THE KHORASMIANS 165
Richard of Cornwall 5 and Matthew Paris repeats the charge,
accusing the Templars of " waging an unjust and unseemly
war " against Ayoub. Frederick had never forgotten the
Order for its opposition, its refusal to admit him to Castle
Pilgrim and other strongholds, and its treachery. He accused
the Templars of " waxing wanton" and entertaining
" Moslem princes and their followers with great pomp within
the gates of the Temple ". More serious still, he claimed
that the Templars allowed the Moslem visitors " to celebrate
secular plays and to perform their iniquitous rites with
invocations of Mahomet".
The Khorasmians under Barbacan consisted of some twenty
thousand horsemen, but so great was the fear inspired by these
savages that garrisons fled at their approach and town after
town fell to them without any attempt at defence being made.
The Khorasmians were believed to drink the blood of
prisoners, inflict terrible tortures on the wounded and mutilate
the dead, and whole areas were depopulated by the terror-
stricken people when the savages were reported to be in the
vicinity. Jerusalem was besieged in the middle of July, and
abandoned by the Franks six weeks later. Those Christians
who could escape from the city did 505 the rest of the
inhabitants, afraid even to look upon the enemy, shut them-
selves up in their houses. The Khorasmians rode into the
undefended Holy City and their toll of massacre is estimated
at twenty thousand.
Reports of these disasters were sent to Europe by the
Templars and Hospitallers. " From the regions of the East
have emerged ferocious wild beasts who have invaded the
province of Jerusalem, which, although previously often
harassed by the murderous Saracens, has of late had a measure
of peace and prosperity and been at peace with its neigh-
bours", reads one letter. "But through the sins of the
Christians there has arisen an unknown people who wield the
sword of the avenger. The rage and fury of the Tartars