volume one

—
154 HISTOEY OF THE CSUSADEa.
euperstitious minds of the Crusaders the destined moment
for the ruin and destruction of the infidels.*
They awaited the signal ^^ith impatience. The garrison
of Antioch was plunged in sleep ; Phirous alone watched,
and meditated his conspiracy. A Lombard named Payen,
sent by Bohemond, mounted the tower by a ladder of leather.
Phirous received him, telling him all was ready ; and as an
evidence of his fi.dehty, pointed to the dead body of his
brother, whom he had just slain. T^Tiilst they were con-
versing, an officer of the garrison came to visit the posts.
He presented himself, with a lantern in his hand, before
the tower Phirous commanded. The latter, without appearing
the least disturbed, made the emissary of Bohemond
conceal himself, and went forward to meet the officer.
After recei^ing praise for his ^'igilance, he hastened to send
Payen back with instructions for the prince of Tarentum.
The Lombard, on his return to the army, related what he
had seen, and, on the part of Phirous, conjured Bohemond
not to lose another moment.
But all at once fear took possession of the soldiers ;
at the
moment of execution all saw the whole extent of the danger,
and not one of them put himself forvvard to mount the
rampart. In vain Grodfrey and the prince of Tarentum employed
by turns promises and threats ; both leaders and
soldiers remained motionless.t Bohemond himself ascended
by a ladder of ropes, in the hope that he should be seconded
bv the most brave ; but nobody felt it his duty to follow in
his footsteps. He reached the tower alone, where Phirous
reproached him warmly for his delay. Bohemond hastily
* A comet appeared on the very night of the taking of Antioch, June 3,
1098.
Chronicon Fossa Notes, in
See Robert. Monach. lib. v. ad finem ;
Muratori, torn. vii. ; Chronica Mailross. ab anno 733 ad 1270, per
diversos auctores in Rerum Anglicarum Script, torn. i. ; Annales Waverlienses,
ibid. torn. ii. ; Pingie, Cometoyraphie, tom. i. p. 382.
f The anonymous author of a chronicle entitled Passages d'Ouire-
Mer, expresses hiraself thus, p. 46 :— " But there was not one among
them who did not refuse to mount except Bohemond, whom jEmiscrius
received with great joy, and showed him his brother lying in his bed, whom
he had just killed because he would not join the enterprise cunctis
vero, qui cum Bohemondo erant. diffidentibus ad ascensum, solus Bohe-
mondus foederis fide fultus, per funem ascendit.
cap. 36 ; Muratori, tom. iii.
—
Bemardtis TAesaurius,