chap, il.] ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. 141

distress upon the army, in consequence of theirown carelessness, which was remedied by the em-peror’s sending a most timely supply. “But for thisprince, Frederick II.,” wrote Queen Blanche, in aletter to the Pope, “ the king, my son, and all theChristian army, had undergone much jeopardy oflife and honour.” 1 The Moslems, themselves, in twoor three most sanguinary battles, had entirely de-feated the Karismians, who, like most savages, hadan inordinate self-love, and despised all nations buttheir own—and their race extinguished totally, asan English bishop relates ; 2 though others say thename, indeed, became extinct, but their blood isthe obscure origin of the present potent dynasty ofthe Ottomans . 3

But this was no stop to the Franks, more em-ployed in thinking of the riches of their foe, thanof his strength. That dissolute boastfulness wastheir ruin. It was contagious, too, and Louis wasled into spending not onlji the whole winter, ^ ^

but spring, too, in Cyprus. The GrandMasters of the Templars and Hospitallers, who sentto advise him of the possibility of coming to ac-commodations with the sultan, were shrewder thanto share the blind confidence of the crusaders, and,

1 Hatbew Paris.—Bib. Crois., ii. 826.

2 Bib. Crois., ii. 826. 3 Micbaud: Hist., iv. 104.