volume one

130 IIISTOEY or THE CRUSADES.
Tvould come to share tlie glories and the conquests of the
Christian army, ^^ithout having shared its dangers and its
labours r As to the rigours of winter, which they appeared
so much to di-ead, it was an insult to the soldiers of Jesus
Christ to think them incapable of endiu-ing cold and rain.
It was, in some sort, to compare them to those birds of
passage which fly away and hide themselves in secret places,
when they see the bad season approach.* It was, besides,
impossible to think that a siege could be protracted to any
length with an army full of ardour and courage. The Crusaders
had only to remember the siege of ]S'ice, the battle
of Dorylfeum, and a thousand other exploits. AVhy should
they be restrained by the fear of want and famine r Had
they not hitherto found in war all the resources of war ?
Thev must know that victory had always suppUed the wants
of the Crusaders, and that abundance awaited them in that
city of Antioch, which would not be long in opening its
gates to them."
This discourse won over the most ardent and the most
brave. Such as entertained a contrary opinion dreaded to
be accused of timidity, and remained silent. The council
decided that the siege of Antioch should at once be commenced
: and on that verv day the whole Cliristian army
advanced under the walls of the city. Bohemond and Tancred
took their posts on the east, opposite the gate of St.
Paul ; to the right of the Italians were the Xormans, the
Bretons, the Flemings, and the French, commanded by the
two Eoberts ; the count de Yermandois and the count de
Chartres encamped towards the north, opposite the gate of
the Dog ; the count of Thoulouse, the bishop of Puy, and
the duke of Lorraine, ^vith the troops they commanded,
occupied the space which extended from the gate of the
Dog to the spot where the Orontes turning towards the west
approaches the walls of Antioch. The Crusaders left open
the southern part, defended by the mountain of Orontes, and
likewise neglected to invest the western side of the city,
* Plurimum quoque interest ad disciplinam militiae, insuescere milites
nostros, non solum parta victoria frui, sed si etiam res sit lentior, pati
tadium, et quamvis serae spei exitum eispectare, nee »tcut eestivas aveSy
instante hyeme, tecta ae recessum circumspicere
contra Turcas, lib. ii.
.
—Accolti, de Bello