The Knights Templar.

In 1175 , Baldwin , king of Jerusalem , intending to put a stop to the incursions of the Arabians , attempted to fortify a castle upon Saladine ' s lands beyond the Jourdan , at a place called Jacob's Ford . This produced a new battle , which proved unfortunate for the christians . For Saladine having drawn them into an ambush which he had prepared in some rocky ground , they were surprised and attacked on all sides . The christiansunable to

, advance , or retreat , broke at once , and dispersed , none but the Templars and Hospitallers remaining on the ground , and of these the greater part was cut to pieces . Joubert de Syrie , Grand Master of the Hosjiitallers , though covered with wounds , still had strength enough left to swim across the Jourdan , and he got safe to the castle of Beaufort . Odo de S . Amand , Grand Master of the Templaz-s , being overpowered by numbers , was taken prisoner by the infidels .

Robert Dumont , a cotemporary historian , says that Saladine offered him his liberty in exchange for one of his nephews who was prisoner in the hands of the Templars ; but the noble Grand Master bravely replied , that he would never , by his example , teach any of his Knights to be so mean as to suffer themselves to be made prisoners in hopes of being- ransomed : that a Templar * ought either to vanquish or die , and he had nothing to give for his ransom but his girdle and his knife . We have no account how he escaped ; but he

got back afterwards to Jerusalem . In 1237 , under the magistracy of Armand de Perigord , the Templarf who carried the Beauceant or standard in an action where the Mussulmans had the advantage , kept the standard displayed till he was covered with wounds ' ;• nor did he then let it go before the conquerors , by repeated blows , had cut off his hands .

In the year 1266 , the Templars , being in possession of a fortress called Sephet , Bendocdar besieged it , and , after an obstinate defence , the Prior of the Temple who was Governor , seeing all his works ruined , was obliged to capitulate . It was stipulated b y the capitulation that he should be conveyed , with his Knights and the rest of the garrison , which still amounted to six hundred men , to the nearest place belonging to the christians . The Sultan

becoming master of Sephet , caused them all to be disarmed , and allowed them till the next night to resolve upon death or turn Mahometans . The Prior of the Temple , being a holy man , assisted hy two Franciscans , employed that short space of time so well in exhorting his brethren and soldiers with such zeal and piety , to prefer a crown of martyrdom before a momentary life dishonoured by a shameful apostacy , that the next day they all readily offered themselves to be slaughtered , rather than become apostates . The Sultan , enraged at their firmness , and at the constancy of the Prior , after having

tempted him in vain with the allurements of riches and honours , ordered him to be flayed J alive ; and , as if he apprehended that ho would survive such horrid torture , he commanded his head to be chopped off . He inflicted the same tortures on the two Franciscans . SIEGE OP ACRE . On the 5 th of April , 1291 , Sultan Mebec Seraf invested the city of Acre with an army of one hundred and sixty thousand foot , and sixt y thousand horse .