[1] Upon receipt of which letters, he meant inmedi|atlie at the first to haue returned, and to haue left be|hind him a conuenient power of men, to wit, thrée hundred knights or men of armes, and two thousand chosen footmen, to abide vpon the defense of the holie land, with other christians at his costs and charges. But yet at length he was persuaded to tarrie, speci|allie till things were set in some better state, which then were out of order by the death of the marques of Montferrato, lord of Tire,The marques of Montfer|rato murth [...] by the Assas|sini. whom two traitorous Saracens of the kind which they name Assassini had murthered. After whose death Henrie earle of Cham|paigne nephue to king Richard married his wife, and was made king of Ierusalem, Guido resigning to him his title, vnto whome as it were in recom|pense king Richard gaue the Ile of Cypres: al|though some write, that the knights Templers had bought it of him before. Thus king Richard remai|ning still in the holie land, shortlie after Whitsun|tide, there came an other messenger to him, one Iohn de Alanzon a clearke, bringing worsse newes out of England than the prior of Hereford had brought be|fore, which in effect conteined, that his brother earle Iohn was alied as a confederat with the French king, and meant through his setting on,Earle Iohn purposed to seize vpon the kingdom in his bro|thers absence. to seize into his possession the whole realme of England, notwith|standing the persuasion of his mother quéene Eli [...]|nor and other his fréends to the contrarie.