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Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. ← Page 3 of 5 →
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The Knights Templars.
all secrets , Avould be pleased with the gain of souls rather than bodies , After this , we engaged the enemy , when the Saracens who were with us , having been overcome by the enemy , all took to flight , numbers of them being slain or taken prisoners ;
and thus the Christians were left alone in the midst of the battle . But although the Carizmans and Babylonians rushed on them together , the Christians being , as it Avere , champions of the Lord , and defenders of the Catholic faith , whom the
same faith and suffering made brothers , showed a brave resistance to them ; but at length , as they were so very few in comparison Avith their enemies , the tide of battle turned against them , and they yielded the victory to the enemy . Out of the whole of the whole of the brethren of the Knights
of the Temple , of the Hospitallers of St . John , and of the Teutonic Knights of St . Mary , only thirty-three Templars , twenty-six Hospitallers , and three of the Teutonic brethren escaped , the rest being all slain or made prisoners ; the nobles and
Knights ofthe country were for the most part slain or made prisoners , besides an immense slaughter of the crossbowmen and foot soldiers . With respect to the Archbishop of Tyre , the Bishop of St . George , the Abbot of St . Mary of Jehosophat , the Master
of the Templars , the Preceptor of St . Mary of the Teutonics , and several other religious men and clergy , as they do not appear amongst us , we are in great doubts as to Avhether they fell in battle , or are still detained , prisoners , and we cannot yet ascertain the truth about them . The Master of
the Hospitallers , aud Count Walter de Brienne , were , with many others , taken away prisoners to Babylon . We , the Patriarch , as whom , owing- to our sins , all this calamity has fallen , being considered by the Lord as unworthy of martyrdom ,
have escaped half dead , and have taken refuge at Ascalon , together with the nobles , the Constable of Acre , Philip de Montfort , and the knights and foot soldiers who escaped from the battle . And although there is no comfort amongst so many
adversities and losses to us who have lost everything from the aforesaid battle , yet what we can do in the present emergency we have done . We have sent our letters and messengers to the illustrious King of Cyprus , and the Prince of Antioch ,
earnestly begging and exhorting them , in this most urgent case of necessity , to send knights and soldiers for the defence of the Holy Land ; but we know not yet what they purpose doing in the matter . We next returned to Acre , and took up
our abode in that city , which we found , as well as the whole country along the coast , filled with grief , lamentation , and endless misery , and there was not a house or a living soul which was not lamenting for some one dead belonging to it . But
although the grief for the past was great and severe , yet fear for the future took possession of us . Eor as the whole country , which had been gained by the swords of the Christians , Avas now destitute of all human or earthly assistance and
protection , and the strength oi the defenders was . reduced to naught and destroyed , as there were only a few survivors , and those even brought down almost to death , nothing else now seemed to remain but that all the rest should fall into the hands of the enemies of the cross at their pleasure ; for
they had now advanced to such a degree of intolerable audacity and insolence , that they pitched their camp , which extended over a space of two miles , in the plain near the city of Acre . They are also now running Avild , freely , and with no one
to impede or oppose them , throughout the whole country far and wide , as far as the provinces of Nazareth and Safet , taking possession of the country , and dividing it amongst them as though it Avere their own , appointing ambassadors and
agents throughout the villages and towns of the Christians , and receiving the revenues and tributes from the - provincials and other inhabitants , which they used formerly to pay the Christians ; and these same provincials , were now become enemies , to , and rebels against the Christians , and all adhere to the Carizmans . Thus all the churches of
Jerusalem , as well as of all the Christian territory , had now no other territory than some few fortified places , which , too , they find the greatest difficulty and labour in defending . It is also said that the Babylonians , who are at Gazara , are about to come
in immense numbers to Acre to join the Carizmans in besieging the city . We also , on the 22 nd day of November , received letters and messengers from the chatelain and the Hospitallers who form the garrison of the Castle of Ascalonj
announcing to us that the Saracen army from Babylon had laid siege to that castle , and Avere blockading it , and begging speedy assistance and supplies from us and from the whole Christian community . And in order that your piety may
excite you to compassion for the ruin of the Holy Land , because this burden rests on the shoulders of all in common , Ave thought it right to inform you of the condition of the cause of Christ , and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templars.
all secrets , Avould be pleased with the gain of souls rather than bodies , After this , we engaged the enemy , when the Saracens who were with us , having been overcome by the enemy , all took to flight , numbers of them being slain or taken prisoners ;
and thus the Christians were left alone in the midst of the battle . But although the Carizmans and Babylonians rushed on them together , the Christians being , as it Avere , champions of the Lord , and defenders of the Catholic faith , whom the
same faith and suffering made brothers , showed a brave resistance to them ; but at length , as they were so very few in comparison Avith their enemies , the tide of battle turned against them , and they yielded the victory to the enemy . Out of the whole of the whole of the brethren of the Knights
of the Temple , of the Hospitallers of St . John , and of the Teutonic Knights of St . Mary , only thirty-three Templars , twenty-six Hospitallers , and three of the Teutonic brethren escaped , the rest being all slain or made prisoners ; the nobles and
Knights ofthe country were for the most part slain or made prisoners , besides an immense slaughter of the crossbowmen and foot soldiers . With respect to the Archbishop of Tyre , the Bishop of St . George , the Abbot of St . Mary of Jehosophat , the Master
of the Templars , the Preceptor of St . Mary of the Teutonics , and several other religious men and clergy , as they do not appear amongst us , we are in great doubts as to Avhether they fell in battle , or are still detained , prisoners , and we cannot yet ascertain the truth about them . The Master of
the Hospitallers , aud Count Walter de Brienne , were , with many others , taken away prisoners to Babylon . We , the Patriarch , as whom , owing- to our sins , all this calamity has fallen , being considered by the Lord as unworthy of martyrdom ,
have escaped half dead , and have taken refuge at Ascalon , together with the nobles , the Constable of Acre , Philip de Montfort , and the knights and foot soldiers who escaped from the battle . And although there is no comfort amongst so many
adversities and losses to us who have lost everything from the aforesaid battle , yet what we can do in the present emergency we have done . We have sent our letters and messengers to the illustrious King of Cyprus , and the Prince of Antioch ,
earnestly begging and exhorting them , in this most urgent case of necessity , to send knights and soldiers for the defence of the Holy Land ; but we know not yet what they purpose doing in the matter . We next returned to Acre , and took up
our abode in that city , which we found , as well as the whole country along the coast , filled with grief , lamentation , and endless misery , and there was not a house or a living soul which was not lamenting for some one dead belonging to it . But
although the grief for the past was great and severe , yet fear for the future took possession of us . Eor as the whole country , which had been gained by the swords of the Christians , Avas now destitute of all human or earthly assistance and
protection , and the strength oi the defenders was . reduced to naught and destroyed , as there were only a few survivors , and those even brought down almost to death , nothing else now seemed to remain but that all the rest should fall into the hands of the enemies of the cross at their pleasure ; for
they had now advanced to such a degree of intolerable audacity and insolence , that they pitched their camp , which extended over a space of two miles , in the plain near the city of Acre . They are also now running Avild , freely , and with no one
to impede or oppose them , throughout the whole country far and wide , as far as the provinces of Nazareth and Safet , taking possession of the country , and dividing it amongst them as though it Avere their own , appointing ambassadors and
agents throughout the villages and towns of the Christians , and receiving the revenues and tributes from the - provincials and other inhabitants , which they used formerly to pay the Christians ; and these same provincials , were now become enemies , to , and rebels against the Christians , and all adhere to the Carizmans . Thus all the churches of
Jerusalem , as well as of all the Christian territory , had now no other territory than some few fortified places , which , too , they find the greatest difficulty and labour in defending . It is also said that the Babylonians , who are at Gazara , are about to come
in immense numbers to Acre to join the Carizmans in besieging the city . We also , on the 22 nd day of November , received letters and messengers from the chatelain and the Hospitallers who form the garrison of the Castle of Ascalonj
announcing to us that the Saracen army from Babylon had laid siege to that castle , and Avere blockading it , and begging speedy assistance and supplies from us and from the whole Christian community . And in order that your piety may
excite you to compassion for the ruin of the Holy Land , because this burden rests on the shoulders of all in common , Ave thought it right to inform you of the condition of the cause of Christ , and