-
Articles/Ads
Article FBEEMASONRY ILLUSTRATED. ← Page 14 of 16 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Fbeemasonry Illustrated.
routed . Victory would have followed , but the undisciplined troops that had neWiy arrived commenced pillaging the tents of the infidels . Saladin rallied his followers , and the Templars , being cut off and unsupported , left nearly half of their number dead on the field , Gerard , the Grand Master , being pierced with many arrows .
Brother "Walter was elected Grand Master , and under him the siege of Acre was prosecuted , famine and disease thinned the Crusaders , but their patience was not exhausted ; and on the 12 th of July , 1191 , Richard Coeur de Lion and Philip Augustus ,
who had arrived with powerful armaments ^ met in the tent of the Grand Master of the Temple , to receive the emirs sent by Saladin to treat for the surrender of Acre . The gates were thrown open to the Christians , and Richard who had gone out habited as a Templar , took up his abode with the brethren . Eohadin , the Arabian historian , who was present with Saladin s
army , says : — The emirs advised their sovereign not to trust implicitly to the good faith , of the Christians from Europe , for their performance of the treaty , but to obtain from the Templars a sole
undertaking , of whose regard for sanctity of an oath the Moslem King Hichard , on his way to P ^ of Cyprus , which he sold to the Templars for 300 ^ 000 livres d'or . Joining the standard of Richard , the Templars marched , by way of the coast , for Jerusalem , The Templars led the van ; Richard ,
with the general body of the . Crusaders , was in the centre ; and the rear consisted of the Hospitallers . A fierce engagement took place on the plain of Asoof , in which the Christians were the victors . The Moslems , however , had destroyed nearly all the cities and castles of the Christians . At last fell the strongly-fortified city of Ascalon . " This city , " Bohadin says , " was very elegant , and in truth , exquisitely beautiful ; its stupendous fortifications and lofty edifices
possessed a majesty and grandeur which inspired one with awe , " It is now a desolation , the walls still lie scattered in huge fragments along the sea shore ; confused heaps of ruins mark the site of the ancient city : thus is fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah— " Ascalon shall not be inhabited . "
The Grand Master had sent 100 Knights with some troops to take possession of Cyprus ; and the Grand Preceptor , who was with his force at Nicosia , the capital , discovered a conspiracy of the inhabitants to massacre the Templars . On Easter Day they mounted in war attire , and put the insurgents , who had collected , to flight , slaying all who came in their way . The Templars soon after ceded the island to Guy de Lusignan .
A council of war was called in the Crusader ' s camp at Beitrubah , and it waa decided that they had not strength sufficient to attempt the siege of Jerusalem . Richard and Saladin were both sick , and mutually weary of war ; a treaty of peace was entered into , which stipulated that the Christian pilgrims should enjoy the privilege of visiting Jerusalem without molestation or tribute ; that the cities of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Fbeemasonry Illustrated.
routed . Victory would have followed , but the undisciplined troops that had neWiy arrived commenced pillaging the tents of the infidels . Saladin rallied his followers , and the Templars , being cut off and unsupported , left nearly half of their number dead on the field , Gerard , the Grand Master , being pierced with many arrows .
Brother "Walter was elected Grand Master , and under him the siege of Acre was prosecuted , famine and disease thinned the Crusaders , but their patience was not exhausted ; and on the 12 th of July , 1191 , Richard Coeur de Lion and Philip Augustus ,
who had arrived with powerful armaments ^ met in the tent of the Grand Master of the Temple , to receive the emirs sent by Saladin to treat for the surrender of Acre . The gates were thrown open to the Christians , and Richard who had gone out habited as a Templar , took up his abode with the brethren . Eohadin , the Arabian historian , who was present with Saladin s
army , says : — The emirs advised their sovereign not to trust implicitly to the good faith , of the Christians from Europe , for their performance of the treaty , but to obtain from the Templars a sole
undertaking , of whose regard for sanctity of an oath the Moslem King Hichard , on his way to P ^ of Cyprus , which he sold to the Templars for 300 ^ 000 livres d'or . Joining the standard of Richard , the Templars marched , by way of the coast , for Jerusalem , The Templars led the van ; Richard ,
with the general body of the . Crusaders , was in the centre ; and the rear consisted of the Hospitallers . A fierce engagement took place on the plain of Asoof , in which the Christians were the victors . The Moslems , however , had destroyed nearly all the cities and castles of the Christians . At last fell the strongly-fortified city of Ascalon . " This city , " Bohadin says , " was very elegant , and in truth , exquisitely beautiful ; its stupendous fortifications and lofty edifices
possessed a majesty and grandeur which inspired one with awe , " It is now a desolation , the walls still lie scattered in huge fragments along the sea shore ; confused heaps of ruins mark the site of the ancient city : thus is fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah— " Ascalon shall not be inhabited . "
The Grand Master had sent 100 Knights with some troops to take possession of Cyprus ; and the Grand Preceptor , who was with his force at Nicosia , the capital , discovered a conspiracy of the inhabitants to massacre the Templars . On Easter Day they mounted in war attire , and put the insurgents , who had collected , to flight , slaying all who came in their way . The Templars soon after ceded the island to Guy de Lusignan .
A council of war was called in the Crusader ' s camp at Beitrubah , and it waa decided that they had not strength sufficient to attempt the siege of Jerusalem . Richard and Saladin were both sick , and mutually weary of war ; a treaty of peace was entered into , which stipulated that the Christian pilgrims should enjoy the privilege of visiting Jerusalem without molestation or tribute ; that the cities of