King Richard, drawing his sword, rushed upon them, and they, pretending flight, drew him after them to a place where there was another body of Saracens in ambush. These started up with speed and surrounded the king to make him prisoner. Richard defended himself bravely, and the enemy drew back, though he would still have been captured if the Saracens had known who he was. But in the midst of the conflict one of his companions, William de Pratelles, called out in the Saracenic language that he was the "melech," that is, the king; and the Saracens, believing what he said, led him off captive to their own army. . . .

At the news of this action our men were alarmed, and seizing their arms, came at full gallop to find the king. When they met him returning safe, he faced about and with them. pursued the Saracens, who had carried off William de Pratelles, thinking they had got Richard himself. They could not, however, overtake the fugitives, and Richard then returned to the camp, to the great joy of his soldiers, who thanked God for his preservation but grieved for William de Pratelles, who loyally redeemed the king at the price of his own liberty. Some of Richard's friends now reproved him for his temerity, and begged him not to wander abroad alone and expose himself to be taken by the ambuscades of the Saracens, who were especially eager to make him prisoner; but on all occasions to take with him some brave soldiers and not to trust to his own strength against such numbers. But, notwithstanding these admonitions on the part of his best friends, the king's nature still broke out. In all expeditions he was the first to advance and the last to retreat, and he never failed, either by his own valor or the divine aid, to bring back numbers of captives, or, if they resisted, to put them to the sword.

On another occasion Richard gained a great victory over vastly superior numbers of the foe.

The conflict was raging fiercely when the king came up, and as his retinue was very small, some of his men said to him,

"My lord, we do not think it prudent or possible, with our small body, to resist this great multitude, nor shall we be able to save our men who are fighting with the Saracens. It is better to let them perish than to expose your person and all Christendom to certain danger, while we have the power of escaping." Richard changed color with indignation at these words. "What!" said he, "if I neglect to aid my men whom I sent forward with a promise to follow them, I shall never again deserve to be called a king." He said no more, but, spurring his horse, dashed into the midst of the Saracens, overthrowing them on both sides of him, and brandishing his sword, carved his way to and fro among the thickest ranks, slaying and maiming every one he came near. In short, the enemy were put to the sword or took to flight, and our men returned with several prisoners to the camp. The same day three Saracens, from fear of death, perhaps, embraced Christianity and submitted to King Richard.

...

The discovery of a piece of the True Cross relics in the eyes of the crusaders is thus described.

most sacred of all

It happened, on the third day before the feast of St. John the Baptist, that the Christians were much comforted by news which was brought to King Richard. A devout man, the abbot of St. Elie, whose countenance bespoke holiness, came to the king and told him that a long time ago he had concealed a piece of the True Cross, in order to preserve it, until the Holy Land should be rescued from the infidels and restored entirely to its former state. He said further that he alone knew of this hidden treasure, and that Saladin had tried in vain to make him reveal its whereabouts. On account of his contumacy, Saladin had ordered him to be bound; but he persisted in asserting that he had lost the piece of the Cross during the taking of Jerusalem; and had thus deluded Saladin, notwithstanding the latter's anxiety to find it. The king, hearing this, set out immediately, with the abbot and a great number of people, to the place of which the abbot had spoken; and having taken up the piece of the True Cross with humble veneration, they

returned to the army; and together with the people they kissed it with much piety and contrition.

In 1192 Richard came to terms with Saladin and quitted the Holy Land, never to return.

The king... sent ambassadors to Saladin, announcing to him, in the presence of many of his chiefs, that he asked for a truce of three years for the purpose of revisiting his country and collecting more men and money, wherewith to return and rescue all the land of Jerusalem from his domination, if indeed Saladin should have the courage to face him in the field. To this Saladin replied, calling his own Holy Law and God Almighty to witness, that he entertained such an exalted opinion of King Richard's honor, magnanimity, and general excellence, that he would rather lose his dominions to him than to any other king he had ever seen, always supposing that he was obliged to lose his dominions at all.

CHAPTER XIII

THE FOURTH CRUSADE AND THE CAPTURE OF

CONSTANTINOPLE 1

1

GEOFFROY de Villehardouin (about 1160-1213) was one of the organizers of the Fourth Crusade. He also took an active part in the capture of Constantinople and the founding of the short-lived Latin Empire. His Conquest of Constantinople possesses, accordingly, great historical value. It has also real literary merit, for Villehardouin wrote lucidly, methodically, and with a directness of style which doubtless expressed the author's strong and vigorous personality. The work ranks among the most important productions of medieval French literature.

57. First Preaching of the Crusade 2

Be it known to you that eleven hundred and ninety-seven years after the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the time of Innocent III, pope of Rome, Philip II, king of France, and Richard I, king of England, there was in France a holy man named Fulk of Neuilly—which Neuilly is between Lagnisur-Marne and Paris - and he was a priest in that village. And Fulk began to speak of God throughout the Isle of France, and the other regions round about; and you must know that by him the Lord wrought many miracles.

Be it known to you, further, that the fame of this holy man so spread that it reached the pope, Innocent III; and the pope sent to France, and ordered the right worthy man to preach

1 Memoirs of the Crusades by Villehardouin and De Joinville, translated by Sir Frank Marzials. London, 1908. J. M. Dent and Sons.

2 Villehardouin, La conquête de Constantinople, ch. i, secs. 1–2.

the cross by his authority. And afterwards the pope sent a arimu a na Maste Pete & Capua, who himself had taken the cross, to proam the maulgence of which I now tell you, viz., that al vot should take the cross and serve in the host far one year wat be acivered from all the sins they had commited and volit be ackmovieaged in confession. And beaus us mugence was so great, the hearts of men were much moved, and many took the cross for the greatness of

58. The Covenant with the Doge of Venice 1

The crusaders hame assembled at Compiègne in France, sent six ervers. Vilcareouin among them. to Venice, in order to make arrangemerse ther pussigt preseas. The doge of Venice at this time was Henry Duna is a very oid man and blind.

When mass had been said, the doge desired the envoys to humbly ask the people to assent to the proposed covenant. The envoys came into the church. Curiously were they looked upon by many who had not before had sight of them.

Geoffroy de Viehardouin, the marshal of Champagne, by will and consent of the other envoys, acted as spokesman and said unto them, "Lords, the barons of France, most high and powerful, have sent us to you; and they cry to you for mercy, that you take pity on Jerusalem, which is in bondage to the Turks, and that, for God's sake, you help to avenge the shame of Christ Jesus. And for this end they have elected to come to you, because they know full well that there is no other people having so great power on the seas as you and your people. And they commanded us to fall at your feet, and not to rise till you consent to take pity on the Holy Land which is beyond the seas."

Then the six envoys knelt at the feet of the people, weeping many tears. And the doge and all the others burst into tears of pity and compassion, and cried with one vcice, and lifted up their hands, saying, "We consent, we consent!” Then was

1 Villehardouin, La conquête de Constantinople, ch. vi, secs. 26-30.