assurances of distinguished consideration one for the other. At this time, also, Queen Sibyl of Jerusalem sent a message to the Sultan, asking after her husband, who was still a prisoner at Damascus, and pleading that he might be set free. Again Saladin, acting on one of his generous impulses, consented and sent to Damascus to have King Guy brought to him. In addition, he called for the delivery of ten of the most important knights who had been captured at Hattin, and when these arrived he set them all free upon their taking oath they would not take up arms against him again. As usual, no sooner were they released than they were freed of their vows by the clergy, and proceeded at once to make all the trouble they could for their liberator. The Sultan's next move was against the Fortress of the Kurds, better known as Crac des Chevaliers, which lay on his way to the maritime districts of Upper Syria, and belonged to the Hospitallers. But this almost impregnable fortress was not conquered until much later. Having despatched orders to his sons, el-Melek ez-Zaher and el-Melek el-Mozaffer to join in protection of the districts around Antioch, he remained inactive for some time while reconnoitering the country, then proceeded on a campaign against the neighboring towns. One after another opened its gates or was taken by assault—Tortosa, Jebela, Laodicea, a rich and beautiful city, and a host of others. He was proposing to march against Antioch when a