volume one

HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES. 237
to fly, concealing their faces ; cliildi'en have fallen under the
swords of the conquerors ;
and there remains no other asylum
for our brothers, so lately masters of Syria, but the backs of
their camels, or the entrails of the vultures."
The caliph of Bagdad, deprived of his authority, had nothing
to offer but his prayers and tears for the cause of the
Mussulmans. The factories of the Christians had inflicted a
mortal blow upon the dynasty of the Seldjoucides. The sultan
of Persia, retired to the extremity of Coracan, was occupied
in appeasing ci\dl wars, and scarcely gave a thought to the
emirs of Syria, who had shaken oft' his authority, and shared
his spoils amongst them. The greater part of the emirs were
quarrelling among themselves for the cities and provinces
threatened by the warriors of the "West. The discords m hich
accompany the fall of empires had everywhere sown trouble
and division among the infidels ; but such was their grief
when they learnt the conquest of Jerusalem by the Christians,
that they united in weeping together over the outrages
committed upon the religion of Mahomet. The Turks of
Syria, and the inhabitants of Damascus and Bagdad placed
their last hope in the caliph of Cairo, whom they had so long
considered an enemy to the prophet, and came in crowds to
join the Egyptian army which was advancing towards Ascalon.
At Jerusalem they soon learnt that this army had reached
Gaza, in the ancient country of the Philistines. Godfrey
immediately caused his brother Eustace and Tancred, who
had quitted the city to go and take possession of Naplouse,
to be informed of this. He pressed the other leaders of the
crusade to unite with him and march to meet the Saracens.
The duke of jSTormandy at first refused to follow him, alleging
that his vow was accomplished ; and the count of
Thoulouse, who had been forced to give up to the king
the fortress of David, which he pretended belonged to
him by right of conquest, rejected with haughtiness the
prayers of Godfrey, and treated the news of the approach of
the Saracens as a fable.
" Will the chiefs of the Arabs, the heroes of the Persians, submit to
such degradation ?
" Ah ! at least, if they do not defend themselves, from attachment to
their religion, let them be animated on account of their own honour, and
by the love of all that is dear to them !"