vm

76 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF (bookii.

might unite; but even then, to have taken suchhabits of independence must have been injurious tosoldierly discipline. The bad had its good also—mixture as in all human things. Many of themost illustrious rank chose Acre for habitual resi-dence. So that at one time twenty crowned headslived there, and kept up stately and splendid es-tablishments and courts. Not ex-sovereigns, butrich and potent masters of far-off realms. Therewere the three military orders, and grandees ofevery country. And beside these residents, therewere always Emperors of Germany, or Kings ofFrance, Sicily, England, Spain, Portugal, Denmark,as well as troops from all those parts. Therewere a great number of stately palaces; and wehave seen that even before the Christians took it,King Guy, foreseeing it would be soon theirs, hadgiven a spot to the Hospitallers to erect a widegate to theirXenodochia, and a square in front, as toincrease their hospital to be worthy of the one theyhad left in Jerusalem.

The order having become sovereign, their hos-pital was no longer restricted to the crusaders alone,but received Moslems also, or any one whatever.The flimsiest disguise, if even that was requisite,sufficed. So, on that score, the current story isvery possible; but, on another it is scarcely so—