120 THE IIISTOBY OF THE ORDER OF [book I.

unbelievers, hated the Turks too, as wishing todeprive him of Syria, sent an ambassador to both.But nothing could stop the crusade. These had beenstill further reduced, and little exceeded forty thou-sand men; too small a number for so great an under-taking as that to which they were hastening, pickedmen as they had a right to call themselves, afterhaving been put to so many proofs, and surmountedthem all; nor any longer followed by a uselessdisorderly crowd, fortified by their losses, theyformed a body more to be feared than at the outset.

The memory of their exploits heightened theirown constancy and confidence in themselves andvalour ; and the terror they had spread through theEast made them be still held an innumerable army.If they had still somewhat of a train, all armieshave camp-followers; but in their case, that idleappendage kept every day decreasing. So the Emirof Tripoli paid them a contribution for peace; andwithout entering his town, they continued on. Itwas the end of May. Admirable was the order inthe army, wonder of all beholders, say the chro-nicles. Every movement was by sound of trumpet—the least error in discipline punished severely—a regular school for all the details of a soldier’sday, on or off guard, and nightly guards andvidettes ; the chaplains too were active in instruct-