Ciiap. iv.]

ST. JOHN OH JERUSALEM.

261

defence, with transcendent devotedness? ThePatriarch was not ashamed to go with those stupidaccusations; hut the Pope had the honourablesagacity to turn him away, and do open justice tothe injured and most meritorious Hospitallers.

Baldwin III. built another fortress against Egyptat Gaza, and gave it to the Templars . 1 But Nou-reddin and his Saracens set ravaging the landsaround Antioch, while the sultan and Turcomansdevastated the north of Mesopotamia. Baldwin theKing, and two military orders, assisted the miserableChristians; but what way but this was left? Soputting the entire multitude of fugitives, men,women, children, animals, baggage, and pro-perty of every sort, into the middle, he, the Hospi-tallers and Templars, kept up a continuous actionwith Noureddin during a long retreat, to keep himfrom the prey he was enraged to lose; but thosenoble warriors drove off the rabid tiger at last,and lodged the tremblers safe within Antioch.Still that absence of Baldwin nearly cost him hiscapital. The Egyptians going round by Damascus,attacked the Christians on that side, and advancedto the very walls of Jerusalem. In the evening, thecitizens with consternation might see who hoped totake the city by escalade the next morning. Prowl-

1 Vertot: i. 131.—Bosio: par. 1, lib. ii. 2 Id:: 133.—Id.