be deliuered vnto them. The Saracens seing the prideMarginaliaThe pride of Earle of Artoys.and gredines of the Frēch men, in no case could abide it: which turned after to the great detriment of our Christians, as in the ende it proued. Ex Mat. Paris. fol. 229.

MarginaliaDeath of certaine of the Frēch captaines in the way.First, in the Isle of Cyprus and in the iourney before died the Erle of Palatine, & one of þ^e xij. Peeres of Fraūce, also the Earle of S. Paule & Blesse, who had vnder him fiftie enseignes. Which were all after his death scattered abroad and dispersed. Also dyed Ioannes de Denis a valiaunt Captayne with many other noble personages both men and wemen, which by altering the ayre and diet there deceased. fol. 229.

MarginaliaAn. 1250.
Victory of the French men ouer the Saracens.The next yeare ensuing, which was. 1250. about Ashewedensday the French men issuing out of their tentes by the Citie of Damiata, flew vpon the Saracens, which besieged them, and so after a great number of the enemyes slayne, with victory and great spoyles, returned to theyr 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 defence 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 vpon them: MarginaliaFrenchmē discomfited by the Saracens.but in that cōflict, the Saracens had so strongly appointed themselues, that the French men lost ten tymes more then they got the day before, & so after a great slaughter of their men, retyred to their tentes agayne: wherupō the Saracens begō to take great hartes & courage against our men, stopping 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 galey as about Alexandria and all the land of Egypt, so inclosed the Seas, that no intercourse should be to them by water. fol. 231.

MarginaliaThe Frenchmen agayne well offred by the Soldā.At length after long talke and consultation betwene them on both sides, the Soldan aduised them bytime to resigne to hym the Citie of Damiata, wyth the furniture which they found therin, and they should haue all þ^e countrey about Ierusalem, wyth all the captiues of the 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 & the popes Legate agayne refuse the forme of peace offred.Thys forme of peace, as it liked well the meaner sort of þ^e poore souldiours and diuers other of sage counsayle and nobilitie: so the proud Earle of Artoys the kynges brother, in no case would assent therto, but still required the Citie of Alexandria to be yelded to them. Which the Egiptians by no meanes would agree vnto.

MarginaliaFamine & misery in the French campe.From that tyme the French army being compassed by Sea and by land, began euery day more and more to be distressed for lacke of victuall, and famine, being driuē to that misery, MarginaliaThe french men eate their horses in lent time.that they were fayne to eate their owne horses in the Lent tyme, which should haue serued them to other vses. Neither could any Christian, nor Fridericke being deposed by the Pope, be able to send them any succour. Furthermore the more miseries the Christians were in, þ^e more fiercely did the Saracens presse vpon them on euery side, detesting their forward wilfulnes. In so much that diuers of the Christian souldiours not able to abyde the affliction, priuely conueyed themselues, as they could, out of the campe, to the Saracens, who were gladly receaued and reliued, and some suffered still to keepe their fayth: Some marying wiues amongest them, and for hope of honour did Apostatate to their law: and so wrought no litle harme to the Christians.

MarginaliaThe Soldans message, deriding the Frenchmen.The Soldan beyng perfectly instructed by these fugitiues of all thinges belonging to the kinges army, sent him word in derision, asking, where were all his mattockes, forckes, & rakes, his sithes, plowes, and harowes, which he brought ouer with hym? or why he did not occupy thē, but let them lye by hym to rust and canker? All thys and much more, the kyng with his French men were faine to take well in worth. MarginaliaThe Soldan dyeth, a worse followeth.It happened shortly after, that thys Soldā died, being poysoned of his owne seruaunts. Which was to the Christians a more heaping of their myseryes. For albeit the sayd Soldan had bene a cruell tyraunt to þ^e Christians, yet was he hated of his owne people, wherby his strength was the lesse: After whom succeded an other, much more cruell. Who as he was better loued, so he became much stronger by a generall confederacie of all þ^e Saracens which were in the East partes, ioyning now together. MarginaliaThe Frenchmen desire agayne the peace offered before, and coulde not haue it.So that when the Christians desired now to haue the forme of peace before proffered, he precisely denied thē. And so the French host which at first began to be feared, by their pride and ouer much gredines grew more and morein contempt amongest their enemyes, and now was vtterly despised.

The Christians thus seeing all thynges to goe backeward with them, and how the infidell Saracens dayly did preuayle, began to murmure agaynst 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 the tyme of remembrance, haue we bene confounded by these Saracens and infidels, who with sheding of our bloud, haue enioyed great spoyles and victories? first this Citie of Damiata, which we Christians had gotten dearely with effusion of somuch Christen bloud, afterward we were constrained for nought to resigne vp agayn. MarginaliaVictories ouer the Templaries & kepers of Ierusalem.After that the army of the Tēplaries, fightyng for the holy Temple agaynst the Saracens, neare to Antioch, was vanquished, and the standerd bearer slayne in the field. Agayne within these few yeares, our Frenchmen fighting in like maner agaynst the Saracens at the Citie of Gazara, were put to the worse, and many afterward out of captiuitie raūsomed, by Richard Duke of Exceter, brother to the king of England Henry 3. Then came in the Chosmorins, sent by the Soldan of Babylon, which by a wyle inuaded the Christiās in the Citie of Ierusalē, where almost all the Christiā army beyng in the holy land, 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 against vs, and fighteth with them? hath he more regard of them, then of vs? &c. Mat. Parisiens. fol. 231. Such murmuring wordes of an vnstable fayth 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 and discord was amongest them, what crueltie and murther they had shewed at home in persecutyng the poore Albingenses, what superstition they first brought out with them, with what Idolatry they proceded, putting their trust in masses, in the popes indulgences, in worshyppyng of images, and praying to Saintes. MarginaliaCauses debated why the Lord did not prosper the Christians fightyng agaynst the Saracens.And what helpe then could they looke for at Gods hand, which had Images in their temples, to fight agaynst them which had none? Or what maruell, if the Lord of hostes went not with their army, committyng such Idolatry euery day in their pauilions to their Sacramentall bread and wyne as they did, and fightyng with the strength of their owne merites, and not onely by the power of their fayth in Christ, which is onely the victory that ouercommeth the world? Iohn. I. MarginaliaThe Popes warres neuer went well forward agaynst the Infidels.and finally hauyng in their campe the Legate of him whom the Lord taketh to be hys enemy? MarginaliaFriderike the Emperour cursed of the Pope, blessed of God.As by example of Fridericke the Emperour may be wel perceaued who after he was accursed by pope Gregory a litle before, comming the same tyme to warre against the Saracens in Palestina, Gods blessyng wrought so mightely with him, that without any bloudshed he recouered Ierusalem, & set all the countrey about it in great quietnes, till at last the Popish Templaries, which at the popes settyng on, went about to betray him, to the Soldā of Babylon,

MarginaliaTemplaries set on by the Pope to betray the Emperour.& so lost all agayne by their owne malicious mischief that the Emperour before had gotten. Ex Mat. Parisiens.

But let vs procede further in this holy progresse. The French kyng with his army, seyng himselfe distressed, and no good there to be done against the Soldan of Egypt, after he had sufficiently fortified the Citie of Damiata, with an able garrison left with the Duke of Burgundie, he remoued his tentes from thence, to go Eastward. MarginaliaWilliam Longspath.In whose armey also folowed William Longspath (of whom mention was touched before) accompanyed with a pyked number of English warriers reteinyng vnto him. MarginaliaGrudge and disdayne betwene the Frēch campe & the Englishe souldiours.But such was the disdayne of the French men agaynst this William Longspath and the Englishmen, that they could not abyde them, but flouted them after opprobrious maner, with English tayles: in somuch that the good kyng himselfe had much ado to keepe peace betwene them.

The original cause of this grudge betwene them began thus. There was not farre from Alexandria in Egypt, a strong fort or Castle, replenished with great Ladyes, and rich treasure of the Saracens. MarginaliaA booty gotten by the Englishe souldiours about Alexandria.The which hold it chaunced the said William Longspath, with his company of English souldiours to get, more by good lucke and politicke dexteritie, then by open force of armes, wherby he with his retinue were greatly enriched. When the Frenchmē had knowledge hereof, they beyng not made priuey hereto, began to conceiue an hart burnyng agaynst the English souldiours, and could not speak well of them after that. MarginaliaA venterous act of Williā Longspath.It happened agayn not long after, that the said William had intelligence of a cōpany of rich Marchantes among the Saracens goyng to a certaine fayre about the partes of Alexādria, hauyng their