MARSHAL FELINGHER.
The emperor could no longer hide from himself that Cyprus was lost, and
his affairs in the Holy Land wore a very gloomy aspect. By his command
the governor of Cyprus issued a proclamation depriving the Ibelins
of all their feudal tenures, and a fleet was assembled consisting of
eighteen galleys and fifteen transports, in the last of which were
embarked three hundred horsemen and two thousand foot soldiers. These
were all placed under the command of Marshal Felingher by a manifesto,
to which was appended a golden ball, appointing him Governor, Lord
Chief Justice, and Generalissimo of the East, and at the same time
affording him every facility for getting his troops together. Ibelin
had taken the precaution to send spies into Italy, from whom he
received secret information concerning everything that occurred there,
and before the imperial fleet had left Brindisi, a swift sailing
vessel was despatched, by which the spies returned speedily to the
east, and soon reaching Akkon, where Ibelin was at that time encamped,
made him acquainted with all the proceedings of the emperor.
Without loss of time Ibelin assembled as many men as he and his friends
could get together, and marched upon Beyrut, the defences of which he
strengthened, and then crossed over to Cyprus, where it was necessary
to take care that on seeing the emperor’s fleet the Cyprians should
not rouse their forces, and get the young king into their power. He
therefore collected all his adherents in Cyprus, knights and squires,
and a considerable number of combatants, placing part of them at
Limasol, under the command of his eldest son Balian, and retaining the
other part under his own control at Larnaka, thus getting possession
of the only two places where a landing could be effected. He likewise
took the precaution of bringing with him the young king, upon whose
movements he kept a close watch.
When, therefore, the soldiers of the emperor were about to land at
Limasol, they found the shore lined with troops forming an army
much larger than their own, who forbad their approach. Their ships,
therefore, moved on a little further, and cast anchor in the vicinity
of Gavata. Soon afterwards, the Bishop of Amalfi, accompanied by two
German knights, made their appearance in Limasol, and represented
themselves as ambassadors from the emperor charged with a message to
the young king. They were told that the king resided at Larnaka, and
whilst they were conducted back again to their ship, Ibelin in great
haste called together the feudal court, in which naturally his own
friends and partisans were in a considerable majority.
Before this assembly, the ambassadors from the emperor delivered their
message, which was to the following effect. The emperor demanded from
the king, as his feudal vassal, that he should immediately banish from
the country Johann von Ibelin and his whole family, and no longer
afford them shelter or protection, seeing that they had broken their
allegiance. To this mandate the following reply was given by Wilhelm
Visconta, in the name of the infant king: “My lords, I am commanded and
commissioned by the king to say to you, that it appears to him very
strange that the emperor should send such an order to me. The governor
of Beyrut is a relative of Ibelin, and I neither can nor will do what
the emperor requires.”
After waiting many days it became evident that it would be impossible
to effect a landing, and the authority of the Emperor Frederick over
the island was henceforth set at defiance.
When Ibelin had marched within four leagues of Akkon, he learnt that
the Patriarch of Antioch was sent as Pope’s legate to that city, and
had demanded his immediate presence.
Notwithstanding the suspicions Ibelin entertained, that the legate was
about to denounce him as a rebel, he felt bound, as a good servant
of the Church, to obey the summons. He therefore caused his troops to
encamp near Casal Imbert, and placed his trustworthy follower, Anselm
von Brie, in command, whilst he proceeded to Akkon, and endeavoured by
every means in his power to undermine his enemies and strengthen his
own cause.
Meanwhile Marshal Felingher decided on making one decisive blow for
his master’s interests. Towards dusk on the evening of May the 2nd, he
left Tyre with his best troops, and marched towards the coast, where he
was followed by twenty-two ships bearing the rest of his army. Towards
morning they approached the unfortunate camp, and before the slightest
alarm could be raised, had fallen upon it and butchered the soldiers,
whilst still asleep. Here and there a slight attempt was made at
resistance, and Ibelin’s three sons made a gallant but desperate effort
to drive off the enemy. The attack, however, had been too sudden to
allow the soldiers to recover from the shock, and all such as did not
perish found safety in precipitate flight. The king narrowly escaped
with his life, he having been hurried out of the camp at the first
alarm of danger.
The imperial victory was complete, Ibelin’s troops were entirely
scattered or destroyed, and all the valuables of the camp were taken
possession of by the enemy. As soon as it was known that Marshal
Felingher had left Tyre, Ibelin and his knights at once mounted their
horses and rode as rapidly as possible towards the camp, but before
they arrived, friends and enemies had alike quitted the ground, and
nothing remained except a handful of men who had taken refuge in a
small and neighbouring tower.
Had Felingher at once fallen upon Akkon, he would probably have
obtained possession of the city; but he was well aware that his troops
were safer in Cyprus than on the opposite continent, and therefore
immediately despatched them to that island. Famagusta, Nikosia, and
Keryneia were seized, and all Ibelin’s troops dispersed in a series of
victorious onslaughts. The young queen, Alice, occupied Nikosia, whilst
her two sisters-in-law took refuge in the convent of St. Hilarion. Frau
von Ibelin escaped to Buffavento in the disguise of a monk, and by her
courage and energy roused the drooping spirit of the old commandant
of the fortress, who was preparing to surrender to the emperor at
discretion.
The followers of Ibelin were now in the depths of distress and anxiety,
their troops were annihilated, their money gone, and worst of all,
many noble knights belonging to the conquered party began to lay all
the blame of their unfortunate position upon their leader’s head. Some
endeavoured to persuade the king, who was nearly of age, that he might
be the means of restoring peace and order, whilst others endeavoured to
commence an alliance with Marshal Felingher.
At this crisis, John Ibelin showed all the resources of which he
was capable. He tried to sting the Syrian knights by hinting, that
if Cyprus were allowed to remain under imperial rule, they would be
neither more nor less than slaves to Germany, and endeavoured by
bribes and every form of persuasion to induce adherents to flock to his
standard. Ibelin’s sons and relations sold all their possessions in
order to obtain horses and arms, and many devices were resorted to as a
means of obtaining money.
Small scraps of parchment were issued, bearing the king’s seal, and
setting forth that the sum named thereon must be paid to whoever
presented it, and promising that the giver should be refunded as soon
as the prince was firmly established in his rights.
The most important step by far taken by the astute knight at this
crisis, was that of persuading the Genoese in the island to rise _en
masse_ and join his cause, under the solemn promise of the king that
they and their sons should enjoy extraordinary social immunities and
privileges. Having fully achieved this plan, Ibelin at once made ready
to sail for Cyprus at the shortest notice, backed by a numerous and
well-manned fleet. No sooner did the marshal hear of the unexpected
rising of the Genoese, than he at once returned to the island with a
powerful army, and was soon again master of the whole country, with the
exception of the fortresses of St. Hilarion and Buffavento. A portion
of the imperial fleet was anchored in the harbour outside the ancient
city of Paphos.
On Whitsunday, May the 30th, Ibelin set sail with his forces from
Akkon, accompanied by the Genoese consul, with whom the approaching
struggle now had the aspect of a political victory. Pedalion Acra,
a promontory between Larnaka and Famagusta, had been pointed out as
the most suitable spot for landing the soldiers, and thither all the
troop-ships went. No sooner had the fleet reached the spot indicated,
than intelligence was received that the marshal had made Famagusta
his head-quarters. The ships at once proceeded in the direction of
that fortress, where, owing to the knowledge of the shore displayed by
their commanders, they were enabled, after a slight skirmish with the
imperial troops, to take possession of a small island in close vicinity
to the town. Felingher was prepared to make a brave and powerful
defence, but unluckily for him his soldiers had treated the surrounding
inhabitants with so much roughness and cruelty that treachery was rife
in all quarters. In the stillness of the night a few boats left the
fleet, and landed their men close to the fortress; these at once rushed
upon the town with such noise and force that the defenders were struck
with sudden panic. The marshal, believing that the whole force of the
enemy was on the spot, and that the citizens were in revolt, at once
set fire to his ships, and withdrew with all his men to Nikosia.
Ibelin remained a week in Famagusta; this time he spent in fortifying
the citadel more securely, and in drawing up the deed of privileges
to the Genoese, the promise of which had procured him so great an
accession of friends.
The marshal now retired to the mountains behind Nikosia, and Queen
Alice and her ladies sought refuge in Keryneia, the imperial troops
being so stationed as to command that fortress.
Felingher now rapidly pressed on the siege of St. Hilarion, and was in
daily hopes that hunger must compel her defenders to surrender; all
cornfields, mills, and every available means of sustenance having been
destroyed throughout the surrounding plains by the marshal’s orders.
Ibelin’s army, which was now slowly marching onwards towards Nikosia,
received fresh reinforcements at every stage, not only from the
outraged Cypriotes, who were anxious to avenge their wrongs, but from
large numbers of the higher classes, who had taken refuge in the huts.
Nearly all these soldiers were on foot, whilst the imperial army, we
are told, had fully two thousand horse. On his arrival near Nikosia,
Ibelin at once encamped about half a league from the city, and early
next morning, June 15th, 1232, advanced rapidly with all his troops to
encounter the imperial forces, some of which were gathered around the
fortress they were investing, whilst some were stationed upon the high
and almost inaccessible rocks that commanded the road to Keryneia.
The marshal, who appears to have been paralysed by the rapid movements
of the enemy, at once sent a party of cavalry to meet the men he saw
were preparing to mount the rocky steps that led to the fortress.
Count Walter von Manebel charged down upon the enemy, but with such
fury and indiscretion that the ascending soldiers, being on foot,
readily eluded the pursuit of their mounted adversaries, who had
no alternative but to seek refuge in the plains below, and there
await further orders. Meanwhile Ibelin’s troops continued to mount,
and a severe struggle ensued, in which the marshal’s troops became
perfectly unmanageable, and had to be withdrawn to Keryneia. Numbers
sought safety in flight, or refuge in the neighbouring churches and
monasteries. Keryneia now alone remained in the hands of the imperial
troops, and the marshal at once proceeded to strengthen it at all
points, stored up ample provisions in case of siege, and having given
the command of such troops as could not be accommodated in the fortress
to Walter von Aquaviva, he himself retired to Cilicia with a large body
of men.
Ibelin no sooner heard that the marshal had withdrawn the greater part
of his army from Keryneia, than he proceeded to invest that fortress.
A long and bloody battle at once ensued outside its walls, and every
means were tried, but in vain, to storm the citadel. At this crisis a
short truce was concluded, in consequence of the death of the young
Queen Alice. Her corpse was decked in royal robes, and a messenger was
despatched to her consort requesting that she might be interred as
became her rank. This truce was strictly kept on both sides, until the
royal coffin had been conveyed to Nikosia, where it was placed in the
cathedral with much pomp and reverence.
Marshal Felingher had meanwhile been well received in Cilicia, and
at once proceeded to make preparations for a fresh campaign. Great
sickness, however, now appeared in his army, and numbers died from
various causes, or were so invalided as to be unfit for farther
service. Felingher at once ordered his army to Tyre, whilst he himself
went to Italy to have an interview with the emperor. This latter was
now inclined to try what could be done by persuasion, instead of again
having recourse to arms. Marshal Felingher, who had made himself much
disliked, was superseded, and the Bishop of Sidon despatched, with
full powers to bring matters to a peaceable conclusion by well-timed
arguments and persuasions, amongst which was the promise that all
past outbreaks should be forgotten on the part of the emperor, if the
Cypriotes would return to their allegiance. The bishop had so much
skill and diplomacy, that in an assembly of knights called by his
order, to assemble in the cathedral at Akkon, all present willingly
consented to renew their oath on the spot, and recognise the emperor as
the guardian of his son Conrad. At this juncture the proceedings of the
assembly were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the young knight,
John of Cæsarea, nephew of Ibelin, who with much excitement implored
the assembly to consider well what they were about to do, and not to
sacrifice their country to imperial ambition.
A scene of great violence ensued, in the midst of which the bell
from the citadel was rung, and at the preconcerted signal, crowds of
Ibelin’s adherents in the city flocked into and around the church,
uttering loud cries for vengeance on the heads of the recreant knights.
The latter were now compelled to seek safety in flight, and it required
all the eloquence and authority of young John of Cæsarea to restrain
the violence of the crowd, and allow the bishop and his party to escape
with their lives. The emperor now appealed to Ibelin’s own sense of
right and honour, and assured him that if he would obey the imperial
summons and appear in Tyre to renew his fealty, everything should be
arranged according to his wishes. Ibelin, however, distrusted the
friendly overtures of the emperor, and not only refused to comply, but
at once proceeded to levy fresh forces, and prepare for an obstinate
resistance. This done, his first step was to reduce the fortress of
Keryneia, which, however, he found so impregnable, that after some
terrible fighting about its walls, he was compelled to sit down before
it, and endeavour to reduce its garrison by starvation. Month after
month passed, and yet the brave band held out; until after two years of
great hardship and suffering, they were at last compelled to submit,
but only on the most honourable conditions. Frederick still refused
to relinquish all hope, and now had recourse to imploring assistance
from the Pope, to aid in bringing his refractory vassals again to
their allegiance. In the same year as witnessed the fall of Keryneia,
a legate from the Papal Court arrived at Akkon, bearing a decree from
both emperor and Pope, commanding all knights and citizens to join the
imperial cause, and submit to the authority of Marshal Felingher.
Every indulgence was promised to all such as should submit.
Ibelin was now hard pressed, but he utterly refused again to
acknowledge his faults to the emperor, and at once set about preparing
for an attack on Tyre. The Pope sent Ibelin one more written warning,
and the archbishop put Akkon under an interdict. Two envoys were now
sent from the knights to Italy, in order to endeavour to make terms
of peace. These conditions were hard upon the Cypriotes, and when the
envoys returned to Akkon, and showed the parchment containing the
required submissions, the whole city was in an uproar. The ambassadors
were thrown into prison, and very narrowly escaped with their lives.
Almost Ibelin’s last act was to summon all to uphold the rights of
their king; very shortly after this he fell from his horse, and was
so seriously injured that he did not long survive. During these
occurrences in the East, great changes were also taking place in
the friendly relations between the Pope and emperor, and the latter
soon found himself overwhelmed with troubles and anxieties, both in
Italy and Germany, which required his immediate and entire attention.
Meanwhile Ibelin’s son and various members of his family had sent
letters accompanied by rich gifts to the Pope and cardinals. This
embassy proved entirely successful, and the envoy, Godfrey le Tort,
returned triumphantly to Akkon, bearing a Papal letter commanding all
to unite with the Genoese in submission to the wishes and propositions
of the party led by the Ibelins. This direct decree from the Pope
proved final, and Frederick was now powerless to send an army to assert
his claims.
Some years later, one more endeavour was made by Marshal Felingher,
and a small party in Akkon, to induce the inhabitants of the island to
acknowledge their allegiance to the emperor; but in vain. Thus ended
all attempts to make Cyprus an appanage of Germany, which if carried
out might probably have saved that beautiful country and her population
from centuries of neglect and tyranny.