94

THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book ii.

proof) against our own co-religionists. Nor hadcreeds much to do with the matter; for if the firstcrusades were more religious than political, thelater ones were more political than religious. 1 Andin lieu a great indifference of religion was observ-able over Syria and Palestine—all parties seekingbut their interests, Christians against Christians,and Mahometans against Mahometans, with as-tonishing impartiality; 2 so that Pope Innocent III.wrote to the Sovereign of Aleppo to felicitate himon his having become a Christian—though henever thought of it, but only had been generoustowards some of that belief; 3 which, if it scandal-ized the Pope of Rome the Great, 4 * or Caliph of theFranks, 6 it did not less the Pope of the Infidels, 6 asthe chroniclers call the Caliph of Bagdad; theApostle of Rome, and the Apostle of the Saracensare also their terms. 7 We have a documentby which a German count and his wifebecame aggregated to the order in Octoberof 1208. 8 A King of Cyprus in 1210 givesvarious lands to Sir Gawen Montacute,

1 Michaud: Hist. iii. 291. 2 Arab. Chron., 382.

3 Arab. Chron., 383. 4 Id., 387.

5 Id., 482. Note. 6 Vitii.

7 Michaud : Hist., iii. 325. Note.

8 Cod. Dipl. Gteros., Hum. xcii., i. 96.