The Knights Templars.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JANUARY 4 , 1868 .

By ANTHONY ONEAI HA ^^^ ^ ( Continued , from page 50-O ° E j ! \ \ LIBRARY /' CHAPTER XI . —contimiM & s . J / w N 2

° H ^ K Saladin having completed the restorafciorTOrwie holy places at Jerusalem , according to the Mahometan creed , assembled an army and proceeded to besiege Tyre ancl those castles which still remained in the possession of the Templars . Tyre was

defended by Conrad , son of William III ., Marquis of Montferrat , a man of singular ability . The success which attended every adventure which he

undertook , made him one of the most celebrated leaders of the age . He hacl been of great assistance in quelling a rebellion at Constantinople , for which he received the hand of the Emperorfs sister . He had been nearly made captive by the

Saracens on his incautiously approaching Acre , then in their possession , but escaping from thence , he landed at 'fyre and undertook the task of defending it . Conrad cut a canal through the neck of land which joined Tyre to the mainland , repaired the battlements of the city , and armed

boats with catapults aud balistas , as a defence to the only approach to the town . Saladin commanded the siege iu person , and was assisted by his sons , his brother , and nephews , and all the best generals of his army . All the Templars who

Could be spared from garrison duty , repaired to Tyre to support the young Conrad . The citizens swore to hold out the town to the last , and that it should not be taken while one man remained alive . Saladin , finding the defence of Tyre so skilfully

performed , sent to Conrad to treat for its surrender . That nothing might be left untried to move him to comply with his wishes , Saladin had the old marquis , the father of Conrad , who had been taken prisoner in a previous battle , brought in

chains to his son , hoping thereby to move him by filial affection ; but Conrad would not listen to any terms for the surrender of the town . Saladin ordered the marquis to be displayed in' chains before the wall , which seeing , Conrad seized a

balista and pretended to fire an arrow at his father ; whereupon Saladin sent to him , bidding him beware of shooting his father ; but Conrad replied that of all things he wished it , seeing the old man had lived so wicked a life , by falling a

of Saint Michael ; and Saladin himself has given permission to ten of the brethren of the Hospital to remain in the Hospital for one year to attend the sick . The brethren of the Hospital of Bellivier are still making stout resistance to the

Saracens , and have already taken two caravans of the Saracens , by the capture of one of which they have manfully recovered all the arms , utensils , and provisions , that were in the castle of La Eeue , which had been destroyed by the Saracens . The

following places also still show resistance to Saladin—Carach , in the vicinity of Mont oyal ; Mont Eoyal itself ; the Temple House at Saphefc ; the Hospital of Carach , Margat ; and Oastel Blanc ; the territory of Tripoli , and the territory of Antioch . On the capture of Jerusalem , Saladin ordered the Cross to be taken down from . the

martyr in the cause of the Cross , he would have a chance of salvation . In a letter to Henry , King of England , John Terricus details the various events which had ( happened down to the raising of the siege of

¦ jTyi'e by Saladin . The letter is as follows : — ' " To his most dearly beloved lord , Henry , hy the Grace of God , the illustrious King of the English , Duke of Normandy and Aquifcfcaine , and Earl of Anjou , the brother Terricus , formerly

Grand Master of the House of the Temple at Jerusalem , health in Him who givefch health unto kings . Be it known to you that Jerusalem , with the tower of David , has been -surrendered to Saladin . The Syrians , also , have possession of the Sepulchre until the fourth day after the feast

Temple of our Lord , and had it earned about the streets for two days in public view , and beaten , with sticks . After this he ordered the Temple of our Lord to be washed inside and out with rose water , from top to bottom , and his laws to be

promulgated with regard to it in four different places amid wondrous acclamations . Prom the feast of Saint Martin until tbe circumcision of our Lord , he besieged Tyre , while thirteen stone engines , day and night , were incessantly hurling stones

against it . At the vigil of Saint Silvester , onr lord the Marquis Conrad arranged his knights and foot soldiers along the city walls , and having armed seventeen galleys aud ten smaller vessels , with the assistance of the house of the Hospital

and the brethren of the Temple , fought against the galleys of Saladin , and routing them , took eleven , and captured the high admiral of Alexandria , together with eight other admirals , slaying