magnanimity in the early part of that memorable day. In sorrow or in joy, in health or in sickness, in youth and in age, the recollection of thee, great highness, will ever be green, and flourish in my memory, aye, till memory itself shall cease its magic functions, when the dearest objects of its liveliest affections of thee, O, prince, most pre-eminent of all-must fade and perish with its powers." Nothing could surpass the pathos and the solemnity of manner which distinguished this speech of Sir Lionel, and it produced a most lively impression upon the emperor. After a short interval of silence, Saladine invited the two friends to a banquet, which he intended, on the following day, to give to the princes and generals of his army, in honor of them, and was then about taking his departure on foot, when Sir Lionel de Darbye presented to him the rein of Black Dorset, saying, "Great and noble highness, permit me the honor of assisting thee to mount. My charger -nay, by favor of thy grace, no longer mine -this charger by its ready obedience to thy royal command, has anticipated the high ownership to which it is preferred; and let me entreat that I may have found such favor in thy sight that thou wilt accept it as a token of the deepest gratitude, which may serve, when the cares of thy empire will admit of a thought being bestowed upon one so humble as myself, to recall a person to thy remembrance, who will ever remain under the deepest obligations, for the weightiest favors ever yet conferred upon mortal.” "Thy present, given with such grace, Sir Lionel, we gladly accept," said the emperor, " and we shall highly prize it—much for the noble beast itself, but a thousand times more for the sake of the donor. We thank thee, kind friend, from our heart, which must cease to beat, ere we forget thee. But thy proffered aid in our mounting, though we greatly respect it, we can dispense with, for see-down Dorset, down," when the pretty beast instantly bent its legs, so as to bring its body nearly to the ground, when the emperor leaped into saddle, and Black Dorset, upon the instant, rose up strong and straight upon its legs.* There was a grace, a dignity about Saladine in all that he did, whether in the battle-field, in scenes of ceremony, or in the most trifling and condescending acts of peace or private intercourse, that encompassed him with an irresistible charm, which insensibly excited and won the warmest admiration, the most powerful interest and devotion. The two friends stood at the entrance of the tent, gazing intensely after the receding elegant form of the Emperor Saladine, and as the sweep of a tent obscured him from further view, they both exclaimed with one accord"Admirable Prince! happy art thou in thy faithful and devoted people, but thrice happier are thy people in thee." * The Saracens were always celebrated trainers of horses, and made them completely their companions. 158 CHAPTER VIII. "T'was at the royal feast, for Persia won, By Philip's warlike son: Aloft in awful state The godlike hero sate, On his imperial throne : His valiant peers were plac'd around, Their brows with roses, and with myrtle bound; Dryden. THE banquet was commanded, by the emperor, mainly, with a view of inspiring the Saracen chiefs with a better feeling towards all the Christians, than had been previously entertained and encouraged. Saladine, on this politic and convivial occasion, was supported on his right, by one of his most distinguished generals, and on his left, by a brave tributary Syrian prince. The two young knights were seated next, Sir Lionel on the right of the general, and the Earl of Pembroke on the left of the Syrian prince; and down to the right of the one, and the left of the other, were seated the rest of the princes, nobles, and generals, of the empire, then with the army. It was a goodly sight, to see the Saracen chieftains, at the desire of their emperor, receive among them, with cordiality, two Christian youthful warriors, whose lives, but three days before, were nearly sacrificed, in cold blood, to the wild fury of national enmity and blood-thirsty zeal upon the score of religion. It was a pledge of abatement to that exterminating system of warfare, which had marked the barbarous wars carried on, under the denomination of the Crusades, and which had disgraced, equally, the Christians and the infidels. This clemency towards the Christian race, which was observed to the end of Saladine's reign, caused many of the lives of Europeans to be spared, after the dispersion and retreat of the combined Christian army through the |