antage, they received the news of the death of the wise Sultan
Saphaddin. His two sons, Camhel and Cohreddin, divided his empire
between them. Syria and Palestine fell to the share of Cohreddin, while
Egypt was consigned to the other brother, who had for some time
exercised the functions of Lieutenant of that country. Being unpopular
among the Egyptians, they revolted against him, giving the crusaders a
finer opportunity for making a conquest than they had ever enjoyed
before. But, quarrelsome and licentious as they had been from time
immemorial, they did not see that the favourable moment had come; or,
seeing, could not profit by it. While they were revelling or fighting
among themselves, under the walls of Damietta, the revolt was put down,
and Camhel firmly established on the throne of Egypt. In conjunction
with his brother, Cohreddin, his next care was to drive the Christians
from Damietta, and, for upwards of three months, they bent all their
efforts to throw in supplies to the besieged, or draw on the besiegers
to a general engagement. In neither were they successful; and the
famine in Damietta became so dreadful, that vermin of every description
were thought luxuries, and sold for exorbitant prices. A dead dog
became more valuable than a live ox in time of prosperity. Unwholesome
food brought on disease, and the city could hold out no longer, for
absolute want of men to defend the walls.

Cohreddin and Camhel were alike interested in the preservation of so
important a position, and, convinced of the certain fate of the city,
they opened a conference with the crusading chiefs, offering to yield
the whole of Palestine to the Christians, upon the sole condition of
the evacuation of Egypt. With a blindness and wrong-headedness almost
incredible, these advantageous terms were refused, chiefly through the
persuasion of Cardinal Pelagius, an ignorant and obstinate fanatic, who
urged upon the Duke of Austria and the French and English leaders, that
infidels never kept their word; that their offers were deceptive, and
merely intended to betray. The conferences were brought to an abrupt
termination by the crusaders, and a last attack made upon the walls of
Damietta. The besieged made but slight resistance, for they had no
hope, and the Christians entered the city, and found, out of seventy
thousand people, but three thousand remaining: so fearful had been the
ravages of the twin fiends, plague and famine.

Several months