volume one

HISTOEY OF THE CnUSADES. 196
salem, and as lie trembled for his neT;v conquest, he sent
ambassadors to the Christian army. This embassy arrived
in the camp a short time after the departure of the deputies
of Alexius.
It was accompanied by the deputies whom the Christians
had sent into Egypt during the siege of Antioch. On their
arrival at Cairo they had at first been well received by the
caliph ; but as soon as he learned that the Christian army
was in a desperate situation, they were thrown into dungeons,
and only owed their liberation to the triumphant
march of the Christian armv, which filled the East with the
fame of its victories. Their unexpected return gave the
greatest delight to their brothers and companions. They
listened with emotion to the account of then' captirity, and
loud cries of indignation arose throughout the army against
the caliph of Cairo.
The Egyptian ambassadors did all in their power to justify
their master and appease the anger of the Christians. They
had brought with them magnificent presents, destined by
the caliph for the principal leaders of the army. They were
to present to Godirey of Bouillon forty thousand pieces of
gold, thu'ty mantles, and several vases of gold and silver ; to
Bohemond they were to offer sixty thousand pieces of gold,
fifty purple mantles, several precious vases, rich carpets, and
an Arabian horse whose harness was covered with plates of
gold. Each leader was to receive a present proportioned to
his mihtary reputation, and to the idea that was entertained
of his importance in the Christian army. When the ambassadors
had distributed the presents of the caliph according
to his instructions, they demanded permission to speak
in the council of the leaders. They announced that their
master had delivered Jeru.-alem from the domination of the
Turks, and that he anxiously desired to maintain peace with
the Christians. After having declared the benevolent and
friendly dispositions of the caliph, and after having repeated
that it was his intention to protect pilgi'images and the
exercise of the Christian religion, thev finished bv declarins
that the gates of Jerusalem should only be opened to tmarmed
Christians. Upon hearing this proposition, which
they had abeady rejected amidst the miseries of the siege of
Antioch, the leaders of the Christian army could not restrain
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