having no paternall lands considerable no bottom to begin on though through his thrift and providence he first laid the foundation of the Austrian familie Yet somewhat to answer expectation he sent Henry Duke of Mechlenburg with competent forces into Palestine Who coming to Ptolemais made many notable incursions into the countrey about Damasco with fire sword destroying all as he went carrying thence many rich booties till at last he was circumvented and taken prisoner by the Mammalukes Twenty six yeares he lived in captivity keeping his conscience free all the while At last the Sultan of Egypt a renegado Germane who formerly had been engineer to this Dukes father set him at liberty together with Martine his servant that he who so long had shared of his misery might also partake of his happinesse No sooner had this Duke put to sea but he was again taken by pirates and the Sultan out of pity to this distressed Prince and out of scorn that fortune should frustrate and defeat his reall courtesie set him free again At last he came safely home and was there welcomed with as much wonder as joy his subjects conceiving his return a resurrection having buried him in their thoughts long before Here he found two counterfeits who pretended themselves to be this Duke and on that title challenged lodging with Anastasia his Lady But the one of them had a softer bedfellow provided him a pool of water wherein he was drowned the other was made a bonefire of to solemnize the joy of the Dukes return Chap. 31. Charles King of Ierusalem His intentions in Syria stopped by the Sicilian Vespers His death and sonnes succession BY this time Charles King of Jerusalem and Sicily had made great preparations for the Holy warre And to make his claim to the Kingdome of Jerusalem the stronger he bought also the title of Maria Domicella Princesse of Antioch which pretended a right to the same He sent also Roger the Count of S. Severine as his Vice-roy to Ptolemais where he was honourably received in despite of Hugh King of Cyprus by the especiall favour of Albertine Morisine the Venetian Consul there And now his navie was reported to be readie and that by the way he had a project upon Michael Paleologus the Emperour of Greece When all his intentions were suddenly blasted it so happening that on Easter day as the bell tolled to Even-song all the throats of the Frenchmen in Sicily were cut in a moment by the natives thereof and that Island wonne by Peter King of Aragon The grand contriver of this massacre was one Jacobus Prochyta a Physician and I dare say he killed more in an houre then he cured all his life-time Those that condemn the Sicilians herein cannot excuse the French such formerly had been their pride lust covetousnesse and cruelty to the people of that Island putting them causelessely to exquisite torture so that an ordinary hanging was counted an extraordinary favour But the secrecie of contriving this slaughter of the French was little lesse then miraculous that so many knowing it none should discover it like cunning dogs barking in triumph after they had bitten not before to give any warning Hence grew the proverb of the Sicilian Vespers though their Even-song was nothing to the English Mattens intended in the Gunpowder-treason Mean time King Charles was at Rome beholding the making of Cardinals when this dolefull news was brought unto him and struck him to the heart He survived a yeare or two longer but dull and melancholick living as it were without life and died at last having reigned King of Jerusalem twenty yeares A Prince which had tasted of various successe fortune for a while smiling on him and at last laughing at him His sonne Charles succeeded him in the Kingdome of Naples and in the title of Jerusalem He was surnamed Cunctator Delayer not in the same sense as Fabius the Shield of Rome was so called he onely stayed till opportunity was come our Charles till it was passed I find nothing memorable of him except this That offended with the Templars in Palestine for taking part against him with the King of Cyprus he seised on their lands and confiscated all their goods they had in Naples or any other part of his dominions How-ever let him have room in the catalogue of our Kings of Jerusalem For as high hills neare the sea-side though otherwise never so base and barren ground yet will serve to be sea-marks for the direction of mariners so this Charles together with Hugh John and Henry Kings of Cyprus pretending also to Jerusalem though we reade nothing remarkable of them will become the front of a page and serve to divide and distinguish times and to parcel the history the better to our apprehension As for the bare anatomie of their reigne for we find it not fleshed with any history with the dates of their beginnings and endings we shall present it to the reader hereafter in our Chronologie Chap. 32. The succession of the Mammaluke Princes in Egypt Alphir taketh Tripoli and Tyre The wofull estate of Ptolemais BUt whilest these titular Kings slept the Mammaluke Princes were vigilant to infest the reliques of the Christians in Palestine Which Princes succession we will adventure to set down nor are we discouraged with the difficulties which encounter us herein The hardnesse in the story of the Mammalukes proceedeth as we conceive from one of these causes First the State is not written directly but by reflexion not storied by any constant writer of their own but in snaps and parcels as the Chroniclers of neighbouring Christian countreys have catched at them Secondly out of a popular errour their chief Captains by reason of their large authority passe for absolute Kings Thirdly the same King hath many names and the same name by translation in sundry languages is strangely disguised How-ever we will use our best conjectures in these uncertainties and a dimme candle is better then no light Bendocdar or Bandodacar otherwise Melechdaer was the last Egyptian Prince we mentioned A dangerous man to the Christians but that Abaga the Tartarian took him to task and kept him in continuall imployment This Abaga had a pretty trick to make cowards valiant causing them that ranne away from the battel ever after to wear womens clothes Bendocdar died at Damascus of a wound he received in Armenia or as some say by cold in swimming over Euphrates Elpis succeeded him his sonne say some but the Mammalukes laws forbid that except his extraordinary worth was his faculty dispensed with him ad succedendum patri But who knoweth not that the Eastern tongue speaketh nephews and kinsmen to be sonnes Some wholly omit him enough to make us suspect that he was onely some Deputy clapped in to stop up the vacancie till Melechsaites was chosen Melechsaites called by Marinus Melechmessor wonne the strong castle of Mergath from the Hospitallers He much loved and was
little advantage the Turks proceedings that the Grecian Empire fell to Eudoxia a woman and her children in minoritie too weak pilots to steer so great a State in the tempest of warre And though after other changes it fell to Alexius one whose personall abilities were not to be excepted against yet he being totally busied at home to maintain his title against home-bred foes had no leisure to make any effectuall resistance against forrein enemies Nor did the death of Cutlen-Muses their king any whit prejudice the Turkish proceedings for Solyman his sonne succeeded him a Prince no lesse famous for his clemencie then his conquests as victory to generous minds is onely an inducement to moderation In this case under the tyrannie of the Turks stood Asia the lesse and though there were many Christians in every citie yet these being disarmed had no other weapons then those of the Primitive Church tears and prayers But now these Western Pilgrimes arriving there besiege the citie of Nice with an armie as glorious as ever the sunne beheld This citie was equally beholden to nature and art for her strength and was formerly famous for the first generall Councel called there by Constantine against Arius wherein were assembled 318 Bishops The Pilgrimes had a Lombard for their engineer the neighbouring wood afforded them materials whereof they made many warlike instruments and hoped speedily to conquer the citie But breathed deer are not so quickly caught The Turks within being experienced souldiers defeated their enterprises And here one might have seen art promising her self the victory and suddenly meeting with counter-art which mastered her The lake Ascanius whereon the citie stood having an out-let into the sea much advantaged the besieged whereby they fetcht victualls from the countrey till at last that passage was locked up by the Grecian fleet Soon after the citie was surrendred on composition that the inhabitants lives and goods should be untouched whereat the souldiers who hitherto hoped for the spoyl now seeing themselves spoyled of their hope shewed no small discontentment Solymans wife and young children were taken prisoners and the citie according to the agreement was delivered to Tatinus the Grecian Admirall in behalf of Alexius his master From hence the Christians set forward to the vale of Dogorgan when behold Solyman with all his might fell upon them and there followed a cruel battel fought with much courage and varietie of successe A cloud of arrows darkened the skie which was quickly dissolved into a showre a bloud The Christians had many disadvantages For their enemies were three to one and valour it self may be pressed to death under the weight of multitude The season was unseasonable the scorching of the sunne much annoying these northern people whilest the Turks had bodies of proof against the heat Besides the Christians horses affrighted with the barbarous sounds of the Turkish drummes were altogether unserviceable However they bravely maintained their fight by the speciall valour and wisdome of their leaders amongst whom Boemund and Hugh brother to the King of France deserved high commendations till at last finding themselves overmatched they began to guard their heads with their heels and fairly ran away When in came Robert the Normane in the very opportunity of opportunitie Much he encouraged them with his words more with his valour slaying three principall Turks with his own hands This sight so inspirited the Christians that coming in on fresh they obtained a most glorious victorie Two thousand on their side were slain whereof William the brother of Tancred Godfrey de Mont and Robert of Paris were of speciall note But farre greater was the slaughter of their enemies especially after that Godfrey of Bouillon who had been absent all the battel came in with his army yet they wanted a hammer to drive the victory home to the head having no horses to make the pursuit Solyman flying away burned all as he went and to prop up his credit gave it out that he had gotten the day pleasing himself to be a conquerour in report This great battel was fought July the first though some make it many dayes after Yea so great is the varietie of Historians in their dates that every one may seem to have a severall clock of time which they set faster or slower at their own pleasure but as long as they agree in the main we need not be much moved with their petty dissensions Chap. 17. The siege and taking of Antiochia Corboran overcome in fight of Christs spear and of holy fraud FRom hence with invincible industry and patience they bored a passage through valleys up mountains over rivers taking as they went the famous cities Iconium Heraclea Tarsus and conquering all the countrey of Cilicia This good successe much puffed them up God therefore to cure them of the pleurisie of pride did let them bloud with the long and costly siege of Antiochia This citie watered by the river Orontes and called Reblath of the Hebrews was built by Seleucus Nicanor and enlarged by Antiochus Compassed it was with a double wall one of square stone the other of brick strengthened with 460 towres and had a castle on the East rather to be admired then assaulted Here the professours of our faith were first named Christians and here S. Peter first sat Bishop whose fair church was a Patriarchall seat for many hundred yeares after Before this city the Pilgrimes army incamped and strongly besieged it but the Turks within manfully defending themselves under Auxianus their captain frustrated their hopes of taking it by force The siege grew long and victuals short in the Christians camp and now Peter the Hermite being brought to the touch-stone discovered what base metall he was of ran away with some other of good note and were fetcht back again and bound with a new oath to prosecute the warre At last one within the citie though Authours agree neither of his name nor religion some making him a Turk others a Christian some calling him Pyrrhus some Hemirpherrus others Emipher in the dead of the night betrayed the citie to Boemund The Christians issuing in and exasperated with the length of the siege so remembred what they had suffered that they forgot what they had to do killing promiscuously Christian citizens with Turks Thus passions like heavie bodies down steep hills once in motion move themselves and know no ground but the bottom Antiochia thus taken was offered to Alexius the Emperour but he refused it suspecting some deceit in the tender as bad men measure other mens minds by the crooked rule of their own Hereupon it was bestowed on Boemund though this place dearly purchased was not long quietly possessed For Corboran the Turkish Generall came with a vast armie of Persian forces and besieged the Christians in the citie so that they were brought into a great strait betwixt death and death hunger within and their foes without Many
in modico clauditur hoc tumulo Baldwine another Maccabee for might Hope help of State of Church and boths delight Cedar with Egypts Dan of him afraid Bloudy Damascus to him tribute paid Alas here in this tombe is laid Let him who pleaseth play the critick on the divers readings and whether by Dan be meant the Souldan or whether it relateth to the conceit that Antichrist shall come of the tribe of Dan. But perchance the text is not worth a comment Chap. 14. Baldwine the second chosen King Prince Eustace peaceably renounceth his right IT happened the same day King Baldwine was buried that Baldwine de Burgo his kinsman and Count of Edessa came casually into the city intending onely there to keep his Easter when behold the Christian Princes met together for the election of a new King The greater part did centre their suffrages on Prince Eustace brother to the two former Kings but then absent in France They alledged That it was not safe to break the chain of succession where the inversion of order bringeth all to confusion and That it was high ingratitude to the memories of Godfrey and Baldwine to exclude their brother from the crown especially he being fit in all points to be a King wanting nothing but that he wanted to be there That in the mean time some might be deputed to lock up all things safe and to keep the keyes of the State till he should arrive On the other side some objected the dangers of an interregnum how when a State is headlesse every malecontent would make head inconveniences in other countreys would be mischiefs here where they lived in the mouth of their enemies and therefore to stay for a King was the way to lose the Kingdome Then Joceline Prince of Tiberias a man of great authoritie offered himself a moderatour in this difference and counselled both sides to this effect To proceed to a present election and therein to be directed not confined by succession though they missed the next let them take one of Godfreys kindred As the case now stood he must be counted next in bloud that was next at hand and this was Baldwine Count of Edessa on whom he bestowed most superlative praises All were much affected with these his commendations for they knew that Joceline was his sworn adversary and concluded that it must needs be a mighty weight of worth in Baldwine which pressed out praise from the mouth of his enemy though indeed private ends prompted him to make this speech who hoped himself to get the Earldome of Edessa when Baldwine should be translated to Jerusalem However his words took effect and Baldwine hereupon was chosen King and crowned on Easter-day by Arnulphus the Patriarch Mean time some secretly were sent to Prince Eustace to come and challenge the crown But he hearing that another was already in possession though he was on his journey coming quietly went back again A large alms to give away a Kingdome out of his charity to the publick cause Baldwine was of a proper personage and able body born nigh Rhems in France sonne to Hugh Count of Rorster and Millisent his wife He was exceedingly charitable to the poore and pious towards God witnesse the brawn on his hands and knees made with continuall praying valiant also and excellently well seen in all martiall affairs We had almost forgotten what happened in this yeare the death of Alexius the Grecian Emperour that arch-hypocrite and grand enemy of this warre On whom we may bestow this Epitaph If he of men the best doth know to live Who best knows to dissemble justly then To thee Alexius we this praise must give That thou to live didst know the best of men And this was it at last did stop thy breath Thou knew'st not how to counterfeit with death His sonne Calo-Johannes succeeded him in his Empire of whom we shall have much cause to speak hereafter Chap. 15. The ecclesiasticall affairs in this Kings reigne ACcording to our wonted method let us first rid out of the way Church-matters in this Kings reigne that so we may have the more room to follow the affairs of the Common-wealth We left Arnulphus the last Patriarch of Jerusalem since which time the bad savour of his life came to the Popes nose who sent a Legate to depose him But Arnulphus hasted to Rome with much money and there bought himself to be innocent so that he enjoyed his place during his life Guarimund succeeded in his place a very religious man by whom God gave the Christians many victories He called a Councel at Neapolis or Sichem wherein many wholesome things were concluded for reformation of manners Betwixt him and William Archbishop of Tyre an English-man there arose a difference because this Archbishop would not receive his confirmation of him from whom by ancient right he should take it but from the Pope counting it the most honour to hold of the highest landlord And indeed the Pope for gain confirmed him though he should have sent him to the Patriarch But the court of Rome careth not though men steal their corn so be it they bring it to their mills to grind After Guarimunds death Stephen Abbot of S. John de Valia was chosen Patriarch once a cavalleer but afterward laying down the sword he took up the Word and entred into Orders He awaked the Patriarchs title to Jerusalem which had slept during his three predecessours and challenged it very imperiously of the King for he was a man of spirit and metall And indeed he had too much life to live long For the King fearing what flame this spark might kindle and finding him to be an active man gave him as it is suspected a little more active poison which cut him off in the midst of his age and beginning of his projects The King coming to him when he lay on his death-bed asked him how he did To whom he answered My Lord for the present I am as you would have me A cruel murder if true But it is strange that he whose hands as we have said were hardened with frequent prayer should soften them again in innocent bloud Wherefore we will not condemn the memory of a King on doubtfull evidence The Patriarchs place was filled with William Prior of the Sepulchre a Fleming a man better beloved then learned Chap. 16. Knights-Templars and Teutonicks instituted ABout this time the two great orders of Templars and Teutonicks appeared in the world The former under Hugh de Paganis and Ganfred of S. Omer their first founders They agreed in profession with the Hospitallers and performed it alike vowing Poverty Chastity and Obedience and to defend Pilgrimes coming to the Sepulchre It is falsely fathered on S. Bernard that he appointed them their rule who prescribeth not what they should do but onely describeth what they did namely How they were never idle mending their old clothes when wanting other
second Alice married to young Boemund Prince of Antioch the third Hodiern wife to Reimund Prince of Tripoli and Mete the youngest Abbesse of Bethanie Chap. 19. Of Fulco the fourth King of Ierusalem FUlco Earl of Tours Mam and Anjou coming some three yeares before on pilgrimage to Jerusalem there took in marriage Millesent the Kings daughter He had assigned to him the city of Tyre and some other princely accommodations for his present maintenance and the Kingdome after the death of his father in law which he received accordingly He was welnigh 60 yeares old And by his first wife he had a sonne Geffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou to whom he left his lands in France and from whom our Kings of England are descended This Fulco was a very valiant man able both of body and mind His greatest defect was a weak memory though not so bad as that of Messala Corvinus who forgot his own name insomuch that he knew not his own servants and those whom he even now preferred were presently after strangers unto him Yet though he had a bad memory whilest he lived he hath a good one now he is dead and his vertues are famous to posteritie Chap. 20. The Church-story during this Kings reigne The remarkable ruine of Rodolphus Patriarch of Antioch THe Church of Jerusalem yeelded no alterations in the reigne of Fulco But in Antioch there was much stirre who should succeed Bernard that peaceable long-lived man who sat 36 yeares and survived eight Patriarchs of Jerusalem Now whilest the Clergie were tedious in their choice the Laity was too nimble for them and they thinking it equall to have an hand in making who must have their arms in defending a Patriarch clapped one Rodolphus of noble parentage into the chair He presently took his pall off from the altar of S. Peter thereby sparing both his purse and pains to go to Rome and acknowledging no other superiour then that Apostle for his patrone This man was the darling of the Gentry and no wonder if they loved him who was of their cloth and making but hated of the Clergie Wherefore knowing himself to need strong arms who was to swim against the stream he wrought himself into the favour of the Princesse of Antioch the widow of young Boemund so that he commanded all her command and beat down his enemies with her strength He promised to make a marriage betwixt her and Reimund Earl of Poictou a Frenchman of great fame who was coming into these parts but he deceived her and caused the Earl to marry Constantia the daughter of this Lady by whom he had the principality of Antioch Indeed this Constantia was but a child for age but they never want yeares to marry who have a Kingdome for their portion The Patriarch to make firre work bound Prince Reimund by an oath to be true to him But friends unjustly gotten are seldome comfortably enjoyed Of his sworn friend he proved his sworn enemy and forced him to go up to Rome there to answer many accusations laid to his charge wherein the ground-work perchance was true though malice might set the varnish on it The main matter was that he made odious comparisons betwixt Antioch and Rome and counted himself equall to his Holinesse Rodolphus coming to Rome found the Popes doores shut against him but he opened them with a golden key Money he sowed plentifully and reaped it when he came to be tried for he found their hands very soft towards him whom formerly he had greased in the fist He also resigned his old pall and took a new one from the Pope As for his other crimes it was concluded that Albericus Bishop of Ostia should be sent into Syria the Popes Legate to examine matters and to proceed accordingly with the Patriarch as things there should be found alledged and proved Whereat his adversaries much stormed who expected that he should instantly have been deposed Yet afterwards they prevailed mightily with Albericus the Legate and bowed him on their side He coming to Antioch cited the Patriarch to appear who being thrice called came not On his absence all were present with their conjectures what should cause it Some imputing it to his guiltinesse others to his contempt others to his fear of his enemies potencie or judges partiality for indeed the Legate came not with a virgin-judgement but ravished with prejudice being prepossessed with this intent to dispossesse him of his place Some thought he relied on his peace formerly made at Rome where the illegality of his election was rectified by his laying down his first pall and assuming a new one from the Pope Here was it worth the beholding in what severall streams mens affections ran All wished that the tree might be felled who had hopes to gather chips by his fall and especially one Arnulphus and Dean Lambert the promoters against the Patriarch Others pitied him and though perchance content that his roof might be taken down were loth he should be razed to the ground Some reserved their affections till they were counselled by the event which side to favour and would not be engaged by any manifest declaration but so that they might fairly retreat if need required Amongst other Prelates which were present Serlo Archbishop of Apamea was one who formerly had been a great enemy to the Patriarch but had lately taken himself off from that course The Legate demanded of him why he proceeded not to accuse the Patriarch as he was wont To whom he answered What formerly I did was done out of unadvised heat against the health of my soul discovering the nakednesse of my father like to cursed Cham and now God hath recalled me from mine errour so that I will neither accuse nor presumptuously judge him but am ready to die for his safety Hereupon the Legate immediately such was the martiall law in a Church-man deposed him from his Archbishoprick Little hope then had the Patriarch who saw himself condemned in his friend and he himself followed not long after being thrust out by violence cast into prison and there long kept in chains till at last he made an escape to Rome intending there to traverâ—e his cause again had not death occasioned by poison as is thought prevented him Chap. 21. Calo-Iohannes the Grecian Emperour demandeth Antiochia Reimund the Prince thereof doeth homage to him for it CAlo-Johannes the Grecian Emperour came up with a vast army of horse and foot and demanded of Reimund Prince of Antioch to resigne unto him that whole Signorie according to the composition which the Christian Princes made with Alexius his father Hereat Reimund and all the Latines stormed out of measure Had they purchased the inheritance of the land with their own bloud now to turn tenants at will to other Some pleaded That the ill usage of Alexius extorted from Godfrey and the rest of the Pilgrimes that agreement and an oath made by force is
Bernards bow Wherefore this miscarriage came very seasonably to abate their over-towring conceits of him and perchance his own of himself And no doubt he made a good use of this bad accident The lesse his fame blazed the more his devotion burned and the cutting off of his top made him take deep root and to be made more truly humbled and sanctified In his book of Consideration he maketh a modest defense of himself whither we referre the reader To conclude The devotion of this man was out of question so neglecting this world that he even did spit out that preferment which was dropped into his mouth But as for his judgement it was not alwayes the best which gave occasion to the proverb Bernardus non vidit omnia Chap. 31. Vnseasonable discords betwixt King Baldwine and his mother Her strength in yeelding to her sonne UPon the departure of Emperour Conrade and King Lewis Noradine the Turk much prevailed in Palestine Nor was he little advantaged by the discords betwixt Millesent Queen-mother and the Nobility thus occasioned There was a Noble-man called Manasses whom the Queen governing all in her sonnes minority made Constable of the kingdome This man unable to manage his own happinesse grew so insolent that he could not go but either spurning his equals or trampling on his inferiours No wonder then if envy the shadow of greatnesse waited upon him The Nobility highly distasted him but in all oppositions the Queens favour was his sanctuary who to shew her own absolutenesse and that her affection should not be controlled nor that thrown down which she set up still preserved the creature she had made His enemies perceiving him so fast rooted in her favour and seeing they could not remove him from his foundation sought to remove him with his foundation instigating young King Baldwine against his mother and especially against her favourite They complained how the State groned under his insolency He was the bridge by which all offices must passe and there pay toll He alone sifted all matters and then no wonder if much bran passed He under pretense of opening the Queens eyes did lead her by the nose captivating her judgement in stead of directing it He like a by-gulf devoured her affection which should flow to her children They perswaded the King he was ripe for government and needed none to hold his hand to hold the sceptre Let him therefore either untie or cut himself loose from this slavery and not be in subjection to a subject Liberty needeth no hard pressing on youth a touch on that stamp maketh an impression on that waxen age Young Baldwine is apprehensive of this motion and prosecuteth the matter so eagerly that at length he coopeth up this Manasses in a castle and forceth him to abjure the kingdome Much stirre afterwards was betwixt him and his mother till at last to end divisions the kingdome was divided betwixt them She had the city of Jerusalem and the land-locked part he the maritime half of the land But the widest throne is too narrow for two to sit on together He not content with this partition marcheth furiously to Jerusalem there to besiege his mother and to take all from her Out of the citie cometh Fulcher the good Patriarch his age was a patent for his boldnesse and freely reproveth the King Why should he go on in such an action wherein every step he stirred his legs must needs grate and crash both against nature and religion Did he thus requite his mothers care in stewarding the State thus to affright her age to take arms against her Was it not her goodnesse to be content with a moyety when the whole kingdome in right belonged unto her But ambition had so inchanted Baldwine that he was penetrable with no reasons which crossed his designes so that by the advice of her friends she was content to resigne up all lest the Christian cause should suffer in these dissensions She retired her self to Sebaste and abridged her train from State to necessity And now the lesse room she had to build upon the higher she raised her soul with heavenly meditations and lived as more private so more pious till the day of her death Chap. 32. Reimund Prince of Antioch overcome and killed Askelon taken by the Christians The death of King Baldwine THese discords betwixt mother and sonne were harmonie in the eares of Noradine the Turk Who coming with a great army wasted all about Antioch and Prince Reimund going out to bid him battel was slain himself and his army overthrown nor long after Joceline Count of Edessa was intercepted by the Turks and taken prisoner As for Constantia the relict of Reimund Prince of Antioch she lived a good while a widow refusing the affections which many princely suiters proffered unto her till at last she descended beneath her self to marry a plain man Reinold of Castile Yet why should we say so when as a Castilian Gentleman if that not a needlesse tautologie as he maketh the inventory of his own worth prizeth himself any Princes fellow And the proverb is Each lay-man of Castile may make a King each clergie-man a Pope Yea we had best take heed how we speak against this match for Almericus Patriarch of Antioch for inveighing against it was by this Prince Reinold set in the heat of the sunne with his bare head besmeared with hony a sweet-bitter torment that so bees might sting him to death But King Baldwine mediated for him and obtained his liberty that he might come to Jerusalem where he lived many yeares in good esteem And Gods judgements are said to have overtaken the Prince of Antioch for besides the famine which followed in his countrey he himself afterwards fighting unfortunately with the Turks was taken prisoner But let us step over to Jerusalem where we shall find King Baldwine making preparation for the siege of Askelon Which citie after it had long been blocked up had at last an assaultable breach made in the walls thereof The Templars to whom the King promised the spoil if they took it entred through this breach into the citie and conceiving they had enow to wield the work and master the place set a guard at the breach that no more of their fellow-Christians should come in to be sharers with them in the booty But their covetousnesse cost them their lives for the Turks contemning their few number put them every one to the sword Yet at last the citie was taken though with much difficulty Other considerable victories Baldwine got of the Turks especially one at the river Jordan where he vanquished Noradine And twice he relieved Cesarea-Philippi which the Turks had straitly besieged But death at last put a period to his earthly happinesse being poisoned as it was supposed by a Jewish physician for the rest of the potion killed a dog to whom it was given This Kings youth was stained with unnaturall discords with his
wantonnesse His justice to his own people was remarkable his promise with his enemies generally well kept Much he did triumph in mercy Fierce in fighting mild in conquering and having his enemies in his hand pleased himself more in the power then act of revenge His liberality would have drained his treasure had it not had a great and quick spring those Eastern parts being very rich Serviceable men he would purchase on any rate and sometimes his gifts bare better proportion to his own greatnesse then the receivers deserts Vast bribes he would give to have places betrayed unto him and often effected that with his gold which he could not do with his steel Zealous he was in his own religion yet not violent against Christians quà Christians Scholarship cannot be expected in him who was a Turk by his birth amongst whom it is a sinne to be learned and a souldier by breeding His humility was admirable as being neither ignorant of his greatnesse nor over-knowing it He provided to have no solemnities at his funerals and ordered that before his corpse a black cloth should be carried on the top of a spear and this proclaimed Saladine Conquerour of the East had nothing left him but this black shirt to attend him to the grave Some entitle him as descended from the Royall Turkish bloud Which flattering Heralds he will little thank for their pains counting it most honour that he being of mean parentage was the first founder of his own Nobility His stature for one of that nation was tall His person rather cut out to strike fear then winne love yet could he put on amiablenesse when occasion required and make it beseem him To conclude I will not be so bold to do with him as an Eastern Bishop doth with Plato and Plutarch whom he commendeth in a Greek hymn to Christ as those that came nearest to holinesse of all untaught Gentiles Belike he would be our Saviours remembrancer and put him in mind to take more especiall notice of them at the day of judgement But I will take my farewell of Saladine with that commendation I find of him He wanted nothing to his eternall happinesse but the knowledge of Christ. Chap. 15. Discords amongst the Turks The miserable death of Henry King of Ierusalem SAladine left nine some say twelve sonnes making Saphradine his brother overseer of his will Who of a tutour turned a traitour and murdered them all excepting one called also Saphradine Sultan of Aleppo who not by his uncles pity but by the favour and support of his fathers good friends was preserved Hence arose much intestine discord amongst the Turks all which time the Christians enjoyed their truce with much quiet and security Not long after Henry King of Jerusalem as he was walking in his palace to solace himself fell down out of a window and brake his neck He reigned three yeares But as for the particular time he died on I find it not specified in any Authour Chap. 16. Almerick the second King of Ierusalem The great armie of the Dutch adventurers doeth little in Syria AFter his death Almerick Lusignan brother to King Guy was in the right of his wife crowned King of Jerusalem For he married Isabella the Relict of Henry the last King This Lady was foure times married first to Humphred Prince of Thorone then to the three successive Kings of Jerusalem Conrade Henry and this Almerick He was also King of Cyprus and the Christians in Syria promised themselves much aid from the vicinity of that Island But though he was neare to them he was farre from helping them making pleasure all his work being an idle lazy worthlesse Prince But I trespasse on that politick rule Of Princes we must speak the best or the least if that be not intended when the truth is so late that danger is entailed upon it In his time Henry Emperour of Germany indicted by his conscience for his cruelty against King Richard seeking to perfume his name in the nostrils of the world which began to be unfavourie set on foot another voyage to the Holy land Pope Celestine the third sent his Legates about to promote this service shewing how God himself had sounded the alarm by the dissension of the Turks Jerusalem now might be wonne with the blows of her enemies onely an army must be sent not so much to conquer as to receive it Generall of the Pilgrimes was Henry Duke of Saxony next him Frederick Duke of Austria Herman Landtgrave of Thuringia Henry Palatine of Rhene Conrade Archbishop of Mentz Conrade Archbishop of Wirtzburg the Bishops of Breme Halberstadt Regenspurg with many more Prelates so that here was an Episcopall army which might have served for a nationall Synod Insomuch that one truly might here have seen the Church Militant We have no ambition saith one of their countrey-men to reckon them up for they were plurimi nulli many in number none in their actions Some of these souldiers were imployed by Henry the Emperour who knew well to bake his cake with the Churches feuel to subdue his rebells in Apulia This done they passed through Grecia and found there better entertainment then some of their predecessours Hence by shipping they were conveyed into Syria Here they brake the truce made by King Richard it seemeth by this it was the â—â—st five yeares the Pope dispensing therewith who can make a peace nets to hold others but a cobweb for himself to break through The citie Berytus they quickly wanne and as quickly lost For Henry the Emperour suddenly died the root which nourished this voyage and then the branches withered Henry also Duke of Saxony Generall of this army was slain And Conrade Archbishop of Mentz one of the Electours would needs return home to the choice of a new Emperour knowing he could more profitably use his voice in Germany then his arms in Syria Other Captains secretly stole home and when their souldiers would have fought their Captains ran away And whereas in other Expeditions we find vestigia pauc a retrorsum making such clean work that they left little or no reversions of this voyage many safely returned home with whole bodies and wounded credits The rest that remained fortified themselves in Joppa And now the feast of S. Martin was come the Dutch their Arch-Saint This man being a Germane by birth and Bishop of Tours in France was eminent for his hospitality and the Dutch badly imitating their countrey-man turn his charity to the poore into riot on themselves keeping the eleventh of November I will not say holy-day but feast-day At this time the spring-tide of their mirth so drowned their souls that the Turks coming in upon them cut every one of their throats to the number of twenty thousand and quickly they were stabbed with the sword that were cup-shot before A day which the Dutch may well write in their Kalendars in red letters died
Fredericks stock and that whole race of Suevian Princes was extinct Which in the judgement of some men was a judgement of God on him for his lasciviousnesse We must not forget a memorable passage which happened more then twenty yeares after Fredericks death One Tylo Colupp a notable juggler sometime brought up at the Court cunningly sowing together all the old shreds of his Courtship and stretching them out with impudency pretended to be Frederick the Emperour long detained in captivity in Palestine The difference betwixt their aspects was easily reconciled for few Physiognomy-marks are so deeply fixed in any face but that age and misery will alter them The credulity of the vulgar sort presently betrayed them to be couzened by him yea some Princes took this brasse for gold without touching it But the best engine which gave this puppet his motion was a bruit constantly buzzed That Frederick was not dead For Princes the manner of whose deaths hath been private and obscure fame commonly conjureth again out of their graves and they walk abroad in the tongues and brains of many who affirm and beleeve them to be still alive But the world soon surfeted of this cheaters forgerie and this glow-worm when brought into the light shined no more but at Nanse was burnt to ashes by Rodulphus the Emperour After Fredericks death there was an interregnum for three and twenty yeares in the Empire of Germany True it is that of some William Earl of Holland one without a beard not valour was nominated Emperour The Spirituall electours chose Richard brother to our King Henry the third And as in Cornwall he got much coin so Germany gave him a bottomlesse bag to put it in A third party named Alphonse King of Castile an admirable Mathematician But the ointment of his name is marred with the dead flie of his Atheisticall speech That if he had been in Gods stead he could have framed the world better then now it is Notwithstanding the best Dutch writers make an interregnum as counting the Empire still a widow and all these rather her suiters then any her husband In like manner also in Palestine there was not any King for fourteen yeares after Fredericks death The right indeed lay in Conrade Duke of Sueviâ— Fredericks sonne by Iole daughter to John Bren King of Jerusalem But he was so imployed in defending himself in Sicily against Maufred his base brother who soon after dispatched him out of the way that he had no leisure to prosecute his title to the fragments of the Kingdome of Jerusalem Chap. 21. The Pastorells killed in France King Lewis returned home GO we back to King Lewis who all this while stayed in Palestine busying himself partly in building and fensing of Sidon and Cesarea partly in composing discords betwixt the Pisans and Genoans even proceeding to threaten them into agreement But these armed men little cared for his naked menacing He being also an excellent religious Antiquary and Critick on holy monuments much employed himself in redeeming of old sacred places from the tyranny of time and oblivion Mean time in his Kingdome of France happened this strange accident An Hungarian pesant who is said to have been an apostate to Mahomet and well learned gathered together many thousands of people pretending they had intelligence from heaven to march to the Holy land These took on them the name and habit of Pastorelli poore shepherds in imitation belike as the Devil is Gods ape of those in the Gospel who were warned by Angels in a vision to go to Bethlehem Being to shape their course into Palestine they went into France shewing they had a vertigo in their heads mistaking the West for the East or else that like vagabonds they were never out of their way The Holy Lambe was their ensigne but their actions neither holy nor lambe-like They pillaged and killed the poore Jews as they went an unhappy nation whose heads lie pat for every ones hands to hit and their legges so stand in mens way that few can go by them without spurning at them Where they wanted Jews they made Jews of Christians especially if they were rich using them with all cruelty But at last neare Burdeaux threescore thousand of them were slain and the rest dispersed A rhymer of that age or in courtesie call him a Poet made this Epitaph on them M semel bis C L I conjungere disce Duxit Pastorum saeva Megaera chorum Learn to put together well What M C C L I do spell When some devilish fiend in France Did teach the Shepherds how to dance By this time Lewis in Syria had stayed out the death and buriall of all his hopes to receive succour from his own countrey Long expecting in vain that France should come to him he at last returned to it The greatnesse of the burden he bore made him go the faster and being loaden with debts to his Italian creditours he secretly hasted home Where safely arriving besides loyaltie to their Prince love to a stranger was enough to make him welcome Chap. 22. The conversion of the Tartarians Haalon conquereth Persia and extinguisheth the Caliphs of Babylon LEwis is gone and left the Christians in Syria in a wofull condition without hope of amendment Now can any good come out of Tartary Can the Northern wind blow a comfortable warmth Yea see a strange vicissitude of things Haito the Christian King of Armenia had travelled to Mango the Cham of Tartary to communicate to him the present danger of the Turks and to consult of a remedy He shewed how if order were not taken with them in time they would over-runne all Asia Let him not count that he lay out of their rode because of his remote situation For what is the way wanderers will not trace He might expect onely this courtesie to be last devoured In conclusion Haito prevailed so farre with this Pagan that he not onely promised his assistance but also was baptized and took the Christian religion on him So also did his whole countrey by his example and Christianity being the Court-fashion none would be out of it Never since the time of Constantine the Great did the devil at once lose a greater morsel or was there made a more hopefull accession to the Faith Understand we this conversion of Tartary though Authours predicate it universally of that whole countrey onely of Cathaia the Eastern and most refined part of that Empire For Cannibals were still in the North who needed first to be converted to reason and to be made men before they could become Christians Also at this same time we find a swarm of Western Tartarian heathens forraging Poland So it seemeth so vast was the Empire that it was still night in the West though it was day in the Eastern part thereof Now whether the conversion of these Tartarians was solemnly deliberately and methodically wrought by preaching first those things wherein the
was King of France the Duke of Burbant sailed over into Africa with a great armie there to fight against the Saracens The Saracen Prince sent an herald to know of him the cause of his coming The Duke answered it was to revenge the death of Christ the Sonne of God and true Prophet whom they had unjustly crucified The Saracens sent back their messenger again to demonstrate their innocencie how they were not Saracens but Jews which put Christ to death and therefore that the Christians if posteritie should be punished for their predecessours fault should rather revenge themselves on the Jews which lived amongst them Another relateth that in the yeare of our Lord 1453 the great Turk sent a letter to the Pope advertising him how he and his Turkish nation were not descended from the Jews but from the Trojans from whom also the Italians derive their pedegree and so would prove himself a-kinne to his Holinesse Moreover he added that it was both his and their dutie to repair the ruines of Troy and to revenge the death of their great grand-father Hector upon the Grecians to which end the Turk said he had already conquered a great part of Greece As for Christ he acknowledged him to have been a noble Prophet and to have been crucified of the Jews against whom the Christians might seek their remedie These two stories I thought good to insert because though of later date and since the Holy warre in Palestine was ended yet they have some reference thereunto because some make that our quarrel to the Turks But grant the Christians right to the Turks lands to be lawfull and the cause in it self enough deserving to ground a warre upon yet in the prosecuting and managing thereof many not onely veniall errours but unexcusable faults were committed no doubt the cause of the ill successe To omit the book called the Office of our Lady made at the beginning of this warre to procure her favourable assistance in it a little manual but full of blasphemies in folio thrusting her with importunate superstitions into Gods throne and forcing on her the glory of her Maker superstition not onely tainted the rind but rotted the core of this whole action Indeed most of the pottage of that age tasted of that wild gourd Yet farre be it from us to condemn all their works to be drosse because debased and allayed with superstitious intents No doubt there was a mixture of much good metall in them which God the good refiner knoweth how to sever and then will crown and reward But here we must distinguish betwixt those deeds which have some superstition in them and those which in their nature are wholly superstitious such as this Voyage of people to Palestine was For what opinion had they of themselves herein who thought that by dying in this warre they did make Christ amends for his death as one saith Which if but a rhetoricall flourish yet doth hyperbolize into blasphemie Yea it was their very judgement that hereby they did both merit and supererogate and by dying for the Crosse crosse the score of their own sinnes and score up God for their debtour But this flieth high and therefore we leave it for others to follow Let us look upon Pilgrimages in generall and we shall find Pilgrimes wandring not so farre from their own countrey as from the judgement of the ancient Fathers We will leave our armie at home and onely bring forth our champion Heare what Gregorie Nyssene saith who lived in the fourth Centurie in which time voluntary Pilgrimages first began though before there were necessarie Pilgrimes forced to wander from their countrey by persecution Where saith he our Lord pronounceth men blessed he reckoneth not going to Jerusalem to be amongst those good deeds which direct to happinesse And afterwards speaking of the going of single-women in those long travels A woman saith he cannot go such long journeys without a man to conduct her and then whatsoever we may suppose whether she hireth a stranger or hath a friend to wait on her on neither side can she escape reproof and keep the law of continencie Moreover If there were more Divine grace in the places of Jerusalem sinne would not be so frequent and customarie amongst those that live there Now there is no kind of uncleannesse which there they dare not commit malice adultery thefts idolatrie poysonings envies and slaughters But you will say unto me If it be not worth the pains why then did you go to Jerusalem Let them heare therefore how I defend my self I was appointed to go into Arabia to an holy Councel held for the reforming of that Church and Arabia being neare to Jerusalem I promised those that went with me that I would go to Jerusalem to discourse with them which were presidents of the churches there where matters were in a very troubled state and they wanted one to be a mediatour in their discords We knew that Christ was a man born of a Virgin before we saw Bethlehem we beleeved his resurrection from death before we saw his sepulchre we confessed his ascension into heaven before we saw mount Olivet But we got so much profit by our journey that by comparing them we found our own more holy then those outward things Wherefore you that fear God praise him in what place you are Change of place maketh not God nearer unto us wheresoever thou art God will come to thee if the Inne of thy soul be found such as the Lord may dwell and walk in thee c. A patrone of Pilgrimages not able to void the blow yet willing to break the stroke of so pregnant and plain a testimonie thus seeketh to ward it That indeed Pilgrimages are unfitting for women yet fitting for men But sure God never appointed such means to heighten devotion necessary thereunto whereof the half of mankind all women are by their very creation made uncapable Secondly he pleadeth That it is lawfull for secular and lay-men to go on Pilgrimages but not for Friars who lived recluse in their cells out of which they were not to come and against such saith he is Nyssens speech directed But then I pray what was Peter the leader of this long dance but an Hermite and if I mistake not his profession was the very dungeon of the Monasticall prison the strictest and severest of all other Orders And though there were not so many cowls as helmets in this warre yet alwayes was the Holy armie well stocked with such cattel So that on all sides it is confessed that the Pilgrimages of such persons were utterly unlawfull Chap. 10. Of superstition in miracles in the Holy warre ranked into foure sorts BEsides superstition inherent in this Holy warre there was also superstition appendant or annexed thereunto in that it was the fruitfull mother of many feigned miracles Hitherto we have refrained to scatter over our storie with them it will not be amisse now to shovel up some of
Ierusalem  24 his discords with the Legate  ibid. he resigneth his kingdome  28 Irish service in this warre 5 23 Isaacius Angelus Emp. of Constant. 3 1 Italian service in this warre 1 13 5 22 Iudea described 1 21 K  B. Ch. KIng for Deputie in Eastern tongues 2 2 Three faults in the Kingdome of Ierusalem which hindred the strength of it 5 18 Knights-Hospitallers their originall 2 4 they degenerate through wealth into luxury  ibid. they rebell against the Patriarch about tithes  25 brawl with the Templars 4 8 flit from Cypr ' by Rhodes to Malta 5 5 the manner of their suppression in England  6 7 in vain restored by Qu. Mary  8 Knights-Templars instituted 2 16 many slain through their own covetousnesse  32 they become rich and proud 4 8 their treachery hindereth the Holy warre 5 17 they are finally exstirpated out of Christendome  1 arguments for and against their innocency with a moderate way betwixt them  2 3 Knights Teutonicks their institution 2 16 they are honoured with a grand Master 3 5 they come into Prussia their service there 5 4 Knights of the Sepulchre 5 27 L LAterane Councel 3 24 Length of the journey hindrance of this warre 5 13 Leopoldus Duke of Austr his valour 3 8 Leprosie 5 15 Lewis the Young K. of France his wofull journey 2 27 28 S t Lewis his voyage to Palestine 4 11 he wintereth in Cyprus  12 lands in Egypt winnes Damiata  13 is conquered and taken captive  16 dearly ransomed  18 S t Lewis his second voyage 4 26 he besiegeth Tunis  27 his death and praise  ibid. M  B. Ch. MAhometanisme the cause why it is so spreading 1 6 Mammalukes their originall 2 40 their miraculous Empire 4 19 Maronites their tenents and reconcilement to Rome 2 39 Meladine King of Egypt his bounty to the Christians 3 27 why not loved of his subjects 4 14 his death  ibid. Melechsala his son King of Egypt  ibid. Melechsaites Sultan of Egypt  32 Mercenary souldiers dangerous 2 35 yet how well qualified they may be usefull  ibid. Miracles of this warre examined and ranked into foure sorts viz. 1 not done 2 falsely done 3 done by Nature 4 done by Satan 5 10 N NIce besieged and taken by the Christians 1 16 Nilus his wonders and nature 2 13 Northern armies may prosper in the South 5 15 Norvegian service 1 13 5 22 Numbers numberlesse slain in these warres  20 What Numbers competent in an army  19 Numbers of Asian armies what we may conceive of them  ibid. O OBservation of Rog. Hoveden confuted 2 46 Offers at Palestine since the end of the warre 5 24 Office of the Virgin why instituted 1 8 Owls why honoured by the Tartarians 4 2 P  B. Ch. PAlestine in generall described 1 18 Pastorells in France slain 4 21 Pelagius the Legate 3 24 Peter the Hermite his character 1 8 he proves himself but an hypocrite  ibid. Peter K. of Aragon a favourer of the Albingenses slain in battel 3 22 Philip Augustus K. of France his voyage to Palestine and unseasonable return  6 Pilgrimages proved unlawfull 5 9 The Popes private profits by the Holy warre 1 11 he the principall cause of the ill successe 5 12 Polands service in this warre 1 13 5 22 Ptolemais wonne by the Christians 2 11 regained by Saladine  45 after three yeares siege recovered by the Christians 3 8 finally taken by Sultan Scrapha 4 33 Q QValitie of the adventurers in this warre 1 12 R REd sea why so called 2 13 Reformation why Rome is averse from it 4 4 Reimund Earl of Tripoli his discords with Baldwine 2 41 his apostasie to Saladine  45 his suspicious death  ibid. Relicks how to be valued 3 12 why so many before death Renounced the world 2 18 Richard K. of England his voyage to Palestine 3 6 he taketh Sicily and Cyprus in his passage  7 vanquisheth Salad in a set battel  11 in his return he is taken prisoner in Austria and ransomed  13 Richard Earl of Cornwall his voyage to Palestine 4 8 Robert D. of Normandie his valour 1 16 he refuseth the Kingdome of Ierusalem and thriveth not after 2 1 Rodulphus chosen unexpectedly Emperour of Germanie 4 30 sendeth supplies to Syria  ibid. Rodulphus the unhappie Patriarch of Antioch 2 20 S  B. Ch. SAcriledge 5 17 Saladine killeth the Caliph of Egypt 2 37 succeeds in Egypt and Damascus  ibid. conquereth Guy  45 taketh Ierusalem and all Syria  46 his commendations and death 3 14 Scholars without experience no good Generalls 3 24 Scottish service in this warre 1 13 5 23 Sea and land-service compared 4 24 Simon Earl of Montfort concludeth a truce in Syria 3 16 chosen captain against the Albingenses  22 is killed by a woman  ibid. Sidon described wonne by the Christians 2 12 lost to the Sultan of Egypt 4 32 Spanish service in this warre 1 13 5 22 Stephen Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 15 Superstition tainting this whole war 5 9 Suspected souldiers in armies where to be placed 4 10 Sultans their large commissions 2 22 Sweden appeareth not in the Holy warre 1 13 T TArtaria described 1 7 4 2 Tartars their name and nature  ibid. when first known to the world  converted to Christianitie  22 their relapse to Paganisme  26 the occasion  ibid.  B. Ch. Theobald King of Navarre his unhappie voyage 4 7 Titular Bishops their use and abuse 3 2 Pretenders of Titles to the Kingdome of Ierusalem 5 29 Tunis described besieged 4 27 taken by the Christians  28 Turks whence descended 1 7 their large strides into Asia  ibid. harder to be converted then Tartars 4 2 Turkish Empire its greatnesse strength and welfare the weaknesse and defects of it what hopes of its approching ruine 5 30 Tyle Colupp a notable cheater 4 20 Tyre described 2 12 taken by the Christians  17 valiantly defended by Conrade 3 1 wonne by Sultan Alphir 4 32 V  B. Ch. VEnetians performance in this warre 2 17 their bloudie sea-battel with the Genoans 4 24 Vitiousnesse of the Pilgrimes which went to Palestine 1 12 5 16 W WAfer-cake why wrought in the borders of all Egyptian tapestrie 4 18 Welsh service in this warre 5 23 William Patriarch of Ierusalem 2 25 William Landt-grave of Hesse his fictitious voyage to Ierusalem confuted 5 26 Women warriours 1 12 2 27 Wracks first quitted by the Kings of England to their subjects 3 7 FINIS Mart. 13. 1638. Imprimatur Cantabrigiae per Thomam Buck. RA. BROWNRIGG Procan SAM WARD THO. BAINBRIGG THO. BACHCROFTS Anno Dom. 34. 72. * Iosephus lib. 7. belli Iud. Gr. c. 45. Lat. c. 17. * Exod. 12.13 * Adricom is Actis Apost fol. 282. credo ex Hegesipp◠* Suetonius in Tit◠Euseb. Eccl.
sects Lastly they are thick in the Popes dominions where they are kept as a testimonie of the truth of the Scriptures and foyl to Christianitie but chiefly in pretense to convert them But his Holinesse his converting facultie worketh the strongest at the greatest distance for the Indians he turneth to his religion and these Jews he converteth to his profit Some are of opinion of the generall calling of the Jews and no doubt those who dissent from them in their judgements concurre in their wishes and desires Yet are there three grand hindrances of their conversion First the offense taken and given by the Papists amongst whom they live by their worshipping of images the Jews being zelots in the second commandment Secondly because on their conversion they must renounce all their goods as ill gotten and they will scarce enter in at the doore of our Church when first they must climbe over so high a threshold Lastly they are debarred from the use of the New Testament the means of their salvation And thus we leave them in a state most pitifull and little pitied Chap. 4. Of the flourishing Church in Iudea under Constantine Iulian his successe in building the temple ADrian his profanation of Jerusalem lasted 180 yeares as S. Hierome counteth it during which time the Christians under the ten persecutions had scarce a leap-yeare of peace and quiet and yet bare all with invincible patience yea some were too ambitious of martyrdome and rather wooed then waited for their own deaths At last Constantine a Britan by birth as all authours agree save one or two late wrangling Grecians who deserve to be arraigned for felonie for robbing our land of that due honour stanched the issue of bloud wherewith the Church had long been troubled and brought her into acquaintance with peace and prosperitie Then Helen his mother no lesse famous amongst the Christians for her pietie then the ancient Helen amongst Pagans for her beauty travelled to Jerusalem zeal made her scarce sensible of her age being 80 years old and there she purged mount Calvary and Bethlehem of idolatry then built in the places of Christs birth and buriall and elsewhere in Palestine many most stately and sumptuous churches And because she visited the stable and manger of our Saviours nativitie Jews and Pagans slander her to have been stabularia an Ostleresse or a she-stable-groom The same nickname which since impudent Papists not for the same reason but with as little truth put on reverend Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury But these dead flies were not able to corrupt the sweet ointment of her name fragrant to posterity and as a Father writeth of her Bona stabularia quae maluit aestimari stercoraria ut Christum lucrifaceret To her is ascribed the finding out of the Crosse the memory whereof is celebrated the third of May. And from that time the Church flourished in Palestine being as well provided of able Bishops as they of liberall maintenance Afterwards Julian going about to confute God befooled himself and many Jews This Apostate studied to invent engines to beat down Christianity yet all the vapours of his brain could not cloud so bright a sunne He gave the Jews libertie not so much out of love to them as hatred to Christians with money and materials to build again their temple hoping by raising it to ruine the truth of Christs prophesie Hither flocked the Jews with spades and mattocks of silver to clear the foundation the women carried away the rubbish in their laps and contributed all their jewels and ornaments to advance the work But a sudden tempest made them desist which carried away their tools and materials with balls of fire which scorched the most adventurous of the builders Thus they who sought to put out the truth of Christs words by snuffing it made it burn the brighter But the wonder of this wonder was that the hearts of the Jews and of him who set them on work were hardened by obstinacie to be so miracle-proof that all this made no impression in them Yet afterwards the Christians in the place where Solomons temple was built a stately church but not in opposition to God or with intent to reestablish Jewish rites but in humilitie and for the exercise of Christian religion which church was long after the seat of the Patriarch But for fear to exceed the commission of an Historian who with the outward senses may onely bring in the species and barely relate facts not with the common sense passe verdict or censure on them I would say they had better have built in some other place especially having room enough besides and left this floore where the temple stood alone to her desolations Yea God seemeth not so well contented with this their act the Christians being often beaten out of that church and at this day whosoever though casually entreth therein must either forfeit his life or renounce his religion Chap. 5. Syria conquered by Chosroes Chosroes by Heraclius the Grecian Emperour THe next remarkable alteration happened under Phocas the Emperour who saith Tyrius had a nature answering his name which signifieth a Seil or Sea-calf for as that fish little better then a monster useth lazily to lie sleeping and sunning it self on the shore so this carelesse usurper minded nothing but his own ease and pleasure till at last he was slain by Heraclius his successour as seldome tyrants corpses have any other balm at their buriall then their own bloud Phocas his negligence betrayed the Empire to forrein foes and invited Chosroes the Persian to invade it who with a great army subdued Syria and Jerusalem A conquest little honourable as made against small resistance and used with lesse moderation for besides many other cruelties he sold many thousands of Christians to the Jews their old enemies who in revenge of their former grudge put them not onely to drudgery but to torture Chosroes to grace his triump carried the Crosse away with him forced all the Christians in Persia to turn Nestorians and demanded of Heraclius the Grecian Emperour that he should renounce his religion and worship the Sun Thus we see how light-headed this Pagan did talk being stark drunk with pride But the Christian Emperour entring Persia with great forces quelled at last this vaunting Sennacherib for to him might he well be compared for pride crueltie blasphemous demands and the manner of his death being also slain by Siroes one of his sonnes Heraclius returning took Jerusalem in his way and there restored the Crosse counted a precious jewel to the temple of the Sepulchre the cabinet whence it had been violently taken away and in memoriall thereof instituted on the 14 of September the feast of the Exaltation of the Crosse. Yet some make the celebration thereof of greater antiquitie and the Grecians write that Chrysostome an hundred yeares before died
swallow as easily credible Neither let any censure this discourse as a parenthesis to this history seeing that to see these reliques was one principall motive with many to undertake this pilgrimage To begin without the citie On the south there remain the ruines of Davids palace too neare to which was Uriahs house and the fountain is still shewed where Bathsheba's washing of her bodie occasioned the fouling of her soul. Next Davids tombe is to be seen wherein he was buried his monument was inriched with a masse of treasure saith Josephus out of which Hircanus 850 yeares after took three thousand talents But surely David who despised riches in his life was not covetous after his death And I am sure they are his own words that Man shall carry nothing away with him neither shall his great pomp follow him Thirdly Aceldama that burying-place for strangers and the grave that every where hath a good stomack hath here a boulimia or greedy worm for it will devoure the flesh of a corpse in 48 houres Fourthly Absaloms pillar which he built to continue his memorie though he might have saved that cost having eternized his infamy by his unnaturall rebellion Fifthly the houses of Annas and Caiaphas to passe by others of inferiour note On the east First mount Olivet from whence our Saviour took his rise into heaven The chapell of Ascension of an eight-square round mounted on three degrees still challengeth great reverence and there the footsteps of our Saviour are still to be seen which cannot be covered over Secondly the fig-tree which Christ cursed for he who spake many here wrought a parable this whole tree being but the bark and Christ under it cursing the fruitlesse profession of the Jews Thirdly the place where S. Stephen was stoned and the stones thereabouts are over-grown with a red rust which is forsooth the very bloud of that holy martyr Fourthly the place where Judas surprised our Saviour and he fell down on a stone in which the print of his elbows and feet are still to be seen Fifthly the sepulchre of the blessed Virgin whose body after it had been three dayes buried was carried up by the Angels into heaven and she let fall her girdle to S. Thomas that his weak faith might be swaddled therewith otherwise he who in the point of Christs resurrection would have no creed except he made his own articles and put his finger into his side would no doubt hardly have beleeved the Virgins assumption With this legend we may couple another which though distant in place will be beleeved both together They shew at Bethlehem a little hole over the place where our Saviour was born through which the starre which conducted the wise-men fell down to the ground But who will not conclude but there was a vertigo in his head who first made a starre subject to the falling-sicknesse Sixthly the vale of Hinnom or Tophet in which wise Solomon befooled by his wives built a temple to Moloch Seventhly Cedron a brook so often mentioned in Scripture The west and north-sides of Jerusalem were not so happily planted with sacred monuments and we find none thereon which grew to any eminencie We will now lead the Reader into Jerusalem Where first on mount Moriah the place where Isaac was offered though not sacrificed stood Solomons temple destroyed by the Chaldeans rebuilt by Zorobabel Afterward Herod reedified it so stately saith Josephus that it exceeded Solomons temple if his words exceed not the truth But no wonder if he that never saw the sunne dare say that the moon is the most glorious light in the heavens Secondly Solomons palace which was thirteen yeares in building whereas the temple was finished in seven Not that he bestowed more cost and pains because more time on his own then on Gods house but rather he plied Gods work more throughly and entertained then more builders so that contrary to the proverb Church-work went on the most speedily Thirdly the house of the forrest of Lebanon which was as appeareth by comparing the text fourtie cubits longer and thirtie cubits broader then the temple it self But no doubt the holy Spirit speaking of holy buildings meaneth the great cubit of the Sanctuary but in other houses the ordinary or common cubit It was called the house Lebanon because hard by it Solomon planted a grove the abridgement of the great forrest so that the pleasures of spacious Lebanon were here written in a lesse character Fourthly Pilates palace and the Common hall where the Judge of the world was condemned to death Fifthly the pool of Bethesda the waters whereof troubled by the Angel were a Panpharmacon to him that first got into them Here was a spittle built with five porches the mercy of God being seconded by the charitie of man God gave the cure men built the harbour for impotent persons Sixthly the house of Dives the rich glutton and therefore saith Adricomius it was no parable But may we not retort his words It was a parable and therefore this is none of Dives his house Sure I am Theophylact is against the literall sense thereof and saith They think foolishly that think otherwise But my discourse hasteth to mount Calvarie which at this day hath almost ingrossed all reverence to it self It is called Calvarie Golgotha or the place of a scull either because the hill is rolled and rounded up in the fashion of a mans head as Pen in the British tongue signifieth both an head and a copped hill or because here the bodies of such as were executed were cast As for the conceit that Adams scull should here be found it is confuted by S. Hierome who will have him buried at Hebron Neither is it likely if the Jews had a tradition that the father of mankind had here been interted that they would have made his sepulchre their Tiburn where malefactours were put to death and the charnel-house where their bones were scattered Over our Saviours grave stood a stately church built say some by Helen say others by Constantine but we will not set mother and sonne at variance it might be she built it at his cost In this church are many monuments As the pillar whereunto Christ was bound when scourged wherein red spots of dusky-veined marble usurped the honour to be counted Christs bloud Secondly a great cleft in the rock which was rent in sunder at the Passion whereby the bad thief was divided from Christ the signe of his spirituall separation and they say it reacheth to the centre of the earth a thing hard to confute Thirdly certain pillars which being in a dark place under ground are said miraculously to weep for our Saviours suffering But I referre those who desire the criticismes of these places without going thither to read our English travellers for in this case as good wares and farre cheaper peny-worths are bought at the second hand To conclude our
the Christians the honour of the victorie Following his blow he pinned up the Turks afterward in the city of Alexandria and forced them to receive of him conditions of peace and then returned himself with honour to Askelon Chap. 37. Almerick against his promise invadeth Egypt His perjury punished with the future ruine of the kingdome of Ierusalem His death WHen a Crown is the prize of the game we must never expect fair play of the gamesters King Almerick having looked on the beauty of the kingdome of Egypt he longed for it and now no longer to drive out the relicks of the Turks but to get Egypt to himself And the next yeare against the solemn league with the Caliph invaded it with a great army He falsely pretended that the Caliph would make a private peace with Noradine King of the Turks and hence created his quarrel For he hath a barren brain who cannot fit himself with an occasion if he hath a desire to fall out But Gilbert master of the Hospitallers chiefly stirred up the King to this warre upon promise that the city and countrey of Pelusium if conquered should be given to his order The Templars were much against the designe one of their order was Embassadour at the ratifying of the peace and with much zeal protested against it as undertaken against oath and fidelity An oath being the highest appeal perjury must needs be an hainous sinne whereby God is solemnly invited to be witnesse of his own dishonour And as bad is a God-mocking equivocation For he that surpriseth truth with an ambush is as bad an enemy as he that fighteth against her with a flat lie in open field I know what is pleaded for King Almerick namely That Christians are not bound to keep faith with idolaters the worshippers of a false god as the Egyptian Caliph was on the matter But open so wide a window and it will be in vain to shut any doores All contracts with Pagans may easily be voided if this evasion be allowed But what saith S. Hierome It matters not to whom but by whom we swear And God to acquit himself knowing the Christians prosperity could not stand with his justice after their perjury frowned upon them And from hence authours date the constant ill successe of the Holy warre For though this expedition sped well at the first and Almerick wonne the citie of Belbis or Pelusium yet see what a cloud of miseries ensued First Noradine in his absence wasted and wonne places neare Antiochia at pleasure Secondly Meller Prince of Armenia a Christian made a covenant with Noradine and kept it most constantly to the inestimable disadvantage of the King of Jerusalem This act of Meller must be condemned but withall Gods justice admired Christians break their covenant with Saracens in Egypt whilest other Christians to punish them make and keep covenant with Turks in Asia Thirdly the Saracens grew good souldiers on a sudden who were naked at first and onely had bows but now learned from the Christians to use all offensive and defensive weapons Thus rude nations alwayes better themselves in fighting with a skilfull enemy How good mark-men are the Irish now-a-dayes which some seventy yeares ago at the beginning of their rebellions had three men to discharge a hand-gunne Fourthly Almericks hopes of conquering Egypt were frustrated for after some victories he was driven out and that whole kingdome conquered by Saladine nephew to Syracon who killed the Caliph with his horse-mace as he came to do him reverence and made himself the absolutest Turkish King of Egypt And presently after the death of Noradine the kingdome of the Turks at Damascus was by their consent bestowed upon him Indeed Noradine left a sonne Melexala who commanded in part of his fathers dominions but Saladine after his death got all for himself Thus rising men shall still meet with more stairs to raise them as those of falling with stumbling-blocks to ruine them Mean time Jerusalem was a poore weather-beaten kingdome bleak and open to the storm of enemies on all sides having no covert or shelter of any good friend neare it lying in the lions mouth betwixt his upper and nether jaw Damascus on the North and Egypt on the South two potent Turkish kingdomes united under a puissant Prince Saladine This made Almerick send for succours into Europe for now few voluntaries came to this service souldiers must be pressed with importunity Our Western Princes were prodigall of their pity but niggardly of their help The heat of the warre in Palestine had cooled their desires to go thither which made these Embassadours to return without supplies having gone farre to fetch home nothing but discomfort and despair Lastly King Almerick himself wearied with whole volleys of miseries ended his life of a bloudy flux having reigned eleven full yeares and was buried with his predecessours Leaving two children Baldwine and Sibyll by Agnes his first wife and by Mary his second wife daughter to John Proto-Sebastus a Grecian Prince one daughter Isabell married afterwards to Hemphred the third Prince of Thorone Chap. 38. Baldwine the fourth succeedeth His education under William the reverend Archbishop of Tyre BAldwine his sonne the fourth of that name succeeded his father so like unto him that we report the reader to the character of King Almerick and will spare the repeating his description Onely he differed in the temper of his bodie being enclined to the leprosie called Elephantiasis noysome to the patient but not infectious to the company not like King Uzziahs but Naamans leprosie which had it been contagious no doubt the King of Assyria when he went into the house of Rimmon would have chosen another supporter Mean time the kingdome was as sick as the King he of a leprosie that of an incurable consumption This Baldwine had the benefit of excellent education under William Archbishop of Tyre a pious man and excellent scholar skilled in all the learned Orientall tongues besides the Dutch and French his native language a moderate and faithfull writer For in the latter part of his history of the Holy warre his eye guided his hand till at last the taking of the city of Jerusalem so shook his hand that his penne fell out and he wrote no more Treasurer he was of all the money contributed to the Holy warre Chancellour of this kingdome imployed in severall Embassies in the West present at the Lateran Councel the acts whereof he did record Cardinall he might have been but refused it In a word unhappy onely that he lived in that age though that age was happy he lived in it Chap. 39. The vitiousnesse of Heraclius the Patriarch of Ierusalem His Embassie to Henry the second King of England with the successe The Maronites reconciled to the Romane Church AFter the death of Almerick Patriarch of Jerusalem Heraclius was by the Queen-mother Mary second wife to King Almerick for his
and following the advice of Charatux his counseller counted one of the wisest men in the world though his person was most contemptible so true it is none can guesse the jewel by the casket dismantled all his cities in the Holy land save some frontier-places rasing their walls and forts that they were not tenable with an army For he feared if the Dutch wonne these places they would not easily be driven out whereas now being naked from shelter he would weary them with set battels having men numberlesse and those neare at hand and so he would tame the Romane Eagle by watching him giving him no rest nor respite from continuall fighting It is therefore no Paradox to say That in some case the strength of a kingdome doth consist in the weaknesse of it And hence it is that our English Kings have suffered Time without disturbing her meals to feed her belly full on their in-land castles and citie-walls which whilest they were standing in their strength were but the nurseries of rebellion And now as one observeth because we have no strong cities warre in England waxeth not old being quickly stabbed with set battels which in the Low-countreys hath already outlived the grand climactericall of threescore and ten yeares But Frederick the Emperour being now entring into the Holy land was to the great grief of all Christians suddenly taken away being drowned in the river of Saleph a river such is the envie of Barbarisme obscuring all places which cannot accurately be known at this day because this new name is a stranger to all ancient maps If he went in to wash himself as some write he neither consulted with his health nor honour Some say his horse foundred under him as he passed the water others that he fell from him But these severall relations as varietie of instruments make a dolefull consort in this that there he lost his life and no wonder if the cold water quickly quenched those few sparks of naturall heat left in him at seventie yeares of age Neubrigensis conceiveth that this his sudden death was therefore inflicted on him because in his youth he fought against the Popes and Church of Rome But I wonder that he seeing an Emperour drowned in a ditch durst adventure into the bottomlesse depths of Gods counsels Let it content us to know that oftentimes heaven blasteth those hopes which bud first and fairest and the feet of mightie Monarchs do slip when they want but one step to their enemies throne After his death Frederick Duke of Suevia his second sonne undertook the conduct of the armie Now the Turks conceiving grief had steeped and moistened these Pilgrimes hearts gave them a sudden charge in hope to have overthrown them But the valiant Dutch who though they had scarce wiped their eyes had scoured their swords quickly forced them to retire Then Frederick took the citie of Antioch which was easily delivered unto him and his hungrie souldiers well refreshed by the citizens being as yet for the most part Christians Marching from hence in set battel he overthrew Dodequin Generall of Saladines forces slew foure thousand and took a thousand prisoners with little losse of his own men and so came to the citie of Tyre where he buried the corpse of his worthy father in the Cathedrall Church next the tombe of learned Origen and Gulielmus Tyrius the worthy Archbishop preached his funerall sermon We may heare his sorrowfull army speaking this his Epitaph unto him Earth scarce did yeeld ground enough for thy sword To conquer how then could a brook afford Water to drown thee brook which since doth fear O guiltie conscience in a map t' appear Yet blame we not the brook but rather think The weight of our own sinnes did make thee sink Now sith 't is so wee 'l fetch a brackish main Out of our eyes and drown thee once again From hence by sea they were conveyed to the Christian army before Ptolemais where young Frederick died of the plague and his great army which at first consisted of an hundred and fiftie thousand at their setting forth out of Germanie had now no more left then eighteen hundred armed men Chap. 5. The continuation of the famous siege of Ptolemais The Dutch Knights honoured with a grand Master WE have now at our leisure overtaken the snail-like siege of Ptolemais still slowly creeping on Before it the Christians had not onely a Nationall but an Oecumenicall army the abridgement of the Christian world Scarce a state or populous citie in Europe but had here some competent number to represent it How many bloudie blows were here lent on both sides and repayed with interest what sallies what assaults what encounters whilest the Christians lay betwixt Saladine with his great army behind them and the citie before them One memorable battel we must not omit It was agreed betwixt Saladine and the Christians to trie their fortunes in a pitched field and now the Christians were in fair hope of a conquest when an imaginarie causelesse fear put them to a reall flight so ticklish are the scales of victory a very mote will turn them Thus confusedly they ran away and boot would have been given to change a strong arm for a swift leg But behold Geoffrey Lusignan King Guy's brother left for the guarding of the camp marching out with his men confuted the Christians in this their groundlesse mistake and reinforced them to fight whereby they wonne the day though with the losse of two thousand men and Gerard Master of the Templars It was vainly hoped that after this victorie the citie would be surrendred but the Turks still bravely defended it though most of their houses were burnt and beaten down and the citie reduced to a bare sceleton of walls and towres They fought as well with their wits as weapons and both sides devised strange defensive and offensive engines so that Mars himself had he been here present might have learned to fight and have taken notes from their practice Mean time famine raged amongst the Christians and though some provision was now and then brought in from Italy for so farre they fetched it yet these small showres after great droughts parched the more and rather raised then abated their hunger Once more we will take our farewell of this siege for a twelve-moneth But we must not forget that at this time before the walls of Ptolemais the Teutonick order or Dutch Knights which since the dayes of Baldwine the second lived like private pilgrimes had now their order honoured with Henry of Walpot their first grand Master and they were enriched by the bountie of many Germane benefactours These though slow were sure they did hoc agere ply their work more cordiall to the Christian cause then the Templars who sometimes to save their own stakes would play bootie with the Turks Much good service did the Dutch Knights in the Holy warre till at last no wise Doctour will
with their own bloud when their camp was their shambles the Turks their butchers and themselves the Martinmasse-beeves from which the beastly drunkards differ but a little The citie of Joppa the Turks rased to the ground and of this victory they became so proud that they had thought without stop to have driven the Christians quite out of Syria But by the coming of Simon Count of Montford a most valiant and expert Captain sent thither by Philip the French King with a regiment of tall souldiers at the instance of Innocent the third that succeeded Celestine in the Papacy and by civil discord then reigning amongst the Turks themselves for sovereignty their fury was repressed and a peace betwixt them and the Christians concluded for the space of ten yeares During which time the Turks promised not to molest the Christians in Tyre or Ptolemais Which peace so concluded the worthy Count returned with his souldiers into France Chap. 17. A Crusado for the Holy land diverted by the Pope to Constantinople They conquer the Grecian Empire THis truce notwithstanding another armie of Pilgrimes was presently provided for Syria The Tetrarchs whereof were Baldwine Earl of Flanders Dandalo the Venetian Duke Theobald Earl of Champaigne Boniface Marquesse of Montferrat with many other Nobles Leave we them a while taking the citie of Jadera in Istria for the Venetians Mean time if we look over into Greece we shall find Isaac Angelus the Emperour deposed thrust into prison his eyes put out the punishment there in fashion so that he ended his dayes before he ended his life by the cruelty of Alexius Angelus his brother who succeeded him But young Alexius Isaac Angelus his sonne with some Grecian Noble-men came to the courts of most Western Princes to beg assistance to free his father and expell the tyrant He so deported himself that each gesture was a net to catch mens good will not seeking their favour by losing himself but though he did bow he would not kneel so that in his face one might reade a pretty combat betwixt the beams of majesty and cloud of adversity To see a Prince in want would move a misers charity Our Western Princes tendered his case which they counted might be their own their best right lying at the mercy of any stronger usurper Young Alexius so dressed his meat that he pleased every mans palate promising for their succours to disingage the French from their debts to the Venetian promising the Venetian satisfaction for the wrongs done them by the Grecians and bearing the Pope in hand he would reduce the Eastern Churches into his subjection things which he was little able to perform But well may the statute of Bankrupt be sued out against him who cannot be rich in promises These his fair proffers prevailed so farre that the Pope commanded and other Princes consented that this army of Pilgrimes levied for the Holy land should be imployed against the usurping Grecian Emperour Many taxed his Holinesse for an unjust steward of the Christian forces to expend them against the Grecians which were to be laid out against the Infidels Especially now when Palestine through the dissension of the Turks offered itself into the Christians arms to be regained Others thought the Pope took the right method because he which should winne Jerusalem must begin at Constantinople And by this warre the Grecian Empire which was the bridge to Syria would be made good and secured for the passage of Pilgrimes The souldiers generally rejoyced at the exchange of their service for the barren warres in Syria starved the undertakers and a cook himself cannot lick his fingers where no meat is dressed There nothing but naked honour was to be gotten here honour clothed with spoil the usurpers treasure would make brave scrambling amongst them And it was good plowing up of that ground which had long lien fallow Setting sail from Jadera which citie they had subdued to the Venetian forcing them to pay three thousand cony-skins yearly for tribute to that State like good fensers they strook at the head and made for Constantinople Which they quickly took after some hot skirmishes Alexius Angelus the usurper with his wife whores and treasure fled away Blind Isaac Angelus was fetched out of prison he and young Alexius his sonne saluted joynt Emperours Which brittle honour of theirs was quickly broken For soon after the father died being brought into an open place kept before in a close pent dungeon and having long fasted from good aire he now got his death by surfeting on it His sonne was villainously strangled by Alexius Ducas called from his beetle-brow Mursiphlus One of base parentage who was tumultuously chosen Emperour by the people This Ducas offered some affronts to the Latines which lay before Constantinople in their ships Wherefore and also because they were not payed for their former service they the second time assaulted the citie and took it by main force killing none but robbing all ravishing women and using a thousand insolencies Some fled for their succour to the shrines of Saints But the Sanctuaries needed sanctuaries to protect themselves the souldiers as little respecting place as formerly age or sex not standing on any reverence to the Saints they stood upon them making footstools of their images and statues Nicetas Choniates hitherto an historian now a plaintiff writing so full of ohs and exclamations as if the while pinched by the arm rather without measure then cause bemoneth the outrages the Latines here committed Poore man all the miseries our Saviour speaketh of in a siege met in him His flight from Constantinople was in the winter on the Sabbath-day his wife being great with child But when the object is too neare the eye it seemeth greater then it is and perchance he amplifieth and aggravateth the cruelty of these Pilgrimes being nearly interessed therein himself especially when the rhetorick of grief is alwayes in the Hyperbole Nor is it any news for souldiers to be so insolent when they take a citie by assault which time is their Saturnalia when servants themselves do command acknowledging no other leader or captain then their own passions Within a twelve-moneth all Greece was subdued save onely Adrianople Baldwine Earl of Flanders chosen Emperour Thomas Maurocenus elected first Latine Patriarch in Constantinople Boniface Marquesse of Montferrat made King of Thessalie Geoffrey of Troy a Frenchman Prince of Achaia and Duke of Athens the Venetians got many rich Islands in the Egean and Ionian seas So that one could not now see the Grecian Empire for Empires It was now expected that they should have advanced hence into Palestine But here having well feathered their nests they were loth to flie any further And now no wonder if the Christians affairs in Palestine were weak and lean the Pope diverting the meat that should feed them another way Chap. 18. The Pope sendeth an armie of Croises against
they must first kill and slay him themselves At last Simon of Montfort nigh Paris accepted of it swearing to vex the Lords enemies And for a breakfast to begin with he was seised of the Vicecounty of Besiers proceeding from hence to take many castles and cities One grand inconvenience attended on this armie of Pilgrimes For when their quarantine or fourty dayes service was expired the term the Pope set them to merit Paradise in they would not stay one whit longer Like post-horses they would runne to their set stage but could not be spurred one foot further contenting themselves they had already purchased heaven and fearing they should be put in possession thereof too soon by losing their lives in that service And though the Bishops perswaded some few to stay that so the surplusage of their merits might make up the arrerages of their friends which wanted them yet could they not prevail to any purpose Nor could they so cast and contrive their matters the tide of peoples devotion being uncertain but that betwixt the going out of the old and coming in of the new store of Pilgrimes there would be a low ebbe wherein their armie was almost wasted to nothing whereof the Albingenses made no small advantage However the Earls of Tholose Foyx and Comminge and Prince of Berne the patrones of the Albingenses finding they were too weak for this Holy armie sheltered themselves under Peter King of Aragon whose homagers they were receiving investiture from him though their dominions lay on this side of the Pyrenean hills This King had the greatnesse of the Earl of Montfort in suspicion fearing lest these severall Principalities which now were single arrows should be bound in one sheaf conquered and united under Earl Simon Wherefore he fomented a faction in them against the Holy armie publickly protesting against the proceedings of Earl Simon charging him to have turned the bark of Gods Church into a pirates ship robbing others and enriching themselves under the pretense of Religion seising on the lands of good Catholicks for supposed hereticks using Gods cause as hunters do a stand in it the more covertly to shoot at what game they please Otherwise why was the Vicecount of Beziers who lived and died firm in the Romish faith lately trained into the Legates hand and against oathes and promises of his safe return kept close prisoner till his death and his lands seised on by Earl Simon At last the King of Aragon taking the Earl of Montfort on the advantage shooting him as it were betwixt wind and water the ending of the old and beginning of new Pilgrimes forced him to a battel The King had thirty thousand foot and seven thousand horse but the Earl of both foot and horse not above two thousand two hundred They closed together neare the castle of Moret And the King whether out of zeal of conquest and thirst of honour or distrust of under-officers or desire to animate others or a mixture of all ranne his curvets so openly and made his turns and returns in the head of the army that so fair a mark invited his enemies arrows to hit him by whom he was wounded to death and fell from his horse to lesson all Generals to keep themselves like the heart in the body of the army whence they may have a virtuall omnipresence in every part thereof and not to expose their persons which like crystall viols contain the extracted spirits of their souldiers spilled with their breaking to places of imminent danger With his bodie fell the hearts of his men And though the Earls of Tholose Foyx and Comminge perswaded entreated threatned them to stay they used their oratorie so long till their audience ranne all away and they were fain to follow them reserving themselves by flight to redeem their honour some other time Simon improving this victorie pursued them to the gates of Tholose and killed many thousands The Friars imputed this victory to the Bishops benediction and adoring a piece of the Crosse together with the fervency of the Clergies prayers which remaining behind in the castle of Moret battered heaven with their importunity On the other side the Albingenses acknowledged Gods justice in punishing the proud King of Aragon who as if his arm had been strong and long enough to pluck down the victory out of heaven without Gods reaching it to him conceived that Earl Simon came rather to cast himself down at his feet then to fight But such reckonings without the host are ever subject to a rere-account Yet within few yeares the face of this warre began to alter With writers of short-hand we must set a prick for a letter a letter for a word marking onely the most remarkables For young Reimund Earl of Tholose exceeding his father in valour and successe so bestirred himself that in few moneths he regained what Earl Simon was many yeares in getting And at last Earl Simon besieging Tholose with a stone which a woman let flie out of an engine had his head parted from his body Men use not to be niggards of their censures on strange accidents Some paralleled his life with Abimelech that tyrant-Judge who with the bramble fitter to make a fire then a King of accepted of the woodden Monarchie when the vine olive figge-tree declined it They paired them also in their ends death disdaining to send his summons by a masculine hand but arresting them both by a woman Some perswaded themselves they saw Gods finger in the womans hand that because the greater part of his cruelty lighted on the weaker sex for he had buried the Lady of laVaur alive respecting neither her sex nor nobility a woman was chosen out to be his executioner though of himself he was not so prone to cruelty but had those at his elbow which prompted him to it The time of his death was a large field for the conceits of others to walk in because even then when the Pope and three Councels of Vaur Montpelier and Laterane had pronounced him sonne servant favourite of the faith the invincible defender thereof And must he not needs break being swoln with so many windie titles Amongst other of his styles he was Earl of Leicester in England and father to Simon Montfort the Catiline of this Kingdome who under pretense of curing this land of some grievances had killed it with his physick had he not been killed himself in the battel of Evesholm in the reigne of Henry the third And here ended the storm of open warre against the Albingenses though some great drops fell afterwards Yea now the Pope grew sensible of many mischiefs in prosecuting this people with the Holy warre First the incongruity betwixt the Word and the Sword to confute hereticks with armies in the field opened clamourous mouthes Secondly three hundred thousand of these Croised Pilgrimes lost their lives in this expedition within the space of fifteen yeares so that there was neither citie nor
village in France but by reason hereof of had widows and orphanes cursing this expidition And his Holinesse after he had made allowance for his losse of time bloud and credit found his gain de claro very small Besides such was the chance of warre and good Catholicks were so intermingled with hereticks that in sacking of cities they were slain together Whereupon the Pope resolved of a privater way which made lesse noise in the world attracted lesse envy and was more effectuall To prosecute them by way of Inquisition Hereby he might single them out by retail rooting out the tares without hurting the corn and overthrowing them by piece-meal whom he could never stagger in grosse Dominick a Spaniard was first authour hereof Well did his mother being with child of him dream that she had a dog vomiting fire in her wombe This ignivomous curre sire of the litter of Mendicant Friars called Dominicanes did bark at and deeply bite the poore Albingenses After his death Pope Honorius for his good service bestowed a Saintship on him For he dreamed he saw the Church of Rome falling and Dominick holding it up with his shoulders wherefore he canonized this Atlas of their religion The proceedings of this Inquisition were the abridgement of all cruelty turning the sword of Justice into the butchers ax But no doubt God when he maketh inquisition for bloud will one day remember this bloudy Inquisition And who can but admire at the continuance of the doctrine of the Albingenses to this day maugre all their enemies Let those privy-counsellers of Nature who can tell where swallows lie all winter and how at the spring they have a resurrection from their seeming deadnesse let those I say also inform us in what invisible sanctuaries this doctrine did lurk in spite of persecution and how it revived out of its ashes at the coming of Luther To conclude it is observed That in those parts of France where the Albingenses were most cruelly handled now the Protestants heirs to most of their tenets flourish most as in the countreys of Gascongne Daulphine and Languedoc Chap. 23. King Almerick for his lazinesse deposed by the Pope WElcome the Holy land welcome Ptolemais How shallow and almost quite dry is the stream of Pilgrimes grown here since the Pope hath drained it with so large a by-chanel into France As for Almerick the idle King of Jerusalem we find him as we left him drowning his cares constantly in wine his hands being lazier then those are printed in the margent of a book which point what others should read whilest he would neither do nor order what should be done So true was it of him what is said of another Titularis non tutelaris Rex defuit non praefuit Reipublicae And now the warre betwixt Noradine Saladines sonne and Saphradine his uncle about the sovereignty lasting nine yeares ended with Saphradines death and Noradine contented himself with the government of Aleppo whilest Saphradines two sonnes shared his dominions Coradine commanding in Damascus and Syria and Meladine in Egypt The former of these without any resistance built a fort in mount Tabor to the great annoyance of the Christians To prevent farther mischief arising from Almericks negligence the Pope who would have a finger in every Crown and a hand in this deposed him from the Kingdome This Almerick grieved to lose what he was never carefull to keep soon after died for sorrow But how doth this agree with Marinus Sanutus who maketh him to die of a surfet of gilt-heads five yeares sooner and saith there was five yeares interregnum in Palestine wherein the Christians had no King at all Chap. 24. Iohn Bren made King of Ierusalem A most promising voyage into Palestine of new Pilgrimes which remove the seat of the warre into Egypt IN the place of Almerick the Pope appointed John de Bren a private French Gentleman to be King Who to twist his title with another string married Maria Iole the sole daughter of Conrade late King of Jerusalem This John had behaved himself right valiantly amongst other Latine Princes in the voyage against the Greeks and was a most martiall man as all do witnesse Onely one calleth him imbellem hominem why I know not except he be of that humour to delight to be one of the Antipodes treading opposite to a world of writers besides In the beginning of his reigne this accident whether monstrous or miraculous fell out In France a boy for his yeares went about singing in his own tongue Iesus Lord repair our losse Restore to us thy holy Crosse. Numberlesse children ranne after him and followed the same tune their captain and chanter did set them No bolts no barres no fear of fathers or love of mothers could hold them back but they would to the Holy land to work wonders there till their merry musick had a sad close all either perishing on land or drowned by sea It was done saith my authour by the instinct of the devil who as it were desired a cordiall of childrens bloud to comfort his weak stomach long cloyed with murdering of men Soon after began the Laterane Councel under Innocent the third Wherein many things were concluded for the recovery of the Holy land as That the Crosse should every where be preached with zeal and earnestnesse to procure Pilgrimes That all tiltings in Christendome for three yeares should be forbidden that so the spears of Christians might onely be broken against Infidels That Clergie-men that went this voyage might if need were mortgage their Church-livings for three yeares to provide themselves with present necessaries That all debters during their Pilgrimage though bound by oath in conscience the strongest specialty should be dispensed with to pay no use to their creditours who if Christians by excommunications if Jews were to be forced by the secular power to remit their interest That all Priests should contribute the twentieth part of their revenues for three yeares to advance this designe And lest saith his Holinesse we should seem to lay heavy burdens on others which we will not touch with our least finger we assigne a ship at our own cost to carry our Pilgrimes of the citie of Rome and disburse for the present what can be spared from our necessary expenses to the summe of thirty thousand pounds to further the project and for three yeares to come we and our brethren the Cardinals of Rome will fully pay the tenth of our Church-profits Hereupon next spring a numerous armie set forward to Palestine conducted by Pelagius the Popes Legate Andrew King of Hungarie who having washed himself in the river of Jordan would stay no longer but instantly returned home the three Electorall Archbishops with those of Liege Wirtzburg Bamberg Strassburg Paris c. Lewis Duke of Bavaria Leopold of Austria a navie of our English besides Florentines Genoans and many other nations The autumne they spent in the
onely exchange their slavery by becoming vassals to their own passions Yet many of them in their kinds were worthy Princes for government no whit inferiour to those which are advantaged with royall birth and breeding Secondly it is a wonder they should be so neglective of their own children How many make an idol of their posterity and sacrifice themselves unto it stripping themselves out of necessaries to provide their heirs a wardrobe yea it is a principle in most moderate minds to advance their posterity thinking hereby in a manner they overcome death and immortalize their memories in leaving their names and honours to their children Whereas the contrary appeared in these Mammalukes Thirdly it is admirable that they fell not out in the election of their Prince being in a manner all equall amongst themselves We see elective States in Christendome though bound with the straitest laws often sagge aside into schismes and factions whereas this strange Empire in their choice had no dangerous discords but such as were quenched in the kindling Lastly who ever knew a wall that had no better cement to stand so sure and so long Two hundred sixty and seven yeares this State endured and yet had it to do with strong and puissant enemies Some Kingdomes ow their greatnesse not so much to their own valour and wisdome as to the weaknesse of their neighbours but it fared not thus with the Mammalukes To omit Prester John who neighboured them on the south on all other sides they were encompassed with potent opposers From whom right valiantly they defended themselves till in the yeare 1517 they were overcome by Selimus the great Turkish Emperour To conclude As for the Amazons and their brave atchievements with much valour and no manhood they and their State had onely being in the brains of fabulous writers As for the Assasines or regiment of rogues it never spread to the breadth of any great countrey nor grew to the height of a Kingdome but being the jakes of the world was cast out in a place betwixt barren hills But this Empire of vassals was every way wonderfull stretching so farre over all Egypt and most of Syria and lasting so long A strange State wherein slavery was the first step to their throne and apostasie the first article in their religion Chap. 20. The manner of the death of Frederick King of Ierusalem His Will and posterity after him An interregnum both in Germanie and the Kingdome of Ierusalem IN this same yeare Frederick King of Jerusalem and Emperour of Germany ended his troublesome dayes A Prince who in the race of his life met with many rubs some stumbles no dangerous falls Besides the Turk he had to do with the Pope the Pope immortall in his succession And though his Holinesse was unfit for warre as being alwayes old and never ripe for that place till almost rotten yet he used his own head and commanded the hands of others whereby he kept Frederick in a continuall warre Yet never could he have beaten him with fair play had he not used a weapon if not against the law of Arms against the law of God and against which no guard Arming his subjects against him and Dispensing with the oath of allegeance But he gave Frederick the mortall wound in setting himself against himself I mean Henry his eldest sonne And though Frederick easily conquered that rebellious youth and made him fast enough keeping him in prison in Apulia where he died yet he carried the grief hereof to his grave For now he knew not where or in whom to place any confidence as suspecting the single cord of Loyaltie would not hold in others which brake in his own sonne though twisted with Naturall affection The greatnesse of his spirit was a great hastening of his death and being of a keen eager and active nature the sharpnesse of the sword cut the scabbard the sooner asunder Bowe he could not break he must What-ever is reported he died of no other poison then sorrow which ushered him into a wasting ague grief being a burden whereof the strongest shoulders can bear the least As for the fame that Maufred his base sonne should stifle him with a pillow though I must confesse he might be taken on suspicion as likely enough to play such a devilish prank yet it is unreasonable that he who is acquitted by the Authours of the same time should be condemned on the evidence of the writers of after-ages He died at Florence in an obscure castle on S. Lucies day having reigned King of Jerusalem three and twenty yeares By his Will he bequeathed many ounces of gold to the Knights Templars and Hospitallers in recompense of the wrongs they had received by him He left a great summe of money for the recovery of the Holy land to be disposed at the discretion of the foresaid Knights He forbad any stately funerall for himself though in his life immoderately excessive in pomp as if he would do penance for his pride after death A Prince who had he not been hindred with domesticall discords would have equalized Cesar himself For if thus bravely he laid about him his hands being tied at home with continuall dissensions what would he have done if at liberty A scandal is raised since his death That he was but a millers sonne but he would have ground them to powder who in his life-time durst have averred it Indeed he was very happy in mechanicall matters such as we may term Liberall handy-crafts as casting founding carving in iron and brasse Neither did this argue a low soul to dabble in such mean imployments but rather proved the amplitude and largenesse thereof of so generall acquaintance that no Art was a stranger to him But the suspicion of his birth rose from the almost miraculous manner of it Constantia his mother bearing him when welâ—igh sixty yeares of age But both in Scripture and other writers we may see the sonnes of long-barren mothers to have been fruitfull in famous atchievements Pity it was that he had some faults yea pity it had been if he had not had some But his vices indeed were notorious and unexcusable Many wives and concubines he had and by them many children His wives His legitimate children Their preferment 1. Constantia Queen of Aragon Henry who rebelled against him King of the Romanes 2. Iole daughter to John Bren. Conrade Duke of Suevia 3. Agnes daughter to the Marquesse of Moravia childlesse divorced   4. Rutina   5. Isabella of Bavaria Agnes Married to Conrade Landtgrave of Hessen 6. Mawd daughter to John King of England Constance His â—â—se sonnes Wife to Lewis Landâ—grave of Hessen His concubine   Blanch. 1. Henzius King of Sardinia 2. Maufred Usurper of Sicily 3. Frederick Prince of Antioch It is much that succession adventured in so many severall bottoms should miscarry Yet these foure sonnes dying left no lasting issue and in the third generation
home who would not substitute their own necks to save theirs from the ax nor by hoping for help from forrein parts who could send them no seasonable succour This counsel harsh at first grew tunable in the eares of the Hospitallers so that contented rather to exchange their clothes for worse then to be quite stript they resigned all into the Kings hands He allowed to Sr William Weston Lord Prior of the Order an annuall pension of one thousand pounds But he received never a penny thereof but dyed instantly struck to the heart when he first heard of the dissolution of his Priory and lieth buried in the Chancell of Clarkenwell with the portraiture of a dead man lying on his shroud the most artificially cut in stone saith my Authour that ever man beheld Others had rent assigned them of 200l l 100l l 80l l 60l l 50l l 20l l 10l l according to their severall qualities and deserts At the same time justs and tornaments were held at Westminster Wherein the challengers against all comers were Sr John Dudley Sr Thomas Seymore Sr Thomas Poinings Sr George Carew Knights Antonie Kingstone and Richard Cromwell Esquires To each of whom for reward of their valour the King gave a hundred marks of yearly revenues and a house to dwell in to them and their heirs out of the lands belonging to these Hospitallers And at this time many had Danae's happinesse to have golden showres rained into their bosomes These Abbey-lands though skittish mares to some have given good milk to others Which is produced as an argument That if they prove unsuccessefull to any it is the users default no inherencie of a curse in the things themselves But let one keep an exact Register of lands and mark their motions how they ebbe and flow betwixt buyers and sellers and surely he will say with the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is most sure Let land be held in never so good a tenure it will never be held by an unthrift The Hospitallers Priory-church was preserved from down-pulling all the dayes of King Henry the eighth but in the third yeare of King Edward the sixth with the bell-towre a piece of curious workmanship graven gilt and enamelled it was undermined and blown up with gunpowder and the stone imployed in building the Lord Protectours house in the Strand Thus as chirurgeons in cutting off a gangrened leg alwayes cut it off above the joynt even where the flesh is whole and sound so belike for fear of further infection to banish Monkerie for ever they rased the structures and harmlesse buildings of Priories which otherwise in themselves were void of any offense They feared if Abbeys were onely left in a swound the Pope would soon get hot water to recover them To prevent which they killed them and killed them again overturning the very foundations of the houses infringing altering and transferring the lands that they might never be reduced to their old propertie Some outrages were committed in the manner of these dissolutions Many manuscripts guiltie of no other superstition then red letters in the front were condemned to the fire and here a principall key of antiquitie was lost to the great prejudice of posteritie But in sudden alterations it is not to be expected that all things be done by the square and compasse Chap. 8. Queen Mary setteth up the Hospitallers again They are again deposed by Queen Elisabeth QUeen Mary a Princesse more zealous then politick attempted to restore Abbeys to their pristine estate and former glory And though certain of her counsellers objected that the state of her Kingdome and dignitie thereof and her Crown imperiall could not honourably be furnished and maintained without the possession of Abbey-land yet she frankly restored resigned and confirmed by Parliament all ecclesiasticall revenues which by the authoritie of that high court in the dayes of her Father were annexed to the Crown protesting she set more by her salvation then by ten kingdomes But the Nobilitie followed not her example They had eaten up the Abbey-lands and now after twentie yeares possession digested and turned them into good bloud in their estates they were loth therefore to emptie their veins again and the forwardest Romanist was backward enough in this costly piece of devotion How-ever out of her own liberalitie she set up two or three bankrupt Covents as Sion and Westminster and gave them stock to trade with The Knights also of S. John of Jerusalem she reseated in their place and S ◠Thomas Tresham of Rushton in Northamptonshire was the first and last Lord Prior after their restitution For their nests were plucked down before they were warm in them by the coming in of Queen Elisabeth To conclude In the founders of Religious houses were some good intents mixt with superstitious ends amongst the Religious persons themselves some pietie more loosenesse and lazinesse in the confounders of those houses some detestation of the vices of Friars more desire of the wealth of Friaries in God all just all righteous in permitting the badnesse and causing the destruction of these numerous Fraternities Chap. 9. Observations on the Holy warre The horrible superstition therein WE have finished the story of the Holy warre And now I conceive my indentures are cancelled and I discharged from the strict service and ties of an Historian so that it may be lawfull for me to take more libertie and to make some observations on what hath been past Before I go further I must deplore the worlds losse of that worthy work which the Lord Verulam left unfinished concerning the Holy warre an excellent piece and alas it is but a piece so that in a pardonable discontent we may almost wish that either it had been more wholly to have satisfied our hunger or lesse not at all to have raised our appetite It was begun not in an historicall but in a politick way not reporting the Holy warre past with the Turks but advising how to manage it in the future And no doubt if he had perfected the work it would have proved worthy the Authour But since any have been deterred from finishing the same as ashamed to adde mud-walls and a thatched roof to so fair a foundation of hewen and polished stone From that Authour we may borrow this distinction That three things are necessarie to make an invasive warre lawfull the lawfulnesse of the jurisdiction the merit of the cause and the orderly and lawfull prosecution of the cause Let us apply to our present purpose in this Holy warre For the first two Whether the jurisdiction the Christians pretended over the Turks dominions was lawfull or not and Whether this warre was not onely operae but vitae pretium worth the losing so many lives we referre the Reader to what hath been said in the first book Onely it will not be amisse to adde a storie or two out of an Authour of good account When Charles the sixth