The succession of a child not old enough to lift a sword, let alone swing it in anger, had a direct impact on the Order of the Temple. In 1184, with the leprous Baldwin IV nearing the grave, and royal authority accelerating toward a major crisis, Arnold of Torrolla’s diplomatic skills were called into service on another mission to the West. The aim this time was to persuade a capable adult ruler from one of the great European realms to come east and assume the crown of Jerusalem by election.
