volume one

352 HISTOBY OF THE CEUSADES.
At a time that he entertained no suspicion of their vicinity,
he was surprised bv the Turks, who covered the summits of
the mountains, and rushed down upon the exhausted and
famished Christians.* The Mussulmans were lightly armed,
and performed their evolutions with the greatest rapidity.
The Gi-ermans could scarcely move under the weight of their
bucklers, corselets, and steel brassets ; every day skirmishes
were fought, in which the Christians had the disadvantage.
Such as were more lightly armed, and bore sheep-skin bucklers,
sometimes would rush among the enemy and put them
to flight ; but the Turks soon rallied upon the heights, and
darted down again, like birds of prey, upon the terrified
Christians. A crowd of pilgrims, whose arms only consisted
of their scrip and staif, created the greatest trouble and confusion
in the Christian army. The Mussulmans took advantajre
of their disorder, and never allowed their enemies a
moment*s repose. Despair and terror put an end to all discipline
among the Crusaders ; they no longer obeyed the
orders of their leaders, but every one sought to insure his
own safety by flight. At length the rout became general
the country was covered with fugitives, who wandered about
at hazard, and found no asylum against the conquerors.
Some perished with want, others fell beneath the swords of
the Mussulmans ; the women and children were carried ofl"
with the baggage, and formed a part of the enemy's booty.
Conrad, who had scarcely saved the tenth part of his army,
was himself wounded by two arrows, and only escaped the
pursuit of the Saracens by a kind of miracle.
The news of this disaster threw the French into the
greatest consternation. Louis, accompanied by his bravest
warriors, flew to the assistance of Conrad. The two monarchs
embraced in tears. Conrad related the particulars of his
defeat, and complained the more bitterly of the perfidy of
Manuel, from feeling the necessity of excusing his own imprudence.
The two princes renewed their oath to repair
together to Palestine, but the emperor of G-ermauy did not
keep his word. AYhether he was ashamed of being without
* Otto of Frisingen, an ocular witness, gives none of the details of the
rout of the Germans, saying as his excuse that he had nothing agreeable
to relate. The Gesta Ludovici and William of Tyre supply the silence of
Otto of Frisingen.
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