CHAPTER XXXIII.
ACRE.
AT the time when King Louis, sad but unsubdued, left Damietta andsteered for the Syrian coast, Acre, situated on a promontory at the footof Mount Carmel and washed by the blue waters of the Mediterranean, wasa place of great strength, and renowned throughout Christendom forriches and splendour. For a long period previous to its destruction bythe Mameluke Sultan--indeed, from the time of the seizure of Jerusalemby Saladin the Great--Acre was regarded as of higher importance than anycity in the Christian kingdom of which Jerusalem had been themetropolis; and thither, when driven from other towns which they hadcalled their own in the days of Godfrey and the Baldwins, most of theChristians carried such wealth as they could save from the grasp ofsultans and emirs. Acre had, in fact, come to be regarded as the capitalof the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and by far the finest of the cities inSyria.
Naturally enough, a capital so wealthy was rather tempting to men benton conquest. But Acre had the advantage of being strongly fortified. Onthe land side it was surrounded by a double wall, with towers andbattlements, and a broad and deep ditch, which prevented access to itsramparts, and towards the sea by a fortress at the entrance of theharbour, by the castle of the Templars, and by a stronghold known as'The King's Tower;' and on the whole, the fortifications were such thatno foe, not even such as Bibars Bendocdar, could have calculated onfinding the place an easy prey.
Nor could the aspect of the city seem otherwise than strange andpicturesque to such of the armed pilgrims as landed with the saint-kingbeneath its white walls, washed by the blue waters of the Mediterranean.The interior was chiefly occupied by the houses of traders and artisans;but, between the two ramparts that defended the city on the east, stoodthe castles and palaces of the King of Cyprus, the Prince of Antioch,the representatives of France and Germany, and other men of high rank.The houses were built of square stones, all rising to an equal height;and most of them were surrounded with a terrace; and inside they wereluxurious and resplendent, and lighted with windows of painted glass,which modified the glare of the oriental sun. Even the greatest kings inEurope could boast of nothing to compare with the pictures and marblesand rich furniture which the mansions of the magnates of Acre presentedto the eyes of the weary and desponding Crusaders.
And Acre was not without busy life and striking ceremonies to givevariety to the scene. The port was crowded with ships from Europe andAsia; the warehouses were stored with merchandise; the market-place waslively with bustle and excitement; monks, sailors, pirates, pilgrims,merchants, and warriors appeared in the streets; the squares and publicplaces were screened from the heat by silken coverings; and there oncertain days the magnates of the city, wearing golden crowns andvestments glittering with precious stones, walked to show themselves tothe people, attended by splendid trains composed of men varying inlanguage and manners, but unfortunately separated by jealousies andrivalries that frequently led to riot and bloodshed.
Around Acre, the country was fertile and fair to the eye of the gazer.Outside the walls were beautiful gardens where the citizens were wont torepair for recreation; and farther away groves and pleasure houses, andscattered villages and orchards, gave variety to the landscape.
Such was Acre when King Louis landed there with his queen and theremains of his once brilliant army; and when Walter Espec, penniless andpensive, but still hoping to hear tidings of his lost brother, leaptashore with Bisset the English knight, and returned thanks to heaven forhaving escaped from the power of the Saracens and the perils of the sea.
'Sir knight,' said Walter, who was in a desponding mood, 'we have now,thanks be to God reached a place of safety; and yet, beshrew me if myheart does not fail me; for we are in a strange land, without money,without horses, almost without raiment befitting our rank.'
'In truth,' replied the knight, 'I own that our plight is not enviable.But it is not desperate. Still I am in the service of King Louis, andhave claims which he cannot disregard; and, credit me, a king's name isa tower of strength. As for you, for lack of a more potent protector,attach yourself to me as squire, and we can struggle together againstadverse fortune. So droop not, but take courage, my brave Englishman;and we will, with the aid of God and our lady, so contrive to make thebest of our circumstances as to turn matters to our advantage.'