so that their luxury differed from Elias his austerity as much as velvet from sackcloth Wherefore that the Carmelites came from mount Carmel cannot be denied But on that mountain I find that both Elias and Baals priests gathered together and let the indifferent reader judge which of them their lives do most resemble Afterwards Pope Honorius 3. counting the party-coloured coats these Carmelites did wear to be too gaudy caused them to wear onely white the 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 yeare 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 recouniting 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 foure 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 designe 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 yeares 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 troden 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 foordable 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 beleevers 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 neare 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 miserie he thought better to trust the wind and sea then
knew he did it onely to gain time to fetch new breath and if he yeelded to him his bounty had not been thanked but his fear upbraided as if he durst not denie him Yea in anger King Richard commanded all the Turkish captives which were in his hands seven thousand in number to be put to death except some choice persons on that day whereon the articles should have been but were not performed For which fact he suffered much in his repute branded with rashnesse and crueltie 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 a sunder with faction Philip the French King Odo Duke of Burgundie 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 seise 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 povertie 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 advantageous to the cause then the death of him present and by importunitie 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 armie to the Duke of Burgundie 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 carrie 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 innocencie 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 quarrel 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 yeares 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 mercie lies Of vilest varlets that their own despise His faction survived after his death affronting Guy the anti-King and striving to depose him They pleaded that the Crown was tied 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 square 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 rellished to the palate of this hungrie 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 yeares 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 emptie 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 aire 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 yeares 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 happie in expressing it whether for want of opportunitie or shortnesse of his reigne being most spent in a truce He more
Eustace The Turks retired to Solomons temple so called because built in the same place there to take the farewell of their lives In a desperate conflict there the foremost of the Christians were miserably slain thrust upon the weapons of their enemies by their fellows that followed them The pavement so swam that none could go but either through a rivulet of bloud or over a bridge of dead bodies Valour was not wanting in the Turks but superlatively abundant in the Christians till night made them leave off Next morning mercie was proclaimed to all those that would lay down their weapons For though bloud be the best sauce for victorie yet must it not be more then the meat Thus was Jerusalem wonne by the Christians and twentie thousand Turks therein slain on the fifteenth of July being Friday about three of the clock in the afternoon Tyrius findeth a great mysterie in the time because Adam was created on a Friday and on the same day and houre our Saviour suffered But these Synchronismes as when they are naturall they are pretty and pleasing so when violently wrested nothing more poore and ridiculous Then many Christians who all this while had lived in Jerusalem in most lamentable slaverie being glad to lurk in secret as truth oftentimes seeketh corners as fearing her judge though never as suspecting her cause came forth joyfully wellcomed and embraced these the procurers of their liberty Three dayes after it was concluded as a necessarie piece of severitie for their defense to put all the Turks in Jerusalem to death which was accordingly performed without favour to age or sex The pretense was for fear of treason in them if the Emperour of Persia should besiege the citie And some slew them with the same zeal wherewith Saul slew the Gibeonites and thought it unfit that these goats should live in the sheeps pasture But noble Tancred was highly displeased hereat because done in cold bloud it being no slip of an extemporany passion but a studied and premeditated act and that against pardon proclaimed many of them having compounded and paid for their lives and libertie Besides the execution was mercilesse upon sucking children whose not-speaking spake for them and on women whose weaknesse is a shield to defend them against a valiant man To conclude Severitie hot in the fourth degree is little better then poyson and becometh crueltie it self and this act seemeth to be of the same nature The end of the first Book The Historie of the HOLY WARRE Book II. Chap. 1. Robert the Normane refuseth the kingdome of Ierusalem Godfrey of Bouillon chosen king his parentage education and vertues FIght dayes after Jerusalem was wonne they proceeded to the election of a King but they had so much choice that they had no choice at all so many Princes there were and so equally eminent that Justice her self must suspend her verdict not knowing which of them best deserved the Crown Yet it was their pleasure to pitch on Robert the Normane as on the man of highest descent being sonne to a King for great Hugh of France was already returned home pretending the colick though some impute it to cowardlinesse and make the disease not in his bowels but his heart Robert refused this honourable profer whether because he had an eye to the kingdome of England now void by the death of William Rufus or because he accounted Jerusalem would be incumbred with continuall warre But he who would not take the Crown with the Crosse was fain to take the Crosse without the Crown and never thrived afterwards in any thing he undertook Thus they who refuse what God fairly carveth for them do never after cut well for themselves He lived to see much misery and felt more having his eyes put out by king Henry his brother and at last found rest when buried in the now Cathedrall church of Glocester under a woodden monument bearing better proportion to his low fortunes then high birth And since in the same quire he hath got the company of another Prince as unfortunate as himself King Edward the second They go on to a second choice and that they may know the natures of the Princes the better their servants were examined on oath to confesse their masters faults The servants of Godfrey of Bouillon protested their masters onely fault was this That when Mattens were done he would stay so long in the church to know of the Priest the meaning of every image and picture that dinner at home was spoiled by his long tarrying All admired hereat that this mans worst vice should be so great a vertue and unanimously chose him their King He accepted the place but refused the solemnity thereof and would not wear a crown of gold there where the Saviour of mankind had worn a crown of thorns He was sonne to Bustace Duke of Bouillon and Ida his wife daughter and heir to Godfrey Duke of Lorein born saith Tyrius at Bologne a town in Champaigne on the English sea which he mistaketh for Bouillon up higher in the continent neare the county of Lutzenburg Such slips are incident to the pennes of the best authours yea we may see Canterbury mistaken for Cambridge not onely in Munster but even in all our own printed Statute-books in the 12. of Richard the second He was brought up in that school of valour the court of Henry the 4. the Emperour Whilest he lived there there happened an intricate suit betwixt him and another Prince about title of land and because Judges could not untie the knot it was concluded the two Princes should cut it asunder with their sword in a combat Godfrey was very unwilling to fight not that he was the worse souldier but the better Christian he made the demurre not in his courage but in his conscience as conceiving any private title for land not ground enough for a duell Yea we may observe generally that they who long most to fight duells are the first that surfet of them Notwithstanding he yeelded to the tyranny of custome and after the fashion of the countrey entred the lists when at the first encounter his sword brake but he struck his adversary down with the hilt yet so that he saved his life and gained his own inheritance Another parallel act of his valour was when being standard-bearer to the Emperour he with the imperiall ensigne killed Rodulphus the Duke of Saxony in single fight and fed the Eagle on the bowels of that arch-rebell His soul was enriched with many vertues but the most orient of all was his humility which took all mens affections without resistance And though one saith Take away ambition and you take away the spurres of a souldier yet Godfrey without those spurres rode on most triumphantly Chap. 2. The establishing of Ecclesiasticall affairs and Patriarchs in Antioch and Ierusalem the numerosity of Palestine-Bishops BUt now let us leave the Helmets and look
mother and other vices which in his settled age he reformed Let the witnesse of Noradine his enemy be beleeved who honourably refused to invade the kingdome whilest the funerall solemnities of Baldwine were performing and professed the Christians had a just cause of sorrow having lost such a King whose equall for justice and valour the world did not afford He died without issue having reigned one and twenty yeares So that sure it is the Printers mistake in Tyrius where he hath foure and twenty yeares 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 dismisse 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 Purè personalia 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 carelesnesse 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 dissidence 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 Amalrick 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 reigne 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 step back which had one foot in our Church when they have seen Christians beleeve 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 embittered 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 neare 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 peril 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 extant except revived by the Jesuites 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 the stage whereon the most remarkable passages in the reigne 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 lethargie 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
and following the advice of Charatux his counseller counted one of the wisest men in the world though his person was most contemptible so true it is none can guesse the jewel by the casket dismantled all his cities in the Holy land save some frontier-places rasing their walls and forts that they were not tenable with an army For he feared if the Dutch wonne these places they would not easily be driven out whereas now being naked from shelter he would weary them with set battels having men numberlesse and those neare 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 warre 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 yeares 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 varietie of instruments make a dolefull consort 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 seventie yeares 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 mightie 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 armie 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 hungrie souldiers well refreshed by the citizens being as yet for the most part Christians Marching from hence in set battel he overthrew Dodequin Generall of Saladines forces slew foure thousand and took a thousand prisoners with little losse of his own men and so came to the citie of Tyre where he buried the corpse of his worthy father in the Cathedrall Church next the tombe of learned Origen and Gulielmus Tyrius the worthy Archbishop preached his funerall sermon We may heare his sorrowfull army speaking this his Epitaph unto him Earth scarce did yeeld ground enough for thy sword To conquer how then could a brook afford Water to drown thee brook which since doth fear O guiltie 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 Christian army before Ptolemais where young Frederick died of the plague and his great army which at first consisted of an hundred and fiftie thousand at their setting forth out of Germanie 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 siege 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 citie in Europe but had here some competent number to represent it How many bloudie 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 citie before them One memorable battel we must not omit It was agreed betwixt Saladine and the Christians to trie their fortunes in a pitched field and now the Christians were in fair hope of a conquest when an imaginarie 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 victorie the citie would be surrendred but the Turks still bravely defended it though most of their houses were burnt and beaten down and the citie reduced to a bare sceleton of walls and towres 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 farre they fetched it yet these small showres after great 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 bountie 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 bootie with the Turks Much good service did the Dutch Knights in the Holy warre till at last no wise Doctour will
to transport any of his goods out of Egypt Hence Lewis sailed to Ptolemais where he lived in a miserable case being forsaken of his brothers subjects friends and the Pope himself His brothers Alphonse and Charles though sent into France to solicite his suit and to advance his ransome with speed yet being arrived forgot the affliction of Joseph and the King was as farre from their mind as their sight Wherefore God justly visited Alphonse with an incurable disease His subjects though furious at first in bemoning him yet the fit past complained not so much for him as on him charging him for ill managing the matters in Egypt by his cowardlinesse and indiscretion His friends the Pisans and Genoans reviled him as the marrer of their mart Damiata being formerly their most gainfull port but now their hony was spoiled by destroying the hive For the Sultan seeing 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 heare 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 arms 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 senselessenesse 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 Chersonesus 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 practice 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 wealth then greatnesse and though contented to abide labour would in no wise undergo danger Merchandise they were 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 sceptre then a pure clown to manage a sword or else that they should over-state it turn tyrants and
haven of Tyre after a most cruel and desperate battel And surely generally sea-fights are more bloudy then those on the land especially since gunnes came up whose shot betwixt wind and water like those wounds so often mentioned in the Scripture under the fifth rib is commonly observed mortall Yea farre harder it is for a ship when arrested and ingaged in a battel to clear it self then for souldiers by land to save themselves by flight Here neither his own two nor his horses foure legges can bestead any but like accidents they must perish with their subjects and sink with their ship And then why is a sea-victory lesse honour being more danger then one atchieved by land Is it because sea-service is not so generall nor so full of varieties and the mysteries thereof sooner learned or because in sea-fights fortune may seem to be a deeper sharer and valour not so much interested Whatsoever it is the laurel purchased on land hath a more lively verdure then that which is got at sea We return to the Venetians Who using or rather abusing this conquest enter Ptolemais cast out all Genoans thence throw down their buildings both publick and private demolish the fort which they had builded at S. Saba rifle and spoil their shops ware-houses and store houses onely the Pope prevailed so farre with them that they set at liberty the prisoners they had taken Ten yeares did this warre last betwixt these two States in Syria composed at last saith my Authour by the authority of Pope Clement the fourth and by famine the bad cause of a good effect which in Palestine starved them into agreement Longer these warres lasted betwixt them in Italy their successe like the sea they fought on ebbing and flowing In this costly warre Pisa was first beggered and for all her politick partaking Genoa at last trode so heavy upon her that ever since she hath drooped and hung the wing and at this day is maid to Florence who formerly was mistresse of a good part of Italy But I have no calling and lesse comfort to prosecute these bloudy dissensions For warres of Christians against Infidels are like the heat of exercise which serveth to keep the body of Christianity in health but these civil warres amongst themselves like the heat of a feaver dangerous and destructive of religion Chap. 25. Charles made King of Sicily and Ierusalem by the Pope Hugh King of Cyprus pretendeth also to go to Ierusalem WE have now gotten Pantaleon a Frechman who succeeded Robert in the titular Patriarchship Jerusalem to be Pope by the name of Urbane the fourth To advance the Holy cause after fourteen yeares interregnum in Syria he appointed Charles Duke of Anjou younger brother to King Lewis of France King of Sicily and Jerusalem and it was ratified by Clement the fourth his successour This honour was first offered to Lewis himself but piety had dried up in him all ambitious humours then to our Henry of England but his warre-wasted purse could not stretch to the Popes price At last this Charles accepted it But it is not for any speciall favour to the bush if a man runne under it in a storm it was no love to Charles but to himself to be sheltred from Maufred that the Pope conferred this honour upon him And the wife of Charles that she might go in equipage with her three sisters being Queens sold all her jewels to furnish her husband with money to purchase these Kingdomes that sex loving bravery well but greatnesse better Now the Pope whose well-grounded and bounded bountie will never undo him for where he giveth away the meat he selleth the sauce conditioned with Charles on these terms First that he should conquer Maufred then King of Sicily who molested the Pope and that he should finally subdue all the remaining race of Frederick the second Emperour who claimed that Kingdome Secondly in acknowledgement that he held these Kingdomes from the Pope he should pay him an annuall pension of foure some say fourty thousand pounds Provided if this Charles should chance to be chosen Emperour of Germany that then he should either resigne Sicily back again into the hands of his Holinesse or not accept the Empire For he knew that all Emperours would be possessed with an anti-papall spirit and that they would hold Sicily not in homage from the Church but as a member of the Empire Besides the Pope would not dispense that Princes should hold pluralitie of temporall Dominions in Italy especially he was so ticklish he could not endure the same Prince should embrace him on both sides Ever since the twinne-titles of Sicily and Jerusalem have gone together and fit it is that the shadow should follow the substance Charles subdued Maufred and Conradine his nephew the last of the Suevian race and grandchild to Emperour Frederick and was possessed of Sicilie and lived there but as for the gaining of Jerusalem he little regarded it nor came thither at all A watchfull King who never slept in his Kingdome His absence gave occasion to Hugh King of Cyprus to furbish up new his old title to the Kingdome as lineally descended from Almerick the second And coming to Ptolemais he there was crowned King of Jerusalem But the extremity of the famine all things being excessive deare much abated the solemnity and state of his Coronation Chap. 26. The Tartarians alienated from the Christians Bendocdar tyrannizeth over them and Lewis King of France setteth forth again for to succour them BUt betwixt two Kings the Kingdome went to the ground For Haalon the Tartarian Prince late Christian convert was returned home to succeed his brother Mango in the Empire leaving Abaga his sonne with competent forces in the city of Damascus which he had wonne from the Turks Soon after Abaga followed his father and substituted Guirboca his Lieutenant in Damascus This Guirboca upon the occasion of his nephew rashly slain by the Christians in a broil fell off wholly from Christianity with all the Tartarians his countreymen The occasion this The Dutch Christians return with great booty they had taken from the Turks Guirboca's nephew meeteth them demandeth it for himself the Christians deny him as souldiers are very tender-conscienced in that point counting it a great sinne to part with the spoil they are possessed of hence brawls then blows Guirboca's nephew is slain Hereat the Tartarians who were very humourous in their friendship if not observed to an inch lost for ever in discontent all either reel aside to Mahomet or fall back to Paganisme Herein the Christians cannot be excused Infant-converts must be well tended It had been discretion in them even against discretion to have yeelded a little to these Tartarians and so to continue their amity which was so advantageous to the Holy warre How-ever one may question the truth of their conversion whether reall at first This spring was too forward to hold and
very bountifull to the Carmelites who lived dispersed in Syria but afterwards he banished them out of his countrey because they altered their habit and wore white coats at the appointment of Pope Honorius the Turks being generally enemies to innovations and loving constancy in old customes Nor was this any mishap but an advantage to the Carmelites to lose their dwellings in Syria and gain better in Europe where they planted themselves in the fattest places So that he who knoweth not to choose good ground let him find out an house of the Carmelites a mark that faileth not for his direction Alphir was next to Melechsaites otherwise called Elsi He perceiving that now or never was the time finally to expell the Christians out of Palestine whilest the Princes in Europe were in civil warres besieged and wonne Tripoli Sidon Berytus and Tyre beating them down to the ground but suffering the inhabitants on some conditions to depart Nothing now was left but Ptolemais which Alphir would not presently besiege lest he should draw the Christians in Europe upon him but concluded a peace for five yeares with the Venetians as not willing wholly to exasperate them by winning all from them at once and thinking this bitter potion would be better swallowed by them at two severall draughts Mean time Ptolemais was in a wofull condition In it were some of all countreys so that he who had lost his nation might find it here Most of them had severall courts to decide their causes in and the plenty of Judges caused the scarcity of justice malefactours appealing to a triall in the courts of their own countrey It was sufficient innocency for any offender in the Venetian court that he was a Venetian Personall acts were entituled nationall and made the cause of the countrey Outrages were every-where practised no-where punished as if to spare Divine revenge the pains of overtaking them they would go forth and meet it At the same time they were in fitters about prosecuting their titles to this city no fewer then the Venetians Genoans Pisans Florentines the Kings of Cyprus and Sicily the Agents for the Kings of France and England the Princes of Tripoli and Antioch the Patriarch of Jerusalem the Masters of the Templars and Hospitallers and whom I should have named first the Legate of his Holinesse all at once with much violence contending about the right of right nothing the title to the Kingdome of Jerusalem and command of this city like bees making the greatest humming and buzzing in the hive when now ready to leave it Chap. 33. Ptolemais besieged and taken by Sultan Serapha WIthin the city were many voluntaries lately come over five hundred whereof were of the Popes furnishing But belike he failed afterwards in his payment to them the golden tide flowing not so fast out as into his Holinesse coffers The souldiers being not payed according to their blunt manners would pay themselves and marching out pillaged the countrey contrary to the truce Sultan Serapha who succeeded Alphir demanding restitution is denied and his Embassadours ill intreated Hereupon he sitteth down before the city with six hundred thousand men But we are not bound to beleeve that Alexanders souldiers were so big as their shields speak them which they left in India nor Asian armies so numerous as they are reported Allow the Turks dominions spacious and populous and that they rather drained then chose souldiers yet we had best credit the most niggardly writers which make them an hundred and fifty thousand Serapha resolveth to take it conceiving so convenient a purchase could not be over-bought The place though not great yet was a mote in the eye of the Turkish Empire and therefore pained them Peter Belvise Master of the Templars a valiant Captain had the command of the city assigned him by generall consent He encouraged the Christians to be valiant not like prodigall heirs to lose this city for nothing which cost their grandfathers so much bloud at least let them give one blaze of valour ere their candle went out How should they shew their friends their faces if they shewed their foes their backs Let them fight it out manfully that so if forced at last to surrender it they might rather be pitied for want of fortune then justly blamed for lack of valour And now Ptolemais being to wrestle her last fall stripped her self of all cumbersome clothes women children aged persons weak folks all such hindering help and mouthes without arms were sent away and twelve thousand remained conceived competent to make good the place Serapha marcheth up furiously his men assault the city with open jaws ready to devoure it had not their mouthes been stopped with the artillery the Christians shot at them Back they were beaten and many a Turk slain But Serapha was no whit sensible thereof who willingly would lose a thousand men in a morning for a breakfast double so many at a dinner and continue this costly ordinary for some dayes together yea in spite he would spend an ounce of Turkish bloud to draw a drop of Christian In this conflict Peter Belvise was slain with a poisoned arrow A losse above grieving for Many were strong in desiring the honour who were weak to discharge the office But the worst mischief was the Christians were divided amongst themselves and neglected to defend the citie conceiving that though that was taken yet every particular nation could defend it self having their buildings severally fortified And this dangerous fansie took off their thoughts from the publick good and fixed them on their private ends Mean time the Patriarch of Jerusalem and others some name with them Henry King of Jerusalem and Cyprus more seeking their safety then honour secretly fled with their bodies after their hearts out of the city and some of them shunning a noble death fell on a base end being drowned in the sea Their cowardlinesse is imputed by some Authours to all the rest whereas it appeareth on the contrary they most valiantly behaved themselves At last the Turks entred the city by undermining the walls and conceived their work now done when it was new begun For they found Ptolemais not a city but a heap of cities thrown together wherein the people of every countrey so fensed themselves in their severall forts that they powdered the Turks with their shot when they entred the streets It is hardly to be paralleled in any siege that a taken city was so long before it was taken for it held out fifty dayes and the Knights-Hospitallers made good their castle for two whole moneths together But alas as the severall parts of Insecta being cut asunder may wriggle and stirre a while not live long so these divided limbes could not long subsist and at last most of them were slain Yet was it a bloudy victory to the Turks most of them that entred the city being either burned with fire or killed with arrows or smothered with the fall of towres
because jointly built by the Tyrians Sidonians and Aradites And Berytus since Barutus accompanied her neighbour and both of them were yeelded unto the Christians The King created one Bertram a well-deserving Noble-man Earl of Tripoli who did homage to the King for his place which was accounted a title of great honour as being one of the foure Tetrarchies of the kingdome of Jerusalem Chap. 12. The description of Sidon and Tyre the one taken 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 schoolmistresse 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 citie 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 towres 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 Magistracie and here the richest clothes were imbroidered 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 Zidon 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 yeares 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 citie 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 yeares 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 Erythreans or red 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 inrode 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 undiscovered 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 yeares 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 Latis 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. yeare of his reigne 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 Clergie 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 tombe which like the verses of that age runneth in a kind of rhythme though it can scarce stand on true feet Rex Baldwinus Iudas alter Maccabaeus Spes patriae vigor Ecclesiae virtus utriusque Quem formidabant cui dona tributa ferebant Cedar Aegypti Dan ac homicida Damascus Proh dolor
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 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 Machiavells idol whose practice he maketh the pattern of policie saith That he had rather be conquered 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 neare 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 predominancie 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 beleeve 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 Francis 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 casheer 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 Sanar 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 titular Count of Edessa on the one side and Noradine King of the Turks on the other The Turks got the victory and these foure 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 that false prophet the soveraignty over all that were of the Saracen law 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 proffers to King Almerick to stop this deluge of his enemies and proffereth him a pension of fourty thousand ducats 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 proffers 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
handsomenesse preferred to be Patriarch William Archbishop of Tyre was violent against his election because of a prophesie That as Heraclius King of Persia wonne so an Heraclius should lose the Crosse. But others excepted that this exception was nothing worth For let God give the man and let the devil set the name As for those blind prophesies they misse the truth ofter then hit it so that no wise man will lean his belief on so slender a prop. But Heraclius had a worse name then his name the bad report of his vitious life keeping a Vintners wife whom he maintained in all state like an Empresse and owned the children he had by her Her name Pascha de Rivera and she was generally saluted The Patriarchesse His example infected the inferiour clergie whose corruption was a sad presage of the ruine of the realm For when Prelates the Seers when once those eye-strings begin to break the heart-strings hold not out long after In his time the Maronites were reconciled to the Romane Church Their main errour was the heresie of the Monothelites touching one onely will and action in Christ. For after that the heresie of Nestorius about two persons in our Saviour was detested in the Eastern Churches some thought not themselves safe enough from the heresie of two persons till they were fallen with the opposite extremity of one nature in Christ violence making men reel from one extreme to another The errour once broched found many embracers As no opinion so monstrous but if it hath had a mother it will get a nurse But now these Maronites renouncing their tenents received the Catholick faith though soon after when Saladine had conquered their countrey they relapsed to their old errours wherein they continued till the late times of Pope Gregory the thirteenth and Clement the eighth when they again renewed their communion with the Romane Church They live at this day on mount Libanus not exceeding twelve thousand households and pay to the great Turk for every one above twelve yeares old seventeen sultanines by the yeare and for every space of ground sixteen spanne square one sultanine yearly to keep themselves free from the mixture of Mahometanes A sultanine is about seven shillings six pence of our money To return to Heraclius Soon after he was sent Embassadour to Henry the second King of England to crave his personall assistance in the Holy warre delivering unto him the Royall standard with the keyes of our Saviours sepulchre the towre of David and the city of Jerusalem sent him by King Baldwine King Henry was singled out for this service before other Princes because the world justly reported him valiant wise rich powerfull and fortunate And which was the main hereby he might expiate his murder and gather up again the innocent bloud which he had shed of Thomas Becket Besides Heraclius entituled our Henry to the kingdome of Jerusalem because Geoffrey Plantagenet his father was sonne some say brother to Fulk the fourth King of Jerusalem But King Henry was too wise to bite at such a bait wherein was onely the husk of title without the kernel of profit Yet he pretended he would go into Palestine and got hereby a masse of money towards his voyage making every one as well Clerk as Lay saving such as went to pay that yeare the tenth of all their revenues moveables and chattells as well in gold as in silver Of every citie in England he chose the richest men as in London two hundred in York an hundred and so in proportion and took the tenth of all their moveables by the estimation of credible men who knew their estates imprisoning those which refused to pay sub eleemosynae titulo vitium rapacitatis includans saith Walsingham But now when he had filled his purse all expected he should fulfill his promise when all his voyage into Palestine turned into a journey into France Heraclius whilest he stayed in England consecrated the Temple-church in the suburbs of London and the house adjoyning belonging to the Templars since turned to a better use for the students of our municipall Law these new Templars defending one Christian from another as the old ones Christians from Pagans Chap. 40. Saladine fitteth himself with forrein forces The originall and great power of the Mammalukes with their first service IN the minority of King Baldwine who was but thirteen yeares old Milo de Plancia Noble-man was Protectour of the Realm Whose pride and insolence could not be brooked and therefore he was stabbed at Ptolemais and Reimund Count of Tripoli chosen to succeed him Now Saladine seriously intendeth to set on the Kingdome of Jerusalem and seeketh to furnish himself with souldiers for that service But he perceived that the ancient nation of the Egyptians had lasted so long that now it ranne dregs their spirits being as low as the countrey they lived in and they fitter to make merchants and mechanicks then military men For they were bred in such soft imployments that they were presently foundred with any hard labour Wherefore he sent to the Circassians by the lake of Meotis neare Taurica Chersonesus and thence bought many slaves of able and active bodies For it was a people born in a hard countrey no fewel for pleasure grew there nor was brought thither and bred harder so that warre was almost their nature with custome of continuall skirmishing with the neighbouring Tartars These slaves he trained up in military discipline most of them being Christians once baptized but afterwards untaught Christ they learned Mahomet and so became the worse foes to religion for once being her friends These proved excellent souldiers and speciall horsemen and are called Mammalukes And surely the greatnesse of Saladine and his successours stood not so much on the legs of their native Egyptians as it leaned on the staff of these strangers Saladine and especially the Turkish Kings after him gave great power and placed much trust in these Mammalukes Who lived a long time in ignorance of their own strength till at last they took notice of it and scorning any longer to be factours for another they would set up for themselves and got the sovereignty from the Turkish Kings Thus Princes who make their subjects over-great whet a knife for their own throats And posterity may chance to see the insolent Janizaries give the grand Seignor such a trip on the heel as may tumble him on his back But more largely of these Mammalukes usurping the kingdome of Egypt God willing in its proper place Thus Saladine having furnished himself with new souldiers went to handsel their valour upon the Christians invaded the Holy land burning all the countrey before him and raging in the bloud of poore Christians till he came and encamped about Askelon Mean time whilest Reimund Count of Tripoli Protectour of the Kingdome with Philip Earl of Flanders the chief strength of the Kingdome were absent in Celosyria wasting the countrey about
professed that she saw in a vision Christ and his Angels rejoycing For the losse of the earthly Canaan was gain to the heavenly peopling it with many inhabitants who were conquerours in their overthrow whilest they requited Christs passion and died for him who suffered for them But for the truth both of the doctrine and historie hereof none need burden their beleef farther then they please We will conclude all with Roger Hovedens witty descant on the time When Jerusalem was wonne by the Christians and afterwards when it was lost an Urbane was Pope of Rome a Frederick Emperour of Germany an Heraclius Patriarch of Jerusalem But by his leave though the first of his observations be true the second is a flat falsitie the third a foul mistake and may thus be mended It is charity to lend a crutch to a lame conceit When the Crosse was taken from the Persians Heraclius was Emperour and when it was taken from the Turks Heraclius was Patriarch Thus these curious observations like over-small watches not one of a hundred goeth true Though it cannot be denied but the same name as Henry of England one the winne-all another the lose-all in France hath often been happy and unhappy in founding and confounding of kingdomes But such nominall toyes are rags not worth a wise mans stooping to take them up The end of the second Book The Historie of the HOLY WARRE Book III. Chap. 1. Conrade of Montferrat valiantly defendeth Tyre and is chosen King IN this wofull estate stood the Christian affairs in the Holy land when Conrade Marquesse of Montferrat arrived there His worth commandeth my penne to wait on him from his own countrey till he came hither Sonne he was to Boniface Marquesse of Montferrat and had spent his youth in the service of Isaacius Angelus the Grecian Emperour This Isaacius fitter for a Priest then a Prince was alwayes bred in a private way and the confining of his body feemeth to have brought him to a pent and narrow soul. For he suffered rebells to affront him to his face never fending any army against them but commending all his cause to a company of bare-footed Friars whom he kept in his Court desiring them to pray for him and by their pious tears to quench the combustions in the Empire But our Conrade plainly told him he must use as well the weapons of the left hand as of the right meaning the sword as well as prayers And by the advice of this his Generall he quickly subdued all his enemies Which his great service found small reward onely he was graced to wear his shoes of the Imperiall fashion a low matter but there forsooth accounted an high honour But soon after Isaac was sick of this Physician who had cured his Empire If private debters care not for the company of their creditours much lesse do Princes love to see them to whom they ow themselves and their kingdome so unwelcome are courtesies to them when above their requitall Now it is an ancient policie to rid away high spirits by sending them on some plausible errand into remote parts there to seek for themselves an honourable grave To this end Isaacius by the perswasions of some spurred on Conrade free enough of himself to any noble action to go into Palestine there to support the ruinous affairs of the Christians Conrade was sensible of their plot but suffered himself to be wrought on being weary of the Grecians basenesse and came into the Holy land with a brave company of Gentlemen furnished on their own cost For a while we set him aside and return to Saladine Who by this time had taken Askelon on condition that King Guy and Gerard master of the Templars should be set at liberty Nor long after was the castle of Antioch betrayed unto him by the Patriarch and the citie scarce got with eleven moneths siege was lost in an instant with five and twenty strong towns more which attended the fortune of Antioch and many provinces thereto belonging came into the possession of the Turks Must not the Christians needs be bankrupts if they continue this trade buying deare and selling cheap gaining by inches and losing by ells With better successe those in Tripoli which citie the wife of Earl Reimund after his death delivered to the Christians defended themselves against Saladine For shame they would not forgo their shirts though they had parted with their clothes Stark-naked from shelter had the Christians been left if stripped out of Tripoli and Tyre Manfully therefore they defended themselves and Saladine having tasted of their valour in Tripoli had no mind to mend his draught but marched away to Tyre But Conrade of Montferrat who was in Tyre with his army so used the matter that Saladine was fain to flie and leave his tents behind him which were lined with much treasure And the Christians had that happinesse to squeeze that sponge which formerly was filled with their spoil They in Tyre in token of gratitude chose this Conrade King of Jerusalem swearing themselves his subjects who had kept them from being the Turks slaves To strengthen his title he married Elisa or Isabella Authours christen her with either name formerly espoused to Humfred of Thoron sister to Baldwine the fourth daughter to Almerick King of Jerusalem By this time King Guy was delivered out of prison having sworn never more to bear arms against Saladine which oath by the Clergie was adjudged void because forced from him when he was detained in prison unjustly against promise The worst was now he had gained his liberty he could not get his Kingdome Coming to Tyre they shut the gates against him owning no King but Conrade Thus to have two kings together is the way to have neither king nor kingdome But Guy following the affront as well as he might and piecing up a cloth of remnants with his broken army besieged Ptolemais The Pisanes Venetians and Florentines with their sea-succours came to assist him But this siege was Church-work and therefore went on slowly we may easier perceive it to have moved then to move especially if we return hither a twelve-moneth hence Chap. 2. The Church-story in the Holy land to the end of the warre The use and abuse of titular Bishops WE must now no longer look for a full face of a Church in the Holy land it is well if we find one cheek and an eye Though Jerusalem and Antioch were wonne by the Turks the Pope ceased not to make Patriarchs of both We will content our selves with the names of those of Jerusalem finding little else of them remarkable After Heraclius Thomas Agni was Patriarch present in the Laterane Councel under Innocent the third Geraldus succeeded him who sided with the Pope against Frederick the Emperour Albertus Patriarch in Jerusalem when the Christians lost their land in Syria He prescribed some rules to the Carmelites After him Antonie Beak
been wonne but for the false collâ—sion of the Templars and Hospitallers with the Infidels Which words though proceeding from passion in him yet from premeditation in others not made by him but related deserve to be observed the rather because common reports like smoke seldome but from some fire never but from much heat are generally true It is not to be denied but that both these Orders were guiltie herein as appeareth by the whole current of the storie Yea King Almerick fairly trussed up twelve Templars at once hanging them for delivering up an impregnable fort to Syracon These like a deceitfull chirurgeon who hath more corruption in himself then the sore he dresseth prolonged 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 wether 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 we leave to stronger wings Sure I am in another kind 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 Baldwine 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 fale 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 Celosyria 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 quamvìs 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 as well 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 companie 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
own bowels Yet such was her charitie that whilest her own house was on burning she threw some buckets of water to quench her neighbours and as other nations cast their superfluitie she her widows mite into the treasurie of this action and produceth two Theobalds Kings of Navarre and Alphonse King of Castile that undertook expeditions to Palestine Hungary sheweth one King Andrew who washed himself in Jordan and then shrinking in the wetting returned presently home again But this countrey though it self did go little yet was much gone through to the Holy warre being the rode to Syria for all land-armies and merited well in this action in giving peaceable passage and courteous 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 suspicions True it is at the first voyage King Coloman not out of crueltie but carefulnesse and necessarie 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 citie 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 onely 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 cheefe 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 William 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 moved 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 many of them pointing at the atchievements of their predecessours in the Holy warre Thus the
Kings of Naples 9 The Princes of Antioch 10 The Counts of Brienne 11 The Kings of Armenia 12 The Kings of Hungarie 13 The Kings of Aragon 14 The Dukes of Anjou 15 The Dukes of Loraine 16 Lewis the eleventh King of France 17 The Dukes of Bourbon 18 The Dukes of Savoy 19 Iames de Lusigna base sonne to the King of Cyprus 20 Charles de Lusigna sonne to the Prince of Galilee 21 The State of Genoa 22 The Marquesse of Montferrat 23 The Count of la-Vall 24 The Arch-duke of Nize 25 The Sultan of Egypt 26 The Emperour of the Turks It seemeth by the naming of Lewis the eleventh and James the bastard of Cyprus that this list was taken about the yeare 1466. And now how would a Herald sweat with scouring over these time-rustie titles to shew whence these Princes derived their severall claims and in whom the right resteth at this day when his work is done who should pay him his wages My clew of thread is not strong enough on the guidance thereof for me to venture into this labyrinth of Pedegrees we will content our selves with these generall observations 1. It seemeth this catalogue containeth as well those who had jus in Regno as those who had jus ad Regnum as namely the Prince of Thorone and Patriarchs of Jerusalem and State of Genoa whose ambition surely soared not so high as to claim the Kingdome of Jerusalem but rather perched it self upon some lands and Signories challenged therein 2. A small matter will serve to intitle a Prince to a titular Kingdome In this case Kings can better digest corrivals where they be many and all challenge what is worth nothing In this catalogue it seemeth some onely intitle themselves out of good fellowship and love of good companie These like squirrels recover themselves and climbe up to a claim on the least bough twig yea leaf of a Right Thus the Counts of Brienne in France if any still remain of that house gave away their cake and kept it still in that John Bren parted with his right to this Kingdome in match with Iole his daughter to Frederick the second Emperour and yet the Earls of his familie pretend still to Jerusalem 3. We may beleeve that by matches and under-matches some of these titles may reside in private Gentlemen especially in France And what wonder seeing within fourteen generations the royall bloud of the Kings of Judah ran in the veins of plain Joseph a painfull carpenter 4. At this day some of those titles are finally extinct as that of the Emperours of the East conquered by the Ottoman familie Their Imperiall Eagle was so farre from beholding the sunne that the half-moon dazzled yea quite put out his eyes Rank in the same form the Kings of Armenia and Sultans of Egypt 5. Some of these titles are translated That of the Lusignans Kings of Cyprus probably passed with that Island to the State of Venice The claim of the Hungarian Kings seemeth at this day to remain in the Germane Emperour 6. Some united The claim of the Arch-dukes of Nize a style I meet not with elsewhere twisted with that of the Duke of Savoy The Kings of Naples and Aragon now joyned in the King of Spain 7. Of those which are extant at this day Englands appeareth first our Richard receiving it in exchange of King Guy for the Island of Cyprus Guy's resignation was voluntarie and publick the world was witnesse to it He truly received a valuable consideration which his heirs long peaceably enjoyed and our English Kings styled themselves Kings of Jerusalem till afterwards they disused it for reasons best known to themselves Our Poet Harding in a paper he presented to King Henry the sixth cleareth another double title of our Kings thereunto And because some palates love the mouldie best and place the goodnesse of old verses in the badnesse of them take them as they fell from his penne To Ierusalem I say ye have great right From Erle Geffray that hight Plantogenet Of Aungeâ—y Erle a Prince of passyng might The eldest sonne of Fouke and first beget King of Ierusalem by his wife dewly set Whose sonne Geffray foresaid gat on his wife Henry the second that was known full rife Yet have ye more from Bawldwyne Paralytious King afterward to the same King Henry The Crown sent and his Banner pretious As very heire of whole Auncestrie Descent of bloud by title lineally From Godfray Boleyn and Robert Curthose That Kings were thereof and chose 8. Then cometh forth the Popes title who claimeth it many wayes Either because he was the first and chiefest mover and advancer of this warre Lord Paramont of this action and all the Pilgrimes no better then his servants and then according to the rule in Civil law Quodâ—unque per servum acquiritur id Domino acquiritâ—r suo Or else he challengeth it from John Bren who subjected that Kingdome to the See of Rome and yet the said John used the style of Jerusalem all the dayes of his life and also gave it away in match with his daughter Or else he deriveth it as forfeited to him by the Emperour Frederick the second and his sonnes for taking arms against the Church But what need these farre-abouts They go the shortest cut who accounting the Pope Gods Lieutenant on earth though by a Commission of his own penning give him a temporall power especially in ordine ad spiritualia over all the Kingdomes of the world The originall right of Jerusalem he still keepeth in himself yet hath successively gratified many Princes with a title derived from him Nor shineth his candle the dimmer by lighting of others First he bestowed his title on Charles of Anjou King of Sicilie from which root spring the many-branched French competitours and since hath conferred the same on the house of Aragon or King of Spain Which King alone weareth it in his style at this day and maketh continuall warre with the Turk who detaineth Jerusalem from him Yea all West-Christendome oweth her quiet sleep to his constant waking who with his galleys muzzleth the mouth of Tunis and Algier Yea God in his providence hath so ordered it that the Dominions of Catholick Princes as they term them are the case and cover on the East and South to keep and fense the Protestant countreys The quit-rent which the King of Spain payeth yearly to the Pope for the Kingdomes of Jerusalem Naples and Sicilie is foure thousand crowns sent to his Holinesse upon a hackney Who grudgeth his tenant so great a penie-worth yet cannot help himself except he would follow the Friars advice To send home the Spanish Hackney with a great Horse after him What credit there is to be given to that through-old if not doting prophecie That a Spaniard shall one day recover Jerusalem we leave to the censure of others and mean time we will conclude more serious matters with this pleasant passage When the
senselesse ignorant profession it is not able to go to the cost of a controversie And all colours may well agree in the dark Next the strength followeth the wealth yea it is part thereof For all rich Kingdomes may be strong and purchase artificiall fortification The certain and constant revenues of the great Turk are not great if withall we consider the spatiousnesse of his Dominions Some have mounted his ordinarie yearly in-come to eight millions of gold But men guesse by uncertain aim at Princes revenues especially if they be so remote We may beleeve that in their conjecture herein though they misse the mark they hit the butt Farre greater might his intrado be if husbandrie 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 Staple 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 slaves 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 Signor 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 as well 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 be 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 we not justly think that there be many in this Empire which rather wait a time then want desire to overthrow it For though some think 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 down then one finger to hold it up And we have just cause to hope that the fall of this unweldie Empire doth approch It was high noon with it fiftie yeares ago we hope now it draweth neare 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 own sinnes yet truly repented of to have this punishment removed from us nor the Turks wickednesse yet come to the full ripenesse to have this great judgement laid upon them Soli Deo gloria The Preface to the Chronologie HErein I present the Reader with a generall view and synopsis of the whole story of the age of the Holy Warre that he may see the coherence betwixt the East and the West and in what equipage and correspondency 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 Ranks Files The Ranks or transverse spaces contain twentie yeares 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 yeares 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 Chronology 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
CONRADE Marquesse of Montferrat defendeth Tyre and is chosen King Guy taken prisoner Jerusalem won by Saladine 2 26 46 7 is slain in a battel neare Ptolemais He is taken prisoner 8 11 8 CLEMENT the third 1 4 37 34 9 2 Guy having got libertie besiegeth Ptolemais 3 27 8 IX GARNERIUS de Neapoli Syriae TERICUS Master of the Templars during Gerards durance Gerard is set at libertie and slain in the siege of Ptolemais 9 12 9 2 5 38 M. 7. RICHARD the first 1 10 3 4. VOYAGE under Frederick surnamed Barbarossa 4 28  9   10 13 Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre Kings of Ierusalem Princes of Antioch Patriarchs of Antioch Patriarchs of Ierusalem Mrs of Kn. Hospitallers Mrs of Kn. Templars Mrs of Dutch Knights Caliphs of Syria Turkish K. of Egypt 1190 3 6 HENRY the sixth S. 1 2 11 4 5. VOYAGE under Rich. of Engl. Philip of Fran 5 Antioch wonne again froÌ„ the Turks by Frederick D. of Suevia  10   HENRY a-Wal-pot 1 11 14 1 M. 2 D. 10 7 2 3 12 5 Conrade murdered in the market-place of Tyre Ptolemais taken 6   11   2 12 15 2 CELESTINE the third 2 8 3 4 13 Guy exchangeth his Kingdome of Jerusalem for Cyprus 7 The time of Boemunds death is as uncertain as who was his Successour onely we find from this time forward the same Princes but without name or certain date â—â—yled both of Antioch Tripoli  He lived viciously and died obscurely  3 13 16 3 3 M. 7. 9 4 5 14 HENRY Earl of Champaigne 1  X. ERMEGAROUS DAPS.  4 14 SAPHADIME Br. to Saladine 1 4 4 ALEXIUS COMNENê° ANGELUS 1 5 6 15 2      5 15 2 Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre Kings of Ierusalem Princes of Antioch Patriarchs of Ierusalem Mrs of Kn. Hospitallers Mrs of Kn. Templars Mrs of Dutch Knights Caliphs of Syria Turkish K. of Egypt 1195 5 2 6 7 16 3     6 16 Betwixt him and Saladines soâ—nes whom at last he conquered and subdued was long warre to the great comfort and profit of the Christians 3 6 6 3 7 8 17 ALMERICK the second King also of Cyprus 1     7 17 4 7 M. 9 D. 11 4 8 9 18 6. VOYAGE under Henry Duke of Saxonie Henry the Palatine Herman Landtgrave c. winne Berytâ—â— 2     8 18 5 8 INNOCENTIUS the third 1 5 9 10 19 The Dutch men miserably killed on St Martines day 3  XII ALBERTUS succeedeth Heraclius Spond   9 19 6 9 2 6 OTHO the fourth 1 11 20 Simon Earl of Montfort cometh into Palestine and maketh a profitable peace 4     10 20 7 1200 3 7 2 JOHN his Br. 1 21 5     II. OTTO Kerpin 1 21 8 1 4 8 3 2 22 6     2 22 9 2 5 ISAACIUS again with ALEXIUS his S. 9 4 3 23 7. VOYAGE under Baldwine Earl of Flandres but by the Pope diverted against the Grecian usurping Emperour 7   XI GOTâ—RIDUS de Dnyjon  3 23 10 3 6 BALDWINE Earl of Flandres 1 5 4 24 8     4 24 11 4 7 2 6 5 25 1 INTERREGNUM of 5 years Almerick dieth of a surfet according to Marinus Sanutus 9  He perfecteth and writeth a Rule to the Carmelites Idem   5 25 12 5 8 HENRY his Br. 1 7 6 26 2 10    Leo King of Armenia restoreth to the Templars what he had violently taken from them 6 26 13 6 9 2 8 7 27 3 The Holy warre turned against the Albingenses in France 11     III. HERMANNUS Bart. 1 27 14 7 10 3 9 8 28 4 12     2 28 1 MELADINE as most compute succeedeth his father Saphadiâ—e in Egypt 15 8 11 4 10 9 29 5 Almerick for his lazinesse deposed by the Pope dieth soon after 13     3 29 2 16 9 12 5 11 10 30 JOHN BREN made King of Jerusalem by the Pope 1     4 30 3 17 1210 13 6 12 11 31 2  XIII THOMAS Aâ—â—â— Â Â IV. HERMANNUS a Salâ—za 1 31 4 18 1 14 7 13 12 32 3     2 32 5 19 2 15 8 FREDERICK the second 1 13 33 4   XII ALPHONâ—US de Portugallia  3 33 6 20 3 16 9 2 14 34 An army of children going to the Holy warre wofully perish by the way 5     4 34 7 21 4 17 10 3 15 35 6     5 35 8 22 1215 18 11 4 16 36 The great Laterane Councel to advance the Holy warre 7  He is present in the Laterane Councel to solicite the Holy warre XIII GOTHERIDUS de-la-Rat P. de Monte acuto 6 36 9 Saphadine according to M. Paris p. 404. dieth for grief that the fort nigh to Damiata was taken ☉ 23 6 M. 6 D. 9 PETER Earl of Auxerre 1 5 17 37 8. VOYAGE under Andrew King of Hungarie 8     7 37 10 24 7 HONORIUS the third 2 2 6 HENRY the third S. 1 38 9     8 38 11 25 8 3 3 7 2 39 Damiata beseiged 10    He fighteth stoutly with the rest of his Order at the taking of Damiata Mat. Paris pag. 409 419. 9 39 12 MALADINE 1 9 4 4 8 3 40 Damiata taken 11     10 40 13 2 1220 5 5 9 4 41 The Christians intrapped in water restore Damiata for their libertie and conclude an eight-yeares truce 12     11 41 14 Is wonderfully kind to the Christians half drowned in Egypt 3 1 6 ROBERT 1 10 5 42 13     12 42 15 4 2 7 2 11 6 43 14     13 43 16 5 3 8 3 12 7 He dieth 44 John Bren cometh into France and there receiveth rich legacies from Philip Augustus 15   60000 crownâ— bequeathed by the K. of Fr. to the Hospit Templars  14 44 17 6 4 9 4 13 8 LEWIS the eighth 1 16  XIIII GERALDUS  OLIVER 15 45 18 7 5 10 5 14 9 2 17   XIIII GUARINUS de Monâ—e acuto  16 TAHER S. 1 19 8 6 M. 8. 6 15 10 3 He is honourably entertained at Rome and resigneth his kingdome 18  A bitter enemy he was to Frederick the Emperour and sâ—ded with the Pope Templars against him   17 2 20 9 7 GREGORY the ninth 1 7 16 11 St LEWIS 1 FREDERICK by marriage of Iole Brens daughter 1     The Dutch