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Authors: Steven Runciman
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soldiers besieging Acre, King
Richard’s arrival with twenty-five galleys brought confidence and hope.
Bonfires were kindled to celebrate his coming, and trumpets sounded through the
camp. The King of France had built many useful siege-machines, including a
great stone catapult which his soldiers called the Evil Neighbour, and a
grappling ladder known as the Cat. The Duke of Burgundy and the two Military
Orders each had their catapult, and there was one built from the common funds
called God’s Own Sling. These had been hammering at the walls with some effect;
but a leader was needed to spur the besiegers on to a final effort. The King of
France was too cautious for such a role, and the other local or Crusader
princes were too tired or discredited. Richard brought new vigour to it all.
Almost as soon as he landed, he sent an envoy with a confidential interpreter,
a Moroccan captive whom he trusted, to Saladin’s camp to suggest an interview.
He was curious to see the celebrated infidel, and he hoped that same peaceful
settlement could be made if he could only talk with so chivalrous an enemy. But
Saladin replied cautiously that it was not wise for enemy kings to meet till
they had signed a truce. He was, however, ready to allow his brother, al-Adil,
to meet Richard. Three days of respite from fighting was arranged, and it was
agreed that the meeting should take place on the plain between the camps, when
the Kings of England and France both fell suddenly ill. It was the sickness
that the Franks called arnaldia, a fever that caused the hair and the
nails to fall out. Philip’s attack was mild, but Richard was seriously ill for
some days. But he directed operations from his sick-bed, instructing where the
great catapults that he had brought should be placed, and ordering the
construction of a great wooden tower, like the Mategrifon that he had built at
Messina. While he was still barely convalescent he insisted on visiting his
soldiers’ lines.
1191: Disputes in the Camp
Saladin on his side received
reinforcements at the end of June. The army of Sinjar arrived on 25 June,
closely followed by a fresh Egyptian army and the troops of the lord of Mosul.
The lords of Shaizar and of Hama brought companies early in July. In spite of
this accession of strength he was unable to drive the Crusaders from their
camp. They had used the lull in the winter, when the rain had softened the
soil, to surround themselves with earthworks, ramparts protected by ditches
which were easy to defend. Throughout June and early July the order of battle
remained much the same. The Frankish engines kept up their bombardment of the
walls of Acre; but if they made a slight breach and the Franks rushed in to try
to force it, the garrison would signal to Saladin who at once launched an
attack on the camp, thus drawing the aggressors away from the walls. There were
occasional sea-battles. The coming of the English and French fleets had taken
the command of the sea from the Saracens, and it was rare now for their ships
to be able to break through with supplies into the harbour. Food and war
material were running short in the beleaguered city, and there was talk there
of surrender.
Sickness and quarrels continued within the
Christian camp. The Patriarch Heraclius died, and there were intrigues over the
election of a successor. The dispute over the Crown was continued. Richard had
taken up the cause of King Guy, while Philip supported Conrad. The Pisans had
joined Richard’s party, so when a Genoese flotilla arrived it offered its
services to Philip. When Philip planned a fierce assault upon the city, towards
the end of June, Richard, probably because he was not yet well enough to fight
in person and feared that he might therefore lose the spoils of victory,
refused to let his men co-operate. The attack failed because of the absence of
his followers and friends; and Saladin’s counter-attack on the camp was only
repulsed with difficulty. Relations between
Richard’s arrival with twenty-five galleys brought confidence and hope.
Bonfires were kindled to celebrate his coming, and trumpets sounded through the
camp. The King of France had built many useful siege-machines, including a
great stone catapult which his soldiers called the Evil Neighbour, and a
grappling ladder known as the Cat. The Duke of Burgundy and the two Military
Orders each had their catapult, and there was one built from the common funds
called God’s Own Sling. These had been hammering at the walls with some effect;
but a leader was needed to spur the besiegers on to a final effort. The King of
France was too cautious for such a role, and the other local or Crusader
princes were too tired or discredited. Richard brought new vigour to it all.
Almost as soon as he landed, he sent an envoy with a confidential interpreter,
a Moroccan captive whom he trusted, to Saladin’s camp to suggest an interview.
He was curious to see the celebrated infidel, and he hoped that same peaceful
settlement could be made if he could only talk with so chivalrous an enemy. But
Saladin replied cautiously that it was not wise for enemy kings to meet till
they had signed a truce. He was, however, ready to allow his brother, al-Adil,
to meet Richard. Three days of respite from fighting was arranged, and it was
agreed that the meeting should take place on the plain between the camps, when
the Kings of England and France both fell suddenly ill. It was the sickness
that the Franks called arnaldia, a fever that caused the hair and the
nails to fall out. Philip’s attack was mild, but Richard was seriously ill for
some days. But he directed operations from his sick-bed, instructing where the
great catapults that he had brought should be placed, and ordering the
construction of a great wooden tower, like the Mategrifon that he had built at
Messina. While he was still barely convalescent he insisted on visiting his
soldiers’ lines.
1191: Disputes in the Camp
Saladin on his side received
reinforcements at the end of June. The army of Sinjar arrived on 25 June,
closely followed by a fresh Egyptian army and the troops of the lord of Mosul.
The lords of Shaizar and of Hama brought companies early in July. In spite of
this accession of strength he was unable to drive the Crusaders from their
camp. They had used the lull in the winter, when the rain had softened the
soil, to surround themselves with earthworks, ramparts protected by ditches
which were easy to defend. Throughout June and early July the order of battle
remained much the same. The Frankish engines kept up their bombardment of the
walls of Acre; but if they made a slight breach and the Franks rushed in to try
to force it, the garrison would signal to Saladin who at once launched an
attack on the camp, thus drawing the aggressors away from the walls. There were
occasional sea-battles. The coming of the English and French fleets had taken
the command of the sea from the Saracens, and it was rare now for their ships
to be able to break through with supplies into the harbour. Food and war
material were running short in the beleaguered city, and there was talk there
of surrender.
Sickness and quarrels continued within the
Christian camp. The Patriarch Heraclius died, and there were intrigues over the
election of a successor. The dispute over the Crown was continued. Richard had
taken up the cause of King Guy, while Philip supported Conrad. The Pisans had
joined Richard’s party, so when a Genoese flotilla arrived it offered its
services to Philip. When Philip planned a fierce assault upon the city, towards
the end of June, Richard, probably because he was not yet well enough to fight
in person and feared that he might therefore lose the spoils of victory,
refused to let his men co-operate. The attack failed because of the absence of
his followers and friends; and Saladin’s counter-attack on the camp was only
repulsed with difficulty. Relations between
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