A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Here follow ſome Epitaphs of the Chriſtian Kings of Jeruſalem, together with a ſhort Relation of their Reigns and mighty Deeds.
IN the Year of our Lord Chriſt 1096, when Henry the Fourth was Emperor of the Weſt, and Alexius the Grecian Emperor at Conſtantinople in the Eaſt. Pope Ʋrban the Second called a Council at Claremont in France, where they conſulted together which way the Land of Promiſe might be delivered again from the Hands of the Infidels. Where it was concluded and agreed upon, to take the Field in common, and for their General they choſe Gottefrid de Boulion, Count of B…nonia in France. Along with him went many Princes, Counts and Noblemen, viz. Baldwin and Euſtachius his Brethren, and many more, and brought together an Army of Six hundred thouſand Foot, and One hundred thouſand Horſe: ſo they went in ſeveral Parties through H…g…ria, Greece, &c. till they had paſſed the Helleſp…nt, and came into Aſia the L…ſs, (now called Nat…lia, and belonging to the Turks) where they joyn'd again, and took ſome Towns, to wit, Nicea, Tarſus, and alſo Antiochia ſituated in Caeloſyria. Yet in theſe Actions were a great many Chriſtians ſlain by the way, others were taken Priſoners, ſome were ſtarved, a great many died of Sickneſſes, that came by changing of the Air in theſe hot Countries; ſo that in three years time, for ſo long dured this March, there were hardly Forty thouſand Men (as ſome write) left, of the aforenamed Sum that did arrive in the Land of Promiſe. Theſe went with their Maſter and General Gottefrid de Boulion before the City of Jeruſalem, wherein were a greater number of the Infidels, to defend it; yet they ſurrounded the City, and took it in a little time, and killed a great number of them. When they had taken the Town on the 15th. Day of July, in the Year 1099, and had reduced it, they laid down their Armors and Arms, and went to viſit the Holy Sepulchre with great Devotion, and choſe there unanimouſly their General King of Jeruſalem, who at their requeſt undertook the Government, would not be called King, nor Crowned with a Golden Crown in that place, where our Saviour that Arch-King had worn one of Thorns. After he had obtained this Victory, he alſo ſubdued ſome adjacent Towns, viz. Joppe called Jaſſa, Porphria ſituated at the Foot of Mount Carmel (by the Arabians and Turks called Hayphe) Tiberias and the Conſines of Galilea. He alſo overcame with a handful of his Men, the Captain of the Sultan, who had a great number of Men with him, and killed above Thirty thouſand of them. But as nothing is laſting in human Affairs, he died in the Eleventh Month of his Reign, and was buried in the above-mentioned Chapel, and upon his Tomb-Stone is ſtill to be read this following Epitaph.
Hic jacet inclitus dux Gottefridus de Boulion, qui totam iſtam terram acquiſivit cultui Chriſtiano: cujus anima regnet cum Chriſto. Amen.
After his Deceaſe the Chriſtians unanimouſly choſe his Brother Baldewin King of Jeruſalem in his place: He overcame with a ſmall number of Men th… King of Egypt, that was Two and twenty thouſand ſtrong, and killed the greateſt part of his Men. And when he died in the Eighteenth Year of his Reign, they choſe Couſin Baldewin of Burgo, the Second of that Name, King. This was a great Warrior, and did many Heroick Deeds with few Men againſt the Heathens; he overcame and took Priſoner Gatzim the Turkiſh Prince of the Leſſer Aſia, with a great number of Men; but ſoon after in the Fifth Year of his Reign, he was beaten in a Battel by the King of the Parthians, and carried away Priſoner. In the mean time, the Venetians and Genoueſes came with Two hundred and ſeventy Ships, and diſperſed and beat the Armada of the Saracens, and ſunk many of their Ships, and took alſo the ſtrong Town of Tyrus, ſo that both by Sea and Land there was abundance of Blood ſhed. When the Enemies ſaw this, that they ſet the King at liberty again in the Eighteent Month of his Impriſonmenth, for a Sum of Money; after that he did execute in the ſix following Years of his Reign, in order to an Enlargement of his Kingdom, many glorious and famous Deeds. He overthrew the King of the Aſcalonites, who was aſſiſted by the Egyptians, and fell upon Jeruſalem in one ſingle Battel, and alſo beat the King of Damaſcus in three ſeveral ones, as you may ſee by his Epitaph here underneath written.
Rex Baldewinus, Judas alter Machabaeus,
Spes patriae, vigor eccleſiae, virtus utriuſque
Quem formidabant, cui dona, tributa ferebant
Cedar, & Aegyptus, Dan, & homicida Damaſcus
Proh, dolor, in modico clauditur hic tumulo.
In the Year 1131, the Crown was preſented to Fulcon, Count of Andegavia, and Son-in-law to the before-ſaid Baldewin, who alſo obtained ſeveral Victories againſt the Perſians and Turks. But in his time there aroſe ſome Differences among the Chriſtians, and ſome Conſpiracies, which proved afterwards very diſadvantageous to him, he loſt alſo Edeſſa, a City in Meſopotamia, which King Baldewin the Firſt had conquered before, which the Turks took by force from him. This King left two Sons Baldewin and Alamric, and after he had reigned Eleven Years, he fell dead when he hunted a Hare on full ſpeed. After him his Son Baldewin the Third was Crowned, who alſo died in the Twenty fourth Year of his Reign, after he had fought ſeveral Battels, and taken ſome Towns. Then his Brother Alamric came to the Crown, who was a great Warrior, ſo that he was very fit for this Dignity, he obtained many Victories againſt Sultan Saladin. But afterwards when the Scales were turned, he died alſo after his return from Egypt in the Year 1178, his Son Baldewin the Fourth, and the Seventh King, undertook the Government of the Kingdom in the Thirteenth Year of his Reign. This, although he was leprous, yet he managed his Buſineſs very well, and defended his Dominions courageouſly and gloriouſly againſt the Infidels. And becauſe he would not be married by reaſon of his Diſtemper, therefore he married his Siſter Sibylla to a Marquis of Monteferrato, called William. She was brought to Bed, in the firſt year, of a Son, and called him after his Uncle Baldewin. But when William died, he married her again to Guido of Luſignan, Count of Joppe; with this condition, that after his Deceaſe he ſhould Rule the Kingdom for his Son-in-law, and be his Guardian ſo long until he came at age. But he behaving himſelf very ill in the mean while, the King grew ſo angry with him, that he would by no means ſuffer him to live in his Dominions, and ordered another to fill up his place, one Raymond, a Count of Tripoli. Soon after the King died before his Son was quite Twenty Years old, and was alſo buried in the Temple of the holy Sepulchre. Within Eight Months after, did alſo die the true Heir of the Crown, the Son of Sibylla his Siſter, and was alſo buried by the other Kings; ſo that we find ſtill on three ſeveral Tomb-Stones that ſtand cloſe one behind the other, viz.
Septimus in tumulo puer hic regnum tumulatus
Eſt, Baldewinus regum de ſanguine natus.
Quem tulit è mundo ſors primae conditionis
Ʋt Paradyſiacae loca poſſideat regionis.
So by the Incitation of his Mother, Guido was proclaimed the laſt King.
Raymund the Count of Tripoli, was extremely diſguſted at this Election, being that the Kingdom was already recommended to him, wherefore he reſolved to go to war with him, and that he might be ſtrong enough for him, he made a League with Sultan Saladin, to his own Grief and Ruine. For when the Sultan ſaw theſe Differences between them two, he raiſed ſuddenly a great Army, and took Jeruſalem, and the whole Country by force of Arms. So the Kingdom of Jeruſalem, after the Chriſtians had been poſſeſſed of it Eighty eight Years, and Nineteen Days, was retaken again by the Infidels, not without great Loſs and Damage.
Not long after, the Infidels did pull down the Walls of the City, turned the Churches into Stables (ſaving the Temple of Solomon) and ſpoiled the holy Sepulchre of our Lord Chriſt, which in all the other Wars did ſtill remain intire, ſo that only one ſide of the Rock thereof is now to be ſeen. This was done by the Infidels on purpoſe, to ſhew us the fooliſh Zeal we have to conquer and viſit the holy Grave and City, as if Chriſt were ſtill in it. This and other places had been quite demoliſhed alſo, had it not been for the Eaſtern Chriſtians, the Armenians, Surians, &c. which did ſtop their Fury, by giving of them a great Sum of Money, and ſo redeemed it.