On the Extinction of the Order of the Templars

...harsh and fierce, but kind and gentle toward Christians. Page 1084. Add to this what the author reports in the cited passage concerning the banner of the Templars, which was partly white and partly black; namely, that this was intended to indicate both purity and kindness toward Christians, and also darkness and terror toward enemies. Furthermore, the remarkable bravery of the Templars was perhaps encouraged in no small way by a custom adopted in war, by which it had been established that no one captured by the enemy should be ransomed for anything other than a belt and a knife. original: "cingulo atque cultello". These were items of minimal value, effectively serving as a "no-ransom" policy to ensure knights fought to the death rather than surrender. Since these items were worthless in themselves and could hardly motivate an enemy to agree to an exchange, this law served as an incentive for all to choose a glorious death in battle over a cruel death in enemy chains, and thus they fought fearlessly. A certain Master of the Temple Likely referring to Odo de St Amand, the eighth Grand Master, who was captured at the Battle of Jacob's Ford in 1179 showed such reverence for this law that when Saladin The famous Sultan of Egypt and Syria who led the Muslim military campaign against the Crusader states, by whom he was held as a prisoner of war, wished to return him in exchange for his own nephew who had been captured by the Templars, the Master boldly rejected the condition. He stated, "It is not the custom of the knights of the Temple for any ransom to be given for them, except a belt and a knife." See Chronological Compilation, page 666, Pistorius edition. Zwinger in The Theater of Human Life, volume 3, book 5, page 776. Also the continuer of Sigebert Sigebert of Gembloux, a medieval chronicler, who likewise affirms that he died in captivity.

As the fame of the Templars grew daily because of their most noble deeds, performed both at home and abroad, their resources and wealth also began to increase. For although at their beginning they had been so poor that they could hardly support a single horse in common—which is why their seal sigillum: a wax or metal stamp used to authenticate documents was engraved with two knights sitting upon one horse (see Monasticon Anglicanum, page 517, 2)—they began to overflow with such an abundance of all things that they seemed, if not superior to the leading princes, then certainly their equals. For in the Christian world, none could be fou- The text breaks off here; the catchword "niri" indicates the word "inveniri," meaning "to be found."