The History of the Holy War, Book 2 · Chapter 39
Chap. 39. The vitiousnesse of Heraclius the Patriarch of Ierusalem; His Embassie to Henry the second, King of England, with the successe; The Maronites reconciled to the Romane Church.
AFter the death of Almerick Patriarch of Jerusalem, Heraclius was by the Queen-mother Mary,1181. second wife to King Almerick, for his handsomenesse preferred to be Patriarch. *Besoldus, De reg. Hieros. pag. 282.William Archbishop of Tyre was violent against his election, because of a prophesie, That as Heraclius King of Persia wonne, so an Heraclius should lose the Crosse. But others excepted, that this exception was nothing worth: For let God give the man, and let the devil set the name. As for those blind prophesies, they misse the truth ofter then hit it; so that no wise man will lean his belief on so slender a prop. But Heraclius had a worse name then his name, the bad report of his vitious life; keeping a Vintners wife, whom he maintained in all state like an Empresse, and owned the children he had by her: Her name *Besoldus, pag. 284.Pascha de Rivera; and she was generally saluted, The *Patriarchiss…, Marinus San. lib. 3. part. 6. cap. 14.Patriarchesse. His example infected the inferiour clergie; whose corruption was a sad presage of the ruine of the realm: For when Prelates the Seers, when once those eye-strings begin to break, the heart-strings hold not out long after.
In his time the Maronites were reconciled to the Romane Church. Their main errour was the heresie of the Monothelites, touching one onelyonly will and action in Christ. For after that the heresie of Nestorius about two persons in our Saviour was detested in the Eastern Churches, some thought not themselves safe enough from the heresie of two persons, till they were fallen with the opposite extremity of one nature in Christ: violence making men reel from one extreme to another. The errour once broched, found many embracers: As no opinion so monstrous, but if it hath had a mother, it will get a nurse. But now these Maronites renouncing their tenents,1182. received the Catholick faith; though soon after, when Saladine had conquered their countrey, they relapsed to their old errours: wherein they continued till the late times of Pope Gregory the thirteenth, and Clement the eighth, when they again renewed their communion with the Romane Church. They live at this day on mount Libanus, not exceeding twelve thousand households, and pay to the great Turk for every one above twelve yeares old, *Posse…ine, A…par. sacr. in Maron.seventeen sultanines by the yeare; and for every space of ground sixteen spanne square, one sultanine yearly; to keep themselves free from the mixture of Mahometanes. A *Brierwood, Enquiries, cap. 25.sultanine is about seven shillings six pence of our money.
To return to Heraclius;1185. Soon after he was sent Embassadour to Henry the second, King of England, to crave his personall assistance in the Holy warre, delivering unto him the Royall standard, with the keyes of our Saviours sepulchre, the towre of David, and the city of Jerusalem, sent him by King Baldwine. King Henry was singled out for this service before other Princes, because the world justly reported him valiant, wise, rich, powerfull, and fortunate: And (which was the main) hereby he might expiate his murder, and gather up again the innocent bloud which he had shed of Thomas Becket. Besides, Heraclius entituled our Henry to the kingdome of Jerusalem, because Geoffrey Plantagenet his father was sonne (some say, brother) to Fulk the fourth, King of Jerusalem. But King Henry was too wise to bite at such a bait, wherein was onelyonly the husk of title, without the kernel of profit. Yet he pretended he would go into Palestine; and got hereby a masse of money towards his voyage: making every one, as well Clerk as Lay (saving such as went) to pay that yeare the tenth of all their revenues, moveables, and chattells, as well in gold as in silver. Of every citie in England he chose the richest men; as in London two hundred, in York an hundred, and so in proportion: and took the tenth of all their moveables, by the *Daniel, in Henry 1.estimation of credible men who knew their estates; imprisoning those which refused to pay, sub eleemosynae titulo vitium rapacitatis includans, saith Walsingham. But now when he had filled his purse, all expected he should fulfill his promise; when all his voyage into Palestine turned into a journey into France.
Heraclius, whilest he stayed in England, consecrated the Temple-church in the suburbs of London, and the house adjoyning belonging to the Templars; since turned to a better use, for the students of our municipall Law; these new Templars defending one Christian from another, as the old ones Christians from Pagans.