Turkish banners warned him from the hoftile CHAP. LIX. coaft of Jaffa; and Conrad was unanimoufly hailed as the prince and champion of Tyre, which was already befieged by the conqueror of Jerufalem. The firmness of his zeal, and perhaps his knowledge of a generous foe, enabled him to brave the threats of the fultan, and to declare that should his aged parent be expofed before the walls, he himself would discharge the first arrow, and glory in his defcent from a Christian martyr", The Egyptian fleet was allowed to enter the harbour of Tyre; but the chain was suddenly drawn, and five gallies were either funk or taken: a thousand Turks were flain in a fally; and Saladin, after burning his engines, concluded a glorious campaign by a difgraceful retreat to Damafcus. He was foon affailed by a more formidable tempeft. The pathetic narratives, and even the pictures, that reprefented in lively colours the fervitude and profanation of Jerusalem, awakened the torpid fenfibility of Europe: the emperor, Frederic Barbaroffa, and the kings of France and England, affumed the crofs; and the tardy magnitude of their armaments was anticipated by the maritime states of the Mediterranean and the Ocean. The fkilful and provident Italians first embarked in the fhips of Genoa, Pisa, and Venice. They were speedily followed by the most eager pilgrims of France, Normandy, and the 66 I have followed a moderate and probable reprefentation of the fact; by Vertot, who adopts without reluctance a romantic tale, the old marquis is actually expofed to the darts of the be fieged. Western LIX. CHAP. Western Ifles. The powerful fuccour of Flanders, Frife, and Denmark, filled near a hundred veffels; and the northern warriors were distinguished in the field by a lofty ftature and a ponderous battle-axe "7. Their increafing multitudes could no longer be confined within the walls of Tyre, or remain obedient to the voice of Conrad. They pitied the misfortunes, and revered the dignity, of Lufignan, who was released from prifon, perhaps, to divide the army of the Franks. He proposed the recovery of Ptolemais, or Acre, thirty miles to the fouth of Tyre; and the place was first invested by two thousand horse and thirty thousand foot under his nominal command. I fhall not expatiate on the ftory of this memorable fiege; which lafted near two years, and confumed, in a narrow fpace, the forces of Europe and Afia. Never did the flame of enthusiasm burn with fiercer and more deftructive rage; nor could 1189, July the true believers, a common appellation, who confecrated their own martyrs, refuse some applaufe to the mistaken zeal and courage of their adverfaries. At the found of the holy trumpet, the Moflems of Egypt, Syria, Arabia, and the Oriental provinces, affembled under the fervant of the prophet": his camp was pitched and removed within a few miles of Acre; and he Siege of A. D. -A. D. 1191, July. 67 Northmanni et Gothi, et cæteri populi infularum quæ inter occidentem et feptemtrionem fitæ funt, gentes bellicofe, corporis proceri, mortis intrepidæ, bipennibus armatæ, navibus rotundis quæ Yfnachiæ dicuntur advectæ. 68 The hiftorian of Jerufalem (p. 1108.) adds the nations of the Eaft from the Tigris to India, and the fwarthy tribes of Moors and Getulians, fo that Afia and Africa fought against Europe. laboured, 143 LIX. laboured, night and day, for the relief of his CHAP, brethren and the annoyance of the Franks. Nine battles, not unworthy of the name, were fought, in the neighbourhood of mount Carmel, with fuch viciffitude of fortune, that in one attack, the fultan forced his way into the city; that in one fally, the Christians penetrated to the royal tent. By the means of divers and pigeons, a regular correfpondence was maintained with the befieged: and, as often as the fea was left open, the exhaufted garrison was withdrawn, and a fresh fupply was poured into the place. The Latin camp was thinned by famine, the fword, and the climate; but the tents of the dead were replenished with new pilgrims, who exaggerated the ftrength and speed of their approaching countrymen. The vulgar was astonished by the report, that the pope himfelf, with an innumerable crufade, was advanced as far as Conftantinople. The march of the emperor filled the Eaft with more ferious alarms; the obstacles which he encountered in Afia, and perhaps in Greece, were raised by the policy of Saladin; his joy on the death of Barbaroffa was measured by his efteem; and the Christians were rather difmayed than encouraged at the fight of the duke of Swabia and his wayworn remnant of five thousand Germans. At length, in the spring of the fecond year, the royal fleets of France and England caft anchor in the bay of Acre, and the fiege was more vigoroufly profecuted by the youthful emulation of the two kings, Philip Auguftus and Richard Plantagenet. After every resource had been tried, and every hope LIX. CHAP. hope was exhaufted, the defenders of Acre fubmitted to their fate; a capitulation was granted, but their lives and liberties were taxed at the hard conditions of a ransom of two hundred thousand pieces of gold, the deliverance of one hundred nobles and fifteen hundred inferior captives, and the restoration of the wood of the holy cross. Some doubts in the agreement, and fome delay in the execution, rekindled the fury of the Franks, and three thousand Moflems, almost in the fultan's view, were beheaded by the command of the fanguinary Richard "9. By the conqueft of Acre, the Latin powers acquired a strong town and a convenient harbour; but the advantage was moft dearly purchased. The minifter and hiftorian of Saladin computes, from the report of the enemy, that their numbers, at different periods, amounted to five or fix hundred thoufand; that - more than one hundred thoufand Chriftians were flain; that a far greater number was loft by difease or shipwreck; and that a small portion of this mighty host could return in fafety to their native countries 7. maffacre is neither denied nor Alacriter jufla complentes (the 69 Bohadin, p. 180.; and this blamed by the Chriftian hiftorians. English foldiers), fays Galfridus à Vinefauf (1. iv. c. 4. p. 346.), who fixes at 2700 the number of victims; who are mulplied to 5000 by Roger Hoveden (p. 697, 698.). The humanity or avarice of Philip Auguftus was perfuaded to ranfom his prifoners (Jacob. à Vitriaco, l. i. c. 98. p. 1122.). 70 Bohadin, p. 14. He quotes the judgment of Balianus, and the prince of Sidon, and adds, ex illo mundo quafi hominum pauciffimi redierunt. Among the Chriftians who died before St. John d'Acre, I find the English names of de Ferrers earl of Derby (Dugdale, Baronage, part. i. p. 260.), Mowbray (idem, p. 124.), de Mandevil, de Fiennes, St. John, Scrope, Pigot, Talbot, &c. LIX. Richard A.D. 1191, 1192. Philip Auguftus, and Richard the firft, are the CHAP. only kings of France and England, who have fought under the fame banners; but the holy of Eng fervice, in which they were enlifted, was incef- land, in fantly disturbed by their national jealousy; and Palestine, the two factions, which they protected in Paleftine, were more averse to each other than to the common enemy. In the eyes of the Orientals, the French monarch was fuperior in dignity and power; and in the emperor's abfence, the Latins revered him as their temporal chief". His exploits were not adequate to his fame. Philip was brave, but the statesman predominated in his character; he was foon weary of facrificing his health and interest on a barren coaft; the furrender of Acre became the fignal of his departure; nor could he justify this unpopular defertion, by leaving the duke of Burgundy, with five hundred knights and ten thousand foot, for the fervice of the Holy Land. The king of England though inferior in dignity, furpaffed his rival in wealth and military renown"; and if heroifm be confined to brutal and ferocious valour, Richard Plantagenet will stand high among the heroes of the age. The memory of Cœur de Lion, of the 71 Magnus hic apud eos, tum majeftate eminens . interque reges eorum tum virtute, P. 159.). He does not feem to have known the names either of 72 Rex Angliæ, præftrenuus rege Gallorum minor apud eos cenfebatur ratione regni atque dignitatis; fed tum divitiis florentior, tum bellicâ virtute multo erat celebrior (Bohadin, p. 161.). A ftranger might admire thofe riches; the national hiftorians will tell with what lawless and wafteful oppreffion they were collected. VOL. XI. L lion |