66 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [BOOK t.

was shortly to mourn for her monarch, captive sheknew not where ; and noble and holy Damascus forher soldan’s death. It was now the end of Novem-ber, 1192, and on Wednesday of the first week ofthe next following March, in spite of his celebratedphysician—most learned Maimonides—died Saladin,“ the Phoenix of his century, the firm and beautifulpillar of Islam,” as his grateful countrymen callhimand for the accuracy of the date, we have theauthority of the Grand Master of the Hospitallersin his letter from Palestine to his lieutenant inEurope. 1 2

Thus the order within its proper orbit had per-formed its first revolution of better than ninety-twoyears, under its Founder or Provost and eightGrand Masters. 3

END OF BOOK THE FIRST.

1 Arab. Chron., 376.

2 Chron. Aequin.—Bib. Crois., iii. 322.

s Appendix, Num. xlvii.