volume one

138 HISTOET OF THE CEL'SADES.
liis ministiy and his profession. He caused tlae lands in the
neighbourhood of Antioch to be ploughed and sowed, in
order to protect the Cln^stian armv from the attacks of
famine, and, at the same time to lead the Saracens to believe
that nothing could exhaust the perseverance of the besiegers.
In the meanwhile the winter was stealing away ; the contagious
diseases committed fewer ravages ; and the princes
and the monasteries of Armenia sent pro^'isions to the
Christians.* The famine began to be less felt. The amehoration
in the condition of the pilgrims was attributed to
their penitence and their conversion ; and they returned
thanks to Heaven for ha^ino; made them better and more
worthy of its protection and mercy.
It was at this period that ambassadors from the caliph of
Egvpt arrived in the camp of the Crusaders. In the presence
of the infidels the Christian soldiers endeavoured to
conceal the traces and remembrances of the lengthened
miseries thev had undersrone. Thev clothed themselves in
their most precious vestments, and displayed their most
brilhant arms. Knights and barons contended for the glory
of strength and skill in tournaments. Xothing was seen
but dancing and festivity, amidst which abundance and joy
appeared to reign. The Egyptian ambassadors were received
in a magnificent tent, in which were assembled all the prin-
cipal leaders of the army. They did not disguise, in their
address, the extreme aversion that their master had always
entertained for an alliauce "«"ith the Christians ; but the
victories which the Crusaders had gained over the Turks,
those eternal enemies of the race of Ali, had led him to
beheve that God himself had sent them into Asia, as the
instruments of his vengeance and justice. The Eg\'prian
caliph was disposed to ally himself with the rietorious
Christians, and was preparing to enter Palestine and Svria.
As he had learnt that the wishes of the Crusaders were
confined to an ardent desire to behold Jerusalem, he promised
to restore the Christian churches, to protect their
worship, and open the gates of the Holy City to all the
* This circumstance is taken from an Armenian manuscript of Matthew
of Edessa. It is surprising that the Latin historians have made no mention
of it ; but they never speak of any means of providing provisions
employed by the Crusaders.