CHAP. V.]

ST. JOHN OH JERUSALEM.

313

bank were ready to ravage the holy cities, when theSaracen massacrers let few escape; and as to theprisoners, these were handed over to the haggis,who mostly cut their throats at Mecca, in place ofa sacrifice of sheep as is usual every year, or lambs;and what Christians remained after the pilgrimage,were sent to Egypt to be immolated by the devout,and the doctors of the law . 1 The real Franks werenot above three hundred; but there was a largeproportion of apostate Arabs. The Christians’design was to disinter the Prophet’s bones, andexport them to Europe, to deprive the faithful ofone of their chief objects as pilgrims. The inten-tional desecrators were within a day of Medinawhen arrested. Violent was Saladin’s rage whenhe heard of such profanation: “ The infidels havedared to violate the very cradle and asylum ofIslamism. They have contaminated the countrywith their looks. It is a deep stain. Take carethat the prisoners who have once seen the road donot return to be guides. We should be inexcusablein the eyes of God and men; every tongue wouldcurse us throughout the whole East, and parts ofthe West also. Purge then the earth of those

Arab. Chron., 186 .