CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

113

A quarrel having arisen between (I will not saythe brothers) but the ministries of Cairo and Da-mascus, in which the latter, threatening to call in theIvarismians, the former were so terrified, that appli-cation was made to Frederick II., who had longpromised, and at Ferentino had newly sworn, to goon that crusade; and he might well think that hecould not act in a more friendly manner than en-gaging the parties to a reasonable peace, for therehad existed an old friendship betwixt the sultanand that emperor, who, as having been broughtup in Sicily, where there were many Mahometans,and one of them his master in logic and astronomy,was almost ranked by them as one of themselves,and they vaunted his learning as something theirown. Moreover, to hasten his coming, was sentthe famous Emir Fakr-eddin, as celebrated in di-plomacy as war, who quickly won a high place inFrederick’s esteem, as finding him, on many points,of his own opinion in philosophy, which renderedhim the Egyptian sovereign’s warm ally. As long asthe Prince of Damascus lived, the Cairo governmentwas accused of partiality to the Franks, and thiswas the true foundation of his anger; and it wasthen the emperor had been invited. But when thePrince of Damascus died, the sultan thought hisnephew’s minority was a fortunate opportunity to

VOL. II.

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