Chapter Twenty-two: At Jerusalem
Godwin knew that he lay sick, but save that Masouda seemed totend him in his sickness he knew no more, for all the past hadgone from him. There she was always, clad in a white robe, andlooking at him with eyes full of ineffable calm and love, and henoted that round her neck ran a thin, red line, and wondered howit came there.
He knew also that he travelled while he was ill, for at dawn hewould hear the camp break up with a mighty noise, and feel hislitter lifted by slaves who bore him along for hours across theburning sand, till at length the evening came, and with a hummingsound, like the sound of hiving bees, the great army set itsbivouac. Then came the night and the pale moon floating like aboat upon the azure sea above, and everywhere the bright, eternalstars, to which went up the constant cry of "Allahu Akbar! AllahuAkbar! God is the greatest, there is none but He."
"It is a false god," he would say. "Tell them to cry upon theSaviour of the World."
Then the voice of Masouda would seem to answer:
"Judge not. No god whom men worship with a pure and single heartis wholly false. Many be the ladders that lead to heaven. Judgenot, you Christian knight."
At length that journey was done, and there arose new noises as ofthe roar of battle. Orders were given and men marched out inthousands; then rose that roar, and they marched back again,mourning their dead.
At last came a day when, opening his eyes, Godwin turned to restthem on Masouda, and lo! she was gone, and in her accustomedplace there sat a man whom he knew well--Egbert, once bishop ofNazareth, who gave him to drink of sherbet cooled with snow. Yes,the Woman had departed and the Priest was there.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"Outside the walls of Jerusalem, my son, a prisoner in the campof Saladin," was the answer.
"And where is Masouda, who has sat by me all these days?"
"In heaven, as I trust," came the gentle answer, "for she was abrave lady. It is I who have sat by you."
"Nay," said Godwin obstinately, "it was Masouda."
"If so," answered the bishop again, "it was her spirit, for Ishrove her and have prayed over her open grave--her spirit, whichcame to visit you from heaven, and has gone back to heaven nowthat you are of the earth again."
Then Godwin remembered the truth, and groaning, fell asleep.Afterwards, as he grew stronger, Egbert told him all the story.He learned that when he was found lying senseless on the body ofMasouda the emirs wished Saladin to kill him, if for no otherreason because he had dashed out the eye of the holy imaum with alamp. But the Sultan, who had discovered the truth, would not,for he said that it was unworthy of the imaum to have mocked hisgrief, and that Sir Godwin had dealt with him as he deserved.Also, that this Frank was one of the bravest of knights, who hadreturned to bear the punishment of a sin which he did not commit,and that, although he was a Christian, he loved him as a friend.
So the imaum lost both his eye and his vengeance.
Thus it had come about that the bishop Egbert was ordered tonurse him, and, if possible to save his life; and when at lastthey marched upon Jerusalem, soldiers were told off to bear hislitter, and a good tent was set apart to cover him. Now the siegeof the holy city had begun, and there was much slaughter on bothsides.
"Will it fall?" asked Godwin.
"I fear so, unless the saints help them," answered Egbert. "Alas!I fear so."
"Will not Saladin be merciful?" he asked again.
"Why should he be merciful, my son, since they have refused histerms and defied him? Nay, he has sworn that as Godfrey took theplace nigh upon a hundred years ago and slaughtered the Mussulmenwho dwelt there by thousands, men, women, and children together,so will he do to the Christians. Oh! why should he spare them?They must die! They must die!" and wringing his hands Egbert leftthe tent.
Godwin lay still, wondering what the answer to this riddle mightbe. He could think of one, and one only. In Jerusalem wasRosamund, the Sultan's niece, whom he must desire to recapture,above all things, not only because she was of his blood, butsince he feared that if he did not do so his vision concerningher would come to nothing.
Now what was this vision? That through Rosamund much slaughtershould be spared. Well, if Jerusalem were saved, would not tensof thousands of Moslem and Christian lives be saved also? Oh!surely here was the answer, and some angel had put it into hisheart, and now he prayed for strength to plant it in the heart ofSaladin, for strength and opportunity.
This very day Godwin found the opportunity. As he lay dozing inhis tent that evening, being still too weak to rise, a shadowfell upon him, and opening his eyes he saw the Sultan himselfstanding alone by his bedside. Now he strove to rise to salutehim, but in a kind voice Saladin bade him lie still, and seatinghimself, began to talk.
"Sir Godwin," he said, "I am come to ask your pardon. When Isent you to visit that dead woman, who had suffered justly forher crime, I did an act unworthy of a king. But my heart wasbitter against her and you, and the imaum, he whom you smote, putinto my mind the trick that cost him his eye and almost cost aworn-out and sorrowful man his life. I have spoken."
"I thank you, sire, who were always noble," answered Godwin.
"You say so. Yet I have done things to you and yours that you canscarcely hold as noble," said Saladin. "I stole your cousin fromher home, as her mother had been stolen from mine, paying backill with ill, which is against the law, and in his own hall myservants slew her father and your uncle, who was once my friend.Well, these things I did because a fate drove me on--the fate ofa dream, the fate of a dream. Say, Sir Godwin, is that storywhich they tell in the camps true, that a vision came to youbefore the battle of Hattin, and that you warned the leaders ofthe Franks not to advance against me?"
"Yes, it is true," answered Godwin, and he told the vision, andof how he had sworn to it on the Rood.
"And what did they say to you?"
"They laughed at me, and hinted that I was a sorcerer, or atraitor in your pay, or both."
"Blind fools, who would not hear the truth when it was sent tothem by the pure mouth of a prophet," muttered Saladin. "Well,they paid the price, and I and my faith are the gainers. Do youwonder, then, Sir Godwin, that I also believe my vision whichcame to me thrice in the night season, bringing with it thepicture of the very face of my niece, the princess of Baalbec?"
"I do not wonder," answered Godwin.
"Do you wonder also that I was mad with rage when I learned thatat last yonder brave dead woman had outwitted me and all my spiesand guards, and this after I had spared your lives? Do you wonderthat I am still so wroth, believing as I do that a great occasionhas been taken from me?"
"I do not wonder. But, Sultan, I who have seen a vision speak toyou who also have seen a vision--a prophet to a prophet. And Itell you that the occasion has not been taken--it has beenbrought, yes, to your very door, and that all these things havehappened that it might thus be brought."
"Say on," said Saladin, gazing at him earnestly.
"See now, Salah-ed-din, the princess Rosamund is in Jerusalem. Shehas been led to Jerusalem that you may spare it for her sake, andthus make an end of bloodshed and save the lives of folkuncounted."
"Never!" said the Sultan, springing up. "They have rejected mymercy, and I have sworn to sweep them away, man, woman, andchild, and be avenged upon all their unclean and faithless race."
"Is Rosamund unclean that you would be avenged upon her? Will herdead body bring you peace? If Jerusalem is put to the sword, shemust perish also."
"I will give orders that she is to be saved--that she may bejudged for her crime by me," he added grimly.
"How can she be saved when the stormers are drunk with slaughter,and she but one disguised woman among ten thousand others?"
"Then," he answered, stamping his foot, "she shall be brought ordragged out of Jerusalem before the slaughter begins."
"That, I think, will not happen while Wulf is there to protecther," said Godwin quietly.
"Yet I say that it must be so--it sh
all be so."
Then, without more words, Saladin left the tent with a troubledbrow.
Within Jerusalem all was misery, all was despair. There werecrowded thousands and tens of thousands of fugitives, women andchildren, many of them, whose husbands and fathers had been slainat Hattin or elsewhere. The fighting men who were left had fewcommanders, and thus it came about that soon Wulf found himselfthe captain of very many of them.
First Saladin attacked from the west between the gates of Sts.Stephen and of David, but here stood strong fortresses called theCastle of the Pisans and the Tower of Tancred, whence thedefenders made sallies upon him, driving back his stormers. So hedetermined to change his ground, and moved his army to the east,camping it near the valley of the Kedron. When they saw the tentsbeing struck the Christians thought that he was abandoning thesiege, and gave thanks to God in all their churches; but lo! nextmorning the white array of these appeared again on the east, andthey knew that their doom was sealed.
There were in the city many who desired to surrender to theSultan, and fierce grew the debates between them and those whoswore that they would rather die. At length it was agreed that anembassy should be sent. So it came under safe conduct, and wasreceived by Saladin in presence of his emirs and counsellors. Heasked them what was their wish, and they replied that they hadcome to discuss terms. Then he answered thus:
"In Jerusalem is a certain lady, my niece, known among us as theprincess of Baalbec, and among the Christians as Rosamund D'Arcy,who escaped thither a while ago in the company of the knight, SirWulf D'Arcy, whom I have seen fighting bravely among yourwarriors. Let her be surrendered to me that I may deal with heras she deserves, and we will talk again. Till then I have no moreto say."
Now most of the embassy knew nothing of this lady, but one or twosaid they thought that they had heard of her, but had noknowledge of where she was hidden.
"Then return and search her out," said Saladin, and so dismissedthem.
Back came the envoys to the council and told what Saladin hadsaid.
"At least," exclaimed Heraclius the Patriarch, "in this matter itis easy to satisfy the Sultan. Let his niece be found anddelivered to him. Where is she?"
Now one declared that was known by the knight, Sir Wulf D'Arcy,with whom she had entered the city. So he was sent for, and camewith armour rent and red sword in hand, for he had just beatenback an attack upon the barbican, and asked what was theirpleasure.
"We desire to know, Sir Wulf," said the patriarch, "where you havehidden away the lady known as the princess of Baalbec, whom youstole from the Sultan?"
"What is that to your Holiness?" asked Wulf shortly.
"A great deal, to me and to all, seeing that Saladin will noteven treat with us until she is delivered to him."
"Does this council, then, propose to hand over a Christian ladyto the Saracens against her will?" asked Wulf sternly.
"We must," answered Heraclius. "Moreover, she belongs to them."
"She does not belong," answered Wulf. "She was kidnapped bySaladin in England, and ever since has striven to escape fromhim."
"Waste not our time," exclaimed the patriarch impatiently. "Weunderstand that you are this woman's lover, but however that maybe, Saladin demands her, and to Saladin she must go. So tell uswhere she is without more ado, Sir Wulf."
"Discover that for yourself, Sir Patriarch," replied Wulf infury. "Or, if you cannot, send one of your own women in herplace."
Now there was a murmur in the council, but of wonder at hisboldness rather than of indignation, for this patriarch was avery evil liver.
"I care not if I speak the truth," went on Wulf, "for it is knownto all. Moreover, I tell this man that it is well for him that heis a priest, however shameful, for otherwise I would cleave hishead in two who has dared to call the lady Rosamund my lover."Then, still shaking with wrath, the great knight turned andstalked from the council chamber.
"A dangerous man," said Heraclius, who was white to the lips; "avery dangerous man. I propose that he should be imprisoned."
"Ay," answered the lord Balian of Ibelin, who was in supremecommand of the city, "a very dangerous man--to his foes, as I cantestify. I saw him and his brother charge through the hosts ofthe Saracens at the battle of Hattin, and I have seen him in thebreach upon the wall. Would that we had more such dangerous menjust now!"
"But he has insulted me," shouted the patriarch, "me and my holyoffice."
"The truth should be no insult," answered Balian with meaning."At least, it is a private matter between you and him on accountof which we cannot spare one of our few captains. Now as regardsthis lady, I like not the business--"
As he spoke a messenger entered the room and said that thehiding-place of Rosamund had been discovered. She had beenadmitted a novice into the community of the Virgins of the HolyCross, who had their house by the arch on the Via Dolorosa.
"Now I like it still less," Balian went on, "for to touch herwould be sacrilege."
"His Holiness, Heraclius, will give us absolution," said amocking voice.
Then another leader rose--he was one of the party who desiredpeace--and pointed out that this was no time to stand onscruples, for the Sultan would not listen to them in their soreplight unless the lady were delivered to him to be judged for heroffence. Perhaps, being his own niece, she would, in fact, sufferno harm at his hands, and whether this were so or not, it wasbetter that one should endure wrong, or even death, than many.
With such words he over-persuaded the most of them, so that inthe end they rose and went to the convent of the Holy Cross,where the patriarch demanded admission for them, which, indeed,could not be refused. The stately abbess received them in therefectory, and asked their pleasure.
"Daughter," said the patriarch, "you have in your keeping a ladynamed Rosamund D'Arcy, with whom we desire to speak. Where isshe?"
"The novice Rosamund," answered the abbess, "prays by the holyaltar in the chapel."
Now one murmured, "She has taken sanctuary," but the patriarchsaid:
"Tell us, daughter, does she pray alone?"
"A knight guards her prayers," was the answer.
"Ah! as I thought, he has been beforehand with us. Also,daughter, surely your discipline is somewhat lax if you sufferknights thus to invade your chapel. But lead us thither."
"The dangers of the times and of the lady must answer for it,"the abbess replied boldly, as she obeyed.
Presently they were in the great, dim place, where the lampsburned day and night. There by the altar, built, it was said,upon the spot where the Lord stood to receive judgment, they sawa kneeling woman, who, clad in the robe of a novice, grasped thestonework with her hands. Without the rails, also kneeling, wasthe knight Wulf, still as a statue on a sepulchre. Hearing them,he rose, turned him about, and drew his great sword.
"Sheathe that sword," commanded Heraclius.
"When I became a knight," answered Wulf, "I swore to defend theinnocent from harm and the altars of God from sacrilege at thehands of wicked men. Therefore I sheathe not my sword."
"Take no heed of him," said one; and Heraclius, standing back inthe aisle, addressed Rosamund:
"Daughter," he cried, "with bitter grief we are come to ask ofyou a sacrifice, that you should give yourself for the people, asour Master gave Himself for the people. Saladin demands you as afugitive of his blood, and until you are delivered to him he willnot treat with us for the saving of the city. Come forth, then,we pray you."
Now Rosamund rose and faced them, with her hand resting upon thealtar.
"I risked my life and I believe another gave her life," she said,"that I might escape from the power of the Moslems. I will notcome forth to return to them."
"Then, our need being sore, we must take you," answered Heracliussullenly.
"What!" she cried. "You, the patriarch of this sacred city, wouldtear me from the sanctuary of its holiest altar? Oh! then, indeedshall the curse fall upon it and you. Hence, they say, our sweetLord was haled to sacrifice by the
command of an unjust judge,and thereafter Jerusalem was taken by the sword. Must I too bedragged from the spot that His feet have hallowed, and even inthese weeds"--and she pointed to her white robe--"thrown as anoffering to your foes, who mayhap will bid me choose betweendeath and the Koran? If so, I say assuredly that offering will bemade in vain, and assuredly your streets shall run red with theblood of those who tore me from my sanctuary."
Now they consulted together, some taking one side and some theother, but the most of them declared that she must be given up toSaladin.
"Come of your own will, I pray you," said the patriarch, "sincewe would not take you by force."
"By force only will you take me," answered Rosamund.
Then the abbess spoke.
"Sirs, will you commit so great a crime? Then I tell you that itcannot go without its punishment. With this lady I say"--and shedrew up her tall shape--"that it shall be paid for in your blood,and mayhap in the blood of all of us. Remember my words when theSaracens have won the city, and are putting its children to thesword."
"I absolve you from the sin," shouted the patriarch, "if sin itis."
"Absolve yourself," broke in Wulf sternly, "and know this. I ambut one man, but I have some strength and skill. If you seek butto lay a hand upon the novice Rosamund to hale her away to beslain by Saladin, as he has sworn that he would do should shedare to fly from him, before I die there are those among you whohave looked the last upon the light."
Then, standing there before the altar rails, he lifted his greatblade and settled the skull-blazoned shield upon his arm.
Now the patriarch raved and stormed, and one among them criedthat they would fetch bows and shoot Wulf down from a distance.
"And thus," broke in Rosamund, "add murder to sacrilege! Oh!sirs, bethink what you do--ay, and remember this, that you do itall in vain. Saladin has promised you nothing, except that if youdeliver me to him, he will talk with you, and then you may findthat you have sinned for nothing. Have pity on me and go yourways, leaving the issue in the hand of God."
"That is true," cried some. "Saladin made no promises."
Now Balian, the guardian of the city, who had followed them tothe chapel and standing in the background heard what passedthere, stepped forward and said:
"My lord Patriarch, I pray you let this thing be, since from sucha crime no good could come to us or any. That altar is theholiest and most noted place of sanctuary in all Jerusalem. Willyou dare to tear a maiden from it whose only sin is that she, aChristian, has escaped the Saracens by whom she was stolen? Doyou dare to give her back to them and death, for such will be herdoom at the hands of Saladin? Surely that would be the act ofcowards, and bring upon us the fate of cowards. Sir Wulf, put upyour sword and fear nothing. If there is any safety in Jerusalem,your lady is safe. Abbess, lead her to her cell."
"Nay," answered the abbess with fine sarcasm, "it is not fittingthat we should leave this place before his Holiness."
"Then you have not long to wait," shouted the patriarch in fury."Is this a time for scruples about altars? Is this a time tolisten to the prayers of a girl or to threats of a single knight,or the doubts of a superstitious captain? Well, take your way andlet your lives pay its cost. Yet I say that if Saladin asked forhalf the noble maidens in the city, it would be cheap to let himhave them in payment for the blood of eighty thousand folk," andhe stalked towards the door.
So they went away, all except Wulf, who stayed to make sure thatthey were gone, and the abbess, who came to Rosamund and embracedher, saying that for the while the danger was past, and she mightrest quiet.
"Yes, mother," answered Rosamund with a sob, "but oh! have I doneright? Should I not have surrendered myself to the wrath ofSaladin if the lives of so many hang upon it? Perhaps, after all,he would forget his oath and spare my life, though at best Ishould never be suffered to escape again while there is a castlein Baalbec or a guarded harem in Damascus. Moreover, it is hardto bid farewell to all one loves forever," and she glancedtowards Wulf, who stood out of hearing.
"Yes," answered the abbess, "it is hard, as we nuns know well.But, daughter, that sore choice has not yet been thrust upon you.When Saladin says that he sets you against the lives of all thiscityful, then you must judge."
"Ay," repeated Rosamund, "then I--must judge."
The siege went on; from terror to terror it went on. Themangonels hurled their stones unceasingly, the arrows flew inclouds so that none could stand upon the walls. Thousands of thecavalry of Saladin hovered round St. Stephen's Gate, while theengines poured fire and bolts upon the doomed town, and theSaracen miners worked their way beneath the barbican and thewall. The soldiers within could not sally because of themultitude of the watching horsemen; they could not showthemselves, since he who did so was at once destroyed by athousand darts, and they could not build up the breaches of thecrumbling wall. As day was added to day, the despair grew everdeeper. In every street might be met long processions of monksbearing crosses and chanting penitential psalms and prayers,while in the house-doors women wailed to Christ for mercy, andheld to their breasts the children which must so soon be given todeath, or torn from them to deck some Mussulman harem.
The commander Balian called the knights together in council, andshowed them that Jerusalem was doomed.
"Then," said one of the leaders, "let us sally out and diefighting in the midst of foes."
"Ay," added Heraclius, "and leave our children and our women todeath and dishonour. Then that surrender is better, since thereis no hope of succour."
"Nay," answered Balian, "we will not surrender. While God lives,there is hope."
"He lived on the day of Hattin, and suffered it," said Heraclius;and the council broke up, having decided nothing.
That afternoon Balian stood once more before Saladin and imploredhim to spare the city.
Saladin led him to the door of the tent and pointed to hisyellow banners floating here and there upon the wall, and to onethat at this moment rose upon the breach itself.
"Why should I spare what I have already conquered, and what Ihave sworn to destroy?" he asked. "When I offered you mercy youwould have none of it. Why do you ask it now?"
Then Balian answered him in those words that will ring throughhistory forever.
"For this reason, Sultan. Before God, if die we must, we willfirst slaughter our women and our little children, leaving youneither male nor female to enslave. We will burn the city and itswealth; we will grind the holy Rock to powder and make of themosque el-Aksa, and the other sacred places, a heap of ruins. Wewill cut the throats of the five thousand followers of theProphet who are in our power, and then, every man of us who canbear arms, we will sally out into the midst of you and fight ontill we fall. So I think Jerusalem shall cost you dear."
The Sultan stared at him and stroked his beard.
"Eighty thousand lives," he muttered; "eighty thousand lives,besides those of my soldiers whom you will slay. A greatslaughter--and the holy city destroyed forever. Oh! it was ofsuch a massacre as this that once I dreamed."
Then Saladin sat still and thought a while, his head bowed uponhis breast.