Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/91

Rh with greater durability and more extended empire than before. Unfortunately for the prospects of the Christian cause, Saffradin, the brother of the deceased chieftain, craftily taking advantage of his nephews’ struggles with each other, overpowered them in detail, and re-organized the empire on a basis nearly as extensive as it had been during the reign of Saladin.

Whilst these events were occurring, the Latins had found time to take measures for securing their few remaining possessions in the Holy Land. Richard of England, having touched at Cyprus on his road to the East to join the crusading army, had been refused permission by the king of the island to enter the harbour. Enraged at this wanton breach of hospitality, Richard, being at the time supported by a considerable force, seized upon the island, and brought away the king and his daughter as prisoners in his train to Acre. Whilst, however, he was loading the father with chains of silver, he was himself, if ancient scandal be credited, becoming entangled in the bonds of love by the daughter. Be this as it may, he eventually bestowed her hand, and with it the kingdom of Cyprus, on Guy de Lusignan, whose position had by this time become so dubious in its nature that he was not above wedding with the cast-off mistress of the king, endowed with a throne, even one of such limited extent as that of Cyprus.

At Guy’s death his brother Almeric succeeded to the crown, and was soon afterwards, through the good offices of the Master of the Hospital, united to Isabella, the widow, successively, of Conrad and of the count of Champagne, as well as the divorced wife of Humphrey of Thoron. As by Guy’s death this princess became his undoubted successor to the crown of Jerusalem, Almeric, by his marriage, established his right to that dignity in addition to the throne of Cyprus. His presence being in consequence imperatively called for in Palestine, to hold together the few remaining possessibus which still acknowledged his rule, he suggested to the military Orders that they should undertake