The History of the Holy War, Book 2 · Chapter 27 – Chapter 28
Chap. 27. Edessa lost; The hopefull voyage of Conrade the Emperour and Lewis King of France to the Holy land, blasted by the perfidiousnesse of Emmanuel the Grecian Emperour.
EMpires have their set bounds, whither when they come, they stand still, go back, fall down: This we may see in the kingdome of Jerusalem; which under Godfrey and the two first Baldwines was a gainer, under Fulk a saver, under the succeeding Kings a constant loser till all was gone. For now Sanguin Prince of the Turks (as bloudy as his name) wrested from the Christians the countrey and city of Edessa, one of the foure Tetrarchies of the kingdome of Jerusalem. And though Sanguin shortly after was stabbed at a feast, yet Noradine his sonne succeeded, and exceeded him in cruelty against the Christians.
The losse of Edessa (wherein *Christiano nomini à temporibus Apostolorum devota, T… rius, lib. 16. cap. 5.our religion had flourished ever since the Apostles time) moved Conrade Emperour of the West,1147 and Lewis the 7. surnamed the Young King of France, to undertake a voyage to the Holy land. Pope Eugenius the 3. bestirred himself in the matter, and made S. Bernard his soliciter to advance the designe. For never could so much steel have been drawn into the east, had not this good mans perswasion been the loadstone. The Emperours army contained two hundred thousand foot, besides fifty thousand horse: Nor was the army of King Lewis much inferiour in number. In France they sent a *P. Aemyl. in Lu…o… 7.distaff and a spindle to all those able men that went not with them, as upbraiding their effeminatenesse: And no wonder, when women themselves went in armour, (having a brave lasse like another Penthesilea for their leader, so befringed with gold, that they called her *Nicetas, in Emm. Comn. foreign.Golden-foot) riding astride like men; which I should count more strange, but that I find all women in England in the same posture on their horses, till *Camd. Bri…an. in Surrey.Anna, wife to King Richard the second, some 200 yeares since, taught them a more modest behaviour. The Turks did quake hearing of these preparations, which to them were reported farre greater then they were; fame (contrary to all other painters) making those things the greatest which are presented the farthest off.
Conrade with his army took his way through Grecia: where Emmanuel the Emperour, possessed with an hereditary fear of the Latines, fortified his cities in the way, as knowing there needed strong banks where such a stream of people was to passe. And suspecting that if these Pilgrimes often made his Empire their high-way into Palestine, little grasse would grow in so troden a path, and his countrey thereby be much endamaged; he used them most treacherously, giving them bad welcome that he might no more have such guests. To increase their miseries, as the Dutch encamped by the river *Nicetas, ut pri…s.Melas (if that may be called a river which is all mud in summer, all sea in winter) deserving his name from this black and dismall accident, it drowned many with its sudden overflowings; as if it had conspired with the Grecians, and learned treachery from them. They that survived this sudden mishap, were reserved for lingring misery. For the Grecian Emperour did them all possible mischief, by mingling lime with their meal, by killing of stragglers, by holding intelligence with the Turks their enemies, by corrupting his coyn, making his silver as base as himself (so that the Dutch sold good wares for bad money, and bought bad wares with good money) by giving them false Conductours which trained them into danger; so that there was more fear of the guides then of the way. All which his unfaithfull dealings are recorded by that faithfull historian *In vitae Manuel. Comn. lib. 1. §. 5.Nicetas Choniates▪ who though a Grecian born, affirmeth these things; the truth of his love to his countrey-men no whit prejudicing his love to the truth.
Chap. 28. The Turks conquered at Meander; The Dutch and French arrive in Palestine.
SCarce had the Dutch escaped the treachery of the Greeks, when they were encountred with the hostility of the Turks, who waited for them on the other side of Meander. The river was not foordable, ship or bridge the Christians had none: when behold Conrade the Emperour adventured on an action, which because it was successefull, shall be accounted valiant; otherwise we should term it desperate. After an *Knolls, Turk. hist. pag. 33.exhortation to his army, he commanded them all at once to flownce into the river. Meander was plunged by their plunging into it: his water stood *Nicetas, in Man. Comn. lib. 1. §. 6.amazed, as unresolved whether to retreat to the fountain, or proceed to the sea, and in this extasie afforded them a dry passage over the stream. An act, which like that of Horatius Cocles his leaping into Tiber, *Liv. lib. 2.plus famae ad posteros habiturum quàm fidei, will find more admirers then beleevers with posterity. The affrighted Turks on the other side, thinking there was no contending with them that did teach nature it self obedience, offered their throats to the Christians swords, and were killed in such number, that whole piles of dead bones remain there for a monument: like those heaps of the Cimbrians slain by Marius neare Marseils, where afterwards the inhabitants walled their vineyards with sculls, and guarded their *Munst. Cosmog. lib. 2. pag. 227.grapes with dead men. Hence Conrade made forward to Iconium, now called Cogni, which he besieged in vain, to the great losse of his army.
The King of France followed after with great multitudes, and drank of the same cup at the Grecians hands, though not so deeply: till at last, finding that those who marched through the continent met with an ocean of miserie, he thought better to trust the wind and sea then the Greeks; and taking shipping safely arrived in Palestine, where he was highly welcomed by Reimund Prince of Antioch. Some weeks were spent in complying, entertainments, and visiting holy places; till at last, Elianor wife to the King of France, who accompanied her husband, made religion her pander, and played *Serres, (translated by Grimston) in vita Ludov. 7. & P. Aemylius, in ejusdem vita.bankrupt of her honour; under pretense of pilgrimage, keeping company with a base Saracen jester, whom she preferred before a King. Thus love may blindfold the eyes, but lust boreth them out. Yea, now she pleaded that she might be no longer wife to the King, because she was too neare unto him within the degrees forbidden. This new-started scruple never troubled her before: but some have sluces in their consciences, and can keep them open or shut them as occasion requireth.