the gamesters King Almerick having looked on the beauty of the Kingdome of Egypt he longed for it and sought no longer to drive out the relicks of the Turks but to get Egypt to himself And the next year against the solemn league with the Caliph invaded it with a great army He falsly pretended that the Caliph would make a private peace with Noradine King of the Turks and hence created his quarrel For he hath a barren brain who cannot fit himself with an occasion if he hath a desire to fall out But Gilbert master of the Hospitallers chiefly stirred up the King to this warre upon promise that the city and countrey of Pelusium if conquered should be given to his order The Templars were much against the design one of their order was Embassadour at the ratifying of the peace and with much zeal protested against it as undertaken against oath and fidelity An oath being the highest appeal perjury must needs be an hainous sinne whereby God is solemnly invited to be witnesse of his own dishonour And as bad is a God-mocking equivocation For he that surpriseth truth with an ambush is as bad an enemy as he that fighteth against her with a flat lie in open field I know what is pleaded for King Almerick namely That Christians are not bound to keep faith with idolaters the worshippers of a false god as the Egyptian Caliph was on the matter But open so wide a window and it will be in vain to shut any doores All contracts with Pagans may easily be avoided if this evasion be allowed But what saith S. Hierome It matters not to whom but by whom we swear And God to acquit himself knowing the Christians prosperity could not stand with his justice after their perjury frowned upon them And from hence authours date the constant ill successe of the Holy warre For though this expedition sped well at the first and Almerick wonne the city of Belbis or Pelusium yet see what a cloud of miseries ensued First Noradine in his absence wasted and wonne places near Antiochia at pleasure Secondly Meller Prince of Armenia a Christian made a covenant with Noradine and kept it most constantly to the inestimable disadvantage of the King of Jerusalem This act of Meller must be condemned but withall Gods justice admired Christians break their covenant with Saracens in Egypt whilest other Christians to punish them make and keep covenant with Turks in Asia Thirdly the Saracens grew good souldiers on a sudden who were naked at first and onely had bows but now learned from the Christians to use all offensive and defensive weapons Thus rude nations alwayes better themselves in fighting with a skilful enemy How good mark-men are the Irish now-a-dayes which some seventy years ago at the beginning of their rebellions had three men to discharge a hand-gun Fourthly Almericks hopes of conquering Egypt were frustrated for after some victories he was driven out and that whole Kingdome conquered by Saladine nephew to Syracon who killed the Caliph with his horse-mace as he came to do him reverence and made himself the absolutest Turkish King of Egypt And presently after the death of Noradine the Kingdome of the Turks at Damascus was by their consent bestowed upon him Indeed Noradine left a sonne Meleâ—ala who commanded in part of his fathers dominions but Saladine after his death got all for himself Thus rising men shall still meet with more stairs to raise them as those falling with stumbling-blocks to ruine them Mean time Jerusalem was a poor weather-beaten Kingdome bleak and open to the storm of enemies on all sides having no covert or shelter of any good friend near it lying in the lions mouth betwixt his upper and neather jaw Damascus on the North and Egypt on the South two potent Turkish Kingdoms united under a puissant Prince Saladine This made Almerick send for succours into Europe for now few voluntaries came to this service souldiers must be pressed with importunity Our Western Princes were prodigall of their pity but niggardly of their help The heat of the warre in Palestine had cooled their desires to go thither which made these Embassadours to return without supplies having gone farre to fetch home nothing but discomfort and despair Lastly King Almerick himself wearied with whole volleys of miseries ended his life of a bloudy flux having reigned eleven full years and was buried with his predecessours Leaving two children Baldwine and Sibyll by Agnes his first wife and by Mary his second wife daughter to John Proto-Sebastus a Grecian Prince one daughter Isabell married afterwards to Hemphred the third Prince of Thorone Chap. 38. Baldwine the fourth succeedeth His education under William the reverend Aâ—rchbishop of Tyre BAldwine his sonne the fourth of that name succeeded his father so like unto him that we report the reader to the character of King Almerick and will spare the repeating his description Onely he differed in the temper of his body being enclined to the leproâ—ie called Elephanâ—iasis noysome to the patient but not infectious to the company not like King Uzziahs but Naamans leprosie which had it been contagious no doubt the King of Assyria when he went into the house of Rimmon would have chosen another supporter Mean time the Kingdome was as sick as the King he of a leprosie that of an incurable consumption This Baldwine had the benefit of excellent education under William Archbishop of Tyre a pious man and excellent scholar skilled in all the learned Orientall tongues besides the Dutch and French his native language a moderate and faithfull writer For in the latter part of his history of the Holy warre his eye guided his hand till at last the taking of the city of Jerusalem so shook his hand that his penne fell out and he wrote no more Treasurer he was of all the money contributed to the Holy war Chancellour of this Kingdome imployed in severall Embassies in the West present at the Lateran Council the acts whereof he did record Cardinall he might have been but refused it In a word unhappy onely that he lived in that age though that age was happy he lived in it Chap. 39. The vitiousnesse of Heraclius the Patriarch of Ierusalem His Embassie to Henry the second King of England with the successe The Maronites reconciled to the Romane Church AFter the death of Almerick Patriarch of Jerusalem Heraclius was by the Queen-mother Mary second wife to King Almerick for his handsomenesse preferred to be Patriarch William Archbishop of Tyre was violent against his election because of a prophesie That as Heraclius King of Persia wonne so an Heraclius should lose the Crosse. But others excepted that this exception was nothing worth For let God give the man and let the devil set the name As for those blind prophesies they misse the truth ofter then hit it so that no wise man will lean his belief on so slender a prop. But
colour which nature doth die simple and therefore fittest for religion But Melexala King of Egypt who formerly was very bountifull to the Carmelites knew not his Alms-men in their new coats but changed his love as they their livery and persecuted them out of all Egypt It seemeth afterwards by the complaint of Mantuan that they wore some black again over their white For he playeth on them as if their bad manners had blacked and altered their clothes Now though Palestine was their mother England was their best nurse Ralph Fresburg about the year 1240 first brought them hither and they were first seated at Newenden in Kent An hundred and fourty English writers have been of this order And here they flourished in great pomp till at last King Henry the 8 as they came out of the wildernesse so turned their houses into a wildernesse not onely breaking the necks of all Abbeys in England but also scattering abroad their very bones past possibility of recounting them Chap. 27. Edessa lost The hopefull voyage of Conrade the Emperour and Lewis King of France to the Holy land blasted by the perfidiousnesse of Emmanuel the Grecian Emperour EMpires have their set bounds whither when they come they stand still go back fall down This we may see in the Kingdome of Jerusalem which under Godfrey and the two first Baldwines was a gainer under Fulk a saver under the succeeding Kings a constant loser till all was gone For now Sanguin Prince of the Turks as bloudy as his name wrested from the Christians the countrey and city of Edessa one of the four Tetrarchies of the Kingdome of Jerusalem And though Sanguin shortly after was stabbed at a feast yet Noradine his sonne succeeded and exceeded him in cruelty against the Christians The losse of Edessa wherein our religion had flourished ever since the Apostles time moved Conrade Emperour of the West and Lewis the 7. surnamed the Young King of France to undertake a voyage to the Holy-land Pope Eugenius the 3. bestirred himself in the matter and made S. Bernard his soliciter to advance the design For never could so much steel have been drawn into the east had not this good mans perswasion been the loadstone The Emperours army contained two hundred thousand foot besides fifty thousand horse Nor was the army of King Lewis much inferiour in number In France they sent a distaff and a spindle to all those able men that went not with them as upbraiding their effeminatenesse And no wonder when women themselves went in armour having a brave lasse like another Penthesilea for their leader so befringed with gold that they called her Golden-foot riding astride like men which I should count more strange but that I find all women in England in the same posture on their horses till Anna wife to King Richard the second some 200 years since taught them a more modest behaviour The Turks did quake hearing of these preparations which to them were reported farre greater then they were fame contrary to all other painters making those things the greatest which are presented the farthest off Conrade with his army took his way through Grecia where Emmanuel the Emperour possessed with an hereditary fear of the Latines fortified his cities in the way as knowing there needed strong banks where such a stream of people was to passe And suspecting that if these Pilgrimes often made his Empire their high-way into Palestine little grasse would grow in so trodden a path and his countrey thereby be much endamaged he used them most treacherously giving them bad welcome that he might no more have such guests To increase their miseries as the Dutch encamped by the river Melas if that may be called a river which is all mud in summer all sea in winter deserving his name from this black and dismall accident it drowned many with its sudden overflowings as if it had conspired with the Grecians and learned treachery from them They that survived this sudden mishap were reserved for lingring misery For the Grecian Emperour did them all possible mischief by mingling lime with their meal by killing of stragglers by holding intelligence with the Turks their enemies by corrupting his coyn making his silver as base as himself so that the Dutch sold good wares for bad money and bought bad wares with good money by giving them false Conductours which trained them into danger so that there was more fear of the guides then of the way All which his unfaithfull dealings are recorded by that faithfull historian †Nicetas Choniates who though a Grecian born affirmeth these things the truth of his love to his countrey-men no whit prejudicing his love to the truth Chap. 28. The Turks conquered at Meander The Dutch and French arrive in Palestine SCarce had the Dutch escaped the treachery of the Greeks when they were encountred with the hostility of the Turks who waited for them on the other side of Meander The river was not fordable ship or bridge the Christians had none when behold Conrade the Emperour adventured on an action which because it was successefull shall be accounted valiant otherwise we should term it desperate After an exhortation to his army he commanded them all at once to flownce into the river Meander was plunged by their plunging into it his water stood amazed as unresolved whether to retreat to the fountain or proceed to the sea and in this extasie afforded them a dry passage over the stream An act which like that of Horatius Cocles his leaping into Tiber plus famae ad posteros habiturum quà m fidei will find more admirers then believers with posterity The affrighted Turks on the other side thinking there was no contending with them that did teach nature it self obedience offered their throats to the Christians swords and were killed in such number that whole piles of dead bones remain there for a monument like those heaps of the Cimbrians slain by Marius near Marseils where afterwards the inhabitants walled their vineyards with sculls and guarded their grapes with dead men Hence Conrade made forward to Iconium now called Cogni which he besieged in vain to the great losse of his army The King of France followed after with great multitudes and drank of the same cup at the Grecians hands though not so deeply till at last finding that those who marched through the continent met with an ocean of misery he thought better to trust the wind and sea then the Greeks and taking shipping safely arrived in Palestine where he was highly welcomed by Reimund Prince of Antioch Some weeks were spent in complying entertainments and visiting holy places till at last Elianor wife to the King of France who accompanied her husband made religion her pander and played bankrupt of her honour under pretence of pilgrimage keeping company with a base Saracen jester whom she preferred before a King Thus love may blindfold the eyes
Printers mistake in Tyrius where he hath four and twenty years assigned him more then the consent of time will allow Chap. 33. King Almerick his disposition ALmerick brother to King Baldwine Earl of Joppa and Askelon succeeded to the Crown But before his coronation he was enjoyned by the Popes Legate and by the Patriarch of Jerusalem to dis-misse Agnes his wife daughter to Joceline the younger Count of Edessa because she was his cousin in the fourth degree with this reservation that the two children he had by her Baldwine and Sibyll should be accounted legitimate and capable of their fathers possessions A Prince of excellent parts of a most happy memory wherein also his brother Baldwine was eminent though Fulk their father was wonderfully forgetfull so true is the maxime Pure per sonalia non propagantur Parents entail neither their personall defects nor perfections on their posterity solid judgement quick apprehension but of a bad utterance which made him use words onely as a shield when he was urged and pressed to speak otherwise he preferred to be silent and declined popularity more then his brother Baldwine affected it Very thrifty he was and though Tully saith Dici hominem frugi non multum habet laudis in Rege yet moderate frugality is both laudable and necessary in a King But our Almerick went somewhat too farre and was a little poore in admiring of riches laying great taxations on the holy places to their utter impoverishing Yet was he not mastered by his purse but made it his vassall and spared no money on a just occasion He never received accusation against any of his officers and never reckoned with them count it as you please carelessenesse or noble confidence because he would not teach them to be dishonest by suspecting them Nor is it the last and least part of his praise that William Archbishop of Tyre so often mentioned wrote the Holy warre at his instance Once he angred the good Archbishop with this question How the resurrection of the body may be proved by reason Hereat the good Prelate was much displeased as counting it a dangerous question wherewith one removeth a foundation-stone in Divinity though with intent to lay it in the place again But the King presently protested That he demanded it not out of any diffidence in himself about that article but in case one should meet with a sturdy man who as too many now-a-dayes would not trust faith on her single bond except he have reason joyned for security with her Hereupon the Archbishop alledged many strong arguments to prove it and both rested well satisfied Chap. 34. Ecclesiasticall businesse A Sultan of Iconium and the master of the Assasines desired to be christened The Common-wealth of the Assasines described IN the Church of Jerusalem we find Almerick still Patriarch A Frenchman born but little fit for the place to which he was preferred by the favour of Sibyll Countesse of Flanders the Kings sister Mean time the Church needed a Salick law to forbid distaffs to meddle with mitres and neither to be nor to make Patriarchs But the most remarkable Church-matter in this Kings reign was the clandestine christening of a Sultan of Iconium And more of his courtiers might have followed him but that his Embassadours being at Rome were offended there with the vitiousnesse of Christians lives which made them to exclaim How can fresh and salt water flow from the same fountain This hath made many Pagans to step back which had one foot in our Church when they have seen Christians believe so well and live so ill breaking the Commandments against the Creed Not long after the great master of the Assasines was really disposed to receive our religion and to this end sent an Embassadour to King Almerick which Embassadour was treacherously slain by one of the Templars The King demanded this murderer of the master of the Templars that justice might passe upon him But the master proudly answered That he had already enjoyned him penance and had directed to send him to the Pope but stoutly refused to surrender him to the King This cruel murder imbittered the Assasines more desperately against the Christians These Assasines were a precise sect of Mahometans and had in them the very spirits of that poysonous superstition They had some six cities and were about fourty thousand in number living near Antaradus in Syria Over these was a chief master Hell it self cannot subsist without a Beelzebub so much order there is in the place of confusion whom they called The Old man of the mountains At his command they would refuse no pain or perill but stab any Prince whom he appointed out to death scorning not to find hands for his tongue to perform what he enjoyned At this day there are none of them exstant except revived by the Jesuits for sure Ignatius Loyola the lame father of blind obedience fetched his platform hence being all as it seems slain by the Tartarians Anno 1257. But no tears need be shed at their funeralls yea pity it is that any pity should be lavished upon them whose whole government was an engine built against humane society worthy to be fired by all men the body of their State being a very monstrosity and a grievance of mankind Chap. 35. Dargan and Sanar two Egyptian Lords contending about the Sultanie Sanar calleth in the Turks to help him Of the danger of mercenary souldiers yet how well qualified they may be serviceable EGypt was a stage whereon the most remarkable passages in the reign of King Almerick were acted It will be necessary therefore to premise somewhat concerning the estate of that Kingdome at this time Whilest the Turks thus lorded it in Syria and the lesser Asia the Saracen Caliph commanded in Egypt under whom two great Lords Dargan and Sanar fell out about the Sultanie or Vice-royship of that land But Sanar fearing he should be worsted by Dargan sued to Noradine King of the Turks at Damascus for aid who sent him an army of Turks under the command of Syracon an experienced Captain against Sultan Dargan So Dargan and Sanar met and fought The victory was Dargans but he enjoyed it not long being shortly after slain by treachery whereby Sanar recovered the Sultans place Mean time how strange was the voluptuous lethargy of the Caliph Elhadach to pursue his private pleasures whilest his Vice-royes thus fought under his nose and imployed forrein succours yet he never regarded it as if the tottering of his Kingdome had rocked him fast asleep Nor was he moved with that which followed and more nearly concerned him For Syracon the Turkish Captain whom Sanar had gotten to come into Egypt would not be intreated to go home again but seized on the city of Belbis fortified it and there attended the arrivall of more Turks from Damascus for the conquest of Egypt Which afterwards they performed the land being never completely cleared
of them till at last they conquered the whole Kingdome partly under this Syracon and wholly under Saladine his nephew And here my discourse by the leave of the reader must a little sally forth to treat of the danger of entertaining mercenary souldiers They may perchance be called in with a whistle but scarce cast out with a whip If they be slugs they indanger a State by their slothfulnesse if spirited men by their activity Cesar Borgia Machiavils idol whose practice he maketh the pattern of policy saith That he had rather be conquâ—red with his own men then be conquerour with an army of others because he counted that conquest to be none at all Yet good physick may be made of poyson well corrected They may sometimes be necessary evils yea good and serviceable to defend a land if thus qualified First if they have no command of castles or place near about the Princes person for then they have a compendious way to treason if they intend it Secondly if they be not entertained in too great numbers but in such refracted degrees that the natives may still have the predominancy for a surfeit of forrein supplies is a disease incurable Thirdly if the Prince who imployeth them hath their wives children and estates in his own hands which will be both a caution and pawn for their fidelity and will also interest their affections more cordially in the cause Lastly if they be of the same religion with them and fight against the enemy of the religion of both for then they are not purely hirelings but parties in part and the cause doth at least mediately concern them I believe that it will scarcely be shown that the Protestants have turned tails and betrayed them they came to assist We may observe the Low-countreys have best thrived by setting this trade of journey-men souldiers on work Let them thank God and the good English for if Francies Duke of Anjou with his Frenchmen had well succeeded no doubt he would have spread his bread with their butter Next them the Venetians have sped best for they have the trick when they find it equally dangerous to cashier their mercenary Generall or to entertain him any longer fairly to kill him as they served Carmignola England hath best thrived without them under Gods protection we stand on our own legs The last I find are an handfull of Almains used against Kett in Norfolk in the dayes of King Edward the sixth And let it be our prayers That as for those hirelings which are to be last tried and least trusted we never have want of their help and never have too much of it Chap. 36. Sanar imploreth the aid of King Almerick A solemn agreement made betwixt them and ratified by the magnificent Caliph SUltan Sanat perceiving himself pressed and overlayed by these Turks who with Syracon their Captain refused to return and of assistants turned invaders borrowed the help of Almerick King of Jerusalem to avoid them out of Egypt Whilest Almerick marched thither an unfortunate battel was fought betwixt Boemund the third of that name Prince of Antioch Reimund Count of Tripoli Calaman Grecian governour of Cilicia and Joceline the third the tiâ—ular Count of Edessa on the one side and Noradine King of the Turks on the other The Turks got the victory and these four Christian Princes were taken prisoners and their army lost so much good bloud that day that cast it into an irrecoverable consumption and hastened the ruine of this Kingdome Noradine following his blow wonne Cesarea-Philippi Neverthelesse Almerick went on effectually in Egypt and for a time expulsed the Turks out of this Land But Syracon would not so quickly quit the countrey but goeth to the Caliph of Babylon who was opposite to him of Egypt each of them claiming as heir to Mahomet the false prophet the soveraignty over all that were of the Saracen law and offereth him his means for the exstirpation of this schismaticall Caliph and the reduction of all Egypt to the subjection of the Babylonian The motion was joyfully entertained and Syracon with a mighty power descendeth into Egypt Sanar affrighted hereat maketh new and larger profers to King Almerick to stop this deluge of his enemies and profereth him a pension of fourty thousand ducates yearly for his behooffull assistance But the King understanding that the Sultan how much soever he took upon him was subject to a higher Lord would make no such bargain with him but with the Caliph himself and therefore sent his Embassadours Hugh Earl of Cesarea and a Knight-Templar along with the Sultan to Caliph Elhadach then resident at Cairo Arriving at his palace they passed through dark passages well guarded with armed Ethiopians Hence they were conducted into goodly open courts of such beauty and riches that they could not retain the gravity of Embassadours but were enforced to admire the rarities they beheld The farther they went the greater the state till at last they were brought to the Caliphs own lodging Where entring the presence the Sultan thrice prostrated himself to the ground before the curtain behind which the Caliph sat Presently the traverse wrought with pearls was opened and the Caliph himself discovered sitting with great majesty on a throne of gold having few of his most inward eunuchs about him The Sultan humbly kissed his masters feet and briefly told him the cause of their coming the danger wherein the land stood the profers he had made to King Almerick desiring him now to ratifie them and in demonstration thereof to give his hand to the Kings Embassadours The Caliph demurred hereat as counting such a gesture a diminution to his State and at no hand would give him his hand bare but gave it in his glove To whom the resolute Earl of Cesarea Sir said he Truth seeketh no holes to hide it self Princes that will hold covenant must deal openly and nakedly give us therefore your bare hand we will make no bargain with your glove He was loth to do it but necessity a more imperious Caliph then himself at this time commanded it and he did it at last dismissing the Christian Embassadours with such gifts as testified his greatnesse According to this agreement King Almerick cordially prosecuted his businesse improving his utmost might to expell Syracon with his Turks out of Egypt whom he bade battel and got the day though he lost all his baggage So that the conquest in a manner was divided the Turks gaining the wealth the Christians the honour of the victory Following his blow he pinned up the Turks afterward in the city of Alexandria and forced them to receive of him conditions of peace and then returned himself with honour to Askelon Chap. 37. Almerick against his promise invadeth Egypt His perjury punished with the future ruine of the Kingdome of Ierusalem His death WHen a Crown is the prize of the game we must never expect fair play of
Heraclius had a worse name then his name the bad report of his vitious life keeping a Vintners wife whom he maintained in all state like an Empresse and owned the children he had by her Her name Pascha de Rivera and she was generally saluted The Patriarchesse His example infected the inferiour clergie whose corruption was a sad presage of the ruine of the realm For when Prelates the Seers when once those eye-strings begin to break the heart-strings hold not long after In his time the Maronites were reconciled to the Romane Church Their main errour was the heresie of the Monothelites touching one onely will and action in Christ. For after that the heresie of Nestorius about two persons in our Saviour was detested in the Eastern Churches some thought not themselves safe enough from the heresie of two persons till they were fallen with the opposite extremity of one nature in Christ violence making men reel from one extreme to another The errour once broched found many embracers As no opinion so monstrous but if it hath had a mother it will get a nurse But now these Maronites renouncing their ten ents received the Catholick faith though soon after when Saladine had conquered their countrey they relapsed to their old errours wherein they continued till the late times of Pope Gregory the thirteenth and Clement the eighth when they again renewed their communion with the Romane Church They live at this day on mount Libanus not exceeding twelve thousand house-holds and pay to the great Turk for every one above twelve years old seventeen sultanines by the year and for every space of ground sixteen span square one sultanine yearly to keep themselves free from the mixture of Mahometanes A sultanine is about seven shillings six pence of our money To return to Heraclius Soon after he was sent Embassadour to Henry the second King of England to crave his personall assistance in the Holy warre delivering unto him the Royall standard with the keyes of our Saviours Sepulchre the tower of David and the city of Jerusalem sent him by King Baldwine King Henry was singled out for this service before other Princes because the world justly reported him valiant wise rich powerfull and fortunate And which was the main hereby he might expiate his murder and gather up again the innocent bloud which he had shed of Thomas Becket Besides Heraclius entituled our Henry to the Kingdome of Jerusalem because Geoffrey Plantagenet his father was sonne some say brother to Fulk the fourth King of Jerusalem But King Henry was too wise to bite at such a bait wherein was onely the husk of title without the kernel of profit Yet he pretended he would go into Palestine and got hereby a masse of money towards his voyage making every one as well Clerk as Lay saving such as went to pay that year the tenth of all their revenues moveables and chattells as well in gold as in silver Of every city in England he chose the richest men as in London two hundred in York an hundred and so in proportion and took the tenth of all their moveables by the estimation of credible men who knew their estates imprisonâ—ing those which refused to pay sub eleemosynae titulo vitium rapacitatis includens saith Walsingham But now when he had filled his purse all expected he should fulfill his promise when all his voyage into Palestine turned into a journey into France Heraclius whilest he stayed in England consecrated the Temple-church in the suburbs of London and the house adjoyning belonging to the Templars since turned to a better use for the students of our municipall Law these new Templars defending one Christian from another as the old ones Christians from Pagans Chap. 40. Saladine fitteth himself with forrein forces The originall and great power of the Mammalukes with their first service IN the minority of King Baldwine who was but thirteen years old Milo de Planci a Noble-man was Protectour of the Realm Whose pride and insolence could not be brooked and therefore he was stabbed at Ptolemais and Reimund Count of Tripoli chosen to succeed him Now Saladine seriously intendeth to set on the Kingdome of Jerusalem and seeketh to furnish himself with souldiers for that service But he perceived that the ancient nation of the Egyptians had lasted so long that now it ran dregs their spirits being as low as the countrey they lived in and they fitter to make merchants and mechanicks then military men For they were bred in such soft imployments that they were presently foundred with any hard labour Wherefore he sent to the Circassians by the lake of Meotis near Taurica Chersonesus and thence bought many slaves of able and active bodies For it was a people born in a hard countrey no fewel for pleasure grew there nor was brought thither and bred harder so that war was almost their nature with custome of continuall skirmishing with the neighbouring Tartars These slaves he trained up in military discipline most of them being Christians once baptized but afterwards untaught Christ they learned Mahomet and so became the worse foes to religion for once being her friends These proved excellent souldiers and speciall horsemen and are called Mammalukes And surely the greatnesse of Saladine and his successours stood not so much on the legs of their native Egyptians as it leaned on the staffe of these strangers Saladine and especially the Turkish Kings after him gave great power and placed much trust in these Mammalukes who lived a long time in ignorance of their own strength till at last they took notice of it and scorning any longer to be factours for another they would set up for themselves and got the sovereignty from the Turkish Kings Thus Princes who make their subjects over-great whet a knife for their own throats And posterity may chance to see the insolent Janizaries give the grand Seignor such a trip on the heel as may tumble him on his back But more largely of these Mammalukes usurping the Kingdome of Egypt God willing in its proper place Thus Saladine having furnished himself with new souldiers went to handsel their valour upon the Christians invaded the Holy land burning all the countrey before him and raging in the bloud of poor Christians till he came and encamped about Askelon Mean time whilest Reimund Count of Tripoli Protectour of the Kingdome with Philip Earl of Flanders the chief strength of the Kingdome were absent in Celosyria wasting the countrey about Emissa and Cesarea young King Baldwine lay close in Askelon not daring to adventure on so strong an enemy With whose fear Saladine encouraged dispersed his army some one way some another to forrage the countrey King Baldwine courted with this opportunity marched out privately not having past four hundred horse with some few footmen and assaulted his secure enemies being six and twenty thousand But victory standeth as little in the number of souldiers as verity in
Egypt to Damascus with much treasure and a little train as sufficiently guarded with the truce yet in force when Reinold of Castile surprised and robbed her Saladine glad of this occasion gathereth all his strength together and besiegeth Ptolemais Now Reimund Earl of Tripoli appeareth in his colours vexed at the losse of the government His great stomach had no room for patience and his passions boyled from a fever to a phrensie so that blinded with anger at King Guy he mistaketh his enemy and will be revenged on God and religion revolting with his Principality a third part of the Kingdome of Jerusalem to Saladine and in his own person under a vizard assisted him in this siege Out of the city marched the Templars and Hospitallers and falling on the Turks killed twenty thousand of them Yet they gave welnigh a valuable consideration for their victory the Master of the Hospitallers being slain and a brave Generall in battel never dieth unattended Saladine hereupon raiseth his siege and Reimund Earl of Tripoli whether out of fear the Christians might prevail or remorse of conscience or discontent not finding that respect he expected of Saladine who had learned that politick maxime To give some honour no trust to a fugitive reconciled himself to King Guy and sorry for his former offence returned to the Christians King Guy hereupon gathering the whole strength of his weak Kingdome to do their last devoir determined to bid Saladine battel though having but fifteen hundred horse and fifteen thousand foot against an hundred and twenty thousand horse and an hundred and sixty thousand foot Nigh Tiberias the battel was fought They closed in the afternoon but night moderating betwixt them both sides drew their stakes till next morning then on afresh The Christians valour poised the number of their enemies till at last the distemper of the weather turned the scales to the Turks side More Christians thirsty within and scalded without were killed with the beams the sunne darted then with the arrows the enemies shot Reinold of Castile was slain with most of the Templars and Hospitallers Gerard Master of the Templars and Boniface Marquesse of Montferrat were taken prisoners and also Guy the King who saw the rest of his servants slain before his eyes onely obtaining of Saladine the life of his schoolmaster Yea in this battel the flower of the Christian chevalrie was cut down and what was most lamented the Crosse saith Matthew Paris which freed men from the captivity of their sinnes was for mens sinnes taken captive Most impute this overthrow to the Earl of Tripoli who that day commanded a great part of the Christian army and is said of some treacherously to have fled away But when a great action miscarrieth the blame must be laid on some and commonly it lighteth on them who formerly have been found false be it right or wrong So impossible is it for him who once hath broken his credit by treason ever to have it perfectly joynted again It increaseth the suspicion because this Earl afterwards found dead in his bed as some say was circumcised Victorious Saladine as he had thrown a good cast played it as well in a moneth conquering Berytus Biblus Ptolemais and all the havens Tyre excepted from Sidon to Askelon He used his conquest with much moderation giving lives and goods to all and forcing no Christians to depart their cities save onely the Latines This his gentlenesse proceeded from policy well knowing that if the Christians could not buy their lives cheap they would sell them dear and fight it out to the uttermost Askelon was stout and would not surrender Wherefore Saladine loth with the hazard of so long a siege to check his fortune in the full speed left it and went to Jerusalem as to a place of lesse difficulty and more honour to conquer Chap. 46. Ierusalem wonne by the Turks with wofull remarkables thereat BEfore the beginning of the siege the * sunne as sympathizing with the Christians woes was eclipsed A sad presage of the losse of Jerusalem For though those within the city valiantly defended it for a fortnight yet they saw it was but the playing out of a desperate game which must be lost Their foes near their friends farre off and those willing to pity unable to help Why then should they prolong languishing where they could not preserve life Concluding to lavish no more valour they yielded up the city on condition all their lives might be redeemed a man for ten a woman for five a child for one besant and fourteen thousand poor people not able to pay their ransome were kept in perpetuall bondage All Latines were cast out of the city but those of the Greek religion were permitted to stay therein Onely Saladine to two Frenchmen gave liberty to abide there and maintenance to live on in reverence to their age the one Robert of Corbie a souldier to Godfrey of Bouillon when he wanne this city the other Fulk Fiole the first child born in the city after the Christians had conquered it Saladine possessed of Jerusalem turned the churches into stables sparing onely that of the Sepulchre for a great summe of money Solomons Temple he converted to a Mosque sprinkling it all over with rose-water as if he would wash it from profanenesse whilest he profaned it with his washing Thus Jerusalem after it had fourscore and eight years been enjoyed by the Christians by Gods just judgement was taken again by the Turks What else could be expected Sinne reigned in every corner there was scarce one honest woman in the whole city of Jerusalem Heraclius the Patriarch with the Clergy was desperately vitious and no wonder if iron rust when gold doth and if the Laity followed their bad example This dolefull news brought into Europe filled all with sighs and sorrows Pope Urbane the third as another Eli at the Arks captivity died for grief The Cardinals lamented out of measure vowing such reformation of manners Never more to take bribes Never more to live so vitiously yea Never to ride on an horse so long as the Holy land was under the feet of the Turks But this their passion spent it self with its own violence and these marriners vows ended with the tempest In this generall grief of Christendome there was one woman found to rejoyce and she a German Prophetesse called S. Christian a virgin Who as she had foretold the day of the defeat so on the same she 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 dyed for him who suffered for them But for the truth both of the doctrine and history hereof none need burden their belief farther then they please We will conclude all with Roger Hovedens witty descant on the time
branded with rashnesse and cruelty as the murderer of many Christians For Saladine in revenge put as many of our captives to death On the other side the moderation of the French King was much commended who reserving his prisoners alive exchanged them to ransome so many Christians Chap. 9. The unseasonable return of the King of France MEan time the Christians were rent asunder with faction Philip the French King Odo Duke of Burgundy Leopold Duke of Austria most of the Dutch all the Genoans and Templars siding with King Conrade King Richard Henry Count of Champaigne the Hospitallers Venetians and Pisans taking part with King Guy But King Conrades side was much weakened with the sudden departure of the French King who eighteen dayes after the taking of Ptolemais returned home pretending want of necessaries indisposition of body distemper of the climate though the greatest distemper was in his own passions The true cause of his departure was partly envie because the sound of King Richards fame was of so deep a note that it drowned his partly covetousnesse to seize on the dominions of the Earl of Flanders lately dead Flanders lying fitly to make a stable for the fair palace of France If it be true what some report that Saladine bribed him to return let him for ever forfeit the surname of Augustus and the style of the most Christian Prince His own souldiers disswaded him from returning beseeching him not to stop in so glorious a race wherein he was newly started Saladine was already on his knees and would probably be brought on his face if pursued If he played the unthrift with this golden occasion let him not hope for another to play the good husband with If poverty forced his departure King Richard profered him the half of all his provisions All would not do Philip persisted in his old plea How the life of him absent would be more advantagious to the cause then the death of him present and by importunity got leave to depart solemnly swearing not to molest the King of Englands dominions Thus the King of France returned in person but remained still behind in his instructions which he left with his army to the Duke of Burgundy to whom he prescribed both his path and his pace where and how he should go And that Duke moved slowly having no desire to advance the work where King Richard would carry all the honour For in those actions wherein severall undertakers are compounded together commonly the first figure for matter of credit maketh ciphres of all the rest As for King Philip being returned home such was the itch of his ambition he must be fingering of the King of Englands territories though his hands were bound by oath to the contrary Chap. 10. Conrade King of Ierusalem slain Guy exchangeth his Kingdome for the Island of Cyprus ABout the time of the King of France his departure Conrade King of Jerusalem was murdered in the market-place of Tyre and his death is variously reported Some charged our King Richard for procuring it And though the beams of his innocency cleared his own heart yet could they not dispell the clouds of suspicions from other mens eyes Some say Humphred Prince of Thoron killed him for taking Isabella his wife away from him But the generall voice giveth it out that two Assasines stabbed him whose quarrell to him was onely this That he was a Christian. These murderers being instantly put to death gloried in the meritoriousnesse of their suffering and surely were it the punishment not the cause made martyrdome we should be best stored with Confessours from gaols and Martyrs from the gallows Conrade reigned five years and left one daughter Maria Iole on whom the Knight-Templars bestowed princely education and this may serve for his Epitaph The Crown I never did enjoy alone Of half a Kingdome I was half a King Scarce was I on when I was off the throne Slain by two slaves me basely murdering And thus the best mans life at mercy lies Of vilest varlets that their own despise His faction survived after his death affronting Guy the antient King and striving to depose him They pleaded that the Crown was tyed on Guy's head with a womans fillet which being broken by the death of his wife Queen Sibyll who deceased of the plague with her children at the siege of Ptolemais he had no longer right to the Kingdome they objected he was a worthlesse man and unfortunate On the other side it was alledged for him that to measure a mans worth by his successe is a â—quare often false alwayes uncertain Besides the courtesie of the world would allow him this favour That a King should be semel semper once and ever Whilest Guy stood on these ticklish terms King Richard made a seasonable motion which well relished to the palate of this hungry Prince To exchange his Kingdome of Jerusalem for the Island of Cyprus which he had redeemed from the Templars to whom he had pawned it And this was done accordingly to the content of both sides And King Richard with some of his succeeding English Kings wore the title of Jerusalem in their style for many years after We then dismisse King Guy hearing him thus taking his farewell I steer'd a state warre-tost against my will Blame then the storm not th' Pilots want of skill That I the Kingdome lost whose empty style I sold to Englands King for Cyprus Isle I pass'd away the land I could not hold Good ground I bought but onely air I sold. Then as a happy Merchant may I sing Though I must sigh as an unhappy King Soon after Guy made a second change of this world for another But the family of the Lusignans have enjoyed Cyprus some hundred years and since by some transactions it fell to the state of Venice and lately by conquest to the Turks Chap. 11. Henry of Champaigne chosen King The noble atchievements and victories of King Richard COnrade being killed and Guy gone away Henry Earl of Champaigne was chosen King of Jerusalem by the especiall procuring of King Richard his uncle To corroborate his election by some right of succession he married Isabella the widow of King Conrade and daughter to Almerick King of Jerusalem A Prince as writers report having a sufficient stock of valour in himself but little happy in expressing it whether for want of opportunity or shortnesse of his reign being most spent in a truce He more pleased himself in the style of Prince of Tyre then King of Jerusalem as counting it more honour to be Prince of what he had then King of what he had not And now the Christians began every where to build The Templars fortified Gaza King Richard repaired and walled Ptolemais Porphyria Joppa and Askelon But alas this short prosperity like an Autumne-spring came too late and was gone too soon to bring any fruit to maturity It was now determined they should march towards
as the marrer of their mart Damiata being formerly their most gainfull port but now their hony was spoiled by destroying their hive for the Sultan seing the city taken twice of the Christians in short time to prevent further dispute about it took away the subject of the question and rased it to the ground The Pope forsook him And though many intreated his Holinesse not to prosecute the Emperour Frederick any further from whom Lewis expected all the beams of his comfort yet he would hear of no submission from him but sought finally to ruine him Onely Blanch King Lewis his mother was carefull for her sonne and laboured his cause day and night But alas her armes were too short to bring all ends together And having gathered a considerable summe of money and shipped it for Palestine a tempest in a moment cast that away which her care and thrift was many moneths in getting All this he bore with a soul not benummed with Stoicall senslessenesse but becalmed with Christian patience a second Job so that what pleased God pleased him It somewhat mitigated his misery that he had the company of his consort Margaret a woman worthy so good a husband Here she bore him a child which because another Benoni or sonne of sorrow was called Tristram But that name is more ancient nor had it its birth from the christening of this child Foure yeares King Lewis lived not to say loitered in Syria daily expecting in vain that some Prince of Europe should fetch him off with honour being loth to return till he could carry home his credit with him And though he was out of his Kingdome yet was he in his Kingdome whilest surveying there the sacred monuments wherewith he was so highly affected Chap. 19. The Common-wealth of the Mammalukes described presenting us with many unexampled remarkables NOw more largely of Tarqueminus and his killing Melechsala and of the common-wealth of the Mammalukes begun by him And because great is the merit of this story as very memorable we will fetch it from its first originall Saladine as is touched before was the first of the Turkish Kings who began the gainfull trade of the Mammalukes These were Christian captives brought out of Taurica Cherâ—onesus and instructed as in Mahometanisme so in all military discipline Saladine disposing them in martiall nurseries and continuing a constant succession of them one under another It is above belief how much and speedily they were improved in warlike exercises Art doubled their strength by teaching them to use it And though they came rough out of their own countrey they were quickly hewen and polished by education yea their apprehensions prevented the precepts and their practise surpassed the presidents of those that instructed them As it is observed in fruits and flowers that they are much bettered by change to a fitter soil so were these people by altering their climate the cold countrey wherein they were bred gave them big and robustious bodies and the hot climate whereinto they were transplanted ripened their wits and bestowed upon them craft and activity the dowrie of the Southern countreys They attained to be expert in any service especially they were excellent horsemen and at last they began to ride on the backs and necks of the Turkish Kings themselves True it is Saladine kept his distance over them used them kindly yet made them not wantons and so poised these Mammalukes with his native Egyptians that in all actions he still reserved the casting voice for himself But Meladine and Melechsala his successours entertained them without number and instructed them beyond reason so that under them in a manner they monopolized all places of strength and command till at last the stemme of these mercenary souldiers being too great for the stock of the natives the Turkish Kingdome in Egypt like a top-heavy tree became a windfall Indeed the dastardnesse of the Egyptians made these Mammalukes more daring and insolent For the Egyptians more loved profit then honour and wealth then greatnesse and though contented to abide labour would in no wise undergo danger Merchandise they where wholly imployed in and it seemed they used trading so long till at last they made sale of their own spirits Yea one could not now know Egypt to be Egypt but onely by the overflowing of Nilus not by any remaining ancient marks of valour in the peoples disposition Thus the genius of old Kingdomes in time groweth weaker and doteth at the last But to come to Tarqueminus He being one of these Mammalukes and perceiving how easie it was for those that did support to supplant the Turkish Kings with another of his associates slew Melechsala as it was said And because it was unfitting so great a Prince should go to the grave alone he also sent his children and intimate friends thither to attend him Tarqueminus afterwards procured of his society to be chosen King of Egypt He was the Solon or Lycurgus of this slavish common-wealth and by the consent of the rest of his company he enacted many laws Whereof these were those of the Grand Charter which admitted of no revocation First That the Sultan or chief of this servile Empire should be chosen alwayes out of the Mammalukes Secondly That none should be admitted to the Order of the Mammalukes which were either Jews or Turks by birth but onely such as being born Christians were afterwards taken captives and then from the time of their slavery had been instructed in the Mahometane religion Thirdly That though the sonnes of the Mammalukes might enjoy their fathers lands and wealth yet they might not take upon them the name or honour of a Mammaluke Fourthly That the native Egyptians should be permitted no use of weapons but onely such as with which they fought against weeds to till and manure the land In surveying this State we can turn no way but must meet with wonders First one would think that there was such an indelible character of slavery in these captives and such a laesum principium in them that none of them ever should make a good Prince as knowing no more how to sway a scepter then a pure clown to manage a sword or else that they should over-state it turn tyrants and onely exchange their slavery by becoming vassals to their own passions Yet many of them in their kinds were worthy Princes for government no whit inferiour to those which are advantaged with royall birth and breeding Secondly it is a wonder they should be so neglective of their own children How many make an idol of their posterity and sacrifice themselves unto it stripping themselves out of necessaries to provide their heirs a wardrobe yea it is a principle in most moderate minds to advance their posterity thinking hereby in a manner they overcome death and immortalize their memories in leaving their names and honours to their children Whereas the contrary appeared in these Mammalukes Thirdly it is admirable that they fell
the cure for their private profit and this Holy warre being the trade whereby they got their gains they lengthened it out to the utmost So that their Treacherie may passe for the eighth impediment Baronius concludeth this one principall cause of the Christians ill successe That the Kings of Jerusalem took away that citie from the Patriarchs thereof herein committing sacriledge a sinne so hainous that malice it self cannot wish an enemy guilty of a worse But whether or no this was sacriledge we referre the reader to what hath been largely discussed before And here I could wish to be an auditour at the learned and unpartiall arguing of this question Whether over-great donations to the Church may not afterwards be revoked On the one side it would be pleaded who should be judge of the over-greatnesse seeing too many are so narrow-hearted to the Church they count any thing too large for it yea some would cut off the flesh of the Churches necessary maintenance under pretense to cure her of a tympanie of superfluities Besides it would be alledged What once hath been bestowed on pious uses must ever remain thereto To give a thing and take a thing is a play too childish for children much lesse must God be mocked therewith in resuming what hath been conferred upon him It would be argued on the other side That when Kings do perceive the Church readie to devoure the Commonwealth by vast and unlimited donations unto it and Clergie-men grown to suspicious greatnesse armed with hurtfull and dangerous priviledges derogatorie to the royaltie of Princes then then it is high time for Princes to pare their overgrown greatnesse But this high pitch wee leave to stronger wings Sure I am in another kinde this Holy warre was guiltie of sacriledge and for which it thrived no whit the better in that the Pope exempted six and twentie thousand manours in Europe belonging to the Templars and Hospitallers from paying any tithes to the Priest of the parish so that many a minister in England smarteth at this day for the Holy warre And if this be not sacriledge to take away the dowrie of the Church without assuring her any joynture in lieu of it I report my self to any that have not the pearl of prejudice in the eye of their judgement Chap. 18. Three grand faults in the Kingdome of Ierusalem hindring the strength and puissance thereof COme we now to survey the Kingdome of Jerusalem in it self We will take it in its verticall point in the beginning of Bald wine the third when grown to the best strength and beautie yet even then had it some faults whereby it was impossible ever long to subsist 1. It lay farre from any true friend On the West it was bounded with the mid-land-sea but on all other sides it was environed with an Ocean of foes and was a countrey continually besieged with enemies One being to sell his house amongst other commendations thereof proclaimed That his house had a very good neighbour a thing indeed considerable in the purchase and might advance the sale thereof a yeares value Sure I am the Kingdome of Jerusalem had no such conveniencie having bad neighbours round about Cyprus indeed their friend lay within a dayes sail but alas the Kings thereof had their hands full to defend themselves and could scarce spare a finger to help any other 2. The Kingdome was farre extended but not well compacted all the bodie thereof ran out in arms and legs Besides that ground inhabited formerly by the twelve tribes and properly called the Holy land the Kingdome of Jerusalem ranged Northward over all Coelosyria and Cilicia in the lesser Asia North-eastward it roved over the Principalities of Antioch and Edessa even unto Carrae beyond Euphrates Eastward it possessed farre beyond Jordan the strong fort of Cracci with a great part of Arabia Petrea Southward it stretched to the entrance of Egypt But as he is a strong man whose joynts are well set and knit together not whom nature hath spunne out all in length and never thickened him so it is the united and well compacted Kingdome entire in it self which is strong not that which reacheth and strideth the farthest For in the midst of the Kingdome of Jerusalem lay the Kingdome of Damascus like a canker feeding on the breast thereof and clean through the Holy land though the Christians had many cities sprinkled here and there the Turks in other strong holds continued mingled amongst them 3. Lastly what we have touched once before some subjects to the Kings of Jerusalem namely the Princes of Antioch Edessa and Tripoli had too large and absolute power and authoritie They would do whatsoever the King would command them if they thought good themselves Now subjects should be Adjectives not able to stand without much lesse against their Prince or they will make but bad construction otherwise These three hindrances in the Kingdome of Jerusalem added to the nine former will complete a Jurie Now if any one chance to censure one or two of them let him not triumph therein for we produce not these impediments severally but joyntly not to fight single duells but all in an armie Non noceant quamvis singula juncta nocent Chap. 19. What is to be conceived of the incredible numerousnesse of many armies mentioned in this storie FRequent mention hath been made through this Holy warre of many armies aswell Christian as Turkish whose number of souldiers swell very great so as it will not be amisse once for all to discusse the point concerning the numerousnesse of armies anciently And herein we branch our opinion into these severals 1. Asian armies are generally observed greater then those of Europe There it is but a sucking and infant company to have ten thousand yea under fiftie thousand no number The reason of their multitude is not that Asia is more populous but more spatious then Europe Christendome is enclosed into many small Kingdomes and free States which severally can send forth no vast numbers and seldome agree so well as to make a joynt collection of their forces Asia lieth in common in large countreys and many of them united under one head Besides it is probable especially in ancient times as may be proved out of Scripture that those Eastern countreys often spend their whole stock of men and imploy all their arms-bearing people in their martiall service not picking or culling them out as we in Europe use to do 2. Modern armies are farre lesse then those in former ages The warre genius of the world is altered now-a-dayes and supplieth number with policie the foxes skinne pieceth out the lions hide Especially armies have been printed in a smaller letter since guns came up One well-mounted cannon will spare the presence and play the part of a whole band in a battel 3. Armies both of Europe and chiefly in Asia as farther off are reported farre greater then truth Even as many old men use to set the clock of their age
entertainment to Pilgrimes as to Duke Godfrey and Frederick Barbarossa with all their souldiers as they travelled through it Had the Kings of Hungarie had the same principle of basenesse in their souls as the Emperours of Grecia they had had the same cause of jealousie against the Christians that passed this way yet they used them most kindly and disdained all dishonourable suspicioâ—s True it is at the first voyage King Coloman not out of crueltie but carefulnesse and necessary securitie did use his sword against some unruly and disorderly Pilgrimes but none were there abused which first abused not themselves But what-ever Hungarie was in that age it is at this day Christendomes best land bulwark against the Turks Where this prettie custome is used That the men wear so many feathers as they have killed Turks which if observed elsewhere either feathers would be lesse or valour more in fashion Poland could not stirre in this warre as lying constant perdue of Christendome against the Tartarian yet we find Boleslaus Crispus Duke or King thereof waiting on shall I say or accompanying Conrade the Emperour in his voyage to Palestine and having defraid all his and his armies costs and charges towards Constantinople he returned home as not to be spared in his own Countrey But if by King Davids statute the keepers of the baggage are to be sharers in the spoil with the fighters of the battel then surely Poland and such other countreys may entitle themselves to the honour of the warre in Palestine which in the mean time kept home had an eye to the main chance and defended Europe against forrein invaders Norway in that age the sprucest of the three Kingdomes of Scandia and best tricked up with shipping though at this day the case is altered with her and she turned from taking to paying of tribute sent her fleet of tall souldiers to Syria who like good fellows asked nothing for their work but their victuals and valiantly wonne the city of Sidon for the King of Jerusalem And it is considerable that Syria but a step or stride from Italie was a long race from Norway so that their Pilgrimes went not only into another countrey but into another world Denmark was also partner in the foresaid service Also afterwards Ericus her King though he went not quite through to the Holy land yet behaved himself bravely in Spain and there assisted the winning of Lisbon from the Infidels His successour Canutus anno 1189 had provided his navie but was prevented by death his ships neverthelesse came to Syria Of Sweden in this grand-jurie of nations I heare no Vous avez but her default of appearance hath been excused before Chap. 23. Of the Scottish Welsh and Irish their severall adventures THere remain behind the Scottish Welsh and Irish. It may occasion suspicion that these nations either did neglect or are neglected in this Holy warre because clean through this Historie there is no mention of them or their atchievements True it is these countreys can boast of no King of their own sent to Syria nor of any great appearing service by them alone performed It seemeth then they did not so 〈◊〉 much play the game themselves as bet on the hands of others and haply the Scottish service is accounted to the French the Welsh and Irish to the English That Scotland was no ciphre in this warre plainly appeareth 1. In that David Earl of Huntington and younger brother to William the Elder King of Scotland went along with our Richard the first no doubt suitably attended with souldiers This David was by a tempest cast into Egypt taken captive by the Turks bought by a Venetian brought to Constantinople there known and redeemed by an English merchant and at last safely arrived at Alectum in Scotland which Alectum he in memorie and gratitude of his return called Dundee or Dei donum Gods gift 2. By the plentifull provision which there was made for the Templars and Hospitallers Who here enjoyed great priviledges this amongst many others Take the Scottish law in its pure naturals That the Master of the Knicts of the Temple and chief Priors of the Hospitall of Jerusalem wha were keepers of strangers to the Haly grave sould be receaved themselves personally in any suit without entertaining a procuratour for them Nor must we here forget a Saint Willam a Scot of Perth by birth by trade a baker in charitie so abundant that he gave his tenth loaf to the poore in zeal so fervent that he vowed to visit the Holy land But in his journey as he passed through Kent he was slain by his servant buried at Rochester afterwards Sainted and shewed many miracles Neither may we think whilest all other nations were at this Martiall school that Wales the while truanted at home The Welsh saith my Authour left their forrests and now with them no sport to the hunting of Turks especially after that Wizo and Walter his sonne had founded the fair Commandrie for Hospitallers at Slebach in Pembroke-shire and endowed it with rich revenues Ireland also putteth in for her portion of honour in this service Indeed for the first fourescore yeares in the Holy warre Ireland did little there or in any other Countrey It was divided into many pettie Kingdomes so that her peoples valour had no progressive motion in length to make any impression in forrein parts but onely moving round in a circle at home their pettie Reguli spending themselves against themselves till our Henry the second conquered them all After which time the Irish began to look abroad into Palestine witnesse many houses for Templars and the stately Priorie of Kilmainam nigh Dublin for Hospitallers the last Lord Prior whereof at the dissolution was Sir John Rawson Yea we may well think that all the consort of Christendome in this warre could have made no musick if the Irish harp had been wanting Chap. 24. Of the honourable Arms in scutcheons of Nobilitie occasioned by their service in the Holy warre NOw for a corollarie to this storie if we survey the scutcheons of the Christian Princes and Nobilitie at this day we shall find the Arms of divers of them pointing at the atchievements of their predecessours in the Holy warre Thus the Dukes of Austria bear Gules a Fesse Argent in memory of the valour of Leopoldus at the siege of Ptolemais whereof before The Duke of Savoy beareth Gules a Crosse Argent being the Crosse of S. John of Jerusalem because his predecessours were speciall benefactours to that Order and assisted them in defending of Rhodes Queens Colledge in Cambridge to which I ow my education for my first seven yeares in that Universitie giveth for parcel of her Arms amongst many other rich Coats the Crosse of Jerusalem as being founded by Queen Margaret wife to King Henry the sixth and daughter of Renate Earl of Angiers and titular King of Sicilie and Jerusalem The noble
in the Turks but superlatively abundant in the Christians till night made them leave off Next morning mercy was proclaimed to all those that would lay down their weapons For though bloud be the best sauce for victory yet must it not be more then the meat Thus was Jerusalem wonne by the Christians and twenty thousand Turks therein slain on the fifteenth of July being Friday about three of the clock in the afternoon Tyrius findeth a great mystery in the time because Adam was created on a Friday and on the same day and hour our Saviour suffered But these Synchronismes as when they are naturall they are pretty and pleasing so when violently wrested nothing more poor and ridiculous Then many Christians who all this while had lived in Jerusalem in most lamentable slavery 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 necessary piece of severity for their defence to put all the Turks in Jerusalem to death which was accordingly performed without favour to age or sex The pretence was for fear of treason in them if the Emperour of Persia should besiege the city 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 extemporary passion but a studied and premeditated act and that against pardon proclaimed many of them having compounded and paid for their lives and liberty 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 Severity hot in the fourth degree is little better then poyson and becometh cruelty it self and this act seemeth to be of the same nature The end of the first Book The History of the HOLY VVARRE Book II. Chap. 1. Robert the Normane refuseth the Kingdome of Ierusalem Godfrey of Bouillon chosen King his parentage education and virtues EIght 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 son 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 new Cathedrall Church of Glocester under a wooden 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 virtue 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 Eustace Duke of Bouillon and Ida his wife daughter and heir to Godfrey Duke of Lorrein born saith Tyrius at Bologne a town in Champaigne on the English sea which he mistaketh for Bouillon up higher in the continent near the countrey of Lutzenburg Such slips are incident to the penns 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 duels are the first that surfet of them Notwithstanding he yielded 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 ensign 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 virtues 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 spurs of a souldier yet Godfrey without those spurs rode on most triumphantly Chap. 2. The establishing of Ecclesiasticall affairs and Patriarchs in Antioch and Ierusalem the numerosity of Palestine-Bishops BUt now let us leave the Helmets and look on the Mitres and consider the ordering of Ecclesiasticall affairs For the Common-wealth is a Ring the Church the Diamond both well set together receive and return lustre each to other As soon as Antioch was taken one Bernard a reverend Prelate was made Patriarch there with generall consent But more stirre was there about that place in Jerusalem For first Arnulphus a worthlesse and vitious man was by popular faction lifted up
all other people most to worship the sunne setting Chap. 6. Godfreys death and buriall AUthours differ on the death of this noble King some making him to die of that long-wasting sicknesse others of the plague It may be the plague took him out of the hands of that lingring disease and quickly cut off what that had been long in fretting He died July 18. having reigned one yeare wanting five dayes A Prince valiant pious bountifull to the Church for besides what he gave to the Patriarch he founded Canons in the temple of the Sepulchre and a monastery in the vale of Jehoshaphat We would say his death was very unseasonable leaving the orphane State not onely in its minority but its infancy but that that fruit which to mans apprehension is blown down green and untimely is gathered full-ripe in Gods providence He was buried in the temple of the Sepulchre where his tombe is inviolated at this day whether out of a religion the Turks bear to the place or out of honour to his memory or out of a valiant scorn to fight against dead bones or perchance the Turks are minded as John King of England was who being wished by a Courtier to untombe the bones of one who whilest he was living had been his great enemy Oh no said King John would all mine enemies were as honourably buried Chap. 7. Baldwine chosen King He keepeth Ierusalem in despite of the Patriarch GOdfrey being dead the Christians with a joynt consent dispatched an embassie to Baldwine his Brother Count of Edessa a city in Arabia the lord whereof had adopted this Baldwine to be his heir entreated him to accept of the Kingdome which honourable offer he courteously embraced A Prince whose body Nature cut of the largest size being like Saul higher by the head then his subjects And though the Goths had a law alwayes to choose a short thick man for their King yet surely a goodly stature is most majesticall His hair and beard brown face fair with an eagles nose which in the Persian Kings was anciently observed as a mark of magnanimity Bred he was a scholar entred into Orders and was Prebendary in the churches of Rhemes Liege and Cambray but afterwards turned secular Prince as our Athelwulphus who exchanged the mitre of Winchester for the crown of England Yet Bald wine put not off his scholarship with his habit but made good use thereof in his reign For though bookishnesse may unactive yet learning doth accomplish a Prince and maketh him sway his sceptre the steadier He was properly the first King of Jerusalem his brother Godfrey never accounted more then a Duke and was crowned on Christmas-day The reason that made him assume the name of a King was thereby to strike the greater terrour into the Pagans Thus our Kings of England from the dayes of King John were styled but Lords of Ireland till Henry the 8. first entituled himself King because Lord was sleighted by the seditious rebells As for that religious scruple which Godfrey made to wear a crown of gold where Christ wore one of thorns Baldwine easily dispensed therewith And surely in these things the mind is all A crown might be refused with pride and worn with humility But before his Coronation there was a tough bickering about the city of Jerusalem Dabert the Patriarch on the death of Godfrey devoured Jerusalem and the tower of David in his hope but coming to take possession found the place too hot for him For Garnier Earl of Gretz in the behalf of King Baldwine who was not yet returned from Edessa manned it against him But so it happened that this valiant Earl died three dayes after which by Dabert was counted a just judgement of God upon him for his sacriledge Now though it be piety to impute all events to Gods hand yet to say that this mans death was for such a sinne sheweth too much presumption towards God and too little charity towards our neighbour Indeed if sudden death had singled out this Earl alone it had somewhat favoured their censure but there was then a generall mortality in the city which swept away â— thousands and which is most materiall what this Patriarch interpreted sacriledge others accounted loyalty to his Sovereign As for that donation of the city of Jerusalem and tower of David which Godfrey gave to the Patriarch some thought that this gift overthrew it self with its own greatnesse being so immoderately large others supposed it was but a personall act of Godfrey and therefore died with the giver as conceiving his successours not obliged to perform it because it was unreasonable that a Prince should in such sort fetter and restrain those which should come after him Sure it is that Baldwine having both the stronger sword and possession of the citie kept it perforce whilest the Patriarch took that leave which is allowed to loosers to talk chafe and complain sending his bemoaning letters to Boemund Prince of Antioch inviting him to take arms and by violence to recover the Churches right but from him received the uselesse assistance of his pity and that was all Chap. 8. The Church-story during this Kings reigne A chain of successive Patriarchs Dabert Ebremare Gibelline and Arnulphus Their severall characters AFterwards this breach betwixt the King and Patriarch was made up by the mediation of some friends but the skinne onely was drawn over not dead flesh drawn out of the wound and Arnulphus whom we mentioned before discontented for his losse of the Patriarchs place still kept the sore raw betwixt them At last Dabertus the Patriarch was fain to flee to Antioch where he had plentifull maintenance allowed him by Bernard Patriarch of that See But he was too high in the instep to wear another mans shoes and conceived himself to be but in a charitable prison whilest he lived on anothers benevolence Wherefore hence he hasted to Rome complained to the Pope and received from his Holinesse a command to King Baldwine to be reestablished in the Patriarchs place but returning home died by the way at Messana in Sicily being accounted seven years Patriarch four at home and three in banishment Whilest Dabert was thrust out one Ebremarus was made Patriarch against his will by King Baldwine An holy and devout man but he had more of the dove then the serpent and was none of the deepest reach He hearing that he was complained of to the Pope for his irregular election posted to Rome to excuse himself shewing he was chosen against his will and though preferment may not be snatched it needs not be thrust away But all would not do It was enough to put him out because the King put him in Wherefore he was commanded to return home and to wait the definitive sentence which Gibellinus Archbishop of Arles and the Popes Legate should pronounce in the matter Gibellinus coming to Jerusalem concluded the election
mastiffdogs fight together and that which side soever lost yet he himself would be a gainer But when they had passed Grecia and had crossed the Bosporus otherwise called The arm of S. George entring into the dominion of the Turks they were for thirty dayes exposed a mark to their arrows And though this great multitude was never stabbed with any mortall defeat in a set battel yet they consumed away by degrees the cowardly Turks striking them when their hands were pinnioned up in the straits of unknown passages The Generalls bestrewed the countrey about with their corpses Great Hugh of France was buried at Tarsus in Cilicia Duke Guelpho at Paphos in Cyprus Diemo the Archbishop of Salâ—zburg saw his own heart cut out and was martyred by the Turks at Chorazin And God saith my Authour manifested by the event that the warre was not pleasing unto him Chap. 10. Antipatris and Cesarea wonne by the Christians The variety of King Baldwines successe MEan time King Baldwine was imployed with better successe in Palestine for hitherto Joppa was the onely port the Christians had but now by the assistance of the Genoan fleet who for their pains were to have a third part of the spoil and a whole street to themselves of every city they took Baldwine wonne most considerable havens along the mid-land-sea He began with Antipatris to ransome the Christian honour which was morgaged here because Godfrey was driven away from hence And no wonder having no shipping whereas that Army which takes a strong harbour otter-like must swim at sea as well as go on ground Next he took Cesarea-Stratonis built and so named in the honour of Cesar Augustus by Herod the great who so politickly poised himself that he sate upright whilest the wheel of Fortune turned round under him Let Antony winne let Augustus winne all one to him by contrary winds he sailed to his own ends Cesarea taken Baldwine at Rhamula put the Turks to a great overthrow But see the chance of warre Few dayes after at the same place he received a great defeat by the Infidels wherein besides many others the two Stephens Earls of Burgundy and Blois were slain This was the first great overthrow the Christians suffered in Palestine and needs must blows be grievous to them who were not used to be beaten The King was reported slain but fame deserved to be pardoned for so good a lie which for the present much disheartned the Christians a great part of the souldiers courage being wrapped up in the life of the Generall Baronius as bold as any Bethshemite to pry into the ark of Gods secrets saith This was a just punishment on Baldwine for detaining the Churches goods But to leave hidden things to God the apparent cause of his overthrow was his own rashnesse being desirous to ingrosse all the credit alone without sending for succours and supplies from his neighbours He assaluted his numerous enemies with an handfull of men and so brake himself with covetousnesse to purchase more honour then he could pay for And herein he discovered his want of judgement being indeed like an arrow well-feathered but with a blunt pile he flew swift but did not sink deep Thus his credit lay bleeding but he quickly stanched it The Pagans little suspecting to be re-incountred gave themselves over to mirth and jollity as security oftentimes maketh the sword to fall out of their hands from whom no force could wrest it when Baldwine coming on them with fresh souldiers strook them with the backblows of an unexpected enemy which alwayes pierce the deepest routed them and put them to the flight This his victory followed so suddenly after his overthrow that some mention not the overthrow at all but the victory onely as that good horseman is scarce perceived to be thrown that quickly recovereth the saddle Chap. 11. The conquest of sundry fair havens by the Christians Ptolemais c. VVHilest the King was thus busied in battel Tancred Prince of Galilee was not idle but enlarged the Christian dominions with the taking of Apamea and Laodicea These cities in Coelosyria were built by Antiochus and they agreed so well together that they were called sisters and as in concord so in condition they went hand in hand being now both conquered together Ptolemais next stooped to the Christian yoke so named from Ptolemeus Philometor King of Egypt a city on the Mediterranean of a triangular form having two sides washed with the sea the third regarding the champion The Genoan galleys being 70 in number did the main service in conquering and had granted them for their reward large profits from the harbour a church to themselves and jurisdiction over a fourth part of the city This Ptolemais was afterwards the very seat of the Holy warre Let me mind the Reader of a Latine proverb Lis Ptolemaica that is A long and constant strife so called from Ptolemais a froward old woman who was never out of wrangling But may not the proverb as well be verified of this citie in which there was ninescore years fighting against the Turks With worse successe did Baldwine Count of Edessa and Earl Joceline besiege Charran in Mesopotamia for when it was ready to be surrendred the Christian Captains fell out amongst themselves were defeated by the Pagans and the two forenamed Earls taken prisoners This Charran is famous for Abrahams living and his father Terahs dying there And in the same place rich Crassus the Romane vomited up the sacrilegious goods he had devoured of the temple of Jerusalem and had his army overthrown Nor here may we overpasse how Boemund Prince of Antioch with a great navie spoiled the harbours of Grecia to be revenged of treacherous Alexius the Emperour Voluntaries for this service he had enough all desiring to have a lash at the dog in the manger and every mans hand itching to throw a cudgel at him who like a nut-tree must be manured by beating or else would never bear fruit yet on some conditions an agreement at last was made betwixt them To return to Palestine The next city that felt the victorious arms of the Christians was Byblus a good haven and built by Heveus the sixth sonne of Canaan Here Adonis was anciently worshipped whose untimely death by a bore Venus so much bemoned And the fable is moralized when Lust lamenteth the losse of Beauty consumed by age Nor did Tripoli hold out long after so called because joyntly built by the Tyrians Sidonians and Aradites And Berytus since Barutus accompanied her neighbour and both of them were yielded 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 four 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 schoolmistress of Grecia and first taught her her alphabet For Cadmus a Phenician born first invented and brought letters to Thebes Sidon had her name from the eldest sonne of Canaan and was famous for the finest crystall-glasses which here were made The glassie sand was fetched 40 miles off from the river Belus but it could not be made fusile till it was brought hither whether for want of tools or from some secret sullen humour therein we will not dispute This city anciently was of great renown but her fortune being as brittle as her glasses she was fain to find neck for every one of the Monarchs yokes and now at last by the assistance of the Danish and Norvegian fleet was subdued by the Christians Fleshed with this conquest they next besieged Tyre Sea and land nature and art consented together to make this city strong for it was seated in an island save that it was tacked to the continent with a small neck of land which was fortified with many walls and towers It is questionable whether the strength or wealth of this city was greater but out of question that the pride was greater then either Here the best purples were died a colour even from the beginning destined to Courts and Magistracy and here the richest clothes were embroidered and curiously wrought And though generally those who are best with their fingers are worst with their arms yet the Tyrians were also stout men able mariners and the planters of the noblest colonies in the world As their city was the daughter of Sidon so was it mother to Romes rivall Carthage Leptis Utica Cadiz and Nola. The most plentifull proof they gave of their valour was when for three years they defended themselves against Nebuchadnezzar and afterwards stopped the full career of Alexanders conquests so that his victorious army which did flie into other countreys was glad to creep into this city Yet after seven moneths siege such is the omnipotency of industry he forced it and stripped this lady of the sea naked beyond modesty and mercy putting all therein to the sword that resisted and hanged up 2000 of the prime citizens in a rank along the sea-shore Yet afterwards Tyre out-grew these her miseries and attained though not to her first giant-like yet to a competent proportion of greatnesse At this time wherein King Baldwine besieged it it was of great strength and importance insomuch that finding it a weight too heavy for his shoulders he was fain to break off his siege and depart With worse successe he afterwards did rashly give battel to the vast army of the Persian Generall wherein he lost many men all his baggage and escaped himself with great difficulty Chap. 13. The pleasurable voyages of King Baldwine and his death AFter the tempest of a long warre a calm came at last and King Baldwine had a five years vacation of peace in his old age In which time he disported himself with many voyages for pleasure as one to the Red-sea not so called from the rednesse of the water or sand as some without any colour have conceited but from the neighbouring Edomites whom the Grecians called Erytheans or re◠men truly translating the Hebrew name of Edomites they had their name of rednesse from their father Edom. And here Baldwine surveyed the countrey with the nature and strength thereof Another journey he took afterwards into Egypt as conceiving himself ingaged in honour to make one inrod◠into that countrey in part of paiment of those many excursions the Egyptians had made into his Kingdome He took the city of Pharamia anciently called Rameses and gave the spoil thereof to his souldiers This work being done he began his play and entertained the time with viewing that riddle of Nature the river of Nilus whose stream is the confluence of so many wonders first for its indiscoverable fountain though some late Geographers because they would be held more intelligent then others have found the head of Nilus in their own brains and make it to flow from a fountain they fansie in the mountains of the moon in the south of Africa then for the strange creatures bred therein as river-bulls horses and crocodiles But the chiefest wonder is the yearly increasing thereof from the 17. of June to the midst of September overflowing all Egypt and the banks of all humane judgement to give the true reason thereof Much time Baldwine spent in beholding this river wherein he took many fishes and his death in eating them for a new surfet revived the grief of an old wound which he many years before received at the siege of Ptolemais His sicknesse put him in mind of his sinnes conscience speaking loudest when men begin to grow speechlesse And especially he grieved that having another wife alive he had married the Countesse of Sicilie the relict of Earl Roger But now heartily sorrowfull for his fault he sent away this his last wife yet we reade not that he received his former again Other faults he would have amended but was prevented by death And no doubt where the deed could not be present the desire was a sufficient proxy He died at Laris a city in the road from Egypt and was brought to Jerusalem and buried on Palm-sunday in the temple of the Sepulchre in the 18 year of his reign A Prince superiour to his brother Godfrey in learning equall in valour inferiour in judgement rash precipitate greedy of honour but swallowing more then he could digest and undertaking what he was not able to perform little affected to the Clergy or rather to their temporall greatnesse especially when it came in competition with his own much given to women besides the three wives he had first marrying Gutrera an English-woman after her death Tafror an Armenian Lady and whilest she yet survived the Countesse of Sicilie yet he had no child God commonly punishing wantonnesse with barrennesse For the rest we referre the reader to the dull Epitaph written on his tomb which like the verses of that age runneth in a kind of rythme though it can scarce stand on true feet Rex Baldwinus Iudas alter Maccabaus Spes patriae vigor Ecolesiae virtus utriusque Quem formidabant cui dona tributa ferebant Cedar Aegypti Dan ac homicida Damascus Proh dolor in modico clauditur hoc tumulo Baldwine another Maccabee for might Hope help of State of Church and boths delight Cedar with Egypts Dan of him afraid Bloudy Damascus to him tribute paid Alas here in this tomb is laid Let him whô pleaseth play the critick on the divers readings and whether by Dan be meant the Souldan or whether it relateth to the conceit that Antichrist shall come of the tribe of Dan. But perchance the text
is not worth a comment Chap. 14. Baldwine the second chosen King Prince Eustace peaceably renounceth his right IT happened the same day King Baldwine was buried that Baldwine de Burgo his kinsman and Count of Edessa came casually into the city intending onely there to keep his Easter when behold the Christian Princes met together for the election of a new King The greater part did centre their suffrages on Prince Eustace brother to the two former Kings but then absent in France They alledged That it was not safe to break the chain of succession where the inversion of order bringeth all to confusion and That it was high ingratitude to the memories of Godfrey and Baldwine to exclude their brother from the crown especially he being fit in all points to be a King wanting nothing but that he wanted to be there That in the mean time some might be deputed to lock up all things safe and to keep the keyes of the State till he should arrive On the other side some objected the dangers of an interregnum how when a State is headlesse every malecontent would make head inconveniences in another countrey would be mischiefs here where they lived in the mouth of their enemies and therefore to stay for a King was the way to lose the Kingdome Then Joceline Prince of Tiberias a man of great authority offered himself a moderatour in this difference and councelled both sides to this effect To proceed to a present election and therein to be directed not confined by succession though they missed the next let them take one of Godfreys kindred As the case now stood he must be counted next in bloud that was next at hand and this was Baldwine Count of Edessa on whom he bestowed much superlative praises All were much affected with these his commendations for they knew that Joceline was his sworn adversary and concluded that it must needs be a mighty weight of worth in Baldwine which pressed out praise from the mouth of his enemy though indeed private ends prompted him to speak this speech who hoped himself to get the Earldome of Edessa when Baldwine should be translated to Jerusalem However his words took effect and Baldwine hereupon was chosen King and crowned on Easter-day by Arnulphus the Patriarch Mean time some secretly were sent to Prince Eustace to come and challenge the crown But he hearing that another was already in possession though he was on his journey coming quietly went back again A large alms to give away a Kingdome out of his charity to the publick cause Baldwine was of a proper personage and able body both nigh Rhemes in France sonne to Hugh Count of Rorstet and Millisent his wife He was exceedingly charitable to the poore and pious towards God witnesse the brawn on his hands and knees made with continuall praying valiant also and excellently well seen in all martiall affairs We had almost forgotten what happened in this yeare the death of Alexius the Grecian Emperour that arch-hypocrite and grand enemy of this warre On whom we may bestow this Epitaph If he of men the best doth know to live Who best knows to dissemble justly then To thee Alexius we this praise must give That thou to live didst know the best of men And this was it at last did stop thy breath Thou knew'st not how to counterfeit with death His sonne Calo-Johannes succeeded him in his Empire of whom we shall have much cause to speak hereafter Chap. 15. The Ecclesiasticall affairs of this Kings reigne ACcording to our wonted method let us first rid out of the way Church-matters in this Kings reigne that so we may have the more room to follow the affairs of the Common-wealth We left Arnulphus the last Patriarch of Jerusalem since which time the bad favour of his life came to the Popes nose who sent a Legate to depose him But Arnulphus hasted to Rome with much money and there bought himself to be innocent so that he enjoyed the place during his life Guarimund succeeded in his place a very religious man by whom God gave the Christians many victories He called a Council at Neapolis or Sichem wherein many wholesome things were concluded for reformation of manners Betwixt him and William Archbishop of Tyre an English man there arose a difference because this Archbishop would not receive his confirmation of him from whom by ancient right he should take it but from the Pope counting it the most honour to hold of the highest landlord And indeed the Pope for gain confirmed him though he should have sent him to the Patriarch But the court of Rome careth not though men steal their corn so be it they bring it to their mills to grind After Guarimunds death Stephen Abbot of S. John de Valia was chosen Patriarch once a cavallier but afterward laying down the sword he took up the Word and entred into Orders He awaked the Patriarchs title to Jerusalem which had slept during his three predecessours and challenged it very imperiously of the King for he was a man of spirit and metall And indeed he had too much life to live long For the King fearing what flame this spark might kindle and finding him to be an active man gave him as it is suspected a little more active poison which cut him off in the midst of his age and beginning of his projects The King coming to him when he lay on his death-bed asked him how he did To whom he answered My Lord for the present I am as you would have me A cruel murder if true But it is strange that he whose hands as we have said were hardened with frequent prayer should soften them again in innocent bloud Wherefore we will not condemn the memory of a King on doubtfull evidence The Patriarchs place was filled with William Prior of the Sepulchre a Fleming a man better beloved then learned Chap. 16. Knights-Templars and Teutonicks instituted ABout this time the two great orders of Templaâ—s and Teutonicks appeared in the world The former under Hugh de Paganis and Ganfred of S. Omer their first founders They agreed in profession with the Hospitallers and performed it alike vowing Poverty Chastity and Obedience and to defend Pilgrimes coming to the Sepulchre It is falsely fathered on S. Bernard that he appointed them their rule who prescribeth not what they should do but onely describeth what they did namely How they were never idle mending their old clothes when wanting other imployment never played at chesse or dice never hawked not hunted beheld no stageplayes arming themselves with faith within with steel without aiming more at strength then state to be feared not admired to strike terrour with their valour not stirre covetousnesse with their wealth in the heart of their enemies Other sweet praises of them let him who pleaseth fetch from the mouth of this mellifluous Doctour Indeed at first they were very poor in token
Indeed he called these Princes his sonnes but he disinherited them of their hopes and all their portion was in promises never payed No reason then that the knot of the agreement should hold them fast and let him loose The worst of these answers had been good enough if their swords had been as strong as the Grecian Emperours But he coming with a numerous army in few dayes overcame all Cilicia which for fourty years had belonged to the Prince of Antioch and then besieged the city of Antioch it self Force is the body and resolution the soul of an action both these were well tempered together in the Emperours army and the city brought to great distresse Whereupon Fulk King of Jerusalem with some other Princes fearing what wofull conclusion would follow so violent premisses made a composition between them So that Reimund did homage to the Emperour and held his principality as a vassall from him And though four years after the Emperour came again into these parts yet he did not much harm pillaging was all his conquest Some years after he died being accidentally poisoned by one of his own arrows which he intended for the wild boar A Prince so much better to the Latines then his father Alexius as an honourable foe is above a treacherous friend His Empire he disposed to Emmanuel his sonne Chap. 22 The succession of the Turkish Kings and the Saracen Caliphs Of the unlimited power of a Souldan Some resemblance thereof anciently in the Kingdome of France NO great service of moment was performed in the reigne of King Fulk because he was molested with domesticall discords and intestine warres against Paulinus Count of Tripoli and Hugh Earl of Joppa Onely Beersheba was fortified and some forts built about Askelon as an introduction to besiege it Also skirmishes were now and then fought with variety of successe against Sanguin one of the Turks great Princes And here let the reader take notice that though we have mentioned many Commanders as Auxianus Corboran Ammiravissus Tenduc Gazi Balak Dordequin Borscquin Sanguin some Turkish some Saracen yet none of these were absolute Kings though perchance in courtesie sometimes so styled by writers but were onely Generals and Lieutenants accountable to their superiours the Caliphs either of Babylon or Egypt Who what they were we referre the reader to our Chronology Caliph was the Pope as I may say of the Saracens a mixture of Priest and Prince But we need not now trouble our selves with curiosity of their successions these Caliphs being but obscure men who confined themselves to pleasures making play their work and having their constant diet on the sawce of recreation We are rather to take notice of their Generalls and Captains which were the men of action For a Souldan which was but a Vice-roy with his borrowed light shineth brighter in history then the Caliph himself Yet may we justly wonder that these slothfull Calipâ—s should do nothing themselves and commit such unlimited power to their Souldaâ—â— especially seeing too much â—â—ust is a strong tentation to make ambitious flesh and bloud diâ—loyall Yet something may be said for the Caliph of Egypt besides that the pleasures of that countrey were sufficient to invite him to a voluptuous life First the awfull regard which the Egyptians had of their Princes gave them security to trust their officers with ample commission Secondly herein they followed an ancient custome practised by the Pharaohs anciently who gave unto Joseph so large authority as we may reade in Genesis Some example also we have hereof in France about nine hundred years ago Childerick Theodorick Clovis Childebert Dagobert c. a chain of idle Kings well linked together gave themselves over to pleasures privately never coming abroad but onely on May-day they shewed themselves to the people riding in a chariot adoâ—ned with flowers and drawn with oxen â—low cattel but good enough for so lazy luggage whilest Charles Martell and Pipin Maiours of the palace opened packets gave audience to Embassadours made warre or peace enacted and repealed laws at pleasure till afterwards from controllers of the Kings houshold they became controllers of the Kings and at last Kings themselves To return to Egypt Let none be troubled pardon a charitable digression to satisfie some scrupulous in a point of Chronologie if they find anciently more Kings of the Egyptians and longer reigning then the consent of times will allow room for for no doubt that which hath swelled the number is the counting Deputies for Kings Yea we find the holy Spirit in the same breath 1. Reg. 22. 47. speak a Vice-roy to be a King and no King There was no King in Edom a Deputy was King Chap. 23. The lamentable death of King Fulk WHen Fulco had now eleven years with much industry and care though with little enlarging of his dominions governed the land he was slain in earnest as following his sport in hunting to the great grief of his subjects And we may hear him thus speaking his Epitaph A â—are I hunted and death hunted me The more my speed was was the worse my speed For as well-mounted I away did flee Death caught and kill'd me falling from my steed Yet this mishap an happy misse I count That fell from horse that I to heaven might mount A Prince of a sweet nature and though one would have read him to be very furious by his high-coloured countenance yet his face was a good hypocrite and contra leges istius coloris saith Tyrius he was affable courteous and pitifull to all in distresse He was buried with his predecessours in the temple of the Sepulchre leaving two sonnes Baldwine who was 13 and Almerick 7 years old Chap. 24. The disposition of Baldwine the third The care of Queen Millesent in her sonnes minority BAldwine succeeded his father who quickly grew up as to age so in all royall accomplishments and became a most complete Prince well-learned especially in history liberall very witty and very pleasant in discourse He would often give a smart jest which would make the place both blush and bleed where it lighted Yet this was the better taken at his hands because he cherished not a cowardly wit in himself to wound men behind their backs but played on them freely to their faces yea and never refused the coin he payed them in but would be contented though a King to be the subject of a good jest and sometimes he was well-favouredly met with as the best fencer in wits school hath now and then an unhappy blow dealt him Some thought he descended beneath himself in too much familiarity to his subjects for he would commonly call and salute mean persons by their names But the vulgar sort in whose judgements the lowest starres are ever the greatest conceived him to surpasse all his predecessours because he was so fellow-like with them But whilest yet he was in minority his mother Millesent made up his want of
reader To conclude The devotion of this man was out of question so neglecting this world that he even did spit out that preferment which was dropped into his mouth But as for his judgement it was not alwayes the best which gave occasion to the proverb Bernardus non videt omnia Chap. 31. Vnseasonable discords betwixt King Baldwine and his mother Her strength in yielding to her sonne UPon the departure of Emperour Conrade and K. Lewis Noradine the Turk much prevailed in Palestine Nor was he little advantaged by the discords betwixt Milleâ—ent Queen-mother and the Nobility thus occasioned There was a Noble-man called Manasses whom the Queen governing all in her sonnes minority made Constable of the Kingdome This man unable to manage his own happinesse grew so insolent that he could not go but either spurning his equals or trampling on his inferiours No wonder then if envy the shadow of greatnesse waited upon him The Nobility highly distasted him but in all oppositions the Queens favour was his sanctuary who to shew her own absolutenesse and that her affection should not be controlled nor that thrown down which she set up still preserved the creature she had made His enemies perceiving him so fast rooted in her favour and seeing they could not remove him from his foundation sought to remove him with his foundation instigating young King Baldwine against his mother and especially against her favourite They complained how the State groaned under his insolency He was the bridge by which all offices must passe and there pay toll He alone sifted all matters and then no wonder if much bran passed He under pretence of opening the Queens eyes did lead her by the nose captivating her judgement in stead of directing it He like a by-gulf devoured her affection which should flow to her children They perswaded the King he was ripe for government and needed none to hold his hand to hold the sceptre Let him therefore either un tie or cut himself loose from this slavery and not be in subjection to a subject Liberty needeth no hard-pressing on youth a touch on that stamp maketh an impression on that waxen age Young Baldwine is apprehensive of this motion and prosecuteth the matter so eagerly that at length he coopeth up this Manasses in a castle and forceth him to abjure the Kingdome Much stirre afterwards was betwixt him and his mother till at last to end divisions the Kingdome was divided betwixt them She had the city of Jerusalem and the land-locked part he the maritime half of the land But the widest throne is too narrow for two to sit on together He not content with this partition marcheth furiously to Jerusalem there to besiege his mother and to take all from her Out of the city cometh Fulcher the good Patriarch his age was a patent for his boldnesse and freely reproveth the King Why should he go on in such an action wherein every step he stirred his legs must needs grate and crash both against nature and religion Did he thus requite his mothers care in stewarding the State thus to affright her age to take arms against her Was it not her goodnesse to be content with a moyety when the whole Kingdome in right belonged unto her But ambition had so inchanted Baldwine that he was penetrable with no reasons which crossed his designes so that by the advice of her friends she was content to resign up all lest the Christian cause should suffer in these dissensions She retired her self to Sebaste and abridged her train from State to necessity And now the lesse room she had to build upon the higher she raised her soul with heavenly meditations and lived as more private so more pious till the day of her death Chap. 32. Reimund Prince of Antioch overcome and killed Askelon taken by the Christians The death of King Baldwine THese discords betwixt mother and son were harmonie in the ears of Noradine the Turk Who coming with a great army wasted all about Antioch and Prince Reimund going out to bid him battel was slain himself and his army overthrown nor long after Joceline Count of Edessa was intercepted by the Turks and taken prisoner As for Constantia the relict of Reimund Prince of Antioch she lived a good while a widow refusing the affections which many princely suiters proffered unto her till at last she descended beneath her self to marry a plain man Reinold of Castile Yet why should we say so when as a Castilian Gentleman if that be not a needlesse tautologie as he maketh the inventory of his own worth prizeth himself any Princes fellow And the proverb is Each lay-man of Castile may make a King each clergy-man a Pope Yea we had best take heed how we speak against this match for Almericus Patriarch of Antioch for inveighing against it was by this Prince Reinold set in the heat of the sunne with his bare head besmeared with honey a sweet bitter torment that so bees might sting him to death But King Baldwine mediated for him and obtained his liberty that he might come to Jerusalem where he lived many years in good esteem And Gods judgements are said to have overtaken the Prince of Antioch for besides the famine which followed in his countrey he himself afterwards fighting unfortunately with the Turks was taken prisoner But let us step over to Jerusalem where we shall find King Baldwine making preparation for the siege of Askelon Which citie after it had been long locked up had at last an assaultable breach made in the walls thereof The Templars to whom the King promised the spoil if they took it entred through this breach into the citie and conceiving they had enow to wield the work and master the place set a guard at the breach that no more of their fellow-Christians should come in to be sharers with them in the booty But their covetousnesse cost them their lives for the Turks contemning their few number put them every one to the sword Yet at last the city was taken though with much difficulty Other considerable victories Baldwine got of the Turks especially one at the river Jordan where he vanquished Noradine And twice he relieved Cesarea-Philippi which the Turks had straitly besieged But death at last put a period to his earthly happinesse being poisoned as it was supposed by a Jewish physician for the rest of the potion killed a dog to whom it was given This Kings youth was stained with unnaturall discords with his mother and other vices which in his settled age he reformed Let the witnesse of Noradine his enemy be believed 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 years So that sure it is the
the plurality of voices The Christians got the conquest and in great triumph returned to Jerusalem This overthrow rather madded then daunted Saladine Who therefore to recover his credit some moneths after with his Mammalukes fell like a mighty tempest upon the Christians as they were parting the spoil of a band of Turks whom they had vanquished put many to the sword the rest to flight Otto grand Master of the Templars and Hugh sonne in law to the Count of Tripoli were taken prisoners and the King himself had much ado to escape And thus both sides being well wearied with warre they were glad to refresh themselves with a short slumber of a truce solemnly concluded and their troubled estates breathed almost for the space of two years Which truce Saladine the more willingly embraced because of a famine in the Kingdome of Damascus where it had scarce rained for five years together Chap. 41. The fatall jealousies betwixt the King and Reimund Earl of Tripoli BUt this so welcome a calm was troubled with domesticall discords For the Kings mother a woman of a turbulent spirit and her brother his steward accused Reimund Count of Tripoli governour of the Realm in the Kings minority as if he affected the Crown for himself which accusation this Earl could never wholly wipe off For slender and lean slanders quickly consume themselves but he that is branded with an hainous crime though false when the wound is cured his credit will be killed with the scarre Before we go further let us view this Earl Reimunds disposition and we shall find him marked to do mischief and to ruine this Realm He was sonne to Reimund grandchild to Pontius Earl of Tripoli by Cecilie the daughter of Philip King of France great-grandchild to Bertram first Earl of Tripoli great-great-grandchild to Reimund Earl of Tholose one of speciall note among the primitive adventurers in the Holy warre His mother was Hodiern third daughter to Baldwine the second King of Jerusalem A man whose stomach was as high as his birth and very serviceable to this State whilest the sharpnesse of his parts were used against the Turks which at last turned edge against the Christians Proud not able to digest the least wrong and though long in captivity amongst the Turks yet a very truant in the school of affliction who never learned the lesson of patience So revengefull that he would strike his enemy though it were through the sides of religion and the Christian cause For this present accusation of treason good authours seem to be his compurgatours for this at this time though afterwards he discovered his treacherous intents And because he could not rise by his service he made his service fall by him and undid what he had done for the publick good because thereby he could not attain his private ends He commanded over the 〈◊〉 of Tripoli which was a territory of large extent wherein he was absolute Lord. And by the way we may take notice of this as one of the banes of the Kingdome of Jerusalem That the principalities of Antioch Tripoli and Edessa whilest it was Christian were branches of this Kingdome but too big for the body For the Princes thereof on each petty distast would stand on their guard as if they had been subjects out of courtesie not conscience and though they confessed they owed the King allegeance yet they would pay no more then they thought fitting themselves To return to King Baldwine This suspicion of Earl Reimund though at first but a buzze soon got a sting in the Kings head and he violently apprehended it Whereupon Reimund coming to Jerusalem was by the way commanded to stay to his great disgrace But some of the Nobility foreseeing what danger this discord might bring reconciled them with much labour However Baldwine ever after looked on this Earl with a jealous eye Jealousie if it be fire in private persons is wild-fire in Princes who seldome rase out their names whom once they have written in their black bills And as the Italian proverb is Suspicion giveth a passe-port to faith to set it on packing so this Earl finding himself suspected was never after cordially loyall smothering his treachery in this Kings life which afterwards broke forth into an open flame Chap. 42. Saladine is conquered by King Baldwine and conquereth Mesopotamia Discords about the Protectourship of Ierusalem The death and praise of Baldwine the fourth THe Kingdome of Damascus being recovered of the famine Saladine having gotten his ends by the truce would now have the truce to end and breaking it as not standing with his haughty designes marched with a great army out of Egypt through Palestine to Damascus much spoiling the countrey And now having joyned the Egyptian with the Damascene forces re-entred the Holy land But young King Baldwine meeting him though but with seven hundred to twenty thousand at the village Frobolt overthrew him in a great battel and Saladine himself was glad with speedy flight to escape the danger and by long marches to get him again to Damascus Afterward he besieged Berytus both by sea and land but the vigilancie and valour of King Baldwine defeated his taking of it Saladine finding such tough resistance in the Holy land thought to make a better purchase by laying out his time in Mesopotamia Wherefore passing Euphrates he wonne Charran and divers other cities and then returning in Syria besieged Aleppo the strongest place the Christians had in that countrey so fortified by nature that he had little hope to force it But treason will runne up the steepest ascent where valour it self can scarce creep and Saladine with the battery of bribes made such a breach in the loyalty of the governour that he betrayed it unto him Thus he cometh again into the Holy land more formidable then ever before carrying an army of terrour in the mentioning of his name which drove the poore Christians all into their fensed cities As for King Baldwine the leprosie had arrested him prisoner and kept him at home Long had this Kings spirit endured this infirmity swallowing many a bitter pang with a smiling face and going upright with patient shoulders under the weight of his disease It made him put all his might to it because when he yielded to his sicknesse he must leave off the managing of the State and he was loth to put off his royall robes before he went to bed a Crown being too good a companion for one to part with willingly But at last he was made to stoop and retired himself to a private life appointing Baldwine his nephew a child of five years old his successour and Guy Earl of Joppa and Askelon this childs father in law to be Protectour of the Realm in his minority But soon after he revoked this latter act and designed Reimund Earl of Tripoli for the Protectour He displaced Guy because he found him of no over-weight worth scarce passable without favourable
allowance little feared of his foes and as little loved of his friends The more martiall Christians sleighted him as a slug and neglected so lazy a leader that could not keep pace with those that were to follow him Yea they refused whilest he was Protectour at his command to fight with Saladine and out of distast to their Generall suffered their enemy freely to forrage which was never done before For the Christians never met any Turks wandring in the Holy land but on even terms they would examine their passe-port how sufficient it was and bid them battel Guy stormed at his displacing and though little valiant yet very sullen left the Court in discontent went home and fortified his cities of Joppa and Askelon What should King Baldwine do in this case Whom should he make Protectour Guy had too little Reimund too much spirit for the place He feared Guy's cowardlinesse lest he should lose the kingdome to the Turks and Reimunds treachery lest he should get it for himself Thus anguish of mind and weaknesse of body a doughtie conquest for their united strengths which single might suffice ended this Kings dayes dying young at five and twenty years of age But if by the morning we may guesse at the day he would have been no whit inferiour to any of his predecesssours sours especially if his body had been able but alas it spoiled the musick of his soul that the instrument was quite out of tune He reigned twelve years and was buried in the Temple of the Sepulchre a King happy in this that he died before the death of his Kingdome Chap. 43. The short life and wofull death of Baldwine the fifth an infant Guy his father in law succeedeth him IT is a rare happinesse of the family of S. Laurence Barons of Hoath in Ireland that the heirs for 400 years together alwayes have been of age before the death of their fathers For Minors have not onely baned families but ruined realms It is one of Gods threatnings I will give children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them With this rod God strook the Kingdome of Jerusalem thrice in fourty years Baldwine the third fourth and fifth being all under age and this last but five years old He was the posthumus sonne of William Marquesse of Montferrat by Sibyll his wife sister to Baldwine the fourth daughter to King Almerick She afterwards was married to Guy Earl of Joppa and Askelon Now Reimund Earl of Tripoli challenged to be Protectour of this young King by the virtue of an Act of the former King so assigning him But Sibyll mother to this infant to defeat Reimund first murdered all natural affection in her self and then by poyson murdered her son that so the Crown in her right might come to her husband Guy This Baldwine reigned eight moneths eight dayes saith mistaken Munster and some mistake more who make him not to reign at all cruel to wrong his memory of his honour whom his mother had robbed both of his life and Kingdome His death was concealed till Guy his father in law had obtained by large bribes to the Templars and Heraclius the Patriarch to be crowned King One more ennobled with his descent from the ancient family of the Lusignans in Poictou then for any eminency in himself His gifts were better then his endowments Yet had he been more fortunate he would have been accounted more virtuous men commonly censuring that the fault of the King which is the fate of the Kingdome And now the Christian affairs here posted to their wofull period being spurred on by the discords of the Princes Chap. 44. Church-affairs Of Haymericus Patriarch of Antioch Of the Grecian Anti-Patriarchs and of the learned Theodorus Balsamon WHilest Heraclius did Patriarch it in Jerusalem one Haymericus had the same honour at Antioch He wrote to Henry the second King of England a bemoning letter of the Christians in the East and from him received another fraught with never performed fair promises This man must needs be different from that Haymericus who began his Patriarchship in Antioch anno 1143 and sate but twelve years say the Centuriatours But Baronius as different from them sometimes in Chronologie as Divinity maketh them the same Then must he be a through-old man enjoying his place above fourty years being probably before he wore the style of Patriarch well worn in years himself I must confesse it passeth my Chymistry to exact any agreement herein out of the contrariety of writers We must also take notice that besides the Latine Patriarchs in Jerusalem and Antioch there were also Grecian Anti-Patriarchs appointed by the Emperour of Constantinople who having no temporall power nor profit by Church-lands had onely jurisdiction over those of the Greek Church We find not the chain of their succession but here and there light on a link and at this time in Jerusalem on three successively 1. Athanasius whom though one out of his abundant charity is pleased to style a Schismatick yet was he both pious and learned as appeareth by his epistles 2. Leontius commended likewise to posterity for a good Clerk and an honest man 3. Dositheus inferiour to the former in both respects Isaac the Grecian Emperour sent to make him Patriarch of Constantinople and Dositheus catching at both held neither but betwixt two Patriarchs chairs fell to the ground Antioch also had her Greek Patriarchs As one Sotericus displaced for maintaining some unsound tenets about our Saviour After him Theodorus Balsamon the oracle of the learned Law in his age He compiled and commented on the ancient Canons and principally set forth the priviledges of Constantinople listening say the Romanists to the least noise that soundeth to the advancing of the Eastern Churches and knocking down Rome wheresoever it peepeth above Constantinople This maketh Bellarmine except against him as a partial writer because a true Historian should be neither party advocate nor judge but a bare witnesse By Isaac the Grecian Emperour this Balsamon was also deceived he pretended to remove him to Constantinople on condition he would prove the translation of the Patriarch to be legall which is forbidden by the Canons Balsamon took upon him to prove it and a Lawyers brains will beat to purpose when his own preferment is the fee. But herein he did but crack the nut for another to eat the kernel For the Emperour mutable in his mind changing his favourites as well as his cloâ—hes before they were old when the legality of the translation was avowed bestowed the Patriarchship of Constantinople on another and Theodorus was still staked down at Antioch in a true spirituall preferment affording him little bodily maintenance Chap. 45. The revolt of the Earl of Tripoli The Christians irrecoverably overthrown and their King taken prisoner THere was at this time a truce betwixt the Christians and Saladine broken on this occasion Saladines mother went from
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 falsity 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 denyed but the same name as Henry of England one the win-all another the loose-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 History of the HOLY VVARRE 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 seemeth to have brought him to a pent and narrow soul. For he suffered rebells to affront him to his face never sending 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 Physitian 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 requiâ—all Now it is an ancient policy 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 basâ—nesse 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 Not long after was the castle of Antioch betrayed unto him by the Patriarch and the city 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 dear and selling cheap gaining by inches and losing by ells With better successe those in Tripoli which city 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 Churchwork 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 VVE 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 Council 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 Bishop of Duresme the most triumphant Prelate of the English militant Church except Cardinall Wolsey He founded and endowed a Colledge for Prebends at Chester in the Bishoprick of Duresme Yet no doubt he had done a deed more acceptable to God if in stead of sacrifice he had done justice and not defrauded the Lord Vessie's heir to whom he was guardian Let those who are delighted with Sciographie paint out if they please these shadow-Patriarchs as also
would weary them with set battels having men numberless and those near at hand and so he would tame the Romane Eagle by watching him giving him no rest nor respite from continuall fighting It is therefore no Paradox to say That in some case the strength of a Kingdome doth consist in the weaknesse of it And hence it is that our English Kings have suffered Time without disturbing her meals to feed her belly full on their in-land castles and citie-walls which whilest they were standing in their strength were but the nurseries of rebellion And now as one observeth because we have no strong cities war in England waxeth not old being quickly stabbed with set battels which in the Low-countreys hath already outlived the grand climactericall of threescore and ten years But Frederick the Emperour being now entring into the Holy land was to the great grief of all Christians suddenly taken away being drowned in the river of Saleph a river such is the envie of Barbarisme obscuring all places which cannot accurately be known at this day because this new name is a stranger to all ancient maps If he went in to wash himself as some write he neither consulted with his health nor honour Some say his horse foundred under him as he passed the water others that he fell from him But these severall relations as variety of instruments make a dolefull conâ—ort in this that there he lost his life and no wonder if the cold water quickly quenched those few sparks of naturall heat left in him at seventy years of age Neubrigensis conceiveth that this his sudden death was therefore inflicted on him because in his youth he fought against the Popes and Church of Rome But I wonder that he seeing an Emperour drowned in a ditch durst adventure into the bottomlesse depths of Gods counsels Let it content us to know that oftentimes heaven blasteth those hopes which bud first and fairest and the feet of mighty Monarchs do slip when they want but one step to their enemies throne After his death Frederick Duke of Suevia his second sonne undertook the conduct of the army Now the Turks conceiving grief had steeped and moistened these Pilgrimes hearts gave them a sudden charge in hope to have overthrown them But the valiant Dutch who though they had scarce wiped their eyes had scoured their swords quickly forced them to retire Then Frederick took the citie of Antioch which was easily delivered unto him and his hungry souldiers well refreshed by the citizens being as yet for the most part Christians Marching from hence in set battel he overthrew Dordequin Generall of Saladines forces slew four thousand and took a thousand prisoners with little losse of his own men and so came to the city of Tyre where he buried the corpse of his worthy father in the Cathedrall Church next the tomb of the learned Origen and Guilelmus Tyrius the worthy Archbishop preached his funerall sermon We may hear his sorrowfull army speaking this his Epitaph unto him Earth scarce did yield ground enough for thy sword To conquer how then could a brook afford Water to drown thee brook which since doth fear O guilty conscience in a map t' appear Yet blame we not the brook but rather think The weight of our own sinnes did make thee sink Now sith 't is so wee 'l fetch a brackish main Out of our eyes and drown thee once again From hence by sea they were conveyed to the Christians army before Ptolemais where young Frederick died of the plague and his great army which at first consisted of an hundred and fifty thousand at their setting forth out of Germany had now no more left then eighteen hundred armed men Chap. 5. The continuation of the famous siege of Ptolemais The Dutch Knights honoured with a Grand Master WE have now at our leisure overtaken the snail-like fiege of Ptolemais still slowly creeping on Before it the Christians had not onely a Nationall but an Oecumenicall army the abridgement of the Christian world Scarce a state or populous city in Europe but had here some competent number to represent it How many bloudy blows were here lent on both sides and repayed with interest what sallies what assaults what encounters whilest the Christians lay betwixt Saladine with his great army behind them and the city before them One memorable battel we must not omit It was agreed betwixt Saladine and the Christians to try their fortunes in a pitched field and now the Christians were in fair hope of a conquest when an imaginary causelesse fear put them to a reall flight so ticklish are the scales of victory a very mote will turn them Thus confusedly they ran away and boot would have been given to change a strong arm for a swift leg But behold Geoffrey Lusignan King Guy's brother left for the guarding of the camp marching out with his men confuted the Christians in this their groundlesse mistake and reinforced them to fight whereby they wonne the day though with the losse of two thousand men and Gerard Master of the Templars It was vainly hoped that after this victory the city would be surâ—endred but the Turks still bravely defended it though most of their houses were burnt and beaten down and the city reduced to a bare sceleton of walls and towers They fought as well with their wits as weapons and both sides devised strange defensive and offensive engines so that Mars himself had he been here present might have learned to fight and have taken notes from their practice Mean time famine raged amongst the Christians and though some provision was now and then brought in from Italy for so far they fetched it yet these small showers after good droughts parched the more and rather raised then abated their hunger Once more we will take our farewell of this siege for a twelve-moneth But we must not forget that at this time before the walls of Ptolemais the Teutonick order or Dutch Knights which since the dayes of Baldwine the second lived like private pilgrimes had now their order honoured with Henry of Walpot their first grand Master and they were enriched by the bounty of many Germane benefactours These though slow were sure they did hoc agere ply their work more cordiall to the Christian cause then the Templars who sometimes to save their own stakes would play booty with the Turks Much good service did the Dutch Knights in the Holy warre till at last no wise Doctour will lavish physick on him in whom he seeth faciem cadaverosam so that death hath taken possession in the sick mans countenance finding this warre to be desperate and dedecus fotitudinis they even fairly left the Holy land and came into Europe meaning to lay out their valour on some thing that would quit cost But hereof hereafter Chap. 6. Richard of England and Philip of France set forward to the Holy land The danger of the interviews of Princes THe
undertaken which if crowned with successe have been above censure yea have passed not onely without questioning but with commendations But this is the misery of misery that those who are most afflicted of God shall be most condemned of men Wherefore they requested them to pity their brethren and not to leave them in this forlorn estate How clamorous would their innocent bloud be in the court of Heaven to sue for revenge on those who forsook them in this distresse And grant Damiata a citie of great consequence yet cities in themselves were but dead things and men were the souls to enliven them so that those souldiers which wonne Damiata if preserved alive might haply recover as strong a citie afterwards But finding their arguments not to prevail they betook themselves to arms by force to compell the adverse party to resigne the citie King John also threatned in case they denied to surrender it to give up to Meladine Ptolemais in Syria in exchange for Damiata At last according to the agreement Damiata was restored to the Turks and the Christian army let out of the trap wherein it was taken Meladine out of his princely goodnesse furnished them with â— victuals and with horses to carry their feeble persons upon And thus the Christians had the greatest blow given them without a blow given them the Egyptians obtaining their victory not by bloud but by water Chap. 28. Iohn Bren resigneth the Kingdome of Ierusalem to Frederick the second Germane Emperour THere was also concluded a peace with the Turks for eight years And now matters being settled as well as they might be in Syria King John took a journey to Rome where he was bountifully feasted and honourably entertained by the Pope Here it was agreed whether at the first by his voluntary offer or working of others it appeareth noâ— that he should resigne the Kingdome of Jerusalem to Frederick the second Germane Emperour who was to marry Iole the sole daughter of King John by his first wife though by a second he had another Martha married to Robert Emperour of Constantinople so that he was father in law both to Emperour of East and West Some condemned his resignation as an unadvised act as if he had first parted from his wits who would willingly part from a Kingdome whilest others commend his discretion For first his wife was dead in whose right he held his Kingdome and thereby a door was opened for other litigious pretenders to the Crown Secondly it was policie fugere ne fugaretur yea this was no flight but an honourable departure Well he knew the Turks power to invade and his own weaknesse to defend what was left in Syria So that finding the weight too heavy for himself he did well to lay it on stronger shoulders Thirdly before his resignation he had little more then a title and after it he had nothing lesse men having so tuned their tongues to salute him King of Jerusalem that he was so called to the day of his death Lastly what he wanted in the statelinesse of his bed he had in the soundnesse of his sleep and though his commons perchance were shorter yet he battled better on them He got now more in a twelve-moneth then in seven years before going from countrey to countrey And yet the farther this stone rolled the more mosse he gathered In France besides rich gifts left to himself he had the managing of sixty thousand crowns the legacie which Philip Augustus the King on his death-bed bequeathed to the Templars and the Holy warre In England he received from Henry the third many great presents though afterwards he proved but unthankfull for them In Spain he got a rich wife Beringaria the daughter of the King of Castile In Italie he tasted very largely of the Popes liberaliâ—ie and lived there in good esteem But he went off the stage without an applause because he lost himself in his last act perfidiously raising rebellions against Frederick his sonne in law at the instigation of his Holinesse Nor recovered he his credit though after he went to his sonne Robert to Constantinople and there did many good offices He died anno 1237. Chap. 29. The true character of Frederick How the history of his life is prejudiced by the partiality of Authours on both sides THe nuptiall solemnities of Frederick with the Lady Iole were performed at Rome in the presence of the Pope with all ceremonies of majesty and Frederick promised to prosecute in person his title in Palestine within two years Little hope have I to content the reader in this Kings life who cannot satisfie my self writers of that age are so possessed with partiality The faction of the Guelfes and Gibellines discovereth not it self more plainly in the Camp then in the Chronicles Yea Historians turn Schoolmen in matters of fact arguing them pro con And as it is in the Fable of the man that had two wives whilest his old wife plucked out his black hairs the evidence of his youth his young one ungray-haired him that no standards of antiquity might remain they made him bald betwixt them So amongst our late writers whilest Protestants cut off the authority from all Papized writers of that age and Romanists cast away the witnesse of all Imperialized authours then living such as Urspergensis is and generally all Germanes counting them testes domesticos and therefore of no validitie betwixt them they draw all historie of that time very slender and make it almost quite nothing We will not engage our selves in their quarrels but may safely believe that Frederick was neither saint nor devil but man Many virtues in him his foes must commend and some vices his friends must confesse He was very learned according to the rate of that age especially for a Prince who onely baiteth at learning and maketh it not his profession to lodge in Wise he was in projecting nor were his thoughts ever so scattered with any sudden accident but he could instantly recollect himself Valiant he was and very fortunate though this tendeth more to Gods praise then his Wondrous bountifull to scholars and souldiers whose good will he enjoyed for he payed for it But this Gold had its allay of Cruelty though this was not so much bred in him as he brought to it Treasons against him were so frequent he could not be safe but he must be severe nor severe without incurring the aspersion of crueltie His Pride was excessive and so was his Wantonnesse A Nunnes vail was but a slender shield against his lust This sinne he was given to which was besides the custome of the Dutch saith one who though great friends to Bacchus are no favourites of Venus which is strange that they should heap up so much fewel and have no more fire In a word he was a better Emperour then a man his vices being personall most hurting himself his virtues of a publick nature and accomplishing him for government
reduction of the Greeks to the truth as to his own obedience Besides the hatred they have against the Popes pride another great hindrance of the union is the small intercourse the Eastern Christians have or desire to have with the Western They live amongst the Turks and are grown to be contented slaves and having long since parted with their hopes now almost have lost their desire of liberty We must not forget how some fifty years ago solemn news was reported in Rome that the Patriarch of Alexandria with all the Greek Church in Africa by their Embassadours had submitted and reconciled themselves to the Pope and from him received Absolution and Benediction All which was a politick lie perchance therefore reported that it might make impression in the minds and raise and confirm the spirits of the vulgar who easily believe all that their betters tell them And though afterwards this report was controlled to be false yet mens spirits then being cold were not so sensible of it as before and the former news came to many mens ears who never heard afterwards of the check and confutation thereof Nor is there any State in the world that maketh such use and advantage as the Papall doth of false news To conclude As it is a maxime in Philosophy Ex quibus constamus ex iisdem nutrimur so a great part of their religion consisting of errours and falshoods it is suitable that accordingly it should be kept up and maintained with forgeries and deceits To return to Palestine This rent not in the seam but whole cloth betwixt these Churches was no mean hindrance to the Holy warre Formerly the Greeks in Syria were not so clearly cut asunder from the Latines but that they hung together by one great sinew in the common cause agreeing against the Turk the enemy to both But since this last breach the Greeks did in their desires propend and incline to the Turks being better contented they should conquer from whom they should have fair quarter free exercise of their religion and secure dwelling in any citie paying a set tribute then the Latines who they feared would force their consciences and bring their souls in subjection to the Popes supremacie Expect we then never hereafter that either their hearts or hands should afford any assistance to our Pilgrimes in their designes Some conceive that at this day if the Western Christians should stoutly invade Turkie with any likelihood to prevail the Greeks therein would runne to aid them But others are of a contrary judgement considering First the inveterate and inlaid hatred not to be washed off they bear the Latines Secondly the jealousie they have that they will never keep promise with them who have alwayes a warrant dormant from the Pope to break all contracts prejudiciall to the Romish Church Thirdly that custome and long continuance in slavery have so hardened and brawned their shoulders the yoke doth not wring them so much yea they had rather suffer the Turks being old full flies to suck them then to hazard their galled backs to new hungry ones finding by experience That they themselves live on better terms of servitude under the Turk lesse grated and grinded with exactions then some of their countrey-men do under the Latines for instance in Zante and Candie under the Venetians Chap. 7. Theobald King of Navarre maketh an unsuccessefull voyage into Palestine THe ten years truce by this time was expired which Frederick made with the Turks and Reinold Vice-roy of Palestine by instructions from him concluded another truce of the same term with them He saw that this young Christian Kingdome of Jerusalem like an infant would thrive best with sleeping with peace and quietnesse Nor was it any policie for him to move at all where there was more danger to hurt then hope to help their present estate But though this peace was honourable and profitable having no fault but that Frederick made it yet the Templars who did not relish the father must needs distast the child They complained that this peace was not used as a slumber to refresh the souldiers spirit but as a lethargie to benumme their valour and chiefly snarled at this indignity That the Turks had accesse to the temple of the Sepulchre and that Goats had free-commonage in the Sheeps pasture Wherefore Pope Gregory to despite the Emperour Frederick caused the Dominicans and Franciscans his trumpeters to incite people to the Holy warre These were two twin-orders but the Dominican the eldest which now were no sooner hatched in the world but presently chirped in the pulpits In that age Sermons were news and meat for Princes not common men Yea the Albingenses with their preaching had drowned the voices of secular Priests if these two Orders had not helped to out-noise those supposed hereticks These amplified with their rhetorick the calamity of the Christians tyrannie of the Turks merit of the cause probability of successe performing their parts with such gravity shew of devotion accents of passion not glued on for the present purpose but so naturall as from true affection that many were wooed to undertake the voyage Principally Theobald King of Navarre Almerick Earl of Montfort Henry of Champaigne Peter Earl of Bretaigne with many others of inferiour rank Ships they had none wherefore they were fain to shape their passage by land through Grecia where they were entertained with treachery famine and all the miseries which wait on distressed armies These came last that way and I may say shut the door For no Christian army ever after went that tedious journey by land Having passed the Bosporus they marched into Bithynia thence through Galatia they came unto the mountain Taurus where they were much damnified by the Turks who fell on and off upon them as they were advised by their own advantages The Christians desired no other gift but that a set battel might be given them which the Turks would not grant but played at distance and would never close But with much ado the Christians recovered to Antioch having scarce a third part of them left their horses all dead and themselves scarce mounted on their legs miserably weak as what the mercy of sword plague and famine had pleased to spare Hence the Templars conducted them to Gaza where they fell on forraging the countrey of the Sultan assaulting no places which were of strength or honour to subdue but onely spoiled poore villages which counted themselves walled with the truce as yet in force Abundance of wealth they got and were now late returning home when after their plentifull supper a dear and â—harp reckoning was called for Behold the Turks in great numbers fell upon them near unto Gaza and the Christians down with their bundles of spoil and out with their swords bravely defending themselves till such time as the night parted the fray Here they committed a great errour and as one may say a neglect in over-diligence for in stead of reposing
nation being most punctuall and criticall in their military postures But being come near it was plain for any to read Turk in their beards and complexions so that they departed without having what they deâ—ired Chap. 17. The wofull impression which the ill successe of the French wrought on the Christians in Europe SOme made more hast then good speed bad news being the worst ware a ship can be fraught with to sail into France with the sad tidings of this overthrow These intelligencers Blanch the Queen-mother and Regent of France rewarded with the gallows and my Authour doubteth not to pronounce them all Martyrs But let them be contented with the coroneâ— of their own innocence though without the crown of Martyrdome that honour alone belonging to such as suffer death for fundamentall points of religion But so great an eclipse could not long be kept from the eyes of the world and this doleful and dismall news was sounded and seconded from every side Then was there a generall lamentation over all Christendome chiefly in France where all were so sorrowfull that any mirth was counted profanenesse Many bounded not themselves within the banks of grief but brake out into blasphemy both in France and elsewhere taxing Justice it self of being unjust and not content to admire what they could not conceive condemned Gods proceedings herein to be against right because above their reason Fools because they could not conquer on earth did quarrel with heaven This bad breath though it came but from the teeth of some yet proceeded from the corrupted lungs of others some spake but out of present passion but others even out of inbred Atheisme Many who before were but luke warme in religion now turned stark cold In Venice and some others cities of Italy the inhâ—bitants whereof Matthew Paris calleth semichristianâ—s but half-Christians though this his harsh appellation wanteth three parts of charity began wholly to tend to apostasie And now for a crutch to stay their reeling faith it was high time for the Clergy to ply the pulpits They perswaded those Rachels who in this voyage had lost any children and would not be comforted that their children were in a most blessed condition They emptied all their boxes of their colours of rhetotorick there with to paint out the happinesse of their estate which they enjoyed in heaven They pieced out their Sermons with reporting of Miracles How William Earl of Sarisbury appeared to his mother and assured her that he reigned most glorious in heaven She presently forgot her grief for losing her sonne for joy that she had found a Saint yea a Martyr This was their constant custome When any in Europe wept for the losse of their friends in this warre their tears were instantly dried up with some hot miracle that was reported them Wherewith the silly people were well pleased as babes of clouts are good enough to keep children from crying About this time many thousands of the English were resolved for the Holy warre and would needs have been gone had not the King strictly guarded his ports and kept his Kingdome from running away out of doores The King promised he would go with them and hereupon got a masse of mony from them for this journey Some say that he never intended it and that this onely was a trick to stroke the skittish cow to get down her milk His stubborn subjects said that they would tarry for his company till midsummer and no longer Thus they weighed out their obedience with their own scales and the King stood to their allowance But hearing of this sorrowfull accident both Prince and people altered their resolution who had come too late to help the French in their distresse and too soon to bring themselves into the same misery Chap. 18. King Lewis exchanged for Damiata stayeth some years at Ptolemais BUt to return to Egypt where King Lewis was kept prisoner by Melechsala who often felt his disposition about the resigning of Damiata but found that to hear of death was more welcome musick unto him But see here a sudden alteration One Tarqueminus a sturdy Mammaluke with another of that society killed Melechsala in the very heighth of his victorious happinesse and succeeded him in the Egyptian Kingdome This Tarquemine came in with an intent to send Lewis the same way Which poor Prince was onely armed with innocence and Majestie and yet his bare person defended his person from that cruel attempt such an awfull impression did his very presence saith my Authour strike into him who would have stricken him But we may rather think that the city of Damiata was King Lewis his corslet and that all the towres and walls of that place fenced him Tarquemnius reserving his person as an equivalent ransome thereby to redeem that royall citie Now Lewis had changed his Lord but not his lamentable condition continuing still a prisoner At last he was restored to his liberty on condition that the Christians should surrender Damiata and he also pay back to the Turks many thousand pounds both for ransome of Christian captives and in satisfaction of the vastations they had committed in Egypt Lewis for security of this money pawned to the Turk the Pyx and Host that is the body of Christ transsubstantiated in the Eucharist as his chiefest jewel which he should be most carefull to redeem Hence in perpetuall memory of this conquest we may see a Wafer-cake and a box alwayes wrought in the borders of that tapestry which is brought out of Egypt Note by the way That the Turks were most unreasonable in their rates of ransoming souldiers and in all other their pecuniary demands For their own countrey being near to the fountain of gold and silver they made as if it flowed as plentifully in other places measuring the wealth of other lands by their own and asking as much for a private mans ransome as would drain a Princes purse in these Western parts Thus was Damiata restored again to the Turks and the Christians punctually performed their promises though the false Miscreant on the other side set not half the captives free killed all the sick persons whom by promise he should relieve and contrary to the agreement suffered not any Christian 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
not out in the election of their Prince being in a manner all equall amongst themselves We see elective States in Christendome though bound with the straitest laws often sagge aside into schismes and factions whereas this strange Empire in their choice had no dangerous discords but such as were quenched in the kindling Lastly who ever knew a wall that had no better cement to stand so sure and so long Two hundred sixty and seven years this State endured and yet had it to do with strong and puissant enemies Some Kingdomes ow their greatnesse not so much to their own valour and wisdome as to the weaknesse of their neighbours but it fared not thus with the Mammalukes To omit Prester John who neighboured them on the south on all other sides they were encompassed with potent opposers From whom right valiantly they defended themselves till in the yeare 1517 they were overcome by Selimus the great Turkish Emperour To conclude As for the Amazons and their brave atchievements with much valour and no manhood they and their State had onely being in the brains of fabulous writers As for the Assasines or regiment of rogues it never spread to the breadth of any great countrey nor grew to the height of a Kingdome but being the jakes of the world was cast out in a place betwixt barren hills But this Empire of vassals was every way wonderfull stretching so farre over all Egypt and most of Syria and lasting so long A strange State wherein slavery was the first step to their throne and apostasle the first article in their religion Chap 20. The manner of the death of Frederick King of Ierusalem His Will and posterity after him An interregnum both in Germanie and the Kingdome of Ierusalem IN this same yeare Frederick King of Jerusalem and Emperour of Germanie ended his troublesome dayes A Prince who in the race of his life met with many rubs some stumbles no dangerous fall Besides the Turk he had to do with the Pope the Pope immortall in his succession And though his Holinesse was unfit for warre as being alwayes old and never ripe for that place till almost rotten yet he used his own head and commanded the hands of others whereby he kept Frederick in a continuall warre Yet never could he have beaten him with fair play had he not used a weapon if not against the law of Arms against the law of God and against which no guard Arming his subjects against him and Dispensing with the oath of allegeance But he gave Frederick the mortall wound in setting himself against himself I mean Henry his eldest sonne And though Frederick easily conquered that rebellious youth and made him fast enough keeping him in prison in Apulia where he died yet he carried the grief hereof to his grave For now he knew not where or in whom to place any confidence as suspecting the single cord of Loyalty would not hold in others which brake in his own sonne though twisted with Naturall affection The greatnesse of his spirit was a great hastening of his death and being of a keen eager and active nature the sharpnesse of the sword cut the scabbard the sooner asunder Bow he could not break he must What-ever is reported he died of no other poison then sorrow which ushered him into a wasting ague grief being a burden whereof the strongest shoulders can bear the least As for the same that Maufred his base son should stifle him with a pillow though I must confesse he might be taken on suspicion as likely enough to play such a devilish prank yet it is unreasonable that he who is acquitted by the Authours of the same time should be condemned on the evidence of the writers of after-ages He died at Florence in an obscure castle on S. Lucies day having reigned King of Jerusalem three and twenty years By his Will he bequeathed many ounces of gold to the Knights Templars and Hospitallers in recompence of the wrongs they had received by him He left a great summe of money for the recovery of the Holy land to be disposed at the discretion of the foresaid knights He forbad any stately funerall for himself though in his life immoderately excessive in pomp as if he would do penance for his pride after death A Prince who had he not been hindred with domesticall discords would have equallized Caesar himself For if thus bravely he â—aid about him his hands being tied at home with continuall dissentions what would he have done if at liberty A scandal is raised since his death That he was but a millers sonne but he would have ground them to powder who in his life-time durst have averred it Indeed he was very happy in mechanicall matters such as we may term Liberall handicrafts as casting founding carving in iron and brasse Nether did this argue a low soul to dabble in such mean imployments but rather proved the amplitude and largenesse thereof of so generall acquaintance that no Art was a stranger to him But the suspicion of his birth rose from the almost miraculous manner of it Constantia his mother bearing him when welnigh sixty years of age But both in Scripture and other writers we may see the sonnes of long barren-mothers to have been fruitfull in famous atchievements Pity it was that he had some faults yea pity it had been if he had not had some But his vices indeed were notorious and unexcusable Many wives and concubines he had and by them many children His wives His legitimate children Their preferment 1. Constantia Queen of Aragon Henry who rebelled against him King of the Romanâ—s 2. Iole daughter to John Bren. Conrade Duke of Suevia 3. Agnes daughter to the Marquesse of Moravia childlesse divorced 4. Rutina 5. Isabella of Bavaria Agnes Married to Conrade Landâ—grave of Hessen 6. Mawd daughter to John King of England Constance Wife to Lewis Landâ—grave of Hessen  His base sonnes His concubine Blanch. 1. Henzius King of Sardinâ—a 2. Maufred Usurper of Sicily 3. Frederick Prince of Antioch It is much that succession adventured in so many severall bottoms should miscarry Yet these foure sonnes dying left no lasting issue and in the third generation Fredericks stock and that whole raâ—e of Suevian Princes was extinct Which in the judgement of some men was a judgement of God on him for his lasciviousnesse We must not forget a memorable passage which happened more then twenty yeares after Fredericks death One Tylo Colupp a notable juggler sometime brought up at the Court cunningly sowing together all the old shreds of his Courtship and stretching them out with impudency pretended to be Frederick the Emperour long detained in captivity in Palestine The difference betwixt their aâ—pects was easily reconciled for few Physâ—ognomy marks are so deeply fixed in any face but that age and misery will alter them The credulity of the vulgar sort presently betrayed them to be couzened by him yea some
Princes took this brasse for gold without touching it But the best engine which gave this puppet his motion was a bruit constantly buzzed That Frederick was not dead For Princes the manner of whole deaths hath been private and obscure fame commonly conjureth again out of their graves and they walk abroad in the tongues and brains of many who affirm and believe them to be still alive But the world soon suifeted of this cheaters forgerie and this glow-worm when brought into the light shined no more but at Nantes was burnt to ashes by Rodulphus the Emperour After Fredericks death there was an interregnum for three and twenty yeares in the Empire of Germany True it is that of some William Earl of Holland one without a beard not valour was nominated Emperour The Spirituall electours chose Richard brother to our King Henry the third And as in Cornwall he got much coin so Germany gave him a bottomlesse bag to put it in A third party named Alphonse King of Castile an admirable Mathematician But the ointment of his name is marred with the dead flie of his Atheisticall speech That if he had been in Gods stead he could have framed the world better then now it is Notwithstanding the best Dutch writers make an interregnum as counting the Empire still a widdow and all these rather her suiters then any her husband In like manner also in Palestine there was not any King for fourteen years after Fredericks death The right indeed lay in Conrade Duke of Suevia Fredericks sonne by Iole daughter to John Bren King of Jerusalem But he was so imployed in defending himself in Sicily against Mauâ—ted his base brother who soon after dispatched him out of the way that he had no leisure to prosecute his title to the fragments of his Kingdome of Jerusalem Chap. 21. The Pastorells killed in France King Lewis returned home GO we back to King Lewis who all this while stayed in Palestine busying himself partly in building and fencing of Sidon and Cesarea partly in composing discords betwixt the Pisans and Genoans even proceeding to threaten them into agreement But these armed men little cared for his naked menacing He being also an excellent religious Antiquary and Critick on holy monuments much employed himself in redeeming of old sacred places from the tyranny of time and oblivion Mean time in his Kingdome of France happened this strange accident An Hungarian pesant who is said to have been an apostate to Mahomet and well learned gathered together many thousands of people pretending they had intelligence from heaven to march to the Holy land These took on them the name and habit of Pastorelli poore shepherds in imitation belike as the Devil is Gods ape of those in the Gospel who were warned by Angels in a vision to go to Bethlehem Being to shape their course into Palestine they went into France shewing they had a vertigo in their heads mistaking the West for the East or else that like vagabonds they were never out of their way The Holy Lamb was their ensigne but their actions neither holy nor lambe-like They pillaged and killed the poor Jews as they went an unhappy nation whose heads lie pat for every ones hands to hit and their legges so stand in mens way that few can go by them without spurning at them Where they wanted Jews they made Jews of Christians especially if they were rich using them with all cruelty But at last near Burdeaux threescore thousand of them were slain and the rest dispersed A rhymer of that age or in courtesie call him a Poet made this Epitaph on them M semel bis C LI conjungere disce Duxit Pastorum saeva Megaera chorum Learn to put together well What M C C L I do spell When some devilish fiend in France Did teach the Shepherds how to dance By this time Lewis in Syria had stayed out the death and buriall of all his hopes to receive succour from his own countrey Long expecting in vain that France should come to him he at last returned to it The greatnesse of the burden he bore made him to go the faster and being loaden with debts to his Italian creditours he secretly hasted home Where safely arriving besides loyaltie to their Prince love to a stranger was enough to make him welcome Chap. 22. The conversion of the Tartarians Haalon conquereth Persia and extinguisheth the Caliphs of Babylon LEwis is gone and left the Christians in Syria in a wofull condition without hope of amendment Now can any good come out of Tartary Can the Northern wind blow a comfortable warmth Yea see a strange vicissitude of things Haito the Christian King of Armenia had travelled to Mango the Cham of Tartary to communicate to him the present danger of the Tâ—rks and to consult of a remedy He shewed how if order were not taken with them in time they would over-runne all Asia Let him not count that he lay out of their rode because of his remote situation For what is the way wanderers will not trace He might expect onely this courtesie to be last devoured In conclusion Haito prevailed so farre with this Pagan that he not onely promised his assistance but also was baptised and took the Christian religion on him So also did his whole countrey by his example and Christianity being the Court-fashion none would be out of it Never since the time of Constantine the Great did the devill at once lose a greater morsel or was there made a more hopefull accession to the Faith Understand we this conversion of Tartary though Authours predicate it universally of that whole countrey onely of Cathaia the Eastern and most refined part of that Empire For Cannibals were still in the North who needed first to be converted to reason and to be made men before they could become Christians Also at this same time we find a swarm of Western Tartarian heathens forraging Poland So it seemeth so vast was the Empire that it was still night in the West though it was day in the Eastern part thereof Now whether the conversion of these Tartarians was solemnly deliberately and methodically wrought by preaching first those things wherein the light of Nature concurreth with Faith then those wherein humane reason is no foe but standeth neuter such as are merely of Faith leaving the issue of all to God whose oratory onely can perswade souls or whether which is more probable it was but tumultuously done many on a sudden rather snatching then embracing religion we will not dispute Sure it is that Mango sent Haalon his brother who is said to have married a wife an excellent Christian and descended from the Wise-men who came to see our Saviour with a great army to suppresse the Turks and assist the Christians It seemeth his army rid post for falling into Persia he conquered it sooner then one can well travell it in half
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 warehouses and storehouses onely the Pope prevailed so farre with them that they set at liberty the prisoners they had taken Ten years 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 Frenchman who succeeded Robert in the titular Patriarchship of Jerusalem to be Pope by the name of Urbane the fourth To advance the Holy cause after fourteen years interregnum in Syria he appointed Charles Duke of Anjou yonger 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 run 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 termes 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 four 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 dear 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 and 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 aud 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 humorous 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 yielded a little to these Tartarians and so to continue their amity which was so advantageous to the Holy warre However one may question the truth of their conversion whether reall at first This spring was too forward to hold and the speedy withering of their religion argueth it wanted root And as tame foxes if they break loose and return wild do ten times more mischief then those which are wild from the beginning so these renegadoes raged more furiously then any Pagans against religion Guirboca sacrificed many Christians to the ghost of his nephew destroyed Cesarea and burnt it using all cruelty against the inhabitants Nor lesse were the Christians plagued at the same time with Bendocdar the Mammaluke Prince in Egypt who succeeded Melechem and every where raging against them either killed or forced them to forswear their religion The city of Joppa he took and burned and then wonne Antioch slaying therein twenty thousand and carrying away captive an hundred
thousand Christians But it may justly be suspected that these numbers were written first in figures and therefore at too much length when the adding of nothing may increase many thousands These wofull tidings brought into Europe so wrought on the good disposition of Lewis King of France that he resolved to make a second voyage into Palestine to succour the Christians He so fixed his mind on the journeys end that he saw not the dangers in the way His Counsel could not disswade though they did disswade him First they urged that he was old let younger men take their turns They recounted to him his former ill successe How lately had that hot countrey scorch'd the lilies of France not onely to the blasting of the leaves but almost withering of the root Besides the sinews of the Christians in Syria were so shrunk that though lifted up they could not stand That Nature decayed but not thus wholly destroyed was the subject of physick That the Turks had got a habit of conquering and riveted themselves into the possession of the countrey so that this voyage would but fleet the cream of the Kingdome to cast it into the fire But as a vehement flame maketh feuel of whatsoever it meeteth so this Kings earnest resolution turned bridles into spurres and hind rances into motives to his journey Was he old let him make the more speed lest envious death should prevent him of this occasion of honour Had he sped ill formerly he would seek his credit where he lost it Surely Fortunes lottery had not all blanks but that after long drawing he should light on a prize at last Were the Christians in so low a case the greater need they had of speedy help Thus was this good Kings judgement over-zealed And surely though Devotion be the naturall heat Discretion which wanted in him is the radicall moisture of an action keeping it healthfull prosperous and long-lived Well King Lewis will go and to this end provideth his navie and is accompanied with Philip and Tristram his Sonnes Theobald King of Navarre his sonne in law Alphonse his brother and Guido Earl of Flanders There went also Edward eldest sonne to Henry King of England It was a wonder he would now adventure his head when he was to receive a Crown his father being full-ripe to drop down without gathering having reigned longer then most men live fifty and five yeares But thirsty was this Edward of honour Longshanks was he called and as his strides were large so vast and wide was the extent of his desire As for his good Father he was content to let go the staff of his age for to be a prop to the Church And though King Lewis was undiscreet in going this journey he was wise in choosing this his companion to have this active Prince along with him it being good to eye a suspicious person and not to leave him behind With Edward went his brother Edmund Earl of Lancaster surnamed Crouch-back not that he was crook-shouldered or camel-backed From which our English Poet most zealously doth vindicate him Edmond like him the comeliest Prince alive Not crook-bac'd ne in no wise disfigured As some men write the right line to deprive Though great falsehood made it to be scriptured but from the Crosse anciently called a Crouch whence Crouched Friars which now he wore in his voyage to Jerusalem And yet it maketh it somewhat suspicious that in Latine records he is never read with any other epithet then Gibbosus But be he crooked or not let us on straight with our story Chap. 27. King Lewis besiegeth the city of Tunis His death and commendation LEwis now having hoised up sail it was concluded by the generall consent of his Counsell That to secure and clear the Christians passage to Palestine from pirates they should first take the city of Carthage in Africa by the way This Carthage long wrastled with Rome for the sovereignty and gave as many foils as she took till Scipio at last crushed out her bowels with one deadly fall Yet long after the city stood before wholly demolished to be a spurre to put metall into the Romanes and to be a forrain mark for their arrows lest otherwise they should shoot against themselves At last by the counsel of Cato it was quite destroyed who alledged That it was not safe to have a knife so near their throat and though good use might be made of an enemy at arms end yet it was dangerous to have him too close to ones side as Carthage was within a dayes sail from Rome Out of the ruines of this famous citie Tunis arose as often a stinking elder groweth out of the place where an oak hath been felled Thieving was their trading but then as yet they were Apprentices to pâ—racie whereof at this day they are grown Masters Yea not considerable was Tunis then in bignesse great onely in mischief But as a small scratch just upon the turning of a joynt is more troublesome then a bigger sore in another place so this paltry town the refuge of rogues and wanderers home seated in the passage betwixt Europe Asia and Africa was a worse annoyance to Christian traffick then a whole countrey of Saracens elsewhere Wherefore both to revenge the bloud of many Christians who passing this way to Palestine were either killed or taken captive as also to secure the way for the time to come Lewis with his whole fleet augmented with the navy of Charles King of Sicilie and Jerusalem his brother bent his course to besiege it It was concluded both unnecessary and unfitting first in a fair way to summon the city because like pernicious vermine they were to be rooted out of the world by any means nor was it meet to lavish the solemn ceremonies of warre on a company of thieves and murderers The siege was no sooner begun but the plague seised on the Christian armie whereof thousands died amongst others Tristram King Lewis his sonne And he himself of a flux followed after This Lewis was the French Josia both for the piety of his life and wofulnesse of his death ingaging himself in a needlesse warre Many good laws he made for his Kingdome that not the worst He first retrenched his Barons power to suffer parties to trie their intricate titles to land by duells He severely punished blasphemers fearing their lips with an hot iron And because by his command it was executed upon a great rich citizen of Paris some said he was a tyrant He hearing it said before many I would to God that with fearing my own lips I could banish out of my realm all abuse of oaths He loved more to heare Sermons then to be present at Masse whereas on the contrary our Henry the third said he had rather see his God then hear another speak of him though never so well His body was carried into France there to be buried and was most miserably tossed it being
the dead Turks head shewing little wit in his owne and the Prince was highly displeased that the monument of his valour should be stained with anothers crueltie It is storied how Elenor his Lady sucked all the poyson out of his wounds without doing any harm to her self So sovereign a medicine is a womans tongue anointed with the vertue of loving affection Pitie it is so pretty a story should not be true with all the miracles in Lovers Legends and sure he shall get himself no credit who undertaketh to confute a passage so sounding to the honour of the sex Yet can it not stand with what others have written How the Physician who was to dresse his wounds spake to the Lord Edmund and the Lord John Voysie to take away Lady Elenor out of the Princes presence lest her pitie should be cruell towards him in not suffering his sores to be searched to the quick And though she cried out and wrung her hands Madame said they be contented it is better that one woman should weep a little while then that all the Realme of England should lament a great season And so they conducted her out of the place And the Prince by the benefit of physick good attendance and an antidote the Master of the Templars gave him shewed himself on horse-back whole and well within fifteen dayes after The Admirall of Joppa hearing of his recoverie utterly disavowed that he had any hand in the treacherie as none will willingly father unsucceeding villany True it is he was truly sorrowfull whether because Edward was so bad or no worse wounded he knoweth that knoweth hearts Some wholly acquit him herein and conceive this mischief proceeded from Simon Earl of Montforts hatred to our Prince who bearing him and all his kindred an old grudge for doing some conceived wrong to his father in very deed nothing but justice to a rebell hired as they think this Assasine to murder him as a little before for the same quarrell he had served Henry sonne to Richard King of the Romanes and our Edwards cousin germane at Viterbo in Italy It is much this Simon living in France should contrive this Princes death in Palestine but malice hath long arms and can take men off at great distance Yea this addeth to the cunning of the engineer to work unseen and the further from him the blow is given the lesse is he himself suspected Whosoever plotted God prevented it and the Christians there would have revenged it but Edward would not suffer them In all haste they would have marched and fallen on the Turks had not he disswaded them because then many Christians unarmed and in small companies were gone to visit the Sepulchre all whose throats had then probably been cut before their return Eighteen moneths he stayed at Ptolemais and then came back through Italy without doing any extraordinarie matter in Palestine What musick can one string make when all the rest are broken what could Edward do alone when those Princes fell back on whom the project most relied Lewis and Charles were the main undertakers Edward entertained but as an adventurer and sharer and so he furnished himself accordingly with competent forces to succour others but not to subsist of themselves But as too often where the principal miscarrieth the second and sureties must lie at the stake to make the debt good so in their default he valiantly went forward though having in all but thirteen ships and some thousands of men too many for a plain Prince to visit with and too few for a great one to warre with and performed what lay within the compasse of his power In a word his coming to Ptolemais and assisting them there was like a cordiall given to a dying man which doth piece out his life or death rather a few grones and as many gasps the longers By this time Henry his aged father being dead his lamp not quenched but going out for want of oil the English Nobilitie came as farre as the Alpes in Savoy to wait on Edward in his return Leave we him then to be attended home by them to receive the Crown to which no lesse his vertues then birth entitled him Since the Conquest he was the first King of his name and the first that settled the Law and State deserving the style of Englands Justinian and that freed this Kingdome from the wardship of the Peers shewing himself in all his actions after capable to command not the realm onely but the whole world Chap. 30. Rodulphus the Emperours voyage to Palestine hindred The Duke of Mechlenburg his captivitie and inlargement BEfore Edwards departure Hugh King of Jerusalem and Cyprus concluded a peace to our Princes small liking with the Mammaluke Sultan of Egypt to hold onely in and near Ptolemais whereby the Christians had some breathing-time But that which now possessed all mens thoughts and talk in Syria was the expectation of Rodulphus to come thither with a great armie who after two and twentie yeares interregnum was chosen Emperour of Germany This Rodulphus was a mean Earl of Haspurg Frederick the last Emperour was his godfather who little thought that having so many sons of his own his god-son should next succeed him and lived in a private way But now the Empire refusing her rich suiters married this Earl without any portion onely for pure love A preferment beyond his expectation not above his deserts For Germany had many bigger lights none brighter Pope Gregory the tenth would not ratifie his election but on this condition That he should in person march with an armie to Palestine And though this was but an old policie To send the Emperours far away that so he might command in chief in their absence yet his Holinesse did so turn and dresse this third-bare plot with specious pretenses of piety that it passed for new and fresh especially to those that beheld it at distance But Rodulphus could not be spared out of Germany being there imployed in civil discords The knees of the Dutch Princes were too stiff to do him homage till he softned them by degrees And indeed he was not provided for the Holy warre and wanted a stock of his own to drive so costly a trade having no paternall lands considerable no bottom to begin on though through his thrift and providence he first laid the foundation of the Austrian familie Yet somewhat to answer expectation he sent Henry Duke of Mechlenburg with competent forces into Palestine Who coming to Ptolemais made many notable incursions into the countrey about Damasco with fire and sword destroying all as he went and carrying thence many rich booties till at last he was circumvented taken prisoner by the Mammalukes Twenty six yeares he lived in captivity keeping his conscience free all the while At last the Sultan of Egypt a renegado Germane who formerly had been engineer to this Dukes father set him at liberty together with
Martine his servant that he who so long had shared of his miserie might also partake of his happinesse No sooner had this Duke put to sea but he was again taken by pirates and the Sultan out of pitie to this distressed Prince and out of scorn that fortune should frustrate and defeat his reall courtesie set him free again At last he came safely home and was there welcomed with asmuch wonder as joy his subjects conceiving his return a resurrection having buried him in their thoughts long before Here he found two counterfeits who pretended themselves to be this Duke and on that title challenged lodging with Anastasia his Lady But the one of them had a softer bedfellow provided him a pool of water wherein he was drowned the other was made a bonefire of to solemnize the joy of the Dukes return Chap. 31. Charles King of Ierusalem His intentions in Syria stopped by the Sicilian Vespers His death and sonnes succession BY this time Charles King of Jerusalem and Sicily had made great preparations for the Holy war And to make his claim to the Kingdome of Jerusalem the stronger he bought also the title of Maria Domicella Princesse of Antioch which pretended aright to the same He sent also Roger the Count of S. Severine as his Vice-roy to Ptolemais where he was honourably received in despite of Hugh King of Cyprus by the especial favour of Albertine Morisine the Venetian Consul there And now his navie was reported to be readie and that by the way he had a project upon Michael Paleologus the Emperour of Greece Whē all his intentions were suddenly blasted it so happening that on Easter day as the bell tolled to Even-song all the throats of the Frenchmen in Sicily were cut in a moment by the natives thereof and that Island won by Peter King of Aragon The grand contriver of this massacre was one Jacobus Prochyta a Physician and I dare say he killed more in an houre then he cured all his life-time Those that condemn the Sicilians herein cannot excuse the French such formerly had been their pride lust covetousnesse and crueltie to the people of that Island putting them causelesly to exquisite torture so that an ordinary hanging was counted an extraordinarie favour But the secrecie of contriving this slaughter of the French was little lesse then miraculous that so many knowing it none should discover it like cunning dogs barking in triumph after they had bitten not before to give any warning Hence grew the proverb of the Sicilian Vespers though their Even-song was nothing to the English Mattens intended in the Gunpowder-Treason Mean time King Charles was at Rome beholding the making of Cardinals when this doleful news was brought unto him and struck him to the heart He survived a year or two longer but dull and melancholick living as it were without life and died at last having reigned King of Jerusalem twentie year A Prince which had tasted of various successe fortune for a while smiling on him and at last laughing at him His son Charles succeded him in the Kingdome of Naples and in the title of Jerusalem He was surnamed Cunctator Delayer not in the same sense as Fabius the Shield of Rome was so called he onely stayed till opportunitie was come our Charles till it was passed I find nothing memorable of him except this That offended with the Templars in Palestine for taking part against him with the King of Cyprus he seised on their lands and confiscated all their goods they had in Naples or any other part of his dominions How ever let him have room in the catalogue of our Kings of Jerusalem For as high hills near the sea-side though otherwise never so base and barren ground yet will serve to be sea-marks for the direction of mariners so this Charles together with Hugh John and Henry Kings of Cyprus pretending also to Jerusalem though we reade nothing remarkable of them will become the front of a page and serve to divide and distinguish times and to parcell the historie the better to our apprehension As for the bare anatomie of their reigne for we find it not fleshed with any historie with the dates of their beginnings and endings we shall present it to the reader hereafter in our Chronologie Chap. 32. The succession of the Mammaluke Princes in Egypt Alphir taketh Tripoli and Tyre The wofull estate of Ptolemais BUt whilest these titular Kings slept the Mammaluke Princes were vigilant to infest the reliques of the Christians in Palestine Which Princes succession we will adventure to set down nor are we discouraged with the difficulties which encounter us herein The hardnesse in the story of the Mammalukes proceedeth as we conceive from one of these causes First the State is not written directly but by reflexion not storied by any constant writer of their own but in snaps and parcels as the Chroniclers of neighbouring Christian countreyes have catched at them Secondly out of a popular errour their chief Captains by reason of their large authoritie passe for absolute Kings Thirdly the same King hath many names and the same name by translation in sundrie languages is strangely disguised How-ever we will use our best conjectures in these uncertainties and a dimme candle is better then no light Bendocdar or Bandodacar otherwise Melechdaet was the last Egyptian Prince we mentioned A dangerous man to the Christians but that Abaga the Tartarian took him to task and kept him in continuall imployment This Abaga had a prettie trick to make cowards valiant causing them that ranne away from the battell ever after to wear womens clothes Bendocdar died at Damascus of a wound he received in Armenia or as some say by cold in swimming over Euphrates Elpis succeeded him his sonne say some but the Mammalukes laws forbid that except his extraordinary worth was his facultie and dispenied with him ad succedendum patri But who knoweth not that the Eastern tongue speaketh nephewes and kinsmen to be sonnes Some wholly omit him enough to make us suspect that he was onely some Deputy clapped in to stop up the vacancie till Melechsaites was chosen Melechsaites called by Marinus Melechmessor wonne the strong castle of Mergath from the Hospitallers He much loved and was 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 woful 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 causeâ—â— the scarcity of justice malefactours appealing to a trial in the courts of their own countrey 〈◊〉 was sufficient innocencie for any offender in the Venetian court that he was a Venetian Personall acts were entituled nationall and made the cause of the countrie 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 there were in fitters about prosecuting their titles to this citie 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 citie 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 his Embassadours ill intreated Hereupon he sitteth down before the city with six hundred thousand men But we are not bound to believe 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 fiftie 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 citie 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 wrastle her last fall stripped her self of all combersome clothes women children aged persons weak folks all such hindering help and mouths 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 mouths been stopped with the artilery 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 ordinarie for some daies 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 safetie then honour secretly fled with their bodies after their hearts out of the citie 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 contrarie they most valiantly behaved themselves At last the Turks entred the citie by undermining the walls and conceived their work now done when it was new begun For they found Ptolemais not a citie but a heap of cities thrown together wherein the people of every countrey so fensed themselves in their severall sorts 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 citie was so long before it was taken for it held out fiftie daies 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 bloudie victorie to the Turks most of them that entered the citie being either burned with fire or killed arrows or smothered with the fall of towres the very ruines as thirstie of revenge killing those that ruined them Serapha evened all to the ground and lest the Christians should ever after land here demolished all buildings the Turks holding this position That the best way to be rid of such vermine is to shave the hair clean off and to destroy all places wherein they may nestle themselves Some say he plowed the ground whereon the citie stood and sowed it with corn but an eye-witnesse affirmeth that still there remain magnificent ruines seeming rather wholy to consist of divers conjoyned castles then any way intermingled with private dwellings No fewer then an hundred thousand Latine Christians all that were left in Syria fled at this time
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 and 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 company 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 believe 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 family Their Imperiall Eagle was so far 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 Archdukes of Nize a style I meet not with elsewhere twisted with that of the Duke Savoy The Kings of Naples and Aragon now joyned in the King of Spain 7. Of those which are extant at this day Englands appearâ—â— first our Richard receiving it in exchange of King Guy 〈◊〉 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 Aungeoy Erle a Prince of passing 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 rise Yet have ye more from Bawldwyne Paralyticus 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 Pope 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 Quodcunque per servum acquiritur id Domino acquiritur 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 late warres in the dayes of Queen Elisabeth were hot between England and Spain there were Commissioners on both sides appointed to treat of peace They met at a town of the French Kings and first it was debated what tongue the negotiation should be handled in A Spaniard thinking to give the English Commissioners a shrewd gird proposed the French tongue as most fit it being a language which the Spaniards were well skilled in and for these Gentlemen of England I suppose said he that they cannot be ignorant of the language of their fellow-subjects their Queen is Queen of France as well as England Nay in faith Masters replyed
Farre greater might his intrado be if husbandâ—ie and chiefly merchandise were plied in his countrey merchants being the Vena porta of a Kingdome without which it may have good limbes but emptie veins and nourish little Now although this Empire be of a vast extent having many safe harbours to receive strangers there and Stable commodities chiefly if industrie were used to allure them thither yet hath it in effect but foure prime places of trading Constantinople Cairo Aleppo and Tauris As for the extraordinarie revenues of the Grand Signor by his escheats and other courses if he pleaseth to take them they are a Nemo scit For in effect he is worth as much as all his subjects or flaves rather throughout his whole Empire are worth his spunges to squeeze at pleasure But the Lion is not so fierce as he is painted nor this Empire so formidable as fame giveth it out The Turks head is lesse then his turbant and his turbant lesse then it seemeth swelling without hollow within If more seriously it be considered this State cannot be strong which is a pure and absolute tyrannie His subjects under him have nothing certain but this That they have nothing certain and may thank the Grand Signot for giving them whatsoever he taketh not away from them Their goods they hold by permission not proprietie not sure that either they or theirs shall reap what they sow or eat what they reap and hereupon husbandrie is wholly neglected For the plowman aswell as the ground he ploweth will be soon out of heart if not maintained and as I may say composted with hopes to receive benefit by his labours Here great officers if they love themselves must labour not to bee beloved for popularitie is high treason and generally wealth is a sinne to be expiated by death In a word it is a cruel tyrannie bathed in the bloud of their Emperours upon every succession a heap of vassals and slaves no Nobles except for time being by office no Gentlemen no Free-men no inheritance of land no Stirp or ancient families a nation without any moralitie arts and sciences that can scarce measure an acre of land or houre of a day And needeth not that Kingdome constant and continued pointing which is cemented with fear not love May wee not justly think that there be many in this Empire which rather wait a time then want desire to overthrow it For though some thinke the Grecians in Turkie bear such inveterate hate to the Latine Christians that they would rather refuse deliverance then accept them for their deliverers yet surely both they and perchance some native Turks out of that principle of desiring libertie the second rule next preserving life in the charter of Nature would be made if this Empire were seriously invaded so that the foundation thereof did totter sooner to find two hands to pluck it downe then one finger to hold it up And we have just cause to hope that the fall of this unwieldie Empire doth approch It was high noon with it fiftie yeares ago we hope now it draweth near night the rather because luxurie though late yet at last hath found the Turks out or they it When first they came out of Turcomania and were in their pure naturals they were wonderfully abstemious neglecting all voluptuousnesse not so much out of a dislike as ignorance of it But now having tasted the sweetnesse of the cup they can drink as great a draught as any others That Paradise of corporall pleasure which Mahomet promised them in the world to come they begin to anticipate here at leastwise to take an earnest of it and have well soked themselves in luxurie Yea now they begin to grow covetous both Prince and people rather seeking to enjoy their means with quiet then enlarge them with danger Heaven can as easily blast an oak as trample a mushrome And we may expect the ruine of this great Empire will come for of late it hath little increased its stock and now beginneth to spend of the principall It were arrant presumption for Flesh to prescribe God his way or to teach him when he meaneth to shoot which arrow in his quiver to choose Perchance the Western Christians or the Grecians under him though these be better for seconds then firsts fitter to foment then raise a faction or his own Janizaries or the Persian or the Tartarian or some other obscure Prince not as yet come into play in the World shall have the lustre from God to maul this great Empire It is more then enough for any man to set down the fate of a single soul much more to resolve the doom of a whole nation when it shall be These things we leave to Providence to work and posteritie to behold As for our generation let us sooner expect the dissolutions of our own Microcosmes then the confusion of this Empire For neither are our own sins yet truly repented of to have this punishment removed from us nor the Turks wickednesse yet come to full ripenesse to have this great judgement laid upon them Soli Deo gloria The Preface to the Chronológie HErein I present the Reader with a generall view and synopsis of the whole storie of the age of the Holy VVarre that he may see the coherence betwixt the East and the West and in what equipage and correspondencie of time the Asian affairs go on with those of Europe for they will reflect a mutuall lustre and plainnesse on one another The Chronologie is marshalled into Rankes and Files The Ranks or transverse spaces contain twenty years on a side the Files or columnes directly downward are appropriated to those severall States whose name they bear In the six first columnes I have followed Helvicus with an implicite faith without any remarkable alteration both in ingraffing of yeares and making them concurre as also leaving sometimes emptie spaces In the other columnes I have followed severall authours and left the years unnoted where the time was uncertain counting it better to bring in an Ignoramus then to find a verdict where the evidence was doubtfull and obscure Such long notes as would not be imprisoned within the grates of this Chronologie we have referred by asterisks to the foot of the page Know that every note belongeth to that yeare wherein it beginneth except signed with this Θ which reduceth it to the yeare it endeth in Br. standeth for Brother S. Sonne M. Moneths D. Dayes Note whilest there were Caliphs of Egypt then the Sultans were but Deputies and Lieutenants but afterwards the Mamaluke Sultans were absolute Princes acknowledging no Superiour Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre and Kings of Ierusalem 1095 URBANE the second 8 ALEXIOS COMNENâ— 15 HENRY the fourth 40 WILLIAM RUFUS 8 PHILIP the first 36 The Council of Clermont foundeth the Holy Warre 6 9 16 41 9 37 1. VOYAGE under GODEREY Duke of Bouillon 7 10 17 42 10
W Weaver Fun. mon. Dr Whitaker Dr White Z Zuerius Boxhorn A table shewing the principall things contained in this Historie A  B. Ch. ABaga maketh cowards vâ—liant 4 32 Abbeys how and why suppressed in England 5 6 7 8 Adamites against their will 3 20 Albingenses three opinions concerning them  18 their originall persecution nick-names  19 defended from crimes objected  20 commended by their adversartes  ibid. Alexius Emp. his treachery 1 15 causeth the Christians overthrow 2 9 his death and epitaph  14 Alexius Angâ—lus the younger a princely begger 3 17 Almerick K. of Ierusalem his character 2 33 he helâ—eth the Sultan of Egypt  36 invadeth Egypt against promise  7 his death  ibid. Almerick the second 3 16 deposed for lazinesse  23 Almerick Patriarch of Antioch 2 26 Ierusalem  34 Andronicê° a bad practicer of S. Paul 3 3 Antioch wonne by the Christians 1 17 betrayed by the Patr. to Saladine 3 1 recovered by the Duke of Sueuia  4 finally lost to the Sultan of Egypt 4 26 Apostasie of many Christians in Europe upon K. Lewis captivitie  17 Arms of Gentlemen â—eserved in this warre 5 23 Aâ—nulphus the firebrand-Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 1 8 1â— Assasines their strange commonweal  34 B BAldwine K. of Ierus his nature 2 7 he wins Antâ—paâ—ris and Cesarea  10 his two voyages into Egypt his death  13 Bâ—ldwine the second chosen King  14 he is taken prisoner ransomed  â—7 he renounceth the world dieth  18 Baldwine the third his châ—racter 2 34 discord bâ—twixt him his mother  31 he winneth Ascalon  32 his death and commendation  ibid. Baldwine the fourth  38 he conquereth Saladine  40. 41 he is arrested with leprosie his death and praise  ibid. Baldwine the fifth poysoned by his mother  43 Baldwine Earl of Flanders Emperour of Constantinople 3 17 Theodore Balsamon how cousened 2 44 Battels at or neare Dogargan 1 16 Antioch  17 Askelon 2 3 Rhamula  10 Meander  28 Tiberias  45 Ptolemais 3 5 Bethlehem  11 Moret in France  22 Gaza 4 7 Tiberias  10 Manzor in Egypt  15 Manzor again  16 Bendocdar Sultan of Egypt 4 26 32 Bernard Patriarch of Antioch 2 2 An apologie for S. Bernard 2 30 Biblianders wild fansie 1 10 Bishops numerous in Palestine 2 2 Boemund prince of Antioch 1 17 he is taken prisoner 2 3 he wasteth Grecia  11 Boemund the second  18 Boemund the third  36 C CAliphs their voluptuousnesse 2 22 36 Calo-Iohannes Grecian Emper.  21 Carmelites their originall luxury and banishment  26 Carthage described 4 27 Chalices in England why of latten 3 13 Charatux one of the wisest men in the world  4 Charles Earl of Anjou K. of Ierus 4 25 he dieth for grief  31 Charles the second surnamed the Delayer  ibid. Children marching to Ierusalem wofully perish 3 24 Choermines their obscure originall 4 9 and finall suppression  10 Clerks no fit Captains 2 9  5 14 Clermont Council 1 8 Climate how it altereth health 5 15 Conferences betwixt opposite parties in religion never succeed 3 21 Conrade Emperour of Germany his unfortunate voyage 2 27 he conquereth the Turks  28 Conrade of Montferrat K. of Ierus 3 1 he is miserably slain  10 Conversions of Pagans hindred by Christians badnesse 2 34  4 12 how it must orderly and solemnly be done  22 Edmund Crâ—uchback not crooked  26 D DAbertus Patriarch of Ierusal 2 2 he scuffleth with the Kings for that city dies in banitshment  5 7 8 Damascus described  29 in vain besieged by the Christians  ibid. Damiat a twice taken by the Christians and twice surrendred 3 25 17  4 1â— 18 Danish service in this warre 1 13  5 22 Drunkennesse wofully punished 3 16 A Duell declined 2 1 Duells forbidden by St Lewis 4 27 E EBremarus Patriarch of Ierusal 2 8 Prince Edward his voyage 4 26 he is desperately wounded and recovereth  29 Elianor Qu. of France playeth false with her husband 2 28 Elianor wife to Prince Edward her unexampled love to her husband 4 26 Elhadach Caliph of Egypt 2 36 Emmanuel Emperour of Greece  27 Engines before guns 1 24 English service in this warre 1 13  5 22 Equality of undertakers ruineth this Holy warre  13 Eustace refuseth the kingdome 2 14 F FAith-breaking the cause of the Christians overthrow 2 37  5 11 Fames incredible swiftnesse 1 8 The strength of imaginarie Fear 3 5 Forts make some countries weaker 3 4 Franks how ancient in the East 5 21 Fred. Barbarossa his unhappy voyage 3 3 his wofull drowning  4 Frederick the second K. of Ierusalem his disposition 3 29  4 20 his grapplings with the Pope 3 30  4 1 his death and posteritie  20 French service in this warre 1 13  5 21 Fulcher Paâ—riarch of Ierusalem 2 25 Fulk King of Ierusalem  19 23 G GAlilee described 1 19 Genoans atchievements in this warre 2 10 Germane service in this warre 1 13  5 21 Germane Nobility numerous  ibid. St George 1 17 Gibellines and Guelfes 4 1 Godfrey King of Ierusalem 2 1 his vertuous vice  ibid. his death  6 a Goose carried by the Pilgrimes to Ierusalem 1 10 Greek Church rent from the Latine 4 4 on what occasion  ibid. wherein it dissenteth  5 what charitably is to be thought of them  ibid. what hope of reconcilement  6 Guarimund Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 15 Guy King of Ierusalem  43 he is taken prisoner  45 he exchangeth his Kingdome for Cyprus 3 10 H HAalon Cham of Tartarâ—e 4 22 26. Helen no Ostleresse 1 4 Henry E. of Champaigne K. of Ierus 3 11 his wofull death  15 Henry Earl of Mechlenburgh his long captivity late deli verance 4 30 Henry the fourth K. of England his intended voyage to Ierusalem 5 24 Heraclius the vitious Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 39 Holy fraud 1 17 Holy warre arguments for it 1 9 arguments against it  10 unlikely again to be set on foot 5 27 Hugh King of Ierusalem and Cyprus 4 25 I JAmes IV K. of Scotland hath some intentions for Ierusalem 5 24 Ianizaries their present insolencie 5 29 Ierusalem destroyed by Titus 1 1 rebuilt by Adrian  2 largely described  23 wonne by the Christians under Godfrey  24 lost to Saladine 2 46 recovered by Frederick the Emp. 3 31 finally wonne by the Choermines 4 9 her present estate at this day 5 26 Iews their wofull present condition 1 3 the hindrance of their conversion  ibid. Interviews of Princès dangerous 3 6 Iohn Bren K. of Ierusalem  24 his discords with the Legate  ibid. he resigneth his kingdome  28 Irish service in this warre 5 23 Isaacius
Angelus Emp. of Constant. 3 1 Italian service in this warre 1 13  5 22 Iudea described 1 21 K KIng for Deputie in Eastern tongues 2 2 Three faults in the Kingdome of Ierusalem which hindred the strength of it 5 18 Knights-Hospitallers their original 2 4 they degenerate through wealth into luxury  ibid. they rebell against the Patriarch about tithes  25 brawl with the Templars 4 8 flit from Cyprê° by Rhodes to Malta 5 5 the manner of their suppression in England  6 7 in vain restored by Qu. Mary  8 Knights Templars instituted 2 16 many slain through their own covetousnesse  32 they become rich and proud 4 8 their treachery hindereth the Holy warre 5 17 they are finally exsirpated out of Christendome  1 arguments for and against their innocency with a moderate way betwixt them  2 3 Knights Teutonicks their institution 2 16 they are honoured with a grand Master 3 5 they come into Prussia their service there 5 4 Knights of the Sepulchre 5 27 L LAterane Council 3 24 Length of the journey hindrance of this warre 5 13 Leopoldus Duke of Austr his valour 3 8 Leprosie 5 15 Lewis the Young K. of France his wofull journey 2 27. 28 St Lewis his voyage to Palestine 4 11 he wintereth in Cyprus  12 lands in Egypt winnes Damiata  13 is conquered and taken captive  16 dearly ransomed  18 St Lewis his second voyage 4 26 he besiegeth Tunis  27 his death and praise  ibid. M MAhometanisme the cause why it is so spreading 1 6 Mammalukes their originall 2 40 their miraculous Empire 4 19 Maronites their tenents and reconcilement to Rome 2 39 Meladine King of Egypt his bounty to the Christians 3 27 why not loved of his subjects 4 14 his death  ibid. Melechsala his son King of Egypt  ibid. Melechsaites Sultan of Egypt  32 Mercenary souldiers dangerous 2 35 yet how well qualified they may be usefull  ibid. Miracles of this warre examined and ranked into foure sorts viz. 1 not done 2 falsely done 3 done by Nature 4 done by Satan 5 10 N NIce besieged and taken by the Christians 1 16 Nilus his wonders and nature 2 13 Northern Armies may prosper in the South 5 15 Nâ—rvegian service 1 13  5 22 Numbers number lesse slain in these warres  20 What Numbers competent in an army  19 Numbers of Asian armies what we may conceive of them  ibid. O OBservation of Rog. Hoveden confuted 2 46 Offers at Palestine since the end of the warre 5 24 Office of the Virgin why instituted 1 8 Owls why honored by the Tartarians 4 2 P PAlestine in generalâ— described 1 18. Pastorells in France slain 4 21. Pelagius the Legate 3 24. Peter the Hermite his character 1 8. he proves himself but an hypocrite  ibid. Peter K. of Aragon a favourer of the Albingenses slain in battel 3 22 Philip Augustus K. of France his voyage to Palestine and unseasonable return  6 Pilgrimages proved unlawfull 5 9 The Popes private profits by the Holy warre 1 11 he the principall cause of the ill successe 5 12 Polands service in this warre 1 13  5 22 Ptolemais wonne by the Christians 2 11 regained by Saladine  45 after three yeares siege recovered by the Christians 3 8 finally taken by Sultan Serapha 4 33 Q QValitie of the adventurers in this warre 1 12 R REd sea why so called 2 13 Reformation why Rome is averse from it 4 4 Reimund Earl of Tripoli his discords with Baldwine 2 41 his apostasie to Saladine  45 his suspicious death  ibid. Relicks how to be valued 3 12 why so many before death Renounced the world 2 18 Richard K. of England his voyages to Palestine 3 6 he taketh Sicily and Cyprus in his passage  7 vanquisheth Salad in a set battel  11 in his return he is taken prisoner in Austria and ransomed  13 Richard Earl of Cornwall his voyage to Palestine 4 8 Robert D. of Normandie his valour 1 16. he refuseth the Kingdome of Ierusalem and thrâ—veth not after 2 1 Rodulphus chosen unexpectedly Emperour of Germanie 4 30 sendeth supplies to Syria  ibid. Rodulphus the unhappie Patriarch of Antioch 2 20 S SAcriledge 5 17 Saladine killeth the Caliph of Egypt 2 37 succeeds in Egypt and Damascus  ibid. conquereth Guy  45 taketh Ierusalem and all Syria  46 his commendations and death 3 14 Scholars without experience no good Generalls 3 24 Scottish service in this warre 1 13  5 23 Sea and land service compared 4 24 Simon Earl of Montfort concludeth a truce in Syria 3 16 chosen captain against the Albingenses  22 is killed by a woman  ibid. Sidon described wonne by the Christians 2 12 lost to the Sultan of Egypt 4 32 Spanish service in this warre 1 13  5 22 Stephen Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 15 Superstition tainting this whole war 5 9 Suspected souldiers in armies where to be placed 4 10 Sultans their large commissions 2 22 Sweden appeareth not in the Holy warre 1 13 T TArtaria described 1 7  4 2 Tartars their name and nature  ibid. when first known to the world  ibid. converted to Christianitie  22 their relapse to Paganisme  26 the occasion  ibid. Theobald King of Navarre his unhappie voyage 4 7 Titular Bishops their use and abuse 3 2 Pretenders of Titles to the Kingdome of Ierusalem 5 29 Tunis described besieged 4 27 taken by the Christians  28 Turks whence descended 1 7 their large strides into Asia  ibid. harder to be converted then Tartars 4 2 Turkish Empire its greatnesse strength and welfare the weaknesse and defects of it what hopes of its approching ruine 5 30 Tylo Colupp a not able cheater 4 20 Tyre described 2 12 taken by the Christians  17 valiantly defended by Conrade 3 1 wonne by Sultan Alphir 4 32 V VEnetians performance in this warre 2 17 their bloudie sea-battel with the Genoans 4 24 Viâ—iousnesse of the Pilgrimes which went to Palestine 1 12  5 16 W VVAfer-cake why wrought in the borders of all Egyptian tapestrie 4 18 Welsh service in this warre 5 23 William Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 25 William Landt-grave of Hesse his fictitious voyage to Ierusalem confuted 5 26 Women warriours 1 12  2 27 Wracks first quitted by the Kings of England to their subjects 3 7 FINIS Anno Dom. 34. 72. * Iosephus lib. 7. belli Iud. Gr. c. 45. Lat. c. 17. * Exod. 12. 13. * Adricom in Actis Apost fol. 28 2. credo ex Hegesippo * Suctonius in Tito Euseb. Eâ—cl hist. l. 3. c. 5. 132. * Hieron â—om 1. pag. 104. * Num. 24. 17. * Sand. Trav. fol. 145. * Hieron tom 6. pag. 256. Munster Cosmogr p. 457. Polyd. Virg. p. 327. Sandys Trav. pag. 146. * P. Heylin Microcos in Palestine pag. 570. * Sir E.
whereof they gave for their Seal Two men riding on one horse And hence it was that if the Turks took any of them prisoners their constant â—ansome was a Sword and a Belt it being conceived that their poor state could stretch to no higher price But after their order was confirmed by Pope Honorius by the intreaty of Stephen the Patriarch of Jerusalem who appointed them to wear a White garment to which Eugeâ—ius the third added a Red crosse on their breast they grew wonderfully rich by the bounty of severall Patrons Yea the King and Patriarch of Jerusalem 〈◊〉 this infant-order so long in their laps till it brake their knees it grew so heavie at last and these ungratefull Templars did pluck out the feathers of those wings which hatched and brooded them From Alms-men they turned Lords and though very valiant at first for they were sworn rather to dye then to flie afterwards lazinesse withered their arms and swelled their bellies They laughed at the rules of their first Institution as at the swadling-clothes of their infancie neglecting the Patriarch and counting themselves too old to be whipped with the rod of his discipline till partly their vitiousnesse and partly their wealth caused their finall extirpation as God willing shall be shewed hereafter At the same time began the Teutonick order consisting onely of Dutch-men well descended living at Jerusalem in an house which one of that nation bequeathed to his countreymen that came thither on pilgrimage In the yeare 1190 their order was honoured with a great Master whereof the first was Henry a-Walpot and they had an habit assigned them to wear Black Crosses on White robes They were to fight in the defence of Christianity against Pagans But we shall meet with them more largely in the following story Chap. 17. The Christians variety of successe Tyre taken by the assistance of the Venetians IT is worth the Readers marking how this Kings reign was checquered with variety of fortune For first Roger Prince of Antioch or rather guardian in the minority of young Boemund went forth with greater courage then discretion whereunto his successe was answerable being conquered and killed by the Turks But Baldwine on the 14 of August following forced the Turks to a restitution of their victory and with a small army gave them a great overthrow in spite of Gazi their boasting Generall To qualifie the Christians joy for this good successe Joceline unadvisedly fighting with Balak a petty King of the Turks was conquered and taken prisoner and King Baldwine coming to deliver him was also taken himself for which he might thank his own rashnesse For it had been his best work to have done nothing for a while till the Venetian succours which were not farre off had come to him and not presently to adventure all to the hazard of a battel Yet the Christians hands were not bound in the Kings captivity For Eustace Grenier chosen Vice-roy whilest the King was in durance stoutly defended the countrey and Count Joceline which had escaped out of prison fighting again with Balak at Hircapolis routed his army and killed him with his own hands But the main piece of service was the taking of Tyre which was done under the conduct of Guarimund the Patriarch of Jerusalem but chiefly by the help of the Venetian navie which Michael their Duke brought who for their pains were to have a third part of the city to themselves Tyre had in it store of men and munition but famine increasing against whose arrows there is no armour of proof it was yielded on honourable terms And though perhaps hunger shortly would have made the Turks digest courser conditions yet the Christians were loth to anger their enemies valour into desperatenesse Next year the King returned home having been eighteen moneths a prisoner being to pay for his ransome an hundred thousand Michaelets and for security he left his daughter in pawn But he payed the Turks with their own money or which was as good coin with the money of the Saracens vanquishing Borsâ—quin their Captain at Antiochia and not long after he conquered Dordequin another great Commander of them at Damascus To correct the ranknesse of the Christians pride for this good successe Damascus was afterward by them unfortunately besieged Heaven discharged against them thunder-ordinance arrows of lightning small shot of hail whereby they being miserably wasted were forced to depart And this affliction was increased when Boemund the young Prince of Antioch one of great hope and much lamented was defeated and slain Authours impute these mishaps to the Christians pride and relying on their own strength which never is more untrusty then when most trusted True it was God often gave them great victories when they defended themselves in great straits Hereupon they turned their thankfulnesse into presumption grew at last from defending themselves to dare their enemies on disadvantages to their often overthrow for God will not unmake his miracles by making them common And may not this also be counted some cause of their ill successe That they alwayes imputed their victories to the materiall Crosse which was carried before them So that Christ his glory after his ascension suffered again on the Crosse by their superstition Chap. 18. The death of Baldwine the second KIng Baldwine a little before his death renounced the world and took on him a religious habit This was the fashion of many Princes in that age though they did it for divers ends Some thought to make amends for their disordered lives by entring into some holy order at their deaths Others having surfeited of the worlds vanity fasted from it when they could eat no more because of the impotency of their bodies Others being crossed by the world by some misfortune sought to crosse the world again in renouncing of it These like furious gamesters threw up their cards not out of dislike of gaming but of their game and they were rather discontented to live then contented to dye But we must believe that Baldwine did it out of true devotion to ripen himself for heaven because he was piously affected from his youth so that all his life was religiously tuned though it made the sweetest musick in the close He died not long after on the 22 of August in the 13 year of his reign and was buried with his predecessours in the temple of the Sepulchre By Morphe a Grecian Lady his wife he had four daughters whereof Millesent was the eldest the second Alice married to young Boemund Prince of Antioch the third Hodiern wife to Reimund Prince of Tripoli and Mete the youngest Abbesse of Bethanie Chap. 19. Of Fulco the fourth King of Ierusalem FUlco Earl of Tours Main and Anjou coming some three years before on pilgrimage to Jerusalem there took in marriage Millesent the Kings daughter He had assigned to him the city of Tyre and some other princely accommodations for his present
maintenance and the Kingdome after the death of his father in law which he received accordingly He was welnigh 60 years old And by his first wife he had a sonne Geffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou to whom he left his lands in France and from whom our Kings of England are descended This Fulco was a very valiant man able both of body and mind His greatest defect was a weak memory though not so bad as that of Messala Corvinus who forgot his own name insomuch that he knew not his own servants and those whom he even now preferred were presently after strangers unto him Yet though he had a bad memory whilest he lived he hath a good one now he is dead and his virtues are famous to posterity Chap. 20. The Church-story during this Kings reigne The remarkable ruine of Rodolphus Patriarch of Antioch THe Church of Jerusalem yielded no alterations in the reign of Fulco But in Antioch there was much stirre who should succeed Bernard that peaceable long-lived man who fate 36 years and survived eight Patriarchs of Jerusalem Now whilest the Clergie were tedious in their choice the Laity was too nimble for them and they thinking it equall to have an hand in making who must have their arms in defending a Patriarch clapped one Rodolphus of noble parentage into the chair He presently took his pall off from the altar of S. Peter thereby sparing both his purse and pains to go to Rome and acknowledging no other superiour then that Apostle for his patrone This man was the darling of the Gentry and no wonder if they loved him who was of their cloth and making but hated of the Clergy Wherefore knowing himself to need strong arms who was to swim against the stream he wrought himself into the favour of the Princesse of Antioch the widow of young Boemund so that he commanded all her command and beat down his enemies with her strength He promised to make a marriage betwixt her and Reimund Earl of Poictou a Frenchman of great fame who was coming into these parts but he deceived her and caused the Earl to marry Constantia the daughter of this Lady by whom he had the principality of Antioch Indeed this Constantia was but a child for age but they never want years to marry who have a Kingdome for their portion The Patriarch to make sure work bound Prince Reimund by an oath to be true to him But friends unjustly gotten are seldome comfortably enjoyed Of his sworn friend he proved his sworn enemy and forced him to go up to Rome there to answer many accusations laid to his charge wherein the ground-work perchance was true though malice might set the varnish on it The main matter was that he made odious comparisons betwixt Antioch and Rome and counted himself equal to his Holinesse Rodolphus coming to Rome found the Popes dores shut against him but he opened them with a golden key Money he sowed plentifully and reaped it when he came to be tried for he found their hands very soft towards him whom formerly he had greased in the fist He also resigned his old pall and took a new one from the Pope As for his other crimes it was concluded that Albericus Bishop of Ostia should be sent into Syria the 〈…〉 to examine 〈◊〉 and to proceed accordingly with the â—atriarch as things there should be found alledged and proved Whereat his adversaries much stormed who expected that he should instantly have been deposed Yet afterwards they prevailed mightily with Albericus the Legaâ—e and bowed him on their side He coming to Antioch cited the Patriarch to appear who bâ—ing thrice called came not On his absence all were present with their conjectures what should cause it Some impuâ—ing it to his guiltinesse others to his contempt others to his fear of his enemies potency or judges partiality for indeed the Legate came not with a virgin judgement but ravished with prejudice being prepossessed with this intent to dispossesse him of his place Some thought he relied on his peace formerly made at Rome where the illegality of his election was rectified by his laying down his first pall and assuming a new one from the Pope Here was it worth the beholding in what severall streams mens affections ran All wished that the tree might be felled who had hopes to gather chips by his fall and especially one Arnulphus and Dean Lambert the promoters against the Patriarch Others pitied him and though perchance content that his roof might be taken down were loth he should be razed to the ground Some reserved their affections till they were counselled by the event which side to favour and would not be engaged by any manifest declaration but so that they might fairly retreat if need required Amongst other Prelates which were present Serlo Archbishop of Apamea was one who formerly had been a great enemy to the Patriarch but had lately taken himself off from that course The Legate demanded of him why he proceeded not to accuse the Patriarch as he was wont To whom he answered What formerly I did was done out of unadvised heat against the health of my soul discovering the nakednesse of my father like to cursed Cham and now God hath recalled me from mine errour so that I will neither accuse nor presumptuously judge him but am ready to die for his safety Hereupon the Legate immediately such was the martiall law in a Church-man deposed him from his Archbishoprick Little hope then had the Patriarch who saw himself condemned in his friend and he himself followed not long after being thrust out by violence cast into prison and there long kept in chains till at last he made an escape to Rome intending there to traverse his cause again had not death occasioned by poison as is thought prevented him Chap. 21. Calo-Iohannes the Grecian Emperour demandeth Antiochia Reimund the Prince thereof doeth homage to him for it CAlo-Johannes the Grecian Emperour came up with a vast army of horse and foot and demanded of Reimund Prince of Antioch to resigne unto him that whole Signorie according to the composition which the Christian Princes made with Alexius his father Hereat Reimund and all the Latines stormed out of measure Had they purchased the inheritance of the land with their own bloud now to turn tenants at will to another Some pleaded That the ill usage of Alexius extorted from Godfrey and the rest of the Pilgrimes that agreement and an oath made by force is of no force but may freely be broken because not freely made Others alledged That when Antiochia was first wonne it was offered to Alexius and he refused it so fair a tender was a paiment Others argued That that generation which made this contract was wholly dead and that the debt descended not on them to make it good But most insisted on this That Alexius kept not his covenants and assisted them not according to the agreement