'Saladin, excited on one side by his ambition, and on the other moved with indignation at the outrage committed by Reginald, Prince of Antioch, raised all the strength of his kingdom, and assailed with power and impetuosity the territories of Jerusalem. If the number of men, the variety of nations, and the diversity of religions, were fully described as the law of history demands, my plan of brevity would be interrupted by the ample details of such a narrative: Parthians, Bedouins, Arabs, Medes, Cordians, and Egyptians, though differing in country, religion, and name, were all aroused with one accord to the destruction of the Holy Land. As our troops were marching to them, and the fatal day approached, a fearful vision was seen by the king's chamberlain, who dreamed that an eagle flew past the Christian army, bearing seven missiles and a balista in its talons, and crying in a loud voice, "Woe to thee, Jerusalem! "To explain the mystery of this vision, we need, I think, only take the words of Scripture: "The Lord hath bent his bow, and in it prepared the vessels of death." What are the seven missiles, but a figure for the seven sins, by which that unhappy army was soon to perish? By this number, seven, may also be understood the number of punishments that impended over the Christians, which was some time after fulfilled by the event, that too faithful and terrible interpreter of omens. The battle had not began, when, the armies having been drawn out at a short distance from Tiberias, at a place called the Marescallia, the Lord hemmed in his people with the sword, and as a punishment for the sins of men, gave over his inheritance to slaughter and devastation.' - Itinerary of Richard I. and others to the Holy Land.