Itinerary
133
peace and friendship; he sent, besides, the vessels which had been
plundered from it, and the emperor caused tents to be erected forthwith on
the spot where the abovementioned conference took place.
Chapter XXXVII. Ñ
Of the flight of the emperor by night through Famagusta as
far as Candosia, and of the capture of Nicosia.
On
the following night, at the suggestion of a treacherous knight
named Pain de Caiffa, the emperor, trusting to the darkness, fled away
with all speed on a valuable and favourite horse, for the knight told him
that King Richard intended to seize upon him that night, and throw him in
chains; and the emperor, frightened thereat,
escaped to his city of
Famagusta, leaving behind him his tents and chargers, and all his
household stuff. On hearing which, King Richard commenced a pursuit
after him, with his galleys, accusing him of perjury and the violation of his
word, and he entrusted to King Guy the conduct of his army by land to
Famagusta, where he arrived on the third day, and found it deserted, for
the emperor, convinced that it would not be safe for him to stand a siege,
concealed himself in the woods,
where access was difficult, that, if our men
should venture to pass through, he might attack them from an ambuscade.
The king, on arriving at Famagusta, gave orders that the ports of the sea
should be most strictly watched by his galleys, in order that he might take
the emperor prisoner, if he attempted to escape. And, after staying there
three days, there came as ambassadors, the bishop of Beauvais, and Drogo
de Mirle,
a nobleman of high renown, to exhort him to cross the sea
without delay, and to assure him that the king of France would not proceed
to the assault of Acre before his arrival; and they added words of rebuke,
that he had neglected necessary matters, and expended his endeavours on
vain duties, and was presumptuously persecuting innocent Christians,
when so many thousand Saracens were to be attacked in the land
adjoining, for whom, even his valour, although so mighty, would be no
match on trial.
To this message, the king replied in angry terms, by no
means suitable for insertion here; but their labour was in vain, although
they used every argument to dissuade him from his purpose, for he was