The Ordway new era., 1921-03-18

the Latin Emperors of ConstantInople, had as
sumed the title of King of Jerusalem heri-
tage of his consort princess of Navarro and O
descendant of Godfrey de BouilOn.
No less than four other princes besides the Ger
man Emperor Frederick II were indebted for their
title of King of Jerusalem to their marriages with
heiresses of the first Crusader sovereign. One OF
these four-John of Brienne-has already been
mentioned; the other three Henry IL OF
Navarro Fouques, Duke Of Anjou, and Guy de
I.usignan. Each of the four transmitted the titu-
lar sovereignty of Jerusalem to his descendants
Guy de Lusignan even went further. for he ac-
tually ceded 1t in due form to the English Cru
sader monarch Richard Occur de Lion, in 1892,
in exchange for the throne of the island OF Cy-
prus. Later, with utter disregard for his pighted
word, he took advantage of Richards captivity In
Austria to resume the title of King of Jerusalem.
which used by all his successors on the throne
of Cyprus.
The Lusignan princes reigned prosperously In
Cyprus for nearly three hundred years, and in the
fourteenth century their house also furnished five
kings to the throne of Armenia. Their rule ended
in 14S9, when Caterina COrnaro, widow OF James
II of Cyprus, ceded her kingdom to the republic
of Venice. The remainder of her life was spent
in retirement at Asolo in Veneta. and with her
death the royal line of Lusignan became extinct.
James II of Cyprus was also Duke of Savoy,
and 1t is through him that the house Of Savoy,
which now holds the throne of Italy, inherited
its claim to the title of King of Jerusalem
The family Of Lusignan has had Aong and
checkered history. 1t took its name from the town
and castle of Lusgnan in the French department
of yienne about a dozen miles to the southeast
of Poitiers. Both the castle and the family were
founded, according to tradition, by the fairy Mel
usIne of the Forest of Broceliande, who with
the magician Merlin figures so largely in medieval
romance and in the traditions of French chivalry.
Descended from the ancient Kings of Brittany,
Melusine married Raymond, sovereign Count OF
Poitou, and the children born Of this union be-
came known as the Sieurs de Lusignan.
do Trrcn fynu hu nnT1 maj.
ried Sybi only daughter and heiress of Amaury,
one of the crusader Kings Of Jerusalem. and on
the occasion of his wedding he was created Count
of Jaffa and of Ascalon On the death of his
fathern-law, this Guy de Lusignan was pro-
claimed and crowned King of Jerusalem; but in
1887 he was defeated by the Sultan Saladin in the
hattie of Tberias taken prisoner, and was
Obliged to surrender Jerusalem the Saracens
A few years later. has already been related
he became King Of Cyprus.
While his descendants ruled in Cyprus, the
ymslgnaps who had remained in France lost both
roxyer and prestige, and were deprived of their
pattv dominions. Finally the family became ex
tinct. at any rate. in the male line. i
During the reign Of Nicholas Of Russia some
Armenian agitators, on the lookout for man
,yto could serve as a pretender, to form the nu-
cIeus Of nationalist movement, found an ad-
venturer named Klenko. who was wont to boast
that he had in his veins the blood Of the former
Lusignan rulers Of Cyprus, Of Jerusalem and of
Armenia. They dubbed him Louio de Lusgnan
PRINCE of Armenia, Cyprus. and Jerusalem. They
concocted parchments endpwing him with pedl-
gree that traced his descent to Guy de Lusignan,
the crusader sovereign
It suited Russia's policy, at the :ime, to coun-
tenance his pretensions. Klenko, alias Louis dc
IusIRnan. was invested BY the Cxar with the
rank Of colonel In the Russian army. and hailed
a. Prince-not King-of Armenia, Cyprus and
5erusalen1 But later the Cxar declined to have
anythius further to ~ With him, THIS Lpnls g