The Knights Templars.

swarmed to the attack eager for revenge . The garrison , however , made a most valiant resistance , and proved no way inferior to their brethren in valour and fidelity to the sacred cause in which they fought . Saladin surrounded the city with

his finest battalions , but the struggle was long and uncertain . At last the city was carried by storm , and the fortifications demolished . The fate of

the garrison is not recorded , but there can be little doubt that death was the doom of all . After this capture , Saladin sent off messengers to the various commanders of the divisions of his army , ordering them to advance without delay upon the

Holy City , so that the crowning act of his glorious expedition might be performed iu the capture of the sister of Medina and Mecca . The captivity of Gerard de Bidefort once more raised John Terricus to the regency of the Order .

He , upon the rapid successes of the Saracen arms , sent off expresses to Europe soliciting immediate help in men and money from the brethren . One of these letters was addressed to Geoffrey , Grand Prior of England : —

" The Brother Terricus , so called Grand Master ( that is , acting for the time being as Grand Master ) of the most impoverished house of the Temple , ancl of all the brethren himself the most impoverished , ancl that brotherhood all but

annihilated , to all preceptors and brethren of the Temple to whom these presents shall come , greeting , and may they lift up their sighs to Him , at whom the sun and moon are astounded . With

now many and how great calamities , our sins so requiring it , the auger of God has lately permitted us to be scourged , we are unable , 0 sad fate ! either in writing or in the language of tears , to express . For the Turks , assembling together an

immense multitude of their nations , besran with bitter hostility to invade the territories of us Christians ; and , accordingly , uniting the forces of our nation against them , we ventured , before the octave of tho Apostles Saint Peter and Saint

Paul , to attack them ; and for that purpose ventured to direct our march towards Tiberias , which , leaving their camp unprotected , they had taken by storm . After repulsing us among some most dangerous rocks , they attacked us with such

vehemence , that , after thej r had captured the Holy Cross and our king , and a whole multitude of us had been slain , and after two hundred ancl thirty of our brethren , as we A erily believe , had been taken by them ancl beheaded , besides those sixty

who had been slain on the first of May ( referring to the battle of the Brook Kishon ) , with great difficulty the Lord Earl of Tripoli , the Lord Reginald of Sidon , the Lord Baliau , and ourselves , were enabled to make our escape from that

dreadful field . After this , the Pagans revelling in the blood of us Christians , did not delay to press on with all their hosts towards the city of Acre ; and , taking it by storm , spread themselves over nearly the whole of the land—Jerusalem , Tyre , Ascalon ,

ancl Beyrout being alone left to us and to Christendom , These cities , also , as nearly all the citizens have been slain , we shall not be at all able to retain in our hands unless we speedily receive the

Divine assistance , and also aid from yourselves . For at the present moment they are besieging Tyre with all their might , and cease not to assault it either night or day ; while so \ r ast are their numbers that they have covered the whole face

of the land from Tyre as far as Jerusalem and Gaza , just like a swarm of ants . Deign , therefore , with all possible speed , to bring succour to ourselves and to Christianity , all but ruined iu the East , that so , through the aid of God and the

exalted merits of our brotherhood , supported by your assistance , Ave may be enabled to save the remainder of these cities . Farewell . " The alarm of the Christians in Jerusalem

became extreme , on the tidings being brought to them of the advance of Saladin . His uninterrupted series of victories , the slaughter of the bravest champions of Christendom , ancl the captivity of the king and the Grand

Master of the Templars , made up a catalogue of misfortunes which daunted the courage of the most \ aliant , and sent the timid to the shrines of the Holy City , to supplicate the aid ancl assistance of that God who appeared to

have given them over to the malice of their enemies . The people , terrified by the approach of the Saracens , crowded in from the surrounding villages to Jerusalem , while the inhabitants of the cities which had fallen into the hands of Saladin likewise hastened thither for shelter ancl protection . The houses could not contain the vast

multitudes , ancl the steps of the churches and the streets became the resting-places of the terrified and helpless fugitives , whose presence increased the difficulties felt by the defenders of the city . When Saladin had come near to the Holy City , he sent for the principal inhabitants , ancl , addressing them , said : — " I acknowledge , as well as