To lord
Paschal, pope of the Roman church, to all the bishops, and to the whole
Christian people, from the archbishop of Pisa, duke Godfrey, now, by the grace
of God, defender of the church of the Holy Sepuchre, Raymond, count of St.
Gilles, and the whole army of God, which is in the land of Israel, greeting.
Multiply
your supplications and prayers in the sight of God with joy and thanksgiving,
since God has manifested His mercy in fulfiling by our hands what He had
promised in ancient times. For after the capture of Nicaea, the whole army,
made up of more than three hundred thousand soldiers, departed thence. And,
although this army was great that it could have in a single day covered all
Romania, and drunk up all the rivers and eaten up all the growing things, yet
the Lord conducted them amid so great abundance that a ram was sold for a penny
and an ox for twelve pennies or less. Moreover, although the princes and kings
of the Saracens rose up against us, yet, by God's will, they were easily
conquered and overcome. Because, indeed, some were puffed up by these
successes, God opposed to us Antioch, impregnable to human strength. And there
He detained us for nine months and so humbled us in the siege that there were
scarcely a hundred good horses in our whole army. God opened to us the
abundance of His blessing and mercy and led us into the city, and delivered the
Turks and all of their possessions into our power.
In
as much as we thought that these had been acquired by our own strength and aid
not worthily magnify God who had done this, we were beset by so great a
multitude of Turks that no one dared to venture forth at any point from the
city. Moreover, hunger so weakened us that some could scarcely refrain from
eating human flesh. It would be tedious to narrate all the miseries which we
suffered in that city. But God looked down upon His people whom He had so long
chastised and mercifully consoled them. Therefore, He at first revealed to us,
as a recompense for our tribulation and as a pledge of victory, His lance which
had lain hidden since the days of the apostles. Next, He so fortified the
hearts of the men, that they who from sickness or hunger had been unable to
walk, now were endued with strength to seize their weapons and manfully to
fight against the enemy.
After
we had triumphed over the enemy, as our army was wasting away at Antioch from
sickness and weariness and was especially hindered by the dissensions among the
leaders, we proceeded into Syria, stormed Barra and Marra, cities of the
Saracens, and captured the fortresses in that country. And while we were
delaying there, there was so great a famine in the army that the Christian
people now ate the putrid bodies of the Saracens. Finally, by the divine
admonition, we entered into the interior of Hispania, [1] and the most
bountiful, merciful and victorious hand of the omnipotent Father was with us.
For the cities and fortresses of the country through which we were proceeding
sent ambassadors to us with many gifts and offered to aid us and to surrender
their walled places. But because our army was not large and it was the
unanimous wish to hasten to Jerusalem, we accepted their pledges and made them
tributaries. One of the cities forsooth, which was on the sea-coast, had more
men than there were in our whole army. And when those at Antioch and Laodicea
and Archas heard how the hand of the Lord was with us, many from the army who
had remained in those cities followed us to Tyre. Therefore, with the Lord's
companionship and aid, we proceeded thus as far as Jerusalem.
And
after the army had suffered greatly in the siege, especially on account of the
lack of water, a council was held and the bishops and princes ordered that all
with bare feet should march around the walls of the city, in order that He who
entered it humbly in our behalf might be moved by our humility to open it to us
and to exercise judgment upon His enemies. God was appeased by this humility
and on the eighth day after the humiliation, He delivered the city and His
enemies to us. It was the day indeed on which the primitive church was driven
thence and on which the festival of the dispersion of the apostles is
celebrated. And if you desire to know what was done with the enemy who were
found there, know that in Solomon's Porch and in his temple our men rode in the
blood of the Saracens up to the knees of their horses.
Then,
when we were considering who ought to hold the city, and some moved by love for
their country and kinsmen wished to return home, it was announced to us that
the king of Babylon had come to Ascalon with an innumerable multitude of
soldiers. His purpose was as he said, to lead the Franks, who were in
Jerusalem, into captivity, and to take Antioch by storm. But God had determined
otherwise in regard to us. Therefore, when we learned that the army of the
Babylonians was at their weapons, so that if they wished afterwards to attack
us, they did not have the weapons in which they trusted. There can be no
question how great the spoils were, since the treasures of the king of Babylon
were captured. More than 100,000 Moors perished there by the sword. Moreover,
their panic was so great that about 2,000 were suffocated at the gate of the
city. Those who perished in the sea were innumerable. Many were entangled in
the thickets. The whole world was certainly fighting for us, and if many of
ours had not been detained in plundering the camp, few of the great multitude
of the enemy would have been able to escape from the battle.
And
although it may be tedious, the following must not be omitted: on the day
preceding the battle the army captured many thousands of camels, oxen and
sheep. By the command of the princes, these were divided among the people. When
we advanced to battle, wonderful to relate, the camels formed in many squadrons
and the sheep and oxen did the same. Moreover, these animals accompanied us,
halting when we halted, advancing when we advanced, and charging when we
charged. The clouds protected us from the heat of the sun and cooled us.
Accordingly,
after celebrating the victory, the army returned to Jerusalem. Duke Godfrey
remained there; the count of St. Gilles, Robert, count of Normandy, and Robert,
count of Flanders, returned to Laodicea. There they found the fleet belonging
to the Pisans and to Bohemond. After the archbishop of Pisa had established
peace between Bohemond and our leaders, Raymond prepared to return to Jerusalem
for the sake of God and his brethren.
Therefore,
we call upon you of the catholic church of Christ and of the whole Latin church
to exult in the so admirable bravery and devotion of your brethren, in the so
glorious and very desirable retribution of the omnipotent God, and in the so
devoutedly hoped-for remission of all our sins through the grace of God. And we
pray that He may make you - namely, all bishops, clergy and monks who are
leading devout lives, and all the laity - to sit down at the right hand of God,
who liveth and reigneth God for ever and ever. And we ask and beseech you in
the name of our Lord Jesus, who has ever been with us and aided us and freed us
from all our tribulations, to be mindful of your brethren who return to you, by
doing them kindnesses and by paying their debts, in order that God may
recompense you and absolve from all your sins and grant you a share in all the
blessings either we or they have deserved in the sight of the Lord. Amen.
Laodicea, September, 1099.
