Jerusalem, the City of Herod and SaladinBesant, Walter
History
Jerusalem, the City of Herod and Saladin
Besant, Walter
Jerusalem -- Description and travel; Jerusalem -- History
Zanghi, finding success almost certain, redoubled his efforts, and
sent for reinforcements in all directions. He even offered
favourable terms of surrender; but these were refused. Zanghi’s plan
of siege was the ordinary one, quietly to undermine the towers,
propping up the earth as it was removed with timber. When the proper
time arrived, the timber would be set fire to, and of course the
tower would fall. The Latin archbishop, who appears to have been in
command, would hear of no surrender, and exhorted the people daily,
holding forth the promise of the crown of martyrdom. But on the
twenty-second day of the siege the towers which had been undermined
fell with a crash, and the enemy poured in. The first thought of the
people was to fly for shelter to the citadel. Many were crushed or
trampled to death in the attempt, among whom was Archbishop Hugh,
who had been storing up gold, and now tried to carry it into the
citadel. The weight of his treasure helped to bear him down. The
enemy were before them at the gates of the citadel, and the
slaughter of the helpless people commenced, with all the horrors
usual after a siege. Islam was triumphant; Christendom in despair.
But Zanghi died next year, being assassinated by his own slaves, and
a lively joy was diffused throughout Palestine. “A certain
Christian,” says William of Tyre, with admirable modesty, for, of
course, he was himself the accomplished poet, directly he heard of
this event, delivered himself of the following melodious
impromptu:[64]
“Quam bonus eventus! fit sanguine sanguinolentus
Vir homicida, reus, nomine sanguineus.”
Footnote 64:
The chroniclers wrote his name Sanguin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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