THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS

in the forefront of every fight, and on several occasions they
saved the Christian army from destruction. When the
Moslems made a sudden attack on the camp in the summer of
1219, it was the Templars who prevented a panic by leading
a desperate charge. " The Templars ", writes^ de Vitry,
"were filled with the spirit of Gideon, and their example
was an inspiration to the other Christians ".

The Crusaders captured Damietta only after a siege of
eighteen months (November, 1219). Now came further
quarrels. John of Brienne—who had left Egypt in disgust
but had been induced to return—wanted to march on
Jerusalem, but the military Orders again claimed that Cairo
should be the first objective. Cardinal Pelagius adopted
their view. An immediate advance on Cairo was, however,
considered to be impracticable. The Moslems of Damascus,
taking advantage of the absence of the greater part of the
military monks, were ravaging the Christian possessions near
Tyre and Acre, and the Master of the Temple and a strong
force of knights were despatched to expel the invaders. The
Damascenes took Csesarea and some other places, but their
advance was stopped and most of the Templars then returned
to Damietta.

Nothing had been done in Egypt in their absence.
Reinforcements continued to come from Europe, and,
though the pestilence still raged, there was no shortage
of men. Pelagius believed that Frederick II would sail to
Egypt with a great army, The Emperor had several times
promised to set out, but the Crusaders waited in vain for
his arrival during the whole of 1220. He made another
solemn vow that he would reach Egypt in the spring of
1221, but again he found an excuse for lingering in Europe.
Jffis only contribution to the Crusade was a force of five
fewdred knights under Herman de Salza, the Master of the
Knights. Having wasted a year and a half at
the Crusaders decided to wait no longer for the