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-