609, king James -granted the Temple to the Benchers of the two societies, their heirs -and assigns for ever, for the lodging, reception, and education of -the professors and students of the laws of England, the said Benchers -yielding and paying to the said king, his heirs and successors, ten -pounds yearly for the mansion called the Inner Temple, and ten pounds -yearly for the Middle Temple.[186] - -There are but few remains of the ancient Knights Templars now existing -in the Temple beyond the CHURCH. The present Inner Temple Hall was -the ancient HALL OF THE KNIGHTS, but it has at different periods -been so altered and repaired as to have lost almost every trace and -vestige of antiquity. In the year 1816 it was nearly rebuilt, and the -following extract from "The Report and Observations of the Treasurer -on the late Repairs of the Inner Temple Hall," may prove interesting, -as showing the state of the edifice previous to that period. "From -the proportions, the state of decay, the materials of the eastern and -southern walls, the buttresses of the southern front, the pointed -form of the roof and arches, and the rude sculpture on the two doors -of public entrance, the hall is evidently of very great antiquity.... -The northern wall appears to have been rebuilt, except at its two -extremities, in modern times, but on the old foundations.... The roof -was found to be in a very decayed and precarious state. It appeared to -have undergone reparation at three separate periods of time, at each of -which timber had been unnecessarily added, so as finally to accumulate -a weight which had protruded the northern and southern walls. It -became, therefore, indispensable to remove all the timber of the roof, -and to replace it in a lighter form. On removing the old wainscoting -of the western wall, a perpendicular crack of considerable height and -width was discovered, which threatened at any moment the fall of that -extremity of the building with its superincumbent roof.... The turret -of the clock and the southern front of the hall are only cased with -stone; this was done in the year 1741, and very ill executed. The -structure of the turret, composed of chalk, ragstone, and rubble, (the -same material as the walls of the church,) seems to be very ancient.... -The wooden cupola of the bell was so decayed as to let in the rain, and -was obliged to be renewed in a form to agree with the other parts of -the southern front." - -"Notwithstanding the Gothic character of the building, in the year -1680, during the treasurership of Sir Thomas Robinson, prothonotary of -C. B., a Grecian screen of the Doric order was erected, surmounted by -lions' heads, cones, and other incongruous devices. In the year 1741, -during the treasurership of John Blencowe, esq., low windows of Roman -architecture were formed in the southern front. The dates of such -innovations appear from inscriptions with the respective treasurers' -names." - -This ancient hall formed the far-famed refectory of the Knights -Templars, and was the scene of their proud and sumptuous hospitality. -Within its venerable walls they at different periods entertained king -John, king Henry the Third, the haughty legates of the Roman pontiffs, -and the ambassadors of foreign powers. The old custom, alluded to by -Matthew Paris, (ante, p. 203,) of hanging around the walls the shields -and armorial devices of the ancient knights, is still preserved, and -each succeeding treasurer of the Temple still continues to hoist his -coat of arms on the wall, as in the high and palmy days of the warlike -monks of old. Here, in the time of the Knights Templars, the discipline -was administered to disobedient brethren, who were scourged upon their -bare backs with leathern thongs. Here also was kept, according to -the depositions of the witnesses who brought such dark and terrible -accusations against the Templars before the ecclesiastical tribunal -assembled in London, the famous black idol with shining eyes, and the -gilded head, which the Templars worshipped! and from hence was taken -the refractory knight, who having refused to spit upon the cross, was -plunged into the well which stood in the middle of the Temple court! -The general chapters of the Templars were frequently held in the Temple -Hall, and the vicar of the church of St. Clements at Sandwich, swore -before the Papal inquisitors assembled at London, that he had heard -that a boy had been murdered by the Templars in the Temple, because he -had crept by stealth into the Hall to witness the proceedings of the -assembled brethren. - -At the west end of the hall are considerable remains of the ancient -convent of the Knights. A groined Gothic arch of the same style of -architecture as the oldest part of the Temple Church forms the roof of -the present buttery, and in the apartment beyond is a groined vaulted -ceiling of great beauty. The ribs of the arches in both rooms are -elegantly moulded, but are sadly disfigured with a thick coating of -plaster and barbarous whitewash. In the cellars underneath these rooms -are some old walls of immense thickness, the remains of an ancient -window, a curious fireplace, and some elegant pointed Gothic arches -corresponding with the ceilings above; but they are now, alas! shrouded -in darkness, choked with modern brick partitions and staircases, and -soiled with the damp and dust of many centuries. These interesting -remains form an upper and an under story, the floor of the upper story -being on a level with the floor of the hall, and the floor of the -under story on a level with the terrace on the south side thereof. -They were formerly connected with the church by means of a covered way -or cloister, which ran at right angles with them over the site of the -present cloister-chambers, and communicated with the upper and under -story of the chapel of St. Anne, which formerly stood on the south side -of the church. By means of this corridor and chapel the brethren of the -Temple had private access to the church for the performance of their -strict religious duties, and of their secret ceremonies of admitting -novices to the vows of the order. In 9 Jac. I., A. D. 1612, some brick -buildings three stories high were erected over this ancient cloister by -Francis Tate, esq., and being burnt down a few years afterwards, the -interesting covered way which connected the church with the ancient -convent was involved in the general destruction, as appears from -the following inscription upon the present buildings:--VETUSTISSIMA -TEMPLARIORUM PORTICU IGNE CONSUMPTA, ANNO 1678, NOVA HAEC, SUMPTIBUS -MEDII TEMPLI EXTRUCTA, ANNO 1681, GULIELMO WHITELOCKE ARMIGERO, -THESAURARIO. "The very ancient portico of the Templars being consumed -by fire in the year 1678, these new buildings were erected at the -expense of the Middle Temple in the year 1681, during the treasurership -of William Whitelocke, esq." - -The cloisters of the Templars formed the medium of communication -between the halls, of the church, and the cells of the serving brethren -of the order. During the formation of the present new entrance into -the Temple, by the church, at the bottom of the Inner Temple lane, -a considerable portion of the brickwork of the old houses was pulled -down, and an ancient wall of great thickness was disclosed. It was -composed of chalk, ragstone, and rubble, exactly resembling the walls -of the church. It ran in a direction east and west, and appeared to -have formed the extreme northern boundary of the old convent. The exact -site of the remaining buildings of the ancient Temple cannot now be -determined with certainty. - -Among the many interesting objects to be seen in the ancient church -of the Knights Templars which still exists in a wonderful state of -preservation, is the PENITENTIAL CELL, a dreary place of solitary -confinement formed within the thick wall of the building, only four -feet six inches long and two feet six inches wide, so narrow and -small that a grown person cannot lie down within it.[187] In this -narrow prison the disobedient brethren of the ancient Templars were -temporarily confined in chains and fetters, "in order that their -souls might be saved from the eternal prison of hell." The hinges and -catch of a door firmly attached to the doorway of this dreary chamber -still remain, and at the bottom of the staircase is a stone recess or -cupboard, where bread and water were placed for the prisoner. In this -cell Brother Walter le Bachelor, Knight, Grand Preceptor of Ireland, is -said to have been starved to death. - - - THE END. - - - LONDON: - G. J. PALMER, SAVOY STREET, STRAND. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] _Will. Tyr._ lib. i. cap. 2, lib. viii. cap. 3. _Jac. de Vitr. -Hist. Hierosol._ cap. lxii. p. 1080. _D'Herbelot Bib. Orient._ p. 270, -687, ed. 1697. - -[2] _Procopius_ de aedificiis Justiniani, lib. 5. - -[3] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xii. cap. 7, lib. viii. cap. 3. _Hist. Orient. -Jac. de Vitr. apud Thesaur. Nov. Anecd. Martene_, tom. iii. col. 277. -_Phocae descript. Terr. Sanct._ cap. 14, col. 1653. - -[4] _Chrysost. Henriq. de Priv. Cist._ p. 477. - -[5] See also Hoveden apud X script. page 479. Hen. Hunting. ib. page -384. - -[6] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xiii. cap. 26; _Anselmus_, lib. iii. epistolarum, -epist. 43, 63, 66, 67. - -[7] _Reg. Cart. S. Joh. Jerus. in Bib. Cotton. Nero E. b._ No. xx. fo. -118. - -[8] _Odo de Diogilo de Ludov._ vii. _profectione in Orientem_, p. 67. - -[9] _Duchesne hist. franc. scrip._ tom. iv. p. 512; epist. 58, 59. - -[10] _Dugd. Monast._ vol. vii. p. 838; vol. ii. p. 820, 843, ed. 1830. -Baronage, tom. i. p. 122. - -[11] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xvii. cap. 21, cap. 9. - -[12] _Registr. epist._ apud _Martene_, tom. ii. col. 647. - -[13] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xvii. cap. 27; lib. xviii. cap. 14; lib. xix. -cap. 8. - -[14] Keightley's Crusaders. The virtues of Noureddin are celebrated -by the Arabic Historian _Ben-Schunah_, by _Azzeddin Ebn-al-athir_, -by _Khondemir_, and in the work entitled, "The flowers of the two -gardens," by _Omaddeddin Kateb_. See also _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. cap. 33. - -[15] _Alwakidi_, translated by Ockley, _Hist. Saracen._ _Cinnamus_, -lib. iv. num. 22. - -[16] His. de Saladin, per _M. Marin_, tome i. p. 120, 1. _Gibbon_, cap. -59. - -[17] _Hist. Franc. Script._ tom. iv. p. 692, 693. _Gesta Dei_, epist. -xiv. p. 1178, 9. - -[18] _Martene_, vet. Script., tom. ii. col. 846, 847, 883. _Gesta Dei_, -tom. i. p. 1181-1184. _Duchesne._ Hist. Franc. script. p. 698. - -[19] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xxii. cap. 5. - -[20] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xviii. cap. 4, 5. lib. xx. cap. 5. _Hoveden_ in -Hen. 2, p. 622. _De Vertot_, Hist. des Chevaliers de Malte, liv. ii. p. -150 to 161, ed. 1726. - -[21] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xxi. cap. 29. - -[22] Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xvii. p. 127, 170. - -[23] Adjecit etiam et alia _a spiritu superbiae_, quo ipse plurimum -abundabat, dictata, quae praesenti narrationi non multum necessarium est -interserere.--_Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. cap. 32. - -[24] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. xxi. xxii. - -[25] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx-xxii. _Abulpharadge_ Chron. Syr. p. 379-381. - -[26] _Hemingford_, cap. 33. _Hoveden_, ad ann. 1185; _Radulph de -Diceto_, p. 622-626. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. iv, p. 788. _Matt. West._ -ad ann. 185; _Guill. Neubr._ tom. i. lib. iii. cap. 12, 13. - -[27] _Speed._ Hist. Britain, p. 506. A. D. 1185. - -[28] _Stowe's_ Survey. _Tanner_, Notit. Monast. _Dugd._ Orig. Jurid. -_Herbert_, Antiq. Inns of Court. - -[29] _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol vi. part ii. p. 820. - -[30] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xii. cap. 7. - -[31] _Will. Tyr._ lib. xx. cap. 21. _Rob. de Monte_, appen. ad chron. -Sig. p. 631. _Marin_, _Sanut._ p. 221. _Bernard_, Thesaur. p. 768. -_Matt. Par._ p. 142. - -[32] _Roccus Pyrrhus_, Sicil. Antiq. tom. iii. col. 1000, 1093, 4, 5, -6, 7, &c. - -[33] _Mariana_, de. reb. Hist. lib. ii. cap. 23. - -[34] Script. rer. Germ. tom. ii. col. 584. - -[35] Constantinop. Christ. lib. iv. p. 157. - -[36] Hist. Gen. de Languedoc. Hist. de la ville de Paris, tom. i. p. -174. Gall. christ. nov. tom. vi., tom. vii. col. 853. - -[37] _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 800 to 817. Concil. -Magnae Britanniae, tom. iii. p. 333 to 382. Acta _Rymeri_, tom iii. p. -279, 288, 291, 295, &c. - -[38] _Nichol's_ Hist. of Leicestershire. - -[39] _Clutterbuck's_ Hist. of Hertfordshire. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. -p. 133, 134. _Dodsworth_, MS. vol. xxxv. - -[40] _Morant's_ Hist. Essex. _Rymer_, tom. iii. p. 290 to 294. - -[41] Inquis. terrar. ut sup. _Peck's_ MS. in Musseo Britannico, vol. -iv. fol. 95. _Dodsworth_, MS. vol. xx. p. 65, 67. _Dugd._ Baron, tom. -i. p. 70. - -[42] Monast. Angl. _Hasted._ Hist. Kent. _Manning's_ Surrey. _Atkyn's_ -Gloucestershire; and see the references in _Tanner_. _Nash's_ -Worcestershire. _Bridge's_ Northamptonshire, vol. ii. p. 100. - -[43] _Thoroton's_ Nottinghamshire. _Burn and Nicholson's_ Westmoreland. -_Worsley's_ Isle of Wight. _Mat. Par._ p. 615, ed. Lond. 1640. - -[44] _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. p. 838. - -[45] _Dugd._ Monast. p. 844. - -[46] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 30-32, 54, 298, 574, 575. - -[47] 2 Inst. p. 432, 465. - -[48] Stat. Westr. 2, cap. 43, 13 Ed. I. - -[49] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 335, 339, 340, 355, 356. Monast. -Angl. p. 818. - -[50] _Peck's_ MS. in Museo Brittannico, vol. iv. p. 65. - -[51] _Nicholl's_ Hist. Leicestershire, vol. iii. pl. cxxvii. fig. 947, -p. 943; vol. ii. pl. v. fig. 13. - -[52] Rot. claus. 49. H. III. m. xi. d. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 802. - -[53] L'Histoire des Cisteaux, _Chrisost Henriques_, p. 479. - -[54] _Lord Littleton's_ Life of Henry II. tom. ii. p. 356. _Hoveden_, -453. _Chron. Gervasii_, p. 1386, apud X. script. - -[55] _Lansdowne_ MS. 207 E. fol. 467. Ibid. fol. 201. - -[56] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 442, 4, 5. _Wilkins_. Concilia, tom. ii. -p. 230. - -[57] _Matt. Par._ p. 381. - -[58] _Matt. Par._ p. 253, 645. - -[59] _Wilkins_. Concilia Magnae Britanniae, tom. ii. p. 19, 26, 93, 239, -253, 272, 292. - -[60] _Muratori_ script. rer. Ital. p. 792. _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. vi. p. -60, fol. 466. - -[61] _Radulph de Diceto_, p. 626. _Matt. Par._ ad ann. 1185. _Hoveden_, -p. 636, 637. - -[62] The above passage is almost literally translated from the _Chron. -Joan. Bromton_, abbatis Jornalensis, script. X. p. 1144, ad ann. 1185. - -[63] Contin. hist. apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 606. - -[64] Contin. Hist. _Will. Tyr._ apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 585, -593-596. This valuable old chronicle appears to have been written by a -resident in Palestine. It was translated into Latin by Francis Piper -and published by Muratori inter rer Italicar. script. tom. vii. as the -chronicle of Bernard the treasurer. Assizes de Jerusalem, cap. 287, 288. - -[65] _Rad. Cogg._ apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 550-552. Contin. Hist., -ib. col. 599, 600. - -[66] _Bohadin ib'n Sjeddadi_, apud _Schultens_, ex. MS. Arab. Pref. - -[67] _Rad. Cogg._ col. 552, 553. _Abulfed._ Chron. Hejir. 582. - -[68] _Muhammed_, _F. Muhammed_, _N. Koreisg. Ispahan_, apud _Schultens_, -p. 18. - -[69] _Omad'eddin Kateb_, in the book called Fatah. Extraits Arabes, -_Michaud. Radulph Coggleshale_. Chron. Terr. Sanct. apud _Martene_, -tom. v. col. 552 to 559. Contin. Hist. ib. col. 602--608. _Bohadin_, -p. 70. _Jac. de Vitr._ cap. xciv. _Abulfeda_, cap. 27. _Abulpharag._ -Chron. Syr. p. 399, 401, 402. Gesta Dei, tom. i. p. 1150, 1. -_Vinisauf._ apud _Gale_, p. 15. - -[70] _Hoveden_, rer. Angl. script. post Bedam, p. 636, 637. Chron. -_Gervas._ ib. col. 1562. - -[71] Contin. Hist. col. 611. _Jac. de Vitr._ cap. xc. _Vinisauf_, p. -257. _Michaud_, Extr. - -[72] _Rad. Cogg._ col. 567, 568. - -[73] _Ibn-Alatsyr._ Extraits par _M. Michaud_. Bib. des Croisaides, p. -464. - -[74] _Rad. Cogg._ col. 570-573. Contin. Hist. Bell. Sacr. col. -614, 615, 621. _Bohadin_, cap. xxxvi. and the Arab Extracts, apud -_Schultens_, cap. xxvii. p. 42, 43. - -[75] _Hoveden_, Rer. Angl. script. post Bedam, p. 645, 646. - -[76] _Bohadin_ apud _Schultens_, cap. 36. _Abulfeda_, ib. cap. xxvii. -p. 43. _Wilken_ Comment. p. 148. - -[77] Khotbeh, or sermon of _Mohammed Ben Zeky_.--_Michaud_, Extraits -Arabes. - -[78] _Michaud_, Pieces justificatives, No. ix. 485. - -[79] _Hoveden_, p. 646. Contin. Hist. col. 623. _Ibn-Alatsyr_, p. -474-477. - -[80] Ipse meis vidi oculis, uno eorum cadente, alter mox eundem locum -occuparet, immotique, perstarent ad instar muri. _Bohadin_ apud -_Schultens_, p. 85. _Michaud_, Extraits, p. 487, 488. - -[81] _Ibn Alatsyr_, ut sup. p. 479-484, 492. _Bohadin_, cap. 41-44, 48, -49. - -[82] _Radulph de Diceto_, apud X. script. p. 642. - -[83] _Vinisauf_ apud _Gale_ XV. script, vol. 2. p. 270. _Rad. Cogg._ -col. 574. Gesta Dei, tom. 1, part 2, p. 1165. _Radulph de Diceto_ col. -649. - -[84] _Ducange_, Gloss, tom. vi. p. 1036. Cotton MS. Nero E. vi. p. 60, -fol. 466. - -[85] _Bohadin_, cap. 55-58, 75-84. _Ibn Alat_. ut sup. p. 499, 500, -510-514. _Vinisauf_, apud _Gale_ XV. script. cap. 58-60. _D'Herbelot_, -Bib. Orient, p. 743. - -[86] _Rad. Cogg_. col. 557. _Vinisauf_, cap. 64, 74. L'Art de Verif. -tom. 4, p. 59, ed. 1818. - -[87] Hist. de la maison de Sable, liv. vi. chap. 5. p. 174, 175. -Cotton MS. Nero, E. vi. p. 60. folio 466, where he is called Robert de -Sambell. L'Art de Verif. tom. v. p. 347. - -[88] _Jac. de Vitr._ Gesta Dei, cap. 65. - -[89] _Michaud_, Hist. des Croisades, tom. ii. p. 383, 384. - -[90] _Bohadin_, cap. 95-110, 112. _I'Bn Alat._ p. 520. _Bohadin_, cap. -115. Contin. Hist. col. 634, 635. - -[91] Contin. Hist. col. 633. _Trivet_ ad ann. 1191. Chron. de S. Denis, -lib. ii. cap. 7. - -[92] Itinerarium regis Anglorum Ricardi et aliorum in terram -Hierosolymorum auctore _Gaufrido de Vinisauf_. _Gale's_ scriptores -Historiae Anglicanae, tom. ii. p. 247-429. - -[93] Erat autem perelegans ea et per sane venusta, validissimis -moenibus, celsissimis aedificiis, ita ut terrorem quendam gravitate et -firmitate incuteret. _Bohadin_, apud _Schultens_, pp. 100-201. _Ibn -Alat._ p. 523-525. _Vinisauf_, lib. iv. - -[94] _Bohadin_, apud _Schultens_, cap. 156, p. 235, 236. - -[95] _Vinisauf_, lib. vi. _Bohadin_, p. 238. _Abulfeda_, p. 51. Contin. -Hist. col. 638, 641. - -[96] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI. 23, i. - -[97] _Jac. de Vitry_, Gest. Dei, tom i. pars. 9, p. 1113. - -[98] _Michaud_, Hist. des Croisades, tom. iii. p. 39. - -[99] _Othonis de S. Blazio_, apud _Martene_, tom. vi. p. 886. Contin. -Hist. ib. tom. v. - -[100] Lib. i. ii. epistolarum. _Inn. III._, epist. 138, 567. - -[101] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI., p. 60, fol. 466. _Ducange_, Gloss. tom. -vi. p. 1036. - -[102] _Bernardus_ Thesaurarius, Script, rer. Italicar. tom. vii. cap. -187. p. 823. - -[103] _Cotton_, MS. Nero E. VI. fol. 23 i.--p. 60, fol. 466. _Ducange_, -Gloss. tom. vi. col. 1036. - -[104] _Bern_ Thesaur. cap. 190-200, Script. Ital. tom. viii. _Jac. de -Vitr._ p. 1135-1143. _Martene._ Thesaur. anec. tom. iii. col. 294, &c. -_Ibn Ferat_ p. 770. _Ibn Alat._ p. 538. _Oliverii_, Hist. Damiatana, -tom. ii. cap. 31. - -[105] Epist. apud _Matt. Par._ p. 312, 313. _Martene_, tom. v. col. -1480. - -[106] _Matt. Par._ p. 314. See also another letter, p. 313. - -[107] _Ibn Schunah_, ad ann. Hejir 626. _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. -695-699. _Marin Sanut._ p. 213. - -[108] _Od Rainald_, ad ann. 1229. - -[109] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI. 23 i. p. 60, fol. 466. L'Art de Verif. -tom. v. p. 351. - -[110] _Matt. Par._ p. 615. _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. 722-725. _Marin -Sanut._ cap. 15. _Michaud_, Extr. p. 549. _Ibn Schunah_, Hejir. 638. - -[111] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 134, 165, 170, 194, 195, 208, 209. -_Matt. Par._ p. 234-237, 253. _Matt. West._ p. 271. - -[112] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 234, 258, 270, 275, 311, 373, 380. - -[113] _Addison's_ Temple Church. - -[114] Cart. 11, _Hen._ 3, m. 33. _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2. -p. 844. - -[115] _Plac. de Quo Warranto_ temp. EDW. 1, rot. 4, d. p. 191. -_Spelman_, Gloss p. 251. - -[116] _Djemal'eddeen_, ad ann. Hejir. 841. _Michaud_, Extraits Arabes, -p. 549. - -[117] _Steph. Baluz_, Miscell. lib. vi. p. 357, de constructione Castri -SAPHET. - -[118] _Conder's_ Modern Traveller.--Palestine, p. 335, 337-339. - -[119] _Marin. Sanut._ p. 217. _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. 731, 732. -_Michaud_, Extraits, p. 551, 718. _Matt. Par._ 631, 632. - -[120] _Matt. Par._ p. 631 to 633. _Abulpharag_, p. 486. _D'Herbelot_, -Bib. Orient. p. 357, 628. - -[121] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. VI. p. 60, fol. 466. L'Art de Verif. tom. v. -552. _Matt. Par._ p. 618-620. - -[122] _Matt. Par._ p. 711. - -[123] _Matt. Par._ p. 733. - -[124] _Matt. Par._ p. 736, et in additamentis, p. 161, ad ann. 1247. - -[125] _Matt. Par._ in additamentis, p. 168, 169. - -[126] _Joinville_, p. 47. - -[127] _Ibn Schunah_, ad ann. Hejir, 648. - -[128] _Joinville_, p. 58. _Matt. Par._ Chron. Nan. p. 790. - -[129] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 473. - -[130] Gal. Christ. nov. tom. ii. col. 1008. _Tyr._ Contin. col. 735. - -[131] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 474, 557, 558. _Matt. Par._ p. 899. - -[132] Reg. et constit. ord. Cisterc. p. 480. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. -575-582. - -[133] _Od. Rainald_, ad ann. 1257. _Tyr._ Contin. col. 732, 735-737. - -[134] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 698. - -[135] Ib. p. 730, 878, 879. - -[136] _Tyr._ Contin. Hist. col. 737, 742. _Sanut._ p. 220-222. -_Abulfeda_, apud _Wilkins_, p. 223. _Ibn Ferat_ Chron. Arab ad ann. -Hejir. 662, 664. _Mohieddin_, by _Schafi Ibn Ali Abbas_. _Michaud_ -Extraits, 668, 669, 673, 674. - -[137] _Ibn Ferat._ Hejir. 666. _Michaud_, Extr. 675-785. _Tyr._ Contin. -col. 743 - -[138] _Tyr._ Contin. col. 745. _Sanut_, p. 224. _Michaud_, p. 757. -_Trivet_, ad ann. 1272. _Walsingham_, p. 43. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. -885, 889; tom. ii. p. 2. - -[139] _Tyr._ Contin. col. 746, 747. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. ii. p. 34. - -[140] De excidio urbis Acconis apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 757, 782. -_De Guignes_, Hist. des Huns, tom. iv. p. 162. _Abulfarag._ Chron. Syr. -p. 595. _Wilkens_, Comment. Abulfed. Hist. p. 231-234. _Marin. Sanut. -Torsell_, lib. iii. pars 12, cap. 21, 22. _Makrisi_, ad ann. Hejir. -689, 690. _Hermann Cornarius_, Collect. _d'Ekard Michaud_, Bib. des -Croisades, tom. ii. - -[141] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 350-352, 387, 388. _Cotton_ MS. -Nero E. VI. 23 i. p. 60, fol. 466. L'Art de Verif. tom. i. p. 523, ed. -1783. _Rainald_, tom. xiv. ad ann. 1294. - -[142] _Haiton_, Hist. Tartar. cap. 43. Chron. de _Nangis Rainald_, ad -ann. 1299, 1300, n. 34. _Marin. Sanut._ p. 242. _De Guignes_, tom iv. -p. 184. - -[143] _Ibn Ferat_, ad ann. Hejir. 690. _Sanut._ p. 232. - -[144] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 575-579, 582, tom. ii. p. 529. -_Martene_, tom. vii. col. 156. - -[145] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. ii. p. 683. _Hemingford_, vol. i. p. 159, -244. Rolls of Parliament, vol. i. p. 2. Ib. No. 7. - -[146] _Dupuy_, tom. ii. p. 309. Chron. St. Denis. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. -iii. p. 18. - -[147] Ostendens duo ossa quod dicebat illa esse quae ceciderunt de talis -suis. _Processus contra Templarios._ _Raynouard_, Monumens Historiques, -p. 73, ed. 1813. - -[148] Ponderibus appensis in genitalibus, usque ad exanimationem. Ib. -p. 35. - -[149] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 35, 37. - -[150] _Knyghton_, apud X. script. col. 2494, 2531. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. -iii. p. 30-32, 34, 35, 45. - -[151] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 100-103, 111, 121, 122. - -[152] Acta _Rymeri_, p. 168, 169. - -[153] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 346, 347. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. -p. 174, 175, 178, 179. - -[154] The original draft of these articles of accusation, with the -corrections and alterations, is preserved in the Tresor des Chartres. -_Raynouard_, Monumens Historiques, p. 50, 51. The proceedings against -the Templars in England are preserved in MS. in the British Museum, -Harl. No. 252, 62, f. p. 113; No. 247, 68, f. p. 144. Bib. Cotton. -Julius, b. xii. p. 70; and in the Bodleian Library and Ashmolean -Museum. The principal part of them has been published by _Wilkins_ in -the Concilia Magnae Britanniae, tom ii. p. 329-401, and by _Dugdale_, in -the Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part ii. p. 844-848. - -[155] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 350-383. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. -p. 179, 180. - -[156] _Raynouard_, p. 52, 57, 75, ed. 1813. _Dupuy_, p. 138, 139, 174, -ed. 1700. - -[157] Chron. Cornel. _Zanfliet_ apud _Martene_, tom. v. col. 159. -_Bocat._ de cas. vir. illustr. lib. ix. cap. 21. _Joan. Can. Sti. -Vict._ Contin. de _Nangis_, ad ann. 1310. _Rayn._ - -[158] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 194, 195, 224, 225, 227, 230-235. -Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 305-314; tom. iii. p. 228, 229. - -[159] AGNES LOVECOTE dixit quod ... fratres aperuerunt quandam voltam -et perduxerunt de illo loco monstrum quoddam ad formam seu imaginem -diaboli, habens loco oculorum lapides rutilantes et illuminantes -capitulum, cujus culum osculabantur omnes, primo Magister, et postea -alii, et postea ponebant unam crucen nigram ad culum dicti monstri, et -spuebant omnes in crucem...! Deponit se audivisse a quadam _domina_ -Agnete, quae dicebat se audivisse a sorore cujusdam Templarii, quod cum -ipsa soror denudasset fratrem suum post mortem, credens invenire signa -salutis, invenit in braccis dicti Templarii fratis sui crucem pendentem -contra anum...! Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 350-364. - -[160] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 290. MS. Bodl. F. 5, 2. Concil. p. -364, 365. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 228, 231, 232. - -[161] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 383-391, 394-401. - -[162] Concilia Hispaniae, tom. v. p. 223. _Raynouard_, p. 199-204. - -[163] Secund. vit. Clem. 5, p. 43. _Rainald_, ad ann. 1311, n. 55. -_Walsingham_, p. 99. Antiq. Britann. p. 210. - -[164] _Maratorii_ collect. tom. iii. p. 448; tom. x. col. 377. -_Mariana_, tom. iii. p. 157. _Raynouard_, p. 191, 192. - -[165] _Cotton_ MS. Nero E. vi. 23 i. Ib. p. 60, fol. 466. Acta -_Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 380. - -[166] _Lansdown_ MS. 207, E. vol. v. fol. 162, 163, 201, 284, 317, 467. -Acta _Rymeri_, tom. i. p. 134, 342, 344, 345, part 3, p. 104. _Matt. -Par._ p. 253-255, 258, 270, 314, 615, et in ad. p. 480. Concil. Mag. -Brit. tom. ii. p. 340; tom. xi. p. 335, 339, 341, 343, 344. _Prynne_, -collect. 3, 143. - -[167] Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 393. - -[168] _Villani_, lib. viii. cap. 92. _Dupuy_, ed. 1700, p. 71, 128, -139. _Raynouard_, p. 60, 209, 210. - -[169] _Dupuy_, p. 179, 184. _Raynouard_, 197-199. _De Vertis_, liv. iii. - -[170] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 130, 134, 139, 279-297, 321-327, 337, -409, 410. _Dodsworth_, MS. vol. xxxv. p. 65, 67. - -[171] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 451, 454, 455, 457, 459-463, 956-959. -_Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 809, 849, 850. Rolls of -Parliament, vol. ii. p. 41. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 499. - -[172] Statutes at Large, vol. 9. Appendix, p. 23. Rolls of Parliament, -vol. ii. p. 41, No. 52. Monast. Angl. p. 880. - -[173] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 472. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. -_Walsingham_, p. 99. - -[174] Pat. 8, E. 2. m. 17. Ancient MS. account of the Temple, formerly -the property of lord Somers, and afterwards of Nicholls, the celebrated -antiquary. Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 936, 940. _Lel._ coll. vol. i. -p. 668. Rot. Escaet. 1, E. 3. _Dugd._ baron. vol. i. p. 777, 778. - -[175] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iv. p. 406, 464. - -[176] Rot. Escaet. 10, E. 3, 66. Claus. 4, E. 3, p. 1, m. 10. - -[177] Sunt etiam ibidem claustrum, capella Sancti Thomae, et quaedam -platea terrae eidem capellae annexata, cum _una aula_ et camera supra -edificata, quae sunt loca sancta, et Deo dedicata, et dictae ecclesiae -annexata, et eidem Priori per idem breve liberata.... Item dicunt, quod -praeter ista, sunt ibidem in custodia Wilielmi de Langford, infra Magnam -Portam dicti Novi Templi, _extra metas et disjunctiones praedictas_ una -_aula_ et quatuor camerae, una coquina, unum gardinum, unum stabulum, -et una camera ultra Magnam Portam praedictam, &c. In memorandis -Scacc. inter recorda de Termino Sancti Hilarii. 11 E. 3, in officio -Remembratoris Thesaurarii. - -[178] _Dugd._ Monast. vol. vii. p. 810, 811. Ib. tom. vi. part 2, p. -832. - -[179] Pat. 35 E. 3, p. 2, m 33. - -[180] Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. The wages of the Manciples of -the Temple, tomp. Henry VIII. were xxxvis. per annum. Bib. _Cotton_. -Vitellius, c. 9, f. 320, a. - -[181] Acta _Rymeri_, tom. iii. p. 292, 294, 331, 332. - -[182] Thomas of Wothrope, at the trial of the Templars in England, was -unable to give an account of the reception of some brethren into the -order, quia erat _panetarius_ et vacabat circa suum officium. Concil. -Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 355. Ita appellabant officialem domesticum, qui -mensae panem, mappas et manutergia subministrabat. _Ducange_, Gloss. -verb. PANETARIUS. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. ii. p. 371-373. MS. Inner -Temple Library, div. 9, shelf 5, vol. xvii. fol. 393. - -[183] _Dugd._ Orig. Jurid. cap. xxxix. p. 102. - -[184] _Will. Tyr._ lib. i. p. 50, lib. xii. p. 814. _Dugd._ Hist. -Warwickshire, p. 704. Et tune Magister Templi dedit sibim antellum, -et imposuit pileum capiti suo, et tune fecit eum sedere ad terram, -injungens sibi, &c. Acta _contra Templarios_. Concil. Mag. Brit. tom. -ii. p. 300. See also p. 335. - -[185] Ex cod. MS. apud sub-thesaurarium Hosp. Medii Templi, f. 4, a. -_Dugd._ Orig. Jurid. cap. 43, 46. - -[186] _Hargrave_, MS. No. 19, 81, f. 5, fol. 46. - -[187] For an account of the Temple Church and its antiquities, see -_Addison's_ "Temple Church." - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - - Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as - possible, including inconsistencies in Arabic transcription. Some - changes have been made. They are listed below. - - References to footnotes [14] and [71] were missing in the original. - They have been added. - - The following is a list of changes made to the original. - The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one. - - Page vi: - - Henry II., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - Henry III., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - - Page 3: - - but as cotemporary historians of Palestine, who describe the exploits - but as contemporary historians of Palestine, who describe the exploits - - Page 8: - - themselves in various impregnable castles and strong holds, - themselves in various impregnable castles and strongholds, - - Page 10: - - The crescent had been torn down by the crusders from the summit - The crescent had been torn down by the crusaders from the summit - - Page 14: - - arranged by St Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy Fathers - arranged by St. Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy Fathers - - Page 16: - - XLI. It is in no wise lawful for any of the brothers to receive - "XLI. It is in no wise lawful for any of the brothers to receive - - Page 17: - - "LXVIII. Care must be taken that no brother, powerful or weak - "LXVIII. Care must be taken that no brother, powerful or weak, - - Page 20: - - In such causes it is neither safe to slay nor to be slain." - In such causes it is neither safe to slay nor to be slain. - - Page 23: - - and relate the wonderful things that are done in thee." - and relate the wonderful things that are done in thee. - - Page 26: - - his minister and vicegerent, the famous Suger, abbot of St. Denis - his minister and vicegerent, the famous Suger, abbot of St. Denis: - - Page 31: - - is of more avail than two two months of fasting and of prayer. - is of more avail than two months of fasting and of prayer. - - Page 32: - - the vizier who conducted the ambassadors laid aside his scimetar, - the vizier who conducted the ambassadors laid aside his scimitar, - - Page 35: - - had not put arms into their hands to make conquests; but the - had not put arms into their hands to make conquests;" but the - - Page 39: - - On the death of Nourdedin, sultan of Damascus, (A. D. 1175,) - On the death of Noureddin, sultan of Damascus, (A. D. 1175,) - - Page 52: - - In FRANCE the principal preceptories were at Besancon, Dole, Salins, - In FRANCE the principal preceptories were at Besancon, Dole, Salins, - - Page 53: - - the immediate jnrisdiction of the Master of the Temple at Paris. - the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Temple at Paris. - - Page 54 footnote: - - _Dudg._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 800 to 817. - _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. vol. vi. part 2, p. 800 to 817. - - Page 58 footnote: - - _Dug._ Monast. Angl. p. 838. - _Dugd._ Monast. Angl. p. 838. - - Page 66: - - better things, on pain of suspension and excommunication. - better things, on pain of suspension and excommunication." - - Page 68: - - the royal penitent to fulfil his vow and and perform his penance; - the royal penitent to fulfil his vow and perform his penance; - - Page 70: - - 'No wonder.' sayde the patryarke, 'for of the deuyll they come, - 'No wonder,' sayde the patryarke, 'for of the deuyll they come, - - and returned in disgust and disappointment to the Holy Land - and returned in disgust and disappointment to the Holy Land. - - Page 77: - - be became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, - he became, through his gallant bearing and demeanour, - - Page 86: - - now sweeping swifty across the landscape like the rainy clouds - now sweeping swiftly across the landscape like the rainy clouds - - Page 87: - - every one of them excepting the Grand Master of the the Hospital, - every one of them excepting the Grand Master of the Hospital, - - Page 89: - - and the blackened corses piled one upon another like the stones - and the blackened corpses piled one upon another like the stones - - Page 98: - - The place surrrendered after a short siege; the fortifications - The place surrendered after a short siege; the fortifications - - and on the spot were Abraham delivered the seven ewe lambs, - and on the spot where Abraham delivered the seven ewe lambs, - - Page 108: - - He then descended from the pulpit, and prayed in the Mihrah. - He then descended from the pulpit, and prayed in the Mihrab. - - Page 118: - - The Templars, manfully defended themselves, and their brethren - The Templars manfully defended themselves, and their brethren - - Page 122: - - then to the centre, patiently enduring the severity of his pain. - then to the centre, patiently enduring the severity of his pain." - - Page 156: - - to the summit of the castle of Taphnis, to dirct the Greek fire - to the summit of the castle of Taphnis, to direct the Greek fire - - the structure near the water, threw out their grapling-irons, - the structure near the water, threw out their grappling-irons, - - Page 174: - - employed by king Henry the Third in various important negociations. - employed by king Henry the Third in various important negotiations. - - "This portion of the sacred edifice was of a lighter and more - This portion of the sacred edifice was of a lighter and more - - Page 180: - - Henry II., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - Henry III., king of England, visits the Temple at Paris - - Page 186: - - and were extirminated in a bloody battle of two days' continuance. - and were exterminated in a bloody battle of two days' continuance. - - Page 219: - - king Edward had borrowed of the Templars during his stay at Acre." - king Edward had borrowed of the Templars during his stay at Acre. - - Page 221: - - The separate truces and treaties of peace which Bendocdor had - The separate truces and treaties of peace which Bendocdar had - - Page 242: - - delares that the Templars had "un lieu creux ou cave en terre, - declares that the Templars had "un lieu creux ou cave en terre, - - Page 278: - - que nous puissoms aver lez drettures de seinte eglise, comme - que nous puissoms aver lez drettures de seinte eglise, comme - - Page 296: - - mischief was, he could not get the honey unless he burnt the bees. - mischief was, he could not get the honey unless he burnt the bees." - - Page 307: - - fragments to be given in brotherly charity to the domestics, - fragments to be given in brotherly charity to the domestics," - - Page 310: - - It was brobably soon after this period that the Hospitallers - It was probably soon after this period that the Hospitallers - - Page 320: - - "his beloved clerk," William de Langford," and farmed out the rents - "his beloved clerk," William de Langford, "and farmed out the rents - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS*** - - -******* This file should be named 44376.txt or 44376.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/3/7/44376 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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