volume one

238
HISTOEY OF THE CRUSADES.
The refusal of tlie duke of Xormandy and Eaymond did
not prevent Godfrey from commencing his march, followed
bv Tancred, the count of Flanders, and several other leaders.
They learnt on their route that the emir Afdhal, the same
that had taken Jerusalem from the Turks, commanded the
army of the infidels. This general had under his standard
an almost countless multitude of Mussulmans, from the
banks of the Tigris and the Xile, the shores of the Eed Sea,
and the extremities of Ethiopia. A fleet had sailed from the
ports of A]exandi'ia and Damietta, laden with all sorts of provisions,
and the machines necessary for the siege ofJerusalem.
Afdhal had taken a solemn oath before the caliph to annihilate
for ever the power of the Crusaders in Asia, and to
entirely destroy Calvary, the tomb of Christ, and all the
monuments revered by the Christians.
The march and the intentions of Afdlial soon conveyed
terror to Jerusalem. Ea^nnond and the duke of Normandy
were again pressed to join the Christian amiy. Women,
old men, and priests with tears conjured the two princes to
have pity on the holy city they had delivered. They represented
to them the fatal consequences of their inaction,
which rendered all the labours of the Crusaders useless, and
closed for ever the doors of the East against pilgrims. The
voices of all the nations of the AYest, they told them, would
be raised against them, and the blood of the Christians would
be on their heads. At last Eobert and Eaymond allowed
themselves to be prevailed upon, and marched ^vith their
troops to join Godfrey. The new patriarch desired to follow
them, bearing with him the wood of the true cross, the
sight of which, like that of the holy lance, would redouble
the enthusiasm and the bravery of the Crusaders.
All the Christians in a condition to bear arms quitted
Jerusalem to go and fight the Mussulmans. There only
remained in the holy city the women, the sick, and a part ot
the clergy, who, having Peter the Hermit at their head,
addressed night and day prayers to Heaven to obtain the
triumph of the defenders of the holy places, and the last
defeat of the enemies of Christ.
The Christian army, which had at first assembled at
Eamla, advanced across a sandy coimtry, and encamped on
the banks of the torrent of Sorex, in the plain of Saphoea,