Part 7 (2/2)

CHAPTER IV.

THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM.

During the six months after the capture of Antioch most of the leaders seemed to have contemplated no forward step.

[Sidenote: _Raymond Orders March_]

[Sidenote: _Re-enforcements from England_]

[Sidenote: _Quarrels and Miracles_]

[Sidenote: _Alexius and His Craft_]

[Sidenote: _Egyptian Bribes_]

But the orders of Raymond to march filled many with enthusiasm, and, under the lead of Raymond, Tancred, and the Duke of Normandy, the army traversed the territories of Syrian Caesarea, Hamath, and Edessa. They were welcomed by Moslem and Christian alike. Fear pleaded for this with the first, and sympathy with the last. Protection was sought at the hands of the invaders, and presents and food were abundantly provided.

They were surprised and delighted by the return of Christian prisoners believed to have perished on the battle-field. A portion of the army reached Laodicea, and welcomed there re-enforcements from England. But the main object was still postponed, and the army under separate leaders attacked neighboring cities. Raymond sat down before Archas, and was firmly resisted. G.o.dfrey went to lay siege to Gibel, and Raymond of Turenne to Tortosa. This period of delay and of excursions for the sake of loot, was chiefly occupied by those who remained in camp, with disgraceful quarrels when not engaged in inventing miracles, and noising them abroad. The first seem to have been largely checked by the appearance of an amba.s.sador from the Emperor Alexius of Constantinople, who proved himself, while professing friends.h.i.+p, about the worst enemy the Crusaders had. Just now he reproached them with gentleness, being afraid of them, for not putting the cities they had captured under his dominion. He promised to follow them with an army into Jerusalem if the Crusaders would give him time to prepare. Sick of his treacheries, and feeling only contempt for him personally, his new complaints and promises served only to cement and unify them and make them the more ready to march on. As to the miracles, they ceased when, in the ordeal by fire, Barthelemi, the author of the Holy Lance, came through the flames mortally injured. The Caliph of Cairo, with whom it was believed Alexius was in league, had already possessed himself of Jerusalem, and, fearing for his authority there, sent amba.s.sadors to treat with the Christian army. Rich presents were brought to the leaders sufficient to tempt the avarice which had grown by conquest. The announcement by the amba.s.sadors that the gates of Jerusalem would be opened only to unarmed Christians--a proposition which the leaders had rejected when in the miseries of the siege of Antioch--enraged those in authority.

[Sidenote: _The Crusaders' Answer_]

The answer of the Christian leaders was an order to prepare to march and a threat to carry the war into Egypt itself. The Emir of Tripoli attacked them with fearful loss, and was mulcted heavily in tribute and provisions. All headed toward Jerusalem with the way cleared by fear of Christian arms, except Raymond, who was finally compelled to march also by the threatened rebellion of his soldiers. Late May found the Crusading army in the field. They pa.s.sed through a rich country, whose harvests were finished and whose orchards bore abundantly oranges, pomegranates, and olives.

[Sidenote: _A Rich Country_]

Yet as they marched they were mindful that battle and pestilence had reduced their numbers by two hundred thousand. Some had returned home, unable to endure the hards.h.i.+ps, and many had remained in the conquered cities through which they had pa.s.sed. The army numbered scarcely fifty thousand real soldiers. Yet much that was gone was a relief to their camp-chests and their commissary. One historian thinks this fifty thousand to have been really stronger than the horde which besieged Nicea.

[Sidenote: _Along the Sea Coasts_]

The line of march was along the seacoasts that the sea might furnish them provisions through the Flemish and Italian fleets. They reach Accon, the modern Acre, to find the Emir promising everything but immediate surrender, and that also when Jerusalem was occupied. A wounded pigeon, picked up by the Bishop of Apt, had under its wing a letter from the Emir of Accon to the Emir of Caesarea which said, ”The accursed Christians have just pa.s.sed through my territories, and will soon be in yours. Let the Mussulman rulers be warned, and let our enemies be crushed!” The Crusaders naturally believed this a providence of great a.s.surance and value, and presently moved inland and took possession of Lydda and Ramla.

[Sidenote: _Near Jerusalem_]

They were now but sixteen miles from Jerusalem. A stronger desire to march on Egypt led some to counsel delay. But agreement to march to Jerusalem was had, and, with temporary desertions and cautious advances and the marking houses and towns as private possessions, they came at last near Emmaus. Terrified by a lunar eclipse, some are panic-stricken, but the phenomenon is well explained and held to be a sign of victory.

[Sidenote: _Jerusalem from the Hill_]

Now, those who slept that night could hope, could know that, with the climbing of a hill, daylight would reveal Jerusalem. On the 10th of June, 1099, the first who reached the summit at break of day, cried out, ”Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” and the crowd rus.h.i.+ng after cried, ”G.o.d wills it!” as they looked upon the Mount of Olives and the Holy City. Riders climbed down from their horses and marched on foot; many knelt, and mult.i.tudes kissed the ground. The sense of the sin for whose forgiveness Christ had died, brought many to tears of honest penitence and some to conscious pardon. As they looked on the height where His profaned tomb must be, they wept bitter tears and vowed again to deliver the city.

[Sidenote: _Country Laid Waste_]

Before the Christians could invest the city its ruler took care to ravage the adjacent territory, poison the wells, and thus belted the walls with a desert. He provisioned the city against a siege, and fas.h.i.+oned all known engines of war. The garrison of forty thousand was increased by twenty thousand arm-bearing citizens.

[Sidenote: _Plan for Attack_]

On the day after arrival, the various leaders distributed the territory and laid siege to the city. Egress from the city was possible only through the valley of Gihon and the valley of Jehoshaphat. Christians from the city, driven out for fear of treason and to burden the resources of the besiegers, quickened the ardor of the Christian army by an account of the wrongs they had suffered at Mussulman hands. Churches had been robbed for the benefit of infidel soldiers, and the most sacred buildings were threatened with destruction by the unbelievers. All these conditions led to a determination of an early a.s.sault. They had made no adequate provision for scaling walls or battering gates, but expected Divine intervention in their favor. The a.s.sault was repulsed, and their losses brought the victory of reason.

<script>