242 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book r.

to import a husband for her only child, the little Con-stance, as soon as possible; which Fulk did, in theperson of the Count of Poitiers, whom' he got sentfrom France for that purpose, or rather from Eng-land, for he was then at the Court of Henry I . 1 Thedelicate commission was executed by a celebratedHospitaller, Sir Robert Joubert,whom we shall find,a few years later, grand master of the order . 2 Whilethat was being done, and Melisend was regentduring her lord’s absence in Antioch, there was agrievous storm from Egypt, via Ascalon, to represswhich, it was found expedient to build a fortress inthat direction, and give it in care of the Hospitallers.They and the Templars made Bersabee a securerefuge for Christians, as well as a check on theBedouin Arabs, and attacks from Egyptian or otherSaracens. All the states of Christendom then sawtheir defence in that of the Holy Land; and noneable to defend it but those knights . 3 Indeed, therenowned warrior Alphonso the Great of Arragon,Emperor of all the Spains, as runs his title, whohad conquered in twenty-nine battles against theMoors, being without children, made a will of his

1 Mathew Paris: 1133.—Rob. del Monte, anno 1130.—Cod.Dipl. Geros., i. 394.

2 Yertot: i. 105.

3 Id. : 109.—Bosio, par 1, lib. i. anno 1131.