volume one

216 IIISTOET OF THE CRUSADES.
niins of the palaces of Judali, aud marclied along the declmty
of Mount Sion, where other remembrances arose
before them to add to their enthusiasm. Towards evening,
the Christian arm}' returned to tlieir quarters, repeating these
words of the prophet: The nations of the West shall fear
the Lord ; and the nations of the East shall see his glory.
"WTien thev had regained their camp, the greater part of the
pilgrims passed the night in prayer ; the leaders and the
soldiers confessed their sins at the feet of their priests,
and received their God, whose promises filled them with
confidence and hope.
AVhilst these things were passing in the Christian camp,
the most profound silence reigned over the walls of Jerusalem
; nothing was heard but the voices of the men who,
from hour to hour, from the tops of the mosques of the city,
called the ^lussulmans to prayer. The infidels came in
crowds to their temples to implore the protection of their
prophet, and swore by the mysterious stone of Jacob to
defend a city which they called the House of God. The
besieged and the besiegers were stimidated by an equal
ardour to fight and to shed their blood, the former to preserve,
and the latter to conquer a city which both held
sacred. The hatred whicli animated them was so violent,
that during the whole siege no Mussulman deputy came
into the Christian camp, ngr did the Christiana deign
to summon the garrison to surrender. Between silch
enemies the shock must necessarily be terrible, and the
victory implacable.
The leaders of the Christian armv being assembled to
decide upon the day for attacking the city, it was resolved
to take advantage of the enthusiasm of the pilgrims, which
was at its height, and to press forward the assault, the preparations
for which were rapidly going on. As the Saracens
had raised a great number of machines on the sides of the
city most threatened by the Christians, it was agreed that
they should change the dispositions of the siege, and that
the principal attack should be directed towards the points
where the enemy had made the least preparations for
defence.
During the night Grodfrey removed his quarters eastward,
near to the gate of Cedar, and not far from the valley m