therefore could not comply with his demand: he threatened A. C, 1191. to do himself justice by force of arms; and they made preparations for a vigorous defence. Baffled in this project, he tampered with John count de Mortaign, whom he invited to a conference, offering to bestow upon him his fifter Adelais in marriage, and to put him in poffeffion of all Richard's dominions on the continent immediately after the folemnization of the nuptials. John was ripe for any defign against Richard, who had declared Arthur his fucceffor, not only in his treaty with Tancred, but in letters to Longchamp, who entered into a negociation with William king of Scotland, in order to fecure this fucceffion. That prelate now changed his party, and employed all his addrefs to corroborate the proposals of Philip, which John embraced without hesitation, and was on the point of croffing the fea in compliance with Philip's invitation; when his departure was prevented by the remonftrances of the queen-mother, together with the menaces of the jufticiaries, who threatened to feize all his lands and caftles fhould he presume to leave the kingdom. At the fame time, all the prelates and nobility were fummoned to London, where they renewed their oath of fealty to Richard; a circumftance that greatly damped the hopes which John had conceived. The French king, difappointed in this quarter, formed the defign of invading Normandy; but his nobility would not join him in fuch an expedition, contrary to the oath they had taken. The pope had fent Octavian, bishop of Oftia and Jordan, abbot of Foffa Nova, as his legates to compromise the dif ference betweeen the arcbishop of Rouen and William Longchamp; but the fenefchal of Normandy would not allow them to enter the dutchy, which, during the pilgrimage of the king, was exempted from all legatine jurifdiction. Though Octavian, at the defire of Philip, excommunicated this officer and all his abettors, and laid the dominions under an interdict, Jordano refused to join in these cenfures, and for that reafon was expelled from the territories of France; but his conduct was approved by the pope, who repealed the fentences, and refused to take any ftep to the prejudice of a prince who was fo laudably employed at a distance from his own dominions, in fighting the battles of the Lord. A. C. 1192. The factions of Guy de Luzignan and Conrade divided the The affairs Chriftians in fuch a manner, that no effectual service could of Palestincs be performed against the Saracens; and there was no other profpect of union, than that of Conrade's elevation to the throne of Jerufalem; but, as Guy could not be expected to refign his kingdom without an equivalent, Richard generously C 2 pre A. C. 1192. presented him with the crown of Cyprus, which was enjoyed by him and his defcendants. This expedient removed all obftacles to an accommodation, and Conrade being perfectly well fatisfied with his fortune, refolved to join the crufards without further delay, when he was ftabbed in the ftreets of Tyre by two affaffins, who for this purpofe had infinuated themselves into his fervice. They were fubjects of a petty Saracen prince, whose territories lay in the mountains of Phoenicia, and who was known by the name of the old Man of the Mountain. He was an artful prince, who knew very well how to turn the fuperftition of Mahomet to his own advantage. As he could not defend himself from the encroachments of his powerful neighbours, by open force, he contrived an effectual method to revenge the injuries he fhould fuftain. He maintained a band of enthufiafts, who implicitly obeyed his orders, though hedged with the most imminent danger, in full perfuafion, that should they die in their execution, paradife would be their recompence. These he dispatched occafionally to murder thofe princes who had done him wrong: and they pursued their aim with incredible fortitude and perfeverance; so that all the potentates of that part of Afia, were afraid of giving umbrage to the lord of the mountain. One of his fubjects being driven by ftormy weather into the harbour of Tyre, was plundered and flain by order of Conrade, The Scheic, or old man, demanded fatisfaction, and the blame was laid upon Reginald, lord of Sidon. This charge was examined, and found falfe by the Scheic, who fent another meffenger for reking of Je- drefs to Conrade, who not only refused to do juftice, but was, rufalem, affaffinated. with great difficulty, reftrained from putting the meffenger to death. In revenge for this outrage, the affaffins were difpatched with inftructions to murder the offender, and executed their orders with great deliberation. Being apprehended, they avowed the command of their lord, who afterwards sent a letter or manifefto to the European princes, explaining and juftifying his conduct, and clearing Richard from the imputation of being concerned in this murder, which had been fixed upon his character by his enemies. Conrade was fucceeded in the throne by Henry, count of Champagne, who married his widow, and marched to the affiftance of Richard, who had juft reduced the strong fortress of Darum, in the plains of Paleftine. Thus reinforced, he began his march to Jerufalem, which he refolved to befiege; but, when they approached the city, the fiege was judged impracticable, from the difficulty of receiving fupplies of provifion; and the duke of Burgundy-retreated with the French troops to Tyre, from whence he pro Conrade, Vinefauf, Neubrig. Fœdera, pofed pofed to embark for Europe. The English troops being di- A, C. 1192, minished by continual fatigues and repeated engagements, all hope of making new conquefts vanifhed; and Richard having received divers letters from the regency, folliciting his immediate return to prevent the diforders that threatened his kingdom, he refolved to take his leave of Paleftine, in which he had enacted miracles of valour, to the terror and admiration of the infidels. Saladine ftill commanded a vaft army among the mountains, ready to fall upon the maritime towns as foon as the king of England fhould quit the country; and accordingly Richard, on his arrival at Acon, understood that the town of Joppa was taken, and the castle reduced to extremity. He no fooner received this intelligence, than he ordered his forces to march thither by land, while he himself with a handful of troops was tranfported by fea, and compelled the Saracens to raise the siege, by the terror of his name, and a series of the most daring exploits, in which he exposed his perfon to the utmost danger. As he could not, however, remain in victories of Palestine, with any regard to his own intereft, or, indeed, Richard, with any profpect of accomplishing the great aim of the expe- who condition, he agreed upon a truce for three years with Saladine, truce with on condition that Ascalon fhould be demolished; that the Saladine. Chriftians fhould fortify Joppa, and inhabit all the places on the fea-coaft, while the Saracens should remain in poffeffion of the hilly country. cludes a Duet. Coll. and is im Auftria, Thefe ftipulations being ratified, and the affairs of Palef- He returns. tine fettled in the best manner the circumstance of the times to Europe, would permit, Richard returned to Acon, where he embarked prifoned by for Europe. Not caring to pafs through France, or the Leopold, territories of Tholoufe, he directed his courfe to Ragufa, duke of from whence he determined to travel incognito through Germany; but he was difcovered in a village near Vienna, by Leopold duke of Auftria, who, glad of this opportunity to revenge an affront which he had fuftained from Richard at Acon, ordered him to be arrested and loaded with shackles, to the difgrace of honour and humanity. His avarice was, in all probability, as much concerned as his revenge in this ungenerous infult; for he expected a fhare of the ranfom, and even ftipulated for the fum of fifty thousand marks, when he delivered him to the emperor Henry VI. who received the prize in a tranfport of joy, though the two nations were at peace with one another, and he could not find the flightest pretence for detaining a prince whofe perfon ought to have been held facred, confidering the fervice he had done to the christian cause in Palestine. Henry looked upon Richard with A. C, 1193, an evil eye, fince his treaty and alliance with Tancred king of Sicily, to whofe dominions the emperor laid claim, in right of his wife Conftance: and here his revenge coincided with his intereft; for he had already grasped an immenfe ransom in G. Neubrig, idea and with regard to the injuftice and difgrace, the prac-Dueto Col. tice of the times kept him in countenance. Prince John engages the French Philip of France being informed of Richard's captivity, rein a newed all his offers to John, count of Mortaign; and fent treaty with ambaffadors to Canute V. king of Denmark, to demand his king against fifter Ingeburga in marriage, defiring no other portion with that his own princefs, than an affignment of Canute's claim to England, brother Ri- and the affiftance of an armament in his endeavours to conchard. quer that kingdom. The propofal was accepted, and the lady married at Amiens to Philip, who repudiated her the very next day, and a formal divorce was afterwards obtained on pretence of confanguinity between this princefs and Philip's former queen. This affront, in all probability, detached the Danes from the intereft of the French king, who derived no affiftance from that quarter; though prince John embarked in his meafures without hesitation, and croffed the fea in order to confer more intimately with his ally. The fenefchal and barons of the dutchy, having no fufpicion of his designs, invited him to a conference at Anjou, to confult about his brother's ranfom, and the defence of the dominions threatened by the French monarch; but he gave them to understand, that he would not concur in any measures against Philip, unless they would fwear fealty to him as their fovereign; and this propofal they abfolutely rejected. He forthwith engaged in a treaty with the king of France, who agreed to give him his fifter Adelais in marriage, with the county of Artois, which had lately devolved to France at the death of the count of Flanders; and John, in return, ceded to him all Normandy north of the Seine, except Rouen and feveral other places, and did homage for all his brother's foreign dominions. This contract being ratified, he left his ally to invade Normandy while he returned to England, where he hoped to raise a strong faction in his favour. P. Daniel. Philip invades Nor mandy, Philip having found his nobility fo averfe to this expedition, when it was last propofed, had recourfe to a low artifice, by which he perfuaded them to affift him in the execution of his fcheme. He affected to be afraid of his perfon, raised a company of life-guards armed with brazen maces, and would not allow any stranger to appear in his prefence; having excited the wonder and curiofity of his fubjects by this ftrange alteration in his demeanour, he called an affembly of his peers at at Paris, and expreffed his apprehenfions of being affaffinated A. C. 1193. by the emiffaries of Richard, who he affirmed was the projector of Conrade's death; and, not contented with that murder, had hired affaffins in the east to dispatch him in the midst of his court at Paris. The wiser part of the assembly doubted the truth of the imputation, and advised that no hoftilities fhould be committed against the dominions of the king of England, until that prince fhould return, as he still wore the badge of the crufade; and an invafion of his territories in his abfence would not only fcandalize all chriftian powers, but also fubject the invaders to the pope's cenfure. This opinion was over-ruled by the majority of the council; and Philip entered Normandy at the head of a numerous army. As he and John carried on an intelligence with fome barons of the country, he made himself master of Gifors and several strong places, without oppofition; the governors not only betrayed their truft, but joined the enemy, who reduced the counties of Eu and Aumale by treachery, and advancing to Rouen, fummoned the inhabitants to furrender on pain of being put to the fword. The citizens, encouraged by the presence of Robert earl of Leicester, juft returned from Paleftine, where he had fignalized his valour in a very extraordinary manner, despised the threats of Philip, and obliged him to raise the fiege, after he had been repulfed in various affaults. He had met with indifferent fuccefs in a negotiation with the emperor, whom he offered to bribe with a large fum of money, if he would deliver his vaffal Richard into his hands; but this fcandalous contract was opposed by the princes of the empire. The pope threatened to excommunicate Philip, and lay his kingdem under an interdict, if he would not immediately withdraw his troops from Normandy; and John had not fucceeded according to his expectation in England. These concurring reasons induced the French king to hearken to the propofals for a truce, which he granted, on condition that he should receive twenty thousand marks at different payments, to commence after Richard's release; and, in the mean time, be put Rymer. in poffeffion of certain castles by way of fecurity. Hoveden. land. John had carried over to England a great number of foJohn raifes reigners, and expected a further reinforcement of French and an infurrecFlemings: at his landing he feized the caftles of Windfor and tion in EngWallingford; and, pretending his brother was dead, required Walter, archbishop of Rouen, and the other jufticiaries, to take the oath of allegiance, and proceed to his coronation. The regency giving no credit to his affertion, he follicited the nobility for their affiftance, fortified his caftles, and ravaged |