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Itinerary
62
the admiration of all, tarnished the bright glory of his deeds by his
pusillanimous return.
Chapter XLIV. Ñ How the duke of Suabia came to Acre by the persuasion of the
marquis.
At this time, the duke of Suabia, shortly after his fatherÕs death, was
staying at Antioch with the sons of the emperor, and the chiefs send to him
to remain in that quarter, to make war upon the neighbouring territory of
the barbarians. This was sound and wholesome policy; for if he had
occupied the enemy by urging the war in many places at once, their
endeavours would have become distracted, and consequently weaker for
individual operations. The marquis, who was charged with this message,
failed to execute his instructions faithfully, and by an invidious
interpretation of them influenced the dukeÕs mind, for he represented that
the chiefs wanted to procure his absence through jealousy, that they might
have the glory of taking the city without him. Some asserted that the
marquis had received from the sultan sixty thousand byzantines to
persuade the duke to depart from the confines of Antioch. The duke,
therefore, on arriving at Acre, proved a cause of disagreement, for the
French had an old and long-standing quarrel with the Germans, since the
kingdom and empire contended for the supremacy.
Chapter XLV. Ñ How the marquis, by the advice of the duke, aspired to the
kingdom.
Moreover, the marquis, secretly assisting the cause of the duke, to
whom he was related by blood, studiously sought his presence, that by his
means, if he could, he might obtain the throne. An accident also favourable
to his wishes made him indulge more confidently in his hopes, for
premature death carried off the queen and the offspring she had conceived
from King Guy; but in order that this point may be more clearly
understood, we will trace the succession of the royal race from its first
origin.

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Chapter XLVI. Ñ Of the genealogy of the kings of Jerusalem, and the cause why
the marquis aspired to the throne.
It must be stated that Fulk, father of Geoffrey, count of Anjou, who
was chosen king of Jerusalem on account of his singular virtues, had two
sons, Baldwin and Almaric, by Melesende, the daughter of King Baldwin,
his predecessor. Of these the elder ascended the throne, and bearing his
grandfatherÕs name, married Theodora, the daughter [niece] of Manuel,
emperor of Byzantium, but died without children after the conquest and
capture of Askalon. His brother, who succeeded to his valour and throne,
compelled Babylon to pay tribute, and by his two marriages had offspring
of both sexes. His first wife, Beatrix, whom he married before coming to the
throne, was daughter of the Count of Roasia; but forasmuch as she was
related to him by blood, the marriage was set aside by judgment of the
clergy, by a formal divorce. He had, however, two children by her, a
daughter named Sybille, and a son called Baldwin, who on his fatherÕs
death, being presented with the crown, although a minor and afflicted with
leprosy, miraculously defeated Saladin and sixty thousand Turks, with a
small body of soldiers. He, being removed at an early age from the affairs
of this world, appointed as his successor his nephew Baldwin, whose
mother had married William, the brother of the marquis; but who died
while yet a child in his seventh year. But as the boyÕs father had been dead
some time, Guy, who had come to visit the sepulchre, and was sprung
from Poitou, married his mother Sybille, and in her right assumed the
insignia of royalty; by her he had four daughters, whose premature death,
and that of their mother, caused Guy to be accused, and gave the marquis
the hope of reigning. Furthermore, Maria, whom King Almaric had
married after divorcing his first wife, was a kinswoman of the Emperor
Manuel, and had two daughters: one of them died in infancy, but Enfrid of
Tours espoused Elizabeth, the second daughter, before she was of a
marriageable age; but forasmuch as she was heiress to the throne, the
marquis determined to remove both, and deprive Enfrid of his wife, as well
as Guy of his sceptre.

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Chapter XLVII. Ñ The wonders which happened during the siege are subjoined.
Meanwhile, according to the various events of war, as has been said,
success changing from one side to the other, there occurred manifold
incidents not less wonderful than to be wondered at, which seem worthy of
our notice.
Chapter XLVIII. Ñ How a certain petraria of the enemy by its strength destroyed
all our machines, and how it struck one of our men without hurting him.
One of the enemyÕs petrari¾, of which there were a great number in
the city, was of an unusual magnitude and form, and as the engineers
intended it, able to cast stones of immense weight, the blows of which
nothing could resist: for it cast stones of incredible size to a great distance,
and its blow destroyed everything it struck. When the stones met with no
obstacle, they were driven into the ground a foot deep. It struck and
shivered in pieces some of our petrari¾, or rendered them useless, and
either destroyed our other machines, or knocked off the part it touched. In
fact there was nothing so solid or compact, of whatever kind or substance,
that would bear its overwhelming blow, so great was the violence with
which it acted. This machine struck one of our men from behind with a
stone of enormous size, as he was standing with his face turned away,
quite unsuspicious of danger, not supposing that a stone could be sent so
far, yet it hurt him not in the least, but, rebounding as from a mountain, fell
close by, and the man, when he saw it, was more horrified at the sight than
injured by the blow. Who does not see by this the wonderful works of the
Lord, and that his mercy is ever ready for those who fight for him? To the
praise of his mightiness I will subjoin other of his works.
Chapter XLIX. Ñ How a javelin, hurled against one of our men, penetrated his
armour, but would not penetrate his breast, where a writing containing the name
of God lay.

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Furthermore, one of our body-guard, while walking in the ditch
outside the city wall, either for the purpose of reconnoitering the weak