In the same year as witnessed the fall of Keryneia, a legate from the Papal Court arrived at Akkon, bearing a decree from both emperor and Pope, commanding all knights and citizens to join the imperial cause, and submit to the authority of Marshal Felingher. Every indulgence was promised to all such as should submit. Ibelin was now hard pressed, but he utterly refused again to acknowledge his faults to the emperor, and at once set about preparing for an attack on Tyre. The Pope sent Ibelin one more written warning, and the archbishop put Akkon under an interdict. Two envoys were now sent from the knights to Italy, in order to endeavour to make terms of peace. These conditions were hard upon the Cypriotes, and when the envoys returned to Akkon, and showed the parchment containing the required submissions, the whole city was in an uproar. The ambassadors were thrown into prison, and very narrowly escaped with their lives. Almost Ibelin’s last act was to summon all to uphold the rights of their king; very shortly after this he fell from his horse, and was so seriously injured that he did not long survive. During these occurrences in the East, great changes were also taking place in the friendly relations between the Pope and emperor, and the latter soon found himself overwhelmed with troubles and anxieties, both in Italy and Germany, which required his immediate and entire attention. Meanwhile Ibelin’s son and various members of his family had sent letters accompanied by rich gifts to the Pope and cardinals. This embassy proved entirely successful, and the envoy, Godfrey le Tort, returned triumphantly to Akkon, bearing a Papal letter commanding all to unite with the Genoese in submission to the wishes and propositions of the party led by the Ibelins. This direct decree from the Pope proved final, and Frederick was now powerless to send an army to assert his claims. Some years later, one more endeavour was made by Marshal Felingher, and a small party in Akkon, to induce the inhabitants of the island to acknowledge their allegiance to the emperor; but in vain. Thus ended all attempts to make Cyprus an appanage of Germany, which if carried out might probably have saved that beautiful country and her population from centuries of neglect and tyranny. CHAPTER XXXII. CYPRUS AND THE EUPHRATES VALLEY RAILWAY. Again must Cyprus bear a prominent position in the eyes of the world. For many years eminent statesmen, soldiers, and engineers have been proclaiming the advisability of making Cyprus the point through which that grand scheme, the Euphrates Valley Railway, soon we hope to be a reality, would receive its principal sources of traffic, and forming it into the terminal station of a line of railway and steamers destined to chain us more firmly to our Indian possessions, and to open again the long-deserted or neglected land that lies between it and the Persian Gulf.