Amalric left as heir to Jerusalem’s throne a leprous boy of thirteen, Baldwin IV. Archbishop William, who became his tutor, wrote that the child possessed a quick and open mind, forgetting neither insults nor kindness. He resembled his father in gait and in the timbre of his voice. He played vigorously, as children do, but when pinched or scratched he felt nothing. William found the boy’s right arm and hand to be insensitive, and upon consulting medical books he saw in the work of Hippocrates how this predicted grave illness. Fomentations, anointings, and poisonous drugs were administered to no avail. As the malady progressed, growing ever more obvious, the people of Jerusalem felt sick with grief. The child himself, understanding that he had not long to live, resolved to be a mighty advocate and rake the Saracen. That he should suspect malefactors all about is little to be wondered, knowing as he did how they awaited his death and plotted among themselves to seize the crown. It is said he trusted his constable, Humphrey of Toron. But the constable would fall, seething with arrows, near the forest of Paneas.
So this was Saladin’s opponent, a crippled, stricken boy who already had used up more than half his life.
Beneath his standard Frankish Syria gained new heights. At Montgisard with eighty Templars and five hundred knights supported by foot soldiers the leper king defeated thirty thousand mameluks under Saladin. These Franks rose up baying like dogs, agile as wolves, to attack and pursue the astonished pagans. At such moments does not our Creator express His will?
During our year of edification 1180 the patriarch of Jerusalem went to sleep in God. Archbishop William, who spoke Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, and other tongues, was proposed to succeed him. Few Syrian Franks rivaled this archbishop for learning. He possessed intimate knowledge of Syrian manners and was agreeably rich, owning two thousand olive trees. Yet the leper king favored a cleric of no repute from Gévauden, by name Heraclius, who was scarce able to read, handsome and chattering with the brain of a sheep, making him sought by ladies of every rank. He is said to have been more dissolute than a grunting hog. Beyond doubt he touched the king’s mother. Through her patronage he had become archdeacon of Jerusalem, archbishop of Caesarea, and now patriarch of Jerusalem. Thus do long past events anticipate our own.
Heraclius kept at his palace a woman named Pasque de Riveri, wife of an Italian draper from Nablus ten leagues distant. He would send for her to come and stay with him. She would stay a week, two, three, four, wandering the streets dressed in such finery and jewels winking on her bosom that a stranger might take her for a duchess. Up and down the realm she was called Madame la Patriarchesse. The draper did not mind because through Heraclius he was getting rich.
One day with the king and his barons assembled at the patriarchal palace in marched a lackey shouting that he brought good news if the patriarch would give him a reward. Very well, wretch, said Heraclius, thinking it would concern Jerusalem, tell us your news if it is good. Aye! brayed the servant. Lady Pasque has given birth to a daughter! No reward did the lackey get but Heraclius cursing him outright.
As for Archbishop William, Heraclius excommunicated him. This happened Maundy Thursday when Heraclius went to make the chrism on Mount Zion. Nor would he permit the archbishop to appeal. It is thought Archbishop William sought justice from the Vatican. Some think he traveled to Rome where he obtained audience with His Holiness Alexander. Others say he prepared to go but was poisoned, murdered by a leech in the employ of Heraclius. Whatever the truth, our Lord keeps count.
Some years previous King Baldwin had thoughtfully allied himself through marriage with the powerful house of Comnenus. So now in the year 1180 did Emperor Manuel think to arrange a high marriage for his son, who was ten years old. To King Philip Augustus went emissaries charged to learn if the king’s little sister, Agnes, might be available. It is said that Philip Augustus, marveling over the dignity and sumptuous garments of Emperor Manuel’s envoys, did not take long to decide. Thus the Frankish child, aged nine, journeyed to Constantinople where she was greeted with honor. Emperor Manuel wished his niece Theodora to attend the wedding so he charged a kinsman, Andronicus Comnenus, to go and fetch her from Jerusalem. Andronicus accepted willingly. By most accounts he was charming, eloquent, and less upright than a serpent. Queen Theodora was now more beautiful than when she had been King Baldwin’s child bride. As related in the narrative of Robert de Clari, when they got well out to sea Andronicus lay with her by force. In fact he did little else but love the queen, who was his cousin. Therefore, since he dared not return to Constantinople he bore her away to Konia where they lived among pagans.
In that same year, albeit soothsayers prophesied that he would enjoy fourteen more years of earthly existence, Emperor Manuel Comnenus ascended to heaven.
Andronicus now considered restoring himself to grace. From exile he sent word to the child emperor, Alexius II, that everything whispered about him was a lie. I beseech you in God’s name, said he, to put aside your wrath. So he
