volume one

418 HISTOET OF THE CEUSADES.
instant yuccour from me and you; but it is my duty to
think of the safety of the Christian cities now left without
gaffisons. In this army assembled on the plain of Sephouri
exists the only hope which the Christians of the East have
left. You behold here all the soldiers of Christ, all the
defenders of Jerusalem ; if they perish, the infidels have no
other foes to dread. Beware, then, of leading this multitude
of men and horses into a drv and arid country, where the
season, with thii'st and hunger, must soon deliver them up
without defence to the enemy. The number even of the
Christian soldiers inspires me with more alarm than confidence.
They present nothing but a confused troop of men
got together in haste, and totally unable to support fatigue.
The Mussulman archers are more skilful than our soldiers
in casting javelins, and may harass us on our march, without
our being able to defend ourselves ; the cavalry of Saladin
is more numerous and better trained than ours, and may
attack us with advantage on the plains, across which we
must pass. Abandon, then, I entreat you, Tiberias to the
Mussulmans, and let us save an army which may yet repair
our losses.
"I swear before God and before man, that I would willingly
abandon the county of Tripoli, with all the lands I possess,
to procure the safety of the citv of Christ. Our only aim
must be to destroy tlie power of Saladin, and at the same
time to preserve some defenders for the kingdom of Jerusalem.
If we go to meet the enemy and should be con-
quered, Grod liimself will not be able to save the Christians,
but will allow us to be delivered up to the infidels. If, on
the contrary, the enemy come to offer themselves to our
arms, all our losses will be repaii'ed, and the evils that will
fall upon me, will become for me a source of gratification,
since I shall have suffered for the cause of Christ and the
safety of his people."
The more generosity there was in this advice, the less
sincere it was esteemed. The grand master of the Templars,
blinded by his hatred for Eavmond, interrupted him several
times ; he reminded the assembly of the alliance of the
count of Tripoli with Saladin, and exclaimed aloud that he
could plainly perceive tlie wolfs skin iindei' the fleece of the
shee^, AYhen Eaymond invoked the name of Christ, the