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faithful, attacked the tower Maledictum, and shook down and destroyed a great
part of the wall.
The king of France first recovered from his sickness, and turned his
attention to the construction of machines and petrari¾, suitable for attacks,
and which he determined to ply night and day, and he had one of superior
quality, to which they gave the name of ÒBad Neighbour.Ó The Turks also
had one they called ÒBad Kinsman,Ó which by its violent casts, often broke
ÒBad NeighbourÓ in pieces; but the king of France rebuilt it, until by
constant blows, he broke down part of the principal city wall, and shook
the tower Maledictum. On one side, the petraria of the duke of Burgundy
plied; on the other, that of the Templars did severe execution; while that of

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Itinerary
147
the Hospitallers never ceased to cast terror amongst the Turks. Besides
these, there was one petraria, erected at the common expense, which they
were in the habit of calling the Òpetraria of God.Ó Near it, there constantly
preached a priest, a man of great probity, who collected money to restore it
at their joint expense, and to hire persons to bring stones for casting. By
means of this engine, a part of the wall of the tower Maledictum was at
length shaken down, for about two polesÕ length. The count of Flanders
had a very choice petraria of large size, which after his death, King Richard
possessed; besides a smaller one, equally good. These two were plied
incessantly, close by a gate the Turks used to frequent, until part of the
tower was knocked down. In addition to these two, King Richard had
constructed two others of choice workmanship and material, which would
strike a place at an incalculable distance. He had also built one put together
very compactly, which the people called ÒBerefred,Ó with steps to mount it,
fitting most tightly to it; covered with raw hides and ropes, and having
layers of most solid wood, not to be destroyed by any blows, nor open to
injury from the pouring thereon of Greek fire, or any other material. He
also prepared two mangonels, one of which was of such violence and
rapidity, that what it hurled, reached the inner rows of the city market-
place. These engines were plied day and night, and it is well known that a
stone sent from one of them killed twelve men with its blow; the stone was
afterwards carried to Saladin for inspection; and King Richard had brought
it from Messina, which city he had taken. Such stones and flinty pieces of
rock, of the smoothest kind, nothing could withstand; but they either
shattered in pieces the object they struck, or ground it to powder. The king
was confined to his bed by a severe attack of fever, which discouraged him;
for he saw the Turks constantly challenging our men, and pressing on them
importunately, and he was prevented by sickness from meeting them, and
he was more tormented by the importunate attack of the Turks than by the
severity of the fever that scorched him.
Chapter VIII. Ñ How the Turks burnt with Greek fire all the machines and the
cat and cercleia belonging to the king of France, when assaulting the city.

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Itinerary
148
The city of Acre, from its strong position, and its being defended by
the choicest men of the Turks, appeared difficult to be taken by assault. The
French had hitherto spent their labour in vain in constructing machines
and engines for breaking down the walls, with the greatest care; for
whatever they erected, at a great expense, the Turks destroyed with Greek
fire or some devouring conflagration. Amongst other machines and
engines which the king of France had erected for breaking down the walls,
he had prepared one, with great labour, to be used for sealing it, which
they called Òa cat;Ó because like a cat it crept up and adhered to the wall.
He had also another, made of strong hurdle twigs, put together most
compactly, which they used to call a Òcercleia,Ó and under its covering of
hides the king of Franco used to sit, and employ himself in throwing darts
from a sling; he would thus watch the approach of the Turks, above on the
walls, by the battlements, and then bit them unawares. But it happened one
day that the French were eagerly pressing forward to apply their cat to the
walls, when, behold! the Turks let down upon it a heap of the driest wood,
and threw upon it a quantity of Greek fire, as well as upon the hurdle they
had constructed with such toil, and then aimed a petraria in that direction,
and all having forthwith caught fire, they broke them in pieces by the
blows from their petraria. Upon this, the king of France was enraged
beyond measure, and began to curse all those who were under his
command; and rated them shamefully for not exacting condign vengeance
of the Saracens, who had done them such injuries. In the heat of his
passion, and when the day was drawing in, he published an edict, by voice
of herald, that an assault should be made upon the city on the morrow.
Chapter IX. Ñ How, while the French army were undermining the city walk, the