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Itinerary
179
in a narrow space, so patient under the heat and toil of the day and the
attacks of the enemy, who exhorted each other to destroy the Christians,
could not doubt in his mind that it augured ill to our success from their
straitened and perilous position, hemmed in, as they were, by so large a
multitude; for the enemy thundered at their backs as if with mallets, so that
having no room to use their bows, they fought hand to hand with swords,
lances, and clubs; and the blows of the Turks, echoing from their metal
armour, resounded as if they had been struck upon an anvil. They were
now tormented with the heat, and no rest was allowed them. The battle fell
heavily on the extreme line of the Hospitallers; the more so, as they were
unable to resist, but moved forward with patience under their wounds,
returning not even a word for the blows which fell upon them, and
advancing on their way, because they were not able to bear the weight of
the contest. Then they pressed on for safety upon the centre of the army
which was in front of them, to avoid the fury of the enemy, who harassed
them in the rear. Was it wonderful that no one could withstand so
continuous an attack, when he could not even return one blow to the
numbers who pressed on him? The strength of all Paganism had gathered
together from Damascus and Persia, from the Mediterranean to the East;
there was not left in the uttermost recesses of the earth one man of fame or
power, one nation of valour, or one bold soldier, whom the Sultan had not
summoned to his aid, either by entreaty, by money, or by authority, to
crush the Christian race; for he presumed to hope he could blot them from
the face of the earth; but his hopes were vain, for their numbers were
sufficient, through the assistance of God, to effect their purpose. The flower
of the chosen youth and soldiers of Christendom had indeed assembled
together and were united in one body, like ears of corn on their stalks, from
every region of the earth; and if they had been utterly crushed and
destroyed, there is no doubt that there were none left to make resistance.
Chapter XIX. Ñ The battle continued, and the wonderful victory of the
Christians.

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Itinerary
180
A cloud of dust obscured the air as our men marched on and, in
addition to the beat, they had an enemy pressing them in the rear, insolent,
and rendered obstinate by the instigation of the devil. Still the Christians
proved good men, and, secure in their unconquerable spirit, kept
constantly advancing, while the Turks threatened them without ceasing in
the rear; but their blows fell harmless upon the defensive armour, and this
caused the Turks to slacken in courage at the failure of their attempts, and
they began to murmur in whispers of disappointment, crying out in their
rage, Òthat our people were of iron, and would yield to no blow.Ó Then the
Turks, about twenty thousand strong, rushed again upon our men pell
mell, annoying them in every possible manner; when, as if almost
overcome by their savage fury, brother Garnier de Napes, one of the
Hospitallers, suddenly exclaimed, with a loud voice, ÒO excellent St.
George! will you leave us to be thus put to confusion? The whole of
Christendom is now on the point of perishing, because it fears to return a
blow against this impious race.Ó Upon this, the master of the Hospitallers
went to the king, and said to him, ÒMy lord the king, we are violently
pressed by the enemy, and are in danger of eternal infamy, as if we did not
dare to return their blows; we are each of us losing our horses one after
another, and why should we bear with them any further?Ó To whom the
king replied, ÒGood master, it is you who must sustain their attack; no one
can be everywhere at once.Ó On the master returning, the Turks again
made a fierce attack on them from the rear, and there was not a prince or
count amongst them but blushed with shame, and they said to each other,
ÒWhy do we not charge them at full gallop? Alas! alas! we shall forever
deserve to be called cowards, a thing which never happened to us before,
for never has such a disgrace befallen so great an army even from the
unbelievers. Unless we defend ourselves by immediately charging the
enemy, we shall gain everlasting scandal, and so much the greater the
longer we delay to fight.Ó O, how blind is human fate! On what slippery
points it stands! Alas, on how uncertain wheels doth it advance, and with
what ambiguous success doth it unfold the course of human things! A
countless multitude of the Turks would have perished, if the aforesaid
attempt had been orderly conducted; but to punish us for our sins, as it is

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