volume one

484 HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES.
advantage of the moment at which the soldiers left their intrenchments
unofuarded to attend mass, and made living but
anuopng incui'sions. Amidst general corruption, the siege of
Ptolemais presented manv subjects of edification. In the
camp, or in the field of battle, charity hovered constantly
around the Christian soldier, to soothe his misery, to watch his
sick pallet, or dress his wounds. During the siege the warriors
from the North were in the greatest distress, and could gain
little assistance from other nations. Some pilgrims from
Lubeck and Bremen came to their aid, formed tents of the
sails of their vessels to shelter their poor countrymen, and
ministered to their wants and tended their diseases. Forty
German nobles took part in this generous enterprise, and
their association was the origin of the hospitable and military
order of the Teutonic knights.
When the Crusaders entered Ptolemais, they shared the
sovereignty of it amongst them, each nation taking possession
of one of the quarters of the city, which had soon as many
masters as it had had enemies. The king of Jerusalem was
the only leader that obtained nothins: in the division of the
first reconquered place of his kingdom.
The capitulation remained luiexecuted ; Saladin, under
various pretexts, deferring the completion of the conditions.
Pichard, irritated by a delay which appeared to him a breach
of faith, revenged himself upon the prisoners that were in
his hands. AVithout pity for disarmed enemies, or for the
Christians he exposed to sanguinary reprisals, he massacred
five thousand Mussulmans before the city they had so valiantly
defended, and within si»ht of Saladin, who shared the
disgrace of this barbarity by thus abandoning his bravest and
most faithful warriors.
This action, which excited the regret of the whole Christian
army, suflS^ciently exposed the character of Eichard, and
showed what was to be dreaded from his violence ; a barbarous
and implacable enemy could not become a generous
rival. On the day of the surrender of Ptolemais, he
committed a gross outrage upon Leopold, duke of Austria,
by ordering the standard of that prince, which had been
planted on one of the towers, to be cast into the ditch.
Leopold dissembled his resentment, but swore to avenge
this insult whenever he should find an opportunity.