volume one

HISTORY or TUE CliUSADES. 391
in their arms and tlie protection of tlie Prophet. One of the
lieutenants of Chirkou, upon \Yitnessing their gloomy rage,
cried out in the midst of the Mussulman army : " Toa who
fear death or slavery, return into Syria; go and tell jSToureddin
that to repay him for the benefits with which he has loaded
you, you abandon Egypt to the infidels, in order to shut
yourselves up in your seraglios with women and children,"
These words reanimated the zeal and fanaticism of the
Syrian warriors. The Franks and the Egyptians who pursued
the army of Chirkou, were conquered in a battle, and
forced to abandon in disorder the hills of Baben,* where
they had pitched their tents. The general of Noureddin
took all possible advantage of his victory ; he passed as a
conqueror along the fertile banks of the Nile penetrated,
;
without encountering an obstacle, into lower Egypt placed a
;
garrison in Alexandria ; and returned to lay siege to the city
of Koutz, the capital of the Thebais. The ability with
Avhich Chirkou had disciplined his army, and planned the
last battle he had fought with his enemies ; his marches and
his counter-marches in the plains and valleys of Egypt, from
the tropic to the sea, announced the progress of the Mussulmans
in military tactics, and w^arned the Christians beforehand
of the enemy that was destined to put an end to
their victories and conquests.
The Turks defended themselves during several months in
Alexandria, against the seditions of the inhabitants and the
numerous assaults of the Christians. They at length obtained
an honourable capitulation, and as tlieir army Avas
becoming weaker every day by famine and fatigue, they retired
a second time to Damascus, after exacting very dear
payment for the transient tranquillity in which they left the
people of Egypt.
A^fter the retreat of the Syrians, the vizier Chaver hastened
to send back the Christians, whose presence made him
very uneasy. Tie engaged to pay the king of Jerusalem an
annual tribute of a hundred thousand crowns in gold, and
consented to receive a garrison in Cairo. He loaded the
barons and knights with rich presents, and the soldiers even
* Near the castle of Toura, two leagvxes from Cairo, opposite ancient
Memphis.