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Itinerary
124
the hands of the infidel persecutors of Christians. Therefore, when they had
come forth from the fort and reached a certain plain, the natives began to
surround and kill them; but though unarmed, they resisted as much as
they could, and effected not less slaughter than their adversaries, though
they had only three bows to defend themselves with, which they had kept
concealed from the natives. There was amongst them one Roger de
Hardecurt, who, having found a mare and mounted her, rode down the
crowd that opposed him; and also William du Bois, a Norman, and a most
skilful archer, scattered first these, then those, by casting darts and arrows
at them incessantly. The soldiers who were yet on board, seeing this, came
hastily with their arms to their succour; and the Griffons, with their bows
and slings, hindered them as much as they could from landing; but by the
protection of the Lord they sallied from their ships and came into port
unhurt. At last, after the Griffons had been dispersed and were giving way,
the pilgrims, coming out of the aforesaid fort, and defending themselves,
came in the rear, and made their way to the port, where they found our
men, who had disembarked from their ships, fighting with all their might
against the Griffons who opposed them. Having thus formed a junction,
they dispersed the Griffons, and gained the port of Limozin, in which was
the buss of the two queens that had put in before the arrival of King
Richard, as has been said before; but owing to their ignorance of the state
of the island, and from dread of the cruelty and treachery of the emperor,
they had not disembarked.
Chapter XXXI. Ñ Of the arrival of King Richard at Cyprus.
On the same day, towards evening, on which the pilgrims had made
their exit from the aforesaid port, viz. on a Thursday, the emperor of
Cyprus, who had been informed of their arrival, came to the city; and when
the pilgrims made complaint of the injuries they had received, the emperor
promised every kind of satisfaction, and agreed to restore the money taken
from the shipwrecked men; and they also obtained entrance and egress
into and from the city of Limozin, on condition of a mutual exchange of
four men as hostages. Meanwhile, the emperor gave orders that the

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Itinerary
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warriors of all his empire should be assembled, and a mighty army formed.
The day after his arrival, the emperor sent a crafty message to the two
queens, bidding them put to shore for greater security, and go about as
they pleased without fear of molestation or ill-treatment from his people;
and on their refusing, he sent them the next day, under pretence of paying
them respect, bread and ramÕs flesh and wine from the vineyards of
Cyprus, which are said to have no match for quality throughout the world.
On the third day, also, he tried to circumvent and beguile them, by bland
and deceptive messages, and on the other hand they were in great state of
perplexity, lest the emperor should make them prisoners, if they should
listen to him, or else, if they obstinately refused, they must fear some
violence; for as yet nothing was known of the expected arrival of the king,
or the good condition of his fleet; but they kept him in suspense by
returning an ambiguous answer, saying, that on the morrow they would
place themselves at his disposal. In expectation of the fulfilment of this
promise, the emperor kept quiet; and while the queens were agitated by
intense anxiety, and were questioning and conversing with each other, that
same day, being Sunday, behold! there appeared in the distance, like
crows, on the foaming summit of the curling waters, two vessels, driven
forwards and sailing swiftly towards them. And while the queens, and
those with them, were in doubt as to what they were, some more ships
were espied coming on, and directly after the whole fleet was seen, bearing
down with rapid course to the port; and conjecturing that it was the kingÕs
fleet, they were so much the more rejoiced that it had come to their
succour, when they were despairing of their desolate position. And thus
King Richard arrived by the guidance of the Lord, after many dangers
overcome, in the port of Cyprus. Therefore, on the festival of St. John
before the Latin Gate (May 6), King Richard put into the port of Limozin,
with all his fleet, but did not go on shore.
Chapter XXXII. Ñ How King Richard with his forces, routed the emperor with