Microsoft Word richard of holy trinity inp

Richard besieged, assaulted, and stormed the city, and raised his standard on the
towers, which gave umbrage to the king of France, who was preparing to assist the
Lombards.
But by means of that old enemy of the human race, whose part it is to
disturb peace and excite sedition, the dispute was renewed on the morrow,
so that a more destructive altercation arose between the citizens and the
pilgrims. Meanwhile the two kings had a conference with the justiciaries of

---

Itinerary
106
Sicily and the chief citizens, to treat of peace and security; when behold, a
cry arose that the natives were already slaying the men of the king of
England; which when the king minded not, chiefly because the Lombards
asserted that it was not true, there came a second messenger announcing
that the natives had attacked the pilgrims. The Lombards, who had been in
the same conflict, persuading him that it was not so, thought to circumvent
the king by falsehood: when a third messenger rushed in headlong,
exclaiming that such peace was not to be approved of when the sword was
actually banging over their necks. Then the king, hastening without delay
from the said conference, mounted on horseback, and went out with the
design of putting a stop to the quarrel and making peace between the
wranglers. There were two Lombards, very cunning and deceitful, at
whose instigation the mob of the city had been excited against the pilgrims;
who, to conceal their craft by a lie, asserted that they had come thence, and
that no harm had been done: their names were Jordan Luppin and
Margarit. When King Richard arrived at the spot, the two parties were
already at blows, and strove no longer with words, but with fists and
bludgeons; and the Lombards now inflamed with rage, instead of yielding
to the kingÕs endeavours to separate the combatants, attacked him with
contumelious and profane railings; whereupon he, irritated by their
mockeries, took up arms, and besieged them in their city. The French,
meanwhile, doubtful what their lord the king would do, ran about in
search of him here and there; when they saw him come hastily from the
place of conference and enter the palace in which he was lodged. There
was a general commotion in the city; every one seized upon what came to
hand, and they talked boastingly of defending themselves to the last. The
Lombards went to the king of France to implore his aid and assistance,
offering to give themselves and their property into his power and will, if he
would relieve their city from the assaults of the king of England, and take it
into his own subjection. The king of France immediately took up arms, and
as we were told by one who knew the truth, answered that he would rather
assist the Lombards than the men of the king of England, although he was
bound to him by his oath, and had pledged his honour to give him aid and
to be faithful to him everywhere. The gates of the city being closed and

---

Itinerary
107
guards placed along the battlements, there arose a clamour, tumult, and
commotion from the assaulters without; while those within ran to arms
and seized whatever weapons fury supplied them with to defend
themselves. The French having joined themselves with the Lombards, they
were animated with one purpose, and acted together as one body. But
those without knew not that their associates had thus become their
adversaries. Some Lombards had gone out before the gates of the city were
shut, to attack the hostel of Hugh le Brun, and obstinately persevered in
fighting. The king of England, hearing of it, turned his course thither, and
when they saw him coming, they took hastily to flight and were scattered
in a moment, like sheep before wolves; after which, their attacks and
revilings ceased. The king pursued them as far as a postern of the city,
which they made for, not daring to look at, much less resist, him, though
the king is said to have had only twenty men when he first attacked them.
He slew some of them, however, as they entered the postern. The
Lombards, now seeing that the attack had become serious, and that they
were besieged in earnest, resisted with all their might, and occupying the
battlements of the walls, they hurled down stones and javelins from bows
and slings like showers of rain; and impeded their assailants in every way
they could, either to put an end to their assaults, or cause them to be less
formidable; and thus at the commencement of their impetuous defence,
they did much hurt to our men, killing some, bruising others, wounding
and shattering the limbs of many; for by the shower of darts, javelins, and
stones that were thrown at us, we lost, besides others, three knights, Peter
Tireprete, and Matthew de Saulcy, and Radulph de Roverei. Indeed, if they
had had the true faith of Christ in them, and a due regard for justice, they
might have made a great slaughter of our men, and might have conquered
by their numbers; but their arrogance and dishonesty deservedly proved
hurtful to them, who had wrought such injury without a cause; for the
number of the citizens and others who defended the city was said to exceed
fifty thousand. You might there see men making most valorous attacks to
force an entrance, some showering darts, and others assaulting the gates;
while our galleys from seaward occupied the port opposite the palace, and
blockaded the city: but the king of France hindered them from entering the

---