Microsoft Word richard of holy trinity inp

by praising King Richard and his troops, beyond all they had ever seen.
The sultan, hearing that his choice troops, in whom he had placed so
much confidence, were routed in this manner by the Christians, was filled
with anger and excitement; and calling together his admirals, he said to
them, ÒAre these the deeds of my brave troops, once so boastful, and
whom I have so loaded with gifts? Lo! the Christians traverse the whole
country at their pleasure, for there is no one to oppose them: Where now
are all their vaunts, those swords and spears with which they threatened to
do such execution? where is that prowess which they promised to put forth
against the Christians, to overthrow them utterly? They have fought the
battle which they desired, but where is the victory they promised? They are
degenerated from those noble ancestors who performed such exploits

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Itinerary
188
against the Christians, and whose memory will endure for ever. It is a
disgrace to our nation, the most warlike in the world, thus to become as
nothing in comparison with their glorious ancestors.Ó The admirals held
down their heads at these words; but one of them, named Sanscuns, of
Aleppo, returned this answer: ÒMost sacred Sultan, saving your majesty,
this charge is unjust, for we fought with all our strength against the Franks,
and did our best to destroy them: we met their fiercest attacks, but it was of
no avail; they are armed in impenetrable armour which no weapon can
pierce, so that all our blows fell as it were upon a rock of flint. And, further,
there is one among their number superior to any man we have ever seen:
he always charges before the rest, slaying and destroying our men: he is the
first in every enterprise, and is a most brave and excellent soldier; no one
can resist him or escape out of his hands: they call him Melech Ric.
19
 Such a
king as he seems born to command the whole earth: what then could we do
more against so formidable, an enemy?Ó
Chapter XXIII. Ñ How Saladin destroyed all the fortresses except Jerusalem,
Crach, and Darum.
Saladin, in the heat of his indignation, called to him his brother
Saphadin. ÒIt is my wish,Ó said he, Òto try what reliance can be placed on
my men in this extremity: go and destroy without delay the walls of
Ascalon and Guadres, but deliver Darum into the custody of my people, to
insure safety to those who pass that way. But destroy also Galatia,
Blancheward, Joppa, the castles of Plans, Maen, St. George, Ramula,
Belmont, Toron, the castle of Ernald, Beauverie, and Mirabel: destroy, in
short, all the mountain fortresses; spare neither city, castle, nor fort, except
Crach and Jerusalem.Ó Saphadin obeyed these commands, and destroyed
all these fortresses without delay.
19King Richard

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Itinerary
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Chapter XXIV. Ñ The Turks with 15,000 men attack our men on the river Arsur,
but without success.
Meanwhile, a powerful Saracen prince, named Caysac, urged Saladin
to send scouts into the plains of Ramula to reconnoitre the movements of
the Franks. ÒFor I hope,Ó added he, Òif I have stanch troops, to be able to
cut off the greater part of them, and to draw them into the narrow passes,
that few of them shall be able to escape us.Ó By his advice, Saladin ordered
thirty of his principal admirals, each at the head of five hundred men, to
occupy the banks of the river Arsur. Here, therefore, they kept guard, to
prevent the Franks from passing. On Monday, the morrow of the Nativity
of the Blessed Virgin, and the third day after the battle before mentioned,
King Richard marched with his army to the Arsur. The Templars were in
the rear, and marched with much order and circumspection, to guard
against sudden attacks of the enemy; but they reached the river without
opposition. The Turks now, having kept close in their ambuscade, when
the Christians came up, assailed the foremost of them with their javelins
and arrows, but failing of success, retreated, and our men encamped that
night on the Arsur. In the morning our infantry, who could hardly
maintain the march, advanced with the quarter-masters to Joppa, which
they found so entirely dismantled, that the army could not find lodgings in
it. They therefore encamped in an olive-garden on the left side of the town,
about three weeks after they left Acre.
Chapter XXV. Ñ How our ships brought us provisions from Acre to Joppa.
The army remained outside the walls of Joppa, and refreshed
themselves with abundance of fruits, figs, grapes, pomegranates, and
citrons, produced by the country round: when lo! the fleet of King Richard,
with other vessels, which accompanied the army and went to and fro
between Joppa and Acre, brought us necessaries, much to the annoyance of
the Turks, because they could not prevent them.

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