The crusaders; or, Scenes, events, and characters, from the times of the crusades . take the townby escalade. Under covert of their shields they advancedto the wall and applied their ladders, but, as they were inthe act of ascending they were terrified by the intelligenceof the approach of the army of Saladin. They returnedwithout delay to their camp, and then learned to theirmortification that it was only some horsemen belongingto the advance guard that had been seen. But the op-portunity of surprising the town was irrevocably gone,for shortly afterwards the sultans host appeared and tookits
The crusaders; or, Scenes, events, and characters, from the times of the crusades . take the townby escalade. Under covert of their shields they advancedto the wall and applied their ladders, but, as they were inthe act of ascending they were terrified by the intelligenceof the approach of the army of Saladin. They returnedwithout delay to their camp, and then learned to theirmortification that it was only some horsemen belongingto the advance guard that had been seen. But the op-portunity of surprising the town was irrevocably gone,for shortly afterwards the sultans host appeared and tookits position at the foot of the hill of Keisan, where theplain commences, with its right wing resting on the hillof Ayadeah, thus completely enclosing the Christian as the sea was open they did not want for provisions,and their numbers were soon augmented by twelve thou-sand valiant pilgrims from Denmark and Friesland, wholanded when they saw the Christian banners before other bands of pilgrims gradually arrived and addedto the strength of the Christian army. !. 1189.] SIEGE OF ACEE. 445 After fourteen days spent in indecisive warfare, Sala-din resolved on a general action. On a Friday (September13), the favourite day of the Moslems for giving battle,his troops descended into the plain between the parallelhills, and advanced to the attack. The Christians main-tained their position manfully. On the following day Sa-ladin succeeded in effecting an entrance into the city andstrengthening the garrison, and he then led his army backto its former position, in hopes of drawing the Christiansdown into the plain. The Christians and Moslems, though engaged in dailyconflict, conducted themselves with a degree of courtesyand honour toward each other which had not prevailed inthe preceding wars. According to Boha-ed-deen, who waspresent, the combatants would frequently, when weary,by mutual consent stop to rest for an hour or longer,during which time they danced, sang, con
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade185, booksubjectcrusades, bookyear1859
