er was founded,
to assist in this war, called the Order of Christ, which was confirmed
by Pope Innocent III, in 1205. The knights wore a white robe, upon
which a red sword and a star were emblazoned. They maintained a
vigorous and successful conflict with the heathen, till circumstances
rendered it desirable that they should be incorporated with the
Teutonic Knights.

In the mean time the Latins had seized Constantinople, and set up
Baldwin, Count of Flanders, as emperor, and divided the Eastern Empire
among themselves. The Teutonic Knights received considerable
possessions, and a preceptory was founded in Achaia. Some time
afterward another was established in Armenia, where also the order had
obtained property and territory in return for service rendered in the
field. The order also received the distinction of adding to their
bearings the Cross of Jerusalem.

The valor of the knights, however, and the active part which they took
in all the religious wars of the day, cost them dear, and from time to
time their numbers were greatly reduced; so much so that when Herman
de Salza was elected grand master (1210) he found the order so weak
that he declared he would gladly sacrifice one of his eyes if he could
thereby be assured that he should always have ten knights to follow
him to battle with the infidels. The vigor of his administration
brought new life to the order, and he was able to carry on its mission
with such success that at his death there were no less than two
thousand German nobles who had assumed the badge of the order and
fought under its banner. Large accessions of property also came at
this time to the knights in Hungary, Prussia, Livonia, and elsewhere.

In 1214 the emperor Frederick I decreed that the grand master should
always be considered a member of the imperial court, that whenever he
visited it he should be lodged at the Emperor's expense, and that two
knights should always have quarters assigned them in the imperial
household. In 1221 the emperor Frederick II, by an imperial act, took
the Teutonic order under his special protection, including all its
property and servants; exempted them from all taxes and dues; and gave
its members free use of all pastures, rivers, and forests in his
dominions. And in 1227 Henry commanded that all proceedings in his
courts should be conducted without cost to the order. The King of
Hungary also, seeing the valor of the knights, endeavored to secure
his own possess