102 ACRE. 
CHAP, they might exercise towards their invaders, the 
^ provocation they had received was unexampled. 
The treachery and shameful conduct of the 
Christians, during their wars in the Holy Land, 
have seldom been surpassed. Every treaty was 
violated ; and the most dishonourable practices 
were said to be justified by the interests of 
religion. The example offered by the Saracens 
was of a very different description. What a 
noble instance of integrity, and faithful observ- 
ance of promise, was that which the victorious 
Omar afforded at the conquest of Jerusalem! 
Wishing for a place where he might perform his 
devotions, he refused the offer of the Temple of 
the Resurrection made to him by the Patriarch ; 
lest his followers might take it from the Christians, 
* contrary to the treaty, and convert it into a 
mosque\ During the Crusades, for nearly two 
centuries, Acre was the principal theatre of the 
holy war; and it had been long memorable, oh 
account of perfidies committed there by men 
who styled themselves its Heroes. The history 
of their enormities we derive from their own 
historians : nor is it possible to imagine what 
the tale would be, if an Arabic writer were 
presented to us with the Moslem records of those 
(l) Ockley's Hist, of the Saracens, vol. I, p. 226. Camb. 1757. 
