ake; and even here this course was followed with
miserable indecision, and at last disgracefully abandoned through mere
lust of gold.

It had to deal with an immorality not of its own creating, but which
in mere regard to its own safety it should have striven to keep well
in check. No such efforts were made, and the words of William of
Tyre--even if taken with a qualification--when he speaks of the Latin
women, point to a state of things which must involve grave and
imminent peril.

It was the misfortune of this kingdom that it was called into being by
troops of adventurers banded together--it cannot be said
confederated--for a religious rather than a political purpose; in
other words, for personal rather than for public ends. It started
therefore without any principle of cohesion. The warriors who engaged
in the enterprise might abandon it when they thought that they had
fulfilled the conditions of their vow, and although the continuance of
their efforts was indispensably needed for the military and political
success of the undertaking.

The private and personal character of these enterprises led to the
perpetuation and multiplication of private and personal interests, and
thus to the endless divisions and feuds between the barons of the
kingdom, which were a constant scandal and menace and which led
frequently to deliberate treachery. It encouraged, or permitted, or
was compelled to tolerate the growth of societies which arrogated to
themselves an independent jurisdiction, and thus rendered impossible a
central authority of sufficient coercive power. The origin of the
military orders may have been in the highest degree edifying. The
Knights Templars might begin as the humble guardians of the holy
places: the Knights Hospitalers may have been the poor brothers of St.
John bound to the service of the sick and helpless among the pilgrims
of the cross. But in the land where they might at any time encounter a
merciless or at the least a detested enemy, they were justified in
bearing arms; the necessity of bearing arms involved the need of
discipline; and the discipline of an enthusiastic fraternity cut off
from the world and centred upon itself cannot fail to become
formidable.

The natural strength of these orders was increased by immunities and
privileges granted partly by the Latin kings of Jerusalem, but in
greater part by the popes. The Hospitalers, as bestowing their goods
to feed the poor and to entertain pilg