200 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OE [book iv.

against us. There wild horses are in plenty, andwe might become expert riders and lancers, likeom ancestors. And we might have our hospitallike them; exercise hospitality as well as here. Ifno Tiuks to fight, the age for that is over. Buthere we have no choice; there we should have.Besides, have we not Spanish and Portugueseknights to instruct us ? "Without any idea of givingup any scope of our creation, we might execute all pro-posed, and return after this tremendous hurricaneblows itself out, and blow itself out it assuredly will.But at present what possible safety, but in escapingfrom the blast ? Are we not like other willows ?But on its cessation, we might return; not indeedto this petty island, but nearer to the HolyLand! ”

What would have come of this proposal cannotbe told; for the council broke up in confusion, someunwilling to look the danger in the face, but misledinto sliding towards it by chance; others in openanger, readier to talk of a bold defence, than pro-vide for such a crisis. Many loved believing thatthe Christian countries would never permit personsbelonging to the noblest families in Christendom tobe ill-treated or slaughtered; and that the worstthat could happen would be to have a little increaseof taxation. Some of the best knights were not