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Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. ← Page 2 of 7 →
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The Knights Templar.
presented his companions to Pope Honorius II ., entertained him with their zeal for the protection of pilgrims , ancl begged his permission to form a religious and military Order , in imitation of that of the Hospitallers . The" sovereign Pontiff referred them to the fathers of the council , which was then sitting at Troyes in Champagne . Hugh and his companions went thitherand their
, prolocutor represented to the council their vocation ancl project for the defence bf pilgrims , and of the Holy Land . The enterpi-ise was approved , and tho fathers appointed St . Bernard , who was present at the council to prescribe n rule and form of habit for this infant Order .
St . Bernard ordered them instead of offices , to repeat every day the Lord ' s prayer a certain number of times , & c . He forbade gold , silver , and every other superfluous ornament in their equipage ; he ordered them a white habit , with a cloak of the same colour ; and as a mark of their profession , Pope Eugenius II . afterwards added a red cross , to be placed opposite the heart . Hugh ancl his companions having received the approbation of the council ,
returned to Rome to get the rule ancl the Order established by the Pope ' s authority , which being obtained , they prepared to return to the Holy land ; but before their departure , a great number of gentlemen of the best families in France , Germany , and Italy , presented themselves , offering to enter the Order . Hugh being Chief of the Order , received them and immediately gave them the habit , and with this fine body of youth he arrived at Palestine . In a short time their militia increased considerably . Princes of sovereign houses , and lords of the most illustrious houses in Christendom , testified a desire of combatting under the habit ancl banner of the Templars . Outof afalse nicety and
punctilio winch scarcely ever leaves great men , even at their devotions , this Order , which was altogether military , was often preferred by them to tho troublesome and humble services which the Hospitallers , though soldiers , rendered to the poor sick . The princes and lords who entered the Order , brought with them immense riches ; besides , the fame of their exploits procured them great donations and benefactions . This society , this daughter of the house of St . John , soon eclipsed the parent so much that it seemed she would soon bury
her in obscurity . Such was the celebrity and power of those two Orders , that Baldwin , king of Jerusalem , and his successors , never undertook any enterprise of importance , without their council ancl support ; so that to give the history of that monarchy is little more than giving the history of both Orders . The donations they received were so frequent at that time , that it will not be surprising , when it is considered the admirable use they were applied to by those friars militant . Out of all their revenues they had but a very frugal subsistence . They were chiefly dedicated to the maintenance of the poor or sick , or in carrying on war against the infidels .
I hose warriors , so renowned for their prowess , and so terrible in the day of battle , were quite another kind of men when they returned to their convents . Scarcely had they laid asido their arms , but they resumed with the regular habit , all the exercises of their first profession . Some applied themselves to the service of the sick , others were occupied in entertaining pilgrims , some in cleaning their arms , or repairing the equipage of their horses ; ancl all in thenrespective employments kept a religions silenceand seemed as reserved ancl
, pensive ns if they had been hermits ancl anchorets ; a new manner of life littlo known till then , wherein , without , being entirely confined to the cloister , or engaged in the world , they practised successively all the virtues of two such opposite conditions as that of friar and soldier . This we learn from St . Bernard , a cotemporary writer , who in the description which he has left us of the Templars' manner of lifehas drawn a sort of living icture of those
, p claustral militants . " They live together , " says that holy abbot , " in an agreeable but frugal manner , without wives or children , or having any thing in property to themselves , even so much as their own will . They are never idle , nor rambling
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templar.
presented his companions to Pope Honorius II ., entertained him with their zeal for the protection of pilgrims , ancl begged his permission to form a religious and military Order , in imitation of that of the Hospitallers . The" sovereign Pontiff referred them to the fathers of the council , which was then sitting at Troyes in Champagne . Hugh and his companions went thitherand their
, prolocutor represented to the council their vocation ancl project for the defence bf pilgrims , and of the Holy Land . The enterpi-ise was approved , and tho fathers appointed St . Bernard , who was present at the council to prescribe n rule and form of habit for this infant Order .
St . Bernard ordered them instead of offices , to repeat every day the Lord ' s prayer a certain number of times , & c . He forbade gold , silver , and every other superfluous ornament in their equipage ; he ordered them a white habit , with a cloak of the same colour ; and as a mark of their profession , Pope Eugenius II . afterwards added a red cross , to be placed opposite the heart . Hugh ancl his companions having received the approbation of the council ,
returned to Rome to get the rule ancl the Order established by the Pope ' s authority , which being obtained , they prepared to return to the Holy land ; but before their departure , a great number of gentlemen of the best families in France , Germany , and Italy , presented themselves , offering to enter the Order . Hugh being Chief of the Order , received them and immediately gave them the habit , and with this fine body of youth he arrived at Palestine . In a short time their militia increased considerably . Princes of sovereign houses , and lords of the most illustrious houses in Christendom , testified a desire of combatting under the habit ancl banner of the Templars . Outof afalse nicety and
punctilio winch scarcely ever leaves great men , even at their devotions , this Order , which was altogether military , was often preferred by them to tho troublesome and humble services which the Hospitallers , though soldiers , rendered to the poor sick . The princes and lords who entered the Order , brought with them immense riches ; besides , the fame of their exploits procured them great donations and benefactions . This society , this daughter of the house of St . John , soon eclipsed the parent so much that it seemed she would soon bury
her in obscurity . Such was the celebrity and power of those two Orders , that Baldwin , king of Jerusalem , and his successors , never undertook any enterprise of importance , without their council ancl support ; so that to give the history of that monarchy is little more than giving the history of both Orders . The donations they received were so frequent at that time , that it will not be surprising , when it is considered the admirable use they were applied to by those friars militant . Out of all their revenues they had but a very frugal subsistence . They were chiefly dedicated to the maintenance of the poor or sick , or in carrying on war against the infidels .
I hose warriors , so renowned for their prowess , and so terrible in the day of battle , were quite another kind of men when they returned to their convents . Scarcely had they laid asido their arms , but they resumed with the regular habit , all the exercises of their first profession . Some applied themselves to the service of the sick , others were occupied in entertaining pilgrims , some in cleaning their arms , or repairing the equipage of their horses ; ancl all in thenrespective employments kept a religions silenceand seemed as reserved ancl
, pensive ns if they had been hermits ancl anchorets ; a new manner of life littlo known till then , wherein , without , being entirely confined to the cloister , or engaged in the world , they practised successively all the virtues of two such opposite conditions as that of friar and soldier . This we learn from St . Bernard , a cotemporary writer , who in the description which he has left us of the Templars' manner of lifehas drawn a sort of living icture of those
, p claustral militants . " They live together , " says that holy abbot , " in an agreeable but frugal manner , without wives or children , or having any thing in property to themselves , even so much as their own will . They are never idle , nor rambling