In plain language, then, I bring with me a Moorish physician, who undertakes to work a cure on King Richard." "A Moorish physician!" said De Vaux; "and who will warrant that he brings not poisons instead of remedies ?" "His own life, my lord--his head, which he offers as a guarantee." "I have known many a resolute ruffian," said De Vaux, "who valued his own life as little as it deserved, and would troop to the gallows as merrily as if the hangman were his partner in a dance." "But thus it is, my lord," replied the Scot.

"Saladin, to whom none will deny the credit of a generous and valiant enemy, hath sent this leech hither with an honourable retinue and guard, befitting the high estimation in which El Hakim [The Physician] is held by the Soldan, and with fruits and refreshments for the King's private chamber, and such message as may pass betwixt honourable enemies, praying him to be recovered of his fever, that he may be the fitter to receive a visit from the Soldan, with his naked scimitar in his hand, and a hundred thousand cavaliers at his back.

Will it please you, who are of the King's secret council, to cause these camels to be discharged of their burdens, and some order taken as to the reception of the learned physician ?" "Wonderful!" said De Vaux, as speaking to himself.--"And who will vouch for the honour of Saladin, in a case when bad faith would rid him at once of his most powerful adversary ?" "I myself," replied Sir Kenneth, "will be his guarantee, with honour, life, and fortune." "Strange!" again ejaculated De Vaux; "the North vouches for the South--the Scot for the Turk! May I crave of you, Sir Knight, how you became concerned in this affair ?" "I have been absent on a pilgrimage, in the course of which," replied Sir Kenneth "I had a message to discharge towards the holy hermit of Engaddi." "May I not be entrusted with it, Sir Kenneth, and with the answer of the holy man ?" "It may not be, my lord," answered the Scot.
"I am of the secret council of England," said the Englishman haughtily.
"To which land I owe no allegiance," said Kenneth.

"Though I have voluntarily followed in this war the personal fortunes of England's sovereign, I was dispatched by the General Council of the kings, princes, and supreme leaders of the army of the Blessed Cross, and to them only I render my errand." "Ha! sayest thou ?" said the proud Baron de Vaux.

"But know, messenger of the kings and princes as thou mayest be, no leech shall approach the sick-bed of Richard of England without the consent of him of Gilsland; and they will come on evil errand who dare to intrude themselves against it." He was turning loftily away, when the Scot, placing himself closer, and more opposite to him, asked, in a calm voice, yet not without expressing his share of pride, whether the Lord of Gilsland esteemed him a gentleman and a good knight.
"All Scots are ennobled by their birthright," answered Thomas de Vaux, something ironically; but sensible of his own injustice, and perceiving that Kenneth's colour rose, he added, "For a good knight it were sin to doubt you, in one at least who has seen you well and bravely discharge your devoir." "Well, then," said the Scottish knight, satisfied with the frankness of the last admission, "and let me swear to you, Thomas of Gilsland, that, as I am true Scottish man, which I hold a privilege equal to my ancient gentry, and as sure as I am a belted knight, and come hither to acquire LOS [Los--laus, praise, or renown] and fame in this mortal life, and forgiveness of my sins in that which is to come--so truly, and by the blessed Cross which I wear, do I protest unto you that I desire but the safety of Richard Coeur de Lion, in recommending the ministry of this Moslem physician." The Englishman was struck with the solemnity of the obtestation, and answered with more cordiality than he had yet exhibited, "Tell me, Sir Knight of the Leopard, granting (which I do not doubt) that thou art thyself satisfied in this matter, shall I do well, in a land where the art of poisoning is as general as that of cooking, to bring this unknown physician to practise with his drugs on a health so valuable to Christendom ?" "My lord," replied the Scot, "thus only can I reply--that my squire, the only one of my retinue whom war and disease had left in attendance on me, has been of late suffering dangerously under this same fever, which, in valiant King Richard, has disabled the principal limb of our holy enterprise.