into our hands, we will make peace and breathe again after perpetual weariness." To this the Sultan made the following reply: " Jerusalem belongs to us just as much as to you, and is more precious in our eyes than in yours, for it was the place of our Prophet's journey, and the place where the angels gathered. Therefore, do not imagine that we shall give the city up to you, or that we shall suffer ourselves to be persuaded in the matter. As regards the land, it belonged originally to us, and you came to attack us. If you succeeded in getting possession of it, it was only because you came unexpectedly and on account of the weakness of the Moslems who then held it. As long as the war lasts God will not suffer you to raise one single stone upon another in this country. Lastly, as concerns the Cross, its possession is a great advantage to us, and we cannot give it up except we could thereby gain some great advantage to Islam." Some time after this Richard made the remarkable suggestion that peace could be arrived at through the marriage of his sister Joan, widow of the King of Sicily, to el-Adel.