The History of the Knights Templar by Charles G ... - Masonic Renewal

nation, preserving faith with us, and relying on our own faith." † Gilbert d’Assalit
consequently determined to obtain for the king from his own brethren that aid which the
Templars denied; and to tempt the
p. 57
PHILIP OF
NAPLOUS.
A.D. 1167.[paragraph continues] Hospitallers to arm themselves generally as a great military
society, in imitation of the Templars, * and join the expedition to Egypt, Gilbert d’Assalit
was authorised to promise them, in the name of the king, the possession of the wealthy
and important city of Belbeis, the ancient Pelusium, in perpetual sovereignty. †
According to De Vertot, the senior Hospitallers were greatly averse to the military
projects of their chief: "They urged," says he, "that they were a religious order, and that
the church had not put arms into their hands to make conquests;" ‡ but the younger and
more ardent of the brethren, burning to exchange the monotonous life of the cloister for
the enterprize and activity of the camp, received the proposals of their superior with
enthusiasm, and a majority of the chapter decided in favour of the plans and projects of
their Guardian. They authorized him to borrow money of the Florentine and Genoese
merchants, to take hired soldiers into the pay of the order, and to organize the
Hospitallers as a great military society.
Gilbert d’Assalit bestirred himself with great energy in the execution of these schemes;
he wrote letters to the king of France for aid and assistance, § and borrowed money of the
emperor of Constantinople. "Assalit," says De Vertot,
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PHILIP OF
NAPLOUS.
A.D. 1168.[paragraph continues] "with this money levied a great body of troops, which he took into
the pay of the order; and as his fancy was entirely taken up with flattering hopes of
conquest, he drew by his indiscreet liberalities a great number of volunteers into hit
service, who like him shared already in imagination all the riches of Egypt."
It was in the first year of the government of Philip of Naplous (A.D. 1168) that the king
of Jerusalem and the Hospitaliers marched forth upon their memorable and unfortunate
expedition. The Egyptians were taken completely by surprise; the city of Belbeis was
carried by assault, and the defenceless inhabitants were barbarously massacred; "they
spared," says De Vertot, "neither old men nor women, nor children at the breast," after
which the desolated city was delivered up to the brethren of the Hospital of St. John.
They held it, however, for a very brief period; the immorality, the cruelty, and the
injustice of the Christians, speedily met with condign punishment. The king of Jerusalem
was driven back into Palestine; Belbeis was abandoned with precipitation; and the
Hospitaliers fled before the infidels in sorrow and disappointment to Jerusalem. There
they vented their indignation and chagrin upon the unfortunate Gilbert d’Assalit, their
superior, who had got the order into debt to the extent of 100,000 pieces of gold; they