Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/49

CHAPTER II.

1118—1187.

Date of the establishment of the Military Order of St. John—Campaigns of Antioch and Edessa—Foundation of the Templars and Order of St. Lazarus—Embassy of Joubert and marriage of Raymond of Poitiers—Legacy of the King of Navarre—Loss of Edessa—Second Crusade—Siege of Damascus—Advance of the Jarroquins—Their repulse and overthrow—Siege and capture of Ascalon—Jealousies of the clergy—Death of Raymond du Puy—Expedition into Egypt—Death of D'Ascali—Rise of Saladin—Death of Joubert—Dissensions in the kingdom of Jerusalem—Accession of Guy de Lusignan—Battle of Tiberias—Loss of Jerusalem—Its main causes.

 

The precise date at which the changes related in the last chapter took place is more or less a matter of dispute, there being no record that can be positively adduced on the subject. This is somewhat strange, considering the importance of the alterations effected, involving, as they did, the complete reconstruction of the institution.

That time cannot, however, be very well fixed later than the first year of the accession of Raymond du Puy to the office of Master, which is generally presumed to be the year 1118. The two leading historians of the Order differ but little in the date they assign for this event, the abbé Vertot giving it as 1118, and the chevalier Boisgelin 1120. Other historians, however, amongst whom may be mentioned Boissat, Baudoin, and the abbé Roux, place the accession of Raymond as late as 1131, accounting for the interval between Gerard's death in 1118 and that time by the insertion of a second rector named Roger. The authority for this interpolation is stated to be a deed of gift of certain lands from Atton, count of Abrussa, to Roger, the governor of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. The date of this deed is stated as 1120, but there is no record of it now