The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the TempleAddison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
History
The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple
Addison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
Templars -- History
The Draper was charged with the clothing department, and had to distribute
garments "free from the suspicion of arrogance and superfluity" to all the
brethren. He is directed to take especial care that the habits be "neither
too long nor too short, but properly measured for the wearer, with equal
measure, and with brotherly regard, that the eye of the whisperer or the
accuser may not presume to notice anything."[84]
The Standard Bearer (_Balcanifer_) bore the glorious _Beauseant_, or
war-banner, to the field; he was supported by a certain number of knights
and esquires, who were sworn to protect the colours of the order, and
never to let them fall into the hands of the enemy.
The Turcopilar was the commander of a body of light horse called
Turcopoles (_Turcopuli_.) These were natives of Syria and Palestine, the
offspring frequently of Turkish mothers and christian fathers, brought up
in the religion of Christ, and retained in the pay of the order of the
Temple. They were lightly armed, were clothed in the Asiatic style, and
being inured to the climate, and well acquainted with the country, and
with the Mussulman mode of warfare, they were found extremely serviceable
as light cavalry and skirmishers, and were always attached to the
war-battalions of the Templars.
The Guardian of the Chapel (_Custos Capellæ_) had charge of the portable
chapel and the ornaments of the altar, which were always carried by the
Templars into the field. This portable chapel was a round tent, which was
pitched in the centre of the camp; the quarters of the brethren were
disposed around it, so that they might, in the readiest and most
convenient manner, participate in the divine offices, and fulfil the
religious duties of their profession.
Besides the Grand Preceptor of the kingdom of Jerusalem, there were the
Grand Preceptors of Antioch and Tripoli, and the Priors or Preceptors of
the different houses of the Temple in Syria and in Palestine, all of whom
commanded in the field, and had various military duties to perform under
the eye of the Master.
The Templars and the Hospitallers were the constituted guardians of the
true cross when it was brought forth from its sacred repository in the
church of the Resurrection to be placed at the head of the christian army.
The Templars marched on the right of the sacred emblem, and the
Hospitallers on the left; and the same position was taken up by the two
orders in the line of battle.[85]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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