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CHARLES J. ROSEBAULT. Saladin. Prince of Chivalry

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CHARLES J. ROSEBAULT.
Saladin. Prince of Chivalry
page 108



stone hurled from a mangonel killed twelve men within the city walls. The besieged used them also, and at the famous siege of Acre a troublesome mangonel called by the Franks, " The Bad Neighbor," was put out of commission by a similar engine called by the Saracens, in the same facetious spirit, " The Bad Kinsman." There were other contrivances, usually of wickerwork protected from fire by rawhides soaked in vinegar, which were moved on wheels, and sheltered the men while they filled up the moat with stones and earth to enable the besiegers to get up to the walls. This arrangement was called a sow or testudo. Finally there was a wooden tower of varying heights, but usually higher than the walls to be attacked, which also moved on wheels, worked from within, on different stories of which were mangonels, battering rams and soldiers armed with bows and arrows. These also were protected with rawhide against Greek fire and flaming arrows used by the besieged. War engines of offense had not developed to any great degree since the days of Rome. Saladin often applied sapping methods to the walls, and used fire against the stones to weaken and dislodge them. Rich rewards were offered to those who would exert themselves the most and assume the greatest risks. The same methods were used by Richard of England and other leaders of the Crusaders. Many apparently impregnable fortresses, protected by huge walls and seemingly inaccessible locations, were taken


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