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Itinerary
116
Chapter XXV. Ñ How the Pisans and the Genoese attack the guards of King
RichardÕs fleet.
It happened at that time that some Pisans and Genoese, heated with
wine, and disturbed by some cause or other, attacked the guards of King
RichardÕs fleet in a hostile manner, and from the vehement nature of their
assault a great number were killed on both sides. On the morrow, as if
grieving that they had not wrought their full malice the day before, they
returned to the attack, and while they were fiercely engaged, King Richard
came upon them hastily, and with difficulty restraining the combatants,
forced them to separate.
Chapter XXVI. Ñ Of the arrival of Queen Eleanor and Berengaria, the future
wife of King Richard, and of the departure, first, of the king of France, and then of
the king of England, for the Holy Land.
Therefore, in the year of our Lord 1191, with the dominical letter E,
after the stormy months of the more idle season of winter, when brighter
days were coming on, the people, who were wearied with slothful delay,
hailed with joy the arrival of the season for navigation; for the kings had
stayed in the city of Messina from the feast of St. Michael until after Lent.
They therefore held a conference about the transportation of their men,
alleging the inconvenience of further delay, both on account of the
presence of fine weather, and because their means would fail if spent in
useless idleness, and because their friends at Acre were suffering from
want of them, and they were grieved at having given them such tardy help.
While, therefore, each was preparing to proceed on his journey, couriers
arrived who informed Richard that his mother Eleanor was hastening after
him, and having completed her journey, was close at hand; and that she
was bringing with her the noble damsel, daughter of the king of Navarre,
named Berengaria, the intended wife of King Richard. A long time
previous, while yet count of Poitou, he had been charmed by the graces of
the damsel and her high birth, and felt a passion for her; on which account
her father, the king of Navarre, had committed her to the care of King

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Itinerary
117
RichardÕs mother to be carried to him, in order that he might marry her
before crossing the sea as he intended. All rejoiced at their coming.
Meanwhile the king of France, having made ready with all his equipment,
taking advantage of a favourable wind, set out with all his fleet, on the
Saturday after the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and King
Richard accompanied him some way in his galleys, with his noblest peers.
But he himself was not ready to cross the sea, for he had not yet collected
all his transport-ships; and he thought that they were not sufficiently
provisioned: moreover, he had heard that his mother was coming with the
illustrious Berengaria. When, therefore, he had let the king of France go on
his voyage in peace, crossing past the Faro he came to Risa, where he heard
that the queen his mother and Berengaria were, and having taken them on
board with great joy, he returned to Messina; where having stayed a short
time, he let his mother depart, and committed to her the care of his
kingdom, together with Walter, archbishop of Rouen, as we have said
before, a man of great virtue. And with them returned Guilbert de Gascuil,
by whose treachery the king of France afterwards gained possession of the
celebrated castle of Gisors, situated in a very strong position on the
confines of France and Normandy, which had been committed to his
safekeeping. But King Richard retained with him the aforesaid damsel,
whom he was about to marry. Queen Eleanor returned by Bourges, and
thence to Salerna, and thus to Normandy. But King Richard, having
furnished himself with every thing necessary for the voyage, prepared,
according to agreement, to follow after the king of France as quickly as be
could; and appointed Robert de Torneham to conduct and take care of the
fleet. He sent forward his betrothed, with his sister the dowager queen of
Sicily, in advance, in one of the ships which are commonly called dromons,
keeping a course direct to the east; he had also placed some knights on
board, and a numerous retinue of servants, for their comfort and
safekeeping. These kind of vessels are slower than others, on account of
their burthen, but of stronger make. The multitude of the galleys remained
immoveable, until the king, having dined, on account of the annoyances
which had happened, bade farewell, with all his army, to the natives, and
was on the point of setting out and committing himself to favourable

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