434 ROGER OF WENDOVER. [Λ . I). 12-.Ί. amongst the Christians who were coming to the assistance of the Holy Land. In our army there, was such a great deficiency of money that we. could not maintain our ships for any length of time. Therefore, knowing that great loss would he incurred hy the Christian army by means of these said galleys of the Saracens, we immediately armed our galleys, galliots, and other vessels to oppose them. Be it also known to yon that Coradin the sultan of Damascus assembled an immense army of Saracens, and, finding that the cities of Acre, and Tyre were not sufficiently supplied with knights and soldiers to oppose him, continually did serious injury to those places both secretly and openly: besides this he often came and pitched his camp before our camp which is called the Pilgrims', doing us all kinds of injury; he also besieged and reduced the castle of Cesarea in Palestine, although numbers of Pilgrims were staying in Acre. I have also to inform yon that Seraph, a son of Saphadin, and brother of the sultans of Babylon and Damascus, is with a powerful army lighting against the Saracens in the eastern parts, and has prevailed much against the more powerful of his enemies, although not against all, for, by God's favour, he will not be able easily to compier all of them; for if he could bring that war to a conclusion, the county of Antioch or Tripoli, Acre or Egypt, whichever of them he might turn his attention to, would be in the greatest danger, and if he were to lay siege to any one of our castles, we should in no Avise be able, to drive him awav ; this said dissension amongst the pagans however gives us pleasure and comfort. Moreover we have long expected the arrival of the emperor and other nobles by whom we hope to be relieved, ami on their arrival we hope to bring this business, which has commenced by the hands of many, to a happy termina' tioii ; but if we are deceived in our hope of this assistance in the ensuing summer, which I hope will not happen, both countries, namely Syria ami Egypt, and that which we have lately gained possession of as well as that which we have held for a long time, will be placed in a doubtful position. Besides, wo and the other people on our side of the water are oppressed by so many and great expenses in carrying on this crusade, that we shall be unable to meet our necessary expenses, unless by the divine mercy we shortly receive