A Fleete of Englishmen, Danes, and Flemmings, arrived
at Joppa
in the Holy land, the seventh yeere of Baldwine
the second king of Hierusalem. Written in the beginning of the tenth booke of the Chronicle of Hierusalem,
in the 8. yeere of Henry the first of England.
Chap. 1.
AT the same time also in the seventh yeere of the raigne
of Baldwine the Catholike king of Hierusalem, a very
great warrelike Fleete of the Catholike nation of England,
to the number of about seven thousand, having with them
more men of warre of the kingdom of Denmarke, of
Flanders and of Antwerpe, arrived with ships which they
call Busses, at the haven of the citie of Japhet, determining there to make their abode, untill they having obtained
the kings licence and safeconduct, might safely worship
at
Hierusalem. Of which navie the chiefest and best
spoken repairing to the king, spake to him in this maner.
Christ preserve the Kings life, and prosper his kingdome
from day to day; Wee, being men and souldiours of
Christian profession, have, through the helpe of God,
sayled hither through mightie and large seas, from the
farre countreys of England, Flanders, and Denmarke, to
worship at Jerusalem, and to visit the sepulchre of our
Lord. And therefore we are assembled to intreat your
clemency touching the matter, that by your favour and
safe conduct we may peaceably goe up to Jerusalem, and
worship there, and so returne.
Chap. 2.
THE king favourably hearing their whole petition, granted
unto them a strong band of men to conduct them, which
brought them safely from all assaults and ambushes of
the Gentiles by the knowen wayes unto Jerusalem and
all other places of devotion. After that these pilgrims,
& new Christian strangers were brought thither, they
offering unto our Lord their vowes in the temple of the
holy sepulchre, returned with great joy, and without all
let unto Joppa
; where finding the king, they vowed that
they would assist him in all things, which should seeme
good unto him: who, greatly commending the men, and
commanding them to be well entertained with hospitality,
answered that he could not on the sudden answere to
this point, untill that after he had called his nobles
together, he had consulted with my lord the Patriarch
what was most meet and convenient to be done, and not
to trouble in vaine so willing an army. And therefore
after a few dayes, calling unto him my lord the Patriarch,
Hugh of Tabaria, Gunfride the keeper and lieutenant of
the tower of David, and the other chiefest men of warre,
he determined to have a meeting in the city of Rames,
to consult with them what was best to be done.
Chap. 3.
WHO, being assembled at the day appointed, and proposing their divers opinions & judgements, at length it
seemed best unto the whole company to besiege the city
Sagitta, which is also called Sidon
, if peradventure,
through Gods helpe, and by the strength of this new
army, by land and sea it might be overcome. Whereupon
all they which were there present, and required that this
city should be besieged, because it was one of those cities
of the Gentiles which continually rebelled, were commended, and admonished of the king every one to go
home, and to furnish themselves with things necessary,
and armour for this expedition. Every one of them
departed home; likewise Hugh of Tabaria departed, being
a chiefe man of warre against the invasions of the enemies,
which could never be wearied day nor night in the countie
of the Pagans, in pursuing them with warre and warlike
stratagemes all the dayes of his life. Immediatly after
this consultation the king sent ambassadours to all the
multitude of the English men, requiring them not to
remove their campe nor fleet from the city of Japhet,
but quietly to attend the kings further commandement.
The same ambassadours also declared unto the whole
army, that the king and all his nobility had determined
to besiege and assault the city Sagitta by sea and by
land, and that their helpe and forces would there be
needfull; and that for this purpose, the king and the
patriarch were comming downe unto the city of Acres,
and that they were in building of engins, and warlike
instruments, to invade the walles and inhabitants thereof:
and that in the meane season they were to remaine at
Japhet, untill the kings further commandement were
knowen. Whereupon they all agreed that it should so
be done according to the kings commandement; and
answered that they would attend his directions in the
haven of Japhet, & would in all points be obedient unto
him unto the death.
Chap. 4.
THE king came downe to Acres with the patriarch, and
all his family, building, and making there by the space
of fortie dayes engins, and many kindes of warlike instruments: and appointing all things to be made perfectly
ready, which seemed to be most convenient for the
assaulting of the city. Assoone as this purpose and intent
of the king was come unto the eares of the inhabitants
of Sagitta, and that an invincible power of men of warre
was arrived at
Japhet to helpe the king, they were greatly
astonied, fearing that by this meanes, they should be
consumed and subdued by the king by dint of sword, as
other cities, to wit, Caesaria, Assur
, Acres, Cayphas, and
Tabaria were vanquished and subdued. And therefore
laying their heads together, they promised to the king
by secret mediatours, a mighty masse of money of a
coyne called Byzantines: and that further they would
yeerely pay a great tribute, upon condition that ceasing
to besiege and invade their city, he would spare their
lives. Whereupon these businesses were handled from
day to day betweene the king and the citizens, and they
sollicited the king for the ransomming both of their city
and of their lives, proffering him from time to time more
greater gifts. And the king for his part, being carefull
and perplexed for the payment of the wages which he
ought unto his souldiers, harkened wholy unto this offer
of money. Howbeit because he feared the Christians,
least they should lay it to his charge as a fault, he durst
not as yet meddle with the same.
Chap. 5.
IN the meane space Hugh of Tabaria being sent for,
accompanied with the troopes of two hundred horsemen
and foure hundred footmen, invaded the countrey of the
Grosse Carle called Suet, very rich in gold and silver
most abundant in cattle frontering upon the countrie of
the Damascenes, where hee tooke a pray of inestimable
riches and cattle, which might have suffised him for the
besiege of Sagitta, whereof he ment to impart liberally
to the king, and his companie. This pray being gathered
out of sundry places thereabout, and being led away as
farre as the citie of Belinas, which they call Caesaria
Philippi, the Turkes which dwelt at Damascus
, together
with the Saracens inhabitants of the countrie perceiving
this, flocking on all partes together by troopes, pursued
Hughes companie to rescue the pray, and passed foorth
as farre as the mountaines, over which Hughes footemen
did drive the pray. There beganne a great skirmish of
both partes, the one side made resistance to keepe the
pray, the other indevoured with all their might to recover
it, untill at length the Turkes and Saracens prevailing,
the pray was rescued and brought backe againe: which
Hugh and his troopes of horsemen, suddenly understanding, which were on the side of the mountaines,
incontinently rid backe upon the spurre, among the
straight and craggie rockes, skirmishing with the enemies,
and succouring their footemen, but as it chanced they
fought unfortunately. For Hugh, being unarmed, and
immediatly rushing into the middest of all dangers, and
after his woonted manner invading and wounding the
infidels, being behinde with an arrowe shot through the
backe which pierced thorough his liver and brest, he
gave up the ghost in the handes of his owne people.
Hereupon the troopes of the Gentiles being returned with
the recovered pray, and being devided through the secret
and hard passages of the craggie hilles, the souldiers
brought the dead bodie of Hugh, which they had put in
a litter, into the citie of Nazareth
, which is by the mount
Thaber, where with great mourning and lamentation, so
worthie a prince, and valiant champian was honourably
and Catholikely interred. The brother of the said Hugh
named Gerrard, the same time lay sicke of a grievous
disease. Which hearing of the death of his brother, his
sicknesse of his body increasing more vehemently through
griefe, he also deceased within eight dayes after, and was
buried by his brother, after Christian maner.
Chap. 6.
AFTER the lamentable burials of these so famous Princes,
the King, taking occasion of the death of these principall
men of his armie, agreed, making none privie thereto,
to receive the money which was offered him for his
differring off the siege of the citie of Sagitta, yet dissembling to make peace with the Saracens, but that he ment
to go through with the worke, that he had begunne.
Whereupon sending a message unto Japhet, hee advised
the English souldiers to come downe to Acres with their
fleete, and to conferre and consult with him touching the
besieging and assaulting of the citie of Sagitta, which
rising immediatly upon the kings commaundement, and
foorthwith hoysing up the sayles of their shippes aloft
with pendants and stremers of purple, and diverse other
glorious colours, with their flagges of scarlet colour and
silke, came thither, and casting their ancres, rode hard
by the citie. The king the next day calling unto him
such as were privie & acquainted with his dealings, opened
his griefe unto the chiefe Captaines of the English men
and Danes, touching the slaughter of Hugh, and the
death of his brother, and what great confidence he reposed
in them concerning these warres: and that nowe therefore
they being departed and dead, he must of necessity differre
the besieging of Sagitta, & for this time dismisse the
armie assembled. This resolution of the king being spred
among the people, the armie was dissolved, and the
Englishmen, Danes and Flemings, with sailes and oares
going aboard their fleete, saluted the king, and returned
home unto their native countries.
