volume one

230 KISTOET OF THE CEUSADES.
in the hands of the Latin clersT for the reestabKshment
and the decoration of the churches.
But the Crusaders soon turned their eves from the treasures
Trhich victory had bestowed upon them to admire a
conquest much more precious in their estimation ; this was
the true cross, which had had been borne away from Jerusalem
bv Cosroes and brous^ht back a^ain bv Heraclius.
The Christians shut up in the city had concealed it from
the Saracens during the siege. The sight of it excited the
most lively emotions in the pilgrims. '' Of this tiling'^ says
an old chronicle, *' the Christians ivere as much delighted as
if they had seen the hody of Christ hung thereupon^ It was
borne in triumph through the streets of Jerusalem, and then
replaced in the church of the Eesurrection.
Ten days after then' victory the Crusaders employed
themselves in restoring the tln^one of David and Solomon,
and in placing upon it a leader who might preserve and
maintain a conquest that the Christians had made at the
expense of so much blood. The council of the piinces being
assembled, one of the leaders (history names the count of
Flanders) arose in the midst of them, and spoke in these
terms :* '* Brothers and companions ; we are met to treat of
an affair of the greatest importance ; never did we stand in
greater need of the coimsels of wisdom and the inspirations
of heaven. In ordinarv times it is desirable that authority
should be in the hands of the most able ; with how much
greater reason then ought we to seek for the man most
worthy to govern this kingdom, still in a great measure in
the power of the barbarians. Already we are told that the
Egyptians threaten this city, for which we are about to
choose a master. The greater part of the Christian waniors
are impatient to retiu-n to their coiuitry, and to abandon to
others the- care of defending their conquests. The new
people then who are going to inhabit this land will have in
their neighbourhood no other Christian nations to assist
them in their need or console them in their disgraces.
Their enemies are near them, their allies are bevond the
seas. The king vre shall give them will be then- only support
amidst the perils which will surround them. He then
* See, for this deliberatiou and this speech, the /fw^ory of Accolti,
lib. iv., and that of Yves Duchat.