chap, v.] ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. 327

equality of numbers—there having been one hun-dred and thirty cavalry, including Templars andHospitallers, and four hundred foot, on one side,and on the Moslem, seven thousand—it is notastonishing the Franks were worsted with a cruelslaughter; and after feats the most splendid, par-ticularly by the Marshal of the Temple, Jacquesde Maille, 1 who, by the Moslem, was believed to beSt. George on his white horse. The action was onthe 1st of May, 1187, and the Grand Master of theTemple and two of his knights escaped. 2 “ Goddeclared for Islam,” say the Mahometans. “ He isalways in favour of the larger battalion,” say someChristians. 3 The Grand Master of the Hospital-lers, his horse being killed, fell with him, and theillustrious rider, the sworn foe of Islam, 4 not disen-tangling himself fast enough, perhaps partly fromthe confusion, and partly from his age and theweight of his armour, left time for a crowd ofMoslem lancers on foot, to gather round him, andfinish him with a thousand wounds. Among whomit was pretended was Count Tripoli, under a

1 Michaud: Hist., ii. 267.

2 Id. : Id., 268.—Coggleshale’s Chron.

3 Arab. Chron., 190. 4 Id., 190.