volume one

170 nisTOEY or the ceitsades.
bore the holy lance, and directed the attention of the soldiers
to it. Adhemar marched by the side of Eaymond, announcing
to the Crusaders the help of the celestial legions
which Grod had promised them. A part of the clergy advanced
in procession at the head of the army, singing the
martial psalm, " Let the Lord arise, and let his enemies be
dispersed.'' The bishops and priests who had remained in
Antioch, surrounded by the women and children, from the
top of the ramparts blessed the arms of the Crusaders, pravino-
the Lord to preserve his people and confound the pride
of his enemies. The banks of the Orontes and the neighbouring
mountains appeared to answer to these invocations,
and resounded with the war-crv of the Crusaders, " It is the
will of God! It is the will of God!''
Amidst this concert of acclamations and prayers, the
Christian army advanced into the plain. To judge only by
the state of misery to which they had been reduced, they
had rather the appearance of a conquered army than of an
army of men marchins: to "V'ictorv. A oreat number of the
Crusaders were without clothes. The greater part of the
kniorhts and barons marched on foot. Some were mounted on
asses and camels, and, what is not an indiiferent circumstance
on this dav, Godfrey de Boudlon had been oblio:ed to borrow
a horse of the count de Thoulouse. In the ranks were
sick and attenuated soldiers, weakened by famine, and marching
with difficulty, who were only supported by the hope of
conquering or of dying for the cause of Jesus Christ.
The whole country- round Antioch was covered with the
Mussulman battalions. The Saracens had divided their
army into fifteen bodies arranged in echelons. In the midst
of all these, the division of Kerbogha, says the Armenian
historian, appeared like an inaccessible mountain. The Saracen
general, who had no expectation of a battle, at first
believed that the Clu-istians were come to implore his
clemency. A black flag flying over the citadel of Antioch,
which was the signal agreed upon to announce the resolution
of the Crusaders, soon informed him that he had not to deal
with supplicants. Two thousand men of his army, who
guarded the passage of the bridge of Antioch, were cut in
pieces by the coimt de Vermandois. The fugitives carried
terror to the tent of their general, who was playing at chess.