as one of King Amalric's envoys Hugh was a regular attendant at the royal court under
Baldwin III (1143–63),
Melisende (regent, 1153–61) and
Amalric I (1163–74): he signed as a witness to nine acts of each of the two kings and one of Melisende's. Hugh also witnessed several aristocratic charters: one of Amalric's from 1155, while Amalric was still just
Count of Jaffa; another of
Hugh of Ibelin from the same year; and one of
Walter of Saint-Omer,
Prince of Galilee, from 1168. In the war against
Nur ad-Din, Hugh was captured at the
Battle of al-Babein (Lamonia) by the forces of
Saladin after his men abandoned him. When Nur ad-Din sued for peace, his general,
Shirkuh, requested that Hugh, whom he called "a great prince of high rank and much influence among your own people", act as an intermediary, but the latter refused—"lest it might seem that he was more interested in obtaining his own liberty than concerned for the public welfare". Only after a treaty was drafted was Hugh freed to "put the final touches to it". Although the primary source is William of Tyre, that Hugh was held in high regard by the Muslims can be regarded as fact. ==Religious patronage==