First, Robert sailed with his companions Balduin and Godfrey to Constantinople. There, they left the ships and pitched tents on land. The Greeks, who didn’t know whether these foreigners had peaceful or harmful intentions, rechanneled the Dyna River27 into the encampment. Robert and his comrades awoke from the noise of the rushing water and moved the camp to another location.
In the morning, they sought out the emperor. Robert, standing in the middle while the other crusaders stood on each side, greeted the emperor and informed him that they had come to free the holy tomb. In hopes he would support them in the endeavor, they had dropped anchor in Byzantium. The emperor bid them welcome and invited them to early refreshments.
Robert had spread his fur robe beneath him; as he departed, he left the cloak lying on the ground. The Greek courtiers thought that he had left the cloak behind as a discourtesy out of arrogance. “On that, one can quickly clarify the matter. Go after him and tell him!”
As the messenger reached Robert, he called to him, telling him he had forgotten his cloak. But he turned and said, “From youth on, it was my custom never to carry my own garments — my rank demanded it.” He then continued. As his answer was brought to the emperor he said, “He is without a doubt an exceptional man who exceeds many others, but it would not surprise me if sometime his pride is bent.”
The emperor then sent Robert a quantity of gold for him to distribute amongst his men. Robert accepted it but without a word of thanks. Before he left Greece, he tied up in a harbor of a region belonging to a very high-ranking man. Very recently, a child had been born to this man, and he was invited to be the child’s godfather. He agreed, and gave the child all of the gold that he was given by the emperor as a baptismal gift. For this generosity, he was highly praised. When the Greek emperor learned of this he said, “He is in reality a highly exceptional man if he only learns to master his pride!”
The crusaders then sailed to Antioch and took the city by storm. But in the joy of the victory, they gave themselves over to celebration and neglected to observe their enemy sufficiently. They then suddenly found themselves so surrounded by a powerful force that they thought they might be starved. In this need, the Christians turned in prayer to God. Then an elderly man dreamt that a stately man came to him and who showed him that under an altar they would find the lance with which Jesus was wounded, and that this lance would prove to have wonderful powers.
They dug at the designated place and found the lance, which soon proved its powers in that a dead man upon whom it was laid woke to life. The Christians then attacked, carrying the lance as a sign of victory. The enemy was forced to flee. Soon after, they marched to Jerusalem and camped in front of the city gates. Reconnaissance showed that storming the gates promised little success since every crenellation was manned with warriors.
Robert recommended in a war council that of the three counts, the first to set foot in the city would be made king of the land. After this was accepted, Robert suggested that they send a secret message to the Christian prisoners inside the city asking when they thought storming the walls would have the best chance of success.
Everyone thought that this plan was most useful, and so immediately took steps to carry it out. They started a large baking fire, baked bread and put in one of the loaves a message. The bread and stones from the baking oven were then thrown into the city. As luck would have it, the bread fell into the hands of Christians, who opened the bread and found the letter with the seals of the three counts.
The answer was again placed in a bread loaf and sent out with a young baker’s boy. The answer advised the besiegers to make the main attack against the southeast gate, because the heathens will be celebrating a big festival. At the assigned time, the attack was made at the specified gate, which was happily broken through. Balduin’s banner was the first into the city followed by Robert who beat down the enemy left and right and made the way. Godfrey fell in the breach. After a hard battle, the Christians’ victory was decided.
Robert and Balduin could not agree who should be named king. It was agreed that God should decide; the crown would go to the one whose candle lights itself in the cathedral on Easter evening. However, shortly thereafter a messenger from England brought word that King William had died and that the people wished for Robert to succeed him. At this, Robert’s desire for the crown of Jerusalem was gone. When the two counts stood in the cathedral with their candles on Easter evening, light suddenly appeared on Robert’s candle, which he quickly extinguished. The candle lit a second time and he again put it out. When the candle lit itself the third time he stepped on it.
“You are a vehemently haughty man”, said the patriarch, “when you do not humbly accept the reign when God gives such a clear sign and instead step on his favor.” Robert gave as his excuse the reason why he declined the crown, but the patriarch objected, saying that under these circumstances he should yield to God’s decision. He foresaw that the kingdom after which Robert strove would not become his and that he would have to tolerate a heavy fate before his pride was tempered. But for his role in the troubles and dangers of the crusade, the patriarch wished that he be granted a blessed end of life.
Robert then handed over his right to the crown of the holy land to Balduin and returned to England, but as he arrived, he found that his brother Henry had taken over the rule. It resulted in a battle between the two in which Robert was defeated. Others tried to mediate between the brothers, but without success. A second battle was fought that also resulted in Robert’s flight. Once again, the warriors gathered, but they decided that this try would be the last and foresaw that God would not grant Robert the rule.
In the third battle, Robert was taken prisoner and led before his brother the king. “How would you treat me, my brother,” asked Henry, “if I were under your power?”
“I would let you sit in prison,” retorted Robert, “and take over the rule myself.” “Then that will be your sentence,” said Henry, who had him placed under strict custody but with the necessary living essentials.
One day, Robert saw from his prison window the war games of a young knight and called out, “Lucky is the man who today could show his skill next to you!” The king was told of Robert’s challenge and provided him with a horse and with knight’s equipment. Robert engaged in the tournament the whole day, and in the evening went before the king and said, “Lord, if I had a horse that was worthy of me I would be far away from this court.”
“We will not risk that again,” replied the king, who had Robert put into a more secure imprisonment that received light through only one small window.
Robert now turned all of his thoughts to God as he saw that he would not be granted an earthly reign, and had a blessed death.
Balduin reigned in Palestine where he was very much loved by his subjects. The heathens once gathered a great army and besieged Jerusalem, but Balduin trusted in God’s support, attacked and forced the enemy to flee. One other time as he rode to Jordan with a small entourage, he was unexpectedly attacked by the heathens and trapped. Nonetheless, he and his group were able to reach an old castle, although they would not be able to control it for long.
The heathens said they would pardon the Christians if they would turn over the king. Balduin advised them to accept this condition since the death of one is more acceptable than that of many. They all resisted but for one knight, named Arnold, who stepped forward and declared that it would be cowardly to surrender the king. He offered to ride out wearing the king’s garb, saying that he hoped that due to his size and noble bearing the enemy would take him for the king.
Balduin accepted his honorable offer: “You are following the example of the Maccabean Eleazar who killed the elephant and died rescuing his people.” The ruse worked; Arnold was killed and the heathens withdrew. After returning to Jerusalem Balduin proclaimed the heroic death of the knight, ordering that he be remembered in every mass.
27The river is unknown and therefore perhaps incorrectly named. (Translator’s note: the author says that another source from ca. 1107/08 telling of the first crusade refers to an incident in crossing the “Flumen Daemonis” (Devil’s Flood) in Bulgaria where many pilgrims from the western lands were lost. In his original Volume 2 the author included extensive notes regarding other aspects of this story such as the powers of the lance, the candles, etc., many from other accounts including those written by witnesses to the events.)