ABEY. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

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you and the seven patches you see in musterbehind me. We stopped first a little beyond Naza-reth, where we buried several, and afterwards incertain caverns, where others of our party died,and then it was too late to go to Acre or Ascalon;for from Tyre to Egypt, all along the coast, isMoslem. And now being better, we have come totake our last view of that thrice holy and mostnoble metropolis, and then endeavour to get roundby the mountains into Antioch, or somewhere inthose parts. But having told you of us, let me askyou how you got into Jerusalem, and what hashappened there since Saladin is its master, whichhe has been this fortnight, as we are informed;and as many exact details as possible, for we areworried with contradictions! ”

“ Verylittle could betestified,’’replied Sir Almeric,“ by one senseless from that bloody field, or lyingwounded in a room. However, I know it was thatangel, an English lady, who had me lifted, with Sa-ladin’s leave, and her sweet care recalled me to life,and had me conveyed on a litter to the JerusalemHospital, several days before the siege. But in aweek after I had undergone amputation, there was agreat noise; and I went to the street door, and beholdthere was a motley crowd, monks, priests, canons,Levites, hermits, anchorites bent with the heavy

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