70 CALIPHS OF SPAIN. 



twelfth and youngest son of Tancred, a Norman 

 banneret who had joined the fortunes of his brothers 

 and countrymen, then possessors of the fertile region 

 of Apulia. In an open boat he crossed the strait, 

 landed with only sixty soldiers, drove the Saracens 

 to the gates of Messina, and returned in safety with 

 the spoils of the adjacent country. Neither diffi- 

 culties nor dangers could repress his activity. Be- 

 fore the walls of Trani, 300 Normans withstood and 

 repulsed the whole force of the island. At the battle 

 of Ceramio, 50,000 horse and foot were overthrown 

 by only 136 Christian soldiers (most probably 

 knights, but so stands the narrative of the historian), 

 without reckoning St George, who fought on horse- 

 back in the foremost ranks. 



Notwithstanding the frequent and powerful suc- 

 cours which the Sicilian Arabs obtained from their 

 brethren in Africa, town after town yielded to the 

 bravery of the Normans, who added those splendid 

 conquests in the Mediterranean to the list of their 

 achievements in England, France, and other king- 

 doms of Europe. After a war of thirty years 

 Roger obtained the sovereignty of Sicily, with the 

 title of Great Count; that of King being after- 

 wards bestowed on his son. The Saracens were pro- 

 tected in the enjoyment of their property and re- 

 ligion; but the island was restored to the jurisdic- 

 tion of the Roman pontiff, who planted the principal 

 cities with new bishops, and gratified the clergy by 

 a liberal endowment of the churches and monas- 

 teries. 



