Noor-ood-Deen, the prince of Balbec, who had raised this family, becoming jealous of Saladin's power, endeavoured to destroy him; but all his efforts were defeated, and at his death Syria was added to Egypt. Thus originated the power of the celebrated Saladin. His recovery of Jerusalem, the siege of Ascalon, and his wars with those who are termed infidels, are given at great length, and the boldest of the Christian heroes are often represented as flying before his victorious sword. I looked through this volume, for an account of the wonderful achievements of our gallant Richard, and some mention of his fair sister Matilda; but I looked in vain, and the omission produced no favourable impression of an author who could pass over subjects so dear to every English reader of the wars of Palestine. The day before we left Mârâgâ, our muleteers mutinied. They refused to proceed through Kûrdistan, alleging that the inhabitants were all robbers and murderers, and delighted in nothing more than plundering and putting to death Persians, from whom most of the tribes of that rugged country differ as much in habits as in religion, being half savages and of the sect of Soonees. The Elchee was only able to quiet them by promising to replace any mules which might be stolen, and to defend them if attacked. The temper of the Elchee, which had been ruffled by this occurrence, was still more so by the conduct of one of his principal servants, Feridoon Beg, who, besides receiving handsome pay, bore a gold stick, and took precedence of all the state servants on occasions of ceremony. This man having been sent with two hundred piastres to the servants of the chief of Mârâgâ, kept back twenty. Being detected, his only defence was, that the fellows had cheated him and others, by intercepting part of a present from their master to the domestics of the Elchee. The excuse was not admitted. Feridoon was degraded, and being a favourite, had little sympathy. One of his companions, approving of the indignation his conduct had excited, said, "What a mean rascal! to behave as he has done; and all for twenty piastres!" This speech increased the Elchee's passion, who reprobated the man for looking at the amount of the sum taken, not at the immorality of the action. "You, no doubt," said he, "when you begin, will be a rogue on a large scale." He proceeded in his anger from individuals to communities, and finished by declaring, that there was neither truth nor honesty to be found in Persia. This was so much the general impression, that we were delighted to find the Elchee's eyes at length opened; but in the evening, when some of us expressed concurrence in his opinions, what was our surprise to find that these had been completely changed by a few hours of reflection!