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Chap. 16. Almerick the second, King of Ierusalem; The great armie of the Dutch adventurers doeth lit∣tle in Syria.
AFter his death, Almerick Lusignan, brother to King Guy, was in the right of his wife crowned King of Jerusalem: For he married Isabella the Relict of Henry the last King. This Lady was foure times married: first, to Humphred Prince of Thorone; then to the three successive Kings of Jerusalem, Con∣rade, Henry, and this Almerick. He was also King of Cyprus; and the Christians in Syria promised themselves much aid from the vicinity of that Island. But though he was neare to them, he was farre from helping them, making pleasure all his work; being an idle, lazy, worthlesse Prince. But I trespasse on that politick rule, Of Princes we must speak the best, or the least; if that be not intended, when the truth is so late that danger is en∣tailed upon it.
In his time, Henry Emperour of Germany, indicted by his conscience for his cruelty against King Richard, seeking to per∣fume his name in the nostrils of the world, which began to be unfavourie, set on foot another voyage to the Holy land. Pope Celestine the third sent his Legates about to promote this ser∣vice, shewing how God himself had sounded the alarm by the dissension of the Turks: Jerusalem now might be wonne with the blows of her enemies; onely an army must be sent, not so much to conquer as to receive it. Generall of the Pilgrimes was Henry Duke of Saxony; next him, Frederick Duke of Au∣stria, Herman Landtgrave of Thuringia, Henry Palatine of Rhene, Conrade Archbishop of Mentz, Conrade Archbishop of Wirtzburg, the Bishops of Breme, Halberstadt, & Regenspurg, with many more Prelates; so that here was an Episcopall ar∣my, which might have served for a nationall Synod: Insomuch that one truly might here have seen the Church Militant. We have no ambition, saith one of their countrey-men, to reckon them up; for they were plurimi & nulli, many in number, none in their actions.
Some of these souldiers were imployed by Henry the Em∣perour (who knew well to bake his cake with the Churches feuel) to subdue his rebells in Apulia. This done, they passed through Grecia, and found there better entertainment then some of their predecessours. Hence by shipping they were con∣veyed into Syria: Here they brake the truce made by King