Microsoft Word richard of holy trinity inp

Parthians, Bedouins, Arabs, Medes, Cordians, and Egyptians, though
differing in country, religion, and name, were all aroused with one accord
to the destruction of the Holy Land. As our troops were marching to meet
them, and the fatal day approached, a fearful vision was seen by the kingÕs
chamberlain, who dreamt that an eagle flew past the Christian army,
bearing seven missiles and a balista in its talons, and crying with a loud
voice, ÒWoe to thee, Jerusalem!Ó To explain the mystery of this vision, we
need, I think, only take the words of Scripture; ÒThe Lord hath bent his
bow, and in it prepared the vessels of death.Ó What are the seven missiles,
but a figure for the seven sins by which that unhappy army was soon to
perish? By this number, seven, may also be understood the number of
punishments that impended over the Christians, which was some time
after fulfilled by the event, that too faithful and terrible interpreter of
omens. The battle had not begun, when, the armies having been drawn out
at a short distance from Tiberias, at a place called the Marescallia, the Lord

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hemmed in his people with the sword, and as a punishment for the sins of
men, gave over his inheritance to slaughter and devastation. What need I
say more? Neither the plan of my work, nor the immensity of the calamity,
allows me to find lamentations for all its details. However, to sum all up in
few words, so many were slain there, so many wounded, and so many cast
into prison, that the destruction of our people drew pity even from the
enemies. That vivifying wood of the cross of our salvation, on which our
Lord and Redeemer hung, and down whose shaft the holy blood of Christ
flowed, the sign of which is adored by angels, venerated by men, and
feared by devils, under whose protection our men have always been
victors in war, alas! is now captured by the enemy, and the two bearers of
the cross, the bishop of Acre, and the precentor of our LordÕs tomb (the
bishop of St. George), fell with it, the one slain, the other a prisoner. This
was the second indignity, since Chosroes, king of the Persians, which that
holy cross endured for our sins; it had redeemed us from the old yoke of
captivity, and now it was captured from us, and soiled by the profane
hands of the unbelievers.
Let him that hath intelligence consider how fierce must have been
GodÕs wrath, how great the iniquity of his servants, when unbelievers were
deemed less unworthy than Christians to become its guardians. Nothing
ever happened so lamentable in all ancient times; for neither the captivity
of GodÕs ark, nor that of the kings of Judah, can compare with the calamity
of our own times, by which the king and the glorious cross are taken
captive together. Of the other prisoners, whose number was both
extraordinary and lamentable, part were reserved unhurt to be placed at
the victorÕs disposal, part were dispatched with the sword, and so found a
happy and short byroad to heaven! Among others was Reginald prince of
Antioch: he was led into the presence of the sultan, and that tyrant, either
following the impulse of his passion, or envious of the great excellence of
the man, cut off with his own hand that veteran and aged head. All the
Templars also who were taken, except their master, he ordered to be
decapitated, wishing utterly to exterminate those whom he knew to be
valiant above all others in battle. O what faith, what fervour of mind was
theirs! How many assumed the tonsure of the Templars, and flocked

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eagerly round their executioners, joyfully presenting their necks to the
sword, in the pious fraud of this new costume! Among these soldiers of
Christ was a Templar, named Nicholas, who had so induced others to
aspire to martyrdom, that, by reason of their emulation to be beforehand
with him, he could hardly succeed in first obtaining the mortal stroke
which be coveted. Nor did the Divine mercy withhold its miraculous
manifestation, for during the three following nights, when the bodies of the
holy martyrs were lying still unburied, a ray of celestial light shone over
them from above.
When the noise of battle had ceased, Saladin seeing prisoners carried
off in all directions, and the ground on all sides covered with the slain,
lifting up his eyes to heaven, gave thanks to God for the victory which he
had gained. This was his practice in all cases; but at present among other
things, he is reported to have said, that it was not his own power but our
crimes which had given him the victory; and it was proved to be so by the
character of the event. In other engagements, our army, however moderate
in size, with Divine aid always conquered; but now, because we were not
with God, nor God with us, our people were altogether defeated, even
before the conflict, though they were reckoned at more than 1,000 knights
and more than 20,000 footmen: so entirely had the whole force of the
kingdom flocked together at the kingÕs command to that fatal campaign,
that those only remained to guard the cities and castles, whom weakness of
sex or age rendered unfit to bear arms. This disastrous battle was fought on
the day of the translation of St. Martin, and in one moment all the glory of
the kingdom passed from it and was extinguished. The sultan, therefore,
trusting that the fortresses of the kingdom would be easily taken, now that
their defenders were slain, carried the captive king in triumph through the
castles of Syria, reserving him as a mark for his ridicule, to be shewn to the
cities which he wished to take and to enforce their surrender. With this
view he marched first to Acre, and took it without a blow, granting the
citizens leave to remove themselves and their effects to whatever place they
pleased.

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