the Templars possessed nine thousand manors or lordships far Christendom, besides a large revenue and immense riches arising from the constant charitable bequests and donations of sums of money from pious persons.* " They were also endowed," says James of Vitry, bishop of Acre," with farms, towns, and villages, to an immense extent both in the Eaet and in the West, out of the revenues of which they send yearly a certain sum of money for the defence of the Holy Land to their head Master at the chief house of their order in Jerusalem."f The Templars, in imitation of the other monastic establishments, obtained from pious and charitable people all the advowsons within their reach, and frequently retained the tithe and the glebe in their own hands, deputing a priest of the order to perform divine service and administer the sacraments. The manors of the Templars produced them rent either in money, corn, or cattle, and the usual produce of the soil. By the custom in some of these manors, the tenants were annually to mow three days in harvest, one at the charge of the house ; and to plough three days, whereof one at the like charge; to reap one day, at which time they should have a ram from the house, eightpence, twenty-four loaves, and a cheese of the best in the house, together with a pailful of drink. The tenants were not to sell their horse-colts, if they were foaled upon the land belonging to the Templars, without the consent of the fraternity, nor marry their daughters without their license. There were also va *, Haboerunt insuper Templarii in Christianitate novevt mlilia rnaneriorum ... . pneter cmolumenta et rarìoa prOTentus ex fraternitatibus et praedicatJonibuB provenientes, et per privilegia sua accrescenles. Mat. Par. p. 615, ed. Lond. 1640. + Amplis uutem poasu^ionibus tam citta mare quam ultra aitati sunt in immensum, villas, civitates et oppida, cx quibus certnm pecuniae summam, pro defensione Terne Sancta*, summo eorum mngistro cujus scdee principalis erst in Jerusalem, txdttunt annuatim.—Jac de i'itr. Hist. Hierosol. p. 1084.