Page 344

344 A HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES 
of the estates and revenues of the royal domain. Three days later the masters
of the Temple and the Hospital appeared as mediators and embarked on negotiations,
lasting as many weeks, for an agreement between the helpless king and his
opponents. This agreement, assuring certain revenues to Henry, the queen-mother,
and others, and an establishment for the king, was confirmed in 1307 by a
charter, sealed (though never signed) by the king and approved by the high
court. Amalric's coup d'etat not only had been successful but had secured
a measure of legality, obtained from the king under duress. 
 Despite this agreement the king's position steadily deteriorated: 
Amalric took every opportunity to remove Henry's friends to a safe distance,
and early in 1308 extorted from him under threats against his personal liberty
a written patent appointing the lord of Tyre governor of the kingdom for
life. But Henry, deeply aggrieved at his ill-treatment, to which was now
added the removal from his custody of his much-loved nephew (and eventual
successor) Hugh, declined to accept the homage of those who had received
from Amalric grants which involved feudal service to the crown, and his refusal
caused embarrassment to the usurper. Amalric was further exasperated by fear
that the expected passagium through Cyprus of participants in the new crusade
ordered by pope Clement V and the king of France would reveal to the world
the unsoundness of his position. 
 During 1309 he continued to put increasingly heavy pressure on the king
to make full submission, but Henry refused to yield more than he had done
already. Finally, at the end of January 1310, Amairic and his brother Aimery
the constable forced their way at night into the king's chamber and, despite
the vehement protests of the queen-mother—made, according to Amadi,
in a mixture of French, Greek and Arabic—and of the king's sisters,
put him on a horse (he refusing to touch the saddle-bow or take the reins)
and sent him under escort to Famagusta. As he was being led away, Henry warned
his brother that he would "last but a short time in the kingdom of Cyprus,
having laid his foundations in bad ground." He was to prove a true prophet.
A few days later Henry was transported to the Ciician port of Ayas (Lajazzo)
and placed in the custody of Amalric's brother-in-law and supporter, the
shifty Oshin, king of Cilician Armenia. The queen-mother remained in Cyprus
under close guard. 
 The next phase of this sorry story was inaugurated with the arrival in Cyprus
early in March 1310 of a papal nuncio, canon Raymond de Pins, charged by
the pope and the king of France with the task of