522 it03;:;t οκ YVENDOVER. [A.D. 1229. divino grace may lie more clearly shown to the reader, let him read the following letter of the Roman emperor which he sent sealed with gold, to Henry king of England. l^i'rr of Ih* emperor to the English king on the nhore matter, "Frederic, by the grace of God, the august emperor of the Romans, king of Jerusalem and Sicily, to his well beloved friend Henry king of the English, health and sincere aifecti m. bet all rejoi :e and exult in the Lord and let those who are correct in heart gl irify him, who, to make known his power, does not make boast of horses and chariots, hut has now gained glory for himself in the scarcity of his soldiers, that all may know and understand that h is glorious in his majesty, terrible in bis magnificence, and wond -rfnl in his plans on the sons of men, changing seasons at will, and bringing the hearts of different nations together ; for in these fen- days, by a miracle rather than by strength, that business has been brought to a conclusion, which for a length of time past many chiefs and rulers of the world amongst the multitude of nations, have never been able till now to accomplish by force, however great, nor by fear. Not therefore to keep you in suspens." by α long account, we wish to inform your holiness, that we, firmly putting our trust in God. and believing that Jesus Christ his Son, in whose service we have so devotedly exposed our bodies and lives, would not abandon us in these unknown and distant countries, but would at least give us wholesome advice and assistance for his honour, praise, and glory, boldly in the name set forth from Acre on the lôth day of the month of November hist past and arrived safely at Joppa, intending to rebuild the castle at that place with proper strength, that afterwards the approach to the holy city of Jerusalem might be not only easier, but also shorter and more safe for us as well as for all Christians. When therefore we were in tho confidence of our trust in God engaged at Joppa and superintending the building of the castle and the cause of Christ as necessity required, and as was our duty, and whilst all our pilgrims were busily engaged in these matters, several messengers often passed to and fro between us and the sultan of Babylon ; for he and another sultan called Xaphat his brother, were with a large army at the city of Gaza, distant about one day's journey from us ; in another direction in the city of Sichen, which is commonly called Neapolis, and situated in the plains, the sultan of Damascus, his nephew, was staying with an immense number of knights and soldiers also about a day's journey from us and the Christians, And whilst the treaty was in progress between the parties on either side of the restoration of the Holy Land, at length Jesus Christ the Son of God, beholding from on high our devoted endurance and patient devotion to hie cause, in his merciful compassion of us, at length brought it about that the sultan of Babylon restored to us the holy city, the place