134 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book I.

groans frightened Jordan, and were echoed back byits sandy hills.

The message had arrived in the middle of thenight, and been published by torchlight and soundof trumpet, at all the principal crossings of thestreets, with a proclamation in every quarter ofthe city, for the warriors to meet in the church bydaybreak. Such the self-confidence of the cru-saders, and their assurance of victory, that thissudden announcement of peril and call to battle,rousing them from slumber about half-past mid-night, did not disconcert them, nor troubled therepose of darkness otherwise than by impatiencefor dawn; and joy-bells rang in matins.

Several hours before Godfrey’s arrival, Tancred,and the other chiefs of the crusade, had come tothis resolution, and now all was ready; and hewarmly approving, and hardly listening while toldhe had been elected king during his absence, onlychanges his horse, and anew the trumpet, andonce more their Malek-Nasser is at their head. ToAscalon! The Egyptians will have already en-tered it! But some of the crusaders, holdingtheir vow of liberating the Holy Sepulchre accom-plished, had already proceeded homeward, andalmost all had their thoughts in that direction.But their hesitation was soon persuaded to march.