Richard the Lionheart was at one time accused

of having asked the 'Lord of the Mountain'

to have Conrad of Montferrat killed;

a plot which was carried out thus:

"Two assassins allowed themselves to be baptized

and placing themselves beside him,

seemed intent only on praying.

But the favourable opportunity presented itself;

they stabbed him and one took refuge in the church.

But hearing that the prince had been carried off still alive,

he again forced himself into Montferrat's presence,

and stabbed him a second time;

and then expired, without a complaint,

amidst refined tortures."

The Order of the Assassins had perfected

their method of securing the loyalty of human beings

to an extent and on a scale

which has seldom been paralleled.

The Assassins carried on the battle on two fronts.

They fought whichever side

in the Crusades served their purposes.

At the same time they continued

the struggle against the Persians .

The son and successor of Nizam-ul-Mulk was laid

low by an Assassin dagger.

The Sultan ,

who had succeded his father Malik Shah

and gained power over most of his territories

was marching against them.

One morning , however,

he awoke with an Assassin weapon stuck neatly

into the ground near his head.

Within it was a note,

warning him to call off the proposed siege of Alamut .

He came to terms with Assassins ,

powerful ruler though he undoubtedly was.

They had what amounted to a free hand ,

in exchange for a pact

by which they promised to reduce their military power.

Hasan lived for thirty-four years

after his acquisition of Alamut .

On only two occasions since then had he even left his room:

yet he ruled an invisible empire

as great and as fearsome as any man before or since.

He seemed to realize that death was almost upon him ,

and calmly began to make plans

for the perpetual continuance of

the Order of the Assassins.