The History of the Holy War, Book 5 · Chapter 15 – Chapter 18
Chap. 15. The sixth hindrance, the Diversitie of the climate disagreeing with the bodies of Europe; And what weakeneth Northern men going Southward.
NOw followeth the Diversitie of the climate, which caused the death of many thousands of the Christians, sweeping them away with horrible plagues and other diseases. For even as men when they come into a new Corporation, must pay their fees before they can be freemen thereof and set up trading therein; so it alwayes cost the Christians of Europe a dangerous sicknesse at least, before they could be well acquainted with the aire and climate of Palestine.
Amongst other diseases the Leprosie was one epidemicall infection which tainted the Pilgrimes coming thither. This (though most rife in our Saviours time, God so ordering it that Judea was sickest while her Physician was nearest) at this time of the Holy warre was very dangerous. Hence was it brought over into England (never before known in this Island) and many Lazar-houses erected for the relief of those infected therewith: Their chief house was at Burton-lazars in Leicester-shire. I say not, as this disease began with the Holy warre in England, so it ended with it: Sure such hath been Gods goodnesse, that few at this day are afflicted therewith; and the leprosie of Leprosie, I mean the contagion thereof, in this cold countrey is much abated.
Many other sicknesses seised on the Pilgrimes there, especially in summer. The Turks, like Salamanders, could live in that fiery countrey, whose scorching our Northern bodies could not endure. Yea, long before I find it observed by Vitruvius, that they who come cold into hot countreys, cannot long subsist, but are dissolved; whilest those that change out of hot into cold, find not onelyonly no distemper and sicknesse by the alteration, but also grow more healthfull, solid, and compacted: But this perchance is easilyer said then maintained.
But let us not hereupon be disheartened to set on our Southern foes for fear to be impaired, nor they invited to invade us by hope to be improved. Know, it is not so much the climate, as bad and unwholesome diet inraging the climate against us, which unsineweth those Northern nations when they come into the South: Which bad diet, though sometimes necessary for want of better food, yet is most-times voluntary through mens wilfull intemperance. In the Portugall action anno 1589, more English owed their Calenture to the heat of wine then weather. Why do our English merchants bodies fadge well enough in Southern aire? why cannot our valour thrive as well there as our profit; but chiefly for this, That merchants are carefull of themselves, whilest souldiers count it basenesse to be thriftie of their own healths?
Besides, the sinnes of the South unmasculate Northern bodies. In hot countreys the Sirens of pleasure sing the sweetest, which quickly ravish our eares unused to such musick. But should we marching Southwards observe our health in some proportion of temperance, and by degrees habituate our selves to the climate; and should we keep our souls from their sinnes, no doubt the North might pierce the South as farre, and therein erect as high and long-lasting tropheys, as ever the South did in the North.
Nor must it have admittance without examination into a judicious breast, what some have observed; That Northern people never enjoyed any durable settled government in the South. Experience avoweth they are more happie in speedie conquering then in long enjoying of countreys.
But the first Monarch the world ever knew (I mean, the Assyrian) came from the North: Whence he is so often styled in Scripture, The King of the North; conquering, and for many yeares enjoying those countreys which lie betwixt him and the sunne; as Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Syria, Egypt: To speak nothing of the Turks, who in the dichotomizing of the world fall under the Northern part, and coming out of Scythia at first subdued most Southern countreys.
Chap. 16. The seventh impediment, the Vitiousnesse of the undertakers.
THus are we fallen on the next hindrance of successe in this Holy warre, the Vitiousnesse of the undertakers. But here first we must make an honourable reservation for many adventurers herein, whom we confesse most pious and religious persons. Let us not raise the opinion of our own pietie by trampling on our predecessours, as if this age had monopolized all goodnesse to it self. Some no doubt most religious and truly valiant (as fearing nothing but sinne) engaged themselves in this action; of whom I could onelyonly wish, that their zeal herein had either had more light or lesse heat. But with these, I say not how many, but too many went most wicked people, the causers of the ill successe.
It will be objected, Sanctitas morum hath been made of some a note of the true Church, never the signe of a fortunate armie: Look on all armies generally, we shall find them of the souldiers religion, not troubled with over-much precisenesse: As our King John said, (whether wittily or wickedly, let others judge) That the Buck he opened was fat, yet never heard Masse: so many souldiers have been successefull without the least smack of pietie; some such desperate villains, that fortune (to erroneous judgements) may seem to have favoured them for fear.
True: but we must not consider these adventurers as plain and mere souldiers, but as Pilgrimes and Gods armie; in whom was required, and from whom was expected more pietie and puritie of life and manners then in ordinarie men: whereas on the contrarie, we shall make it appear, that they were more vitious then the common sort of men. Nor do we this out of crueltie or wantonnesse, to wound and mangle the memorie of the dead; but to anatomize and open their ulcerous insides, that the dead may teach the living, and lesson posteritie.
Besides those that went, many were either driven or fled to the Holy land. Those were driven, who having committed some *Totum vulgus, tam casti quàm incesti, adulteri, homicidae, perjuri, praedones, Albertus Aquensis, Chron. Hierosol. lib. 1. cap. 2. Besoldus, pag. 101. ex Brochardo, Malefactor deprehensus, homicida, latro, fur, incestuosus, adulter, fornicator, timet à judice condignam poenam, & transfretat in terram Sanctam.horrible sinne in Europe, had this penance imposed on them, To travel to Jerusalem to expiate their faults. Many a whore was sent thither to find her virginitie: Many a murderer was enjoyned to fight in the Holy warre, to wash off the guilt of Christian bloud by shedding bloud of Turks. The like was in all other offenses; malefactours were sent hither to satisfie for their former wickednesse. Now God forbid we should condemn them, if truly penitents, for impious. May he who speaketh against penitents, never have the honour to be one; since Repentance is the younger brother to Innocence it self. But we find that many of them reverted to their former wickednesse: they lost none of their old faults and got many new, mending in this hot countrey as sowre ale in summer. Others fled hither, who having supererogated the gallows in their own countreys by their severall misdemeanours, theft, rapes, incest, murders, to avoid the stroke of Justice, protected themselves under this voyage; and coming to Palestine, so profited in those Eastern schools of vices, that they learned to be more artificially wicked. This plainly appeareth, as in sundrie other Authours, so chiefly in Tyrius, a witnesse beyond exception, who *Especially in the end of King Almericks life.often complaineth hereof. And if we value testimonies rather by the weight then number, we must credit so grave a man, who writeth it with grief, and had no doubt as much water in his eyes as ink in his pen, and surely would be thankfull to him that herein would prove him a liar.
Chap. 17. The eighth hindrance, the Treacherie of the Templars; Of Sacriledge alledged by Baronius, the cause of the ill successe.
RObert Earl of Artois upbraided the Master of the Templars, That it was the common speech, that the Holy land long since had been wonne, but for the false coll…sion of the Templars and Hospitallers with the Infidels: Which words, though proceeding from passion in him yet from premeditation in others, not made by him but related, deserve to be observed the rather, because common reports (like smoke, seldome but from some fire, never but from much heat) are generally true. It is not to be denied, but that both these Orders were guiltie herein, as appeareth by the whole current of the storie. Yea, King Almerick fairly trussed up twelve Templars at once, *Tyrius, lib. 19. cap. 11.hanging them for delivering up an impregnable fort to Syracon. These like a deceitfull chirurgeon, who hath more corruption in himself then the sore he dresseth, prolonged the cure for their private profit; and this Holy warre being the trade whereby they got their gains, they lengthened it out to the utmost: So that their Treacherie may passe for the eighth impediment.
Baronius *Annal. Ecclesiast. in anno 1100, & 1104.concludeth this one principall cause of the Christians ill successe, That the Kings of Jerusalem took away that citie from the Patriarchs thereof, herein committing sacriledge, a sinne so hainous, that malice it self cannot wish an enemy guilty of a worse. But wether or no this was sacriledge, we referre the reader to what hath been largely discussed before.
And here I could wish to be an auditour at the learned and unpartiall arguing of this question, Whether over-great donations to the Church may not afterwards be revoked? On the one side it would be pleaded, who should be judge of the over-greatnesse, seeing too many are so narrow-hearted to the Church, they count any thing too large for it; yea, some would cut off the flesh of the Churches necessary maintenance, under pretense to cure her of a tympanie of superfluities. Besides, it would be alledged, What once hath been bestowed on pious uses, must ever remain thereto: To give a thing and take a thing, is a play too childish for children; much lesse must God be mocked therewith, in resuming what hath been conferred upon him. It would be argued on the other side, That when Kings do perceive the Church readie to devoure the Commonwealth by vast and unlimited donations unto it, and Clergie-men grown to suspicious greatnesse, armed with hurtfull and dangerous priviledges derogatorie to the royaltie of Princes; then, then it is high time for Princes to pare their overgrown greatnesse. But this high pitch we leave to stronger wings: Sure I am in another kind, this Holy warre was guiltie of sacriledge, and for which it thrived no whit the better; in that the Pope exempted six and twentie thousand manours in Europe, belonging to the Templars and Hospitallers, from paying any tithes to the Priest of the parish; so that many a minister in England smarteth at this day for the Holy warre. And if this be not sacriledge, to take away the dowrie of the Church without assuring her any joynture in lieu of it, I report my self to any that have not the pearl of prejudice in the eye of their judgement.
Chap. 18. Three grand faults in the Kingdome of Ierusalem, hindring the strength and puissance thereof.
COme we now to survey the Kingdome of Jerusalem in it self: We will take it in its verticall point, in the beginning of Baldwine the third, when grown to the best strength and beautie; yet even then had it some faults, whereby it was impossible ever long to subsist.
1. It lay farre from any true friend. On the West it was bounded with the mid-land-sea, but on all other sides it was environed with an Ocean of foes, and was a countrey continually besieged with enemies. One being to sell his house, amongst other commendations thereof, proclaimed, That his house had a very good neighbour; a thing indeed considerable in the purchase, and might advance the fale thereof a yeares value: Sure I am, the Kingdome of Jerusalem had no such conveniencie, having bad neighbours round about: Cyprus indeed their friend lay within a dayes sail; but alas! the Kings thereof had their hands full to defend themselves, and could scarce spare a finger to help any other.
2. The Kingdome was farre extended, but not well compacted: all the bodie thereof ran out in arms and legs. Besides that ground inhabited formerly by the twelve tribes, and properly called the Holy land; the Kingdome of Jerusalem ranged Northward over all Celosyria and Cilicia in the lesser Asia: North-eastward, it roved over the Principalities of Antioch and Edessa, even unto Carrae beyond Euphrates: Eastward, it possessed farre beyond Jordan the strong fort of Cracci, with a great part of Arabia Petrea: Southward, it stretched to the entrance of Egypt. But as he is a strong man, whose joynts are well set and knit together, not whom nature hath spunne out all in length and never thickened him; so it is the united and well compacted Kingdome entire in it self which is strong, not that which reacheth and strideth the farthest. For in the midst of the Kingdome of Jerusalem lay the Kingdome of Damascus, like a canker feeding on the breast thereof: and clean through the Holy land, though the Christians had many cities sprinkled here and there, the Turks in other strong holds continued mingled amongst them.
3. Lastly, (what we have touched once before) some subjects to the Kings of Jerusalem, namely, the Princes of Antioch, Edessa and Tripoli, had too large and absolute power and authoritie: They would do whatsoever the King would command them, if they thought good themselves. Now subjects should be Adjectives, not able to stand without (much lesse against) their Prince, or they will make but bad construction otherwise.
These three hindrances in the Kingdome of Jerusalem added to the nine former, will complete a Jurie. Now if any one chance to censure one or two of them, let him not triumph therein; for we produce not these impediments severally but joyntly, not to fight single duells but all in an armie: Non noceant quamvìs singula, juncta nocent.