Page "William of Tyre" Paragraph 34

About Amalric's son Baldwin IV, however, " there was no ambiguity ".

Baldwin was nothing but heroic in the face of his debilitating leprosy, and he led military campaigns against Saladin even while still underaged ; William tends to gloss over campaigns where Baldwin was not actually in charge, preferring to direct his praise towards the afflicted king rather than subordinate commanders.

William's history can be seen as an apologia, a literary defense, for the kingdom, and more specifically for Baldwin's rule.

By the 1170s and 1180s, western Europeans were reluctant to support the kingdom, partly because it was far away and there were more pressing concerns in Europe, but also because leprosy was usually considered divine punishment.