The knighthood of Christ found wine enough, yet without proportionate victual the body falters. Some thought to alleviate their pangs by drinking. Some crept humbly to Saladin’s camp where food was abundant and denied their faith, denying it ever was true that God deigned to be born of a woman. Baptism and the cross these recreants abjured to preserve life on earth a few days longer. How pernicious the exchange, since the body is a fleeting servant.
And the archbishop of Canterbury when he observed these pilgrims grow hourly more dissolute, given up to wine, to dice, lascivious women, felt his spirit wither. O Lord God! he cried aloud. There is need of chastening and correction! Lord God, if it please Thy mercy, let me be removed from the turmoil of life for I have endured this army enough!
Chronicles relate how Almighty God answered his plea. Fifteen days later the archbishop arose to glory.
Turks allege that Conrad de Montferrat caused a diabolic picture to be carried throughout Europe by clerics who lamented and groaned while displaying it in the marketplace, calling upon Christians to avenge the shame. Here was a Turkish knight riding across the Holy Sepulcher, his destrier pissing on the tomb. So much do these misbelievers claim. Yet does our Lord keep count. One and all does He punish for malicious inventions of the heart.
Documents do not explain how Saladin escaped the beleaguered city but it is known that from his encampment he wrote to the caliph of Baghdad and to other Muslim lords, telling how Christians approached by land and sea. Behold, he wrote with anguish because he feared his men could not prevail against the mighty power of Jesus. Behold, our enemies subscribe together and submit to privation for the sake of misstatement. They vie for glory, yet are they devoted to their cause and believe that in this way they serve God. Thus they consecrate their lives and wealth. No king in Europe forbids his peasants or his subjects to join these marches. Let us defend the truth against error and with the help of Allah exterminate the Christians.
Messengers bearing this appeal rode away to princes of Sinjar, Gezira, Mosul, and others in Mesopotamia exhorting them to join the holy war. Not one refused.
Now as summer returned the sea grew calm. More vessels arrived from Europe, which caused ships from Egypt to withdraw. Nevertheless those inside Acre contrived to obtain what they needed. Good swimmers could be persuaded to bring valuable items in exchange for money. Also, the Turks despatched and received messages by using pigeons. So throughout the summer they resisted. They hurled stones, fire, and rotting corpses at Frankish tents. Saladin from his encampment launched sudden attacks. By his command dead pilgrims were flung into the river Belus to horrify their comrades and while decomposing pollute the water. A knight called Ferrand, left naked on the field and almost dead, hid himself under piles of bodies until dark when he crawled back to camp so disfigured, so crusted with blood he could not be recognized and was admitted reluctantly. Gérard de Ridfort, master of the Temple who ignominiously purchased freedom after being captured with King Guy, was caught again. This time the Saracens took his head.
All such news flowing toward Europe brought grave unease. Commoners and kings alike thought more passionately upon the Holy Land, distressed by reports of distant sacrilege, of suffering oversea. King Philip Augustus of France and King Henry Plantagenet of England with his son Richard Lionheart resolved to take the cross, as did the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa.
So ardent grew this desire for pilgrimage that, as happened in the past, monks showed themselves devoted soldiers of Christ by quitting their libraries, exchanging cloaks for breastplates. Merchants abandoned their trade, countrymen their plows, bridegrooms their brides. Women complained that the frailty of their sex prevented them from leading armies. Wives scolded timid husbands, mothers denounced apprehensive sons. Those who hesitated might receive a distaff signifying cowardice. When these armies came into being the French adopted red crosses, the English white, the Flemings green.
At Mainz on the fourth Sunday of Lent, in the year of our Lord 1188, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa accepted the cross from the cardinal of Albano. Next he despatched a herald to Saladin ordering him to repent the injuries inflicted upon Christendom, challenging him to combat on the field, since it is usual for kings and emperors to give notice of war, to send word of defiance before attacking.
Frederick, by the grace of God emperor to the Romans, to Saladin, illustrious governor of the Saracens. Because you have profaned the Holy Land, which is our jurisdiction by authority of the Eternal King, solicitude advises us to proceed with commensurate anger against your intolerable effrontery. Wherefore, unless you relinquish that land you have seized and give due satisfaction for such ruinous excess, toward which end we allot you twelve months from the first day of November, you shall experience the misfortune of war. We in our assurance can scarcely believe you ignorant of that which the most ancient writings confirm. Namely, that with inordinate cupidity you have occupied Armenia and other lands warranted to us by virtue of the Holy Cross. For this is well known to sovereigns who in times past have felt the Roman sword. Now shall you learn through sad experience the might of imperial eagles and be acquainted with the wrath of Germany which is the fountainhead of the Rhine. Now shall you meet the fierce Bavarian, the proud youth of Swabia, the Burgundian who does not savor peace, the Frison with his thong and javelin, the fiery sailor of Pisa, the resolute Tuscan, the wild Thuringian, the nimble mountaineer. Lastly, you
