The History of the Holy War, Book 2 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 3
Chap. 1. Robert the Normane refuseth the kingdome of Ierusalem; Godfrey of Bouillon chosen king; his parentage, education, and vertues.
Anno Dom. 1099FIght dayes after Jerusalem was wonne, they proceeded to the election of a King: but they had so much choice that they had no choice at all; so many Princes there were, and so equally eminent,Iuly 23. that Justice her self must suspend her verdict, not knowing which of them best deserved the Crown. Yet it was their pleasure to pitch on Robert the Normane as on the man of highest descent, being sonne to a King: for great Hugh of France was already returned home, pretending the colick; though some impute it to cowardlinesse, and make the disease not in his bowels but his heart.
Robert refused this honourable profer;P. Aemylius, pag. 137. whether because he had an eye to the kingdome of England now void by the death of William Rufus, or because he accounted Jerusalem would be incumbred with continuall warre.Henry Hunting. lib. 7. pag. 377. But he who would not take the Crown with the Crosse, was fain to take the Crosse without the Crown, and never thrived afterwards in any thing he undertook. Thus they who refuse what God fairly carveth for them, do never after cut well for themselves. He lived to see much misery, and felt more, having his eyes put out by king Henry his brother; and at last found rest (when buried) in the now Cathedrall church of Glocester under a *Cambden Brit. p. 255.woodden monument, bearing better proportion to his low fortunes then high birth. And since, in the same quire he hath got the company of another Prince as unfortunate as himself, King Edward the second.
They go on to a second choice; and that they may know the natures of the Princes the better, their servants were examined on oath to confesse their masters faults. The *Tyrius, lib. 9. cap. 2.servants of Godfrey of Bouillon protested their masters onelyonly fault was this, That when Mattens were done he would stay so long in the church to know of the Priest the meaning of every image and picture, that dinner at home was spoiled by his long tarrying. All admired hereat, that this mans worst vice should be so great a vertue, and unanimously chose him their King. He accepted the place, but refused the solemnity thereof; and would not wear a crown of gold there, where the Saviour of mankind had worn a crown of thorns.
He was sonne to Bustace Duke of Bouillon, and Ida his wife, daughter and heir to Godfrey Duke of Lorein; born, saith *Lib. 9. cap. 5.Tyrius, at Bologne a town in Champaigne on the English sea, which he mistaketh for Bouillon up higher in the continent neare the county of Lutzenburg. Such slips are incident to the pennes of the best authours: yea, we may see Canterbury mistaken for Cambridge, not onelyonly in *Lib. 2. Cosmog. pag. 50.Munster, but even in all our own printed Statute-books in the 12. of Richard the *As Caius proveth it plainly out of Walsingham.second. He was brought up in that school of valour, the court of Henry the 4. the Emperour. Whilest he lived there, there happened an intricate suit betwixt him and another Prince about title of land; and because Judges could not untie the knot, it was concluded the two Princes should cut it asunder with their sword in a combat. Godfrey was very *Quantum potuit renitebatur, Tyrius, lib. 9. cap. 7.unwilling to fight, not that he was the worse souldier, but the better Christian: he made the demurre not in his courage, but in his conscience; as conceiving any private title for land not ground enough for a duell: Yea, we may observe generally, that they who long most to fight duells, are the first that surfet of them. Notwithstanding, he yeelded to the tyranny of custome, and after the fashion of the countrey entred the lists: when at the first encounter his sword brake; but he struck his adversary down with the hilt, yet so that he saved his life, and gained his own inheritance. Another parallel act of his valour was when being standardbearer to the Emperour, he with the imperiall ensigne killed Rodulphus the Duke of Saxony in single fight, and fed the Eagle on the bowels of that arch-rebell. His soul was enriched with many vertues, but the most orient of all was his humility, which took all mens affections without resistance: And though one saith, Take away ambition, and you take away the spurres of a souldier; yet, Godfrey without those spurres rode on most triumphantly.
Chap. 2. The establishing of Ecclesiasticall affairs, and Patriarchs in Antioch and Ierusalem; the numerosity of Palestine-Bishops.
BUt now let us leave the Helmets, and look on the Mitres, and consider the ordering of Ecclesiasticall affairs. For the Common-wealth is a Ring, the Church the Diamond; both well set together, receive, and return lustre each on other. As soon as Antioch was taken, one Bernard (a reverend Prelate) was made Patriarch there with generall consent. But more stirre was there about that place in Jerusalem: For first Arnulphus, a worthlesse and vitious man, was by *Fatuo populo suffragia inconsulta ministrante, Tyrius, lib. 9. cap. 4.popular faction lifted up into the Patriarchs chair; but with much ado was avoided, and Dabert, Archbishop of Pisa, substituted in his room: one very wise and politick, an excellent book-man in reading of men, and otherwise well studied, especially as that age went, wherein a mediocrity was an eminency in learning. But he was infected with the humour of the clergie of that age, who counted themselves to want room except they justled with Princes. As for Arnulphus, he never ceased to trouble and molest this Dabert; and as a firebrand smoketh most when out of the chimney, so he after his displacing was most turbulent and unquiet, ever sitting on his skirts that sat in the Patriarchs chair, till after many changes he struggled himself again into the place.
Under these Patriarchs many Archbishops and Bishops were appointed in the very places (as neare as might be) where they were before the Saracens overrunning the countrey, and good maintenance assigned to most of them.
But at this time Bishops were set too thick for all to grow great; and Palestine fed too many Cathedrall churches to have them generally fat. *Vide tabulas Adricomii.Lydda, Jamnia, and Joppa, three episcopall towns, were within foure miles one of another. Yea, *Lib. 14. cap. 12.Tyrius makes 14 Bishops under the Archbishop of Tyre, 20 under the Archbishop of Caesarea, under the Archbishop of Scythopolis 9, 12 under the Archbishop of Rabbah, besides 25 suffragan churches, which it seems were immediately depending on the Patriarch of Jerusalem, without subordination to any Archbishop. Surely, many of these Bishops (to use Bishop *In the Archbishops of Cant. p. 143.Langhams expression) had high racks but poore mangers. Neither let it stagger the reader if in that catalogue of Tyrius he light on many Bishops seats which are not to be found in Mercator, Ortelius, or any other Geographer; for some of them were such poore places, that they were ashamed to appear in a map, and fall so much under a Geographers notice, that they fall not under it. For in that age Bishops had their Sees at poore and contemptible villages; (as here in England before the Conquest, who would suspect Sunning in Barkshire, or Dorchester neare Oxford to have had Cathedrall churches?) till in the daies of *Fox Martyrolog. p. 173.William the first, Bishops removed their seats to the principall towns in the shire.
Chap. 3. The Saracens conquered at Askelon.
MAhomets tombe hung not so strong but now it began to shake, and was likely to fall. These victories of the Christians gave a deadly wound to that religion. Wherefore the Saracens combined themselves with the Turks to assist them, there being betwixt these two nations, I will not say an unity, but a conspiracy in the same superstition; so that therein they were like a nest of hornets, stirre one and anger all. Wherefore coming out of Egypt under Ammiravissus their Generall, at Askelon they gave the Christians battel.Aug. 12. But God sent such a qualm of cowardlinesse over the hearts of these Infidels, that an hundred thousand of them were quickly slain; so that it was rather an execution then a fight; and their rich tents which seemed to be the *Tyrius, lib. 9 cap. 12.exchequer of the East-countrey, spoiled; so that the Pilgrimes knew not how to value the wealth they found in them.
This victory obtained, such Pilgrimes as were disposed to return, addressed themselves for their countrey; and these merchants for honour went home, having made a gainfull adventure. Those that remained were advanced to Signories in the land; as Tancred was made governour of Galilee. Nor will it be amisse to insert this story: Peter Bishop of Anagnia in Italy was purposed here to lead his life without taking care for his charge; when behold S. Magnus *Baronius out of Brunus in anno 1099patrone of that church appeared to him in a vision, pretending himself to be a young man who had left his wife at home, and was come to live in Jerusalem. Fie, said Peter to him, go home again to your wife: Whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder. Why then, replied S. Magnus, have you left your church a widow in Italy, and live here so farre from her company? This vision, though calculated for this one Bishop, did generally serve for all the non-residents which posted hither, and who payed not the lawfull debt to their conscience, whilest by needlesse bonds they engaged themselves to their own will-worship. For though souls of men be light, because immateriall, yet they may prove an heavy burden to these carelesse Pastours who were to answer for them.
After the return of these Pilgrimes, the heat of the Christians victories in Syria were somewhat allayed: for *Tyrius, lib. 9. cap. 20. Idem, lib. 9. cap. 19.Boemund Prince of Antioch marching into Mesopotamia, was taken prisoner; and Godfrey besieging the city of Antipatris, then called Assur, though hitherto he had been alwayes a conquerour, was fain to depart with disgrace. So small a remora may stay that ship which faileth with the fairest gale of successe.