The History of the Holy War, Book 2 · Chapter 42 – Chapter 44
Chap. 42. Saladine is conquered by King Baldwine, and conquereth Mesopotamia; Discords about the Protectourship of Ierusalem; The death, and praise of Baldwine the fourth.
THe kingdome of Damascus being recovered of the famine, Saladine having gotten his ends by the truce, would now have the truce to end; and breaking it (as not standing with his haughty designes) marched with a great army out of Egypt through Palestine to Damascus, much spoiling the countrey. And now having joyned the Egyptian with the Damascene forces, re-entred the Holy land. But young King Baldwine meeting him,Centurist. Cent 12. in Baldvino 4. though but with seven hundred to twenty thousand, at the village Frobolet, overthrew him in a great battel; and Saladine himself was glad with speedy flight to escape the danger, and by long marches to get him again to Damascus. Afterward he besieged Berytus both by sea & land: but the vigilancie and valour of King Baldwine defeated his taking of it.
Saladine finding such tough resistance in the Holy land, thought to make a better purchase by laying out his time in Mesopotamia. Wherefore passing Euphrates, he wonne Charran and divers other cities: and then returning, in Syria besieged Aleppo the strongest place the Christians had in that countrey; so fortified by nature, that he had little hope to force it. But treason will runne up the steepest ascent, where valour it self can scarce creep: and Saladine with the battery of bribes made such a breach in the loyaltie of the governour, that he betrayed it unto him.
Thus he cometh again into the Holy land more formidable then ever before, carrying an army of terrour in the mentioning of his name, which drove the poore Christians all into their fenced cities. As for King Baldwine, the leprosie had arrested him prisoner, and kept him at home. Long had this Kings spirit endured this infirmity, swallowing many a bitter pang with a smiling face, and going upright with patient shoulders under the weight of his disease. It made him put all his might to it, because when he yeelded to his sicknesse, he must leave off the managing of the State; and he was loth to put off his royall robes before he went to bed, a Crown being too good a companion for one to part with willingly. But at last he was made to stoop,1183 and retired himself to a private life, appointing Baldwine his nephew (a child of five yeares old) his successour; and Guy Earl of Joppa and Askelon, this childs father in law, to be Protectour of the Realm in his minority.
But soon after he revoked this latter act, and designed Reimund Earl of Tripoli for the Protectour. He displaced Guy, because he found him of no over-weight worth, scarce passable without favourable allowance, little feared of his foes, and as little loved of his friends. The more martiall Christians sleighted him as a slug, and neglected so lazy a leader that could not keep pace with those that were to follow him: Yea, they refused (whilest he was Protectour) at his command to fight with Saladine; and out of distast to their Generall, suffered their enemie freely to forrage; which was never done before: For the Christians never met any Turks wandring in the Holy land, but on even terms they would examine their passe-port how sufficient it was, and bid them battel.
Guy stormed at his displacing, and though little valiant, yet very …ullen, left the Court in discontent, went home, and fortified his cities of Joppa and Askelon. What should King Baldwine do in this case? Whom should he make Protectour? Guy had too little, Reimund too much spirit for the place. He feared Guy's cowardlinesse, lest he should lose the kingdome to the Turks; and Reimunds treachery, lest he should get it for himself. Thus anguish of mind and weaknesse of bodie (a doughtie conquest for their united strengths, which single might suffice) ended this Kings dayes, dying young at five and twenty yeares of age. But if by the morning we may guesse at the day, he would have been no whit inferiour to any of his predecessours; especially if his body had been able: but (alas!) it spoiled the musick of his soul, that the instrument was quite out of tune. He reigned twelve yeares, and was buried in the Temple of the Sepulchre:1185 a King happie in this, that he died before the death of his Kingdome.May 16.
Chap. 43. The short life, and wofull death of Baldwine the fifth an infant. Guy his father in law succeedeth him.
Camd. Brit. in the descript. of the countie of Dublin.IT is a rare happinesse of the family of S. Laurence,1185 Barons of Hoath in Ireland, that the heirs for 400 yeares together alwayes have been of age before the death of their fathers: For Minors have not onelyonly baned families, but ruined realms. It is one of Gods threatnings; I will give children to be their Princes,Isa. 3.4. and babes shall rule over them. With this rod God strook the Kingdome of Jerusalem thrice in 40 yeares; Baldwine the third, fourth, and fifth, being all under age; and this last but five yeares old. He was the posthumus sonne of William Marquesse of Montferrat, by Sibyll his wife, sister to Baldwine the fourth, daughter to King Almerick: She afterwards was married to Guy Earl of Joppa and Askelon.
Now Reimund Earl of Tripoli challenged to be Protectour of this young King, by the vertue of an Act of the former King so assigning him. But Sibyll mother to this infant, to defeat Reimund, first murdered all naturall affection in her self, and then by poyson murdered her sonne; that so the Crown in her right might come to her husband Guy. This Baldwine reigned eight moneths,Cosmog. lib. 5. in terra sancta. eight dayes; saith mistaken Munster: and some mistake more, who make him not to reigne at all; cruel to wrong his memorie of his honour, whom his mother had robbed both of his life and Kingdome.
His death was concealed, till Guy his father in law had obtained by large bribes to the Templars and Heraclius the Patriarch, to be crowned King: One more ennobled with his descent from the ancient family of the Lusignans in Poictou, then for any *Tyrius, lib. 22. cap. 25. & 27. calleth him hom…nem indiscretum & penitus inu…lem.eminencie in himself: His gifts were better then his endowments. Yet had he been more fortunate, he would have been accounted more vertuous; men commonly censuring that the fault of the King, which is the fate of the kingdome. And now the Christian affairs here posted to their wofull period, being spurred on by the discords of the Princes.
Chap. 44. Church-affairs: Of Haymericus Patriarch of Antioch; Of the Grecian Anti-patriarchs; and of the learned Theodorus Balsamon.
WHilest Heraclius did Patriarch it in Jerusalem, one Haymericus had the same honour at Antioch. He wrote to Henry the second King of England, a bemoning letter of the Christians in the East, and from him received another, fraught with never-performed fair promises. This man must needs be different from that Haymericus who began his Patriarchship in Antioch anno 1143, and sat but twelve yeares, say the *Centur. 12. in Episcop.Centuriatours: But *Annal. Eccl. in Haymerico.Baronius, as different from them sometimes in Chronologie as Divinitie, maketh them the same. Then must he be a through-old man, enjoying his place above fourtie yeares; being probably before he wore the style of Patriarch, well worn in yeares himself. I must confesse, it passeth my Chymistrie to extract any agreement herein out of the contrariety of writers. We must also take notice, that besides the Latine Patriarchs in Jerusalem and Antioch, there were also Grecian Anti-patriarchs appointed by the Emperour of Constantinople: who having no temporall power nor profit by Church-lands, had onelyonly jurisdiction over those of the Greek Church. We find not the chain of their succession, but here and there light on a link▪ and at this time in Jerusalem on three successively: 1. Athanasius; whom though *Baronius, in anno 1180.one out of his abundant charitie is pleased to style a Schismatick, yet was he both pious and learned, as appeareth by his epistles. 2. Leontius,*Nicet… Choniates, in Isa…cio Angelo, p. 438. commended likewise to posteritie for a good Clerk and an honest man. 3. Dositheus, *Idem ibidem.inferiour to the former in both respects: Isaac the Grecian Emperour sent to make him Patriarch of Constantinople▪ and Dositheus catching at both, held neither, but betwixt two Patriarchs chairs fell to the ground.
Antioch also had her Greek Patriarchs: As one Sotericus, displaced for maintaining some unsound tenets about our Saviour: After him Theodorus Balsamon, the oracle of the learned Law in his age. He compiled and commented on the ancient Canons; and principally set forth the priviledges of Constantinople; listening, say the Romanists, to the least noise that soundeth to the advancing of the Eastern Churches, and knocking down Rome wheresoever it peepeth above Constantinople. This maketh Bellarmine except against him as a partiall writer; because a true Historian should be neither partie, advocate, nor judge, but a bare witnesse.
By *Nicetas Chon. in Isaacio, pag. 440.Isaac the Grecian Emperour this Balsamon was also deceived: he pretended to remove him to Constantinople, on condition he would prove the translation of the Patriarch to be legall, which is forbidden by the Canons. Balsamon took upon him to prove it: and a Lawyers brains will beat to purpose when his own preferment is the fee. But herein he did but crack the nut for another to eat the kernel: For the Emperour mutable in his mind, changing his favourites as well as his clothes before they were old, when the legality of the translation was avowed, bestowed the Patriarchship of Constantinople on another; and Theodorus was still staked down at Antioch in a true spirituall preferment, affording him little bodily maintenance.