University of Virginia Library

III.10. CHAPTER X

THE KING LEAVES JAFFA, AND GOES TO REBUILD SIDON — THE BATTLE OF CESAREA PHILIPPI; BURIAL OF THE DEAD AT SIDON — THE HUMOURS OF THE COUNT OF EU.

WHEN the King had completed the fortifications of the town of Jaffa, he took counsel to go and rebuild the defences of the city of Sajetta, which the Saracens had levelled. He started on the day of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles; and camped with his army by the castle of Ashur, which was a very strong place. That evening, the King called together his followers, and told them, that if they approved, he would go and take a city of the Saracens called Nabulus, which the ancient scriptures call Samaria. The Temple and Hospital answered with one accord, that it would be well to try and take the city, but that they would never consent to his going thither in person, seeing that if anything should happen to him, the whole country

would be lost. And he said, that he would never let them go, unless he went with them. And so this undertaking came to a standstill; for the lords of the country would not consent to his going.

In the course of our march we came to the desert of Acre; and here we camped, the King and the army.

At that place there came to me a crowd of folk from Greater Armenia, going on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, under payment of a heavy tribute to the Saracens who conducted them; and with them an interpreter, who knew both their tongue and ours. They begged me, through him, to show them the " sainted King."

I went to the King, where he was sitting in a pavilion, leaning against the tent-pole, seated on the sand, without a carpet or anything else under him, and I said to him, " Sir, outside there, is a crowd of people from Greater Armenia on their way to Jerusalem; and they are begging me, Sir, to give them a sight of the 'sainted King' but I have no desire to kiss your bones yet awhile! " And he laughed right merrily, and bade me go and fetch them, which I did. And when they had

seen the King, they commended him to God, and he them.

The next day the army camped in a place which they call the Colt's Crossing, where there are many beautiful streams, with which they water the plant the sugar comes from. As we were camping there, one of my knights said to me: "Sir" said he "I have chosen you a prettier camping-ground than you had yesterday." The other knight, who had chosen the previous site, jumped up in a fury, and said to him loudly: "How dare you criticise my doings! " and he sprang at him, and caught hold of his hair. I jumped up and struck him with my fist between the shoulder-blades, and he let go of him. And I said to him, "Now, be off, out of my place! for, by God! you shall stay with me no longer!"

The knight went off, making great lamentations, and brought me Lord Giles le Brun, the Constable of France, who begged me earnestly, seeing how deeply the knight repented his folly, that I would take him back. I answered that I should not take him back, unless the Legate would absolve me of my oath. Off they went to the Legate, and related the affair to him; and the Legate answered them,

that he was unable to give absolution, because the oath was a reasonable one, seeing the knight had richly deserved it. And this I tell you, that you may beware how you make an oath, that you ought not in reason to make, for as the saw says Readily sworn is readily forsworn.

The next day the King went and camped by the city of Ashur, which in the Bible is called Tyr. There the King called a council of the rich men of the army, and asked them whether it would be well for him to go and take the city of Cesarea Philippi before proceeding to Sajetta. We all advised that it would be well for the King to send some of his followers, but all disapproved of his going in person; with great difficulty he was dissuaded from it; and it was decided, that the Count of Eu should go, with Lord Philip of Montfort, the Lord of Tyr, Lord Giles le Brun (the Constable of France), my Lord Peter the Chamberlain, the Master of the Temple and his convent, the Master of the Hospital and his convent, and also his brother.

We got under arms at nightfall, and a little after daybreak reached a plain which lies before the city, which they now call "Belinas" and ancient Scripture

calls "Cesarea Philippi." In this city rises a spring called "Jor," and amid the plains round the city rises another beautiful spring called Dan. Now it comes to pass that when the two streams from these two springs meet together, they make the river called Jor-Dan, in the which God was baptised.

By the mutual consent of the Temple and of the Count of Eu, of the Hospital and barons of the country who were there, it was agreed that the King's battalion, (in which battalion I then was because the King had retained the forty knights of my troop in his own service), together with Lord Geoffrey of Sergines the paladin, should get in between the castle and the city; that the barons of the country should enter the city from the left, the Hospital from the right, and that the Temple should enter by the direct road along which we had come.

We set out and proceeded till we drew near the city, and found that the Saracens inside had defeated the King's serjeants and driven them out of the town. On seeing this, I went to the paladins who were with the Count of Eu, and said to them: " Sirs, if you do not go where we have been ordered, between the town and the castle, we shall

have the Saracens killing our people who have entered the town." The approach was very dangerous, for the place to which we had been sent was the post of danger. There were three double lines of dry walls to pass, and the slope was so steep that horses could hardly keep their footing on it; and the hill for which we were bound was covered with Turks on horseback. As I was speaking, I saw that our foot-serjeants were tearing down the walls. Thereupon, I said to those with whom I was talking, that the plan was, for the King's battalion to advance to where those Turks were, and that since those were the orders, I should go. I and my two knights made for the place where they were pulling down the walls, and I saw that a mounted serjeant, thinking to get over the wall, fell with his horse on top of him. Seeing this, I dismounted, and led my horse by the bridle. When the Turks saw us coming, by God's grace they abandoned the position to us. From this spot, a rock descended sheer into the city. When we had reached the place, and the Turks had left it, the Saracens in the city lost heart, and abandoned the town to our people without a contest.

Whilst I was there, the Marshall of the Temple heard a rumour that I was in danger; so he climbed up to me. Whilst I was perched up there the Teutons who were in the Count of Eu's battalion came after me; and when they saw the mounted Turks in flight towards the castle, they started off after them; and I said to them: " Sirs, you are not doing right, for we are where we were ordered to be, and you are going beyond your orders."

The castle, which lies above the city, is named "Subeiba"; and lies full half a league up among the mountains of Lebanon; and the slope leading up to it is strewn with big stones just like chests. When the Teutons saw that they were on a wild goose-chase, they turned back; and the Saracens seeing this charged them on foot, and hammered them with their clubs from the tops of the stones, and tore the trappings off the horses. The serjeants that were with us, seeing the disaster, began to get frightened. I told them that if they left the place, I would have them struck off the King's list for good and all, and they said to me: "Sir, it is not fair play, for you are on horseback, and so you will make your escape; whereas

we are on foot, and so the Saracens will kill us." And I said to them: "Sirs, I assure you that I shall not make my escape; for I will remain on foot here with you." I dismounted and sent my horse among the Templars, who were a good cross-bowshot to the rear.

In the retreat of the Teutons, the Saracens wounded a knight of mine, named Lord John of Bussy, with a quarrel through the throat; and he fell right in front of me.

Lord Hugh of Scots, whose nephew he was, who had acquitted himself excellently in the Holy Land, said to me: "Sir, come and help us carry my nephew down." "Ill-luck take him that helps you do so " said I " for you went up there without my orders; and if you have come to grief, it serves you right. Slide him down the drain, for I shall not leave this place until I am sent for."

When Lord John of Valenciennes heard of the difficulties in which we were, he came to Lord Oliver of Termes, and those other captains of the Langue d'Oc, and said to them: " Sirs, I beg and command you in the King's name, that you help

me fetch down the Seneschal." Whilst he was thus urging them, my Lord William of Beaumont came to him and said: "You are troubling yourself to no purpose, for the Seneschal is dead." But said he, "Alive or dead, I will have some account of him to give to the King." Thereupon Lord Oliver started off towards us, where we stood upon the mountain-side; and as soon as he reached us, he sent for me; and when I came he said to me, that we were in great danger there; for, if we went down by the way we had come up, we could not do it without great risk, for the slope was very awkward, and the Saracens would come down on top of us. " But, if you will be guided by me," said he, " I will bring you off without loss." I told him that I would carry out whatever plan he chose to make. " I will tell you" said he "how we can escape. We will go " said he " all the time, just as though we meant to go to Damascus; and the Saracens there will think that we intend to take them in the rear. And as soon as we are on those flats, we will clap spurs and gallop round the city, and shall be across the stream before they can get near us; and we will do them a lot of damage too, for we will set fire to that threshed wheat, which is lying in the fields."

We did as he had planned, and he made them take reeds, such as flutes are made of here, and put live coals in them and stick them into the threshed corn.

And so God brought us back safe and sound, through the advice of Oliver of Termes. And know that when we reached the place where our followers were lodged, we found them all disarmed, for there was no one looking after them.

So the next day we returned to Sajetta, where the King was.

We found that the King in person had seen to the burial of the bodies of the Christians whom the Saracens had killed, as you heard; and he himself with his own hands carried the decayed and stinking bodies to lay them in the graves, and yet never held his nose, though the others held theirs. He had workmen fetched from all parts, and set to work again to fortify the city with high walls and great towers. And when we reached camp, we found that he had marked out the sites in person, where our quarters were to be. My quarters he

had chosen alongside those of the Count of Eu, because he knew that the Count of Eu liked my company.

I will tell you of the tricks the Count of Eu used to play on us.

I had built a hut, where I used to take my meals, I and my knights lighted through the doorway. Now the doorway gave onto the Count of Eu's quarters; and he, who was very ingenious, made a little machine to throw into it, and used to watch when we went to table, and set up his machine in a line with our table and break our jugs and glasses.

I had laid in a stock of hens and capons, and somebody or other had given him a young she-bear, which he let in among my fowls, and it killed a dozen of them, before anyone could get to the spot, while the woman in charge of them was flapping her skirts at the bear.