Recepient
- (-) Remove Dominus M. de Merlai filter Dominus M. de Merlai
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
RRR:
Correspondence/envoy
2472 year: 1244
initiator: Guillelmus de Castro novo, master of the Hospital
recipient: Dominus M. de Merlai
text: Beginning of Nov. Frater G. de Novo Castro sanctae domus Jerusalem magister humilis et pauperum Christi custos informs dominus M. de Merlai of events in the Holy Land. He has already written to him about his dismay at the truce with the sultan of Damascus and Seisser sultan of Kerak, involving the return of most of the land west of the Jordan in return for an armed alliance against the sultan of Egypt. The allied forces mustered at Gaza. Meanwhile the patriarch of Jerusalem, who had just returned from the West, wished to visit Jerusalem and G. was to go with him. They were in Jerusalem when the land was invaded by the Khorezmians, who had been called in by the sultan of Egypt. They agreed to evacuate the city and lead the inhabitants to Jaffa. Misled into thinking that the city was secured, the people returned there, only to be besieged by the Khorezmians. 7000 men, women and young persons, who tried to flee, were massacred or enslaved. The Khorezmians killed those left in the city, including the monks, the old, and the debilitated, who had sought refuge on the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Referring to the bravery of the Christians, G. goes on to describe briefly the battle on 17 October [La Forbie], during which the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers of St John, summoned with others by the patriarch, fought the Khorezmians and Egyptians. Killed were the magister militiae Templi, the magister Hospitalis, the magistri of other Orders, together with their convents. Dominus Walterus comes de Bresna was captured and dominus Philippus de Muntforti was slain. Only 18 Knights Templar and 16 Hospitallers of St John escaped.
sources: Matthew Paris, Chronica maiora 4:307-11 (RRH no. 1125)
All Rights Reserved 2016