Jerusalem, the City of Herod and SaladinBesant, Walter
History
Jerusalem, the City of Herod and Saladin
Besant, Walter
Jerusalem -- Description and travel; Jerusalem -- History
Fortunately, it was now late in the summer. With the autumn came the
first shiploads of pilgrims, and consequently reinforcements for
Baldwin. The Saracens, satisfied with their victory, and fearing
reprisals, judged it prudent to retire, and accordingly fell back on
Damascus, where their general-in-chief, Maudúd, was murdered. It was
well for the Christian kingdom that they went away when they did.
For a universal panic had seized on all the cities, and it wanted
but an unsuccessful engagement to put an end to the Christian power
altogether. More misfortunes fell upon them. There was a terrible
famine at Edessa and in Antioch; and an earthquake was felt through
the whole of Syria, from north to south. Whole cities of Cilicia
were thrown into ruins. Thirteen towns fell in Edessa; and in
Antioch many churches were destroyed. In the famine which devastated
Edessa, Baldwin du Bourg looked for aid from Count Jocelyn, but was
disappointed. Moreover, when he sent deputies to Antioch, these were
insulted by Jocelyn’s knights, who taunted them with the apathy and
indolence of their lord. Baldwin du Bourg determined on revenge.
Pretending to be sick he sent for Jocelyn, who came without
suspicion, and was received by the other in bed. Then, reproaching
him in the bitterest terms for ingratitude, he ordered him to be
thrown into prison, loaded with chains, and deprived him of all his
possessions. As soon as Jocelyn was free he went to join the king at
Jerusalem, and seems, like an honest knight and good fellow, as he
was, to have entirely forgiven his ill-treatment. Certainly he
deserved it.
The next year saw another defeat of the Saracens. The Emir was
accused of complicity in the murder of Maudúd, and a vast army was
gathered together, against Damascus in the first instance, and the
Christians in the second. Baldwin entered into alliance with the
Emir, and though the Caliph’s army avoided a battle, so formidable a
coalition sufficed to drive back the invaders. Nevertheless, the
Christians looked with horror on an alliance so unnatural. Count
Roger of Antioch at the same time dispersed the Turkish army in
alliance with Toghtegin, and, for a time at least, Palestine was
free from enemies on the north and east.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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