of the Christian troops, and the force which they still mustered. Almost all the historians of the time aver that he now repented having refused the challenge at first made him, to determine the possession of Syria by a combat between certain champions, and that he dispatched messengers to Godfrey then on his march, offering to submit to that means of decision. This proposal was immediately rejected by the leaders of the crusade, who replied that they had come out to fight for the land of Christ, and were resolved to abide the issue of the battle. They still pursued their course towards the mountains, where the immense superiority of the Mussulman cavalry could not affect them. The priests and monks, mingled with the soldiery, sung hymns and psalms to God as they proceeded; and the warlike Bishop of Puy paused for a moment when his division had reached a secure position, and addressed a few words of soul-stirring exhortation to the crusaders assembled around him.

In the mean time, the vizier had not been remiss in endeavoring, as far as possible, to remedy the error he had committed in suffering the host of the cross to issue forth from the gates of Antioch unattacked. Dividing his forces into two parts, he sent an immense body of chosen horsemen under Soliman, Sultan of Rhoum, the first, the most persevering, and the most skilful enemy of the Franks, to fall upon the rear of Boemond, as he led forth the last division of the crusaders. At the same

time, he himself stretched out the wings of his army, to outflank the troops of Hugh of Vermandois, so that for a moment the Christians were enclosed between the rocky steeps of Libanus and a crescent of nearly seven hundred thousand men. The battle immediately commenced by Godfrey and Hugh of Vermandois, with the forces of Lorraine attacking the main body of Kerboga's army; and with such vehemence, skill, and courage did the Duke make his onset, that the vizier himself was driven back nearly to his camp, and victory seemed hovering over the banners of the cross. At that instant, the dry grass and reeds, which had risen from the marshy land in the neighbourhood of the gates of Antioch, were fired by the orders of Soliman, to cover, under the smoke and blaze, the movements of the Seljukian horse; and then took place that tremendous charge of cavalry, which, casting the troops of Boemond into disarray and confusion, had well nigh extinguished the flame of the crusade in the heart's blood of the Christian soldiery. Tancred, however, flew to the assistance of his cousin, Hugh of Vermandois hastened to aid the forces of Apulia; Godfrey, leaving a large part of his troops to carry on the combat with Kerboga, hurried to the spot where the greatest danger existed ; and the Bishop of Puy, advancing with his division, supplied the vacancy which this movement on the part of Godfrey had produced in the army of the crusaders.

Thus stood the battle, when superstition came to the aid of valour and skill. Whether it was the force of imagination, or some happy accident, or one of the skilful combinations of priestly craft, can hardly now be told; but a body of men were seen coming over the mountains to the aid of the Christians. Fancy or art had arrayed them in garments of resplendent white; angels were said to be fighting in the ranks of the cross, and the redoubted battle-cry of "God wills it! God wills it!" once more thundered over the field. Soliman and his multitudes were driven back; the troops of the centre were thrown into disorder; the vizier's left wing wavered; and at the same moment the terrible news spread far and wide that the Franks had forced their way into the Mussulman camp.

Terror and confusion, and disgraceful flight succeeded; the vizier himself hurried from the field of battle; Soliman once more fled; the Christians, mounting the horses of the slain or captured Turks, urged the pursuit under the command of Tancred for many miles, and drove the enemy across the Orontes. The stream flowed with the blood of the infidel, and the number of slain must have been tremendous. Robert the Monk, who was present assures us that a hundred thousand of the horsemen fell upon the part of the Turks, between the city of Antioch and the iron bridge; and that the foot who were killed were not counted. Others reduce the number to sixty-nine or seventy thou

sand men, both horse and foot; and the Arabian, Kemaleddin, would fain persuade his readers, that few besides the rabble and the foot soldiers were slain by the crusaders. He admits, however, that the slaughter was terrible; and Abouyali and Ibngiouzi are too much surprised and astounded by the unexpected victory of the enemy, to attempt to diminish the marvellous success of the Christian host.

As usual, on this occasion took place many of those acts which leave a dark and horrible blemish on the heroes of the crusade. An indiscriminate massacre took place in the camp of Kerboga; women and children were put to the sword; and fierce wrath and savage vengeance, for a time, even superseded the cravings of hunger and the thirst of plunder. Immense spoil, however, was taken upon the field. The tent of Kerboga, itself one of the marvels of eastern magnificence, formed in the shape of a city, and capable of lodging two thousand men, fell to the share of Boemond; but, besides this, the quantity of gold and silver, and rich arms and splendid clothing, and camels, and other beasts of burden, was immense; while the store of provisions of all kinds which the vizier was forced to leave behind in his flight, was of still greater value to the half-famished host of the crusade.

The Count of Toulouse, or of St. Giles, had, as we have shown, remained within the walls of

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Antioch, to protect the city from the infidel garrison of the citadel; but the commander of the castle seeing the rout of Kerboga, and his flight from the field of battle, sought safety in a negociation with the deputies of Raymond, who was at the time too ill to receive in person the surrender of that fortress. Raymond, however, whose craft never lost sight of his own personal advantage, saw in the proposal of the governor a prospect of obtaining possession of the citadel of Antioch for himself; and he speedily concluded a treaty with the Lieutenant of Kerboga, by which it was stipulated that such of the Turkish soldiers as chose to remain and embrace the Christian religion might do so, and that the rest should be safely conducted to a certain distance beyond the limits of the conquered territory. This having been settled, he spread his banner over the gates of the castle, and waited the return of the victorious host.

His convention with the garrison was most faithfully executed; but the unfortunate Turkish soldiery did not find security, for the inhabitants of the greater part of the country round were Armenian or Syrian Christians, who had borne impatiently the Turkish yoke, and who, as soon as the utter defeat of the vizier was known, fell upon any scattered bands of Mussulmans that they met with and massacred them without mercy. Thus were slain many of the garrison after the Frankish guard had left them, and thus also fell a multitude of the troops