AMD. I2484] THE KING A8SUMB8 THE CROSS. 979 Buffer hie face to be covered, or buried ae it were, declaring continually that he was alive. During the conversation of these ladies, our Lord worked upon him, and restored to him his speech. The good king desired them to bring him a crucifix, which was done ; and when the good lady, his mother, heard that he had recovered his speech, she was in the utmost possible joy ; but when she came and saw that he had put on the cross* she was panic-struck, and seemed as if she would rather have seen him dead. In the like manner as the king had put on the cross, so did Robert, count d'Artois ; Alphonso, count of Poitiers ; Charles, count et Anjou, who was afterwards king of Sicily ; all three brothers to the king ; Hugh, duke of Burgundy ; William, earl of Flanders ;• his brother Guion de ITandres, who died shortly after at Compiegne ; the valiant count Hugh de St. Pol ; his nephew, Sir Walter, who behaved most gallantly beyond sea, and would have gained great renown had longer life been granted him. The count de la Marche, whom we have lately mentioned, was also of the number ; Sir Hugh le Brun and his son ; the count de Salebrnche ; Sir Gaubert d'Apremont and his brothers, in whose company, being my cousins, I, John de Joinville, crossed the sea in a small ship which we hired. W e were twenty knights : ten of whom accompanied me, and ten came with my cousins. This event took place after Easter, in the year of grace 1248. Before my departure, I summoned all my men and vassale of Joinville, who came to me the vigil of Easter-day, which was the birthday of my son John, lord of Anoarville, by my first wife, sister to the count of Grand Pré. During that whole week I was occupied in feasts and banquets with my brother do Vaucouleur, and all the rich ment of that part of * Richer, monk of Sens, ears in his Chronicle, eh. 10, that the king put on the croni in eonaeonenee of a vision that he had during this illness. Matthew Fuis mentions aererai circumstances of this illness. f Our author makes use of this mode of expression In sereni parts of his history, to point out the herons and great lords of a country, in imitation of the Spaniards, who divide their nobility into three orders, Heat ombre», cavaueroe, end in/ançot. These are called in France, barane, knights, end squires. The term baron is generally under stood to mean all those who hare a right to bear a banner in the