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Itinerary
243
obeyed his commands, and dismounting, returned on foot, and waited
patiently until some nobles and men of influence prayed Gervier, the
master, on their knees, to forgive him, and remit his transgression, warning
him not to behave in like manner for the future. Both sides now laboured in
the contest with doubtful success. The heavens resounded with the shouts
of war; the earth was moist with blood; swords rung as they clashed
together, shields rattled, and each side was agitated by equal fury. Our
men, fatigued by the weight of the battle, began to waver, when, by divine
providence, the count of Perche, bearing the noise of the combat, came up;
yet he shewed himself but a timid man, and the French would have been
routed on that day, had not the bishop of Salisbury, hearing the tumult,
come quickly to their succour.
Chapter LII. Ñ How, while the army was staying at Betenoble, a large number of
our men, who had the charge of the caravans from Joppa, were vilely treated and
most roughly beaten by the Turks, and how they were rescued by the earl of
Leicester.
On the seventeenth of June, i.e.  on St. BotolphÕs day, being
Wednesday, our caravan was on its way from Joppa to the army, laden
with provisions and other necessaries. Ferric of Vienna was deputed to
conduct it, in the place of Count Henry, who should have protected the
rear, but who had been sent to Acre. Ferric had that day asked Baldwin de
Carron and Clarenbald de Mont Chablon, to take charge of the caravan,
lest the people should straggle too widely, or be incautiously separated;
but they nevertheless fell into this error, and paid the penalty of their
negligence. These were Manassier de Lisle, Richard de Erques, Theoderic
Philip, and some comrades of Baldwin de Carron, Otho, and many squires,
with their relations and friends, who proved their friendship in the hour of
need. The foremost of our men moved quickly forwards, but the hindmost
followed with a slow and unwilling pace; when suddenly, not far from
Ramula, the Turkish horse from the mountains, bursting from their
ambush, rushed upon the latter at full speed, and endeavoured to get
before them; they therefore penetrated and passed through the horses,

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Itinerary
244
which formed the hindmost of the caravan. There Baldwin de Carron was
thrown from his horse; but brandishing his drawn sword and multiplying
his blow in all directions, he proved inaccessible to the enemy, In that
encounter Richard Torques and Theodoric were thrown from their horses,
but Baldwin fought with great courage until his men brought him a horse,
and helped him to mount it. There was then a very severe conflict, and
honourable to both sides; drawn swords flashing, the one side attacking,
and the other defending themselves most bravely; horses wandering up
and down without riders; the Turks rushing about, and our men fighting
stoutly. As often as the Turks felled a man to the ground, our men closed
round him, and raising him up, helped him to mount his horse, each
assisting one another. But our men fought at great odds, for they were very
few compared with the hosts of the enemy, and each contended separately
with the foe, and was hid as it were by the multitude of his adversaries;
whence it was not to be wondered that the enemyÕs numbers excluded our
men; for whenever one of our bravest men was thrown from his horse, he
was overpowered by numbers, and the horses were wounded and much
weakened by the showers of darts that were thrown at them. Moreover
Baldwin was soon after thrown a second time from his horse, and he
immediately commanded one of his men-at-arms to dismount from the
horse on which he sat, and himself mounted on it, immediately after
which, the man, who had behaved himself with great prowess, had his
head cut off. Our men now stood on the defensive, and Philip, the comrade
of Baldwin, who behaved himself with great distinction, was taken
prisoner, and with him the Turks took another man-at-arms of great
prowess, and killed the brother of Richard. The timid would dread a
renewal of such a combat. Baldwin and his comrades fought with their
swords and defended themselves with all their might. But Clarembald de
Mont Chablon deserted his men, and took to flight as soon as he saw the
numbers of the Turks increase. Then the conflict was renewed with fresh
vigour, and Baldwin was a third time thrown from his horse, and so beaten
with clubs, as almost to be rendered lifeless; the blood flowed in streams
from his nose and ears, whilst his sword was blunted from constant use,
and was unserviceable from its point being broken. Then Baldwin, on

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