were left with Tancred, who overrun all Cilicia with fire and sword. He carried his conquests as far as Alexandretta. The Turks fled to the mountains, and wisely appeased the fury of the Christians by sending to their camp large presents of gold, silver, horses, and provisions. Baldwin rejoined the main army at Marascha, its first general resting-place after its departure from Antiochetta. They had passed through Iconium and Heraclea, and those, and all other places, were abandoned by the natives before they arrived. Their fatigues and privations in their route from Heraclea to Marascha bore down the courage of the firmest (and if the Turks had acted with more policy than precipitation, Jerusalem would always have continued under the Moslem yoke). One of the mountains towards the south of the great chain of Mount Taurus admitted the passage of only a single file; and the road was rugged, that several of the beasts of burthen stumbled and fell into the abyss. The soldiers, exhausted and fainting with thirst, thought only of personal safety, and many of them disencumbered themselves of their helmets and armour.† The crimes of Baldwin were heard of with merited indignation by all the Latin soldiers; most of his own deserted him, and if he had not been the brother of Godfrey, his selfishness and disregard to justice would not have been unpunished by Bohemond and his Italians. A reception of this description was not calculated to unite him to the army and its holy purposes, and he resolved to execute those dazzling prospects of ambition which some late events had presented to dangerously ill. His patron saint, the holy Giles, promised assistance; but the messenger to Raymond of the saint's intentions was not implicitly credited; for the attendants took the count from his bed, and laid him on the floor to die in dust and ashes. The saint, however, was as good as his word, notwithstanding the want of faith in his pretended votaries. Raymond de Agiles, 142. Mabillon, i. 157. For this joint expedition of Tancred and Baldwin, I have followed Albert, 215-220. Archb. of Tyre, 676-680, and Rad. Cad. 297 301. Archb. of Tyre, 684. Albert, 224. Tudebodus, 784. Agreeably to usual practice, the mountain most difficult of passage was called the mountain of the Devil. Archb. of Tyre, 681. his fancy. Pancrates, an Armenian prince, had represented to him that the countries on the other side of the Euphrates were rich, and that a large Christian population was oppressed by small bodies of Turks. Baldwin collected such of the troops as were still faithful to his standard, and at the head of two hundred horsemen, and a large party of foot soldiers, he quitted the main army in order to plunder and devastate Mesopotamia. Between Marascha and the Euphrates all the towns opened their gates. Turbessel was left in the possession of the Armenians, and the son of Pancrates was appointed governor of Ravendel. The friendship between the brother of Godfrey and his ally was soon turned into deadly hatred. Two Armenian princes charged Pancrates with the wish to enjoy Ravendel without owning the authority of the Franks. Neither torture nor imprisonment could for a while extort an order for the delivery of the contested place to the soldiers of Baldwin: but the savage command that the limbs of Pancrates should be torn asunder deprived him of all remains of courage, and the Armenian acceded to the desires, and then fled from the service of his master.* The fame and power of Baldwin spread beyond the Euphrates; and the discontented inhabitants of Edessa looked to him as their saviour. That city was still enjoyed by the Greeks, though it paid a heavy tribute to the emir of the surrounding country. Its remoteness from Constantinople enfranchised the governor, and the Edessenes were oppressed both by his exactions and the Turkish tribute. For the removal of submission to the Moslems, the people compelled Thorus, duke of Edessa, to crave the aid of Baldwin and at their solicitation he prepared to pass the Euphrates. The two hundred horse soldiers with which he had left the army of Godfrey were now diminished, by the accidents of war, and the establishing of conquests, to the small number of eighty. With them, and the scanty remains of foot soldiers, he entered Mesopotamia, and the people of the vicinity of Edessa, with crosses and standards, met their allies, prostrated themselves, and kissed Albert, 220, 221. the feet of those whom they considered Moslems made a sortie; two thousand to be their preservers.* The testimonies of the plunderers were slain, and Conof honour which Baldwin received from stantine and Baldwin fled to Edessa.* the clergy and people, made the duke of The personal merits of the latter soon Edessa apprehend that his friends would redeemed him from the disgrace of debecome his masters. Apparently, in or- feat, and the senate and people conspired der to discover the intentions of the stran- to rid themselves of their old master, ger, he offered to make him large pecu- whom they charged with having stimuniary rewards if he would remain in the lated the Turks to plunder their country, town, and defend it from the exactions of whenever they had declined to submit to the Turks. But Baldwin disdained sub- his exactions. Baldwin refused his conmission, and declared that he would in- currence with their wishes, alleging the stantly quit the country. The timid sacredness of his filial character, and people pressed the duke to retain him, his dread of endangering his fair name and as he was childish, even to adopt among the Christian princes. He went him as his son. Unable to resist the to the king, and warned him against torrent of opinion, Thoros, in full coun- popular fury. The wretched Thoros cil, received Baldwin to his arms, threw offered to resign all his treasures to his over him his own shirt, folded him to rebellious subjects, and retire from the his bosom, and gave him the kiss of country. At one moment the people filiation. The wife of the duke also assented to these conditions; in the next made the Italians undergo the same they exclaimed that his life must be strange ceremony, and she embraced him forfeited, to atone for the injuries which as her child. From that time, confident his pusillanimity and avarice had drawn of the aid of Baldwin, the Edessenes on their heads. He endeavoured to looked for an opportunity to revenge escape by a cord from the window of his themselves upon the Turks. The Orto- tower, but the conspirators saw their kites, whom we have already mentioned victim, and pierced him with a thousand as possessors of Jerusalem a few years arrows. His head was carried about in before the crusade, spread their conquests triumph, and the Edessenes committed into Mesopotamia, and at the time of every species of indignity upon his body.† which we are now writing, Balduc, an The next morning Baldwin was crowned Ortokide, was lord of the fortress of Sa- prince of Edessa, and received the royal mosat, which of right appertained to treasures. Edessa. He kept up an incessant course of robbery on the flocks and herds of the Greeks; and, in hopes of reaping profit by their ransom, he seized women and children. Some of these people were in the tower of Samosat, and the Edessenes implored Baldwin to go to their rescue. Constantine, an Armenian prince, governor of Gargara, near Marascha, was also called. The two chiefs joined their levies, defeated their enemies in the field, and drove them into the citadel. While the Christians were rioting in the suburbs of Samosat, the Fulcher, 389. † Guibert, 496. Archb. of Tyre, 682, 684. De Guignes, vol. ii. part ii. p. 137. Guibert, who occasionally gives us a notion of the manners of the time, says that he heard the mode of the adoption was as follows: "Intra lineam interulam, quam nos vocamus Camisiam, nudum intrare eum faciens, sibi adstrinxit; et deinde omnia osculo libato firmavit. Idem et mulier post modum fecit."-Guibert, p. 496. Balduc, assured that resistance to this foe would be a fruitless wasting of blood, offered to resign the fortress of Samosat for ten thousand pieces of gold. Baldwin expected an unconditional submission, but he was obliged to yield to the extortion, because the Turk threatened to kill all the Edessenes who were in his power. By the conditions of the treaty, Balduc and his attendants went to Edessa, and some suspicions of treachery made Baldwin insist that his wife and children should be given as hostages. The Ortokite could not resist a nominal compliance with the demand, yet he from *Archb. of Tyre. 683. Albert, 222. Matthew of Edessa, p. 308. Bayeri, Hist. Osrhoena ed Edessena, lib. v. † Albert, 122. Archb. of Tyre, 683. Matthew of Edessa takes the side of Thoros, and charges the people with deep ingratitude. The crime of rebellion is owned by the Latin historians: the violation of their promise to Thoros rests on the authority of Matthew only. day to day neglected to perform it.* | frequently assisted their brethren in the The new Edessene lord soon experienced faith with arms and provisions.* The the instability of popular favour, and it count of Flanders, and one thousand was found that the people had changed knights, went to Artesia, (since Caltheir masters, without having lost their chidia,) and with the aid of the Christian slavery. Conspiracies were formed inhabitants, destroyed the Moslem garriagainst him but he unravelled and exson. The news of this loss alarmed posed the machinations of his rebellious Baghasian, the Seljukian governor of Ansubjects, and showed his ability for the tioch, and he despatched ten thousand difficult task of forming a new govern- men to check the march of his enemy. ment. He engaged also in a foreign Some of his squadrons ravaged the Arwar, and by the conquest of Sororgia, tesian territory, while their more numeall the road between Antioch and Edessa rour battalions kept concealed. Though belonged to the Crusaders. Balak, the acquainted with the nature of Turkish grandson of Ortoc, had been the lord of warfare, the impetuous courage of the Sororgia, and when his castle was taken Franks overleaped the suggestions of exfrom him, he entered into an alliance perience. The count poured his troops with the Christians. But he soon upon the plains, the Turks withdrew, offered to surrender even the last place and led the foe into the ambuscade. which remained to him, and to live with When recovered from their astonishment, his family in Edessa, urging as his rea- the Christians endeavoured to fall back son, that his connexion with Baldwin upon their old position: but not a man brought upon him the hatred of the would have escaped the edge of the TarMuselmans. The new prince of Meso-tarian scimitar if Tancred had not at that potamia gave some credit to the sincerity of this wish, and went on an appointed day with two hundred cavaliers to the fortress of Balak. Suspicious by nature as well as by experience, he remained on his guard, but twelve of his soldiers were seized by the emir, who had not the prudence to conceal his treachery till circumstances could allow him to complete his scheme of villany. All demandssions, bade defiance to a siege. The for a restoration of the prisoners were refused. Baldwin, not being strong enough to enforce his requisition, retired to his capital, but Fulbert of Chartres, commander of Sororgia, laid waste the petty dominions of the Ortokites, and procured the release of ten of the Frenchmen; the other two were decapitated by the Turks. Baldwin affected not to respect the virtue and honour of his other foe, and he embraced the occasion of an attempt of Balduc at an escape, to seize this dangerous emir, and put him to death.† While a few ambitious and courageous soldiers were triumphing over an inert population, and founding a European state in Mesopotamia, the general force of the Crusaders was advancing towards the capital of Syria. The Armenians * Albert, 222. Albert and the archhishop, ubi supra; and De Guignes, tome ii. p. 136. exigent moment joined them on his return to Bohemond from his Cilician conquests. His arrival changed the fate of the day, and his sword was so deeply stained with Turkish blood, that he enabled his friends to retreat to Artesia.† Open force was as inefficacious as stratagem for the recovery of the city, whose lofty towers and ample stores of provi Turks made some efforts at the walls, and then returned to Baghasian, communicating the alarming news of the approach of the whole force of the Crusaders. Godfrey and his army refreshed themselves with their new conquest, and then took the road to Antioch. Every measure announced the growing importance of the expedition. Orders were issued, forbidding individuals to quit the ranks without leave of their generals, and Robert of Normandy was sent before to remove the difficulties of the march. The river Orontes was one of the barriers of the city, and possession of the Quand les Allemands passèrent pour aller dans la Terre Sainte, Nicétas dit que les Arméniens les recurent comme amis, parce qu'ils n'adoroient pas les images. Montesquieu, Grandeur et Décadence des Romains, chap. xxii. † Albert, 225. Rad. Cad. 303. M. of Edessa, 308. # Albert, ubi supra; and and the Archb. Tyre, 685. iron bridge* was necessary for an attacking army; but its guard had been considerably increased, and Robert lost so many men in attempting to force a passage, that he anxiously looked for co-operation. Whether the assurances of Adhemar to the Normans, that God was on that day fighting with them, inspired the soldiers to one great effort, or whether the arrival of Godfrey appalled the Turks, is a subject of vain and useless discussion; but in fact the gates of the bridge soon were in the hands of the Latins, and all the army passed. On the next morning they invested Antioch.† 141 CHAPTER V. MILITARY AND CIVIL HISTORY OF THE CROISES AT ANTIOCH. The city invested.-Unskilful operations of the Croises.-Famine in the Christian Camp.-Singular mode of getting rid of spies. Many of the Croises desert-Manners of the camp.-Embassy of the caliph of Egypt-Policy of the Latins.-The Croises aided by Pisa and Genoa.-Prowess of the Latin chiefs. Inhumanity of the Latins. Retreat of the count of Chartres.-Antioch taken by stratagem.--The Croises massacre the inhabitants.-The Persians attack the Famine.—More desertions.-Alexius aban dons his allies.-Impiety of some new opposite to the spots on the north and east, where the Crusaders encamped, was a marsh, which had been formed by the waters from the adjacent hills.* On the prospect of an attack, the emir, a grandson of Maleh Shah, made every preparation of defence. The fortifications were repaired, and furnished with hostile engines; and the magazines of provisions were replenished. Most of the male Christian population were considered superfluous consumers of stores, and were dismissed from the place. Antioch was the refuge of many of those people whom the Latins in their march. had dispossessed; and the auxiliary and native troops amounted to six thousand or seven thousand horse soldiers, and from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand foot.t The formidable appearance of the city sunk the heroism of some of the leaders into timorous prudence. They urged in council that many of their troops were dispersed over the country in various garrisons, and could not be recalled till the spring. In that season the emperor of Constantinople would send money and stores, and succours of men would also arrive from the west. But Raymond and others contended that inaction would produce vice and disorder; and a delay of the attack would be construed by the Turks into a consequence of inability and cowardice. "The power of The Christians saved by some superstitious God, which has hitherto given us victory, frauds.-Embassy of the Hermit to the Per-will still be our spear and shield; and sians.-Prudence of Godfrey.-Preparations while we are favoured by heaven, we for battle.-Battle of Antioch.-Victory of the Croises. Franks.-The Latins are blockaded.--Second Croises.-Direful effects of Alexius retreat. THE capital of Syria was only four miles in circumference, and extended over both elevated and level land. It was surrounded by a wall; and, in those places where the mountainous nature of the ground presented no natural defence, the height of the artificial bulwark was more than sixty feet. A deep ditch nearly encompassed the city; the Orontes washed part of the western walls; and The bridge was of nine stone arches, and from the circumstance of its gates being covered with iron plates, it received the title of the Iron Bridge. Pocock, Description of the East, vol. ii., p. 172. Guibert, 498. Baldric, 101. Albert, 226. Archb. of Tyre, 685. need not fear either princes, or places, or times." This appeal to bravery and religion banished despondency; and in order to guard against relaxation or cowardice, the chiefs bound themselves by oath not to desist from the siege till the city should be taken by force or stratagem. The plan of attack was agreed upon; and the camp was formed round the eastern, northern, and towards the western sides: part of the west, and all the south were left open to the besiegedThe city had five gates and by this arrangement, the gate of the bridge, and *Archb. of Tyre, 686, &c. 689. Mus., Ital. I., 161. Archb. of Tyre, 688, + Raimond, 142. Archb. of Tyre, 689. the gate of St. George belonged to the Turks. The other three gates were blockaded. Bohemond and Tancred, who commanded the Italians, were opposite the entrance of the east, called the gate of St. Paul. The two Roberts, Stephen of Chartres, and Hugh Vermandois, with the Normans, the French, the Flemish, and the English extended from the camp of Bohemond, in a northerly direction, to a gate called the gate of the dog. From this gate to that of the duke, so named from the title of Godfrey, were Raymond and Adhemar with the people of Gascony, Provence and Burgundy. Godfrey, with his brother, and Conon of Montagu, and Reginald of Toul, accompanied by the people of Lorraine, the Frisons, the Saxons, Franconians, and Bavarians, extended from the gate of the duke towards that of the bridge.* For some time the Crusaders rioted in plenty, totally undisturbed by the people of Antioch. The valleys round the city were fertile in corn and grapes, and herds of cattle were fed in their rich meadows.f Some days were lost by the besieged in the oppression of terror; but at length they resumed their heroism, and the horrors of war began. The few Greeks and Armenians of the city were allowed free communication with their brethren; and it was the universal complaint that they reported to the Turks the state of the Franks, and the preparations for hostility. The garrison made frequent sallies from the unblockaded gates; and by the desultory mode of war in which the Turks excel, they harassed the foraging parties, and the imperfectly guarded places of the camp.§ For want of a bridge near the station of Godfrey, the Latin soldiers were obliged to wade or swim over the river, which it was necessary for them to pass when they were in quest of provisions. Ingenuity, however, at length assisted them; and a number of boats lashed together united the opposite shores. They hurled enormous stones, and impelled their battering-rams against the walls; but Antioch had in former ages resisted many a Archb of Tyre, 689. De Guignes, vol. ii., part 2, p. 87. † Baldric, 101. Baldric, ubi sup. Robert, 45. § Archb. of Tyre, 690. Gesta, 11. vigorous attack, and the mouldering hand of time had spared it. The usual battering instruments were ineffectual; and, at the cost of much invention and labour, they erected a new machine in the shape of a tower, and filled it with troops. The soldiers of Raymond wheeled it to the gate; but the showers of arrows from the Turks destroyed the assailants, and the besieged made a sortie at the same time, and set fire to the artificial tower, which was soon reduced to ashes. Their subsequent efforts against the walls were equally vain, for the Antiochians attacked them in the rear as well as from the battlements. As all the courage and skill of the Crusaders had been foiled, they now opposed the Turks by means which could only have been expected from the simplicity and ignorance of savages. They dug immense stones from neighbouring rocks, and accumulated them in such piles before the gate of the bridge, that the people of the city were in that quarter effectually barricadoed.* So unskilful were the operations of the besiegers, that, at the end of three months, Antioch stood firm and uninjured. The labours of the Croises were in circle rather than in progression. The distresses which they had made in the country now recoiled on themselves; they repented of their improvident waste of the forage which they had collected from the other side of the river. The vicinity of Antioch was exhausted, and the wintry season prevented any commerce between the camp and distant lands. The sword of the enemy, aud the more afflicting pangs of hunger, daily carried off numbers both of rich and poor.t An ox, which at the commencement of the siege was scarcely worth fifteen shillings, became as valuable as four pounds. The price of a lamb or kid was increased nearly twentyfold. The pods of unripe beans were considered as delicacies; and thistles were held in the same estimation; though, in consequence of the scarcity of fuel, they could only be half boiled. Carrion was openly dressed; and human |