volume one

HISTOEY OF THE CEUSADES. 131
tvhicli the river protected, and thus gave the besieged liberty
to make sorties or receive succours.
The Tui'ks had shut themselves up within their walls ; not
a soul appeared upon the ramparts, and not the least noise
was heard in the citv. The Crusaders fancied that they saw
in this appearance of inaction and this profound silence the
discouragement and terror which had taken possession of
their enemies. Eliuded by the hope of an easy conquest, they
took no precautions, and spread themselves about over the
neighboimng country. The abundance of ^orovisions, the
beautifid sky of Syria, the fountain and the shades of
Daphne, and the banks of the Orontes, famous in Pagan
antiquity for the worship of Venus aud Adonis, made them
lose sight of the holy war, and spread license and corruption
among the soldiers of Christ.
AVhilst they thus neglected, amongst scenes of intemperance
and debauchery, the laws of disciplme and the
precepts of the Scriptures, they were attacked by the gar-
rison of Antioch, which surprised them, some scarcely
guarding the camp, and the rest scattered about in the
neighbouring country. All Avhom the hopes of pillage or
the attractions of pleasure had di^awn into the villages and
orchards bordering upon the Orontes, met with either slavery
or death. Young Alberon, archdeacon of Metz, and son of
Coiu-ad, comit of Lunebourg, paid with his life for the enjoyment
of amusements which accorded but very little with the
austerit}^ of his profession. He was surprised by the Turks*
at the moment when, stretched upon the grass, he was
playing at dice with a Syrian courtezan. His head was
struck off with one blow of a sabre. The courtezan was
not killed till she had satisfied the brutal passion of their
conqueror. Their heads, with those of a great number of
Christians, were cast into the camp of the Crusaders, who
now deplored their disorders, and swore to take revenge for
their defeat.
The desire to repair one fault made them commit another.
* Alearum ludo pariter recreari et occupari cum matrona quadam, quae
magnae erat ingenuitatis et formositatis. jNIatronam vero vivara, et intactam
armis, rapientes traxerunt in urbem, per totam noctem immoderatse
libidinis suce incesto concubitu earn vexantes, nihilque humanitatis in
earn exhibentes.
—
Alb. Aq. lib. iii. p. 46.