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 THE CRUSADES, AND THE EAST 181 proceedings were equally certain to be condemned. When he did sail, it was under the papal ban. He made Egypt his objec- tive, since that country was now coming to be g lxtn regarded as the real gate of Palestine. Frederick, Crusade, like a modern statesman, preferred diplomacy to 1229 * fighting, if he could thereby gain his ends ; and in fact he ob- tained from the Egyptian sultan a treaty "which virtually restored to the Christians Jerusalem itself, with other sacred spots, besides the port of Jaffa. Frederick was crowned King of Jerusalem, while the clergy unanimously treated him as an excommunicated enemy of the Church. Frederick's diplomatic triumph was only a fresh cause of offence, and he himself returned to Europe to continue his contest with the pope. From the point of view of Christianity, the spectacle presented to the Moslems was scarcely edifying. As a natural result the peace was not maintained. Eleven years later there was an English crusade. This, which may be called the seventh, won what was practically a re- gey^^ newal of the treaty with Frederick ; chiefly perhaps Crusade, because the sultans of Egypt and Syria were at 1240, odds with each other. Then came the disastrous and devastat- ing expansion of the Mongols, which drove before it a host of barbaric tribes from the east, who inundated Palestine and wrought appalling havoc. The kingdom of Jerusalem was once more shattered, and an eighth crusade was headed by King Louis ix. of France. He invaded Egypt ; but the first successes had a disas- Eighth trous effect on the discipline of the army, which and Ninth brought about a tremendous rout of the crusading Crusades - force. Louis himself was made a prisoner. Ultimately he was ransomed, and again some years later he headed a ninth crusade. He died before reaching Egypt, and the command of the crusad- ing army was taken up by Prince Edward, who was soon to become Edward i. of England. One campaign, though not unsuccessfully conducted, was sufficient to show the prince that he could accomplish nothing of permanence, and he obtained practically nothing more than a truce for ten years. The king- dom of Jerusalem became merely the shadow of a name, since