33 8 KOOF.rt OF WKXDOVEK. [A.D. 1217. not for from the sea: wherefore, those who went up ami down the narrow road on their way to .Jerusalem, called it "The District." The chief advantage of this castle was, that the brotherhood of the Templars, after leaving the city of Acre, which was full of all sin and debauchery, would remain in it as a garrison till the Avails of Jerusalem were repaired. The district round it abounded in fisheries, lakes, woods, pastures, meadows, fields, herbage, vineyards, gardens, and orchards. Between Acre and Jerusalem, the Saracens Avere not in possession of any town, on which account the infidels suffered much loss. Six miles distant from mount Thabor, between Jerusalem and the Jordan, there is a good natural harbour ; and therefore the Saracens could neither plough nor sow in the extensive plain which lies between, on account of its being under the protection of this castle. The army of the Lord then, after fortifying this castle, returned to Acre. Of signs in the heavens by which th" province of Cotogne teas incited to (issisi in the crusade. In the month of May in this year, on the sixth day before Whitsuntide, the province of Cologne was awakened to its duty to the Saviour; for at the town of llcbon in Friesland there appeared in the sky the form of the cross in three places, one towards the north of a wdiite colour, another towards the south of the same form and colour, and the third in the middle of a dark colour, with the form of the crucilix. and the figure of a man suspended on it, with Uplifted and extended arms, with nails driven through the feet and bauds, and with the bead bent down ; this one was in the middle between the two others, on which latter did not appear the image of a human body ; at another time and place too, namely, at a town of Fricsland called Fuscrhuse, there appeared near the sun a cross of a blue colour, and more people saw this than those who had seen the former crosses: a third cross appeared at the town of Doctham, where saint Bonifacius was crowned with martyrdom; at this place on the feast of the said martyr, many thousand men having collected together, a large white cross was visible, as though two planks were placed artificially across one another ; this