WHEN Richard Coeur de Lion sailed from Acre, and the Syrian Christians were left to their own resources, the condition of the kingdom of Jerusalem became daily worse.
The Pope, it is true, ever and anon endeavored to rouse Europe to succor the Holy Sepulchre; and, in 1202, a multitude of crusaders, under Baldwin Count of Flanders, directed their steps eastward. But, influenced by Dandolo, the old blind doge of Venice, these warriors turned aside to seize the maritime towns of Istria; and finally, after twice attacking Constantinople, they deposed the heir of Alexis Comnenus, and installed the Count of Flanders as Emperor of the East.
Meanwhile the Syrian Christians were by a tragical accident deprived of the King under whose auspices they had been left by Coeur de Lion. One day, while standing at a window of his palace and watching the movements of troops, Henry of Champagne fell to the ground and was killed on the spot. The widow of the unfortunate man gave her hand to Almeric de Lusig-nan, who had succeeded Guy as King of Cyprus. But both Almcric and his spouse soon went the way of all flesh; and the Christians of the East sent to the court of France to offer the crown of Jerusalem, and the hand of a daughter whom Isabel had made CJonrad of Montfcrrat the father, to any warrior who would undertake to defend them against the Saracens.
When the ambassadors reached the court of Paris, in search of a knight who would espouse the heiress of Jerusalem and save what yet remained of the kingdom, John de Brienne, an aristocratic adventurer, joyfully placed himself at their service; and, attended by three hundred French gentlemen, he forthwith set out for the East. On reaching Acre, he celebrated his marriage with the daughter of Conrad; and prepared to defend her territories. Finding, however, that he could hardly answer for the security of Acre, he sent messengers to the Pope imploring aid. At that time, however, the Pope was too earnestly occupied with his war against the Albigenses to care about the Moslems; and the warriors, whom a spirit of adventure might otherwise have tempted to the East, found full employment in Languedoc and Provence.
At length, in 1215, a council was held to consider the affairs of the East; and the warriors of Europe were urged to precipitate themselves once more on Asia. Multitudes took the cross; and marched eastward under the King of Hungary and the Duke of Austria. Indeed they appeared so numerous on landing at Acre, that the Saracens heard of their coming with serious alarm.
At the head of the host of armed pilgrims, John do Brienne marched from Acre, and attacked Mount Tabor, which Saladin had fortified in such a way as to be a perpetual menace. When on the point of victory, however, the crusaders were seized with panic and made a precipitate retreat. Soon after the Bang of Hungary returned to Europe; but John de Brienne, reinforced by new arrivals, undertook an expedition to the banks of the Nile, and sat down before Damietta.
Damietta, destined to become so famous in connection with the crusades, stood on the northern bank of the second mouth of the Nile, about a mile from the sea, and was strongly fortified. Nevertheless, after a siege of nineteen months, the crusaders were successful in taking the city, and, elate with success, marched to Cairo. In alarm, the Sultan prepared to treat; and not only offered to yield Jerusalem to the Christians, but to allow them to remain in possession of Damietta. The papal legate, however, said "No," and the Moslem ambassadors carried his answer to the Sultan.
Ere long, the crusaders, after having been a month at Cairo, were startled by the overflowing of the Nile, and soon found themselves in a ludicrously dismal plight. It appeared, in fact, that the Saracens, opening their sluices, had filled the canals; and the Christian camp, deluged by water, was in such danger of being submerged, that the legate had to undergo the humiliation of applying to the Sultan for forbearance. Ambassadors going to the Moslem camp, in the name of humanity craved peace, offered to surrender Damietta, and only asked to be allowed to return to Acre. After deliberating, the Moslem chiefs agreed; and the armed pilgrims sadly and sorrowfully marched back to Syria.
Intelligence of the catastrophe at Cairo reached Borne; and the Pope upbraided Frederick the Second, Emperor of Germany, for having been the idle spectator of a struggle, in which he had solemnly promised to take part. In order to give the Emperor a motive for proceeding to the Holy Land, the Pope proposed that he should wed Yolande, daughter of John de Brienne, and the marriage was celebrated at Rome, the father of the bride taking part in the ceremony. John de Brienne was, at first, quite delighted at the idea of having so great a potentate for a son-in-law; but ere long, he was mortified to hear the German Cesar proclaimed King of Jerusalem, and to find himself set aside as of no consequence.
While such was the position of the Christian kingdom, the Sultan of Cairo sent ambassadors to the Emperor of Germany, with an invitation to come to the East. Frederick, on his part, returned a most courteous answer, and soon after embarked with six hundred knights. The Pope, who meanwhile had quarrelled with Frederick, denounced him as a captain of pirates, and prayed heaven to confound his sacrilegious enterprise. Nevertheless, the Emperor pursued his voyage, and reaching the Syrian coast in safety, sailed triumphantly into the port of Acre.
Scarcely had the Sultan of Cairo been informed of the Emperor's arrival, when he led an army into Palestine; and Frederick, marching out of Acre, directed his course towards the mountains of Nap-louse. But matters gradually reached such a stage, that the Emperor and the Sultan recognized the necessity of immediately concluding a peace. A truce for ten years was agreed upon. Jerusalem was, with Nazareth and other places, given up to the Christians; the Moslems stipulating for the free exercise of their religion and for retaining the mosque of Omar.
Both by Christians and Saracens, the treaty was deemed disgraceful. Frederick, however, hastened to make his public entry into the city which he had recovered. Accompanied by his barons, he, in the spring of 1229, repaired to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, placed the crown of Jerusalem on his head, and proclaimed himself King. The scene was remarkable. The monks, pretending to be scandalized) had deserted the sacred edifice, and no religious ceremony gave impressiveness to Frederick's coronation. But when the Emperor crowned himself, lances and swords appeared around the altar; and, when he was proclaimed king, enthusiastic acclamations from mailed warriors indicated their resolution to support him to the last.
After his coronation at Jerusalem, Frederick returned to Germany; the Holy City lay almost at the mercy of the Saracens; and Europe became indifferent to its fate. The feud of Pope and Emperor monopolised attention; while sympathy for the unhappy plight of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, which was not destined to endure, allured thither many warriors who would otherwise have drawn their swords for the Sepulchre.
It is true that expeditions to the East were preached by popes and undertaken by princes; but the results were not satisfactory. In 1239, Theobald, King of Navarre, conducted a band of warriors to Acre, and fought a battle with the Saracens at Gaza, where his followers perished almost to a man. In 1240, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, brother of our third Henrys appeared in Syria; but he found the discord among the Christians so discouraging, that he was fain to conclude a treaty with the Sultan and return to Europe.
Meanwhile Jerusalem, without fortifications, was perpetually exposed to danger. The peasants of the mountains of Naplouse kept the Christian inhabitants in continual dread of attack; and the great bell of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre frequently gave warning of the approach of foes, eager for carnage and plunder. Beset with perils, encompassed with difficulties, and well nigh hopeless of further aid from Europe, the Christians of the East, about the middle of the thirteenth century, found themselves in sight of ruin, and on the verge of despair.
Such was their situation when, in 1238, Melikul-Adil, the seventh Sultan of Saladin's line, succeeded; but he had scarcely reigned two years, when his subjects were thoroughly disgusted with his gross debauchery. He soon lost popularity; and the Egyptians, exasperated, called his brother, Melikul-Salih, to the throne. Scarcely was the latter crowned, when a Moslem prince seized Damascus, formed an alliance with the Christians, and the Sultan, unable to maintain himself without aid, looked around for allies.
It happened that the Tartars had just seized Karis-mia, and the Karismians, a wild race, finding themselves without a country, applied to the Sultan. Melikul-Salih, considering how valuable the weapons of the expatiated warriors might be, proposed that they should march against the Christians.
On receiving the Sultan's offer, the Karismians rejoicing in the prospect of plunder, assembled to the number of twenty thousand; and bringing their women and children in their train, marched towards Jerusalem. Having ravaged Tripoli and Galilee, on their way, they ere long approached the devoted city. No feeling of mercy was at their hearts. Indeed, the Karismians neither gave nor asked quarter. Before going into conflict, they were in the habit of receiving a brief order from their leader. It was -- * You will conquer or die."
Jerusalem was in no condition to defy such assailants. Some attempts were being made to restore the fortifications; but the walls were still too weak to stand a siege; and the warriors in the Holy City were too few in number to resist with any prospect of success. When the smoke of burning villages announced the approach of the foe, most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem resolved to be gone. No time was lost. Placing themselves under the guidance of the Templars and Hospitallers, seven thousand persons abandoned the city. They had just left the city by one side, when the foe entered it by the other.
The Karismians were somewhat disappointed to find Jerusalem almost deserted. Becoming aware, however, of the state of matters, they determined on a stratagem for luring back the fugitives. Without delay, they raised the banner of the cross on every tower; and set a-ringing all the bells of the Holy City. The trick had the desired effect. No sooner did the Christians, who were slowly and sadly making their Way towards Jaffa, hear of the Christian standard floating over the walls of Jerusalem, than, persuading themselves that the Karismians had either marched in another direction or miraculously suffered a defeat, they hastened to retrace their steps.
On entering the Holy City, the Christians discovered, when too late, how they had been deluded. Every one of them was mercilessly slaughtered; and blood flowed in streams down the. hilly streets. No respect was shown to age, sex, or place. Nuns, children, and old people, who had fled for refuge to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, were slaughtered at the foot of the altar. Tombs were opened. The bodies of heroes were burned; the relics of saints and martyrs were scattered to the wind; and night closed over such a scene of carnage and desolation, as in all her fortunes, Jerusalam had never before witnessed.
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From John G. Edgar
The Crusades and the Crusaders, 1860
