The History of the Crusades (vol. 1 of 3)Michaud, J. Fr. (Joseph Fr.)
History
The History of the Crusades (vol. 1 of 3)
Michaud, J. Fr. (Joseph Fr.)
Crusades
Whilst these things were passing in the Christian camp, the most
profound silence reigned over the walls of Jerusalem; nothing was heard
but the voices of the men who, from hour to hour, from the tops of the
mosques of the city, called the Mussulmans to prayer. The infidels
came in crowds to their temples to implore the protection of their
prophet, and swore by the mysterious stone of Jacob to defend a city
which they called the _House of God_. The besieged and the besiegers
were stimulated by an equal ardour to fight and to shed their blood,
the former to preserve, and the latter to conquer a city which both
held sacred. The hatred which animated them was so violent, that during
the whole siege no Mussulman deputy came into the Christian camp, nor
did the Christians deign to summon the garrison to surrender. Between
such enemies the shock must necessarily be terrible, and the victory
implacable.
The leaders of the Christian army being assembled to decide upon the
day for attacking the city, it was resolved to take advantage of the
enthusiasm of the pilgrims, which was at its height, and to press
forward the assault, the preparations for which were rapidly going on.
As the Saracens had raised a great number of machines on the sides of
the city most threatened by the Christians, it was agreed that they
should change the dispositions of the siege, and that the principal
attack should be directed towards the points where the enemy had made
the least preparations for defence.
During the night Godfrey removed his quarters eastward, near to
the gate of Cedar, and not far from the valley in which Titus was
encamped when his soldiers penetrated into the galleries of the temple.
The rolling tower, and the other machines of war which the duke of
Lorraine had caused to be constructed, were transported with incredible
difficulty in face of the walls he intended to attack. Tancred and the
two Roberts got ready their machines, between the gate of Damascus
and the angular tower, which was afterwards called _the tower of
Tancred_.[169]
When the Saracens, at daybreak, saw these new dispositions, they were
seized with astonishment and affright. The Crusaders might have taken
profitable advantage of the alarm which this change created in the
enemy, but upon steep ground it was difficult to bring the towers
up close to the walls. Raymond in particular, who was charged with
the attack on the south, found himself separated from the rampart by
a ravine, which it was necessary to have filled up. He immediately
made it known, by a herald-at-arms, that he would pay a denier to
every person who should cast three stones into it. A crowd of people
instantly flew to second the efforts of his soldiers; nor could the
darts and arrows, which were hurled like hail from the ramparts, at all
relax the ardour and zeal of the assailants. At length, at the end of
the third day, all was finished, and the leaders gave the signal for a
general attack.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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