they had been destined by Heaven to suffer in so just and
meritorious a cause.

[* W. Heming. p. 532. Brompton, p. 1243.]

[** Rymer vol. i. p. 71.]

Every one in Palestine knew from what hand the blow came. Richard
was entirely free from suspicion. Though that monarch had formerly
maintained the cause of Lusignan against Conrade, he had become sensible
of the bad effects attending those dissensions, and had voluntarily
conferred on the former the kingdom of Cyprus, on condition that he
should resign to his rival all pretensions on the crown of Jerusalem,[*]
Conrade himself, with his dying breath, had recommended his widow to the
protection of Richard;[**] the prince of the assassins avowed the action
in a formal narrative which he sent to Europe; yet, on this foundation,
the king of France thought fit to build the most egregious calumnies,
and to impute to Richard the murder of the marquis of Montferrat,
whose elevation he had once openly opposed. He filled all Europe with
exclamations against the crime; appointed a guard for his own person, in
order to defend himself against a like attempt; and endeavored, by these
shallow artifices, to cover the infamy of attacking the dominions of a
prince whom he himself had deserted, and who was engaged with so much
glory in a war universally acknowledged to be the common cause of
Christendom.

[* Vinisauf, p. 391.]

[** Brompton, p. 1248.]

But Richard's heroic actions in Palestine were the best apology for
his conduct. The Christian adventurers under his command determined,
on opening the campaign, to attempt the siege of Ascalon, in order
to prepare the way for that of Jerusalem; and they marched along the
sea-coast with that intention. Saladin purposed to intercept their
passage: and he placed himself on the road with an army, amounting to
three hundred thousand combatants. On this occasion was fought one
of the greatest battles of that age; and the most celebrated, for the
military genius of the commanders, for the number and valor of the
troops, and for the great variety of events which attended it. Both
the right wing of the Christians, commanded by D'Avesnes, and the left
conducted by the duke of Burgundy, were, in the beginning of the day,
broken and defeated; when Richard, who led on the main body, restored
the battle; attacked the enemy with intrepidity and presence of mind;
performed the part both of a consummate general and gallant soldier;