The Knights Templars.

acquainted with the treacherous and crafty nature of their proposed allies , and the utter impossibility of obtaining from them , that strict attention to the law of treaties , required by the Christians , otherwise than as should suit their own purposes or might

aid or assist the schemes of their chief . They were furthermore , well aware , that only the strong argument of the sword , could awe the innate ferocity and love of bloodshed , which an Assassin drank in with his mother's milk , and so they

determined to put a stop to this treaty , in their own way , as it could not in any manner benefit the cause of the Christians , for the Assassins , although baptised , would be Assassins still , while in the loss of the tribute it would be

very detrimental to their own private interests . Eurthermore , they had not been consulted by the king in the matter , who had issued his commands , before they were made aware of the terms of the treatv .

The ambassador left the king , much gratified by his reception , and also with the successful termination of his mission . Accompanied by his escort , he proceeded on his journey homewards , and passed unmolested through the country of

Tripoli ; but when his escort had quitted him , and he was within sight of the first of the castles of the Assassins , a band of Templars , led on by Walter du Mesnil , who is described as " a oneeyed , daring , wicked man , " rushed forth from

ambush , and slew the ambassador . Considerable obloquy has been attached to the Templars on account of this deed , by the chroniclers ; but , for our part , wo eaunot see how they were guilty of any treachery , in a politic point of view . It cannot for an instant be supposed , that

the Assassins were sincere in their desire to become Christians , or that they would have abandoned their own peculiar tenets , or given that support to the Christians , which might have been expected , from persons of the same religious persuasion ,

fighting against the infidel enemy . Their whole sympathies , so far as these were separate from their own interests , must have been with the Mussulmen ; and they , too , must have viewed the presence of the Europeans in the East as intruders ,

and as a race to be , at all hazards , exterminated , or driven from the land . Of all this , the Templars were perfectly well aware , and it must be borne in mind that , in the strict letter of the law , they offered no injury to the envoy , so long as he was under the safeguard of the king ; but when that

was withdrawn , and the envoy in his own land ; and in the sight of an Assassin fort , then they righted their cause according to their own policy , and in their own manner . On the tidings of this murder being conveyed

to Almeric , and the consequent frustration of the schemes he had devised , from an alliance with the Assassins , he flew into a violent passion , and summoned a council of the barons of the kingdom , to be held at Sidon , to resolve upon the proper

means to be adopted , for obtaining satisfaction from the Templars , for the insult offered to himself , and also to obtain from them , reparation for the murder of the envoy . While defending , or offering some show of justification , for the conduct of the Templars on this occasion , we must remind our readers that , in those times , a certain degree

of sanctity and immunity , was attributed ^ to the character of an ambassador , and to harm , or molest him in the discharge of his duty , was an offence against the laws of chivalry of the gravest nature . But , as we have already shewn , the spirit of the

times was directly opposed to keeping faith with the infidel , or of even treating them with that courtesy , which the Christians employed towards each other , when engaged in war ; and although the Templars would have fought to the death , and

vindicated with their best blood , the sanctity attaching to a Christian ambassador , they had no such scruples in jjutting an infidel out of the way . Besides , the ambassador having reached his own territory , had so far ceased to be under the protection of such a character . At the meeting of the barons it was determined to send to the

Grand Master and demand possession of the person of Walter du Mesnil , as well as reparation for the insult offered to the king . Almeric ' s anger on this occasion is somewhat amusing , when we remember that , but a short time previous to

this , he had made the treacherous attack upon Egypt , in defiance of a solemn treaty with that kingdom—a treaty entered into on his part by the Tenrplar Hugh . Two of the barons were deputed to proceed to the Grand Master and lay before

him the requirements of the king'and the council . On arriving at the chapter house of the Order , the barons were ushered into the presence of Odo , with the utmost pomp and ceremony . The Master received them sitting on his throne , with all the

most celebrated Knights and dignitaries of the Order , surrounding him . The chapter-house displayed in its decorations , the exceeding wealth of the