earth.

From the Saracens he won golden opinions. The cadi silenced a muezzin
who had to proclaim the hour of prayer from a minaret near the house
in which the Emperor lodged, because he added to his call the
question, "How is it possible that God had for his son Jesus the son
of Mary?" Frederick marked the silence of the crier when the hour of
prayer came round. On learning the cause he rebuked the cadi for
neglecting, on his account, his duty and his religion, and warned him
that if he should visit him in his kingdom he would find no such
ill-judged deference. He showed no dissatisfaction, it is said, with
the inscription which declared that Saladin had purified the city from
those who worshipped many gods, or any displeasure when the Mahometans
in his train fell on their knees at the times for prayer. His thoughts
about the Christians were shown, it was supposed, when, seeing the
windows of the Holy Chapel barred to keep out the birds which might
defile it, he asked: "You may keep out the birds; but how will you
keep out the swine?"

In glowing terms Frederick wrote to the sovereigns of Europe,
announcing the splendid success which he had achieved rather by the
pen than by the sword. He scarcely knew what a rock of offence he had
raised up among Christians and Moslems alike. By a few words on a
sheet of parchment the Christian Emperor had deprived his people of
the hope of getting their sins forgiven by murdering unbelievers; by
the same words the Moslem Sultan had prevented his subjects from
insuring an entrance to the delights of paradise by the slaughter of
the Nazarenes.

From Gerold, Patriarch of Jerusalem, a letter went to the Pope, full