Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/80

58 too true. Europe had stood looking supinely on whilst the web of destruction was slowly but surely being woven round the sacred province, and now, when it was too late, when all was lost, a cry of indignation and vengeance arose on every side.

It may be well to pause for a moment and analyse the causes which led to so speedy a decline and fall of the kingdom of Jerusalem. These were twofold: one, the increase and concentration of the power of the Moslem; the other, the decadence and disunion of that of the Christians. When first the crusaders established themselves on the shores of Palestine, they found the enemy divided into factions, and combating as to certain disputed tenets of their faith with a rancour and animosity such as only religious warfare could excite. Either party was generally ready to coalesce with the new corners to ensure the overthrow of its rivals, and the Christians, in most of their earlier campaigns, were able to count for aid on one or other of the parties. As, however, the power of the Turcomans gradually consolidated itself, and opposing pretensions were eventually concentrated in the person of a single leader, the position of the Latins became more and more precarious. The troops which the Saracens brought into the field had also greatly improved in their discipline during this period. The lessons taught by their European opponents were not thrown away on their commanders, and they eventually became but little inferior in prowess and skill, whilst always remaining vastly superior in numbers.

On the side of the Christians may be traced much and ever increasing disunion. Instead of that firm and steadfast alliance between the various principalities which constituted their only chance of safety, they were prepared, at every trivial quarrel and at every petty jealousy, to jeopardize the existence of the kingdom. We have already touched upon the disputes between the military Orders and the regular clergy. There is no doubt that these disputes originated in the greed of the latter, who were loth to see such wealthy communities exempted from the payment of tithes. In addition to this, jealousies had latterly sprung up between the Hospitallers and the Templars themselves, which in time led to very serious results. Instead of confining their rivalry to a friendly emulation on the battle-