A-D. 1250.] PROP08AL3 TO PUT TBE KING TO DEATH. 453 liberties at sunrise remained until sunset without eating or drinking, and the king suffered equally with us. The ad mirais were disputing together, and seemed inclined to put us to death. One of them, addressing the others, said, " My lords, if you will believe me and these beside me, we will kill the king and all the great persons with him, and then for forty years to come we need not fear them ; for their children are young, and we have possession of Damietta, which will likewise be our security." Another Saracen, named Scebrecy, a native of Morentaigne,* opposed this, and remonstrated with the others, that if they should slay the king, just after they had killed their eultan, it would be said that the Egyptians were the most disloyal and iniquitous race of men in the world. The admiral, who was desirous of our deaths, replied by palliating arguments. He said, that indeed they had been to blame in slaying their sultan, because it was contrary to the law of Mahomet, who had commanded them to guard their sovereign as the apple of their eye, and he shewed them this commandment written down in a book which he held in his hand. " But," added he, " listen, my lords, to another commandment,'* and, turning over the leaves of his book, read to them the commandment of Mahomet, that for the security of the faith, the law permitted the death of an enemy. Then, turning his speech to his forme*' purpose, he continued, u Now consider the sin we have committed in killing the sultan, against the positive command of our prophet, and the great evil we shall again do if we suffer the king to depart, and if w e do not put him to death, in spite of the assurances of safety he may have had from us, for he is the greatest enemy to our law and religion." One of the admirals that were against us, thinking we should be slain, came to the bank of the river, and shouted ont in Saracen to those who were on board our galleys, and taking off his turban made signs, and told them, they were to carry us back to Babylon. The anchors were instantiν raised, and we were carried a good league up the river. This caused great grief to all of us, and many tears fell from our eyes, for we now expected nothing but death. However, as God willed it, who never is forgetful of his * Mauritania.