Raymond III of Tripoli Replaces Guy de Lusignan as Regent
William of Tyre
Meanwhile the hatred which bad arisen between the King and the Count of Jaffa [Guy de Kusigna, the husband of Baldwin IV's sister, Sibylla] was increased for secret reasons and grew stronger every day. The enmity which up to now [late 1183 or early 1184] had been suppressed burst out and the King was openly trying to collect reasons to procure a separation of his sister from her husband and to break up their marriage. He publicly approached the Patriarch for this purpose and asked that, since he was going to impugn the marriage, the Patriarch set a day on which the annulment might be solemnly proclaimed in his presence. The Count was informed of these matters as he returned from campaign. Re left the rest of the army and journied by the shortest route to Ascalon. Meanwhile he sent a warning to his wife, who was then staying in Jerusalem, that she should leave the city immediately and journey to Ascalon before the King's return. The Count feared that if the King got her in his power he would not allow her to return again to her husband. The King therefore sent an emissary to the Count to summon him and to disclose to him the reasons for the summons. The Count, however, refused the summons, gave reasons for his noncompliance, and pretended that he was sick. When he bad been summoned many times and had failed to appear, the King himself determined to go to Ascalon to call the Count to justice by word of mouth. When the King arrived there in company with some of his princes be found that the gates of the city were barred against him. He knocked on them with his hand three times and ordered that they be opened. When he discovered that no one would obey his command, lie returned, properly indignant. All the people of the city were looking on, for when they beard of the King's arrival they had stationed themselves on the walls and towers to see how the affair would end. The King proceeded from Ascalon directly to Jaffa. A great many of the leading citizens of both classes [i.e. nobility and bourgeoisie] came out to meet him before be arrived at the city. They opened the town to him and the King entered without my difficulty. There he named a provost to take charge of the place and went on to Acre. In that city he decided to "I a general council. When the princes of the Kingdom assembled there on the appointed day the Patriarch and both masters-that is, of the Templars and the Hospitallers - having agreed on the matter, approached the King and on bended knee began to intercede for the Count. They asked that the disagreement be laid aside and that the King restore him to favor. When they were not attended to at once, they retired in a dudgeon, not only from the court, but even from the city. A proposal was made in the presence of the assembled princes that emissaries be sent to the ultramontaine kings and other princes to invite them to come to the aid of the Kingdom and of Christianity. This should have been dealt with first but, as we have said, the Patriarch got the first word and made his speech first. Then, as we have said before, he lost his temper and left Acre. The count of Jaffa, when he learned that the King was not inclined to make peace, acted worse than before. He took the forces which he had with him and set out for a fortress named Daron. He made a surprise attack on the camp of some Arabs who had put up their tents in that area in order to pasture their flocks. The Arabs had done so with the King's permission and they were staying there on his promise of security. The Count's attack took them unawares and he drove off their flocks and slaves. After this he returned to Ascalon. When the King heard of this he once again summoned the princes and delegated the care and general administration of the Kingdom to the Count of Tripoli, since be had faith in his prudence and generosity. When this was done it seemed to satisfy the wishes of all the people and princes. It seemed to everyone that the only way to safety was to place the affairs of the Kingdom in the hands of the Count of Tripoli.
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