e
process, another messenger came, saying that the danger of the
Templars was imminent.

"Then I must go," said Richard, "as I am. I should be unworthy of the
name of king if I were to abandon those whom I have promised to stand
by and succor in every danger."

So he leaped upon his horse and rode on alone. On arriving at the
spot, he plunged into the thickest of the fight, and there he fought
so furiously, and made such havoc among the Saracens with his
battle-axe, that they fell back, and the Templars, and also the party
that had gone out with the earl, were rescued, and made good their
retreat to the town, leaving only on the field those who had fallen
before Richard arrived.

Many such adventures as this are recorded in the old histories of this
campaign, and they were made the subjects of a great number of songs
and ballads, written and sung by the Troubadours in those days in
honor of the valiant deeds of the Crusaders.

The armies remained in Jaffa through the whole of the month of
September. During this time a sort of negotiation was opened between
Richard and Saladin, with a view to agreeing, if possible, upon some
terms of peace. The object, on the part of Saladin, in these
negotiations, was probably delay, for the longer he could continue to
keep Richard in Jaffa, the stronger he would himself become, and the
more able to resist Richard's intended march to Jerusalem. Richard
consented to open these negotiations, not knowing but that some terms
might possibly be agreed upon by which Saladin would consent to
restore Jerusalem to the Christians, and thus end the war.

The messenger whom Saladin employed in these negotiations was
Saphadin, his brother. Saphadin, being provided with a safe-conduct
for this purpose, passed back and forth between Jaffa and Saladin's
camp, carrying the propositions and counter-propositions to and fro.
Saphadin was a very courteous and gentlemanly man, and also a very
brave soldier, and Richard formed quite a strong friendship for him.

A number of different plans were proposed in the course of the
negotiation, but there seemed to arise insuperable objections against
them all. At one time, either at this period or subsequently, when
Richard returned again to the coast, a project was formed to settle
the dispute, as quarrels and wars were often settled in those days, by
a marriage. The plan was for Saladin and Richard to cease their
hostility to each other, and become friends a