volume one

414 HISTOEY OF TUE CiiUSADES.
to their castles, awaited coming events. Eaymond retired
to his county of Tiberias, of which he had obtained the
sovereignty.
The retreat and the murmnrs of the enemies of Gruv only
increased his pride. The more he stood in need- of mildness
and moderation, the more haucrhtiness and severitr he displaved.
His disdainful manners drove from him the barons
who had remained faithful to him. Stimulated by the grand
master of the Templars, who was the declared enemy of the
count of Tripoh, he made preparations to besiege the city
whilst Eaymond, who was determined to defend
of Tiberias ;
himself, carried away by the excess of his anger, implored
the aid of Saladin against the king of Jerusalem.
At the approach of the e^ils about to fall upon the
kingdom, nothing was heard but complaints and seditious
clamours ; but neither the dangers of the Christian colonies,
nor the aspect of the threatened holy places, could silence
ambition or check revolt. The historian of the kingdom of
Jerusalem here feels the pen fall from his hand, and stops,
terrified at the events which are left for him to describe.
Amidst the general disorder and agitation, the supersti-
tious minds of the Chiistians beheld nothing in the future
but great calamities, and ever^'thing seemed to present
sinister presages to their eyes.
" The signs which were dis-
played in the heavens," says a contemporary chronicle,
" allowed it to be plainly perceived that God held in abomination
that which was going on. Impetuous winds, tempests,
and storms arose on all sides ; the Hght of the sun
was obscured daring several days, and hailstones as large as
the eggs of a goose fell from heaven. The earth, equally
agitated by frequent and horrible earthquakes, gave notice
of coming ruin and destruction, with disasters and defeats
in war which were soon to visit the kingdom. Neither could
the sea confine itself within its boimds and limits, but announced
to us, by its horrible floods or its unusually impetuous
"uaves, the anger of God ready to fall upon us. Fire
was seen blazing in the air like a house in flames ;
you would
have sworn that all the elements and architecture of God
were angr^', and abhorred the excesses, wickednesses, dis-
soluteness, and ofiences of the human race."
Such were the presages that struck the greater number of