Thousands of the cavalry of Saladin hovered round St.Stephen's Gate, while the engines poured fire and bolts upon the doomed town, and the Saracen miners worked their way beneath the barbican and the wall.

The soldiers within could not sally because of the multitude of the watching horsemen; they could not show themselves, since he who did so was at once destroyed by a thousand darts, and they could not build up the breaches of the crumbling wall.

As day was added to day, the despair grew ever deeper.

In every street might be met long processions of monks bearing crosses and chanting penitential psalms and prayers, while in the house-doors women wailed to Christ for mercy, and held to their breasts the children which must so soon be given to death, or torn from them to deck some Mussulman harem.
The commander Balian called the knights together in council, and showed them that Jerusalem was doomed.
"Then," said one of the leaders, "let us sally out and die fighting in the midst of foes." "Ay," added Heraclius, "and leave our children and our women to death and dishonour.

Then that surrender is better, since there is no hope of succour." "Nay," answered Balian, "we will not surrender.