Death of Noureddin

Exposed to an eastern climate, and yielding to oriental effeminacy, the Christians of the East had rapidly degenerated. Within the Holy City, they had abandoned themselves to vicious indulgence.
This was not all. The warriors of the cross set at defiance the doctrines of chivalry as well as Christianity, and held themselves free from keeping faith with infidels. Forgetting that the best evidence to give of the superiority of a religion consists in the respect shone by its professors for virtue and truth, they not only indulged in gross vice, but broke faith without scruple.
The Christians would have fallen an easy prey to their foes, if, strangely enough, the Saracens had not been in almost as wretched a state as their adversaries. For centuries the Caliph of Cairo and the Caliph of Bagdad, one representing the Fatimites, the other the Abassides, were implacable enemies. Each claimed to be the vicar of Mahomet, and denounced his rival as the enemy of God. In the mosques of Cairo, the name of the Caliph of Bagdad was daily cursed; and in the mosques of Bagdad that of the Caliph of Cairo was exposed to a similar indignity. It is true, that both Caliphs remained for ever shut up from the public, and possessed no real power; but, as the chiefs of Islamism, their names were still of high account, and used without scruple by ambitious emirs to promote their own interests and advance their own fortunes.
It happened that in 1165, while Elhadack, Caliph of Cairo, was passing his life in a eerafeo, pursuing sinful pleasures and indulging in voluptuous legarthy, two Saracen chiefs, Dargan and Sanor, contended for the viceroyalty of his empire. When this strife was at its height, Sanor entreated aid from Noureddin, who having, in other days, wrested Edessa from the ill-fated Joceline de Courtenay, had since advanced himself to the dignity of Sultan of Damascus; and Noureddin, with a keen eye to his own interest, despatched to Sanor's aid a powerful army, under the command of Syracon, a captain of experience and valor.
Undismayed by the arrival of so renowned a warrior, Dargan mustered an army, and boldly marched to meet the troops of Noureddin. The result was more fortunate for him than might have been expected. In a battle fought, he came off the victor, and seemed to have fortune on his side. But soon after his victory, Dargan was slain by treachery, and Sanor, profiting by his rival's death, immediately became sultan.
So far all went smoothly. But Sanor now became alarmed at the attitude assumed by the army whose aid he had invoked. In fact, Syracon, instead of returning to Damascus, seized Belbeis, on the Nile, fortified that city, and awaited the arrival of troops to undertake the conquest of Egypt.
Sanor was naturally indignant at the perfidy of his auxiliary. Finding himself outwitted, he looked around for new a]lies, and betjiought him of those Christian warriors whose feats of valor had astonished the East, and whose mighty arms and barbed steeds, charging in close ranks, had ever borne down opposition. Accordingly, he hastened to send imploring messages to the King of Jerusalem; and Almeric, appearing with an army in Egypt, after a tough struggle, rendered Sanor victorious over his enemies.
But Syracon was not the man to yield easily to adversity. He knew that the Caliph of Bagdad contended with the Caliph of Cairo for the heirship of the Prophet and the sovereignty over all Moslems, and resolved to turn their rivalry to account. No sooner, therefore, was he defeated, than he repaired to Damascus, and induced Noureddin to assure the Caliph of Bagdad that, if properly supported, he would make all Egypt subject to the authority of the Abassides. The Caliph gladly gave his sanction to the project; and Syracon, at the head of a mighty host of warriors, descended upon Egypt.
On hearing of the projected invasion, Sanor was astounded. Recovering from his surprise, however, he sent to the King of Jerusalem, imploring him to front the new peril, and offering a pension of forty thousand ducats. Almeric was not unwilling to undertake the task on such terms. Not liking, however, to depend on the promises of one who was merely viceroy, he insisted on treating with the Caliph; and Sanor, finding that the Christian King's resolution on this point was not to be shaken, consented that ambassadors should be sent to confer with the vicar of Mahomet.
For this important mission, Hugh, Earl of Ceserea, and a knight of the Temple, were selected; and, accompanied by Sanor, they repaired to Cairo. On reaching that city, they dismounted from their steeds, and were conducted to the palace within whose pre--cincts no Christian had ever before set foot, guided through dark passages guarded by Ethiopians, and thence into courts so richly and beautifully ornamented, that they could not refrain from expressing admiration. " The farther we went," said they, " the greater was the splendor and state."
At length, the ambassadors reached the chamber where, behind a traverse wrought with pearls, the Caliph was seated in all his dignity. On entering this sanctuary, Sanor gave intimation of his presence, and thrice prostrated himself on the ground. The curtain was then drawn, and the Caliph discovered sitting, with serene majesty, on a throne of gold, surrounded by the officers of his court, who appeared both grieved and surprised to see Christians standing in that place and presence.
The Earl and the Templar regarded the spectacle presented to them with mingled astonishment and awe; but Sanor was quite at home, and humbly kissed the Caliph's foot. Eneelmg before the golden throne, he explained why the ambassadors were there, expatiated on the danger to which the empire was exposed, explained the treaty into which he had entered with King Almeric, and begged the Caliph to ratify the conditions by giving his hand. The Caliph, however, hesitated about descending so much from his dignity, and, after expressing some objections, offered his glove. But the ambassadors shook their heads; and Hugh of Cgserea spoke. " Sir," said the Earl, " truth makes no holes to hide itself. Princes, if they would covenant must deal fairly and openly./Give me, therefore, your hand: for I will make no bargain with your glove.'*) Yielding to necessity, the Caliph consented to the humiliation of allowing the ambassadors to touch his hand; and they were soon after dismissed with rich gifts.
By this time the King of Jerusalem had approached Cairo with his army; and, matters having been satisfactorily arranged, he worsted Syracon in a battle fought in the isle of Maalle. The victory, however, did not prove quite decisive, and the struggle was maintained with varying success for many months. Ultimately, Syracon, having obtained an honorable capitulation, led his army from Egypt. Almeric also took his departure, and conducted his warriors, laden with gold, back to Jerusalem.
Almeric had so far succeeded in the pursuit of glory and gold. Unfortunately for his welfare, the Christian King was not content with the laurels and the ducats he had. Having seen Egypt sufficiently to be aware of the wealth of the country, and the weakness of its government, he panted for possession, and sent ambassadors to Emanuel, Emperor of Constantinople, whose daughter he had espoused, entreating assistance in a great scheme of conquest. Emanuel approved of Almeric's views, and promised to aid him with a powerful fleet.
Encouraged in his project, Almeric, in 1168, determined to defy his treaty with the Caliph, and undertake the invasion of Egypt. The idea was not received with universal favor. Many of the wisest Christian warriors opposed the enterprise, and the Grand Master of the Temple loudly protested against a breach of faith. But Almeric, who was strongly supported by the Knights of St. John, held steadily to his purpose; and, placing himself at the head of his army, reached the banks of the Nile, besieged and took Belbcis, and after pillaging the city, consigned it to the flames.
But while the King of Jerusalem had been preparing for the conquest of Egypt, the same project had occupied the thoughts of the Sultan of Damascus. Syracon, in fact, had impressed his master with the conviction that the Fatimites were on the verge of ruin, and the Egyptians ripe for new governors. Noureddin listened with gratification to the suggestions of his general, who was already occupied with schemes for possessing himself of Egypt, when the Caliph, alarmed at Almeric's invasion, implored assistance to repel the enemies of the Prophet. The Sultan of Damascus received the Caliph's message with joy; and at his bidding, Syracon, at the head of a numerous army, crossed the desert, and appeared on the banks of the Nile.
Almeric was wholly unprepared for the presence of such a foe. In Sanor, the king of Jerusalem had met his match at the game of deceit. By sending to implore pity, and offering two millions of golden crowns, Sanor had thrown the invader off his guard. While waiting for the promised treasure, and vainly expecting the Greek fleet, Almeric gave the Egyptians an opportunity of fortifying their cities and preparing to hid him defiance; and he only awoke to the consciousness of having been deluded, when he learned that Syracon was approaching at the head of a formidable force.
On comprehending his position, Almeric roused himself to action, and eager to repair his error, hastened to ofler Syracon battle. But the Moslem warrior having no inclination to gratify the wish of the Christian King, declined the honor of an engagement till he had formed a junction with the Egyptians. Almeric, unprepared to cope with the united armies, was fain to retreat; and, having been pursued to the verge of the desert, he returned to Jerusalem.
Nevertheless, Almeric could not divest himself of an ambition to figure as conqueror of Egypt. The aspiration having become part of himself, he repaired to Constantinople to beg the Emperor's assistance in realizing the grand project. Emanuel welcomed his son-in-law with imperial magnificence, and was lavish of promises. But nothing was ever done in the way of performance; and Almeric returned to the Holy City to mourn his blighted hopes, t The project was still haunting Almeric's brain, when he died, leaving his subjects in distress to defend a menaced kingdom, and a son in boyhood to inherit a tottering \Ytcoi&. > Meanwhile Syracon had entered Cairo in triumph, hoisted Noureddin's banner on the towers and ramparts, and been welcomed by the Caliph as a deliverer. Noureddin finding himself master of Egypt, Syria, and the richest provinces of the East, was preparing to crown his successes with the annihilation of the Christians, and the capture of the Holy City. The Sultan of Damascus caused prayers to be offered for the success of the expedition, and even constructed, with his own hands, a pulpit to be placed in one of the chief mosques of Jerusalem. Death, however, surprised Noureddin in the midst of his preparations, and for a brief period averted the perils that threatened the Christian states.

...(Extracted from -The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin, D. S. Richards)