of them till at last they conquered the whole Kingdome partly under this Syracon and wholly under Saladine his nephew And here my discourse by the leave of the reader must a little sally forth to treat of the danger of entertaining mercenary souldiers They may perchance be called in with a whistle but scarce cast out with a whip If they be slugs they indanger a State by their slothfulnesse if spirited men by their activity Cesar Borgia Machiavils idol whose practice he maketh the pattern of policy saith That he had rather be conquâ—red with his own men then be conquerour with an army of others because he counted that conquest to be none at all Yet good physick may be made of poyson well corrected They may sometimes be necessary evils yea good and serviceable to defend a land if thus qualified First if they have no command of castles or place near about the Princes person for then they have a compendious way to treason if they intend it Secondly if they be not entertained in too great numbers but in such refracted degrees that the natives may still have the predominancy for a surfeit of forrein supplies is a disease incurable Thirdly if the Prince who imployeth them hath their wives children and estates in his own hands which will be both a caution and pawn for their fidelity and will also interest their affections more cordially in the cause Lastly if they be of the same religion with them and fight against the enemy of the religion of both for then they are not purely hirelings but parties in part and the cause doth at least mediately concern them I believe that it will scarcely be shown that the Protestants have turned tails and betrayed them they came to assist We may observe the Low-countreys have best thrived by setting this trade of journey-men souldiers on work Let them thank God and the good English for if Francies Duke of Anjou with his Frenchmen had well succeeded no doubt he would have spread his bread with their butter Next them the Venetians have sped best for they have the trick when they find it equally dangerous to cashier their mercenary Generall or to entertain him any longer fairly to kill him as they served Carmignola England hath best thrived without them under Gods protection we stand on our own legs The last I find are an handfull of Almains used against Kett in Norfolk in the dayes of King Edward the sixth And let it be our prayers That as for those hirelings which are to be last tried and least trusted we never have want of their help and never have too much of it Chap. 36. Sanar imploreth the aid of King Almerick A solemn agreement made betwixt them and ratified by the magnificent Caliph SUltan Sanat perceiving himself pressed and overlayed by these Turks who with Syracon their Captain refused to return and of assistants turned invaders borrowed the help of Almerick King of Jerusalem to avoid them out of Egypt Whilest Almerick marched thither an unfortunate battel was fought betwixt Boemund the third of that name Prince of Antioch Reimund Count of Tripoli Calaman Grecian governour of Cilicia and Joceline the third the tiâ—ular Count of Edessa on the one side and Noradine King of the Turks on the other The Turks got the victory and these four Christian Princes were taken prisoners and their army lost so much good bloud that day that cast it into an irrecoverable consumption and hastened the ruine of this Kingdome Noradine following his blow wonne Cesarea-Philippi Neverthelesse Almerick went on effectually in Egypt and for a time expulsed the Turks out of this Land But Syracon would not so quickly quit the countrey but goeth to the Caliph of Babylon who was opposite to him of Egypt each of them claiming as heir to Mahomet the false prophet the soveraignty over all that were of the Saracen law and offereth him his means for the exstirpation of this schismaticall Caliph and the reduction of all Egypt to the subjection of the Babylonian The motion was joyfully entertained and Syracon with a mighty power descendeth into Egypt Sanar affrighted hereat maketh new and larger profers to King Almerick to stop this deluge of his enemies and profereth him a pension of fourty thousand ducates yearly for his behooffull assistance But the King understanding that the Sultan how much soever he took upon him was subject to a higher Lord would make no such bargain with him but with the Caliph himself and therefore sent his Embassadours Hugh Earl of Cesarea and a Knight-Templar along with the Sultan to Caliph Elhadach then resident at Cairo Arriving at his palace they passed through dark passages well guarded with armed Ethiopians Hence they were conducted into goodly open courts of such beauty and riches that they could not retain the gravity of Embassadours but were enforced to admire the rarities they beheld The farther they went the greater the state till at last they were brought to the Caliphs own lodging Where entring the presence the Sultan thrice prostrated himself to the ground before the curtain behind which the Caliph sat Presently the traverse wrought with pearls was opened and the Caliph himself discovered sitting with great majesty on a throne of gold having few of his most inward eunuchs about him The Sultan humbly kissed his masters feet and briefly told him the cause of their coming the danger wherein the land stood the profers he had made to King Almerick desiring him now to ratifie them and in demonstration thereof to give his hand to the Kings Embassadours The Caliph demurred hereat as counting such a gesture a diminution to his State and at no hand would give him his hand bare but gave it in his glove To whom the resolute Earl of Cesarea Sir said he Truth seeketh no holes to hide it self Princes that will hold covenant must deal openly and nakedly give us therefore your bare hand we will make no bargain with your glove He was loth to do it but necessity a more imperious Caliph then himself at this time commanded it and he did it at last dismissing the Christian Embassadours with such gifts as testified his greatnesse According to this agreement King Almerick cordially prosecuted his businesse improving his utmost might to expell Syracon with his Turks out of Egypt whom he bade battel and got the day though he lost all his baggage So that the conquest in a manner was divided the Turks gaining the wealth the Christians the honour of the victory 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
Printers mistake in Tyrius where he hath four and twenty years assigned him more then the consent of time will allow Chap. 33. King Almerick his disposition ALmerick brother to King Baldwine Earl of Joppa and Askelon succeeded to the Crown But before his coronation he was enjoyned by the Popes Legate and by the Patriarch of Jerusalem to dis-misse Agnes his wife daughter to Joceline the younger Count of Edessa because she was his cousin in the fourth degree with this reservation that the two children he had by her Baldwine and Sibyll should be accounted legitimate and capable of their fathers possessions A Prince of excellent parts of a most happy memory wherein also his brother Baldwine was eminent though Fulk their father was wonderfully forgetfull so true is the maxime Pure per sonalia non propagantur Parents entail neither their personall defects nor perfections on their posterity solid judgement quick apprehension but of a bad utterance which made him use words onely as a shield when he was urged and pressed to speak otherwise he preferred to be silent and declined popularity more then his brother Baldwine affected it Very thrifty he was and though Tully saith Dici hominem frugi non multum habet laudis in Rege yet moderate frugality is both laudable and necessary in a King But our Almerick went somewhat too farre and was a little poore in admiring of riches laying great taxations on the holy places to their utter impoverishing Yet was he not mastered by his purse but made it his vassall and spared no money on a just occasion He never received accusation against any of his officers and never reckoned with them count it as you please carelessenesse or noble confidence because he would not teach them to be dishonest by suspecting them Nor is it the last and least part of his praise that William Archbishop of Tyre so often mentioned wrote the Holy warre at his instance Once he angred the good Archbishop with this question How the resurrection of the body may be proved by reason Hereat the good Prelate was much displeased as counting it a dangerous question wherewith one removeth a foundation-stone in Divinity though with intent to lay it in the place again But the King presently protested That he demanded it not out of any diffidence in himself about that article but in case one should meet with a sturdy man who as too many now-a-dayes would not trust faith on her single bond except he have reason joyned for security with her Hereupon the Archbishop alledged many strong arguments to prove it and both rested well satisfied Chap. 34. Ecclesiasticall businesse A Sultan of Iconium and the master of the Assasines desired to be christened The Common-wealth of the Assasines described IN the Church of Jerusalem we find Almerick still Patriarch A Frenchman born but little fit for the place to which he was preferred by the favour of Sibyll Countesse of Flanders the Kings sister Mean time the Church needed a Salick law to forbid distaffs to meddle with mitres and neither to be nor to make Patriarchs But the most remarkable Church-matter in this Kings reign was the clandestine christening of a Sultan of Iconium And more of his courtiers might have followed him but that his Embassadours being at Rome were offended there with the vitiousnesse of Christians lives which made them to exclaim How can fresh and salt water flow from the same fountain This hath made many Pagans to step back which had one foot in our Church when they have seen Christians believe so well and live so ill breaking the Commandments against the Creed Not long after the great master of the Assasines was really disposed to receive our religion and to this end sent an Embassadour to King Almerick which Embassadour was treacherously slain by one of the Templars The King demanded this murderer of the master of the Templars that justice might passe upon him But the master proudly answered That he had already enjoyned him penance and had directed to send him to the Pope but stoutly refused to surrender him to the King This cruel murder imbittered the Assasines more desperately against the Christians These Assasines were a precise sect of Mahometans and had in them the very spirits of that poysonous superstition They had some six cities and were about fourty thousand in number living near Antaradus in Syria Over these was a chief master Hell it self cannot subsist without a Beelzebub so much order there is in the place of confusion whom they called The Old man of the mountains At his command they would refuse no pain or perill but stab any Prince whom he appointed out to death scorning not to find hands for his tongue to perform what he enjoyned At this day there are none of them exstant except revived by the Jesuits for sure Ignatius Loyola the lame father of blind obedience fetched his platform hence being all as it seems slain by the Tartarians Anno 1257. But no tears need be shed at their funeralls yea pity it is that any pity should be lavished upon them whose whole government was an engine built against humane society worthy to be fired by all men the body of their State being a very monstrosity and a grievance of mankind Chap. 35. Dargan and Sanar two Egyptian Lords contending about the Sultanie Sanar calleth in the Turks to help him Of the danger of mercenary souldiers yet how well qualified they may be serviceable EGypt was a stage whereon the most remarkable passages in the reign of King Almerick were acted It will be necessary therefore to premise somewhat concerning the estate of that Kingdome at this time Whilest the Turks thus lorded it in Syria and the lesser Asia the Saracen Caliph commanded in Egypt under whom two great Lords Dargan and Sanar fell out about the Sultanie or Vice-royship of that land But Sanar fearing he should be worsted by Dargan sued to Noradine King of the Turks at Damascus for aid who sent him an army of Turks under the command of Syracon an experienced Captain against Sultan Dargan So Dargan and Sanar met and fought The victory was Dargans but he enjoyed it not long being shortly after slain by treachery whereby Sanar recovered the Sultans place Mean time how strange was the voluptuous lethargy of the Caliph Elhadach to pursue his private pleasures whilest his Vice-royes thus fought under his nose and imployed forrein succours yet he never regarded it as if the tottering of his Kingdome had rocked him fast asleep Nor was he moved with that which followed and more nearly concerned him For Syracon the Turkish Captain whom Sanar had gotten to come into Egypt would not be intreated to go home again but seized on the city of Belbis fortified it and there attended the arrivall of more Turks from Damascus for the conquest of Egypt Which afterwards they performed the land being never completely cleared
would weary them with set battels having men numberless and those near at hand and so he would tame the Romane Eagle by watching him giving him no rest nor respite from continuall fighting It is therefore no Paradox to say That in some case the strength of a Kingdome doth consist in the weaknesse of it And hence it is that our English Kings have suffered Time without disturbing her meals to feed her belly full on their in-land castles and citie-walls which whilest they were standing in their strength were but the nurseries of rebellion And now as one observeth because we have no strong cities war in England waxeth not old being quickly stabbed with set battels which in the Low-countreys hath already outlived the grand climactericall of threescore and ten years But Frederick the Emperour being now entring into the Holy land was to the great grief of all Christians suddenly taken away being drowned in the river of Saleph a river such is the envie of Barbarisme obscuring all places which cannot accurately be known at this day because this new name is a stranger to all ancient maps If he went in to wash himself as some write he neither consulted with his health nor honour Some say his horse foundred under him as he passed the water others that he fell from him But these severall relations as variety of instruments make a dolefull conâ—ort in this that there he lost his life and no wonder if the cold water quickly quenched those few sparks of naturall heat left in him at seventy years of age Neubrigensis conceiveth that this his sudden death was therefore inflicted on him because in his youth he fought against the Popes and Church of Rome But I wonder that he seeing an Emperour drowned in a ditch durst adventure into the bottomlesse depths of Gods counsels Let it content us to know that oftentimes heaven blasteth those hopes which bud first and fairest and the feet of mighty Monarchs do slip when they want but one step to their enemies throne After his death Frederick Duke of Suevia his second sonne undertook the conduct of the army Now the Turks conceiving grief had steeped and moistened these Pilgrimes hearts gave them a sudden charge in hope to have overthrown them But the valiant Dutch who though they had scarce wiped their eyes had scoured their swords quickly forced them to retire Then Frederick took the citie of Antioch which was easily delivered unto him and his hungry souldiers well refreshed by the citizens being as yet for the most part Christians Marching from hence in set battel he overthrew Dordequin Generall of Saladines forces slew four thousand and took a thousand prisoners with little losse of his own men and so came to the city of Tyre where he buried the corpse of his worthy father in the Cathedrall Church next the tomb of the learned Origen and Guilelmus Tyrius the worthy Archbishop preached his funerall sermon We may hear his sorrowfull army speaking this his Epitaph unto him Earth scarce did yield ground enough for thy sword To conquer how then could a brook afford Water to drown thee brook which since doth fear O guilty conscience in a map t' appear Yet blame we not the brook but rather think The weight of our own sinnes did make thee sink Now sith 't is so wee 'l fetch a brackish main Out of our eyes and drown thee once again From hence by sea they were conveyed to the Christians army before Ptolemais where young Frederick died of the plague and his great army which at first consisted of an hundred and fifty thousand at their setting forth out of Germany had now no more left then eighteen hundred armed men Chap. 5. The continuation of the famous siege of Ptolemais The Dutch Knights honoured with a Grand Master WE have now at our leisure overtaken the snail-like fiege of Ptolemais still slowly creeping on Before it the Christians had not onely a Nationall but an Oecumenicall army the abridgement of the Christian world Scarce a state or populous city in Europe but had here some competent number to represent it How many bloudy blows were here lent on both sides and repayed with interest what sallies what assaults what encounters whilest the Christians lay betwixt Saladine with his great army behind them and the city before them One memorable battel we must not omit It was agreed betwixt Saladine and the Christians to try their fortunes in a pitched field and now the Christians were in fair hope of a conquest when an imaginary causelesse fear put them to a reall flight so ticklish are the scales of victory a very mote will turn them Thus confusedly they ran away and boot would have been given to change a strong arm for a swift leg But behold Geoffrey Lusignan King Guy's brother left for the guarding of the camp marching out with his men confuted the Christians in this their groundlesse mistake and reinforced them to fight whereby they wonne the day though with the losse of two thousand men and Gerard Master of the Templars It was vainly hoped that after this victory the city would be surâ—endred but the Turks still bravely defended it though most of their houses were burnt and beaten down and the city reduced to a bare sceleton of walls and towers They fought as well with their wits as weapons and both sides devised strange defensive and offensive engines so that Mars himself had he been here present might have learned to fight and have taken notes from their practice Mean time famine raged amongst the Christians and though some provision was now and then brought in from Italy for so far they fetched it yet these small showers after good droughts parched the more and rather raised then abated their hunger Once more we will take our farewell of this siege for a twelve-moneth But we must not forget that at this time before the walls of Ptolemais the Teutonick order or Dutch Knights which since the dayes of Baldwine the second lived like private pilgrimes had now their order honoured with Henry of Walpot their first grand Master and they were enriched by the bounty of many Germane benefactours These though slow were sure they did hoc agere ply their work more cordiall to the Christian cause then the Templars who sometimes to save their own stakes would play booty with the Turks Much good service did the Dutch Knights in the Holy warre till at last no wise Doctour will lavish physick on him in whom he seeth faciem cadaverosam so that death hath taken possession in the sick mans countenance finding this warre to be desperate and dedecus fotitudinis they even fairly left the Holy land and came into Europe meaning to lay out their valour on some thing that would quit cost But hereof hereafter Chap. 6. Richard of England and Philip of France set forward to the Holy land The danger of the interviews of Princes THe
branded with rashnesse and cruelty as the murderer of many Christians For Saladine in revenge put as many of our captives to death On the other side the moderation of the French King was much commended who reserving his prisoners alive exchanged them to ransome so many Christians Chap. 9. The unseasonable return of the King of France MEan time the Christians were rent asunder with faction Philip the French King Odo Duke of Burgundy Leopold Duke of Austria most of the Dutch all the Genoans and Templars siding with King Conrade King Richard Henry Count of Champaigne the Hospitallers Venetians and Pisans taking part with King Guy But King Conrades side was much weakened with the sudden departure of the French King who eighteen dayes after the taking of Ptolemais returned home pretending want of necessaries indisposition of body distemper of the climate though the greatest distemper was in his own passions The true cause of his departure was partly envie because the sound of King Richards fame was of so deep a note that it drowned his partly covetousnesse to seize on the dominions of the Earl of Flanders lately dead Flanders lying fitly to make a stable for the fair palace of France If it be true what some report that Saladine bribed him to return let him for ever forfeit the surname of Augustus and the style of the most Christian Prince His own souldiers disswaded him from returning beseeching him not to stop in so glorious a race wherein he was newly started Saladine was already on his knees and would probably be brought on his face if pursued If he played the unthrift with this golden occasion let him not hope for another to play the good husband with If poverty forced his departure King Richard profered him the half of all his provisions All would not do Philip persisted in his old plea How the life of him absent would be more advantagious to the cause then the death of him present and by importunity got leave to depart solemnly swearing not to molest the King of Englands dominions Thus the King of France returned in person but remained still behind in his instructions which he left with his army to the Duke of Burgundy to whom he prescribed both his path and his pace where and how he should go And that Duke moved slowly having no desire to advance the work where King Richard would carry all the honour For in those actions wherein severall undertakers are compounded together commonly the first figure for matter of credit maketh ciphres of all the rest As for King Philip being returned home such was the itch of his ambition he must be fingering of the King of Englands territories though his hands were bound by oath to the contrary Chap. 10. Conrade King of Ierusalem slain Guy exchangeth his Kingdome for the Island of Cyprus ABout the time of the King of France his departure Conrade King of Jerusalem was murdered in the market-place of Tyre and his death is variously reported Some charged our King Richard for procuring it And though the beams of his innocency cleared his own heart yet could they not dispell the clouds of suspicions from other mens eyes Some say Humphred Prince of Thoron killed him for taking Isabella his wife away from him But the generall voice giveth it out that two Assasines stabbed him whose quarrell to him was onely this That he was a Christian. These murderers being instantly put to death gloried in the meritoriousnesse of their suffering and surely were it the punishment not the cause made martyrdome we should be best stored with Confessours from gaols and Martyrs from the gallows Conrade reigned five years and left one daughter Maria Iole on whom the Knight-Templars bestowed princely education and this may serve for his Epitaph The Crown I never did enjoy alone Of half a Kingdome I was half a King Scarce was I on when I was off the throne Slain by two slaves me basely murdering And thus the best mans life at mercy lies Of vilest varlets that their own despise His faction survived after his death affronting Guy the antient King and striving to depose him They pleaded that the Crown was tyed on Guy's head with a womans fillet which being broken by the death of his wife Queen Sibyll who deceased of the plague with her children at the siege of Ptolemais he had no longer right to the Kingdome they objected he was a worthlesse man and unfortunate On the other side it was alledged for him that to measure a mans worth by his successe is a â—quare often false alwayes uncertain Besides the courtesie of the world would allow him this favour That a King should be semel semper once and ever Whilest Guy stood on these ticklish terms King Richard made a seasonable motion which well relished to the palate of this hungry Prince To exchange his Kingdome of Jerusalem for the Island of Cyprus which he had redeemed from the Templars to whom he had pawned it And this was done accordingly to the content of both sides And King Richard with some of his succeeding English Kings wore the title of Jerusalem in their style for many years after We then dismisse King Guy hearing him thus taking his farewell I steer'd a state warre-tost against my will Blame then the storm not th' Pilots want of skill That I the Kingdome lost whose empty style I sold to Englands King for Cyprus Isle I pass'd away the land I could not hold Good ground I bought but onely air I sold. Then as a happy Merchant may I sing Though I must sigh as an unhappy King Soon after Guy made a second change of this world for another But the family of the Lusignans have enjoyed Cyprus some hundred years and since by some transactions it fell to the state of Venice and lately by conquest to the Turks Chap. 11. Henry of Champaigne chosen King The noble atchievements and victories of King Richard COnrade being killed and Guy gone away Henry Earl of Champaigne was chosen King of Jerusalem by the especiall procuring of King Richard his uncle To corroborate his election by some right of succession he married Isabella the widow of King Conrade and daughter to Almerick King of Jerusalem A Prince as writers report having a sufficient stock of valour in himself but little happy in expressing it whether for want of opportunity or shortnesse of his reign being most spent in a truce He more pleased himself in the style of Prince of Tyre then King of Jerusalem as counting it more honour to be Prince of what he had then King of what he had not And now the Christians began every where to build The Templars fortified Gaza King Richard repaired and walled Ptolemais Porphyria Joppa and Askelon But alas this short prosperity like an Autumne-spring came too late and was gone too soon to bring any fruit to maturity It was now determined they should march towards
reduction of the Greeks to the truth as to his own obedience Besides the hatred they have against the Popes pride another great hindrance of the union is the small intercourse the Eastern Christians have or desire to have with the Western They live amongst the Turks and are grown to be contented slaves and having long since parted with their hopes now almost have lost their desire of liberty We must not forget how some fifty years ago solemn news was reported in Rome that the Patriarch of Alexandria with all the Greek Church in Africa by their Embassadours had submitted and reconciled themselves to the Pope and from him received Absolution and Benediction All which was a politick lie perchance therefore reported that it might make impression in the minds and raise and confirm the spirits of the vulgar who easily believe all that their betters tell them And though afterwards this report was controlled to be false yet mens spirits then being cold were not so sensible of it as before and the former news came to many mens ears who never heard afterwards of the check and confutation thereof Nor is there any State in the world that maketh such use and advantage as the Papall doth of false news To conclude As it is a maxime in Philosophy Ex quibus constamus ex iisdem nutrimur so a great part of their religion consisting of errours and falshoods it is suitable that accordingly it should be kept up and maintained with forgeries and deceits To return to Palestine This rent not in the seam but whole cloth betwixt these Churches was no mean hindrance to the Holy warre Formerly the Greeks in Syria were not so clearly cut asunder from the Latines but that they hung together by one great sinew in the common cause agreeing against the Turk the enemy to both But since this last breach the Greeks did in their desires propend and incline to the Turks being better contented they should conquer from whom they should have fair quarter free exercise of their religion and secure dwelling in any citie paying a set tribute then the Latines who they feared would force their consciences and bring their souls in subjection to the Popes supremacie Expect we then never hereafter that either their hearts or hands should afford any assistance to our Pilgrimes in their designes Some conceive that at this day if the Western Christians should stoutly invade Turkie with any likelihood to prevail the Greeks therein would runne to aid them But others are of a contrary judgement considering First the inveterate and inlaid hatred not to be washed off they bear the Latines Secondly the jealousie they have that they will never keep promise with them who have alwayes a warrant dormant from the Pope to break all contracts prejudiciall to the Romish Church Thirdly that custome and long continuance in slavery have so hardened and brawned their shoulders the yoke doth not wring them so much yea they had rather suffer the Turks being old full flies to suck them then to hazard their galled backs to new hungry ones finding by experience That they themselves live on better terms of servitude under the Turk lesse grated and grinded with exactions then some of their countrey-men do under the Latines for instance in Zante and Candie under the Venetians Chap. 7. Theobald King of Navarre maketh an unsuccessefull voyage into Palestine THe ten years truce by this time was expired which Frederick made with the Turks and Reinold Vice-roy of Palestine by instructions from him concluded another truce of the same term with them He saw that this young Christian Kingdome of Jerusalem like an infant would thrive best with sleeping with peace and quietnesse Nor was it any policie for him to move at all where there was more danger to hurt then hope to help their present estate But though this peace was honourable and profitable having no fault but that Frederick made it yet the Templars who did not relish the father must needs distast the child They complained that this peace was not used as a slumber to refresh the souldiers spirit but as a lethargie to benumme their valour and chiefly snarled at this indignity That the Turks had accesse to the temple of the Sepulchre and that Goats had free-commonage in the Sheeps pasture Wherefore Pope Gregory to despite the Emperour Frederick caused the Dominicans and Franciscans his trumpeters to incite people to the Holy warre These were two twin-orders but the Dominican the eldest which now were no sooner hatched in the world but presently chirped in the pulpits In that age Sermons were news and meat for Princes not common men Yea the Albingenses with their preaching had drowned the voices of secular Priests if these two Orders had not helped to out-noise those supposed hereticks These amplified with their rhetorick the calamity of the Christians tyrannie of the Turks merit of the cause probability of successe performing their parts with such gravity shew of devotion accents of passion not glued on for the present purpose but so naturall as from true affection that many were wooed to undertake the voyage Principally Theobald King of Navarre Almerick Earl of Montfort Henry of Champaigne Peter Earl of Bretaigne with many others of inferiour rank Ships they had none wherefore they were fain to shape their passage by land through Grecia where they were entertained with treachery famine and all the miseries which wait on distressed armies These came last that way and I may say shut the door For no Christian army ever after went that tedious journey by land Having passed the Bosporus they marched into Bithynia thence through Galatia they came unto the mountain Taurus where they were much damnified by the Turks who fell on and off upon them as they were advised by their own advantages The Christians desired no other gift but that a set battel might be given them which the Turks would not grant but played at distance and would never close But with much ado the Christians recovered to Antioch having scarce a third part of them left their horses all dead and themselves scarce mounted on their legs miserably weak as what the mercy of sword plague and famine had pleased to spare Hence the Templars conducted them to Gaza where they fell on forraging the countrey of the Sultan assaulting no places which were of strength or honour to subdue but onely spoiled poore villages which counted themselves walled with the truce as yet in force Abundance of wealth they got and were now late returning home when after their plentifull supper a dear and â—harp reckoning was called for Behold the Turks in great numbers fell upon them near unto Gaza and the Christians down with their bundles of spoil and out with their swords bravely defending themselves till such time as the night parted the fray Here they committed a great errour and as one may say a neglect in over-diligence for in stead of reposing
as the marrer of their mart Damiata being formerly their most gainfull port but now their hony was spoiled by destroying their hive for the Sultan seing the city taken twice of the Christians in short time to prevent further dispute about it took away the subject of the question and rased it to the ground The Pope forsook him And though many intreated his Holinesse not to prosecute the Emperour Frederick any further from whom Lewis expected all the beams of his comfort yet he would hear of no submission from him but sought finally to ruine him Onely Blanch King Lewis his mother was carefull for her sonne and laboured his cause day and night But alas her armes were too short to bring all ends together And having gathered a considerable summe of money and shipped it for Palestine a tempest in a moment cast that away which her care and thrift was many moneths in getting All this he bore with a soul not benummed with Stoicall senslessenesse but becalmed with Christian patience a second Job so that what pleased God pleased him It somewhat mitigated his misery that he had the company of his consort Margaret a woman worthy so good a husband Here she bore him a child which because another Benoni or sonne of sorrow was called Tristram But that name is more ancient nor had it its birth from the christening of this child Foure yeares King Lewis lived not to say loitered in Syria daily expecting in vain that some Prince of Europe should fetch him off with honour being loth to return till he could carry home his credit with him And though he was out of his Kingdome yet was he in his Kingdome whilest surveying there the sacred monuments wherewith he was so highly affected Chap. 19. The Common-wealth of the Mammalukes described presenting us with many unexampled remarkables NOw more largely of Tarqueminus and his killing Melechsala and of the common-wealth of the Mammalukes begun by him And because great is the merit of this story as very memorable we will fetch it from its first originall Saladine as is touched before was the first of the Turkish Kings who began the gainfull trade of the Mammalukes These were Christian captives brought out of Taurica Cherâ—onesus and instructed as in Mahometanisme so in all military discipline Saladine disposing them in martiall nurseries and continuing a constant succession of them one under another It is above belief how much and speedily they were improved in warlike exercises Art doubled their strength by teaching them to use it And though they came rough out of their own countrey they were quickly hewen and polished by education yea their apprehensions prevented the precepts and their practise surpassed the presidents of those that instructed them As it is observed in fruits and flowers that they are much bettered by change to a fitter soil so were these people by altering their climate the cold countrey wherein they were bred gave them big and robustious bodies and the hot climate whereinto they were transplanted ripened their wits and bestowed upon them craft and activity the dowrie of the Southern countreys They attained to be expert in any service especially they were excellent horsemen and at last they began to ride on the backs and necks of the Turkish Kings themselves True it is Saladine kept his distance over them used them kindly yet made them not wantons and so poised these Mammalukes with his native Egyptians that in all actions he still reserved the casting voice for himself But Meladine and Melechsala his successours entertained them without number and instructed them beyond reason so that under them in a manner they monopolized all places of strength and command till at last the stemme of these mercenary souldiers being too great for the stock of the natives the Turkish Kingdome in Egypt like a top-heavy tree became a windfall Indeed the dastardnesse of the Egyptians made these Mammalukes more daring and insolent For the Egyptians more loved profit then honour and wealth then greatnesse and though contented to abide labour would in no wise undergo danger Merchandise they where wholly imployed in and it seemed they used trading so long till at last they made sale of their own spirits Yea one could not now know Egypt to be Egypt but onely by the overflowing of Nilus not by any remaining ancient marks of valour in the peoples disposition Thus the genius of old Kingdomes in time groweth weaker and doteth at the last But to come to Tarqueminus He being one of these Mammalukes and perceiving how easie it was for those that did support to supplant the Turkish Kings with another of his associates slew Melechsala as it was said And because it was unfitting so great a Prince should go to the grave alone he also sent his children and intimate friends thither to attend him Tarqueminus afterwards procured of his society to be chosen King of Egypt He was the Solon or Lycurgus of this slavish common-wealth and by the consent of the rest of his company he enacted many laws Whereof these were those of the Grand Charter which admitted of no revocation First That the Sultan or chief of this servile Empire should be chosen alwayes out of the Mammalukes Secondly That none should be admitted to the Order of the Mammalukes which were either Jews or Turks by birth but onely such as being born Christians were afterwards taken captives and then from the time of their slavery had been instructed in the Mahometane religion Thirdly That though the sonnes of the Mammalukes might enjoy their fathers lands and wealth yet they might not take upon them the name or honour of a Mammaluke Fourthly That the native Egyptians should be permitted no use of weapons but onely such as with which they fought against weeds to till and manure the land In surveying this State we can turn no way but must meet with wonders First one would think that there was such an indelible character of slavery in these captives and such a laesum principium in them that none of them ever should make a good Prince as knowing no more how to sway a scepter then a pure clown to manage a sword or else that they should over-state it turn tyrants and onely exchange their slavery by becoming vassals to their own passions Yet many of them in their kinds were worthy Princes for government no whit inferiour to those which are advantaged with royall birth and breeding Secondly it is a wonder they should be so neglective of their own children How many make an idol of their posterity and sacrifice themselves unto it stripping themselves out of necessaries to provide their heirs a wardrobe yea it is a principle in most moderate minds to advance their posterity thinking hereby in a manner they overcome death and immortalize their memories in leaving their names and honours to their children Whereas the contrary appeared in these Mammalukes Thirdly it is admirable that they fell
thousand Christians But it may justly be suspected that these numbers were written first in figures and therefore at too much length when the adding of nothing may increase many thousands These wofull tidings brought into Europe so wrought on the good disposition of Lewis King of France that he resolved to make a second voyage into Palestine to succour the Christians He so fixed his mind on the journeys end that he saw not the dangers in the way His Counsel could not disswade though they did disswade him First they urged that he was old let younger men take their turns They recounted to him his former ill successe How lately had that hot countrey scorch'd the lilies of France not onely to the blasting of the leaves but almost withering of the root Besides the sinews of the Christians in Syria were so shrunk that though lifted up they could not stand That Nature decayed but not thus wholly destroyed was the subject of physick That the Turks had got a habit of conquering and riveted themselves into the possession of the countrey so that this voyage would but fleet the cream of the Kingdome to cast it into the fire But as a vehement flame maketh feuel of whatsoever it meeteth so this Kings earnest resolution turned bridles into spurres and hind rances into motives to his journey Was he old let him make the more speed lest envious death should prevent him of this occasion of honour Had he sped ill formerly he would seek his credit where he lost it Surely Fortunes lottery had not all blanks but that after long drawing he should light on a prize at last Were the Christians in so low a case the greater need they had of speedy help Thus was this good Kings judgement over-zealed And surely though Devotion be the naturall heat Discretion which wanted in him is the radicall moisture of an action keeping it healthfull prosperous and long-lived Well King Lewis will go and to this end provideth his navie and is accompanied with Philip and Tristram his Sonnes Theobald King of Navarre his sonne in law Alphonse his brother and Guido Earl of Flanders There went also Edward eldest sonne to Henry King of England It was a wonder he would now adventure his head when he was to receive a Crown his father being full-ripe to drop down without gathering having reigned longer then most men live fifty and five yeares But thirsty was this Edward of honour Longshanks was he called and as his strides were large so vast and wide was the extent of his desire As for his good Father he was content to let go the staff of his age for to be a prop to the Church And though King Lewis was undiscreet in going this journey he was wise in choosing this his companion to have this active Prince along with him it being good to eye a suspicious person and not to leave him behind With Edward went his brother Edmund Earl of Lancaster surnamed Crouch-back not that he was crook-shouldered or camel-backed From which our English Poet most zealously doth vindicate him Edmond like him the comeliest Prince alive Not crook-bac'd ne in no wise disfigured As some men write the right line to deprive Though great falsehood made it to be scriptured but from the Crosse anciently called a Crouch whence Crouched Friars which now he wore in his voyage to Jerusalem And yet it maketh it somewhat suspicious that in Latine records he is never read with any other epithet then Gibbosus But be he crooked or not let us on straight with our story Chap. 27. King Lewis besiegeth the city of Tunis His death and commendation LEwis now having hoised up sail it was concluded by the generall consent of his Counsell That to secure and clear the Christians passage to Palestine from pirates they should first take the city of Carthage in Africa by the way This Carthage long wrastled with Rome for the sovereignty and gave as many foils as she took till Scipio at last crushed out her bowels with one deadly fall Yet long after the city stood before wholly demolished to be a spurre to put metall into the Romanes and to be a forrain mark for their arrows lest otherwise they should shoot against themselves At last by the counsel of Cato it was quite destroyed who alledged That it was not safe to have a knife so near their throat and though good use might be made of an enemy at arms end yet it was dangerous to have him too close to ones side as Carthage was within a dayes sail from Rome Out of the ruines of this famous citie Tunis arose as often a stinking elder groweth out of the place where an oak hath been felled Thieving was their trading but then as yet they were Apprentices to pâ—racie whereof at this day they are grown Masters Yea not considerable was Tunis then in bignesse great onely in mischief But as a small scratch just upon the turning of a joynt is more troublesome then a bigger sore in another place so this paltry town the refuge of rogues and wanderers home seated in the passage betwixt Europe Asia and Africa was a worse annoyance to Christian traffick then a whole countrey of Saracens elsewhere Wherefore both to revenge the bloud of many Christians who passing this way to Palestine were either killed or taken captive as also to secure the way for the time to come Lewis with his whole fleet augmented with the navy of Charles King of Sicilie and Jerusalem his brother bent his course to besiege it It was concluded both unnecessary and unfitting first in a fair way to summon the city because like pernicious vermine they were to be rooted out of the world by any means nor was it meet to lavish the solemn ceremonies of warre on a company of thieves and murderers The siege was no sooner begun but the plague seised on the Christian armie whereof thousands died amongst others Tristram King Lewis his sonne And he himself of a flux followed after This Lewis was the French Josia both for the piety of his life and wofulnesse of his death ingaging himself in a needlesse warre Many good laws he made for his Kingdome that not the worst He first retrenched his Barons power to suffer parties to trie their intricate titles to land by duells He severely punished blasphemers fearing their lips with an hot iron And because by his command it was executed upon a great rich citizen of Paris some said he was a tyrant He hearing it said before many I would to God that with fearing my own lips I could banish out of my realm all abuse of oaths He loved more to heare Sermons then to be present at Masse whereas on the contrary our Henry the third said he had rather see his God then hear another speak of him though never so well His body was carried into France there to be buried and was most miserably tossed it being
the other besieged in vain by Baldwine SIdon is the most ancient citie of Phenicia And though the proud Grecians counted all Barbarians besides themselves yet Phenicia was the schoolmistress of Grecia and first taught her her alphabet For Cadmus a Phenician born first invented and brought letters to Thebes Sidon had her name from the eldest sonne of Canaan and was famous for the finest crystall-glasses which here were made The glassie sand was fetched 40 miles off from the river Belus but it could not be made fusile till it was brought hither whether for want of tools or from some secret sullen humour therein we will not dispute This city anciently was of great renown but her fortune being as brittle as her glasses she was fain to find neck for every one of the Monarchs yokes and now at last by the assistance of the Danish and Norvegian fleet was subdued by the Christians Fleshed with this conquest they next besieged Tyre Sea and land nature and art consented together to make this city strong for it was seated in an island save that it was tacked to the continent with a small neck of land which was fortified with many walls and towers It is questionable whether the strength or wealth of this city was greater but out of question that the pride was greater then either Here the best purples were died a colour even from the beginning destined to Courts and Magistracy and here the richest clothes were embroidered and curiously wrought And though generally those who are best with their fingers are worst with their arms yet the Tyrians were also stout men able mariners and the planters of the noblest colonies in the world As their city was the daughter of Sidon so was it mother to Romes rivall Carthage Leptis Utica Cadiz and Nola. The most plentifull proof they gave of their valour was when for three years they defended themselves against Nebuchadnezzar and afterwards stopped the full career of Alexanders conquests so that his victorious army which did flie into other countreys was glad to creep into this city Yet after seven moneths siege such is the omnipotency of industry he forced it and stripped this lady of the sea naked beyond modesty and mercy putting all therein to the sword that resisted and hanged up 2000 of the prime citizens in a rank along the sea-shore Yet afterwards Tyre out-grew these her miseries and attained though not to her first giant-like yet to a competent proportion of greatnesse At this time wherein King Baldwine besieged it it was of great strength and importance insomuch that finding it a weight too heavy for his shoulders he was fain to break off his siege and depart With worse successe he afterwards did rashly give battel to the vast army of the Persian Generall wherein he lost many men all his baggage and escaped himself with great difficulty Chap. 13. The pleasurable voyages of King Baldwine and his death AFter the tempest of a long warre a calm came at last and King Baldwine had a five years vacation of peace in his old age In which time he disported himself with many voyages for pleasure as one to the Red-sea not so called from the rednesse of the water or sand as some without any colour have conceited but from the neighbouring Edomites whom the Grecians called Erytheans or re◠men truly translating the Hebrew name of Edomites they had their name of rednesse from their father Edom. And here Baldwine surveyed the countrey with the nature and strength thereof Another journey he took afterwards into Egypt as conceiving himself ingaged in honour to make one inrod◠into that countrey in part of paiment of those many excursions the Egyptians had made into his Kingdome He took the city of Pharamia anciently called Rameses and gave the spoil thereof to his souldiers This work being done he began his play and entertained the time with viewing that riddle of Nature the river of Nilus whose stream is the confluence of so many wonders first for its indiscoverable fountain though some late Geographers because they would be held more intelligent then others have found the head of Nilus in their own brains and make it to flow from a fountain they fansie in the mountains of the moon in the south of Africa then for the strange creatures bred therein as river-bulls horses and crocodiles But the chiefest wonder is the yearly increasing thereof from the 17. of June to the midst of September overflowing all Egypt and the banks of all humane judgement to give the true reason thereof Much time Baldwine spent in beholding this river wherein he took many fishes and his death in eating them for a new surfet revived the grief of an old wound which he many years before received at the siege of Ptolemais His sicknesse put him in mind of his sinnes conscience speaking loudest when men begin to grow speechlesse And especially he grieved that having another wife alive he had married the Countesse of Sicilie the relict of Earl Roger But now heartily sorrowfull for his fault he sent away this his last wife yet we reade not that he received his former again Other faults he would have amended but was prevented by death And no doubt where the deed could not be present the desire was a sufficient proxy He died at Laris a city in the road from Egypt and was brought to Jerusalem and buried on Palm-sunday in the temple of the Sepulchre in the 18 year of his reign A Prince superiour to his brother Godfrey in learning equall in valour inferiour in judgement rash precipitate greedy of honour but swallowing more then he could digest and undertaking what he was not able to perform little affected to the Clergy or rather to their temporall greatnesse especially when it came in competition with his own much given to women besides the three wives he had first marrying Gutrera an English-woman after her death Tafror an Armenian Lady and whilest she yet survived the Countesse of Sicilie yet he had no child God commonly punishing wantonnesse with barrennesse For the rest we referre the reader to the dull Epitaph written on his tomb which like the verses of that age runneth in a kind of rythme though it can scarce stand on true feet Rex Baldwinus Iudas alter Maccabaus Spes patriae vigor Ecolesiae virtus utriusque Quem formidabant cui dona tributa ferebant Cedar Aegypti Dan ac homicida Damascus Proh dolor in modico clauditur hoc tumulo Baldwine another Maccabee for might Hope help of State of Church and boths delight Cedar with Egypts Dan of him afraid Bloudy Damascus to him tribute paid Alas here in this tomb is laid Let him whô pleaseth play the critick on the divers readings and whether by Dan be meant the Souldan or whether it relateth to the conceit that Antichrist shall come of the tribe of Dan. But perchance the text
colour which nature doth die simple and therefore fittest for religion But Melexala King of Egypt who formerly was very bountifull to the Carmelites knew not his Alms-men in their new coats but changed his love as they their livery and persecuted them out of all Egypt It seemeth afterwards by the complaint of Mantuan that they wore some black again over their white For he playeth on them as if their bad manners had blacked and altered their clothes Now though Palestine was their mother England was their best nurse Ralph Fresburg about the year 1240 first brought them hither and they were first seated at Newenden in Kent An hundred and fourty English writers have been of this order And here they flourished in great pomp till at last King Henry the 8 as they came out of the wildernesse so turned their houses into a wildernesse not onely breaking the necks of all Abbeys in England but also scattering abroad their very bones past possibility of recounting them Chap. 27. Edessa lost The hopefull voyage of Conrade the Emperour and Lewis King of France to the Holy land blasted by the perfidiousnesse of Emmanuel the Grecian Emperour EMpires have their set bounds whither when they come they stand still go back fall down This we may see in the Kingdome of Jerusalem which under Godfrey and the two first Baldwines was a gainer under Fulk a saver under the succeeding Kings a constant loser till all was gone For now Sanguin Prince of the Turks as bloudy as his name wrested from the Christians the countrey and city of Edessa one of the four Tetrarchies of the Kingdome of Jerusalem And though Sanguin shortly after was stabbed at a feast yet Noradine his sonne succeeded and exceeded him in cruelty against the Christians The losse of Edessa wherein our religion had flourished ever since the Apostles time moved Conrade Emperour of the West and Lewis the 7. surnamed the Young King of France to undertake a voyage to the Holy-land Pope Eugenius the 3. bestirred himself in the matter and made S. Bernard his soliciter to advance the design For never could so much steel have been drawn into the east had not this good mans perswasion been the loadstone The Emperours army contained two hundred thousand foot besides fifty thousand horse Nor was the army of King Lewis much inferiour in number In France they sent a distaff and a spindle to all those able men that went not with them as upbraiding their effeminatenesse And no wonder when women themselves went in armour having a brave lasse like another Penthesilea for their leader so befringed with gold that they called her Golden-foot riding astride like men which I should count more strange but that I find all women in England in the same posture on their horses till Anna wife to King Richard the second some 200 years since taught them a more modest behaviour The Turks did quake hearing of these preparations which to them were reported farre greater then they were fame contrary to all other painters making those things the greatest which are presented the farthest off Conrade with his army took his way through Grecia where Emmanuel the Emperour possessed with an hereditary fear of the Latines fortified his cities in the way as knowing there needed strong banks where such a stream of people was to passe And suspecting that if these Pilgrimes often made his Empire their high-way into Palestine little grasse would grow in so trodden a path and his countrey thereby be much endamaged he used them most treacherously giving them bad welcome that he might no more have such guests To increase their miseries as the Dutch encamped by the river Melas if that may be called a river which is all mud in summer all sea in winter deserving his name from this black and dismall accident it drowned many with its sudden overflowings as if it had conspired with the Grecians and learned treachery from them They that survived this sudden mishap were reserved for lingring misery For the Grecian Emperour did them all possible mischief by mingling lime with their meal by killing of stragglers by holding intelligence with the Turks their enemies by corrupting his coyn making his silver as base as himself so that the Dutch sold good wares for bad money and bought bad wares with good money by giving them false Conductours which trained them into danger so that there was more fear of the guides then of the way All which his unfaithfull dealings are recorded by that faithfull historian †Nicetas Choniates who though a Grecian born affirmeth these things the truth of his love to his countrey-men no whit prejudicing his love to the truth Chap. 28. The Turks conquered at Meander The Dutch and French arrive in Palestine SCarce had the Dutch escaped the treachery of the Greeks when they were encountred with the hostility of the Turks who waited for them on the other side of Meander The river was not fordable ship or bridge the Christians had none when behold Conrade the Emperour adventured on an action which because it was successefull shall be accounted valiant otherwise we should term it desperate After an exhortation to his army he commanded them all at once to flownce into the river Meander was plunged by their plunging into it his water stood amazed as unresolved whether to retreat to the fountain or proceed to the sea and in this extasie afforded them a dry passage over the stream An act which like that of Horatius Cocles his leaping into Tiber plus famae ad posteros habiturum quà m fidei will find more admirers then believers with posterity The affrighted Turks on the other side thinking there was no contending with them that did teach nature it self obedience offered their throats to the Christians swords and were killed in such number that whole piles of dead bones remain there for a monument like those heaps of the Cimbrians slain by Marius near Marseils where afterwards the inhabitants walled their vineyards with sculls and guarded their grapes with dead men Hence Conrade made forward to Iconium now called Cogni which he besieged in vain to the great losse of his army The King of France followed after with great multitudes and drank of the same cup at the Grecians hands though not so deeply till at last finding that those who marched through the continent met with an ocean of misery he thought better to trust the wind and sea then the Greeks and taking shipping safely arrived in Palestine where he was highly welcomed by Reimund Prince of Antioch Some weeks were spent in complying entertainments and visiting holy places till at last Elianor wife to the King of France who accompanied her husband made religion her pander and played bankrupt of her honour under pretence of pilgrimage keeping company with a base Saracen jester whom she preferred before a King Thus love may blindfold the eyes
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 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 ten ents 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 house-holds and pay to the great Turk for every one above twelve years old seventeen sultanines by the year and for every space of ground sixteen span 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 tower 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 year the tenth of all their revenues moveables and chattells as well in gold as in silver Of every city 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 imprisonâ—ing those which refused to pay sub eleemosynae titulo vitium rapacitatis includens 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 years old Milo de Planci a 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 ran 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 near 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 war 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 staffe 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 poor 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 Emissa and Cesarea young King Baldwine lay close in Askelon not daring to adventure on so strong an enemy With whose fear Saladine encouraged dispersed his army some one way some another to forrage the countrey King Baldwine courted with this opportunity marched out privately not having past four hundred horse with some few footmen and assaulted his secure enemies being six and twenty thousand But victory standeth as little in the number of souldiers as verity in
the cure for their private profit and this Holy warre being the trade whereby they got their gains they lengthened it out to the utmost So that their Treacherie may passe for the eighth impediment Baronius concludeth this one principall cause of the Christians ill successe That the Kings of Jerusalem took away that citie from the Patriarchs thereof herein committing sacriledge a sinne so hainous that malice it self cannot wish an enemy guilty of a worse But whether or no this was sacriledge we referre the reader to what hath been largely discussed before And here I could wish to be an auditour at the learned and unpartiall arguing of this question Whether over-great donations to the Church may not afterwards be revoked On the one side it would be pleaded who should be judge of the over-greatnesse seeing too many are so narrow-hearted to the Church they count any thing too large for it yea some would cut off the flesh of the Churches necessary maintenance under pretense to cure her of a tympanie of superfluities Besides it would be alledged What once hath been bestowed on pious uses must ever remain thereto To give a thing and take a thing is a play too childish for children much lesse must God be mocked therewith in resuming what hath been conferred upon him It would be argued on the other side That when Kings do perceive the Church readie to devoure the Commonwealth by vast and unlimited donations unto it and Clergie-men grown to suspicious greatnesse armed with hurtfull and dangerous priviledges derogatorie to the royaltie of Princes then then it is high time for Princes to pare their overgrown greatnesse But this high pitch wee leave to stronger wings Sure I am in another kinde this Holy warre was guiltie of sacriledge and for which it thrived no whit the better in that the Pope exempted six and twentie thousand manours in Europe belonging to the Templars and Hospitallers from paying any tithes to the Priest of the parish so that many a minister in England smarteth at this day for the Holy warre And if this be not sacriledge to take away the dowrie of the Church without assuring her any joynture in lieu of it I report my self to any that have not the pearl of prejudice in the eye of their judgement Chap. 18. Three grand faults in the Kingdome of Ierusalem hindring the strength and puissance thereof COme we now to survey the Kingdome of Jerusalem in it self We will take it in its verticall point in the beginning of Bald wine the third when grown to the best strength and beautie yet even then had it some faults whereby it was impossible ever long to subsist 1. It lay farre from any true friend On the West it was bounded with the mid-land-sea but on all other sides it was environed with an Ocean of foes and was a countrey continually besieged with enemies One being to sell his house amongst other commendations thereof proclaimed That his house had a very good neighbour a thing indeed considerable in the purchase and might advance the sale thereof a yeares value Sure I am the Kingdome of Jerusalem had no such conveniencie having bad neighbours round about Cyprus indeed their friend lay within a dayes sail but alas the Kings thereof had their hands full to defend themselves and could scarce spare a finger to help any other 2. The Kingdome was farre extended but not well compacted all the bodie thereof ran out in arms and legs Besides that ground inhabited formerly by the twelve tribes and properly called the Holy land the Kingdome of Jerusalem ranged Northward over all Coelosyria and Cilicia in the lesser Asia North-eastward it roved over the Principalities of Antioch and Edessa even unto Carrae beyond Euphrates Eastward it possessed farre beyond Jordan the strong fort of Cracci with a great part of Arabia Petrea Southward it stretched to the entrance of Egypt But as he is a strong man whose joynts are well set and knit together not whom nature hath spunne out all in length and never thickened him so it is the united and well compacted Kingdome entire in it self which is strong not that which reacheth and strideth the farthest For in the midst of the Kingdome of Jerusalem lay the Kingdome of Damascus like a canker feeding on the breast thereof and clean through the Holy land though the Christians had many cities sprinkled here and there the Turks in other strong holds continued mingled amongst them 3. Lastly what we have touched once before some subjects to the Kings of Jerusalem namely the Princes of Antioch Edessa and Tripoli had too large and absolute power and authoritie They would do whatsoever the King would command them if they thought good themselves Now subjects should be Adjectives not able to stand without much lesse against their Prince or they will make but bad construction otherwise These three hindrances in the Kingdome of Jerusalem added to the nine former will complete a Jurie Now if any one chance to censure one or two of them let him not triumph therein for we produce not these impediments severally but joyntly not to fight single duells but all in an armie Non noceant quamvis singula juncta nocent Chap. 19. What is to be conceived of the incredible numerousnesse of many armies mentioned in this storie FRequent mention hath been made through this Holy warre of many armies aswell Christian as Turkish whose number of souldiers swell very great so as it will not be amisse once for all to discusse the point concerning the numerousnesse of armies anciently And herein we branch our opinion into these severals 1. Asian armies are generally observed greater then those of Europe There it is but a sucking and infant company to have ten thousand yea under fiftie thousand no number The reason of their multitude is not that Asia is more populous but more spatious then Europe Christendome is enclosed into many small Kingdomes and free States which severally can send forth no vast numbers and seldome agree so well as to make a joynt collection of their forces Asia lieth in common in large countreys and many of them united under one head Besides it is probable especially in ancient times as may be proved out of Scripture that those Eastern countreys often spend their whole stock of men and imploy all their arms-bearing people in their martiall service not picking or culling them out as we in Europe use to do 2. Modern armies are farre lesse then those in former ages The warre genius of the world is altered now-a-dayes and supplieth number with policie the foxes skinne pieceth out the lions hide Especially armies have been printed in a smaller letter since guns came up One well-mounted cannon will spare the presence and play the part of a whole band in a battel 3. Armies both of Europe and chiefly in Asia as farther off are reported farre greater then truth Even as many old men use to set the clock of their age
entertainment to Pilgrimes as to Duke Godfrey and Frederick Barbarossa with all their souldiers as they travelled through it Had the Kings of Hungarie had the same principle of basenesse in their souls as the Emperours of Grecia they had had the same cause of jealousie against the Christians that passed this way yet they used them most kindly and disdained all dishonourable suspicioâ—s True it is at the first voyage King Coloman not out of crueltie but carefulnesse and necessary securitie did use his sword against some unruly and disorderly Pilgrimes but none were there abused which first abused not themselves But what-ever Hungarie was in that age it is at this day Christendomes best land bulwark against the Turks Where this prettie custome is used That the men wear so many feathers as they have killed Turks which if observed elsewhere either feathers would be lesse or valour more in fashion Poland could not stirre in this warre as lying constant perdue of Christendome against the Tartarian yet we find Boleslaus Crispus Duke or King thereof waiting on shall I say or accompanying Conrade the Emperour in his voyage to Palestine and having defraid all his and his armies costs and charges towards Constantinople he returned home as not to be spared in his own Countrey But if by King Davids statute the keepers of the baggage are to be sharers in the spoil with the fighters of the battel then surely Poland and such other countreys may entitle themselves to the honour of the warre in Palestine which in the mean time kept home had an eye to the main chance and defended Europe against forrein invaders Norway in that age the sprucest of the three Kingdomes of Scandia and best tricked up with shipping though at this day the case is altered with her and she turned from taking to paying of tribute sent her fleet of tall souldiers to Syria who like good fellows asked nothing for their work but their victuals and valiantly wonne the city of Sidon for the King of Jerusalem And it is considerable that Syria but a step or stride from Italie was a long race from Norway so that their Pilgrimes went not only into another countrey but into another world Denmark was also partner in the foresaid service Also afterwards Ericus her King though he went not quite through to the Holy land yet behaved himself bravely in Spain and there assisted the winning of Lisbon from the Infidels His successour Canutus anno 1189 had provided his navie but was prevented by death his ships neverthelesse came to Syria Of Sweden in this grand-jurie of nations I heare no Vous avez but her default of appearance hath been excused before Chap. 23. Of the Scottish Welsh and Irish their severall adventures THere remain behind the Scottish Welsh and Irish. It may occasion suspicion that these nations either did neglect or are neglected in this Holy warre because clean through this Historie there is no mention of them or their atchievements True it is these countreys can boast of no King of their own sent to Syria nor of any great appearing service by them alone performed It seemeth then they did not so 〈◊〉 much play the game themselves as bet on the hands of others and haply the Scottish service is accounted to the French the Welsh and Irish to the English That Scotland was no ciphre in this warre plainly appeareth 1. In that David Earl of Huntington and younger brother to William the Elder King of Scotland went along with our Richard the first no doubt suitably attended with souldiers This David was by a tempest cast into Egypt taken captive by the Turks bought by a Venetian brought to Constantinople there known and redeemed by an English merchant and at last safely arrived at Alectum in Scotland which Alectum he in memorie and gratitude of his return called Dundee or Dei donum Gods gift 2. By the plentifull provision which there was made for the Templars and Hospitallers Who here enjoyed great priviledges this amongst many others Take the Scottish law in its pure naturals That the Master of the Knicts of the Temple and chief Priors of the Hospitall of Jerusalem wha were keepers of strangers to the Haly grave sould be receaved themselves personally in any suit without entertaining a procuratour for them Nor must we here forget a Saint Willam a Scot of Perth by birth by trade a baker in charitie so abundant that he gave his tenth loaf to the poore in zeal so fervent that he vowed to visit the Holy land But in his journey as he passed through Kent he was slain by his servant buried at Rochester afterwards Sainted and shewed many miracles Neither may we think whilest all other nations were at this Martiall school that Wales the while truanted at home The Welsh saith my Authour left their forrests and now with them no sport to the hunting of Turks especially after that Wizo and Walter his sonne had founded the fair Commandrie for Hospitallers at Slebach in Pembroke-shire and endowed it with rich revenues Ireland also putteth in for her portion of honour in this service Indeed for the first fourescore yeares in the Holy warre Ireland did little there or in any other Countrey It was divided into many pettie Kingdomes so that her peoples valour had no progressive motion in length to make any impression in forrein parts but onely moving round in a circle at home their pettie Reguli spending themselves against themselves till our Henry the second conquered them all After which time the Irish began to look abroad into Palestine witnesse many houses for Templars and the stately Priorie of Kilmainam nigh Dublin for Hospitallers the last Lord Prior whereof at the dissolution was Sir John Rawson Yea we may well think that all the consort of Christendome in this warre could have made no musick if the Irish harp had been wanting Chap. 24. Of the honourable Arms in scutcheons of Nobilitie occasioned by their service in the Holy warre NOw for a corollarie to this storie if we survey the scutcheons of the Christian Princes and Nobilitie at this day we shall find the Arms of divers of them pointing at the atchievements of their predecessours in the Holy warre Thus the Dukes of Austria bear Gules a Fesse Argent in memory of the valour of Leopoldus at the siege of Ptolemais whereof before The Duke of Savoy beareth Gules a Crosse Argent being the Crosse of S. John of Jerusalem because his predecessours were speciall benefactours to that Order and assisted them in defending of Rhodes Queens Colledge in Cambridge to which I ow my education for my first seven yeares in that Universitie giveth for parcel of her Arms amongst many other rich Coats the Crosse of Jerusalem as being founded by Queen Margaret wife to King Henry the sixth and daughter of Renate Earl of Angiers and titular King of Sicilie and Jerusalem The noble
Farre greater might his intrado be if husbandâ—ie and chiefly merchandise were plied in his countrey merchants being the Vena porta of a Kingdome without which it may have good limbes but emptie veins and nourish little Now although this Empire be of a vast extent having many safe harbours to receive strangers there and Stable commodities chiefly if industrie were used to allure them thither yet hath it in effect but foure prime places of trading Constantinople Cairo Aleppo and Tauris As for the extraordinarie revenues of the Grand Signor by his escheats and other courses if he pleaseth to take them they are a Nemo scit For in effect he is worth as much as all his subjects or flaves rather throughout his whole Empire are worth his spunges to squeeze at pleasure But the Lion is not so fierce as he is painted nor this Empire so formidable as fame giveth it out The Turks head is lesse then his turbant and his turbant lesse then it seemeth swelling without hollow within If more seriously it be considered this State cannot be strong which is a pure and absolute tyrannie His subjects under him have nothing certain but this That they have nothing certain and may thank the Grand Signot for giving them whatsoever he taketh not away from them Their goods they hold by permission not proprietie not sure that either they or theirs shall reap what they sow or eat what they reap and hereupon husbandrie is wholly neglected For the plowman aswell as the ground he ploweth will be soon out of heart if not maintained and as I may say composted with hopes to receive benefit by his labours Here great officers if they love themselves must labour not to bee beloved for popularitie is high treason and generally wealth is a sinne to be expiated by death In a word it is a cruel tyrannie bathed in the bloud of their Emperours upon every succession a heap of vassals and slaves no Nobles except for time being by office no Gentlemen no Free-men no inheritance of land no Stirp or ancient families a nation without any moralitie arts and sciences that can scarce measure an acre of land or houre of a day And needeth not that Kingdome constant and continued pointing which is cemented with fear not love May wee not justly think that there be many in this Empire which rather wait a time then want desire to overthrow it For though some thinke the Grecians in Turkie bear such inveterate hate to the Latine Christians that they would rather refuse deliverance then accept them for their deliverers yet surely both they and perchance some native Turks out of that principle of desiring libertie the second rule next preserving life in the charter of Nature would be made if this Empire were seriously invaded so that the foundation thereof did totter sooner to find two hands to pluck it downe then one finger to hold it up And we have just cause to hope that the fall of this unwieldie Empire doth approch It was high noon with it fiftie yeares ago we hope now it draweth near night the rather because luxurie though late yet at last hath found the Turks out or they it When first they came out of Turcomania and were in their pure naturals they were wonderfully abstemious neglecting all voluptuousnesse not so much out of a dislike as ignorance of it But now having tasted the sweetnesse of the cup they can drink as great a draught as any others That Paradise of corporall pleasure which Mahomet promised them in the world to come they begin to anticipate here at leastwise to take an earnest of it and have well soked themselves in luxurie Yea now they begin to grow covetous both Prince and people rather seeking to enjoy their means with quiet then enlarge them with danger Heaven can as easily blast an oak as trample a mushrome And we may expect the ruine of this great Empire will come for of late it hath little increased its stock and now beginneth to spend of the principall It were arrant presumption for Flesh to prescribe God his way or to teach him when he meaneth to shoot which arrow in his quiver to choose Perchance the Western Christians or the Grecians under him though these be better for seconds then firsts fitter to foment then raise a faction or his own Janizaries or the Persian or the Tartarian or some other obscure Prince not as yet come into play in the World shall have the lustre from God to maul this great Empire It is more then enough for any man to set down the fate of a single soul much more to resolve the doom of a whole nation when it shall be These things we leave to Providence to work and posteritie to behold As for our generation let us sooner expect the dissolutions of our own Microcosmes then the confusion of this Empire For neither are our own sins yet truly repented of to have this punishment removed from us nor the Turks wickednesse yet come to full ripenesse to have this great judgement laid upon them Soli Deo gloria The Preface to the Chronológie HErein I present the Reader with a generall view and synopsis of the whole storie of the age of the Holy VVarre that he may see the coherence betwixt the East and the West and in what equipage and correspondencie of time the Asian affairs go on with those of Europe for they will reflect a mutuall lustre and plainnesse on one another The Chronologie is marshalled into Rankes and Files The Ranks or transverse spaces contain twenty years on a side the Files or columnes directly downward are appropriated to those severall States whose name they bear In the six first columnes I have followed Helvicus with an implicite faith without any remarkable alteration both in ingraffing of yeares and making them concurre as also leaving sometimes emptie spaces In the other columnes I have followed severall authours and left the years unnoted where the time was uncertain counting it better to bring in an Ignoramus then to find a verdict where the evidence was doubtfull and obscure Such long notes as would not be imprisoned within the grates of this Chronologie we have referred by asterisks to the foot of the page Know that every note belongeth to that yeare wherein it beginneth except signed with this Θ 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 Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre and Kings of Ierusalem 1095 URBANE the second 8 ALEXIOS COMNENâ— 15 HENRY the fourth 40 WILLIAM RUFUS 8 PHILIP the first 36 The Council of Clermont foundeth the Holy Warre 6 9 16 41 9 37 1. VOYAGE under GODEREY Duke of Bouillon 7 10 17 42 10