1559, Turin, 1848.)
[Cf. on Mulehet, melahideh, Heretics, plural of molhid. Heretic, my
note, pp. 476-482 of my ed. of Friar Odoric. - H. C.]
"Old Man of the Mountain" was the title applied by the Crusaders to the
chief of that branch of the sect which was settled in the mountains north
of Lebanon, being a translation of his popular Arabic title
Shaikh-ul-Jibal. But according to Hammer this title properly belonged, as
Polo gives it, to the Prince of Alamut, who never called himself Sultan,
Malik, or Amir; and this seems probable, as his territory was known as the
Balad-ul-Jibal. (See Abulf. in Buesching, V. 319.)
[1] Elliot, II. 290.
CHAPTER XXIV.
HOW THE OLD MAN USED TO TRAIN HIS ASSASSINS.
When therefore they awoke, and found themselves in a place so charming,
they deemed that it was Paradise in very truth. And the ladies and damsels
dallied with them to their hearts' content, so that they had what young
men would have; and with their own good will they never would have quitted
the place.
Now this Prince whom we call the Old One kept his Court in grand and noble
style, and made those simple hill-folks about him believe firmly that he
was a great Prophet. And when he wanted one of his Ashishin to send on
any mission, he would cause that potion whereof I spoke to be given to one
of the youths in the garden, and then had him carried into his Palace.
