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God; and began with much earnestness to entreat him to accept the crown
of the kingdom, without excuse or hesitation, and to marry the widow of
the marquis, as the kingdom was hers by right of inheritance. To this he
replied, that he would act according to the advice of his uncle, King
Richard, respecting the settlement of the business, to which it had pleased
the Lord to call him; and immediately, ambassadors were sent to announce
to King Richard the solemn election of Count Henry by all the people, and
the horrible assassination of the marquis.
Chapter XXIX. Ñ Of the great zeal with which King Richard fought, slew, and
made captives of the Turks.
Meanwhile, before the messengers from Tyre to King Richard
reached their destination, the fair season sat in, after the cold winter
months; and King Richard began again to attack the Turks, with
indefatigable ardour, as before. For there never was a man like him, nor
one whom the Turks feared so much; no one had ever before injured them
in like manner, falling upon them almost single-handed, and bringing back
the heads of his foes, sometimes ten in a day, sometimes twelve, or twenty,
or thirty, according as they happened to fall in his way; and besides all this,
he would also bring home captives every day in large numbers. There
never was a man in the times of the Christians who destroyed so many
Saracens single-handed.
Chapter XXX. Ñ How Mestoc was ransomed, and how some of our men-at-arms,
while out foraging, were captured by the Turks.
On the Thursday before the feast of Saint Alphage, Mestoc, who, as
aforesaid, was taken with many others in the city of Acre, was ransomed
and released. Shortly after this, some of our men-at-arms and servants,
who had gone out in search of fodder for the beasts of burden, while
proceeding incautiously too far, were set upon by an ambuscade of the
Saracens, and many were killed and make captives, as well as a large
number of horses.
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Chapter XXXI. Ñ Of the fight between King Richard and a boar that he met, and
of the kingÕs boldness in the contest
On the Wednesday before the feast of St. Mark the evangelist, the
king and his army set out to Gadida to protect the city, but found no one
there, for the enemy had taken to flight when they heard of his coming. On
their way back, the king attacked a fierce boar, which, hearing the noise of
the party passing by, had come out and stood in the way. The fierce
animal, foaming at the mouth with rage, and with his shaggy hair bristling
up, and his ears erect, seemed to be collecting all his strength and fury to
receive or make an attack. He did not move from his place when the king
shouted; nay, when the king made a circuit round him, he also turned
himself in his astonishment round in a circle, and kept in the same place
which he had first occupied. The king now making use of his lance for a
hunting spear, moved on to pierce him; and the boar, turning a little to one
side, prepared to meet him. The animal was of enormous size, and terrible
aspect, and the lance which was boldly thrust against his broad breast
broke in two, from not being strong enough to bear the pressure of both, as
they were closing with each other. The boar, now rendered furious by his
wound, rushed with all his might upon the king, who had not an inch of
room, or a moment of time to turn away; so putting spurs to his horse, he
fairly leapt over the animal unharmed, though the boar tore away the
hinder trappings of his horse; but the activity of the latter frustrated the
blow; and the part of the lance which was fixed in the animalÕs breast
prevented him from coining to closer quarters. They then make a
simultaneous attack on each other, and the boar made a rapid movement,
as if to close with the king; but he, brandishing his sword, smote him with
it as he passed, and stunned him with the blow; then wheeled round his
horse, and cutting the boarÕs sinews, he consigned the animal to the care of
his huntsmen.
Chapter XXXII. Ñ Of the capture of some Turks by our men.
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