CHAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

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Patriarch, as also the two ambassadors Gresli andGrandison. Nor is it wondrous that every one ofthem was pale in the first light of morning, sincemost were wounded, and all of them felt doomed;and that not only themselves, but every humancreature in that city had but a few hours to live.Nor was there much to say ; nor time for it. Butthe short debate was wound up worthily by thechief of their common creed, him of the long milkylocks, and sweet,wan, unrugged face, their own dear,calm Patriarch: nor spoke of love of country, for heknew the } 7 were of all countries; nor reproved anycreature, for all reproof should be extinct; norpraised, for fear of jealousies; nor flattered themwith earthly hope, for he knew no one could reason-ably have any; and this very moment a paperhad been laid before them that their eighteen thou-sand, soon twelve thousand, dwindled into ninethousand two days ago, had now been reduced toseven thousand—too small a number even to manthe ramparts, although none of those heroic bandscould be accused of want of exertion certainly;since but yesterday they had left several thousandsof Saracen corpses, and two thousand of their ownbetween towers and breach, as counted by those whowere charged with putting them into graves, lest aplague should ensue. And in the dead body of

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