ABEY. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

41

they shall be still more frequently during the re-mainder of his stay in Palestine, because hisEnglish biographer or any Christian might pass fora partial authority.

From the first day the Christians entered Acre,they violated their word—not treating the Mussul-men well, but extremely rude, and threw theminto prison under pretence of saving them from thecrusaders . 1 If the garrison held up their headslike brave soldiers, they merited honour for it.Their most noble resignation ought to have inspiredadmiration and respect, not hatred . 2 To Saladin’sjust proposal, for them to set all the Mussulmenfree at once, and that he would pay all the moneyat once, not in quotas, as the capitulation prescribed,and give them the cross, which by their deputiesthey had already verified, they objected as unwill-ing to liberate any one before they were paid andhad the cross; and, when he proposed vice versa,only that since they did him the injury of dis-trusting him, he would them; and required thatthe Templars should be their guarantee on oath,for he supposed, that those religious gentlemenwould think that what is sworn is to be observed;then the Templars denied to be guarantee or to

1 Arab. Chron., 319. 2 Michaud: Hist., ii. 392.