Among the Arabian historians from whom the learned D. Bertheraud has made extracts, we have consulted—1. The Mussulman Annals of Aboulfeda. 2. The History of Tabari, or rather the continuation of that historian, who is called the Livy of the Arabians. 3. The History of Jerusalem, by Moudgireddin. 4. The History of Aleppo, by Kemaleddin. 5. The History of the Attabecs, by Ben Latir. These historians and some others have furnished us with some points of comparison, and some document frequently incomplete, generally useless. The Oriental historians only become an abundant source of information at the epoch of the reigns of Noureddin and Saladin.
[226] This account is found entire in Albert d’Aix, book vii. chaps. 8, 9, &c.
[227] The Assizes of Jerusalem, transported into the kingdom of Cyprus, were collected in the thirteenth century, by John d’Ibelin, count of Jaffa and Ascalon. They were printed by Baumancir, and commented upon by Thomas de la Thaumasière. It is to be lamented that the French publicists, and Montesquieu himself, have studied so superficially this monument of modern legislation, which is able to throw great light upon the history, laws, and manners of the middle ages.
[228] Dolens aliquantulùm de fratris morte et plus gaudens de hæreditate.—Fulch. Carn. lib. x. cap. 22.
[229] The Christians were in so much danger in this expedition, that Foulcher de Chartres exclaims in his history, “I would rather have been at Chartres or Orleans,” “Ego quidem vel Carnoti vel Aurelianis mallem esse quam ibi.”—Lib. x. cap. 22.
[230] “Ubi ego ipse Fulcherius adaquavi meos.”—In Bongars, p. 405. The same historian speaks in the same chapter of the Dead Sea, and of the phenomena he had remarked. Foulcher de Chartres seldom neglects an opportunity of speaking of himself; these words, “Ego Fulcherius,” very frequently appear in his narration.
[231] William of Tyre, in his account of the taking of Cæsarea, speaks of a precious vase which fell to the share of the Genoese. “At this time,” says he, “was found a vase in the shape of a dish, of a bright green colour, which the Genoese, believing it to be an emerald, were desirous of having, at the valuation of a large sum of money, to make an offering of to their church as an excellent ornament, and which they are accustomed to exhibit to the great lords who pass through their city.” This vase found at Cæsarea, and preserved at Genoa till the end of the last century, is now in the Cabinet of Antiques in the Imperial Library at Paris. [Qy. whether restored to the Genoese in 1815?—Trans.]
[232] This singular fact is related by William of Tyre with all its details.—Chap. x.
[233] We here follow the version of Foulcher de Chartres, who makes use of the word vivit instead of vincit, which appears to have prevailed afterwards. The device Christus regnat, vincit, imperat, forms the legend of the reverse of all the gold coins struck in France from the time of John to that of Louis XVI., under the different names of Francs à pied et à cheval, of Agnelets, or Ecus d’or, or Louis. In the most ancient, the Francs, the verb vincit is the first: X. P. C. vincit; X. P. C. regnat; X. P. C. imperat; Christ conquers, Christ reigns, and Christ governs; which proves that this device or war-cry may be traced back to the time of the crusades.
[234] See Gibbon for the interesting memoir of this noble family, whose name so frequently occurs in our own history, and is, I believe, still extant, in the Courtenays, earls of Devon.—Trans.