led him to the summit of a mountain which commanded a full view of Jerusalem, he raised his shield before his eyes, declaring that he was not worthy to look upon the holy city, which he had not been able to redeem. If the expedition to Egypt had ever been seriously contemplated, it was presently seen that it was impracticable; for as soon as a countermarch from Hebron was spoken of, all discipline abandoned the camp, and, after some conflicts among themselves, the mass of the French and Germans deserted the standard altogether. Richard then fell back upon Acre. Taking advantage of the circumstance, the vigilant Saladin descended from the mountains of Judea, and took the town of Jaffa, all but the citadel. At the first breath of this intelligence Richard ordered such troops as he had been able to keep together to march by land, while he, with only seven vessels, should hasten by sea to the relief of Jaffa. On arriving in the road he found the beach covered with a host of the enemy, but, turning a deaf ear to the advice and fears of his companions, and shouting "Cursed for ever be he that followeth me not," he leaped into the water. The knights in the ships were too high-minded to abandon their king; and this small body dispersed the Saracens, and retook the town. On the following day, between night and morning, Saladin came up with the main body of his army; and Richard, who had been joined by the troops that had marched by land, went out to meet him in the open country behind Jaffa. The Lion-Heart made up for his immense inferiority in point of number, by careful and judicious arrangement; and the victory of Jaffa, which was most decisive, is generally esteemed as the greatest of his many exploits. Overpowered by a generous admiration, Saphadin, seeing him dismounted, sent him, during the action, two magnificent horses, and on one of these Richard pursued his successes till nightfall. Every champion that met him that day was killed or dismounted; and the ordinary troops, whenever he headed a charge against them, are said to have turned and fled at the very sight of him. It was by deeds like these that Richard

left a traditionary fame behind him that grew and brightened with the passing years, and that his name became a word of fear in the mouth of the Mussulman natives. "This tremendous name," says Gibbon, "was employed by the Syrian mothers to silence their infants; and if a horse suddenly started from the way, his rider was wont to exclaim, “Dost thou think king Richard is in that bush."

As the battle of Jaffa was the most brilliant, so also was it the last fought by the Lion-heart in the Holy Land. His health and the health of his glorious adversary were both declining; and a mutual admiration and respect facilitated the terms of a treaty which was concluded shortly after. A truce was agreed upon for three years, three months, three weeks, three days, and three hours; Ascalon was to be dismantled, after Richard had been reimbursed the money it had cost him; but Jaffa and Tyre, with all the castles and all the country on the coast between them, were to be left to the peaceful enjoyment of the Christians. The pilgrims of the west were to have full liberty of Jerusalem at all seasons without being subjected to those tolls, taxes, and persecutions which had originally provoked the crusades. All parties immediately prepared to avail themselves of the treaty, and since they could not enter Jerusalem as conquerors, to visit it as licensed pilgrims. The French, who had refused to take part in the battle of Jaffa, and who were on the point of embarkaing at Acre, now declared their intention of staying yet awhile, that they, too, might visit the holy sepulchre; but Richard, indignant at their recent conduct, told them they had no claim to the benefits of a treaty which they had done nothing to procure. The rest of the army visited the hallowed spots, and Saladin nobly protected them from all injury or insult. The friends and relations of the hostages that had been murdered at Acre threw themselves on their knees before him, imploring permission to take vengeance on the Christians, who were now in their power; but he rejected their prayer with disgust, and successfully controlled their fanaticism and revenge

The second body that arrived in Jerusalem experienced the greatest kindness, as we learn from Vinesauf, who was one of the party. The Bishop of Salisbury, who led the third body of pilgrims, was received with marked respect, being invited to the royal palace, and admitted to a long and familiar conversation with the sultan. Saladin was eager of fame, even from the Christians. "What say your men of your king and of me?" he inquired. "My king," replied the bishop, "is acknowledged as one surpassing all men in valorous deeds and generous gifts; but your fame also stands high, and were you but converted from your unbelief, there would not be in the world two such princes as you and Richard." Saladin applauded, as he had often done before, the loyal frankness and the courage of the English king, but blamed his rashness and unnecessary exposing of himself; ending this part of the conversation by saying that, for his own part, he would rather enjoy the reputation of modesty and prudence, than that of mere audacity. He conceded to the bishop's request that the priests of the Latin church should be allowed to have regular establishments at Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth,—a privilege hitherto confined to the eastern churches of Greece, Armenia, and Syria.

A violent fever, brought on by his tremendous exertions in the field of Jaffa, is said to have been the cause why Richard himself did not visit Jerusalem; but it is at least probable that his reluctance to enter merely on suffrance that town which he had so vehemently hoped to conquer, had some share in this omission.

In the month of October, 1192, on the feast day of St. Dionysius, Richard finally set sail from Acre, with his queen, his sister Joan, the Cypriot princess, and the surviving bishops, earls, and knights of England, Normandy, Anjou, and Aquitaine. The next morning he took a last view of the mountains of Lebanon and the hills above the Syrian shore. With outstretched arms he exclaimed, "Most holy land, I commend thee to God's keeping. May he give me life and health to return and rescue thee from the infidel."

NDOUBTEDLY, the successor of Richard, his brother John, signalized himself as much by cruelty and villany as the Lion-heart had by The rival claimant to the throne of England is said to have been murdered by John, his unnatural uncle. The fact of his capture and murder are thus recorded by the authority last quoted.

courage.

The moment (A. D. 1202) had now arrived for the decision of the question at issue-whether the Plantagenets or the Capetians should be lords of France. The superiority of the former race had been established by the wisdom of Henry II., and pretty well maintained by the valour of Richard; but under the unwise and pusillanimous John it had no longer a chance. Having settled his disputes with the pope, and freed himself from other troubles, Philip now broke the peace, by

openly succouring the insurgents in Aquitaine, and by reviving and again espousing the claims of young Arthur. The poor orphan his mother had died the preceding year-was living under the protection of the French king, because, says a chronicler, he was in constant fear of treachery on the part of John. "You know your rights," said Philip to the youth; "and would you not be a king?" "That truly would I," replied Arthur. "Here, then," said Philip, " are 200 knights; march with them, and take possession of the provinces which are yours, while I make an inroad on Normandy." In the treaty drawn up between these most unequal allies, Arthur was made to agree that the French king should keep all that he pleased of the territories in Normandy which he had taken, or might henceforth take, with God's aid; and he agreed to do homage for the rest of the continental dominions. Arthur then raised his banner of war; the Bretons sent him 500 knights and 4000 foot soldiers; the barons of Touraine and Poictou 110 men-at-arms; and this, with the insignificant contingent supplied by Philip, was all the force at his disposal. His friends had counted on a force of 30,000 men; but it was not the plan of his treacherous ally to make him powerful. Philip only wanted a diversion in his own favour, while he followed up his successes in Normandy. The young orphan-for, even now, Arthur was only in his fifteenth year-was of course devoid of all military experience, and dependent on the guidance of others. Some of his friends or they may have been his concealed enemiesadvised him, as his first trial in arms, to march against the town of Mirebeau, about six miles from Poictiers, because his grandmother, Eleanor, who had always been the bitter enemy of his mother, was residing there; and because (it was reasoned) if he got possession of her person, he would be enabled to bring his uncle to terms. He marched, and took the town, but not his grandmother. The veteran Amazon, though surprised, had time to throw herself into a strong tower, which served as a citadel. Arthur and his small army established themselves in the town, and laid siege to the tower