volume one

494 niSTOEY OF THE CEUSADES.
servine: the "bootv for the Mussulman soldiers. This treaty,
dictated bv hatred to Eichard, was the signal for the death
of Conrad; a very short time afterwards the marquis of
Tyre perished by an unknowTi hand.
English authors assert that Conrad had had quarrels with
the chief of the IsmaeHans, and that he was assassinated by
the orders of this redoubtable enemv. Two youusj slaves left
the voluptuous gardens, in which their master had brought
them up, to execute his vengeance. They arrived at T^Te,
and, in order to conceal their purpose the better, received
baotism. Thev engaged tliemselves in the serm-e of Conrad,
and remained six months- about his person, apparently only
occupied in offering up prayers to the God of the Christians.
One day, as the marquis was coming from dining with the
bishop of Beauvais, the two Ismaelians attacked him, and
"wounded him mortally. ^Iiilst the people congregated
tumultuously, one of the assassins fled into a neighboiunng
church, into which, likewise, the bleeding marquis was
borne. The Ismaeiian, who had concealed himself, suddenly
rushed through the crowd, and again falling upon Conrad,
struck him repeatedly with his dagger, till he was quite
dead. The two assassins were seized, and both died amidst
tortures, without uttering a single gi'oan, or naming the
person who had employed them to take away the life of the
marquis of Tyre.*
The continuator of Tabarv savs that Saladin had offered
the Old Man of the Mountains ten thousand pieces of gold
if he would cause the marquis of Tyre and the king of
England to be assassinated ; but the prince of the moun-
taui, adds the same historian, did not think proper to deliver
Saladin entirely from his war with the Franks, and only
performed half of that which had been required of him.
The Christians did not attribute the death of Conrad to
Saladm, but many among them accused Eichard of it. A
short time after the murder, a letter was published, in which
the lord of the mountain avowed himsell' to be the author
of the assassination ; but this letter bore no character of
authenticitv about it. The savage lord of the mountain
* The assassination of Conrad is thus related in the continuator of
Tahary.— See the MS. of D. Berthereau.