, however, in raising the siege, and the garrison diminished
daily through hunger, sickness, and constant attacks, and the fortress
soon fell into the hands of the Crusaders, almost without a blow
(November 5, 1219). The Crusaders pillaged the town, taking from it four
hundred thousand gold pieces. The Italians also settled there, and
made it the seat of their commerce with Egypt. This conquest caused
excitement in Europe, and the Pope called Pelagius "the second Joshua."

[Illustration: 027.jpg PUBLIC FOUNTAIN, CAIRO.]

If the Franks had been more at peace among themselves, they might
easily have pushed forward to Cairo after the fall of Damietta. But the
greatest discontent prevailed between the papal legate, Pelagius, and
King John of Brienne, so that the latter soon after left Egypt, while
Pelagius was forced to wait for reinforcements before he could get away
from Damietta.

El-Kamil, meanwhile, reinforced his army with the help of the friendly
Syrian princes, and, by destroying the channels and dams of the Nile
canals, so endangered the Christian camp that they were soon forced
to sue for peace, and offered to quit Damietta on the condition of an
unmolested retreat. El-Kamil, equally anxious for peace, accepted these
conditions (August, 1221). Scarcely had the AEyubites thus warded off:
the threatening danger when they proceeded to fall out among themselves.

After the death of El-Kamil, who in the end was generally regarded as
overlord, a new war broke out, in March, 1238, between his son El-Adil
II., who was reigning in Egypt, and his brother Ayyub, who occupied
Damascus. Ayyub conquered Egypt, but, in his absence, his uncle Ismail,
Prince of Balbek, seized upon Damascus and made a league with the Franks
in Palestine and several of the Syrian princes. Through this unnatural
league, Ismail, however, estranged not only the Moslem inhabitants of
Syria, but also his own army. Part of the army deserted in consequence
to Ayyub, who was thus enabled easily to subdue the allied army (1240).
Another coalition was formed against him a few years later, and this
time Da'ud of Kerak was one of the allies. Ayyub sent a strong army of
Egyptians, negroes, and Mamluks under the future sultan, Beybars,
to Syria. The Syrian troops fought unwillingly against their
fellow-believers in the opposite ranks, and the wild Chariz-mites,
who had also joined the ranks, inspired them with terror, so that they
deserted the field of battle