Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-05


were fought, with various fortune, in the neigh
borhood Of Mount Carmel, and during the first
year Of the siege Q18S-'s9) 800, 600 Christians
are computed to have persisted, with ~ many
At the siege and capture Of Acre the Knights
Templar gained great credit, forming as they
did the first division OF King Richards army.
IN l2l7 an attemptto retake Jerusalem was .
failure. The Templars then turned their atten-
tlon 70 Egypt and after q terrible siege cap
tured Damietta on the 5th Of November, only to
find the plague in every house and the streets
suewn with the rottng dead. They returned
20 Acre, only to find there that the city and Ath-
III were besieged by Q fresh army of Moslem,
under Coradenus. sultan of Damascus. They
Inc inndeis we're driven of, the campaign re-.
newed In Egypt and another truce entered
into, which lasted until 1896.
In Lao the Templars entered Jerusalem with
OUT blow. An army was sent against them
from Egypt and they left the city again without
making any effort to hold it, a it was decided
In council to be untenable.
THE FIERCE BENDocAR.
In 1855 Bendocar. an Egyptian general, raise
an army and marched against the Christians,
capturing many of their strongholds. All the
castles Of the Templars in Armenia were taken
ana their garrisons massacred. In March,
LOO, IopPa was taken with fire and sword.
Antioch fell after four days siege and hun
ared thousand Christians we're slain. On the
isli OF Antioch the Templars abandoned
Bagras, a rich and hourishing town on the road
to Armenia and CECILIA, which had belonged to
the order for more than century. The Temp
Iars also abandoned the castles of CASTOR and
Noche de Rusol and the territory of Port
Bounel, at the entrance Of Armenia. The
towns OF Darbesak, Sabah, Al Hadid. and the
seaport OF Gebar successfully fell into the hands
OF Bendocar and the whole country from
Iripoli to Mount Taurus was made desoiate, the
houses were set on ire, the fruit trees were cut
down and the churches were leveled with the
dust.
succor from England put a check to the
further advance Of the inidels, and a treaty
was made Tor ten years from 1872.
The loss Of Acre drove the Templars from
the holy land. The siege OF Acre is one OF the
most terrible things recorded in the history OF
wars. About l.2OO Templars and hospitalers
and 500 beside protected the city for SIX weeks
against the assaults of host ofsinfdels, who
were constantly being reinforced, and few es-
capped, but none surrendered. The details OF
the siege are most thrilling. The city was cap
tured with great slaughter. Three hundred
lemplars, the sole survivors OF their order in
Acre, had kept together and successfully with
stood the victorious Mamelukes. They re-
treated in compact body to the Temple OF
Acre, where they held solemn chapter and
elected successor to their grand master, who
had been killed. At night Gandini. the new
grand master, and chosen few escaped by q
secret portal and made their way to the sea
coast, where they found boats to take them to
the Island OF Cyprus The others remained III
the temple, successfully contending with the
inhdels, requesting them many times and kill
ing many, until the temple was undermined
and they were crushed in its ruins. This drove
the order from the holy land.
DEMoLAy's EXPEDITION.
In the spring Of the year 1899 James DeMolay,
the twenty-second and last grand master, with
body Of French and English knights, landed
at Suadia and made junction with the Tartar
forces which were camped among the ruins OF
Antioch. The emperor Of Tartary was at vari-
ance with the sultan of Egypt and had invited
the Templars to Join him in an expedition into
Palestine. An army Of thirty thousand men
was placed by the mogul emperor under the
command Of DeMolay. the grand master, and
the combined forces marched up the valley OF
the Orontes toward Damascus. In great battle
fought at HUNS the troops of the sultans OF
Damascus and Egypt were entirely defeated
and pursued with great slaughter until night
fall. Aeppo, HUNS Damascus and all the
principal cities surrendered to the victorious
arms of the moguls. and the Templars once
again entered Jerusalem in triumph, visited the
holy sepulcher and celebrated Easter on Mount
Zion.
The combined armies were preparing to
march upon Damascus, when the sudden illness
OF Casan, who was given over by his physi-
deprived the grand unster Of his Tartar
forces. The Templsrs were then compelled to
retreat to the seacoast and embark their forces
on board their galleys. The grand master
sailed to Limisso, stAtioning q strong detach-
ment OF his soldiers on the island Of Aradus,
near TORTOISE, which they fortified. But these
were speedily attacked in that position by Q
heet OF twenty Egyptian vessels aud an army
OF l0.OOO men, and, after gallant defense,
they were compelled to abandon their fortid.
cations and were all killed or taken prisoners.
Thus ended the dominion Of the Tsmplars in
Palestine.
DESTRUCTION OF THE ORDER.
The Templars returned from the terrible
wars with the infdels to find more Hendish
had become rich and powerful. Jeaiousie,
lar with the church and with the European
monarch. BY treachery they we're decoyed into
captivity in France and in England. They
were charged with scandalous and revolving
idoiatry, were thrown into prisons and were
subjected to the most horrible fortunes to OF.
| falsely charged against them. Many. under
terrible torture, made the desired confessions
Others who would not do 20 we're burned SLOWLY
to death. DeMolay, the last grand master
was burned TO death BY the order OF King Philip
OF France. The Christian kings were ever
more determined than had been the Saracenl
to strike down the Templars.
When the order had been destroyed the
question of how to dispose Of the imm ensl
properties Of the order next came up. The
king naturally wanted to con6scate 1t, but ths
pope said otherwise, and after much hard tall
on either side the possessions OF the Templsr,
were transferred to the order Of hospitalers in
1884. The temple ct London. the chief house
Of the English province Of the order, passed
through q number Of hands and finally became
what Il is tho great and most ancient common
law university In England, although it was moi
until 1909 that the Benchers, as they were
called, gained the property for themselves.
IN MODERN TIMES.
How the Connection With the Ancient
Order Of Templars 10 Traced.
There IL much dispute - to what IL the sxsci
connection between the Templars Of old and
thoso ~ tho praaaDk 6av hv -ha< coo..~ -