CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

89

Golden Horn, and the gates of that celebratedByzantium , 1 and likewise a deed in aid of itsexchequer, 2 — the fourth part of his own privateestate (the Duchy of Neocast)—and therefore thesurer and more expressive of his warm friendship;no crown property, but entirely his own. Yetthere was a person, who paid for so much glorywith her life—his wedded spouse, his faithful andaffectionate Margaret, who had preceded herhusband to Acre to join him there on their way toJerusalem, and whose gratification for his sake athis attainment of what she knew was the object ofhis ambition, that immensity of joy killed her. Whatbrought out the chain and gates under orders toreturn with their young and lovely sovereign, ex-pected with such ardour, as the fittest to preside atthe coronation festivities she was to share—alas !that ship returned with no living empress, buther corpse—sad presage of what was brewing (in thenot far clouds) for Baldwin himself . 3 About the sametime there were various scourges of earthquakes andplague and famine in Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.More than two thousand Christians were buriedin one day at Acre of plague . 4 The ground rolled

1 Michaud: Hist., iii. 121, 210.

2 Cod. Dipl. Geros., Yum. Ixxxviii., i. 93.—Appendix, lvi.

3 Michaud: Hist., iii. 211.—Yertot: iii. 360.

* Id.: Id., 154.

mill : iii i i U1 i 4 i i'i'i-’ s i i t i -I i i^ i i 3 1

i'. I! 1 •! 1! i! i ii : 11 ii! S ii*