70 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
de Blanquefort, who had succeeded the imprudent Bernard
de Tremelay, was captured shortly after his appointment as
Master. In 1156, the Templars marched under King
Baldwin III to relieve Banias, which the Moslems had in-
vested, Banias was saved, but on the return journey, de
Blanquefort and four hundred Templars, together with most
of the royal troops, fell into an ambush. Three hundred of
the brethren were killed, and the majority of the other
Templars were captured, The Temple had its revenge soon
afterwards when thirty of the brethren killed or captured two
hundred Moslems; but the slaughter of Moslems did not
make up for the shortage in the ranks caused by the loss of
nearly four hundred experienced Templars. Months must
elapse before new recruits could be obtained from the West
to fill the vacancies*
Manuel Comnenus, Emperor of Constantinople, interceded
with the Turks for the release of Bertrand de Blanquefort,
and the Master was set at liberty after an imprisonment of a
few months. De Blanquefort was pessimistic about the
situation of the Latin states. A great earthquake had caused
havoc in Palestine, and the Franks were panic-stricken by this
sign of heaven's anger against them* The earthquake had
also done much damage in Moslem territory, and both sides
were for a time engaged in rebuilding and had no thought of
war. The Moslems, however, recovered quickly from the
disaster, and their attacks on Christian territory became more
fierce as well as more frequent* De Blanquefort wrote to
Louis of France reporting that the Turks were increasing in
boldness; they had, he said, sunk their quarrels and were now
banded together to expel the Franks from every part of the
East, and only by the co-operation of an army from Europe
could the kingdom be saved
" Louis and the other kings of the West were deeply con-
cerned at the threat to the Latin possessions, but they could
send no army and the Franks were left unsupported. The