stine an
invincible obstacle to the progress of his arms, he bent the whole force
of his policy and valor to subdue that small and barren, but important
territory. Taking advantage of dissensions which prevailed among the
champions of the cross, and having secretly gained the count of Tripoli,
who commanded their armies, he invaded the frontiers with a mighty power
and, aided by the treachery of that count, gained over them at Tiberiade
a complete victory, which utterly annihilated the force of the already
languishing kingdom of Jerusalem {1187.} The holy city itself fell into
his hands after a feeble resistance; the kingdom of Antioch was almost
entirely subdued and except some maritime towns, nothing considerable
remained of thope boasted conquests, which, near a century before, it
had cost the efforts of all Europe to acquire.

The western Christians were astonished on receiving this dismal
intelligence. Pope Urban III., it is pretended, died of grief; and
his successor, Gregory VIII., employed the whole time of his short
pontificate in rousing to arms all the Christians who acknowledged his
authority. The general cry was, that they were unworthy of enjoying any
inheritance in heaven, who did not vindicate from the dominion of the
infidels the inheritance of God on earth, and deliver from slavery that
country which had been consecrated by the foot-steps of their Redeemer.
{1188.} William, archbishop of Tyre, having procured a conference
between Henry and Philip near Gisors, enforced all these topics; gave a
pathetic description of the miserable state of the eastern Christians;
and employed every argument to excite the ruling passions of the
age, superstition, and jealousy of military honor. The two monarchs
immediately took the cross; many of their most considerable vassals
imitated the example; and as the emperor Frederic I. entered into the
same confederacy, some well-grounded hopes of success were entertained;
and men flattered themselves that an enterprise, which had failed under
the conduct of many independent leaders, or of imprudent princes, might
at last, by the efforts of such potent and able monarchs, be brought to
a happy issue.

The kings of France and England imposed a tax, amounting to the tenth
of all movable goods, on such as remained at home; but as they exempted
from this burden most of the regular clergy, the secular aspired to
the same immunity; pretended that their duty obliged them to assist th