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

Blanquefort, was succeeded by Philip OF Nab
ious, the first grand master OF the temple
VINO mad been born in Palestine. AT the emo o.
three years Philip Of Nablous resigned his au
thority and was succeeded in ITO by 0do d.
ST AMAnd, proud and fiery warrior, OF grea'
courage and resolution, who was said to fea'
neither God nor man. About this time the
Iempiars were forced to meet their most Tor
midable foe in the person OF Saladin, VINO wa
the most fanaticai and shrewdeet leader the
lnhdels ever had. He took command OF then
armies and aroused the widest religious en-
thusiasm Of the Moslem to revenge the inva
sion OF Egypt. He besieged the fortified city
OF GAIA, which belonged to ike knights lem
piar anu was considered to be the key OF Pafes
tine toward Egypt The luxuriaut gardens
the palm and olive groves of this city Of the
wilderness were destroyed by the Wild cavalry
of the desert and the innumerable tents OF the
Arab hosts were thickly clustered on the nelRh
boring sand hills. The war-ike monks OF the
temple in their turn tasted and prayed and IN
voked the aid of the God of battles. They
made desperate defense, and, in an unex
pected sally upon the en0mys camp. they per
formed such prodigies of valor that Saiadin
despairing of being able to take the place
abandoned the siege and returned to Egypt.
FIGHTING WITH sALApIN.
The subsequent fighting between the
Templars and Sa!adin was marked by courage
and terrible slaughter, victory being first will
one side and then the other. In a battle Tough,
near AscalOn Odo de st. Armand, at the head o!
eighty OF his knights. broke through the guarc
OF Mamelukes, slew their commander and Pene'
trated to the imperial tent from whence Sala
din escaped with great difficulty and almost
naked upon fleet dromeddry. In q battle the
following year the entire army of the cross was
defeated with immense slaughter. The
1empiars and the hospitaiers, WIN the coun,
OF Irlpol, stood firm ON the summit OF a small
4 mol ii Co. fD.,x Tod
and undaunted front to the victorious enemy
The count of Iriopli cut his way through the
lnhdeis and escaped. The grand master OF the
hospItalers after seeing most OF his brethren
slain, swan across the Jordan and lied to the
castle OF Beaufort. covered with wounds. The
lempiars. after fighting with their accustomed
Zeal andfanaticism around the red-cross banner
which waived to the last over the field OF blood
were ali killed or taken prisoners. the grand
master being among the prisoners. Odo de st
Armand died in a dungeon at DamascuI
Sdladln extended his ravages to almost every
part OF Palestine and the Latin power was
almost destroyed. Still the Christian warriors
maintained themselves and fought with such
vaior that they arrested the threatened de-
structlon and II four years truce was entered
upon.
he Terhplars then busted themselves in
strengthening the Latin power in Palestine
and III extending their order in Europe, IL
which they met with Indifferent success.
When there was no more fighting. for awhile
with the intiiels troubles arose with the Latin
kingdom. TO the allaying OF which the Tempiars
bent their energies.
An in,ernecnne struggle for the supremacy
took place between the count OF Tripoli and
the king of Jerusalem, and the grand master
with an army was sent in 1lS7 to bring the
count back to his allegiance. On their way
they stopped at strong castle called La Feue
when intelligence was brought that strong
corps OF Mussuman cavalry under command
OF one of Saladins sons had crossed the Jordan
and were ravaging the Christian territories.
THE TEMPLARs AND THE HosPIrALERs
were called together to oppose the invasion
A small band of these two orders made 9
sudden attack upon the infdels near Mount
Tabor. The Mussulmans, who we're watering
their horses i'll a brook, were taken by surprise
and the king hts, though but 600 in number, did
not hesitate to attack their foes, numbering, al
they did, several thousand. At first the Mus.
sulmans were dismayed, but they rallied and O
terrible slaughter followed. An eyewitness
reports that the knights of the two orders were
to be seen bathed with blood and sweat,
trembling with fatigue, with their horses killed
under them and with their swords and lances
broken, closing with the Mussulman warriors
and rolling headlong with them in the dust.
Some tore the darts with which they had been
transfxed from their bodies and hurled them
back with a convuisive effort upon the enemy;
and others, having lost all their weapons
in the affray, chung around the necks OF
their opponents, dragged them from their
horses aud endeavored to strangle them under
the feet of the combatants. Jacqueline dc
Mailly, marshal of the Temple, performed
on that day prodigIes OF valor. He wal
mounted on a white horse and clothed in the
white habit Of his order, with the blood
red cross, the symbol OF martyrdom, On bis
breast He became, through his gallant bear
ing and demeanor, an object of admiration
even to the Moslems. Randolph. an old writer
compares the fury and the anger Of this war
like monk. as he looked around him upon hii
slaughtered brethren, to the wrath OF the
honess who has lost her whelps; and his posi-
ton and demeanor in tn. midst Of the throne
of lntidels he hkens to that OF the wild boaI
when surrounded by dogs whom he il tearing
with his tusks. Every blow Of this furious
man, says the worthy Abbott before quoted
from, dispatched an infidel to hell. But, with
all his vaor, Jacqueline de Mailly was slain.
At this battle all the hospitalers except theil
grand master, and all the Templars except
Grand Master De Rlderfort and two knights
persisted.
Events like these make up the history Of thu
Knights Tempiar. To recount their deeds o.
valor, even in general way, would take ar
immense volume. The deeds already referred
to serve only as examples.
THE FALL OF JERUSALEM.
After this comes the fall of Jerusalem and thu
decline of Christian power in the holy land
but through the period of their greatest misfor
tune the Templars we're always grand in thei
valor, dying nobly when they could not vii
victory. Their deeds give viriiity to militar!
history.
The Christians suffered terrible defeat q
Hattin in 1857, and many victories we're won
amid great slaughter, by the Mussulmans.
At the hour OF sunset, October 2, when thl
bells of the churches of Jerusalem were tollinl
the vespers, the vast host OF Saladin crowned
in dark array the bleak and desolate eminence
which surround the city Of David The air wa
rent with the loud Mussulman shouts, "E
Khuds! FL Khuds!"-the Holy City! the Hoiy
City!
That very night, when the Mussulmans hat
finished their prayers, the loud trumpets O
Saladn summoned the Christians to surrender
the house Of God to the arms Of the faithful
But the Christians returned for answer that
please God, the holy city should not be surren
dered. The next morning at sunrise the terri
fed inhabitants were awakened by the clsngo
of horns and drums, the loud clash Of arm
and the fierce cries Of the foe. The wome,
and children rushed into the churches anS
threw themselves on their knees before tn,
affairs, weeping and wailing and lifting up thei
hands to heaven, while the men fastened {,
man the battlements. The order of the tempt.
could no longer furnish it's hundreds ant
thousands Of brave warriors for the defense o
the sanctuary. A few knights, with some serv
ing brethren, alone remained in the now silen
halls and deserted courts of their headquarters
Yet for fifteen days did the Christians success
fully resist the utmost efforts Of the enemy
Monks and canons, bishops and priests tool
arms in defense of the holy sepulcher ans
lined in warlike array the dark gray battle