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JOHN LORD DE JOINVILLE Memoirs of Louis IX, King of France

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JOHN LORD DE JOINVILLE
Memoirs of Louis IX, King of France
page 73



and I will follow you close." I also, the lord de Joinville, said to the constable, that I would be one of his knights, and follow him in such a case as this. All of us now galloped straight to Massoura, and were in the midst of the Turkish army, when we were instantly separated from each other by the greater power of the Saracens and Turks. Shortly after, a Serjeant at mace of the constable, with whom I was, came to him, and said the king was surrounded by the Turks, and his person in imminent danger. You may suppose our astonishment and fears, for there were between us and where the king was full one thousand or twelve hundred Turks, and we were only six persons in all. I said to the constable, that since it was impossible for us to make our way through such a crowd of Turks, it would be much better to wheel round and get on the other side of them. This we instantly did. There was a deep ditch on the road we took between the Saracens and us ; and, had they noticed us, they must have slain us all : but they were solely occupied with the king, and the larger bodies : perhaps also they might have taken us for some of their friends. As we thus gained the river, following its course downward between it and the road, we observed that the king bad ascended it, and that the Turks were sending fresh troops after him. Both armies now met on the banks, and the event was miserably unfortunate; for the weaker part of our army thought to cross over to the division of the duke of Burgundy, but that was impossible from their hordes being worn down, and the extreme heat of the weather. As we descended the river, we saw it covered with lances, pikes, shields, men and horses, unable to save themselves from death. When we perceived the miserable state of our army, I advised the constable to remain on this side of the river, to gnard a small bridge that was hard by ; " for if we leave it," added I, " the enemy may come and attack the king on this side ; and if our men be assaulted in two places, they most be discomfited/' There then we halted ; and you may believe me when I say, that the good king performed that day tbe most gallant deeds that ever I saw in any battle. It was said, that had it not been for his personal exertions, the whole army would have been destroyed ; but I believe that the great courage he


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