At the height of the fighting, the citizens, amazed at the number and the valour of our army, began to lose faith in their own power to resist. They barricaded with huge beams all the suburbs of the city in the area where our men were encamped, their only hope being that while the Christians were engaged in breaking down these barriers, they themselves would be able to flee with their wives and children through the opposite area of the city. It seemed reasonable to suppose that the Christian people would soon hold the city, had divine favour been with us. But He who is terrible in his plans for the sons of men had decided otherwise. For while the citizens had packed their bags and decided to leave the place, they began to presume on our cupidity and came up with the intention of storming with money the souls of those whose bodies they could not overcome by fighting. They used various arguments, even bringing a countless quantity of money, to persuade some of our leaders to play the part of the traitor Judas.

These men, corrupted by gifts and promises, persuaded the kings and the pilgrim leaders, who trusted completely in their loyalty and industry, to transfer the army to the opposite side of the city. They claimed that on that side, looking south and east, there were no orchards to defend the city, nor was the access to the wall impeded by any moat or river.

The kings and the leaders of the whole army believed them, and deserted the place which they had previously occupied with great effort and loss of men. They transferred their whole force and under the traitors' direction set up camp on the opposite side of the city. When they realized that their new position was a long way from the water and lacked the abundance of fruit of the previous one, and that their supplies had now almost failed, they complained too late that there had been treachery.

Now a severe shortage of food was beginning to hit the camp, for the soldiers had been led to believe before they set out that the city would be taken very quickly, and so had brought only a few days supplies with them. This was especially the case with those new to the Holy Land. They became doubtful and wondered both in private and openly what they should do. It seemed hard, if not impossible, to return to the position they had deserted. Therefore the pilgrim leaders held counsel together, and they decided to return home. The kings and leaders were covered in confusion and fear and. their business unaccomplished because of our sins, were forced to leave.

The men returned to their own kingdoms by the same route as they had come, and held in suspicion all the ways of our princes, rightly declining to take any part in their plans. This was the case, not only while they remained in the east even after they returned to their own lands they remained mindful of the wrongs they had suffered.

The result of this was that thereafter pilgrims coming this way were neither so many nor so ardent, and even today those who do come do not want to fall into the net of treachery and so seek to return home quickly.