The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-04-09

tho Latin Emperors of ConstantinopIe, had as
surned the title of King of Jerusalem as heri-
tage of his consort, princess OF Navarro anu
descendant of Godfrey de Bouillon.
No less than four other princes besides the 0e,
man Emperor Frederick II were indebted for their
title of King of Jerusalem to their marriages with
heiresses Of the first Crusader sovereign. one VI
these four-John Of Brienne-has already oeen
mentioned; the other three were Henry "
Navarro FoulQues, Duke of Anjou, and Guy ue
Lusignan Each of the four transmitted the utu-
lar sovereignty of Jerusalem to his descendants
Guy de Lusignan even went further, FOR ne az
tually coded it in due form to the English Cru
sader monarch Richard Occur de Lion, Ia iio@'
In exchange for the throne OF the island OF w
prus Later with utter disregard for ms piieiteu
word, he took advantage Of Richards CAPTIVITY ~
Austria to resume the title OF King OF Jerusalem
which was used by all his successors the throne
Of Cyprus.
The Lusignan princes reigned prosperously IN
Cyprus for nearly three hundred years, ana Ia Tue
fourteenth century their house also furnlshed I'VE
kings to the throne Of Armenia. Their rule endeu
In 1889, 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 Venetia. and with her
death the royal line of Lusignan became extinct
James IL of Cyprus also Duke OF Savoy
and 1t is through him that the house of Savoy
which now holds the throne OF Italy, inhefi.eo
its claim to the title of King Of Jerusalem
The family Of Lusignan has had Yong anu
checkered history. 1t took its name from the town
and castle of Lusignan, in the French department
Of yienne. about a dozen miles to the southeast
Of Potiers Both the castle and the family Were
founded according to tradition, by the Ialry s.e,
usine of the Forest of Broceande VINO VIII.
the magician Merlin figures so largely IN meulesa'
romance and In the traditions OF French chiVairs'
Descended from the ancient Kings OF Brittany,
cd Ray
Poitou, and the children born of this union De-
ca1na known. as the Sieurs de Luslgnan
A later Sieur de Lusignan Guy by name, mar
ried Sybl 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 us
father-in-aw this Guy de Lusignan was pro-
claimed and crowned King Of Jerusalem; but In
1887 he was defeated by the Sultan Saladn in the
hattle OF Tiberias, was taken prisoner, and was
obliged to surrender Jerusalem to the Saracens.
4 few years later as has already been related,
he became King Of Cyprus.
While his descendants ruled In Cyprus, the
!. I,usgnans who had remained in France lost both
rowar and prestige and were deprived or their
petty dominions. Finally the Iamiiy became ex-
tinct. at any rate, in the male line.
nrr;np the reign OF Nicholas L Of Russia, some
Armenian agitators on the lockout for man
who could serve as a pretender, 70 form the nu-
clels .of d nationalist movement, found an adj
yenturer named Klenko, who was wont to boast
that he had Ia his veins the blood OF the former
Trs,onar rulers OF Cyprus, of Jerusalem and OF
Armenia. They dubbed him Louis de Lusignan
Prince of Armenia, Cyprus. and Jerusalem. They
! concocted parchments endowing him with pedi
I prees that traced his descent to Guy de Lusignan
the crusader sovereign.
II suited Russia's policy, at the time, to coun
tenance his pretensions Klenke alias Louis d
Lusignan was invested by the Gar with .tnt
rnnt "a fnaonel In the Russian. army, and haet
q pr4nceA mot King-of Armenia. Cyprus. ant
Jerusalem. But later the Cxar declined to hav'
anything further to DO with him This Louis q