308 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book i.

dated January, 1177, between which month and thefollowing October, he must have expired; foranother document sIioavs Du Moulin reigning inOctober, 1177. Vertot may have been very rightin saying Osbert died of grief, at the sure signs ofthe approaching ruin of the Frank kingdom, onlyhe mistook as to the date; as he was assuredlyborne out in affirming that no landed acquisitionscould be a compensation for the loss of a wise andable politician, and great captain, as Osbert was. 1

Most of the Christian forces having marchedtowards Antioch and to the siege of Harenc—ascene of the grossest dissipation and gambling,and diversions the most dissolute—as Avell as thehonest recreation of liaAvking—Saladin advancedagainst Jerusalem, which compelled poor BaldwinIV. Avith all his ailments, to march out against him,accompanied by the Count of Tripoli, the GrandMaster of the Hospitallers and many KnightsTemplars; and “by the goodness of God” wasenabled to overthrow the Mahometan chief so com-pletely, that he had himself to take part in the flight,

nor could but scramble in haste up a dro-

1179

medary and escape into the desert. Yet the

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., i. 338.—Kum. clxix. and clxx.—Bosio :par. 1, lib. v., anno 1180.