The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 8 | Page 6

I was aduanced so high aboue
my parentage, and with an inconstant minde, and affection too too
ambitious, most vehemently aspired at all occasions to climbe higher:
there went a report throughout all Normandie, that diuers Archbishops
of the Empire, and secular princes were desirous for their soules health,
and for deuotion sake, to goe on pilgrimage to Ierusalem. Wherefore
out of the family of our lorde the Earle, sundry of vs, both gentlemen
and clerkes (principall of whom was myselfe) with the licence and
good will of our sayd lord the earle, sped vs on that voiage, and
trauailing thirtie horses of vs into high Germanie, we ioyned our selues
vnto the Archbishop of Mentz. And being with the companies of the
Bishop seuen thousand persons sufficiently prouided for such an
expedition, we passed prosperously through many prouinces, and at
length attained vnto Constantinople. Where doing reuerence vnto the
Emperor Alexius, we sawe the Church of Sancta Sophia, and kissed
diuers sacred reliques. Departing thence through Lycia, we fell into the
hands of the Arabian theeues: and after we had beene robbed of infinite
summes of money, and had lost many of our people, hardly escaping
with extreame danger of our liues, at length we ioyfully entered into the
most wished citie of Ierusalem. Where we wer receiued by the most

reuerend, aged, and holy patriarke Sophronius, with great melodie of
cymbals and with torch-light, and were accompanied vnto the most
diuine Church of our Sauiour his sepulchre with a solemne procession
aswell of Syrians as of Latines. Here, how many prayers we vttered,
what abundance of teares we shed, what deepe sighs we breathed foorth,
our Lord Iesus Christ onely knoweth. Wherefore being conducted from
the most glorious sepulchre of Christ to visite other sacred monuments
of the citie, we saw with weeping eyes a great number of holy
Churches and oratories, which Achim the Souldan of Egypt had lately
destroyed. And so hauing bewailed with sadde teares, and most
sorowful and bleeding affections, all the ruines of that most holy city
both within and without, and hauing bestowed money for the reedifying
of some, we desired with most ardent deuotion to go forth into the
countrey, to wash our selues in the most sacred riuer of Iordan, and to
kisse all the steppes of Christ. Howbeit the theeuish Arabians lurking
vpon euery way, would not suffer vs to trauell farre from the city, by
reason of their huge and furious multitudes. Wherefore about the spring
there arriued at the port of Ioppa a fleet of ships from Genoa. In which
fleet (when the Christian merchants had exchanged all their wares at
the coast townes, and had likewise visited the holy places) wee all of vs
embarked committing ourselues to the seas: and being tossed with
many stormes and tempests, at length wee arriued at Brundusium: and
so with a prosperous iourney trauelling thorow Apulia towards Rome,
we there visited the habitations of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and
did reuerence vnto diuers monuments of holy martyrs in all places
thorowout the city. From thence the archbishops and other princes of
the empire trauelling towards the right hand for Alemain, and we
declining towards the left hand for France, departed asunder, taking our
leaues with vnspeakable thankes and courtesies. And so at length, of
thirty horsemen which went out of Normandie fat, lusty, and frolique,
we returned hither skarse twenty poore pilgrims of vs, being all
footmen, and consumed with leannesse to the bare bones.
* * * * *
Diuers of the honourable family of the Beauchamps, with Robert
Curtoys sonne of William the Conqueror, made a voyage to Ierusalem
1096. Hol. pag. 22. vol. 2.
Pope Vrbane calling a councell at Clermont in Auuergne, exhorted the

Christian princes so earnestly to make a iourney in the Holy land, for
the recouery thereof out of the Saracens hands, that the saide great and
generall iourney was concluded vpon to be taken in hand, wherein
many noble men of Christendome went vnder the leading of Godfrey of
Bouillon and others, as in the Chronicles of France, of Germanie, and
of the Holy land doeth more plainely appeare. There went also among
other diuers noble men foorth of this Realme of England, specially that
worthily bare the surname of Beauchampe.
* * * * *
The voyage of Gutuere an English Lady maried to Balduine brother of
Godfreide duke of Bouillon, toward Ierusalem about 1097. And the 11.
yeere of William Rufus King of England.
The Christian armie of Godfrie of Bouillon passing the citie of Iconium,
alias Agogna in the countrey of Licaonia, and from thence by the city
of Heraclia, came at length vnto the citie of Marasia, where they
encamped, and soiourned there three whole dayes, because