"Apulus et Calaber, Siculus mihi servit et Afer."
King Roger of Sicily was a very great king. He won and subdued all Apulia, and many large islands besides in the Greek sea; and therefore he was called Roger the Great. His son was William, king of Sicily, who for a long time had great hostility with the emperor of Constantinople. King William had three daughters, but no son. One of his daughters he married to the emperor Henry, a son of the emperor Frederic; and their son was Frederic, who for a short time after was emperor of Rome. His second daughter was married to the duke of Kypur[114]. The third daughter, Margaret, was married to the chief of the corsairs; but the emperor Henry killed both these brothers-in-law. The daughter of Roger the Great, king of Sicily, was married to the emperor Manuel of Constantinople; and their son was the emperor Kirialax[115].
In summer king Sigurd sailed across the Greek sea to Palestine[116], and came to Acre[117], where he landed, and went by land to Jerusalem[118]. Now when Baldwin, king of Palestine, heard that king Sigurd would visit the city, he let valuable clothes be brought and spread upon the road, and the nearer to the city the more valuable; and said, "Now ye must know that a celebrated king from the northern part of the earth is come to visit us; and many are the gallant deeds and celebrated actions told of him, therefore we shall receive him well; and in doing so we shall also know his magnificence and power. If he ride straight on to the city, taking little notice of these splendid preparations, I will conclude that he has enough of such things in his own kingdom; but, on the other hand, if he rides off the road, I shall not think so highly of his royal dignity at home." Now king Sigurd rides to the city with great state; and when he saw this magnificence, he rode straight forward over the clothes, and told all his men to do the same. King Baldwin received him particularly well, and rode with him all the way to the river Jordan, and then back to the city of Jerusalem. Einar Skuleson speaks thus of it:—
"Good reason has the scald to sing The generous temper of the king, Whose sea-cold keel from Northern waves Ploughs the blue sea that green isles laves. At Acre scarce were we made fast, In holy ground our anchors cast, When the king made a joyful morn To all who toil with him had borne."