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garia and Eleanor, whose activity was not destroyed by age, travelled by land to Naples, and from that gay city on through the passes of Monteforte and Bovino, and across the vast Apulian plain, to the ancient city of Brindisi, there to wait until the French king should be out of the way. As the expedition of Richard was so nearly ready for sea when the royal travellers arrived, it was not thought proper to delay its sailing, and, as the penitential season of Lent was not quite over, the marriage was not celebrated at Messina; and the queen-mother, having placed the bride under the matronly care of her own daughter Joan, the dowager queen of Sicily, embarked for England four days after.

The day after Eleanor's departure the whole fleet set sail for Acre. As a rapid current carried it through the Straits of Messina, it presented an imposing appearance, that called forth the involuntary admiration of the people of either shore-the Sicilians saying that so gallant an armament had never before been seen there, and never would be seen again. The size and beauty of the ships excited this admiration not less than their number. The flag of England floated over fifty-three galleys, thirteen dromones, "mighty great ships with triple sails," one hundred carikes or busses, and many smaller craft. Thirty busses from England had arrived just before, bringing out fresh stores and men. The mariners of England, however, were not then what centuries of struggle and experience have made them; and when a great tempest arose, soon after leaving the Sicilian sea, the whole navy was "sore tossed and turmoiled," and scattered in all directions, not a few of the ships being foundered or cast on shore. After a narrow escape himself on the coast of Candia or Crete, Richard got safely into Rhodes; but the ship which bore his sister and his bride was not with him, and he passed several days in distressing anxiety as to their fate. At Rhodes he fell sick, and was detained there several days. Incapable of taking the sea himself, he despatched some of his swiftest vessels to look after the ladies and collect the scattered fleet. This storm blew more mischief to the petty tyrant of Cyprus than to any one else. One of the English scouts returned to Rhodes with the information that two of his ships had been cast ashore on the island of Cyprus, and that the people of the country had barbarously plundered the wrecks, and cast the mariners and crusaders into prison. Vowing

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1 By this is meant that they were three-masted.

vengeance, Richard embarked, and, departing immediately with all of the fleet that had joined him at Rhodes, made way, with press of oars and sails, for the devoted island. Off Limisso, or Limasol, then the principal seaport town of Cyprus, he found the galley of his bride and sister. The sovereign of the island was one Isaac, a prince of the imperial race of the Comneni, who pompously styled himself "Emperor of Cyprus." When harshly called upon for satisfaction, he put himself in a posture of defence, throwing out some armed galleys to the mouth of the harbour of Limasol, and drawing up his troops along shore. These troops were ill calculated to contend with the steel-clad warriors of Richard; for, with the exception of a body-guard which was splendidly armed and appointed, they had no defensive armour, but were half naked, and the mass of them had no better weapons than clubs and stones. Richard boarded and took the galleys, dispersed the troops, and made himself master of the city with little difficulty. The inhabitants fled, but had not time to carry off their property, which the crusaders made prize of They found an abundance of provisions of all kinds; and when Queen Joan and Berengaria landed at Limasol, they were welcomed with a feast. Having rallied to make another impotent attempt at resistance, the Cypriots were surprised the next morning, and "killed like beasts," their "emperor" saving his life by fleeing "bare in serke and breke." Isaac, who had now learned to his cost the might and fury of the enemy he had provoked, sent to sue for a conference of peace. Richard, gaily mounted on a Spanish charger, and splendidly attired in silk and gold, met the humbled Greek in a plain near Limasol. The terms he imposed were sufficiently hard. That very night the Greek fled to make another vain effort at resistance; but Richard had no great right to complain of this, seeing that he treated Isaac not as a reconciled enemy and ally, but as a prisoner of war, having actually placed guards over him, whose brute force the Greek defeated by a very excusable exercise of cunning. Despatching part of his army by land into the interior of the country, Richard embarked with the rest, and, sailing round the island, took all the maritime towns, and cut off Isaac's flight by sea, for he seized every ship, and even every boat, though of the smallest dimensions. Isaac fought another battle; but the contest was in every way unequal. Nicosia, the capital, surrendered, and Isaac's beautiful daughter fell into the hands of Richard, who gave her as a com

It is said, however, by one who was on board the fleet, that panion to Berengaria. Isaac, who doated on the sailors did everything that it was possible for human skill to do; but old Vinesauf was a landsman, and not a good judge, and people then allowed very narrow limits to the extent of human skill in many things.

3 Robert of Brunne. From Vinesauf and Hoveden it appears that Isaac, betrayed by the Cypriots, was surprised before be was out of bed, and fled without armour or clothes.

or drowned, the great ship sinking before the crusaders could remove much of her cargo.3

On the 8th of June an astounding clangour of trumpets and drums, and every instrument of war in the Christian camp, hailed the arrival of Richard and his host in the roadstead of Acre.

THE PLAIN AND BAY

ΟΥ

A CRE

English Miles

1. Tour Maudite 2. Tour au Diable

3. Tour des Mouches 4. Mole

Cape Carmel

Convent

his child, lost all heart in losing her, and quitting a strong castle or fortified monastery in which he had taken refuge, he again sought the presence of the conqueror, and threw himself at his feet, imploring only for the restoration of his child, and for the preservation of his own life and limbs. The conqueror would not restore his fair captive, and he sent her father away to be confined in a strong castle at Tripoli, in Syria. The unfortunate captive was loaded with chains; but it is said that, in consideration of his rank, Richard ordered that his fetters should be forged of silver instead of rude iron. If the Cypriots had been discontented with their old master, they had little reason to be satisfied with their new one. Richard's first act of government was to tax them to the amount of half of their moveable property, after which he gave them an empty confirmation of the rights and privileges which they had enjoyed in former times under the Emperors of Constantinople. The amount of provisions and stores of all kinds which he carried off was so considerable, that it enabled the crusaders to carry on their operations with much greater vigour and success than they could otherwise have done. Having conquered, and in a manner settled the island, he returned to Limasol, and at length celebrated his marriage with the Lady Berengaria, who was anointed and crowned by the Bishop of Evreux. All these important operations did not occupy more than a month, and granting the present government of the island to Richard de Camville, one of the constables of the fleet, and Robert de Turnham, Richard embarked with his fleet for Acre. Sailing between Cyprus and the Syrian coast, he fell in with a dromon, or ship of the largest size, which was carrying troops and stores to the great Saladin. He attacked her with his usual impetuosity, threatening to crucify all his sailors if they suffered her to escape. She was taken after a gallant action, in which the superior height of her board, and an abundant use of the Greek fire, to which Richard's followers were as yet unaccustomed, gave her for some time a decided advantage. There were on board seven emirs, or Saracens of the highest rank, and 650-some say 1500-picked men. Thirty-five individuals only were saved, the rest were either massacred

1 Isaac died a prisoner four years after.

To Jerusalem by Jaffa & Ramleh

Several of the Italian historians say he sold the government of Cyprus to the order of the Templars; but this does not appear very probable.

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The welcome was sincere, for their aid was indispensable. The French king had arrived some time before, but had done nothing, and the affairs of the crusaders were in a deplorable condition; for, after prosecuting the siege of Acre the best part of two years, they were not only still outside the walls, but actually pressed and hemmed in, and almost besieged themselves, by Saladin, who occupied Mount Carmel and all the neighbouring heights with an immense army. The loss of human life was fearful. The sword and the plague had swept away six archbishops, twelve bishops, forty earls, and 500 barons, whose names are recorded in history, and 150,000 of "the meaner sort," who went to their graves without any such record. This heavy draft upon population had been supplied by fresh and continuous arrivals from all parts of Christendom, for, like a modern conqueror, Europe then believed that the fate of Syria and the East lay

3 Vinesauf; Hoveden; Bohadin, the Arab historian.

4 We have taken the very lowest estimate. Vinesauf calculates that 300,000 Christians perished during the siege. Bohadin and other Arabic writers, carry the number to 500,000 or 600,000.

within the narrow circuit of Acre. The ope- | sal admiration in the camp, and gave rise to fresh rations of the crusaders, which had languished for some weeks, were vigorously renewed on Richard's arrival; but the Kings of France and England quarrelled again almost as soon as they met; the besiegers became again inactive, and then threw away some thousands of lives from mere pique and jealousy of each other. The French and the English soldiery took a full share in the animosities of their respective leaders; and of the other bodies of crusaders, some sided with l'hilip, and some with Richard. The Genoese and Templars espoused the quarrel of France; the Pisans and Hospitallers stood for England; and, on the whole, it appears that Richard's more brilliant valour, and superior command of money and other means, rendered the English faction the stronger of the two. The French tried to take the town by an assault without any assistance from the English, and then the English, wishing to have all the honour to themselves, repeated the like experiment without the French, and with the like ill success. These two fatal attempts showed the necessity of co-operation, and another brief reconciliation was eftected between the rivals.

jealousies in the breast of Philip. At length, being disappointed of aid from Cairo, and seeing that Saladin could no longer penetrate the Christian lines to throw in provisions, the brave Mussulman garrison offered to capitulate. After some negotiation, during which Philip and Richard once more disagreed, it was finally stipulated that the city should be surrendered to the crusaders, and that the Saracens, as a ransom for their lives (for their property, even to their arms, was forfeited), should restore the wood of the holy cross, set at liberty 1500 Christian captives, and pay 200,000 pieces of gold. Some thousands of Saracens were detained as hostages in the fortress for the performance of these conditions. Immediately afterwards-it was on the 12th of June, 1191-the crusaders entered Acre, and Saladin, evacuating all his positions, retired a short distance into the interior. The banners of the two kings were raised with equal honour on the ramparts; but it appears that Richard took the best house in the place for the accommodation of himself and family, leaving Philip to take up his lodgings with the Templars. Scarcely however, had they entered this terrible town, Richard's personal exertions' attracted univer-ere the French king expressed his determination

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to return to Europe. The cause he alleged for | Conrad, Marquis of Montferrat and Prince of his departure was the bad state of his health; but this probably was not the true one-it certainly was not the only cause. Though Jerusalem was in the hands of the Mussulmans, there was a disputed succession to the throne among the Christians. Guy of Lusignan had worn the crown in right of his wife, a descendant of the great Godfrey of Bouillon, the first Christian King of Jerusalem; but Sybilla was dead, and

He worked like a common soldier at the heavy battering engines. When sick, he caused himself to be carried to the in

trenchments on a silk pallet or mattress.

2 Philip had been sick. Some of the French chroniclers accuse Richard of having given him poison!

Tyre, who had married her sister, contended that the sole right of Guy of Lusignan was extinct by the demise of his wife, and that the crown devolved to himself as the husband of the legitimate heiress. The dispute was referred to the English and French monarchs, and it was not likely that they, who, from the commencement of the crusade, had never agreed in anything, should act with concord in this important matter. As soon as Philip reached Acre, without waiting for the opinion of Richard, he declared in favour of the claims of Conrad, who seems to have been much better qualified for a throne that was to be won and maintained by the sword than his

miserable competitor Lusignan. Richard, however, swayed by other motives, or possibly merely out of pique, had declared against Conrad, and when Lusignan visited him as a suppliant in Cyprus, he had acknowledged him as King of Jerusalem, and, with his usual liberality, had given him a sum of money, his majesty being penniless and almost in want of bread. This subject had given rise to many disputes during the siege, and they were renewed with increased violence when the capture of Acre gave the French and English kings more leisure. In the end, Philip was obliged to yield so far to his fiery and determined rival as to allow that Lusignan should be King of Jerusalem during his life.

The King of France was otherwise irritated by
the absolute will and constant domineering of
his rival, who was as superior to him as an ad-
venturous warrior, as he was superior to Richard
in policy and political forethought. One of our
old rhyming chroniclers no doubt hit part of the
truth when he said-

"So that King Philip was annoyed there at the thing,
That there was not of him a word, but all of Richard the king."

who was unable or unwilling to fulfil the conditions, though he sent to offer Richard some costly presents for himself. A rumour-apparently false-was spread through the Christian camp and the town of Acre, that Saladin had massacred his Christian captives, and the soldiers demanded instant vengeance, making a fearful riot, and killing several of their officers who attempted to pacify them. On the following day the term of forty days expired. At an appointed hour a signal was given, and all the Saracen hostages were led out beyond the barriers of the French and English camps, and butchered by the exulting and rejoicing crusaders. Richard presided over the slaughter at one camp-the Duke of Burgundy at the other. Between 2000 and 3000 prisoners' were thus destroyed, and only a few emirs and Mohametans of rank were saved from the carnage, in the hope of obtaining valuable ransoms from their families. Some centuries had to elapse ere this deed excited any horror or disgust in Christendom. At the time, and indeed long after, it was considered as a praiseworthy smiting of the infidels—as a sacrifice acceptable to Heaven.

Having restored the battered works of Acre, But, after all, we should be doing a manifest in- Richard prepared to march upon Jerusalem. The justice to Philip's consummate king-craft, were we generality of the crusaders by no means shared not to suppose that one of his strongest motives his impatience, "for the wine (says old Vinesauf) for quitting an unprofitable crusade, was to take was of the very best quality, and the city advantage of Richard's absence in order to raise abounded with most beautiful girls"-the gravest and consolidate the French kingdom-an end knights had made a Capua of Acre. At length, perfectly natural, and perhaps laudable in itself, however, Richard tore them from these enjoy.. however dishon ourable the means that were em- ments, and, leaving behind him his sister and ployed to effect it. Dazzled as he was by dreams wife, and the fair Cypriot, and strictly prohibitof chivalry and glory, Richard himself was yet ing women from following the camp, he began not so blind as to overlook the danger that threat- his march on the 22d of August. Thirty thouened him in the West; and, after his efforts to saud men, of all countries, obeyed his orders, persuade Philip to remain had all failed, he ex- marching in five divisions: the Templars led the acted from him an oath not to make war upon van; the knights of St. John brought up the any part of the territories of the English king, rear. Every night, when the army halted, the nor attack any of his vassals or allies, until at heralds of the several camps cried aloud three least forty days after the return of Richard from times, "Save the holy sepulchre!" and every Palestine. Besides taking this oath, Philip agreed soldier bent Lis knee, and said "Amen!" Salato leave at Acre 10,000 of his followers, to be din, who had been reinforced from all parts, inimmediately commanded by the Duke of Bur-fested their march every day, and encamped near gundy, who, however, was bound to recognize them every night, with an army greatly superior the superior authority of the English monarch. in numbers. On the 7th of September, Richard In the popular eye, Philip appeared as a deser- brought him to a general action near Azotus, the ter, and the mob of all nations that witnessed Ashdod of the Bible, on the sea-shore, and about his departure from Acre hissed him and cursed nine miles from Ascalon; and after a display of him. His absence, however, saved him from valour which was never surpassed, and of more direct participation in an atrocious deed. Forty cool conduct and generalship than might have days was the term fixed for the fulfilment of the been expected, he gained a complete victory. articles of capitulation. Receiving neither the Mourning the loss of 7000 men and thirty-two Christian captives, nor the cross, nor the money, Richard made several applications to Saladin,

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3 We have again taken the very lowest number. Bohadin, the Arab, says that 3000 were destroyed by Richard alone, and that the Duke of Burgundy sacrificed a like number. Hoveden says that 5000 were siain by the king and the duke. 39

spoiled their provisions, and rendered the roads almost impassable. Crossing the plain of Sharon, where "the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley" no longer bloomed, they pitched their tents at Ramula, only fifteen miles in advance of Jaffa; but the wind tore them up and rent them, They then sought quarters at Bethany, where they were within twelve miles of the Holy City; but their condition became daily worse-famine, disease, and desertion thinned their ranks, and Richard was compelled, sore against his will, to turn his back on Jerusalem. He retreated rapidly to Ascalon, followed closely by the loose

emirs, Saladin, the victor of many a field, rains, nearly equal to those in tropical countries, retreated in great disorder, finding time, how-wetted them to the skin, rusted their arms, ever, to lay waste the country, and dismantle the towns he could not garrison or defend; and Richard advanced without further opposition to Jaffa, the Joppa of Scripture, of which he took possession. As the country in advance of that position was still clear of enemies, the Lion-heart would have followed up his advantages, but many of the crusaders, less hardy than himself, were worn out by the heat of the climate, and the | rapid marches on which he had already led them; and the French barons urged the necessity of restoring the fortifications of Jaffa before they advanced. No sooner had Richard consented to this arrangement, than the crusaders, instead of prosecuting the work with vigour, abandoned themselves to a luxurious ease; and Richard himself gave many of his ' days to the sports of the field, disregarding the evident fact that Saladin was again making head, and that hordes of Saracens were scouring the country in detached parties. Several skirmishes ensued. On such onslaughts, say the chroniclers, Richard's cry was still "St. George! St. George!" Many romantic feats and adventures are related of this flower of chi

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RUINS OF ASCALON.3-From Forbin, Voyage en Orient.

valry-this pearl of crusading princes. His battle-axe seems to have been the weapon most familiar to his stalwart arm. He had caused it to be forged by the best smiths in England before he departed for the East, and twenty pounds of steel were wrought into the head of it, that he might "break therewith the Saracens' bones." Nothing, it was said, could resist this mighty axe, and wherever it fell, horseman and horse went to the ground. When the fortifications of Jaffa were restored, the Lionheart was duped into a further loss of time, by a negotiation artfully proposed by Saladin, and skilfully conducted by his brother Saphadin, who came and went between the two armies, and spite of his turban, ingratiated himself with Richard. At last, the crusaders set forth from Jaffa; but it was now the month of November, and incessant

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light cavalry of the Kourds and Turks, who,
though they could make no impression on the
main body, or even penetrate the rear-guard,
where the gallant knights of St. John wielded
sword and lance, yet did much mischief by cut-
ting off stragglers, and caused great distress by
keeping the whole force constantly on the alert
by night as well as by day. Ascalon, so cele-
brated in the ancient history of the Jews, was
still a city of great importance, being the connect-
ing link between the Mahometans in Jerusalem
Saladin had
and the Mahometans in Egypt.
dismantled its fortifications, which Richard now
determined to restore in all haste. To set a good
example, he worked, as he had already done at
Acre, upon the walls and battlements, like a
common mason, and he expected every prince
and noble would do the same; for the common

are a great Gothic church, a palace, and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. Forty columns of rose granite, still standing, are supposed to be the remains of a temple dedicated to the "beavenly Venus," mentioned by Herodotus as having been plandered by the Scythians, B.C. 630. There are also the remains of a Roman amphitheatre. The site is entirely abandoned te jackals and other wild creatures. The Arabs call it "Djaurah," and believe it to be the abode of evil spirits.

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