bound to devote ourselves
solely to the care of the sick, and to give hospitality to pilgrims in
Palestine. Now this was monkish work, and men who devoted themselves
solely to such a life of charity as that in our Hospital at Jerusalem,
might well renounce all human pleasures; but when the great change
was made by Master Raymond du Puy, and from a nursing body we became a
brotherhood in arms, it seems to me that the vows of celibacy were no
longer needful or desirable. The crusaders were, many of them, married
men, but they fought no worse for that. It would have been far better,
methinks, had we been converted into an Order pledged to resist the
infidel, but without the vows of poverty and of celibacy, which have
never been seriously regarded.

"The garrison here might be composed, as indeed it is now, principally
of young knights, of those who have not cared to marry, and of the
officers of the Order whose wives and families might dwell here with
them. This would have many advantages. Among others, the presence of so
many ladies of rank would have the excellent effect of discountenancing
and repressing extravagances and dissolute habits, which are but too
common, and are a shame to the Order. Knights possessing commanderies
throughout Europe would be no worse stewards for being married men, and
scandals, such as contributed largely to the downfall of the Templars,
would be avoided.

"The sole vow necessary, so far as I can see, would be that knights
should remain unmarried and disposable at all times for service until
ten years after making their profession, and that afterwards they should
ever be ready to obey the summons to arms, on occasions when the safety
of Rhodes, or the invasion of any Christian country by the Moslems,
rendered their services needful, when they would come out just as the
knights of Richard the Lion Heart went out as crusaders. I have spent
half my life since I joined the Order in commanderies at home, and a
dull life it was, and I was glad enough to resign my last command and
come out here. Had I been able to marry, I might now have had a son of
your age, whose career I could watch and feel a pride in. My life would
have been far happier in England, and in all respects I should be a
better man than I am now. Methinks it would strengthen rather than
weaken the Order. As a fighting body we should be in no way inferior
to what we are now, and we should be more liked and more respected
througho