volume one

314 HISTOEY OF THE CEUSADES.
their enemies, at once took tlie field, and ravaged tlie country
as far as the city of Asur. Hugh, after ha\TQg contracted a
criminal alliance ^^ith the Saracens, shut himself up in Jaffa,
^vhere he was soon besieo^ed by the kins: of Jerusalem.
The thirst of vengeance animated both parties ; Foulque
of Anjou had sworn to punish the treason of his vassal ; and
Hugh was equally determined to succeed, or bury himself
under the ruins of Jaffa. Before the king's forces commenced
the attack, the patriarch of Jerusalem interposed
his mediation, and recalled to the minds of the Christian
warriors the precepts of Grospel charity. Hugh at first
rejected all mention of peace with indignation ; but having
been abandoned bv his followers, he at last lent an unwillino^
ear to the pacific appeals of the patriarch, and consented to
lav down his arms. The kins: of Jerusalem sent home his
army, and the count of Jafia agreed to quit the kingdom,
into which he was not to return till after three years of
exile. He was awaiting at Jerusalem the favoiu-able moment
for liis departure, when an unexpected circumstance was on
the point of renewing stifled quarrels. " It happened,"
says "W^illiam of Tvre,* *''
as the count was playing at dice in
the sti-eet of the Turners, before the shop of a merchant
named Alpham, that a soldier, a Breton by nation, having
drawn his sword, fell suddenly upon the said count, who,
being attentive to his game, expected nothing less than such
an attack, and with the first cut, without the least warning,
dealt him such a blow with the said sword on the face as
stretched him upon the ground." At the sight of such a
ti-agical scene the people gathered round in crowds, anxiously
iuquiring the cause of it. The whole city was filled with
rumours of various kinds ;
aU mourned the fate of the count
of Jaffa, and thought no more of his rebellion. They did
not even hesitate to whisper complaints against the king,
whom they accused of having himself directed the poniard
of the assassin. The king, however, caused the murderer
to be immediately aiTCsted, and he was tried with the utmost
rigour of the laws. He was ordered to have his limbs
broken ; and the king, whilst confirming the sentence, only
* TVhen quoting William of Tyre, I avail myself always of the old
translation, whose nai/and simple style associates best with the spirit and
manners of the twelfth century.