from Codice diplomatico della Repubblica de Genova, ed. C. Imperiale di Sant'Angelo, Rome, 1942, iii, 19-21.
Document 1: letter from Richard to the abbot of Clairvaux, dated 1 October 1191: Richard, by the grace of God king of England, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine and count of Anjou, to his venerable and most dear friend in Christ, the abbot of Clairvaux [Garnier of Rochefort, later bishop of Langres], greetings and best wishes.
After the tragic and universally lamented destruction of the holy city of Jerusalem, the city of the living God by which His name is invoked, the world was shaken and trembled because the King of Heaven had lost His land wherein His feet had stood. But, as your sanctity is well aware, God's blessing was spread by the Apostolic See throughout the whole world, and the friends of the cross of Christ sprang forth eagerly to take the sign of salvation on their foreheads and on their shoulders and avenge the injuries done to the Holy Cross. To serve the living God we too have accepted the sign of the cross to defend the places of His death that have been consecrated by His precious blood and which the enemies of the cross of Christ have hitherto shamefully profaned, and we have taken upon us the burden of so great and so holy a work.
Soon after the arrival of the lord king of the Franks at Acre, we too arrived there thanks to God's favourable providence. Not long afterwards the city of Acre was surrendered to the king of the Franks and ourselves on condition that the lives of the Saracens who had been stationed there to guard and defend it should be spared. On Saladin's behalf it had been agreed that the Holy Cross and 1,500 living prisoners would be handed over to us, and he fixed a day for us when all this was to be done. But the time-limit expired, and, as the pact which he had agreed was entirely made void, we quite properly had the Saracens that we had in custody - about 2,600 of them - put to death. A few of the more noble were spared, and we hope to recover the Holy Cross and certain Christian captives in exchange for them.
After the king of the Franks had returned to his own lands and the ruined and broken walls of the city of Acre had been repaired and the city fully fortified by ditches and a wall, we set off to go to Jaffa so as to further the affairs of Christendom and achieve the intention of our vow. With us was (Hugh) duke of Burgundy with the French under his command, Count Henry (of Champagne) with his men, and many other counts and barons and an innumerable people. It is a good distance between Acre and Jaffa and the roads are long, and it was with much fatigue and grave loss of our men that we eventually made it to Caesarea. Saladin too lost very many of his own men during that journey. After the people of God ahd rested there for a while, we continued on our intended route to Jaffa. Our vanguard was proceeding and was already setting up camp at Arsur, when Saladin and his Saracens made a violent attack on our rearguard, but by the grace of God's favorable mercy they were forced into flight just by the four squadrons that were facing them. The Christians chased them for a whole league. so great was the slaughter among Saladin's more noble Saracens, that he lost more that day near Arsur - it was a Sunday, the vigil of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary [7 Sept] - than on any day in the previous 40 years. By the grace of God we lost no one that day except that best of men whose merits had made him dear to the whole army, James of Avesnes. He had been in the Christian army for several years in the service of the living God, and he had been like a pillar of the army, ready and devout in all holiness and sincerity of faith. Then, by the will of God, we reached Jaffa. We have fortified that town with ditches and a wall, having as our plan the effective furtherance of the affairs of CHristendom everywhere to the best of our ability.
Since his defeat that day, Saladin has not dared do battle with the Christians. Instead he lies in wait at a distance out of sight like a lion in his den, and he is intent on killing of the friends of the cross like sheep led to the slaughter. But he learned that we intend to make rapid progress to Ascalon, and so he has destroyed it and raised it to the ground. He is now abandoning and distdaining the whole land of Syria as if deprived of the benefit of counsel and aid. We take this as grounds for optimism that soon, by God's grant, the Lord's inheritance will be fully restored.
Because the inheritance of the Lord is already partly recovered, and because to further its recovery we constantly endure the heat of day and have already exhausted all our money - and not only our money but both our strength and our body also - we have to tell your fraternity that we can in no way remain in Syria beyond next Easter. The duke of Burgundy, with the French under his command, and Count Henry with his men and the other counts, barons and knights have spent all their wealth int he service of God and will return to their own lands unless by the ingenuity of your preaching thoughtful provision may be made for people to populate and defend the land and for more money to be spent in God's service. So, throwing ourselves at your holiness's feet with profuse tears, we offer up our affectionate prayers, asking ever more earnestly that you, as behoves your office and honour, will make every effort to induce princes and nobles and the other people of God throughout the Christian world to share in the service of the living God. Call upon them that from next Easter they will uphold and defend the Lord's inheritance which we, with God's favour, will by then have fully obtained. See to it that through the watchful attention of your zeal Christendom's requirements are not lost due to your neglect. We are sending this letter concerning the affairs of Christendom to your holiness as early as this so that there is no possibility that we might be accused in any way of being lazy and negligent by failing to warn so great and holy a man as yourself about them. Like us therefore you should encourage the other people of God before thestart of the passage [the 1992 spring sailing] to serve of Him by restoring His inheritance to Himself. Now is the time that you should make the greatest effort to inspire the people of God to do this.
Witnessed by myself at Jaffa, on the first day of October [1191].
2. Richard was evidently well briefed on the strategic realities of the situation in the East and, although he was to make two military demonstrations in the direction of Jerusalem itself, he made no direct attempt at capturing it. By mid-November he had come to realize that it would be necessary to carry the war to the center of Saladin's power in Egypt and was calling on the Genoese to supply the necessary naval support the following year.
Letter of Richard to the leaders of Genoa: Richard, by the grace of God king of England, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine and count of Anjou, to those venerable men and dearest friends, the archbishop, the podesta, the consuls and council and the other good men of the Genoese to whom this letter shall come, greetings.
Since hitherto you have had more concern than all other men for the immediate needs of the holy land of Jerusalem, we have judged that those things that we are planning to do for the advantage of that land should be brought to your attention. so you should know that next summer, for the honour of God and for the confusion of the pride of the gentiles, we shall, if you are agreeable, hasten with all our forces int Egypt, to Babylon and Alexandria. and so we beg your sincerity as earnestly as we can, that you, out of regard for your sacred duty and with an eye to your own benefit, come with as much equipment as you can and without delay to the Christian army, secure in the knowledge that we shall fully honour the whole agrement and covenant that we have made with you and you with us (not counting the passage after the one on which we came to Syria).
If indeed you bring your whole flet of ships, you will receive your share of the land which, by the help of God, we shall be able to win from the Saracens in keeping with the agreement that we shall make between us. [in a second letter written on the same day, Richard spoke of giving the Genoese a third share in any conquests he might make if the promised to provide half what was agreed]. But if not, you will get a share in proportion to the number of ships and people you do send. As for the galleys, you should know that from the time from which they shall set sail to come to the christian army, we shall pay you in full half the expenses. For the rest, we are sending to you Maurinus, that distinguished man and friend of Christianity, who has been your consul in Syria, with the special request that you should trust what he, as a friend of Christianity, has to say about these proposals. We shall hold firm and valid everything that Maurinus shall say to you on our behalf or shall do as if we ourselves had been speaking in person. You may inform us through this same Maurinus wihtout delay as to what you will do in this business and how many galleys and men you will send to the Christian army.
Witnessed by myself at Acre, on the eleventh day of October (1191).