A.D. 1249.] ACCIDENT TO SIR WALTER D'ENTRACI^. 397 arme, as well on this side of the sea as on the other, and they were usually called the good knights. Among them were Sir Geoffroy de Sargines,* Sir Mahom de Marly,f Sir Philip de Nantuel, and Sir Ymhert de Beaujeu, constable of France ; hut these were not present when I made my request, being on the plain without the city, as well as the master of the cross-bows, with a large body of men-at-arms to prevent the Turks from approaching our main army. It happened that Sir Walter d'Entrache having caused himself to be well armed, and his lance and shield to be given to him, mounted his horse ; and one of the sides of his pavilion being raised, stuck spore into his horse, and rode full gallop against the Turks. He thus quitted his pavilion, attended only by one of his people, named Castillon ; but his horse flung him to the ground, and ran off, covered with his arms, full speed to the enemy; for the greater part of the Saracens were mouuted on mares, which caused the horse to play these tricks and run away. I heard from those who said they had witnessed it, that while the lord d'Entrache lay on the ground, four Turks came to him and, as they crossed him backward and forward, gave him heavy blows with their clubs, and would have killed him, if the constable of France had not gone to his succour with a body of king's troops which were under him. He was led back to his pavilion, but so much bruised by the blows he had received, that he was speechless. He was soon attended by the physicians and surgeons ; and because they did not think him in any danger of death, they bled him in the arm, from which fatal consequences ensued. Towards evening, Sir Àubert de Nancy desired I would accompany him on a visit to him, for that he was a man of great renown and valour : this I very willingly did, and we went together. On our entering his tent, one of his squires came to us, and desired we would tread softly, lest we might awaken him. We followed this advice, and found him lying on his mantle of minever,J which covered him ; but, on approaching his face, we saw he was dead. * He is called Gaufridus de Sarcinis, in an epistle of Pope Urban IV. in the fifth vol. of the Historians of France, p. 870. This letter informs ns that he remained in the Holy Land after the departure of St. Louis. f Mahieu de Marly, who was a nobleman descended from a branch of the Montmorend family. X In those days, the coverlids of beds usually consisted of skins of