large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_01_yonge_64kb_75
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_01_yonge_64kb
English
12344
After twenty years, in 1270, he attempted another crusade, which was still more unfortunate, for he landed at Tunis to wait for his brother to arrive from Sicily, apparently on some delusion of favourable dispositions on the part of the Bey. AFTER TWENTY YEARS IN TWELVE SEVENTY HE ATTEMPTED ANOTHER CRUSADE WHICH WAS STILL MORE UNFORTUNATE FOR HE LANDED AT TUNIS TO WAIT FOR HIS BROTHER TO ARRIVE FROM SICILY APPARENTLY ON SOME DELUSION OF FAVORABLE DISPOSITIONS ON THE PART OF THE BAY
queen, and advanced on Cairo; but near Mansourah he found himself entangled in the canals of the Nile, and with a great army of Mamelukes in front. A ford was found, and the English Earl of Salisbury, who had brought a troop to join the crusade, advised that the first to cross should wait and guard the passage of the next. But the king's brother, Robert, Count of Artois, called this cowardice. The earl was stung, and declared he would be as forward among the foe as any Frenchman. They both charged headlong, were enclosed by the enemy, and slain; and though the king at last put the Mamelukes to flight, his loss was dreadful. The Nile rose and cut off his return. He lost great part of his troops from sickness, and was horribly harassed by the Mamelukes, who threw among his host a strange burning missile, called Greek fire; and he was finally forced to surrender himself as a prisoner at Mansourah, with all his army. He obtained his release by giving up Damietta, and paying a heavy ransom.  CITY OF DANETTA THERE HE LEFT HIS QUEEN AND ADVANCED ON CAIRO BUT NEAR MANSURA HE FOUND HIMSELF ENTANGLED IN THE CANALS OF THE NILE AND WITH A GREAT ARMY OF MAMELUKES IN FRONT A FORD WAS FOUND AND THE ENGLISH EARL OF SALISBURY WHO HAD BROUGHT A TROOP TO JOIN THE CRUSADE ADVISED THAT THE FIRST ACROSS SHOULD WAIT AND GUARD THE PASSAGE OF THE NEXT BUT THE KING'S BROTHER ROBERT COUNT OF OTTOIS CALLED THIS COWARDICE THE EARL WAS STUNG AND DECLARED HE WOULD BE AS FORWARD AMONG THE FOE AS ANY FRENCHMAN THEY BOTH CHARGED HEADLONG WHEN ENCLOSED BY THE ENEMY AND SLAIN AND THOUGH THE KING AT LAST PUT THE MAMELUKES TO FLIGHT HIS LOSS WAS DREADFUL THE NILE ROSE AND CUT OFF HIS RETURN HE LOST GREAT PART OF HIS TROOPS FROM SICKNESS AND WAS HORRIBLY HARASSED BY THE MAMELUKES WHO THREW AMONG HIS HOST A STRANGE BURNING MISSILE CALLED GREEK FIRE AND HE WAS FINALLY FORCED TO SURRENDER HIMSELF AS A PRISONER AT MANSURA WITH ALL HIS ARMY HE OBTAINED HIS RELEASE BY GIVING UP DANETTA AND PAYING A HEAVY RANSOM
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