182 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book II.

for ten years ten months ten days and tenhours , 1 and we are now only in the third year . 2But what of that? Kelaoun accused the Hospi-tallers of having broken it, and of having thencemade inroads on Mahometan lands. “ It was likea city acting sentinel upon a mountain. The topsof the towers, surpassing those of Palmyra inheight, were accessible but to few of the mostsoaring fowls of Lebanon. From the sea-side, onemight take it for the sun perceived in the depths ofblue, or through a mist. The constellations smileupon it with smiles of complacency, dogs bark upat it, but can do no more; only vultures can fly toits ramparts, and the eagles of heaven .” 3

However, in spite of every difficulty, themachines were placed, and the attack began towardsthe early days of April. The miners underminedthe ramparts and towers; and a breach in the wallallowed of storming it. Yet, after many assaults,nothing would have been effected, but for the Moc-carabins, or archangels and celestial troops , 4 who onproper invocation, like at Kaucab, as in Saladin’stime, came again to aid Islam. The Christiansfinding there was no possibility of defending it anylonger, undermined in every direction as it was,

1 Arab. Chron., 549.s Id., 551.

2 Id., 548.4 Id., 549.