MarginaliaThe pride of Earle of Artoys.& gredynes of the French men, in no case could abide it: which turned after to the great detrimēt of our Christians, as in the ende it proued. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 229.

MarginaliaDeath of certayne of the French captaynes in the way.First, in the Isle of Cyprus and in the iourney before, dyed the Earle of Palatine, & one of the xij. Peers of Fraunce, also the Earle of S. Paule & Blesse, who had vnder him fiftie enseignes. Which were all after his death scattered abroad and dispersed. Also died Ioannes de Denis a valiaunt Captaine with many other noble personages both men and wemen, which by alteryng the ayre and dyet there deceased. fol. 229.

MarginaliaAnno. 1250.
Victory of the French men ouer þ^e Saracens.The next yeare ensuyng, which was. 1250. about Asshewedensday the French men issuyng out of their tentes by þ^e Citie of Damiata, flew vpon the Saracens, which besieged them, and so after a great number of the enemies slayne, with victory and great spoyles, returned to their tentes agayne. Now within the Citie of Damiata, was the Queene, with her Ladies, the Popes Legate, and Byshops, with a garrison of horsemen and footemen for the defense of the Citie strongly appointed. The next day, the French men supposing to haue the like hand of the Saracens, as they had the day before, gaue a fresh assault vppon them: MarginaliaFrenchmē discomfited by the Saracens.but in that conflict, the Saracens had so strongly appointed them selues, that the French men lost ten tymes more then they got the day before, and so after a great slaughter of their mē, retired to their tentes agayne: wherupon the Saracens began to take great hartes and courage agaynst our men, stoppyng all the passages round about the Citie of Damiata, that no vitayle could passe vnto them. In like maner the Soldan also gathering all the galeys about Alexandria and all the land of Egypt, so inclosed the Seas, that no intercourse should bee to them by water. fol. 231.

MarginaliaThe Frēchmen agayne well offred by the Soldan.At length after long talke and consultation betwen them on both sides, the Soldan aduised them bytime to resigne to him the citie of Damiata, with the furniture which they found therein, and they should haue all the countrey about Ierusalē, with all þ^e captiues of þ^e Christians frendly restored vnto them. Wherwith the Christians (sayd he) ought to be contented, and to seeke no farther, but onely to haue the land of Ierusalem, which beyng graunted to them, they should not encroch into other landes and kingdomes, wherto they had no right. MarginaliaThe Earle of Artoys and the Popes Legate againe refuse the forme of peace offred.This forme of peace, as it liked well the meaner sort of the poore souldiours and diuers other of sage coūsaile & nobilitie: so the proud Earle of Artoys the kynges brother in no case would assēt therto, but still required the Citie of Alexādria to be yelded to thē. Which the Egyptians by no meanes would agree vnto.

MarginaliaFamine & misery in the French campe.From that tyme the French army beyng compassed by Sea and by land, begā euery day more and more to be distressed for lacke of victuall, & famine, beyng driuen to that misery, MarginaliaThe frēch men eate their horses in lent tyme.that they were fayne to eate their owne horses in the Lent tyme, which should haue serued them to other vses. Neither could any Christiā, nor Fridericke beyng deposed by the Pope, be able to send them any succour. Furthermore the more miseries the Christians were in, the more fiercely did the Saracens presse vpon them on euery side, detesting their forward wilfulnes. In somuch that diuers of the Christian souldiours not able to abyde the affliction, priuely conueyed them selues, as they could, out of the camp, to the Saracens, who were gladly receaued & reliued, & some suffered still to kepe their faith: Some mariyng wiues amōgest thē, & for hope of honour did Apostatate to their law: and so wrought no litle harme to the Christians.

MarginaliaThe Soldans message, deriding the Frenchmē.The Soldan beyng perfectly instructed by these fugitiues of all thinges belongyng to the kynges army, sent him word in derision, asking, where were all hys mattockes, forckes, & rakes, his sithes, plowes, and harowes, which he brought ouer with him? or why he did not occupie them, but let thē lye by him to rust andcanker? All this & much more, the king with his French men. were fayne to take well inworth. MarginaliaThe Soldan dyeth, & worse followeth.It happened shortly after that this Soldā dyed, being poysoned of his owne seruaunts. Which was to the Christians a more heapyng of their miseries. For albeit þ^e sayd Soldan had bene a cruel tyrāne to the Christians, yet was he hated of his own people, wherby his strēgth was the lesse: After whō succeded an other, much more cruell. Who as he was better loued, so he became much strōger by a general cōfederacie of all þ^e Saracēs which were in þ^e East partes, ioyning now together. MarginaliaThe Frenchmen desire agayne the peace offered before, and coulde not haue it.So that whē the Christians desired now to haue the forme of peace before offered, he precisely denyed them. And so the French host which at first began to be feared, by their pride and ouer much gredynes grew more & more in cōtempt amōgest their enemies, and now was vtterly despised.

The Christians thus seyng all thinges to go backward with them, and how the infidell Saracens dayly did preuaile, began to murmure against God, and some also which were well setled before, to slacker in their Religion, castyng out these wordes of infidelitie: how is this (sayd they) that the Lord hath left vs in whose cause we fight? how often within þ^e time of remēbrance, haue we bene confounded by these Saracens & infidels, who with shedyng of our bloud, haue enioyed great spoyles and victories? first this Citie of Damiata, which we Christians had gotten dearely with effusion of so much Christen bloud, afterward we were constrayned for nought to resigne vp agayne. MarginaliaVictories ouer the Templaries and kepers of Ierusalem.After that the army of the Templaries, fighting for the holy Tēple against the Saracens, nere to Antioch, was vāquished, and the standerd bearer slayne in the field. Agayne within these few yeares, our French men fightyng in like maner agaynst the Saracens at the Citie of Gazara, were put to þ^e worse, and many afterward out of captiuitie raunsomed, by Richard Duke of Exceter, brother to þ^e kyng of England Henry 3. Then came in the Chosmorins, sent by the Soldan of Babylon, which by a wyle inuaded the Christians in the Citie of Ierusalem, where almost all the Christiā armye beyng in the holy lād, were destroyed. And now here our most Christian king together with the whole nobilitie, is like to be in daunger, vtterly to be ouerthrowen. And how is it, that the Lord thus standeth agaynst vs, and fighteth with them? hath he more regard of them, then of vs? &c. Mat. Paris. fol. 231. MarginaliaCauses debated why þ^e Lord did not prosper the Christians fighting against the Saracens.Such murmuryng woordes of an vnstable faith many there began to cast out, as takyng displeasure for their sufferynges, but not consideryng on the other side what Idolaters they were, what pride & discord was amōgest thē, what crueltie & murder they had shewed at home in persecutyng the poore Albingēses, what superstitiō they first brought out with thē, with what Idolatrie they proceded, puttyng their trust in Masses, in the Popes indulgences, in worshippyng of images, & praying to Saints. MarginaliaThe Popes warres neuer went well forward against þ^e Infidels.And what helpe then could they looke for at Gods hād, which had images in their tēples, to fight agaynst them which had none? Or what maruel, if the Lord of hostes went not with their army, committing such idolatrie euery day in their pauilions to their Sacramentall bread and wine as they did, and fightyng with the strength of their owne merites, and not onely by the power of their faith in Christ, which is onely the victorie that ouercommeth the world? Iohn. i. and finally hauing in their campe the Legate of him whom the Lord taketh to be his enemy? MarginaliaFriderike the Emperour cursed of the Pope, blessed of God.As by example of Fridericke the Emperour may be well perceaued who after he was accursed by Pope Gregory a litle before, commyng the same time to warre agaynst the Saracens in Palestina, Gods blessing wrought so mightely with him, that without any bloud shed he recouered Ierusalem, & set all the coūtrey about it in great quietnes, till at last the Popish Templaries, which at the Popes settyng on, went about to betray him, to the Soldan of Ba-