asked us, by means of an interpreter, who spoke and understood our language well, if it were true that we believed in one only God, who had been born for our salvation, was crucified to death, and after three days rose again to save as. We answered, that what we had heard was perfectly true. On this he replied, that since it was so, we ought not to be cast down for any persecutions we might suffer for his sake! and that we had not as yet endured death for him, as he had done for us ; and since he had the power to raise himself from the dead, it would not be long before he would deliver us. The old Saracen then went away with all the young men, without doing any thing more, which rejoiced me exceedingly; for I really thought the intent of his visit was to cot our heads off. It was not long after this before we heard news of our deliverance. The sultan's council soon returned to ns again, and said the king had exerted himself so effectually, that he had succeeded in obtaining our liberty. They ordered us to send four of our company to hear and know the terms on which we were to have our freedom. To this end we deputed the lords John de Valeri, Philip de Montfort, Baldwin de Ebelin, seneschal of Cyprus, and his brother, the constable of Cyprus, who was one of the handsomest and best-informed knights I ever knew, and who loved greatly the people of that country. These four knights were not long in bringing us the terms of our liberty. In order to try the king, the sultan's council had made the same demands from him as from us; but it pleased God that the good king, St. Louis, made similar answers to what we had done through the mouth of Count Peter of Brittany. The council, seeing the king would not comply with their demands, threatened to put him in the bernicles,* which is the greatest torture they can inflict on any one. The bernicles are formed of two thick blocks of wood, fastened together at the top ; and when they use this mode of torture, they lay the person on his side, between these * This engine of torture appears to have been made of pieces of wood pierced with holes, into which the legs of criminals were put : they were placed at such distances from each other, and forced to so great an extension of the legs as caused very great pain, for the criminale could not draw them back again. The holes in these pieces of wood were at various distances, and the legs of the criminal were inserted into those that extended them to a greater or lesser distance, according to the heinousness of the crime or the pains to be inflicted.