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Itinerary
79
due rigour the duties of the patriarch, who, as we said, was sick, the friends
of the marquis tried to quash the verdict which was to be given, under the
pretext of appeal. Three of his chief favourites were Reginald, lord of
Sidon, Pagan, of the castle of Caiffa, and Balisantus; and there would have
been a fourth, the count of Tripoli, had he not gone away, who would have
formed this consummate council of iniquity. For in them, as in an abode of
wickedness, were united the treachery of Judas, the cruelty of Nero, the
impiety of Herod, and all that the present or olden times regarded as
abominable and wicked. Now, Balisantus, on AmalricÕs death, had married
his wife, this damselÕs mother; and she, having imbibed from her
childhood the lowest Grecian morals, had a husband similar to herself in
cruelty, levity, and faithlessness. The marquis wins them both over by
presents aud promises, to persuade the girl to prefer a complaint, that she
had married Reinfred against her will, that she had always opposed it, and
that the marriage could not stand, because she had never given her
consent. This plot is entirely successful, and the woman easily changes her
mind; for a female is always variable and changeable, her sex frail, her
mind fickle, and she delights in novelty; so she lightly rejects and forgets
those whom she knows; the girl is thus easily taught what is bad, and
willingly receives evil advice, and so blushed not to say that she was not
carried away, but had followed the marquis willingly. Indeed the chiefs
themselves, in defiance of justice, used their efforts to bring it about that
the marquis should have the kingdom and the damsel. The venerable
archbishop of Canterbury seeing that justice and equity were perversely
confounded, and that ecclesiastical authority would be rejected; perceiving
also that the clergy, with some of the bishops, who had a sounder mind
and more fervent zeal, murmured as far as they dared; he pronounced
sentence of excommunication on those who had contracted and agreed to
this unholy wedlock, and not undeservedly, because he had cohabited with
another manÕs wife, and taken her to his own house and espoused her, by
the ministry of the bishop of Beauvais, and because he had a wife in his
own country, and another in Constantinople, both of noble birth, young,
and beautiful, and suitable to his position; whence the clergy charged him
with threefold adultery, and as far as they could, spoke against the act

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Itinerary
80
which the holy church deemed impious. Those who favoured him tried to
excuse themselves on the plea that the marquis had sworn to supply the
army, when in much want, with an abundance of provision from Tyre, on
condition of their aiding him in the marriage; but he had set at nought his
oath, and transgressed the sanctity of his honour, for he who is faithless in
a little, fears not to commit a greater crime. And while the nuptials were
celebrated with great festivity, it happened that some of our men, who
were guests at the feast, having gone to a short distance from the spot,
were set upon by an ambuscade of the Turks, and some taken, others slain.
This was the commencement of misfortunes. Here the Butler of St. Lice was
taken, and whether the Turks kept him captive or killed him, was never
known afterwards. Twenty men were taken prisoners or slain on this
occasion.
Chapter LXV. Ñ How the marquis returned to Tyre, and perjured himself, by not
assisting our men when in need of provisions.
But the marquis, having gained his wishes, returned to Tyre quickly
with his wife and his men; and the army was disappointed in their
expectation of obtaining through him a supply of provisions. For, on the
contrary, either forgetful of this agreement, or ungrateful for what was
done for him, he did not send so much as an egg when the army was in
danger of starvation but, both perjurer and liar, he would not allow those
who wished to sail to Acre with provisions to depart. Therefore, the want
of provisions increased daily amongst the besiegers; little or nothing was
found to purchase, and nothing was brought by ships.
Chapter LXVI. Ñ How Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, died.
When the archbishop of Canterbury saw what he had before heard,
that the army had become altogether dissolute, and given to drinking,
women, and dice, it afflicted his spirit, unable to bear such excesses, even
to the weariness of life. And because a disease which in general is difficult
to cure, when one day the worst reports of this kind reached his ears,

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