University of Virginia Library

3. PART III
IN SYRIA

III.1. CHAPTER I

HOW THE ICING WAS RECEIVED AT ACRE AN OBLIGING VALET OF THE MONEY THAT JOINVILLE DEPOSITED WITH THE TEMPLARS HE LIES AT DEATH'S DOOR THE GAMBLING AND EXTRAVAGANCE OF THE KING'S BROTHERS.

To continue my story. When the King arrived at Acre, all the processions of Acre came down to the beach to meet and welcome him with great rejoicings.

They brought me a palfrey. No sooner was I mounted, than my heart failed me, and I told the man who had brought me the palfrey that he must hold me, or I should fall off. With great difficulty they got me up the steps of the King's hall. I sat down in a window, and beside me a child of about ten years old, who was named Berthlemin, and was the bastard son of Lord Amy of Montbeliart, the Lord of Montfaucon.

As I was sitting there, where no one paid any attention to me, there came up to me a valet, wearing a crimson coat with two yellow stripes, and saluted me, and asked me: whether I knew him? And I told him: No. And he told me that he came from Oiselair, my uncle's castle. I asked him: who was his master? and he said that: He had no master; and that he would stay with me, if I pleased; and I told him that I should be very glad.

He went forthwith, and fetched white coifs, and combed my hair very nicely. Then the King sent for me to come and dine with him; and I went to him just as I was, in the corslet that had been made for me in prison out of the snippings from my coverlet. The coverlet I left to the child Berthlemin, with four ells of camlin cloth, that had been given me out of charity in the prison.

Willikins, my new servant, came and carved before me; and procured some food for the child whilst we were at table.

My new valet told me that he had secured me a house quite close to the baths; so that I might wash off the filth and sweat that clung to me from the prison. When the evening came and I was

in the bath, my heart failed me, and I fainted; and it was with great difficulty that they got me out of the bath and as far as my bed.

On the morrow, an old knight, named Lord Peter of Bourbonne, came to see me, and I retained him in my service. He raised on credit in the town as much as was needed to clothe and fit me out.

Directly I had my outfit, about four days after our arrival, I went to see the King; and he upbraided me, and told me that I had not done well in delaying so long to visit him; and he charged me, as I valued his love, that I should henceforth eat with him both morning and evening, until such time as he should have settled what we were to do whether to go to France, or to stay where we were.

I told the King that my Lord Peter of Courtenay owed me four hundred pounds of my wages, which he would not pay me. And the King answered that: He would see that the Lord of Courtenay paid me the money that he owed me; and so he did.

By Lord Peter of Bourbonne's advice we set aside forty pounds for our expenses; and the remainder we entrusted to the keeping of the Commender

of the Palace of the Temple. When I had come to the end of the forty pounds, I sent Father John Caym of St. Menehould (whom I had retained over-seas) to fetch me another forty. The Commander in reply told him, that he had no money of mine, and did not know me. I went to Brother Reynold of Vichiers (who, through the King's influence, had been made Master of the Temple thanks to the favour he had done him in prison, of which I told you), and I complained to him of the Commander of the Palace, who would not restore me the money that I had entrusted to him On hearing this, he was very much alarmed; and said to me, " Sir de Joinville; I love you well; but rest assured, that, if you will not forego this claim of yours, I shall cease to be your friend; for you want to make people believe, that our brethren are thieves! " I told him that, please God, I would never forego my claim. In this distress of mind I remained for four days, like a man who has not a penny left to spend. At the end of the four days, the Master came up to me laughing, and told me, he had found my money. And how it was found was, that he had changed the first Commander of the Palace, and sent him to a hamlet called Saffran; and this man gave me back my money.

The Bishop of Acre (that was then), who was native of Provence, procured me the loan of the house belonging to the curate of St. Michael; and I had retained Caym of St. Menehould, who served me very well for two years better than any man I ever had about me.

Now as it happened there was a closet by the head of my bed, through which one entered the church. Now it so happened that a persistent fever seized me, by reason of which I took to my bed, and all my household as well. There was one day, for a whole day long, when I had never a creature to wait on me or help me to rise; and I looked for naught but death, from a token that was in my very ears; for there was not a day but they carried full twenty dead bodies or more to the church; and from my bed, every time that one was carried in, I could hear them chanting "Libera me Domine."

Then I wept, and gave thanks to God, and thus addressed him: "Lord, praised be thou for this destitution whereto thou hast brought me! for many

lacqueys have I had to wait on my down-lying and up-rising. And I beseech Thee, Lord, that Thou wouldst aid and deliver me from this sickness, me and my people."

After these things, I demanded [my account] from Willikins, my new squire, and he brought it me; and I found that he had made away with over ten pounds tournois; and he told me, when I questioned him, that he would repay them to me when he could. I dismissed him, and told him that I would make him a present of what he owed me, for he had well earned it. I learnt from the knights of Burgundy when they came back from prison, that they had brought him out in their company, and that he was the most obliging thief that ever was; for when any knight was in want of a knife, or a strap, or gloves, or spurs, or anything, Willikins would go and steal it and give it to him.

During this time that the King was in Acre, the King's brothers took to playing dice; and the Count of Poitiers was so generous in his play, that, whenever he had won, he used to have the hall thrown open, and call in whatever gentlemen and ladies were there and would distribute money in handfuls,

not only what he had won, but out of his own purse as well. And when he lost, he would buy up all the ready money on account from those he had been playing against his brother the Count of Anjou and the rest; and give the whole away, both his own money and the other people's.

NOTE TO CHAPTER I

The King's two eldest brothers were favourably regarded by the priestly chroniclers, and held up with himself as examples of his mother's excellent education. Geoffrey of Beaulieu hazards a quotation from their brother of Sicily that neither Robert nor Alphonso was ever accused of a deadly sin! On the subject of the King of Sicily he is more reticent, possibly because his history was so well known that nobody would have believed him. Even while he was only Count of Anjou the King had several times to interfere in his jurisdiction in the interests of justice as in a case where Charles tries to force a man to sell him a piece of land; and on another occasion, when the uncle of the Count of Vendôme appeals against a civil decision of his court, and subsequent arbitrary imprisonment.

III.2. CHAPTER II

THE KING TAKES COUNSEL, WHETHER TO RETURN TO FRANCE, OR TO STAY IN THE HOLY LAND.

WHILST we were staying thus in Acre, the King sent for his brothers and the Count of Flanders and the other rich men one Sunday, and spoke to them as follows: " Sirs, my lady mother the Queen has sent to me and used her utmost entreaties, that I should go back to France; for my kingdom is in great danger, because I have no peace nor truce with the King of England. The men of this country, with whom I have talked, tell me, that, if I go, this country is lost; for all those that are in Acre will come away after me, for that no one will dare to remain in it with so few men. Therefore I beg you" said he "to think it over; and since the matter is a weighty one, I grant you a respite of a week from now, before you give your answer as to what you think best."

[The Legate] said to me: that he did not see how the King could possibly remain; and entreated me very particularly to share his ship.

I answered him, that: It was out of my power to do so, for that I possessed nothing, as he knew, having lost everything in the water when I was captured. And this answer I gave, not because I should not have very much liked to go with him, but because of something that my first cousin the Lord of Boulaincourt God rest his soul! said to me when I went over-seas. "You are going away over-seas" said he " Now, take care how you come back; for there is no knight, be he poor or rich, but will be dishonoured, if he return and leave in the Saracens' hands those poor servants of Our Lord in whose company he set out."

The Legate was angry with me, and told me, I ought not to have refused.

On the next Sunday we came again before the King; and then the King asked his brothers and the other barons and the Count of Flanders, what advice they meant to give him? to go? or to stay? They all replied: that they had charged my

Lord Guy Malvoisin with the advice that they wished to give the King.

The King ordered him to speak as they had charged him; and he said as follows: " Sir, your brothers and the rich men that are here, have considered the state of your affairs, and perceive, that it is impossible for you to remain in this country, with credit to yourself or to your kingdom. For, of all the knights who started in your company, of whom you led two thousand eight hundred to Cyprus, there are not in this town one hundred left. Wherefore they urge you, Sir, to get you gone to France, there to procure men and money, that you may return again speedily to this country, and avenge you on the enemies of God, who have kept you in their prison."

The King would not rest content with what Lord Guy Malvoisin had said, but asked the Count of Anjou, and the Count of Poitiers, and the Count of Flanders, and several other rich men who sat near them, and they all agreed with Lord Guy Malvoisin.

The Legate asked Count John of Jaffa, who was sitting among them, what was his opinion on the

matter. The Count of Jaffa begged him to refrain from asking: "For this reason " said he "that my castles are at stake; and if I urge the King to stay, it will be thought that I do so for my own ends." Then the King desired him in the most definite manner, to say what he thought; and he replied: That if the King could manage to hold his ground for the space of a year, he would gain great honour by remaining. Then the Legate asked those who sat beyond the Count of Jaffa; and they all agreed with Lord Guy Malvoisin. I was seated about the fourteenth off from the Legate. He asked me, what I thought about it, and I answered him, that I quite agreed with the Count of Jaffa. And the Legate said to me angrily: How was it possible for the King to hold the field with so few men as he had? I too replied in anger (for it seemed to me that his words were meant as a home thrust): "Well, Sir, I will tell you how, since you wish it. It is said, Sir whether truly or not, I do not know that the King has not yet spent any of his own money, only the money of the clergy. Now let the King bring some of his own money into use, and let him send and raise knights in the Morea and beyond the seas; and when they hear the news that the King is giving handsome pay, then knights will flock in to him from all quarters, so that he will be able to hold the field for a year, please God. And, through his staying, those poor prisoners will be delivered, who have been captured in the service of God and himself, who will never get out again, if the King goes away. "

There was not a man present but had some of his nearest and dearest in prison, so that no one took up my words; but instead, they all began to weep.

After me, the Legate put the question to my Lord William of Beaumont, who, at that time, was Marshall of France, and he said, that I had spoken very well. " And I will tell you why . . ." he began. But the good knight, Lord John of Beaumont, who was his uncle, and had a great desire to go back to France, shouted him down very rudely; and said to him: " What do you mean? you filthy fellow! Sit down again, and hold your tongue! " The King said to him: " Sir John, you do ill; let him speak." "Sir, I shall certainly not!"

He was obliged to be silent; and after that nobody else agreed with me, except the Lord of Chatenay.

Then the King said to us: " Sirs, I have heard you attentively; and I will give you my answer this day week, as to what I think fit to do."

No sooner had we left the place than I was attacked on all sides: " Well, Sir de Joinville, the King must be mad, if he listens to you, contrary to the whole council of the kingdom of France! " As soon as the tables were laid, I seated myself beside the King at the board, in the place where he always made me sit, when his brothers were not there. Not a word did he speak to me all the time that the meal lasted; which was not his wont, for he always took some notice of me at table. And truly I thought that he was angry with me, because I had said, that he had not yet spent any of his own money, whereas he spent it generously. Whilst the King was hearing his grace, I walked up to an iron-barred window, that was in a recess by the head of the King's bed, and stood with my arms thrust through the window-bars, thinking, that if the King went away to France, I would go and join the Prince of Antioch (who

considered me a kinsman, and had sent for me) until another expedition should come out to the country, by which the prisoners might be delivered, according to the advice that the Lord of Boulaincourt had given me.

As I was standing there, the King came and leant over my shoulder and placed both his hands upon my head. And I thought that it was Lord Philip of Annemoes, who had plagued me enough that day, because of the advice I had given the King; and I said: " Leave me in peace, Lord Philip! " By mishap, as I jerked my head, the King's hand slipped down over my face, and I recognised the King by an emerald that he wore on his finger. And he said to me: " Keep still; for I wish to ask you, how you could make so bold a young man like you as to venture to advise me to stay here, in opposition to all the great men and wise men of France, who advise me to go away."

" Sir," said I, "if I had such wickedness in my own heart, nothing should induce me to advise you to commit it." " Do you mean," said he, "that I should be doing a wrong thing if I went away?"

" So help me God; yes, Sir," quoth I. And he

said: " If I stay, will you stay? " And I told him: "Yes, by some means; either at my own charge or that of someone else." " Now you may be quite easy" said he "for I am very much obliged to you for the advice you have given me. But do not tell anybody, all this week." I was the easier for this conversation, and defended myself the more boldly against my assailants. They call the natives of that country "colts "; [1] so Lord Peter of Avalon sent me word that I must defend myself against those who called me a '`colt"; and I told them: I would rather be a colt than a turn-tail hack such as they were.

The next Sunday, we all came again before the King, and when the King saw that we were all arrived, he crossed his lips, and spoke to us as follows: (having first invoked the aid of the Holy Spirit as I suppose; for my lady mother told me that whenever I had anything I wanted to say, I must invoke the aid of the Holy Ghost, and cross my lips.)

The King's speech was on this wise: "Sirs," quoth he, " I thank you very much, all those of

you who have counselled my going to France; and I likewise give thanks to those who have counselled my staying; but I have reflected, that if I stay I see no risk of my kingdom coming to grief, for my lady the Queen has plenty of people to defend it. Moreover, I have considered what the barons of this country say: that, if I go away, the kingdom of Jerusalem is lost, since no one will dare to remain behind in it. And I have considered that on no account whatever should I permit the kingdom of Jerusalem to be lost, which I came hither to preserve and to conquer. And so my decision is, that here I am, and here I stay. Therefore I bid you you rich men that are here, and all other knights who are willing to stay with me, come and speak freely to me; and I will give you so much, that the fault shall be yours, not mine, if you will not remain."

Many who heard this speech were confounded; and there were many who wept.

III.3. CHAPTER III

THE KING'S BROTHERS RETURN TO FRANCE THE KING RETAINS JOINVILLE — MESSENGERS FROM THE EMPEROR FREDERICK — ANECDOTES.

IT is said that the King ordered his brothers to return to France. I do not know whether it was by their own request, or by the King's will.

This announcement that the King made of remaining was about the feast of St. John. Now it so happened that on the feast of St. James, whose pilgrim I was, and who had shown me many favours, the King, having returned to his chamber after mass, sent for such of his council as had remained with him: to wit, Lord Peter, the Chamberlain, who was the most loyal man and the most upright that ever I saw in a king's court; that good knight and paladin my Lord Geoffrey of Sergines; and Lord Giles le Brun, both a good knight and a paladin, whom the King had made

Constable of France after the death of the paladin Lord Humbert of Beaujeu.

With these the King conversed as follows loudly, as though in anger: " Sirs, it is already a month since my staying here was made known; and as yet I have no tidings that you have retained me any knights."

" Sir," said they, " we cannot help it, for everyone sets such a high price on himself, because they want to go home, that we should not dare give them what they ask."

"And who," said the King "is the cheapest you can get? "

" Why, Sir," said they, " the Seneschal of Champagne; but we should not dare give him what he asks." I was in the King's room, and heard these words.

Then said the King: " Call the Seneschal hither." I went to him, and kneeled down before him; and he made me sit down, and spoke thus to me: " Seneschal, you know that I have loved you well; and now my people tell me that they find you a hard bargainer. How is this? " " Sir " said I " I cannot help it; for as you

know I was taken prisoner on the water; and not a single thing was left me, but I lost all that I had."

He asked me: How much I was asking.' and I said, that I was asking two thousand pounds till Easter, for the two-thirds of the year.

"Now, tell me," said he "have you come to terms with any knights? " And I said " Yes; with Lord Peter of Pontmoulain, he and two other knights-bannerets, who cost each four hundred pounds to Easter."

He reckoned it up on his fingers: " That makes " said he " twelve hundred pounds that your new knights will cost."

" Well then, consider, Sir " said I " whether I shall not want quite eight hundred pounds to mount and arm myself and to feed my knights, for you do not want us to eat in your house."

Then said he to his followers: "Really," said he "I do not see anything excessive in this; and I retain you," he said to me.

After these things, the King's brothers made ready their fleet, together with the other rich men who were in Acre. On their departure, the Count

of Poitiers borrowed jewels from those who were going to France, and bestowed them well and liberally on us who were staying behind. Much did both brothers beseech me to have a care of the King; and told me that there was no one remaining behind on whom they so much relied.

When the Count of Anjou saw that he must go aboard his ship, he made such mourning that everybody was astonished; but all the same he went off to France.

No great while after the King's brothers had left Acre, messengers from the Emperor Frederick came to the King bringing a letter of credentials, and told the King, that the Emperor had sent them for our deliverance. They showed the King letters which the Emperor was sending to the Sultan who was dead (which the Emperor did not know), and the Emperor bade him pay heed to his messengers in the matter of the King's deliverance. Many people said, that it was just as well for us that the messengers did not find us in prison; for it was thought that the Emperor had sent his messengers to hinder, rather than to help us. Finding us released, the messengers went away.

Whilst the King was at Acre, the Sultan of Damascus sent his messengers to the King, complaining greatly of the Emirs of Egypt, who had killed his cousin the Sultan, and promising the King, that, if he would help him, he would yield up to him the kingdom of Jerusalem, which was in his hands. The King decided that he would reply through his own messengers, whom he despatched to the Sultan of Damascus.

With them, there went also Brother Ives the Breton, of the Order of the Preaching Friars, who knew Arabic.

On the way from their dwelling to the Sultan's palace, Brother Ives saw an old woman crossing the street, who carried in her right hand a pannikin full of fire, and in the left a flask full of water. "What are you going to do with this?" Brother Ives asked her. She answered: That, with the fire she was going to burn up Heaven; and with the water she was going to quench Hell, that there might be no such things any more. And he asked her: " Why do you want to do that? " " Because I want no one ever to do right for the sake of the reward of Heaven, nor for fear of Hell, but simply

to win the love of God, which is worth all the rest, and in which consisteth all our good."

John the Armenian, who was the King's master of artillery, went about that time to Damascus to buy horn and glue to make cross-bows, and saw an old man far advanced in years sitting in the booths of Damascus. This old man called him and asked him: whether he were a Christian? And he told him: Yes. And he said to him: " You Christians must hate one another: for I have seen the time when King Baldwin of Jerusalem, who was a leper, routed Saladin, though he had but three hundred men-at-arms, and Saladin three millions; and now your sins have brought you to such a pass, that we capture you in the open like beasts." Thereupon John the Armenian told him, that he might hold his peace about the sins of the Christians, seeing the sins the Saracens commit which are much greater. And the Saracen replied: That was a foolish answer. " Why? " asked John. He said he would tell him; but that first he would ask him a question. And he asked him, whether he had not a child? "Yes," replied John, "a son." "And would you," asked

he, "be more angry with me, or with your son, if either of us were to strike you? " He answered: With his son. "Then," said the Saracen, " thus do I answer you. You Christians are sons of God, called after His name, Christ; and to you He has shown grace in giving you teachers, whereby you may know good from evil; wherefore God is more wroth with you for a little sin, than with us for a big, who know no better, and are blinded. For we deem ourself free of all sin, if we may but wash in water before we die; since Mahomet hath said: in death, by water shall we be saved."

John the Armenian was in my company, after I returned from over-seas and was on my way to Paris; and as we were at meat in the pavilion, a swarm of poor people kept begging in God's name and made a great disturbance. One of our followers who was there ordered one of the valets to " Up and drive out those beggars!" "Ah! " said John the Armenian, " that is ill spoken; for if the King of France were to send to each of us presently by his messengers a hundred marks of silver, we should not drive them out. Yet you are for driving away those envoys who offer all that you can ask;

for they ask in God's name, meaning that you should give of your wealth, and they will give you God. The saints too say, that, as water quenches fire, so alms quench sin."

NOTE TO CHAPTER III

About this period, the regular "King's wages" for a knight on crusade were eight shillings a day with his board, or ten without. He was expected to bring at least two attendants with him. A banneret got higher pay_ about three hundred pounds a year, and was expected to bring at least five attendants.

The pious anecdotes in this chapter have been shortened in the translation.

III.4. CHAPTER IV

HOW THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN SENT AN INSOLENT MESSAGE TO THE KING — OF THE VISIT THAT BROTHER IVES PAID HIM — THE KING NEGOTIATES WITH THE SULTAN OF DAMASCUS AND THE EMIRS OF EGYPT — HOW THE LADY OF SAJETTA BURIED THE BONES OF COUNT WALTER OF BRIENNE — THE KING FORTIFIES CESAREA.

WHILST the King was dwelling in Acre, there came to him messengers from the Old Man of the Mountain. When the King returned from mass, he made them come before him. The King made them be seated in the following order. In front was an Emir, well dressed and well equipped; and behind his Emir was a youth well equipped, grasping three knives in his hand; so that if the Emir had been rejected, he might have offered these three knives to the King, in token of defiance. Behind him who held the three knives, there was another that carried a sheet wound around his arm, which he too would have presented to the King for a

shroud to wrap him in, had he refused the request of the Old Man of the Mountain.

The King bade the Emir say his pleasure; and the Emir delivered to him letters of credentials, and spoke as follows: " My lord sends to ask you, whether you know him? " The King replied: that he did not know him, for he had never seen him; although he had heard talk of him. " Then since you have heard of my lord, I marvel greatly, that out of your possessions you have not sent him such gifts as would have secured him for your friend; even as the Emperor of Germany, the King of Hungary, the Sultan of Egypt, and the rest do every year; because they know for certain, that they can only live as long as it shall please my lord. And if you do not choose to do this, then let him receive quittance of the tribute that he owes to the Hospital and the Temple, and he will consider your score cancelled."

At that time he used to pay tribute to the Temple and the Hospital; for they feared the Assassins not at all, seeing that the Old Man of the Mountain had nothing to gain by having the Master of the Temple or Hospital put to death; for he

knew very well, that if he had one of them killed, he was immediately replaced by another just as good; and for that reason he did not want to waste his Assassins in a quarter where he had nothing to gain by it.

The King in reply told the Emir to come to the afternoon levee.

When the Emir came again, he found the King seated thus: the Master of the Hospital on one side, and the Master of the Temple on the other. Then the King bade him repeat what he had said to him in the morning; and he replied that he had no mind to repeat it, save before those who had been with the King in the morning.

Then the two Masters said to him: " We command you to speak it." And he said, that, since they commanded him, he would repeat it to them.

Then the two Masters caused him to be told in Arabic, that he was to come and speak with them the next day at the Hospital; which he did.

Then the two Masters said to him (through the interpreters) that his lord was a very bold man, to dare to send such harsh language to the King; and they told him that were it not for love of the

unbelievers; and similarly all Mahomet's disciples call all the disciples of Ali unbelievers.

One of the points of the law of Ali, is that when a man dies in executing his lord's commands, his soul passes into a happier body than she was in before; and for this reason the Assassins make no difficulty about losing their lives when their lord commands them, because they believe that they will be happier by far after death, than they were before.

The other point is this; that they think that no man can die, save on the appointed day; which is a thing no one ought to believe, for God has power to prolong our lives and to shorten them. And this the Bedouins believe, and this is why they will not wear armour when they go into battle.

Brother Ives found a book at the head of the Old Man's bed, in which were written several sayings of Our Lord to St. Peter, when he walked on earth. And Brother Ives said to him, "Ha! for God's sake, Sir, read this book often; for these are passing good sayings." The Old Man told him that he often did so: " For I hold my lord St. Peter very dear; for in the beginning of the world, the soul of Abel, when he was

slain, passed, into the body of Noah; and when Noah died, it returned in the body of Abraham; and from the body of Abraham when he died, it passed into the body of Saint Peter, when God came upon earth."

When Brother Ives heard this, he showed him that his belief was not a right one, and taught him many good sayings; but the Old Man would not heed him. All these things Brother Ives told to the King, after he returned to us.

When the Old Man went riding, a crier went before him, carrying a Danish axe with a long handle all covered with silver, and stuck full of knives, who kept crying out: " Make way before him who bears the death of kings in his hands! "

I had forgotten to tell you the answer that the King made to the Sultan of Damascus; which was: that he was not minded to join him, until he should know whether the Emirs of Egypt would carry out the truce they had broken; that he would send to them; and that, if they would not make good the broken truce, he would willingly help him to avenge his cousin, the Sultan of Egypt, whom they had slain.

Whilst the King was at Acre, he sent my lord John of Valenciennes into Egypt, who demanded of the Emirs that they should make amends for the wrongs and injuries that they had done the King. They told him, that they would readily do so, provided the King would ally himself with them against the Sultan of Damascus. My lord John of Valenciennes blamed them much for the great wrongs they had done the King, which have been already mentioned; and advised them to soften the King's heart towards them, by sending him all the knights whom they were keeping in prison. They did so; and sent him into the bargain all the bones of Count Walter of Brienne, to lay in consecrated ground.

When Lord John of Valenciennes returned to Acre, with two hundred knights whom he brought back out of prison, (not counting other folk), my Lady of Sajetta, who was cousin to Count Walter of Brienne and sister to Lord Walter the Lord of Rinel, whose daughter John lord of Joinville took to wife later on, after he returned from over-seas, this same Lady of Sajetta took the bones of Count Walter and had them buried in the Hospital at

Acre. And she arranged the service thus: every knight offered a candle and a silver penny, and the King offered a candle and a besant; all at the expense of my Lady of Sajetta. People were much surprised at the King's doing this, for he had never been known to offer anything save at his own expense, but he did it out of politeness.

Amongst the knights whom Lord John of Valenciennes brought back, I found full forty of the Court of Champagne.

I had coats and surcoats of miniver made for them, and led them before the King, and begged him to enable them to remain with him. The King heard what they were asking, and was silent; and a knight of his council, said that I did not do well to bring such additions to the King, when he had already seven thousand liveries too many. And I said to him: that, more was the pity he could say so, and that, for our part, we of Champagne had lost no less than thirty-five knights, all bannerets, of the Court of Champagne; and, said I, "The King will not do well, if he listens to you, when he is in such need of knights." After this speech I fell to weeping violently; and the King told me.

to be silent and he would give them all that I had asked. The King received them just as I wished, and placed them in my battalion.

The King replied to the messengers from Egypt, that he would make no truce with them, unless they sent him all the heads of Christians that hung round the walls of Cairo, since the time when the Count of Bar and the Count of Montfort were taken; and unless they sent him all the children who had been taken young and become renegades; and unless they quitted him of the two hundred thousand pounds that he still owed them.

With the messengers of the Egyptian Emirs, the King sent my Lord John of Valenciennes, a valiant man and wise.

At the beginning of Lent, the King made ready, with all the followers he had, to go and fortify Cesarea, which the Saracens had rased and which was ten leagues distant on the road to Jerusalem.

Lord Ralph of Soissons, who had remained at Acre sick, went with the King to fortify Cesarea. I know not how it was, save by the will of God that they did us no mischief all that year.

III.5.1. CHAPTER V

A DIGRESSION, TELLING THE STORY OF COUNT WALTER OF BRIENNE.

THE Count of Brienne's way of life is worthy of record. For several years he was Count of Jaffa, and by his vigour defended that fortress for a long time, and lived chiefly on what he won from the Saracens and other enemies of the faith. Once it happened that he discomfited a great number of Saracens, who were convoying a great quantity of cloth of gold and of silk, all of which fell into his hands; and when he had got it, he divided it all among his knights at Jaffa, so that nothing whatever was left over for himself.

It was his custom, when he had taken leave of his knights, to shut himself up in his chapel, and remain a long while in prayer, before going to bed

at night with his wife; who was a very good lady and a wise, and sister to the King of Cyprus.

The Emperor of Persia, whose name was Barbacan, who had been driven out by one of the Tartar princes, came with his army into the kingdom of Jerusalem, and took the castle of Tiberias, which Lord Eudes of Montbeliart the Constable had fortified, who was Lord of Tiberias by right of his wife. Very great harm he did to our people; for he destroyed everything that he came across, except Castle Pilgrim, and Acre, and Sefed,—and except Jaffa. And when he had done all this mischief, he drew off to Gaza to meet the Sultan of Egypt, who was coming there to oppress and harass our people. The barons of the country and the Patriarch decided to march against him, before the Sultan of Egypt should arrive. And to help them, they sent for the Sultan of Emessa, one of the best knights in all pagandom, to whom they showed such honour in Acre, that they spread cloth of gold and silk along the way by which he was to pass. They came on as far as Jaffa, our people and the Sultan with them.

The Patriarch kept Count Walter under sentence of excommunication because he would not

give up to him a tower that he had in Jaffa, which they called "the Patriarch's Tower." Our people besought Count Walter to go with them to fight the Emperor of Persia; and he said that he would do so gladly, but that the Patriarch must absolve him until their return. The Patriarch would do nothing of the sort; however Count Walter got ready and went out with them. Our people formed themselves into three divisions, of which Count Walter had one, the Sultan of Emessa another, and the Patriarch and those belonging to the country another. In the Count of Brienne's division were the Hospitallers.

They rode on until the enemy came in sight, As soon as our people saw them, they halted, and the enemy formed up also in three divisions. Whilst the Kharismins were marshalling their ranks, Count Walter came to our people and cried to them, "Sirs, in God's name, let us charge them! we are giving them time by halting here!" But not one could he get to listen to him. Thereupon Count Walter came to the Patriarch and asked for absolution in the manner aforesaid, but the Patriarch would not yield a jot. With the Count of Brienne there was

a gallant clerk that was Bishop of Ramah, who had performed many fair and knightly deeds in the Count's company. And he said to the Count: `'Vex not your conscience if the Patriarch will not absolve you; for he is wrong, and you are right, and I absolve you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Let us charge them!"

Then they clapped spurs to their horses and engaged with the division of the Persian Emperor, which was the furthest away.

In this fight, enormous numbers were slain on both sides, and there Count Walter was taken prisoner; for all our people fled away so basely, that some of them in despair drowned themselves in the sea.

What made them so despairing, was, that one of the Emperor of Persia's divisions engaged with the Sultan of Emessa, and he stood his ground so resolutely that, of two thousand Turks, whom he led thither, only fourteen score were left when he quitted the field.

The Emperor and his advisers decided to go and besiege the Sultan in the castle of Emessa, for they supposed that he could scarcely hold out long,

seeing the number of followers that he had lost. Perceiving this, the Sultan went to his followers, and told them, that he should go out and fight them, for, if he stayed to be besieged, he would be undone. He laid his plans in this wise. All those of his followers who were ill armed he sent into a valley where there was some little cover, and directly they heard the Sultan's drums beat, they broke into the Sultan's camp from the rear, and fell to killing the women and children. The Emperor, who had marched out into the open to fight the Sultan in front of him, directly he heard the cries of his people, turned back into the camp to succour their wives and children; and then the Sultan charged them, he and his men; and the result was so excellent, that of twenty-five thousand that they were to begin with, not a man nor woman was left.

Before the Emperor of Persia went against Emessa, he led Count Walter in front of Jaffa, and they hanged him by the arms to a gibbet and told him they would not take him down, until they should be in possession of the castle of Jaffa. Whilst he was hanging by the arms, he shouted to

those in the castle, that, whatever was done to him, they were not to surrender the town; and that, if they did surrender it, he would kill them with his own hands.

Thereupon the Emperor sent Count Walter to Cairo, as a present to the Sultan, together with the Master of the Hospital, and several prisoners whom he had taken. Those who escorted the Count to Cairo were about three hundred, and were not slain when the Emperor perished before Emessa. And these [three hundred] Khorasmins engaged us on the Friday when they came and attacked us on foot. Their banners were vermilion, and forked right up to the lance, and on the ends of the lances they had carved horse-heads, which looked like the heads of devils.

Some of the merchants of Cairo pursued the Sultan with clamours for justice on Count Walter, in return for all the mischief he had done them; so the Sultan made him over to them that they might wreak their vengeance on him. And they went and slew him in prison and put him to a martyr's death; wherefore we may well believe that he is in heaven and numbered among the martyrs.

III.6. CHAPTER VI

THE ACCOUNT WHICH THE MESSENGERS GAVE OF THE TARTAR PEOPLE.

WHILST the King was fortifying Cesarea, the messengers from the Tartars returned; and we will tell you what news they brought. I told you before, how whilst the King was tarrying in Cyprus, there came to him messengers from the Tartars, and gave him to understand, that they would help him to conquer the kingdom of Jerusalem from the Saracens. The King sent them in return messengers of his own, and by these messengers he sent them a chapel, which he had caused to be made for them of scarlet cloth; and to lure them to our faith, he caused to be figured in the chapel all our creed, the Annunciation of the Angel, the Nativity, the Baptism wherewith God was baptised, and all the Passion, and Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Ghost; together with chalices, books,

and all that is needful for singing mass; and two preaching friars to sing masses before them.

The King's messengers put in at the port of Antioch, and from Antioch to the great Tartar King they found it a full year's journey, riding ten leagues each day. They found all the land subject to the Tartars, and many cities which they had destroyed, and great piles of dead men's bones. They inquired, how they had arrived at such a height of power, whereby so many men were dead and overthrown; and the manner of it was as they related to the King.

The Tartars, they said, had their origin in a great sandy plain, where nothing good grew. This plain began at certain marvellous great rocks, that lie at the end of the world towards the East; which rocks no man has ever crossed, as the Tartars testify; and they said that it was there that the race of Gog and Magog were confined, who are to come at the end of the world, when Antichrist shall come to destroy it.

In this plain dwelt the race of the Tartars, and were subject to Prester John, and to the Emperor of the Persians, whose land adjoined his, and to

several other infidel kings to whom they paid tribute and service each year for the pasturage of their flocks; for they lived by these alone.

This Prester John, and the Emperor of Persia, and the other kings held the Tartars in such contempt, that when they brought them their rents, they would not admit them to their faces, but used to turn their backs on them.

Amongst them was a certain wise man, who travelled all through the plains, and talked to the wise men of the plains and the camps, and showed them in what slavery they were living, and begged them all to take counsel together, how they might escape from the bondage in which they were held. Finally he persuaded them to meet together one and all, at the end of the plain, close to Prester John's land, and explained the matter to them; and they replied that, if he would plan, they would act. Then he told them, that they would be unable to carry out any enterprise, unless they had a king and lord over them. And he taught them in what wise they must get them a king, and they obeyed him. And it was in this wise: There were fifty-two tribes and each tribe was to bring him an

arrow inscribed with their names; and by the consent of the whole people, it was agreed that these fifty-two arrows should be laid before a child of five years old, and the one which the child should pick up first, out of that tribe they should take a king.

When the child had lifted one of the arrows, the wise man made all the other tribes withdraw, and it was so arranged, that the tribe from whom a king was to be chosen, should choose from amongst themselves fifty-two of the wisest and best men they had.

When they were chosen, each of them brought to the place an arrow marked with his name, and it was agreed that he whose arrow the child should pick up, the same should be king. And as chance had it, the child picked up the arrow of that very same wise man who had taught them. The people were so delighted, that everyone rejoiced exceedingly.

He made them be silent, and said to them: "Sirs, if you wish me to be your king, you must swear to me by Him who made heaven and earth that you will keep my commandments." And they swore it.

The ordinances he gave them were designed to keep the people at peace; and were on this wise: that no man should steal his neighbour's goods, neither should any man strike another, unless he wished to lose his hand; neither should any man consort with his neighbour's wife nor daughter, unless he would lose his hand or his life. Many other good ordinances he gave them with a view to peace.

After he had ordered and marshalled them, he said to them: "Sirs, the most powerful enemy that we have, is Prester John; and I command you that to-morrow you be all prepared and ready to attack him, and if so be that he defeat us, which God forfend, let each one shift for himself. And if we defeat him, my orders are, that the slaughter continue for three days and three nights; and let no man be so bold as to lay his hand on any booty, neither withhold it from slaying. For when we shall have secured the victory, I will divide the spoil amongst you so well and fairly, that every man shall be well content." To this they all agreed.

The next day, they attacked their enemies, and by God's will, defeated them. All those whom they found armed for defence, they slew, every one, and

those whom they found in a religious dress, priests and other orders, these they did not slay.

The rest of the people in Prester John's land, who were not in the fight, all made submission to them.

One of the princes of one of these tribes was lost for three months, during which time they had no tidings of him, and when he returned, he was neither hungry nor thirsty, and fancied that he had only been absent an evening at most. This story that he brought back was as follows: that he had come to a very high hill, and on the top had met with the most beautiful people that he had ever seen, the best clad, the best adorned. On the summit of the hill, he saw a King sitting, fairer than all the rest, better clad and better adorned upon a throne of gold. On his right sat six crowned kings, richly adorned with precious stones: and as many more on his left.

Close behind him at his right hand there knelt a Queen, who was telling and imploring him to consider his people. To his left was a very handsome man who had two wings that shone like the sun, and all about the King was a throng of beautiful

folk with wings. The King called this Prince and said to him: "Thou art come from the Tartar camp." And he replied, "Sir, that is so." "Thou shalt go hence to them, and shalt tell them that thou hast seen me, who am Lord of heaven and earth; and shalt bid them give thanks to me for the victory that I gave them over Prester John and his people. Tell them, moreover, from me, that I give them power to put all the earth in subjection under them."

" Sir," said the Prince "how shall they believe me? " "Thou shalt bid them believe thee by this token; that thou shalt give battle to the Emperor of Persia, who shall fight against thee with three hundred thousand men-at-arms and more. Before thou go to fight with him, thou shalt desire of thy King to give thee the priests and men of religion, whom he took in the battle; and that which these shall testify to thee, do thou firmly believe, thou and thy people." "Sir," said he, " I cannot find my way, unless thou give me a guide." Then the King turned to a great host of knights, so well armed that they were a wonder to behold, and he called, and said, "Come hither, George," and the one he called came and knelt down. And the

King said to him, "Arise, and guide me this man to his dwelling in safety. " And he did so in a twinkling.

So soon as his people saw him, they made great rejoicings, and all the army likewise, past telling. He asked the great King for the priests, and he gave them to him; and this Prince and all his people received their teachings with such a good grace that they were all baptized. After these things, he picked three hundred men-at-arms, and had them confessed and equipped, and went forth to fight the Emperor of Persia, and overthrew him and drove him from his kingdom; and he came fleeing as far as the kingdom of Jerusalem; and this was the Emperor who overthrew our people and took prisoner Count Walter of Brienne.

The people of this Christian Prince were so numerous, that the King's messengers told us, that they had in their camp eight hundred tented waggons. Their food was as follows: they ate no bread, but lived on meat and milk. Horseflesh is their best meat, and they put it to steep in sauces and then to dry, until it can be cut like black bread. The best and strongest drink they

have is mare's milk fermented with herbs. The great King of the Tartars received the present of a horse laden with flour that had come from a distance of three months' journey, and he gave it to the King's messengers.

There are many Christian peoples among them, who profess the Greek faith, both those of whom we have spoken and others. These they send against the Saracens when they wish to make war on them; and when they have to do with Christians, they send Saracens against them. Women of all sorts that are childless go into battle with them; and they give soldier's pay to the women too, just the same as to the men, according to their strength. Moreover the King's messengers said that the soldiers, male and female, used to eat together in the houses of the rich men to whom they belonged; and the men durst not meddle in any way with the women, because of the law that their first King gave them. They brought all sorts of meats into the camp. They eat everything. Those women that have children, carry them from place to place, tend them, and prepare the food for them that go to battle. The raw meat they put between their

saddles and their horse cloths, and when the blood is well out of it, they eat it quite raw. What they cannot eat, they throw into a leathern bag; and when they are hungry, they just open the bag, and eat the stalest first. Thus, I saw a Khorasmin, one of the Persian Emperor's followers, who used to keep guard over us in prison, and whenever he opened his bag, we used to hold our noses, for we could not endure the stench that came out of the bag.

Now let us return to our subject and tell, how, when the great King of the Tartars had received the messengers and the gifts, he sent to fetch several kings, under safe-conduct, who had not yet come to his mercy; and had the chapel pitched for them to see, and said to them as follows: " Sirs, the King of France has submitted himself to us, and behold! here is the tribute that he sends us, and unless you come to our mercy, we will send for him to destroy you." Many there were, who, for fear of the King of France, came to that King's mercy.

They gave the King's messengers letters from their great King to the King of France, which ran as follows: " A good thing is Peace; for in a land

of peace, those that go on four feet, eat the grass of the field in peace; and they that go on two, till the earth whence all good things in peace proceed. This is for a warning unto thee, for thou canst not obtain peace save from us, and King such-an-one and such-an-one (naming many), all of them have we put to the sword. Therefore we bid thee send us so much of thy gold and of thy silver each year, that thou mayst keep our friendship. And if thou cost not, then will we destroy thee and thy people, even as we have done to those whom we have named."

And know that the King was very sorry that he had ever sent to them.

III.7. CHAPTER VII

ANECDOTES OF THE CAMP AT CESAREA.

Now let us return to our subject, and tell, how, whilst the King was fortifying Cesarea, there came to the camp Lord Alenard of Semingham, who told us that he had built his ship in the realm of Norway, which lies at the end of the world towards the West; and in coming to join the King, he went all round Spain, and was obliged to pass through the Straits of Morocco. He passed through great perils before he reached us. The King retained him, with nine other knights besides. And he told us, that in Norway the summer nights are so short, that there is no night when one does not see both the brightness of the departing and of the dawning day.

He and his followers took to hunting lions, and attacked several in a most dangerous fashion; for they rode full gallop and shot at the lion as they

went by; and when they had shot, the lion came after them, and would have caught them up and devoured them, but in the nick of time they let fall a piece of old cloth; and the lion would check at the cloth and rend it and devour it, thinking that he had got hold of a man. And whilst he was tearing the cloth, another would turn back and shoot at him; and the lion would drop the cloth and rush at him; and as soon as he let fall another piece of cloth, the lion would turn his attention again to the rag, and so it went on until the lions perished by their arrows.

Whilst the King was fortifying Cesarea he was joined by Lord Narjot of Toucy. The King used to say that he was his cousin, for he was descended from one of the sisters of King Philip, whom the Emperor himself had to wife. The King retained him with nine other knights for a year; and then he departed, and went away back to Constantinople, whence he had come. He told the King, that the Emperor of Constantinople with the other rich men in that city, were leagued at that time with a race called Comninians, that they might have their help against Vataces, who at that time was Emperor of

the Greeks. And in order that the alliance might be faithfully observed, the Emperor and the rich men with him had to bleed themselves and put some of their blood into a great silver goblet. And the King of the Comninians and the rich men with him did the same, and mingled their blood with the blood of our people, and tempered it with wine and water, and drank of it, and our people likewise, and then they said that they were " blood-brothers."

Further, they drove a dog between our people and theirs, and they, and our people too, hacked the dog in pieces with their swords; and said, so might they be cut in pieces if they failed one another.

Further, he related to us a most wonderful thing that took place whilst he was in the camp of the Comninians how a rich knight had died, and they had dug a deep, wide grave for him in the ground, and had seated him with great pomp and richly dressed in a chair, and put in with him the best horse that he had, and the best serjeant all alive. Before the serjeant was placed in the grave with his lord, he came before the King of the Comninians and the other rich lords, and as he took leave of them, they placed in his sash a great quantity of

gold and silver, and said each to him: "When I come into the other world thou shalt give back to me that which I now deposit with thee! " And he said: " That will I readily do." The great King of the Comninians entrusted to him some letters addressed to their first King, telling him that he had lived like a good and gallant man, and bidding him reward him for his services. When this was done, they placed him alive in the grave with his master and the living horse, and then they threw across the grave planks firmly secured, and all the host came running with earth and stones. And before they slept, they had raised above the grave a great mound, in memory of those whom they had buried there.

Whilst the King was fortifying Cesarea, I went to his lodging to visit him. Directly he saw me enter his chamber, where he was talking to the Legate, he rose and drew me aside, and, " You know," said the King to me, I' that I have only retained you until Easter; now I beg you to tell me what I must give you for a year from Easter." And I told him: that I did not want him to give me any more of his money; but that I would like to

make another bargain with him. "Because," I said, "you always get angry when anyone asks you for anything; therefore I want you to make a compact with me, that if I ask you for anything in the course of this year, you will not be angry; and that if you refuse me, I will not be angry." When he heard this, he burst out laughing heartily, and told me that he retained me on that understanding. And he accepted me on those terms and led me up to the Legate and the Council, and related the bargain that we had made; and they were very glad, because I was the richest man in the army.

And here I will tell you, how I ordered and managed my affairs during the four years that I spent abroad, after the King's brothers went away. I had two chaplains with me, who said my hours before me; one of them sang me my mass at daybreak, and the other waited until my knights and the knights of my troop were risen. When I had heard my mass I went off to the King. When the King wished to go riding I accompanied him. Sometimes it would happen that messengers would arrive for him, so that we had to transact business all the morning.

My bed was so arranged in my tent, that no one could enter without seeing me lying in it; and this I did to avoid all scandal about women. When the feast of St. Rémy [Oct. 1] drew near, I had my pig-yard stocked with porkers, and my sheep-run with wethers, and bought in a supply of flour and wine, to serve the household through the winter; this I did, because the price of goods went up in winter, because of the sea which is more treacherous in winter than in summer. I used to buy about a hundred casks of wine, and always had the best drunk first; and the servants' wine I always had mixed with water, and less water with the wine for the squires. At my own table they used to serve up to my knights a large jug of wine and a large jug of water, and they mixed them as they chose.

The King had given me fifty knights in my troop. At every meal, I used to have ten knights at my table with my own ten; and they used to eat opposite one another, according to the custom of the country, sitting on mats on the ground. Every time that they cried "to arms" I used to send fifty-four knights, who were called "decant" because they each headed ten men whenever we rode out

under arms. The whole fifty knights used to eat in my house on their return. At all the yearly festivals, I used to invite all the rich men in the camp, so that the King had several times to borrow some of my guests.

And now you shall hear the punishments and sentences that I saw awarded in Cesarea, whilst the King was staying there. First of all, I will tell you of a knight who was caught in a house of ill fame. He was offered according to the custom of the country an alternative: either to be led by a rope through the camp, stripped to his shirt; or to forfeit his horse and armour, and be turned out of the army. He left his horse and armour to the King, and quitted the camp; and I went and begged the King to grant me the horse for a poor gentleman that was in the army. The King replied that it was an unreasonable request, for that the horse was still worth from eighty to a hundred pounds, which was no small sum. Said I: " See how you have broken our bargain, by being angry at what I asked you!" And he said to me, laughing: "Say whatever you please, I will not be angry." But, all the same, I did not get the horse for the poor gentleman.

The second sentence was as follows: The knights of our troop were hunting a wild animal, called a gazelle (which is just like a roebuck). The Brethren of the Hospital dashed in amongst them, and hustled and drove away our knights. I complained to the Master of the Hospital; and he said he would do me justice according to the custom of the Holy Land; which was this; that he would make the brothers who had insulted us, eat on the ground, with only their cloaks under them, until those whom they had insulted should raise them up. The Master kept his word by them. And when we saw that they had been eating in this manner for a good while, I went to the Master, and found him sitting at table, with the brothers eating on their cloaks in front of him; and I begged him to allow them to be properly seated. The knights also to whom the insult had been shown, entreated him. He replied, that he would do nothing of the sort, for that he would not have the brethren ill-use those who came on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Thereupon I sat down with the brothers, and began to eat with them, telling him I would rise when they rose. And he told me, that I left him no choice,

and granted my request; and he made me and the knights with me sit at meat with him, and the brothers went and ate with the rest at a raised table.

The third judgment that I saw delivered at Cesarea was as follows: One of the King's serjeants, called "the Glutton," laid hands on a knight of my troop. I went and complained to the King. The King told me: That it seemed to him I might let the matter rest, for he had done no more than give him a push.-And I told him, that I would never let it rest, and that if he would not see justice done me, I should quit his service, since his serjeants were to be allowed to strike knights. I got justice from him, and the punishment was according to the custom of the country: namely, the serjeant came to my quarters, barefoot and in his breeches, nothing more, with a naked sword in his hand, and kneeled down before the knight, and said to him: " Sir, I come to make amends for laying my hand on you; and I bring you this sword, that you may cut off my hand, if so please you." I begged the knight to lay aside his grudge, and forgive him; which he did.

The fourth punishment was as follows: Brother Hugh of Joy, who was Marshall of the Temple, was sent to the Sultan of Damascus from the Master of the Temple, to come to some agreement with the Sultan about a large piece of land which the Templars used to hold, and which the Sultan wanted to share with them. The agreement was concluded on the condition, that the King approved, and Brother Hugh brought an Emir to represent the Sultan of Damascus, and brought the contract in a document called a Power of Attorney. The Master told the King all about it; whereupon the King fell into a great passion, and told him, that he was very presumptuous to have had any dealings or negotiations with the Sultan, without telling him. And the King insisted that he should do penance to him. And the penance was this: the King had the skirts of three of his pavilions removed; and all the rank and file of the camp that chose to come, assembled there; and thither came the Master of the Temple with all his convent, all barefooted through the camp, for their quarters were outside the camp. The King made the Master of the Temple and the Sultan's messenger

sit down in front of him; and the King said in a loud voice to the Master: "Master, you will tell the Sultan's messenger, that you repent having made any treaty with him, without telling me; and that because you had not consulted me, you acquit him of his part of the bargain, and return him all his contracts." The Master took the contracts and handed them to the Emir. And then the King told the Master to stand up and make all his brethren stand up; and, when he had done so: "Now kneel down" said the King "and make me amends for having opposed my will." The Master knelt down, and held out the end of his cloak to the King, and offered to the King whatever was his due by way of amends, whatever he might please to dictate. " I order," said the King, " first of all, that Brother Hugh, who made the contract, be banished out of all the kingdom of Jerusalem." Neither the Master, nor the fact that Brother Hugh was gossip to the King through the Count of Alençon (that was born at Castle Pilgrim) nor even the Queen nor anyone, could avail him, but he must quit the Holy Land and the kingdom of Jerusalem.

NOTE TO CHAPTER VII

The King had already, while in Cyprus, fallen foul of the Master of the Temple for venturing to listen to overtures of peace from the Sultan of Egypt.

Joinville's remarks are needed to show that the King had a temper behind his meek exterior; for the priestly chroniclers harp upon his patience. It seems plain that the discipline of his household suffered from his piety. He " ate patiently whatever the cooks sent up "; and after his captivity, when he reaches his own ship after terrible trials and half dead with sickness, it is to find that his people have " got no bed ready for him," and no wardrobe. His wife's confessor, besides some revolting particulars of his insistence on kissing lepers and eating off beggars' plates, tells how, returning from a morning's work hearing "cases," of all the sixteen chamberlains whose duty it is to wait on him, not one was to be found anywhere. Even they seem to have been somewhat surprised at the mildness of his rebuke. The same day they send him off to Vincennes without his dinner-coat, the chamberlain whose business it was to pack having locked it up in the wrong box and kept the key. Another day one of them, flushed from supper, insults him as he sits talking to some knights over the fire, with a freedom to which even old family servants rarely attained. Nangis speaks of the open contempt of his nobles after the Egyptian disaster; Matthew Paris talks of his wonted submissiveness,

and gives (Thucydidean wise) the meek speech with which he replied to William Longsword's complaints against Robert of Artois and to the latter's insolence, after which William Longsword left the camp, remarking: " I will no longer serve a King who is no King."

III.8. CHAPTER VIII

THE KING GOES TO JAFFA — THE PRINCE OF ANTIOCH VISITS THE CAMP — THE SULTAN OF DAMASCUS AND SARACENS OF EGYPT LEAGUE TOGETHER AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS — SKIRMISHES AND OTHER ANECDOTES,

WHILST the King was fortifying the city of Cesarea, the messengers from Egypt returned to him, and brought him the truce, drawn up on the King's terms as aforesaid. And according to the agreement between the King and them, the King was to proceed on an appointed day to Jaffa; and on the day that the King was due at Jaffa, the Egyptian Emirs were bound by oath to be at Gaza, to deliver to him the kingdom of Jerusalem. The truce, just as the messengers had brought it, was sworn to by the King and rich men of the army, and by our oaths we were to help them against the Sultan of Damascus.

When the Sultan of Damascus knew that we had made an alliance with the Egyptians, he sent about

three thousand Turks, well equipped, to Gaza, whither the Egyptians were to come; for he knew very well that if they succeeded in joining us, he might get the worst of it. All the same, the King did not desist from setting out for Jaffa. When the Count of Jaffa saw that the King was coming, he dressed up his castle in such a way that it had all the look of a defensible town. For on each battlement, of which there must have been quite five hundred, he put a target with his arms and a pennon; which made a very fine show, for his arms were " or " with a " cross gules patee."

We camped all about the castle in the fields, and surrounded the castle, which lies on the coast, from sea to sea. Presently the King started fortifying a new suburb, all round the castle, from sea to sea; I saw the King himself, many a time, carry the hod to the trenches, to gain the pardon.

The Egyptian Emirs failed us with regard to the promised agreement; for they dared not come to Gaza, because of the Sultan of Damascus' men that were there. However they kept their word, so far as to send the King all the heads of Christians that they had hung round the walls of Cairo Castle,

since the time when the Counts of Bar and Montfort were taken; which heads the King caused to be laid in consecrated soil. They also sent him those children who had been taken when the King was taken; which went much against the grain, for they had become Mohammedans. And along with these things they sent the King an elephant, which the King sent into France.

Whilst we were awaiting the day which the King had appointed for the Egyptian Emirs, the Count of Eu, who had been knighted, came to the camp, and brought with him the good knight Lord Ernulf of Guimenée and his two brothers, ten in all. He stayed on in the King's service, and the King knighted him.

About this time the Prince of Antioch came to the camp again, with the Princess, his mother. The King treated him with great distinction, and knighted him with all honours. In years he was not more that sixteen, but such a sensible child I never saw. He asked the King to hear what he had to say, in his mother's presence, and the King consented. This was what he said to the King, his mother being present: "Sir, it is quite true that

my mother will have me in her ward for another four years; but that is no reason why she should let my land go to rack and ruin. I say this, Sir, because the city of Antioch is going to ruin in her hands. I beseech you, Sir, ask her to give me some money, so that I may go to the relief of my people there and assist them. Truly, Sir, she ought to do so; for if I live in the city of Tripolis with her, it can only be at great expense, and what I spend there will be all to no purpose."

The King willingly listened to him, and did all in his power to persuade his mother to give him some money as much as the King could drag from her.

Directly he left the King, he went to Antioch. With the Prince there came three musicians from Greater Armenia, brothers; who were on their way to Jerusalem on pilgrimage; and they had three horns, that curved round in front of their faces. When they began to play on their horns, you would have thought it the voice of swans leaving their pool, and they played the sweetest airs and so exquisite that it was a marvel to hear them. They did three wonderful tumbling-feats: for one could put a cloth under their feet, and they would turn

a somersault standing, so that they came up again with their feet on the cloth. Two of them used to turn head backwards, and the eldest used to do so too; but if one made him turn head foremost, he used to cross himself, for he was afraid that he would break his neck in going over.

Whilst we were staying at Jaffa an Emir belonging to the Sultan of Damascus' party came to cut corn at a village three good leagues from the camp. It was agreed that we should attack him. When he heard us coming, he fled. A young valet of gentle birth set off in pursuit of them as they were fleeing, and bore down two of their knights to earth, without breaking his lance, and he wounded the Emir so that the spear snapped off in his body.

Whilst the King was encamped by Jaffa, the Master of St. Lazar had got wind at Ramah, three good leagues from the camp, of some cattle and other things, where he thought he might make a fine haul. He kept no discipline in the camp, but did just as he liked, so he went off to the place without telling the King. When he had collected his booty, the Saracens fell upon him, and routed him so utterly, that of all the men whom he had in

his troop with him, only four escaped. Directly he entered the camp, he began to call to arms. I went to arm myself, and begged the King to allow me to go to the place, and he gave me leave, and ordered me to take with me the Temple and the Hospital. When we reached the place, we found that some other fresh Saracens had come down into the valley where the Master of St. Lazar had suffered his disaster. While these new Saracens were examining the dead bodies, the Master of the King's cross-bowmen attacked them, and before we could come up, our people had routed them, and slain several.

A serjeant of the King's, and a serjeant of the Saracens bore one another to earth with their lances. One of the King's serjeants, seeing this, took the two horses, and led them off, meaning to steal them; and, to avoid being seen, he went in between the walls of the town of Ramah. As he was leading them along, an old cistern over which he passed gave way beneath him, and the three horses and he himself went to the bottom. I was told of it, and went to see, and found the cistern still crumbling in beneath them, so that in a very little while they would have been completely covered over.

So we came back without any losses, except what the Master of St. Lazar had lost there.

The Sultan of Damascus took his men that were at Gaza, and entered Egypt. The Emirs came out to fight him. The Sultan's division routed the Emirs with whom they engaged, while the other division of the Egyptian Emirs routed the rearguard of the Sultan. So the Sultan of Damascus went away back to Gaza, wounded in his head and in his hand; but before they left Gaza, the Egyptian Emirs sent messengers, and made peace with him ;and failed us of all our agreements. And from that time on we had no truce nor peace, neither with the men of Damascus, nor with the men of Egypt. And know, that when we were at our most, we never mustered at any time more than fourteen hundred men-at-arms.

III.9. CHAPTER IX

THE TURKS OF DAMASCUS THREATEN JAFFA AND ACRE, AND SLAUGHTER TWO OR THREE THOUSAND CHRISTIANS AT SIDON AND DESTROY THE TOWN — ANECDOTE OF RICHARD COEUR DE LION — ANECDOTE OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY — THE EXPENSE OF FORTIFYING JAFFA.

As soon as the Sultan of Damascus had made peace with the people of Egypt, he sent word to his followers in Gaza to return and join him. In doing so, they passed in front of our camp, within less than two leagues' distance; but they never dared attack us, though they were at least twenty thousand Saracens and ten thousand Bedouins. Before they drew near our camp, the Master of the King's cross-bowmen and his troop kept watch on them for three days and three nights, lest they should fall upon our camp unawares.

On St. John's day, after Easter, the King heard his sermon. Whilst the sermon was going on, a serjeant belonging to the Master of the Crossbow

men came all armed into the King's chapel, and told him that the Saracens had surrounded the Master of the Cross-bowmen. I requested the King to let me go thither, and he consented, and told me to take with me four hundred or five hundred men-at-arms, and named those that he wished me to take. We had no sooner left the camp than the Saracens, who had got between the Master of the Cross-bowmen and the camp, joined an Emir who was stationed on a little hill facing the Master of the Cross-bowmen, with about a thousand men-at-arms. Then the struggle began between the Saracens and the Master of the Cross-bowmen's serjeants, of whom there were about fourteen score; for, each time that the Emir saw his followers worsted, he sent them help and enough men to drive our serjeants back among the Master's troops, and when the Master saw his people worsted, he would send them a hundred or six score men-at-arms, who would drive them back up to the Emir's ranks.

Whilst we were there, the Legate and barons of the country, who had remained with the King, said to the King that it was great folly to put me in jeopardy, and by their advice the King sent to

fetch me back, and the Master of the Cross-bowmen as well. The Turks departed, and we returned to the camp.

Many people were astonished that they did not come and fight us; and some said, that they only desisted, because they and their horses had all been starved at Gaza, where they had been staying for nearly a year.

When the Saracens had departed from before Jaffa, they came before Acre, and sent word to the Lord of Ashur, who was Constable of the kingdom of Jerusalem, that they would destroy the gardens of the town, unless he sent them fifty besants. He returned answer, that he would not send them a penny. Then they marshalled their troops, and came all along the sands of Acre, so close to the town, that they could easily have shot right into it from a cross-bow tourniquet. The Lord of Ashur sallied from the town and posted himself on the Holy Mount, there where St Nicholas' cemetery is, to defend the gardens. Our foot-serjeants sallied out from Acre and began to harass them with bows and cross-bows. The Lord of Ashur called a knight, named Lord

John the Tall, and bade him go and fetch in the common people who had gone outside the town, lest they should run into danger. Whilst he was bringing them back, a Saracen began to shout to him in Arabic, that he would tilt with him if he liked; and he answered that he would do so willingly. Now, whilst Lord John was on his way to the Saracen to tilt with him, he cast his eyes to the left, and saw a group of Turks, about eight of them together, who had stood still to watch the tilting match. He abandoned his match with the Saracen, and rode up to the group of Turks who were standing quite quietly watching, ran one of them through the body with his lance, and flung him dead. When the others saw this, they set upon him, as he was retreating towards our men, and one struck him a great blow on his iron cap with a club and, as he passed on, Lord John gave him a sword-cut across the turban in which his head was wrapped, and sent the turban flying. (At that time they used to wear their turbans when they went to fight, because they will stop a heavy sword-cut.) One of the other Turks spurred up to him, and tried to catch him with his spear between the shoulders; but my Lord John saw it coming and swerved aside; and as the Saracen passed on, my Lord John gave him a back-handed cut with his sword across the arm, and sent his spear flying. And so he came back, and brought back the people on foot; and these three fine strokes he made in the sight of the Lord of Ashur and the rich men in Acre, and in the sight of all the women who had come on to the walls to see the Saracens.

All this vast horde, who came right up to Acre without daring to attack either us or the men of Acre, when they heard a rumour and a true one that the King was having the city of Sajetta fortified, and with but few good men, they drew off into those parts. When Lord Simon of Montceliart (who was Master of the King's cross-bowmen and Captain of the King's men at Sajetta) heard that these people were approaching, he retired into the castle of Sajetta, which is very strong and surrounded by the sea in all directions. And this he did, because he plainly saw that he was powerless against them. He received into the castle with him as many people as he could, and that was but few, for the castle was too small. The Saracens broke

into the town at a point where they met with no obstacle, for it was not completely walled in. More than two thousand of our people did they slay, and with the whole of the booty that they got there they moved on to Damascus.

When the King heard these tidings, he was all on fire to redress the disaster; and it just suited the barons of the country; for the King had been wishing to go and fortify a hill where there had been formerly an old castle in the time of the Maccabees. This castle lies on the way from Jaffa to Jerusalem. The Oversea Barons disapproved of fortifying this castle, because it was five leagues from the sea, so that no meat could come to us by sea without being waylaid by the Saracens, who were in greater force than we. When, therefore, the tidings reached the camp, that the town was destroyed, the barons of the country came to the King, and said to him, that it would be far more to his honour to fortify the town of Sajetta, which the Saracens had rased, than to build a new fortress; and the King agreed with them.

Whilst the King was at Jaffa, he was told that the Sultan of Damascus would be quite willing to allow

him a safe-conduct to go to Jerusalem. The King held a general council about it, and the upshot of the council was, that no one approved of the King's going, since he must allow the city to remain in the hands of the Saracens.

The following precedent was quoted to him. When the great King Philip left the camp before Acre to go to France, he left all his people behind with Duke Hugh of Burgundy (the grandfather of the Duke who died lately). Whilst the Duke was sojourning at Acre, with King Richard of England, news came to them, that they might take Jerusalem the very next day, if they chose, because all the chivalry of the Sultan of Damascus had left the city and gone in full force to assist him in a war that he was waging against another Sultan.

They made ready their men, and the King of England formed the first division, and the Duke of Burgundy the one next to it, with all the followers of the King of France. Whilst they were all counting the town as good as taken, a message came from the Duke's army not to proceed, for the Duke of Burgundy was going back; and for this reason neither more nor less, that it might not

be said that the English had taken Jerusalem. Whilst they were thus parleying, one of King Richard's knights cried to him: " Sir, Sir, only come here, and I will show you Jerusalem! " And when he heard this, he drew his coat of mail over his eyes, weeping, and said to Our Lord, " Fair Lord God, I beseech thee, suffer me not to behold Thy Holy City, since I may not deliver her from the hands of Thine enemies!"

This example they instanced, to show the King, that if he, who was the greatest King among Christians, were to make his pilgrimage without delivering the city from God's enemies, all the other kings and pilgrims that might come after him would be content to make their pilgrimage as the King of France had done, and would make no effort to deliver Jerusalem.

This Duke of Burgundy of whom I have spoken was a very good knight, but he was not accounted over wise whether as regards God or the world; as well appeared in the incident above related. And therefore the great King Philip said, when he was told that Count John of Châlons had a son, and that he was named Hugh after the Duke of

Burgundy: said he, " God make him as goodly a man as his namesake Duke Hugh." Someone asked him, why he had not said "as good a man." " Because" said he "there is a great difference between a good-ly man and a good man; for there is many a good-ly knight in Christian land and Saracen land, who never served God and his mother. And therefore I say to you" quoth he " that God shows special grace, to any Christian knight, to whom he gives bodily velour and keeps him withal from mortal sin; such an one may be truly called 'a good knight,' since his goodliness comes from God."

It were in vain to speak of the vast sums which the King spent on fortifying Jaffa, for they are beyond reckoning; for he fortified the town from sea to sea. There were at least four-and-twenty towers; and the fosses were puddled with clay outside and in. There were three gates, of which the Legate built one and one bay of wall; and to show you to what expense the King went, I may tell you, that I asked the Legate, how much this gateway and the bay of wall had cost him? And he asked me: How much I thought? And

I guessed the gateway to have cost him about five hundred pounds, and the bay of wall three hundred pounds. And he told me, that, so help him God, the gateway with the wall had cost him a good thirty thousand pounds.

III.10. CHAPTER X

THE KING LEAVES JAFFA, AND GOES TO REBUILD SIDON — THE BATTLE OF CESAREA PHILIPPI; BURIAL OF THE DEAD AT SIDON — THE HUMOURS OF THE COUNT OF EU.

WHEN the King had completed the fortifications of the town of Jaffa, he took counsel to go and rebuild the defences of the city of Sajetta, which the Saracens had levelled. He started on the day of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles; and camped with his army by the castle of Ashur, which was a very strong place. That evening, the King called together his followers, and told them, that if they approved, he would go and take a city of the Saracens called Nabulus, which the ancient scriptures call Samaria. The Temple and Hospital answered with one accord, that it would be well to try and take the city, but that they would never consent to his going thither in person, seeing that if anything should happen to him, the whole country

would be lost. And he said, that he would never let them go, unless he went with them. And so this undertaking came to a standstill; for the lords of the country would not consent to his going.

In the course of our march we came to the desert of Acre; and here we camped, the King and the army.

At that place there came to me a crowd of folk from Greater Armenia, going on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, under payment of a heavy tribute to the Saracens who conducted them; and with them an interpreter, who knew both their tongue and ours. They begged me, through him, to show them the " sainted King."

I went to the King, where he was sitting in a pavilion, leaning against the tent-pole, seated on the sand, without a carpet or anything else under him, and I said to him, " Sir, outside there, is a crowd of people from Greater Armenia on their way to Jerusalem; and they are begging me, Sir, to give them a sight of the 'sainted King' but I have no desire to kiss your bones yet awhile! " And he laughed right merrily, and bade me go and fetch them, which I did. And when they had

seen the King, they commended him to God, and he them.

The next day the army camped in a place which they call the Colt's Crossing, where there are many beautiful streams, with which they water the plant the sugar comes from. As we were camping there, one of my knights said to me: "Sir" said he "I have chosen you a prettier camping-ground than you had yesterday." The other knight, who had chosen the previous site, jumped up in a fury, and said to him loudly: "How dare you criticise my doings! " and he sprang at him, and caught hold of his hair. I jumped up and struck him with my fist between the shoulder-blades, and he let go of him. And I said to him, "Now, be off, out of my place! for, by God! you shall stay with me no longer!"

The knight went off, making great lamentations, and brought me Lord Giles le Brun, the Constable of France, who begged me earnestly, seeing how deeply the knight repented his folly, that I would take him back. I answered that I should not take him back, unless the Legate would absolve me of my oath. Off they went to the Legate, and related the affair to him; and the Legate answered them,

that he was unable to give absolution, because the oath was a reasonable one, seeing the knight had richly deserved it. And this I tell you, that you may beware how you make an oath, that you ought not in reason to make, for as the saw says Readily sworn is readily forsworn.

The next day the King went and camped by the city of Ashur, which in the Bible is called Tyr. There the King called a council of the rich men of the army, and asked them whether it would be well for him to go and take the city of Cesarea Philippi before proceeding to Sajetta. We all advised that it would be well for the King to send some of his followers, but all disapproved of his going in person; with great difficulty he was dissuaded from it; and it was decided, that the Count of Eu should go, with Lord Philip of Montfort, the Lord of Tyr, Lord Giles le Brun (the Constable of France), my Lord Peter the Chamberlain, the Master of the Temple and his convent, the Master of the Hospital and his convent, and also his brother.

We got under arms at nightfall, and a little after daybreak reached a plain which lies before the city, which they now call "Belinas" and ancient Scripture

calls "Cesarea Philippi." In this city rises a spring called "Jor," and amid the plains round the city rises another beautiful spring called Dan. Now it comes to pass that when the two streams from these two springs meet together, they make the river called Jor-Dan, in the which God was baptised.

By the mutual consent of the Temple and of the Count of Eu, of the Hospital and barons of the country who were there, it was agreed that the King's battalion, (in which battalion I then was because the King had retained the forty knights of my troop in his own service), together with Lord Geoffrey of Sergines the paladin, should get in between the castle and the city; that the barons of the country should enter the city from the left, the Hospital from the right, and that the Temple should enter by the direct road along which we had come.

We set out and proceeded till we drew near the city, and found that the Saracens inside had defeated the King's serjeants and driven them out of the town. On seeing this, I went to the paladins who were with the Count of Eu, and said to them: " Sirs, if you do not go where we have been ordered, between the town and the castle, we shall

have the Saracens killing our people who have entered the town." The approach was very dangerous, for the place to which we had been sent was the post of danger. There were three double lines of dry walls to pass, and the slope was so steep that horses could hardly keep their footing on it; and the hill for which we were bound was covered with Turks on horseback. As I was speaking, I saw that our foot-serjeants were tearing down the walls. Thereupon, I said to those with whom I was talking, that the plan was, for the King's battalion to advance to where those Turks were, and that since those were the orders, I should go. I and my two knights made for the place where they were pulling down the walls, and I saw that a mounted serjeant, thinking to get over the wall, fell with his horse on top of him. Seeing this, I dismounted, and led my horse by the bridle. When the Turks saw us coming, by God's grace they abandoned the position to us. From this spot, a rock descended sheer into the city. When we had reached the place, and the Turks had left it, the Saracens in the city lost heart, and abandoned the town to our people without a contest.

Whilst I was there, the Marshall of the Temple heard a rumour that I was in danger; so he climbed up to me. Whilst I was perched up there the Teutons who were in the Count of Eu's battalion came after me; and when they saw the mounted Turks in flight towards the castle, they started off after them; and I said to them: " Sirs, you are not doing right, for we are where we were ordered to be, and you are going beyond your orders."

The castle, which lies above the city, is named "Subeiba"; and lies full half a league up among the mountains of Lebanon; and the slope leading up to it is strewn with big stones just like chests. When the Teutons saw that they were on a wild goose-chase, they turned back; and the Saracens seeing this charged them on foot, and hammered them with their clubs from the tops of the stones, and tore the trappings off the horses. The serjeants that were with us, seeing the disaster, began to get frightened. I told them that if they left the place, I would have them struck off the King's list for good and all, and they said to me: "Sir, it is not fair play, for you are on horseback, and so you will make your escape; whereas

we are on foot, and so the Saracens will kill us." And I said to them: "Sirs, I assure you that I shall not make my escape; for I will remain on foot here with you." I dismounted and sent my horse among the Templars, who were a good cross-bowshot to the rear.

In the retreat of the Teutons, the Saracens wounded a knight of mine, named Lord John of Bussy, with a quarrel through the throat; and he fell right in front of me.

Lord Hugh of Scots, whose nephew he was, who had acquitted himself excellently in the Holy Land, said to me: "Sir, come and help us carry my nephew down." "Ill-luck take him that helps you do so " said I " for you went up there without my orders; and if you have come to grief, it serves you right. Slide him down the drain, for I shall not leave this place until I am sent for."

When Lord John of Valenciennes heard of the difficulties in which we were, he came to Lord Oliver of Termes, and those other captains of the Langue d'Oc, and said to them: " Sirs, I beg and command you in the King's name, that you help

me fetch down the Seneschal." Whilst he was thus urging them, my Lord William of Beaumont came to him and said: "You are troubling yourself to no purpose, for the Seneschal is dead." But said he, "Alive or dead, I will have some account of him to give to the King." Thereupon Lord Oliver started off towards us, where we stood upon the mountain-side; and as soon as he reached us, he sent for me; and when I came he said to me, that we were in great danger there; for, if we went down by the way we had come up, we could not do it without great risk, for the slope was very awkward, and the Saracens would come down on top of us. " But, if you will be guided by me," said he, " I will bring you off without loss." I told him that I would carry out whatever plan he chose to make. " I will tell you" said he "how we can escape. We will go " said he " all the time, just as though we meant to go to Damascus; and the Saracens there will think that we intend to take them in the rear. And as soon as we are on those flats, we will clap spurs and gallop round the city, and shall be across the stream before they can get near us; and we will do them a lot of damage too, for we will set fire to that threshed wheat, which is lying in the fields."

We did as he had planned, and he made them take reeds, such as flutes are made of here, and put live coals in them and stick them into the threshed corn.

And so God brought us back safe and sound, through the advice of Oliver of Termes. And know that when we reached the place where our followers were lodged, we found them all disarmed, for there was no one looking after them.

So the next day we returned to Sajetta, where the King was.

We found that the King in person had seen to the burial of the bodies of the Christians whom the Saracens had killed, as you heard; and he himself with his own hands carried the decayed and stinking bodies to lay them in the graves, and yet never held his nose, though the others held theirs. He had workmen fetched from all parts, and set to work again to fortify the city with high walls and great towers. And when we reached camp, we found that he had marked out the sites in person, where our quarters were to be. My quarters he

had chosen alongside those of the Count of Eu, because he knew that the Count of Eu liked my company.

I will tell you of the tricks the Count of Eu used to play on us.

I had built a hut, where I used to take my meals, I and my knights lighted through the doorway. Now the doorway gave onto the Count of Eu's quarters; and he, who was very ingenious, made a little machine to throw into it, and used to watch when we went to table, and set up his machine in a line with our table and break our jugs and glasses.

I had laid in a stock of hens and capons, and somebody or other had given him a young she-bear, which he let in among my fowls, and it killed a dozen of them, before anyone could get to the spot, while the woman in charge of them was flapping her skirts at the bear.

III.11. CHAPTER XI

THE TARTARS TAKE BAGDAD — CRUEL REVENGE OF THE TARTAR KING — ANECDOTES OF THE CAMP AT SIDON — JOINVILLE MAKES A PILGRIMAGE TO TORTOSA.

WHILST the King was fortifying the city of Sajetta, there came merchants to the camp, who told us and related how the King of the Tartars had taken the city of Bagdad with the Saracen Pope, who was lord of the town, and whom they called "the Caliph of Bagdad." The manner in which they captured the city of Bagdad and the Caliph was related to us by the merchants, and it was as follows.

When they had laid siege to the Caliph's city, the Tartar King sent him word that he was ready to make a marriage between their children, and the Caliph's councillors advised him to agree to the marriage. Then the Tartar King sent him word, that he must send him as many as forty persons from among his councillors and the chief men, to

swear to the marriage; which the Caliph did. Again the Tartar King desired him to send forty of the richest and best men that he had; and the Caliph did so. A third time he sent word to him to send forty of the very best he had; and he did so. When the Tartar King saw that he had got into his possession all the leading men of the town, he thought within himself, that the common people in the town would not be able to defend themselves without a leader. He had all the six score men beheaded; and then stormed the town, and took it and the Caliph with it.

In order to cloak his treachery, and throw on the Caliph the blame of the town's capture, he had the Caliph seized and put into an iron cage; and had him starved, as far as one can starve a man without killing him; and then sent to ask him, whether he were hungry. The Caliph said: Yes, and no wonder. Then the Tartar King caused a great charger of gold to be brought to him, laden with jewels and precious stones, and said to him, " Dost thou know these jewels?" And the Caliph said yes, "they were mine." Then he asked him if he were very fond of them. He answered: Yes.

" Since thou cost like them so well," said the Tartar King, " Come, take whichever thou wouldest, and eat." The Caliph answered that it was impossible, inasmuch as they were not food for eating. Then said the King of the Tartars to him, " Now mayst thou see in this bowl wherein thy defence lay. For hadst thou parted with some of thy golden treasure, it would have been thy defence against us, if thou hadst but spent it; whereas now it fails thee at thy greatest need."

Whilst the King was fortifying Cesarea, I was going once to mass at daybreak, and he bade me wait for him, for he wished to take a ride. I did so; and as we rode through the fields we came upon a little chapel, and saw from on horseback a priest singing mass. The King told me that this chapel had been built in honour of the miracle which God performed when he cast out the devil from the body of the widow's daughter; and said that, if I were willing, he would stay there, and hear the mass which the priest had begun; and I replied that I thought we might as well do so. When it came to the kiss of Peace, I noticed that the clerk who was helping to sing mass, was tall and dark and lean

and unkempt, and a suspicion seized me, that if he came near the King he might perhaps be an Assassin, a wicked man, and might kill the King; and I went and took the kiss of Peace from him and brought it to the King. When mass was over, and we had mounted our horses, we met the Legate in the fields, and the King drew near to him, and called me and said to the Legate: " I have a complaint to make to you against the Seneschal; he brought me the kiss of Peace, and would not allow the poor clerk to bring it."

I told the Legate the reason why I had done so; and the Legate said, I had done quite right. The King replied: "Indeed he did not!" and they had a great argument; but I held my peace. This story I have told you, that you may see his great humility.

As for that miracle which God performed on the woman's daughter, the Gospel says that God, when he performed it, was "in parte Tyri et Sidonis," for at that time the city of Sur was called Tyr, and the city of Sajetta (which I have mentioned) Sidon.

Whilst the King was fortifying Sajetta, there came to him messengers from a great lord of

Farther Greece, who styled himself "The Great Comnenus and Lord of Trebizond." He brought the King various precious things as a gift; amongst others, bows made of the wood of the service tree, whose arrow-notches screwed into the bow, and when they were released, one saw that they were very sharp and well made.

They brought a request from their lord that the King would send him a damsel of his palace, and he would take her to wife. And the King replied, that he had brought none with him from across the sea; and advised them to go to Constantinople to the Emperor, who was the King's cousin, and desire him to give them a wife for their lord, one who should be of the King's lineage and of his own. This he did, that the Emperor might have the alliance of this powerful, rich man against Vataces, who at that time was Emperor of the Greeks.

The Queen, who was but newly recovered of Lady Blanche, of whom she had been brought to bed at Jaffa, landed at Sajetta, for she had come by sea. When I heard that she had arrived, I rose from the King's presence and went to meet her, and escorted her as far as the castle; and when I got

back to the King, who was in his chapel, he asked me, if the Queen and the children were in good health? I told him: Yes; and he said to me: " I knew very well when you rose and left me, that you were going to meet the Queen, and so I made them wait the sermon for you."

I have recorded this, because I had been already five years about his person, and he had never yet mentioned the Queen nor his children to me, nor to anyone else, in my hearing; and it was not a good fashion, it seems to me, to be so reserved about his wife and children.

On All Saints' Day, I invited all the rich men of the army to my house which was by the sea; and while they were there, a poor knight came ashore in a barge, with his wife and his four sons. I made them come and dine in my house; and when we had dined, I called together the rich men who were there and said to them: " Let us do a deed of great charity, and disburden this poor man of his children; let us each take one of them, and I will take one." Each chose one and fought for him. The poor knight seeing this, began to weep for joy, and his wife too. Now it happened that when the Count of

Eu returned from dining at the King's house, he came to visit the rich men who were with me, and he took my child from me, he being about twelve years old. And the boy served the Count so well and faithfully, that when he returned to France, the Count married him, and made him a knight; and whenever I was in the same place as the Count, the boy would hardly leave my side, and used to say to me, " God repay you, Sir! for it is you that have raised me to this honour." As to the other three brothers, I know not what became of them.

I begged the King to let me go on pilgrimage to Our Lady of Tortosa, to which many pilgrims used to resort, because it is the first altar that ever was raised in honour of the Mother of God upon earth; and Our Lady was wont to perform very great miracles there. Amongst others, there was a man out of his mind and possessed with the devil. There, whilst his friends who had brought him thither were beseeching the Mother of God to grant him health, the Enemy, who was inside him, answered them: " Our Lady is not here; for she is gone to Egypt, to help the King of France and the Christians who will land to-day, and will be on

foot against the pagans on horseback." The day was written down and brought to the Legate, and his lordship told it me with his own lips. And you may be sure that she did help us, and would have helped us still more, if we had not angered her and her son, as I said before.

The King gave me leave to go; and bade me, in full council, buy him a hundred pieces of hair-cloth of divers colours to give to the Franciscans when we should come to France. Then my heart was eased, for I thought that he could not mean to stay long.

When we reached Tripoli, my knights asked me what I was going to do with the stuffs; and I said to them: " May be" said I " I have stolen them to trade with."

The Prince God rest him! welcomed us gladly, and showed us all the honour in his power; and would have given great gifts to me and my knights, if we would have accepted them. We would take nothing, except some of his relics, which I brought to the King with the stuffs I had bought for him.

I sent four of the pieces of stuff at once to the Queen. The knight who took them, carried them

wrapped up in a white cloth. When the Queen saw him enter the chamber where she was, she knelt down before him, and the knight on his side knelt down before her; and the Queen said to him: " Rise, Sir knight, you who carry relics ought not to kneel." But the knight said: " Lady, these are not relics; they are some pieces of hair-cloth that my lord sends you." When the Queen and her ladies heard this, they burst out laughing, and the Queen said to my knight: " Tell your lord, that woe betide him the day that he made me kneel to his haircloth! "

Whilst the King was at Sajetta, they brought him a stone which was formed in layers, the most wonderful in the world; for when one lifted off a layer, one found between the two stones, the figure of a sea-fish. The fish was in stone, but nothing was wanting to its shape, neither eyes, nor bones, nor colour, nor anything; but it was exactly the same as though it were alive. The King sent me a stone, and I found a tench inside it, brown in colour, and just as a tench ought to be.

III.12. CHAPTER XII

THE DEATH OF QUEEN BLANCHE — STORIES OF THE QUEEN AND THE QUEEN MOTHER — THE KING PREPARES TO RETURN HOME.

AT Sajetta the King got the news that his mother was dead. He made such mourning over it, that for two days one could not get a word with him. At the end of that time, he sent a groom of his chamber to fetch me. When I came before him in his chamber where he was quite alone, as soon as he saw me, he stretched out his arms, and said to me: " Oh! Seneschal! I have lost my mother! " " Sir," said I, " I am not surprised at that; for she was bound to die; but I am surprised that a wise man like you, should make such great mourning. For you know, the sage says: that whatever trouble a man may have at heart, it should not show in his face; for thereby he rejoices his foes and grieves his friends."

Many fine masses he had performed for her

over-seas; and afterwards he sent into France a pack-horse laden with letters to the churches, begging them to pray for her.

Lady Mary of Vertus, a very good lady, and a very holy woman, came and told me that the Queen was making great mourning, and begged that I would go to her and comfort her. When I got there, I found her in tears; and I said to her, that he spoke truly, who said, that one should never trust a woman. " For she was the woman you hated above all others, and now you are making this mourning for her." And she said to me, that it was not for her that she was weeping, but for the King's distress at losing her, and for her daughter, (afterwards Queen of Navarre) who was left in the keeping of men.

The harshness that Queen Blanche showed to Queen Margaret was such, that Queen Blanche would never, if she could help it, suffer her son to be in his wife's company, unless at night, when he went to bed with her. The apartments which she liked best to occupy were at Pontoise, between the King and the Queen, for the King's rooms were above hers, and the Queen's below. But

they had so arranged it that they could talk together on a spiral staircase which led down from one floor to the other; and had so laid their plans, that when the door-keepers saw the Queen coming to the apartments of her son, the King, they would rap on the doors with their rods; and the King would come running into his rooms, so that his mother might not catch him; and the ushers of Queen Margaret's apartments did the same when Queen Blanche was on her way thither, so that she might find Queen Margaret in them.

Once the King was beside the Queen his wife, and she was in passing great danger of death, for she was injured by a child that she had had. Thither came Queen Blanche, and took her son by the hand, and said to him: " Come away, you have no business here!" When Margaret saw his mother leading the King away she cried out: "Alas! neither dead nor alive will you let me see my lord!" There-upon she fainted, and they thought that she was dead; and the King, who thought that she was dying, came back; and with great difficulty they brought her round.

Now that the city of Sajetta was all but completely

fortified, the King caused several processions to be made in the army; and at the close of the processions, he made the Legate offer prayers that God would order the King's affairs according to His will; so that the King might do whichever was most pleasing to God, either by returning to France, or by remaining there.

After the processions were over, the King called me, where I was sitting among the rich men of the country, away into a meadow, and made me turn my back on them. Then the Legate said to me: "Seneschal, the King is much pleased with your services; and would gladly advance your interests and your credit; and to set your heart, he says, at ease, he bids me tell you that he has made his plans to go to France this coming Easter." And I replied: " God grant that he may accomplish his purpose! " Then the Legate bade me escort him to his lodging; and then he shut himself up in his closet he and I alone together and took both my hands between his, and began to weep very bitterly; and when he could speak, he said to me: " Seneschal, I am very glad, and truly give thanks to God, that the King and all you other pilgrims are escaping

from the great peril in which you have been in this country. But I am grieved at heart, that I must leave your holy companionship, and go to the Court of Rome, among those ungodly people there; but I will tell you what I think of doing: I mean to stay on for another year after you, and I intend to spend all my money in fortifying the town of Acre; so that I may show them plainly that I am bringing away no money, and then they will not fawn upon me."

I once related to the Legate two sins of which a priest of mine had told me; and he made me the following reply: ' No one knows, so well as I, how many heathenish sins are committed in Acre. Whence it must needs be that God will take vengeance for them, in such wise that the city of Acre shall be washed with the blood of its inhabitants, and that another race shall come after that shall inhabit it." The excellent man's prophecy is in part come true; for the city has truly been washed with the blood of its inhabitants; but as yet those have not come that are to inhabit it; and may God send them fitted to His will.

After these events, the King sent me word, that

I must go and arm myself and my knights. I asked him: What for? and he replied: In order to escort the Queen and his children to Tyr, a distance of seven leagues. I never disputed the order, and yet the consign was very dangerous, inasmuch as we had at that time no truce nor peace, neither with the men of Egypt nor with those of Damascus. By God's grace, we reached Tyr in peace, without any obstacle, at nightfall; though we were obliged to alight twice in the enemy's country, to light a fire and cook food, in order to feed and suckle the children.

When the King left the city of Sajetta which he had secured with high walls and great towers, and with great moats puddled inside and out the Patriarch and the barons of the country came to him and addressed him as follows: " Sir, you have fortified the cities of Sajetta and of Cesarea, and the town of Jaffa, very greatly to the benefit of the Holy Land; moreover you have greatly strengthened the city of Acre by the walls and the towers that you have built there. Sir, we have considered among ourselves, and perceive that your longer stay can be of no benefit to the kingdom of Jerusalem;

wherefore we approve and advise that you go to Acre, this coming Lent, and make ready for your voyage, so that you may cross over to France after this Easter next."

Following the advice of the Patriarch and the barons, the King left Sajetta, and came to Tyr, where the Queen was; and thence we came on to Acre, at the beginning of Lent.

NOTES TO CHAPTER XII

Queen Margaret had some reason for jealousy if the King said, as is reported, on hearing of his mother's death, " I have lost the person whom I loved best of all the world." G. de Nangis and the King's confessor, unlike Joinville, regard the King's behaviour on the occasion as much tending to edification, and report the scene at full length.

The Legate had the first news of Queen Blanche's death, and took with him the Archbishop of Tyr (the Chancellor) and the King's confessor (Geoffrey of Beaulieu) to tell the King. The King, seeing from their faces that something serious had occurred, led the way into the chapel (which opened out of his bedroom) and sat down on the altar steps while the Legate broke the news to him. He spent the rest of the day in his oratory alone with

the confessor; and ever after, the mass for the dead was daily celebrated before him.

Queen Blanche died on December Ist, 1252, and was buried at Maubuisson (near Pontoise), where she had founded a nunnery of Cistercians. She had assumed their habit about a week before.

G. de Nangis says, that the King, on his departure, left a considerable number of knights behind, at his own expense, to assist the Legate, and also the "Paladin" Geoffrey of Sergines, as Captain of Acre.

III.13. CHAPTER XIII

HOW THE ARMY SAILED FOR FRANCE; AND OF THE ADVENTURES THAT BEFELL THEM ON THEIR VOYAGE HOME.

ALL Lent, the King busied himself fitting out his ships to return to France. There were thirteen of them some ships, some galleys. They were all made ready by the Vigil of St. Mark, after Easter, on which day the King and Queen went aboard their ship; and we had a favourable wind for our departure. On St. Mark's day, the King told me that he was born on that day; and I replied, that he might truly add that he was born again, seeing from what a land of danger he was escaping.

On Saturday we sighted the island of and a mountain in Cyprus which is called " the Mountain of the Cross." That same Saturday a mist arose, and swept down from the land over the sea, whereby the sailors imagined that we were further from the island than we really were, because

they saw the mountain through the mist. For this reason they went full speed ahead; and hence it came to pass that our ship struck on a spit of sand that jutted out into the sea. Now it so happened, that if we had not met with this piece of sand on which we struck, we should have run full on the rocks, which were under water, where our ship would have gone all to pieces, and we ourselves should have been in great danger of drowning

Then a great cry went up throughout the ship, everyone crying " Alas! alas! " And the sailors and the rest beat their palms together, for every man feared to drown. Hearing it, I rose from the bed where I was Lying, and went to the round-house among the sailors.

When I came there, Brother Hamon, who was a Templar and master over the sailors, said to one of his servants: "Heave the lead!" which he did. And no sooner had he heaved it than he cried out, saying: " Alas! we are aground! "

When Brother Hamon heard this, he tore his clothes to the waistbelt, and began to pluck out his beard, and to cry "Oh me! Oh me! " At this moment, one of my knights, named Lord John of

Monson (father of Abbot William of St. Michael), showed me great kindness, for without a word he brought me one of my furred surcoats, and threw it round my shoulders, for I had only got my coat on. I exclaimed at him and said, " What do I want with your surcoat? What is the good of bringing it me when we are going to be drowned? " And he said to me, " Upon my soul, Sir! I had rather we were all drowned, than that you should take a chill and die of it! "

The sailors shouted: " Galley ahoy! " that it might take off the King; but of four galleys that the King had there, not one would come near us; which was very wise of them; for there were about eight hundred persons in the ship, who would all have jumped into the galleys to save themselves, and in so doing would have sunk them.

The man who had the lead, cast it a second time, and came back to Brother Hamon, and told him that the ship was no longer aground; and thereupon Brother Hamon went to tell the King, who was stretched out crosswise on the bridge, barefooted, in nothing but his coat, and all dishevelled, before the body of Our Lord which was in the

ship, like a man who thinks himself as good as drowned.[1]

So soon as it was day, we saw ahead of us the rock on which we should have struck, if the ship had not first encountered the spit of sand.

On the morrow, the King sent for the master seamen of the ships, and they sent four divers down, who dived into the sea; and when they came up, the King and the master seamen heard them separately, one by one, so that one diver did not know what the other had said. However from all four divers they learnt that the scraping of our ship on the sand had torn off about four fathoms of the keel on which the ship rested. Then the King summoned the master seamen before us, and asked what their advice would be as regards the shock the vessel had received.

They consulted together, and advised the King to leave the ship he was in and go aboard another. " We give you this advice, because we are sure that all the planks of your ship are thoroughly loosened.

Wherefore we doubt that when your ship gets into the open sea, she will not be able to withstand the shock of the waves, without going to pieces; for a similar thing occurred on your journey out from France: a ship struck like this, and when she came into the open sea, she could not withstand the force of the waves, but broke up, and as many as were in her were all lost, except one woman and her child who escaped on a piece of the wreck."

(I can bear witness to the truth of what they said; for in the Count of Joigny's house at Paphos I saw the woman and the child, whom the Count was supporting. )

Then the King asked Lord Peter the Chamberlain, and Lord Giles le Brun, the Constable of France, and Lord Gervaise Desoraines, the King's chief cook, and the Archdeacon of Nicocea, who carried his seal (who afterwards became Cardinal), and me, what we advised him to do under the circumstances. We replied, that in all worldly matters one ought to be guided by those who know most about the subject. " Therefore we advise you to follow the seamen's advice." Then the King said to the seamen, " I ask you, by

your fealty, supposing the ship were your own, and were laden with your merchandise, would you abandon her?" With one voice they answered, No! for they would rather risk drowning than spend four thousand pounds and more in buying a ship.

"Then why do you advise me to leave her?" "Because" said they "the two things are not on a par: for your person, and the persons of your wife and children who are in her, cannot be priced in gold and silver; and therefore we would not advise you to risk yourself nor them."

Then said the King: "Sirs, I have heard your opinion, and the opinion of my followers, and now in return I will tell you mine which is this: If I leave this ship, there are in her five hundred persons and more, who will remain in Cyprus for dread of the danger they may run; for there is no one whose life is not of as much value to him as mine to me; and maybe they will never get home at all. And so, I prefer to trust my life and my wife and children in God's hands, rather than cause such injury to such a vast number of people as are here on board."

Oliver of Termes is an example of what great

injury the King would have done to those in his ship. He was in the King's ship, and was one of the bravest men that ever I saw, and that best acquitted himself in the Holy Land. He durst not remain with us for fear of drowning; but chose to stay behind in Cyprus; and it was a year and a half before he rejoined the King. And yet he was a powerful man and a rich man, and could well pay for his transport. Now consider what lesser folks would have done, who could not have afforded to pay, when a man like him found such difficulties.

Out of this peril, from which God had delivered us, we ran into another; for the wind which had driven us into Cyprus, when we were so nearly drowned, sprang up most strong and dreadful, beating us back upon the island; and though the mariners cast their anchors against the wind, yet they could not hold the ship a whit, until they had brought five anchors to bear on her.

The sides of the King's cabin were nearly blown down, and no one durst stay near it for fear of being blown overboard. At the time, Lord Giles le Brun (the Constable of France) and I were lying in the King's cabin; and just then, the Queen opened the

door of the cabin, thinking, as it was the King's, to find him in it. I asked her, what she had come for? and she said that she had come to speak to the King and ask him to vow some pilgrimage to God, or to his saints, whereby God might deliver us from the danger we were in; for the sailors had said that we were in danger of drowning. — I said to her: " Lady, vow the journey to my Lord St. Nicholas of Warangeville and I will be his warranty that God will bring you home to France, with the King and your children" — "Seneschal" — said she — "indeed I would gladly do so; but the King is so odd, that if he knew that I had made the promise without him, he would never let me go." " One thing you can do; you can promise him, if God brings you back to France, a ship of silver of five marks weight, for the King, and yourself, and your children; and I will be your warranty that God will bring us back to France; for I vowed to St. Nicholas that if he saved us from the danger we were in that night, I would go and seek him from Joinville on foot and unshod."

And she told me, that, as for the silver ship of five marks weight, she vowed it to St. Nicholas,

and that I must stand warranty for it; and I said I would right gladly do so. She went away, and it was only a little while before she came back to us, and said to me: "St. Nicholas has preserved us from this peril; for the wind has dropped."

When the Queen God rest her soul! was back in France, she caused the silver ship to be made at Paris. And in the ship were the King and Queen and the three children, all of silver: the sailors, the mast, the rudder and the cordage, all of silver, and a silver sail. And the Queen told me that the workmanship of it had cost an hundred pounds When the ship was finished, the Queen sent it to me at Joinville, that I might have it brought to St. Nicholas; and so I did; and 1 saw it still at St. Nicholas' when we brought the [present] King's sister to Hagenau, to the German king.

Now to return to our subject: After we had escaped these perils, the King seated himself on the bulwark of the ship, and made me sit at his feet, and spoke to me as follows: " Seneschal, God has indeed shown us His great power; for not the chief of the four winds, but one of His little nameless winds, came near drowning the King of

France, his wife, his children, and all his company. Now ought we to render Him love and thanks for the peril from which He has delivered us."

We left Cyprus, after we had shipped fresh water from the island and other things that we needed; and we came to an island called Lampedousa, where we shipped as many rabbits as we could carry. There we discovered an ancient hermitage in the rocks, and we found the gardens that had been made in old days by the hermits who slept there; olives and figs, vine-stocks, and other trees were there. The streamlet from the spring flowed through the garden. The King and we walked to the end of the garden, and found, in the first cave, a whitewashed oratory and a cross of red clay. We went into the second cave, and found the bodies of two dead men from which the flesh was all rotted away; the ribs still hung together complete, and the bones of their hands were folded on their breasts, and they were laid out towards the East, in the way in which one lays bodies in the ground.

On going aboard our ship again, one of our sailors was found to be missing, and the skipper

thought that he had remained behind to become a hermit. So Nicholas of Soisy, the King's chief serjeant, left three bags of biscuit on the beach, so that he might find them and live on them.

So we sailed away, and next sighted a great island in the sea, named Pantelaria, which was peopled by Saracens who were subject to the King of Sicily and the King of Tunis. The Queen begged the King to send three galleys ashore, to get some fruit for her children; and the King consented, and ordered the galleys to be all ready to come off and rejoin the King's ship directly she passed in front of the island. The galleys put into a port that was in the island; but it came to pass that when the King's ship passed before the harbour mouth, there were no signs of our galleys. Thereupon the sailors began to mutter among themselves; and the King sent for them, and asked them, what they thought had happened? and the sailors answered that the Saracens must have seized his men and the galleys. "But we beg and advise you, Sir, not wait for them; for you are between the kingdom of Sicily and the kingdom of Tunis, who bear you little love, either of them;

and if you let us sail on, we can bring you out of danger this very night, for we have got you past these straits." "Truly"—said the King "you shall never persuade me leave my followers in the hands of Saracens, without at least doing all in my power deliver them; and I order you put about, and let us bear down on them." When the Queen heard this, she began lament loudly, saying, "Alack! It is all my doing!" Whilst they were busy tacking the King's ship and the rest, we saw the galleys put off from the island. As soon as they came up, the King asked the sailors: Why had they acted thus? And they answered: That they could not help it; that it was the fault of the burghers' sons of Paris, of whom there were six, who stayed eating the fruit in the gardens, so that they could not get them away, and they did not like leave them behind. Then the King ordered that the six burghers' sons should be put into the dinghy; whereupon they began scream and cry, "Sir, for God's sake, put us ransom for all we are worth, but do not put us in there, where they put murderers and thieves, for it would be an everlasting reproach us."

The Queen and we all did our utmost to persuade the King to let them off; but he would not hear a word from anyone; so they were put into the dinghy and stayed there until we came to land. They were indeed in a sorry plight; for when the sea ran high, the waves flew over their heads, and they were forced to keep their seats for fear the wind should carry them overboard. And it served them right, for their greed injured us so much as to delay us for full a week, because the King had made the ships put about.

Yet another adventure befell us at sea, before we reached land; which was as follows. One of the Queen's bedeswomen, after she had put the Queen to bed, carelessly threw the kerchief which she wore round her head onto the top of the iron stand in which the Queen's night light was burning; and after she had gone down to bed in the cabin below the Queen's, where her ladies slept, the candle burnt so low that it set fire to the headdress, and from the head-dress spread to some sheets which covered the Queen's clothes. The Queen waking up, saw the cabin all alight with fire, and jumped up out of bed with nothing on, and

seized the head-dress, and flung it out to sea, and took hold of the sheets and extinguished them. The men who were in the dinghy shouted, "Look out! fire! fire!" I raised my head, and saw the head-dress still blazing brightly on the sea, which was quite calm. I donned my coat as quickly as I could, and went and sat among the sailors. Whilst I was sitting there, my squire, who used to sleep at my feet, came to me, and told me, that the King was awake, and had asked where I was. " And I told him that you were down below; and the King said: 'That's a lie! "' Whilst we were talking, up comes Master Geoffrey, the Queen's clerk, who said to me, " Do not alarm yourself, for it is all over! " And I said to him, "Master Geoffrey, go and tell the Queen that the King is awake, and that she should go to him and set his mind at rest."

On the morrow, the Constable of France, and my Lord Peter the Chamberlain, and my Lord Gervaise said to the King: "What happened last night? for we heard some talk of fire." I said not a word. Then said the King: "It must have been a certain accident about which the Seneschal

is more reticent than I am; and I will tell you about it" said the King "for we might have been all burnt alive last night." He told them how it happened, and said to me: " Seneschal, I order you for the future never to go to bed, until you have put out all the lights on board, all except the big fire in the poop; and know, that I shall not go to bed until you come back to me." And so I did for as long as we were at sea, and when I came back to him, then the King went to bed.

Still another adventure befell us at sea; for my Lord Dragonès, a rich man of Provence, was sleeping one morning in his ship, which was about a league ahead of ours; and he called one of his squires, and said to him: "Go and stop up that opening, for the sun is in my eyes." The squire saw that he could not stop up the opening without getting outside the ship, so he got outside; but as he was about to block up the opening, his foot slipped, and he fell into the water. Now this ship, being a small one, had no dinghy attached, and soon she was far away. We in the King's ship thought it was a bundle or a jar, for the man did not keep his wits about him when he fell into the water.

One of the King's galleys picked him up, and brought him to our ship, where he told us how it had happened. I asked him, how it was that he did not use his wits and try to save himself, by swimming, or by some means or other? He replied: There was no need nor call for him to trouble his wits about it, for that as soon as ever he began to fall, he commended himself to Our Lady, and she bore him up by the shoulders, from the moment he fell, until the King's galley picked him up.

In honour of this miracle, I have had it painted in my chapel at Joinville, and also in the glass window at Blechicourt.

NOTE TO CHAPTER XIII

After the Queen Mother's death on I December, 1253, the King's brothers, Alfonso of Poitiers and Charles of Anjou, became the Regents of the kingdom. The nobles, on their own account, tried to make Simon de Montfort third Regent; but he refused.

The internal state of France under this administration became most unsatisfactory. Moreover, Henry III of England was in Gascony with an army, intriguing with the King of Castile. Manfred, the bastard son of the

great Emperor Frederick, in his war with the Pope had the whole of Italy in flames. And, on the north-east frontier, Charles of Anjou was taking an active part in the civil war in Flanders.

The whole peaceful foreign policy of Louis was in danger; and his return was now urgently needed.

III.14. CHAPTER XIV

HOW THE KING CAME ASHORE — FRIAR HUGH — JOINVILLE ACCOMPANIES THE KING INTO HIS OWN TERRITORY, AND THEN RETURNS HOME, VISITING HIS KINSFOLK ON THE WAY — HOW TIBALD OF NAVARRE AND CHAMPAGNE MARRIED THE KING'S DAUGHTER.

AFTER we had been ten weeks at sea, we touched at a port which is two leagues distant from the castle called Hyères, which belonged to the Count of Provence (who afterwards was King of Sicily). The Queen and all the council were of one opinion, that the King should land there, because it was his brother's territory.

The King answered us, that he should certainly not leave his ship until he reached Aigues Mortes, which was in his own territory. To this the King held all Wednesday and Thursday, and we could not get our way with him. These ships of Marseilles have two rudders so cunningly connected with two tillers, that one can turn the ship.

about right or left, as readily as one could guide a horse. On one of these steering-tillers the King was sitting on the Friday, and he called me and said, "Seneschal, what do you think about this business?" I said to him, "Sir, it would serve you right, if the same thing happened to you as it did my Lady of Bourbon. She would not land at this port, but put out to sea again for Aigues Mortes, and at sea she remained for seven weeks afterwards." Then the King called his council, and repeated to them what I had said; and asked, what they advised doing? and they all advised him to land; for it would be most unwise of him to risk himself, his wife and children at sea again, now that he was out of it.

The King yielded our advice, whereat the Queen was greatly delighted.

At the castle of Hyères the King to landed from off the sea, with the Queen and his children. Whilst the King was tarrying at Hyères, procuring horses to take him to France, the Abbot of Cluny (who afterwards was Bishop of Olenus) made him a present of two palfreys, which nowadays would be worth about five hundred pounds, one for himself,

and the other for the Queen. After he had presented them, he then said to the King: " Sir, I shall come -morrow and talk over my business with you." When the next day came, the Abbot returned, and the King heard him very attentively for a long while. When the Abbot was gone, I came to the King, and said: " I want to ask you, if you please, whether you heard the Abbot of Cluny any the more favourably for his having given you those two palfreys yesterday? " The King reflected for some time, and said, "Well, yes, I did." "Sir," said I, " do you know why I asked you this question? " " Why? " said he. " Because, Sir, I would advise you, after you be come into France, to forbid all your sworn councillors to accept anything from those who have any business to transact with you; for you may be sure that, if they do, they will give a more ready and attentive ear to those who give them gifts; just as you did to the Abbot of Cluny." The King summoned a full council; and told them by the way what I had said to him; and they said, that I had given him very good advice.

The King heard talk of a barefoot friar named

Brother Hugh; and because of his great reputation, the King sent for this friar, that he might hear him speak. On the day that we reached Hyères, we looked along the road by which he was coming, and saw an immense crowd of people, both men and women, following him. The King had him to preach. The first part of the sermon was about men of religion, and ran as follows: " Sirs" said he " I see many men of religion in the King's Court and about his person. It is of these" said he "that I will speak first. They are not in a state to work out their salvation: or else the Holy Scriptures lie; and that cannot be. For the Holy Scriptures tell us, that a monk cannot live out of his cloister without deadly sin, any more than a fish can live out of water. Those religious men who are with the King, may say, that this is their cloister; in that case I say to them that it is the biggest cloister that ever I saw, for it stretches to both sides of the sea. And if they say, that in this cloister one can live a strict life for the salvation of one's soul, there I do not believe them; for when I have dined with them, it was off divers sorts of flesh, and good strong wines; wherefor I am quite sure that had they been in their cloister, they would not have been so well off as they are with the King."

He instructed the King in his sermon, how he should behave himself for his people's happiness; and at the end of his sermon, he said, that he had read the Bible and those books that compare with the Bible, but that in no book, whether of believers or infidels, did he ever find that any kingdom or lordship was ever overthrown nor changed hands, save from lack of justice. " Therefor," said he, " let the King, now that he is going to France, see to it, that he deal so justly with his people, as to keep the love of God; so that God may not take the kingdom of France away from him so long as he lives."

I said to the King, that he should keep him amongst us as long as he could; but the Friar would do nothing for him. Then the King took me by the hand; and said: " Let us go and entreat him again." We went to him, and I said to him: "Sir, do what my lord asks you, and stay with him as long as he is in Provence." But he answered me very wrathfully, " Certainly, Sir, I shall not do so.

I will rather betake me to some place where I shall be more pleasing to God than in the King's company." He stayed one day with us, and the next day went away again; and now, as I have since heard, he lies in the city of Marseilles, where he performs many fine miracles.

On the day that the King left Hyères, he walked down on foot from the castle, because the slope was very steep; and walked on some distance, until, not being able to get his own palfrey, he was obliged to mount mine. And when his palfreys came up, he rounded on Poynce, the squire, very tartly. When he had rated him thoroughly, I said to him, " Sir, you ought to put up with a good deal from Poynce, for he served your father and your grandfather before you." " Seneschal," said he, " it is not he that has served us, but we that have served him, by tolerating him about us, with his bad faults. King Philip my grandfather told me, that one should reward one's servants, one more and another less, according as to how they perform their service; and he used to say, moreover, that no one could be a good ruler of a land, if he did not know how to refuse as boldly as to grant. And I teach you this," said the

King, " because the world is so greedy in asking, that there are but few who regard their soul's salvation nor their worldly honour, so long as they can transfer their neighbour's goods to themselves, by fair means or by foul."

The King travelled through the county of Provence to a city called Aix-in-Provence, where it was said that the body of Magdalen was laid. And we went into a very lofty cave in a rock, where they said that the Magdalen had dwelt as a hermit for seventeen years.

When the King reached Beaucaire, and I saw him in his own territory and dominion, I took leave of him, and travelled home by way of my niece the Dauphine of Viennois, and my uncle the Count of Châlons, and his son the Count of Burgundy; and when I had stayed for a while at Joinville, and put my affairs in order, I set out to join the King, whom I found at Soissons; and he welcomed me so heartily that all who were there were astonished. There I found Count John of Brittany and his wife (the daughter of King Tibald) who offered her homage to the King for such rights as she laid claim to in Champagne; and the King appointed a

day for her and King Tibald II, who was there, to come to the Parliament at Paris; that the case might be heard, and justice done between the parties. To the Parliament came the King of Navarre and his council, and likewise the Count of Brittany.

At this Parliament, King Tibald asked for my Lady Isabel, the King's daughter, to have to wife. There was a good deal of talk among our people of Champagne because of the affection which they had seen the King show me at Soissons; so I did not hesitate to go to the King of France to speak about this marriage. "Go," said he, "first make peace with the Count of Brittany, and then we will see about your marriage." And I told him, that he ought not to allow that to interfere. And he replied, that nothing should induce him to conclude the marriage, until peace should have been made; for he would not have it said that he married his children to the disheritage of his barons.

I reported these words to Queen Margaret of Navarre and the King her son and the rest of their council; and thereupon they hastened to make peace. And after peace was concluded, the King

of France gave his daughter to King Tibald; and the wedding was celebrated at Melun, with great pomp and solemnity; and thence King Tibald took her to Provence, where they were met and welcomed by a great number of barons.