34 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book t.

unwillingly; and like to testify it, by assigningthe paramount evidence . 1 It is not surprising thatthe King of France should be received as an angel,after two whole years of battles . 2

If Richard had delayed a little, he had beenforced at Cyprus to reduce a despot to order, andput him into chains, not of iron, but silver, asdescending from the imperial Comneni. Nor didRichard take to himself that Latin kingdom, whichwas to last three hundred years ; but with charac-teristic generosity gave it away. Richard is saidto have been very handsome, and with chivalrousmanners; and remarkable even at first sight, froma magnificence of dress, that distinguished him fromevery one else ; 3 particularly on his noted faAvn-coloured horse from Cyprus. Why so called is some-what doubtful. When he too came, it might be trulysaid, all the . most celebrated captains then in exist-ence in any part of the world,were before Acre. Onhis voyage thither, off Cyprus, he had destroyed amonstrous Saracen ship, with stores of every knowndescription, for Acre; and unknown also—twohundred deadly serpents, to be sent as ruin among

1 Cod. Dipl. Geros., i.—Num. lxxix.

2 Michaud : Hist., ii. 370.

3 Yinisauf: 2.—Bib. Crois., ii. 684.