fhifted hands, and defired Afado'ddin to come to his aid, which he was ready enough to do without any invitation, and more for his own fake than any body's elfe. By this coalition of the Turks and Egyptians the Chriftians were unequal to the War; which perceiving, they wifely withdrew, and left Afado'ddin and Salab'addin in Egypt, behind them. Thefe did by no means relish the Inconftancy of Soltán Shawar; and tho' he was full of Refpect and Officioufnefs, and would by all means defray the whole expence of their Expedition, and would gladly have got rid of them at any rate; they anfwered, it was time enough to think of that;That the Chriftians would pour down into Egypt again, to be fure, as foon as their backs were turned, and that therefore they should not think much of staying till all was hushed and quiet again. Mean while the Death of Shawar was refolved on by Afado'ddin, but none dared to feize on him; till coming one day in the ufual State to vifit Afado'ddin, Salab'addîn went out as to receive him, and taking him by the Collar, delivered him to Cuftody as his Prifoner, whereupon his Train all difperfed. Prefently after there came an Eunuch to demand Soltán Shawar's Head, as the cuftom then was; which when it was delivered, there came in return for it, the Enfigns of the Vizirate to Afado'ddin, who now had his wifh, and became the acting Sovereign of Egypt, which he ruled without controul, but chiefly by Saláb'addin. Afado'ddin did not long enjoy his fplendid Elevation for being a great devourer of the coarfer forts of Flefh, he was fubject to Indigeftions and Stoppages, which carried him off, and Saláb'addin fucceeded him in the Vizirate, and from from that moment took upon him the HOLY WAR, being confcious of a Call thereto from Heaven. Thenews of this Revolution in Egypt aftonished Nûro'ddin in Syria, and roufed up the Franks in Europe, who quickly perceived how dangerous a Neighbour he was like to prove to their Brethren in Palestine, if not even to themselves. Wherefore a Confederacy was made by them, and Greece among the reft, against Egypt, that they might reduce it betimes (or rather its new Vizier,) and make it a Province in their own Dependance. With this view they croffed the Sea with a formidable Power, and laid close fiege to Dimyat, a Sea-port on the Eastern Entrance of the Nile; but that City, the Key of Egypt on that fide, had been reinforced with a ftrong Garrison, and every way qualified for an obftinate Siege e'er the Europeans arrived: fo that being vigorously repulfed from within, while at the fame time Saláb addîn continually skirmished with, and interrupted them from without, they were glad to leave the Town, after the lofs of ma ny Lives, and all their cumbersome Machines, which were partly burnt with Fire, and partly demolished. This Year died the Khalif Al-Aded, the laft rear of the Hej. 567. of the Fatemite Race in Egypt, and Salah'addin who was defcended of the Abbaside *Race of the Egyptian Khalifs fucceeded, but his Suc-i ceffors were called Ayubite Khâlifs, from Ayub! or Job the Father of Salah'addin'; who by this Acceffion of Splendor to his former Power, raised the Jealousy and Apprehenfions of all the Salâh'addfa did not fucceed in Right of Inheritance, but only happened to defcend from the Abbatide Family, which had been outed 200 Years before, by the Fatemite. Nations Nations which heard of it, but particularly of thofe in Europe, whilft he himfelf was wholly taken up with the Thoughts of his darling Scheme, the HOLY WAR. Year of the His firft Holy Excurfion out of Egypt, was Hej. 568. against Crac and Shawbek, which commanded the Paffage from Syria and Arabia into Egypt; but after many ftruggles with the Franks, he did nothing of moment, and returned without any other Honour than what was derived on him from the Sanctity of his Intentions. A Rebellion was raised against him in Egypt about this time, but it was prefently appeared. Year of the THE European Franks, as we have hinted beHej. 570. fore, were extremely uneafy at this turn of Affairs, dreading the Profperity Salah addin's and nothing discouraged by their Disappoint ment at Dimyat, now formed a Design against the City of Alexandria; and accordingly laid clofe fiege to that very confiderable Place with thirty thousand Men, wafted thither in fix hundred Sail of Veffels little and big; but upon the bare news of Salahaddin's approach for the Relief of the Place, they were ftruck with a Terror, as from Heaven, (fays our Author) and rofe up after a three days moft bloody Affault, and left all their heavy Machines behind them. THIS fame Year did Salab'addin feize on Das mafcus, and fit down before Aleppo, Nuro'ddin being now dead; which drew on him the Jealoufy of the Mohammedans in the Eaft, and particularly Seifo'ddin, the Lord of Mufol or Affyria, fent his Brother at the Head of an Army against him, and afterwards took the field in perfon: but he was both times baffled and defeated by Salab'addin, who drove him across the Eu phrates phrates again, with the lofs of his Camp and all his Baggage; and then returned back into rear of the HE juft gave his Army time to reft, and the IN Egypt he reposed himself for a while; but upon news of great Disorders in Syria, he marched his Force thither, not without a defign of profecuting the HOLY WAR at the fame time; which however, he was diverted from for the prefent, by being folicited against the Armenians. In this unexpected War, Succefs and Superiority attending him, he reconciled the difference of the contending States in that part of the World; and e'er he returned, a folemn Peace was ratified by him and all the Orientals, Year of the the Affyrians and Mefopotamians not excepted; Hej. 576. after which, he returned to Damafcus, and thence to Egypt.. i ABOUT two Years afterwards, he had notice 578. that Aleppo was in fome danger of falling into the hands of the Franks; wherefore he marched out for Damafcus, refolving at the fame time to befiege Berytus, and to begin Hoftilities with the Franks as foon as he had reached their Territories; and accordingly he forced a March through them. However, they obliged him to raise the Siege of Berytus, and fent him away to Damafcus, where it was told him that Ambaffa dors from Múfol* had been with the Chriftians * This is a City which ftands near the Place of the ancient Niniveh, the Capital of Affyria. at Year of the at Jerufalem, to invite them into a War. When Saláb'addin understood this infraction of the Treaty fo lately concluded in the East, he determined to chaftife the Mufolites for their Treachery. But previous to that, he befieged Aleppo, which, however he left after three days; thence bending his March for the Euphrates, which he croffed, nor ftopped till he faw the City of Múfol. He had not been many Days before this City e'er he experienced that it would be impoffible for him to make any formidable' Impreffion upon it; and that the way to take. it, would be to deftroy all the Country about it, and this he undertook with good fuccefs. In this Distress the Mifolites fent an Embaffy to: Shah Armen in Armenia, who marched to their Relief, as did at the fame time a confiderable Body from Aleppo. All this mighty Conjunction was diffolved at the very approach of Saláb'addin, who then fell like Lightning upon the Country again, and took the City of Amida in eight Days time. After this, he faced about for Syria again, where he reduced Tel Khalid and Aleppo.. BUT Salâh'addin, tho' Victory fo partially attended him, was impatient of fo many Diverfions from his HOLY WAR. And therefore to let no Opportunity flip, he hurried to Damafcus, and from thence invaded the Franks; who joining Battel with him, were over-powered by Numbers, and loft feveral Strong-Holds, and fuffered a confiderable Devastation of theirCountry, for which Salâh'addin returned with Joy and Triumph to Damafcus. THE next Year he and his Brother Al-Malec. Hej.579. Al-Adel, whom he had fixed in the Regency of Egypt, jointly befieged the important Fortrefs This Place, while it |