with them joyntly to resist the Corasines seeking saith Frederick the Emperour to find fidem in perfidia trust in treachery Many suspected these auxiliary forces thinking though the forrest-wolves fell out with the mountain ones they would both agree against the sheep Robert Patriarch of Jerusalem was a most active commander over all S. Lukes day was the time agreed upon for the fatall battel neare Tiberias was the place As the Christians were ordering themselves in aray it was questioned in what part of their armie their new Turkish assistants should be disposed and concluded that they should be placed in the front where if they did no other good they would dull the appetite of their enemies sword This is thought to have been a notorious errour and cause of their overthrow For though those souldiers who mean to be false will never be made faithfull in what place soever they be bestowed yet may they be made lesse dangerous if cast into the body or main battel of the army whence they have no such scope to fling out and to take advantage of place to do mischief as they have either in the front or wings thereof Thus in Cesars time Crassus an experienced Generall under him being to bid the Gauls battel auxiliares copias quibus ad pugnam non multum confidebat in mediam aciem colloâ—â—vit that so being hemmed in before and behind they might be ingaged to fight manfully without starting away And to instance in later times our Richard the third who though he usurped the Crown had as none will deny a true title both to prowesse and martiall policie marching to Bosworth placed suspected persons whose bodies were with him and hearts with Earl Henry in the midst and those whom he most trusted before behind and on every side The battel being joyned the Turks ranne over to the other side though some braved them onely with cowardlinesse not treachery and that they fled from the battel but not fell to the enemies The Christians manfully stood to it and though over-powerd in number made a great slaughter of their enemies till at last they were quite overthrown Of the Teutonick Order escaped but three of three hundred Templars but eighteen of two hundred Hospitallers but nineteen The Patriarch to use his own words whom God reputed unworthy of martyrdome saved himself by flight with a few others And this great overthrow to omit lesse partner-causes is chiefly imputed to the Templars former so often breaking the truce with the Sultan of Babylon Thus were the Christians conquered by the Corasines and beaten by a beaten nation Palestine being wonne by those who could not keep their own countrey Improving this victorie they left nothing to the Christians but Tyre Ptolemais and Antioch with some few forts Soon after these Corasines elated herewith fell out with the Sultan himself who in anger rooted out their nation so that none of their name remained Yea all writers are silent of them both before this time and ever after as if God at this very instant had created this people to punish Christians which service performed they were annihilated again Chap. 11. Lewis the ninth setteth forward against the Turks The occasion of his journey and his attendants SOme two yeares after Lewis the ninth of that name King of France came to assist the Christians The occasion of his voyage this He had been visited with a desperate sicknesse insomuch that all art cried craven as unable to help him and the Physicians resigned him to Divines to begin with him where they ended They also gave him over and for a while he lay in a trance not the least breath brought news of any life left in him Then Blanch the Queen-mother and Queen of mothers for her care of her sonne and his Kingdome applied a piece of the Crosse unto him Thereat whether thereby let others dispute he revived and recovered and thereupon was Croised and in thankfulnesse bound himself with a vow to sail to the Holy land But his Nobility disswaded him from that designe The dangers were certain the successe would be doubtfull of so long a journey his own Kingdome would be left desolate and many mischiefs unseen as yet would appear in his absence Besides his vow was made in his sicknesse whilest reason was scarce as yet in the peaceable possession of his mind because of the remnant-dregs of his disease It might also be dispensed with by the Pope yea his deserts did challenge so much from his Holinesse King Lewis as perswaded hereat laid down the Crosse to the great comfort and contentment of all the beholders But then altering his countenance he required the Crosse should be restored to him again and vowed to eat no bread untill he was recognized with the Pilgrimes badge And because his vow should suffer no diminution or abatement from his disease now no longer Lewis the sick but Lewis the sound undertook the Holy warre His Nobles seeing him too stiff to be unbent and counting it a kind of sacrilegious counsel to disswade him from so pious a work left him to his own resolutions There went along with him his two brothers Charles Earl of Anjou Robert Earl of Artois his own Queen and their Ladies O do the Popes Legate Hugh Duke of Burgundie William Earl of Flanders Hugh Earl of St. Paul and William Longspath Earl of Sarisbury with a band of valiant English men who went without licence from Henry King of England For in those dayes this doctrine went currant That their Princes leave was rather of complement then essentiall to their voyage as if the band of this Holy warre was an acquittance from all others Our Henry displeased at this Earls departure for his disobedience deprived him of his Earldome and castle of Sarisbury not suffering that sheep to grase in his pasture which would not own him for his shepherd William also sonne to this Earl smarting for his fathers fault never enjoyed that honour And though King Henry himself being a Prince of more devotion then policie did most affectionately tender this Holy cause yet he used this necessary severity towards this Earl at this time first because it would weaken his land thus to be dispeopled of martiall men secondly his subjects forwardnesse might be interpreted a secret check of his own backwardnesse in that warre thirdly the sucking in of forrein aire did wean people from their naturall Prince and did insensibly usher into their hearts an alienation from their own Sovereigne and a dependence on the King of France lastly he had some thoughts on that voyage himself and reserved such prime Peers to attend on his own person thither The Pope gave to this King Lewis his charges the tenth of the Clergies revenues through France for three yeares and the King imployed the Popes collectours to gather it knowing those leaches were the best suckers Hereupon the states of the Clergie were
devoured the mother and wealth impaired religion Chap. 12. The qualitie and condition of those people who undertook the warre IT is not to be expected that all should be fish which is caught in a drag-net neither that all should be good and religious people who were adventurers in an action of so large a capacitie as this warre was We must in charitie allow that many of them were truly zealous and went with pious intents These were like to those of whom Bellarmine speaketh who had no fault praeter nimiam sanctitatem too much sanctitie which a learned man interpreteth too much superstition But besides these well-meaning people there went also a rabble-rout rather for companie then conscience Debters took this voyage on them as an acquittance from their debts to the defrauding of their creditours Servants counted the conditions of their service cancelled by it going away against their masters will Theeves and murderers took upon them the crosse to escape the gallows Adulterers did penance in their armour A lamentable case that the devils black guard should be Gods souldiers And no wonder if the successe was as bad as some of the adventurers especially seeing they retained their old conditions under a new climate And as if this voyage had been like to repentance never too soon nor too late for any to begin not onely green striplings unripe for warre but also decayed men to whom age had given a writ of ease became souldiers and those who at home should have waited on their own graves went farre to visit Christs sepulchre And which was more women as if they would make the tale of the Amazons truth went with weapons in mens clothes a behaviour at the best immodest and modesty being the case of chastitie it is to be feared that where the case is broken the jewel is lost This enterprise was also the mother of much non-residence many Prelates and Friars fitter to handle a pen-knife then a sword left their covents and pastorall charges to follow this businesse The totall summe of those pilgrime-souldiers amounted to three hundred thousand and some writers do double that number No doubt the Christians army had been greater if it had been lesse for the belly was too big for the head and a medley of nations did rather burden then strengthen it Besides the armie was like a cloth of many colours and more seams which seams though they were curiously drawn up for the present yet after long wearing began to be seen and at last brake out into open rents Chap. 13. The adventurers sorted according to their severall nations THe French Dutch Italian and English were the foure elementall nations whereof this army was compounded of these the French were predominant they were the cape-merchants in this adventure That nimble nation first apprehended the project and eagerly prosecuted it As their language wanteth one proper word to expresse Stand so their natures mislike a settled fixed posture and delight in motion and agitation of businesse Yea France as being then best at leisure contributed more souldiers to this warre then all Christendome besides The signall men were Hugh surnamed le Grand brother to the King of France Godfrey Duke of Bouillon Baldwine and Eustace his younger brethren Stephen Earl of Bloys father to Stephen afterwards King of England Reimund Earl of Tholouse Robert Earl of Flanders Hugh Earl of Saint-Paul Baldwine de Burge with many more besides of the Clergie Aimar Bishop of Puy and Legate to the Pope and William Bishop of Orange Germanie is slandered to have sent none to this warre at this first voyage and that other pilgrimes passing through that countrey were mocked by the Dutch and called fools for their pains It is true the Germane adventurers in number answered not the largenesse and populousnesse of their countrey for Henry the Emperour a Prince whom the Pope long hacked at and hewed him off at last being desirous to go this voyage was tied up at home with civill discords Yet we find a competencie of souldiers of that nation besides those under Godescalcus a Priest Emmicho the Rhene-grave and Count Herman their leaders But though Germanie was backward at the first yet afterwards it proved the main Atlas of the warre that nation like a heavie bell was long a raising but being got up made a loud sound Italy sent few out of her heart and middle provinces nigh Rome The Pope was loth to adventure his darlings into danger those white-boyes were to stay at home with his Holinesse their tender father Wherefore he dispensed with them for going as knowing how to use their help nearer and to greater profit Peters patrimonie must as well be looked to as Christs sepulchre But though the Pope would spend none of his own fewel he burnt the best stakes of the Emperours hedge and furthered the Imperiall partie to consume it self in this tedious warre Out of the furthermost parts of Italie Boemund Prince of Tarentum and Tancred his nephew both of the Normane seed though growing on the Apulian soyl led an army of twelve thousand men And Lombardy was also very liberall of her souldiers towards this expedition England the Popes pack-horse in that age which seldome rested in the stable when there was any work to be done sent many brave men under Robert Duke of Normandy brother to William Rufus as Beauchamp and others whose names are lost Neither surely did the Irish-mens feet stick in their bogs though we find no particular mention of their atchievements Spain had other use for her swords against the Saracens at home and therefore sent none of her men abroad As one saith The Spaniards did follow their own Holy warre a work more necessary and no lesse honourable Thus they acted the same part though not on the same stage with our Pilgrimes as being also imployed in fight against the infidels Poland had the same excuse for not much appearing clean through this warre because she lieth bordering on the Tartars in her appendant countrey of Lituania and therefore was busied in making good her frontiers Besides no wonder if Prussia Lituania and Livonia were not up in this service for it was scarce break of day with them and the sunne of the Gospel was newly if at all risen in those parts Yea Poland was so farre from sending men hither that she fetcht them from hence and afterwards implored the aid of the Teutonick order who came out of Palestine to assist her against her enemies Hungary might bring filling-stones to this building but few foundation or corner-stones and at this time had no commander of note in this action Scotland also presenteth us not with any remarkable piece of service which her men performed in all this warre It was not want of devotion which was hot enough in that cold countrey rather we may impute it to want of shipping that countrey being little powerfull at sea or which is most
Eustace The Turks retired to Solomons temple so called because built in the same place there to take the farewell of their lives In a desperate conflict there the foremost of the Christians were miserably slain thrust upon the weapons of their enemies by their fellows that followed them The pavement so swam that none could go but either through a rivulet of bloud or over a bridge of dead bodies Valour was not wanting in the Turks but superlatively abundant in the Christians till night made them leave off Next morning mercie was proclaimed to all those that would lay down their weapons For though bloud be the best sauce for victorie yet must it not be more then the meat Thus was Jerusalem wonne by the Christians and twentie thousand Turks therein slain on the fifteenth of July being Friday about three of the clock in the afternoon Tyrius findeth a great mysterie in the time because Adam was created on a Friday and on the same day and houre our Saviour suffered But these Synchronismes as when they are naturall they are pretty and pleasing so when violently wrested nothing more poore and ridiculous Then many Christians who all this while had lived in Jerusalem in most lamentable slaverie being glad to lurk in secret as truth oftentimes seeketh corners as fearing her judge though never as suspecting her cause came forth joyfully wellcomed and embraced these the procurers of their liberty Three dayes after it was concluded as a necessarie piece of severitie for their defense to put all the Turks in Jerusalem to death which was accordingly performed without favour to age or sex The pretense was for fear of treason in them if the Emperour of Persia should besiege the citie And some slew them with the same zeal wherewith Saul slew the Gibeonites and thought it unfit that these goats should live in the sheeps pasture But noble Tancred was highly displeased hereat because done in cold bloud it being no slip of an extemporany passion but a studied and premeditated act and that against pardon proclaimed many of them having compounded and paid for their lives and libertie Besides the execution was mercilesse upon sucking children whose not-speaking spake for them and on women whose weaknesse is a shield to defend them against a valiant man To conclude Severitie hot in the fourth degree is little better then poyson and becometh crueltie it self and this act seemeth to be of the same nature The end of the first Book The Historie of the HOLY WARRE Book II. Chap. 1. Robert the Normane refuseth the kingdome of Ierusalem Godfrey of Bouillon chosen king his parentage education and vertues FIght dayes after Jerusalem was wonne they proceeded to the election of a King but they had so much choice that they had no choice at all so many Princes there were and so equally eminent that Justice her self must suspend her verdict not knowing which of them best deserved the Crown Yet it was their pleasure to pitch on Robert the Normane as on the man of highest descent being sonne to a King for great Hugh of France was already returned home pretending the colick though some impute it to cowardlinesse and make the disease not in his bowels but his heart Robert refused this honourable profer whether because he had an eye to the kingdome of England now void by the death of William Rufus or because he accounted Jerusalem would be incumbred with continuall warre But he who would not take the Crown with the Crosse was fain to take the Crosse without the Crown and never thrived afterwards in any thing he undertook Thus they who refuse what God fairly carveth for them do never after cut well for themselves He lived to see much misery and felt more having his eyes put out by king Henry his brother and at last found rest when buried in the now Cathedrall church of Glocester under a woodden monument bearing better proportion to his low fortunes then high birth And since in the same quire he hath got the company of another Prince as unfortunate as himself King Edward the second They go on to a second choice and that they may know the natures of the Princes the better their servants were examined on oath to confesse their masters faults The servants of Godfrey of Bouillon protested their masters onely fault was this That when Mattens were done he would stay so long in the church to know of the Priest the meaning of every image and picture that dinner at home was spoiled by his long tarrying All admired hereat that this mans worst vice should be so great a vertue and unanimously chose him their King He accepted the place but refused the solemnity thereof and would not wear a crown of gold there where the Saviour of mankind had worn a crown of thorns He was sonne to Bustace Duke of Bouillon and Ida his wife daughter and heir to Godfrey Duke of Lorein born saith Tyrius at Bologne a town in Champaigne on the English sea which he mistaketh for Bouillon up higher in the continent neare the county of Lutzenburg Such slips are incident to the pennes of the best authours yea we may see Canterbury mistaken for Cambridge not onely in Munster but even in all our own printed Statute-books in the 12. of Richard the second He was brought up in that school of valour the court of Henry the 4. the Emperour Whilest he lived there there happened an intricate suit betwixt him and another Prince about title of land and because Judges could not untie the knot it was concluded the two Princes should cut it asunder with their sword in a combat Godfrey was very unwilling to fight not that he was the worse souldier but the better Christian he made the demurre not in his courage but in his conscience as conceiving any private title for land not ground enough for a duell Yea we may observe generally that they who long most to fight duells are the first that surfet of them Notwithstanding he yeelded to the tyranny of custome and after the fashion of the countrey entred the lists when at the first encounter his sword brake but he struck his adversary down with the hilt yet so that he saved his life and gained his own inheritance Another parallel act of his valour was when being standard-bearer to the Emperour he with the imperiall ensigne killed Rodulphus the Duke of Saxony in single fight and fed the Eagle on the bowels of that arch-rebell His soul was enriched with many vertues but the most orient of all was his humility which took all mens affections without resistance And though one saith Take away ambition and you take away the spurres of a souldier yet Godfrey without those spurres rode on most triumphantly Chap. 2. The establishing of Ecclesiasticall affairs and Patriarchs in Antioch and Ierusalem the numerosity of Palestine-Bishops BUt now let us leave the Helmets and look
on the Mitres and consider the ordering of Ecclesiasticall affairs For the Common-wealth is a Ring the Church the Diamond both well set together receive and return lustre each on other As soon as Antioch was taken one Bernard a reverend Prelate was made Patriarch there with generall consent But more stirre was there about that place in Jerusalem For first Arnulphus a worthlesse and vitious man was by popular faction lifted up into the Patriarchs chair but with much ado was avoided and Dabert Archbishop of Pisa substituted in his room one very wise and politick an excellent book-man in reading of men and otherwise well studied especially as that age went wherein a mediocrity was an eminency in learning But he was infected with the humour of the clergie of that age who counted themselves to want room except they justled with Princes As for Arnulphus he never ceased to trouble and molest this Dabert and as a firebrand smoketh most when out of the chimney so he after his displacing was most turbulent and unquiet ever sitting on his skirts that sat in the Patriarchs chair till after many changes he struggled himself again into the place Under these Patriarchs many Archbishops and Bishops were appointed in the very places as neare as might be where they were before the Saracens overrunning the countrey and good maintenance assigned to most of them But at this time Bishops were set too thick for all to grow great and Palestine fed too many Cathedrall churches to have them generally fat Lydda Jamnia and Joppa three episcopall towns were within foure miles one of another Yea Tyrius makes 14 Bishops under the Archbishop of Tyre 20 under the Archbishop of Caesarea under the Archbishop of Scythopolis 9 12 under the Archbishop of Rabbah besides 25 suffragan churches which it seems were immediately depending on the Patriarch of Jerusalem without subordination to any Archbishop Surely many of these Bishops to use Bishop Langhams expression had high racks but poore mangers Neither let it stagger the reader if in that catalogue of Tyrius he light on many Bishops seats which are not to be found in Mercator Ortelius or any other Geographer for some of them were such poore places that they were ashamed to appear in a map and fall so much under a Geographers notice that they fall not under it For in that age Bishops had their Sees at poore and contemptible villages as here in England before the Conquest who would suspect Sunning in Barkshire or Dorchester neare Oxford to have had Cathedrall churches till in the daies of William the first Bishops removed their seats to the principall towns in the shire Chap. 3. The Saracens conquered at Askelon MAhomets tombe hung not so strong but now it began to shake and was likely to fall These victories of the Christians gave a deadly wound to that religion Wherefore the Saracens combined themselves with the Turks to assist them there being betwixt these two nations I will not say an unity but a conspiracy in the same superstition so that therein they were like a nest of hornets stirre one and anger all Wherefore coming out of Egypt under Ammiravissus their Generall at Askelon they gave the Christians battel But God sent such a qualm of cowardlinesse over the hearts of these Infidels that an hundred thousand of them were quickly slain so that it was rather an execution then a fight and their rich tents which seemed to be the exchequer of the East-countrey spoiled so that the Pilgrimes knew not how to value the wealth they found in them This victory obtained such Pilgrimes as were disposed to return addressed themselves for their countrey and these merchants for honour went home having made a gainfull adventure Those that remained were advanced to Signories in the land as Tancred was made governour of Galilee Nor will it be amisse to insert this story Peter Bishop of Anagnia in Italy was purposed here to lead his life without taking care for his charge when behold S. Magnus patrone of that church appeared to him in a vision pretending himself to be a young man who had left his wife at home and was come to live in Jerusalem Fie said Peter to him go home again to your wife Whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Why then replied S. Magnus have you left your church a widow in Italy and live here so farre from her company This vision though calculated for this one Bishop did generally serve for all the non-residents which posted hither and who payed not the lawfull debt to their conscience whilest by needlesse bonds they engaged themselves to their own will-worship For though souls of men be light because immateriall yet they may prove an heavy burden to these carelesse Pastours who were to answer for them After the return of these Pilgrimes the heat of the Christians victories in Syria were somewhat allayed for Boemund Prince of Antioch marching into Mesopotamia was taken prisoner and Godfrey besieging the city of Antipatris then called Assur though hitherto he had been alwayes a conquerour was fain to depart with disgrace So small a remora may stay that ship which faileth with the fairest gale of successe Chap. 4. The originall and increase of the Hospitallers their degenerating through wealth into luxury ABout this time under Gerard their first master began the order of Knights-hospitallers Indeed more anciently there were Hospitallers in Jerusalem but these were no Knights they had a kind of order but no honour annexed to it but were pure Alms-men whose house was founded and they maintained by the charity of the merchants of Amalphia a citie in Italy But now they had more stately buildings assigned unto them their house dedicated to S. John of Jerusalem Knights-hospitallers and those of S. John of Jerusalem being both the same although learned Dr. Ridley maketh them two distinct orders for which our great Antiquary doth justly reprove him But such an errour is veniall and it is a greater fault rigidly to censure then to commit a small oversight The one sheweth himself man in mistaking the other no man in not pardoning a light mistake To make one capable of the highest order of this Knighthood for their servitours and priests might be of an inferiour rank the party must thus be qualified Eighteen yeares old at the least of an able body not descended of Jewish or Turkish parents no bastard except bastard to a Prince there being honour in that dishonour as there is light in the very spots of the moon Descended he must be of worshipfull parentage They wore a red belt with a white crosse and on a black cloke the white crosse of Jerusalem which is a crosse crossed or five crosses together in memorie of our Saviours five wounds Yet was there some difference betwixt their habit in peace and in warre Their profession was to fight against Infidels and to secure
haven of Tyre after a most cruel and desperate battel And surely generally sea-fights are more bloudy then those on the land especially since gunnes came up whose shot betwixt wind and water like those wounds so often mentioned in the Scripture under the fifth rib is commonly observed mortall Yea farre harder it is for a ship when arrested and ingaged in a battel to clear it self then for souldiers by land to save themselves by flight Here neither his own two nor his horses foure legges can bestead any but like accidents they must perish with their subjects and sink with their ship And then why is a sea-victory lesse honour being more danger then one atchieved by land Is it because sea-service is not so generall nor so full of varieties and the mysteries thereof sooner learned or because in sea-fights fortune may seem to be a deeper sharer and valour not so much interested Whatsoever it is the laurel purchased on land hath a more lively verdure then that which is got at sea We return to the Venetians Who using or rather abusing this conquest enter Ptolemais cast out all Genoans thence throw down their buildings both publick and private demolish the fort which they had builded at S. Saba rifle and spoil their shops ware-houses and store houses onely the Pope prevailed so farre with them that they set at liberty the prisoners they had taken Ten yeares did this warre last betwixt these two States in Syria composed at last saith my Authour by the authority of Pope Clement the fourth and by famine the bad cause of a good effect which in Palestine starved them into agreement Longer these warres lasted betwixt them in Italy their successe like the sea they fought on ebbing and flowing In this costly warre Pisa was first beggered and for all her politick partaking Genoa at last trode so heavy upon her that ever since she hath drooped and hung the wing and at this day is maid to Florence who formerly was mistresse of a good part of Italy But I have no calling and lesse comfort to prosecute these bloudy dissensions For warres of Christians against Infidels are like the heat of exercise which serveth to keep the body of Christianity in health but these civil warres amongst themselves like the heat of a feaver dangerous and destructive of religion Chap. 25. Charles made King of Sicily and Ierusalem by the Pope Hugh King of Cyprus pretendeth also to go to Ierusalem WE have now gotten Pantaleon a Frechman who succeeded Robert in the titular Patriarchship Jerusalem to be Pope by the name of Urbane the fourth To advance the Holy cause after fourteen yeares interregnum in Syria he appointed Charles Duke of Anjou younger brother to King Lewis of France King of Sicily and Jerusalem and it was ratified by Clement the fourth his successour This honour was first offered to Lewis himself but piety had dried up in him all ambitious humours then to our Henry of England but his warre-wasted purse could not stretch to the Popes price At last this Charles accepted it But it is not for any speciall favour to the bush if a man runne under it in a storm it was no love to Charles but to himself to be sheltred from Maufred that the Pope conferred this honour upon him And the wife of Charles that she might go in equipage with her three sisters being Queens sold all her jewels to furnish her husband with money to purchase these Kingdomes that sex loving bravery well but greatnesse better Now the Pope whose well-grounded and bounded bountie will never undo him for where he giveth away the meat he selleth the sauce conditioned with Charles on these terms First that he should conquer Maufred then King of Sicily who molested the Pope and that he should finally subdue all the remaining race of Frederick the second Emperour who claimed that Kingdome Secondly in acknowledgement that he held these Kingdomes from the Pope he should pay him an annuall pension of foure some say fourty thousand pounds Provided if this Charles should chance to be chosen Emperour of Germany that then he should either resigne Sicily back again into the hands of his Holinesse or not accept the Empire For he knew that all Emperours would be possessed with an anti-papall spirit and that they would hold Sicily not in homage from the Church but as a member of the Empire Besides the Pope would not dispense that Princes should hold pluralitie of temporall Dominions in Italy especially he was so ticklish he could not endure the same Prince should embrace him on both sides Ever since the twinne-titles of Sicily and Jerusalem have gone together and fit it is that the shadow should follow the substance Charles subdued Maufred and Conradine his nephew the last of the Suevian race and grandchild to Emperour Frederick and was possessed of Sicilie and lived there but as for the gaining of Jerusalem he little regarded it nor came thither at all A watchfull King who never slept in his Kingdome His absence gave occasion to Hugh King of Cyprus to furbish up new his old title to the Kingdome as lineally descended from Almerick the second And coming to Ptolemais he there was crowned King of Jerusalem But the extremity of the famine all things being excessive deare much abated the solemnity and state of his Coronation Chap. 26. The Tartarians alienated from the Christians Bendocdar tyrannizeth over them and Lewis King of France setteth forth again for to succour them BUt betwixt two Kings the Kingdome went to the ground For Haalon the Tartarian Prince late Christian convert was returned home to succeed his brother Mango in the Empire leaving Abaga his sonne with competent forces in the city of Damascus which he had wonne from the Turks Soon after Abaga followed his father and substituted Guirboca his Lieutenant in Damascus This Guirboca upon the occasion of his nephew rashly slain by the Christians in a broil fell off wholly from Christianity with all the Tartarians his countreymen The occasion this The Dutch Christians return with great booty they had taken from the Turks Guirboca's nephew meeteth them demandeth it for himself the Christians deny him as souldiers are very tender-conscienced in that point counting it a great sinne to part with the spoil they are possessed of hence brawls then blows Guirboca's nephew is slain Hereat the Tartarians who were very humourous in their friendship if not observed to an inch lost for ever in discontent all either reel aside to Mahomet or fall back to Paganisme Herein the Christians cannot be excused Infant-converts must be well tended It had been discretion in them even against discretion to have yeelded a little to these Tartarians and so to continue their amity which was so advantageous to the Holy warre How-ever one may question the truth of their conversion whether reall at first This spring was too forward to hold and
this mark ☉ which reduceth it to the yeare it endeth in Br. standeth for Brother S. Sonne M. Moneths D. Dayes Note whilest there were Caliphs of Egypt then the Sultans were but Deputies and Lieutenants but afterwards the Mamaluke Sultans were absolute Princes acknowledging no Superiour A Chronologicall Table Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre Kings of Ierusalem Princes of Antioch Patriarchs of Antioch Patriarchs of Ierusalem Mrs of Kn. Hospitallers Caliphs of Syria Caliphs of Egypt 1095 URBANE the second 8 ALEXIUS COMâ—ENê° 15 HENRY the fourth 40 WILLIAM RUFUS 8 PHILIP the first 36 The Councel of Clermont foundeth the Holy Warre     MUSTETAHER 1 MUSTRAL 1 6 9 16 41 9 37 1. VOYAGE under GODFREY Duke of Bouillon     2 2 7 10 17 42 10 38 Nice wonne by the Christians     3 3 8 11 18 43 11 39 Antioch wonne by the Christians BOEMUND 1    4 4 9 M. 4 D. 18 19 44 12 40 Jerusalem wonne by the Christians 2    5 5 1100 PASCHAL the second 2 20 45 13 41 GODFREY King of Jerusalem 1 He is taken captive â—ancred manageth the State in his absence 3 BERNARD 1 1. ARNULPHUS M. 5 â— GERARD 1 6 6 1 3 21 46 HENRY the first 1 42 BALDWINE his brother 2. VOYAGE under severall Princes Prelates 1 Cesaria wonne by the Christians 4 2 II. DABERTUS He stickleth for Jerusalem to get it from the King 1 2 7 ELAMIR S. 1 2 4 22 47 2 43 Apamia Laodicea wonne by the Christians 2 5 3 2 3 8 2 3 5 23 48 3 44 3 Boemund ransomed 6 4 3 II. REIMUND le Podio 1 9 3 4 6 24 49 4 45 Ptolemais wonne by the Christians 4 He unfortunately besiegeth Charâ—as 7 5 Flieth to Antioch 4 2 10 4 5 7 25 M. 10 5 46 5 Travelleth into France 8 6 III. EBREMARUS put in by the King displaced by the Pope 1 Thence to Rome 5 3 11 5 6 8 26 HENRY the fifth 1 6 47 6 9 7 2 6 4 12 6 7 9 27 2 7 48 7 Returneth and wasteth Grecia with his navie 10 8 3 Dieth in Sicily 7 5 13 7 8 10 28 3 8 49 8 11 9 IV. GIâ—ELLINUS Archbishop of Arles 1 6 14 8 9 11 29 4 9 LEWIS the Grosse 2 Tripolis wonne by the Christians 9 BOEMUND the second S. â—et a child and living in Apulia in whose minoritie first Tancred then Roger his kinsman were Princes in trust 1 10 2 7 15 9 1110 12 30 5 10 3 Berytus Sidon wonne by the Christians 10 2 11 3 8 16 10 1 13 31 6 11 4 11 3 12 4 9 17 11 2 14 32 7 12 5 12 4 13 V. ARNULPHUS Archdeacon of Jerusalem 1 10 18 12 3 15 33 8 13 6 13 5 14 2 11 19 13 4 16 34 9 14 7 14 6 15 3 12 20 14 Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre Kings of Ierusalem Princes of Antioch Patriarchs of Antioch Patriarchs of Ierusalem Mrs of Kn. Hospitallers Mrs of Kn. Templars Caliphs of Syria Caliphs of Egypt 1115 17 35 10 15 8 15 7 16 4 13  21 15 6 18 36 11 16 9 16 8 17 5 14  22 16 7 M. 5 D. 9 37 12 17 10 Baldwines voyages into Egypt 1. when he took Pharamia 17 9 18 He is accused for his wicked life posteth to Rome and there buyeth to be innocent 6 15  23 17 8 GELASIUS 1 D. 5. CALO JOHANNES S. 1 13 18 11 Baldwines voyages into Egypt 2. when he got his death 18 10 19 7 16  MUSTERASâ—MAD 1 18 9  2 14 19 12 BALDVVINE the second his kinsman 1 Roger fighting unadvisedly with the Turks is slain ☉ 11 20 VI. GUARIMUNDê° of Amiens 1 17 HUOâ— de Pagahis GODFRID of S. Omars 1 2 19 1120 CALIXTUS the second 2 3 15 20 13 2 12 21 2 18 2 3 20 1 3 4 16 21 14 3 13 22 3 19 3 4 21 2 4 5 17 22 15 He fighteth on disadvantage with the Turks and is taken captive 4 14 23 4 20 These first nine yeares there were but nine Templars 4 5 22 3 5 6 18 23 16 5 15 24 5 21 5 6 23 4 M. 10 D. 13 7 M. 9 24 17 He is dearly ransomed Tyre taken by the Christians 6 16 25 6 22 6 7 24 5 HONORIUS the second 2 8 LOTHARIUS the Saxon 1 25 18 Baldwine getteth so much spoil from the conquered Turks as serveth to pay his ransome 7 Boemund now of age cometh to Antioch marrieth King Baldwines daughter 17 26 7 23 7 RAâ—CHID S. afterwards deposed by the WISEMAN of the Ismaâ—lites 1 25 6 3 9 2 26 19 8 18 27 8 24 8 2 26 7 4 10 3 27 20 9 19 28 9 25 The Order of the Templars confirmed by the Pope and a Councel 9 3 27 8 5 11 4 28 21 10 20 29 VII STEPHANUS suspected to have been poysoned by the King 1 26 10  28 9 M. 2 D. 3 12 5 29 22 11 21 30 2 27 EVERARDê° master of the Templars to whom Peâ—er Cleniacensis writ a book in praise of this Order 1  29 1130 INNOCENTIUS the second 1 13 6 30 23 12 He is surprised and slain in Cilicia 22 31 VIII WILLIAM Prior of the Sepulchre 1 28 2  30 1 2 14 7 31 24 13 Alice the Relict of Boemund Princesse Regent in the minoritie of Constantia her daughter 1 32 2 29 3  31 2 3 15 8 32 25 FULK Earl of Anjou in right of Millecent his wife eldest daughter to K. Baldvvine 1 2 33 3 30 4  32 3 4 16 9 33 26 2 3 34 4 31   33 4 5 17 10 34 27 3 4 35 5 32   34 1135 6 18 11 35 28 4 5 36 6 33  MUCTAPHIL S. to Mustetaher 1 35 6 7 19 12 STEâ—HEN the Usurper 1 29 5 REIMUND Earl of Poictou in right of Constantia his wife He acknowledgeth himself vassall to the Grecian Emperour and resigneth Cilicia to him 1 RODULPHUS chosen Patriarch by the Laitie 1 7 34  2 ELHAPHIT S. In the 20 yeare of his reigne he was killed by one Nosradine Vide Tyr. lib. 18. cap. 49. Calvis in Anno 1156. 1 7 8 20 13 2 30 6 2 2 8 35  3 2 8 9 21 CONRADUS the third 1 3 LEWIS the seventh or the Younger 1 7 3 3 9 36 ROBERT of Burgundie Tyr. lib. 15 c 6 4 3 9 10 22 2 4 2 8 4 4 10 37  5 4 1140 11 23 3 5 3 9 5 5 11 38  6 5 1 12 24 4 6 4 10 6 6 12 39  7 6 2 13 M. 7 5 7 5 BALDWINE the third S. Edessa wonne by Sanguine from the Christians 1 7 ALMERICUS 1 13 40  8 7 3 M. 7
the Christians the honour of the victorie Following his blow he pinned up the Turks afterward in the city of Alexandria and forced them to receive of him conditions of peace and then returned himself with honour to Askelon Chap. 37. Almerick against his promise invadeth Egypt His perjury punished with the future ruine of the kingdome of Ierusalem His death WHen a Crown is the prize of the game we must never expect fair play of the gamesters King Almerick having looked on the beauty of the kingdome of Egypt he longed for it and now no longer to drive out the relicks of the Turks but to get Egypt to himself And the next yeare against the solemn league with the Caliph invaded it with a great army He falsely pretended that the Caliph would make a private peace with Noradine King of the Turks and hence created his quarrel For he hath a barren brain who cannot fit himself with an occasion if he hath a desire to fall out But Gilbert master of the Hospitallers chiefly stirred up the King to this warre upon promise that the city and countrey of Pelusium if conquered should be given to his order The Templars were much against the designe one of their order was Embassadour at the ratifying of the peace and with much zeal protested against it as undertaken against oath and fidelity An oath being the highest appeal perjury must needs be an hainous sinne whereby God is solemnly invited to be witnesse of his own dishonour And as bad is a God-mocking equivocation For he that surpriseth truth with an ambush is as bad an enemy as he that fighteth against her with a flat lie in open field I know what is pleaded for King Almerick namely That Christians are not bound to keep faith with idolaters the worshippers of a false god as the Egyptian Caliph was on the matter But open so wide a window and it will be in vain to shut any doores All contracts with Pagans may easily be voided if this evasion be allowed But what saith S. Hierome It matters not to whom but by whom we swear And God to acquit himself knowing the Christians prosperity could not stand with his justice after their perjury frowned upon them And from hence authours date the constant ill successe of the Holy warre For though this expedition sped well at the first and Almerick wonne the citie of Belbis or Pelusium yet see what a cloud of miseries ensued First Noradine in his absence wasted and wonne places neare Antiochia at pleasure Secondly Meller Prince of Armenia a Christian made a covenant with Noradine and kept it most constantly to the inestimable disadvantage of the King of Jerusalem This act of Meller must be condemned but withall Gods justice admired Christians break their covenant with Saracens in Egypt whilest other Christians to punish them make and keep covenant with Turks in Asia Thirdly the Saracens grew good souldiers on a sudden who were naked at first and onely had bows but now learned from the Christians to use all offensive and defensive weapons Thus rude nations alwayes better themselves in fighting with a skilfull enemy How good mark-men are the Irish now-a-dayes which some seventy yeares ago at the beginning of their rebellions had three men to discharge a hand-gunne Fourthly Almericks hopes of conquering Egypt were frustrated for after some victories he was driven out and that whole kingdome conquered by Saladine nephew to Syracon who killed the Caliph with his horse-mace as he came to do him reverence and made himself the absolutest Turkish King of Egypt And presently after the death of Noradine the kingdome of the Turks at Damascus was by their consent bestowed upon him Indeed Noradine left a sonne Melexala who commanded in part of his fathers dominions but Saladine after his death got all for himself Thus rising men shall still meet with more stairs to raise them as those of falling with stumbling-blocks to ruine them Mean time Jerusalem was a poore weather-beaten kingdome bleak and open to the storm of enemies on all sides having no covert or shelter of any good friend neare it lying in the lions mouth betwixt his upper and nether jaw Damascus on the North and Egypt on the South two potent Turkish kingdomes united under a puissant Prince Saladine This made Almerick send for succours into Europe for now few voluntaries came to this service souldiers must be pressed with importunity Our Western Princes were prodigall of their pity but niggardly of their help The heat of the warre in Palestine had cooled their desires to go thither which made these Embassadours to return without supplies having gone farre to fetch home nothing but discomfort and despair Lastly King Almerick himself wearied with whole volleys of miseries ended his life of a bloudy flux having reigned eleven full yeares and was buried with his predecessours Leaving two children Baldwine and Sibyll by Agnes his first wife and by Mary his second wife daughter to John Proto-Sebastus a Grecian Prince one daughter Isabell married afterwards to Hemphred the third Prince of Thorone Chap. 38. Baldwine the fourth succeedeth His education under William the reverend Archbishop of Tyre BAldwine his sonne the fourth of that name succeeded his father so like unto him that we report the reader to the character of King Almerick and will spare the repeating his description Onely he differed in the temper of his bodie being enclined to the leprosie called Elephantiasis noysome to the patient but not infectious to the company not like King Uzziahs but Naamans leprosie which had it been contagious no doubt the King of Assyria when he went into the house of Rimmon would have chosen another supporter Mean time the kingdome was as sick as the King he of a leprosie that of an incurable consumption This Baldwine had the benefit of excellent education under William Archbishop of Tyre a pious man and excellent scholar skilled in all the learned Orientall tongues besides the Dutch and French his native language a moderate and faithfull writer For in the latter part of his history of the Holy warre his eye guided his hand till at last the taking of the city of Jerusalem so shook his hand that his penne fell out and he wrote no more Treasurer he was of all the money contributed to the Holy warre Chancellour of this kingdome imployed in severall Embassies in the West present at the Lateran Councel the acts whereof he did record Cardinall he might have been but refused it In a word unhappy onely that he lived in that age though that age was happy he lived in it Chap. 39. The vitiousnesse of Heraclius the Patriarch of Ierusalem His Embassie to Henry the second King of England with the successe The Maronites reconciled to the Romane Church AFter the death of Almerick Patriarch of Jerusalem Heraclius was by the Queen-mother Mary second wife to King Almerick for his
handsomenesse preferred to be Patriarch William Archbishop of Tyre was violent against his election because of a prophesie That as Heraclius King of Persia wonne so an Heraclius should lose the Crosse. But others excepted that this exception was nothing worth For let God give the man and let the devil set the name As for those blind prophesies they misse the truth ofter then hit it so that no wise man will lean his belief on so slender a prop. But Heraclius had a worse name then his name the bad report of his vitious life keeping a Vintners wife whom he maintained in all state like an Empresse and owned the children he had by her Her name Pascha de Rivera and she was generally saluted The Patriarchesse His example infected the inferiour clergie whose corruption was a sad presage of the ruine of the realm For when Prelates the Seers when once those eye-strings begin to break the heart-strings hold not out long after In his time the Maronites were reconciled to the Romane Church Their main errour was the heresie of the Monothelites touching one onely will and action in Christ. For after that the heresie of Nestorius about two persons in our Saviour was detested in the Eastern Churches some thought not themselves safe enough from the heresie of two persons till they were fallen with the opposite extremity of one nature in Christ violence making men reel from one extreme to another The errour once broched found many embracers As no opinion so monstrous but if it hath had a mother it will get a nurse But now these Maronites renouncing their tenents received the Catholick faith though soon after when Saladine had conquered their countrey they relapsed to their old errours wherein they continued till the late times of Pope Gregory the thirteenth and Clement the eighth when they again renewed their communion with the Romane Church They live at this day on mount Libanus not exceeding twelve thousand households and pay to the great Turk for every one above twelve yeares old seventeen sultanines by the yeare and for every space of ground sixteen spanne square one sultanine yearly to keep themselves free from the mixture of Mahometanes A sultanine is about seven shillings six pence of our money To return to Heraclius Soon after he was sent Embassadour to Henry the second King of England to crave his personall assistance in the Holy warre delivering unto him the Royall standard with the keyes of our Saviours sepulchre the towre of David and the city of Jerusalem sent him by King Baldwine King Henry was singled out for this service before other Princes because the world justly reported him valiant wise rich powerfull and fortunate And which was the main hereby he might expiate his murder and gather up again the innocent bloud which he had shed of Thomas Becket Besides Heraclius entituled our Henry to the kingdome of Jerusalem because Geoffrey Plantagenet his father was sonne some say brother to Fulk the fourth King of Jerusalem But King Henry was too wise to bite at such a bait wherein was onely the husk of title without the kernel of profit Yet he pretended he would go into Palestine and got hereby a masse of money towards his voyage making every one as well Clerk as Lay saving such as went to pay that yeare the tenth of all their revenues moveables and chattells as well in gold as in silver Of every citie in England he chose the richest men as in London two hundred in York an hundred and so in proportion and took the tenth of all their moveables by the estimation of credible men who knew their estates imprisoning those which refused to pay sub eleemosynae titulo vitium rapacitatis includans saith Walsingham But now when he had filled his purse all expected he should fulfill his promise when all his voyage into Palestine turned into a journey into France Heraclius whilest he stayed in England consecrated the Temple-church in the suburbs of London and the house adjoyning belonging to the Templars since turned to a better use for the students of our municipall Law these new Templars defending one Christian from another as the old ones Christians from Pagans Chap. 40. Saladine fitteth himself with forrein forces The originall and great power of the Mammalukes with their first service IN the minority of King Baldwine who was but thirteen yeares old Milo de Plancia Noble-man was Protectour of the Realm Whose pride and insolence could not be brooked and therefore he was stabbed at Ptolemais and Reimund Count of Tripoli chosen to succeed him Now Saladine seriously intendeth to set on the Kingdome of Jerusalem and seeketh to furnish himself with souldiers for that service But he perceived that the ancient nation of the Egyptians had lasted so long that now it ranne dregs their spirits being as low as the countrey they lived in and they fitter to make merchants and mechanicks then military men For they were bred in such soft imployments that they were presently foundred with any hard labour Wherefore he sent to the Circassians by the lake of Meotis neare Taurica Chersonesus and thence bought many slaves of able and active bodies For it was a people born in a hard countrey no fewel for pleasure grew there nor was brought thither and bred harder so that warre was almost their nature with custome of continuall skirmishing with the neighbouring Tartars These slaves he trained up in military discipline most of them being Christians once baptized but afterwards untaught Christ they learned Mahomet and so became the worse foes to religion for once being her friends These proved excellent souldiers and speciall horsemen and are called Mammalukes And surely the greatnesse of Saladine and his successours stood not so much on the legs of their native Egyptians as it leaned on the staff of these strangers Saladine and especially the Turkish Kings after him gave great power and placed much trust in these Mammalukes Who lived a long time in ignorance of their own strength till at last they took notice of it and scorning any longer to be factours for another they would set up for themselves and got the sovereignty from the Turkish Kings Thus Princes who make their subjects over-great whet a knife for their own throats And posterity may chance to see the insolent Janizaries give the grand Seignor such a trip on the heel as may tumble him on his back But more largely of these Mammalukes usurping the kingdome of Egypt God willing in its proper place Thus Saladine having furnished himself with new souldiers went to handsel their valour upon the Christians invaded the Holy land burning all the countrey before him and raging in the bloud of poore Christians till he came and encamped about Askelon Mean time whilest Reimund Count of Tripoli Protectour of the Kingdome with Philip Earl of Flanders the chief strength of the Kingdome were absent in Celosyria wasting the countrey about