During the long semi-night of the middle ages, when that great pall settled over Europe, might was the only rule of right, and tyranny the sole authority. Man was a cowed being. Monarchy crushed him, superstition haunted him, Rome throttled him. The state taught him what to do, the Church what to believe and thus the individual became a slave, subject to the will and caprice of king craft and priest craft. Ignorance sat upon the souls of men. From a throne of ivory and gold monarchy wielded a scepter of absolutism. From a throne of gold and ivory, Rome lavished its favors with one hand and throttled the rights of the individual with the other. Between the glittering crystal candelabra of the one and the glaring wax tapers of the other was man, a beggar, a pauper, a slave. What little learning existed was confined to the monasteries and like its parchments was mouldy and worm eaten. Science dwelt not there. Mathematics was perplexing. Philosophy was inquiring, how many souls could be aggregated on the point of a needle. Religion was doubting whether Baptism performed with muddy water was valid. The human mind was cobwebbed with ignorance and superstition.
In the Holy City of Jerusalem great changes had been wrought since the days of the Christ. Its narrow streets were filled with warriors from other lands, and from its ancient walls floated the banner of the crescent moon. A new creed born in the desert of Arabia was proclaimed in sacred places and the Holy Sepulchre defiled and desecrated by Moslem hands. The shrill cry of the Muezzin called the faithful to prayer and through the dark valleys and over the rugged hilltops swept the prolonged shout, "There is but one God, and Mohammed is his Prophet." The churches of the true religion were converted into mosques, the doors of holy places were shut upon the Christian and a journey to the ancient city became a dangerous and hazardous undertaking.
In this dark and trying period is heard the voice of a simple monk, who has left to posterity his baptismal name, with the modest surname of Hermit. Peter the Hermit made a journey to Jerusalem and having been shocked at the desecration of holy places and the insults to pilgrim Christians became fired with a great zeal to rescue the tomb of the Christ from Moslem possession. The preaching of this hermit monk aroused the people with a great religious fervor. Converts to Christianity became imbued with a mad impulse to look upon the country which had been the scene of those miraculous events which had brought about the regeneration of mankind. Jerusalem from the earliest periods had been conspicuous in the world's history. But when the incarnate son of God was crucified upon the heights of Calvary all other events paled before that sublime tragedy and the city and surroundings became invested with reverent interest and cherished as the most sacred spot of earth.
As we draw aside the veil of the centuries we see a boundless multitude of human beings roused to a frenzy by this hermit orator, rushing recklessly toward the Holy Land, only to perish miserably by the wayside, some of hunger, some of disease, others of violence, and for what? The view of an empty sepulchre. It is a sight which excites the pity of the hardest heart. It is a mournful spectacle which borders the pages of history with black.
But when we look again we see the chivalry of Europe in arms. With flaunting banners and glittering spears, with retinue of many a knight and squire, these resplendent squadrons light up the gloom of that dark period. What a brilliant spectacle presents itself to the eye. There rides, Hugh of Vermandois, brother of the King of France, there Stephen of Blois, there Robert Curt Horse, there Raymond, Count of Toulouse, there Hugh de Payens. But who is this stalwart figure upon the prancing charger. It is Godfrey of Boullion, sprung from the noble race of Charlemagne. What is the destination of this splendid body of men, representing the heroism and chivalry of the middle ages. An empty sepulchre. What means all this heroic devotion and lavish expenditure of money, the possession of an empty sepulchre.
It is unnecessary to draw the pathetic picture of the heroic march of the early Crusaders for of this cavalcade of 600,000 men who started out on their splendid mission, only 25,000 reached their journey's end. The roads of Hungary and Asia Minor were whitened with the bones of those who perished, but a little band of survivors did reach the Holy Land and on the 15th day of July, 1099, the banner of the Cross floated over the City of Jerusalem, while barefoot Knights and weary soldiers prostrated themselves before the empty sepulchre. Henceforth and for nearly a hundred years, the warrior Christian held the ancient city against the enemies of the faith and we see emerging from the garb of armored troops a company of consecrated men, part monk but more soldier, clothed in white with a red cross for their insignia, who became famous as the Templars, devoting themselves to the service of pious pilgrims and the defence of those who would pray near the spot where the Christ had slept away his few brief hours of death.
After the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, thousands of Christians thronged the roads leading toward the city. While the Saracen had been driven from his stronghold, the roads and passes were dangerous to pilgrims owing to hands of robbers and fanatical infidels who plundered and murdered unprotected travelers. To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which they were exposed, to guard the honor of saintly virgins and maidens and to protect the gray hairs of the aged, nine noble knights who had greatly distinguished themselves in the capture of the city, lead by the stalwart Hugh de Payens formed a Holy Brotherhood in arms and entered into a solemn compact to aid in clearing the highways and in protecting the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. Baldwin II, then King of Jerusalem, granted them a place of habitation within the enclosure on Mt. Moriah near where had stood the temple of Solomon and they became known as Knights of the Temple or Knights Templar. Many others came to join them and soon the organization grew in numbers and became famous in deeds of arms.
Stringent rules were adopted for their government embracing vows of chastity, obedience and poverty. They were in constant prayer and such gifts as were received were turned over to the treasurer of the organization. Some of their rules were unique. Among them was the following "We hold it dangerous to all religion to gaze too much upon the countenance of women, therefore, no brother shall presume to kiss neither virgin, nor widow, nor mother, nor sister, nor aunt, nor any other woman. Let the Sir Knights shun feminine kisses through which men have very often been drawn into danger, so that each with a pure conscience and a secure life may be able to walk everlastingly in the sight of his Creator."
In 1113 a formal organization of the order was affected and it grew rapidly in power and influence. Of this new order, the distinguished Christian Knight, Hugh de Payens was first Grand Master. His successful administration soon raised it to the highest possible position among the orders of Christian Knighthood, and his name and fame will live as long as his successors shall wear the badge of the Templar.
The struggles about the city of Jerusalem continued from 1099 to 1187 when it surrendered. to Saladin and it remained a Moslem Possession until the year 1918, when it was captured by the English. Nearly 100 years after the victorious Templars under the heroic Godfrey de Boullion had unfurled their banners upon the walls of Jerusalem and its possession had been bitterly contested with alternate triumph of Christian and Moslem, there came a day when the Saracen rode victorious over the Christian and the emblem of salvation sank to rise no more on that bright pasture land until after many years.
In the meantime the order of Knights Templar spread throughout Europe and became a powerful organization, possessed of much wealth and valuable holdings. Kingdoms either belonged to it or owed allegiance. To such fabulous proportions did its riches grow that it is said its income for a single year amounted to thirty million dollars. But with prosperity and luxury came abuses. Jealousy and envy laid many false charges at the doors of the Templars. The clergy and priests looked upon the order as usurping the divine right. Powerful combinations arrayed themselves against it. They looked with jealous eyes upon the vast wealth and popularity of the order. This same feeling was shared by the kings and princes of Europe. The religious enthusiasm which inspired the crusades had waned. It is unnecessary at this time to rehearse in detail the scandalous proceedings instigated against the Knights Templar by Phillipe le Bel, the unworthy king of France, partly because he had been refused admission into the order and partly because he coveted its treasure, nor to expose the faithlessness of Pope Clement V, he of unblessed memory. Nor can the Templars be defended from all the charges lodged against them. While they had declined from their primitive strictures, impartial history has pronounced them innocent of the vile accusations with which they were charged, and has consigned their persecutors to deserved infamy.
At this time Jacques DeMolay was Grand Master of Knights Templar with headquarters on the island of Malta, one of the chief possessions of the order. He was induced to leave his home and come to France tinder pretense of organizing an expedition to the Holy Land. He was attended by an escort of Knights and was received with great honor by the treacherous king. Immediately after his arrival orders were issued to arrest all Knights Templar in France. DeMolay and his suite were confined in prison and tortured from day to day, to extort from them a confession of the crimes with which they were charged. It was in March, 1322, that DeMolay and four companions were brought from their cells where they had been confined for four years and burned at the stake. The ornaments, jewels and treasure of the Knights were seized and divided between the Pope of Rome and King of France, while their lands were confiscated by the state, and the ancient, proud, chivalric order of Knights Templar ceased to exist.
Popular opinion has regarded the crusades
as a fanatical and futile attempt to establish Christianity in
Asia. This is but a casual view of the enterprise. The first expedition
perished miserably, but the trained and disciplined army of Godfrey,
Raymond and Hugh de Payens guided by experienced soldiers and
wise statesmen wrested the holy sepulchre from Moslem Possession.
Those ancient Templars fought and wrought better than they knew
and though many of them died mourning the failure of their plans
and disappointed in not being able to possess the Holy Sepulchre,
yet their work was not in vain. While the crusades have been marked
with disappointment they produced a much grander result than had
been dreamed of by their promoters. They disturbed the stagnation
of the middle ages and lifted the pall of gloom which enveloped
that dire period. The setting in motion of vast numbers of people
and these coming in contact with other civilizations, brought
a wonderful change to Europe. Strange arts and languages were
carried back from Asia and the oneness of humanity became apparent.
Princes and Lords to obtain money for their enterprises had sold
charters and liberties to cities and these became centers of light
and influence. The old order was violently shaken. Feudalism tottered
and fell, ignorance and bigotry were challenged. The roots of
the Renaissance are to be found in the crusades. Peter the Hermit
had preached, unconsciously a far distant reformation, for the
spirit of progress and advancement was liberated, humanity began
to move with the lustre of a higher civilization and the religion
of the cross went forth conquering and to conquer.
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