Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/73

Rh unable to cope with the forces brought against him, fled from his usurped principality and took refuge with Saladin.

Almeric died in the year 1174, and was succeeded by his son, Baldwin IV., who was afflicted with leprosy. In the following year that prince endeavoured to establish a frontier fortress on the banks of the Jordan within the limits of Saladin’s dominion. Saladin at once advanced to oppose the Christians, and having skilfully lured them into an ambush fell upon them whilst entangled in a defile and completely routed their army. In this disastrous affair the Hospitallers were nearly cut to pieces, their Master, Joubert, being covered with wounds, and only saving his life by swimming his horse across the Jordan. His end, which occurred in the year 1179, has been differently recorded. Some say that he died of grief owing to the troubles which year by year were falling with increased force upon the kingdom; the general opinion, however, is that he was murdered, having been starved to death in prison, after falling into the hands of one of Saladin’s generals.

The vacancy was filled by the election of Roger Desmoulins. On his accession he found the Christian territory threatened from without by a powerful enemy, and at the same time torn and divided by internal discord. A truce had been concluded with Saladin, but it was merely temporary, and it was clear that when war once more broke out the Christians would be quite unable to present a successful resistance to the infidels. They decided, therefore, upon sending an embassy to Europe to solicit the aid of a third Crusade, and for this purpose they selected Heraclius, patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Masters of the Hospital and Temple. Shortly after their arrival in Europe, the latter dignitary died, leaving Heraclius and Desmoulins to carry out the embassy unaided. They visited the courts of Philip II. of Prance and Henry II. of England, as well as that of Pope Lucius III., without much practical success. A Crusade was, indeed, preached, but with such lukewarmness that it proved futile, and the disappointed envoys were compelled to return to the East without bavinà secured any efficient aid.

Here they found that the disease with which Baldwin was