volume one

214 HISTOEY OF THE CEUSADES.
faces Calvary ; they advanced to"^ards tlie north, and saluted,
on entering* into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the tombs of
Marv, St. Stephen, and the first elect of God. On continuins:
then' march towards the Mount of Olives, thev contemplated
with much respect the grotto in which Christ
sweated blood, and the spot where the Sa\"iour wept over
Jerusalem. AYhen they arrived at the summit of the moun-
tain, the most imposing spectacle presented itself to their
eyes. Towards the east were the plaiQs of Jericho, the
shores of the Dead Sea and the Jordan ; and to the west
thev saw at their feet the holv citv and its territory, covered
with sacred ruins. Assembled on the very spot whence
Clu-ist ascended into heaven, and where they still sought for
the vestiges of his steps, they listened to the exhortations of
the priests and bishops.
Arnold de Eohes, chaplain to the duke of iS'ormandy,
addressed them in a pathetic discourse, conjuring them to
redouble their zeal and perseverance. AYhen terminating
his discourse, he turned towards Jerusalem : " Tou see,"
said he to them, '' the heritage of Christ trampled under-
foot by the impious ; here is, at last, the worthy reward of
all your labours ; here are the places in which G-od will
pardon all your sins, and will bless all your victories." At
the voice of the orator, who pointed out to them the church
of the Eesurrection and the rocks of Calvary, ready to
receive them, the defenders of the cross humbled themselves
before G-od, and kept their eyes fixed upon Jerusalem.
As Arnold exhorted them, in the name of Christ, to forget
all injui'ies, and to love one another, Tancred and Raymond,
who had had long and serious disputes, embraced each other
in the presence of the whole Christian army. The soldiers
and leaders followed their example. The most rich promised
to comfort the poor by their alms, and to support the
orphans of the bearers of the cross. All forgot their fatal
discords, and swore to remain faithful to the precepts of
evangelical charity.
Whilst the Crusaders were thus giving themselves up to
transports of devotion and piety, the Saracens assembled on
the ramparts of Jerusalem, raised crosses high in the air,
and treated them with all kinds of outrages, at the same
time insulting the ceremonies of the Christians bj their