Jerusalem, the City of Herod and SaladinBesant, Walter
History
Jerusalem, the City of Herod and Saladin
Besant, Walter
Jerusalem -- Description and travel; Jerusalem -- History
After the death of Zanghi, who had repeopled the city of Edessa, the
ill-advised Jocelyn instigated the people to revolt against their
new masters. All the Turks in the place were put to death, and
Jocelyn, once more reinstated in the city of his father, sent
messengers in all directions, asking for help. No help came, for it
was impossible that any one should send help. Nûr-ed-dín came to the
town with ten thousand men before Jocelyn had held it for a week. He
vowed to exterminate the Christians, and these were too few in
number to make any resistance. They threw open the gates, and all
sallied forth together, with the resolution to fight their way
through the beleaguering army. Jocelyn got through, and, with a few
knights, reached Samosata in safety. The rest of the people were all
massacred.
Some years after this, Jocelyn himself was taken prisoner, and spent
the rest of his life, nine years, in captivity, far enough removed
from any chance of indulging in those vices which had ruined him,
and perilled the realm. It was a fitting end to a career which might
have been glorious, if glory is a thing to desire; which might have
assured the safety of the Christian kingdom, if, which is a thing to
be questioned, the Christian kingdom was worth saving.
And now hostilities on both sides seem to have been for a time
suspended, for the news reached the East how another Crusade had
been preached in the West, and gigantic armies were already moving
eastwards to protect the realm, and reconquer the places which had
been lost. Signs, too, were not wanting which, though they might be
interpreted to signify disaster, could yet be read the other way. A
comet, for instance; this might portend evil for the Saracens—Heaven
grant it was intended to strike terror into their hearts. But what
could be said of the lightning which struck, of all places in the
world, the very church of the Holy Sepulchre itself? Nothing but the
anger of God could be inferred from a manifestation so clear, and
the hearts of all were filled with terror and forebodings.
The details of the second Crusade, as it is called, unhappily
resemble those of the first. It is not necessary that we should do
more than follow the leading incidents which preceded the arrival of
the soldiers—all who were left—in Palestine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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