The History of the Holy War, Book 3 · Chapter 24
Chap. 24. Iohn Bren made King of Ierusalem. A most promising voyage into Palestine of new Pilgrimes; which remove the seat of the warre into Egypt.
1209IN the place of Almerick the Pope appointed John de Bren, a private French Gentleman, to be King. Who, to twist his title with another string, married Maria Iole the sole daughter of Conrade late King of Jerusalem. This John had behaved himself right valiantly amongst other Latine Princes in the voyage against the Greeks, and was a most martiall man, as all do witnesse: OnelyOnly one calleth him *Theod. à Niein, De privileg. imper. cap. De Expedit. Hierosol.imbellem hominem; why I know not, except he be of that humour to delight to be one of the Antipodes, treading opposite to a world of writers besides. In the beginning of his reigne this accident (whether monstrous or miraculous) fell out:1213 In France, a boy (for his yeares) went about singing in his own tongue,
Iesus Lord, repair our losse;
Restore to us thy holy Crosse.
Numberlesse children ranne after him, and followed the same tune their captain and chanter did set them. No bolts, no barres, no fear of fathers or love of mothers could hold them back, but they would to the Holy land to work wonders there; till their merry musick had a sad close, all either perishing on land, or drowned by sea. It was done (saith my *Matth. Paris. in anno 1213. pag. 324. Praestigio diabolico penitus infatuati.authour) by the instinct of the devil, who, as it were, desired a cordiall of childrens bloud to comfort his weak stomach long cloyed with murdering of men.
Soon after began the Laterane Councel under Innocent the third:1215 Wherein many things were concluded for the recovery of the Holy land; as, That the Crosse should every where be preached with zeal and earnestnesse to procure Pilgrimes; That all *Centuriat. Cent. 13. cap. 9.tiltings in Christendome for three yeares should be forbidden, that so the spears of Christians might onelyonly be broken against Infidels; That Clergie-men that went this voyage might (if need were) mortgage their Church-livings for three yeares to provide themselves with present necessaries, That all debters, during their Pilgrimage (though bound by oath in conscience, the strongest specialty) should be dispensed with to pay no use to their creditours; who if Christians, by excommunications; if Jews, were to be forced by the secular power to remit their interest; That all Priests should contribute the twentieth part of their revenues for three yeares, to advance this designe. And lest (saith his Holinesse) we should seem to lay heavy burdens on others which we will not touch with our least finger, we assigne a ship at our own cost to carry our Pilgrimes of the citie of Rome; and disburse for the present what can be spared from our necessary expenses, to the summe of thirty thousand pounds, to further the project: and for three yeares to come, we and our brethren the Cardinals of Rome, will fully pay the tenth of our Church-profits.
Hereupon next spring a numerous armie set forward to Palestine,1216 conducted by Pelagius the Popes Legate, Andrew King of Hungarie (who having washed himself in the river of Jordan, would stay no longer, but instantly returned home) the three Electorall Archbishops, with those of Liege, Wirtzburg, Bamberg, Strassburg, Paris, &c. Lewis Duke of Bavaria, Leopold of Austria, a navie of our English, besides Florentines, Genoans, and many other nations. The autumne they spent in the fruitlesse besieging of the fort of mount Tabor; whilest King John Bren wonne from the Turks the castle of Pilgrimes,Nov. a piece of great consequence on the sea-side.
Then was it debated on both sides of translating the warre1217 into Egypt. Which many advised to be done: For that countrey afforded the Turks their victuals and munition; and the best way to draw them low, was to stop them in the fountain. It was also most honour to rouse the Lion in his own denne. And Palestine was so forraged, that there was nothing to be gleaned in the stubble; whereas Egypt was so rich and fruitfull, it cared not for the frowns of heaven, so it might have the favour of Nilus; and there was no fear to want bread in that the granary of the world. That according to the rule, Plus animi est inferenti periculum, quàm propulsanti; the Christians would be heartened, but the Egyptians discouraged in the invasion of Egypt. The sad spectacle of their countreys vastation would disturb their minds, make them diffident of their own worth, and unsufficient to maintain their cause. Lastly, the Christians might leave when they list, reserving at all times Ptolemais to entertain them, in case fortune should crosse their designes.
But the reasons to the contrary wanted not weight but weighing. They considered not (what was objected) That to invade a strong entire countrey without having a partie within it to side with them, was to endeavour to cleave a tree with a beetle without a wedge. Besides, Egypt was an exception from the rules of all other countreys, & had certain locall maximes of leading of an armie appropriated to it-alone. That Valour must needs have the fall, when it wrestleth with Nature it self, and fighteth against bogs, rivers, and inundations. That it was more agreeable to reason, first to recover and defend what once was their own, before they attempted other mens possessions. That these their forces afforded little hope of victory in another Kingdome, which were not able to clear their own countrey, and the forts in Syria, from so dangerous an enemy. Lastly, That the Egyptians fighting for their fathers, wives, and children, would raise their valour to the highest point of resolution. These arguments notwithstanding, the watch-word was given for Egypt; whither all addressed themselves.
And here began the discords betwixt King John and the Popes Legate, who challenged not onelyonly an influence but a predominancy in every thing, and would dictate to the Generall what he should do in martiall affairs: He presumed on his book-learning to controll the practice of experienced captains by his military speculations. The King stormed hereat, shewing there were some mysteries in the Captain-craft not communicable to any which had not served the trade, and which the heart of a Scholar was too narrow to contain; That though Scholarship was a stock fit to graff any profession on, yet some good time is requisite thereunto; and that they must not think to proceed military Masters at their first admission in a camp; That though the Legate might conceive himself to know the latitude of warlike principles, yet he knew not the use of distinctions, exceptions, and cautions of application; and might easily be misled by disproportion and dissimilitude of examples, the variation of circumstances, the infinitenesse of punctuall occurrences: Wherefore he forbad him to meddle with martiall matters, challenging them to belong to his own disposall. But Pelagius the Legate highly opinioned of his own sufficiencie, as if his place made him infallible in every thing, and loth to confesse himself besides the cushion whilest he sat in the chair, would have an oar in all actions. He held this conclusion, That the generall rules of warre were easily known; and as for the qualification of them pro exigentia hîc & nunc, herein reason was the key of the work, which scholars having most perfected by learning, were thereby the most competent judges what should be done on all occasions. How dearly the Christians payed for this his errour, and how this discord, smothered for a while, brake out, we shall see hereafter. Mean time, hoising up sails, the Pilgrimes navie safely arrived at Damiata.