CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

135

committing sin; that he was a prophet, and morethan a prophet; that he cured lepers, gave sight tothe blind, restored life to the dead, and ascendedinto Heaven. Also the wisest of the Turks asked usto lend them our books of the Gospel, and thenkissed them, and showed signs of the deepest vene-ration for the law that Jesus Christ had preached;particularly at the words of the Evangelist St.Luke, ‘ Missus est Gabriel Angelus.’ ” 1 But therumours of Louis’ preparations were noised abroad;nor is it necessary to suppose any imperial espial,for communications with Egypt and Syria were thencontinual—even Venetians alone sufficed, who caredlittle for anything but commerce and earthly interestsand the grandeur of their republic. From whichresulted the vain menaces of the Old Man of theMountain: and that all the pepper and other drugsfrom the Levant were poisoned, in hopes of mur-dering the King of France, respecting whom, if thediabolical conspiracy failed, yet a great many inno-cent individuals died of it. Perhaps, however, theywere inventions to increase hatred for the peoplethey were going to war with. Such fables suitedthe ignorant vulgar . 2 As to the Old Man, he wassoon settled and disposed of; for a single word from

1 Tours Chron.—Bib. Crois., i. 392.

2 Michaud : Hist., iv. 140.