volume one

HTSTORT OF THE CRUSADES. 289
warriors who had followed Baldwin in his expeditions,
returned into Europe ; and the king of Jerusalem, abandoned
by these useful allies, was obliged to employ the forces which
remained in repulsing the invasions of the Saracens, who
pe]ietrated into Palestine, and even displayed their standards
on Mount Sion. He had given up the idea of subduing the
maritime cities which still belonged to the Egyptians, when
Sigur, son of Magnus, king of Norway, arrived in the port
of Jaila. Sigur was accompanied by ten thousand Norwegians,
who, three years before, had quitted the north of
Europe for the purpose of visiting the Holy Land. Baldwin
went to meet the prince of Norway, and conjured him to
join with him in fighting for the safety and aggrandizement
of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Sigur acceded with joy to
the prayer of the king, and requued nothing as a recompense
for his labour but a piece of wood from the true cross.
The patriarch of Jerusalem, in order to give additional
value to that Avhich the prince required, hesitated at first to
grant it, and made Vvith him a treaty at least as solemn as if
it had concerned the possession of a kingdom. When they
had both taken an oath to fulfil the conditions of the treaty,
Sigur, accompanied by his warriors, entered Jerusalem in
triumph. The inhabitants of Jerusalem beheld with smprise,
mingled with their joy, the, enormous battle-axes, the light
hair, and lofty stature of the pilgrims from Norway ; the
presence of these redoubtable Avarriors was the sure presage
of Adctory. It was resolved in a council to besiege the city
of Sidon ; Baldwin and Bertrand, count of Tripoli, attacked
the ramparts of the place, whilst the fleet of Sigur blockaded
the port, and directed its operations against the side next
the sea. After a siege of six weeks the citv surrendered to
the Christians ; the knights of Baldwin and the soldiers of
Sigiu" performed during the siege prodigies of valour, and
showed, after their victory, the humanity which always
accompanies true bravery. After this conquest Sigur quitted
Palestine, accompanied by the blessings of the Christian
people. He embarked to return to Norway, carrying wdth
him a piece of the true cross, a precious memorial of his
pilgrimage, which he caused to be placed in a church of
Drontheim, where it was for a long time the object of the
veneration of the faithful.