volume one

458 HISTOEY OF THE CEUSADES.
continued to arrive daily, resolved to attack Saladin, and
drive him beyond the mountains. They marched out from
their intrenchments, and di'ew up in order of battle. Their
army extended from the moutli of the Belus to the hill of
Turon. The Crusaders, full of zeal and ardour, were commanded
by many illustrious captains, among vrhom the
grand master of the Templars, the marquis of Tyre, the
counts of Blois, Bar, and Clermont, ^^ith de Brioude, and
Guy and Gauche de Chatillon, were conspicuous. The
clerg)' even appeared in arms ; the archbishops of Eavenna,
Pisa, Canterbiu*y, Besancon, Nazareth, and Montreal; the
bishops of Beauvais, Salisbury, Cambrai, Ptolemais, and
Bethlehem, assumed the helmet and cuii'ass, and led warriors
on to battle. The Christian army presented so redoubtable
an aspect, and appeared so full of confidence, that a Christian
knight cried out, in the height of his enthusiasm:
" Let God remain neuter, and the victory is ours /"
The king of Jerusalem, who caused the book of the
Evangelists to be borne before him, wrapped in a covering of
silk, and supported by four knights, commanded the right
wing ; he had under his orders the French and the Hospitallers
; his lines extended to the Belus. The Venetians,
the Lombards, and the Syrians formed the left wing, which
was flanked bv the sea, and marched under the banners of
Conrad. The centre of the army was occupied by the
Germans, the Pisans, and the English, headed by the landgrave
of Thuringia. The grand master of the Templars,
with his knights, and the duke of Gueldres, with his soldiers,
formed the body of reserve ready to hasten wherever danger
or the chances of the day might call them. The guardianship
of the camp was intrusted to Gerard d'Avesnes and
Geofirev de Lusio:nan.
AYhen the Christian army was drawn up on the plain, the
Saracens issued from their intrenchments, and prepared to
sustain the shock of the Crusaders. Saladin placed himself
vrith. his Mamelukes in the centre : his nephew Teki-eddin
Omar, one of his most skilful lieutenants, commanded the
right wing, which extended to
Ptolemais ;
the sea at the north-east of
the princes of Mossoui and Sandjar commanded
the left wing, bearing upon the river Belus. By this dis-
position, Saladin inclosed the Christians between the river