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 videt omnia Chap. 31. Vnseasonable discords betwixt King Baldwine and his mother Her strength in yielding to her sonne UPon the departure of Emperour Conrade and K. Lewis Noradine the Turk much prevailed in Palestine Nor was he little advantaged by the discords betwixt Milleâ—ent 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 groaned 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 pretence 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 un tie 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 city 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 resign 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 son were harmonie in the ears 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 be 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 clergy-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 honey 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 years 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 been long locked 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 city 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 mother and other vices which in his settled age he reformed Let the witnesse of Noradine his enemy be believed who honourably refused to invade the Kingdome whilest the funerall solemnities of Baldwine were performing and professed the Christians had a just cause of sorrow having lost such a King whose equall for justice and valour the world did not afford He died without issue having reigned one and twenty years So that sure it is the
remembrance and commendation because really and seriously intended Farre better I believe then that of Charles the eighth King of France Who in a braving Embassage which he sent to our Henry the seventh gave him to understand his resolutions to make re-conquest of Naples but as of a bridge to transport his forces into Grecia and then not to spare bloud or treasure if it were to the impairing of his Crown and dispeopling of France till either he had overthrown the Empire of the Ottomans or taken it in his way to paradise and hence belike he would have at Jerusalem invited as he said with the former example of our Henry the fourth But our King Henry the seventh being too good a fencer to mistake a flourish for a blow quickly resented his drift which was to perswade our King to peace till Charles should perform his projects in little Britain and elsewhere and dealt with him accordingly And as for the gradation of King Charles his purposes Naples Grecia Jerusalem a stately but difficult ascent where the stairs are so farre asunder the legs must be long to stride them the French nation was weary of climbing the first and then came down vaulting nimbly into Naples and out of it again More cordiall was that of James the fourth King of Scotland that pious Prince who being touched in conscience for his fathers death though he did not cause it but seemed to countenance it with his presence ever after in token of his contrition wore an iron chain about his body and to expiate his fault intended a journey into Syria He prepared his navie provided his souldiers imparted his project to forrein Princes and verily had gone if at the first other warres and afterwards sudden death had not caused his stay Chap. 26. The fictitious voyage of William Landt-grave of Hesse to Palestine confuted THese are enough to satisfie more would cloy Onely here I must discover a cheat and have it pilloried lest it trouble others as it hath done me The storie I find in Calvisius anno 1460 take it in his very words William the Landt-grave appointed an holy voyage to Palestine chose his company out of many Noblemen and Earles in number ninetie eight He happily finished his journey onely one of them died in Cyprus He brought back with him six and fourtie ensignes of horse Seven moneths were spent in the voyage Fab. So tarre Calvisius avouching this Fab. for his authour Each word a wonder not to say an impossibilitie What in the yeare 1460 when the deluge of Mahometanes had overrun most of Grecia Asia and Syria William a Landt grave of Hesse no doubt neither the greatest nor next to the greatest Prince in Germanie farre from the sea unfurnished with shipping not within the suspicion of so great a performance Six and fourtie horse-ensignes taken Where or from whom Was it in warre and but one man killed A battel so bloudlesse seemeth as truthlesse and the losing but of one man savoureth of never a one But seven moneths spent Such atchievements beseem rather an apprentiship of yeares then moneths Besides was Fame all the while dead speechlesse or asleep that she trumpeted not this action abroad Did only this Fab. take notice of it be he Faber Fabius Fabianus Fabinianus or what you please Why is it not storied in other writers the Dutch men giving no scant measure in such wares and their Chronicles being more guiltie of remembring trifles then forgetting matters of moment Yet the gravity of Calvisius recording it moveth me much on the other side a Chronologer of such credit that he may take up more belief on his bare word then some other on their bond In this perplexitie I wrote to my oracle in doubts of this nature Mr. Joseph Mead fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge since lately deceased Heare his answer Sir I have found your storie in Calvisius his posthume Chronologie but can heare of it no where else I sought Reusners Basilica Genealogica who is wont with the name of his Princes to note briefly any act or accident of theirs memorable and sometimes scarce worth it but no such of this William Landt-grave So in conclusion I am resolved it is a fable out of some Romainza and that your Authour Fab. is nothing but Fabula defectively written But you will say Why did he put it into his book I answer He himself did not but had noted it in some paper put into his Chronologte preparing for a new and fuller Edition which himself dying before he had digested his new Edition as you may see I think somewhere in his preface those who were trusted with it after his death to write it out for the presse foolishly transferred out of such a paper or perhaps out of the margin into the text thinking that Fab. had been some Historian which was nothing but that she-authour Fabula If this will not satisfie I know not what to say more unto it Thus with best affection I rest Yours JOSEPH MEAD Christ. Coll. June 20. 1638. This I thought fit to recite not for his honour but to honour my self as conceiving it my credit to be graced with so learned a mans acquaintance Thus much of offertures I will conclude with that speech of the Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond and Derbie and mother to our King Henry the seventh a most pious woman as that age went though I am not of his faith that believed her to be the next woman in goodnesse to the Virgin Mary She used to say that if the Christian Princes would undertake a war against the Turks to recover the Holy land she would be their laundresse But I believe she performed a work more acceptable in the eyes of God in founding a Professours place in either Universitie and in building Christs and S. Johns Colledges in Cambridge the seminaries of so many great scholars and grave Divines then if she had visited either Christs sepulchre or S. Johns Church in Jerusalem Chap. 27. The fortunes of Ierusalem since the Holy warre and her present estate SEven yeares after the Latine Christians were finally expelled out of Syria some hope presented it self of reestablishing them again For Casanus the great Tartar Prince having of late subdued the Persians and married the daughter of the Armenian King a Lady of great perfection and of a Mahometane become a Christian at the request of his wife he besieged the citic Jerusalem and took it without resistance The Temple of our Saviour he gave to the Armenians Georgians and other Christians which flocked thick out of Cyprus there to inhabit But soon after his departure it fell back again to the Mammalukes of Egypt who enjoyed it till Selimus the great Turk anno 1517 overthrew the Empire of Mammalukes and seised Jerusalem into his hand whose successours keep it at this day Jerusalem better acquitteth it self to the eare then to the eye being no whit beautifull at all The
the gamesters King Almerick having looked on the beauty of the Kingdome of Egypt he longed for it and sought no longer to drive out the relicks of the Turks but to get Egypt to himself And the next year against the solemn league with the Caliph invaded it with a great army He falsly 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 design 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 avoided 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 city of Belbis or Pelusium yet see what a cloud of miseries ensued First Noradine in his absence wasted and wonne places near 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 skilful enemy How good mark-men are the Irish now-a-dayes which some seventy years ago at the beginning of their rebellions had three men to discharge a hand-gun 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 Meleâ—ala 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 falling with stumbling-blocks to ruine them Mean time Jerusalem was a poor weather-beaten Kingdome bleak and open to the storm of enemies on all sides having no covert or shelter of any good friend near it lying in the lions mouth betwixt his upper and neather jaw Damascus on the North and Egypt on the South two potent Turkish Kingdoms 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 years 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 Aâ—rchbishop 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 body being enclined to the leproâ—ie called Elephanâ—iasis 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 war Chancellour of this Kingdome imployed in severall Embassies in the West present at the Lateran Council 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 handsomenesse preferred to be Patriarch William Archbishop of Tyre was violent against his election because of a prophesie That as Heraclius King of Persia wonne so an Heraclius should lose the Crosse. But others excepted that this exception was nothing worth For let God give the man and let the devil set the name As for those blind prophesies they misse the truth ofter then hit it so that no wise man will lean his belief on so slender a prop. But
18. cap. 49. Calvis in Anno 1156. 1 2 2 8 35  3 2 3 3 9 36 ROâ—ERT of Burgundie Tyr. lib. 15. c. 6. 4 3 4 4 10 37  5 4 5 5 11 38  6 5 6 6 12 39  7 6 7 ALMERICUS1 13 40  8 7 8 2 14 41  9 8 9 3 15 42  10 9 10 4 9. FULCâ—ER Archbishop of Tyre 1 43  11 10 11 5 2 44  12 11 He honourably entertaineth the K. of Fran. Is slain in battel by Noradine Tyr. lib. 17. c. 9. 12 6 3 45  13 12 13 7 4 46 Gaza given to the Templars to defend 14 13 CONSTANTIA his wiâ—l Princâ—sse 1 8 5 47  15 14 2 9 6 48 BERNARD d Trenellape 16 15 3 10 7 49  17 16 4 11 8 50  18 17 5 12 The Hospitallers rebell against the Patriarch deny to pay tithes 9 51  19 18 RAINOLD of Castile marrieth Constantis and is Prince in her right Θ 1 13 10 52 The Templars with BERNARD their Master through their own covetousnesse slain at Askelon Θ 20 19 Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre and Kings of Ierusalem 1155 ADRIAN the fourth 2 13 4 HENRY the second 1 18 14 6 3 14 5 2 19 15 7 4 15 6 3 20 16 8 M. 8. D. 28. 16 7 4 21 17 9 ALEXANDER the third 1 17 8 5 22 18 1160 2 18 9 6 23 Order of the Carmelites first begun in Syria 19 1 3 19 10 7 24 20 2 4 20 11 8 25 21 3 5 21 12 9 26 ALMERICK his B â— 1 4 6 22 13 10 27 2 5 7 23 14 11 18 At the instance of Sultan Sancâ— he gâ—eth into Egypt and dâ—â—veth out Syracon Caelaâ—â—a-Philippi lost 3 6 8 24 15 12 19 4 7 9 25 16 13 20 Almerick contrary to his promiâ—e invadeth Egypt 5 8 10 26 17 14 31 6 9 11 27 18 15 32 7 1170 12 28 19 16 33 He taketh a voyage into Grecia to visit the Emperour his kinsman 8 1 13 29 20 17 34 9 2 14 30 21 18 35 10 3 15 31 22 19 36 11 4 16 32 23 20 37 BALDWINE the fourth 1 Princes of Antioch Patriarchs of Antioch Patriarches of Ierusalem Mrs of Kn. Hospitallers Mrs of Kn. Templars Caliphs of Syrìa Casiphs of Egypt He to despite the Grecian Emperour wasteth the island Cyprus 2 Almerick cruelly tormented for speaking against Pr. Reinolds marriage 14 In vain he crawleth to Rome to complain of them 11 53 BERTRAND de Bianch fort 1 21 20 3 15 12 54 2 22 ELHADACH These Caliphs of Egypt are very difficult to regulate by Chronologie and are ever Heteroclites either deficient or redundant in the proportion of time consenting with other Princes Hitherto we have followed Helvicus now adhere to Tyrius lib. 19. cap. 19. lib. 20. cap. 12. 1 4 16 13 III. AUGERIUS de Balben He is taken prisoner Tyr. l. 18. c. 15. PHILIP of Naples 3 23 2 5 17 14  1 24 3 6 18 X. AMALRICUS Prior of the Sepulchre 1  Afterward he renounceth his place Tyr. lib. 20. c. 24. 2 25 4 7 19 2 III. ARNOLDUS de Campis  26 5 Reinold carried captive to Aleppo 8 20 3   MUSTENE-IGED 6 BOEMUND the third S. to Reimund 1 He prescribeth rules to the Carmelites 21 4   2 7 2 22 5   3 8 3 23 6   4 9 4 24 7 Vâ— GIâ—BERTUS Assalit Who to get Pelusium for his own Order instigated K. Almerick contrary to his oath to invade Egypt 12 Templars hanged for traytours OTTO de Sancto Amando one that feared neither God nor man Tyr. lib. 21. c. 29. 5 Sinar Dargon fight for the Sultany of Egypt 10 He is conquered and taken prisoner ransometh himself 5 25 8   6 11 6 26 9   7 12 7 27 10   8 13 8 28 11   9 14 9 29 12 12  MUSTEZI S. 1 15 10 30 13 VI. CASTUS  2 Turkish K. of Egypt 16 11 31 14   3 SALADINE with his horsemace knocketh out the brains of Elâ—adach the last Turkish Caliph in Egypt Tyr. lib. 20. cap. 12. 12 32 15 VII JOBERTUS The Templars basely kill the Embassadour of the Assasines 4  13 33 16 16  5  Anno Dom. Popes Emper. of the East Emper. of the West Kings of England Kings of France Holy Warre and Kings of Ierusalem 1175 17 33 24 21 38 2 6 18 34 25 22 39 William Marquesse of Montferrat marrieth Sibyll the Kings sister 3 7 19 35 26 23 40 Saladine shamefully conquered at Askelon 4 8 20 36 27 24 41 Fatall jealousies betwixt the King and Reimund Prince of Tripoli for many yeares 5 9 21 37 28 25 42 6   M. 5.     1180 M. 11 D. 29 M. 5. ALEXIUS COMNENê° 1 29 26 PHILIP Augustus S. 1 7 1 LUCIUS the third 1 2 30 27 2 8 2 2 ANDRONICUS S. 1 31 28 3 9 3 3 2 32 29 4 Baldwine disabled with leprosie retireth himself from managing the State 10 4 4 M. â—1 33 30 5 11 5 M 3 D. 28 URBANE the third ISAACIUS ANGELUS 1 34 31 6 BALDWINE the fifth after eight moneths poysoned 6 M. 10 D. 25 GREGORY the eighth 2 35 32 7 GUY de Lusignan in right of Sibyll his wife 1 7 M. 1. D. 27. CLEMENT the third 3 36 33 8 1 CONRADE Marquesse of Montferrat defendeth Tyre and is chosen King Guy taken prisoner Jerusalem won by Saladine Guy having got libertie befiegeth Prolemais 2 8 1 4 37 34 M. 7. RICHARD the first 9 3 9 2 5 38 1 10 3 4. VOYAGE under Frederick surnamed Barbarossa 4 1190 3 6 HENRY the sixth S. 1 2 11 4 5. VOYAGE under Rich. of Eng. Philip of Fran. 5 1 M. 2 D. 10 7 2 3 12 5 Conrade murdered in the market-place of Tyre Ptolema is taken 6 2 CELâ—â—TINE the third 2 8 3 4 13 Guy exchangeth his Kingdome of Jerusalem for Cyprus 7 3 3 M. 7. 9 4 5 14 HENRY Earl of Champaigne 4 4 ALâ—XIUS COMNENUS ANGâ—ZUS 1 5 6 15 2 Princes of Antioch Patriarchs of Antioch Patriarches of Ierusaleâ— Mrs of Kn. Hospitallers Mrs of Kn. Templâ—rs  Caliphs of Syrta Turkish K. of Egypt 14 34 17 VIII ROGER de Moris   6  15 35 18    7  Reinold of Castile once Prince of Antioch ransomed from captivity 16 36 19    8 He getteth Damascus the whole Turkish kingdome in Syria Tyr. lib. 21. c. 6. in despite of Noradines sonne 1 17 37 20  ARNOLDUS de Troge Tyr. lib. 22. c. 7  9 2 18 38 21    10 3 Boemund by putting away Theodora his lawfull wife câ—useth much trouble in this State 19 39 22    NARZAI S. 1 These great figures