The History of the Holy War, Book 4 · Chapter 29 – Chapter 31
Chap. 29. Prince Edwards performance in Palestine: He is dangerously wounded; yet recovereth, and returneth home safe.
AT his arrivall the last stake of the Christians was on losing: For Bendocdar the Mammaluke Prince of Egypt and Syria, had brought Ptolemais to so low an ebbe, that they therein resolved (if some unexpected succour reversed not their intentions) within three dayes to resigne the city unto him. Edward landing stayed this precipitation, who arrived with his armie there in the very interim, in opportunity it self, which is the very quintessence of time; so that all concluded his coming (thus hitting the mark) was guided by the hand of an especiall providence.
And now those who before in despair would have thrown up their cards, hope at least to make a saving game; and the Christians taking comfort and courage, both defie their enemies, and their own thoughts of surrendring the citie. Prince Edward having sufficiently manned and victualled Ptolemais, taking six or seven thousand souldiers, marched to Nazareth; which he took, and slew those he found there. After this, about midsummer, understanding the Turks were gathered together at Cakhow fourty miles off, very early in the morning he set upon them, slew a thousand, and put the rest to flight.
In these skirmishes he gave evident testimonies of his personall valour: Yea, in cold bloud he would boldly challenge any Infidel to a duell. To speak truth, this his conceived perfection was his greatest imperfection: For the world was abundantly satisfied in the point of his valour; yet such was his confidence of his strength, and eagernesse of honour, that having merited the esteem of a most stout man, he would still supererogate: yea, he would profer to fight with any mean person, if cried up by the volge for a tall man: this daring being a generall fault in great spirits, and a great fault in a Generall, who staketh a pearl against a piece of glasse. The best was, in that age a man fighting with sword and buckler, had in a manner many lives to lose; and duells were not dangerous.
Whilest he stayed at Ptolemais, Elenor his Lady was delivered of a fair daughter, called from her birth-place Joan of Acres: But fear of her husbands death abated her joy at her daughters birth. The Turks not matching him in valour, thought to master him with treachery, which was thus contrived: The Admirall of Joppa, a Turk, pretended he would turn Christian, and imployed one Anzazim an Assasine in the businesse betwixt him and Prince Edward; who carried himself so cunningly, that by often repairing to our Prince he got much credit and esteem with him.
*Continuat. Matth. Paris. in anno 1272 pag. 1345.Some write, this Anzazim was before alwayes bred under ground (as men keep hawks and warre-horses in the dark, to make them more fierce) that so coming abroad, he should fear to venture on no man. But sure, so cunning a companion had long conversed with light, and been acquainted with men, yea, Christians and Princes, as appeareth by his complying carriage; else, if he had not been well read in their company, he could not have been so perfect in his lesson. But let him be bred any where, or in hell it self: For this was his religion, To kill any he was commanded, or on the non-performance willingly to forfeit his life.
1272The fifth time of his coming he brought Prince Edward letters from his Master, which whilest he was reading alone and lying on his bed, he struck him into the arm with an invenomed knife. Being about to fetch another stroke, the Prince with his foot gave him such a blow that he felled him to the ground; and wresting the knife from him, ranne the Turk into the belly, and slew him; yet so, that in struggling he hurt himself therewith in the forehead. At this noise in sprang his servants, and one of them with a stool beat the brains out of the dead Turks head, shewing little wit in his own; and the Prince was highly displeased, that the monument of his valour should be stained with anothers crueltie.
It is storied, how *Speed, in Edward the first.Elenor his Lady sucked all the poison out of his wounds, without doing any harm to her self: So sovereigne a medicine is a womans tongue, anointed with the vertue a loving affection. Pity it is so pretty a story should not be true (with all the miracles in Loves Legends) and sure he shall get himself no credit, who undertaketh to confute a passage so sounding to the honour of the sex: Yet can it not stand with what *See Fox Martyrolog. pag. 337.others have written; How the Physician who was to dresse his wounds, spake to the Lord Edmund and the Lord John Voysie to take away Lady Elenor out of the Princes presence, lest her pity should be cruel towards him, in not suffering his sores to be searched to the quick. And though she cried out and wrung her hands, Madame, said they, be contented; it is better that one woman should weep a little while then that all the realm of England should lament a great season: And so they conducted her out of the place. And the Prince, by the benefit of physick, good attendance, and an antidote the Master of the Templars gave him, shewed himself on horse-back whole and well within fifteen dayes after.
The Admirall of Joppa hearing of his recovery, utterly disavowed that he had any hand in the treachery: as none will willingly father unsucceeding villany. True it is, he was truly sorrowfull; whether because Edward was so bad, or no worse wounded, he knoweth that knoweth hearts. *P. Aemyl. in D. Ludovico, pag. 227.Some wholly acquit him herein, and conceive this mischief proceeded from Simon Earl of Montforts hatred to our Prince, who bearing him and all his kindred an old grudge for doing some conceived wrong to his father (in very deed, nothing but justice to a rebell) hired, as they think, this Assasine to murder him; as a little before for the same quarrel he had served Henry sonne to Richard King of the Romanes, and our Edwards cousin-germane, at Viterbo in Italy. It is much this Simon living in France should contrive this Princes death in Palestine: but malice hath long arms, and can take men off at great distance. Yea, this addeth to the cunning of the engineer, to work unseen; and the further from him the blow is given, the lesse is he himself suspected.
Whosoever plotted, God prevented it, and the Christians there would have revenged it, but Edward would not suffer them. In all haste they would have marched and fallen on the Turks, had not he *Continuat. Matth. Paris. in anno 1272 pag. 1347.disswaded them, because then many Christians unarmed, and in small companies, were gone to visit the Sepulchre, all whose throats had then probably been cut before their return.
Eighteen moneths he stayed at Ptolemais, and then came back through Italy, without doing any extraordinary matter in Palestine. What musick can one string make when all the rest are broken? what could Edward do alone, when those Princes fell back on whom the project most relied? Lewis and Charles were the main undertakers; Edward entertained but as an adventurer and sharer: and so he furnished himself accordingly, with competent forces to succour others, but not to subsist of themselves. But as too often, where the principall miscarrieth, the second & sureties must lie at the stake to make the debt good: so in their default he valiantly went forward, though having in all but thirteen ships and some thousands of men (too many for a plain Prince to visit with, and too few for a great one to warre with) and performed what lay within the compasse of his power. In a word, his coming to Ptolemais and assisting them there, was like a cordiall given to a dying man, which doth piece out his life (or death rather) a few grones and as many gasps the longer.
By this time Henry his aged father being dead (his lamp not quenched but going out for want of oil) the English Nobility came as far as the Alpes in Savoy to wait on Edward in his return. Leave we him then to be attended home by them to receive the Crown, to which no lesse his vertues then birth entitled him. Since the Conquest he was the first King of his name, and the first that settled the Law and State (deserving the style of*Sr Robert Cotton, in his Henry iii. Englands Justinian) and that freed this Kingdome from the wardship of the Peers; shewing himself in all his actions after, capable to command not the realm onelyonly but the whole world.
Chap. 30. Rodulphus the Emperours voyage to Palestine hindred. The Duke of Mechlenburg his captivity and inlargement.
BEfore Edwards departure, Hugh King of Jerusalem and Cyprus concluded a peace (to our *Marinus Sanutus.Princes small liking) with the Mammaluke Sultan of Egypt, to hold onelyonly in and neare Ptolemais; whereby the Christians had some breathing-time. But that which now possessed all mens thoughts and talk in Syria, was the expectation of Rodulphus to come thither with a great army; who (after two and twenty yeares interregnum) was chosen Emperour of Germany.
1273This Rodulphus was a mean Earl of Haspurg (Frederick the last Emperour was his *Pantal. De illu…. Germ. part. 2. in vita Rodulphi.godfather; who little thought, that having so many sonnes of his own, his godsonne should next succeed him) and lived in a private way. But now the Empire refusing her rich suiters, married this Earl without any portion, onelyonly for pure love. A preferment beyond his expectation, not above his deserts: For Germany had many bigger lights, none brighter. Pope Gregory the tenth would not ratifie his election, but on this condition, That he should in person march with an armie to Palestine. And though this was but an old policie, To send the Emperours far away, that so he might command in chief in their absence; yet his Holinesse did so turn and dresse this threed-bare plot with specious pretenses of piety, that it passed for new and fresh, especially to those that beheld it at distance▪ But Rodulphus could not be spared out of Germany, being there imployed in civil discords: The knees of the Dutch Princes were too stiff to do him homage, till he softned them by degrees. And indeed he was not provided for the Holy warre, and wanted a stock of his own to drive so costly a trade, having no paternall lands considerable, no bottom to begin on; though through his thrift and providence he first laid the foundation of the Austrian familie.
Yet somewhat to answer expectation,1275 he sent Henry Duke of Mechlenburg with competent forces into Palestine: Who coming to Ptolemais, made many notable incursions into the countrey about Damasco, with fire & sword destroying all as he went, & carrying thence many rich booties; till at last he was circumvented and taken prisoner by the Mammalukes. Twenty six yeares he lived in captivity, keeping his conscience free all the while: At last the Sultan of Egypt (a renegado Germane, who formerly had been engineer to this Dukes father) set him at liberty, together with Martine his servant; that he who so long had shared of his misery, might also partake of his happinesse. No sooner had this Duke put to sea, but he was again taken by pirates; and the Sultan, out of pity to this distressed Prince, and out of scorn that fortune should frustrate and defeat his reall courtesie, set him free again. At last he came safely home, and was there welcomed with as much wonder as joy; his subjects conceiving his return a resurrection, having buried him in their thoughts long before.
Here he found *Pantal. De. illustr. Germ part. 2. pag. 245.two counterfeits, who pretended themselves to be this Duke, and on that title challenged lodging with Anastasia his Lady. But the one of them had a softer bedfellow provided him, a pool of water, wherein he was drowned; the other was made a bonefire of, to solemnize the joy of the Dukes return.
Chap. 31. Charles King of Ierusalem; His intentions in Syria stopped by the Sicilian Vespers; His death, and sonnes succession.
BY this time Charles King of Jerusalem and Sicily had made great preparations for the Holy warre. And to make his claim to the Kingdome of Jerusalem the stronger, he bought also the title of Maria Domicella Princesse of Antioch, which pretended a right to the same. He sent also Roger the Count of S. Severine as his Vice-roy to Ptolemais: where he was honourably received in despite of Hugh King of Cyprus, by the especiall favour of Albertine Morisine the Venetian Consul there. And now his navie was reported to be readie, and that by the way he had a project upon Michael Paleologus the Emperour of Greece: When all his intentions were suddenly blasted; it so happening, that on Easter day, as the bell tolled to Even-song, all the throats of the Frenchmen in Sicily were cut in a moment by the natives thereof, and that Island wonne by Peter King of Aragon. The grand contriver of this massacre was one Jacobus Prochyta a Physician; and I dare say he killed more in an houre then he cured all his life-time.
Those that condemn the Sicilians herein, cannot excuse the French; such formerly had been their pride, lust, covetousnesse, and cruelty to the people of that Island, putting them causelessely to exquisite torture, so that an ordinary hanging was counted an extraordinary favour. But the secrecie of contriving this slaughter of the French was little lesse then miraculous; that so many knowing it, none should discover it; like cunning dogs, barking in triumph after they had bitten, not before, to give any warning.1282 Hence grew the proverb of the Sicilian Vespers; though their Even-song was nothing to the English Mattens intended in the Gunpowder-treason. Mean time King Charles was at Rome, beholding the making of Cardinals, when this dolefull news was brought unto him, and struck him to the heart. He survived a yeare or two longer, but dull and melancholick, living as it were without life, and died at last, having reigned King of Jerusalem twenty yeares. A Prince which had tasted of various successe; fortune for a while smiling on him, and at last laughing at him.
1284His sonne Charles succeeded him in the Kingdome of Naples and in the title of Jerusalem. He was surnamed Cunctator, Delayer; not in the same sense as Fabius the Shield of Rome was so called: he onelyonly stayed till opportunity was come; our Charles, till it was passed. I find nothing memorable of him except this, That offended with the Templars in Palestine for taking part against him with the King of Cyprus, he seised on their lands, and confiscated all their goods they had in Naples or any other part of his dominions. How-ever, let him have room in the catalogue of our Kings of Jerusalem. For as high hills neare the sea-side, though otherwise never so base and barren ground, yet will serve to be sea-marks for the direction of mariners: so this Charles, together with Hugh, John, and Henry, Kings of Cyprus, pretending also to Jerusalem, though we reade nothing remarkable of them, will become the front of a page, and serve to divide and distinguish times, and to parcel the history the better to our apprehension. As for the bare anatomie of their reigne (for we find it not fleshed with any history) with the dates of their beginnings and endings, we shall present it to the reader hereafter in our Chronologie.