An example of my poetry

The Grand Masters Tale

The 23 Grand Masters or the rise and fall of the Templar's.

Hughes de Paynes with eight humble knights

Was accepted By Baldwin ii of Jerusalem

to end the pilgrims plight.

He was supported by the Pope to be a pious man

At the Council of Troyes 1129

The Knights Templars story really began.

He raised money for the order and traveled the lands

when he died in Palestine 1136

He had become a powerful man.

Now Robert de Crayon what did he do

A man of valour

Great organiser to.

He turned the Order into a major force

The Knights Templar became

More than a man on a horse.

March 29 1139 Pope Innocent ii issued a Papal Bull

Omne Datum Optimum

Now the Templars paid no taxes at all.

One final achievement of this GM

Was the Croix Pattee on the Mantle

Distinguished them from ordinary men.

Now we have Everard des Barres With Louis vii of France

They set out on the Second Crusade.

At the Siege of Damascus 1148

The second Crusade was in a terrible state

Everard was a Pious and valiant man

But war and Battle did not suite his plan

In 1151 back home in France

He abdicated and became a Monk at Clairvaux.

His Brother Templars complained

But at the end of the day What could they do.

Bernard de Tremeley in 1151 was elected Grand Master

But what was he to do

King Baldwin iii of Jerusalem was to save the day

He granted Baldwin Gaza although in ruins they say.

He rebuilt the city gave him something to do.

Two years later in 1153

The Battle of Ascalon was no victory.

Fatimid Egypt controlled the fortress which the Templars tried to take

There Siege tower caught fire

the walls burned to

As the Templars rushed in

Bernard lost control of his men

They became surrounded

No escape for them.

Baldwin suffered a terrible fate

Was hacked to death his is head cut off a gift for the Sultan

Things not looking good for the Templars at this rate.

Andre de Montbard his time had come

was one of the founders when the Templars begun.

He only lasted three years

In this time not much was done.

Bertrand de Blanchefort you are the sixth

He wanted the templars to be closer to God

He petitioned the Pope.

A new Title he gained

"Master by Grace of God"

He then went on to give The Templars more structure

He knew things had to change.

He wrote the "Retraits"

This gave roles and protocol.

From now on he said the Knights will decide

Much more democracy

Not decided by the previous before he died.

He went on to teach negotiation

A peace treaty was made with Egypt.

This GM had turned the tide.

Philip of Nablus 1169 the seventh Grand Master

He got involved with Egypt again

Another disaster.

By 1171 he decided to resign.

The Templar's were having a difficult time.

Odo de st Amand would he be the man

He took them to victories

Naplouse, Jericho and then the Battle of Montgisard

A superior detachment of Saladin's army slaughtered nearly every man.

However things they soon did change

Chastellet fortress built by Him

was a thorn in the side of Saladin.

He lost an attempt in 1179 and Saladin's assault on Jerusalem was defeated.

Odo now filled with the wine of victory.

Along with Baldwin iv, Raymond iii of Tripoli and Roger de Moulins they had a plan

This was the Battle of Ayun.

As before this went so badly wrong

Saladin forces were far to strong.

St Amand was taken hostage

He never was set free

He died in Prison

Such a terrible place to be.

Arnold of Torroja 1181 his reign as GM now begun

He tried to set up a new power base

The wars in the Middle East were not too his taste.

Instead he focused on troubles at home

This was with the Hospitallers now favoured in Rome.

Pope Lucius iii did mediate and with King Baldwins help

The two GM's decided to put aside disagreement

Now they could cooperate.

Torroja himself became a man of peace

He had learned how to negotiate.

Now to Saladin he must turn

For he no ,longer wanted to see Jerusalem burn

Saladin agreed and peace was made

This lasted until Torroja went to his Grave.

Gerard de Ridefort now an interesting man

he constantly had a battle plan

To destroy Saladin his ambitious goal.

lets see what happened, was he a noble man?

There was much infighting among the nobility in France

So Ridefort thought he take his chance.

In 1187 he made his move

He took King Henry ii money to hire troops.

So obsessed was he with Saladin's defeat

He wanted victory not retreat.

The Battle of Cresson what a disaster to see.

100 knights take on 5000

For Saladin's son easy victory.

Ridefort survived but did not learn,

at the Battle of Hattin the tide did not turn.

Ridefort was captured but later set free

This Gm Still wanted victory.

In 1189 his final fate came

The Siege of Acre to loose again.

This time Saladin no mercy to show

Cut off Ridefort head,

For Saladin this GM had to go.

No longer to live better he was dead.

Robert IV of Stable his time now come

He did win Battles victory had come

with King Richard 1 at his side

Into the third Crusade they did ride.

he won many victories his confidence grew

The Battle of Arsuf his finest hour

With the Hospitaller by his side

Into battle he did ride.

For once Saladin had to retreat

A great victory

But for Saladin defeat.

He went on to buy the Island of Cyprus

But he failed to make good use of it.

Not much was left as Richard had plundered it.

He died in 1193

without another victory.

Gilbert Erail a different kind of man.

He wanted peace.

No more war with Islam.

However the troubles with the Hospitallers increased.

Pope Innocent favoured the Hospitaliers

The Pope saw the peace treaties made with Malek Adel

A treasonous act.

He did his best to keep the peace.

Now focused on France to consolidate the possessions of the Templars and also Apulia.

Not much more was he to do.

Just focus on France where there wealth grew.

He died in 1200 at least some peace he knew.

Phllip de Plessis not much did he do.

More troubles with the Hospitallers is all he knew.

the Templars were also expelled from Armenia

The Pope however saved the day.

He kept his head down and focused on Europe

The Templars were now the most powerful force.

Lets see what happens next and how the Templars ran their course.

Guillaume de Chartres turned to Spain

The Order flourished here once again.

He also had victories against the Moors

But accused of treason for his Contact with the Mongols.

It was hard for him to know what to do

His final battle in the siege of Damietta led to his death

Another GM had taken his final breath.

Peire de Montagut the 15th GM

He returned to the Holy Land

This GM was a superb battle tactician.

He only had one mission

However his dreams turned to dust.

Catholic pressure ruined his negotiations with the Muslims.

So continued the battle lust.

His life took short in 1232

He died of Apoplexy not by the knife or sword

His battle gains once more turned to dust.

Aramand de Lavoie once more to battle did go

With Hospittalier and Tutonic Knights in 1244,

The Battle of La Forbie a terrible sight

More than 3000 dead by the end of the fight.

Lavoie was slain along with his men

The Sultan of Egypt had won again.

Richard de Bures. Now here is a tale

was he really a Grand Master?

The 17th he must then of been.

Never mentioned in History

was he just a smoke screen.

Guillaume de Sonnac. He saw much death and the Templar demise.

The seventh Crusade was his legacy and pride.

He fought in many battles lost an eye

Some say this Templar refused to die.

It was the Battle of Fariskur where he drew his last breath.

A blow to the head no longer could he see

Pulled from his horse and hacked to death.

This was a Brave GM one of the battle best.

Renaud de Vichiers. This man was pious

He was never meant to fight for blood and victory

Instead he retired to a monastery.

As a GM he did not do much apart from pray.

In a Monastery he died in 1256.

He found peace in his life

Some say he feared battle that's why he avoided

The sword and the knife.

Thomas Berard the end is in sight

He saw one stronghold fall night after night.

he saw the fall of Montfort the last inland Christian fortification.

The Holy Land now lost.

He knew all they could was retreat to save a few lives.

at such a huge cost.

The Pope even refused to help

The Templar cause now nearly lost.

He died march 25th 1273

To regain the Holy Land now an impossibility.

Guillaume de Beaujeu. Now this was a very brave man

He fought at Acre to the last stand.

Acre fell and the Mamluks had won

this fateful year 1291.

Thibaud Gaudin some do say ran from Acre to Cyprus took treasure to pay.

He did however become GM after another loss a fateful day.

He turned to Cyprus but to no avail

when he died they say he had failed

The Templar power all but nearly derailed.

Jacques De Molay was left the feeling was despair

The Templar empire in disrepair.

Philip of France made the final move

This great Order now to be torn down.

Although he was not prepared for his fate

Jacques de Molay was burnt at the stake.

March 1314 this terrible day

For all the Templars had done.

This is not the ending

Our future has just begun.

Sir Nick Hall KT

Grand Master

The Knights Templars of Albion