CHAPTER XXXI
MARSHAL FELINGHER.
The emperor could no longer hide from himself that Cyprus was lost, and his affairs in the Holy Land wore a very gloomy aspect. By his command the governor of Cyprus issued a proclamation depriving the Ibelins of all their feudal tenures, and a fleet was assembled consisting of eighteen galleys and fifteen transports, in the last of which were embarked three hundred horsemen and two thousand foot soldiers. These were all placed under the command of Marshal Felingher by a manifesto, to which was appended a golden ball, appointing him Governor, Lord Chief Justice, and Generalissimo of the East, and at the same time affording him every facility for getting his troops together. Ibelin had taken the precaution to send spies into Italy, from whom he received secret information concerning everything that occurred there, and before the imperial fleet had left Brindisi, a swift sailing vessel was despatched, by which the spies returned speedily to the east, and soon reaching Akkon, where Ibelin was at that time encamped, made him acquainted with all the proceedings of the emperor.
Without loss of time Ibelin assembled as many men as he and his friends could get together, and marched upon Beyrut, the defences of which he strengthened, and then crossed over to Cyprus, where it was necessary to take care that on seeing the emperor’s fleet the Cyprians should not rouse their forces, and get the young king into their power. He therefore collected all his adherents in Cyprus, knights and squires, and a considerable number of combatants, placing part of them at Limasol, under the command of his eldest son Balian, and retaining the other part under his own control at Larnaka, thus getting possession of the only two places where a landing could be effected. He likewise took the precaution of bringing with him the young king, upon whose movements he kept a close watch.
When, therefore, the soldiers of the emperor were about to land at Limasol, they found the shore lined with troops forming an army much larger than their own, who forbad their approach. Their ships, therefore, moved on a little further, and cast anchor in the vicinity of Gavata. Soon afterwards, the Bishop of Amalfi, accompanied by two German knights, made their appearance in Limasol, and represented themselves as ambassadors from the emperor charged with a message to the young king. They were told that the king resided at Larnaka, and whilst they were conducted back again to their ship, Ibelin in great haste called together the feudal court, in which naturally his own friends and partisans were in a considerable majority.
Before this assembly, the ambassadors from the emperor delivered their message, which was to the following effect. The emperor demanded from the king, as his feudal vassal, that he should immediately banish from the country Johann von Ibelin and his whole family, and no longer afford them shelter or protection, seeing that they had broken their allegiance. To this mandate the following reply was given by Wilhelm Visconta, in the name of the infant king: “My lords, I am commanded and commissioned by the king to say to you, that it appears to him very strange that the emperor should send such an order to me. The governor of Beyrut is a relative of Ibelin, and I neither can nor will do what the emperor requires.”
After waiting many days it became evident that it would be impossible to effect a landing, and the authority of the Emperor Frederick over the island was henceforth set at defiance.
When Ibelin had marched within four leagues of Akkon, he learnt that the Patriarch of Antioch was sent as Pope’s legate to that city, and had demanded his immediate presence.
Notwithstanding the suspicions Ibelin entertained, that the legate was about to denounce him as a rebel, he felt bound, as a good servant of the Church, to obey the summons. He therefore caused his troops to encamp near Casal Imbert, and placed his trustworthy follower, Anselm von Brie, in command, whilst he proceeded to Akkon, and endeavoured by every means in his power to undermine his enemies and strengthen his own cause.
Meanwhile Marshal Felingher decided on making one decisive blow for his master’s interests. Towards dusk on the evening of May the 2nd, he left Tyre with his best troops, and marched towards the coast, where he was followed by twenty-two ships bearing the rest of his army. Towards morning they approached the unfortunate camp, and before the slightest alarm could be raised, had fallen upon it and butchered the soldiers, whilst still asleep. Here and there a slight attempt was made at resistance, and Ibelin’s three sons made a gallant but desperate effort to drive off the enemy. The attack, however, had been too sudden to allow the soldiers to recover from the shock, and all such as did not perish found safety in precipitate flight. The king narrowly escaped with his life, he having been hurried out of the camp at the first alarm of danger.