would not hear of his Hiftorian's return to Moful, again; and he having a fund of veneration for his Hero, this Detention was not very ungrateful to him. Most of what he has, faid, hitherto, he had upon information of Eye-witneffes, and People of the greatest Sincerity: what remains, on the contrary, he was, for the most part, an Eye-witnefs of himself.

FT

THE Soltan then moved in great order, and penetrated the Enemy's Frontiers, making his way towards the Sea-fide, and reduced.Shiblah, and fome other places with little or no trouble. Laodicea alfo he took by a furious Affault. Laodicea was in thofe days a fair City, famous for her Harbour and Trade, and had two ftrong Caftles, which stood upon Eminencies at a small diftance from each oth The, City was carried the very firft day, and the two Caftles upon the fecond, the Inhabitants and Garrifon being allowed their own Terms. Then with wonderful Celerity and Execution he over-ran the rest of this maritime Province, like a ra pid Torrent overpowering many ftrong and well-defended, and, as then thought, impreg nable Places, which ftruck others with fuch a terror, that they voluntarily furrendered. After a very fhort intermiffion, Safa and Kawkeb fell a Prey to his victorious Arms: and thus did he waste the maritime and inner parts of the Antiochian Syria; but behaving, however, with great Moderation and Humanity upon moft occafions, the Vanquished having little to complain of but the partiality of Fortune, and the fickle chance of War.

THE next Month he laid fiege to a ftrong rear of the Place, called by our Author Shakyf, which was Hej. 585. betrayed by its Governour, who attended on

H 2

the

the Soltán for that purpofe, and fwore Fealty to him, on condition that he and his Family fhould be handfomly taken care of: Towards the latter end of this month, news came that Shawbek had furrendered, having held out a twelve-month's clofe fiege, and fuffered Diftreffes of all forts.

4

THE Soltán had propofed to the captive King of Jerufalem, That if he would command Askalon to furrender, he fhould be reftored to his liberty. The King thought well of it, and the place obeyed his Commands; and he had his liberty restored to him, under this reftriction, that he should hold himself as dependant on the Soltán, and never more unfheath his Sword against him. The King directed his steps towards Tyre, where the Governour at firft de nied him entrance: this Gentleman, a Marquis, as our Author ranks him, was a ftrenuous Afferter of the Christian Faith, and infifted that he held the City in behalf of the Kings beyond fea. However, the King and he came to a mutual understanding at laft; and the former, in violation of his Homage to the Soltan, joined Forces and Counsels with the latter, to infeft the Mof lems.

IN confequence of this Conjunction, they made a fudden Irruption into the Territory of Sidon but were brifkly repulfed with great lofs, many of them falling in battle, and many of them being pushed into a River, which interrupted their retreat. Notwithstanding this, they in a few days made a fecond attempt to furprize the Moflems with fomewhat better, Succefs, killing 180 of them; but thefe were mere Skirmishes.

zed

BUT how flight foever they were, they rouup the Soltan to a great pitch of Indigna

tion,

tion, and defire of Revenge; but the prefent Juncture did not favour his Inclinations, and therefore he went to take a furvey of the important City of Ptolemais. In the mean time, the Franks lofing no opportunity of annoying the Mollems, the Soltan and King of Jerufalem met in the Field by infenfible degrees; but the very little honour that accrued to either fide in this Action, fell to the Soltan's lot, who loft but fix Men, while the King and his Ally loft

ten.

1

WHILE this flying Warfare was in agitation, the Lord or Governour of Shakyf gave the Soltán fome room to fufpect, he was acting a politick part, quite contrary to the Faith he had plighted to him; wherefore, after mature deliberation, he was clapped up in a Castle in his Neighbourhood. Soon after came advice, that the Franks were on their march' towards Ptolemais, and that a Party of them had actually had a brush with the Soltan's People at Alexandretta, and had taken up their Quarters there. In fact, the Franks did march to Ptolemais, and befieged it, with the Soltán at their heels, who thought to have protected the Place, and driven them off. Fierce and obftinate Battles were fought under the Walls by the contending Parties; but the Franks had, upon the matter, continually the worst of it. At intervals, however, they would speak with each other, and at length grew to be very familiar together. At a meeting of fome belonging to both Armies, it was propofed that two Boys of each fide fhould try the Event of a Battle: this was mutually agreed on, and one of the Moflemite Boys overcame one of the Christian, and took him Captive fairly; which

H 3

being

being allowed by the Franks, the poor Captive. was ranfomed for two gold Crowns, This our Author reckons a happy omen, it being the fore-runner of a very notable Action.

FOR, a few days after this, the Franks drew out of their Camp, one and all, in battle-array, with the King of Ferufalem in their Center, preceded by the Gofpel, covered with a filk Pall, the four Corners of it fupported by as many Men. The Soltan, who always encamped in order of Battle, took the Alarm very regularly, and marfhalled his Force with great pomp and form. Both fides advanced to the Charge, and the Franks fell on with fuch fury, that at almost the firft of the on-fet, they broke thro' the Mefopotamians, routed them utterly, purfued them hotly, flew a multitude of them, and utterly difperfed them; fo that few of them, except the Chiefs, rejoined the Soltan for one while. But those who stood their ground with the Soltan, amply retrieved the lofs and difhonour of the Mefopotamians; they fuftained but little damage, and miffed but one hundred and fifty one of their number, at the fame time that they flew feven thousand of the Franks. The greatest Misfortune the Moslems fuffered upon this occafion, was owing to their Slaves, who looked to their Tents and Baggage; for thinking, by what they faw of the Fight, that their Masters were undone, and had deferted them, they expected every minute to fee the Franks in the Camp to plunder it; and therefore to be before-hand with them, they fell to the fame work themfelves, and made off with a Booty of immenfe Value: but by the Vigilance and Prudence of the Soltán, moft was brought back again, and very equitably re

ftored

ftored to the right Owners, under his infpection. The Chriftians, after this, could pretend to little more, than to act on the defenfive. The Soltán on the other hand, having difpatched his troublefome bufinefs of diftributing to every one his own, drew off to a fmall diftance, to be out of the fmell of the Carcafes. This done, he called his Chiefs about him, and bespoke them to this effect. In the name of God, to whom be Praifes and Bleffing on the Prophet of God. Know ye, That this Enemy of God's and ours, bath entered into this our Country, and trod under the Land of Illam. But now it is the kind will of Heaven, that the Rays of Victory fbine out upon us. I have little to add, but that we must endeavour, with our utmost to root them out for fo are we injoined by God. Ye know we expect no farther recruit, than Al-malec Al-adel will ere long bring with him. But if we forbear till the Sea, now fout up, is opened to them, they will be ftrengthened with vaft Succours. The fum and fubftance of my opinion is, that we fight their Army again. Let me hear your minds. The refult, however, was, that they fhould not fight yet; but refresh their harraffed Troops, who had been full fifty Days under Arms: and moreover, wait the arrival of the Soltan's Brother Al-malec Al-adel.

SOON after there came news, by the way of Aleppo, that the King of the Germans, as our Hiftorian ftiles him, was in full march for Paleftine, by the way of Conftantinople, at the head of 200,000, faid fome, 260,000, according to others. This gave an alarm indeed, and made the Soltán beftir himself to fome purpose. He muftered his whole Strength, fent the terrible news to his Friends and Allies