196 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
was destroyed, nearly a quarter of the garrison deserted the
city and sailed for Cyprus. A few days later, the Moslems
succeeded in forcing part of the wall and gained an entrance
into Acre. They were driven back by the furious charge of
a picked body of Templars and Hospitallers. Next morning,
the assault was renewed and for three days it was kept up
with scarcely a pause. On the third day (May i8th), the
Moslems again succeeded in entering the town, and then
began a massacre in which most of the defenders perished.
William de Beaujeu was killed in the fight and of his
following of Templars only three hundred survived the day.
This force fought its way to the Temple, a great building on
a promontory in the south-west of the city. It already
sheltered several hundred other Christians, among them some
women who had refused to leave Acre.
Terms were discussed, and the Moslems promised to spare
the lives of all the defenders. The Christians accepted and
admitted three hundred Moslems into the building as a proof
of good faith. The Moslems were no sooner within the
Temple than they attempted to interfere with the women 5
thereupon the brethren rushed upon the infidels and, it is
recorded, put every Moslem to death. When the news of
this slaughter was carried to the Egyptian leader, he launched
his army against the Temple, but the defenders defied the
assaults which were maintained till darkness fell. The
Temple at Acre had direct access to the sea on three sides, and
under cover of night eleven Templars escaped from the
building by a secret door and, embarking on a boat that was in
readiness, escaped to Cyprus with the wealth of the Order.
In the morning the Moslems resumed operations, but the
Templars, entrenched in one of the towers, beat off the attack.
The defenders were provisioned to withstand a long siege,
and the Sultan, despairing of taking the tower by assault, gave
orders for its destruction. The foundations were undermined
and the tower supported with wooden props. Then, as soon