of their independence in the Holy Land; for, among
other places of importance, Saladin made a capture of Jerusalem, and
took its king prisoner. When the conqueror entered the holy city, he
profaned every sacred place, save the Temple of the Sepulchre, (which
the Christians redeemed with an immense sum of money,) and drove the
Latin Christians from their abodes, who were only allowed to carry what
they could hastily collect on their backs, either to Tripoly, Antioch,
or Tyre, the only three places which then remained in the Christians'
possession. All the monuments were demolished, except those of our
Saviour, King Godfrey, and Baldwin I.[2] The city was yielded to the
captors on the 2nd of October, 1187, after the Christians had possessed
it about eighty-nine years.

These calamitous transactions in Palestine greatly alarmed all Europe,
and several princes speedily resolved to oppose the career of the
oppressors, and to leave no means untried of regaining the kingdom of
Jerusalem. In furtherance of this design, the Emperor Frederic marched
into Palestine with a powerful army, and defeated the Turks near
Melitena; he afterwards met them near Comogena, where he also routed
them, but was unhappily killed in the action. Some time after this,
King Philip, of France, and Richard I., of England, engaged in a crusade
for the relief of the Christians. Philip arrived first, and proceeded
to Ptolemais, which King Guy, having obtained his liberty, was then
besieging. King Richard, in his passage, was driven with his fleet upon
the coast of Cyprus, but was not permitted to land; this so highly
offended him, that he landed his whole army by force, and soon over-ran
the island. He was at length opposed by the king of Cyprus, whom he took
prisoner, and carried in chains to Ptolemais, where he was welcomed with
great rejoicings by the besiegers, who stood in much need of assistance.
It would he superfluous to relate here the particulars of the siege; let
it suffice to say, that after a general assault had been given, a breach
was made, so that the assailants were enabled to enter the city, which
Saladin surrendered to them upon articles, on the 12th of July, 1191.
King Richard here obtained the title of _Coeur de Lion_, for having
taken down Duke Leopold's standard, that was first fixed in the breach,
and placed his own in its stead.

After the taking of Ptolemais, King Philip and many other princes
returned home, leaving King Richard