Secondly, the Clergy or Chaplains, who were required to carry on the services in the churches of the Order, to visit the sick in the hospitals, and to follow the Knights to the field, and undertake ministration to the wounded.

Thirdly, the Serving Brethren, who were not required to be men of rank, and who acted as esquires to the Knights, and assisted in the care of the hospitals.

All persons of these three classes were considered alike members of the Order, and took the usual three monastic vows, and wore the armorial bearings of the Order, and enjoyed its rights and privileges.

As the Order spread and the number of its members and convents increased, it was found desirable to divide it further into nations or Langes, of which there were ultimately seven, viz., those of Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Aragon, Germany, and England.

The habit was a black robe with a cowl, having a cross of white linen of eight points upon the left breast. This was at first worn by all Hospitallers, to whichever of the three classes they belonged; but Pope Alexander IV. afterwards ordered that the Knights should be distinguished by a white cross upon a red ground.

Dupuy also obtained statutes and a constitution for his Order, by which its government was vested in the hands of a council, of which the Master was president. The council appointed senior Knights to manage the estates of the Order, and to superintend

its affairs in the several countries and provinces where they had possessions and convents. These officers held their posts solely during the pleasure of the council, and were named Preceptors.

The ceremonies for the reception of a Knight were very solemn and impressive.

The following account of them is given by a modern author:

The postulant presented himself with a lighted taper in his hand, and carrying his naked sword. After blessing the sword, the priest returned it to him with these words: "Receive this sword in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen, and use it for thy own defence, and that of the Church of God, to the confusion of the enemies of Jesus Christ and of the Christian faith, and take heed that no human frailty move thee to strike any man with it unjustly." Then he replaced it in the sheath, the priest saying, as the Knight girded himself, "Gird thyself with the sword of Jesus Christ, and remember that it is not with the sword, but with faith that the saints have conquered kingdoms.

The Knight then once more drew his sword, and these words were addressed to him: "Let the brilliancy of this sword represent to thee the brightness of faith; let its point signify hope, and its hilt, charity. Use it for the Catholic faith, for justice, and for the consolation of widows and orphans, for this is the true faith and justification of a Christian knight." Then he brandished it thrice, in the name of the Holy Trinity.

The brethren then proceeded to give him his golden spurs, saying, "Seest thou these spurs? They signify that as the horse fears them when he swerves from his duty, so shouldest thou fear to depart from thy post or from thy vows."

Then the mantle was thrown over him, and they pointed to the cross of eight points embroidered on the left side, and said, "We wear this white cross as

sign of purity; wear it also within thy heart as well as outwardly, and keep it without soil or stain. The eight points are the signs of the eight beatitudes which thou must ever preserve, viz., 1. Spiritual joy. 2. To live without malice. 3. To weep over thy sins. 4. To humble thyself to those who injure thee. 5. To love justice. 6. To be merciful. 7. To be sincere and pure of heart. 8. To suffer persecution."

Then he kissed the cross, and the mantle was fastened, whilst the ministering knight continued, “Take this cross and mantle in the name of the Holy Trinity, for the repose and salvation of thy soul, the defence of the Catholic faith, and the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ. I place it on thy left side near thy heart that thou mayest love it, and that thy right hand may defend it, charging thee never to abandon it, since it is the standard of our holy faith. Shouldest thou ever desert thy standard, and fly when combating the enemies of Jesus Christ, thou wilt be stripped of this holy sign, according to the statutes of the Order, as having broken the vow thou hast taken, and shalt be cut off from our body as an unsound member.”

On the mantle were embroidered all the instruments of the Passion; each of them was pointed out to the new-made Knight, with the words: "In order that thou mayest put all thy hope in the Passion of Jesus Christ, behold the Cord whereby He was bound; see, too, His Crown of Thorns; this is the Column to which He was tied; this is the Lance which pierced His Side; this is the Sponge with which He was drenched with vinegar and gall; these are the Whips that scourged Him; this is the Cross on which He suffered. Receive, therefore, the yoke of the Lord, for it is easy and light, and will give rest unto thy soul; and I tie this cord about thy neck in pledge of the servitude thou hast promised. We offer thee nothing but bread and water, and a simple habit and of little worth. We give thee and thy parents and relations a share in the good works performed by the Order and by our brethren now and hereafter throughout the world, Amen." He was then received with the kiss of peace.

CHAPTER IV.

Antioch besieged by the Turcomans-The Knights of St. John in the field-Papal Brief-Increased wealth of the Order-Difficulties and dangers-Abuses-The Second Crusade-Decline of Christian power in the East-Saladin-Jerusalem captured— Legend of Saladin-Letter of Thierry the Templar-Feeling in Europe-A New Crusade-Richard Coeur de Lion-The siege of Acre-Description of the city.

"O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance, Thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.

"The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, and the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the land."

It was not long before the new Order found a field for the exercise of its arms.

The city of Antioch was hard pressed by the Turcomans, and its small garrison was altogether unequal to cope with their overwhelming forces.

Petitions for aid were sent to Jerusalem, and Baldwin's army was reinforced by a contingent of the Knights of St. John, together with a large body of serving brothers and hired troops who fought on foot. The arrival of this force soon turned the tide of war in favour of the Christians. The Knights were everywhere in the front of the battle, and the enemy was beaten off, and Antioch relieved.

From this time the Hospitallers were always found in the ranks of the Christian army in every