130 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book ii.

Tmtonics why they did not continue to obey the Hospi-tallers P 1 2 Where Comps died, seems unknown, butprobably at Acre, from the consequences of former

martial duties: yet not in 1243, as said, but in1241 .

truth in 1241, 2 for we have a deed, proving

that his successor was reigning in November of thatyear. It was Sir Peter de Villebride then, that wasfated to meet the full shock of theKarismians; againstwhom Moslems and Christians joined in Acre. Theformer came first under the Prince of Emessa, whowas received there as a liberator, and called by thepeople, 11 One of the best Barons of Paganism.” 3The Grand Masters of the Temple, and of the Hos-pitallers, and the other Latin grandees, and if notthe Grand Master of the Teutonics, it was because hewas in Germany with most of his knights—so thatonly a few of those called in the various records,German Hospitallers, could have been in Palestine,but all who were there, went; nor is it easy toconceive with ivhat ardour the combined forces of thetwo religions marched, and encountering the terriblehorde near Gaza, a most destructive conflict en-sued, indeed of the longest and most sanguinary ofthat age. 4 Both Christians and the Syrian Mussul-

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., Bulla vi., i. 272.

2 Id., i., 129. Hum. cxviii.,—Appendix, lxvi.

3 Michaud: Hist., iv. 97. 4 Michaud: Hist., iv. 100.