The voyage of William Longespee Earle of Sarisburie
into Asia, in the yeere 1248, and in the 32 yeere of the
reigne of Henry the third, king of England.
LEWIS the French king being recovered of his sickenesse
which he fell into, in the yere 1234, vowed thereupon for
a free will sacrifice to God, that he (if the Councell of his
realme would suffer him) would in his owne person visit
the Holy land: which matter was opened and debated in
the Parliament of France held in the yeere 1247. Where
at length it was concluded, that the king according to his
vow should take his journey into Asia, and the time
thereof was also prefixed, which should be after the feast
of S. John Baptist the next yeere ensuing.
At which time William Longespee a worthie warrior,
with the bishop of Worcester
and certaine other great men
in the
Realme of England (mooved with the example of
the Frenchmen) prepared themselves likewise to the same
journey.
It fell out in this enterprise, that about the beginning
of October, the French king assaulted and tooke Damiata,
being the principall fort or hold of the Saracens in all
Egypt
, Anno 1249. and having fortified the Citie with
an able garrison left with the Duke of Burgundie, he
remooved his tents from thence to goe Eastward. In
whose armie followed William Longspee, accompanied
with a piked number of English warriors retaining unto
him. But such was the disdaine of the Frenchmen
against this William Longespee and the Englishmen that
they could not abide them, but flouted them after an
opprobrious maner with English tailes, insomuch that the
French king himselfe had much adoe to keepe peace
betweene them.
The originall cause of this grudge betweene them began
thus. There was not farre from Alexandria in Egypt
a
strong fort or castle replenished with great Ladies and
rich treasure of the Saracens: which hold it chanced the
sayd William Longespee with his company of English
soldiers to get, more by politique dexteritie then by open
force of armes, wherwith he & his retinue were greatly
enriched. When the Frenchmen had knowledge hereof
(they not being made privie hereto) began to conceive an
heart burning against the English souldiers, & could not
speake well of them after that.
It hapned againe not long after, that the sayd William
had intelligence of a company of rich merchants among
the Saracens going to a certaine Faire about the parts of
Alexandria, having their camels, asses and mules, richly
loden with silkes, precious jewels, spices, gold & silver,
with cart loades of other wares, beside victuall and other
furniture, whereof the souldiers then stood in great need:
he having secret knowledge hereof, gathered all the power
of Englishmen unto him that he could, and so by night
falling upon the merchants, some he slew with their
guides and conducters, some hee tooke, some hee put to
flight: the carts with the drivers, and with the oxen,
camels, asses and mules, with the whole cariage and
victuals he tooke & brought with him, loosing in all the
skirmish but one souldier, and eight of his servitors : of
whom notwithstanding some he brought home wounded
to be cured.
This being knowen in the Campe, foorth came the
Frenchmen which all this while loytered in their pavillions, and meeting this cariage by the way, tooke all the
foresayd praie whole to themselves, rating the said
William and the Englishmen for adventuring and issuing
out of the Campe without leave or knowledge of their
Generall, contrary to the discipline of warre. William
said againe he had done nothing but he would answere to
it, whose purpose was to have the spoyle devided to the
behoofe of the whole armie.
When this would not serve, hee being sore grieved in
his minde so cowardly to be spoyled of that which he
so adventurously had travailed for, went to the King to
complaine: But when no reason nor complaint would
serve by reason of the proude Earle of Artoys the Kings
brother, which upon spight and disdaine stood agaynst
him, he bidding the King farewell sayd hee would serve
him no longer: and so William de Longespee with the
rest of his company breaking from the French hoste went
to Achon. Upon whose departure the earle of Artoys
sayd, Now is the army of French men well rid of these
tailed people, which words spoken in great despight were
ill taken of many good men that heard them.
But not long after, when the keeper of Cayro & Babylonia
, bearing a good mind to the Christian religion, and
being offended also with the Souldan, promised to deliver
the same to the French king, instructing him what course
was best for him to take to accomplish it, the king hereupon in all haste sent for William Longespee, promising
him a full redresse of all his injuries before received: who
at the kings request came to him againe, and so joyned
with the French power.
After this, it happened that the French king passing
with his armie towardes Cayro aforesayd, came to the
great river Nilus, on the further part whereof the Soldan
had pitched himselfe to withstand his comming over:
there was at this time a Saracen lately converted to
Christ, serving the earle Robert the French kings brother,
who told him of the absence of the Soldan from his tents,
and of a shallow foord in the river where they might easily
passe over. Whereupon the sayd earle Robert & the
Master of the Temple with a great power, esteemed to the
third part of the army issued over the river, after whom
followed W. Longspee with his band of English souldiers.
These being joyned together on the other side of the
water, encountred the same day with the Saracens remaining in the tents & put them to the worst. Which victory
being gotten, the French earle surprised with pride and
triumph, as though hee had conquered the whole earth,
would needs forward, dividing himselfe from the maine
hoste, thinking to winne the spurres alone. To whom
certaine sage men of the Temple, giving him contrary
counsell, advised him not to do so, but rather to returne
and take their whole company with them, and so should
they be more sure against all deceits and dangers, which
might be layd privily for them. The maner of that people
(they sayd) they better knew, and had more experience
thereof then he: alledging moreover their wearied bodies,
their tired horses, their famished souldiers, and the
insufficiency also of their number, which was not able to
withstand the multitude of the enemies, especially at this
present brunt, in which the adversaries did well see
the whole state of their dominion now to consist either in
winning all or losing all.
Which when the proud earle did heare, being inflated
with no lesse arrogancy then ignorance, with opprobrious
taunts reviled them, calling them cowardly dastards, &
betrayers of the whole countrey, objecting unto them the
common report of many, which sayd, that the land of the
holy crosse might soone be woon to Christendome, were
it not for rebellious Templaries, with the Hospitalaries,
and their followers.
To these contumelious rebukes, when the master of the
Temple answered againe for him and his fellowes, bidding
him display his ensigne when he would, and where he
durst, they were as ready to follow him, as he to goe
before them. Then began William de Longespe the
worthy knight to speake, desiring the earle to give eare
to those men of experience, who had better knowledge of
those countreyes and people then had he, commending
also their counsell to be discreet and wholesome, and so
turning to the master of the Temple, began with gentle
wordes to mittigate him likewise. The knight had not
halfe ended his talke, when the Earle taking his wordes
out of his mouth, began to fume and sweare, crying out
of those cowardly Englishmen with tailes: What a pure
armie (sayde he) should we have here, if these tailes and
tailed people were purged from it, with other like words
of villany, and much disdaine: whereunto the English
knight answering againe, well, Earle Robert (said he)
wheresoever you dare set your foote, my step shall go as
farre as yours, and (as I beleeve) we goe this day where
you shall not dare to come neere the taile of my horse,
as in deede in the event it prooved true: for Earle Robert
would needes set forward, weening to get all the glory
to himselfe before the comming of the hoste, and first
invaded a litle village or castle, which was not farre off,
called Mansor. The countrey Boores and Pagans in the
villages, seeing the Christians comming, ranne out with
such a maine cry and shout, that it came to the Soldans
hearing, who was neerer then our men did thinke. In the
meane time, the Christians invading and entring into the
munition incircumspectly, were pelted and pashed with
stones by them which stood above, whereby a great
number of our men were lost, and the armie sore maymed,
and almost in despaire.
Then immediatly upon the same, commeth the Soldan
with all his maine power, which seeing the Christian
armie to be devided, and the brother separated from
the brother, had that which he long wished for, and so
inclosing them round about, that none should escape, had
with them a cruell fight.
Then the earle began to repent him of his heady
rashnes, but it was too late, who then seeing William
the English knight doughtily fighting in the chiefe brunt
of the enemies, cried unto him most cowardly to flie,
seeing God (saith he) doth fight against us: To whom the
Knight answering againe, God forbid (sayth he) that my
fathers sonne should runne away from the face of a
Saracene. The Earle then turning his horse, fled away,
thinking to avoid by the swiftnes of his horse, and so
taking the river Thafnis, oppressed with harnesse, was
there sunken and drowned.
Thus the Earle being gone, the Frenchmen began to
dispaire and scatter. Then William de Longespe bearing
all the force of the enemies, stoode against them as long
as he could, wounding and slaying many a Saracen, till
at length his horse being killed, and his legges maymed,
he could no longer stande, who yet notwithstanding as
he was downe, mangled their feete and legges, and did
the Saracens much sorrow, till at last after many blowes
and wounds, being stoned of the Saracens, he yeelded
his life. And after the death of him, the Saracens setting
upon the residue of the armie, whom they had compassed
on every side, devoured and destroyed them all, insomuch that scarce one man remained alive, saving two
Templaries, one Hospitaler, and one poore rascall
souldier, which brought tidings, hereof to the King.
And thus by the imprudent and foolish hardines of
that French Earle, the Frenchmen were discomfited, and
that valiant English Knight overmatched, to the griefe
of all Christian people, the glory of the Saracens, and
the utter destruction and ruine of the whole French armie,
as afterwards it appeared.
