The cruel charter of the Templars

The Knights Templar did not live too long with their Latin charter, which enshrined the original rules of community life. But then the Latin charter made them strange and beautiful figures on the medieval canvas. This was a charter for heroes who were ready to accept martyrdom and live in monstrous conditions solely for the sake of carrying their motto “Long live God, Holy Love” and the two-color banner “bossan”, that is, translated as “piebald, two-part”, symbolizing darkness and light, black and white, purity and the fight against infidels. However, it seems that the meaning of the banner was much deeper and the knights themselves did not yet understand it or understood it, but they could not reveal such a truth to anyone. Why not assume that they did not hand over all the “literature” found during the excavations for their intended purpose? Or, even if you passed it, you didn’t fail to read the translation? They could easily borrow some points of their charter from these texts, if among them there were internal documents of the Essenes - with original spiritual practices, metaphorical generalizations and religious views, so close to everyone who then lived in the southern provincial regions of France! However, this aspect will be discussed below. For now, let us take into account that the Templar charter was so strict that some churchmen spoke out against it precisely because it was written not for knights, but for monks who exterminate flesh. To which the opposite opinion was expressed: in conditions close to combat, it is necessary to create a single community, to strengthen both the spirit and the body. But I’ll tell you straight: the closest rivals of the Templars, the Knights Hospitallers, turned out to have such a soft charter that when some Templars decided to leave the order, they were forbidden to join the Hospitallers. Only to a more strict Order, but not to the Johannites!

At that time, knightly orders began to be created one after another in the Holy Land. All of them received their name based on their place of residence: the Johannites, or Hospitallers, from the “hospital” in which they were based (they built a hospital for pilgrims heading to Jerusalem; at the same hospital, the German, or Teutonic, order later grew up, which had at first a position subordinate to the Johannites), the Templars, or Knights of the Temple - from the Temple of Solomon, where their headquarters were, there also existed the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, obviously related to the Templars, and the Order of the Knights of St. James. These five orders of knighthood were the most significant in the medieval world. The knights were distinguished by the shape of their crosses on their clothes and the color of their cloaks. The Johannites had black cloaks, and the cross was depicted on the left side and was white, with forked ends; the Templars have a forked cross on their white cloak on the left chest, exactly opposite the hearts, the same as that of the Hospitallers, but scarlet. The Knights of the Holy Sepulcher wore white cloaks with strange, additional scarlet crosses (four small crosses around a swastika-shaped large one); Jacobites - white cloaks with a scarlet cross of complex shape, vaguely reminiscent of the cross of the Templars, with an image of a shell in the center; and the Teutonic knights had a white cloak with a black cross, exactly the same as the Johannites. But the main difference was not in the name, but in how the knights positioned themselves.

However, Cardinal Jacques de Vitry, who lived in the 13th century, can tell me much more about the original Templar history: he communicated a lot with the Knights Templar and secretly sympathized with them: “Some knights, loved by God and in His service, renounced the world and dedicated themselves to Christ. By solemn vows made before the Patriarch of Jerusalem, they pledged to protect pilgrims from robbers and thieves, guard the roads and serve the knighthood of the Lord. They maintained poverty, chastity and obedience, following the rules of canons regular. They were led by two respectable men - Hugh de Payns and Geoffroy de Saint-Omer. At first there were only nine of those who made such a holy decision, and for nine years they served in worldly clothes and dressed in what the believers gave them as alms. The king, his knights and the lord patriarch were filled with compassion for these noble people who left everything for Christ, and granted them some property and benefits in order to help in their needs and for the salvation of the souls of the givers. And since they did not have a church or a dwelling that belonged to them, the king settled them in his chambers, near the Temple of the Lord. The abbot and canons of the Temple provided them with land not far from the chambers for the needs of their service: that is why they were later called “Templars” - “templars”. In the year of God's mercy 1128, having lived together and, according to their calling, in poverty for nine years, under the care of Pope Honorius and Stephen, Patriarch of Jerusalem, they acquired a charter, and they were given white clothes. This took place at Troyes, at a Council presided over by the Bishop of Albany, the papal legate, and in the presence of the Archbishops of Rheims and Sens, the Cistercian abbots and many other prelates. Later, in the time of Pope Eugene, they sewed a red cross onto their clothes, using white as an emblem of innocence and red for martyrdom. And since faith cannot be preserved without strict obedience, these intelligent and pious men, prudent in relation to themselves and their successors, initially did not allow the misdeeds of their brothers to remain hidden and unpunished. Carefully and carefully weighing the nature and circumstances of the offenses, they unconditionally expelled some brothers from their ranks, tearing off the red cross from their clothes. They forced the rest to fast on bread and water, to eat on the ground without a tablecloth until sufficient atonement was made to subject them to shame, and the rest to saving fear. And to complete their embarrassment, they were forbidden to drive away the dogs if they came running with them to eat. There were also many other ways to humble brothers who did not observe monastic obedience and good behavior. The number of brothers increased so quickly that soon more than three hundred knights dressed in white cloaks began to gather at their meetings, not counting countless servants. And they also acquired enormous values ​​on this side and on the other side of the sea. They own cities and palaces, from the income of which they annually transfer a certain amount for the defense of the Holy Land into the hands of their supreme master, whose main residence is in Jerusalem.”

The Templars were considered the most indomitable and fearless, but at the same time they turned out to be the most flexible in relations with the local population and local religions. Obviously, Bernard's words fell on fertile ground. And to understand what the most mysterious knights of the medieval world were like, there is nothing better than turning to their own works - that is, to their charters, Latin and French. It seems that both charters are talking about the same thing, but some points of the French charter cancel the meaning of the Latin one. It was adopted later, when the knights gained strength and were able to make their own decisions without further ado, without consulting anyone. But everything that concerns internal rules, routine, dress code and other everyday details remains unchanged in the new charter. So you can get a vivid picture of how European knights lived in a foreign land, what they were allowed to do and what was forbidden. There is no point in idealizing our knights. They were living people and, obviously, did not always follow their own rules.

But first, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with another knightly document - excerpts from the statutes of the Order of the Hospitallers. It was adopted earlier than the charter of the Templars - in 1120 and written by the Grand Master of the Order, Raymond de Puy.

"I. Every brother who is accepted and inscribed into this Order sacredly keeps three vows: The vow of chastity, obedience and voluntary poverty without self-acquisitiveness.

I. Let him stand firmly for the Christian faith; let him always adhere to justice; let him help the offended; may he protect and liberate the oppressed; let him persecute pagans, infidels and Mohammedans following the example of the Maccabees, who persecuted the enemies of the people of God; may he adhere to all Christian virtues; let him care for widows and orphans. Violators of this rule are subject to temporary and eternal punishment.

III. On these days and meetings, which we usually observe at certain times of each quarter of the year, let this decree be read in the presence of all the brothers.

IV. Anyone who is burdened with debts; or strongly owes the right to serve to anyone, he is not accepted into this Order. Although anyone is encouraged by his brothers to receive the cross, however, before he puts on the order’s clothes, one asks: has he not already entered into another Order and is he not obliged by marriage or civil debts?

For if it is assumed that one of these turns out to be, then such a person can no longer be accepted into this Order.

V. Let him wear cavalry clothes, black (vestem pullam) with the sign of a white cross on the left side; This clothing will usually be a sign of peace; in times of war, when one is about to go to battle, let the same scarlet clothing with a white cross be a sign of war.

VI. No one illegitimate is admitted into the Order, except for the natural children of highly eminent and high-born persons, and then only if their mother is not a slave.

VII. So, of course, let those who are born from pagan parents, that is, from Marans, Jews, Saracens, Mohammedans, Turks and the like, be excluded from this Order, which should also be understood about the children of such princes, although they are high-born.

VIII. Likewise, anyone who has decided to join any other Order, or is obligated to marry, or has committed murder and other important crimes, shall not be admitted to the Order.

IX. Whoever wishes to be accepted into this Order must be at least 13 years old, and be healthy in body, strong in constitution and of sound mind; also hardworking, patient and well-behaved.

X. Everyone, before being accepted into this Order, must properly prove the nobility of his ancestors, or surnames, before some of the Prior and Chapter were sent to the ordinary assembly on purpose for this purpose.

XI. Let all brothers zealously adhere to priestly service and worship of God, and instead of the usual among monks, under the rules of living, between hours, 150 times daily, let them honor the Lord’s Prayer; at certain times let them fast; Let them partake of the Holy Mysteries three times every year, that is, always on the three most solemn holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Easter and Pentecost.

XII. Every gentleman according to his rank, who goes to sea in the fleet, must first confess to the priest, and thus, having cleared his conscience of all worldly things, let him be forgiven, making a spiritual or other distribution.

XIII. When performing sacred services and praying in the choirs, let them not proceed close to the altar, so that one may not be an obstacle to the other.

XIV. In the order in which everyone, before or after another in time, entered the Order, let them walk and sit down.

XV. At certain times, let reverent religious processions be established, and in them let God be called upon for the peace of Christians and constant harmony, for the blessing of the Grand Master and the entire Order.

XVI. Let 30 liturgies be celebrated for every deceased gentleman: in whose memory each gentleman brings a burning candle with a denarius.

XVII. In the convention, throughout the fast of the Nativity of Christ and Pentecost, let them preach the word of God and teachings.

XVIII. Let them not oblige themselves to an oath to anyone in the world; let no warship be equipped without the consent and knowledge of the Grand Master; When a war occurs between two Christian sovereigns, let them not cleave to either side, but try in every possible way to end the discord and establish harmony and peace between them.”

In general, the Johannites were simple guys, and they were accepted into their Order without any special tests. A description of the new brother’s reception by the Hospitallers has been preserved:

“Whoever dedicated himself to the service of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem had to prepare for this in the following way: having confessed the sins committed during his worldly life, he was brought to church, where, after listening to the Divine Liturgy, he partook of the Holy Mysteries; then, dressed in a long robe and not belted, as a sign of freedom, he approached the altar, holding a lit lamp in his hands, signifying his flaming love for God, and presenting himself humbly before the brother who perceived him, asked to be accepted into the ranks of the brethren of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The receiving brother, heeding the request, gave him many moralizing instructions, humbly confirming his soul-saving intention, explaining to him how useful it is to devote oneself to defending the faith and serving the poor; reminding him of the strict regulations of the order, and instilled obedience to his superior and love for his fellow men. After this, the recipient asked: is he able to do all this? and when in response he said that he felt ready for such feats, he also asked him whether he had made a vow in some other order? Whose slave is it? And if he declared himself free from all of the above, then the brother who received him brought him a service book, and the initiate, placing both hands on it, made a vow as follows: “I, such and such, make a vow and promise to Almighty God and the Most Pure and Ever-Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and Saint John the Baptist, always observe, with God’s help, true obedience before every superior, which will be given to me from God and from our order, besides this, live in renunciation of property and observe chastity.” At the end of this, the newly admitted person removed his hands from the missal, and the brother who received him said: “We confess you as a servant of the brethren of the poor, the sick and dedicated to the defense of the Catholic faith”; he answered: “And I confess myself to be such.” Then, having venerated the service book, he took it to the throne, laid it on it and, having kissed the throne, brought the service book again as a sign of obedience to the brother who received it, who, taking the mantle and showing him a white cross, said: “Do you believe, brother, that this there is a sign of the “Life-giving Cross, on which Jesus Christ was nailed and died, having been crucified as an atonement for sinners?” Therefore, the one who made the vow kissed the cross, and the one who accepted it put the mantle on it and the cross on the left side, and, kissing, uttered these words: “Receive this sign in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, the most blessed and ever-blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, for the return of faith, in defense of the Christian name and in service to the poor, for this sake, brother, for this reason we place a cross on you, so that you may love it with all your heart, and strike it with your right hand, protecting it and keeping it harmless, even if you, fighting for Christ against the enemies of the faith, turn back, abandon the sign of the holy cross and flee from so many righteous brethren; then, according to the rule of the statutes and rituals of our order, you must, as a breaker of a promise, be deprived of the most sacred sign of the cross, and as a stinking member, see yourself expelled from our community.” Then the receiving brother, tying bandages around his neck, said: “Take the yoke of the Lord, as it is sweet and light, and thereby you will find peace for your soul; We do not promise you voluptuousness, but only bread and water and humble clothing, and we associate your soul, your parents and neighbors with the good deeds of our order and our brethren, who do the same for the whole world now and ever and ever.” And the newly adopted brother said: “Amen.” At the end of this ceremony, he kissed both the brother who received him and all the upcoming brethren, hugging them as a sign of peace, love and brotherhood. After this, the prayers established this time and several verses of the psalter from Psalms 47 and 32 were read by those performing the liturgy; This is how the rite of acceptance into the order ended.”

In other words, everything came down to wise instructions, the beginner was not tested. It will be more difficult with the Temple Knights. Since complete dedication was required from the newcomer, he was subjected to a kind of examination and interrogation in order to identify qualities that could hinder him as a brother of the Order. And these questions concerned not only the candidate’s background, his right to control his own destiny (whether there was a wife, children, or helpless parents, which complicated admission), but also how ready he was for such service, whether elementary greed was behind the desire to join the Order or the desire to shed rivers of blood. Such qualities were not at all welcomed in the Order, and such a newcomer was not accepted.

A brother accepted into the Order took an oath, which is externally built on the principles of questions and answers (in fact, centuries later, Masons began to accept into their orders centuries later, which is why such rituals seem similar to us). The Templar Oath looked like this:

Do you wish to renounce the world?

Yes, I wish.

Do you wish to profess obedience according to the canonical institutions and the instructions of the pope?

I wish.

Are you willing to accept the life of our brothers?

Then the one who addresses him should say: “May our Lord help us and bless us,” and the whole psalm should be read.

Then he must take an oath: “I..., wish and swear to serve the Charter of the Knights of Christ and its knighthood with God's help, in the name of eternal life, and from this day I will not be allowed to relieve my life from the burden of the Charter. And my oath to join the Order will be strictly preserved. I present this document in the presence of the brothers, and with my own hand I place it at the foot of the altar that was erected in honor of the almighty Lord, and the blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.

From now on I take a vow of obedience to the Lord and this House, and a vow to live without property and remain chaste according to the instructions of the Pope, and strictly adhere to the life of the brothers of the House of Knights of Christ.

Then he must lie down across the altar and, prostrate, say: “Accept me, Lord, according to your word, and give me life.”

And the other brothers must say: “And may you not crush me in my hope.” Then he must say: “The Lord is my light, the Lord is the protector of my life.” Then: “Lord, have mercy on us. - Christ, have mercy on us. - Lord, have mercy on us. - Our Father".

And then the priest must say: “And do not lead us into temptation...” (This was followed by a series of prayers and psalms, the rules of life in the Order were explained to the brother and handed over to the older brothers).

The ceremony was long and probably solemn and beautiful.

Initially, excommunicated knights did not have the right to join the Order; this paragraph was specially highlighted: “About knights excommunicated from the church. If you know where excommunicated knights gather, go there, and if one of them wants to join the Order, you must, not in words, give him the opportunity to save his soul. It can be accepted by us on the following conditions: let the knight appear before the bishop of his province and tell about his intention. When the bishop has heard and forgiven the knight, he must send him to the Master and the Templar brothers, and if his life is honorable and worthy of their community, if he seems to please the Master and brothers, let him be graciously received. If he subsequently dies from the pain and agony he endured, let him be given all the honors of the brotherhood, as one of the Poor Knights Templar. Under no other circumstances should the Templars be with a person who has been clearly excommunicated, nor should they take his belongings. We strictly prohibit this, because it would be terrible if they, like him, were excommunicated. But if such a person is only prohibited from attending prayer, then it is possible to communicate with him, and also to accept his property as alms, with the permission of his commander.” But this point was soon completely changed and in the second edition of the charter (French) it began to look like the Grand Master could make an independent decision about an excommunicated brother, and if his decision was in conflict with the church one, then the latter was annulled. And the knights were not only not forbidden, but were strongly advised to visit the places where their excommunicated brothers were staying, albeit for the sake of saving their souls.

Ordinary knights (that is, those who do not hold high positions) saw their charter a couple of times during their entire service in the Order. It was read to them at the time of acceptance into the Order or when carrying out punishment for a serious offense. They lived more according to tradition, rather than according to the rules. However, no Order had such discipline as the Templars, and no knight fought with such courage as the Templar. It was then, centuries later, that the templars began to be depicted in the most unsightly form. And then, at the beginning of the journey, this was the color of chivalry - honest, sincere, brave. The Order believed that those who were worthy and could cope with their whims and would go through trials should be accepted (the order was military), so there was no practice of accepting children. The Templars explained this simply: a child does not have free will, he cannot know what will happen to him in a few years. “Although the charter of the holy fathers allows you to accept children into spiritual life,” it was written in the charter, “we do not advise you to do this. For he who wishes to give his child forever to the order of knights must educate him until such time as he becomes able to firmly hold weapons and cleanse the earth from the enemies of Jesus Christ. Then let his father and mother bring him into the House and lay his request before his brothers, and it is better if he does not take the vow as a child, but when he is older, and it is better if he does not regret it than if he does. Then let him be tested according to the understanding of the Master and the brothers, and according to the honesty of life of the one who asks to be accepted into the brotherhood.”

The statute did not encourage any excess in spiritual pursuits: a knight is not a monk, he should not kneel, this is an activity for those who cannot hold a sword in their hands. “It became known to us,” the charter explained, “and we heard it from reliable witnesses, that you listen to the divine service while standing immoderately and without restriction. We do not require you to do this; on the contrary, we do not approve of it. But we command that both the strong and the weak, in order to avoid disorder, should sing a psalm called Venite with an invitation, and a hymn while sitting, and say their prayers in silence, in a whisper and in a low voice, so that the one praying does not interfere with the prayers of other brothers.” In other words: if you want to pray, pray, but not to the point of frenzy, you, knight, have other important activities: what you believe is good, but everyone who believes has gathered here, you are just one of them.

Particular attention was paid to the clothing of the knights. And here in the charter there were several points at once, what and how to wear, what things you can have, how to store them, etc.

About the brothers' clothes

We command that the capes of all brothers be of the same color: white, or black, or brown. And we grant to all brother knights white cloaks, and no one who does not belong to the said Knights of Christ is allowed to wear white cloaks, so that those who have rejected the life of darkness may recognize each other as bound to the Creator by the sign of these white cloaks , which mean purity and complete chastity. Chastity is confidence of the heart and health of the body. For if one of the brothers has not taken the vow of chastity, he can neither find eternal peace nor see the Lord, for the apostle says: “Racegn sectamini cum omnibus et castimoniam sine qua nemo Dcum videbit,” which means: “Try to bring peace to everyone.” , maintain chastity, without which no one can see God.”

But these clothes should be without any decoration and without a trace of vanity. And we order that none of the brothers should have a piece of fur on their clothes, or anything else that serves the habits of the body, or even a blanket, unless it is made of the wool of lambs or sheep. We command that everyone wear the same clothes, so that everyone can dress and undress, and put on or take off their shoes with ease. And the Keeper of the Garments, or someone else in his place, must carefully consider and take care of these things in order to merit the reward of the Lord, so that the eyes of the envious and slanderous cannot see that the garments are too long or too short, but he must distribute them so that they suited to those who wear them, according to the height of each person.

And if any of the brothers, out of vanity or arrogance, wants to have, as his due, the best and most beautiful cape, let him receive the worst. And those who receive new robes must immediately return the old ones to give them to the squires and sergeants, and often to the poor, as the holder of the place deems best.

About shirts

Among other things, we mercifully establish that, due to the intense heat that exists in the East, from Easter to All Saints' Day, out of compassion, and not as a right, a linen shirt is given to all brothers who wish to wear it.

About bed linen

We decree by common consent that every person should have clothing and bedding at the discretion of the Master. We believe that, besides the mattress, one pillow and one blanket will be sufficient for everyone, and whoever does not have one of these things may have a blanket, and he can use a linen blanket with a soft cushion at any time. Everyone must always sleep dressed in a shirt and trousers, and shoes and belts, and where the brothers sleep, the light must burn until the morning. And the Guardian of the garments must. take care that the brothers have a well-shaven tonsure, so that they can be recognized from the front and back, and we command you to strictly adhere to the same manner as regards beards and mustaches, so that no excesses can be noticed on your bodies.

About long-toed shoes and laces

We forbid long-toed shoes and laces, and forbid any brother to wear them; nor do we allow them to those who serve the House for a fixed term. We forbid them to wear long-toed shoes or laces under any circumstances. For it is obvious and well known that these abominable things belong to the pagans. Also, you should not wear your hair or capes too long. For those who serve the King of heaven must follow, both soul and body, the commandment of the Lord himself, who said: “Estote mundi quia ego mundus sum,” which means: “Be in peace as I am.”

Similar demands should be made not only to knights, but also to those who occupied a more subordinate position in the Order. “The surcoats of brother sergeants should be completely black, with a red cross on the front and back. And they may have black or brown cloaks; and they can have everything that the brother knights have, except equipment for horses, a tent and a cauldron, which they will not have.

And they may have mail without sleeves, [chain mail] stockings without feet, and chapeau de fer; and all the things mentioned they can have within the means of the House. One brother of the convention can give to another a garnache, which he wore for a year, an old coat of mail, an old tunic, a shirt, trousers and boots; and a lantern, if he knows how to make one, with deerskin and goatskin. And if any of the squires deserts his master, and he has served his term in the House, his master shall not take from him any of the clothes which he has given him, except the garnache which he has worn for a year, which he may give to him if he wishes, one that he wore for two years.

By the general decision of the council, we prohibit and order the expulsion, for general vice, of anyone who was in the House of the Lord of the Knights Templar without permission; also that sergeants and squires should not wear white clothes, since such a habit does great harm to the House; so in distant regions there are false brothers, married men and others who say that they were brothers of the Temple and swear by it, while in fact they were in the world. They bring so much shame to us and harm to the Order of Knights that even their squires boast about it. For this reason, many scandals arise. Therefore, let them be given black clothes, but if none are found, let them be given what is available in the given province, or what is less expensive. Anything else is unacceptable."

Initially, it was forbidden to accept sisters into the Order (it is still a military and monastic organization), but then the rules were relaxed. True, it was not intended that women would sleep under the same roof with the knights, but they could become, so to speak, conditional members of the Order, and further, based on the history of the thirteenth century that follows, this will become clear to you. But sexual communication with women, even simple smiles and long glances - all this was considered an offense, a desecration of the purity of the spirit! It was forbidden to kiss not only “just women,” but also little girls, sisters, mothers, and close relatives. Oddly enough, the possibility of becoming a godfather was also banned - knights were not allowed to lift a child over the font.

The brothers were charged with complete obedience, that is, the discipline was ironclad: “None of the brothers can shorten their stirrups or [tighten] a girth, a sword belt or a highway belt without permission; but he may fasten his buckle without permission. None of the brothers may bathe, bleed, take medicine, go into town, or ride a horse at a gallop without permission; and where he cannot go without permission, he must not send his squire or his horse without permission.”

In a special clause, the knights, as well as other members of the Order, were obliged to eat in pairs - that is, excuse me, from one bowl: “Due to the lack of dishes, brothers should eat in pairs, so that each could more closely observe the other and that in the diet of the brothers there was neither excessive severity nor secret abstinence. And it seems fair to us that each brother should have the same portion of wine in his cup.”

Eating meat was also limited: “It should be enough for you to eat meat three times a week, with the exception of Christmas, All Saints, Dormition and the Feast of the Twelve Apostles. For it is known that the custom of eating flesh corrupts the body. But if the fast, when meat is prohibited, falls on Tuesday, then the next day it should be given to the brothers in abundance. On Sundays, all Temple brothers, chaplains and clergy should receive two portions of meat in honor of the holy resurrection of Jesus Christ. The rest of the House, that is, the squires and sergeants, should be content with one portion of meat and be grateful to the Lord for it. On the remaining days of the week, that is, on Monday, Wednesday and even Saturday, the brothers are allowed two or three dishes of vegetables or other dishes with bread, and we believe that this is enough and command that this rule be adhered to. For he who does not eat one food must eat another.”

The opportunity to communicate after Compline was especially stipulated (that is, empty chatter was prohibited; one could speak only on business and only if it was important) and caring for the infirm or old brothers. “We command, with God's counsel, that the aging and weak brethren should be honored and cared for according to their weakness, and by the authority of the Rule they should be given all that is necessary for their bodily well-being, and that nothing should be done to grieve them.” Sick brothers should also be cared for: “Sick brothers should receive attention and care, and they should be served according to the words of the evangelist and Jesus Christ: “Infirmus fui et visitastis me,” which means: “I was sick, and you visited me, and let they don’t forget about it.” For those brothers who vegetate should be treated calmly and with care, for for such service, performed without hesitation, you will gain the kingdom of heaven. So, we command the Infirmaria to carefully and strictly issue everything that is necessary for the various sick brothers, such as meat, poultry and other food that brings good health, according to the means and capabilities of the House.” And if a brother died, then all the appropriate rituals should have been carried out in order to bury his body in the earth: “When one of the brothers leaves this world, which none of us can avoid, we command with a pure heart to say a mass for his soul, and let that the divine service is performed by the priests who serve the King of Heaven, and you, who serve mercy for the established period, and all the brothers who serve the established period and are present where the body lies, must read the “Our Father” a hundred times over the next seven days.

And all the brothers who serve in this House where a brother has died should read the “Our Father” a hundred times, as stated above, after it has become known about the death of a brother by the grace of God. We also conjure and command by the authority of the holy fathers that for forty days, in memory of the deceased brother, the beggar should be fed with meat and wine, as if he were a living brother. We prohibit all other donations that were made willfully and unreasonably by the Poor Knights of the Temple. after the death of a brother, on Easter and on other holidays. Those who serve out of compassion and remain with you for a fixed period of time are the knights of the House of the Lord and the Temple of Solomon, hereby we, out of mercy, command that if during the service the Lord calls any of them to Himself, for the love of the Lord and out of brotherly For the sake of mercy, let one beggar be fed for seven days for the salvation of his soul, and each of the brothers of this House must read the Lord’s Prayer thirty times.”

The main focus of the charter was to ensure that all brothers - be it a cleric, a knight or a sergeant - were placed on equal terms so that they could not envy each other. The Charter explained: “The Holy Scripture says: “Dividebatur singulis prout cuique opus erat,” which means: “To each one is given according to his needs.” Therefore we say that no one can be exalted among you, but everyone should take care of the sick, and the one who is less sick should thank the Lord and not be upset, and let the one who is more sick humble himself through his weakness and not become proud through pity. And thus all brothers should live in peace, and we forbid anyone to carry out excessive abstinence, but firmly adhere to the rules of common life.”

Particularly highlighted were the points about those brothers who are married, and about knights who serve in the Order, but are not brothers.

About secular knights who serve a fixed term

We command that all secular knights who wish with a pure heart to serve Jesus Christ and the House of Solomon's Temple for a specified period of time, purchase a suitable horse and weapons, and everything necessary for such service. Further, we command that both parties set a price for the horse and write down this price so as not to forget it; and let everything necessary for the knight, his squire and horse, even horseshoes, be given out of fraternal charity at the expense of the House. If during the appointed time it happens that a horse dies in the service of the House, and if the House can afford it, the Master must replace it with another; If at the end of the service the knight wishes to return to his country, he must leave to the House, out of charity, half the price of the horse, and the other half, if he wishes, can be obtained from the donations of the House.

About married brothers

If a married man asks to be accepted into the brotherhood, into the parish and into the prayers of the House, we allow you to accept him on the following conditions: that after their death they leave to you a part of their estate and everything that they henceforth acquire. At the same time, they must live an honest life and devote themselves to good works for the sake of the brothers. But they should not wear white capes or cloaks, moreover, if the master dies before his wife, the brothers should take part of his estate and leave the mistress another part to support her for the rest of her life, for it does not seem right to us that confreres (married) lived in the House with brothers who took a vow of chastity to God.

Various aspects of life in such a men's group were also regulated.

About the Master

The master can give anyone a horse and weapons, and anything else that belongs to another brother, and the brother to whom the things given belong should neither be irritated nor angry, for if he becomes angry, he will go against God.

About giving advice

Let only those who, as the Master knows, will give wise and useful advice, be called to the chapter, for so we command, and on no account should any be chosen. For when it happens that they wish to discuss serious matters, such as the distribution of land to a community, or to talk about the affairs of the House, or to receive a brother, then, if the Master wishes, all the brothers should be called together to listen to the advice of the whole chapter, and let the Master do so, as it deems necessary and most useful.

About brothers sent to other lands

The brothers sent to various lands must diligently adhere to the precepts of the Order to the best of their ability and lead an impeccable life, as regards meat and wine, and other things, so that they can be well spoken of by others, and they will not taint by word or deed the instructions of the Order, and could serve as an example of good deeds and wisdom, so that, among other things, those with whom they communicate, and those at whose inns they stop, honor could be given. And, if possible, the house where they stay and sleep should not be left without light, so that enemies in the shadows cannot lead them into temptation, which is forbidden to them by God.

About preserving peace

Each brother must be careful not to lead the other brother into rage or anger, for by the grace of the Lord all brothers are equal: strong and weak, in the name of mercy.

How brothers should behave

In order to carry out their holy duties and gain the glory of the joy of the Lord, and avoid the fear of the fire of hell, all brothers received into the Order should strictly obey their Master. For nothing pleases Jesus Christ more than obedience. For as soon as any command is given by the Master or by those to whom the Master has given this right, it must be carried out without delay, as if Christ himself had given it.

For this reason we exhort and command the brother-knights who have renounced their will, and all others who serve a fixed term, not to dare to go into the city without the permission of the Master or the one who can give it, except at night to the Holy Sepulcher and places of prayer that are inside the city walls of Jerusalem.

Brothers can go there in twos, but in other places they should not go either day or night, and when they stop at inns, neither the squire nor the sergeant should go to a stranger’s room, nor see each other, nor talk with him without permission, as stated above. We decree by common consent that in this Order, which is governed by God, no brother shall either fight or rest of his own free will, but only by the orders of the Master, which all obey, in order to follow the words of Jesus Christ, who said: “ Non veni facere voluntatem meam, sed ejus que misit me, patris,” which means: “I came not to do my own will, but the will of my father who sent me.”

About hunting

We collectively forbid any brother to hunt a bird with another bird. It is not suitable for a person of faith to succumb to pleasures, but he should willingly heed the commandments of the Lord, pray often and every day in his prayers tearfully confess to God the sins that he has committed. Let none of the brothers dare to go with a man who hunts bird with bird. Rather, it is worthy for every godly person to set out on a journey simply and humbly, without excessive laughter or talking, but to speak moderately and without raising his voice, and therefore we especially command all brothers not to hunt in the forests with a bow or crossbow and not to accompany anyone who intends to to do this except out of a desire to save him from the godless pagans. And also you should not hunt with dogs, shout or chatter, or drive a horse out of a desire to catch a wild animal.

About the lion

Truly, you are entrusted with the duty to give your soul for your brothers, as Jesus Christ did, and to protect the earth from the unfaithful pagans, who are the enemies of the son of the Virgin Mary. And the above-mentioned prohibition of hunting does not in any way include hunting the lion, for it prowls and hungers for what it can devour, and its paws are against any man, and the hand of any man is against it.

How to own lands and people

We believe that this new order was born from Holy Scripture and divine providence in the Holy Land in the East, and this means that its armed knights can kill the enemies of the Cross without sin. For this reason we believe that you should rightly be called Knights of the Temple, with the special dignity and beauty of incorruptibility, and that you can own lands and have people, villans and fields, and rule them justly, and bear them your right, as special installed.

And the more the Order grew and expanded, more and more articles about punishments and offenses appeared. Until we had to bring them together into a single block “On punishments”.

About misconduct

If any of the brothers, in his speech, either at the service, or in any other way, has committed a not too serious sin, he must voluntarily report this to the Master in order to correct himself with a pure heart. And if he has not fallen into this sin often, it is hard to give him a light punishment, but if the sin is serious, he should be separated from the company of other brothers, so that he does not eat or drink at the same table with them, but alone, pi he must to surrender oneself to the mercy and judgment of the Master and brothers in order to be saved on the Day of Judgment.

About serious sins

Above all, we must act in such a way that none of the brothers, powerful or not, strong or weak, who wants to stand out and be proud and defend their crime, goes unpunished. But if he is unwilling to atone for his guilt, let him receive a more severe punishment. And if the pious council offered prayers to God for his sake, and he does not want to correct his sin, but wants to praise him more and more, he should be snatched from the pious flock, following the apostle who said: “Auferte malum ex vobis,” which means: “ Drive out the corrupt from among you." And you need to remove the bad sheep from the company of faithful brothers.

Moreover, the Master, who must hold in his hand a staff and a rod, a staff - in order to support the strength and weakness of others, and a rod - in order to drive out evil from those who sin, for the sake of love and justice, on the advice of the patriarch, must take care of this. But also, as my sir Saint Maximus said: “Let there be no punishment greater than the sin, and no unnecessary punishment should return the sinner to evil deeds.”

About simony

First offense, for which a brother of the Temple can be expelled from the House, is simony, for a brother who entered the House through simony must be expelled for this, for he cannot save his soul. Simony is committed by bribery or a promise to a brother of the Temple or someone else, in exchange for helping him to join the Order of the Temple.

About revealing the secrets of the Chapter

Second offense - if any of the brothers reveals the secrets of his chapter to any brother of the Temple who was not there, or to another person.

About someone who kills or causes death to a Christian or Christian woman

Third - if someone kills or causes death to a Christian or Christian woman.

About theft

Fourth- theft, which is understood in various ways.

About someone who leaves a castle or fortress by any other route other than the gate

Fifth - if anyone leaves the castle or fortress by any other way than the prescribed gate.

About collusion

Sixth offense there is a conspiracy, because the conspiracy is committed by two or more brothers.

About the one who defects to the Saracens

Seventh- if someone leaves the House and goes to the Saracens (he will be expelled from the House).

About heresy

Eighth- heresy, when someone goes against the law of our Lord.

About the one who throws down the banner for fear of the Saracens

Ninth- if one of the brothers throws down his banner and runs away out of fear of the Saracens (he will be expelled from the House).

The following are the offenses for which a Temple brother will lose his cape:

About the one who does not fulfill the commandments of the House

First offense- if any of the brothers does not obey the commandments of the House and persists in his recklessness, and does not want to carry out the order given to him, he should be deprived of his cape, and he may be chained in iron; if he repented before the mantle was removed from him, and did not harm the House, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the mantle or leave it to him. For it is said in our House that when a brother is commanded to do the work of the House, he must say, “In the name of the Lord.” And if he says, “I will not do this,” the Commander must immediately gather the brothers and hold a council, and tell the elder brothers of the House that his cape may be removed because he does not obey the order, for the first vow that we make is there is a vow of obedience.

About a brother who hits another brother

Second offense- if one of the brothers hits the other in anger or rage, he should be stripped of his cape, and if the blow was strong, he can be shackled in iron. And he must not wear a black and white banner, nor a silver seal, and must not participate in the election of a Master; and this has been done many times. And before his guilt is considered, he must be absolved of his sins, for he is excommunicated, and if he has not received absolution, he must neither eat with his brothers nor go to church. And if he hit a priest or cleric, he should be absolved of his sins before his guilt is examined.

About a brother who will hit a Christian

Third- if one of the brothers hits a Christian or Christian woman with a sharp weapon, or a stone, or a stick, or another object with which he can kill or wound with one blow, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him.

About a brother who will be seen with a woman

Fourth - if any of the brothers meets a woman, for we consider a brother guilty who enters a bad place or a house of vice with a sinful woman, alone or in bad company, he should be deprived of his cloak, and he may be chained in iron. And he must not wear a black and white banner, nor a silver seal, and must not participate in the election of a Master; and this was done several times.

About a brother who falsely accuses another brother of something for which he should be expelled from the House

Fifth- if one of the brothers accuses another brother of an offense for which he can be expelled from the House, if he is found guilty and if the accuser cannot prove it, he should be deprived of the cape, and after he asks for mercy at the chapter, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cloak or leave it to him; and until he comes to the chapter, he should not return his cape, no matter what he says, since he repents and does not want to persist in his stupidity.

About a brother who puts the blame on himself

Sixth- If a brother falsely accuses himself in order to be allowed to leave the House, and his guilt is discovered, he should be deprived of the cloak.

About a brother who asks permission to leave the House

Seventh- if any of the brothers asks permission from the chapter to go and save his soul in another order, and if they do not want to give it to him, and he says that he will leave the House, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him .

About a brother who says he will go to the Saracens

Eighth - If a brother says that he will go to the Saracens, even if he says this out of anger or rage, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him.

About the brother who will bow the banner in battle

Ninth- if the brother of the Temple who carries the banner bends it to strike, and no harm occurs from this, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him. If he strikes with it and harm comes from it, he should be stripped of his cape, and they may decide to chain him in iron, and he can never again carry a banner or command in battle.

About the brother who carries the banner and attacks without permission

Tenth - if a brother who bears a banner attacks without the permission of the one who can give it, and if he was not at the time surrounded and in such a place where he could not obtain permission, as given in the Statutes, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers , whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him. And if great harm comes from this, he may be chained in iron, and he can never again bear a banner or command in battle.

About the brother who attacks without permission

Eleventh- if one of the brothers attacks without permission in battle and harm occurs from this, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him. But if he sees that a Christian is in danger of death, and his conscience tells him that he can be helped, as given in the Statutes, he is allowed to do so. But under no other circumstances should a Temple brother attack without permission.

About a brother who denies another Temple food

Twelfth - if any of the brothers refuses bread and water to another brother who comes or goes, and does not allow him to eat with other brothers, he should be deprived of his cloak for this: for when a person becomes a brother, he is promised bread and water of the House, and no one can take them away from him for any of his affairs, except as established in the House. Or if someone refuses to open the gate to a brother, so that he cannot enter it.

About a brother who gives a cloak to a man to whom he should not give it

Thirteenth - If any of the brothers gives the mantle of the House to one to whom he should not give it, or to one to whom he has no right to give it, or without the consent of the chapter, he should be deprived of the mantle. And he who has the right to give a mantle cannot take it away without the consent of the chapter, and if he does so, he should be deprived of the mantle.

About a brother who takes something from a person to help him become a brother

Fourteenth- if any of the brothers takes something from a layman, for which he must help him become a brother of the Temple, he should be deprived of his cape, for he is committing simony.

About the brother who will break the seal of the Master or anyone else

The fifteenth - if any of the brothers breaks the seal of the Master or one in his place, without the permission of the one who can give it, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the mantle or leave it to him.

About the brother who will pick the lock

Sixteenth- If any of the brothers opens the lock without the permission of the one who has the right to do so, and no other harm occurs from this, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him.

About a brother who gives alms from the House to a layman

Seventeenth- if any of the brothers of the Temple gives alms of the House to a layman or to anyone other than a brother of the Temple, without the permission of the one who can give it, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cloak or leave it to him. And if he gives away a valuable thing or alienates land, he should be deprived of his cape and, due to great harm to the House, he may be shackled in iron.

About a brother who lends something belonging to the House without permission

Eighteenth - if any of the brothers give anything belonging to the House, without the permission of the one who can give it, to a place where the House may lose it, he cannot keep his cape, and the loan may be so large, and to such a place, that he will be shackled in iron.

About a brother who lends his horse to another brother without permission

Nineteenth- if one of the brothers lends his horse to another brother where he [himself] cannot go without permission, and the horse is lost or dies or is injured, the cape remains at the discretion of the brothers, who will decide whether to deprive him of it or leave it to him. But he can borrow it as he chooses in the city where he is located.

About a brother who puts another person's things with House's things

Twentieth- if any of the brothers puts things belonging to another person with the things of the House, because of which the local lords may lose their rights to it, [his] cape remains at the discretion of the brothers, who will decide whether to deprive him of it or keep it her to him.

About a brother who deliberately says that another person's things belong to the House

Twenty first- if any of the brothers deliberately says that the things of another person belong to the House, and this is not so, and it is proved that he did this out of malice or greed, his cloak remains at the discretion of the brothers, who will decide whether to deprive him of it or leave it to him. But if his conscience tells him to do so, he can say so or guarantee it without causing harm.

About a brother who kills, or wounds, or loses a slave

Twenty second - If any of the brothers kills, or wounds, or loses a slave through his own fault, his cloak remains at the discretion of the brothers, who will decide whether to deprive him of it or leave it to him.

About a brother who kills, or wounds, or loses a horse

Twenty third - If any of the brothers kills, or wounds, or loses a horse through his own fault, his cloak remains at the discretion of the brothers, who will decide whether to deprive him of it or leave it to him.

About a brother who hunts and harm comes from it

Twenty-fourth - If any of the brothers hunts and harm comes from this, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cloak or leave it to him

About a brother who tests his weapon

Twenty fifth - If any of the brothers tests their weapons and equipment, and harm results from this, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him.

About a brother who gives away any animal other than a dog or cat

Twenty sixth- if any of the brothers from the sheepfold or stable gives up any animal other than a dog or cat without the permission of his Commander, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him.

About a brother who builds a new house without permission

The 27th - If any of the brothers builds a new house of stone and lime without the permission of the Master or Commander of the area, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cape or leave it to him. But he can repair other destroyed houses without permission.

About a brother who deliberately causes loss to the House

The 28th - if any of the brothers knowingly or through his own fault causes a loss to the House of four days or more, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cloak or leave it to him; for we are prohibited from any loss. And the loss can be so great that the culprit can be chained in iron.

About a brother who passes through the gate with the intention of leaving the House

Twenty-ninth- if any of the brothers passes through the gate with the intention of leaving the House, and then repents, he can pay with his cape, and if he goes to the Hospital or to another place outside the House, we leave it on. it is the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cloak or leave it to him. But if he spends one night there, he should be stripped of his cloak.

About a brother who leaves the House and spends two nights outside

Thirtieth- if any of the brothers leaves the House and spends two nights outside, he will lose his cloak for this, and cannot regain it for one year and one day. And if he keeps things that are forbidden for more than two nights, he will be expelled from the House.

About a brother who, at will, returns his cape or throws it away in anger

Thirty-first - if one of the brothers voluntarily returns the cape or throws it on the ground in anger, and does not want to pick it up, despite requests and admonitions, and other brothers pick it up before him, he will lose his cape and cannot find it again one year and one day. But if he, of his own free will, picks up the cloak before the other brothers, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers whether to deprive him of the cloak or leave it to him.

If he does not want to pick up his cape, and another brother picks it up and places it on his shoulders, that brother will also lose his cape, for none of the brothers should return the cape or accept him as brothers outside the chapter. The one to whom the cape has been returned is thus left at the mercy of the brothers, who can deprive him of the cape or allow him to keep it.

In all other cases, except the last two, when a brother spends two nights outside the House or voluntarily returns his cloak, for which he is punished by deprivation of it for one year and one day, as stated above, other sins for which the cloak can be deprived, we leave it to the discretion of the brothers, who can deprive him of the cape or leave it to him, due to the fault and behavior of the brother.

And when the brother’s guilt is judged, he is deprived of his cape; and if a brother is deprived of his cape, he is not subjected to other punishments or penances.

And when a brother is stripped of his cloak and shackled in iron, he must lodge and eat in the house of the brother who gives alms, and is not obliged to go to church, but he must read his hours and work with slaves. And if he dies during punishment, the funeral service should be performed as a brother.

And none of the brothers who do not have the right to be accepted as brothers has the power to deprive [the brother] of the mantle without the permission of the one who can give it.

Here are written the guilts that the House of the Temple can judge

First- expulsion from the House, and sins for which the perpetrator [of them] can be shackled in iron and imprisoned forever.

Second- regarding the cape and sins for which the perpetrator can be chained in iron.

Third - when anyone is allowed to keep the cloak in the name of the love of the Lord, he is punished for three days until the Lord and the brothers release him; and he should carry out the punishment without delay.

Fourth- two days and a third in the first week.

Fifth - only two days.

Sixth- just one day.

Seventh - Fridays and corporal punishment.

Eighth- when the sentence of a brother is postponed until the arrival of the Master or one of the worthy people of the House, so that they judge what the brothers are not sure about.

Ninth- when a brother is sent to the chaplain.

Tenth- when a brother is acquitted.

Of course, this is a brief summary of Templar laws, but even such a summary shows how regulated the life of the knights was. Having parted with a world in which he could do whatever he wanted, the knight found himself in a world where a lot of things happen against his wishes. And so it was until he finally began to see a healthy beginning in prohibitions and regulations. Do not forget that the Templar laws were developed for Europeans who found themselves among a hostile population during the war. And no matter what Bernard said about the mission of the liberators and the happy smiles on the faces of the conquered peoples, the knights themselves knew what those smiles were. The first charter of the Templars was a purely military charter, and therefore justifiably strict. The second charter was written at a slightly different time, but the knights did not leave Palestine, and the wartime demands did not go away. Simply, since part of the knighthood was located outside of Palestine, new and greatly complicating circumstances appeared. They will be discussed below, since this page of history is also considered an unresolved mystery of the Order.

But at the very beginning of the establishment of the Order of the Temple, when many knights were embarrassed that, striving for a truly spiritual life, they were forced to shed other people’s blood and take spoils of war, Grand Master Hugo de Payns even had to write a very curious document for the edification of those who doubted and were embarrassed, which today known as “Letter to the Knights of Christ of the Temple of Jerusalem.”

“More often than not,” he explained, “the things that are most humble are the most useful. The legs trample the ground, but at the same time they carry the whole body. Do not deceive yourself: each of us accepts the burden of common concerns. The roofs of houses take on rain and hail, but if there were no roof, what could one do in the house itself?.. We are talking about this, brothers, because we have heard that some of you are confused by certain unreasonable individuals, who say that your profession, to which you have devoted your life, to take up arms against the enemies of the faith and for the world, for the defense of Christians - that this profession is illegal or destructive, that it is a sin or an obstacle to salvation. This happened because, as we have already told you, the Devil does not sleep: he knows that if he inclines you to sin, then you will not listen to him and agree with him. So, he doesn’t say: “Get drunk, be dissolute, fight, swear.” You will defeat his first trick because you will renounce sin. You will also crush the second trick of your enemy, in times of peace you fight your flesh with fasts and abstinence, so that when he advises you to feel pride in your virtue, you defend yourself and defeat him as if you were fighting with weapons in your hands on the battlefield with the enemies of the world who hurt you or try to hurt you.

But this invisible enemy constantly tempts and cruelly persecutes you, trying to nullify the good and just deed that you perform carefully and diligently. Because his goal is to nullify this matter by perverting your aspirations, saying that when you kill, you do it out of hatred and lust for violence, and when you take trophies, he says that you do it out of greed. But you will not be caught in his net, because if you kill, then you have every reason to hate, and when you take trophies, you have every reason to be selfish. I say “you have honest reasons for hating” because you do not hate people, but sinners. I say, "You have reason to be selfish," because it is quite lawful to take from them all that you can carry, because of their sinfulness, and you justly become the owners of what can reward your labor. “Stay in that house, eat and drink whatever they have, for the worker is worthy of reward for his labors; do not move from house to house” [Luke 10.7, Matthew 10.10]. For in the Law of Moses it is written: “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing. Does God care about oxen? [1 Corinthians 9.9, 1 Timothy 5.18]. Why should we refuse our deserved reward? If a person is rewarded for the words with which he teaches his neighbors, then surely the one who gives his life to protect his neighbor should be rewarded? Perhaps you will say that your profession distracts you with external affairs and stands as an obstacle to internal improvement and spiritual development. You desire peace and quiet, because you can become “birds of God” by devoting yourself to a solitary and contemplative life. By saying this, you show your desire to serve the Lord: “For I testify to them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” [Romans 10.2], “Jesus answered and said: You do not know what you ask” [Matthew 20.22]…

Listen to how Christ answers you, and not me: “And he says to them: You will drink My cup, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized, but to let you sit on My right side and on My left does not depend on Me, but on whom prepared by My Father." From the point of view of justice, he who desires to rule must not avoid labor, and he who seeks the crown must not avoid battle...

For I trust that no wise man among you will deny that the more sacred any virtue is, the more quickly it will lead to salvation.

No believer should doubt that in any community of the Lord's servants, wherever he is assigned, sharing their efforts, he will also share in the rewards. Perhaps by hearing this, brothers, you will maintain peace in your community and God’s blessing will come upon you.”

And although, based on the text of the letter, some of the knights grumbled, more inclined towards pure monasticism, the core of the Order honestly fulfilled their duties, that is, they fought. The Templars built many fortresses in Palestine (more precisely, they repaired what they inherited from previous times). Thanks to skillful propaganda, they received a lot of donations. Hugo de Payns himself and the first knights, equal to him and united by many years of work in the dungeon, were sent to different lands - some traveled around Southern and Northern Europe, bringing income to the Order. Hugo went with the order's embassy to England. Sherpentier cites the following entry from the English chronicle: “In the said year (1128), Hugh de Payns, commander of the militia of the Temple of Jerusalem, came to England with two soldiers and two clergy (since the Temple does not yet have its own clergy and chaplains, we can assume that we are talking about the Cistercian monks), traveled all over this region, recruiting fighters for Jerusalem as far as Scotland, so that many took the cross and went to Jerusalem that same year.” A year later, his traces are found in Anjou, and a year later - in Spain. In addition to those wishing to become Templars, he also acquires numerous gifts. For example, according to the same Cherpentier, “On January 29, 1130, according to documents, he is at the court of the Bishop of Avignon, who donated the Church of St. John the Baptist (Saint-Jean-Baptiste) in Avignon to the Order.” In fact, de Payns is not the only one raising funds for the Order. As P. Reed wrote in his book The Templars, “Payen de Montdidier, one of the nine founding fathers of the order, appears to have represented the Templars in France north of the Loire; Hugo de Rigaud collected donations in the Carcassonne area; Pierre de Rovira - in Provence; and the future master of the order, Evrard de Bar, is in Barcelona. The offerings could be very modest: a piece of barren land, a horse, a sword, armor and even a pair of pants, or very rich: large plots of land, income from market trade and flour milling in the possessions of such magnates as the Duke of Brittany or Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor also exempted the Templars from paying customs duties at the port of La Rochelle. Often donations were made by the knights themselves. Thus, Hugo de Payns and Godfrey de Saint-Omer received high praise for contributing their property to the order's treasury. And Hugo Bourbuton from Northern Provence, who joined the Templars in 1139, with the money raised from the sale of possessions, founded a commandery, which remains one of the richest to this day.” De Payns himself returns to Palestine. And soon we see him in Jerusalem. Now he has not only eight knights under his command, but a rather significant contingent, and the charter adopted in Troyes copes with the problems of the newly formed army in the best possible way. The Order begins to function not as a group of treasure hunters, but as a large and strong organism. And - alas! - this organism cannot exist without a range of issues that are entrusted only to those who can be entrusted with them. This is most likely how what today is called the inner circle of the Templars developed, that is, those initiated into certain secrets. And everyone else - not only squires, sergeants, servants, but also new knights recruited in Europe, live only according to the rules, which do not imply any secrets and require only one thing: discipline. Most likely, a layer of initiates and a layer of profane coexist in one Order. This is all the more possible since we know the characteristics of the world from which many of our knights initiated into the secret came.

This text is based on a translation of the original or original Templar Rules based on Henry de Curzon's 1886 edition, "La Regle du Temple (Rule of the Templars): A Military Manual, or How to Deliver a Cavalry Charge." Here are the Rules that the Council gave to the young Knights Templar in 1129, but “it must not be forgotten that the Order existed for a number of years and created its own traditions and customs even before the appearance of Hugo de Payen in the Council. To a large extent, the Original Rules are based on existing practice." (Upton-Ward, p.11)

We address ourselves primarily to those who in their souls despise their own desires and desire to serve the king like a knight and with diligent care desire to wear and wear constantly the noblest armor of obedience...

1. We address ourselves primarily to those who in their souls despise their own desires and desire to serve the king like a knight and with diligent care desire to wear and wear constantly the noblest armor of obedience. And therefore, we warn you, you who have previously led the life of secular knights, who have accepted the title of knight in order to achieve human glory, but not in the name of serving Jesus Christ, from following those whom the Lord chose from the mass of the doomed and whom he commanded in great our mercy to defend the Holy Church, and we urge you not to rush to join them forever.

2. Besides this, you who would become knights of Christ, in choosing such sacred duties, you should unite in your service of faith chaste endeavor and steadfastness of conviction, these qualities being so wholesome and sacred, and so noble, that if you keep them uncorrupted, earn the right to be with those martyrs who gave their souls for Jesus Christ. Following this religious order, chivalry flourishes and is revived. The existing chivalry despises the love of justice, which is their duty, and does not do what it should, namely: protect the poor, widows, orphans and churches, but tries only to rob and kill. The Lord works with us and our savior Jesus Christ; He sends his friends from the Holy City of Jerusalem to the lands of France and Burgundy, those who, for the sake of our salvation and the spread of the true faith, do not stop offering their souls to the Lord, a desired sacrifice.

3. And so we, with all joy and all brotherhood, at the request of the Master Hugo de Payen, by whom the said knighthood was founded by the grace of the Holy Spirit, gathered at Troes, from various distant provinces, on the feast of my patron Saint Hilary, in the year 1128 from the incarnation Jesus Christ, nine years after the creation of this knighthood. We heard about the administration and principles of the Knightly Order from the lips of the Master, Brother Hugo da Payen; and according to the limitations of our understanding, we praised what we considered good and withheld what we considered bad.

4. And all that is said in council cannot be told or enumerated, and that it may not be taken too lightly by us, but considered with wise prudence, we leave it to the discretion of the noble father of Lord Honorius and the noble patriarch of Jerusalem, Stephen, who knows customs of the East and the Poor Knights of Christ. On the advice of the general meeting, we unanimously approve this. Although many of the holy fathers who gathered at this council confirmed the authority of our words, we, remaining in silence, did not miss the honest proposals and judgments they uttered.

5. I, therefore, Jean Michel, to whom this sacred duty has been entrusted and entrusted, by the grace of God, have been the humble scribe of this document, by the decision of the council and the venerable father Bernard, Abbot Clyfax.

Names of the Holy Fathers present at the Council.

6. The first was Matthew, Bishop of Albano, by the grace of God legate of the Holy Roman Church; Renade, Archbishop of Reims; Henry, Archbishop of Sense; as well as their confidants; Goselin, Bishop of Soissons; Bishop of Paris; Bishop Troyes; Bishop of Orleans; Bishop of Auxerri; Bishop Meaux; Bishop Charlons; Bishop of Laon; Bishop Beauvais; Abbot Vezelay; who subsequently became Archbishop of Lyons and legate of the Roman Church; Abbot Citeaux; Abbot Pontigny; Abbot of Trois-Fontaines; Abbot of Saint-Denis de Reims; Abbot of Saint-Etienne de Dijon; Abbot Molesmes; the already mentioned Bernard, Abbot of Clerfax, whose words were unanimously welcomed by those present. Also present were Master Aubry de Reims, Master Fulcher, and several others, whom it would be tiresome to list. Of the remainder, unmentioned, whom it is advantageous to note and pay tribute to, saying that they are honorers of truth, were Earl Theobald; and also the Earl of Nevers; Andre de Baudemant. They were present at the council and participated, diligently noting what was said that was good and refuting what they considered incorrect.

7. Brother Hugo de Payens, Master of Chivalry, was also present, with several brothers whom he took with him. These were Brother Roland, Brother Godfrey and Brother Geoffrey Bissot, Brother Payen de Montdidier, Brother Arcambout de Saint-Amand. Master Hugo and his followers told the above-mentioned holy fathers about the traditions and implementation of their humble beginnings and the one who said: Ego principium ui et loquor vobis, which means: “I who speak to you, am the beginning.”

8. It pleases the general assembly that the discussion which has been here and the consideration of the Holy Scriptures, which have been diligently examined with all the wisdom of my Lord Honorius, Pope of the Holy Roman Church and Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the consent of the whole council and the permission of the Poor Knights of Christ of the Temple that is in Jerusalem, will be written down and not forgotten, securely stored, and will allow, after a righteous life, everyone who wants to serve the Lord to come to the creator, whose mercy is sweeter than honey when it merges with God; whose mercy is like anointing. Per infinita seculonum secula. Amen.

Here Begin the Rules of the Poor Knighthood of the Temple. (Templars)

9. You who have rejected your own desires, and you others who serve the rightful king with horse and weapon for a set period, for the salvation of your soul, try everywhere with a sincere desire to listen to prayers and worship in accordance with canonical law and the traditions of the resident teachers of the Holy City of Jerusalem. . Venerable brothers, the Lord is with you if you promise to despise the deceitful world in the name of the love of God, and to despise the temptations of your body: supported by the food of the Lord and watered and instructed by the decree of the Lord. At the end of the service, no one should be afraid to enter into battle if from now on he wears a tonsure.

10. But if one of the brothers is sent on assignment from home and Christianity to the East - we believe that this will happen often, and will not be able to hear the services, he must say instead of the prescribed prayers 13 “Our Father”; seven for each hour and nine for vespers. And we all together command him to do so. But those who are sent for this reason, although they cannot come at the appointed hour and hear the service, if possible, should not miss the hours appointed for prayer in order to pay tribute to the Lord.

How Brothers Are Received

11. If a secular knight, or any other person, wishes to avoid destruction and leave worldly life, preferring it to the community, one should not agree and accept him immediately, as my master St. Paul said: Probate spiritus si ex Deo sunt. Which means: “Test the soul to make sure it is from God.” If the brothers are favorable to him, let the Rules be read to him, and if he wishes to diligently follow the provisions of the Rules, and if the Master and the brothers wish to accept him, let him show his desire before the meeting of all the brothers and let him make his request with a pure heart.

12. About excommunicated knights. If you know where excommunicated knights gather, go there, and if one of them wants to join the Order, you must, not in words, provide him with the opportunity to save his soul. It can be accepted by us on the following conditions: let the knight appear before the bishop of his province and tell about his intention. When the bishop has heard and forgiven the knight, he must send him to the Master and the Templar brothers, and if his life is honorable and worthy of their community, if he seems to please the Master and brothers, let him be graciously received. If he subsequently dies from the pain and agony he endured, let him be given all the honors of the brotherhood, as one of the Poor Knights Templar.

13. Under no other circumstances should the Templars be with a person who has been clearly excommunicated, nor should they take his belongings. We strictly prohibit this, because... it would be terrible if they were excommunicated like him. But if such a person is only prohibited from attending prayer, then it is possible to communicate with him, and also to accept his property as alms, with the permission of his commander.

About Non-Acceptance of Children.

14. Although the law of the Holy Fathers allows the adoption of children into religious life, we do not advise you to do this. For anyone who wants to give their child to the Order of Knights, they must raise him until he can fully wield weapons and rid the earth of the enemies of Jesus Christ. Then let his mother and father bring him into the House and notify his brothers of his request; And it will be much better if he does not take an oath in childhood, but does so when he gets older, so that there are no regrets later. And subsequently admit him to trials in accordance with the wisdom of the Master and brothers and in accordance with the piety of life of the one asking for admission to the order.

About the Brothers Who Stand in the Church Too Long

15. We have learned from reliable witnesses that you listen to the service while standing immoderately and without any restraint. We do not encourage such behavior, but on the contrary, we disapprove. But we command that both the strong and the weak, in order to avoid fuss, should sing the psalms of the Venite with a bow, and the hymns while sitting (on their knees?), and say their prayers in silence, softly and quietly, so that the speaker does not disturb the prayers of other brothers.

16. But at the end of the psalms, when the Gloria patri is sung, with reverence for the Holy Trinity, you must rise and bow to the altar, and the sick and weak bow their heads. Thus we command; and when the commentaries on the Holy Scripture are read, and the Te deum laudamus is sung, and all the praises are sung, and the rites are over, you must be on your feet. Thus we command you to be on your feet during the rites and during all Our Lady's hours (dedicated to the church).

About the Robes of the Brothers.

17. We command that the brothers' attire should always be of the same colors, namely white, black or brown. And we allow all brother knights to wear, if possible, white clothes in winter and summer, so that those who have left the life of darkness can recognize each other as those who have dedicated themselves to the creator, by the sign of white clothes, which signify purity and complete chastity. Chastity is the truth of the heart and the health of the body. So if one of the brothers has not taken an oath of chastity, he will not be able to find eternal peace and see the Lord, according to the promise of the Apostle, who said: Pacem sectamini cum omnibus et casimoniam sine qua nemo Deum videbit. What it means: Try to bring peace to everyone, maintain chastity, without which no one can see the Lord.

18. But these clothes should be without any decoration and without any manifestations of pride. We also encourage that none of the brothers should have a piece of fur on their clothing, or anything else used for the pleasure of the body, or even a blanket, if it is not made of sheep's wool or the wool of lambs. We order everyone to have the same thing, so that everyone can easily put on and take off clothes, put on and take off their shoes. And the Keeper of Clothes or the one entrusted with this duty must diligently respond to all this in order to earn the mercy of the Lord, so that the envious and evil-tongued cannot see that the clothes are too long or short, but he must distribute the clothes so that they suit everyone and was his size.

19. And if any of the brothers, out of pride or arrogance, wishes to have better and newer clothing as an advantage, let him be given the worst. Those who received new clothes must immediately give up the old ones, which will be given to squires and sergeants, and often to the poor, in accordance with what the head of the department (branch) considers the greatest good.

About Shirts.

20. Among other things, we graciously order that in view of the fact that it is very hot in the East, from All Saints' Day to Easter, out of compassion, but not as a right, every brother who desires should be given a linen shirt.

About Linen Beds.

21. By common consent, we command that every person should have clothing and linen bed linen in accordance with the discretion of the Master. Our intention is that in addition to the mattress, everyone is given one pillow and a blanket, and we believe that this is enough for everyone. Anyone who does not have enough of these things can take a blanket and use a linen blanket with soft pile at any time. Everyone should sleep wearing a shirt, pants, shoes and a belt. Where they sleep there should be a light on until the morning. The person in charge of clothing must ensure that all brothers have their tonsures shaved well, so that they can be checked both front and back. We command that the same rule be followed strictly and with all attention regarding mustaches and beards, so that no defects can be seen on the bodies of the brothers.

About Pointed Shoes and Laces.

22. We do not approve of pointed shoes and laces and forbid any of the brothers to wear them; this prohibition also applies to those who serve the House for a certain period of time. They should not have shoes with pointed toes or laces under any circumstances. It is well known that these disgusting things belong to the pagans. Also, the brothers should not wear their (the pagans) hats and clothing too long. Those who serve the creator must, of necessity, endure hardships according to the promise of the Lord himself, who said: “Estote mundi quia egom mundus sum,” which means: “Be patient as I endure.”

How They Should Eat.

23. In the palace, or better called the fortress, they must eat together. But if you need something on the table and are not familiar with the accepted signs used by people of religion, calmly and quietly you should ask for what you need, with all modesty and humility. After all, the apostle said: “Manduca panem tuum cum silentio.”, which means: “Eat your bread in silence.” And the psalmist: “Posui ori meo custodiam.”, which means “I held my tongue.”, which means: “I thought my tongue would fail me,” which is: “I held my tongue so as not to say anything bad.”

About Reading the Lesson.

24. Let the Holy Scriptures always be read at common lunch and dinner, if possible. If we love God and his Holy words and instructions, we must listen carefully; the one who is reading will tell you to remain silent until he begins to read.

About Bowls and Drinking Vessels.

25. Due to the lack of utensils, brothers should eat in pairs, so that each can become more intimately acquainted with the other, and so that neither severity nor hidden abstinence is shown in the common meal. And it seems right to us that everyone should have an equal amount of wine in their cups.

About Eating Meat.

26. It should be enough for you to eat meat three times a week, excluding Christmas, All Saints' Day, Epiphany, and the fast of the twelve apostles. Because it is clear that the habit of eating flesh destroys the body. But if the fast, when it is necessary to abstain from meat, falls on a Tuesday, let it be given to the brothers in abundance the next day. On Sunday, all brothers of the Temple, all chaplains and clerks, should be given meat twice, in memory of the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the rest of the inhabitants of the House, i.e. squires and sergeants should be content with one portion of meat and thank God for it.

27. On other days of the week, Mondays, Wednesdays and even Saturdays, the brothers must have vegetables or some other dish eaten with bread twice or thrice; we consider this to be sufficient and order them to adhere to this. Anyone who does not eat one food must eat the second.

About Food on Friday.

28. On Friday, let lean meat be given to all those gathered, in memory of the passion of Jesus Christ. And you will fast from All Saints' Day until Easter, excluding Christmas, Epiphany and the fast of the twelve apostles. But sick and weak brothers should not be allowed to fast. From Easter to All Saints' Day they can eat twice until Lent begins.

About the Prayer of Thanksgiving.

29. Every time after lunch and dinner, all the brothers should thank the Lord in silence, in the church if it is nearby, and if not, then in the same place. With a humble heart they should give praise to Jesus Christ who is the Savior. Let the remnants of the broken bread be given to the poor, and the whole loaves preserved. Although the reward of the poor, whose is the Kingdom of Heaven, should be given to the poor without hesitation, and the Christian faith will undoubtedly recognize you among them, we advise that a tenth of the bread be given to the Church.

About Communion.

30. When twilight comes and night falls, listen to the signal of the bell or the call to prayer, according to the customs of the country, and all go there. But we recommend that you first take communion; although we leave light food to the Master's judgment. If he wants water and if he orders diluted wine, let it be given wisely. Indeed, it should not be taken excessively, but in moderation. So Solomon said: “Quia vinum facit apostatare sapientes.” Which means: “Wine spoils the wise.”

About Keeping Silence.

31. When the brothers return from Vespers, they are not allowed to speak openly, except in case of danger. But let everyone go to his bed calmly and in silence. If he must address his squire, he must speak softly and calmly. But if it happens that when they come from vespers, the Order or House has a serious problem that must be solved before the morning, we allow the Master and the council of elder brothers who govern the order after the Master to speak unhindered. In this case, let them act this way.

32. As it is written: “In multioquio non effugies peccatum.” Which means it's not a sin to talk too much. And in another place: “Mors et vita in manibus lingue.” What does it mean: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” During conversation, we prohibit empty words and angry outbursts of laughter. And if during a conversation something was said that should not have been said, we order that before going to bed, read the Lord's Prayer with all humility and devotion.

About the Sick Brothers.

33. Brothers who suffer from illness while working for the House may be allowed to rise during prayer with the permission and permission of the Master or those in charge of that household. But they must read the thirteen “Our Father” instead of the prescribed prayers, as stated earlier, so that the words reflect the heart. As David said: “Psallite sapienter.” What does "Sing with understanding." mean? And in another place David said: "In sonspectu Angelorum psallam tibi." Which means: “I will sing to you until the angels.” And let this remain at all times at the discretion of the Master or those who are responsible for this estate.

About Living Together.

34. Everyone will read in the Holy Scripture: “Divedebatur signulis prout cuique erat.” Which means: “To each is given according to his need.” For this reason we say that none of you should be exalted, but all should take care of the sick; and those who are less sick should thank God and not worry. Let those who are worse off remain humble from their weakness and not become proud from pity. In this way all members will live in peace. And we forbid anyone to adopt excessive abstinence, but firmly maintain their life together.

About the Master.

35. The master can give the one to whom he places a horse, weapons and anything else to another brother, and the brother to whom the donated thing belonged should not be irritated or angry, since if he became angry he would go against God.

About the Council Meeting.

36. Let only those brothers whom the Master knows will give wise and important advice be called to the council. Thus we command, and beyond any doubt everyone must be chosen. If it happens that they want to decide a serious matter: the transfer of common land, the discussion of the external relations of the House, the acceptance of a brother, then, if the Master wishes, it is appropriate to call the whole meeting to hear the advice of the entire community. And let the Master do what he considers best and significant.

About the Brothers Sent Over the Sea.

37. Brothers sent to different countries of the world must try to comply with the requirements of the Rules, according to their capabilities, and live impeccably, which also applies to meat, wine, etc. so that they can receive good reviews from outside and not tarnish the image of the Order by word or deed. They must serve as examples of good deeds and wisdom, and above all in such a way that those with whom they associate and those in whose taverns they stop acquire honor. In the house where they stayed and found shelter, if possible, the light should be on at night, so that dark forces could not make them weak, which the Lord forbids them to do.

About Maintaining Peace.

38. Each brother must be sure that he does not incite another brother to anger or anger; by the lawful mercy of the Lord he makes both the strong and the weak equal, in the name of mercy.

How Brothers Should Act.

39. In order to carry out their holy duties and gain glory to the joy of the Lord and avoid the fear of hellfire, all accepted brothers must strictly obey the Master. For there is nothing dearer to Jesus Christ than obedience. And if anything is ordered by the Master or those to whom he has given authority, it must be carried out without delay, as if Christ himself commanded it. For Jesus Christ said through the mouth of David, and it is true: “Ob auditu auris obedivit mihi.” Which means: “He obeyed me as soon as he heard me.”

40. For this reason, we offer prayer and strictly order the brother knights who have abandoned their own will and all others who serve for a certain period of time, not to allow themselves to go into the city without the permission of the Master, or the one who disposes of this estate of the brotherhood; except at night for the trip to the Holy Sepulcher and places of prayer lying inside the walls of the city of Jerusalem.

41. Brothers must go there in pairs, otherwise they should not go out day or night. If they stay at a tavern, neither the bart, nor the squire, nor the sergeant can go to another place of lodging for the night to talk with other brothers, without the permission of the Master, as previously stated. We command by general permission that in this Order, which is governed by the Lord, no brother shall fight or rest according to his own desires, but only according to the command of the Master, to whom all must obey, that they may follow the saying of Jesus Christ, who said: "Non veni facere voluntatem meam, sed ejus que misit me, patris." What does it mean: “I came not to do my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.”

How should they conduct the exchange.

42. Let neither brother exchange one thing for another, nor ask for it, without the permission of the Master or the one who manages the given estate, unless it is a trifle or trifle.

About Castles.

None of the brothers, with the exception of the managers of Houses or provinces and the Masters, should, without the permission of the Master or the manager of the estate, have a locked purse or bag. Let none of the brothers, without the permission of the Master or the manager of the estate, have letters from their acquaintances or other people, but if such permission exists, and it pleases the Master or commander, let the letters be read to him.

About Worldly Gifts.

44. If one of the brothers is given as a worldly gift something that cannot be preserved, such as meat, he must transfer this gift to the Master or the Responsible for Supply. But if it happens that his friends or relatives have something that they want to give only to him personally, let him not take it without the permission of the Master or administrator of the estate. Moreover, if something is sent to a brother by his relatives, he should not take it without the permission of the Master or the administrator of the estate. The exceptions are commanders and “guarantors”, who bear special responsibility for the estate.

About Guilt.

45. If one of the brothers, in a conversation, at a service, or in any other way, has committed a slight sin, he himself must notify the Master about this in order to atone for the sin with a pure heart. And unless this happens constantly, let him be given a slight repentance, but if the offense is very serious, let him be left apart from the rest of the brothers, so that he neither eats nor drinks at the same table with them, but alone; and he must submit himself to the judgment and mercy of the Master and brothers, in order to be saved on the Day of Judgment.

About Serious Offences.

46. ​​Moreover, we must assure that no brother, with or without power, strong or weak, who wants to advance, become proud and defend his crime, will not go unpunished. And if the pious council offers prayers to God for him, and he does not want to atone for his guilt, but wants to boast more and more, let him be driven out of the pious flock; According to the words of the apostle, who said: “Auferte malum ex vobis.” Which means: “Take the evil ones away from you.” It is necessary for you to remove the corrupt sheep from the company of godly brothers.

47. Moreover, the Master must hold in his hands a staff and a stick - a staff to test the weaknesses and strengths of others; a stick to beat the vices of those who sin. He takes care of this out of love for justice and on the advice of the patriarch. But just as my patron St. Maximus said: “Let no indulgence be greater than sin, nor punishment excessive, so as not to return the sinner to evil.”

About Rumors.

48. We command by holy covenant to avoid the plague: envy, gossip, malice, slander. Thus, everyone should zealously observe what the apostle said: “Ne sis criminator et susorro in populo.” Which means: “Do not accuse or slander a man of the Lord.” But if a brother knows for sure that another brother has sinned, let him quietly and with brotherly mercy condemn him in private, but if he does not want to listen, let another brother be called, and if even then he treats them with contempt, he must renounce (from accusations) openly before the entire meeting. Those who neglect others suffer from terrible blindness and many greatly regret that they could not resist harboring envy of others, because of which they would be cast into the darkness of the devil.

Let no one Find Pride in his Misdeeds.

49. Although it is known that all idle words are sinful, they will be spoken by those who are proud of their sins before the strict judge Jesus Christ; which is represented by the words of David, who said: "Obmutui et siluia bonis." Which means: “Everyone must refrain from speaking even what is good, and keep silence.” Also, everyone should refrain from speaking evil words in order to avoid sin. We strictly forbid brothers to list to another brother or anyone else the bold deeds he committed in worldly life, which should be called follies committed as a demonstration of knightly duties, and the pleasures of the flesh that he had with an immoral woman. If he hears this from the lips of his brother’s friend, he must immediately silence him, and if he cannot do this, immediately leave that place, and not give the ear of his heart to the peddler of dirt.

Let no one ask.

50. We order that the following custom be adhered to strictly and firmly: none of the brothers should ask for a horse or weapons from another. This can only be done in this way: if the brother’s weakness or the sickness of his animals, the fragility of the weapon are such that he cannot go out for the affairs of the House without harm, and this is known, let him go to the Master or to the one who is in his place in this estate after Master, and will inform him of the appointment with all honesty and true brotherhood. From now on, it remains at the disposal of the Master, or the one who manages the estate

About Animals and Squires.

51. Each brother knight can have three horses and no more without the permission of the Master, due to the great poverty that now exists in the Houses of the Lord and in the Temple of Solomon. To each brother knight we give three horses and give one squire, and if this squire serves mercy at his own request, the brother must not beat him for the sins he commits.

No Brother should have a Decorated Bridle.

52. We completely prohibit all brothers from having gold or silver in their bridles, stirrups, or spurs. That is if he buys them. But if it happens that the harness is given to him and it is so old that the gold and silver have faded, and the brilliant beauty is not visible to others and does not cause pride, then he can have it. But if he is given new equipment, let the Master decide as he considers correct.

About Fabrics on the Peaks.

53. Let none of the brothers have cloth on their shield or pike, since this is not an advantage, on the contrary, we understand that it will be very harmful

About Food Bags.

54. This commandment that we proclaim is important for everyone to fulfill, and for this reason we recommend adhering to it from now on. None of the brothers should make a food bag out of linen or wool, as a matter of principle. With the exception of profinel.

About the Hunt.

55. We all forbid all brothers to hunt birds with the help of other birds. It does not correspond to a person of religion to succumb to pleasures, but on the contrary, to be willing to listen to the instructions of the Lord, to be often in prayer and every day to tearfully confess to God the sins he has committed. No brother should allow himself to go with a man who hunts with one bird against another. This corresponds to every religious person to walk simply and modestly, without laughing or excessive words, but consciously and without raising his voice, and for this reason we specifically command all brothers not to go into the forest with a long bow or crossbow to hunt animals or accompany someone who does this except out of love for him, in order to protect him from the dishonest pagans. Also, you should not walk after the dogs, nor shout and chatter, nor rush spurring your horse to catch a wild beast.

About Leo.

56. In truth, you are specially called to give your souls for your brothers, as Jesus Christ did, and to protect the earth from the pagans who are the enemies of the son of the Virgin Mary. The prohibitions on hunting mentioned above in no way include the lion, since he walks around and looks for what he can eat, his paws are directed towards each person, and the hands of a person are against him.

How They Can Have Lands and People.

57. This kind of new order we believe was born from the Holy Scriptures and divine providence in the Holy Land of Easter. This means that this armed company of knights can kill the enemies of the cross without sin. For this reason we have judged that you may rightfully be called Knights of the Temple, with double the dignity and beauty of honesty, and that you may have lands and hold people, villages and fields, and govern them justly, and claim your rights to them as specifically declared.

About the Church Tithe.

58. You who have left the pleasant riches of the world, we believe that you have voluntarily devoted yourself to poverty, therefore we have decided that you can receive tithes. If the bishop, to whom the tithe should be transferred by right, wishes to give it to you out of mercy, he can, with the consent of his congregation, transfer those tithes that the church has. Moreover, if any layman has withheld tithes from his estate, to his own detriment and against the Church, and wants to give it to you, he can do this with the permission of the prelate and his head.

About the Execution of Justice.

59. We know, because we have seen it, that there is no number of persecutors and people who love quarrels and who insidiously try to torment those pious and pleasing to the Holy Church and their friends. With the clear judgment of our council, we command that if anyone in the countries of the East or anywhere else asks something from you, for a pious person and out of love for the truth you should judge it if the rest of the company allows. The same instructions should always be followed if something is stolen from you.

About the Elderly Brothers.

60. We command by all pious counsel that the aged and weak brethren be honored with diligence and respect for their sickness; and were well maintained, by the authority of the Rules, in all things which were necessary to their physical well-being, and were in want of nothing.

About the Sick Brothers.

61. Let the sick be given respect and care, let them be served in accordance with the words of the evangelist and Jesus Christ: “Infirmus fui et visitastis me.” What does it mean: “I was sick and you visited me” and let them not forget about it. The crippled brothers must be treated calmly and with care; by this service, carried out without hesitation, you will earn the kingdom of heaven.

We therefore command the One in Charge of the Weak to diligently and piously provide those things which are necessary to the variously sick brethren, such as meat, fish, poultry, and all other food which gives good health, according to the means and possibilities of the house.

About the Infected Brothers.

62. When a brother passes from life to death, from which no one is exempt, we command you to offer prayers with a pure heart for his soul, and the priests serving the rightful king should conduct the service, and those who serve mercy for a certain period of time and all brothers those serving for a certain period, how many of them there are, where the body lies, must say one hundred “Our Father” over the next seven days. And all the brothers who are at the disposal of the House from which the brother left must say one hundred “Our Father”, as stated above, after it became known about the death of the brother, by the grace of God. We also offer prayers and command by pastoral authority that one beggar be fed with meat and wine for forty days, in memory of the deceased brother, as if he were alive. We specifically prohibit all other proposals that are made at will and without the permission of the Poor Knights of the Temple for the death of brothers, during the fast of Easter and other fasts.

63. Moreover, you must accept your fate with a pure heart day and night, so that you can be compared in this with the wisest of the prophets, who said: “Calicem salutaris accipiam.” That is: “I have accepted the cup of salvation,” which means “I will avenge the death of Jesus Christ with my death. Just as Jesus Christ gave his body for me, I am preparing in the same way to give my soul for my brothers.” It's a worthy proposal; a living sacrifice and well pleasing to the Lord.

About Priests and Clerks Serving Charity.

64. Our whole council commands you to give offerings and all kinds of alms, in whatever form they may be given, to chaplains and clerks and others who remain in charity for a certain period. In accordance with the authority of the Lord, the ministers of the church can have only food and clothing and should not allow themselves anything more, except if the Master wants to give them something out of mercy.

About the Secular Knights.

65. Those who serve out of pity and stay with you for a certain period of time are knights of the house of the Lord and the Temple of Solomon; Therefore, out of pity, we offer prayers and command that if during the service the power of the Lord takes away any of them, in the name of the love of the Lord and brotherly charity, for the salvation of his soul, one beggar will be fed for seven days, and every brother in that house will say thirty “Our Father.”

About Secular Knights Serving for a Specific Term.

66. We command all secular knights who wish to serve Jesus Christ and the house of the Temple of Solomon for a certain period of time to piously purchase a worthy horse and weapons and everything necessary for such work. In addition, we command both parties to set a price for the horse and mark it on paper so that they do not forget. Let everything that a knight, his squire and his horse need, even horseshoes, be given to him out of brotherly charity, according to the means of the house. If, during a certain period, it happens that a horse dies in the service of the house and if the house can provide this, then the Master must provide a replacement for the horse. If, at the end of his stay, the knight wishes to return to his country, he must leave to the house, out of mercy, half the price of the horse, and the second part he can, if he wishes, receive as favor from the house.

About the Responsibilities of Sergeants.

67. Since there are squires and sergeants who wish to serve mercy in the house of the Temple for the salvation of their souls and for a certain period, coming from different places, we consider it important that a promise be obtained from everyone that envious enemies will not put repentance in their hearts and they will not be forced to renounce their good intentions.

About the White Robes.

68. By the general decision of the council, we prohibit and order the expulsion, for general vice, of anyone who was in the house of the Lord Knights of the Temple without permission; also that sergeants and squires should not wear white clothes, since such a habit does great harm to the house; So in distant regions there are false brothers, married men and others who say that they were brothers of the Temple and swear by it, while in fact they were in the world. They bring so much shame to us and harm to the Order of Knights that even their squires boast about it. For this reason, many scandals arise. Therefore, let them be given black clothes, but if none are found, let them be given what is available in the given province, or what is less expensive. That is burell

About Married Brothers.

69. If married people ask to be accepted into the brotherhood, dignity and devotion of the house, we allow you to accept them on the following conditions: after death they will leave part of the property and everything acquired later to the house. Meanwhile, they should lead an honest life and try to treat their brothers well. But they should not wear white clothes or cloaks, moreover, if the knight dies before the lady, the brothers should take part of his property, and let the rest go to the lady to support her during the rest of her life, since it does not seem right for such widows to live in home with brothers who promised chastity to God.

About the Sisters.

70. The company of women is a dangerous thing, and through this the old devil led many from the straight path to Paradise. From now on, let no women be accepted by the sisters into the house of the Temple; That is why we can no longer adhere to this custom, so that the flower of chastity will always remain among you.

Let Them Not Be Familiar with Women.

71. We consider it dangerous for all religious people to look too long at a woman's face. For this reason, none of you should allow yourself to kiss a woman, be she a widow, a little girl, a sister, a mother, an aunt, or anyone else. And from now on, the Knights of Jesus Christ must by all means avoid the embrace of a woman, thanks to which men have died many times, so as to constantly remain before the face of the Lord with a pure heart and a righteous life.

Don't Be Godfathers.

72. We forbid all brothers from now on to dare to raise a child above the font and no one should be ashamed to refuse to be a godfather or godmother; this shame will bring more glory than sin.

About the Regulations.

73. All provisions mentioned and written above in these Rules are at the discretion and court of the Master.

These are the Days of Lent and Fasts which must be Celebrated and Observed by all the Brothers.

74. Let it be known to all present and future brothers of the Temple that they must fast during the Watch of the Twelve Apostles. Namely: St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. Philip, St. Timothy, St. Bartholomew, St. Simon and St. Jude, St. Matthew. Vigil of St. John the Evangelist; the vigil of the Ascension and two days before it, the days of rogation, the vigil of Pentecost (?), the amber days (?), the vigil of St. Lawrence, the vigil of Our Lady in mid-August, the vigil of All Saints, the vigil of Epiphany. And they must fast on all the specified days in accordance with the instructions of Pope Innocent given at the meeting in the city of Pisa. And if any of these fasts fall on Monday, they must fast on the coming Saturday. If the birth of our Lord falls on a Friday, the brothers must eat meat in honor of the holiday. But they must fast on the days of St. Mark because of the funeral service(?): since this is declared by Rome to be the mortality of man. However, if it falls on Easter days, they should not fast.

These are the Festivals that must be observed in the Temple House.

75. Nativity of the Lord, feast of St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, Holy innocents(?), eight days of Christmas, New Year's Day, Epiphany, St. Mary candelmas(?), St. Matthias the Apostle, Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in March, Easter and three days after, St. George, St. Philip and St. James, the two apostles, the finding of the cross of the Lord, the Ascension of the Lord, Pentecost (?) and two days after, St. John the Evangelist (?), St. Peter and Paul, two apostles, St. Mary Magdalene, St. James the Apostle, St. Laura, Presentation of the Virgin Mary(?), Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Exaltation of the Holy Cross, St. Matthew the Apostle, St. Michael, St. Simon and Jude, Feast of All Saints, St. Martin in winter, St. Catherine in winter, St. Andrew, St. Nicholas, St. Timothy the Apostle.

76. None of the lesser festivals shall be observed in the house of the Temple. And we wish that the following be strictly adhered to: all brothers of the Temple must fast from the Sunday before St. Martin until the Nativity of the Lord; only illness can prevent this. And if it happens that the feast of St. Martin falls on a Sunday, the brothers must do without meat on the previous Saturday.

This translation of the original or original Templar Rules is based on Henry de Courzon's 1886 edition, "La Regle du Temple (Rule of the Templars): A Military Manual, or How to Deliver a Cavalry Charge." Here are the Rules that the Council gave to the young Knights Templar in 1129, but “it must not be forgotten that the Order existed for a number of years and created its own traditions and customs even before the appearance of Hugo de Payen in the Council. To a large extent, the Original Rules are based on existing practice." (Upton-Ward, p.11)

This translation is an extract from Judith Upton-Ward's The Templar Rule, published in Woodbridge; Boydell Press, 1992, and reprinted with permission of the author. The Templar Rules includes an introduction written by Upton-Ward; as well as the "Original Rules of the Templars" and the "Hierarchical Rules", provisions governing penance, relations with women, observance of general customs and the procedure for admission to the Order, as well as an appendix compiled by Matthew Bennett, "La Regle du Temple (Rule of the Templars) as a Military Manual , or How to Deliver a Cavalry Strike." The book is highly recommended for those interested in the Templars or any other military Order.

Charter - a set of rules governing the organization and procedure of activities in any specific area of ​​​​relations or any government body, enterprise, institution. General charters are approved, as a rule, by the highest bodies of state power, the charters of individual organizations - by their founders or the relevant ministries and departments. Public organizations (voluntary sports societies, creative unions, etc.) have charters. Most international organizations have charters as the main acts that define the tasks, principles of formation and activities of this organization.

I

Each order has a military subordination, the monarchy is the heart of the order, without subordination there could not be a military order and order. Every brother in the order is respected, but without subordination we cannot be a single brotherhood. Younger brothers are subordinate to older brothers who are wiser and experienced, younger brothers must obey the orders of their older brothers, so that they will not make mistakes in decisions, so in our glorious order there are rules, thanks to which we remain strong.
Each member of the order must unquestioningly carry out the orders of his superior,
for insubordination, the following actions will be taken: expulsion from the order, demotion in rank, withdrawal of rights to bear the previous rank, test day, tests are issued by members of the council, but if the culprit refuses to be punished, he is expelled from the order, tests are carried out so that the offender will atone for his guilt, prove to the fraternity that the culprit pays for his mistakes.
Results: Ignorance of the Charter does not exempt anyone from responsibility, therefore, violation of any of the points will be considered sufficient grounds for punishing any Templar, up to and including expulsion from our ranks forever.

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Laws - more than one society can survive without them, without laws there will be chaos that cannot be stopped, therefore in the order there are a number of laws that none of the members of the order has the right to violate, first of all, the laws of our glorious order are aimed at those people who loved the laws of a real knight, the laws by which a stern warrior lives, and this is respectful. There are laws that support other laws, laws which are the basis of all laws. If you conscientiously fulfill our laws, you will be a great warrior who bears the proud name - Templar. Honor our laws, love our laws, keep our laws as your soul.
So what laws reign in the Templar Order:
each member of the order must call each other brother; Templar brothers should not quarrel among themselves or hate one another, neither in joy nor in sorrow; every Templar does not have the right to show uncontrollable laughter (thus he shows his inadequacy and seriousness towards the matter); (the first law belongs to the most important, this law is the basis of laws) not a single Templar should smoke, what a minute this was not, not a single brother should even pick up cigarettes for his own self-interest; (the second law is one of the most important, this law is the basis of laws) none of the Templars should allow themselves to drink alcoholic beverages except wine and beer, but a Templar should drink beer only after reaching adulthood, namely after 18 years; (the third law is one of the most important, this law is the basis of laws) do not utter shameful or defamatory words, that is, do not swear, if you violate the third law, your contact with God is severed; never retreat back in battle unless the enemy outnumbers you by three; external beauty in the Templar Order does not matter at all, in the Order only loyalty, wisdom, fearlessness and obedience are important, but the meaning of the law is that you cannot show off your qualities even if you have them; when a conversation begins about the Templars or something connected with them, everyone should maintain the conversation and not try to make it unique; if he maintains the conversation, it means that the Templar is loyal to the Templars and is not shy about the order; none of the Templars has the right to present their objections to the laws of the order and, moreover, to change the laws in their own way; a Templar can only know why and why this or that law is needed;
they will never be ashamed of the fact that you are a Templar, when fulfilling this law you show your loyalty and indifference to what others think of you; all property that was purchased with general funds and for a common Templar purpose is common; a personal property can be in all other cases; always help the Templar brothers in trouble or just help, help only so as not to harm the order or other brothers; do not show something that teases other Templars, something that causes controversy, or something that reflects badly on the order or on the brothers; do not discuss your brother behind your back, do not gossip about another brother, make fun of him, and so on; (the fourth law is one of the most important, this law is the basis of laws) never put the order at risk by your actions; do not act independently in solving the problems of the order, your knowledge may not be enough and you can do harm with your unwise decision, your duty is to ask for advice from the Grand Master of the order, the master must give you permission or a ban, you must listen to him; (the fifth law is one of the most important, this law is the basis of laws) no one should take drugs, neither Templars nor Christians, drugs are death and a violation of God’s prohibition, it is better to die than to let drugs get to you, everyone should think so; The Grand Master of the Templar Order is a model for everyone; if the Grand Master does not fulfill even the simplest prohibition, he must voluntarily leave the post of Master for a time to his brother, he can choose a brother himself; if the Templars or a Templar need an item that can be divided equally among all those in need, you must do it by helping yourself; if a Templar wants someone not to know that he is in the order, then he can secretly be a Templar, hiding it from all other peasants; (the sixth law belongs to the most important, this law is the basis of laws) Templars can only be male; no one should ever glorify the name of the enemy; if you glorify the name of heresy, then you too will be recognized as a heretic; during initiation, no one should laugh, smile contemptuously or show their displeasure; if this happens, it means he doesn’t like the order and is embarrassed by our customs, which means such a knight has no place in the order, he can leave straight from initiation; No Templar should just utter words of Arabic origin; by following this law you show your hatred of Muslims and Allah; Templars should not pose as other individuals, this shows that the devil has settled in your soul and you are behaving inappropriately; no Templar is allowed to give away things belonging to the order or if the thing was purchased with public funds; Templars are strictly forbidden to negotiate with members of enemy factions about diplomacy without the permission of the Grand Master, much less take measures or enter into alliances; spread the name of the order “Templars” in any way by writing, saying to submit an advertisement, and so on; each Templar must invite one more Templar to the order, then the one who invited another Templar will share the rating, rank and respect; each Templar must keep a book of good deeds, from this book the master can measure the influence of a given brother in the Templar Order, weekly the master must look through the book and write down the brother’s actions in his data; if there is a partial change or addition of law to the Templar Rules, the master or council member must contact the brothers and inform them of the changes; Each Templar on his computer should have a “Templar” folder that contains: announcements, Templar gallery, Templars, Templar brothers, Templar charter, Templar creed, Templar culture, information about the brothers, music, goals in case of file loss, the Templar must inform the council or master's degree to get the data again;

I I I

So what are the laws, prohibitions and orders on the official website and in the VKontakte group of the Holy Order of the Celestial Knights:
Only Templars who have already accepted permission from the Master Prior to become one should register on the official website of the Templars; the site should contain only information that is related to the Templars, the Middle Ages, the Bible and God; the rest that does not correspond to the order and the above should not be present;
the site should not contain violations of laws from chapter 2; All Templars must register on the Templar website, even those who do not have a computer or the Internet; if there is a change in the Templar charter, then information updating should be enabled on the Templar website and in the VKontakte group; each Templar must be a member of the official VKontakte group of the Order of the Templars; each Templar must be registered on the official website of the Templar Order; all Templars must contact the master of the order to find out about changes or news that have happened in the order;

on how to increase the rating of patriotism in the Knights Templar:
1.Fulfill all laws (25%) 2.Fulfill all instructions or orders of a higher rank (15%) 3.Frequent meetings with the master (14%) 4.Oppress enemies (17%) 5.The desire to create a better order (26% ) 6. Laying out new laws for the charter or culture (18%) 7. Keeping a book of good deeds (5%) 8. Knowledge of the history, culture and charter of the Templars (20%). 9. Not shaming prayers, God and everything connected with the Templars (30%) 10. Promoting the Templar culture, maintaining your version of the culture on your computer, not excluding the official culture (36%) 11. Frequent conversations about the Templars (30%) 12. The desire to attract new people to the order, and not excluding real invitation (50%) 13. Observance of laws and loyalty behind the face of the master (50%) 14. Glorification of the Templars (45%) 15. Sophisticated thinking (15%) 16. Trying to be similar for a master's degree (10%) 17. Agreement in everything that will help the development of the Templars (24%) 18. Concern about the problems of the order, the desire to solve them (30%). A Templar can increase his rating by completing tasks, tasks can have several levels of difficulty A ,B,C,D. for completing tasks of difficulty A, a Templar can receive from 20% to 70%, for level B from 70% to 140%, for difficulty C from 150% to 250%, and for the last level of difficulty you can receive from 250% to 500% of the rating.
By fulfilling these points, the Templar can receive the highest rank of ranks in the order of 24, but each rank has four additional ones, the entire rank is also divided into three types, this will be discussed below:
Ranks - 1.Recruit(100%), 2.Baron(350%), 3.Imper(600%), 4.Chrysler(900%), 5.Senator(1100%), 6.Berserker(1250%), 7.Paladin(1550%), 8. Warhammer(1800%), 9.Captain(2000%), 10.Bishop(2200%), 11.Oberfors(2450%), 12.Grand Executioner(2600%), 13.Desipticon(2700%), 14.Darth - leader(3000%), 15.
Additional discharges - 1,2,3,4 edge
Division of Titles - 1. Stalker (the "Stalkers" category includes the first 8 ranks from 1-8), 2. Laureates (the "Laureates" category includes the middle 8 ranks from 9-16, 3. Commandership (the "Commandership" category includes the last 8 titles from 17-24, not counting the Priory of Sion)

Text of the French Charter of the Order of the Knights Templar

From the translator

This pamphlet which you, gentlemen, hold in your hands is a translation of the book The Rule of the Templars (Upton-Ward, J.M. 1972, The Rule of Templars. Published by The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK.) in

in the form in which it came to me - a photocopy without Introduction and Appendix. If such an opportunity arises, I will not fail to translate them and send them out to interested parties. Please send your comments and suggestions to: e-mail: [email protected](To Rumyantsev Peter).

With gratitude to everyone who helped me in acquiring, translating, typing and designing this book. Translation by Rumyantsev Petr (Yoshkar-Ola), Koteneva Valeria (Samara), layout by Fetisov Boris (Kazan).

French text of the Charter of the Order of the Knights Templar. This book provides the first English translation of Henry de Courzon's 1886 French Rite, compiled from three medieval manuscripts. The monastic rule and manual, the Charter is a unique document and an important historical source. It is divided into 7 main sections: Basic Charter, Statutes and Regulations of the House of the Temple,Punishments, Everyday life,Conducting regular meetings, Further details on penalties,

Admission to the Order. Details are given of the clothing, weapons and equipment due to each brother, instructions for the brothers on how to act during a [military] campaign, information about the daily life of the members of this most influential military order and about the monastic discipline that made it a significant military force.

The Rules were developed over the course of almost 150 years of the Order's existence, and thus it is a dynamic work showing how the Templars adapted to political changes and formulated their disciplinary code. The Introduction provides the historical background of the Charter and summarizes its various sections.

Matthew Bennett's Appendix examines the military application of the Charter, with particular emphasis on strategy.

J.M. Upton-Ward is a former student at the Graduate Center for Medieval Studies at the University of Reading.

Formatting and additional proofreading (without book):

Boychuk Bogdan and Kryldakov Ruslan

Internet project “History of the Order of the Temple” (http://templiers.info) 2002

Basic Charter

Here begins the preface to the Temple Charter

1. We address ourselves first of all to all those who secretly reject their own will and wish with a pure heart to serve the King of Heaven as a knight, and wish to bear with zeal the ever noble weapon of obedience. With this we exhort you, who until now have led the life of secular knights, for whom the law of Jesus Christ was not the basis, to follow those whom the Lord chose from the nations doomed to eternal torment, and whom he commanded in his great mercy to defend the Holy Church, and hasten join them forever.

2. Moreover, whoever is a knight of Christ, accepting these holy commandments, must unite in his service a sincere zeal and perseverance, which is so worthy and holy, and, as we know, so noble, that if he keeps it undefiled forever, then will be honored to enter the circle of martyrs who gave their souls for Jesus Christ. In this spiritual order the order of chivalry was revived and flourished. The former knighthood despised the love of justice, which is its duty, and did not do what it was supposed to do: protect the poor, widows, orphans and the Church, it leaned towards robbery and murder. But the Lord God does not leave us

And our savior Jesus Christ. He sent his faithful from the Holy City of Jerusalem to St. 1* France and Burgundy. For the sake of our salvation and the spread of the true faith, they do not cease to sacrifice their souls to the Lord, and their sacrifice is accepted.

3. Then we gathered in Troyes from various lands from beyond the mountains, in all joy and in all brotherhood, at the request of Master Hugo de Paynes1, by whom the above-mentioned knighthood, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, was founded, on the feast of St. Hilary2 in the year 1128 from the incarnation of Christ, the ninth year after the foundation of this knighthood. And at the general Council we heard about the beginnings and deeds of the Order of Knights from the lips of Master Hugo de Paynes and, to the best of our understanding, praised what seemed good to us and avoided what seemed wrong to us.

4. And everything that happened at that Council cannot be told or set forth in detail, and we should not take it lightly, but having considered it with wise prudence, we leave it to

Charter of the Templar Order

the discretion of our revered Pope, Mr. Honorius3 and the noble Patriarch of Jerusalem, Stephen4, who know the affairs of the East and the Poor Knights of Christ, and on the advice of the general meeting we unanimously approved this. Although the great number of holy fathers who gathered in council recognized the superiority of our words, nevertheless, we must not pass over in silence the actual words and judgments that they expressed.

5. Thus, I, Jean Michel, to whom this chosen place was entrusted and entrusted, by the grace of God, served as the humble scribe of the present document, at the command of the Council and of the Reverend Father Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux.

Names of the holy fathers who were present at the Council:

6. Matthew was the first 5, Bishop of Albany, by the grace of God legate of the Roman Church, Renaud6 - Archbishop of Reims, Henri7 - Archbishop of Sens, and others8 who have the right to vote - Goslin9, Bishop of Soissons, Bishop of Paris10, Bishop of Troyes11, Bishop of Orleans12, Bishop of Auxerre13, Bishop of Meaux14, Bishop of Chalons15 , Bishop of Laon16, Bishop of Beaué17, Abbot of Vézelay18, who was later Archbishop of Lyon and Legate of the Roman Church, Abbot of Citeaux19, Abbot of Pontini20, Abbot of Trois-Fontaines21, Abbot of Saint-Denis-de-Reims22, Abbot of Saint-Etienne-de-Dijon23 , Abbot Molesme24, the above-mentioned Bernard25, Abbot of Clairvaux, whose words the above mentioned were immensely praised. Also present were Master Aubrey de Reims, Master Fouché and some others who would have been

long to write down. And for the rest who are not mentioned, it would be useful to guarantee that they were committed to the truth: these are Count Theobald26, Count Nevers27, Andre de Bodman. They were at the Council, and they acted in such a way that, with perfect careful care, they chose what was beautiful and condemned what seemed wrong.

7. And also present was Brother Hugo de Paynes, Master of the Order, with those of the brothers whom he took with him. They were brother Roland, brother Godefroy, and brother Geoffroy Bizot, brother Payne de Montdidier, brother Archambault de Saint-Amand 28. The Master and his followers told the above-mentioned holy fathers about the customs and rituals of their humble beginnings and the one who said: " Ego principium qui et locuor vobis", which means: "I, who speak to you, am the beginning."

8. It was the pleasure of the General Council that the reflections which were expressed there, and the discussions of Holy Scripture, which were carefully tested by the wisdom of my master Honorius, Pope of the Holy Roman Church,

And Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the approval and consent of the Council and the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple, which is in

Jerusalem, were to be written down and not forgotten, and preserved, so that those who lead a righteous life could come to their Creator, whose compassion is sweeter than honey, whose mercy is like oil 29 and will allow us to draw closer to Him whom we wish to serve. Per infinita seculorum secula. Amen.

Here begins the Rule of the Poor Knights of the Temple

9. You who deny your own will, and you others who serve the King of heaven mounted and armed

term for the sake of the salvation of your soul, try everywhere with a pure desire to serve Matins and the entire service, according to the canon and customs of the legitimate rulers of the Holy City of Jerusalem 30. O you, reverend brothers, God is also with you, if you promise to despise this mortal world in the eternal love of the Lord and reject the temptations of your body,

satisfying your hunger with divine food, and your thirst with the commandments of our Lord; at the end of the chosen service, no one will be afraid to go into battle if from now on he wears a tonsure29*.

10. But if any of the brothers is sent on the business of the House and Christianity in the East, which, as we believe, will happen often, and cannot listen to the divine service, he must read Paternoster 30* thirteen times instead of Matins, seven times for each an hour and nine times for Vespers. And we all command him to do so. But those who are sent on such a matter and cannot come at the appointed hours to listen to the divine service, should not miss the appointed hours to pay tribute to the Lord.

How to receive brothers

11. If a secular knight or any other person wishes to leave the path to eternal torment and say goodbye to worldly life, and choose your community life, do not accept it immediately. For it is said by my lord Saint Paul: " Probate spiritus si ex Deo sunt", which means: “Test the soul in order to see” whether it is from the Lord. If it is decided that he should be accepted into the society of the brothers, let the charter be read to him, and if he wishes to unquestioningly obey the commandments of the Charter, it pleases the Master and the brothers accept him, let him reveal his desire to all the brothers in the chapter, and let him ask with a pure heart31.

About excommunicated knights

12. Where you know the excommunicated knights should gather, we command you to go 32, and if anyone from overseas wishes to join the order of knights, you must weigh not so much the benefit in this mortal world as the eternal salvation of his soul. We command that he be received on condition that he appear before the bishop of this province and inform him of his intention. And when the bishop has heard him and absolved him of his sins, he must send him to the Master and brothers of the Temple, and if his life has been honest and worthy of their society, if he seems worthy to the Master and brothers, let him be mercifully received; and if he dies at this time due to the suffering and anxiety he has endured, let him be given all the honors of brotherhood due to one of the Poor Knights of the Temple.

13. Under no circumstances should the brothers of the Temple share company with a person who has been obviously excommunicated, or accept his donations, and we strictly prohibit this, for something terrible would happen if they were excommunicated, like him. But if he is only forbidden to listen to the divine service, [then] of course it is possible to share company with him and take his donations with the permission of the commander.

Charter of the Templar Order

ABOUT that children should not be accepted

14. Although the charter of the holy fathers allows children to be accepted into spiritual life 33, we do not advise you to do

this. For he who wishes to give his child forever to the order of knights must educate him until such time as he becomes able to firmly hold weapons 34 and cleanse the earth from the enemies of Jesus Christ. Then let his father and mother bring him into the House and lay his request before his brothers, and it is better if he does not take the vow as a child, but when he is older, and it is better if he does not regret it than if he does. Then let him be tested according to the understanding of the Master and the brothers, and according to the honesty of life of the one who asks to be admitted into the brotherhood.

ABOUT brothers who stand in the chapel too long

15. It became known to us, and we heard it from reliable witnesses, that you listen to the divine service while standing immoderately and without restriction. We do not require you to do this; on the contrary, we do not approve of it.

But we command that both the strong and the weak, in order to avoid disorder, should sing a psalm called Venite with an invitation35 and a hymn while sitting, and say their prayers in silence, in a whisper and in a low voice, so that the one praying does not interfere with the prayers of other brothers.

16. But at the end of the psalms, when it is sung Gloria Patri, out of respect for the Holy Trinity, you must stand and

bow to the altar, and the weak and sick bow their heads. This is what we command. And when the explanations of the Gospel are read and Te deum laudamus 36 is sung, and everyone praises, and Matins ends, you should be on your feet. We also command you to stand at matins and at all services of the Mother of God37.

About the brothers' clothes

17. We command that all brothers' capes be the same color 38: white or black or brown39. And we grant to all the brother knights white cloaks, and no one who does not belong to the said Knights of Christ is allowed to wear white cloaks, so that those who have rejected the life of darkness may recognize each other as bound to the Creator by the sign of these white cloaks, which means purity and complete chastity. Chastity is confidence of the heart and health of the body. For if one of the brothers has not taken the vow of chastity, he can neither find eternal peace nor see the Lord, for it is said by the Apostle: “ Pacem sectamini cum omnibus et castimoniam sine qua nemo Deum videbit", which means: "Try to bring peace to everyone, maintain chastity, without which no one can see God."

18. But these clothes must be without any decoration and without a trace of vanity 40. And we order that none of the brothers should have a piece of fur41 on their clothes, or anything else that serves the habits of the body, or even

blankets, unless they are made from lamb or sheep wool. We command that everyone wear the same clothes, so that everyone can put on and undress, and put on or take off their shoes with ease 42 . And the Kelar or someone else in his place should carefully consider and take care of these things in order to deserve the reward of the Lord, so that the eyes of envious

And the slanderers could not see that the clothes were too long or too short, but he must distribute them so that they fit those who wear them, according to the height of each.

19. And if any of the brothers, out of vanity or arrogance, wants to have, as his due, the best

And the most beautiful cape, let him receive the worst. And those who receive new robes must immediately return the old ones, to give them to the squires and sergeants, and often to the poor, the holder of this place will somehow find it best.

About shirts

20. Among other things, we mercifully establish that Due to the intense heat that exists in the East, from Easter to All Saints' Day, out of compassion, and not as a right, a linen shirt is given to all brothers who wish to wear it.

ABOUT bed linen

21. We decree by common consent that every person should have clothing and bedding at the discretion of the Master. We believe that, besides a mattress, one pillow and one blanket will be enough for everyone, and he who does not have one of these things may have a blanket, and he can use linen at any time.

blanket with soft pillow. Everyone must always sleep dressed in a shirt and trousers, and shoes and belts, and where the brothers sleep, the light must burn until the morning 43. And the Cellarer must take care that the brothers have a well-shaven tonsure, so that they can be recognized from the front and back, and we command you to strictly adhere to the same manner as regards beards and mustaches, so that no excesses can be noticed on your bodies.

ABOUT shoes with long toes 44 and laces

22. We forbid long-toed shoes and laces, and we forbid any brother to wear them; nor do we allow them to those who serve the House for a fixed term. We forbid them to wear long-toed shoes or laces under any circumstances. For it is obvious and well known that these abominable things belong to the pagans. Also, you should not wear your hair or capes too long. For those who serve the King of Heaven must follow, both soul and body, the covenant of the Lord himself, who said: “Estote mundi quia ego mundus sum", which means: "Be like me in the world."

How to eat food

Charter of the Templar Order

23. In the palace 45 or in what should rather be called a refectory, one should eat food together. But if you are in need of anything, and you are unfamiliar with the signs used by other brothers,46 you should quietly turn to

To one of the brothers, ask for what you need at the table, with all submission and humility. For the apostle said: "Manduca panem tuum cum silentio", which means: "Eat your bread in silence." And it is said in the psalm: "Posui ori meo custodiam", which means: "I thought that my tongue would betray me", which means - I will hold my tongue so as not to say anything bad.

About reading the rules

24. At lunches and dinners of the brothers of the convention 47 The Holy Scriptures should always be read, if possible. If we love God and all his holy words, and his holy commandments, we must be willing to listen carefully; the reader tells you to remain silent before he begins to read.

ABOUT dishes and drinking vessels

25. Due to the shortage of food, brothers should eat in pairs, so that each can observe the other more closely, and so that there is neither excessive severity nor secret abstinence in the brothers' diet. And it seems fair to us that each brother should have the same portion of wine in his cup.

About eating meat

26. It should be sufficient for you to eat meat three times a week, except Christmas Day. 48, All Saints49, Assumption50 and the Feast of the Twelve Apostles51. For it is known that the custom of eating flesh corrupts the body. But if the fast, when meat is prohibited, falls on Tuesday, then the next day it should be given to the brothers in abundance. On Sundays, all Temple brothers, chaplains and clergy should receive two portions of meat in honor of the holy resurrection of Jesus Christ. The rest of the House, that is, the squires and sergeants, should be content with one portion of meat and be grateful to the Lord for it.

ABOUT food on normal days

27. On the remaining days of the week, that is, on Monday, Wednesday and even Saturday, the brothers are entitled to two dishes of vegetables or other dishes with bread, and we believe that this is enough, and we command that this rule be adhered to. For he who does not eat one food must eat another.

ABOUT food on Fridays

28. On Fridays, all brothers should be given fast food, out of honor for the suffering of Jesus Christ, and

you should fast from All Saints' Day until Easter, with the exception of Christmas, the Assumption and the Feast of the Twelve Apostles 52*,. But weak and sick brothers should not adhere to this. From Easter to All Saints' Day they can eat twice, unless there is a general fast.

ABOUT saying thanksgiving

29. Always after every lunch and dinner, all brothers should [in church] thank the Lord in silence, if the church is close to the refectory, and if not, then in the refectory itself. With a humble heart they should give thanks to Jesus Christ, who sent them food. The remaining pieces of bread should be distributed to the poor, and whole pieces

leave the bread. Although the reward of the poor, whose kingdom is in heaven, should be given to them without hesitation, and the Christian faith undoubtedly recognizes you among them, 53 we establish that a tenth of the bread should be given to the brother in charge of the distribution of alms.

About a light dinner 53*

30. When daylight fades and night falls, listen to the bell, or call to prayer, according to the customs of the country 54 and everyone go to Compline. But we command that you first taste light food, although we leave this to the discretion of the Master. When he desires water, and when out of mercy he orders diluted wine to be served, let it be served in reasonable quantity. Indeed, it should not be taken in excess, but in moderation. For Solomon said: " Quia vinum facit apostatare sapientes", which means: "Wine corrupts the wise."

About silence

31. When the brothers come out from Compline, they are not allowed to speak out loud unless necessary. But let everyone go to his bed quietly and silently, and if someone needs to say something to his squire, he should say what he must say in a low voice and quietly. But if it happens that, when they come out from Compline, the Knights or the House have a serious matter that must be decided before the morning, we insist that the Master or the elder brothers who govern the Order under the Master may speak according to the occasion. For this reason we command that they do it in this way.

32. For it is written: " In multiloquio non effugies peccatum", which means: “You cannot avoid sin by talking too much.” And also: “ Mors et vita in manibus lingue“, which means: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” And during conversation we prohibit idle words and unholy laughter. And if anything was said during conversation that should not be said, we command that when going to bed , you read the Lord's Prayer with all humility and pure piety.

About sick brothers

Charter of the Templar Order

33. Brothers who suffer from illnesses [acquired] while working for the House may be allowed not to rise for Matins with the consent and permission of the Master or those in charge. But instead of Matins, one should read the “Our Father” thirteen times, as stated above, so that the words come from the heart. For David said: " Psallite sapienter ", which means: "Sing wisely." And he said: " In conspectu Angelorum psallam tibi", What

means: "I will sing to you before the angels." And let this always remain at the discretion of the Master or those who are responsible for this 55.

About general life

34. The Holy Scripture says: "Dividebatur singulis prout cuique opus erat", which means: "To each one is given according to his needs." Therefore we say that no one can be exalted among you, but everyone should take care of the sick, and the one who is less sick should thank the Lord and not be grieved, and let him whoever is sicker will humble himself through his weakness and not become proud through pity.And thus all brothers should live in peace, and we forbid anyone to carry out excessive abstinence, but firmly adhere to the rules of common life.

About the Master

35. The master can give anyone a horse and weapons, and anything else that belongs to another brother, and the brother to whom the things given belong should neither be irritated nor angry, for if he becomes angry, he will go against God.

About giving advice

36. Let only those who, as the Master knows, will give wise and useful advice, be called to the chapter, for so we command, and on no account should any be chosen. For when it happens that they wish to discuss serious matters, such as the allotment of land to the community, or to talk about the affairs of the House, or to receive a brother, then, if the Master wishes, all the brothers should be summoned to listen to the advice of the whole chapter, and let the Master do as he considers necessary and most useful.

ABOUT brothers sent to other lands

37. The brothers sent to various lands must diligently adhere to the precepts of the Order to the best of their ability and lead an impeccable life, as regards meat and wine, and other things, so that they can be well spoken of by others, and they will not taint by word or deed the instructions of the Order, and could serve as an example of good deeds and wisdom, so that, among other things, those with whom they communicate, and those at whose inns they stop, honor could be given. And, if possible, the house where they stay and sleep should not be left without light, so that enemies in the shadows cannot lead them into temptation, which is forbidden to them by God.

About preserving peace

38. Each brother must be careful not to lead the other brother into rage or anger, for by the grace of the Lord all brothers are equal: strong and weak, in the name of mercy.

How brothers should behave

39. In order to carry out their holy duties and gain the glory of the joy of the Lord, and avoid the fear of the fire of hell, all brothers received into the Order should strictly obey their Master. For nothing pleases Jesus Christ more than obedience. For as soon as any command is given by the Master, or by those to whom the Master has given this right, it must be carried out without delay, as if Christ himself had given it. For Jesus Christ said by the mouth of David, and it is true that: " Ob auditi auris obedivit mihi," which means: "He obeyed me as soon as he heard me."

40. For this reason we exhort and command the brother knights who have renounced their will, and all others who serve a fixed term, not to dare to go into the city without the permission of the Master or the one who can give it, except at night to the Holy Sepulcher and places of prayer that are inside the city walls of Jerusalem.

41. Brothers can go there in twos, but in other places they should not go either day or night, and when they stop at inns, neither the squire nor the sergeant should go to a stranger’s room, nor see each other, nor talk with him without permission, as stated above. We decree by common consent that in this Order, which is governed by God, no brother shall either fight or rest of his own free will, but only by the orders of the Master, which all obey, in order to follow the words of Jesus Christ,

who said: " Non veni facere voluntatem meam, sed ejus que misit me, patris ", which means: "I came not to do my own will, but the will of my father who sent me."

How should the exchange be made?

42. Without the permission of the Master or someone who can give it, none of the brothers should exchange one thing for another or ask for it, except if it is a small or inexpensive thing.

About castles

43. Without the permission of the Master or someone who can give it, none of the brothers should have a lockable purse or bag, but this is not adhered to by the commanders of Houses or regions, or the Masters. Without the consent of the Master or Commander, none of the brothers should keep letters from relatives or other people, but if he has permission, and if it pleases the Master or Commander, these letters can be read to him.

Charter of the Templar Order

About the gifts of the laity

44. If something that cannot be preserved, such as meat, is given by a layman to one of the brothers as a gift, he must hand it over to the Master or Commander in charge of provisions. But if it happens that any of his friends or relatives has anything that they want to give only to him, let him not take anything without the permission of the Master or the one who can give it. Moreover, if some other thing is sent to the brother

relatives, let him not take it without the permission of the Master or the one who can give it. We do not want this rule to apply to commanders or lords 56 who are especially entrusted with this service.

About misconduct

45. If one of the brothers, in his speech, either at the service, or in any other way, has committed a not too serious sin, he must voluntarily report this to the Master in order to correct himself with a pure heart. And if he has not fallen into this sin often, he should be given a light punishment, but if the sin is serious, he should be separated from the company of other brothers, so that he does not eat or drink at the same table with them, but alone, and he must give yourself at the mercy and judgment of the Master and brothers in order to be saved on the Day of Judgment.

ABOUT serious sins

46. Above all, we must act in such a way that none of the brothers, powerful or not, strong or weak, who wants to stand out and be proud and defend their crime, goes unpunished. But if he is unwilling to atone for his guilt, let him receive a more severe punishment. And if the pious council offered prayers to God for his sake, and he does not want to correct his sin, but wants to praise him more and more, he should be snatched from the pious flock, following the apostle who said: " Auferte malum ex vobis,” which means, “Cast out the corrupt from among you.” And you need to remove the bad sheep from the company of faithful brothers.

47. Moreover, the Master, who must hold in his hand a staff and a rod, a staff - in order to support

the strength and weakness of others, and the rod - in order to drive out evil from those who sin, for the sake of love and justice, on the advice of the patriarch, he must take care of this. But also, as my sir Saint Maximus said 57: “Let there be no punishment greater than the sin, and no excessive punishment should return the sinner to evil deeds.”

About gossip

48. We command you by divine advice to avoid the plague of envy, gossip, malice and slander. And everyone should be jealously guarded against what the apostle said: "Ne sis criminator et susurro in populo", which means: "Do not accuse or slander the people of God." But when a brother knows for sure that another brother has sinned, let him calmly and with brotherly mercy determine for him the punishment known only to the two of them, but if he does not want to listen, another brother should be called, and if the sinner does not listen to both, he must recant openly before the whole chapter. Those who humiliate others suffer terrible blindness, and many are filled with great sorrow because they did not guard against envy of others and they fell into the snare of the ancient cunning of the devil .

Let no one be proud of his sins

49. Although all idle words are known to be sinful, they will be spoken by those who are proud of their sin, before the strict judge Jesus Christ, as shown by the words of David: "Obmutui et silui a bonis", which means: "Even good words should be restrained , and maintain silence." You should also beware of slander in order to avoid punishment for sin. We strictly forbid any brother to tell another brother or anyone else about the brave deeds he has done in worldly life, which should be called stupidities committed in the performance of knightly duty, and about the pleasures of the flesh that he has experienced with fallen women, and if it happens that anyone hears a brother telling such stories, he must silence him immediately, and if he cannot do this, he must immediately leave the place and not listen to the peddler of abomination.

Let no one ask

50. We command that this custom be observed as strictly as the others: none of the brothers should openly ask for the horse or weapons of another. This should be done in this way: if the illness of a brother, or the weakness of his animals or weapons, is such that he cannot do his work for the House without prejudice, he should go to the Master, or whoever is in authority in that place, and inform him with clear faith and true brotherly feeling, and remain at the disposal of the Master or anyone else in authority.

ABOUT animals and squires

51. Each brother knight can have three horses and no more, without the permission of the Master, because of the great poverty that now exists in the House of the Lord and the Temple of Solomon. We give each brother knight three horses and one squire, and if this squire willingly serves mercy, the brother should not beat him for the offenses he commits.

None of the brothers should have a harness with decorations 58

52. We absolutely forbid brothers to have gold or silver on their bridle, or on their stirrups, or on their spurs. So be it if he buys them. But if it happens that he is given, as alms, a harness so old that the gold or silver is so darkened that their brilliant splendor is not visible to others and is not proud of them, then he may have [such a harness]. But if a new harness is donated to him, let the Master decide as he sees fit.

Charter of the Templar Order

ABOUT covers for copies

53. None of the brothers should have coverings on their shield or spear, for there is no advantage in this, on the contrary, we believe that it would be harmful 59 .

About bags for food

54. This commandment which we lay down is beneficial for all to adhere to, and for this reason we

We order that it be observed from now on, and that none of the brothers make bags for food from linen or wool, or anything else, with the exception of profile60.

55. We all together prohibit any brother from hunting a bird with another bird. 61. It is not suitable for a person of faith to succumb to pleasures, but he should willingly heed the commandments of the Lord, pray often and every day in his prayers tearfully confess to God the sins that he has committed. Let none of the brothers dare to go with a man who hunts bird with bird. Rather, it is worthy for every devout person to set out on a journey simply and humbly, without excessive laughter or talking, but to speak moderately and without raising his voice, and therefore we especially command all brothers not to hunt in the forests with a bow or crossbow, and not to accompany anyone who intends to do this except out of a desire to save him from the godless pagans. And also you should not hunt with dogs, shout or chatter, or drive a horse out of a desire to catch a wild animal.

About the lion

56. Truly, you are entrusted with the duty to give your soul for your brothers, as Jesus Christ did, and to protect the earth from the unfaithful pagans, who are the enemies of the son of the Virgin Mary. And the above-mentioned prohibition of hunting does not in any way include hunting the lion, for it prowls and hungers for what it can devour, and its paws are against any man, and the hand of any man is against it.

How to own lands and people

57. We believe that this new order was born from Holy Scripture and divine providence in the Holy Land in the East, and this means that its armed knights can kill the enemies of the Cross without sin. By this

reason we believe that you should rightly be called Knights of the Temple, with the special dignity and beauty of incorruptibility, and that you can own lands and have people, villas 61 * and fields, and rule them justly, and bear them your right, as it is especially installed.

About tithing

58. We believe that you have left the delightful riches of this world and willingly condemned yourselves to poverty, and we decide that those of you who live in community may receive tithes. If the bishop of the region, to whom the tithe should rightfully go, wishes to give it to you out of mercy, he can give the tithe that the church receives, with the consent of his Council. Moreover, if If any of the laity withholds tithes from his estate at a loss to himself and against the church, and wishes to give it to you, he can do so with the permission of the prelate and his assembly.

About the court

59. We know, for we have seen it, that there is no number of persecutors and those who love quarrels and torture the faithful of the Holy Church and their friends. According to the clear judgment of our Council, we command that if any of the parties [to the dispute] in the East or in other places asks for anything you have, for the sake of faithful people and the love of truth, you must judge them if the other party is willing to allow it. The same commandment must be observed if anything is stolen from you.

ABOUT elderly brothers

60. We command, with God's counsel, that aging and weak brethren should be honored and cared for according to their weakness, and by the authority of the Rule they should be given all that is necessary for their bodily well-being, and not be disturbed in any way.

About sick brothers

61. Sick brothers should receive attention and care, and they should be ministered to according to the words of the evangelist and Jesus Christ: " Infirmus fui et visitastis me ", which means: "I was sick, and you visited me, and let

this is not forgotten." For those brothers who vegetate should be treated calmly and with care, for for such service, performed without hesitation, you will gain the kingdom of heaven. So, we command the Infirmary 61** to carefully and strictly issue everything that is necessary for various sick brothers, such as: meat, poultry and other food that brings good health, according to the means and capabilities of the House.

About deceased brothers

62. When one of the brothers leaves this world, which none of us can avoid, we command with a pure heart that Mass should be celebrated for his soul, and let that divine service be performed by the priests who serve the King

Charter of the Templar Order

heavenly, and you who serve mercy for the established period, and all the brothers who serve the established period and are present where the body lies, must read the “Our Father” a hundred times over the next seven days.

And all the brothers who serve in this House where a brother has died should read the Lord's Prayer a hundred times, as stated above, after it has become known about the death of a brother by the grace of God. We also conjure and command by the authority of the holy fathers that for forty days, in memory of the deceased brother, the beggar should be fed with meat and wine, as if it were a living brother. We prohibit all other donations that were made willfully and unreasonably by the Poor Knights of the Temple after the death of a brother, on Easter and on other holidays.

63. Moreover, day and night you must carry out your faith with a pure heart, so that you can be compared with the wisest of all prophets, who said: " Calicem salutaris accipiam," which means, "I will accept the cup of salvation," which means, "I will avenge the death of Jesus Christ by my death. For just as Jesus Christ gave his body for me, I am ready to give my soul for my brothers. And this is a worthy sacrifice, a living sacrifice, pleasing to God."

ABOUT priests and clerics serving mercy

64. By the entire Council, we command you to transfer all donations and all kinds of alms, in whatever form they are given, to chaplains and clergy, or to others who serve mercy for a specified period. According to the authority of the Lord God, the servants of the church can only have food and clothing, and should not wait anything else, except if the Master wishes to give them something out of favor.

ABOUT secular knights

65. Those who serve out of compassion and remain with you for a fixed period of time are the knights of the House of the Lord and the Temple of Solomon, hereby we, out of mercy, command that if during the service the Lord will call any of them to himself, for the love of the Lord and out of brotherly charity, let one beggar be fed for seven days for the salvation of his soul, and each of the brothers of this House must read the “Our Father” thirty times.

ABOUT secular knights who serve a fixed term

66. We command that all secular knights who wish with a pure heart to serve Jesus Christ and the House of Solomon's Temple for a specified period of time, purchase a suitable horse and weapons, and everything necessary for such service. Further, we command that both parties set a price for the horse and write down this price so as not to forget it; and let everything necessary for the knight, his squire and horse, even horseshoes, be given out of fraternal charity at the expense of the House. If during the appointed time it happens that a horse dies in the service of the House, and if the House can afford it, the Master must replace it with another. If at the end of the service the knight wishes to return to his country, he must leave to the House, out of charity, half the price of the horse, and the other half, if he wishes, can be obtained from the donations of the House.

ABOUT acceptance of sergeants

67. Since the squires and sergeants who wish to serve a fixed term of mercy in the House of the Temple for the salvation of their souls come from different countries, it seems to us useful to accept their vows, so that an envious enemy cannot sow in their hearts the desire to reject or renounce their good intentions.

About white cloaks

68. By a general decision of the entire Council, we prohibit, under pain of expulsion, as a sin, so that someone was illegally staying in the House of the Lord and the Knights of the Temple; and also that sergeants and squires should not wear white capes, for from this custom great harm is done to the House, because in countries beyond the mountains false brothers, married men and others who call themselves brothers of the Temple are brought to the oath, while they lay people. They brought so much shame to us and harm to the Order of Knights that even their squires boasted of it, and for this reason a lot of unrest arose. So, let them be strictly given black robes, but if they are not available, they should be given what is available

V that area, or what is least expensive, somehow burell 62.

About married brothers

69. If a married man asks to be accepted into the brotherhood, into the parish and into the prayers of the House, we allow you to accept him on the following conditions: that after their death they leave to you a part of their estate and everything that they henceforth acquire. At the same time, they must live an honest life and devote themselves to good works for the sake of the brothers. But they should not wear white capes or cloaks, moreover, if the master dies before his wife, brothers

must take part of his estate and leave the mistress another part to support her for the rest of her life, for it does not seem right to us that confreres 63 should live in a House with brothers who have taken a vow of chastity to God.

About sisters

70. The company of women is a dangerous thing, for through it the ancient devil led many away from the direct path to heaven. Women should no longer be allowed into the Temple House as sisters 64 Therefore, dear brothers, from now on this custom should not be followed, so that the color of chastity will always be preserved among you.

You should not communicate closely with women

Charter of the Templar Order

71. We believe that it is dangerous for any believer to look too much at a woman's face. For this reason, none of you should dare to kiss a woman, be it a widow, a girl, a mother, a sister, an aunt or anyone else, and from now on the Knights of Jesus Christ must avoid by all means the embrace of women, through which men have died more than once, so that they could remain forever before the face of the Lord with a clear conscience and righteous life.

Shouldn't be godfathers

72. We now forbid all brothers from raising children over the font, and no one should be ashamed of refusing to be a godfather or godmother; this shame brings more glory than sin.

About the commandments

73. All commandments that are mentioned and written above in this Charter are left to the discretion and court of the Master. Here are written down the holidays and fasts that all brothers must observe and observe.

74. Let it be known to all present and future brothers of the Temple that they must fast on the eve of the days of the twelve apostles, which means: St. Peter and St. Paul 65, St. Andrew66, St. James67 and St. Philip, St. Thomas68, St. Bartholomew69, St. Simon and Jude70, St. James71, St. Matthew72, the eve of St. John the Baptist73, the eve of the Ascension74 and two days before, days of prayer; Pentecost75; twelve days of fasting76, St. Lawrence's Eve77, Mary's Eve in mid-August78, All Saints' Eve79, Epiphany's Eve80.

And they must fast on all the named days according to the commands of Pope Innocent at the Council 81, which was in the city of Pisa. And if any of the mentioned holidays falls on Monday, they must fast

V the previous Saturday. If the Nativity of the Lord 82 falls on Friday, the brothers must eat meat in honor of the holiday. But they must fast on the day of St. Mark83 because of the litany: this is established by Rome, for man is mortal. However, if this day falls in the week after Easter, they should not fast.

Here are recorded the festivals to be observed in the Temple House

75. Nativity of Our Lord; feasts of St. Stephen 84, St. John the Evangelist85, Holy Infants86, the eighth day of Christmas, which is New Year's Day, Epiphany, the Purification of St. Mary87, St. Matthew the Apostle, the Annunciation of Our Lady in March88, Easter and the three subsequent days, St. George89, St. Philip and James, two apostles, Finding of the Holy Cross90, Ascension of the Lord, Pentecost and the two following days, St. John the Baptist91, St. Peter and St. Paul, two apostles92, St. Mary Magdalene93, St. James the Apostle, St. Lawrence94, Assumption of the Mother of God95, Nativity of the Virgin96, Exaltation of the Holy Cross97, St. Matthew the Apostle, St. Michael98, St. Simon and Jude, Feast of All Saints, St. Martin in winter99, St. Catherine in winter100, St. Andrew, St. Nicholas in winter101, St. Thomas the Apostle.

76. No other lesser festival shall be observed in the House of the Temple. And we wish and advise,

that the following be strictly adhered to: All the brothers of the Temple must fast from the Sunday before St. Martin until the Nativity of Our Lord, except if they are sick. And if it happens that the feast of St. Martin falls on a Sunday, the brothers should not eat meat on the previous Sunday.

Hierarchical statutes

Here begin Statutes 101* and the establishment of the House of the Temple

Master's Statutes

77. The master should keep four horses, and one brother chaplain, one cleric with three horses, one brother sergeant with two horses, and one servant of noble birth to carry his shield and spear; and when he has served for some time, the Master can make him a brother knight if he wishes; but he should not do it too often. He must also have a blacksmith and a Saracen scribe102, a turcopol103 and a cook, and may have two foot soldiers and one thoroughbred horse, which should be kept in the caravanserai. And when the Master moves from one place to another, the steed must be led by a squire with a horse from the caravan; when the Master returns, he should place [the horse] in the caravanserai, and during the war he can keep it along with his other horses.

78. And when the Master moves from one place to another, he can take two beasts of burden. When he is in camp or in the pasture, he can keep them with the rest of his horses. And when he

going to where the war is going on, he can take four beasts of burden; or when he crosses the Jordan River or the Ford of Dogs 104. And when he returns to the House where he is located, the beasts of burden must return to the stables and work in the service of the House.

79. The Master should have for companions two brother knights, who should be such worthy men that they would not be excluded from any council of five or six brothers, and they should receive the same rations of barley as the Master. And when the brothers of the convention take rations for twelve horses, those who are with the Master are counted ten. And in time of war, when the brothers go on a campaign, the forage should be common, and it [the ration] should not be increased or decreased, except by order of the chapter. Same with oil and wine. But the Master can reduce barley rations during grazing. But when the grass becomes scarce, the diet should become the same.

80. If the Lord calls to himself any of the Master’s companions, he can take for himself anything from his equipment. And he must return the rest to the Marshal in the caravanserai.

Charter of the Templar Order

10 -

81. The master should not keep the lock or key to the treasury. But he may have a treasury closing on

the lock is a chest in which one stores one's valuables; and if anything is presented to the Master, these things should be placed in the crypt104*.

82. The Master can lend property of the House [worth] up to a thousand bezants 104** with the consent of several worthy men of the House, and if the Master wishes to lend a large sum, he can do so with the consent of a large council of worthy men of the House. The Master may, for the benefit of the House, give a noble friend of the House a hundred bezants or one horse; as well as a gold or silver cup, a cloak with squirrel fur or other valuable things worth a hundred bezants or less; and the Master must do this only with the consent of his companions and the worthy people of the House where he is; and this must be done for the benefit of the House. And he can give weapons, except for the sword, spear and chain mail, they cannot be given away.

83. When the valuables arrive because of the sea, they must be placed in the treasury by order of the Commander of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and no one can take or carry any of them until the Master has examined them and given his permission.

84. When horses are brought from overseas105, they should be placed in the Marshal's caravan barn, and the Marshal should not give up or transfer any of them until the Master has examined them; and if the Master wishes to take any for himself, he may do so, and also he may leave one or two horses in the caravanserai to give to the secular people who are friends of the House. And if the horses are given to him, he can give them to any brother of his choice. The Master may ask and take any horse he wishes from any of the brothers, either to give to a rich man of the world for the benefit of the House, or to ride [on it] himself, and the brother must agree. The Master may give the brother a hundred bezants if he wishes, in order to buy another horse if he has taken good care of it, and if not, the Master must ask the Marshal to give the brother another horse in return: and the Marshal must carry out the command if he has [the horse].

85. The master cannot give away or sell land or take castles in border areas 106 without the permission of the chapter, and he must not change or expand the scope of the order given by him or the convention, except with the consent of himself and the convention. Nor shall he make war, or make peace, in the land or castle where the House holds possession, without the consent of the convention; but if it happens that the treaties are broken, the Master can extend them on the advice of the brothers of that region.

86. When the Master returns from riding, he can eat food in his cell if he is injured or if he has invited knights or other secular people. And when he is sick, he can lie in his cell, and his companions eat in the palace with other brothers; when he recovers, he should eat food at one of the tables in the infirmary, and this should be better for all the brothers in the infirmary, in the name of love for the Master.

87. The Master cannot appoint commanders to the Houses of Kingdoms without the consent of the chapter: such as the Seneschal, Marshal, Commander of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Commander of the City of Jerusalem; Commander Acre 107, Celar, Commanders of the regions of Tripoli108 and Antioch109, commanders of France and England110, Poitiers, Aragon, Portugal, Apuleia and Hungary. And the said commanders of the West should not come to the East, except by order of the Master and Chapter. And the appointment of other commanders of regions and balages remains at the discretion of the Master with the consent of the chapter, or, in the absence of the chapter, on the advice of several worthy people of the House; and, if he cannot install them with the consent of the chapter, he can remove them without the chapter, [but] with a council of several worthy men of the House.

88. If the Visitor or Commander appointed by the General Chapter is recalled by the Master and the convention, but he remains for any reason, he is deposed, and he must send the seal111 and the treasury to the Master and

to the convention; and from this time on, the Visitor should not participate in the visit, and the commander should not manage the ballage 112; and brothers should not obey them, but should put a worthy brother in the place of commander and inform

Master and the convention, and wait for their orders. And the lords who are appointed on the advice of the Master should know this.

89. When the Master wishes to go to the region of Tripoli or Antioch, he can take from the treasury three thousand bezants or more, if necessary, to help the Houses [in those regions]. But he must not take them without the permission of the Commander of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who is the treasurer of the convention and who must hold and keep the keys of the treasury; and he must give the bezants to the Master. But if it happens that the Houses can do without them, the Master must return the bezants to the Commander, and the Commander must place them in the treasury.

90. When a Master moves from one place to another, he must go around and inspect castles and houses;

And if he wishes, he can, if necessary, order one House to help another. And if he wishes to take from the commanders anything that is in their possession, he should take it from them; and this should be the case in all baljazhs, from the largest to the smallest.

91. If the Master, or the commanders, ask the commanders subordinate to them to show them the things of the House, they must show them everything; and if If anyone lies or conceals anything and is found guilty of it, he may be expelled from the House. If any things are donated to the House, and the Master receives them, he must deliver them into the hands of the Commander of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who must place them in the general treasury.

92. When the Master leaves the Kingdom of Jerusalem, he can leave in his place the Commander of the Region or another brother, and the one who remains in his place receives no more power except to give advice about anything that may happen in the region, and for which the Master does not have the opportunity to come and head the chapter and [give orders] to arm himself: for everyone [is] under his command.

Charter of the Templar Order

The fathers of the Council of Troyes granted the knights the initial charter, granted the right to wear white cloaks (novices and sergeants - black), own and manage lands and vassals (despite the vow of poverty) and receive tithes as alms.
The Latin version of the charter contains 72 articles with a prologue and includes the minutes of the Council.
The first eight articles treat exclusively the religious duties of the brothers: they must listen to the divine service with great piety. If the affairs of their House prevent them from attending the service, they will repeat the Lord’s Prayer thirteen times instead of Matins, nine times instead of Vespers, and seven times at other times.
In the event of the death of one of the brothers, a mass will be celebrated for the repose of his soul, and each of the brothers will read the Lord's Prayer a hundred times for him; For forty days, one poor person will be fed in the place of the deceased.
For the soul of a secular knight who died in the service of the Order of the Temple, the Lord's Prayer is said thirty times, and the poor man receives food for seven days.
Priests and clergy serving the House temporarily (there were no monastic ministers - chaplains yet) have the right to clothing and food, but do not receive anything from donations made to the order.
The brothers are allowed to sit during Mass.
The next eleven articles deal with daily rules: brothers eat meals silently, listening to the reading of the Holy Scriptures (a translation of the Book of Judges made for this purpose will soon be revealed).
Meat is served only twice a week, with a double portion on Sundays for knights, while squires and sergeants must be content with the usual ration.
On other days, the menu contains two or three dishes from vegetables or dough, on Friday - from fish.
The brothers consider it necessary to observe fasting from All Saints' Day to Easter, with the exception of great holidays.
They must give a tenth of their bread to the poor.
In the evening they receive a light treat, in accordance with the degree of abstinence of the master. After Vespers, the brothers remain silent, except in cases of military necessity; those who are tired can limit themselves to saying “Our Father” thirteen times in their bed instead of getting up for matins.
This will be their monastic life.
Next, the appearance of the brothers was stipulated: their dress should be either completely white or black, made of coarse woolen fabric, not trimmed with fur, except perhaps sheepskin.
They will be given clothes similar to those worn by stable boys in the world.
The brothers do not cut their beards or mustaches.
Their shoes should not have pointed toes or laces (then there was a fashion for extravagant shoes with curved toes).
Each brother has his own bed with a straw mattress, a sheet, a bolster pillow and a sheep's wool blanket, where they lie down dressed in a shirt and trousers. A fire should be burning in the dormitory (dormitory) all night.
Then follows a list of requirements for the equipment and weapons of the brothers: each can have three horses and one equerry (squire).
The stirrups and bits are not gilded or silvered, and if someone brings his old gilded armor as a gift to the order, they should be painted.
When a lay knight joins a House for a certain time, the price of his horse is fixed, and half of this amount is returned to him upon leaving.
Squires and sergeants serving temporarily in the order must pay a deposit in order to fulfill their duties.
Successive articles prescribe obedience to the master to whom the brothers confess, so that he imposes on them repentance in accordance with the seriousness of their offense.
The latest charter guidance is more varied.
Brothers cannot have any bag or chest with a lock.
Letters addressed to them will be read in the presence of the master (few of the knights knew how to read and write.
The Templars are urged not to boast either of their sins or of their reckless deeds committed in the world.
If they receive a gift, even from their parents, they are obliged to give it to the master or seneschal.
They are prohibited from hunting - except for hunting lions.
The sick are entrusted to the care of a nurse; Old people also have the right to care.
Married people can become members of the House, but will not be granted white robes. If the husband dies before his wife, half of the fortune of both goes to the order, the other half to the widow.
Sisters (nuns) were not accepted into the order.
Three articles are most important: brothers are prohibited from communicating with those excommunicated; but accepting alms from those under excommunication was allowed; whoever wishes to become a brother of the Order of the Temple must apply for this (in the presence of the master and chapter) after hearing the articles of the charter.
The duration of the probationary period is determined by the master; “When traveling, brothers should strive to set a good example, especially when visiting meetings and homes of unexcommunicated knights: if among them there is someone who wants to become a Templar, he will ask for this in the presence of the local bishop, who will send him to the master of the order.”
There is nothing striking in this first charter. Apart from military details, the charter could belong to any religious community.
The only one of the articles is obviously a later addition to the decisions of the Council; even from its text it is clear that the charter was approved not in Troyes, but “by the general advice of the majority of the chapter,” that is, some time later by the general chapter of the order.
In the entire previous text, the Templars speak in their own name and write “we” instead of the “you” used by the reverend fathers.

Code of the Knights Templar

The "code", or hierarchically arranged statutes, appears to go back to the magisterium of Bertrand de Blancfort.
The Code is written in French, and is worthy of attention for the admirable details it contains of the manners and military customs of the times, as well as of the customs of the Order of the Temple.
It begins "Master's Code".
The master has the right to four riding animals - horses or mules, in addition - one turkoman or dextrarius, that is, a selected war horse.
He is accompanied by one brother-chaplain and one scribe with two saddled horses and one beast of burden for transporting goods and a marching altar before which mass is celebrated.
A noble servant (squire) on horseback carries the master's shield and spear.
"And when the latter has served him for some time, he [the master] will be able to make him a brother knight, but let him not do this too often."
The Master's personal servants include:
- blacksmith,
- a scribe who knows Arabic,
- cook,

- one sergeant with two riding horses,
- one turkopol, or horseman from local residents, performing the duties of a messenger.
"The master must have two brother knights as companions, who must be such worthy men that they could not be excluded from any council in which there would be five or six brothers.
Together they are the master's close advisers and controllers of his public or private actions."
Like Saint Louis, the Templars valued more a prudent husband than brave. In their ranks, bravery was necessary, but the charter reserves praise for the knights wise and good life.
The master's companions receive "the same measure of barley [for their horses] as the master, and when there is war and the brothers make transitions, the allowance should be common and should not increase or decrease except by decision of the chapter.
And the same goes for oil and wine."

At the beginning of the "Code" one discovers - even as regards the master - a constant concern for equal distribution, the exclusion of all waste, without skimping, however, either on the food of knights and messengers, or on the feed of pack animals, so necessary for service in the Order of the Temple .
“The Master can lend the wealth of the House up to a thousand gold coins with the consent of some of the worthy men of the House.
And if the master wants to borrow great wealth, he must do so on the advice of most worthy men.
The Master may give one hundred gold coins or a horse to a worthy husband, a friend of the House, and may also give a gold or silver cup, or a coat of many colors, or other beautiful jewels worth at least one hundred gold coins, for the benefit of the House.
He can give any weapon, with the exception of a sword, an iron spearhead or a combat dagger - they cannot be given."
The value of the gifts should be proportionate to the rank of the giver, ranging from fine jewelry to small things that brothers have the right to give to each other: a small English knife, a lantern, or anything made by themselves that cost the House nothing.
They even talk about dogs and cats, which they can give to friends outside the Order of the Temple.
The personal power of the master in relation to the external policy of the order is limited, as is the personal power of the other senior administrators of the order - the grand baili.
“The master may neither cede land nor alienate it, nor undertake the maintenance of a castle in any region, except in consultation with his chapter.
He must also neither start a war nor conclude a truce, either on land or in a castle serving as the residence of the order's lordship, without the consent of the monastery. But if it turns out that the truce is broken, the master can extend it on the advice of the brothers who are in this country.
The Master cannot place commanders at the head of the kingdoms, at least if he does so on the advice of the chapter. As for the other commanders of the lands and other bailiffs, due to the lack of lands, their appointment, according to the opinion of the chapter or without it, remains at the discretion of the master<...>"
When the master leaves the Kingdom of Jerusalem, he leaves as deputy commander of the Holy Land or someone else.
"But whoever is in his place receives no power except to call a council if anything happens during the master's absence, and to assemble a chapter, and to distribute armor<...>"
The "Code" irrefutably proves the existence of a constant and reciprocal connection between the Holy Land and Europe - it was the latter for the Palestinian Templars Overseas land.
The houses of the West sent various kinds of valuables to the Temple Order: gold, silver, fabrics, clothing, armor, horse harness, horses. From the East, the Templars sent their brothers to inspect the provinces, as well as to retire elderly or sick knights.
"When the master has just ridden on horseback, he is free to eat food in his room, as well as after loss of blood, or if he has invited knights or other laymen to him. And when he is sick, he can lie in his room, and his comrades must eat in the wards with the other brothers; and when he recovers, he can eat at one of the tables in the infirmary, and all the brothers in the infirmary must, out of love for him, eat better<...>"
“When the master eats at the monastery table, he can offer food from his dishes to everyone who wishes it, and no brother except the master can do this.”
"Any dress that remains from the master's clothes or linen should be given in the name of God to lepers or where it will be seen that it will be best used. And if the master gives a dress from among those worn by him to any brother, he should give another for lepers or anyone else."
“For every act committed by the master on the advice of the monastery, he must ask the opinion of each and every one of the brothers, and he will make a decision with which most of the brothers and himself will agree.
All brothers of the Order of the Temple must be subject to the master, and the master must also obey his monastery."
The above phrases reveal quite clearly the relationship between the master and his chapter.
The first has considerable, but not absolute power: it is limited by the chapter's right to debate, as well as by the rules and customs immortalized in the Code, which the Templars always observed very strictly.
As for the chapter, the primacy in it fluctuates somewhat between pars magna(by majority) and pars saniora(the wisest part) of the community of knights. It can be assumed that the instructions came mainly from master's council, a small group of the highest order dignitaries and respected knights who formed the entourage of the chapter and whom the general chapter called upon to sign its decisions.

"Vault of the Seneschal" which in the history of the order is located between the master and the marshal, follows master's code. The seneschal is the second most senior dignitary of the Order of the Temple, and when electing a master, the choice quite often falls on the holder of this position.
The seneschal, like the master, has four horses, but instead of a mule he has parade horse
They serve him:
- two squires,
- a scribe to read the Book of Hours,
- a scribe who understands Saracen,
- two errand boys,
- one brother sergeant,
- one local infantryman-turkopol.
Like a master, he must have a worthy companion who accompanies him in all circumstances.
The seneschal can give a ceremonial horse or mule, a war saddle, a beautiful silver cup or clothing made of “multi-colored or bright red fabric. But these gifts should be made on the advice of the brothers who find themselves on this side, for the benefit of the House.”
There is a kind of official hierarchy of gifts, since the master has the right to bestow one hundred gold coins or a gold cup.

Marshal of the monastery performs several functions. First of all, he is responsible for monastic discipline in both peace and war; he himself conducts the roll call of the knights who have gathered to listen to the Mass or the Hours; gives orders for the day, even when the master is present; takes care of the maintenance of all horses and other animals of the monastery and caravan, pack and under saddle, with weapons, armor and harness, provided to the knights or placed in the marshal's stables.
Moreover, he commands the monastery in wartime (of course, under the supreme leadership of the master). The marshal himself carries the banner as a sign of unity in battle.
The marshal is entitled to four horses, including one warhorse, and is entitled to two squires.
He is accompanied by a well-equipped sergeant and a turkopol.
Instead of a round tent, he has a tent called aigillier, with a small tent (grebeleur) for squires.
"And when he goes across the pastures with the monastery, the commander of the Earth's beasts of burden must carry him and his barley and his cauldron to whatever land it may be."
"The Marshal must have under his command all the weapons and all the armor of the House - those that are bought to be given to the brothers of the monastery, or those that are received through gifts, alms and spoils. And all booty related to weapons, even if it was purchased at auction, must pass into the hands of the marshal."
“The marshal, in whatever land it may be, can buy horses and mules. But he must bring this to the attention of the master, if he is there. And the master must order gold coins to be given to him if he sees that he needs them.
The Marshal may give a virtuous layman, a friend of the House, a saddle on which he will ride or return it, as well as other small equipment, but let him not do this too often."
The cost of gifts continues to decline...
When the master and seneschal are both absent from the kingdom of Jerusalem and when the great commander is not appointed, the marshal must assemble the chapter. He also appoints on the advice of worthy men standard bearer and sub-marshal, both brother sergeants.
“In time of war, according to the battle cry, the commanders of the House must gather their animals [mounts and packs] and join the marshal’s detachment, and then must not ride off without permission.
And all brothers and all warriors are under the command of a marshal when they are in military service."
A marshal cannot be elected commander of any province, at least until he is allowed to resign his marshal duties. But from the commanders this side of the sea(in Palestine), in addition to the seneschal and treasurer, the general chapter can elect anyone as a marshal.

"Commander of the Jerusalem Land is the treasurer of the monastery, and all the property of the House, from whichever direction it comes - from this side of the sea or that - must be returned and transferred into his hands, and it must be placed in the treasury, and touched or used by anything it is impossible to get there without the master seeing and taking this into account. And when the master sees it, it will also be written down, and the commander [of the kingdom] is obliged to keep it in the treasury, and can also use it for the needs of the House. And if the master or any of the worthy men asks him about this, he will have to give them an account of this.
The commander of the Jerusalem land must supply the cloth mill with everything it needs; and he can take from there whatever he wants, with the consent of the keeper of the clothes. And the latter must obey him.
The commander of the land [of Jerusalem] may give a ceremonial horse or mule, or a silver cup, or a dress, colored or brown<...>and Reims canvases to friends who make large gifts to the House. And all the dresses, colored, or gray, or scarlet, and all the uncut fabrics that came to the House through a gift or alms, are with the commander of the Earth. And other dresses should go to the clothier<...>
All benefits from purchases and sales and all bequeathed property and alms worth one hundred gold coins and above, collected by the commanders of the Houses, must be contributed to the treasury; bequeathed items of lesser value remain in favor of the commanders.
But if a bequest of property to the House is made at sea, great or small, it must go to the treasury.
All booty and all beasts of burden, and all slaves, and all livestock captured by the House of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in war are at the disposal of the commander of the Earth, except for animals under saddle, weapons and armor, which belong to the marshalship.
All sea vessels belonging to the House in Acre are under the command of the commander of the Earth, as well as the commander of the port of Acre and all the brothers who are subordinate to him. And everything that these ships bring must be given to the commander of the Earth. But if any thing is sent to the master or one of the brothers personally, this thing must be given to him."
Here are some interesting details:
"If the commander wants to order the release of a saddle from the marshal's warehouse for himself or for some friend of the House, he may well do so, but let him not do it too often<...>The commander of the kingdom should not make large gifts, either to laymen or knights, if the master is there, at least, if it is not intended for any friend of the House privately; but in the absence of the master he can do this."
Since the commander of the Earth knows its resources better than anyone else, it is he who chooses winter quarters for the monastery.
“When the time comes for the brothers of the monastery to go home, the commander can say to the marshal: “Place so many brothers in this house, and so many in another” - and the marshal must do this, and place no more, no less there.”
The section of the Code concerning the commanders of Tripoli and Antioch does not contain anything special. It is similar to the Kingdom Commanders section, except that it deals with the functions of the Treasurer.

The keeper of the vestments must be content with four animals and two squires, like the most privileged brothers of the monastery, with sommelier, or a loader. But he is given aigullier, as big as the marshal's tent, and a small tent for his tailor boys.
And the Earth commander's pack animals must carry luggage to the tailor's workshop and sewing room.
The Keeper of the Robes supplies the brothers with clothing and bedding - except for the woolen blankets with which they cover their beds, which they receive only as gifts from relatives or acquaintances outside the order.
“When the dresses are sent over the sea, the keeper of the clothes must be present when the bales are unwrapped and must accept all the gifts sent to the brothers of the monastery and give them to those for whom they are intended.”
And he must ensure that “the brothers’ hair is decently cut; and if any brother is not combed as he should, the keeper of the clothes can order him to cut his hair, and the brother will have to obey him. For after the master and the marshal, it is the keeper clothes they are obliged to obey."
When receiving a new brother, when he is dressed in the white dress of the Order of the Temple, “the keeper of the robes must receive from him all his old clothes, with the exception of multi-colored or scarlet, and if he gives gold, silver or money to the House, then these, up to the value of ten gold pieces coins, should go to the cloth warehouse, and from above to the commander of the Earth."

The commander has the right to four horses, of which one is a Turkoman [a local breed of horse] or a good working horse that could replace a mule.
His servants:
- two grooms,
- one brother sergeant,
- Saracen scribe
- a local infantryman.
In the city under his command there is a junior military commander - knight commander at the head of a troop of ten brothers. Here we again meet the original function of the Poor Knights - patronage and assistance to pilgrims on the roads of the Holy Land.
The commander of Jerusalem must have knights under his command to accompany and guard the pilgrims who are proceeding to the Jordan River; he must carry a tent and a banner or standard all year round, as long as his power lasts.
Thus, if he sets up camp and there is any worthy man suffering, he can lodge him in his tent and serve him from the alms of the House. And for this, he must carry a round tent and have beasts of burden, and carry food in order to guide the pilgrims on pack animals, if there is a need for this.
Even before the loss of Jerusalem, the pilgrimage to the Jordan was not safe. The river separated two regions, Frankish and Saracen, and travelers risked being caught in a raid from the other side of Jacob's Ford.
The City Commander and his knights have the privilege of guarding the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
When the Life-giving Cross is carried during transitions, the commander of Jerusalem and his ten knights must guard it day and night and must rest as close as possible to the Life-giving Cross while the transition lasts.
And every night two brothers must stand guard over the Life-Giving Cross; and if it suddenly turns out that the stay will be extended, they all must live with the monastery.
On the eve of the disastrous Battle of Hattin, when the fate of the Holy Land was at stake and lost, a Templar buried the relic in the sand to save it from the Muslims. Much time later, the same Templar, who survived, showed up at the King of Jerusalem Henry of Champagne and told him that if he was given a guide to the battlefield, he would find the Holy Cross, which he had previously buried with his own hands.
The king provided the knight with a sergeant guide, a native of this country, and together they went on a search. But no matter how they searched for three nights (to avoid meeting with the Saracens), they found nothing.
And although the Turks subsequently boasted that they possessed the relic, it still seems that the Holy Cross remained forever buried in the sands, where the Templar hid it.

Below the commanders of the Province are the chatelaines [castle managers] and House commanders, whose power does not extend beyond the boundaries of their commanderies. These commanders cannot build a new house, either of stone or limestone, without the permission of the magister or great commander of the Earth, but they can rebuild and repair what has been destroyed.
Knight commanders are lieutenants (deputies) marshal, each of whom stands at the head of a detachment of ten brothers, they have the right to hold a chapter and “give permission to the brothers of the monastery to spend the night outside it.”
Their equipment is the same as that of their brother knight.
Finally, let's turn to code about brother knights And brother sergeants.
Each of the brother knights has the right to three animals(horses, mules) and one squire, and for the fourth horse and the second squire - by the grace of the master.
We'll talk about armor and weapons in the "Equipment and Weapons" section.
Underwear: included two shirts, two pants And a pair of shoes.
The shirt over the trousers is girded with a narrow belt, and it is in this outfit that the brother of the Order of the Temple sleeps at night.
The brother's bedding consists of a straw mattress, a sheet and a blanket. He may have a blanket of wool "if anyone wishes to give it to him<...>, but the bedspread must be white, black or striped" (Berber carpets come to mind).
The blanket also serves as a blanket for the horse, or the knight himself wraps himself in it while galloping to protect himself from the sun or rain.
When the monastery moves, the main part of the wardrobe is packed into two bags, one for bedding and a change of clothes, the other for chain mail and mantle-underarmor. The armor is transported in a mesh woven from leather - the only material strong enough to withstand friction against metal.
Knights receive two small napkins - pay; one is used as a tablecloth, the other is for washing hair.
They are provided two blankets for horses and saddle cloths, which should cover the armor of horses. The saddle cloth, like the knight's coat of arms, serves to protect against heat and sun rays, which heat the iron of the armor.
As kitchen utensils and squire's utensils, each knight has a cauldron, a bowl to measure out barley, and a sieve to sift it.
Let's add two more drinking cups or cups, two flasks, a horn ladle and a spoon. In addition to this - an ax and a grater, a rope, two whips (one with a loop), three saddle bags, two of which are for the squire; finally, a small tent - grebeleure, and in addition a hammer to drive in the pegs.
All equipment is loaded onto the pack animal.

The brother sergeants each have one horse, but they receive equipment “the same as that of the brother knights, with the exception of a tent and a cauldron.”
They sleep in the open air and cook together.
Instead of chain mail, sergeants wear half-chain mail, a lighter one with short sleeves. The iron cap, which the knights themselves find more practical in Syria, replaced by a sergeant's hat.

“No brother should wash himself, nor bleed himself, nor be treated, nor go into the city, nor gallop on a horse without permission; and where he cannot go himself, he should not lead his horse.”
"When the brothers are in their bedchambers, they should not go to sleep in other places."
"And when they are camped and their tents pitched, they must not move from one place to another without permission."
“No one should go to the stations of laymen or priests without permission, unless they stand line to line near the Hospitallers.”

Turcopolie, under the supreme command of a marshal, commands local horsemen, mercenaries of the Order of the Temple, with or without armor.
Brother sergeants are also subject to his authority, but only in wartime.
It is he who leads the scouts at the head of the detachment, and then he is provided with an escort of knights.
In battle, the Turcopolis organizes its horsemen into squads and waits for the order of the master or marshal before sending them to the attack. According to the Code, the brothers surround the sergeants, and, "moving and lining up, lead the brother sergeants as beautifully as possible, and if the brothers need help, the sergeants will be able to help."

The submarshal, as well as the standard bearer, the brother-cook of the monastery, the blacksmith of the monastery and the commander of the port of Acre - all five are sergeants , each has the right to two horses and one squire.
They are required to keep in order small utensils, old saddles, wineskins, jugs, buckets, spears, swords, helmets, old Turkish armor and crossbows, old saddle cloths.
“And the submarshal doesn’t get anything from other, heavy equipment.”
All the brother artisans of the marshal's warehouse are under his command. He determines their place of service to the House and lets them go on holidays from one command to another.
He is also responsible for the replacement horses.
In the absence of the marshal, the standard bearer is subordinate to him.

The standard bearers have all the squires of the House under their command. The standard bearer leads them into battle, rewards them for exemplary behavior, holds a chapter to condemn their mistakes, and orders them to be flogged if they disobey.
He distributes straw [for bed?], shoes and barley among them and gives them wages when they have served their time.
“And if the brothers together send their animals and grooms to the pastures of the House, or to the grass, or to other pastures, the standard-bearer must lead them away and bring them back in a herd, with a piebald banner in front.
And at every time and in every place where the squires and brothers in the monastery eat, the standard bearer must look after the table<...>"
When the brethren of the monastery go on a campaign, the standard bearer must follow the banner, which he orders the squire to carry, and must lead the detachment in such a way that the master can give him orders.
In the hour of battle, when the Templars are rapidly attacking, the squires, leading replacement horses, follow their lords; others take the horses, which the knights have just changed to fighting ones, and remain near the standard-bearer; the latter lines them up and leads them " after those in the front rows, as beautiful as possible, earlier and better, at a walk or an amble, or as he pleases ".

Organizational structure of the Templar Order

From the center in Jerusalem, the activity of the order spread through the steps of a firmly established hierarchy to the entire Holy Land.
The main officials at first were:
- master- a powerful sovereign, but in most cases subordinate to the decisions of the chapter, where he himself had only one vote;
- seneschal, in charge of the supply and life of the House;
- marshal, responsible for military training and discipline in the monastery and often headed it during the war;
- caretaker of the garments, engaged in equipping the brothers.
Commanders of three provinces of the East- Jerusalem, Tripoli and Antioch - were subordinated only to the master and general chapter; each of them had under his command his own marshal and caretaker of clothes.
Behind the commanders of the Provinces were the chatelaines (castle managers) and House commanders; there were still knight commanders, who obeyed the marshal of their monastery.
House Keepers, often serving only as sergeants, they ruled the order's rural estates.

Lightly armed local mercenary units(Turcopols) obeyed the Turkopolye (turkopolier). The squires, also mercenaries, received orders fromstandard bearer

The most flexible structure was possessed by ten or twelve (their number was not constant) provinces of the West: France, England with Scotland and Ireland, Flanders, Auvergne, Poitou, Aquitaine, Provence, Catalonia, Aragon, Portugal, Apulia, Sicily, Hungary - there were masters everywhere or commanders, but commanders often ruled several provinces at the same time, for example, Provence with Catalonia, or “Provence and various parts of Spain.”
Monastery Spain served as an analogue to the Overseas House of the Order, since from Navarre to Murcia, as in the Holy Land, they fought continuously.
But all other provinces existed only to provide support to both monasteries; an exception was made only for some coastal cities, such as Toulon, where the commandery was included in the local defense system.
The order's possessions were divided into provinces, which were ruled by Grand Commanders.
Commanderies were allocated within each province.
Commanderies were headed by commanders. A typical rural commandery was a large farm on which several brothers lived.
The commandery had a church, a hotel for travelers, and many agricultural buildings. The commandery was the administrative center from which the order's property in the district was managed.
Typically, a commandery is a rectangle of walls with towers at four corners, inside which other buildings are placed. This is why the impression of a fortress is created, although the towers act more as a support than as a defense.
Such a structure could not withstand a real assault, but it was a fairly reliable shelter against a gang of robbers.
The walled rectangle is the core of the command. Quite often it was surrounded by ditches on two or three sides, while the rest were covered by a pond of natural or artificial origin.
Since meat consumption was strictly limited by statute, this pond was simultaneously a means of defense, a source of drinking water and a fish tank.
In the rectangle there was a “Big House” (in many places the name has been preserved) - in fact, it was a monastery house with cells for knights and the commander. It has two or more floors (hence the name), and often had support turrets built into the walls.
It was in this house that the knight's chapel was located - an empty room without windows, square or rectangular, which should not be confused with the chapel of the commandery, open to everyone.
Inside the rectangle are all the other houses: farm houses, “hospital houses” and craft houses.
Usually the monastery part, in other words, the “Big House,” is separated from the others by a wall. Remains of similar walls have been preserved in almost all commanderies.
Farm houses are intended for ploughmen, shepherds, grooms, etc. While cultivating the land, they live here as families, but access to the monastery is closed to them - especially women.
The “hospital” house, or inn, is home to travelers and, depending on the position of the command, pilgrims. Quite often there is a hospital or leper colony behind the walls.

Each commandery has its own farms, or, as they are called, farms, which are exploited differently, depending on the traditions and customs established in a particular region: serfdom in Brie, vassalage in Normandy, sharecropping in Limousin.
In addition to farms, the commanderies have other property at their disposal: huts, lodges, forges, tile kilns, warehouses and other real estate.
Remote possessions were called sategae (chambers). The camera was operated by one brother or rented out.
The commander of each commandery annually transferred a certain amount (responsion) to the great commander of the province. In turn, the great commander sent the collected funds to the Temple, located in the east.
The Grand Commander of the province held an annual meeting called the chapter.
During the meeting, the commanders reported and handed over money.
Every few years a grand chapter was held, at which the great commanders gathered, who, in turn, reported and paid.
At the grand chapter, new stewards were appointed and the sacraments were performed.

Although the brothers of the order were scattered throughout the Christian world, they were in constant contact with the leadership of the order through a system of regular chapters.
In addition, the brothers in the east and west constantly exchanged letters.
There was a constant exchange of people and supplies between East and West. The West supplied people, horses, weapons, clothes and the main thing - money, the East, in turn, delivered sick and old members of the order, spices, silks and other exotic goods of the East to Europe.
In addition to commanderies and other real estate, the Templars owned a large number of houses in all major cities.
So in Paris, the Order of the Temple owned the entire Marais quarter - between the old Temple with the pier on the Seine and the new Temple.
To this we can add the Belleville hill with gardens laid out on it and the slopes of Montmartre reserved for vineyards.
On the left bank of the Seine they owned several houses in the Saint-Marcel quarter and most of the Faubourg Saint-Jacques.
In Troyes, the Templars owned about fifty residential buildings. Most of the listed houses were rented out by the Templars to private individuals.

Seal, banner and cross of the order

The Templar banner consisted of two colors (white and black), on this background there was a cross and the motto (“Not to us, not to us, but to Your name”).
The banner was divided horizontally into two parts - the upper black and lower white. Sometimes with a red cross located on a white field.
The meaning of the colors of the banner is still unclear.
Did it mean the victory of the forces of good over evil?
Or maybe it meant two classes within the Order - knights in white robes and sergeants in black cloaks?
There is also a version that the black part of the banner denoted the worldly, sinful life that the Templars abandoned when joining the Order, and the white part symbolized the purity of their current life, dedicated to battles for the faith.
Word baussant means "painted in two colors", in this case - black and white. Hence the banner itself began to be called knights le baussant.
Jacques de Vitry, who was one of the friends of the House and collected information directly from the Utemplars, says that they wear “a white and black banner, which they call “le Beaucent,” showing that they are open and friendly towards their friends, black and formidable to enemies.
"Lions in war, lambs in peace."
The images of the banner among different chroniclers differ in the question of which part was white and which part was black.
Matthew of Paris, chronicler of St. Albans Abbey, depicts a banner with a black upper part and a white lower part. Moreover, their ratios changed for him.
IN Historia Anglorum it depicts the banner of the Order divided into two parts: the upper third is black, the lower two thirds are white.
At the same time, he is in his other work, Chronica majora, provides images of the banner with both equal fields and unequal ones (as in Historia Anglorum).
The Church of San Bevignate in Perugia (Umbria) was built between 1256 and 1262. under the direction of the papal treasurer, Brother of the Order Bonvicino.
San Bevignate was one of the centers of the Order in Perugia (since the 80s of the 13th century - the only one).
Inside, on the western wall there are remains of a large fresco depicting the battle between the Crusaders and Muslims. On it you can distinguish the banners and shields of the brothers of the Order, divided into equal halves - the upper white (with a claw cross applied) and the lower black.
Perhaps the banner depicted on the frescoes of the Church of San Bevignate was the standard of the master, while Matthew of Paris painted the banner carried by the marshal (Article No. 164 of the Charter of the Order) and other hierarchs on the battlefield.
According to the same Charter, the right to wear the banner, both in military and in peacetime, had: seneschal (Article No. 99), commander of Jerusalem (Article No. 121), commanders of the regions of Antioch and Tripoli (Article No. 125), commander of knights under the Turkopolier (Article No. 170), commander of knights under the Marshal (Article No. 165) etc.
Obviously, the banner of the Order was not unique (like, for example, the Oriflamme of the French kings).
In any case, the order’s standard played a very important role on the battlefield (in addition to the “classical” role, of course): it