MarginaliaPerswasions geuen to the Fench king to turne his viage.other nobles, and his speciall frendes aduertised hym with great persuasiōs, to alter his minde touching that so aduenturous and so daungerous a iorney, for that his vow (said they) was vnaduisedly made, and in time of his sicknes, when his minde was not perfectly stablished: and what ieoperdies might happē at home it was vncerteine, the king of England beyng on the one side, the Emperour on the other side, and the Pictauians in the midst so fugitiue, and vnstable: and as concernyng his vow, the pope should frendly dispense with hym cōsideryng the necessitie of his Realme, and weakenes of his body. Besides all this his mother vpon her blessing required him, his brethren of all loues desired hym to stay at home, and not in his person to aduenture, other might be sent in his rowme, with no lesse furniture to achiue that enterprise, and to discharge him of his vow, especially seyng at the makyng therof his senses were feeble, his body weake, and reason through sicknes, and very death almost, decayd.

MarginaliaThe kinges aunswere to his Lordes laying downe and taking vp his crosse agayne.To whom the kyng agayne: for somuch (sayd he) as you say, that for feeblenes of my senses I tooke this vow vpon me, lo therfore as you here will me, I lay down the crosse that I tooke, and puttyng his hād to his shoulder, tare of the badge of the crosse, saying to þ^e Byshop, here Syr I resigne to you the crosse wherwith I was signed. At the sight wherof there was no small reioysing to all that were there present. To whom the kyng then both alteryng his countenaunce and his speach thus spake: My frendes (sayd he) what soeuer I was then in my sicknes, now I thanke God, I am of perfect sense, and reason sound, and now I require my crosse agayne to be restored vnto me: Saying moreouer that no bread should come in his head, before he were recognised agayne with þ^e same crosse, as he was before. At the hearing wherof all there present were astonied, supposing that God had some great matter to worke, and so moued no mo questions vnto him.

Marginaliaan. 1248
The French king setteth forth in his iorney.Vpon this drew nye þ^e feast of Ioh. Baptiste, which was the tyme set for the settyng forth. And now beyng in a readynes, þ^e kyng in few dayes after was entryng his iourney. But yet one thyng lacked. MarginaliaThe French king before his goyng desireth reconcilement betwene the Pope and the Emperour.For the kyng perceauyng the mortall variance betwene the Pope, and good Fridericke the Emperour, thought best first before his goyng to haue that matter appeased, wherby his way both might be safer through the Emperours countreys, and also lesse ieoperdy at home after his departure, and therfore vpon the same, tooke first his way to Lyons, where þ^e Pope was, partly to take his leaue, but most especially to make reconcilement betwen the Emperour and the Pope.

Where is to be noted by the way, that as touchyng the good Emperour there was no let nor stay. Who rather sought all meanes how to compasse the Popes fauour, and neuer could obteine it. MarginaliaThe Emperour Frederik purgeth himselfe by Thadeus his atturney to þ^e Pope and his counsell.In somuch that before he should be excommunicated in the Councell of Lyons, he not onely aūswered sufficiently by Thadeus his atturney, dischargyng him selfe agaynst what soeuer crimes or obiections could be brought agaynst him, MarginaliaThe submissiō of the Emperour to the Pope.but so far humbled him selfe to the Pope and the Coūcell, that for all detrimentes, damages, losses, or wrōgs done of his part, what amendes soeuer the Pope could or would require, he would recompense it to the vttermost. This would not be taken.

MarginaliaThe worthy offer of the noble emperour to the Popes counsell.Furthermore, if the Pope (he sayd) could not abyde his taryng in his owne dominions and Impire, he would go fight agaynst the Saracens and Turkes, neuer to returne into Europe agayne, offeryng there to recouer landes and kyngdomes what soeuer did at any tyme belong to Christēdome, so that the Pope onely would be contented that Henry hys sonne (which was then nephew to kyng Henry here in England) should be Emperour after hym. Neither could this be admitted.

MarginaliaThe Emperour offreth to put in the French king, and king of England to be his suerities, yet could not be heard.Thē he offered for truth of his promise to put in the French kyng and the kyng of England to be his sure-ties, or els for triall of his cause to stand to their award and arbitrement. Neither would that be graunted.

MarginaliaThe Emperour desireth to come in & aunswere for himselfe to þ^e councell, and could not be suffred.At least he desired, that he might come him selfe and aūswere before þ^e Councell. But the proud Pope in no case would abyde that, saying: that he did not yet finde him selfe so ready and mete for Martyrdome, to haue hym to come thether to the Councell: for if he dyd, hee would depart him selfe. &c. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 187. an. 1245.

MarginaliaThe pestilent rancor of Pope Innocent 4. against Friderike 2. is þ^e cause of all this mischiefe, that to this day we suffer by þ^e Turkes.This obstinate rancour and deuilish malice of Pope Innocent, and his predecessour agaynst that valiant Emperour, & agaynst the Grecians, what disturbance and mischief it wrought to the whole Church, what strength it gaue to the Saracens and Tartarians, how it empayred Christiā concord, and weakened all Christen landes, not onely the host of the French kyng dyd find shortly after, but all Christēdome euen to this day may & doth feele & rue. Neither can in stories be found any greater cause which first made the Turkes so strōg to get so much ground ouer Christēdome as they haue, then the pestilent workyng of this Pope in deposing and excommunicatyng this worthy Emperour. For as there was neuer no Emperour of long tyme, which more victoriously preuailed in brydlyng & kepyng vnder these enemyes of Christ, or would haue done more agaynst thē, then the sayd Fridericke, if he might haue bene suffered so after the deposing and excommunicatyng of him, when the French kyng neither would abyde at home, as he was counselled, MarginaliaThe beginning of þ^e Turkes victories ouer Christendome.neither yet was able, without the helpe of other, to withstand the force & multitude of the sayd Saracens and Tartarians beyng now ioyned together, neither yet could the Emperour be suffered by the Pope to rescue the kyng, it folowed therof, that the good kyng beyng take prisoner, and all his armye destroyed, the Turkes therupon got such a hand, and such a courage agaynst the Christiās, that euer since they haue brast in farther vpon vs, and now haue preuayled so farre as neither the power of the Pope nor of all Christēdome is able to driue them out, as hereafter by sequele of story, is further to bee declared.

MarginaliaPope Innocent 4. would not be reconciled with the Emperour.In the meane time, to returne where before we left, when the French kyng commyng thus to the Pope at Lyons, to entreate for the Emperour, could find no fauour, he tooke his leaue and w^t great heauines departed settyng forward on his iourney to Marsilia, & so sayled to þ^e Isle of Cyprus, where he remained al that winter, so that falling into penury and lacke of victuall, he was faine to send to þ^e Venitiās & other Islādes by for helpe of prouision. The Venitians gently sent vnto hym sixe great shyppes laden with corne, wyne and other victuals requisite, besides the relife of other Islands mo. MarginaliaThe frēch army relieued by the Emperour Friderik.But especially Fridericke the Emperour vnderstanding of their wāt, so furnished the French campe with all plenty of necessaries, that it had aboūdance. MarginaliaThe frēch king agayne entreateth þ^e Pope for the Emperour.Wherupon the French kyng moued with the kyndnes of the Emperour, wrote his speciall letters to the Pope in the Emperours behalfe, but the hard part of the Pope would not relent. Blanchia the kynges mother in Fraūce, hearyng what the Emperour had done to her sonne, sent him most harty thankes, with presentes and rewardes manifold. Mat. Paris. fol. 226.

MarginaliaDamiata gotten agayne by the French men.In this meane tyme about the begynnyng of October, the French men got Damiata, beyng the principall forte or hold of þ^e Saracens in all Egypt. an. 1249. fol. 228. After the wynnyng of Damiata, the Prince and people of the Saracens beyng astonyed at the losse therof, MarginaliaThe offers of the Saracens to the French men.offered to the Christians great ground and possessions more then euer belonged to Christendome before, so that they might haue Damiata to them restored agayne. MarginaliaThe offer of the Saracens refused.But the pride of the Earle of Artoys the kynges brother would in no case accept the offers of the Saracens, but required both Damiata and Alexandria the chief Metroplitane Citie of all Egypt to be deliuered vnto them. The Saracens seyng the pride