volume one

HISTORY OF TUE CIUJSADE3. 123
the nearest Turkish cities. lie defeated the troops of the
emir Baidoukh in several encounters, and forced them to
retire into the city of Samosata. The Christians approached
the place, pillaged the subiu-bs, and the houses of the neigh-
but as
bourhood, without meeting with the least resistance ;
they were engaged in dividing their booty, they were attacked
unexpectedly by the infidels and routed. After having lost
two thousand lighting men, they returned to Edessa, where
the news of their defeat spread the greatest consternation.
Misunderstandings soon broke out between Theodore and
Baldwin, who mutually reproached each other with their
reverses. The Edessenians, who had declared for the Crusader
prince, would not hear of any other master, and were
not long in satisfying his impatience to reign. They forgot
that Theodore^ by his courage and skill, had maintained their
independence in the centre of a country constantly exposed
to the invasions of the Mussulmans. They accused him of
having burdened his subjects with imposts, to satisfy the
avidity of the Turks, and wdth having employed the power
of infidels to oppress a Christian people. They formed, says
Matthew of Edessa, a plot against his life, of which Baldwin
w^as not ignorant. Warned of the danger which threatened
him, Theodore retired into the citadel, which commanded
the city, and placed no reliance on anything but force to
defend himself against the seditious.
Upon this a most furious tumult w'as created among the
people. The enraged midtitude flew to arms, and pillaged
the houses of the inhabitants who were suspected of being
the partisans of Theodore. They swore to treat him as a
declared enemy. They attacked the citadel, some beating in
the gates, and others scaling the walls. Theodore seeing
that his enemies were masters of one part of the ramparts,
no longer endeavoured to defend himself, but proposed to
capitulate. He agreed to abandon the place, and to renounce
the government of Edessa, requesting permission to retire,
with his family, to the city of Melitene. This proposition
was accepted with joy ; the peace was signed, and the inhabitants
of Edessa swore upon the cross and the Evangelists
to respect the conditions of it.
On the following day, whilst the governor was preparing
for his departure, a fresh sedition broke out in the city. The
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