Christians, a proposition which was received with the greatest horror ; nor was it till the sultan had urged the point with vehemence that the caliph consented, presenting his right hand covered with a handkerchief. Again the sturdy Hugh expostulated. " Sir," said he to the caliph, who had never been addressed in such a manner before ; " loyalty knows no concealments. Let everything between princes be bare and open. . . . Grive me your uncovered hand, or I shall be constrained to think that you have some secret design, and possess less sincerity than I wish to experience from you." The caliph yielded, smiling, and with a good grace, while his courtiers were dumb with amazement, and repeated, in the same words as Hugh, the oath to adhere to the conditions in good faith, without fraud or evil intention. " The caliph was in the flower of youth, tall, and of handsome appearance ; he had an infinite number of wives, and was named El 'Adhid li din illah. When he sent' away the deputies, he gave them presents whose abundance and value served at the same time to honour him who gave them, and to rejoice those who received them from so illustrious a prince." The terms of alliance being thus agreed upon, Arraury proceeded with his campaign. But Shirkoh was too wary to give him an opportunity of fighting, aud after playing with him a little, withdrew into the desert, and the Christians occupied the city of Cairo, where they were allowed to go everywhere, even, into the palace of the caliph, a mark of the highest favour. Shirkoh returned, and trusting to his superiority of numbers, forced on a battle. He had with him—of course the numbers must be taken with some reserve—twelve thousand Turks and ten thousand Arabs, the latter armed with nothing but the lance. The Christians had three hundred and sixty knights, a large body of Turcopoles, and the Egyptian army, the numbers of which are not given.