_Death of Saladin--Disunion among his Successors--Celestine III. preaches a new Crusade--Henry of Germany takes the Cross--Abandons his Purpose--Crusaders proceed without him--Saif Eddin takes the Field, and captures Jaffa--The Crusaders are reinforced--Defeat Saif Eddin--Lay Siege to Thoron--Seized with Panic, and retreat--Disperse--Death of Henry of Champagne, King of Jerusalem--His Widow marries Almeric, King of Cyprus--Truce--Death of Almeric and Isabella--Mary, Heiress of Jerusalem, wedded to John of Brienne--Affairs of Europe--Innocent III. and Foulque of Neuilly promote a Crusade--The Barons of France take the Cross--Proceed to Venice--Their Difficulties--Turn to the Siege of Zara--A Change of Purpose--Proceed to Constantinople--Siege and Taking of that City--Subsequent Proceedings--A Revolution in Constantinople--Alexius deposed by Murzuphlis--Second Siege and Capture of the Greek Capital--Flight of Murzuphlis--Plunder and Outrage--Baldwin, Count of Flanders, elected Emperor._ For some time the Christians of the Holy Land enjoyed an interval of repose. Saladin was a religious observer of his word; and during the short space that intervened between the departure of Richard Coeur de Lion and the death of his great adversary, the Latins received the full benefit of the treaty which had been executed between those monarchs. A year had scarcely elapsed ere Saladin was seized with a mortal sickness; and, finding his end approaching, he commanded the black standard, which had so often led the way to victory, to be taken down, and replaced by the shroud which was to wrap his body in the grave. This was then borne through the streets, while the criers called all men to behold what Saladin, the mighty conqueror, carried away with him of all his vast dominion.[725] Saladin died, a monarch in whose character, though the good was not unmixed with evil, the great qualities so far preponderated, that they overbalanced the effects of a barbarous epoch and a barbarous religion, and left in him a splendid exception to most of the vices of his age, his country, and his creed.