more or less by the crusading spirit, were all against any dealings with the infidel. Naturally, Saladin was concerned to thwart them, and his interest in Raymond was strengthened by his personal dislike of the leaders on the opposing side. There was still another reason for him to support Raymond. Heraclius and the two Grand Masters of the religious orders had been sent to Europe by a council of nobles held at Acre to secure support, and their mission was less likely to be successful if there were no war on at the time and divided council in the Holy Land. In fact, while the mission stirred the nobles of England to take the cross, and was promised support by the French and English kings, no practical aid was forthcoming. In the meantime, Saladin was able to give more attention to mending his own fences, and incidentally to enjoy an unusually prolonged stay at Damascus. The new Caliph at Bagdad, en-Nasir, more energetic than his predecessor, sought to heal the breach between Izz ed-din and the Sultan, sending the Sheik of Sheiks as head of an embassy to the latter for that purpose. Beha ed-din, then a resident of Mosul, was a member of this mission, and so impressed Saladin that he offered him a high judgeship ; but the Cadi, also wise in his generation, saw that it would not do to accept favors and then return home with empty hands to him who had sent him. For the mission failed of its object completely, and there was another siege of Mosul presently, when its atabeg had sought to