s upon the besiegers like stones unloosed
from the top of a mountain." At length, on the 13th of July, 1191, in
spite of the energetic resistance offered by the garrison, which defended
itself "as a lion defends his blood-stained den," St. Jean d'Acre
surrendered. The terms of capitulation stated that two hundred thousand
pieces of gold should be paid to the chiefs of the Christian army; that
sixteen hundred prisoners and the wood of the true cross should be given
up to them; and that the garrison as well as all the people of the town
should remain in the conquerors' power, pending full execution of the
treaty.

Whilst the siege was still going on, the discord between the Kings of
France and England was increasing in animosity and venom. The conquest
of Cyprus had become a new subject of dispute. When the French were most
eager for the assault, King Richard remained in his tent; and so the
besieged had scarcely ever to repulse more than one or other of the kings
and armies at a time. Saladin, it is said, showed Richard particular
attention, sending him grapes and pears from Damascus; and Philip
conceived some mistrust of these relations. In camp the common talk,
combined with anxious curiosity, was, that Philip was jealous of
Richard's warlike popularity, and Richard was jealous of the power and
political weight of the King of France.

When St. Jean d'Acre had been taken, the judicious Philip, in view of
what it had cost the Christians of East and West, in time and blood, to
recover this single town, considered that a fresh and complete conquest
of Palestine and Syria, which was absolutely necessary for a
re-establishment of the kingdom of Jerusalem, was impossible: he had
discharged what he owed to the crusade; and the course now permitted and
prescribed to him was to give his attention to France. The news he
received from home was not encouraging; his son Louis, hardly four years
old, had been dangerously ill; and he himself fell ill, and remained some
days in bed, in the midst of the town he had just conquered. His enemies
called his illness in question, for already there was a rumor abroad that
he had an idea of giving up the crusade, and returning to France; but the
details given by contemporary chroniclers about the effects of his
illness scarcely permit it to be regarded as a sham. "Violent sweats,"
they say, "committed such havoc with his bones and all his members, that
the nails fell from his fingers