volume one

156 IIISTOEY OF THE CEUSADES.
lions. All the trumpets were sounded, and from tlie four
hills the city resounded with tlie terrible cry of " It is the
iciJl of God ! It is the icill of God ! " At the first report
of the tumult, the Christians dwelling in Antioch all believed
that their last hour was come, and that the Mussulmans
were about to sacrifice them. The latter, half asleep, poured
out of their houses to ascertain the cause of the noise they
heard, and died without knowing who were the traitors, or
by whose hands they were slain. Some, when aware of the
danger, fled towards the mountain upon which the citadel
Avas built, whilst others rushed out at the gates of the city.
All who could not flv fell beneath the swords of the con-
querors.
In the midst of this bloodv victorv, Bohemond did
not neglect taking formal possession of Antioch, and at
dawn his red standard was seen floating over one of the
highest towers of the city. At the sight of this the Crusaders
who were left in charge of the camp broke into loud
acclamations of joy, and hastened to take a part in this fresh
conquest of the Christians. The slaughter of the Mussulmans
was continued vdih unabated fury. The greater part
of the Christians of Antioch, who, during the siege, had
suflered much from the tyranny of the infidels, joined their
liberators, several exhibiting the fetters by which they had
been loaded by the Turks, and thus further provoking the
Adndictive spirit of the A'ictorious army. The public places
were covered with dead bodies, and blood flowed in torrents
in the streets. The soldiers penetrated into the houses
religious emblems pointed out such as were Christians,
sacred hj'mns indicated their brethren ; but everything that
was not marked with a cross became the object of vengeance,
and all who pronounced not the name of Christ were
massacred A^dthout mercy.
In a single night more than six thousand of the inhabitants
of Antioch perished. Many of those who had fled
into the neighbouring fields were pursued and brought back
into the city, where they found either slavery or death. In
the first moments of the confusion, Accien, seeing that he
was betrayed, and no longer daring to trust any of his
officers, resolved to fly towards Mesopotamia, and go to meet
the army of Kerbogha. .Escaping through one of the gates,
;