40 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book r.

Damascus, not having the sum with him. In suchcircumstances all Mussulmen are bound for eachother as their Prophet expressly lays down. “Soalso the cross that he had taken at Tiberias. As soonas it came, deputies were deputed from the Christiancamp to identify it, which they did, and knelt to it;and knew it to be the very same that had served forthe crucifixion of the Messiah, and had been sentto the Bagdad Caliph, and could convince them-selves of Saladin’s good will and sincerity,” saysEmad-eddin. 1

If there were afterwards a doubt, the Moslemsrefused to consider it. But before the cross wasdelivered up, or the money paid (for which therewas a month allowed by the capitulation), the pas-sions got inflamed on both sides. The King ofFrance had already returned home, not only fromsickness (it is said), but also from disliking theintimacy he perceived between Richard and Sala-din. Thus Richard remained sole master of Acreand commander-in-chief not only of his English,but of all the Christians, including the Frenchunder the Duke of Burgundy. Cceur de Lion’sfirst duty (if duty) was a cruel one. But if theArab chroniclers have been often cited already,

1 Arab. Chron., 318, 319.