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Article FBEEMASONRY ILLUSTRATED. ← Page 13 of 16 →
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Fbeemasonry Illustrated.
poor Christian brethren and sisters . But , despite of this , it is said 14 , 000 men , women , and children were sold into slavery . Thus fell Jerusalem / a . d . 1187 , eighty-eight years after its conquest by Godfrey . Brother Terric , Grand Preceptor of the Temple , informed Henry II .,
that " Jerusalem , with the citadel of David hath been surrendered to Saladin ; but that the Syrian Christians had custody of the Holy Sepulchre till the fourth day after Michaelmas ; and that ten brethren of the Hospital were to remain in the house for the space of one year to take care of the sick . And that Saladin ha , d caused the Temple to be washed with rose-water within and without , upwards and downwards . "
The Templars still maintained themselves in some of the strongest castles , and the city of Tyre was yet held by the Christians . Brother Terric ' s account of the state of things at that time , which he sent to Henry II ., as published in Hoveden ' s History , relates the gallant resistance made by Tyre ; and that Saladin was compelled to raise the siege , after cutting off tJie ears and tail of his ( horse ' . 'to show his grief .
In the following spring Saladin attempted to reduce the castles the Knights still held . He first tried Saphet , belonging to the Templars , which was on a lofty mountain ; its walls , more than a mile in circumference , being defended by vast towers and deep ditches . From the ramparts the eye ranged over a rich prospect of luxuriant vineyards and smiling villages , and embraced a grand panoramic view of lofty mountains , while the Jordan rolled through
the valley beneath . The Templars were so incessant in their sallies , and the besiegers became so wearied out , that Saladin , leaving a force to blockade the fortress , drew oif his main body to Antioch . A considerable army of the Moslems made a like attack on the Hospitallers * castle of Kowkab , but in the dead of night , during a violent thunder-storm , the sentries having retired to their tents , the Hospitallers rushed into the Moslem camp , and left scarce one alive to tell the tale of disaster . The tents , arms , baggage , and provisions , all fell into the hands of the brave Knights of
St . John . Saladin was also foiled in his attempt on the Templars' castle of Tortosa . Their castle of Darbesak , after a long and obstinate defence , in which many on both sides were slain , was surrendered
to the Mussulmans . The two castles of Saphet and Kowkab also fell . The fall of Jerusalem , and the perilous state of the Christians in Palestine , caused the pontilf Gregory VIII . to urge a new crusade ; and , responding to the call , crowds of armed pilgrims hastened to the Holy Land . The Grand Master of the Templars put himself at the head of 9 , 000 men , having also with him the King of Jerusalem .
They were not long in reaching Saladin ' s camp ; and the Templars , leading the van , broke through the Moslem army , which was
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Fbeemasonry Illustrated.
poor Christian brethren and sisters . But , despite of this , it is said 14 , 000 men , women , and children were sold into slavery . Thus fell Jerusalem / a . d . 1187 , eighty-eight years after its conquest by Godfrey . Brother Terric , Grand Preceptor of the Temple , informed Henry II .,
that " Jerusalem , with the citadel of David hath been surrendered to Saladin ; but that the Syrian Christians had custody of the Holy Sepulchre till the fourth day after Michaelmas ; and that ten brethren of the Hospital were to remain in the house for the space of one year to take care of the sick . And that Saladin ha , d caused the Temple to be washed with rose-water within and without , upwards and downwards . "
The Templars still maintained themselves in some of the strongest castles , and the city of Tyre was yet held by the Christians . Brother Terric ' s account of the state of things at that time , which he sent to Henry II ., as published in Hoveden ' s History , relates the gallant resistance made by Tyre ; and that Saladin was compelled to raise the siege , after cutting off tJie ears and tail of his ( horse ' . 'to show his grief .
In the following spring Saladin attempted to reduce the castles the Knights still held . He first tried Saphet , belonging to the Templars , which was on a lofty mountain ; its walls , more than a mile in circumference , being defended by vast towers and deep ditches . From the ramparts the eye ranged over a rich prospect of luxuriant vineyards and smiling villages , and embraced a grand panoramic view of lofty mountains , while the Jordan rolled through
the valley beneath . The Templars were so incessant in their sallies , and the besiegers became so wearied out , that Saladin , leaving a force to blockade the fortress , drew oif his main body to Antioch . A considerable army of the Moslems made a like attack on the Hospitallers * castle of Kowkab , but in the dead of night , during a violent thunder-storm , the sentries having retired to their tents , the Hospitallers rushed into the Moslem camp , and left scarce one alive to tell the tale of disaster . The tents , arms , baggage , and provisions , all fell into the hands of the brave Knights of
St . John . Saladin was also foiled in his attempt on the Templars' castle of Tortosa . Their castle of Darbesak , after a long and obstinate defence , in which many on both sides were slain , was surrendered
to the Mussulmans . The two castles of Saphet and Kowkab also fell . The fall of Jerusalem , and the perilous state of the Christians in Palestine , caused the pontilf Gregory VIII . to urge a new crusade ; and , responding to the call , crowds of armed pilgrims hastened to the Holy Land . The Grand Master of the Templars put himself at the head of 9 , 000 men , having also with him the King of Jerusalem .
They were not long in reaching Saladin ' s camp ; and the Templars , leading the van , broke through the Moslem army , which was