The History of the Holy War, Book 4 · Chapter 33
Chap. 33. Ptolemais besieged, and taken by Sultan Serapha.
WIthin the city were many voluntaries lately come over, five hundred whereof were of the Popes furnishing. But belike he failed afterwards in his payment to them, the golden tide flowing not so fast out as into his Holinesse coffers. The souldiers being not payed, according to their blunt manners, would pay themselves; and marching out, pillaged the countrey contrary to the truce: Sultan Serapha (who succeeded Alphir) demanding restitution, is denied, and his Embassadours ill intreated.
Hereupon he sitteth down before the city with six hundred thousand men.1290 But we are not bound to beleeve that Alexanders souldiers were so big as their shields speak them which they left in India, nor Asian armies so numerous as they are reported. Allow the Turks dominions spacious and populous, and that they rather drained then chose souldiers; yet we had best credit the most niggardly writers, which make them an hundred and fifty thousand. Serapha resolveth to take it, conceiving so convenient a purchase could not be over-bought: The place, though not great, yet was a mote in the eye of the Turkish Empire, and therefore pained them.
Peter Belvise Master of the Templars, a valiant Captain, had the command of the city assigned him by generall consent. He encouraged the Christians to be valiant, not like prodigall heirs to lose this city for nothing which cost their grandfathers so much bloud; at least let them give one blaze of valour ere their candle went out. How should they shew their friends their faces, if they shewed their foes their backs! Let them fight it out manfully; that so, if forced at last to surrender it, they might rather be pitied for want of fortune then justly blamed for lack of valour.
And now Ptolemais being to wrestle her last fall, stripped her self of all cumbersome clothes: women, children, aged persons, weak folks (all such hindering help, and mouthes without arms) were sent away; and twelve thousand remained, conceived competent to make good the place.
Serapha marcheth up furiously; his men assault the city, with open jaws ready to devoure it, had not their mouthes been stopped with the artillery the Christians shot at them. Back they were beaten, and many a Turk slain. But Serapha was no whit sensible thereof: who willingly would lose a thousand men in a morning for a breakfast, double so many at a dinner, and continue this costly ordinary for some dayes together; yea, in spite he would spend an ounce of Turkish bloud, to draw a drop of Christian.
In this conflict Peter Belvise was slain with a poisoned arrow: A losse above grieving for. Many were strong in desiring the honour who were weak to discharge the office. But the worst mischief was; the Christians were divided amongst themselves, and neglected to defend the citie, conceiving that though that was taken, yet every particular nation could defend it self, having their buildings severally fortified: And this dangerous fansie took off their thoughts from the publick good, and fixed them on their private ends. Mean time, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and others (some name with them Henry King of Jerusalem and Cyprus) more seeking their safety then honour, secretly fled (with their bodies after their hearts) out of the city; and some of them shunning a noble death, fell on a base end, being drowned in the sea. Their cowardlinesse is imputed by some Authours to all the rest; whereas it appeareth on the contrary, they most valiantly behaved themselves.
1291At last, the Turks entred the city by undermining the walls, and conceived their work now done, when it was new begun. For they found Ptolemais not a city, but a heap of cities thrown together: wherein the people of every countrey so fensed themselves in their severall forts, that they powdered the Turks with their shot when they entred the streets. It is hardly to be paralleled in any siege, that a taken city was so long before it was taken: for it held out fifty dayes; and the Knights-Hospitallers made good their castle for *Lampad. Mellif. hist. part. 3. pag. 313.two whole moneths together. But alas! as the severall parts of Insecta being cut asunder, may wriggle and stirre a while, not live long; so these divided limbes could not long subsist, and at last most of them were slain.
Yet was it a bloudy victory to the Turks; most of them that entred the city being either burned with fire, or killed with arrows, or smothered with the fall of towres, the very ruines (as thirsty of revenge) killing those that ruined them.
Serapha evened all to the ground, and (lest the Christians should ever after land here) demolished all buildings; the Turks holding this position, That the best way to be rid of such vermine, is to shave the hair clean off, and to destroy all places wherein they may nestle themselves.
Some say, he plowed the ground whereon the city stood, and sowed it with corn: but an *Sand. Trav. pag. 204.eye-witnesse affirmeth, that still there remain magnificent ruines, seeming rather wholly to consist of divers conjoyned castles, then any way intermingled with private dwellings.
No fewer then an hundred thousand Latine Christians (all that were left in Syria) fled at this time into Cyprus. It is strange what is reported, *Lampad. pag. 312.That above five hundred matrones and virgins of noble bloud, standing upon the shore of Ptolemais, and having all their richest jewels with them, cried out with lamentable voice, and profered to any mariner that would undertake safely to land them any-where, all their wealth for his hire, and also that he should choose any one of them for his wife. Then a certain mariner came, and transporting them all freely, safely landed them in Cyprus; nor by any enquiry could it after be known (when he was sought for to receive his hire) who this mariner was, nor whither he went.
The Hospitallers for haste were fain to leave their treasure behind them, and hide it in a vault; which being made known from time to time to their successours, was fetched from thence by the *Sand. Trav. pag. 204.galleys of Malta about three hundred yeares afterwards.
Henry King of Cyprus to his great cost and greater commendation, gave free entertainment to all Pilgrimes that fled hither, till such time as they could be transported to their own countreys; and thanks was all the shot expected of these guests at their departure.
Thus after an hundred ninety and foure yeares ended the Holy warre; for continuance the longest, for money spent the costliest, for bloudshed the cruellest, for pretenses the most pious, for the true intent the most politick the world ever saw. And at this day, the Turks to spare the Christians their pains of coming so long a journey to Palestine, have done them the unwelcome courtesie, to come more then half the way to give them a meeting.
The end of the fourth Book.