Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/70

48 Their next point of attack was Cairo, then, as now, the principal city of Egypt. Whilst in front of this place, Almeric received an embassy from the caliph sueing for peace, at the same time offering an enormous ransom for the freedom of his son and nephew. Almeric, whose besetting vice was avarice, was not proof against the temptation of two millions of crowns, the sum the envoys were instructed to offer. Having received an instalment of a hundred thousand crowns, he consented to an armistice whilst the Egyptians should collect the remainder of the ransom. This, however, was not the intention of the caliph. Whilst Almeric was delaying his progress in security, he, on the other hand, was sending a message to his former opponent, Noureddin, to implore aid against their common enemy. Noureddin was only too glad to fall into his views, and prepared at once to send a powerful army to the rescue.

Meanwhile the arrangements for the treaty with Ahueric were slowly progressing, and he was cajoled into a continuance of his inactivity by the belief that the caliph was busily engaged in fulifiling its terms. The artifice was completely successful. Almeric remained resting on his arms in front of Cairo, until at length he was startled by hearing that Noureddin was rapidly advancing against him. Aroused by this unwelcome intelligence, he lost no time in starting with all his forces, trusting to be able to overcome the Turks before they had effected a junction with the Egyptians. Siracon, Noureddin’s general, however, having made a detour, succeeded in passing Almeric and in joining his forces to those of the caliph in his rear. Under these circumstances the king felt that all was over and that nothing was left but a rapid retreat. He therefore retired at once into his own dominions, and the Hospitallers were compelled to evacuate Belbeis, the garrison of which joined the king’s army as he passed.

Thus ended this ill-fated expedition, the success of which was prevented purely by the avarice of Almeric. That it was unprovoked in the outset, and consequently unjustifiable, cannot be denied, and that starting with a breach of faith it deserved no better fate is true. It would, however, had it been successful, have doubtless tended much to strengthen the feeble kingdom. As it was, the Christians gained nothing