The Knights TemplarsAddison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
History
The Knights Templars
Addison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
Templars
At the close of the long and bloody day, the Christians regained
their camp in safety. King Louis, Joinville, and the Grand Master of
the Temple had been fighting side by side during a great part of the
afternoon; Joinville had his horse killed under him, and performed
prodigies of valour. He was severely wounded, and on retiring to his
quarters he found that a magnificent tent had been sent to him by the
Grand Master of the Temple, as a testimony of regard and esteem. On
the first Friday in Lent, Bendocdar, the great Mamlook general and
lieutenant of the sultan of Egypt, advanced at the head of a vast army
of horse and foot to attack the Crusaders in their intrenchments. King
Louis drew out his army in battle array, and posted them in eight
divisions in front of the camp. The Templars, under their venerable
Grand Master, formed the fourth division, and the fate of their gallant
chieftain is thus described by the lord de Joinville. “The next
battalion was under the command of Brother William de Sonnac, Master
of the Temple, who had with him the small remnant of the brethren of
his order who survived the battle of Shrove Tuesday. The Master of
the Temple made of the engines which he had taken from the Saracens
a sort of rampart in his front, but when the Saracens marched up to
the assault, they threw Greek fire upon it, and as the Templars had
piled up many planks of fir-wood amongst these engines, they caught
fire immediately; and the Saracens, perceiving that the brethren of
the Temple were few in number, dashed through the burning timbers, and
vigorously attacked them. In the preceding battle of Shrove Tuesday,
Brother William, the Master of the Temple, lost one of his eyes, and in
this battle the said lord lost his other eye, and was slain. God have
mercy on his soul! And know that immediately behind the place where the
battalion of the Templars stood, there was a good acre of ground, so
covered with darts, arrows, and missiles, that you could not see the
earth beneath them, such showers of these had been discharged against
the Templars by the Saracens.”[128]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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