volume one

HISTORY OF TUE CKUSADES. 405
truce was concluded T^-ith Saladin. Kotliiug could induce
Henaud de Chatillon to lay down liis arms ; every day he
made fresh forays in the neighbourhood of Carac, and plundered
the caravans of the Mussulman pilgrims on their vraj
to Mecca. Heedless of the rights of nations or humanity,
he imprisoned women and children, and massacred unarmed
men.
Saladin complained to Baldwin of these infractions of
treaties ; but it was not in the power of the king of Jerusalem
to give him the satisfaction he demanded. The sultan,
irritated by the conduct of the Franks, seized fifteen hundred
pilgrims, who were cast upon the shores of Egypt by
a tempest, and threatened to detain them unless the Mussulman
prisoners were promptly set at liberty. Neither the
demands of Saladin, nor the prayers of Baldwin, nor even
the fate of the Christian captives, had the least effect upon
Eenaud de Chatillon and the Templars, so long accustomed
to sport with all treaties made with the Mussulmans.
Thereupon Saladin again determined upon war, and set
out a third time from the banks of the Nile, to enter Palestine
at the head of an army. At the approach of danger,
the Christians
the Saracens.
united their efforts to stop the progress of
An assembly, formed of all classes of citizens,
ordered a general contribution to be levied, the produce of
which was employed in repairing the fortifications of the
castles and cities, whilst all the barons and knights flew to
arms. But the time was not yet come in which Saladin
should invade the kingdom of Jerusalem. In each of his
expeditions he appeared to try the strength of the Christians,
and when he met with strong resistance, waited patiently
for a more favourable moment. After having ravaged Galilee
by his lieutenants, and commenced the siege of Berouth,
he suddenly drew off his forces to go and make war upon
the Attabeks, who were masters of Mossoul and several
cities of Mesopotamia.
The Christians took no other advantage of his absence
but to renew their incursions upon the territory of Damascus.
Eenaud de Chatillon made several expeditions to the
shores of the Bed Sea, and even conceived the daring project
of going to the cities of Mecca and Medina, and plundering
the Kaaba and the tomb of the Prophet. A troop of