Therewasapolicyinit，’’repliedtheItalian；hischaracterofnativeofBritainwassufficienttomeetwhatSaladinrequired，whoknewhimtobelongtothebandofRichard，whilehischaracterofScot，andcertainotherpersonalgrudgeswhichIwotof，rendereditmostunlikelythatourenvoyshould，onhisreturn，holdanycommunicationwiththesick-bedofRichard，towhomhispresencewaseverunacceptable。’’
Oh，toofine-spunpolicy，’’saidtheGrandMaster；trustme，thatItalianspiders’webswillneverbindthisunshornSamsonoftheIsle-wellifyoucandoitwithnewcords，andthoseofthetoughest。Seeyounotthattheenvoywhomyouhaveselectedsocarefully，hathbroughtus，inthisphysician，themeansofrestoringthelion-hearted，bull-neckedEnglishman，toprosecutehisCrusadingenterprise；andsosoonasheisableoncemoretorushon，whichoftheprincesdareholdback？-
Theymustfollowhimforveryshame，althoughtheywouldmarchunderthebannerofSatanassoon。’’
Becontent，’’saidConradeofMontserrat；erethisphysician，ifheworkbyanythingshortofmiraculousagency，canaccomplishRichard’scure，itmaybepossibletoputsomeopenrupturebetwixttheFrenchman，atleasttheAustrian，andhisalliesofEngland，sothatthebreachshallbeirreconcilableandRichardmayarisefromhisbed，perhapstocommandhisownnativetroops，butneveragain，byhissoleenergy，towieldtheforceofthewholeCrusade。’’
Thouartawillingarcher，’’saidtheTemplar；but，ConradeofMontserrat，thybowisoverslacktocarryanarrowtothemark。’’
Hethenstoptshort，castasuspiciousglancetoseethatnooneoverheardhim，andtakingConradebythehand，pressediteagerlyashelookedtheItalianintheface，andrepeatedslowly，-Richardarisefromhisbed，say’stthou？-Conrade，hemustneverarise！’’
TheMarquisofMontserratstarted-What！-spokeyouofRichardofEngland-ofCurdeLion-thechampionofChristendom？’’
Hischeekturnedpale，andhiskneestrembledashespoke。
TheTemplarlookedathim，withhisironvisagecontortedintoasmileofcontempt。
Know’stthouwhatthoulook’stlike，SirConrade，atthismoment？NotlikethepoliticandvaliantMarquisofMontserrat-
notlikehimwhowoulddirecttheCouncilofPrinces，anddeterminethefateofempires-butlikeanovice，who，stumblinguponaconjurationinhismaster’sbookofgramarye，hasraisedthedevilwhenheleastthoughtofit，andnowstandsterrifiedatthespiritwhichappearsbeforehim。’’
Igrantyou，’’saidConrade，recoveringhimself，that-
unlesssomeothersureroadcouldbediscovered-thouhasthintedatthatwhichleadsmostdirecttoourpurpose。But，blessedMary！weshallbecomethecurseofallEurope，themaledictionofeveryone，fromthePopeonhisthronetotheverybeggaratthechurch-gate，who，raggedandleprous，inthelastextremityofhumanwretchedness，shallblesshimselfthatheisneitherGilesAmaury，norConradeofMontserrat。’’
Ifthoutakestitthus，’’saidtheGrandMaster，withthesamecomposurewhichcharacterisedhimallthroughthisremarkabledialogue，letusholdtherehasnothingpassedbetweenus-thatwehavespokeninoursleep-haveawakened，andthevisionisgone。’’
Itnevercandepart，’’answeredConrade。
Visionsofducalcrownsandkinglydiademsare，indeed，somewhattenaciousoftheirplaceintheimagination，’’repliedtheGrandMaster。
Well，’’answeredConrade，letmebutfirsttrytobreakpeacebetweenAustriaandEngland。’’
Theyparted-Conraderemainedstandingstilluponthespot，andwatchingtheflowingwhitecloakoftheTemplar，ashestalkedslowlyaway，andgraduallydisappearedamidthefast-sinkingdarknessoftheOrientalnight。Proud，ambitious，unscrupulous，andpolitic，theMarquisofMontserratwasyetnotcruelbynature。Hewasavoluptuaryandanepicurean，and，likemanywhoprofessthischaracter，wasaverse，evenuponselfishmotives，frominflictingpain，orwitnessingactsofcruelty；andheretainedalsoageneralsenseofrespectforhisownreputation，whichsometimessuppliesthewantofthebetterprinciplesbywhichreputationistobemaintained。
Ihave，’’hesaid，ashiseyesstillwatchedthepointatwhichhehadseenthelastslightwaveoftheTemplar’smantle，-Ihave，intruth，raisedthedevilwithavengeance！
WhowouldhavethoughtthissternasceticGrandMaster，whosewholefortuneandmisfortunearemergedinthatofhisOrder，wouldbewillingtodomoreforitsadvancementthanI
wholabourformyowninterest？TocheckthiswildCrusadewasmymotive，indeed，butIdurstnotthinkonthereadymodewhichthisdeterminedpriesthasdaredtosuggest-yetitisthesurest-perhapseventhesafest。’’
SuchweretheMarquis’smeditations，whenhismutteredsoliloquywasbrokenbyavoicefromalittledistance，whichproclaimedwiththeemphatictoneofaherald，-RemembertheHolySepulchre！’’
Theexhortationwasechoedfromposttopost，foritwasthedutyofthesentinelstoraisethiscryfromtimetotimeupontheirperiodicalwatch，thatthehostoftheCrusadersmightalwayshaveintheirremembrancethepurposeoftheirbeinginarms。ButthoughConradewasfamiliarwiththecustom，andhadheardthewarningvoiceonallformeroccasionsasamatterofhabit；yetitcameatthepresentmomentsostronglyincontactwithhisowntrainofthought，thatitseemedavoicefromHeavenwarninghimagainsttheiniquitywhichhisheartmeditated。Helookedaroundanxiously，asif，likethepatriarchofold，thoughfromverydifferentcircumstances，hewasexpectingsomeramcaughtinathicket-somesubstitutionforthesacrifice，whichhiscomradeproposedtooffer，nottotheSupremeBeing，buttotheMolochoftheirownambition。Ashelooked，thebroadfoldsoftheensignofEngland，heavilydistendingitselftothefailingnight-breeze，caughthiseye。
Itwasdisplayeduponanartificialmound，nearlyinthemidstofthecamp，whichperhapsofoldsomeHebrewchieforchampionhadchosenasamemorialofhisplaceofrest。Ifso，thenamewasnowforgotten，andtheCrusadershadchristeneditSaintGeorge’sMount，becausefromthatcommandingheightthebannerofEnglandwassupereminentlydisplayed，asifanemblemofsovereigntyoverthemanydistinguished，noble，andevenroyalensigns，whichfloatedinlowersituations。
AquickintellectlikethatofConradecatchesideasfromtheglanceofamoment。Asinglelookonthestandardseemedtodispeltheuncertaintyofmindwhichhadaffectedhim。Hewalkedtohispavilionwiththehastyanddeterminedstepofonewhohasadoptedaplanwhichheisresolvedtoachieve，dismissedthealmostprincelytrainwhowaitedtoattendhim，and，ashecommittedhimselftohiscouch，mutteredhisamendedresolution，thatthemildermeansaretobetriedbeforethemoredesperateareresortedto。
To-morrow，’’hesaid，IsitattheboardoftheArchdukeofAustria-wewillseewhatcanbedonetoadvanceourpurpose，beforeprosecutingthedarksuggestionsofthisTemplar。’’
CHAPTERELEVENTH。
OnethingiscertaininourNorthernland，Allowthatbirth，orvalour，wealthorwit，Giveeachprecedencetotheirpossessor，Envy，thatfollowsonsucheminence，Ascomesthelyme-houndontheroebuck’strace，Shallpullthemdowneachone。
SirDavidLindsay。
Leopold，GrandDukeofAustria，wasthefirstpossessorofthatnoblecountrytowhomtheprincelyrankbelonged。HehadbeenraisedtotheducalswayintheGermanempire，onaccountofhisnearrelationshiptotheEmperor，HenrytheStern，andheldunderhisgovernmentthefinestprovinceswhicharewateredbytheDanube。Hischaracterhasbeenstainedinhistory，onaccountofoneactionofviolenceandperfidy，whicharoseoutoftheseverytransactionsintheHolyLand；andyettheshameofhavingmadeRichardaprisoner，whenhereturnedthroughhisdominions，unattended，andindisguise，wasnotonewhichflowedfromLeopold’snaturaldisposition。
Hewasratheraweakandavain，thananambitiousortyrannicalprince。Hismentalpowersresembledthequalitiesofhisperson。Hewastall，strong，andhandsome，withacomplexioninwhichredandwhitewerestronglycontrasted，andhadlongflowinglocksoffairhair。Buttherewasanawkwardnessinhisgait，whichseemedasifhissizewasnotanimatedbyenergysufficienttoputinmotionsuchamass；andinthesamemanner，wearingtherichestdresses，italwaysseemedasiftheybecamehimnot。Asaprince，heappearedtoolittlefamiliarwithhisowndignity，andbeingoftenatalosshowtoasserthisauthoritywhentheoccasiondemandedit，hefrequentlythoughthimselfobligedtorecover，byactsandexpressionsofill-timedviolence，thegroundwhichmighthavebeeneasilyandgracefullymaintainedbyalittlemorepresenceofmindinthebeginningofthecontroversy。
Notonlywerethesedeficienciesvisibletoothers，buttheArchdukehimselfcouldnotbutsometimesentertainapainfulconsciousnessthathewasnotaltogetherfittomaintainandassertthehighrankwhichhehadacquired；andtothiswasjoinedthestrong，andsometimesthejustsuspicion，thatothersesteemedhimlightlyaccordingly。
WhenhefirstjoinedtheCrusade，withamostprincelyattendance，LeopoldhaddesiredmuchtoenjoythefriendshipandintimacyofRichard，andhadmadesuchadvancestowardscultivatinghisregard，astheKingofEnglandought，inpolicy，tohavereceivedandanswered。ButtheArchduke，thoughnotdeficientinbravery，wassoinfinitelyinferiortoCurdeLioninthatardourofmindwhichwooeddangerasabride，thattheKingverysoonheldhiminacertaindegreeofcontempt。
Richard，also，asaNormanPrince，apeoplewithwhomtemperancewashabitual，despisedtheinclinationoftheGermanforthepleasuresofthetable，andparticularlyhisliberalindulgenceintheuseofwine。Fortheseandotherpersonalreasons，theKingofEnglandverysoonlookedupontheAustrianPrincewithfeelingsofcontempt，whichhewasatnopainstoconcealormodify，andwhich，therefore，werespeedilyremarked，andreturnedwithdeephatred，bythesuspiciousLeopold。ThediscordbetweenthemwasfannedbythesecretandpoliticartsofPhilipofFrance，oneofthemostsagaciousmonarchsofthetime，who，dreadingthefieryandoverbearingcharacterofRichard，consideringhimashisnaturalrival，andfeelingoffended，moreover，atthedictatorialmannerinwhichhe，avassalofFranceforhiscontinentaldomains，conductedhimselftowardshisliegelord，endeavouredtostrengthenhisownparty，andweakenthatofRichard，byunitingtheCrusadingprincesofinferiordegree，inresistancetowhathetermedtheusurpingauthorityoftheKingofEngland。SuchwasthestateofpoliticsandopinionsentertainedbytheArchdukeofAustria，whenConradeofMontserratresolveduponemployinghisjealousyofEnglandasthemeansofdissolvingorlooseningatleast，theleagueoftheCrusaders。
Thetimewhichhechoseforhisvisitwasnoon，andthepretence，topresenttheArchdukewithsomechoiceCypruswinewhichhadlatelyfallenintohishands，anddiscussitscomparativemeritswiththoseofHungaryandoftheRhine。
AnintimationofhispurposewasofcourseansweredbyacourteousinvitationtopartakeoftheArchducalmeal，andeveryeffortwasusedtorenderitfittingthesplendourofasovereignprince。Yet，therefinedtasteoftheItaliansawmorecumbrousprofusion，thaneleganceorsplendour，inthedisplayofprovisionsunderwhichtheboardgroaned。
TheGermans，thoughstillpossessingthemartialandfrankcharacteroftheirancestors，whosubduedtheRomanempire，hadretainedwithalnoslighttingeoftheirbarbarism。Thepracticesandprinciplesofchivalrywerenotcarriedtosuchanicepitchamongstthem，asamongsttheFrenchandEnglishknights，norweretheystrictobserversoftheprescribedrulesofsociety，whichamongthosenationsweresupposedtoexpresstheheightofcivilisation。SittingatthetableoftheArchduke，Conradewasatoncestunnedandamused，withtheclangofTeutonicsoundsassaultinghisearsonallsides，notwithstandingthesolemnityofaprincelybanquet。Theirdressseemedequallyfantastictohim，manyoftheAustriannoblesretainingtheirlongbeards，andalmostallofthemwearingshortjerkinsofvariouscolours，cut，andflourished，andfringed，inamannernotcommoninWesternEurope。
Numbersofdependants，oldandyoung，attendedinthepavilion，mingledattimesintheconversation，receivedfromtheirmasterstherelicsoftheentertainment，anddevouredthemastheystoodbehindthebacksofthecompany。Jesters，dwarfs，andminstrels，werethereinunusualnumbers，andmorenoisyandintrusivethantheywerepermittedtobeinbetterregulatedsociety。Astheywereallowedtosharefreelyinthewine，whichflowedroundinlargequantities，theirlicensedtumultwasthemoreexcessive。