volume one

276 HISTOEY OF THE CKUSJlDES.
obtained the suffrages of tlie barons and knights, ^vished to
assiure to himself new titles to the CTO^vn, by gaining more
\-ictorie3 over the Saracens. He marched from Jerusalem,
followed by his bravest knights, and presented himself before
Asealon.
The season beins; too far advanced to lav resrular siesre to
the citv. he ravas:ed the enemv's country*, penetrated into
the mountains of Engaddi, surprised Segor, and seized a
troop of brigands in a cavern which they had chosen as a
place of retreat. In this campaign, which was little more
than a pilgrimage, the soldiers of Baldwin passed along the
shores of the Dead Sea. the sight of which recalled the
memory of the punishment of Sodom; they ^-isited the
valley famous as the burial-place of the ancestors of Israel,
and that in which it is believed Moses caused a stream
of li^ing water to spring from the side of a barren rock.
The Christian soldiers were never wearv of admirino: these
places, rendered sacred by scriptural remembrances. The
historian Poidcher de Chartres, who accompanied Baldwin,
displays in his recital the greatest enthusiasm, and tells us
with livelv iov. that he watered his horses at the miraculous
fountain of the legislator ot the Hebrews.*
The little anny of the Christians came back to Jerusalem
loaded with boot^'. After Baldwin's return, the patriarch
did not venture to say anything more about his pretensions,
and consented to crown the successor of Godfrey with his
own hands. The ceremony was performed with great solemnity
at Bethlehem, in the presence of the barons, the
bishops, and the principal people of the kingdom.
Tancred was not present at the coronation of the new
king, for the two companions of Godfrey had not forgotten
their ancient quarrel. Tancred had protested against the
elecrion of Baldwin, and refused to pay him homage. Baldwin,
on his part, disputed Tancred' s right to the principahty
of Galilee, and summoned him to appear before him as
a contumacious vassal. The reply of Tancred was laconic,
* " Ubi ego ipse Fulcherius adaquavi meos." In Bongarg, p. 405.
The same historian speaks in the same chapter of the Dead Sea, and of the
phenomena he had remarked. Foulcher de Chartres seldom neglects an
opportunity of speakincf of himself; these words, " Ego Fulcherius,"
very frequently appear in his narration.
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