The History of the Holy War, Book 3 · Chapter 16
Chap. 16. Almerick the second, King of Ierusalem; The great armie of the Dutch adventurers doeth little in Syria.
AFter his death, Almerick Lusignan, brother to King Guy, was in the right of his wife crowned King of Jerusalem: For he married Isabella the Relict of Henry the last King. This Lady was foure times married: first, to Humphred Prince of Thorone; then to the three successive Kings of Jerusalem, Conrade, Henry, and this Almerick. He was also King of Cyprus; and the Christians in Syria promised themselves much aid from the vicinity of that Island. But though he was neare to them, he was farre from helping them, making pleasure all his work; being an idle, lazy, worthlesse Prince. But I trespasse on that politick rule, Of Princes we must speak the best, or the least; if that be not intended, when the truth is so late that danger is entailed upon it.
In his time, Henry Emperour of Germany, indicted by his conscience for his cruelty against King Richard, seeking to perfume his name in the nostrils of the world, which began to be unfavourie, set on foot another voyage to the Holy land. Pope Celestine the third sent his Legates about to promote this service,1197 shewing how God himself had sounded the alarm by the dissension of the Turks: Jerusalem now might be wonne with the blows of her enemies; onelyonly an army must be sent, not so much to conquer as to receive it. Generall of the Pilgrimes was Henry Duke of Saxony; next him, Frederick Duke of Austria, Herman Landtgrave of Thuringia, Henry Palatine of Rhene, Conrade Archbishop of Mentz, Conrade Archbishop of Wirtzburg, the Bishops of Breme, Halberstadt, & Regenspurg, with many more Prelates; so that here was an Episcopall army, which might have served for a nationall Synod: Insomuch that one truly might here have seen the Church Militant. We have no ambition, saith *Ursp. Chron. in anno 1197. pag. 304.one of their countrey-men, to reckon them up; for they were plurimi & nulli, many in number, none in their actions.
Some of these souldiers were imployed by Henry the Emperour (who knew well to bake his cake with the Churches feuel) to subdue his rebells in Apulia. This done, they passed through Grecia, and found there better entertainment then some of their predecessours. Hence by shipping they were conveyed into Syria: Here they brake the *Ursp. ut priús.truce made by King Richard, (it seemeth by this, it was the …st five yeares) the Pope dispensing therewith; who can make a peace, nets to hold others, but a cobweb for himself to break through. The citie Berytus they quickly wanne, and as quickly lost. For Henry the Emperour suddenly died, the root which nourished this voyage, and then the branches withered. Henry also Duke of Saxony, Generall of this army, was slain. And Conrade Archbishop of Mentz, one of the Electours, would needs return home to the choice of a new Emperour; knowing he could more profitably use his voice in Germany then his arms in Syria. Other Captains secretly stole home; and when their souldiers would have fought, their *Baron. Annal. Eccl. in anno 1197.Captains ran away. And whereas in other Expeditions we find vestigia pauc a retrorsum, making such clean work that they left little or no reversions; of this voyage many safely returned home with whole bodies and wounded credits.
The rest that remained fortified themselves in Joppa. And now the feast of S. Martin was come, the Dutch their Arch-Saint. This man being a Germane by birth, and Bishop of Tours in France, was eminent for his *Pantal. De vir. illustr. Germ. in vita S. Martini.hospitality; and the Dutch badly imitating their countrey-man, turn his charity to the poore into riot on themselves, keeping the eleventh of November (I will not say holy-day, but) feast-day. At this time the spring-tide of their mirth so drowned their souls, that the *Knolls, Turk. Hist. pag. 74.Turks coming in upon them, cut every one of their throats, to the number of twenty thousand: and quickly they were stabbed with the sword that were cup-shot before. A day which the Dutch may well write in their Kalendars in red letters died with their own bloud; when their camp was their shambles, the Turks their butchers, and themselves the Martinmasse-beeves: from which the beastly drunkards differ but a little.
The citie of Joppa the Turks rased to the ground; and of this victory they became so proud, that they had thought without stop to have driven the Christians quite out of Syria. But by the coming of *Magdeburgenses, Cent. 12. cap. 16. sub finem.Simon Count of Montford (a most valiant and expert Captain,1198 sent thither by Philip the French King with a regiment of tall souldiers, at the instance of Innocent the third, that succeeded Celestine in the Papacy) and by civil discord then reigning amongst the Turks themselves for sovereignty, their fury was repressed, and a peace betwixt them and the Christians concluded for the space of *Knolls, ut priús.ten yeares: During which time the Turks promised not to molest the Christians in Tyre or Ptolemais. Which peace so concluded, the worthy Count returned with his souldiers into France.1199