CENT. évén a favourable turn, to the affairs of the Chris XII. tians in the Holy Land.

PART I. XIII. These bloody wars between the Chris Institution tians and the Mahometans gave rise to three fa of the mili-mous military orders, whose office it was to destroy tary order the robbers that infested the public roads, to ha hood. rass the Moslems by perpetual inroads and warlike

of knight

achievements, to assist the poor and sick pilgrims, whom the devotion of the times conducted to the holy sepulchre, and to perform several other ser vices that tended to the general good [y]. The first of these orders was that of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who derived their name, and particularly that of Hospitallers, from an hospital dedicated, in that city, to St. John the Baptist, in which certain pious and charitable brethren were constantly employed in relieving and refreshing with necessary supplies the indigent and diseased pilgrims, who were daily arriving at Jerusalem. When this city became the metropolis of a new kingdom, the revenues of the hospital were so prodigiously increased by the liberality of several princes, and the pious donations of such opulent persons as frequented the holy places, that they far surpassed the wants of those whom they were designed to cherish and relieve. Hence it was that Raymond du Puy, who was the ruler of this charitable house, offered to the king of Jerusalem to make war upon the Mahometans at his own expence, seconded by his brethren, who served under him in this famous hospital. Balduin II. to whom this proposal was made, accepted it readily, and the enterprize was solemnly approved of, and confirmed by the authority of the Roman pontiff. Thus, all of a sudden the world was surprised with the strange transformation of a devout fraternity,

[y] The writers, who have given the history of these three orders, are enumerated by Jo. Alb. Fabricius, Bibliograph. Antiquar. p. 465. but his enumeration is not complete.

XII. PART I.

fraternity, who had lived remote from the noise CENT. and tumult of arms, in the performance of works of charity and mercy, into a valiant and hardy band of warriors. The whole order was upon this occasion divided into three classes; the first contained the knights, or soldiers of illustrious birth, who were to unsheath their swords in the Christian cause; in the second were compre. hended the priests, who were to officiate in the churches that belonged to the order; and in the third, the serving brethren, or the soldiers of low condition. This celebrated order gave, upon many occasions, eminent proofs of their resolution and valour, and acquired immense opulence, by their heroic achievements. When Palestine was irrecoverably lost, the knights passed into the isle of Cyprus; they afterwards made themselves masters of the isle of Rhodes, where they maintained themselves for a long time; but being, at length, driven thence by the Turks, they received from the emperor Charles V. a grant of the island of Malta, where their chief, or grand commander; still resides [*].

templars

XIV. Another order, which was entirely of a The military nature, was that of the knights templars, knights so called from a palace, adjoining to the temple of Jerusalem, which was appropriated to their use for a certain time by Balduin II. The foundations of this order were laid at Jerusalem, in the year 1118, by Hugues des Payens, Geoffry of St. Aldemar, or St. Omer, as some will have it, and seven other persons whose names are unknown; but it was not before the year 1228, that it acquired a proper degree of stability, by being confirmed

[z] The best and the most recent history of this order is that which was composed by Vertot at the request of the knights of Malta; it was first published at Paris, and afterwards at Amsterdam, in five volumes 8vo. in the year 1732. See also Helyot's Hist. des Ordres, tom. iii, p. 72.

PART I.

CENT. confirmed solemnly in the council of Troyes, XII. and subjected to a rule of discipline drawn up by St. Bernard [a]. These warlike templars were to defend and support the cause of Christianity by force of arms, to have inspection over the public roads, and to protect the pilgrims, who came to visit Jerusalem, against the insults and barbarity of the Mahometans. The order flourished for some time, and acquired, by the valour of its knights, immense riches, and an eminent degree of military renown; but, as their prosperity increased, their vices were multiplied, and their arrogance, luxury, and inhuman cruelty rose at last to such a monstrous height, that their privileges were revoked, and their order suppressed with the most terrible circumstances of infamy and severity, by a decree of the pope and of the council of Vienne in Dauphiny, as we shall see in the history of the fourteenth century [b].

The teutonic order.

XV. The third order resembled the first in this respect, that, though it was a military institu tion, the care of the poor, and the relief of the sick were not excluded from the services it prescribed. Its members were distinguished by the title of Teutonic knights of St. Mary of Jerusalem; and as to its first rise, we cannot, with any de gree of certainty, trace it farther back than the year 1190, during the siege of Acca, or Ptolemais, though there are Historians adventurous enough to seek its origin (which they place at Jerusalem) in a more remote period. During the long and tedious siege of Acca, sèveral pious and charitable merchants

[a] See Mabillon, Annal. Benedict. tom. vi. p. 159.

[b] See Matthew Paris, Histor. Major. p. 56. for an account of the commencement of this order. See also Putean, Histoire de l'Ordre Militaire des Templiers, which was republished with considerable additions, at Brussels, in 4to, in the year 1751. Nic. Gurtleri Historia Templariorum Militum, Amstelodam. 1691. in 8vo.

XII. PART I.

merchants of Bremen and Lubec, touched with CENT. compassion at the sight of the miseries that the besiegers suffered in the midst of their success,n devoted themselves entirely to the service of the sick and wounded soldiers, and erected a kind of hospital or tent, where they gave constant attendance to all such unhappy objects as had recourse to their charity. This pious undertaking was so agreeable to the German princes, who were present at this terrible siege, that they thought proper to form a fraternity of German knights to bring it to a greater degree of perfection. Their resolution was highly approved of by the Roman pontiff Celestine III. who confirmed the new order by a bull issued out the twenty-third of February, A. D. 1192. This order was entirely appropriated to the Germans, and even of them none were admitted as members of it, but such as were of an illustrious birth. The support of Christianity, the defence of the Holy Land, and the relief of the poor and needy, were the important duties and service to which the Teutonic knights devoted themselves by a solemn vow. Austerity andfrugality were the first characteristics of this rising order, and the equestrian garment [c], with bread and water, were the only rewards which the knights derived from their generous labours. But as, according to the fate of human things, prosperity engenders corruption, so it happened that this austerity was of a short duration, and diminished in proportion as the revenues and possessions of the order augmented. The Teutonic knights, after their retreat from Palestine, made themselves masters of Prussia, Livonia, Courland, and Semigallen; but, in process of time, their victorious arms received several checks, and when the light of the reformation arose upon Germany,

[c] This

C 3

they

garment was a white mantle with a black cross.

CENT. they were deprived of the richest provinces which XII. they possessed in that country; though they still PART 1. retain there a certain portion of their ancient territories [d].

state of

CHAP. II.

Concerning the calamitous events that happened to the church during this century.

the church . THE progress of Christianity in the west

in the western and northern

had disarmed its most inveterate enemies, and deprived them of the power of doing much provinces, mischief, though they still entertained the same. aversion to the disciples of Jesus. The Jews and Pagans were no longer able to oppose the propagation of the gospel, or to oppress its ministers. Their malignity remained, but their credit and authority were gone. The Jews were accused by the Christians of various crimes, whether real or fictitious we shall not determine; but, instead of attacking their accusers, they were satisfied to defend their own lives, and to secure their persons, without daring to give vent to their resentment.

The state of things was somewhat different in the northern provinces. The Pagans were yet numerous there in several districts, and wherever they were the majority, they persecuted the Christians with the utmost barbarity, the most unre

lenting

[d] See Raymundi Duellii Histor. Ord. Teutonici, published in folio at Vienna, in 1727.-Petri Dusburg, Chronicon Prussie, published in 4to at Jena, in the year 1679, by Christoph. Hartknochius. Helyot, Hist. des Ordres, tom. iii. p. 140.Chronicon Ordinis Teutonici in Anton. Matthæi Analectis veteris ævi, tom. v. p. 621, 658. ed. nov.-Privilegia Ordinis Teutonici in Petr, à Ludewig Reliquiis Manuscriptor, tom, vi,