of them left they being rooted out and destroyed by Selemus the Turkish Emperour when he conquered Syria and Aegypt or as others say by the Tartarians Anno 1257. unless we may suppose them to be revived again in the Jesuits gracious Loyola having fetched his Platform of blind obedience from them Whilst the Turks Lorded it over Syria and the lesser Asia the Saracen Caliph commanded in Aegypt which was the Stage whereon most of the remarkable passages of King Almericks life were acted For Dargan and Sanar two great Saracen Lords belonging to the Caliph of Aegypt falling out about the Sultany or Viceroyship of the Land made way for the calling of him thither Sanar finding that he was too weak to contend with his Rival craved Aid of Noradine King of the Turks that then Reigned at Damascus who sent him an Army of Turks under the Command of Syracon an experienced Captain Notwithstanding which Dargan obtained the Victory but enjoyed it not long being shortly after slain by Treachery whereby Sanar got the Sultans place It the mean while the voluptuous Calipâ— carelesly pursued his private pleasures without concerning himself about their difference or regarding their introducing forreign Force to decide their Quarrel as though the tottering of his Kingdom had rocked him into a Lethargy out of which nothing would awake him Sanar having now obtained his desire by the death of Dargan liberally rewarded the Turks and desired them to return home but Syracon refused to be gone and having seized on the City of Belbis fortified it and there waited for the coming of more Turks for the Conquest of Aegypt which made Sanar implore the help of Almerick King of Jerusalem to drive them out of Aegypt which he effectually performed But whilst he was Victorious in Aegypt an unfortunate Battel was fought between Boemund the Third Prince of Antioch Reimund Prince of Tripoli Calamarâ— Governour of Cilicia and Joceline Counâ— of Edessa on one side and Noradine the Turkish King on the other wherein the Turk obtained the Victory and took those four Christian Princes Prisoners As for Syracon the Turk though he was forced to retire for the present out of Egypt by the Victorious Arms of Almerick yet he resolved not to part with it so wherefore he presently went to the Caliph of Babylon who was opposite to him of Egypt and accounted him an Usurper each of them claiming as sole Heir to Mahomet their false Prophet the Soveraignty over all the Saracens in the World and offered him that if he would furnish him with a good number of Souldiers he would extirpate this Schismatical Caliph and reduce all Egypt to the Obedience of the Babylonian which motion being joyfully embraced by the greedy and aspiring Fop Syracon once again invadeth Egypt with a great and powerful Army Whereupon Sanar who was greatly affrighted thereat made new and larger offers to King Almericus to come and stop this deluge of his Enemies promising him a Pension of Forty thousand Ducats yearly if he would lend him his Assistance But Almerick perceiving that the Sultan notwithstanding he took so much upon him was subject to a high Lord refused to make any Bargain with him but with the Caliph himself in order whereunto he sent Hugh Earl of â—sarea and a Knight Templar as his Eâ—bassadours to Caliph Elhadach who thâ— kept his Court at Cairo Who being aâ—rived at his Palace were conducted 〈◊〉 the Sultan through several dark passagâ— well guarded with armed Ethiopians aâ— then into divers spacious open Courts such beauty and riches that the Embasadours were amazed and even astonisâ—ed at the rarities they beheld And sâ—â— the farther they went the greater tâ— state appeared till at last they weâ— brought to the Caliphs own Lodingâ— where as soon as they entred the Prâ—sence-Chamber the Sultan prostraâ— himself three several times to tâ— ground before the Curtain behind whiâ— the magnificent Caliph was sitting aâ— thereupon the Traverse which was 〈◊〉 rich Silk wrought all over with Peaâ— of inestimable value was immediate drawn and the Caliph himself discoverâ— sitting with great Majesty on a Throâ— of massy Gold having only some fewâ— his most confiding Eunuchs about him The Caliph having discovered himselâ— and the Sultan humbly kissed his feet â— briefly related the cause of their cominâ— the eminent danger which then threaâ—ned them and the offers which he hâ— made to King Almerick which he intreated him now to ratifie and in demonstration thereof to give his hand to â—he Kings Embassadour The Calip'â— having heard what he had to say demurâ—ed a while upon the Ceremony of giâ—ing them his hand accounting such a geâ—ure beneath the greatness of his state â—nd would by no means consent to give â—em his bare hand but offered it them with his Glove on to which the resoâ—te Earl of Caesarea replied Sir truth â—eks no holes to hide it self in and Prinâ—es who intend to keep Covenant ought â— deal openly and nakedly give us thereâ—re your hand or we will make no barâ—in with your Glove He was loth to â—o it but necessity which was at that â—me a more imperious Caliph than himâ—lf commanding it he at last consented â—nd dismissed the Christian Embassadours â—ith such liberal Gifts as testified his â—reatness Almerick according to this Agreeâ—ent faithfully used his utmost endeaâ—our to expel Syracon with his Turks out â—f Egypt and in order thereunto he met â—hem in the Field and gave them Battel â—herein he got the day but lost all his â—aggage so that the Conquest was as it â—ere divided the Turks gaining the Wealth and the Christians the Honoâ— of the Victory But Almerick followiâ— his success pursued them to Alexandrâ— and pent them up and straitly besiegâ— them in that City and thereby forâ—â— them to accept of conditions of Peaâ— wherein they were obliged to depart 〈◊〉 of Egypt without performing what thâ— had promised and the Caliph of Baby expected and then returned himself wâ—â— honour to Askelon But when a Crown is the Prize playâ— for it is vain to expect fair play in 〈◊〉 Gamesters For King Almerick havâ— once beheld the Beauty and Richesâ— Egypt was so enamoured therewith tâ— he longed to obtain that Kingdom 〈◊〉 himself And the next year contrâ— to his Solemn League with the Calâ— invaded it with a great Army pretendâ— though falsly that the Caliph woâ— make a private Peace with Noraâ— King of the Turks Guilbert Master the Hospitallers was the chief Instrumâ— in stirring up the King to this treacâ—rous and unjust War hoping that 〈◊〉 Country of Perlusium if conquered shoâ— be given to their order But the Teâ—plars very much opposed the design 〈◊〉 of their Order being Embassador at 〈◊〉 ratifying the Agreement between 〈◊〉 King and Caliph and with much Zeal â—otested against it as undertaken against â—ath and Fidelity However the King would not be diâ—erted from his design but having made â—reat preparations for this War descendâ—d into Egypt where he was for a
Deposed by the Pope John Bren succeeds him the seat of the War removed to Egypt with various success HAving followed this Holy War into France and observed its several steps among the Albingenses we will now returne with ita gain into Palestine where we find the Floud of Pilgrims run very low in regard the Pope had diverted the stream and as for King Almerick we find him as we left him drowning his cares in Wine without once concerning Church was a Patriarchal Seat for manâ— hundred years after Before this City the Pilgrims Army sat down and closely besieged it But thâ— Turks within making a vigorous Defend under Auxianus their Governour frustrate their expectations of forcing the Towâ— as soon as they appeared before it 〈◊〉 the Siege grew very long and Provision very short in the Christians Camâ— which made Peter the Hermite noâ— withstanding his pretended Delegation tâ— manage this War on the behalf of Chrisâ— run away but being pursued anâ— brought back again was bound by a new Oath to prosecute the War Howevâ—â— at length one within the City of who Name and Religion Authors cannot agrâ— some making him a Turk others Christian some call him by one name and some by another in the dead of thâ— night betrayed the City to Boemunâ— whereupon the Pilgrims entred in aâ— being highly exasperated by the lengâ— of the Seige they so remembred thâ— miseries they had endured that they foâ— got all pity and moderation killing aâ— slaying promiscuously Christians 〈…〉 and all that came to hand 〈…〉 The Town was offered 〈…〉 Emperour but he refused 〈◊〉 out of suspicion that there was some deceit in the tender it being common with ill men to measure other mens minds by the crooked rule of their own whereupon it was given to Boemund But notwithstanding the dearness of the purchase it was not long injoyed in quiet for Corboran the Turkish General came with a vast Army of Persian Souldiers and besieged them in the City so that they were greatly distrest between hunger within and their enemies without which made many of them to steal away out of the City whereat the rest no whit discouraged accounting the loss of Cowards the gain of an Army bravely resolved rather to sell their lives by whole-sale on the point of the Sword than to retail them out by famine who is the worst of Tyrants And to hasten the putting this generous resolution into practice they happened to find in the Church of St. Peter a certain Lance which they were made to believe was the very same Lance wherewith our Saviours side was pierced by the Souldier whereat they greatly rejoyced As though this military relique had by wounding of Christ been indued with a certain vertue of wounding and destroying his Enemies and carried with it Reign of King Almerick to the great annoyance of the Christians but tho' they were unsuccessful in this siege yet King John was more fortunate in taking the Castle of Pilgrims a piece of great strength on the Sea side Whereupon it was resolved on to translate the War into Egypt in hope to discourage the Egyptians by the Invasion and ruine of their Country and therefore Hoisting Sail they came before Damiata a chief Haven of Egypt lying on the East side of the River Nilus In the siege whereof they had four difficulties to encounter with besides the City it self first with a great Chain that lay a cross the Harbor which with indefatigable pains and Industry mingled with Art they break asunder Secondly the River Nilus which now suddenly and unexpectedly overflowed and drowned the whole Country so that the Fish came swimming into the Christians Tents and against which mischief they had no other defence but Prayer and a publick Fast enjoyned by the Legate upon which the water abated and a Publick Thanksgiving thereupon injoyned that so the mercy obtained by Prayer might be kept by Praise Thirdly they were to grapple with the Fort of Pharria A seeming Impregnable Piece between them and Damiata for the taking whereof they built a Tower on Ships which falling down killed and wounded many of the Pilgrims and those who had the good hap to escape the blow were notwithstanding terrified by the fright which the fall occasioned among them but King John comforted his Soldiers and desired them not to be discouraged at a thing which was purely accidental and against which there could be no guard or defence by any rules of Wisdom or Valour but immediately address themselves to the Raising one more substantial by his direction and advice which was when finished the rariest piece in that kind that ever the world saw by means whereof after many bloody affaults they Conquered the Fort. And the fourth and wonst enemy they had to do withal was Meladine King of Egypt who lay near them with a great Army Constantly furnishing the City with Men and Victuals and excercising them with continual Skirmishes in one whereof he did them abundance of harm with his Wild fire whereby King John himself was dangerously Scorched but at last seeing that the Christians hewed their way through all those Rocks of difficulties he propounded a Peace to them by the mediation of his Brother Coradine King of Damalcus wherein he offered that if they would depart out of Egypt he would restore them the Cross the City of Jerusalem and all the Land of Palestine The English French and Italians were willing to imbrace so large an offer but the Legate would no ways consent alledging that the Voyage was undertaken not for the recovery of Palestine only but for the extirpation of the Mahometan Religion it being for his Masters Interest to keep that War always on foot Which refusal so inraged Coradine that he beat down the Walls of Jerusalem and all the Beautifull Buildings therein save only the Tower of David and the Temple of the Sepulcher However the siege of Damiata went on and was at length taken by the Christians without resistance most of those that should have defended it being either slain or dead with the Famine or Plague so that the Christians who inraged with the length of the siege entred with a resolution to kill all had their fury soon melted into pitty by beholding the streets every where strewed with dead Corps so that of threescore and ten Thousand there was now but one thousand remain'd alive who were all pardoned by the Conquerors upon Condition that they would cleanse the City which they were three Months in performing Great was the spoil the Pilgrims found in Damiata being as it were a strong barred Chest wherein the Merchants of Egypt and India had as they imagined safely Locked up all their Treasures which detained them there a full year being most of them Content to make that Inn their home during which time the Pope ordered John de Columna a Cardinal to reside there as his Legate in the place of Pelagius CHAP. V. Discords between the King of Jerusalem '
long for it lasted Two hundred sixty and seven Years till overcome by Selimus the great Turkish Emperour in the Year 1517. by the help of the Janizaries an Order of Men for Birth and Breeding not unlike themselves In that Year likewise it being a Year of great Revolutions died Frederick Emperour of Germany and King of Jerusalem whereupon followed an Interegnum in that Kingdom for fourteen Years together the right indeed lay in Conrade Frederick's Son by Jole King John's Daughter but he was so imployed in defending himself in Sicily against Maufred his Bastard Brother who quickly after dispatched him out of the way that he had no leisure to look after the fragments of the Kingdom of Jerusalem Near about this time a certain Hungarian Peasant said to have been an Apostate to Mahomet and well learned gathered together several Thousand people who took on them the Name and Habit of Pastorelli in imitation of those in the Gospel who were warned by Angels to go to Bethlehem they had the Holy Lamb for their Ensign and pretended to have intelligence from Heaven to march into the Holy Land but mistaking West for the East they shaped their course into France and committing several outrages that no way suited either with their Habit or Banner they were incountred near Burdeaux and threescore Thousand of them slain and the rest dispersed Things being now brought into a sad and deplorable condition in Syria without any hope of amendment behold a strange and unexpected accident revived them again For Haito King of Armenia taking the pains to travel himself to Margo the Great Cham of Tartaria to acquaint him with the danger he was in from the Turks as well as others telling him Tho' he lay something out of their way yet the only favour he must expect from them was to be last devoured whereupon he not only promised to assist the Christians in suppressing them but himself and by his example a great part of the Country imbraced the Christian Faith and thereupon sent Haalon his Brother with a great Army to suppress the Turks and assist the Christians in recovering what they had lost in the performing whereof his Army seemed to ride post conquering Persia in as little time as one can well travel it within six Months The City of Samarchanda was the only place that resisted him and therefore being unwilling to tempt his Fortune with a long siege he left it to one of his Captains who besieged it seven and twenty year and at last did not take it but had it surrendred to him Haalon having Conquered Persia marched to Babylon the Caliph whereof called Musteazem Idolized his wealth so much that he would not provide necessaries for the defence of the City so that it became an easie Conquest to this Tartarian Prince who having famished the Covetous Caliph to death filled his mouth with melted Gold and now Mosques every where went down and Churches went up from thence he went into Mesopotamia where having Conquered the City of Aleppo and Edessa he restored them to the Christians and many other places which he wan from the Turks whereby he so awed Melechem the Mammaluke who Succeeded Tarminus in Egypt that he durst not budg But of this Tartarian help they were altogether unworthy in regard they would not be at leasure to make use of it but busied themselves in private dissentions the Genoans and Ventians two states in Italy who had thrown of the Imperial Command and had erected themselves into commonwealths being not content to quarrel at home would needs go into Syria to fight it out there that so the Turks might look on and laugh at them the pretence of the quarrel was about superiority in the Church of St. Sabbas which was apointed by the Pope for them and the Pisans who likewise ingaged themselves in the quarrel somtimes siding with one side and some times with the other The Venetians being at length compelled by the Genoans to forsake the City were so incensed thereat that they came with thirteen Galleys and having forced asunder the chain which-crossed the Haven burned five twenty of the Genoans Ships that lay there to revenge which loss the state of Genoa sent a great Navy into Syria which meeting with the Duke of Venice at Tyre with the united power of the Venetians and Pisans being in all seventy four Vessels well provided would have set upon them in the Haven had not the Governour forbid it telling them that they should not fight under his nose but if they loved quarreling so well let them out and try their Fortunes in the open Sea which they did accordingly the manner of Sea-fights in those days before the thundering Ordnance was found out being only for one Vessel to run against another so that the the Ships were both Guns and Bullets themselves In which fight the Venetians prevailed destroying near thirty of the Genoans Ships and forcing the rest to save themselves in the Haven of Tyre Whereupon entering Ptolemais they expelled all the Genoans out of the City pulled down their Buildings and plundered all their Shops and Warehouses but after a ten years War they were at last reconciled in Palestine by the Authority of Pope Clement the fourth tho' their War lasted longer in Italy Charles Duke of Anjou and Brother to King Lewis was now made King of Sicily and Jerusalem by the Pope upon condition that he should conquer Maufred who then Reigned in Sicily and Molested His Holiness and root out all the remaining Race of Frederick and as an acknowledgment that he held those Kingdoms from the Pope pay him an annual pension of four some say forty thousand Pounds But having Conquered Maufred and possessed himself of Sicily he so little minded the regaining of Jerusalem that he never looked after it or came there at all which neglect gave an opportunity to Hugh King of Cyprus to furbish up his old Title to that Kingdom as Linealy descended from Almerick the second who coming to Ptolemais was there Crowned King of Jerusalem However the Christians affairs in Syria began now to hasten to their fatal Catastrophe and the Kingdom of Jerusalem was in a little time between two Kings wholly lost for Haalon the Tartarian Prince being sent for home to Succeed his Brother Mango who died without Issue left Abaga his Son with sufficient forces in the City of Damascus which he had likewise wan from the Turks who following his Father soon after substituted Guirboca his Lieutenant in Damascus who having his Nephew rashly slain by the Christians in an unhapy Broil about parting a great Booty taken from the Turks wholly renounced the Christian Religion together with all the Tartarians under his Command so that the Kingdom of Jerusalem having lost its best support soon after tumbled down Bondocdar who Succeeded Melechem in Egypt taking advantage of their being thus deserted by the Tartars took the City of Joppa all the inhabitants whereof he either
before all the Cities of the Earth to be the place of his own habitation dwelling as were in a most immediate manner in the Temple of Jerusalem which was afterward built by King Solomon and commanding all the Tribes of Israel to repair thither to do him homage and adoration And says of it himself That he loved the gates of Sion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Whereby it became a lively Type both of the Gospel Church and the state of the Redeemed in the everlasting injoyment of Heaven which is frequently in Sacred Writ called by the name of the New Jerusalem For which reason as well as its being the place of the Nativity and Death of our Saviour it hath acquired the Name of Holy But altho' Jerusalem and the Land of Judea was thus dignified by the Almighty yet the ungrateful Jews were perpetually multiplying Rebellions against him whereby he was provoked to scurge them with the Rod of the Gentels and give them up to the spoil and cruelty of their Enemies So that it was twice plundered by the Egyptians once in the Reign of Rehoboam and a second time upon the death of Josiah once by the Assyrians in the Reign of Manassch three times by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon first in the Reign of Jehoiakim secondly in the Reign of Jehoiachin and thirdly in the Reign of Zedekiah carrying all those three Kings and all the Inhabitants of the Land Captive into Babylon together with all the Treasure and Riches of the Kingdom and spoiling the City of Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord so that it lay wast for 70 years At the end whereof according to the Prophecy of the Prophet Jeremiah they were freed from their Captivity by Cyrus King of Persia When returning home they rebuilt the City and the Temple and by degrees became as formidable to their Enemies as ever they had been before till by their increasing wickedness they pulled down upon themselves the Vengeance of Heaven to their utter and final ruin The People of Judea and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem having filled up the â—easure of their sins by putting to death â—he Lord of Life and murthering him who came to save them from everlasting â—isery were presently after swallowed up â—y an universal and irrecoverable â—uine and rooted out from being â—ny longer a Nation by the victorious Arms of the conquering Romans who â—ackt the City of Jerusalem destroyed â—he Temple and carried away the Inhaâ—itants captive according to the unerring â—rediction of our blessed Saviour But aâ—out sixty years after this Destruction by â—itus Adrian the Emperour rebuilt the City â—hanging the situation of it somewhat more Westward and calling it by the name â—f Aelia And to shew his hatred to the â—weet and adorable name of Christ and â—espite against the Professors of Christiâ—nity he erected a Temple over our Saâ—iours Sepulcher wherein he placed the â—mages of Jupiter and Venus And that â—e might inrage the Jews likewise he â—aused Swine to be engraven over the â—ates of the City which they accounting â—o be a great profanation of their Land â—rake out into open Rebellion but were â—asily overcome and subdued by the Emâ—erour who to prevent the like Attempt or the future caused them all to be transported into Spain and left the whoâ—â— Country waste and forlorn which partâ— with its Inhabitants and fruitfulness tâ—gether those delicious streams of Miâ— and Honey wherewith it was wont 〈◊〉 flow being now wholly exhausted driâ— up and the Soil become altogethâ—â— barren and unfruitful The wretchâ— Jews being thus transported into Spaâ— were from thence scattered into all paâ—â— of the World so that there is scarce aâ— Nation under Heaven where some of theâ— are not to be found at this day After this Pagan Worship flourisheâ— in Jury and the Professors of Christianâ— were inhumanely and barbarously uâ— by the Roman Emperours under the fâ— Ten Persecutions until at last God out compassion to their deplorable miseâ— raised up Constantine the Great a Brâ—tain born as most Historians affirâ— whose healing hand quickly stanch that Issue of Blod wherewith the Churâ— of Christ had been so long afflicted aâ— blessed her Borders with Peace aâ— Tranquillity Whereupon the devout Helen wâ— was Mother to Constantine and as muâ— fam'd among the Christians for her Pieâ— as the Ancient Helen was among the Pâ—gans for her Beauty Notwithstanding â—he greatness of her Age being about Eighty years old travelled to Jerusalem â—nd having first purged Mount Calvary â—nd Bethlehem from Idolatry built in â—he places of Christs death and burial â—nd elsewhere in Palestine divers very â—ately and magnificent Churches so that Christianity flourished through all Paâ—stine being well provided of able Biâ—ops and Preachers and they indued with very liberal Maintenance But Constantine being succeeded by â—ulian who shamefully apostatized from â—he Christian Religion and turned again 〈◊〉 the Pagan Idolatry the Sun of the â—ospel was for a while eclipsed For in â—ope to prove Christs Prediction false â—e gave the Jews leave to rebuild their Temple who thereupon flockt together 〈◊〉 great numbers with Spades and Matocks of Silver to clear the Foundation â—nd were so desirous of accomplishing â—e work that the Women carried way the Rubbish in their Aprons and ontributed all their Jewels to advance â—e great design But a sudden and amaâ—ng Tempest which carried away their â—ools and Materials for Building and â—ith Balls of Fire scorched the forâ—ardest and most adventurous of â—he Builders made them desist and give over the Enterprize Yet the Christians afterwards in the place where the Temple stood built a stately Church for the Worship of Christ which remained a long time in the Christians hands and was the Ancient Seat of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem but is now in the possession of the Turks and the very entring into it prohibited to Christians upon pain of forfeiting their Lives or renouncing their Religion CHAP. II. The Holy Land conquered 1. By the Persians 2. By the Saracens And 3. By the Turks THE next remarkable Accident that happened in the Holy Land was under Phocas the Emperour who having murdered Mauritius and usurped the Imperial Dignity abandoned himself wholly to ease and pleasure whereby he betrayed the Empire to Forreigâ—â— Foes and invited Chosrees the Persian to invade his Territories who with a greaâ— Army subdued Syria and Jerusalem and carried away many Thousand Christians many of whom he sold to their Ancient Enemies the Jews And to grace his Conquest the more he carried the Cross away with him But Heraclius who succeeded Phocas having gotten an Army together passed into Persia and gave him an absolute overthrow and in his return took Jerusalem in his way and restored the Cross which was then accounted as a most precious Jewel to the Temple of the Sepulchre and appointed the fourteenth day of September to be the Feast of the exaltation of the Cross But wickedness and impiety abounding in and among the
Inhabitants of those Countries and many damnable Heresies being every where embraced God hastened to pour forth his threatned Judgments upon those Eastern Churches For the Saracens under the Command of Haumer Prince of Arabia possessed themselves of all Syria and Jerusalem so that those who would not be reduced to order by Christian Councils were subdued by the Pagan Sword But all things under the Sun being subject to Changes and Mutations this new Erected Empire of the Saracens though strong and powerful was of no very long continuance but was forced to make its Exit and give way to the rise of one far more memorable both for strength and continuance viz. That of the Turks whereby the Christians in Palestine changed their Masters though not their condition Those powerful and spreading people which have stretched their Dominion to so vast an extent and proved so formidable to Europe are no less wonderful for the obscurity of their Original then for the increase of their vast Dominion whence they came when first they appeared to the World is so difficult to determine that Authors only agree in disagreeing about it But most probably it was out of Scythia now called Tartaria an hungry and barren Country The first place whereon they setled at their first appearance was Turcomania a Northern part of Armenia from whence they passed into Persia being called thither by Mahomet Sultan of the Saracens to assist him against his Enemies whom they soon vanquished But having observed their owâ— strength the Sâ—racens Cowardize and the pleasant situation of Persia they set up for themselves and under Tangrolipix their first King overthrow Sultan Mahomet made themselves Masters of all that large Dominion But that which is yet much stranger than either their Original or increase is That after they had conquered the Saracens by their valour they should notwithstanding voluntarily subject themselves to their senseless superstition and imbrace the Religion of Mahomet As if his not being able to defend his former Proselytes from the slaughter of their Swords was an argument that they also ought to put themselves under his Protection whereas it was ever the custom of Conquerours to bring their Religion to the places which they subdued and not take it thence The next great step the Turks took was into Babylon the Caliph whereof they easily overcame and added his Dominion to their former Conquest And shortly after under Cutlu-Moses their Second King they wan Mesopotaâ—â—a the greatest part of Syria and the City of Jerusalem which spreading of the Turks over most part of the Eastern world is generally believed to be the letting loose of the four Angels mentioned in the Revelations which are there said to be bound in the River Euphrates and reserved for an Hour and a Day a Month and a Year for to slay the Third part of men their strength and fierceness is there likewise described the former by the number of their Horsemen which are said to be Two hundred thousand The latter by the Breast Plates of Fire and Jacinct and Brimstone wherewith they are saiâ— to be Armed and the terribleness of theiâ— Horses whose Heads are there describe to be like the Heads of Lions and Fire and Smoke and Brimstone are said tâ— issue out of their Mouths but it is tâ— be hoped that God hath now almost donâ— his work with them and will shortly burâ— that Rod wherewith he hath been so lonâ— Scourging the Christian World and makâ— their downfal to be as sudden and remarkable as their first appearance and increase was terrible to the World CHAP. III. Of the Original and cause of the Holy Warâ— Peter the Hermit first Mover of the Holy Warr The Pope who is suspected to be the first Contriver of the business and to have sent the Hermite to Jerusalem as his Emissary to consult the matter with the Patriarch and thereby render himself the more capable of fathering a Plot of his own begetting joyfully embraced the Project and with all imaginable zeal endeavoured to engage all the Princes of Europe in that Holy Cause in order whereunto he immediately called a Council at Clermont iâ— France where to a great Assembly oâ— Princes and Prelates he made a long Oration wherein he greatly bemoaneâ— the miseries of the Christians in Asia and the devastation of those holy places in Jerusalem and the parts adjacent which were once the Joy of the whole Earth but were now become the general grief of all the Professors of Christianity telling that the Chappel of Christs Conception at Nazareth his Birth at Bethlehem his Burial on Mount Calvary and his Ascension on Mount Olivet which were once the Fountains of Piety were now become the sinks of all profaneness and that it was therefore highly necessary for them to take Arms against those Infidels and endeavour to break their Bonds asunder and cast away their Cords far from them for if they would not now lend their helping hand to quench their Neighbours Houses they might speedily expect the burning of their own and that those barbarous Nations would shortly over-run all Europe And the better to whet their Courage he promised a full remission of all their sins and Penance here and the enjoyment of Heaven hereafter to all those who would undertake this Voyage Now thereforesaid he Gird your Swords to your Thighs O ye Princes and Potentates of Europe It is our parts to pray yours to fight ours with Moses to lift up our unwearied hands to Heaven and yours to stretch forth the Sword against those Children of Amalck Amen It is almost incredible to believe with what a wonderful cheerfulness this motion meeting with an active and zealous World was generally entertained The whole Assembly crying out aloud God willeth it God willeth it Then many of them wore a Cross of Red Cloth upon their shoulders as a badge of their Devotion And that the Virgin Mary might lend her favorable assistance to their warlike undertakings her Office was instituted and certain Prayers were appointed therein to be made to her at Canonical hours CHAP. IV. The first beginning of the War unfortunate ALL things being now resolved on and every one striving to contribute some way or other to the carrying on this grand Design the Turks who had noâ— for a long time enjoyed the quiet possession of Palestine and by taking advantage of the great stupidity of the Grecian Emperours who abandoned themselves to case and pleasure had extended their Conquest to the Lesser Asia were forced for a time to suspend the further inlarging of their Dominion and employ themselves wholly in the defence of what they had already obtained some of which was notwithstanding their strenuous opposition forcibly wrested out of their hands by the Christian Warriours The beginning of this War was checked with some bad success for Walter Sensaver a Nobleman who had more valour then skill in â— the feats of War marched with a strange contrived and ill proportioned Army
certainly conquered it had they not fallen out among themselves about parting of it before it was theirs to dispose of Conrade and King Lewis designed it for Theodorick Earl of Flanders who was lately arrived in those parts whilst other Princes who had been there a long time and born the brunt of the War could not endure to see a raw Upstart to be preferred before them For which reason together with their being corrupted with Turkish money although it proved but Brass gilt may all Traitors be so paid they persuaded the King of France to remove his Camp to a stronger part of the Wall whereby they rendred the design of taking the Town fruitless and forced them to raise the Siege and return home leaving the City of Damascus and even Honour both behind them Many thousand Christians perished in that adventure whose Souls are said by all the Writers of that Age to be carried up to Heaven upon the Wings of that Holy Cause they died for And the King of France in his return home was taken Prisoner by the Graecian Fleet but rescued again by Gregory who was Admiral to Roger King of Sicilia The King and Emperour being returned Noradine the Turk prevailed in Palestine which was very much occasioned by the unhappy difference which arose between Queen Millesent and her Son Baldwin who was egged on by some of the Nobles that were offended with the Queen for having advanced a certain Nobleman whose name was Manasses to be Constable of the Kingdom who being unable to manage his own happiness grew so insolent that spurning his equals and trampling on his Inferiours he drew upon himself the general hatred and envy of all men quarrelled with his Mother imprisoned first and then banished her Favourite and at last to conclude the difference the Kingdom was divided between them the City of Jerusalem and all the In-land part was allotted to her and what bordered upon the Seâ— to him But the widest Throne being too narrow for two to sit on together he was not long content with this division but marched with a great deal of fury to besiege his Mother in Jerusalem and dispossess her of all When he first approach the City the Patriarch went out to him and with abundance of freedom reproved him sharply for his rash and unnatural attempt and upbraided him for his ingratitude in going about to take all from so good a Mother who had not only proved a good Steward in his minority but had also consented to accept of one halâ— of the Kingdom when the whole of right belonged to her But he was so inchanted with ambltion that no Arguments would prevail which when the Queen perceived she did by the advice of her friends consent to yield up all lest the Christian Cause should suffer by their differences Noradine being incouraged by those Civil Discords came up with a great Army and wasted all the Country of Antioch and Prince Reimund going forth to give him Battel had his Army beaten and himself slain And not long after Joceline Count of Edessa was taken Prisoner In the mean while King Baldwin is not idle but having made great preparations for the besieging of Askelon at last sate down before it and having made a large breach in the Wall the Templars to whom the King promised the spoil if they took it entred through the breach into the City and supposing they were able without any more help to master the Place set a Guard to prevent any more of their fellow Christians from entring in to be sharers with them in the Booty which covetousness of theirs cost them their lives for the Turks contemning the smalness of their number put them all to the Sword notwithstanding which the City was shortly after taken though with abundance of difficulty Divers other considerable Victories King Baldwin obtained over the Turks especially one near the River of Jordan where he vanquished Noradine and twice relieved Caesarea Philippi which the Turk had straitly besieged but death at laâ—â— made a Conquest of him being poisoned by a Jewish Physician as it was believed in regard the remainder of the potion afterwards killed a Dog to whom it was given He was very much lamented by his Subjects and not without reason being so brave and worthy a Prince that even Noradine his mortal Enemy honourably refused to invade his Kingdom during his Funeral Solemnities protesting that in his Opinion the Christians had just cause of sorrow having lost such 〈◊〉 King whose equal for Justice and Valour the whole World could not produce He died without Issue when he had Reigned about one and twenty years CHAP. XVI Almerick Brother to Baldwin succeeds in the Kingdom of Jerusalem The Sultan of Iconium and the Master of the Assassines desire to be baptized Commotions in Aegypt The Turks called thither and set up for themselves The King of Jerusalem 's Aid implored to drive them out He afterwards invades Aegypt His Death ALmerick Brother to King Baldwin and Earl of Joppa and Askelon succeeded to the Kingdom of Jerusalem but was before he could be admitted to his Coronation enjoyned by the Popes Legate and the Patriarch of Jerusalem to put away Anes his Wife Daughter to Joceline Count of Edessa because she was his Cousen in the fourth degree with this reservation that the two Children Baldwin and Sybill which he had by her should be accounted legitimate and capable of their Fathers Possessions In this Kings time the Sultan of Jcenium freely imbraced the Christian Religion and was baptized more of his Courtiers designing to follow him therein had not his Ambassador then at Roâ—â— taken great offence at the vicious and debauched lives which he there observeâ— the Christians to lead which thing maâ—â— many of the Pagans step back when the had one foot in the Church abhorring to see Christians who believe so well and live so ill Not long after the great Master of the Assassines offered to receive the Christian Faith which good intention waâ— spoiled by the base and treacherous killing his Ambassador which he sent tâ—â— Jerusalem to treat with the King about it by one of the Templars 〈…〉 The King demanded the Murderer of the Master of the Templars that so Justice might pass upon him But the Master insolently denied to deliver him saying he had already injoyned him Penance and intended to send him to the Pope but would part with him to none else These Assassines were a certain precise Sect of Mahometans who had in them the very spirit and quintessence of that poisonous Superstition they were about forty thousand in number and were possessed of six Cities near Antaradus in Syria having over them a Chief Master whom they called the Old Man of the Mountains at whose command they would refuse no pain or peril but immediately address themselves to assassinate my Prince whom he had appointed out for death and always find hands to accomplish whatsoever he enjoyed There are now none
the Kingdom Philip Earl of Flanders and the chief strength of the Kingdom being then absent in Celosyria wasting the Country about Emissa and Cesarea Baldwin was forced to keep himself close in the City not daring to venture on so strong an Enemy which fear of Baldwins having possessed Saladine with a belief that he needed not so great an Army to lie before the City he sent out several Parties to forrage and spoil the Country which the King observing resolved to take opportunity by the fore-lock and set on him when he least expected it To which end he sallied out with great privacy and silence and with about four hundred Horse a few Footmen suddenly assaulted his secure Enemies with such invincible Courage and Resolution that notwithstanding their number being Twenty six thousand Horse and Foot they were utterly routed and the Christians returned with great Triumph and Joy to Jerusalem But Saladine who was rather inraged than daunted by this overthrow resolved not to be long before he recovered his credit and therefore about two months after he fell with his Mammalukes like a mighty and raging Tempest upon the Christians as they were dividing the spoil of a Party of Turks whom they had vanquished a little before putting most of them to the Sword and the rest to flight and taking Otto Grand Master of the Templars and Hugh Son-in-law to the Count of Tripoli Prisoners the King himself hardly escaping So that both sides having sufficiently smarted consented to refresh themselves with a short Peace under the shelter whereof their troubled States breathed quietly for the space of about two years which Truce was the more willingly embraced by Saladine because a Famine then raged in the Kingdom of Damascus where it had scarcely rained for five years together But this welcom Calm was somewhat troubled with an unexpected Storm raised by Domestick Discords in King Baldwins Court. For the Kings Mother and Uncle two persons of turbulent spirits accused the Count of Tripoli of Treason as if he had when he was Governour of the Kingdom affected the Crown for himself which accusation so stung the King in the head that the Count coming shortly after to Jerusalem was as he was on the way thither commanded to stay which he looked upon as a great disgrace But some of the Nobility fearing the mischiefs which might proceed from this unhappy difference brought them to be reconciled But though the matter was seemingly made up yet the King ever after looked upon the Earl with a jealous Eye And the Earl seeing himself suspected proved afterwards really treacherous and disloyal though he is supposed by most Historians to be innocent of what he was then charged withal The Kingdom of Damascus having now recovered its self from the Famine and Saladine obtained his ends by the Truce would observe it no longer wherefore having gotten together a good Army he marcht out of Egypt through Palestine destroying and spoiling the Country all along as he went to Damascus And having strengthened himself with the addition of what Forces he had in Syria he entred the Holy Land again But the King who had not above seven hundred Men to twenty thousand met him at a small Village called Frobolt and opposing Valour to his multitudes overthrew him in a great and bloody Battel wherein Saladine himself was forced by speedy flight to escape the danger and by long Marches get him again to Damascus Nor had he any better success when shortly after he besieged Berytus being forced by the valour and courage of Baldwin to raise his Siege and depart with disgrace Wherefore Saladine finding such tough resistance in the Holy Land hoped to gain a better purchase by imploying his Arms in Mesopotamia to which end passing the River Euphrates he won Charran and divers other Towns after which returning again into Syria he besieged Aleppo which was the strongest place the Christians had in the whole Country being so fortified both by Nature and Art that it would have been almost impossible for him to have taken it had he not by his Bribes made a far larger Breach in the Governours Loyalty than he was able to do in the Walls of the City But having by this means possessed himself of Aleppo he marched again into the Holy Land being now more formidable than ever he had been before and carrying an Army of Terrour in the very mention of his name so that the poor Christians unanimously fled into their fenced Cities As for King Baldwin the Leprosie had arrested and confined him within the compass of his own Court where his great spirit long strove with his infirmity being loth to part with his Crown and disrobe himself of his Royalty before they were pluckt away by death but was however forced at last to stoop and retire himself to a private life appointing Baldwin his Nephew a Child of five years old to be his Successor and Guy Earl of Joppa and Askelon who was the young Childs Father in-law to be Protector of the Realm in his minority But soon after finding Guy to be a silly soft man he revoked the latter Act and designed Raimund Earl of Tripoli to succeed him Guy who though he was not valiant yet was very sullen stormed extreamly at his disgrace and leaving the Court in discontent returned home and fortified his Cities of Joppa and Askelon which greatly perplexed the Kings thoughts not knowing whom to name for Protector fearing lest Guys cowardliness should lose the Kingdom to the Turks or Raimunds treachery get it for himself so that anguish of mind and weakness of body ended his days when he was about five and twenty years of age happy in dying before the death of his Kingdom CHAP. XVIII The short Reign and woful Death of Baldwin the Fifth Guy succeeds him Tripoli revolts The Christians overthrown Their King taken Prisoner And the City of Jerusalem won by the Turks IT hath ever been accounted one of the greatest happinesses that can befal a Family for the Heirs to be of Age before their Fathers death in regard Minors have not only been the Ruine of Families but the overthrow of Kingdoms too And it being one of Gods threatnings against a wicked and disobedient People to give Children to be their Princes and Babes to Rule over them he scourged the Kingdom of Jerusalem three several times with that Rod within the compass of forty years Baldwin the Third Fourth and Fifth being all under Age and the last but five years old being the Posthumus Son of William Marquets of Montferat by Sybil his Wife Sister to Baldwin the Fourth and Daughter to King Almerick who was after the death of the Marquess married to this Guy Now the Earl of Tripoli demanding to be Protector of this young King according to the designation of his Uncle before his death Sybil who was Mother to this Infant to defeat Raimunds hopes of obtaining the Protectorship first murthered all natural affections
the Miseries of the last Siege and fearing the same Tragedy would be acted over again set fire to the Houses and in the Night saved themselves by flight whereupon the French issued in and quenching the fire saved abundance of Treasure from the fury of the flames Which Loss so discouraged Meladine that to purchase Peace with the Christians he offered to restore them the whole Kingdom of Jerusalem in as ample a manner as ever it had been enjoyed by any of their Predecessors to release all Prisoners and disburse a great Sum of Money to defray the Charge of the War But such was their Pride and Folly that they refused to accept of it unless Alexandria the best Port in all Egypt were given them as an Over-plus the Pope's Legate and Robert Earl of Artois persuading them to grant Peace upon no other terms Wherefore the Turk seeing themselves in so desperate a condition their Extremity rendered their Sword the keener and made them provide with the greater resolution to defend their Country to the utmost About this time there arose a difference between the French and the English to the great prejudice of their Proceedings And Meladine King of Egypt died likewise the same Year and left his imbroiled Kingdom to Melcchsala his Son From Damiata the French marched up towards Cairo the Governor whereof being offended with the new King promised to deliver it into their hands And having passed an arm of the River Nilus Earl Robert marched forward with a third part of the Army and suddenly assaulted the Turks in their Tents whilst the King was absent and put them to flight which Victory so lifted him up with conceit that he adventured contrary to the advice of the Master of the Templers to set on the whole Turkish Power which lay incamped not far off without staying for the rest of the Army whereby he was utterly overthrown and as he was crossing the River in his flight found Water enough to drown him tho' not to wash away the stain of rashness and cowardize from his memory and our English Earl refusing to fly died fighting in the midst of his Enemies there escaping no more but four persons to carry News of this fatal overthrow to the rest of the Army It is easier for the Reader to conceive than for my Pen to express the general grief wherewith these doleful Tydings were received by the French among whom the Plague raged so furiously that it daily swept away Thousands And to increase their sorrow several sick persons whom the King had sent down the River to Damiata were set upon by the Egyptian King and having neither Hands to fight nor Legs to run were every one either burned or drowned except Alexander Gifford an English-man whose Name and Family still remains at Chellingworth in Stafford-shire who acquainted the French with what had happened They would now have been glad of those Terms which a little before they slighted but it was too late for the Turks now scorned to treat with them The French would have had the King provided for his own safety by flying back to Damiata But he refused and resolving to live or die overcome or perish with them marched forward to the fatal place where the last Battel was fought And whilst they were astonished at the sight of their mangled fellows the Egyptian King set upon them with an infinite number of men and put them all being but few in number and those very weak to the sword except Lewis and his two Brothers whom he took Prisoners The Turks having thus slain all the French Pilgrims instantly marched up with their Ensigns to Damiata hoping thereby to surprize it which if they had done King Lewis had been for ever lost But God disappointed them for they were easily discovered notwithstanding their disguise and forced to go away without their desire The News of this sorrowful Accident coming to Europe filled every one with grief and made Henry King of England who had made great preparation to undertake the Voyage to alter his mind and imploy his Money to a better use But to return to Egypt Melechsala did not long survive this Victory being slain soon after by Tanquemine a sturdy Mammaluke who succeeded him in the Egyptian Kingdom by whom King Lewis was released in exchange for Damiata being obliged besides the surrender of the City to pay many Thousand Pounds for the releasing of Christian Captives and to make satisfaction for the Damage done in Egypt for the securing whereof he was forced to pawn to the Turks the Pyx and Host whence it is that a Wafer-Cake and a Box is always wrote in the Borders of that Tapestry which we have brought us out of Egypt as a perpetual Memorial of that Victory But tho' Lewis was set at liberty yet he got not home till four years after CHAP. VIII The Mammalukes described The Death of Frederick The Conversion of the Tartars And the extinguishing the Caliphs of Babylon Charles made King of Sicily and Jerusalem King Lewis makes a second Voyage THose Mammalukes which had now seized on the Kingdom of Egypt were the Children of Christian-Parents which were by Saladine and his Successors taught the Mahometan Superstition and instructed in all Military Discipline at several Nurseries and being found by their Valour and Courage to be the chief support of the Turkish Kings were by them advanced to the chief places of profit and trust and thereby the better enabled to pull down their raisers Which was performed during the captivity of King Lewis by Tarquemine who slew Melechsala and thinking it unfit so great a Prince should go to the grave alone sent all his Children after him And was afterwards chosen by the rest of the Mammalukes King of Egypt whereupon he by their advice and consent made several Laws which were ever afterward observed by them as irrevokable The first whereof was That the Sultan or chief of the servile Empire should not succeed by Inheritance but be chosen out of the Mammalukes The second That none should be admitted into the Order of the Mammalukes that were born either of Turkish or Jewish Parents but only such as were born Christians The third was That tho' the Sons of Mammalukes should injoy their Fathers Lands and Wealth yet they should not take upon them the Name and Honour of a Mammaluke The fourth was That the Native Egyptians should be permitted the use of no other Weapons but such wherewith they were to fight against Weeds and Till and Manure their Land There were in this Government several things worthy admiration First That of Slaves they should act the King without playing the Tyrant Secondly That they should neglect their own Children when it is common for other men to idolize them and sacrifice all that they have to their welfare Thirdly That they should not fall out in the Election of their Kings in regard they were all equal among themselves Lastly That it should indure so
killed or which was worse forced them to forswear their Religion and then marching to Antioch took that likewise slaying twenty and carrying away an hundred thousand Christians tho' it is to be suspected that the number of the Captives were at first written in figures and in time increased some thousands by the addition of nothing after which he laid seige to Ptolemais it self Those woful tidings brought into Europe so wrought on the good disposition of King Lewis that he resolved upon a second Voyage to Palestine from which all the perswasions of his Nobles could no way divert him in which Voyage there went with him his two Sons Philip and Tristram Theobald King of Navarre his Son in law Guido Earl of Flanders and Prince Edward eldest Son of Henry King of England who was attended by his Brother Edmund Earl surnamed Crouchback not because he was crook-shouldered as was pretended by Henry Duke of Lancaster when he usurped King Richard's Throne but from his being a Croised Soldier in the Holy War Lewis being now on his way to Palestine it was concluded by the general consent of his Council That for securing the Christians passage to Syria they should first take the City of Carthage in Affrica or rather Tunis which being raised out of the Ruins of that famous City was now become a Nest of Pirates who had killed and taken captive many Pilgrims who were sailing that way to the Holy Land But no sooner was the Siege began than the Plague seized on the Christian Army whereof Thousands died and among the rest Tristram King Lewis's Son and he himself of a Flux soon followed after His loss was much lamented he being accounted the French Josia as well for the Piety of his Life as the Wofulness of his Death and his wilful ingaging himself in a needless and unfortunate War But notwithstanding this Mortality the Siege was continued and Tunis brought into such distress that they were glad to surrender the Town on these Conditions That it should pay yearly to Charles King of Sicily and Jerusalem the Sum of Forty Thousand Crowns That they should receive Christian Ministers freely to Exercise their Religion And that they should be at the whole charge of that Voyage Prince Edward would have had the Town beaten down and all the Inhabitants put to the Sword accounting the foulest Quarter too fair for such Villains and their Goods sacrificed as an Anathema to God and burnt to ashes because gotten by Robbery But seeing he could not prevail with others he resolved however to shew his own detestation by execrating his part of the Spoil and causing it to be burnt forbidding the English Soldiers to save any thing of it telling them that Coals stolen out of that Fire would sooner burn their Houses than warm their Hands It troubled not the conscience of other Princes however to inrich themselves therewith and glut themselves with the stolen Honey found in that Hive of Drones And not only so but terminated their Pilgrimage there too refusing to proceed any further therein Whereat Edward astonished struck his Hands on his Breast and swore That tho' they all forsook him yet he would enter Ptolemais if accompanied with Fowin his Horse-keeper only And accordingly he arrived safe there to the great comfort of the Christians who were in sore distress Whilst Theobald King of Navarre with the Queen and the Earl of Flanders died in their way home and most of the Spoil was cast away At his arrival at Ptolemis he found the Christians just losing their last stake Bondocdar having brought them to so low an ebb that they had resolved if some unexpected Succour reversed not their intentions within three days to resign it up But Edward's coming in the interim revived their hopes and made them take Courage both to desie their Enemies and their own thoughts of surrendring the City Having sufficiently victualed and manned Ptolemais he marched with Six or Seven Thousand Men to Nazareth which he took and slew those he found therein And being afterwards informed that the Turks were gathered together at Cakhow about Forty Miles from thence he marched thither and setting upon them early in the Morning slew a Thousand of them and put the rest to flight In which Battel as well as in several other Skirmishes he gave sufficient proof of his own personal Valour slaying many of the Infidels in single combat After this Victory he returned to Ptolemais where Elenor his Consort was delivered of a fair Daugher but the Joy occasioned thereby was soon turned into Sorrow by the apprehension of his being mortally wounded by one of the Assassines who resorting to him several times with Letters and Messages from the Admiral of Joppa who pretended a desire to turn Christian The first time of his coming as the Prince was lying on his Bed and reading the Letters he brought none being in the Room but them two he suddenly struck him into the Arm with an invenomed Knife and attempted to have fetched another blow but the Prince whose Valour was now awakened gave him such a blow with his Foot that he felled him to the ground and wresting the poysoned Knife out of his hand thrust it into the Murtherer's Belly and slew him yet so that he hurt himself therewith in the Fore-head It is storied that his Lady sucked out all the venom of his Wounds without prejudicing her self But however certain it is that by the help of Physick good Attendance and an Antidote the Master of the Templars gave him he shewed himself on Horse back safe and well within fifteen days after The Admiral hearing of his recovery solemnly disavowed his having any hand in the Treachery it being seldom known that any will own themselves the Parent of an unsucceeding Villany And having done as much and more than could have been expected from so small a number as he had with him he returned home full fraught with Honour And his Father King Henry being dead the English Nobility met him as far as the Alpes to attend him in his return home CHAP. IX Rodulphus the Emperour hindred from going into Palestine sends the Duke of Mechlenburg Charles King of Jerusalem prevented in his intended Voyage MUch talk there was now in Syria of the great preparations of Rodulphus who was after two and twenty years Interregnum chosen Emperour of Germany and though but a meer Earl of Haspurg yet being now advanced to the Emperial dignity layed the first foundation of the Anstrian Family but he was too much imployed at home by Civil Discords and reducing the Princes to obedience whose Knees were too stiff to do him Homage till he had rendered them more pliable by degrees to think of going into Syria But yet being somewhat unwilling to render their great expectations wholly frustrat he sent the Duke of Mechlenburgh with a good Army to assist the Christians who coming to Ptolemais made several succesful incursions into the Enemies Countries about
Damascus destroying all before him with fire and sword and carying away many rich booties till at last he was circumvented and taken prisoner by the Mammalukes who kept him in Captivity twenty six years till at length the Sultan of Egypt a Runegado German who had formerly been Enginneer to this Dukes Father set him at Liberty together with Martin his Servant thinking it but reasonable that he who had been his Partner in Misery should likewise pertake of his Happiness but they were no sooner at Liberty but they were both took again by Pirats as they were sailing into Syria which the Sultan hearing of pittied the misfortune of that distressed Prince and scorning that any should frustrate his designed courtesie set him free once more and then returning home he was welcomed with as much wonder as joy by his Subjects who supposed him to have been dead long before When he came home he found two Counterfeits who both pretended to be the Duke and challenged lodging with his Lady but upon his arrival to confute their false pretences they were both condemned to lose their lives by two contrary deaths the one being Burn'd and the other Drowned Charles King of Sicily and Jerusalem having at length made great preparations for the Holy War and strengthned his claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem by purchasing the Title of Maria Domicella Princess of Antioch who likewise pretended to a Right he sent Roger Count of Severine as his Vice-Roy to Ptolemais where he was received with a great deal of Honour in despite of King Hugh but when his Navy and all things were said to be ready for his own departure and that he had by the way a design upon Michael Paleologus the Grecian Emperour a sudden and unexpected accident blasted all For on Easter-day as the Bell tolled to Even-Song all the Frenchmen in Sicily had their Throats Cut in a moment by the Natives the contriver of this Massacre was one Jacobus Prochyta a Doctor of Physick who thereby killed more in an hour then he cured in his Whole Life but the secresie of its contrivance vvas litle less then a Miracle that so many should knovv of it and yet none either through accident or design discover it from vvhence came the Proverb the Sicilian Vispers Charles himself was at Rome when this Tragedy was acted to see the Pope make Cardinals and when he received the news it struck him so to the Heart that he never injoyed himself after But living as without Life for about two years he died and left his Son Charles to Succeed him in the Kingdom of Naples and the Title of Jerusalem who had little remarkable in his Life but only that being offended with the Templars in Palestine for taking part with the King of Cyprus against him he siesed all the Lands and Goods they had in Naples or any other part of his dominions CHAP. X. Ptolemais Besieged and taken by the Sultan of Egypt and thereby the Holy War ended MElechsaites or as others call him Melechmessor about this time wan the strong Castle of Mergarh from the Hospitallers who kept it and banished the Carmalites out of Syria because they had changed their Habits at the appointment of Pope Honorious the Turks being generally haters of innovations And Alphir who was his next Successor understanding that the Christian Princes of Europe were at variance among themselves resolved to lay hold of that opportunity as the fitest time finally to expel the Christians out of Palestine and therefore coming out of Egypt with a great Army he besieged and won the Cities of Tripoli Sidon and Berytus and being incouraged with this Success he adventured to Besiege Tyre it self and notwithstanding its invincible strength took it in a very short time and beat it down to the ground as he did the other three Cities So that now there remained nothing of all that the Christians had won in Palestine but Ptolemais which he might easily have taken if he would have sate down before with his Army but he was unwilling to venture for fear least if he should attempt the taking all from them at once he might thereby alarum the Christian Princes to repair thither for their Relief and therefore concluded a Peace with the Venetians for five years thinking that the bitter potion would be the more easily swallowed by them if it were devided into two doses But tho' the City Ptolemais did at this time escape the Turks Victorious Arms ' yet it was notwithstanding in a most Wofull and Dismal condition for there were in it some of all Countrys and every Nation had their several Courts to deside causes in so that the great plenty of Judges occasiond a scarcity of Justice and Malefactors when they were impeached for any Crime would by appealing to a Tryal in the Court of their own Country escape the deserved Punishment it being a sufficient proof of the Criminals innocency in the Venetians or Genoans Court to say that he was a Subject of the State to which the Court belonged wherefore Personal Crimes were made National and particular faults by being espoused rendered publick offences so that outrages were every where practised and no where punished as if they had been resolved to spare Divine Vengance the pains of overtaking them by going forth to meet it Besides which there was at this time a great number of Pretenders eagerly pro secuting their several Titles to that City being no fewer then the Venetians Genoans Pisans Florentins the King of Cyprus and Sicily the Agents of the King of England and France the Princes of Tripoli and Antioch the Patriarch of Jerusalem the Master of the Templars and Hospitallers and the Popes Legate who would if he were now living think himself highly abused in not being first named All which Pretenders did at once with much Heat and Violence urge there Right to the Airy Title of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Command of that City like Bees making the greatest noise and Bwzzing when they were just ready to forsake the Hive There was within the City at this time many new Pilgrims who were lately come thither out of Europe five hundred whereof were of the Popes sending altho' he afterwards took no care for their Pay for tho' he loved to see the Golden Tide flow into his Coffers yet he could not indure to see it ebb again But the soldiers being not paid resolved according to their blunt but usual custom to pay themselves and therefore Marching out of the City Pillaged the Enemies Country contrary to the Peace made with Alphir The Turks demand satisfaction which was not only denied by those of Ptolomais but their Embassadors likewise abused Which so inraged Sultan Serapha Alphir being now dead that he gathered together all his Forces and sat down before the City with an Army of six hundred thousand men say some Historians tho' others make them not half the number and concluding that that City was so
of this threatned Voyage to Jerusalem which is thought to be propounded only to amuse Henry till Charles should have performed some projects he had then on foot in the Dukedom of Britain which design being scented by our King he used him accordingly More Cordial was the design of James the Fourth of Scotland Who being touched in conscience for his Fathers death which tho' he did not procure yet he seemed to countenance by his presence to expiate his Crime intended a voyage to the Holy Land In order whereunto he had prepared his Souldiers and imparted his design to Forrein Princes and had certainly gon had not other wars breaking out unexpectedly and his own sudden death prevented him Among those Overtures we find one said to be really performed by William Lantgrave of Hesse who with only Ninety eight Noble-men and Earls in his Company made a Holy Voyage into Palestine which he performed in Seven Months time And upon his return brought away with him Forty six Ensigns of Horse which he had taken from the Turks with the loss of one Man only and he not slain neither but died at Cyprus in their return home A Victory so absolute and bloodless to the Conquerour that were it true it would admit no parallel but the Voyage and Victory were both fictitious being found only in Calvisious who quotes one Fab an Historian no where to be met withal for his Author and the Chronology wherein it is recorded being Printed after the Author's death it is most probable that those to whom the care of Printing it was committed found this story in some Paper he had put in his Chronicle and for the improbability of it marked it to be Fabulous which word in regard he had written it defectively with the three first Letters only they thought to have been some Historian whose Name was Fab and so inserted it in the Chronicle it self Ever since the huffing Embassy of Charles the French King the Holy War hath for any thing I can find to the contrary been wholly laid asleep till revived again by the present Emperour of Germany and John Sobieski King of Poland in the Year 1683. The occasion whereof was briefly thus The Grand Seignior having by the persuasions of Count Teckeley sent an huge Army under the leading of the Grand Vizier to invade the Imperial Territories in Hugaria against which the Duke of Lorain who then commanded the Emperours Forces there being not able to make head they destroyed all before them with Fire and Sword and passing forward sat down before Vienna the Imperial City of Germany not doubting but that they should with their vast Army have quickly devoured that Important Place and notwithstanding its having been ever accounted the Bulwork of Christendom have added it to the rest of the Ottoman Conquest The Emperour of Germany and the King of Poland seeing the sad Estate to which things were now like to be reduced entered into a League offensive and defensive and resolved with their united Forces to chastise the Turk for that proud Attempt The Vizier's Army wherewith he had now begirt Vienna consisted of an Hundred and Fifty Thousand Men which were the very Flower of the Turkish Soldiery wherewith he made several fierce Attacks upon the City which were carried on with all the Courage and Skill imaginable and sprang several Mines whereby he did more mischief than by his Batteries Notwithstanding which the City by the resolution and encouragement of Count Starembergh their undaunted Governor bravely defended it self from the fourteenth of July till the twelfth of the following September when the Turks were Forced to raise the Siege and retire with great disorder into Hungaria whither they were so closely persued by the Victorious Christians that very few of that numerous Army escaped to carry the tidings of their Overthrow to Constantinople Vast quantities of Provision and Amunition above an hundred pieces of Cannon two Horse Tayls which the Turks allways use to hang out as a Denounciation of War when ever they undertake any great expedition all their Tents which were above thirty thousand in number all the Enemies Baggage together with the Viziers own Horse and the Grand Seignors STANDARD which was extraordinary Rich and Sumptuous being curiously Embroidered with charactars of Gold and Silver upon Green and Red Silk were here taken by the Christians as Trophies of their Victory the form and shape of the Standard you have here described in this figure The Infidels receiving likwise at the same time several great overthrows by the Sieur Kiniski General of the Cossacks who having slain about thirty thousand Turks and Taratrs entred the Country of Budziak destroying all before him slaying an hundred thousand of them and taking the Cities of Bialogrod and Ketin The Christians incouraged by these Victories resolved to persue them and drive the Turks quite out of Europe in order whereunto after they had taken the City of Tytchin and several other places which the Turks held in Upper Hungaria the Duke of Lorraein invested Buda it self with the greatest part of the Imperial Army Commanding Count Leslie to Encamp with the rest about Virovitzie on the Drave to cover the Siege This City is the strongest place the Turks injoy in Hungary it being formerly the Metropolis of that Kingdom where the Kings of Hungary kept their Courts but being taken from the Christians in the Year 1591. By Solyman the Magnificent Emperor of the Turks they have ever since made it the seat and constant residence of their Chief Bassa or Vice-Roy of that part of Hungary which is ssposseed by them so that it is very populous and rich And being exceedingly well fortified with a strong built Wall and an Invincible Castle and having between 18 or 19 Thousand Men in Garison they have made a stout resistance and declared a resolution to defend it to the last Man Notwithstanding which it is verily believed that it cannot hold out much longer but the Turks must be forced to surrender that City to the Emperor after having injoyed it near an hundred years And that the Turk might be imployed on all sides the Venetians were invited likewise into this League against them which they accepted of and sent out a brave fleet under the Command of their Generall Morosini to attack them at home to whch Fleet the Pope and the Knights of Malta also joyned several of their Galleys and so did the Duke of Tuscany making in all forty six Galleys six Galliesses thirty three Men of War twenty four Petaches four Fire Ships sixteen Brigantines armed and eighty two Galliots on Board whereof they had an Army of twenty five thousand Men or upwards Sancta Maria a strong Fortress of great consequence to the Turks was the first place that felt the force of their victorious Arms which being quickly compelled to a surrender they took their course towardsd Lepanto And General Moraseni concluding it necessary for the maintaining the Conquest of