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Christians within the trenches vigorously repelled the Turks, who had fiercely
attacked them from without.
In the morning, therefore, all armed themselves, and some of the
bravest soldiers chosen from the whole army were posted at the trenches
towards the exterior, against the repeated annoyances and sudden attacks
of the Saracens; for Saladin had vaunted that on that day he would cross

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the trenches in force, and prove his valour in humbling to the dust the
army of the Christians. But he kept not his word, and came not; though his
army, under the command of Kahadin, his vizier, came in a body to the
trenches and attempted to cross them; but the French were not slow to
resist, and endeavoured to drive them off. The slaughter on both sides was
great; and the Turks dismounting, advanced on foot with greater ease, and
having joined battle, fought most obstinately with swords, hand to hand,
and with poignards and two-edged axes, and some of them used clubs
bristling with very sharp teeth. Their strokes on the one hand, and cries on
the other, were terrific, and many were slain on both sides. The Turks
pressed on, and the Christians drove them back; the one the most obstinate,
the others the most valiant of men; but they effected this with so much the
more difficulty, as the numbers of the Turks who pushed on was the
greater, and both melted with twofold heat, as it was now summer. Those
who directed their attacks against the city tried by every means in their
power to batter down or undermine the walls, or else to surmount them
with scaling-ladders. The Turks who were shut up in the city, dreading the
spirit of our men, hoisted a signal to the Turks of SaladinÕs army without,
and intimated to them, either to make an attack, for the purpose of
removing the French from the walls, or to give them instant succour. The
Turks from without pressed on obstinately, when Kahadin learnt this, and
driving our men back with all their might, violently filled the ditch; but the
Christians, notwithstanding, resisted, and opposed their attacks, so that by
GodÕs aid our men stood as an impenetrable wall, and the enemy was
repulsed. Meanwhile, the men employed by the king of France to
undermine the wall, advanced so far as to remove the foundations, and
they filled the space thus dug out with logs of wood, and set them on fire;
these ignited the piles of wood forming the foundations of the wall, which
sunk down gradually, with a slight inclination, and without falling
altogether. A large number of Christians hastened to that part, in order to
enter and drive back the Turkish army. 0! how many banners might then
be seen there, and piles of wood, of different shapes, and on the other hand
the Turks throwing Greek fire; on the one side were the French applying
ladders to the wall, that was but partially thrown down, and trying to cross

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over; whilst the Turks were also mounting with ladders on the other side to
defend the breach which had been made in it.
Chapter X. Ñ How Alberic Clements was slain by the Turks whilst scaling the
walls.
There happened a wonderful event, not to be passed over in silence.
There was a man of renown for his tried valour and excellence, named
Alberic Clements, who, when he saw the French toiling to very little
purpose, exerted his strength in the vehemence of his ardour, exclaiming,
ÒThis day I will perish, or, if it please God, I will enter into the city of
Acre.Ó With these words, he boldly mounted the ladder; and as he reached
the top of the wall, the Turks fell on him from all sides and killed him. The
French were on the point of following him, but were overwhelmed by the
pressure of numbers which the ladder could not hold; and some were
bruised to death, and others dragged out much injured. The Turks shouted
with the greatest joy and applause when they saw the accident, for it was a
very severe misfortune. They surrounded and overcame Alberic Clements,
who was left alone on the top of the wall, and pierced him with
innumerable wounds. He thus verified what he had before said, that he
would die a martyr if he was unable to render his friends assistance by
entering Acre. The French were much discouraged by his loss, and ceasing
the assault, gave themselves up to lamentation and mourning on account
of his death, for he was a man of rank and influence and great valour.
Chapter XI. Ñ How the French from without undermine the tower Maledictum,