Short Rounds

"I've Changed My Mind"

On one occasion during the War of 1812, a certain American privateer spotted a British vessel. Thinking he had a fat prize, the skipper closed on the ship, which he shortly discovered was no lumbering merchantman but rather a well-armed sloop-of-war.

Realizing he was outclassed, the American thought quickly, and called out, "Do you mean to strike?"

When the English captain replied, "No!", the American responded, "Then I do," and promptly did.

"... From One King to Another"

In 1187 Jerusalem, the core of the Christian kingdom established in the Holy Land by the First Crusade (1095-1099), fell to Saladin Ayubi, the Sultan of Egypt (1171-1193). This caused Pope Clement III (1187-1191) to call a new Crusade, the Third (1188-1192). Most prominent sovereigns in Europe joined, among them the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, King Philip Augustus of France, and King Richard I of England (1189-1199), known as "Lionheart." But Frederick died while on the march for the Holy Land, drowned in a river in Anatolia, while Philip Augustus had a falling out with Richard, and left the Holy Land in a huff. So ultimately, it was Richard who really carried the burden.. But he perhaps made up for the absence of the others.

By chance, not only were both Richard and Saladin notable warriors in their own right, but both were notably chivalrous (at least to equals, standards being much lower when dealing with the hoi-polloi � both men proved quite willing to massacre the commoners). And despite the stress of a bitter religious war, both men maintained a cordial relationship.

Once, when Richard's horse was slain during a battle, Saladin sent him two new mounts, with the message, "A gift from one king to another." On another occasion, learning that Richard was ill, Saladin � himself an accomplished amateur physician � sent his foe a daily basket of fresh fruit. Richard, in turn, repaid Saladin's kindness by sending him two prize falcons, so that the sultan could indulge his passion for hunting.

As for the war, well, neither side was quite able to prevail. Richard secured Acre and some other territories along the coast, but Saladin managed to hold on to Jerusalem and most of the interior. But in 1192 the two men concluded the "Peace of Ramallah." In it, they agreed that the Christians would retain the coastal regions, which they had held at the time of the arrival of the Crusaders, while the Moslems retained the Holy City of Jerusalem, which they had captured prior to the onset of the new Crusade. In addition, Saladin offered his protection to the Christian holy places and to pilgrims. So thus, the mutual respect of the two men secured what was the essence of their respective objectives.

Note: Of course, a deal based on the respect and word of two individuals cannot endure. Hardly had Saladin died, in 1193, when his son and successor was persuaded by fanatically religious advisors to repudiate the arrangement with Richard (and, in the bargain, to destroy monuments to "ignorance," such as the pyramids and sphinx!)