Grantor

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RRR:
Correspondence/envoy
1840
year: 1220
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III, master John of Nivelles, the abbess and convent of Aywières
text: Spring. [319] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] informs Pope Honorius III, master John of Nivelles, the abbess and convent of Aywières and others of the fall of Damietta to the crusaders. He narrates how the Sarraceni offered to return the relic of the True Cross, and all the land, together with Jerusalem and all captives, and promised to subsidize the refortification of Jerusalem and to return the castles of Turo, in the territory of Tyre, Sephet, Beaufort and Belinas, the walls of which thay had destroyed. They wished to retain Craccus and Mons Regalis, for which they would pay an annual rent. Many of the peregrini wanted to accept this offer, but others suspected fraud, especially the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, the Hospitallers of St Mary of the Germans, the papal legate, the patriarch, archbishops, bishops and all the clergy, who feared that the withdrawal of the crusaders would encourage the Muslims to recover the land, Jerusalem, Mons Thabor and other castles. And they did not believe that the Muslims had the True Cross. James describes how in the midst of these debates the city was entered and surrendered to the crusaders without resistance. He describes the dreadful conditions in Damietta and its purification. A basilica and churches were established [out of mosques], but because of looting, the withdrawal of money by the Muslims or its casting into the river, only 400000 besants could be collected for division. 400 of the more eminent Muslims were kept in captivity to be ransomed, but others were sold into slavery and more than 500 were baptized. With the agreement of the peregrini, the papal legate incorporated the city into the kingdom of Jerusalem and its houses and towers were divided among the peregrini according to nationhood. The city of Thanei with its castle also fell into Christian hands, to be granted suffragan status under Damietta. James eulogizes the crusaders. He returns to a Muslim assault that he had described in an earlier letter, in which there were more than 1000 Christian losses and the electus Belvacensis, frater eius Andreas de Nantuel, Iohannes de Archies miles strenuus, Andreas de Espoisse, Galterus camerarius regis Francie, filius eius vicecomes Bellimontis, frater Andegavensis episcopi, Odo de Castellione and many others were captured. James himself had joined a Christian sortie, unarmed and accompanying the papal legate who carried the relic of the True Cross, but was unharmed. He dwells on the difficulty of besieging Damietta. He asks for prayers. In the copy of his letter to the pope he tries to estimate the number of defenders and inhabitants of Damietta. In the copies of his letter to John of Nivelles and the abbess of Aywières he reports that Dominus Reinerus prior sancti Michaelis, Colinus Anglicus clericus noster and two of James’s companions, magister Michael and domnus Matheus, to whom James had given care of the church of the Holy Cross [in Acre], have joined the Order of Friars Minor [Franciscans]. With difficulty James has retained the services of [I. de Cameracho] the cantor, Henricus [senescalcus ecclesie Acconensis] and others. He describes the spread of the Order of Friars Minor and how the magister and founder of the Order [Francis] preached to the Muslims and to the sultan of Egypt himself. In the copy of his letter to John of Nivelles he adds greetings from his companions O. de Dionanto, I. de Cameracho his cantor and Henricus senescalcus ecclesie Acconensis. He reports that he is ill and sends 2 little boys, saved from a fire in Egypt, together with silk cloth and other letters. He asks John to show his letter to the abbot of Villers and other friends. Spring. [319] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] informs Pope Honorius III, master John of Nivelles, the abbess and convent of Aywières and others of the fall of Damietta to the crusaders. He narrates how the Sarraceni offered to return the relic of the True... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 123-33, no. 6 (RRH no. 928)
comments: [319] For the date, see Huygens’s introduction to James of Vitry, Lettres, p. 54.
cite:
RRR:
Correspondence/envoy
1872
year: 1221
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III, Abbot Walter of Villers, Master John of Nivelles, his brothers and friends at and near Oignies, Duke Leopold of Austria, Stephen dean of Paris, Philip chancellor of Paris, all the masters and scholars living in Paris
text: Apr. 18. [323] James of Vitry [Iacobus Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] writes to Pope Honorius III, Abbot Walter of Villers, Master John of Nivelles, his brothers and friends at and near Oignies, Duke Leopold of Austria, Stephen dean of Paris, Philip chancellor of Paris, all the masters and scholars living in Paris, and his friends everywhere. He continues his account of events at Damietta. He dwells on bad behaviour in the Christian army, dissensions, the departures of the king of Jerusalem, the magister of the Knights Templar with most of his brothers, nearly all the French [Francigene] milites, the patriarch of Jerusalem, the Cypriots and nearly all the settlers in the Latin East, which gravely weaken the crusade, although comes Matheus from Sicily remains with milites retained at his own expense. The Christians remain in Damietta. The sultan of Egypt and his army are not far off and threaten them. James describes the dangers attached to the raiding expeditions of milites and Turcopoles, particularly from Beduini, the imprisonment of more than 3000 Christian captives, taken not only in battle but by Muslim pirates at sea, in Alexandria, Cairo and Damascus, combats between Christians and Muslims, Christian deserters and their treatment by the Sarraceni. He records how the sultan of Egypt persuaded his brother Coradinus, the sultan of Damascus, to besiege the new castle near Acre called Castrum Peregrinum, leading to many leaving Damietta to go to the castle’s relief and the refusal of those in Acre to travel to Egypt. The sultan also ordered another brother called Saleph, who was prince of Calaph in terra Assyriorum, to raid Antioch and Tripoli, with the result that no help is to be had from the principality or county, while Muslim galleys impede the transport of peregrini and merchandise and deprive the crusade of assistance from Cyprus. Muslim attacks on Thaneos and Damietta have increased. There has been an outburst of Christian fervour, so that the army has become like a monastery [quasi claustrum monachorum], and moral and sumptuary sanctions have been imposed, including the expulsion, whipping and branding of prostitutes and fines for tavern drinking or gambling. James describes the enormous efforts made at port and fortification construction, especially as suitable stone can only be found in Cyprus and Syria. The Christians now have 4 fortifications in Egypt: Damietta, Thanis, Turonum in sabulo and castrum Butavant, which is surrounded by water. Meanwhile the Sarraceni are weakened by dissension and fear the approach of David rex Indorum, commonly known as Prester John [presbyter Iohannes]. James incorporates a history of the deeds and conquests of David/Presbyter Iohannes, which he says has been translated from Arabic into Latin and had been brought to the count of Tripoli by merchants carrying spices and precious stones from the East. He has heard that David, who intends to subdue all the Muslim lands, has sent 3 armies, one to the land of Calaph [Aleppo] held by the brother of the sultan of Egypt, one to Baldach [Baghdad] and the third towards Mausa [Mosul], which used to be called Nineveh and is only 15 days’ march from Antioch. James had heard that some Christian prisoners were sent to Baghdad and on to King David, who, when he knew they were Christians, returned them to Antioch. James describes the consternation among the Muslims, the release to the crusade of the electus Belvacensis, frater eius, vicecomes Bellimontis, Iohannes de Archies, Odo de Castellione, Andreas de Espoisse and some Knights Templars, Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and Hospitallers of St Mary of Germans, with renewed offers of a truce. The crusaders are also glad to hear that the emperor Frederick II was arriving with a large army in the following August. James writes that an Arabic book of prophecy, which has come into his possession, prophesies the successes of Saladin and the Third Crusade and foretells future Christian successes in Egypt and Syria and the liberation of Jerusalem. For him this message is reinforced by an apocryphal gospel, provided by the Suriani, containing similar prophecies. James has used it, the news of King David and the planned arrival of the emperor Frederick, to preach a comforting sermon to the crusaders in Egypt. Apr. 18. [323] James of Vitry [Iacobus Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] writes to Pope Honorius III, Abbot Walter of Villers, Master John of Nivelles, his brothers and friends at and near Oignies, Duke Leopold of Austria, Stephen dean of Paris, Philip chancellor of Paris, all the... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 134-53, no. 7 (RRH no. 941)
comments: [323] For the date, see Huygens’s introduction to James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 54-5.
cite:

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