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CHAP. fepulchre; to animate the Moflems by the affur ance of temporal and eternal rewards. His garrifon is faid to have confifted of forty thoufand Turks and Arabians; and if he could muster twenty thousand of the inhabitants, it must be confeffed that the befieged were more numerous than the befieging army 106. Had the diminished ftrength and numbers of the Latins allowed them to grafp the whole circumference of four thousand yards (about two English miles and a half 1o7), to what useful purpose should they have defcended into the valley of Ben Himmon and torrent of Cedron 13, or approached the precipices of the South and Eaft, from whence they had nothing either to hope or fear? Their fiege was more reasonably

107

16 The lively fcepticism of Voltaire is balanced with fenfe and erudition by the French author of the Efprit des Croisades (tom. iv. p. 386–388.), who obferves, that according to the Arabians, the inhabitants of Jerufalem muft have exceeded 200,000; that in the fiege of Titus, Jofephus collects 1,300,000 Jews; that they are ftated by Tacitus himself at 600,000, and that the largest defalcation, that his accepimus can justify, will fill leave them more numerous than the Roman army.

107 Maundrell, who diligently perambulated the walls, found a circuit of 4630 paces, or 4167 English yards (p. 109, 110.): from an authentic plan, d'Anville concludes a measure nearly fimilar of 1960 French toises (p. 23-29.), in his fcarce and valuable tract. For the topography of Jerusalem, see Reland (Paleftina, tom. ii. p. 832-860.).

108 Jerufalem was poffeffed only of the torrent of Kedron, dry in fummer, and of the little fpring or brook of Siloe (Reland, tom. i. p. 294. 300.). Both strangers and natives complained of the want of water, which in time of war was studiously aggravated. Within the city, Tacitus mentions a perennial fountain, an aqueduct, and cifterns for rain water. The aqueduct was conveyed from the rivulet Tekoe or Etham, which is likewise mentioned by Bohadin (in Vit. Saladin. p. 238.).

directed

وا

9

e

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directed against the northern and western fides of CHAP.
the city. Godfrey of Bouillon erected his ftan-
dard on the firft fwell of mount Calvary: to the
left, as far as St. Stephen's gate, the line of attack
was continued by Tancred and the two Roberts;
and count Raymond established his quarters from
the citadel to the foot of mount Sion, which was
no longer included within the precincts of the
city. On the fifth day, the crufaders made a ge
neral affault, in the fanatic hope of battering
down the walls without engines, and of fcaling
them without ladders. By the dint of brutal
force, they burst the firft barrier, but they were
driven back with fhame and flaughter to the
camp: the influence of vifion and prophecy was
deadened by the too frequent abuse of those
pious ftratagems; and time and labour were
found to be the only means of victory. The
time of the fiege was indeed fulfilled in forty
days, but they were forty days of calamity and
anguish. A repetition of the old complaint of
famine may be imputed in fome degree to the
voracious or diforderly appetite of the Franks;
but the ftony foil of Jerufalem is almoft deftitute
of water; the fcanty fprings and hafty torrents
were dry in the fummer feafon; nor was the
thirst of the befiegers relieved, as in the city,
by the artificial fupply of cifterns and aqueducts.
The circumjacent country is equally deftitute of
trees for the ufes of fhade or building; but
fome large beams were difcovered in a cave by
the crufaders: a wood near Sichem, the enchanted
G 2
grove

LVIII.

CHAP. grove of Taffo 19, was cut down: the neceffary timber was tranfported to the camp by the vigour and dexterity of Tancred; and the engines were framed by fome Genoese artists, who had fortunately landed in the harbour of Jaffa. Two moveable turrets were conftructed at the expence, and in the ftations, of the duke of Lorraine and the count of Tholoufe, and rolled forAwards with devout labour, not to the most acceffible, but to the most neglected, parts of the fortification. Raymond's tower was reduced to afhes by the fire of the befieged, but his colleague was more vigilant and fuccefsful; the enemies were driven by his archers from the ram part; the draw-bridge was let down; and on a Friday at three in the afternoon, the day and hour of the Paffion, Godfrey of Bouillon ftood victorious on the walls of Jerufalem. His example was followed on every fide by the emulation of valour; and about four hundred and fixty years after the conqueft of Omar, the holy city was rescued from the Mahometan yoke. In the pillage of public and private wealth, the adventurers had agreed to respect the exclusive property of the first occupant; and the spoils of the great mofch, seventy lamps and maffy vafes of gold and filver, rewarded the diligence, and dif played the generofity, of Tancred. A bloody

facrifice was offered by his mistaken votaries to

109 Gierufalemme Liberata, canto xiii. It is pleasant enough to obferve how Taffo has copied and embellished the minutest details of the fiege.

the

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the God of the Chriftians: refiftance might pro- CHA P. voke, but neither age nor fex could mollify, their implacable rage: they indulged themselves three days in a promifcuous maffacre"; and the infection of the dead bodies produced an epidemical disease. After seventy thousand Moflems had been put to the fword, and the harmless Jews had been burnt in their fynagogue, they could still reserve a multitude of captives, whom interest or laffitude perfuaded them to fpare. Of these savage heroes of the cross, Tancred alone betrayed fome fentiments of compaffion; yet we may praise the more felfish lenity of Raymond, who granted a capitulation and fafe conduct to the garrifon of the citadel "". The holy fepulchre was now free; and the bloody victors prepared to accomplish their vow. Bareheaded and barefoot, with contrite hearts, and in an humble posture, they afcended the hill of Calvary, amidst the loud anthems of the clergy; kissed the stone which had covered the Saviour of the world; and bedewed with tears of joy and penitence the monument of their redemption. This union of the fiercest and most tender paffions has been vari,

110 Befides the Latins, who are not ashamed of the massacre, fee Elmacin (Hift. Saracen. p. 363.), Abulpharagius (Dynaft. P. 243.), and M. de Guignes (tom. ii. p. ii. p. 99.), from Aboulmahafen.

The old tower Pfephina, in the middle ages Neblofa, was named Caftellum Pifanum, from the patriarch Daimbert. It is ftill the citadel, the refidence of the Turkish aga, and commands a prospect of the Dead Sea, Judea, and Arabia (d'Anville, p. 19-23.). It was likewise called the Tower of David, mugues παμμεγέθεςατος.

LVIII.

112

113

CHAP. oufly confidered by two philofophers; by the one as easy and natural; by the other "13, as abfurd and incredible. Perhaps it is too rigorously applied to the fame perfons and the fame hour the example of the virtuous Godfrey awakened the piety of his companions; while they cleanfed their bodies, they purified their minds; nor fhall I believe that the most ardent in flaughter and rapine were the foremost in the proceffion to the holy fepulchre.

Election and reign of Godfrey of Bouillon, A. D.

1099,

A. D.

1100,

July 18.

Eight days after this memorable event, which pope Urban did not live to hear, the Latin chiefs proceeded to the election of a king, to guard and govern their conquests in Palestine, July 23- Hugh the Great, and Stephen of Chartres, had retired with fome lofs of reputation, which they ftrove to regain by a fecond crufade and an honourable death. Baldwin was establifhed at Edeffa, and Bohemond at Antioch, and two Roberts, the duke of Normandy" and the count of Flanders, preferred their fair inheritance in the Weft, to a doubtful competition or a barren fceptre. The jealoufy and ambition of Raymond were condemned by his own followers, and the free, the juft, the unanimous voice of

112 Hume, in his Hiftory of England, vol.i. p. 311, 312. Octavo edition.

113 Voltaire, in his Effai fur l'Hiftoire Generale, tom. ii. c. 54. P. 345, 346.

114 The English ascribe to Robert of Normandy, and the Provincials to Raymond of Tholoufe, the glory of refusing the crown; but the honeft voice of tradition has preferved the memory of the ambition and revenge (Villehardouin, No 136.) of the count of St. Giles. He died at the fiege of Tripoli, which was poffeffed by his defcendants,

the