TOH KMUIITS TKMPLARS. 185 knights to assume the Cross ; but the holy pontiff died in the WILLIAM DE midst of his exertions, and with him expired all hope of effectual ..ji. 1-J7i. assistance from Europe. A vast change had come over the spirit of the age; the fiery enthusiasm of the holy war had expended itself, and the Grand Masters of the Temple and Hospital returned without succour, in sorrow and disappointment, to the East. William de Beaujeu arrived at the Temple of Acre on Saint Michael's Day, A, D. 1275, and immediately assumed the government of Palestine.* As there was now no hope of recovering the lost city of Jerusalem, he beut all his energies to the preservation of the few remaining possessions of the Christians in the Holy Land. At the expiration of the ten years' truce he entered into a further treaty with the infidels, called " the peace of Tortosa." It is expressed to be made between sultan Malek-Mansour and his son Malek-Saleh Ali, " honour of the world and of religion," of the one pan, and Afryz Bybadjouk (William de Beaujeu) Grand Master of the order of the Templars, of the other part. The truce is further prolonged for ten years and ten months from the date of the execution of the treaty, (a. b, 1282 ;) and the contracting parties strictly bind themselves to make no irruptions into each other's territories during the period. To prevent mistakes, the towns, villages, and territory belonging to the Christians in Palestine are specified and defined, together with the contiguous possessions of the Moslems.-f- This treaty, however, was speedily broken, the war was renewed with various success, and another treaty was concluded, which was again violated by an unpardonable outrage. Some European adven turers, who had arrived at Acre, plundered and hung nineteen Egyptian merchants, and the sultan of Egypt immediately re • Contili, hist, bell, sacr. apuil Alartene, tara. \ . ·ο\. 7-Ιίϊ. t Life ofMulek Mansour Kelaolin. Miehaua\ Extniita Arabes, p. Gi3, 68'i, 687.