The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-04-12
KNIGHTS OF MALTA.

The first military duty performed by
the Knights OF St. John was to escort pill
grims TO and from the coast, and 10 guard
them from the violence Of the infidels dur
ing their visits TO the Holy places in Pales-
tine. By degrees this:field of action was
enIarged-they became more and more
Wafltke, they co-ODerateu with tine differ
ent crusaders from Europe. and in most
of the many battles by which the Holy
Land was won and lost they took iea1-
ing part. At the taking of the Cities of
Ascalon and GAIA in 1853 the Knights of
st. John SO distinguished them-
selves that the Pope Anastasius w.,
directly addressed the Grand Master, aad
by bull, granted new privileges to the
order and confirmed the old ones. The
pontiff however, seems to have regarded
them in their original character of Hos
pitallers and charitable men, rather than
as soldiers AS you, my brethren says
the bull, make SO worthy a use of your
goods and possessions, employing them
for the maintainanee of the poor and en-
tertainment OF pilgrims, we forbid all
the faithful, OF what dignity sOever, to
extract the 1.-THE of your lands or to pub
lish ans ecclesiastical sentence of inter-
J dict suspension or accommodation
This bull secured the property of the
| order, and fostered its increase, and at
the same time it made the Knights
| entirely independent of all authority
save that of the Pope, their own Grand
!! Master and the chapter of the order. Iho
exemption from accommodation was q
precious boon in those ages, and went so
far that the Knights Hospitalier5 and the
individuals attached to these houses and
churches were exempt even when the
whole of the countries they lived in were
put under the ban.
Ia nearly every country in Europe inn
mense estates were bequeathed or given
up by their possessors to the order. aud it
became the richest and most powerful
organization in the world.
A great source of wealth was IN the
princes and mobiles of the times, who, on
taking the habit. resigned most of their
estates, for no brother, by his VOW. could
possess any property independent 0 I the
order. Thus Guy, count and sovereign Of
Forcalqnier. in France, gave up his castle
and land. and, in Spain. Don Pedro Dor
tel, the first born of all Aragon, surrend-
cred a city with all its dependencies.
In spite of formal professions and SOL
emn vows, riches had their usual effect
on this association They relaxed their
severity of discipline and rendered the
Knights luxurious and voluptious, inso-
lent ana overbearing. The decline In the
exaggerated virtues prescribed by these
VOWS was not, however. immediate, and
those of undoubted valor in the field re-
manned long unchanged by wealth and
luxury.
Though SO fierce and terrible In battle
the knights were as meek as lambs In
their return TO their converts. Then
laying aside their arnor, they put on their
religious habit. and while some Knights
were seen attending to the sick In their
hospitals, or feeding the hungry pilgrims.
others were cleaning their arms, or mend
ing the harness OF their horses; aud all
preserving solemn silence. and looking
as reserved and pensive as Ancnorites.
An insoleut expression, loud laugh, the
least murmur OF complaint never passed
without correction.
The history of the Crusades in the Hol v
Land would not be complete without the
history of the Knight Hospitallers OF st.
John, for they were IN every battle aud
siege OF that wonderful period. The
order had then become firmly established
and its revenue was large They were
now called upon TO show their power us a
military organization. Three powerful
tribes OF inhdels were encamped before
the Holy City, determined TO capt ure it
and drive the Christians from Palestine
A terrible battle followed and the Knights
of St. John were ever foremost In the fight.
When breach was made in the walls
the HOspitallers threw themselves into it
and formed rampant of their bodies.
Finally they made heroic charge. throw
ing themselves into the thickest OF the
fight and routing the infidels, thus saving
the city And now the Christians be-
came besiegers instead. of defenders The
cites of Antioch, Odessa, Ascalon and
Sueta had been captured from the inf
dels. and at each city the Knights of ST.
John were foremost in the battle. At the
battle OF Sueta, fought in 115S, over six
thousand infidels were left dead on the
field.
Notwithstanding the bravery of the
Knights, the infidels captured the city OF
Jerusalem on October I'd, 1lss. but only
al n
wounded. After the city had surrendered
the knights moved from place 10 place,
always ready to give their aid to recar-
ture the Holy City. Tfrfs they did ia l22S,
AID the Cross Heated oyer the city, but 6e-
fore the walls were repaired another i'm
mense infidel swooped down upon
them, and Jerusale m was lost never to be
regained again. The knights continued
to harass the Turks as they moved from
city to city until they made q last stand
at Area, the only stronghold OF the Chris
tians ia Palestine
McClintbck Commandery has several
candidates for its next meeting
Alpha Commnndery Is doing good
work. so is Damon Comniandery.
District meeting at Damon Command
cry on April lg, at two O'clock.
The commaudery in Newark will be
instructed an April rs. aud six more ia
this district before May. How IL that
MeIyerss
Don't forget Alpha's sociable on the
2Sl
Damon coinmandery. No 81. held its