laid siege to Antioch, which is the metropolis of Syria. In February, a wonderful army of the pagans assembled at Iron Bridge, near the castle of Areth, and our six commanders hastened to attack them ; but the great numbers of the pagans encountered them with such vigour, that they retreated a little ; and Bohemond, the decider of battles, and Robert, the standardbearer, the son of Gerard, rushed like lions upon the enemy. In that conflict the duke of Normandy clave one man of gigantic stature through the head, and teeth, and neck, and shoulders down to his breast. And duke Godfrey cut another through the middle ; and when one part of him had fallen to the ground, the other part still remained firm on the horse, and was carried back among the pagans. And when? they saw this, they became frightened, and fled, and departed to the wrath of damnation. At this time, Alexius was the emperor of the. Greeks, a cunning man, and one who was always devising injury and treachery against our men. This year, the church of Saint John the Baptist was founded at Colchester, by Eudo, the king's steward. Duke Robert goes to Jerusalem, Normandy is mortgaged. A.D . 1096. While pope Urban was still sowing the word of the Lord, with the co-operation of many other divines and prelates, eminent for learning, and virtue, and eloquence, the business of the cross went on prosperously ; and, as the council was not yet dissolved, a general indulgence from their sins was granted by the pope, to whom, as vicar of the blessed Peter, all power of binding and loosing upon earth has been granted, to all who had assumed, or should hereafter assume, the sign of the cross. This year, duke Robert proceeded to the Holy Land ; and the same year a great slaughter of the Jews took place at Rouen. Stars were seen to fall from heaven. King William received Normandy as mortgaged to him. The count of Toulouse, with the legions that accompanied him, began his march towards the Holy Land. This year also, the city of Nice1 was besieged by our Christians. Duke Godfrey begins his march to Jerusalem. Antioch is besieged. A.D. 1097. On the fifth of April, a certain marsh at Fin It will be observed here, that our chronicler has stated Nice to have been already taken. In reality it put itself under the protection of Alexius In June 1097. See Gibbon, c lviii. vol. xi. p. 59.