Microsoft Word richard of holy trinity inp

Itinerary
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circumcise their children, to give them, Hebrew names also; but their
princes, that they may be admonished by their names to be zealous
defenders of the Mahometan law, take their own names from the very
name of that law. Now, law in their language, is Hadin. Hence Saladin is so
called as the upholder of the law; and, as our princes are called either
emperors or kings, so theirs are called sultans (soldani ), as it were sold-
dominants.
4
 Now Saladin, under Noradin, sultan of Damascus, as a first
omen of his power, began by raising an infamous tribute for himself out of
the venal courtezans of that city; for he would not allow them to exercise
their profession until they had first purchased of him a license. Whatever
money he obtained by this base patronage, he lavishly expended on
players, and so under the plea of largess, he concealed the design of
obtaining the venal favour of the multitude. He was led to aspire at
sovereignty by the prediction of a certain Syrian, that he should obtain the
government of Damascus and Babylon.
5
 Thus he arranged in his own mind
the different steps to power, and soon began to aim at more than a
kingdom of a small or limited dimensions. In process of time, when his
years were matured and he was fit for military service, he came to Enfrid of
Tours, the illustrious prince of Palestine, to be mantled, and after the
manner of the Franks, received from him the belt of knighthood.
Chapter IV. Ñ How Saladin seized on the kingdoms of Egypt and Damascus,
with India and other countries.
At that time a certain Mahometan, named Sewar, governed all Egypt,
under Molanus, whom they called Lord in the language of their country,
and he had been compelled to pay tribute to Amalric, the victorious king of
Jerusalem. Now Molanus shewed himself only three times a year to the
4This must be considered rather as a monkish pun, than as offered for a derivation of
the Saracenic word.
5The Babylon referred to is of course Babylon in Egypt, now Fostat the seat of the
Fatimite khalifs.

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Egyptians, who made adoration to him on those occasions, and all his
subjects bought him so powerful, that it was said the Nile overflowed at his
command. Moreover, in obedience to the statutes of the heathen law, he
had as many concubines as there are days in the year, and so passing his
life in his harem, he gave up all the business of his kingdom to Sewar. At
this time Saladin, with his uncle, Saracun, was serving in Egypt, and by an
act of treachery, he put to death Molanus and Sewar, and thus gained for
himself the sovereignty of Egypt. Not long after, Noradin died, and
Saladin, marrying the widow, expelled the lawful heirs, and secured for
himself through her the possession of their kingdom. Thus the caprice of
fortune brought about the establishment of his great power; she is able to
make a rich man out of a poor one: a great man out of a little one; and a
lord out of a peasant. If things were measured by judgment, and not by
opinion, all earthly power, which can be gained by the wicked and the
unworthy, would be estimated as dross. That patron of prostitutes, whose
power was among stews, his campaigns in a tavern, his studies among dice
and garlic, is suddenly lifted up; he sits among princes, and is even greater
than princes; he rules on the throne of Egypt; subdues Damascus; occupies
the lands of Roasia and Gesyra, and carries his sovereignty to the centre of
India Citerior. Wherefore he assails also and subdues the neighbouring
kingdoms, at one time by arms, at another time by deceit, and making one
monarchy out of several sceptres, arrogates to himself alone the power of
so many kings. Neither is the tyrantÕs cupidity ever gratified; the more he
gets the more he covets, and strives with all his power to occupy the land
which is the inheritance of our Lord. At length an opportunity arose
favourable to his wishes, and he hoped to obtain what he never before
presumed to hope for. For Raimund, count of Tripoli, and Guy, the eighth
king of the Latins,
6
 quarrelled for the sovereignty, and a fatal sedition arose
among the people.
6This was Guy de Lusignan, king of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1191. If we count from
Godfrey de Bouillon, Guy was the ninth, and not the eighth, of the Latin kings of
Jerusalem.

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Chapter V. Ñ Of the immense army with which Saladin attacked the army of the
Christians, and captured our LordÕs cross with the king Guy, and Acre, and
reduced to submission the Land of Promise.
The opportunity above mentioned at once roused his ambitious
mind, and promised him a brilliant and sure success. Moreover it was not
altogether without cause that the sultan declared war; Reginald, prince of
Antioch, having broken the terms of truce, which had been agreed upon
between our people and the unbelievers. For once upon a time, when a
large and wealthy caravan of Mahometans were passing from Damascus to
Egypt, and, trusting to the truce, did not hesitate to pass over the frontiers
of the Christian territories, the aforesaid prince suddenly attacked them,
and dishonourably carried them off prisoners, together with all their
baggage. The sultan, excited on one side by his ambition, and on the other
moved with indignation at the outrage, raised all the strength of his
kingdom, and assailed with power and impetuosity the territories of
Jerusalem. If the number of men, the variety of nations, and the diversity of
religions were fully described, as the law of history demands, my plan of
brevity would be interrupted by the ample details of such a narrative: