volume one

500 UISTORY OE THE CEUSADES.
lose the ardour and zeal they had evinced for the cause of
Islamism. The sultau was abandoned by sereral of his
auxiliaries, and dreaded the appearance of division in
his own empire. The armies were close to each other,
and the dust which arose from the two camps, says an
Arabian author, mingled in the air and formed but one
cloud. Keither the Christians nor the Mussulmans showed
the least impatience to go beyond the boundaries of their
ramparts and ditches, and both being equally tired of the
war, it became the interest of the two leaders to make
peace. The disposition of the minds of the combatants,
with the impossibility of pursuing any warlike enterprises,
at length led to the adoption of a truce for three years and
eight months.*
It was determined that Jerusalem should be open to the
devotion of the Christians, and that they should hold all the
seacoast from Jaffa to Tyre. The Saracens and the Christians
had both claims upon Ascalon, which M'as considered
as the key to Egypt, and which the Arabs called the spouse
of Syria. To terminate these disputes, it was agreed that
this city should be again demolished. It is not unwortliy
of remark, tliat not a word was said about the true cross,
which had been the subject of the first negotiations, and for
which Eichard had sent several ambassadors to Saladin. The
principal leaders of the two armies swore, on the one side
upon the Koran, and on the other upon the Gospel, to
observe the conditions of the treaty. Eoyal majesty assumed
something more imposing and august than even the sanctity
of an oath, for the sultan and the king of England contented
themselves with givmg their word and touching the hands
of the ambassadors.
All the Mussulman and Christian princes of Syria were
in\'ited to sign the treaty concluded between Eichard and
Saladin. Among those who were called upon to be guarantees
of the peace, neither the prince of Antioch, who had
taken little share in the war, nor the chief of the Ismaelians,
the enemy of both Christians and Mussuhnans, was forgot-
* The Latin historians say that the truce was for three years, three
months, three weeks, and three days. We prefer the version of the Oriental
writers, who say that the truce was for three years and eight months.
Omad, whose account we adopt, declares he wrote the treaty with his own
hand.