capture, he led his forces into Edessa, and there, marching one night in February, -without taking proper precautions, his men being allowed to desperse in various directions, he fell into an ambuscade, and was made prisoner himself by Balak, who sent him in irons to the fortress of Khortbert. And now the country was without a ruler. In this emergency, the barons assembled at Acre and elected as Regent, Eustace Gamier, the Baron of Sidon and Cassarea, who proved worthy of their confidence. The story of the king's captivity is like a chapter of a romance. For while he was in fetters with Jocelyn at Khortbert, certain Armenians, fifty in number, swore a solemn oath to one another that the king should be released. Disguising themselves as monks,* and hiding daggers under their long robes, they went tò the citadel, and putting on a melancholy and injured air, they pretended to have been attacked and robbed on the road, and demanded to be admitted to the governor of the castle, in order to have redress. They were allowed to enter, and directly they got within the walls they drew out their weapons, .slaughtered every Saracen, made themselves masters of the place, and released the king from, his fetters. But not from his prison, for the Turks, furious at the intelligence, which spread quickly enough, gathered together from all quarters, resolved to bar their escape till Balak could send reinforcements strong enough to retake the place. After a hurried council, it was resolved within the fort that Jocelyn should attempt the perilous task of escaping. Three men were deputed to go with him, two to ac company him on his road, and one to return to the king with tho news that he had safely got through the enemy. Jocelyn took a solemn oath that he would lose no time in raising an army of assistance, and swore, besides, that he * This is William of Tyre's account. He says that, according to others, they were disguised as merchants.