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Updated: June 5, 2025
"Know, Sir Balian, I swear it before Allah and for the last time, that if my niece Rosamund does not come, of her own free will, unforced by any, Jerusalem shall be put to sack." "Then the fate of the holy city and all its inhabitants hangs upon the nobleness of a single woman?" stammered Balian. "Ay, upon the nobleness of a single woman, as my vision told me it should be.
"Tell me," he said, "what of the princess of Baalbec, whom you know as the lady Rosamund D'Arcy? I told you that I would speak no more with you of the safety of Jerusalem until she was delivered to me for judgment. Yet I see her not." "Sultan," answered Balian, "we found this lady in the convent of the Holy Cross, wearing the robe of a novice of that order.
Certain persons known as balian can talk to these spirits and from them have learned the ceremonies which the people should perform at certain seasons, and at the critical periods of life. In the main these ceremonies are so similar to those just described that it is useless to repeat.
On a silken couch reclined Saladin, the light from the lamp falling on his bronzed and thoughtful face. "I have sent for you two Franks," he said, "that you may bear a message from me to Sir Balian of Ibelin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is the message: Let the holy city surrender to-morrow and all its population acknowledge themselves my prisoners.
As he spoke a messenger entered the room and said that the hiding-place of Rosamund had been discovered. She had been admitted a novice into the community of the Virgins of the Holy Cross, who had their house by the arch on the Via Dolorosa. "Now I like it still less," Balian went on, "for to touch her would be sacrilege." "His Holiness, Heraclius, will give us absolution," said a mocking voice.
I propose that he should be imprisoned." "Ay," answered the lord Balian of Ibelin, who was in supreme command of the city, "a very dangerous man to his foes, as I can testify. I saw him and his brother charge through the hosts of the Saracens at the battle of Hattin, and I have seen him in the breach upon the wall. Would that we had more such dangerous men just now!"
"But but," went on the queen, "he says also that if you do not come he will surely put Jerusalem to the sword, and to Sir Balian he said that if you gave yourself up he thought he might grant terms which we should be glad to take. Therefore we dare to ask of you to give your life in payment for such a hope.
"But he has insulted me," shouted the patriarch, "me and my holy office." "The truth should be no insult," answered Balian with meaning. "At least, it is a private matter between you and him on account of which we cannot spare one of our few captains. Now as regards this lady, I like not the business "
To do this thing would have been an awful crime, which we were sure must bring down the vengeance of our God upon us and upon the city." "What of the vengeance of Salah-ed-din?" "Sore as is our case, Sultan, we still fear God more than Saladin." "Ay, Sir Balian, but Salah-ed-din may be a sword in the hand of God." "Which sword, Sultan, would have fallen swiftly had we done this deed."
"Then we must dare the great sin and take her," answered Balian sadly, "having first slain the knight Wulf, who will not let her go while he is alive." "Nay, Sir Balian, for that I should be sorry, nor will I suffer it, for though a Christian he is a man after my own heart.
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