volume one

HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES. 15
on foot for a fresh war against the Saracens. The nations
of the AVest werel no strangers to this enterprize, which
preceded, by more than a year, the first of the Crusades.
Venice, which then enjoyed the commerce of the East,
forbade her people, imcler pain of death, to convey to the
Mussuhnans of Africa and Asia, either iron, wood, or any
species of arms. The Christians of Syria and several
Armenian princes repaired to the standard of Zijnisces, who
took the liekl, and carried war into the territories of the
Saracens. So great was the confusion which then prevailed
among the Mussulman powers, and with such rapidity did one
dynasty succeed to another, that history can scarcely distinguish
what prince,* or what people ruled over Palestine
and Jerusalem. After having defeated the Mussulmans on
the banks of the Tigris, and forced the caliph of Bagdad to
pay a tribute to the successors of Constantino, Zimisces
penetrated, almost without resistance, into Judea, took possession
of Cesarea, of Ptolemais, of Tiberias, Nazareth, and
several other cities of the Holy Land. He was encamped
upon Tabor when he received a deputation of the inhabitants
of E,amala and Jerusalem, who promised him obedience, and
required of him troops to defend their cities. Zimisces
received their submission and their request favourably,t and
pursued the wreck of the Saracen army, which had sought
refuge in some cities of Phenicia and in the mountains of
Libanus.
After this first campaign, the Holy Land appeared to be
on the eve of being delivered entirely from the yoke of the
infidels, when the emperor died poisoned. His death at
* The second memoir of the Xhh6 Guenee upon Palestine may he read
here. This estimable scholar speaks of the different dynasties which, at
this period, had by turns conquered Jerusalem. We have felt that all
these details, though quite in their place in a memoir, would only interrupt
the course of our narration, without furnishing the reader with any
useful information.
t Whilst reading the letter of Zimisces, which gives an account of
these events, we feel astonished that he does not show more eagerness to
see Jerusalem ; but such was the character of the Greeks, that they set
more value on the acquisition of relics, which were borne in triumph to
Constantinople, than in delivering the holy city and the tomb of Christ.
It is thence apparent that this expedition was not at all directed by the
same spirit as the crusades.