with clothes of sylke with spyces Ieweles of golde of dyuerse facions And with ryche precious stones whiche he sente to his frende Charlemayn And largely he gaf and rewarded the messagers And emonge al other thinges He sente into ffraunce an Olyphant This debonayrte pourchased the good Charlemayn for the Crysten men that were in captiuyte vnder the said Aaron And in lyke wyse the said Aaron for the loue that he bare to Carlemayn pourchassed for other Cristen men that were in al hethenes vnder dyuerse lordes as in egypte And in Aufrigue That is to seye in Allexandrye And in Cartage ffor â—e sente grete yeftes and moche good to sustene the power of Cristen men sente grete presentes vnto theyr lordes maistres myscreauntes amyable letters In suche wise that he pourchassed their loue acqueyntaunce by whiche they conteyned them more debonairly vn to cristiens that were in theyr subiection thus dyde the hye prynce charlemayn vnto the hethen lordes that were fer fro hym ffor it is to be bileuid that yf he had ben nyghe to them that he wold haue essayed for to haue delyuerd in another maner the peple of our lord lyke as he dyde ryght gloriously in many places Of the noyse that sourded emonge the hethen men discordyng in theyr lawe and how they of egypte yssued out of theyr londe and of the euyllis that they dyde capitulo vo. iN this season it happed that a grete debate sourded bytwene the mescreaunts of Egypte and the mescreaunts of Perse ffor eueryche partye of this peple wold haue the seignourye vpon the other The Rote of this grete hate and enuye sourded ande aroos of that whyche discorded and yet dyscorde of certayn poyntes of theyr lawe in suche wise that they haue dyuerse names ffor they that holde the lawe of perse haue the name in theyr langage soun And they of the lawe of Egypte be named siha And they be not so ferre fro the very crysten lawe as ben the other It happed that they of Egypte yssued out of theyr londe and conquered alle the londes vnto Antyoche And emonge the other cytees that were taken The holy cyte of Iherusalem cam vnder theyr power and seignourye The peple that were there in captinyte were resonably wel entreated tyl it happed by the suffrauÌ„ce of god that his peple shold be chastised and that was by a desloyal and cruel lord and calyphe of Egypte whiche was named hecam he passed in malyce and cruelte alle his predecessours in suche wyse that the peple of his lawe helde them as wode men of pryde of rage and of falsched Emonge the other tyrannyes he commanded to caste doun to the ground the chyrche of the sepulcre of our lorde Ihesu Cryste whiche had ben made first of Constantyne themperour by a noble Patryarke of Iherusalem named Maxyme and after râ—edefyed by modest that other patriarke In the tyme of heracles of whom we haue spoken to fore he sente to them a fals caliphe one his bayly whiche was lord of Rames and named hyart This dyde the commandement of his lord and caste it doun to grounde In this tyme was patriarke of this chyrche a right valyaunt man named Oreste and was vncle vnto this vntrew kynge of Egypte broder of his moder And this was the reson why he was so cruel ayenste Crystiente ffor the heethen men sayde that he shold neuer be ferme in theyr lawe by cause he had a crysten moder And for to take away this suspecion he destroyed this holy chirche of the holy sepulcre whiche was the fontayne and begynnyng of our very creaunce How thaffliccyon iniuries and tormentes of crysten men grewe in the tyme of Calyphe hetam capitulo vjo. fRo thenne forthon began thestate of our peple at Iherusalem to be more greuous and more sorowful than it was wonte to be ffor they toke grete displaysir at theyr berâ—e for the chirche of the resurrexion of our lorde whiche they sawe so destroyed emonge them And on that other syde they were charged ouer sorowfully wyth tributes taskes and tayllages aâ—enâ—t the custome and preuyleges graunted to them of hethen prynces â–ª And also they were deffended to make ony festes on the daâ—es of theyr hye festes but thenne they were compellyd to trauaâ—lle by force and angre or they were commanded not to yssue out of 〈◊〉 howses ne dores but holde them cloos wythin to th ende that tâ—ey shold make no semblaunce of feste wythin them And â—et alâ—o they myght not be therin in pees ne assured but they caste at 〈◊〉 by the wyndows grete stones donge dyrâ—e and foul orâ—â—reâ— And yf it happed somtyme a Crysten man to saye a light worâ—e that dyspleased ony of the hethen men Anon he shold be taken like a murderer and brought to pryson and shold lose therfore his fyste or fote or he was brought to the gybet And alle the good that he had was brought in to the handes of the Calyâ—â—e â— Somtyme they wold take the chyldren of the crysten peple boâ—â—e soâ—es and doughtres in to theyr owne howses and made them mescreaunts ayenst theyr wylle And somtyme by betynge and another wyth lyes and flaterye made many yonge folke to renye our fayth And thus they dyde to our peple moche 〈◊〉 and grief But notwythstondyng good crysten men leâ—te not but admonested and conforted the peple to suffre al this with a good herte and veri penitence for the faith of Ihesu Criste and promysed them for thise shames the Ioye thonour and the glorye of heuen whiche euer shal endure The good Cristen peple spack so to gydre that they enforced them to holde And kepe their cristen fayth the more surely By cause they dyde them so moche harm And repreef It sholde be ouer longe a thinge to recâ—unte to you Alle the meseases the myschiefs that the peple of our lord endured that tyme. But I shal shew yow one exampel to th ende that by the same ye vnderstonde the more of other One of the hethen men ouermoche malicious and vntrewe whiche hated of ouermoche cruel hate the cristen men he aduised and thoughte an a day how he myght brynge them to deth He sawe wel that alle the cyte helde the temple in moche grete honour reuerence whiche was reedefyed the laye peple named it the temple dominus that they whiche had the charge to kepe it dide al their peyne to kepe it cleen nette now ther was a place to fore the temple whiche was named thaitre of the temple Whiche they wolde kepe as clene as cristen men kepe their chirches and aultres And this vntreu man that I haue said yow of to fore Toke by nyght in suche wise that no man sawe it a dede hounde al roten and stynkyng and brought it in to the same aitre to fore the temple On the morn whan they of the toun cam to the temple they fonde this dogge Thenne sourded
dishonour to departe and retorne in to his coÌ„tre than â—ffre his peple to be destroyed myght not amende it Thus theÌ„ne he departed out of Surye by cause the kynge of Arabe his peple were of so grete power so proude as they that fonde all the contre habandonÌ„ned to them ffor in a short tyme they had conquered alle the contre of Surye vnto Egypte One thyng that was tâ— fore happenned in this contree whiche heelp moche them of Araâ—â— tenaâ—ce their power ffor cosdroe the puissanÌ„t kynge of perse of whom I haue spoken to fore had ben with grete puissaunce in Surye and had destroyed the Cytees and castels brent townes chirches and slayn grete partye of the peple and the remeunÌ„t had brought in to Captyuyte And toke the cyte of Iherusalem with force and slewe within the tounÌ„ xxxvj M. men And bare away with hym the veâ—ay crosse that our lord Ihesu Cryste suffred deth on for vs And ladde with hym the patriarke of Iherusalem named Acharye and brought hym with hym with the other Caytyfs Here recounteth thistorye how that the puissaunt kynge Cosdroe wastyd the Empyre of Rome for tauenge the deth of themperour Maurice fader of his wyf capitulo ijo. nOw I shal telle yow why he had so doon lyke as I sayde he was a ryght myghty kynge now had ther be an emperour at Rome named Mauryce whiche as we fynde was moche acqueynted with seint gregorâ—e And was his gossiâ— ffor the sayd seynt Gregorye had cristenyd to hym a doughter named Marie This Maurice gaf her in Maryage to this Cosdroe And ther by was a grete frenship bytwene them grete alyauÌ„ce bytwene them of perse and the Romayns as longe as themperour lyued in suche wise that for the loue of his wyf the Romayns whiche were Cristen This Emperour made Cosdroe to be baptised But after it befylle that foca slewe in treson this Emperour Maurice And was Emperour in his place and was called ffoâ—â— cezar whan cosdroe herd herof he had merveyllous grete sorow greâ—â— deâ—dayne grete orguyel grete hate ayenst the peple of the Romaâ—ns by cause that he whiche had slayn theyr lorde vntrewly and was yet blody of the blood of the emperour they had chosen to â—e their lord and had gyuen to hym thempire ffor this cause â—e enteâ—â—ded to his power to hurte and destroye al thempire of Româ—â— And for this cause for tauenge the deth of the fader of his 〈◊〉 whiche ofte enticed hym therto he entred in to the londe of 〈◊〉 whiche thenne was subget to th empyre of Rome and 〈…〉 destroyed it lyke as I haue said to fore and voyded almost 〈◊〉 the peple that was therin ffor whiche cause This kynge 〈◊〉 aforsaid his peple of Arabe that fonde this londe so voyde 〈◊〉 the better doo theyr wylles with alle How this puissaunt kynge entred in to Iherusalem and demauÌ„â—ded dylygently of the Temple and reedyfied it and assigned grâ—â—e reuenues therto for tentretene it capitulo iiio. wHan they cam in the holy cyte of Iherusalem they fonde it destroyed and deserte sauf a fewe cristen men whiche dwellyd there and were suffred that they shold lyue as Cristen men and make agayn their chirches and that they shold haue a patriarke In the while that this myghty prynce duellid in Iherusalem he began tenquyre moche euâ—entifly of the peple of the tounÌ„ pryncipally of the patriarke whiche was named Sophonye had ben chosen after modeste whiche was deed of whom I haue spoken to fore In what place the temple of our lord had be whan Titus the prynce deffeted and destroyed al the cyte he shewid to hym the very certayn place the fondamentes a parte of the muraylles whiche were thenÌ„e yet apperyng he made anon to be sought to be brouht to hym without longe taryeng grete nombre of masons of carpenters dide do be fette stones of marble of other manere alle thynges necessarye therto he dide do assemble as moche as shold nede And deuised the maner and ordynance of the mesure and of the dyspences for to make the temple And as he was a noble prynce of hyâ— affaire noble he brought anon to ende this that he had emprised in suche wise that the temple was reedefyed in suche forme and estate as it yet apeereth this saide prynce hym self assygned grete rentes reuenues ffor euer more for to sustene and repayre alle that shold be nedeful to thedyfiâ—es and other necessites of the temple and for the seruyng of the lyght day and nyght by the handes of them that he commysed to kepe the temple Ther is in the same temple within and without letters of golde in the langage of Arabe whiche deuyse as we suppose who was he that reedefyed the temple and what tyme And how moche it costeto rebylde it How Charlemayne by his lyberalite gate for the prouffyt of cristen peple in hethenes thamytye of hethen prynces capitulo iiij tHus it happed that this holy cyte of Iherusalem for the synnes of the peple was in seruage and in daunger of hethen peple longe tyme That is to wete cccc xxx iiij yere contynuelly but not all way in one manere They were one tyme better another tyme werse lyke as the lordes chaunged whiche were of dyuerse maners condicions but neuertheles thise peple were alway in subiection It happed that one grete lorde of this saide lawe had nyghe in his seignorye all the londe of thoryent sauf only ynde This prynce was named Aaron his surname ressit This man was of so grete cortosye of so grete largesse of so hye vygour and of so grete affaires in alle good maners that yet the paynems speke of hym lyke as they doo in ffrauÌ„ce of Charlemayn they were bothe in one tyme this aaron this charlemain And therfore in their tyme the cristen peple in Iherusalem were in better poynt than thei had euer be to fore vnder ony of the hethen peple ffor Charlemayn the good Emperour whiche so moche trauailled and suffryd for our lorde and so moche enhaunced the fayth of Ihesu Criste to th ende that the Cristiente in Surye myght be the better and more debonairly cherysshed and entreated Pourchassed so longe that he had the loue and acqueyntauÌ„ce of the said Aaron by messages that wente and cam Wherof this Aaron had moche grete Ioye And aboue alle the prynces of the world he louid and honoured themperour CharlemaynÌ„ and the Cristen peple that were vnder hym And alle the holy places that were vnder his power he wolde that they shold be entretiened mayntened and wel aourned lyke as Charlemayne had desyred and sente to hym worde Wherof it semed that our peple beynge there Were more vnder the power of Charlemayne than vnder the power of the hethen men Whan he myght fynde the messagers of Charlemayn he charged and laded them alle with richesses of thoryent
Guylliam Ebryac â— he made them to hastâ— moche the werke and to amende it Thus was alle thoost occupyed in this werke four monethes aâ— hool They had so moche exployted that eueryche of the barons had doo made right that whiche he had begonne and entreprysed· Therfor they counseylled emonge them ordeyned at a day sett· to goo to thassault But for as moch as th erle of tholouse and tancre had be grete Rancour and wrath and somme of the other Barons and knyghtes that loued not wel to gydre for dyuerse reasons The barons by the admonestacion of the bisshops wolde that of alle debate shold be good peas and that eche shold pardone other all euyll wyll and talente by cause that our lord shold helpe them the better in doynge and accomplysshyng his werke· And yf it happed them to dye the surer myght they attende the deth Of the fayr processions that oure pylgryms made to th ende that god shold gyue them vyctorye and how they pardonned eche other theyr mal talentes and euyll wylles cao. ·Clxxviij tHe daye was ordeyned and taken by comyn acorde of alle that procession shold be made the relyâ—uyes shold be borne suche as were had in thoost· They shold alle goo vnto the mount of Olyuet· And they shold mayntene them this day in fastyâ—g In repentaunce of theyr synnes and in orysons and prayer vnto our lord to th ende that he wold haue pyte of his peple and receyue in greâ— theyr seruyse in suche wyse that by them his herytages myght be recouerd fro the haÌ„des of his enemyes which helde it in their possession Peter theremyte on that one part and arnold the chappellayn of the Duc of Normandye whiche was a grete clerk and wyse of that other parte made the sermon to the peple They exhorted them by swete wordes to enterpryse vygorously the werke of oure lord wherin it were better to deye than to lyue· The mount of Olyuete is ayenst Iherusalem in the eestâ— partye about a myle fer fro the toun ffor the vaal of Iosaphat is bytwene bothe thâ—re assembled our lord his discyples and sâ—yed and ascended vp to fore them alle in to heuen the day of thassension and wente vp in a clowde which toke hym whan alle the peple had ben there in grete wepynges and prayers and alle the debates â—â—peased that were emong them they descended fro the hylle in to the chirche of mount syon whiche is by the Cyte as I haue sayd in the side toward the southe on the toppe of a tertre The sarasyns of the toun that were in the toures and vpon the walles of the toun merueylled moche what this myght be that oure men made there and where they myght see the presse nygh to them within shotte· They cessed not to shote arowes and quarellys in suche wyse that they hurted somme· Thenne adressyd they crosses vpon the walles and in despyte of our sauyour and in reproche of oure fayth spytte on them· and made other shames and fowle thynges whiche be not for to be sayd The peole of our lord· which were in holy wylle for to serue hym sawe wel thise thynges that the turkes made theyr desyre grewe and encreaced moche in theyr â—ertes for tauenge the shame of our lord Ihesu Criste whan they had made theyr orysons and prayers in the chirche of mount Syon The daye was to them ordeyned and named for to make thassault by comyn acorde Thenne they retourned to theyr lodgys yf ther was ony thyng to be made on theyr engyns anon it was accomplysshyd ffor euery man toke good hede aboute hym that no thyng faylled that shold be necessarye to make thassault ayenst theyr enemyes How oure men sodenly transported in the nyght theyr engyns vnto that other part of the toun for tassaylle on that side Capitulo Clxxixo. wHan the day approched that they had named for tassaylle the Cyte the nyght to fore the valyaunt duc godeffroy theâ—erle of fflaundres and the duc of normandye sawe that this partye of the Cyte that they had assieged was moche wel garnysshed of alle maner of engyns and the moost defensable men of the Cyte they had sette there Therfore they doubted more this part· than ony other The noble men had herupon counseyll They knewe wel that they myght not endommage the toun there And enterprysed a thynge of a right grete affayre and of moche grete trauaylle ffro alle thengynes that they had by them And the castel to fore the sydes were Ioyned to gydre· they barâ— them alle· On that other syde whiche is bytwene the gate of seynâ— stephen the tour of thaÌ„glâ— that is toward the northeest ffor them sâ—med it was trouth that by cause that the cyte had not be asâ—ieged on that syde that ther shold be the lasse defence wherof it hâ—pped that they woke al the nyght as wel the barons as theyr pâ—plâ— in suche wysâ— that theyr engyns were alle ioyned and reysed vp by fore day or or the sonne aroos in the places where they ought to be The castel was so approuched the walle and was moche hyer in so moche that they that were therin were almoost as hye as one of the toures and knowe ye for certayn that this was noo lytil trauaylle ffor fro this place where they were fyrsâ— lodged vnto the place where they sette theyr engyns was nygh half a myle And the thynges were so wel and so hooly ordeyned that to fore the sonne rysyng all thyng was redy at them on the mornyng the turkes byhelde on the walles and towres And merueylled what this myght be that our men had so trauaylled all the nyght they sawe that the lodgys of the Duc and of the other barons aboute hym were remeuyd They sought them about that other side of the toun And founde them there· where as they had sette no garde· whan they sawe thengyns and the castel dressyd they merueylled ouer moche how they myght doo this werke in so lytil tyme. ffor this cause they doubted moche the more them that had thus enterprysed and accomplysshed so sodenly in the nyght about that syde of the toun the barons that were lodged as ye haue herd to foâ—e were not ydle· but reysed theyr engyns eueryche in his parte And th erle of tholouse had made tapproche the walles a castel that he had made with moche grete trauaylle bytwene the chirche of mount Syon and the Cyte the other that were nyghâ— the corner whiche is called the tour of tancre redressyd a castel of tree moche hye Thyse thre castellys that were about the toun were nyâ—e alle of one facion ffor they were alle square the sydes that were toward the toun were double in suche wyse that one of the panâ—s that was without myght be aualed vpon the walles and thenne it shold be lyke a brydge· But for alle that the side was not vnclosed ne discouerd But it was hool for to deffende