The Knights Templars.

peaceful Preceptories of Scotland , England , aud Ireland to take part iu the war , and brought with them vast quantities of armour , clothing , and munitions of war . Henry II . of England also sent with them thirty thousand ducats , for the defence

of Tyre . This sum the Templars delivered over to Gerard de Ridefort , from whom it was demanded by Conrad de Montferrat . The Grand Master , however , would not recognise the claim of Conrad , and declined giving it up to him , as he had seized

upon Tyre , a ; d refused to yield it up to King Guy , to whom the city of right belonged . Conrad was mortified at this refusal , and finding Gerard was neither to be bullied nor cajoled into giving up the money , he wrote grievous letters to England

complaining to Henry of the conduct of the Grand Master . His letters appear to have been as ineffectual with Henry as his remonstrances with Gerard , the monarch wisely considering that the Grand Master was the best party to judge in what manner the money should be disnosed .

Guy and Gerrard de Ridefort norv advanced with the Christian army against Acre , and laid siege to it . This town was built at the western extremity of a vast plain , aud the Mediterranean protected it on one side . It possessed a large and

commodious port , which drew to it a great quantity of the European and Asiatic commerce . Deep ditches surrounded the walls on the land side , and , at equal distances , formidable towers had been built ; the most conspicuous of these being

Maledicta , or the " Accursed Tower , " which commanded both the city and the plain . A dyke , built of stone , closed the part towards the south , terminating in a fortress , erected upon an isolated rock in the midst of the sea . The plain of Acre

is bounded on the north by Mount Saron ; on the east by the Galilean mountains ; and on the south by Mount Carmel , which ruus into the sea . Two hills intersect the plain—Turon , or the Mountain of the Worshipper , and the Mahameria , or Hill of the Prophet .

The army of the Christians which marched to the siege of Acre numbered nine thousand men , but , from the arrivals from the west , it speedily increased till it became of gi-eat magnitude . Saladin now began to feel alarm at the tremendous

preparations of the Christians , and the great numbers of Knights who surrounded the standard of the Cross . Assembling an army at Damascus , he hastened across Anti-Lebanon , and pitched his camp at a short distance from Acre . He seized

possession of all the passes through which the- , Christians could retire , strongly garrisoned them ,, and thus the besiegers became in turn the besieged .. The Christians fortified their camp by ditches and towers , so as to repel attacks both from Acre and :

the army of Saladin . Several battles ensued , in which the Templars distinguished themselves ~ b y their fiery valour . In one of these engagements , Saladin cut his way through the Christian army and entered Acre , taking with him large

reinforce-ments aud provisions for the town . After stirring up the valour of the inhabitants , and leaving with , them some of his most experienced generals , hereturned to his camp to renew the combats with , the Christians .

A fleet soon arrived to tue assistance of the Christians , brina-ino- a number of warriors from 3 DO Germany , Friesland , and Denmark . Conrad de Montferrat , who could not hear of the tidings of battle without taking part iu it , raised a body of

troops , and set sail from Tyre to Acre . These reinforcements cheered the drooping spirits of the-Christians , while they proportionally damped the courage of the Mussulmen . The Christian Knights ,, according to au Arabian historian , covered with

their long cuirasses of steel , looked from a distance like serpents spread over the plain ; when they flew to arms , they resembled birds of prey , and ,, in the melee , they were as indomitable as lions .. So great was the panic produced among the

Mussulmen by the fresh arrivals , that , in their councils ,,, several Emirs proposed to Saladin to retire before an enemy as numerous as the sands of the sea ,., more violent than tempests , aud more impetuous than torrents . Saladin , however , would not listen ; to such pusillanimous councils , and resolved to fight the Christians to the last .

The army of the Chxistiansbeing thus augmeniedthe soldiers impatiently cried to be led against the infidel . The leaders were equally impatient to advance against Saladin , and to drive him from out among the mountain fastnesses . The more

experienced in the tactics of the Saltan , opposed this proposal ; but , as usual , in the councils of war where all are nearly on an equal footing , and jealousy exists , hot blood and inexperience carried the day . They accordingly marched forth irora

their entrenchments , and drew up in battle order .. They were commanded by several of the most celebrated Christian generals of the age ; while to encourage them in the coming conflict , the Archbishops of Ravenna , Pisa , Canterbury ^