volume one

KISTORT OF TKE CRUSADES. 379
his journey to Eome, lie promised tlie pope to place himself
at the head of a new crusade.
And never did the Christian colonies stand in greater
need of assistance. From the time the French quitted
Palestine not a day passed without some new misfortune
befalling the Christians established in S}Tia. A very short
time after the siege of Damascus, Raymond of Poictiers lost
his life in a battle against the Saracens, and his head was
sent to the caliph of Bagdad. Josseliu, after having lost
the city of Edessa, himself fell into the hands of the inhdels,
and died in misery and despair in the prisons of Aleppo.
Two emissaries of the Old Man of the jNIountain assassinated
Eaymond 11. , count of Tripoli, under the walls of his
capital, which was plunged into trouble and desolation. Two
young Mussulman princes, of the family of Ortok, excited
by theii' mother, believed that the moment was come to reconquer
Jerusalem from the Christians. An army which
they had assembled, came and pitched its camp on the
Mount of Olives, and the holy city only owed its safety to
the courage of some knights who induced the people to take
arms. Noureddin had got possession of all the Christian
cities of Mesopotamia, and several places in the principality
of Antioch had opened their gates to him. Arrived on the
shores of the sea, which he had never before seen, he bathed
in its waves, as if to take possession of it ; and, still accompanied
by victory, he established the seat of his empire at
Damascus, whence he menaced the city of Jerusalem.
The afflicting news of these occurrences created great sorrow
among the Christians of the "West, and the sovereign
pontiff exhorted the faithful once again to take up the cross
and arms ; but neither the danger of the Christians beyond
the sea, nor the exhortations of the pope, could change the
opinion which the French had formed against distant wars.
Louis YII. was obliged to renounce his intention of retiu-ning
to the Holy Land. At this period a circumstance
occurred which it is very difficult to give credit to. The
abbot Suger, who had so strongly opposed the first expedition,
formed the resolution of succouring Jerusalem ; and
in an assembly held at Chartres, exhorted the princes,
barons, and bishops to enrol themselves under the banners
of the holy war. As he was only answered by the silence of
grief and astonishment, he formed the project of attempting
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