TAAFFE'S HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF ST.
Murmur orders have this defect for the purpose of the historian —their story is mostly contained in some larger event, and ma- terials are wanting to substitute particular or individual actions for general history. The Teutonic order, if sufficient records i
exted, might furnish a continuous story in which the knights themselves formed the principal subject ; but in Palestine both the Templars and the Hospitallers were only a portion of the crusading army. The attention is fixed upon the crusading lead- ers, the chiefs of the orders being subordinate military persons— no more, indeed, than any other knights of rank and distinguished prowess. The great event of the Crusades in connexion with the military orders was their expulsion from the country by the fall of Acre ; and then, undoubtedly, they stand alone, for Europe had got pretty well tired of the undertaking. A few years afterwards witnessed the abolition of the Templars with every circumstance of &may and ignominy. The Knights Hospitallers, expelled from Palestine, retired to Rhodes; and on the taking of that island by the Turks, to Malta; where, almost in our own day, they will- ingly fell before the terror or the corruption of Bonaparte. During the middle period of their existence, the deficiency in historical interest which attended their earlier time did not ezist. At Rhodes and Malta, the order was the principal figure—the sovereign power; the assistance received being merged in the knights, just as the knights themselves were formerly merged in the Crusades. This por- tion of the history, however, is already familiar to the world in the animated pages of Vertot ; and though more particular information may be discovered by modern research, it is to be doubted whether the general effect of the Frenchman will be improved upon. As yet, indeed, Mr. Taaffe has hardly reached the principal events in the independent existence of the order ; his narrative only coming down to their establishment and smaller successes at Rhodes.
The truth of the opinion just expressed is shown by the faot : the historically interesting part of Mr. Taaffe's book is that which relates to the Crusades. Information derived from records will be found as to the object and principles of the order, or to its in- terior economy, its costume, its acquisitions, or the estimation in which it was held; though we think the author confounds Tern- plars and Hospitallers together, But the historical interest is confined to the Crusades, and this where manners as well as action are in question. It may be, indeed, that as regards the Crusades, Mr. Taaffe has the materials ready shaped to his hand in authors of great merit and ability ; whereas in eirarnining the deeds, bulls, and other documents, he has to rely upon his own art for extract- ing the essential particulars,—which art is not very great, for his genius is peculiar and uncultivated. Still we think the nature of the case has much to do with the difference.
As is perhaps necessary, the history of the Order is prefaced by It sketch of the Crusades' and a review of the condition of Europe Which led to them. This ireliminary matter is the most attractive part of the book. It is executed quaintly, indeed, and with little regard to the received modes of composition; but it conveys a striking idea of the distressed condition of the people, which tendered any change for the better. "The worst of that whole shocking period is precisely what we have now reached, the eleventh century. The list of the woes and grievances of the French is much too long to recite. The oppression of the people by the barons, that of these by the unworthy portion of the clergy, and of all three by the kings when they had an opportunity—all classes were deeply dissatis- fied, and ripe for any extravagance. Gothic or feudal, both systems were unjust and odious. Miles justithe (miles meaning then, not so much soldier ita knight) Knight of Justice was more illustrious than any rank or birth. But none but nobles could be knighted. "By an ancient law in France, no one could be imprisoned for debt, and it was lawful to rescue the debtor from any officer who had arrested him. Bo, how was it possible for a common person to get paid by a nobleman ? Only the nobles could fish or fowl. Hunting atad hawking were Norman pursuits during peace; in fact, through all France they were the chief occupations of gentle- men ; and a knight rarely left his house, either on horseback or afoot, with- otit a falcon on his fist and a greyhound following him. But such diversions Were exclusively for the nobles. There Was little or no trade ; nor could the people, even the few who had scraped together a little cash through some chance, increase it by lending, though interest on money was at forty or sixry per cent,for usury was adjudged exclusively to the Jews, or Lombards. No glazed windows, no books, no paintings in even the houses of gentlemen ; for although the Abbey of St. Denis had windows, both glazed and painted, much earlier, yet glass is said not to have been employed in the best French men- tions before the fourteenth century. So it may well be imagined that the cottages were wretched; and undoubtedly no domestic architecture in France was better than in England, where it was execrably bad. And I lay stress upon it the rather, that I am quite of their opinion who hold, that archi- tecture, more than any other of the fine arts, characterizes its age."
A sad picture, no doubt; but it may he questioned whether the Irish of the nineteenth century are better off as regards material condition than the French of the tenth century were. This sketch of European manners in early times is curious.
"Rude were the manners then ; man and wife ate off the same trencher ; S few wooden-handled knives, with blades of rugged iron were a luxury for the great ; candles unknown. A servant-girl held a torch at supper • one, or at most, two mugs, of coarse brown earthenware, formed all the drinking i
apparatus n a house. Rich gentlemen wore clothes of unlined leather. Ordinary persons scarcely ever touched flesh meat. Noble mansions drank little or no wine in summer ; a little corn seemed wealth. Women had • The History of the Holy, Military, Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem; Or Knights Hospitaller., Knights Templars, Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta. jay John Taaffe_Knight Commander of the Order, and Author Of "Melds." In four tolumee. Volumem I. and II. Published by Rope and Co. trivial ' -portions ; even ladies dressed extremely plain. The chief part of it family' s expense was what the males spent in arms and horses, none of which, however, were either very good or very showy ; and grandees had to lay out money on their lofty towers. In Hante's comparatively polished times, ladies began to paint their cheeks by way of finery, going to the theatre, and to use less assiduity in spinning. and plying their distaff. What is only a symptom of prospenty in large is the sure sign of ruin in small states. So in Florence he might very well deplore what in London or Paris would be to praise, or cause a smile. Wretchedly indeed plebeians hovelled ; and if noble castles were cold, dark and dreary everywhere, they were infinitely worse in Italy, from the horrible modes of torture chine. terislic cruelty, too frightful to dwell on. Few of the infamous structures built at the times treated of stand at present. Yet their ruins disclose rue- ful corners. As to cathedrals, the age for them, though at hand, had scarcely come in the tenth or eleventh century ; and when it did, it was simultaneously in Italy, England, France, and Germany."
It is remarkable how, notwithstanding an avowed purpose, a writer is led in spite of himself to the most attractive parts of a sub- ject. Mr. Taaffe's object is not the Crusades, bat the great leaders of the Crusades occupy his pen to the neglect of the military orders. Richard of England especially figures. The following singular story of the effect of his name upon the Moslem army before Jaffa is from an Arabian account; so if there is exaggeration it is that of an enemy. "Our master [Saladin] marched East on Saturday evening, the 19th of July, but came back, suddenly, five days afterwards—that is, on Thursday, the 24th, when that accursed King Richard had but ten horsemen and some hundred foot, all lodged in ten tents, therefore outside the town, the walls of the toilin being in ruins and of no defence. But though our Moslems en- vironed these few Christians, these stood rooted firm, grinding the teeth of war. Astonishing! our cavalry kept cantering round them, without ven- turing to strike a blow, and then returned into line. It was in the plain, quite close to the ruins of the walls, and the royal miscreant had marshalled forth his shadow of an army, as regularly facing ours in extensive array with the Bolden at his head, as if there were a parity. But what struck me dumb altogether, was to see a whole division of ours at the sound of a trumpet charge like one man, and stop all at once, when they got close to the MI. circumcised, as if these were a wall of steel, or something unearthly. ; their horsemen having their lances couched and vizors closed, but remaining mo- tionless. And their infantry's first file were on one knee, with the ends of the handle of their lances fixed in the soil; so that they formed an angle whose points were elevated a couple of feet, the other file up-standing, as usual ; but not a weapon was used on either side, nor a word spoken ; but ours went back silently and slowly to their ground. Yet ours, I knew, were incited to the utmost by hate and desire to sack.
"The indignant Soldan then rode through our ranks to excite them. In vain his son set the example, by riding in a rush towards the Giamini. An Emir called out, I could not distinguish what, but it was clear that ours re- fused to obey. So our Saladin, after having, in vain twice given the com- mand, Charge,' perceived he was committing himself uselessly, and, in a transport of rage, had a retreat sounded, and retired, and shut himself up in his tent without seeing any one, and so remained there invisible to us all for three days. But our troops waited for a still more shameful scene. Bing Richard, advancing alone, rode along our whole front with his lance in the rest, and no one was bold enough to accept the challenge and stir from the ranks to fight him."
As an example of the newer matter which Mr. Taaffe seems to have dug out from documents, this account of the dress of the Order maybe quoted.
"The tunic, birro, and mantle had, all three, the sign of the cross. Under them what you pleased, shirt, flannel, or even cuirass, but those three were the C,rusader's dress. The tunic might be either over or under the cuirass, and was girt round tight, and reached to just below the knee. The birro was a short narrow stripe of cloth, with a hole to receive the head, and then falling on the breast and half way down the back, having the cross both be- hind and before ; nor worn under, but over everything ; and at all times this was the most essential article and never laid by ; leaving the elbows quite free, and answering for a coat of arms. The mantle might be worn on the shoulder, or drawn round, or not at all, according to the weather. This mantle is represented still by that worn by the knights at their profession, and is black with the white cross. As to the purse and broad girdle, they were worn but by the chief of the Order. So of the first Grand Master that abdicated, (in 11700 we read, he laid down his girdle and the seals and the purse.'"
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