Boy Crusaders: A Story of the Days of Louis IX. Read online

  CHAPTER XI.

  THE VOYAGE.

  IT was the Saturday before Pentecost, in the year 1249, when the fleetof King Louis and the armed pilgrims, consisting of no fewer thaneighteen hundred vessels, great and small, issued gallantly from theport of Limisso, and steered towards Egypt.

  At first nothing could have been more gay and pleasant than the voyageof the Crusaders. It seemed as if the whole sea, so far as the eye couldreach, was covered with cloth and with banners of bright colours.Everything appeared promising. The voyage, however, was not destined toprove prosperous. Suddenly the wind, which had been favourable, changed,and blew violently from the coast of Egypt. Great confusion was theconsequence; and, though the Genoese mariners exerted all their skill,the fleet was utterly dispersed. Indeed, when King Louis, having putback, reached Limisso, he found, to his horror, that not more thantwo-thirds of the armed pilgrims remained in his company. Concludingthat his companions had been drowned, the saintly monarch was grievedbeyond measure, and on the point of giving way to despair.

  It happened, however, that while Louis was mourning over the mishap,William Longsword, Earl of Salisbury, arrived at Cyprus with the EnglishCrusaders, and administered some degree of consolation. In truth,Longsword was just the man to explain all in the most satisfactorymanner. Having been accustomed from his youth to cross the narrow seas,he felt none of that vague terror of the ocean which made the Frenchknights, when they embarked, invoke the protection of the saints; and heexpressed his opinion that, in all probability, the missing vessels weresafe on the Syrian coast. But the indifference which the earl showed fordangers at which the French trembled had the effect of making him manyenemies, and arousing the natural jealousies which afterwards proved sobaneful to the expedition.

  It ought to be borne in mind, that at the period of St. Louis's crusadethere existed no love between the nobles of France and the nobles ofEngland; and it appears that the French were in the habit of treatingthe English with some degree of scorn. Nor was it unnatural that suchshould have been the case; for, during half a century, in almost everystruggle between the kingdoms, the French had been victorious. PhilipAugustus, after holding his own against Richard Coeur de Lion, hadsucceeded in driving John from the continent; and Louis, when forced totake the field against Henry, had pursued his royal brother-in-law fromthe bridge of Taillebourg to the gates of Bordeaux. Remembering suchtriumphs, the French, who have in all ages been vain and boastful, werecontinually vaunting about their prowess, and repeating the story ofsome Englishman having cut off the tail of Thomas a Becket's horse, andof Englishmen having ever after that outrage been born with tails likehorses.

  Such being the state of affairs, the Earl of Salisbury did not inspirethe French nobles with any particular affection for him and hiscountrymen who had arrived at Cyprus, when they heard him speakinglightly of the dangers of the sea. In fact, the French lords, who a fewhours earlier had been sinking under sea-sickness, trembling at thesound of raging billows, and wishing themselves safely in their owncastles, cursed 'Longsword,' as the worst of 'English tails.'

  But the King of France did not share the malice of his countrymen; and,much comforted by the words of the English earl, he resolved on againtempting the sea. Accordingly, on Monday morning, he ordered themariners to spread their sails to the wind. The weather provingfavourable, the fleet made gallantly for the shores of Egypt; and on themorning of Thursday, about sunrise, the watch on deck of the vessel thatled the van, shouted 'Land!'

  'Surely, not yet,' exclaimed several voices; but the pilot to makecertain ascended to the round-top of the vessel.

  'Gentlemen,' cried the pilot, 'it is all right. We are before Damietta,so you have nothing to do but to recommend yourselves to God.'

  'Hurrah!' shouted the mariners; and from ship to ship the tidingspassed; and, as the words of the pilot flew from deck to deck, a cry ofjoy burst from thousands of lips. Great was the excitement thatprevailed; and the chiefs of the expedition hastily arrayed themselvesto go on board the king's ship and hold a council of war.

  And now all eyes were turned towards the shore; and it seemed that theCrusaders were likely to encounter a desperate resistance in any attemptto land. A fleet and formidable engines of war defended the mouth of theNile. A numerous army of horse and foot appeared on the beach, as ifbent on contesting every inch of ground. At the head of this mightyhost, wearing armour of burnished gold, figured the Emir Fakreddin, oneof the foremost of Saracen warriors. From the midst trumpets and drumssounded a stern defiance to the armament of the Christians. But,undaunted by the aspect of affairs, the armed pilgrims steadily pursuedtheir course; and ship after ship, moving calmly forward, anchoredwithin a mile of the shore.

  Meanwhile, the pilgrims, princes, and nobles, had reached the king'sship; and Louis, leaning on his sword, received them with satisfactionon his countenance.

  'Gentlemen,' said he, 'our voyage has not been without its perils, butlet us be thankful that we are at length face to face with the enemiesof Christ.'

  'Yes, sire,' said the chiefs, 'and it is therefore expedient to formsome plan of action.'

  'And, under the circumstances,' added several, 'it will be prudent toawait our comrades who have been separated from us by the tempest.'

  It soon appeared that among the chiefs there was a general wish to awaitthe coming of their missing comrades; but the king was young, and thedrums and horns of the Saracens had so chafed his pride that he wouldnot hear of delay.

  'We have not come hither,' said he, excitedly, 'to listen to the insultsof our enemies; nor have we any port in which to shelter from the wind.A second tempest may disperse what remains of our fleet. To-day Godoffers us a victory; another day He may punish us for having neglectedto conquer.'

  'Sire, be it as you will,' replied the assembled chiefs, not caring todebate the point with their king.

  And so, with much less deliberation than was necessary under thecircumstances, and without duly considering the resources of the enemywhom they had to combat, King Louis and the chief Crusaders resolved todisembark on the morrow and give battle. Meantime a strict watch wasmaintained, and several swift vessels were despatched towards the mouthof the Nile to observe the motions of the Saracens.

  It happened that the Saracens, in spite of their dauntless show, were byno means in the best mood to make an obstinate resistance, nor were theyin any sanguine mood as to the result of their preparations. At such acrisis, the presence of the sultan was necessary to sustain theirspirits, and stimulate their fanaticism.

  Now at that time Melikul Salih was Sultan of Egypt; but he was not atDamietta, and his absence caused much uncertainty and dismay among thewarriors assembled to defend his dominions. Melikul Salih was then atCairo; and almost every man in Fakreddin's army knew that Melikul Salihwas dying.