158 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OE [book i.

against the Latins. But what is really astonish-ing is, that an heroic handful should overthrowsuch great forces. But what men were at theirhead! Their five thousand won the day, andsaved Jerusalem, yet at the price of Bohernond , 1carried off prisoner by the retreating Turks, whocalled him the minor god of the Christians .' 1 Islamannals assure ns that seven French counts tried todeliver him, but they perished . 3

His adventures are infinitely curious; and in hisold age he went through the Courts of Europerecounting them. Any one of them would be tooromantic for any history but this ; and even in this,its substance is all that can be given. The Princeof Tarentum and three of his followers were con-fined in a castle in Mesopotamia, whose malek hada beautiful, virtuous, and wealthy daughter, who,prepared by all she had heard, fell in love with theFranks, and a variety of religious discussions led toher conversion, without her father being aware ofit. After a courtship of two years (says the chroni-cler—but it is permitted to suspect the accuracy ofhis chronology—perhaps it is the copier’s fault whoshould have written months), the sultan and hispower marching against the malek, besieged him,

1 Michaud: Hist., ii. 10.—Arab. Chron., 15.

3 Bib. Crois., i. 314. 3 Arab. Chron., 16.