ABEY I.]

ST. JOHN OE JERUSALEM.

19

directly on his line of march, and he had to divergefrom it. The Moslems who mention this, do notmake any excuse. 1 “ Glory be to God,” saidSaladin, “ for permitting me to take so many townsall on Fridays in a few weeks, rendering easy whatin itself is difficult! ” 2 In the middle of Rama-dan he attacked Sefed, and it soon capitulated. Afew days afterwards, he heard his brother had takenPetra and Montreale; so, regarding the four placeshe had said he coveted, 3 his mind might be at ease. 4Kaucab having foiled his emir, he went against ithimself. 5 “ Having taken Sefed, he will also takeKaucab,” said the Christians, “ and then it is allover with us. If the Hospitallers could only resistuntil the arrival of our brethren from Europe! ” 6Hear Emad-eddin, Saladin’s private secretary:“ We came to Kaucab, and found it a fortress as ifhanging from the stars, or the nest of eagles, ordomicile of the moon. There inhabited the barkingdogs and perfidious wolves 7 who whispered to eachother, ‘ While one of us is left, our name shall beunspotted.’ Their walls began to shake, andseveral wide breaches were made; but the season

1 Arab. Chron., 225. 2 Id., 228.

Id.

224.

Id.

231.—Michaud:

: Hist.,

ii. 341.

Id.

232.

6 Id.

232.

7 The Hospitallers, says the note on the original.

c 2