II6 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
height during the early months of the new year, Richard
was urged to withdraw his support from Guy of Lusignan,
and he consented to leave the choice of the ruler to an
assembly of the nobles. The assembly elected Conrad of
Montferrat to be king. He was assassinated soon afterwards,
but the nobles would not consider the return of Guy, and the
throne was given to Henry of Champagne, who married
Conrad's widow, Guy of Lusignan was consoled with
Cyprus. The Templars had paid less than half of the pur-
chase price but could probably have raised the remainder
easily. They were, however, unpopular with the islanders
who had risen against them, and the Order seems to have
welcomed the opportunity to surrender the government of
Cyprus and retain only certain estates.
At the end of May, Richard had another success in
capturing Darum and he revived his plans of taking Jerusalem,
Orders were given for an advance, and the Christians came
within a few miles of the Holy City. But again there was a
retreat. The former arguments were once more put before
Richard, who left the decision to a council of five Templars,
five Hospitallers, five French, and five Syrian nobles. The
council—the French members dissenting—recommended that
the Crusaders should throw themselves on Egypt, Saladin,
the majority of the council agreed, must be crushed if the
Christians were ever to have peaceful possession of the Holy
Land. Richard might rout Moslem armies, but so long as
Saladin held Egypt, he had a reservoir from which he could
draw unlimited recruits, Egypt therefore must first be
reduced if Palestine were to be the permanent possession of
Christendom.
"Richard promised to support an expedition to Egypt, but
he seems to have had no intention of keeping his word* He
wanted to return home without further fighting, but, when
Saladin attacked Jaffa, he could not resist the challenge. He
led a force to the relief of the port and scattered the besiegers