How should we recognize our antagonist? Some think his head remarkably small, like a green fruit, his shoulders extremely broad. All at once he may show himself in a whirlwind. Anon, he will take up the guise of a querulous bitch that spins about and bites and snaps. His manifestations defy us. Devils are known to appear en masse, garbed as pilgrims, wallets slung against their haunches in the manner of Scots. Or like badgers, as reported from the district of Vexin. Guibert de Nogent declares that our enemy takes the guise of a little man who wears an orange-yellow tunic, a defiant sparrowhawk riding on his hand. Guibert when he was young awoke during the night to a clamor of voices and saw a man who earlier had died in the baths. Then, says he, I leapt screaming from my bed. I saw the lamp extinguished and saw a hideous shape, the devil’s outline.
Some time ago a priest of benign temperament devoted himself to the monastic life at Saint Germer, but managed to rouse a devil. With this good priest hunched over making a noisy stink the evil one appeared, having taken the guise of a cowled monk, shuffling his sandals on the floor as monks do when requesting permission to visit the stall at night, evoking such terror that the kindly priest leapt up and struck his head on the lintel of the door. Thus the devil contrived to wound his body, whose soul he could not harm, thereby disclosing his own poverty of spirit.
We hear of an excellent woman who lay down on a narrow bench to rest after Sunday matins but fell asleep. Then it seemed she was led through a colonnade to the mouth of a well. And up from the depths sprang human shapes with hair eaten by worms, who sought to draw her by the hand down into the well. But a voice cried out. Therefore the ugly phantoms plunged back into the depths. She had been saved because while walking through the colonnade she prayed to God for one thing, that she might be restored to the bench where her body rested.
Also, the monk Suger on his deathbed was approached by the devil carrying a book. Take this book and read it, said the devil. Jupiter sends it to you. The monk was horrified by the sound of this atrocious name. After relating what had occurred he lost his senses and was chained to his bed, but died in peace after making a good confession.
Thus we see how our Nemesis would lead us through circles of hell by the bridle of iniquity. Even so must he fly in terror from the inimitable light of God. Once we have known Jesus Christ we need not fear the stench of Satan. Therefore we lift our voices in praise, our hands in gratitude.
Bishop James, having reserved quarters for himself and his companions aboard a newly built ship, took passage from Genoa. He writes that he meant throughout the voyage to study his precious books, those arms that enabled him to combat the devil. And when he got to Acre he would preach the word of God in his diocese while awaiting the knighthood of Christ.
Anon, this host assembled. Teutonic knights with the duke of Austria. Templars. Hospitalers. Bishops of Nicosia and Bethlehem. King John of Jerusalem to lead the army. Here, too, the patriarch of Jerusalem. All being persuaded of their cause, wrapped in hope, on Ascension Day at the Castle of Pilgrims they set sail with a north wind rising, sailing toward Egypt, vault of infidel wealth and power.
Three days out they sighted Damietta. But a few leagues up the Nile stood Babylon, Cairo, tongue of the serpent, head of the Beast, poisonous tooth of authority.
With God’s help they were able to make port and establish camp on the west bank. All understood that since Damietta governed the waterway to Cairo it must be taken. Bishop Oliverius reports an eclipse of the moon not long after they landed, which pilgrims interpreted to the disfavor of Egypt, considering how there shall be signs in the moon and sun and stars and on the earth distress of nations. When that hammer of the ancient world, Alexander, set forth against Darius and Porus in Asia there occurred a similar eclipse, which he pointed out to his men. They felt encouraged and went on to defeat the Medes and Persians. So did the living host feel encouraged since Egyptians impute the moon to themselves, they rely much on its waxing and waning. Hence a fading orb signified the outcome.
These pagans had built a castle on an island near the west bank in order to supervise and regulate what might travel upstream or downstream. King John attacked with seventy barques sheathed in leather as protection against flaming naphtha, but did not succeed. The duke of Austria and Hospitalers of Saint John fixed ladders aboard two ships, but Egyptians shattered that of the Hospitalers so it crashed together with the
