y of
their fate, and many a noble knight took arms to prevent the total
destruction of an order associated with so many high and inspiring
remembrances. Camhel, seeing the preparations that were making, thought
that his generosity had been sufficiently shown, and the very day the
truce was at an end assumed the offensive, and marching forward to
Jerusalem took possession of it, after routing the scanty forces of the
Christians. Before this intelligence reached Europe a large body of
crusaders was on the march, headed by the King of Navarre, the Duke of
Burgundy, the Count de Bretagne, and other leaders. On their arrival,
they learned that Jerusalem had been taken, but that the Sultan was
dead, and his kingdom torn by rival claimants to the supreme power. The
dissensions of their foes ought to have made them united, but, as in
all previous Crusades, each feudal chief was master of his own host,
and acted upon his own responsibility, and without reference to any
general plan. The consequence was that nothing could be done. A
temporary advantage was gained by one leader, who had no means of
improving it, while another was defeated, without means of retrieving
himself. Thus the war lingered till the battle of Gaza, when the King
of Navarre was defeated with great loss, and compelled to save himself
from total destruction by entering into a hard and oppressive treaty
with the Emir of Karac.

At this crisis aid arrived from England, commanded by Richard Earl of
Cornwall, the namesake of Coeur de Lion, and inheritor of his valour.
His army was strong, and full of hope. They had confidence in
themselves and in their leader, and looked like men accustomed to
victory. Their coming changed the aspect of affairs. The new Sultan of
Egypt was at war with the Sultan of Damascus, and had not forces to
oppose two enemies so powerful. He therefore sent messengers to meet
the English Earl, offering an exchange of prisoners and the complete
cession of the Holy Land. Richard, who had not come to fight for the
mere sake of fighting, agreed at once to terms so advantageous, and
became the deliverer of Palestine without striking a blow. The Sultan
of Egypt then turned his whole force against his Moslem enemies, and
the Earl of Cornwall returned to Europe. Thus ended the eighth Crusade,
the most beneficial of all. Christendom had no further pretence for
sending her fierce levies to the East. To all appearance, the holy wars
were at an end: the