volume one

IIISTOET OF THE CRUSADES. 395
Egypt. Ambassadors were sent to implore the pity of
Amaury, and to give some \Yeight to their prayers, offered
him two millions of crowns of gold. The offer of so enormous
a sum, which Egypt, for so long a time devastated,
could not possibly have furnished, seduced the king of the
Christians, who was as much inlluenced by a love of gold as
an ambition for conquests. He allowed himself to be thus
deceived by the Mussulmans, to whom he himself had been
wanting in faith ; and whilst he was waiting for the treasures
they had promised him, the Egyptians restored the fortifications
of their cities, and assembled everywhere in arms.
The Christians looked in vain for the fleets promised by
Manuel, and soon, instead of welcoming auxiliaries, they
learnt that Chirkou had arrived for the third time in Egypt
at the head of a fonnidable army. Then Amaury opened
his eyes, and set about repairing his error. He flew to
meet the Syrians, and ofler them battle ; but their general
avoided the encounter, and united his forces Avith those of
the Egyptians. Tlie evil was irreparable ; the king of Jerusalem
could not resist the two united armies, and ashamed
of being deceived by those whom he had himself sought to
deceive, he retui'ned to his kingdom, and was pursued to
the verge of the desert by the troops of JN^oureddiu.
Before the enterprise, hopes of success had dazzled the
minds of all; but when it had failed, they, as generally,
perceived the injustice of it. The Christians all became
aware of the evils with which Jerusalem was menaced, and
reproached Amaury with not being able to preserve peace,
or knowing how to make war. In the mean time Noureddin's
general entered the capital of Egypt in triumph.
Chirkou hoisted his standard on the towers of Cairo, and
Egypt, which thought it had received a liberator into its
bosom, soon found that he was a master. Chaver paid with
his life the evils he had inflicted upon his country ; he was
killed in the camp of Chirkou, and his authority became
the reward of the conqueror. The caliph, who, in order to
save himself, had demanded the head of his first minister,
appointed the general of Noureddin as his successor, styling
him in his letters, the victorious i^ince. It was thus that
the degraded monarch of Egypt jested with his own favours