CIIAP. V.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

333

his approach, proceeded out on horseback ten miles tomeet him, and then they both alighted on the road,and Tripoli knelt and kissed Guy’s hand , 1 and, em-bracing, they entered Jerusalem as devoted friends.All the garrisons from the various towns had beencalled in, and all the crews of every Latin shipfrom Scanderoon to Ascalon, and together a bodyof fifty thousand men occupied the valley, a fewmiles south-west of Naplouse, which encampmentGuy and his suite joined, to hold a council of war,that same evening, and march next day perhaps . 2

Saladin had already taken Tiberias, and Tripoli’swife and infant child retreated into the citadel,which still stood, while the Saracens scoured allthe country with infinite devastation, and had evenburned down the town of Tiberias itself, all but itscitadel. The flames were visible from the Chris-tian camp, as well as the ruin of the whole pro-vince, that Saladin might drive the Giaours from theirposition, or by a decoy, which was to succeed. For,in the council of war, when Tripoli had spoken fornot stirring, “ It being better to lose Tiberias, andI, my town, and wife, and child—no one sacrifices

1 Bernard Tresorier: Chron., 5.—Bib. Crois., ii. 574.—Mi-chaud : Hist., ii. 268.

2 Michaud : Hist., ii. 269, Hote 2.