ears; the vain and daring Scholar was immediately convinced by a fatal demonftration. His Zeal being of fo furious a Temper, we must not doubt that he was moft admirably adapted for the profecution of a religious War. BUT if his Piety was heated by a little too much Bigotry and Enthusiasm, his Justice was without Allay, punctual, regular, and impartial, of which, take the following general Idea. He devoted the Monday and Thursday of every Week to the adminiftration of Juftice, fitting in perfon among the Judges and Doctors, All the Avenues of this auguft Tribunal were wide open to every degree and age of each Sex; and this good order was equally and uninterruptedly obferved in the Camp and in the City. The reft of the Week he received Petitions, and was never known to deny access to any perfon that had any real bufinefs with him. Tho' he himself was above all Law, he would fubmit to the Decifions of Juftice in any reasonable Complaint exhibited against himfelf, of which our Hiftorian gives us a very prolix, but very rare example. He His Munificence knew no bounds; therein, he difplayed a vaftnefs of Soul, fcarce to be equalled. He who had been Mafter of fo large, fo fertile, and fo noble a part of the Earth and all the Wealth of it, left nothing behind him in his Treasury but forty-feven Nazaritic Drachms, and one Gold-piece of Tyrian Coin. would give away whole Climates, whole Regions at a time, fays our Author. Wherefore, his Treasurers knowing the immenseness of his Generofity, were wont to lay up private Hoards againft fudden Emergencies; convinced by long experience, that he would give as long as he A 4 knew knew he had wherewithal; which anfwers very well to the following Verfes which we find cited in Sandys's Travels concerning him: Great Saladine, the conqueror of the Eaft, THIS is faid to have been a Proclamation made, by his own order, at his Funeral, with a Shirt upon the Point of a Spear. His Fortitude, Patience, entire Confidence in God, and vigorous Application to the business of the HOLY WAR, tho' very extraordinary and well becoming a Prince of his Character and Genius, we forbear. Our Hiftorian gives us feveral Inftances of the Evennefs and Affability of his Temper. He never appeared to be disturbed, tho' the Croud of Petitioners, preffing forwards, would fometimes even trample upon the Carpet on which he fat. One day, fays Babão'ddin, my Mule took a fright from the Camels, and kicked the Soltan with a good deal of violence on the thigh, and he only smiled at it. Another time, going into Jerufalem, a moft dirty City, fays he, upon a wet and windy Day, my Mule splashed him all over with Dirt; whereupon offering to retire at fome distance for fear of repeating the fame troublesome Accident, he fmiled only, and would not let me ftir a step from him. VIRTUE, Merit, and fuch Learning as he approved of, he never fail'd to cherish, distinguish, and reward, in whomfoever found; commanding those who had the honour of attending him, to bring all Perfons of fuch Endowments into into his prefence, that he might fee, and converse with, and be kind to them, tho' Strangers, and only paffing thro' his Camp in their way, to any place. Confidering all things, he was fometimes a very generous and indulgentEnemy; the following inftance of which, is ranged under the head of his Civility. A captive Frank was brought to him one day, and perceiving the poor Man to be in a terrible confternation, he ordered an Interpreter to ask him what made him fo uneafy and fearful; to which he had prefence of Mind to answer, That before he had feen the Soltân's Face, he dreaded the worst that could befall himself; but having now feen it, he hoped the beft. This anfwer wrought its effects, and the Soltan not only fpared his Life, but gave him his liberty also. So far is the fubftance of the First Part of this Hiftory, and is fufficient to evince, that this Hero's Soul was almost in all refpects equal to his Dominion, and his Worth to his Fame. UPON the decline of the Fatemite Khalifs ofPART II. Egypt, that noble Kingdom fighed under a very turbulent and deftructive kind of Tyranny. TheYear of the Khalif himself was dwindled away to an empty Hej.558. Name, while the Soltán or Vizier adminiftred the Government by his own Rule and Fancy, and even awed his Mafter into an inactivity and fupine neglect of his Subjects and Dominion. This raised the envy and ambition of fome, and, doubtless, the indignation of others among the Grandees, who either with an ambitious regard to themselves, or with a beneficial View to their Country, frequently declared War against the reigning Vizier, and drew him into the Field of Battel, where if he fell, or was conquered, his Office devolved to the ftrongeft, upon no other other account but for his being fo. By this pernicious Maxim the Country was hardly ever at reft, the great ones being always ready to contend where the Prize was fo glorious, and the Impunity almoft certain. It was a War of this kind between the reigning Vizier and a Rival of his, that first gave occafion for Salâh'addin to vifit Egypt. The first of them was called Shawar, and the other Dargam, who drove Shawar from his Office and the Kingdom, and fucceeded in his place according to Cuftom. The Fugitive went into Syria to folicit Succours from Nuro'ddin the Zenchiad, who then reigned at Damafcus; and fucceeded partly by the force of his Entreaties, but more, because Nûro'ddin had a mind to examine more closely into the fickly State of Egypt. Afado ddin was the General fent to reinftate Shawar in his Office, and Salâb'addîn, now twenty-fix years of age, marched thither with the Army, very unwillingly, tho' in prime Office and Repute. Succefs attended this Expedition, and Shawar was reftored to his high Poft. Salah'addin, upon this occafion, gave the nobleft Proofs of Conduct and Courage, and Afado'ddin ravifhed with the Charms of the Country, earned after it in a very longing manner; and obferving the Mifrule and Corruption which had crept into all Parts of that distracted State, he did not think it would be a very difficult matter to make himself the Vizier there; but this Thought was fuppreffed for the prefent, and he and Salâh'addin marched back again into Syria. Soltan Shawar in the mean time came to understand what an ardent and restlefs defire Afado'ddin had conceived for the Vizirate of Egypt, and not knowing how far he might be prompted to to endeavour at a gratification of his unruly Appetite, he deemed it beft to fecure himself in time, and therefore fent to Jerusalem to desire the Christian King there to dispatch fome Succours to him into Egypt, to affift in defending his Country against the ambitious Views of the Turks in Syria, who were meditating how they might obtain the maftery of it. This drew the Chriftians or Franks (we fhall ufe the Words indifferently for the future) into Egypt; whereat Núroddin and Afado'ddin taking the Alarm, this laft and Salah'addin thundred after them to prevent their feizing on that delicious Morfel, and to tear it from them if already in their poffeffion, The Armies arrived foon after each other in Egypt, where feveral obftinate Battles were fought between them, till the Chriftians hearing that Nûroddin had fallen upon their own Territories, they were under a neceffity of retreating homewards, having firft entred into a Treaty whereby they engaged themselves not to return into Egypt again. Afado'ddin and Salâh'addîn followed foon after, the former more enchanted. than ever with the thoughts of obtaining the Seignory of Egypt.. BUT the Chriftians apprehending that the Treaty was diffolved on the other fide, marched away for Egypt again, Horfe and Foot; and Nuro'ddin and Afado'ddin quite thunderstruck with the news,raised all their strength to cope with them. Nuro'ddin furnished all the Supplies, and Afado'ddin marched in perfon to betterFortune than he expected: But it was with very great difficulty that he prevailed on Salah'addin to march with him this third time. No fooner was the Year of the news carried to Shawar in Egypt that the Chri- Hej. 564. ftians were in full march towards him, than he fhifted |