Deeds of the Franks, Book 9, Chapter 28

Then, hearing the words of he who carried back the revelation through words of the apostle of Christ,hurrying we immediately went to that place in the church of St. Peter that he had shown him. And thirteen men dug there from morning until evening, and thus that man found the lance just as he indicated. And they accepted it with great joy and fear, and a great happiness had arisen in the whole city. From that hour, we accepted among ourselves the plan to fight. After this our leaders got an assembly together, seeing that they would send a messenger to the Turks, the enemies of Christ, who would argue through an interpreter with them through carefully chosen words asking how they could intrude so very arrogantly into the land of Christians, and why they have encamped there, and why they would kill and harass the servants of Christ. And when they were done speaking, they found two men, namely Peter the Hermit and Herluin and said this to them: "Go to the accursed army of the Turks and carefully tell them about all this, asking them why they so daringly and most arrogantly intrude on the land of Christians and our own."

This being said, the messengers withdrew and came to that profane assembly, saying all the words that had been sent to Curbara and the others thus: "Our leaders and siegneurs wonder greatly enough at how rashly and most arrogantly you intrude on the land of Christians and their own. We reckon and believe that perhaps as you have therefore come here, you wish above all to be baptized as Christians, or perhaps you have come here to punish the Christians? Therefore they ask you that you all quickly withdraw from the land of God and Christians, which blessed Peter the Apostle formerly now by his preaching turned back to Christ. But they would permit this to you that you take away your things, such as mules, horses, asses, and camels, also your sheep and cattle and all other items with you as you will be willing to bear."

Then Curabara, the prince of the army of the Sultan of Persia, with all others, responded full of arrogance and ferocity by this speech: "We do not desire or want your God or your Christianity, and we reject you and all with you. Now we will come against you, because we wonder greatly how your seigneurs and leaders, whom you call to mind, can call this land to be their own which we have taken away from an effeminate people? Therefore, go back as fast as you can and say to your leaders, if they desire above all to be baptized as Turks, that they wish to deny their god to whom they incline their necks and reject your laws, we will give them this land and more as well, and the city and citadel. Moreover none of your men will remain foot soldiers but they will be all knights just as we are and we will always have the greatest friendship with them. If otherwise, let them know they would all undergo the sentence of death, or be lead in chains to Corrozana in perpetual captivity, where they will serve us and our children for all time."

Our messengers quickly returned to our men, bearing all that they had said to those cruelest of people. It was reported Herluin had known the other language, and was interpreter to Peter the Hermit. Meanwhile our army was trembling for two reasons because they did not know what was going on; on the one hand a tortuous hunger was squeezing us, fear of the Turks was constricting them on the other.