all other people most to worship the sunne setting Chap. 6. Godfreys death and buriall AUthours differ on the death of this noble King some making him to die of that long-wasting sicknesse others of the plague It may be the plague took him out of the hands of that lingring disease and quickly cut off what that had been long in fretting He died July 18. having reigned one yeare wanting five dayes A Prince valiant pious bountifull to the Church for besides what he gave to the Patriarch he founded Canons in the temple of the Sepulchre and a monastery in the vale of Jehoshaphat We would say his death was very unseasonable leaving the orphane State not onely in its minority but its infancy but that that fruit which to mans apprehension is blown down green and untimely is gathered full-ripe in Gods providence He was buried in the temple of the Sepulchre where his tombe is inviolated at this day whether out of a religion the Turks bear to the place or out of honour to his memory or out of a valiant scorn to fight against dead bones or perchance the Turks are minded as John King of England was who being wished by a Courtier to untombe the bones of one who whilest he was living had been his great enemy Oh no said King John would all mine enemies were as honourably buried Chap. 7. Baldwine chosen King He keepeth Ierusalem in despite of the Patriarch GOdfrey being dead the Christians with a joynt consent dispatched an embassie to Baldwine his Brother Count of Edessa a city in Arabia the lord whereof had adopted this Baldwine to be his heir entreated him to accept of the Kingdome which honourable offer he courteously embraced A Prince whose body Nature cut of the largest size being like Saul higher by the head then his subjects And though the Goths had a law alwayes to choose a short thick man for their King yet surely a goodly stature is most majesticall His hair and beard brown face fair with an eagles nose which in the Persian Kings was anciently observed as a mark of magnanimity Bred he was a scholar entred into Orders and was Prebendary in the churches of Rhemes Liege and Cambray but afterwards turned secular Prince as our Athelwulphus who exchanged the mitre of Winchester for the crown of England Yet Bald wine put not off his scholarship with his habit but made good use thereof in his reign For though bookishnesse may unactive yet learning doth accomplish a Prince and maketh him sway his sceptre the steadier He was properly the first King of Jerusalem his brother Godfrey never accounted more then a Duke and was crowned on Christmas-day The reason that made him assume the name of a King was thereby to strike the greater terrour into the Pagans Thus our Kings of England from the dayes of King John were styled but Lords of Ireland till Henry the 8. first entituled himself King because Lord was sleighted by the seditious rebells As for that religious scruple which Godfrey made to wear a crown of gold where Christ wore one of thorns Baldwine easily dispensed therewith And surely in these things the mind is all A crown might be refused with pride and worn with humility But before his Coronation there was a tough bickering about the city of Jerusalem Dabert the Patriarch on the death of Godfrey devoured Jerusalem and the tower of David in his hope but coming to take possession found the place too hot for him For Garnier Earl of Gretz in the behalf of King Baldwine who was not yet returned from Edessa manned it against him But so it happened that this valiant Earl died three dayes after which by Dabert was counted a just judgement of God upon him for his sacriledge Now though it be piety to impute all events to Gods hand yet to say that this mans death was for such a sinne sheweth too much presumption towards God and too little charity towards our neighbour Indeed if sudden death had singled out this Earl alone it had somewhat favoured their censure but there was then a generall mortality in the city which swept away â— thousands and which is most materiall what this Patriarch interpreted sacriledge others accounted loyalty to his Sovereign As for that donation of the city of Jerusalem and tower of David which Godfrey gave to the Patriarch some thought that this gift overthrew it self with its own greatnesse being so immoderately large others supposed it was but a personall act of Godfrey and therefore died with the giver as conceiving his successours not obliged to perform it because it was unreasonable that a Prince should in such sort fetter and restrain those which should come after him Sure it is that Baldwine having both the stronger sword and possession of the citie kept it perforce whilest the Patriarch took that leave which is allowed to loosers to talk chafe and complain sending his bemoaning letters to Boemund Prince of Antioch inviting him to take arms and by violence to recover the Churches right but from him received the uselesse assistance of his pity and that was all Chap. 8. The Church-story during this Kings reigne A chain of successive Patriarchs Dabert Ebremare Gibelline and Arnulphus Their severall characters AFterwards this breach betwixt the King and Patriarch was made up by the mediation of some friends but the skinne onely was drawn over not dead flesh drawn out of the wound and Arnulphus whom we mentioned before discontented for his losse of the Patriarchs place still kept the sore raw betwixt them At last Dabertus the Patriarch was fain to flee to Antioch where he had plentifull maintenance allowed him by Bernard Patriarch of that See But he was too high in the instep to wear another mans shoes and conceived himself to be but in a charitable prison whilest he lived on anothers benevolence Wherefore hence he hasted to Rome complained to the Pope and received from his Holinesse a command to King Baldwine to be reestablished in the Patriarchs place but returning home died by the way at Messana in Sicily being accounted seven years Patriarch four at home and three in banishment Whilest Dabert was thrust out one Ebremarus was made Patriarch against his will by King Baldwine An holy and devout man but he had more of the dove then the serpent and was none of the deepest reach He hearing that he was complained of to the Pope for his irregular election posted to Rome to excuse himself shewing he was chosen against his will and though preferment may not be snatched it needs not be thrust away But all would not do It was enough to put him out because the King put him in Wherefore he was commanded to return home and to wait the definitive sentence which Gibellinus Archbishop of Arles and the Popes Legate should pronounce in the matter Gibellinus coming to Jerusalem concluded the election
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
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
allowance little feared of his foes and as little loved of his friends The more martiall Christians sleighted him as a slug and neglected so lazy a leader that could not keep pace with those that were to follow him Yea they refused whilest he was Protectour at his command to fight with Saladine and out of distast to their Generall suffered their enemy freely to forrage which was never done before For the Christians never met any Turks wandring in the Holy land but on even terms they would examine their passe-port how sufficient it was and bid them battel Guy stormed at his displacing and though little valiant yet very sullen left the Court in discontent went home and fortified his cities of Joppa and Askelon What should King Baldwine do in this case Whom should he make Protectour Guy had too little Reimund too much spirit for the place He feared Guy's cowardlinesse lest he should lose the kingdome to the Turks and Reimunds treachery lest he should get it for himself Thus anguish of mind and weaknesse of body a doughtie conquest for their united strengths which single might suffice ended this Kings dayes dying young at five and twenty years of age But if by the morning we may guesse at the day he would have been no whit inferiour to any of his predecesssours sours especially if his body had been able but alas it spoiled the musick of his soul that the instrument was quite out of tune He reigned twelve years and was buried in the Temple of the Sepulchre a King happy in this that he died before the death of his Kingdome Chap. 43. The short life and wofull death of Baldwine the fifth an infant Guy his father in law succeedeth him IT is a rare happinesse of the family of S. Laurence Barons of Hoath in Ireland that the heirs for 400 years together alwayes have been of age before the death of their fathers For Minors have not onely baned families but ruined realms It is one of Gods threatnings I will give children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them With this rod God strook the Kingdome of Jerusalem thrice in fourty years Baldwine the third fourth and fifth being all under age and this last but five years old He was the posthumus sonne of William Marquesse of Montferrat by Sibyll his wife sister to Baldwine the fourth daughter to King Almerick She afterwards was married to Guy Earl of Joppa and Askelon Now Reimund Earl of Tripoli challenged to be Protectour of this young King by the virtue of an Act of the former King so assigning him But Sibyll mother to this infant to defeat Reimund first murdered all natural affection in her self and then by poyson murdered her son that so the Crown in her right might come to her husband Guy This Baldwine reigned eight moneths eight dayes saith mistaken Munster and some mistake more who make him not to reign at all cruel to wrong his memory of his honour whom his mother had robbed both of his life and Kingdome His death was concealed till Guy his father in law had obtained by large bribes to the Templars and Heraclius the Patriarch to be crowned King One more ennobled with his descent from the ancient family of the Lusignans in Poictou then for any eminency in himself His gifts were better then his endowments Yet had he been more fortunate he would have been accounted more virtuous men commonly censuring that the fault of the King which is the fate of the Kingdome And now the Christian affairs here posted to their wofull period being spurred on by the discords of the Princes Chap. 44. Church-affairs Of Haymericus Patriarch of Antioch Of the Grecian Anti-Patriarchs and of the learned Theodorus Balsamon WHilest Heraclius did Patriarch it in Jerusalem one Haymericus had the same honour at Antioch He wrote to Henry the second King of England a bemoning letter of the Christians in the East and from him received another fraught with never performed fair promises This man must needs be different from that Haymericus who began his Patriarchship in Antioch anno 1143 and sate but twelve years say the Centuriatours But Baronius as different from them sometimes in Chronologie as Divinity maketh them the same Then must he be a through-old man enjoying his place above fourty years being probably before he wore the style of Patriarch well worn in years himself I must confesse it passeth my Chymistry to exact any agreement herein out of the contrariety of writers We must also take notice that besides the Latine Patriarchs in Jerusalem and Antioch there were also Grecian Anti-Patriarchs appointed by the Emperour of Constantinople who having no temporall power nor profit by Church-lands had onely jurisdiction over those of the Greek Church We find not the chain of their succession but here and there light on a link and at this time in Jerusalem on three successively 1. Athanasius whom though one out of his abundant charity is pleased to style a Schismatick yet was he both pious and learned as appeareth by his epistles 2. Leontius commended likewise to posterity for a good Clerk and an honest man 3. Dositheus inferiour to the former in both respects Isaac the Grecian Emperour sent to make him Patriarch of Constantinople and Dositheus catching at both held neither but betwixt two Patriarchs chairs fell to the ground Antioch also had her Greek Patriarchs As one Sotericus displaced for maintaining some unsound tenets about our Saviour After him Theodorus Balsamon the oracle of the learned Law in his age He compiled and commented on the ancient Canons and principally set forth the priviledges of Constantinople listening say the Romanists to the least noise that soundeth to the advancing of the Eastern Churches and knocking down Rome wheresoever it peepeth above Constantinople This maketh Bellarmine except against him as a partial writer because a true Historian should be neither party advocate nor judge but a bare witnesse By Isaac the Grecian Emperour this Balsamon was also deceived he pretended to remove him to Constantinople on condition he would prove the translation of the Patriarch to be legall which is forbidden by the Canons Balsamon took upon him to prove it and a Lawyers brains will beat to purpose when his own preferment is the fee. But herein he did but crack the nut for another to eat the kernel For the Emperour mutable in his mind changing his favourites as well as his cloâ—hes before they were old when the legality of the translation was avowed bestowed the Patriarchship of Constantinople on another and Theodorus was still staked down at Antioch in a true spirituall preferment affording him little bodily maintenance Chap. 45. The revolt of the Earl of Tripoli The Christians irrecoverably overthrown and their King taken prisoner THere was at this time a truce betwixt the Christians and Saladine broken on this occasion Saladines mother went from
whereof they gave for their Seal Two men riding on one horse And hence it was that if the Turks took any of them prisoners their constant â—ansome was a Sword and a Belt it being conceived that their poor state could stretch to no higher price But after their order was confirmed by Pope Honorius by the intreaty of Stephen the Patriarch of Jerusalem who appointed them to wear a White garment to which Eugeâ—ius the third added a Red crosse on their breast they grew wonderfully rich by the bounty of severall Patrons Yea the King and Patriarch of Jerusalem 〈◊〉 this infant-order so long in their laps till it brake their knees it grew so heavie at last and these ungratefull Templars did pluck out the feathers of those wings which hatched and brooded them From Alms-men they turned Lords and though very valiant at first for they were sworn rather to dye then to flie afterwards lazinesse withered their arms and swelled their bellies They laughed at the rules of their first Institution as at the swadling-clothes of their infancie neglecting the Patriarch and counting themselves too old to be whipped with the rod of his discipline till partly their vitiousnesse and partly their wealth caused their finall extirpation as God willing shall be shewed hereafter At the same time began the Teutonick order consisting onely of Dutch-men well descended living at Jerusalem in an house which one of that nation bequeathed to his countreymen that came thither on pilgrimage In the yeare 1190 their order was honoured with a great Master whereof the first was Henry a-Walpot and they had an habit assigned them to wear Black Crosses on White robes They were to fight in the defence of Christianity against Pagans But we shall meet with them more largely in the following story Chap. 17. The Christians variety of successe Tyre taken by the assistance of the Venetians IT is worth the Readers marking how this Kings reign was checquered with variety of fortune For first Roger Prince of Antioch or rather guardian in the minority of young Boemund went forth with greater courage then discretion whereunto his successe was answerable being conquered and killed by the Turks But Baldwine on the 14 of August following forced the Turks to a restitution of their victory and with a small army gave them a great overthrow in spite of Gazi their boasting Generall To qualifie the Christians joy for this good successe Joceline unadvisedly fighting with Balak a petty King of the Turks was conquered and taken prisoner and King Baldwine coming to deliver him was also taken himself for which he might thank his own rashnesse For it had been his best work to have done nothing for a while till the Venetian succours which were not farre off had come to him and not presently to adventure all to the hazard of a battel Yet the Christians hands were not bound in the Kings captivity For Eustace Grenier chosen Vice-roy whilest the King was in durance stoutly defended the countrey and Count Joceline which had escaped out of prison fighting again with Balak at Hircapolis routed his army and killed him with his own hands But the main piece of service was the taking of Tyre which was done under the conduct of Guarimund the Patriarch of Jerusalem but chiefly by the help of the Venetian navie which Michael their Duke brought who for their pains were to have a third part of the city to themselves Tyre had in it store of men and munition but famine increasing against whose arrows there is no armour of proof it was yielded on honourable terms And though perhaps hunger shortly would have made the Turks digest courser conditions yet the Christians were loth to anger their enemies valour into desperatenesse Next year the King returned home having been eighteen moneths a prisoner being to pay for his ransome an hundred thousand Michaelets and for security he left his daughter in pawn But he payed the Turks with their own money or which was as good coin with the money of the Saracens vanquishing Borsâ—quin their Captain at Antiochia and not long after he conquered Dordequin another great Commander of them at Damascus To correct the ranknesse of the Christians pride for this good successe Damascus was afterward by them unfortunately besieged Heaven discharged against them thunder-ordinance arrows of lightning small shot of hail whereby they being miserably wasted were forced to depart And this affliction was increased when Boemund the young Prince of Antioch one of great hope and much lamented was defeated and slain Authours impute these mishaps to the Christians pride and relying on their own strength which never is more untrusty then when most trusted True it was God often gave them great victories when they defended themselves in great straits Hereupon they turned their thankfulnesse into presumption grew at last from defending themselves to dare their enemies on disadvantages to their often overthrow for God will not unmake his miracles by making them common And may not this also be counted some cause of their ill successe That they alwayes imputed their victories to the materiall Crosse which was carried before them So that Christ his glory after his ascension suffered again on the Crosse by their superstition Chap. 18. The death of Baldwine the second KIng Baldwine a little before his death renounced the world and took on him a religious habit This was the fashion of many Princes in that age though they did it for divers ends Some thought to make amends for their disordered lives by entring into some holy order at their deaths Others having surfeited of the worlds vanity fasted from it when they could eat no more because of the impotency of their bodies Others being crossed by the world by some misfortune sought to crosse the world again in renouncing of it These like furious gamesters threw up their cards not out of dislike of gaming but of their game and they were rather discontented to live then contented to dye But we must believe that Baldwine did it out of true devotion to ripen himself for heaven because he was piously affected from his youth so that all his life was religiously tuned though it made the sweetest musick in the close He died not long after on the 22 of August in the 13 year of his reign and was buried with his predecessours in the temple of the Sepulchre By Morphe a Grecian Lady his wife he had four daughters whereof Millesent was the eldest the second Alice married to young Boemund Prince of Antioch the third Hodiern wife to Reimund Prince of Tripoli and Mete the youngest Abbesse of Bethanie Chap. 19. Of Fulco the fourth King of Ierusalem FUlco Earl of Tours Main and Anjou coming some three years before on pilgrimage to Jerusalem there took in marriage Millesent the Kings daughter He had assigned to him the city of Tyre and some other princely accommodations for his present
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
the gamesters King Almerick having looked on the beauty of the Kingdome of Egypt he longed for it and sought no longer to drive out the relicks of the Turks but to get Egypt to himself And the next year against the solemn league with the Caliph invaded it with a great army He falsly 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 design 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 avoided 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 city of Belbis or Pelusium yet see what a cloud of miseries ensued First Noradine in his absence wasted and wonne places near 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 skilful enemy How good mark-men are the Irish now-a-dayes which some seventy years ago at the beginning of their rebellions had three men to discharge a hand-gun 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 Meleâ—ala 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 falling with stumbling-blocks to ruine them Mean time Jerusalem was a poor weather-beaten Kingdome bleak and open to the storm of enemies on all sides having no covert or shelter of any good friend near it lying in the lions mouth betwixt his upper and neather jaw Damascus on the North and Egypt on the South two potent Turkish Kingdoms 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 years 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 Aâ—rchbishop 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 body being enclined to the leproâ—ie called Elephanâ—iasis 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 war Chancellour of this Kingdome imployed in severall Embassies in the West present at the Lateran Council 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
maintenance and the Kingdome after the death of his father in law which he received accordingly He was welnigh 60 years old And by his first wife he had a sonne Geffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou to whom he left his lands in France and from whom our Kings of England are descended This Fulco was a very valiant man able both of body and mind His greatest defect was a weak memory though not so bad as that of Messala Corvinus who forgot his own name insomuch that he knew not his own servants and those whom he even now preferred were presently after strangers unto him Yet though he had a bad memory whilest he lived he hath a good one now he is dead and his virtues are famous to posterity Chap. 20. The Church-story during this Kings reigne The remarkable ruine of Rodolphus Patriarch of Antioch THe Church of Jerusalem yielded no alterations in the reign of Fulco But in Antioch there was much stirre who should succeed Bernard that peaceable long-lived man who fate 36 years and survived eight Patriarchs of Jerusalem Now whilest the Clergie were tedious in their choice the Laity was too nimble for them and they thinking it equall to have an hand in making who must have their arms in defending a Patriarch clapped one Rodolphus of noble parentage into the chair He presently took his pall off from the altar of S. Peter thereby sparing both his purse and pains to go to Rome and acknowledging no other superiour then that Apostle for his patrone This man was the darling of the Gentry and no wonder if they loved him who was of their cloth and making but hated of the Clergy Wherefore knowing himself to need strong arms who was to swim against the stream he wrought himself into the favour of the Princesse of Antioch the widow of young Boemund so that he commanded all her command and beat down his enemies with her strength He promised to make a marriage betwixt her and Reimund Earl of Poictou a Frenchman of great fame who was coming into these parts but he deceived her and caused the Earl to marry Constantia the daughter of this Lady by whom he had the principality of Antioch Indeed this Constantia was but a child for age but they never want years to marry who have a Kingdome for their portion The Patriarch to make sure work bound Prince Reimund by an oath to be true to him But friends unjustly gotten are seldome comfortably enjoyed Of his sworn friend he proved his sworn enemy and forced him to go up to Rome there to answer many accusations laid to his charge wherein the ground-work perchance was true though malice might set the varnish on it The main matter was that he made odious comparisons betwixt Antioch and Rome and counted himself equal to his Holinesse Rodolphus coming to Rome found the Popes dores shut against him but he opened them with a golden key Money he sowed plentifully and reaped it when he came to be tried for he found their hands very soft towards him whom formerly he had greased in the fist He also resigned his old pall and took a new one from the Pope As for his other crimes it was concluded that Albericus Bishop of Ostia should be sent into Syria the 〈…〉 to examine 〈◊〉 and to proceed accordingly with the â—atriarch as things there should be found alledged and proved Whereat his adversaries much stormed who expected that he should instantly have been deposed Yet afterwards they prevailed mightily with Albericus the Legaâ—e and bowed him on their side He coming to Antioch cited the Patriarch to appear who bâ—ing thrice called came not On his absence all were present with their conjectures what should cause it Some impuâ—ing it to his guiltinesse others to his contempt others to his fear of his enemies potency or judges partiality for indeed the Legate came not with a virgin judgement but ravished with prejudice being prepossessed with this intent to dispossesse him of his place Some thought he relied on his peace formerly made at Rome where the illegality of his election was rectified by his laying down his first pall and assuming a new one from the Pope Here was it worth the beholding in what severall streams mens affections ran All wished that the tree might be felled who had hopes to gather chips by his fall and especially one Arnulphus and Dean Lambert the promoters against the Patriarch Others pitied him and though perchance content that his roof might be taken down were loth he should be razed to the ground Some reserved their affections till they were counselled by the event which side to favour and would not be engaged by any manifest declaration but so that they might fairly retreat if need required Amongst other Prelates which were present Serlo Archbishop of Apamea was one who formerly had been a great enemy to the Patriarch but had lately taken himself off from that course The Legate demanded of him why he proceeded not to accuse the Patriarch as he was wont To whom he answered What formerly I did was done out of unadvised heat against the health of my soul discovering the nakednesse of my father like to cursed Cham and now God hath recalled me from mine errour so that I will neither accuse nor presumptuously judge him but am ready to die for his safety Hereupon the Legate immediately such was the martiall law in a Church-man deposed him from his Archbishoprick Little hope then had the Patriarch who saw himself condemned in his friend and he himself followed not long after being thrust out by violence cast into prison and there long kept in chains till at last he made an escape to Rome intending there to traverse his cause again had not death occasioned by poison as is thought prevented him Chap. 21. Calo-Iohannes the Grecian Emperour demandeth Antiochia Reimund the Prince thereof doeth homage to him for it CAlo-Johannes the Grecian Emperour came up with a vast army of horse and foot and demanded of Reimund Prince of Antioch to resigne unto him that whole Signorie according to the composition which the Christian Princes made with Alexius his father Hereat Reimund and all the Latines stormed out of measure Had they purchased the inheritance of the land with their own bloud now to turn tenants at will to another Some pleaded That the ill usage of Alexius extorted from Godfrey and the rest of the Pilgrimes that agreement and an oath made by force is of no force but may freely be broken because not freely made Others alledged That when Antiochia was first wonne it was offered to Alexius and he refused it so fair a tender was a paiment Others argued That that generation which made this contract was wholly dead and that the debt descended not on them to make it good But most insisted on this That Alexius kept not his covenants and assisted them not according to the agreement