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Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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The Knights Templars.
lands which they bought were revoked from them according to fche terms of the ancient constitution of Sicily , because no grant of burgage lands could be made amongst the living without the consent of their prince , nor could they be
bequeathed by a last will , without being bound to sell or grant to other secular burgesses , after the lapse of a year , a month , a week , and a day . This decree had been made of old , for the reason that if they were allowed freely and perpetually to buy or
receive burgage lands , in a short time they would buy the whole kingdom of Sicily , which seemed of all the provinces in the world to suit them best , and that constitution was in force beyond the sea . *
Frederick attempted to enlist the gallant Richard , Duke of Cornwall , nephew of Richard , Ceeur de Lion , in his quarrel , and wrote to him in furious terms against the Pope , whereupon the Pontiff sent a letter to the Archbishop of
Canterbury , describing Frederick as a monster of ini-• quity , with the feet of a bear , the mouth of a roaring lion , and in his other members a panther , ¦ blaspheming God , and attempting to subvert the faith . In this letter the Pope denies the truth of
Frederick ' s statement regarding the justice of the . -spoliation of the military Orders , and charges the Emperor with leaguing with the Saracens , and with all his might assailing the Patriarch of Jerusalem , and robbing the Templars .
In spite of all these drawbacks Pope Gregory IX . preached another Crusade , to which several of the Spanish princes responded . Dissensions had also arisen among the Saracens , and the Templars deeming it a favourable opportunity for renewing
the war , raised the Beauseant against the Sultans of Damascus and Egypt . The Sultan of Hems having refused to pay the annual tribute due to ¦ the Hospitallers of Crac , the Orders joined forces , and marched against Montferrat , but which they
were unable to take . They retired to Lasonja-• quine , and pitching their tents there proceeded to ravage the surrounding country . The Sultans of Damascus and Egypt advanced to the relief , and throwing themselves into Hems entered into
negociations for peace , which was concluded upon the tribute being paid . Having thus helped the Hospitallers , the Templars marched against Halton , the successor of Leon I ., King of Armenia , who had imbibed all the hatred of that monarch to the Order . Quarreling with the brethren in his
dominions , he had hanged a Knight who had uttered some insolent threats in his presence . * The Templars united their forces with the Prince of Antioch , and entered Armenia . Haiton , unprepared for war , sued for peace , submitted to all the
demands ofthe Grand Master , and made ample reparation for all the injuries he had done the Order . The war was then carried , on against the Sultans of Damascus and Egypt , with the assistance of the
newly arrived Crusaders . De Perigord divided the Christian forces into two divisions , one of which accompanied Thibunt , King of Navarre , the Duke of Burgundy , and other nobles to the attack upon the Sultan of Egypt , while the other
commanded by the Grand Master marched against the Sultan of Damascus . The King of Navarre was unsuccessful in his adventure , for at Gaza he was defeated in a bloody battle by the Mamlooks , and the Count de Bar , with many Knights and nobles slain . The Count de Montfort was taken
prisoner , and all the munitions of war and baggage captured . The King was forced to retreat fco Joppa , with the survivors of his army , and there took shipping for Acre . f The Templars lay encamped in the palm grove near Caiphas , and thither the defeated Crusaders repaired , hoping- in
subsequent conflicts to wash out the memory of their reverse . Leaving Caiphas , the united troops marched upon Tiberias , and encamped at Sephouri . Saleh Ismael , the Sultan of Damascus , on hearing of this advance , doubtful of the issue of a
battle with them , and having quarrelled with the Sultan of Egypt , sent messengers to the Grand Master to treat for peace . His proposals embraced a mutual surrender of all Musselmen and Christian prisoners and abandonment by the former of the
whole of Palestine between the sea coast and the Jordan , with the exception of St . Abraham , Naplos and Bisan , which they were still to retain ; the Christians to assist the Sultan of Damascus in his war with the Sultan of Egypt ,
and to march their forces to the South for the purpose of garrisoning Joppa and Ascalon , so as to check the Egyptian advance ; and lastly , no truce was to be made with the Sultan of
Damascus without his being a party to it . These tidings the Grand Master conveyed to England in the following letter : — " Brother Her-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templars.
lands which they bought were revoked from them according to fche terms of the ancient constitution of Sicily , because no grant of burgage lands could be made amongst the living without the consent of their prince , nor could they be
bequeathed by a last will , without being bound to sell or grant to other secular burgesses , after the lapse of a year , a month , a week , and a day . This decree had been made of old , for the reason that if they were allowed freely and perpetually to buy or
receive burgage lands , in a short time they would buy the whole kingdom of Sicily , which seemed of all the provinces in the world to suit them best , and that constitution was in force beyond the sea . *
Frederick attempted to enlist the gallant Richard , Duke of Cornwall , nephew of Richard , Ceeur de Lion , in his quarrel , and wrote to him in furious terms against the Pope , whereupon the Pontiff sent a letter to the Archbishop of
Canterbury , describing Frederick as a monster of ini-• quity , with the feet of a bear , the mouth of a roaring lion , and in his other members a panther , ¦ blaspheming God , and attempting to subvert the faith . In this letter the Pope denies the truth of
Frederick ' s statement regarding the justice of the . -spoliation of the military Orders , and charges the Emperor with leaguing with the Saracens , and with all his might assailing the Patriarch of Jerusalem , and robbing the Templars .
In spite of all these drawbacks Pope Gregory IX . preached another Crusade , to which several of the Spanish princes responded . Dissensions had also arisen among the Saracens , and the Templars deeming it a favourable opportunity for renewing
the war , raised the Beauseant against the Sultans of Damascus and Egypt . The Sultan of Hems having refused to pay the annual tribute due to ¦ the Hospitallers of Crac , the Orders joined forces , and marched against Montferrat , but which they
were unable to take . They retired to Lasonja-• quine , and pitching their tents there proceeded to ravage the surrounding country . The Sultans of Damascus and Egypt advanced to the relief , and throwing themselves into Hems entered into
negociations for peace , which was concluded upon the tribute being paid . Having thus helped the Hospitallers , the Templars marched against Halton , the successor of Leon I ., King of Armenia , who had imbibed all the hatred of that monarch to the Order . Quarreling with the brethren in his
dominions , he had hanged a Knight who had uttered some insolent threats in his presence . * The Templars united their forces with the Prince of Antioch , and entered Armenia . Haiton , unprepared for war , sued for peace , submitted to all the
demands ofthe Grand Master , and made ample reparation for all the injuries he had done the Order . The war was then carried , on against the Sultans of Damascus and Egypt , with the assistance of the
newly arrived Crusaders . De Perigord divided the Christian forces into two divisions , one of which accompanied Thibunt , King of Navarre , the Duke of Burgundy , and other nobles to the attack upon the Sultan of Egypt , while the other
commanded by the Grand Master marched against the Sultan of Damascus . The King of Navarre was unsuccessful in his adventure , for at Gaza he was defeated in a bloody battle by the Mamlooks , and the Count de Bar , with many Knights and nobles slain . The Count de Montfort was taken
prisoner , and all the munitions of war and baggage captured . The King was forced to retreat fco Joppa , with the survivors of his army , and there took shipping for Acre . f The Templars lay encamped in the palm grove near Caiphas , and thither the defeated Crusaders repaired , hoping- in
subsequent conflicts to wash out the memory of their reverse . Leaving Caiphas , the united troops marched upon Tiberias , and encamped at Sephouri . Saleh Ismael , the Sultan of Damascus , on hearing of this advance , doubtful of the issue of a
battle with them , and having quarrelled with the Sultan of Egypt , sent messengers to the Grand Master to treat for peace . His proposals embraced a mutual surrender of all Musselmen and Christian prisoners and abandonment by the former of the
whole of Palestine between the sea coast and the Jordan , with the exception of St . Abraham , Naplos and Bisan , which they were still to retain ; the Christians to assist the Sultan of Damascus in his war with the Sultan of Egypt ,
and to march their forces to the South for the purpose of garrisoning Joppa and Ascalon , so as to check the Egyptian advance ; and lastly , no truce was to be made with the Sultan of
Damascus without his being a party to it . These tidings the Grand Master conveyed to England in the following letter : — " Brother Her-