首页 >出版文学> Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions>第52章
  Onthe18thofOctobertheysatdownbeforethestrongcityofAntioch,thesiegeofwhich,andtheeventstowhichitgaverise,areamongthemostextraordinaryincidentsoftheCrusade。Thecity,whichissituatedonaneminence,andwashedbytheriverOrontes,isnaturallyaverystrongposition,andtheTurkishgarrisonwerewellsuppliedwithprovisionstoendurealongsiege。InthisrespecttheChristianswerealsofortunate,but,unluckilyforthemselves,unwise。
  Theirforceamountedtothreehundredthousandfightingmen;andweareinformedbyRaymondd’Argilles,thattheyhadsomuchprovision,thattheythrewawaythegreaterpartofeveryanimaltheykilled,beingsodainty,thattheywouldonlyeatparticularpartsofthebeast。Soinsanewastheirextravagance,thatinlessthantendaysfaminebegantostarethemintheface。Aftermakingafruitlessattempttogainpossessionofthecitybyacoupdemain,they,starvingthemselves,satdowntostarveouttheenemy。Butwithwantcameacoolingofenthusiasm。Thechiefsbegantogrowwearyoftheexpedition。Baldwinhadpreviouslydetachedhimselffromthemainbodyofthearmy,and,proceedingtoEdessa,hadintriguedhimselfintothesupremepowerinthatlittleprincipality。Theotherleaderswereanimatedwithlesszealthanheretofore。StephenofChartresandHughofVermandoisbegantowaver,unabletoenduretheprivationswhichtheirownfollyandprofusionhadbroughtuponthem。EvenPetertheHermitbecamesickatheartereallwasover。Whenthefaminehadbecomesourgentthattheywerereducedtoeathumanfleshintheextremityoftheirhunger,BohemundandRobertofFlanderssetforthonanexpeditiontoprocureasupply。Theywereinaslightdegreesuccessful;buttherelieftheybroughtwasnoteconomized,andintwodaystheywereasdestituteasbefore。Faticius,theGreekcommanderandrepresentativeofAlexius,desertedwithhisdivisionunderpretenceofseekingforfood,andhisexamplewasfollowedbyvariousbodiesofcrusaders。
  Miserywasrifeamongthosewhoremained,andtheystrovetoalleviateitbyadiligentattentiontosignsandomens。These,withextraordinaryvisionsseenbytheenthusiastic,alternatelycheeredanddepressedthemaccordingastheyforetoldthetriumphorpicturedthereversesoftheCross。Atonetimeaviolenthurricanearose,levellinggreattreeswiththeground,andblowingdownthetentsoftheChristianleaders。Atanothertimeanearthquakeshookthecamp,andwasthoughttoprognosticatesomegreatimpendingeviltothecauseofChristendom。Butacometwhichappearedshortlyafterwards,raisedthemfromthedespondencyintowhichtheyhadfallen;theirlivelyimaginationsmakingitassumetheformofaflamingcrossleadingthemontovictory。Faminewasnottheleastoftheevilstheyendured。Unwholesomefood,andtheimpureairfromtheneighbouringmarshes,engenderedpestilentialdiseases,whichcarriedthemoffmorerapidlythanthearrowsoftheenemy。Athousandofthemdiedinaday,anditbecameatlastamatterofextremedifficultytoaffordthemburial。Toaddtotheirmisery,eachmangrewsuspiciousofhisneighbour;forthecampwasinfestedbyTurkishspies,whoconveyeddailytothebesiegedintelligenceofthemovementsanddistressesoftheenemy。Withaferocity,engenderedbydespair,Bohemundcausedtwospies,whomhehaddetected,toberoastedaliveinpresenceofthearmy,andwithinsightofthebattlementsofAntioch。Buteventhisexamplefailedtoreducetheirnumbers,andtheTurkscontinuedtobeaswellinformedastheChristiansthemselvesofallthatwaspassinginthecamp。
  ThenewsofthearrivalofareinforcementofsoldiersfromEurope,withanabundantstockofprovisions,cametocheerthemwhenreducedtothelastextremity。ThewelcomesuccourlandedatSt。
  Simeon,theportofAntioch,andaboutsixmilesfromthatcity。
  Thitherwardsthefamishingcrusadersproceededintumultuousbands,followedbyBohemundandtheCountofToulouse,withstrongdetachmentsoftheirretainersandvassals,toescortthesuppliesinsafetytothecamp。ThegarrisonofAntioch,forewarnedofthisarrival,wasonthealert,andacorpsofTurkisharcherswasdespatchedtolieinambuscadeamongthemountainsandintercepttheirreturn。Bohemund,ladenwithprovisions,wasencounteredintherockypassesbytheTurkishhost。Greatnumbersofhisfollowerswereslain,andhehimselfhadjusttimetoescapetothecampwiththenewsofhisdefeat。GodfreyofBouillon,theDukeofNormandy,andtheotherleadershadheardtherumourofthisbattle,andwereatthatinstantpreparingfortherescue。Thearmywasimmediatelyinmotion,animatedbothbyzealandbyhunger,andmarchedsorapidlyastointerceptthevictoriousTurksbeforetheyhadtimetoreachAntiochwiththeirspoil。Afiercebattleensued,whichlastedfromnoontillthegoingdownofthesun。TheChristiansgainedandmaintainedtheadvantage,eachmanfightingasifuponhimselfalonehaddependedthefortuneoftheday。HundredsofTurksperishedintheOrontes,andmorethantwothousandwereleftdeaduponthefieldofbattle。Alltheprovisionwasrecapturedandbroughtinsafetytothecamp,whitherthecrusadersreturnedsingingAllelulia!orshoutingDeusadjuva!Deusadjuva!
  Thisrelieflastedforsomedays,and,haditbeendulyeconomized,wouldhavelastedmuchlonger;butthechiefshadnoauthority,andwereunabletoexerciseanycontroloveritsdistribution。Famineagainapproachedwithrapidstrides,andStephenCountofBlois,notlikingtheprospect,withdrewfromthecamp,withfourthousandofhisretainers,andestablishedhimselfatAlexandretta。Themoralinfluenceofthisdesertionwashighlyprejudicialuponthosewhoremained;andBohemund,themostimpatientandambitiousofthechiefs,foresawthat,unlessspeedilychecked,itwouldleadtotheutterfailureoftheexpedition。Itwasnecessarytoactdecisively;thearmymurmuredatthelengthofthesiege,andtheSultanwascollectinghisforcestocrushthem。AgainsttheeffortsofthecrusadersAntiochmighthaveheldoutformonths;buttreasonwithineffectedthat,whichcouragewithoutmighthavestrivenforinvain。
  Baghasihan,theTurkishPrinceorEmirofAntioch,hadunderhiscommandanArmenianofthenameofPhirouz,whomhehadintrustedwiththedefenceofatoweronthatpartofthecitywallwhichoverlookedthepassesofthemountains。Bohemund,bymeansofaspywhohadembracedtheChristianreligion,andtowhomhehadgivenhisownnameatbaptism,keptupadailycommunicationwiththiscaptain,andmadehimthemostmagnificentpromisesofreward,ifhewoulddeliveruphisposttotheChristianknights。WhethertheproposalwasfirstmadebyBohemundorbytheArmenianisuncertain,butthatagoodunderstandingsoonexistedbetweenthem,isundoubted;andanightwasfixedfortheexecutionoftheproject。BohemundcommunicatedtheschemetoGodfreyandtheCountofToulouse,withthestipulationthat,ifthecitywerewon,he,asthesouloftheenterprise,shouldenjoythedignityofPrinceofAntioch。Theotherleadershesitated:
  ambitionandjealousypromptedthemtorefusetheiraidinfurtheringtheviewsoftheintriguer。Morematureconsiderationdecidedthemtoacquiesce,andsevenhundredofthebravestknightswerechosenfortheexpedition,therealobjectofwhich,forfearofspies,waskeptaprofoundsecretfromtherestofthearmy。Whenallwasready,areportwaspromulgated,thatthesevenhundredwereintendedtoformanambuscadeforadivisionoftheSultan’sarmy,whichwasstatedtobeapproaching。
  EverythingfavouredthetreacherousprojectoftheArmeniancaptain,who,onhissolitarywatchtower,receiveddueintimationoftheapproachofthecrusaders。Thenightwasdarkandstormy;notastarwasvisibleabove,andthewindhowledsofuriouslyastooverpowerallothersounds:therainfellintorrents,andthewatchersonthetowersadjoiningtothatofPhirouzcouldnothearthetrampofthearmedknightsforthewind,norseethemfortheobscurityofthenightandthedismalnessoftheweather。Whenwithinshotofthewalls,BohemundsentforwardaninterpretertoconferwiththeArmenian。Thelatterurgedthemtomakehaste,andseizethefavourableinterval,asarmedmen,withlightedtorches,patrolledthebattlementseveryhalfhour,andatthatinstanttheyhadjustpassed。
  Thechiefswereinstantlyatthefootofthewall:Phirouzletdownarope;Bohemundattachedittotheendofaladderofhides,whichwasthenraisedbytheArmenian,andheldwhiletheknightsmounted。A
  momentaryfearcameoverthespiritsoftheadventurers,andeveryonehesitated。AtlastBohemund,[VideWilliamofTyre。]encouragedbyPhirouzfromabove,ascendedafewstepsontheladder,andwasfollowedbyGodfrey,CountRobertofFlanders,andanumberofotherknights。Astheyadvanced,otherspressedforward,untiltheirweightbecametoogreatfortheladder,which,breaking,precipitatedaboutadozenofthemtotheground,wheretheyfelloneupontheother,makingagreatclatterwiththeirheavycoatsofmail。Foramomenttheythoughtthatallwaslost;butthewindmadesoloudahowlingasitsweptinfierceguststhroughthemountaingorges——andtheOrontes,swollenbytherain,rushedsonoisilyalong——thattheguardsheardnothing。Theladderwaseasilyrepaired,andtheknightsascendedtwoatatime,andreachedtheplatforminsafety,Whensixtyofthemhadthusascended,thetorchofthecomingpatrolwasseentogleamattheangleofthewall。Hidingthemselvesbehindabuttress,theyawaitedhiscominginbreathlesssilence。Assoonashearrivedatarm’slength,hewassuddenlyseized,and,beforehecouldopenhislipstoraiseanalarm,thesilenceofdeathclosedthemupforever。
  Theynextdescendedrapidlythespiralstaircaseofthetower,and,openingtheportal,admittedthewholeoftheircompanions。RaymondofToulouse,who,cognizantofthewholeplan,hadbeenleftbehindwiththemainbodyofthearmy,heardatthisinstantthesignalhorn,whichannouncedthatanentryhadbeeneffected,and,leadingonhislegions,thetownwasattackedfromwithinandwithout。
  ImaginationcannotconceiveascenemoredreadfulthanthatpresentedbythedevotedcityofAntiochonthatnightofhorror。Thecrusadersfoughtwithablindfury,whichfanaticismandsufferingalikeincited。Men,women,andchildrenwereindiscriminatelyslaughteredtillthestreetsraningore。Darknessincreasedthedestruction,forwhenmorningdawnedthecrusadersfoundthemselveswiththeirswordsatthebreastsoftheirfellow-soldiers,whomtheyhadmistakenforfoes。TheTurkishcommanderfled,firsttothecitadel,andthatbecominginsecure,tothemountains,whitherhewaspursuedandslain,hisgreyheadbroughtbacktoAntiochasatrophy。
  Atdaylightthemassacreceased,andthecrusadersgavethemselvesuptoplunder。Theyfoundgold,andjewels,andsilks,andvelvetsinabundance,but,ofprovisions,whichwereofmoreimportancetothem,theyfoundbutlittleofanykind。Cornwasexcessivelyscarce,andtheydiscoveredtotheirsorrowthatinthisrespectthebesiegedhadbeenbutlittlebetteroffthanthebesiegers。
  Beforetheyhadtimetoinstalthemselvesintheirnewposition,andtakethenecessarymeasuresforprocuringasupply,thecitywasinvestedbytheTurks。TheSultanofPersiahadraisedanimmensearmy,whichheintrustedtothecommandofKerbogha,theEmirofMosul,withinstructionstosweeptheChristianlocustsfromthefaceoftheland。TheEmireffectedjunctionwithKilijAslaun,andthetwoarmiessurroundedthecity。DiscouragementtookcompletepossessionoftheChristianhost,andnumbersofthemcontrivedtoeludethevigilanceofthebesiegers,andescapetoCountStephenofBlotsatAlexandretta,towhomtheyrelatedthemostexaggeratedtalesofthemiserytheyhadendured,andtheutterhopelessnessofcontinuingthewar。StephenforthwithbrokeuphiscampandretreatedtowardsConstantinople。OnhiswayhewasmetbytheEmperorAlexius,attheheadofaconsiderableforce,hasteningtotakepossessionoftheconquestsmadebytheChristiansinAsia。Assoonasheheardoftheirwoefulplight,heturnedback,andproceededwiththeCountofBlotstoConstantinople,leavingtheremnantofthecrusaderstoshiftforthemselves。