volume one

398 HISTOKT OF THE CRUSADES.
reputation, of usurping the supreme authority. The son of
Avoub deceived both the king and the army, who saw in him
nothing but a young dissipated soldier, without ambition.
Eut he changed his conduct and reformed his manners
liitherto he had appeared fit only for the idleness and the
but, all at once, he came forth a new
obsciu'ity of a seraglio ;
man, like one born for empire. His gra^-ity inspired the
respect of the emirs ;
of the army :
his liberality secured hun the sutfrages
and the austerity oi' his devotion rendered him
dear to all true believers. A religious revolution Avhich he
brought about without trouble or the effusion of blood, made
known his prudence and humanity, and showed that fortune
destined him for extraordinary things. The caliph of Bagdad
felicitated him publicly ^yith having annihilated the sect
of the Fatimites, and made him a present of a vest of
honoiu'. His name was celebrated by the poets, and mLxed
with those of Mahomet and Xoui-eddin in the pubhc prayers.
Saladin, master of Egypt, sent for his father Ayoub, and
Avished to associate him vdih himself in the government.
When Ayoub arrived at Cairo with all his family, he was
compared to Jacob, and Saladin to the patriarch Joseph,
whose name he bore. Aided by the counsels of his father,
Saladin stilled all plots de\dsed against him, and restrained
the ambition and jealousy of the emirs.
In a council in which his son had spoken too openly of his
projects, Ayoub, brought up among the intrigues of the
comets of Asia, exclaimed ^dth vehemence against all traitors,
and swore he would cut olf the head of even Saladin himself,
if he received orders from the sultan of Damascus to do so.
"WTien left alone with his son, he reproached him with his
indiscretion and imprudence. " I have spoken against you,"
added he, " before your rivals and enemies ; but know that if
Noureddin should come to attack you, I would be the first to
if he required only the tribute of a sugar-cane from
take arms ;
us, he should not obtain it of me." According to the advice
of Ayoub, Saladin spoke only of his perfect submission to
the commands of his master, and took honour to himself as
being the lowest of the slaves of jS"oureddin, to whom he
sent deputies and presents ; but he could not destroy all his
suspicions. Xoureddin had determined upon going into
Egypt himself, when death surprised liim, and delivered
;