2. Knights Hospitallers of St. John Baptist in Jerusalem.
Before the taking of Jerusalem from the Saracens, certain Christian Merchants of Naples obtain’d leave from the Caliph of Egypt to erect a small and convenient House, for the Entertainment of themselves and Countrymen, which they built before the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, together with a small Oratory. To them repair’d certain Canons of the Order of St. Augustin, who built another Oratory; but the Confluence of Pilgrims growing great, they erected a large Hospital, in the Place where our Saviour celebrated his last Supper, for the better accommodating devout Travellers, who for want of a Place to lodge in were often robb’d and murder’d: So that at length from their Charity and Hospitality, as also for that they took St. John Baptist for their Patron, they obtain’d that Title. It was instituted A. D. 1092. or according to others 1099. by Gerard, a Native of Thoulouse, who came to Jerusalem in the Time of Godfry of Bouillon, and built this Hospital (which became the first Seat of this Order) dedicated to St. John of Cyprus, Bp. of Alexandria, commonly call’d Johannes Eleemosynarius; and King Baldwin I. conferred on them large Privileges, permitting them Arms, and instituted them to be Knights, A. D. 1104. Their Duty was to fight against the Infidels, and they acknowledged Obedience to the Patriarch of Jerusalem; but growing rich, they obtained from Rome to be absolved from that Obedience. Pope Gelasius II. or Calixtus II. A. D. 1120. confirmed their Rule of living; and Adrian IV. receiv’d them under the Protection of the Papal See, being likewise endowed with ample Privileges, and exempted from Payment of Tithes, by succeeding Popes, chiefly by Pius IV.
They took the black Habit of Hermits of St. Augustin, and lived under his Rule by Grant of Honorius II. Anno 1125. vowing Obedience, Poverty, and Chastity; and on the Breast of their Habit wore at first a plain Cross of White Cloth, which was after changed to one with Eight Points; but in time of War they used a Red Cassock, bearing the White Cross upon it. Unto Gerard succeeded Raimund, who digested and enlarged their Laws and Institutions in the Composition whereof his Stile was Raimundus Dei gratia servus pauperum Jesu Christi & Custos Hospitalis Jerusolymitani; but afterwards he and his Successors had the Title of Great Master of the Order given him, to denote his Power and Authority. At this Day he has the Title of Prince of Malta and Goza; among his Privileges he seals in Lead, as doth the Pope and Doge of Venice; he acknowledges the Pope for his Head, and the King of Spain for his Patron; he had under him in several Kingdoms Priors; some of whom had also the Addition of Great with us in England he was stiled Prior Hospitalis; St. Johannis Jerusalem in Anglia, and by that Title was he summoned to the Parliament as a Baron of this Kingdom, and at length for Place and Precedency was ranked the first Baron; and the greatness of these Knights grew to such height that temp. H. 3. they had in Christendom 19000 Mannors.
When Saladine took Jerusalem, these Knights retreated to Acres or Ptolemais, and that being taken they seized upon the Island of Rhodes, A. D. 1308. whence they began to be call’d Knights of Rhodes; but A. D. 1522. being driven, thence by Solyman, they betook themselves to the Island of Malta, which with Tripoli and Goza were granted to them in Fee by the Emperor Charles V. A. D. 1530. under the Tender of one Falcon yearly to the Viceroy of Sicily, and to acknowledge the King of Spain and Sicily for their Protectors. In this Isle they continue a Bulwark to those Parts, and from this their Settlement are called Knights of Malta.
3. Knights Templars.
About the Year 1117, 1118, 1119, or 1120, this Order took Beginning, Baldwin II. then reigning in Jerusalem; when Nine Gentlemen, of whom Two of noble Extraction, Hugh de Paganes and Godfrey de St. Omer, came in Devotion to the Holy Land; they were called Brothers of the Militia of the Temple, ordinarily Knights Templars, from the Habitation assigned them out of a part of the King’s own Palace, adjoyning to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Their first Undertaking was to guard the most dangerous Ways about that City, against the Violence and Robberies of the Saracens, which made them acceptable to all, and for which they had Remission of their Sins; but for the first Nine Years they were yet so poor that they lived upon the Alms of others, wore Clothes bestowed in Charity upon them, and rode two on one Horse; in memory of which primitive Poverty their Seal had the Impress, which is represented in Math. Paris, A. D. 1127. They had Rules assigned them, drawn up by St. Bernard Abbot of Clairvaux, by the Appointment of Pope Honorius II. and Stephen Patriarch of Jerusalem. They made their Vows of Obedience, Poverty and Chastity, and to live under the Rules of Canons regular of St. Augustin. Their Habit was White, to which, in the Time of Eugenius III. they added the Red Cross, and of the same Form that the Hospitallers wore (Favin says a patriarchal Cross) and sowed it on the left Shoulder of the Maulles. These with the Holy Sepulchre Hospitallers and Teutonicks, principally supported a long time the Kingdom of Jerusalem; but when Riches encreas’d, and their Revenues augmented, they grew proud, fell from the Obedience of the Patriarch to joyn with the Pope; and at last, 1307. all the Knights of this Order in France were, in one and the same Hour, seized and imprison’d by Philip le Bel, King of France, with Consent of Pope Clement V. being charged with most infamous and damnable Crimes. And in England, Anno 1. Ed. 2. they were also apprehended afterwards, rendred Convicts, and all their Possessions seized into the King’s Hands. Howbeit the Bishop of York commiserating their deplorable Condition within his Diocess, charitably disposed of them in Monasteries under his Jurisdiction. Two Years after many of these Knights were burn’d in France, and Jaques de la Maule, the last great Master, suffered the same Fate, having seen, A. D. 1312. his Order by Papal Authority, condemned and perpetually dissolved; after which their Lands were annexed to the Hospitallers, for their Service against the Turks.
Thus they fell, no less famous for Martial Atchievments in the East, than their Wealth in the West; for they enjoyed 16000 Lordships in Europe, and a Spanish Author tells us, their Revenue was Two Millions yearly, and had in possession 40000 Commanderies, which occasion’d divers to think they were falsly accused, and by suborned Witnesses, merely upon the Ambition and covetous Design of Philip King of France.
4. Knights of the Order of St. Lazarus.
These were at the first a Fraternity of Religious Monks, after which they became Ecclesiastick Knights, in Imitation of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Pope Pius V. 1572. stiles it Antiquissimum Charitatis & Militiæ Christi Ordinem; yet it must be understood as an Order of Monks, founded by St. Basil, about the time of Julian the Apostate, A. D. 366. upon a Charitable Account, viz. to take Care of Leprous Persons (a Malady frequent in the East) by which they became separated, even from the Conversation of Men. At length, through the Incursion of the Barbarians, and Injury of Time, it lay extinguish’d, but was revived when the Latin Princes joyned in a Holy League to recover the Holy Land. And a famous Hospital was erected at Jerusalem, under the Title of St. Lazarus, for the Reception of Lepers: For in that Time the Monks of this Order added Martial Discipline to their Skill in Physick; and for their Services against the Infidels, begat a great Esteem from Baldwin II. King of Jerusalem, and some of his Successors. In process of Time this Order decayed, being suppressed by Innocent VIII. who united it to the Hospitallers at Rhodes, A. D. 1490. Nevertheless Pius IV. restored it A. D. 1565. confirming the old, and granting new Privileges, making his kinsman Don Janot de Chastillon great Master. Pius V. A. D. 1567. enlarged their Privileges, permitting them to take one Wife only, to wit, a Virgin, not a Widow. Lastly, Pope Gregory XIII. A. D. 1572. bestowed the Great Mastership of this Order upon Emanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy, and his Successors, and prescribed them the Cistercian Rule; and accordingly he had the Investiture and Collation of the Commanderies in Spain and Italy.