BOOK VII.—A.D. 1148-1188.

THIRD CRUSADE.

The religion of Mahomet—State of the East at the time of the third crusade—Dynasties of the Saracens and the Turks almost annihilated—Caliphs of Bagdad, the chiefs of Islamism—Heroic character of Noureddin—Capture of Ascalon by Baldwin III.—Baldwin’s death—His brother Amaury elected his successor—Distracted state of Egypt—Warlike preparations against—Capture of Bilbeis by Baldwin—The Syrians invade Egypt—Baldwin marries the daughter of the emperor Manuel—Makes war on Egypt—Deposition and death of the caliph. The Fatimite dynasty extinguished—Extensive power of Noureddin, the sultan of Aleppo and Damascus— Saladin, the vizier of Egypt—Death of Noureddin—Empire of the Atabecks declines—Death of Amaury—The victories of Saladin in Syria—Baldwin IV., king of Jerusalem—The Mamelukes—Guy of Lusignan—Renaud de Chatillon—Raised to the throne of Antioch—His various military adventures— Rebellion of Guy de Lusignan—Distracted state of Jerusalem —Interview between Henry II. of England and Heraclius, patriarch of Constantinople—Philip Augustus, king of France—Deaths of Baldwin IV. and V.—Guy de Lusignan, the sovereign of Jerusalem—Sybilla, daughter of Amaury—The Templars defeated with great slaughter—Tiberias taken by Saladin—Disastrous defeat of the Christians—Capture of the “true cross”—Guy de Lusignan and many distinguished knights taken prisoners or slain—Saladin captures Ptolemaïs, Ascalon, Gaza, and numerous other cities in Palestine—He takes possession of Jerusalem—Sufferings of the Christians—The archbishop of Tyre preaches in support of the holy war—Henry II. of England, Richard I. and Philip of France determine on renewing the holy war— Persecution and massacre of the Jews—Archbishop Baldwin preaches the crusade in England—Frederick Barbarossa engages in the crusade—Miraculous vision—Contentions between the Greeks and the Latins—Andronicus of Constantinople dethroned—The Greeks defeated by Barbarossa —His victorious career—His death pp. 382-450.