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Itinerary
282
Chapter XXXIV. Ñ Of the third company of pilgrims, led by Hubert Walter,
bishop of Salisbury, to whom Saladin shewed much honour, and granted every
thing he asked for.
The third company, led by the bishop of Salisbury, was now not far
from Jerusalem, and Saladin sent out his people to receive the bishop
honourably, and to conduct him wherever he pleased, to visit the holy
places. Moreover, in acknowledgment of his prudent and honourable
character, and his other merits, which had long before been known to
Saladin, he was requested to take up his residence in the SultanÕs palace,
and to be entertained at his expense. The bishop refused, saying, ÒBy no
means, for we are but pilgrims.Ó Saladin enjoined his servants to shew
every attention to the bishop and his men, and sent him many presents;
afterwards, also, he invited them to an interview, that he might behold his
manner and deportment, and he allowed him to have a sight of the Holy
Cross; and they sat and conversed together a long time. Saladin, therefore,
asked him about the king of England, and what the Christians said of his
Saracens. To which the bishop replied, ÒIn truth, as concerns my lord the
king, I will only say what justice demands, that he has no equal among all
the knights in the world, either for valour or for liberality in giving; for he
is in every thing distinguished for every excellent quality. In short, my
lord, in my humble opinion, if any one, bating your majestyÕs sins, were to
bring your virtues into comparison with those of King Richard, and were
to take both of you together, there would not be two other men in the
world that could compete with you.Ó Saladin listened patiently to the
bishop, and at last replied, ÒI have long since been aware that your king is
a man of the greatest honour and bravery, but he is imprudent, not to say
foolishly so, in thrusting himself so frequently into danger, and shews too
great recklessness of his own life. For my own part, of however large
territories I might be the king, I would rather have abundance of wealth,
with wisdom and moderation, than display immoderate valour and
rashness.Ó The conversation then took a familiar turn between the two, and
Saladin told the bishop to ask for any thing he liked, and it should be given

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Itinerary
283
him. The bishop in reply, asked if he might have until the next day to
consider what he should ask. Which being granted, he then requested, that,
whereas divine service was but half performed before at our LordÕs tomb,
which he had just visited, in the barbarous way of the Syrians, it might be
allowed for the future, that two Latin priests with two deacons, to be
maintained by the offerings of the faithful, should perform divine service
in conjunction with the Syrians; and an equal number at Bethlehem, and
also at Nazareth. This petition was one of great importance, and as we
believe, agreeable to God. The sultan assented to the request; and the
bishop instituted two priests in the aforesaid places, together with two
deacons, rendering to God a service where there had been none before.
After this, the pilgrims obtained the sultanÕs license, and returned from
Jerusalem to Acre.
Chapter XXXV. Ñ How the pilgrims, having fulfilled their pilgrimage, set sail for
their own country, but suffered many shipwrecks and hardships on the way.
The people had now completed the pilgrimage to which they had
devoted themselves, and preparing their fleet to return home, they spread
their sails to the winds, and committed themselves to their ships. The fleet
speedily set sail, and the ships were wafted in different directions,
according to the variety of the winds. For a long time they were tossed
about on the waves, and some of them reached different ports in safety;
others were driven about, and in danger of being shipwrecked; others,
again, died on their voyage, and found their grave in the depths of the
ocean; others also were seized with incurable diseases, and never recovered
or returned to their own country. Others, moreover, who endured in safety
to the end, through the loss of their fathers, brothers, relations, and friends,
who had perished of disease. or by the sword, are believed to have
endured a severe species of martyrdom, and diverse passions pierced their
breasts as with a sword. Each, in his own way, we must admit it, endured a
kind of martyrdom; every one, in short, of those, who with simple and
devout hearts had exposed themselves for the love of God to this distant
pilgrimage. Some, however, with loquacious garrulity, were accustomed

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