volume one

t
HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES. 243
going to meet tlie enemy, raised the confidence of the soldiers,
and assisted in creating fear and disorder among the
Egyptians.*
if AYilliam of Tyre and Eobert the Monk may be believed,
the Christians did not lose a single horseman. They might
have made themselves masters of Ascalon, but want of union
among the leaders prevented their taking due advantage of
their victory.
After the defeat of the enemy, Raymond had sent a messenger
into the place to summon the garrison to surrender.;!;
He wished to plant his standard on the walls of the city,
and retain the conquest for himself. On the other hand,
Grodfrey claimed the possession of it and maintained that
Ascalon ought to form part of the kingdom of Jerusalem.
The debates became very warm. The count of Thoulouse,
who found all the leaders of the Christian army against him,
listened to nothing but the dictates of his blind anger ; he
recommended the garrison to defend themselves, and set
forward with his troops to return to Jerusalem. Godfrey,
after the desertion of Eaymond, in vain attempted to besiege
the city. The greater part of the Crusaders, impatient to
return to their own country, abandoned his colours ; and,
after making the inhabitants and garrison of Antioch pay
* It is commonly believed that this battle of Ascalon served Tasso as a
model for the great battle which terminates the Jerusalem Delivered. It
is easy to see that the poet had also in view the battle of Antioch, which
was fought at the gates of the city, of which the ChristiMns were the masters.
Raymond could not be present, because he held the citadel of
Antioch in check, still in the power of the enemy. These circumstances,
and several others, are found equally in the battle of tbe Jerusalem
Delivered and in the historians who have described the battle of Antioch.
•j" There is in the Arabian history of Jerusalem and Hebron, a quatrain
addressed to the count of St. Gilles, upon the drfeat of Afdhal-Ben-Bedral-Djemaly,
general of the army of Egypt, before Ascalon :
Tu as fait triompher par ton epee la religion du Messie,
Dieu nous preserve d'un homme tel que Saint Gilles !
Jamais les hommes n'avaient entendu rien de pareil a ce qu'il a fait
II a mis dans la plus honteuse fuite Afdhul.
We quote this quatrain less for any idea that it contains, than to show
that Raymond enjoyed great fam.e among the Mussulmans.
X This emissary is called Bohemond by Raymond d'Agiles. It is
believed that it was Phirous who gave up Antioch to the Christians, that
had taken the name of Bohemond.
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