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Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. ← Page 4 of 5 Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. Page 4 of 5 →
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The Knights Templars.
their territories than of revenging the deaths of their gallant brethren who had been so brutally murdered . Bendocdar , after concluding this peace , retired to Aleppo , where he recruited his army by the
addition of fresh troops , and once more carried desolation into the Christian states . The point of his present attack was Armenia , and he reproached the King with forbidding Egyptian merchants from entering his dominions . His army assembled
at Aleppo , and the Prince of Hamah was depatched against Darbesak ; but the Templars made such a stubborn resistance that he was -forced to convert the siege into a blockade . The infidel forced the mountain passes that led to
< Cilicia , and by forced marches suddenly appeared before Sis , the capital of Armenia , which fell almost without a struggle into their hands . The King Leon , his uncle , son and nephew were made captives , while many of the royal family were
slain , and but a few succeeded in escaping . The city was pillaged and burnt . The attention of the infidels was then directed against the Templar castles , which they succeeded in capturing , but only after the garrisons were cut to pieces . Amoud
made a desperate defence , many of the infidel were slaughtered , and when taken every soul was put to the sword . The rest of the towns of Armenia -were taken , and Bendocdar made a triumphal -entry into Damascus , with girls dancing before him , and a long line of captives following .
On every one of his expeditions Bendocciar had . appeared before Acre , but without finding it possible to make a successful attack . On the 1 st of May , 1267 , having collected together a large troop of cavalry , he divided them into two bands , one of
which he clothed and armed in the habit of the "Templars , the other in that of the Hospitallers . Preceded by the banners of the Orders , the infidels marched against the east gate of Acre , and had nearly entered the city' before the ruse was
discovered . The gates were immediately closed in the faces of the enemy , who , enraged at being thus foiled , put to death five hundred people who were ¦ outside of the walls—manyof them being old women who obtained a livelihood by gathering herbs—and
cutting off their heads , tied them up in sacks . Bendocdar thereafter stormed Jaffa ancl destroyed the walls . As yet he had been unable to take Beaufort , but concentrating his army , he marched ¦ against it . The town was defended by two citadels ; the old , which was garrisoned by the Tem-
The Knights Templars.
plars , and the new by the native soldiery . The walls of the new soon fell before the huge military machines of the infidel , and the garrison setting it on fire fled during the night . The Templars , however , proved more formidable antagonists ; they
destroyed the military engines of the infidel and slew great numbers of them . Bendocdar , after seeing the ditches filled with the flower of his army , was forced , although with great reluctance , to accede to the terms of the Templars , and they
were permitted to march forth with banners advanced , sworcl in hand , ancl with all the honours of war . Bendocdar ordered the citadel to be levelled with the ground , and this was done so effectually that not a trace of it was left .
Bendocdar appears to have studied deeply the tactics of Saladin , for on many occasions we see him perform almost the same manoeuvres that the " Scourge of God" executed in his day . Bendocdar divided his army into several bands , and
despatched them in different directions to ravish the principality of Tripoli . The towns were destroyed and the country turned to a waste of ruins and smoking embers . A tower of the Templars near the town of Tripoli was stormed and every
sonl massacred . Hems was appointed the rallying place , and the bands having collected the spoil there , marched in three divisions against Antioch .
The city was surrounded on all sides , the famous stone bridge across the Orontes was attacked , and the iron gates split open with battering-rams . The Templars , led by their Preceptor , clashed out upon the enemy , but were driven back , and compelled
to seek for safety behind the walls of the city . The city was at last stormed , and one hundred thousand Christians fell in the assault . The Templars thereupon abandoned Bagras , which had been over and over again attacked , but the Knights had
easily beaten off the assailants . They also abandoned Gaston and Noche de Rusol , and the territory of Port Bonuel . A few of the maritime towns alone remained in the hands of the Christians .
Famine likewise came upon them to add to the horrors of the time . An assembly of the European Preceptors was held in 1269 at the Temple , Paris , at which Saint Louis was present . An army was raised and sent
under the command of King Louis to the assistance of the Holy Land but Louis fell sick and died at Tunis . Prince Edward of England , however , joined Thomas de Beraud , and the successes of the infidels were checked for the time , but nob
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templars.
their territories than of revenging the deaths of their gallant brethren who had been so brutally murdered . Bendocdar , after concluding this peace , retired to Aleppo , where he recruited his army by the
addition of fresh troops , and once more carried desolation into the Christian states . The point of his present attack was Armenia , and he reproached the King with forbidding Egyptian merchants from entering his dominions . His army assembled
at Aleppo , and the Prince of Hamah was depatched against Darbesak ; but the Templars made such a stubborn resistance that he was -forced to convert the siege into a blockade . The infidel forced the mountain passes that led to
< Cilicia , and by forced marches suddenly appeared before Sis , the capital of Armenia , which fell almost without a struggle into their hands . The King Leon , his uncle , son and nephew were made captives , while many of the royal family were
slain , and but a few succeeded in escaping . The city was pillaged and burnt . The attention of the infidels was then directed against the Templar castles , which they succeeded in capturing , but only after the garrisons were cut to pieces . Amoud
made a desperate defence , many of the infidel were slaughtered , and when taken every soul was put to the sword . The rest of the towns of Armenia -were taken , and Bendocdar made a triumphal -entry into Damascus , with girls dancing before him , and a long line of captives following .
On every one of his expeditions Bendocciar had . appeared before Acre , but without finding it possible to make a successful attack . On the 1 st of May , 1267 , having collected together a large troop of cavalry , he divided them into two bands , one of
which he clothed and armed in the habit of the "Templars , the other in that of the Hospitallers . Preceded by the banners of the Orders , the infidels marched against the east gate of Acre , and had nearly entered the city' before the ruse was
discovered . The gates were immediately closed in the faces of the enemy , who , enraged at being thus foiled , put to death five hundred people who were ¦ outside of the walls—manyof them being old women who obtained a livelihood by gathering herbs—and
cutting off their heads , tied them up in sacks . Bendocdar thereafter stormed Jaffa ancl destroyed the walls . As yet he had been unable to take Beaufort , but concentrating his army , he marched ¦ against it . The town was defended by two citadels ; the old , which was garrisoned by the Tem-
The Knights Templars.
plars , and the new by the native soldiery . The walls of the new soon fell before the huge military machines of the infidel , and the garrison setting it on fire fled during the night . The Templars , however , proved more formidable antagonists ; they
destroyed the military engines of the infidel and slew great numbers of them . Bendocdar , after seeing the ditches filled with the flower of his army , was forced , although with great reluctance , to accede to the terms of the Templars , and they
were permitted to march forth with banners advanced , sworcl in hand , ancl with all the honours of war . Bendocdar ordered the citadel to be levelled with the ground , and this was done so effectually that not a trace of it was left .
Bendocdar appears to have studied deeply the tactics of Saladin , for on many occasions we see him perform almost the same manoeuvres that the " Scourge of God" executed in his day . Bendocdar divided his army into several bands , and
despatched them in different directions to ravish the principality of Tripoli . The towns were destroyed and the country turned to a waste of ruins and smoking embers . A tower of the Templars near the town of Tripoli was stormed and every
sonl massacred . Hems was appointed the rallying place , and the bands having collected the spoil there , marched in three divisions against Antioch .
The city was surrounded on all sides , the famous stone bridge across the Orontes was attacked , and the iron gates split open with battering-rams . The Templars , led by their Preceptor , clashed out upon the enemy , but were driven back , and compelled
to seek for safety behind the walls of the city . The city was at last stormed , and one hundred thousand Christians fell in the assault . The Templars thereupon abandoned Bagras , which had been over and over again attacked , but the Knights had
easily beaten off the assailants . They also abandoned Gaston and Noche de Rusol , and the territory of Port Bonuel . A few of the maritime towns alone remained in the hands of the Christians .
Famine likewise came upon them to add to the horrors of the time . An assembly of the European Preceptors was held in 1269 at the Temple , Paris , at which Saint Louis was present . An army was raised and sent
under the command of King Louis to the assistance of the Holy Land but Louis fell sick and died at Tunis . Prince Edward of England , however , joined Thomas de Beraud , and the successes of the infidels were checked for the time , but nob