selves besieged by so vast a multitude. But as they were on all sides threatened with their last hour, as death impended over their heads; certain of falling, they thought only how to sell the rest of their lives as dearly as possible. Meanwhile, Godfrey posted himself at the top of his tower, not as a foot-soldier, but as an archer. The Lord guided his hand in the combat, and all the arrows discharged by him pierced the enemy through and through. Near this warrior were two brothers, Baldwin and Eustace, like two lions beside another lion: they received terrible blows from stones and darts, which they returned to the foe with usury.

..

While they were thus engaged on the walls of the city, a procession was made round those same walls with the crosses, relics, and sacred altars. The victory remained uncertain during part of the day; but at the hour when the Saviour of the world gave up the ghost, a warrior named Letolde, who fought in Godfrey's tower, leaped the first upon the ramparts of the city. He was followed by Guicher-that Guicher who had vanquished a lion; Godfrey was the third, and all the other knights rushed on after their chief. Throwing aside their bows and arrows, they now drew their swords. At this sight the enemy abandoned the walls and ran down into the city, whither the soldiers of Christ with loud shouts pursued them. "The Count de St. Gilles, who on his part was endeavouring to bring up his machines to the walls, heard the clamour. Why,' said he to his men,

6

terini, on account of their mother Hagar, and in reference to the legitimate posterity of Abraham by Sarah.

Sacra altaria. This would seem to be applicable only to a pagan ceremony; but it is probable that the Christians had portable altars in their camp.

SIEGE OF JERUSALEM.

149

'do we linger here? The French are masters of Jerusalem; they are making it resound with their voices and their blows.' Quickly advancing to the gate near the castle of David, he called to those who were in the castle, and summoned them to surrender. As soon as the emir knew that it was the Count de St. Gilles, he opened the gate, and committed himself to the faith of that venerable warrior.

"But Godfrey, with the French, was resolved to avenge the Christian blood spilt by the Infidels in Jerusalem, and to punish them for the railleries and outrages to which they had subjected the pilgrims. Never had he in any conflict appeared so terrible, not even when he encountered the giant on the bridge of Antioch. Guicher, and several thousands of chosen warriors, cut the Saracens in two from the head to the waist, or severed their bodies in the middle. None of our soldiers shewed timidity, for they met with no opposition. The enemy sought only to escape; but to them flight was impossible; they rushed along in such crowds that they embarrassed one another. The small number of those who contrived to escape, took refuge in Solomon's Temple, and there defended themselves a considerable time. At dusk our soldiers gained possession of the Temple, and in their rage put to death all whom they found there. Such was the carnage, that the mutilated carcases were hurried by the torrents of blood into the court; dissevered arms and hands floated in the current, that carried them to be united to bodies to which they had never belonged."

In concluding the description of the places celebrated by Tasso, I feel happy in having had an opportunity of being the first to pay to an immor

tal poet the same honour which others before me had rendered to Homer and Virgil. Whoever has a relish for the beauty, the art, the interest of a poetic composition; for richness of detail, for truth of character, for generosity of sentiment, should make the Jerusalem Delivered his favourite study. It is in a particular manner the poem of the soldier: it breathes valour and glory, and, as I have elsewhere observed, it seems to have been written upon a buckler in the midst of camps.

I spent about five hours in examining the theatre of the battles described by Tasso. This theatre occupies very little more than half a league of ground, and the poet has so strongly discriminated the various scenes of action that they may be discovered at a single glance.

As we were returning to the city by the valley of Jehoshaphat, we met the pacha's cavalry coming back from its expedition. It is impossible to conceive the joyous and triumphant aspect of these troops after their victory over the sheep, goats, asses, and horses of a few poor Arabs on the banks of the Jordan.

CHAPTER VII.'

Government of Jerusalem-Abdallah, Pacha of Damascus-His Extortions-Order of the Holy Sepulchre conferred on the Author-General Survey of the City-Houses-InhabitantsCommunities of Christian Monks-Jews-Departure from Jerusalem-Arrival at Jaffa.

It is now time to say something concerning the government of Jerusalem. There is, in the first place,

1. A Mosallam or Sangiack, the commander of the military.

2. A Moula Cadi, or minister of police.

3. A Mufti, the chief of the santons and lawyers. When this Mufti is a fanatic, or a bad man, like him who held that office when I was at Jerusalem, he has it in his power to tyrannize over the Christians more than any of the other authorities.

4. A Moutenely, or collector of the duties at the mosque of Solomon.

5. A Soubachi, or sheriff of the city.

These subaltern tyrants are all, with the exception of the mufti, dependent on a principal tyrant, and this is the pacha of Damascus.

Jerusalem is comprehended in the pachalik of Damascus, for what reason I know not, unless it be a result of that destructive system which is naturally and, as it were, instinctively pursued by

the Turks. Cut off from Damascus by mountains, and still more by the Arabs who infest the deserts, Jerusalem cannot always prefer its complaints to the pacha when oppressed by its governors. It would be much more natural to make it dependent on the pachalik of Acre, which lies near it; the Franks and the Latin fathers might then place themselves under the protection of the consuls residing in the ports of Syria; and the Greeks and Turks would be able to make known their grievances. But this is the very thing that their governors are desirous of preventing; they would have a mute slavery, and not insolent wretches who dare complain of the hand that oppresses them.

Jerusalem is therefore at the mercy of an almost independent governor: he may do with impunity all the mischief he pleases, if he be not afterwards called to account for it by the pacha. It is well known that in Turkey every superior has a right to delegate his authority to an inferior; and this authority extends both to property and life. For a few purses a janissary may become a petty aga, and this aga may, at his good pleasure, either take away your life or permit you to redeem it. Thus executioners are multiplied in every town of Judea. The only thing ever heard in this country, the only justice ever thought of, is: Let him pay ten, twenty, thirty purses-Give him five hundred strokes of the bastinado-Cut off his head. One act of injustice renders it necessary to commit a still greater. If one of these petty tyrants plunders a peasant, he is absolutely obliged to plunder his neighbour also; for, to escape the hypocritical integrity of the pacha, he must procure by a second crime sufficient to purchase impunity for the first.