We learned that inside the castle walls are stately gardens where votaries spend their time inhaling the perfume of a thousand flowers. At length, when they grow mad with voluptuous dreams, each is given a knife sharpened to the edge of invisibility. One other thing did I observe, said Friar Yves. When the Old Man rides from his castle he is preceded by a herald carrying a Danish axe. This herald commands all to step aside for one who determines the death of kings.
Long ago in the city of Rayy this order was founded by a learned Muslim, Hasan Ibn al-Sabbah, who admired every sort of knowledge and exchanged verse with Omar Khayyam. Youths of impetuous disposition entered his service. They were taught the subtle art of courtesy and were privileged to meet travelers who spoke all the languages on earth. When they had become subject to the will of Hasan they were given brightly polished knives and charged to murder some lord of high degree. So they would go and spy upon the lord to acquaint themselves with his habits and kept their tongues oiled until they fulfilled the mandate. Thus, wrongly, did they anticipate heavenly bliss. They failed to perceive the sovereign light.
During the time of Richard Lionheart his nephew, Henry, chanced to be at Tortosa when a messenger arrived saying the Old Man wished Lord Henry to visit, saying he wished they might become friends. Lord Henry accepted this invitation. He was respectfully met by the Old Man at the fortress gate. If you command your men, said he, do they obey? Lord Henry replied that they did. Consider this, the Old Man said, holding up a white cloth at which every Assassin on the ramparts leapt to death in the valley below. Lord Henry marveled. As they went inside the Old Man pointed to a sharp iron stake and threw down the cloth, so the nearest Assassin lunged to impale himself. Count Henry begged him to prove his authority no further. And when it came time to depart the Old Man loaded Henry with gifts and vowed to murder anyone he named. Such are the Assassins, those who offered Lord Conrad de Montferrat a letter to read on the streets of Tyre. We know that our Sovereign rules by the helm of goodness, albeit we do not comprehend the turns and parallels of His universe.
King Louis decided near the beginning of Lent that we should proceed to Caesarea, a town forty leagues closer to Jerusalem, which the Saracens had destroyed.
While we were rebuilding and fortifying Caesarea as best we could here came a noble from Senaingan, Alenard, who said his vessel was built in the kingdom of Norway, which lies close to the edge of the world. He had sailed around Spain and through the straits of Morocco, a perilous voyage. He said that in Norway it is possible to observe the sunset merge with dawn. Some believed this. Others scoffed. Alenard and his men betook themselves to hunt lions. They would spur toward a lion and shoot arrows, causing the beast to spring at them. Next they would drop a blanket or old tunic and the lion would tear it apart because he thought he devoured a man. All the while they kept shooting arrows. I do not know how many lions they killed. King Louis retained Alenard in his service along with eight or ten knights.
Philippe de Toucy arrived while we were at Caesarea. King Louis referred to him as cousin because he was descended from a sister of King Philip. He informed us that the emperor of Constantinople had struck up an alliance with Comans, who are devoted to war. The emperor and his nobles were bled, their blood poured into a large silver goblet. The Coman chief with his nobles did likewise. Water and wine were poured into this blood, after which all drank from the goblet. Next they formed ranks and made a dog run between them, slashing it with their swords, meanwhile shouting that whoever defaulted on this treaty would suffer the same fate.
Lord Philippe told us how an important Coman knight was buried. They attired the corpse handsomely and seated it on a chair in a deep grave. They let down the knight’s favorite horse into the grave. Then his bravest sergeant bade the lords farewell. Each put silver or gold into his scarf, admonishing him not to forget what he had been given since they would want it back when they reached the other world. And the sergeant answered that he would faithfully account for it. Now he was handed a letter to the first of the Coman kings, which praised him as a trustworthy, obedient servant who should be rewarded. The sergeant next descended into the grave. Planks, stones, and earth were heaped on top, raising a huge mound in honor of the knight. Philippe said he witnessed this amazing spectacle while at the Coman camp. He remained in the service of King Louis for one year, after which he went back to Constantinople.
Now here came those predicant friars who departed from Cyprus with Christian effigies and a vermilion tent. Many among us had not thought to see them again. What adventures they recounted left us agape as if we heard some ancient epic, or looked upon some tapestry of days half remembered. These friars sailed away from Cyprus to Antioch, after which they traveled overland, riding ten leagues a day for one full year to reach the great khan of the Tartars. They rode past the ruins of cities destroyed by these nomads, which astonished them. They wondered at the devastation and inquired about
