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CHARLES J. ROSEBAULT. Saladin. Prince of Chivalry

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CHARLES J. ROSEBAULT.
Saladin. Prince of Chivalry
page 176



of fighting men, fully armed at Tyre, which suggested this siege. But of this more in its place. Naturally, this marked generosity was not reserved for his opponents. In the Moslem world all tongues were loud in praise of the Sultan who was constantly giving with both hands, and who seemed to find his greatest pleasure in enriching others. All the records agree in declaring that never was monarch more munificent in largesse nor more contemptuous of wealth for himself. " It may be," he is quoted as saying, " that there is some one in the world who esteems money of as little value as the dust of the earth," Was there pride and boastfulness in this? Had constant repetition of giving created in him the glow of superiority which makes the world look askance at the professional philanthropist? The testimony of his secretary denies this. Apparently the generous impulse was instinctive and could not be repressed. It became almost a folly and certainly worried greatly the disinterested among his friends and aids. " He gave just as liberally when he was in straits as when he was in the enjoyment of plenty," wrote Beha eddin, and his treasurer had to pretend that his purse was empty, and to hide away sums for emergencies. In the end even that deception did not work. Undoubtedly this disregard for personal possessions was an asset in winning and holding the support of the emirs, usually greedy for spoils. It had helped a lot in bringing them to his standard at the beginning, when he distributed among them the great wealth he


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