But personal interest and secret negotiations before long brought into the Christian camp weakness, together with discord.

Many of the barons were already disputing amongst themselves, at the very elbows of the sovereigns, for the future government of Damascus; others were not inaccessible to the rich offers which came to them from the city; and it is maintained that King Baldwin himself suffered himself to be bribed by a sum of two hundred thousand pieces of gold which were sent to him by Modjer-Eddyn, Emir of Damascus, and which turned out to be only pieces of copper, covered with gold leaf.

News came that the Emirs of Aleppo and Mossoul were coming, with considerable forces, to the relief of the place.

Whatever may have been the cause of retreat, the crusader- sovereigns decided upon it, and, raising the siege, returned to Jerusalem.

The Emperor Conrad, in indignation and confusion, set out precipitately to return to Germany.