The historie of the holy vvarre by Thomas Fuller ...

Chap. 16.

Almerick the second, King of Ierusalem; The great armie of the Dutch adventurers doth 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 four 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 near to them, he was far from helping them, making pleasure all his work; being an idle, lazy, worthlesse Prince. But I trespasse on that po∣litick 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 unsavourie, 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 dissention 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 Wurtzburg, the Bishops of Breme, Halberstadt, and Regenspurg, with many more Prelates; so that here was an Episcopall army, 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 fuel) 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

Richard, (it seemeth by this, it was the last five years) the Pope dispensing therewith; who can make a peace nets to hold others, but a cobweb for himself to break through. The city Berytus they quickly wanne, and as quickly lost. For Henry the Empe∣rour suddenly died, the root which nourished this voyage, and then the branches withered. Henry also Duke of Saxony, Ge∣nerall of this army, was slain. And Conrade Archbishop of Mentz, one of the Electours, would needs return home to the choice of a new Emperour; knowing he could more profitably use his voice in Germany then his arms in Syria. Other Captains secretly stole home; and when the souldiers would have fought, their Captains ran away. And whereas in other Expeditions we find vestigia pauca retrorsum, making such clean work that they left little or no reversions; of this voyage many safely re∣turned home with whole bodies and wounded credits.

The rest that remained fortified themselves in Joppa. And now the feast of S. Martin was come, the Dutch their Arch-Saint. This man being a Germane by birth, and Bishop of Tours in France, was eminent for his hospitality; and the Dutch bad∣ly imitating their countrey-man, turn his charity to the poor in∣to riot on themselves, keeping the eleventh of November (I will not say holy-day, but) feast-day. At this time the spring∣tide of their mirth so drowned their souls, that the Turks co∣ming in upon them, cut every one of their throats, to the number of twenty thousand: and quickly they were stabbed with the sword that were cup-shot before. A day which the Dutch may well write in their Kalendars in red letters died with their own bloud; when their camp was their shambles, the Turks their butchers, and themselves the Martinmasse-beeves: from which the beastly drunkards differ but a little.

The citie of Joppa the Turks rased to the ground; and of this victory they became so proud, that they had thought without stop to have driven the Christians quite out of Syria. But by the coming of Simon Count of Montford (a most valiant and ex∣pert Captain, ••ent thither by Philip the French King with a re∣giment of tall souldiers, at the instance of Innocent the third, that succeeded Celestine in the Papacy) and by civil discord then reigning amongst the Turks themselves for sovereignty, their ••ury was repressed, and a peace betwixt them and the Christians concluded for the space of ten years: during which time the Turks promised not to molest the Christians in Tyre or Ptolemais. Which peace so concluded, the worthy Count returned with his souldiers into France.

Notes

• 1197
• ••rsp. Chron. in anno 1197. pag. 304.
• Vrsp. ut prius.
• Baron. An∣nal. Eccl. i•• anno. 1197.
• Pantal. De vi. illustr. Germ. in vit•• S. Martini.
• Knolls, Turk. Hist. pag. 74.
• Magdebur∣genses, Cent. 12. cap. 1••. sub finem.
• 1198
• Knolls, ut pri••s.
• 1199