ssa, the
Emperor of Germany, speedily collected an army, and passing over into
Syria with less delay than had ever before awaited a crusading force,
defeated the Saracens, and took possession of the city of Iconium. He
was unfortunately cut off in the middle of his successful career, by
imprudently bathing in the Cydnus [The desire of comparing two great
men has tempted many writers to drown Frederick in the river Cydnus, in
which Alexander so imprudently bathed (Q. Curt. lib. iii. c. 4, 5.):
but, from the march of the Emperor, I rather judge that his Saleph is
the Calycadnus, a stream of less fame, but of a longer course.--Gibbon]
while he was overheated, and the Duke of Suabia took the command of the
expedition. The latter did not prove so able a general, and met with
nothing but reverses, although he was enabled to maintain a footing at
Antioch until assistance arrived from Europe.

Henry II. of England and Philip Augustus of France, at the head of
their chivalry, supported the Crusade with all their influence, until
wars and dissensions nearer home estranged them from it for a time.
The two kings met at Gisors in Normandy in the month of January 1188,
accompanied by a brilliant train of knights and warriors. William of
Tyre was present, and expounded the cause of the Cross with
considerable eloquence, and the whole assembly bound themselves by oath
to proceed to Jerusalem. It was agreed at the same time that a tax,
called Saladin's tithe, and consisting of the tenth part of all
possessions, whether landed or personal, should be enforced over
Christendom, upon every one who was either unable or unwilling to
assume the Cross. The lord of every feof, whether lay or
ecclesiastical, was charged to raise the tithe within his own
jurisdiction; and any one who refused to pay his quota, became by that
act the bondsman and absolute property of his lord. At the same time
the greatest indulgence was shown to those who assumed the Cross; no
man was at liberty to stay them by process of any kind, whether for
debt, or robbery, or murder. The King of France, at the breaking up of
the conference, summoned a parliament at Paris, where these resolutions
were solemnly confirmed, while Henry II. did the same for his Norman
possessions at Rouen, and for England at Geddington, in
Northamptonshire. To use the words of an ancient chronicler, [Stowe.]
"he held a parliament about the voyage into the Holy Land, and troubled
the whole land wit