Tancred supported his claim, and, after a great
deal of bickering, the flag of Raymond was lowered from the tower, and
that of Bohemund hoisted in its stead, who assumed from that time the
title of Prince of Antioch. Raymond, however, persisted in retaining
possession of one of the city gates and its adjacent towers, which he
held for several months, to the great annoyance of Bohemund and the
scandal of the army. The Count became in consequence extremely
unpopular, although his ambition was not a whit more unreasonable than
that of Bohemund himself, nor of Baldwin, who had taken up his quarters
at Edessa, where he exercised the functions of a petty sovereign.

The fate of Peter Barthelemy deserves to be recorded. Honours and
consideration had come thick upon him after the affair of the lance,
and he consequently felt bound in conscience to continue the dreams
which had made him a personage of so much importance. The mischief of
it was, that like many other liars he had a very bad memory, and he
contrived to make his dreams contradict each other in the most palpable
manner. St. John one night appeared to him, and told one tale, while, a
week after, St. Paul told a totally different story, and held out hopes
quite incompatible with those of his apostolic brother. The credulity
of that age had a wide maw, and Peter's visions must have been absurd
and outrageous indeed, when the very men who had believed in the lance
refused to swallow any more of his wonders. Bohemund at last, for the
purpose of annoying the Count of Toulouse, challenged poor Peter to
prove the truth of his story of the lance by the fiery ordeal. Peter
could not refuse a trial so common in that age, and being besides
encouraged by the Count and his chaplain, Raymond, an early day was
appointed for the ceremony. The previous night was spent in prayer and
fasting, according to custom, and Peter came forth in the morning
bearing the lance in his hand, and walked boldly up to the fire. The
whole army gathered round, impatient for the result, many thousands
still believing that the lance was genuine and Peter a holy man.
Prayers having been said by Raymond d'Agilles, Peter walked into the
flames, and had got nearly through, when pain caused him to lose his
presence of mind: the heat too affected his eyes, and, in his anguish,
he turned round unwittingly, and passed through the fire again, instead
of stepping out of it, as he should have done. The result was, t