CHAP. II.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

181

selves to refuse co-operating with any crusade pro-posed by “the Pope of Rome or Kings of theFranks, or Greeks, or Tartars.’’ 1 These treaties,not only insulting, but calculated to deprive theunfortunate inhabitants of Acre of all hope, 2 anddictated by fear, or ambition, or avarice, con-tributed, every one of them, to raise an insuperablebarrier between the Christians of the Levant andthose of Europe. There was not a maritime townin Italy, or along the Mediterranean, that did notshow a disposition to prefer advantages to its ownparticular commerce with the East, to deliveranceof the Holy Land.

A small garrison at Marcab had resisted pirates,though Saracens; and not only beat them back, butnobly discomfited them in a battle not far fromAcre. It was in defence of the best, nearly the onlyhome left to the order, after Acre; yet let it notswell you, poor Lorgne; it is like the north-eastwind, for even success shall produce your ruin.Kelaoun returning into Syria, attacks that strong-hold of the Hospitallers which Saladin had respected;and it had been gaining ever since in strength,strongest and best-provisioned of fortresses, castrummunitissimum . 3 There was a truce; it was dated

1 Arab. Chron., 565. 2 Michaud : Hist., v. 114.

3 Seb. Paoli : Serie, i. 423.