The History of the Holy War, Book 3 · Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
Chap. 4. The great victories and wofull death of Frederick the worthy Emperour.
FRederick entring into the territories of the Turkish Sultan of Iconium, found great resistance, but vanquished his enemies in foure severall set battels.May 19. Iconium he took by force, giving the spoil thereof to his souldiers, in revenge of the injuries done to his uncle Conrade the Emperour by the Sultan of that place. The citie of Philomela he made to sing a dolefull tune, rasing it to the ground, and executing all the people therein as rebells against the law of nations, for killing his Embassadours: and so came with much difficulty and honour into Syria.
Saladine shook for fear, hearing of his coming; and following the advice of *Aemylius, in Phil. Augusto, pag. 178, & 179.Charatux his counseller (counted one of the wisest men in the world, though his person was most contemptible; so true it is, none can guesse the jewel by the casket) dismantled all his cities in the Holy land save some frontier-places, rasing their walls and forts, that they were not tenable with an army. For he feared if the Dutch wonne these places, they would not easily be driven out: whereas now being naked from shelter, he would weary them with set battels, having men numberlesse, and those neare at hand; and so he would tame the Romane Eagle by watching him, giving him no rest nor respite from continuall fighting. It is therefore no Paradox to say, That in some case the strength of a kingdome doth consist in the weaknesse of it. And hence it is, that our English Kings have suffered Time, without disturbing her meals, to feed her belly full on their in-land castles and citie-walls; which whilest they were standing in their strength, were but the nurseries of rebellion. And now, as *Barklay, Bellum in Anglia non sen…scit.one observeth, because we have no strong cities, warre in England waxeth not old (being quickly stabbed with set battels) which in the Low-countreys hath already outlived the grand climactericall of threescore and ten yeares.
But Frederick the Emperour, being now entring into the Holy land, was to the great grief of all Christians suddenly taken away, being drowned in the river of Saleph; a river (such is the envie of Barbarisme obscuring all places) which cannot accurately be known at this day, because this new name is a stranger to all ancient maps. If he went in to wash himself, as some write, he neither consulted with his health nor honour: Some say, his horse foundred under him as he passed the water; others, that he fell from him. But these severall relations, as varietie of instruments, make a dolefull consort in this, that there he lost his life: and no wonder, if the cold water quickly quenched those few sparks of naturall heat left in him at seventie yeares of age. *Lib. 4. cap. 13.Neubrigensis conceiveth that this his sudden death was therefore inflicted on him, because in his youth he fought against the Popes and Church of Rome: But I wonder that he seeing an Emperour drowned in a ditch, durst adventure into the bottomlesse depths of Gods counsels. Let it content us to know that oftentimes heaven blasteth those hopes which bud first and fairest; and the feet of mightie Monarchs do slip, when they want but one step to their enemies throne.
After his death Frederick Duke of Suevia, his second sonne, undertook the conduct of the armie. Now the Turks conceiving grief had steeped and moistened these Pilgrimes hearts, gave them a sudden charge, in hope to have overthrown them. But the valiant Dutch, who though they had scarce wiped their eyes had scoured their swords, quickly forced them to retire.Iune 21. Then Frederick took the citie of Antioch, which was easily delivered unto him, and his hungrie souldiers well refreshed by the citizens, being as yet for the most part Christians. Marching from hence in set battel, he overthrew Dodequin Generall of Saladines forces, slew foure thousand, and took a thousand prisoners with little losse of his own men: and so came to the citie of Tyre, where he buried the corpse of his worthy father in the Cathedrall Church next the tombe of learned Origen; and Gulielmus Tyrius the worthy Archbishop preached his funerall sermon. We may heare his sorrowfull army speaking this his Epitaph unto him;
Earth scarce did yeeld ground enough for thy sword
To conquer, how then could a brook afford
Water to drown thee? brook, which since doth fear
(O guiltie conscience) in a map t' appear.
Yet blame we not the brook, but rather think
The weight of our own sinnes did make thee sink.
Now sith 'tis so, wee'l fetch a brackish main
Out of our eyes, and drown thee once again.
From hence by sea they were conveyed to the Christian army before Ptolemais, where young Frederick died of the plague: and his great army which at first consisted of an hundred and fiftie thousand at their setting forth out of Germanie, had now no more left then *Aemylius, in Phil. 2. pag. 175.eighteen hundred armed men.
Chap. 5. The continuation of the famous siege of Ptolemais; The Dutch Knights honoured with a grand Master.
WE have now at our leisure overtaken the snail-like siege of Ptolemais, still slowly creeping on. Before it the Christians had not onelyonly a Nationall but an Oecumenicall army; the abridgement of the Christian world: Scarce a state or populous citie in Europe but had here some competent number to represent it.
How many bloudie blows were here lent on both sides, and repayed with interest? what sallies? what assaults? what encounters? whilest the Christians lay betwixt Saladine with his great army behind them and the citie before them. One memorable battel we must not omit. It was agreed betwixt Saladine and the Christians to trie their fortunes in a pitched field: and now the Christians were in fair hope of a conquest, when an *Fuga imaginario metu orta, Sabell. Enn. 9. lib. 5. pag. 377.imaginarie causelesse fear put them to a reall flight; so ticklish are the scales of victory, a very mote will turn them. Thus confusedly they ran away, and boot would have been given to change a strong arm for a swift leg. But behold, Geoffrey Lusignan King Guy's brother (left for the guarding of the camp) marching out with his men, confuted the Christians in this their groundlesse mistake, and reinforced them to fight; whereby they wonne the day, though with the losse of two thousand men and Gerard Master of the Templars.
It was vainly hoped, that after this victorie the citie would be surrendred: but the Turks still bravely defended it, though most of their houses were burnt and beaten down, and the citie reduced to a bare sceleton of walls and towres. They fought as well with their wits as weapons, and both sides devised strange defensive and offensive engines: so that Mars himself, had he been here present, might have learned to fight, and have taken notes from their practice. Mean time famine raged amongst the Christians; and though some provision was now and then brought in from Italy (for so farre they fetched it) yet these small showres after great droughts parched the more, and rather raised then abated their hunger.
Once more we will take our farewell of this siege for a twelve-monethmonth: But we must not forget that at this time, before the walls of Ptolemais the Teutonick order, or *Munster, de Germania, lib. 3. pag. 778.Dutch Knights (which since the dayes of Baldwine the second lived like private pilgrimes) had now their order honoured with Henry of Walpot their first grand Master, and they were enriched by the bountie of many Germane benefactours. These though slow, were sure; they did hoc agere, ply their work; more cordiall to the Christian cause then the Templars, who sometimes to save their own stakes would play bootie with the Turks. Much good service did the Dutch Knights in the Holy warre; till at last (no wise Doctour will lavish physick on him in whom he seeth faciem cadaverosam, so that death hath taken possession in the sick mans countenance) finding this warre to be desperate and dedecus fortitudinis, they even fairly left the Holy land, and came into Europe, meaning to lay out their valour on some thing that would quit cost. But hereof hereafter.