The History of the Holy War, Book 4 · Chapter 32
Chap. 32. The succession of the Mammaluke Princes in Egypt. Alphir taketh Tripoli and Tyre; The wofull estate of Ptolemais.
BUt whilest these titular Kings slept, the Mammaluke Princes were vigilant to infest the reliques of the Christians in Palestine: Which Princes succession we will adventure to set down; nor are we discouraged with the difficulties which encounter us herein. The hardnesse in the story of the Mammalukes proceedeth (as we conceive) from one of these causes: First, the State is not written directly, but by reflexion; not storied by any constant writer of their own, but in snaps and parcels, as the Chroniclers of neighbouring Christian countreys have catched at them. Secondly, out of a popular errour, their chief Captains by reason of their large authority passe for absolute Kings. Thirdly, the same King hath many names, and the same name by translation in sundry languages is strangely disguised. How-ever, we will use our best conjectures in these uncertainties: and a dimme candle is better then no light.
Bendocdar or Bandodacar, otherwise Melechdaer, was the last Egyptian Prince we mentioned. A dangerous man to the Christians, but that Abaga the Tartarian took him to task, and kept him in continuall imployment. This Abaga had a pretty trick to make cowards valiant, causing them that ranne away from the battel, ever after to wear womens clothes. Bendocdar died at Damascus of a *Vide Calvisium in anno 1277. & Magdeburg. Cent. 13.wound he received in Armenia; or, as some say, by cold in swimming over Euphrates.
Elpis succeeded him, his *Magdeburg. Cent. 13. cap. 16. col. 701.sonne (say some;) but the Mammalukes laws forbid that, except his extraordinary worth was his faculty, & dispensed with him ad succedendum patri. But who knoweth not that the Eastern tongue speaketh nephews and kinsmen to be sonnes? Some wholly omit him; enough to make us suspect that he was onelyonly some Deputy clapped in to stop up the vacancie till Melechsaites was chosen.
Melechsaites (called by Marinus, Melechmessor) wonne the strong castle of Mergath from the Hospitallers. He much loved and was very bountifull to the Carmelites, who lived dispersed in Syria:1285 but afterwards he banished them out of his countrey, because they altered their habit, and wore white coats at the appointment of Pope Honorius; the Turks being generally enemies to innovations, and loving constancy in old customes. Nor was this any mishap but an advantage to the Carmelites, to lose their dwellings in Syria, and gain better in Europe, where they planted themselves in the fattest places: So that he who knoweth not to choose good ground, let him find out an house of the Carmelites (a mark that faileth not) for his direction.
1289Alphir was next to Melechsaites, otherwise called Elsi. He perceiving that now or never was the time finally to expell the Christians out of Palestine, whilest the Princes in Europe were in civil warres, besieged and wonne Tripoli, Sidon, Berytus, and Tyre, beating them down to the ground, but suffering the inhabitants on some conditions to depart. Nothing now was left but Ptolemais: which Alphir would not presently besiege, lest he should draw the Christians in Europe upon him; but concluded a peace for five yeares with the Venetians, as not willing wholly to exasperate them by winning all from them at once, and thinking this bitter potion would be better swallowed by them at two severall draughts.
Mean time Ptolemais was in a wofull condition. In it were some of all countreys; so that he who had lost his nation, might find it here. Most of them had severall courts to decide their causes in; and the plenty of Judges caused the scarcity of justice, malefactours appealing to a triall in the courts of their own countrey. It was sufficient innocency for any offender in the Venetian court, that he was a Venetian. Personall acts were entituled nationall, and made the cause of the countrey. Outrages were every-where practised, no-where punished; as if to spare Divine revenge the pains of overtaking them, they would go forth and meet it. At the same time, they were in fitters about prosecuting their titles to this city, no fewer then the Venetians, Genoans, Pisans, Florentines, the Kings of Cyprus and Sicily, the Agents for the Kings of France and England, the Princes of Tripoli and Antioch, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Masters of the Templars and Hospitallers, and (whom I should have named first) the Legate of his Holinesse, all at once with much violence contending about the right of right nothing, the title to the Kingdome of Jerusalem, and command of this city; like bees, making the greatest humming and buzzing in the hive when now ready to leave it.