CHAPTER XI
THE LATER RULE OF THE TEMPLE
AFTER the debade at Gaza, letters again poured into Europe
from the Christians in the East. The writers repeated that
the Franks had neither the leaders, the men, nor the money
to resist the savage invader and that a new Crusade must be
organised. In the summer of 1245, the Pope (Innocent IV)
called a council of the Church at Lyons. Emissaries were
present to plead the cause of the ruined Latin kingdom, but
the Emperor of Constantinople, Baldwin II, came in person
to urge the Pope to raise an army to preserve the dynasty in
Byzantium. And there were also troubles nearer home for
the papacy. Frederick II still defied the Church, and the
Pope was determined to crush him utterly. Innocent could
not refuse to call upon the West to throw itself against the
Khorasmians, but neither could he refuse to proclaim a
Crusade on behalf of Baldwin II, and he had no intention of
forgiving the Emperor- So against Frederick, too, a Crusade
was launched. Potential Crusaders had thus their choice of
three expeditions} and the Pope made it dear that the
humiliation of Frederick was the most necessary task. Com-
paratively few Westerners therefore turned to the Holy Land.
The military Orders, however, did not depend on the Pope.
Every branch of the Temple, the Hospital and the Teutonic
Order was commanded and begged to send all available men
and to recruit as many new members as possible for service
against the Khorasmians. From the preceptories and com-
manderies of the West, knights and commoners were sent in
large numbers in response to these appeals, and within a year
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