Microsoft Word richard of holy trinity inp

Divine aid, he overthrew numbers of the enemy and returned safe out of the midst
of them to his own army.

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Itinerary
272
These matters settled, the king went down to the shore, where many
of our men had taken refuge on board the galleys. These the king exhorted
by the most cogent arguments to return to the battle, and share with the
rest whatever might befall them. Leaving five men as guards on board each
galley, the king led back the rest to assist his hard-pressed army; and he no
sooner arrived, than with all his fury he fell upon the thickest ranks of the
enemy, driving them back and routing them, so that even those who were
at a distance and untouched by him, were overwhelmed by the throng of
the troops as they retreated. Never was there such an attack made by an
individual. He pierced into the middle of the hostile army, and performed
the deeds of a brave and distinguished warrior. The Turks at once closed
upon him and tried to overwhelm him. In the meantime our men, losing
sight of the king, were fearful lest he should have been slain, and when one
of them proposed that they should advance to find him, our lines could
hardly contain themselves. But if by any chance the disposition of our
troops had been broken, without doubt they would all have been
destroyed. What however was to be thought of the king who was hemmed
in by the enemy, a single man opposed to so many thousands? The hand of
the writer faints to tell it, and the mind of the reader to hear it. Who ever
heard of such a man? His bravery was ever of the highest order, no adverse
storm could sink it; his valour was ever blooming, and if we may, from a
few instances, judge of many, it was ever indefatigable in war. Why then
do we speak of the valour of Ant¾us, who regained his strength every time
he touched his mother earth, for Ant¾us perished when he was lifted up
from earth in the long wrestling match. The body of Achilles also, who
slew Hector, was invulnerable, because he was dipped in the Stygian
waves; yet Achilles was mortally wounded in the very part by which he
was held when they dipped him. Likewise Alexander, the Macedonian,
who was stimulated by ambition to subjugate the whole world, undertook
a most difficult enterprise, and with a handful of choice soldiers fought
many celebrated battles, but the chief part of his valour consisted in the
excellence of his soldiers. In the same manner, the brave Judas Maccabeus,
of whose wars all the world discoursed, performed many wonderful deeds,

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Itinerary
273
worthy for ever to be remembered, but when he was abandoned by his
soldiers in the midst of a battle, with thousands of enemies to oppose him,
he was slain, together with his brothers. But King Richard, inured to battle
from his tenderest years, and to whom even famous Roland could not be
considered equal, remained invincible, even in the midst of the enemy, and
his body, as if it were made of brass, was impenetrable to any kind of
weapon. In his right hand he brandished his sword, which in its rapid
descent broke the ranks on either side of him. Such was his energy amid
that host of Turks, that, fearing nothing, he destroyed all around him,
mowing men down with his scythe as reapers mow down the corn with
their sickles. Who could describe his deeds? Whoever felt one of his blows,
had no need of a second. Such was the energy of his courage, that it
seemed to rejoice at having found an occasion to display itself. The sword
wielded by his powerful hand, cut down men and horses alike, cleaving
them to the middle. The more he saw himself separated from his men, and
the more the enemy sought to overwhelm him, the more did his valour
shine conspicuous. Among other brave deeds which he performed on that
occasion, he slew by one marvellous stroke an admiral, who was
conspicuous above the rest of the enemy by his rich caparisons. This man,
by his gestures seemed to say that he was going to do something
wonderful, and whilst he reproached the rest with cowardice, he put spurs
to his horse and charged full against the king, who waving his sword as he
saw him coming, smote off at a single blow not only his head, but his
shoulder and right arm. The Turks were terror-struck at the sight, and
giving way on all sides, scarcely dared to shoot at him from a distance with
their arrows. The king now returned safe and unhurt to his friends, and
encouraged them more than ever with the hope of victory. How were their
minds raised from despair when they saw him coming, safe out of the
enemyÕs ranks! They knew not what had happened to him, but they knew
that without him all the hopes of the Christian army would be in vain. The
kingÕs person was stuck all over with javelins, like a deer pierced by the
hunters, and the trappings of his horse were thickly covered with arrows.
Thus, like a brave soldier, he returned from the contest, and a bitter contest
it was, for it had lasted from the morning sun to the setting sun. It may

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