232 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book i.

in Baldwin’s name proposed attacking Ascalon orTyre. But the Venetians first bargained for achurch, street, and oven, in any town they assistedin taking. So a third of Tyre was promised, andit capitulated, after five months’ siege, in the springof 1125, a rich commercial place still, and defendedby a range of mountains from the north-eastwinds, in a beautiful country, though no longerthe fine Tyre of the Bible. During the siege camenews of Balac’s death, 1 and every one foresawBaldwin would soon be free. However, his ransomwas eighty thousand pieces of gold. Timur-tach,who liberated him, admitted him to his table, andeating and drinking together, made him a presentof a royal tunic, and a cap, and buskins of gold,and the same horse on which he had been madeprisoner, and when he rode away, leaving ashostages his own daughter, and Joscelin’s son, andothers to the number of twelve, and the first of thefour portions of the money, off he went, and atonce forgot his promises—“ God curse him! ” 2The Christian besiegers of Aleppo did every-thing they could to irritate the Moslem on thewalls, as, taking a Koran from one of the manylittle mosques in the suburbs, and tearing out someof the sacred leaves, and fastening them under the

1 Michaud : Hist.) ii. 72. 2 Arab. Chron., 50.