to assist in hostilities against Richard; This treachery on the part of Philip brought matters to a crisis. Seizing the evidences of perfidy, Richard strode his way to the French camp, and with eyes sparkling with rage, and a voice of terrible power, upbraided him with his baseness Philip strongly asserted Iiis innocence, and declared the letters a forgery, a mere trick of Richard to gain a pretext for break-ing off the affair with his sister. The other leaders inter-posed and shamed Philip into acquiescence with Richard's desire to be released from Iiis engagement with Alice. Some days after the French king sailed for Acre. But though the hand of the royal Plantagenet was thus free, the long anticipated nuptials were still postponed. It was the period of the lenten fast, when no devout Catholic is permitted to marry. Eleanor finding it impossible longer to leave her regency in England, conducted Beren-garia to Messina, and consigned her to the care of Queen Joanna, who was also preparing for the voyage. The English fleet, supposed lost, arrived in the harbor of Messina about the same time, and arrangements were speedily made for departure. As etiquette forbade the lovers sailing together, Richard embarked his sister with her precious charge on board one of his finest ships, in the care of the noble Stephen de Turnhani, while himself led the convoy in his favorite galley Trenc-tlie-mere, accompanied by twenty-four knights, whom lie had organized in honor of his betrothment, under a pledge that they would with him scale the walls of Acre. From their badge, a fillet of blue leather, they were called knights of the Blue Thong. Thus with one hundred and fifty ships and fifty galleys, did the lion-hearted Richard and his bride hoist sail for the Land of Promise, that El Dorado of the middle ages, the Utopia of every enthusiast whether of conquest, romance or religion. 224 HEROINES OF THE CRUSADES.