CHAP. II.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

131

upon he immediately delivered himself up to thedeputies, and departed.

But in the next nig'ht’s tumult, the Moslemhostages escaped; and when they got to Assur,tidings had come of the approach of the Egyptianarmy to expel the Christians; so those of that toAvn,taking courage, refused to send back the refugees.Godfrey hastened to chastise them with whattroops he could gather from the murderous sackstill going on. The irritated Assurians thenbetaking themselves to an enormously lofty mastof a ship which had been erected as a trophy orornament in the market-place, and shaping it intothe form of a colossal cross, planted it on the wallsnear the Jerusalem Gate, and raising the youth toit with ropes, using a jerk, as in some of the by-gonemodes of torture, must have cruelly dislocated allhis limbs, and lacerated his muscles. Nailing atfirst had been perhaps less horrible. But theyseem at the beginning to have meant only a jest;when the rescue from Jerusalem came in sight,within some paces, a voice bade them not advance,for that at their first step they would instantly killhim; or shoot, and you must shoot him. At whichthe poor crucified, with what strength he could,exclaimed most wofully: “ Now do not forget, 0most illustrious Duke, that it was under your com-

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