and valiant soldier, wise in council and fortunate in battle,
which last he could easily believe from the great strength and
agility which he had often seen him display; that he had appeared
at Jerusalem in the character not of a pilgrim, but in that of
one who had devoted himself to dwell for the remainder of his
life in the Holy Land. Shortly afterwards, he fixed his
residence amid the scenes of desolation where they now found him,
respected by the Latins for his austere devotion, and by the
Turks and Arabs on account of the symptoms of insanity which he
displayed, and which they ascribed to inspiration. It was from
them he had the name of Hamako, which expresses such a character
in the Turkish language. Sheerkohf himself seemed at a loss how
to rank their host. He had been, he said, a wise man, and could
often for many hours together speak lessons of virtue or wisdom,
without the slightest appearance of inaccuracy. At other times
he was wild and violent, but never before had he seen him so
mischievously disposed as he had that day appeared to be. His
rage was chiefly provoked by any affront to his religion; and
there was a story of some wandering Arabs, who had insulted his
worship and defaced his altar, and whom he had on that account
attacked and slain with the short flail which he carried with him
in lieu of all other weapons. This incident had made a great
noise, and it was as much the fear of the hermit's iron flail as
regard for his character as a Hamako which caused the roving
tribes to respect his dwelling and his chapel. His fame had
spread so far that Saladin had issued particular orders that he
should be spared and protected. He himself, and other Moslem
lords of rank, had visited the cell more than once, partly from
curiosity, partly that they expected from a man so learned as the
Christian Hamako some insight into the secrets of futurity. "He