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Betenoble whence he had started, Count Henry from Acre met him with the army
for which he had been sent.
Having accomplished all these things, and prepared the baggage, for
returning, the king and his army set out, laden with spoil, at an easy pace,
and reached Bethaven, which was only four miles distant from Joppa.
There they shared the plunder, and then proceeded on the second day to
Ramula. Here Count Henry came up with the troops, and the people he
had brought with him from Acre, and thence they all set out for Betenoble,

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Itinerary
255
from which place they had started. Here the universal joy was renewed,
and all flocked together in astonishment at the numbers of beasts of burden
with which the army was accompanied. On arriving, the noble king
distributed the camels, which were larger than any that had ever been seen
there, as well to the soldiers, who had remained to protect the camp, as to
those who had joined in the expedition, in equal proportions. In this
respect, he graciously imitated the example of that renowned warrior, King
David, who gave an equal share of the spoil to the soldiers who went forth
to battle, and to those who remained in the camp; and he also divided the
asses amongst his serving men. By these means the army was supplied
with so plentiful a number of camels and other beasts of burden, that it was
with difficulty they were kept together. The flesh of the young camels they
stuffed with lard and roasted for the table, and they found it very white
and palatable.
Chapter VII. Ñ How the people murmured at being prohibited, however
reasonably and prudently, from going to Jerusalem.
Shortly after the distribution of the plunder, the people grew
discontented, and complained that the beasts of burden consumed too
much barley and provender, and that on this account the price of grain was
become higher. Besides this, there arose much complaint and sorrowing
amongst the people, because it was not thought expedient to proceed to the
siege of Jerusalem, as they wished, owing to the opposition of the twenty
counsellors aforesaid, who had given their reasons for deciding to the
contrary. They thought it a difficult and impossible enterprise, from the
want of water, which the men and cattle could not do without, especially as
the festival of St. John was close at hand; a time when, from the increasing
heat of the summer, all things were naturally dry, particularly around
Jerusalem, which is situated in the mountains. Besides this, the Turks had
blocked up all the cisterns, so that not a drop of drinkable water could be
found within two miles of the city, and it would be unsafe to go in search
of it to a distance when the siege had once begun; and the small stream of
Siloe, which runs down at the foot of the Mount of Olives, would not be

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sufficient for the army. These were the reasons why the counsellors
dissuaded the king from the siege of Jerusalem at that time, and when it
became known to the army that they were not to proceed thither, but were
on the point of turning away from that city, they cursed this delay in the
hopes they had conceived, and asserted that they only wished to live until
Jerusalem and the Holy Land and Cross were once more in the possession
of the Christians alone. But God, who is the just judge of menÕs feelings,
governeth time and actions; and to his mercy and kindness is it to be
ascribed that he chastens sinners and punishes them for all the inventions
of their hearts.
Chapter VIII. Ñ Of the jealousies and discords of the French, and how they