volume one

132
HISTOEY or THE CEUSJLDES.
Thev resolved upon scaling tlie walls of Aiitioch, without
ha\T.'ng either ladders or machines of war. The signal was
triveu for a general assault. Vengeance and fanaticiism
animated both soldiers and leaders ; but their eftbrts could
neither shake the walls of the city, nor disturb the security
of the besieged. Their attacks, though renewed several
times and at several points, were always unsuccessful.
Experience, for whose lessons they always paid so dearly, at
length taught them, that if they wished to make themselves
masters of the place, no other means was left them but to
invest it completely, and prevent the arrival of any succour
from without.
Thev established a bridge of boats upon the Orontes, and
passed some troops over towards the western side of the
citv. All the means in their power were employed to stoj)
the sorties of the enemy—sometimes they erected wooden
fortresses near the ramparts, whilst at others they prepared
baUstas, which launched large stones upon the besieged. The
Crusaders, in order to close the gate of the Dog upon the
Tui'ks, were obliged to heap up against it enormous beams
and fragments of rock. At the same time they intrenched
their camp, and redoubled their efforts to secui'e themselves
against siu'prise on the part of the Saracens.
The Christian army was now solely occupied with the
blockade of the citv. Although this determination was
dictated by imperious necessity, the slowness of a siege did
not at all agree -with the impatience of the warriors of the
"West. On their arrival before Antioch, the Chi-istian sol-
diers had dissipated in a few days the provisions of several
months : thev had onlv thought of fighting the enemv in
the field of battle, and, ever full of confidence in victory,
thev had neither sought to protect themselves against the
rigours of ^^^.nter, nor to prevent the approaches of the
famine with which they were threatened.
The want of provisions was not long before it was felt.
As soon as winter had set in, they found tliemselves a prey
to every species of calamity. Ton-ents of rain fell daily,
and the plains, an abode upon which had rendered the soldiers
of Christ efieminate, were almost all buried beneath the
waters. The Christian camp, particularly in the vaUey, was
submerged several times ; tempests and inundations carried