when she cast herself out of bed on her knees before him, and requested that he would grant her a boon. The knight, with an oath, promised compliance. The queen then said, "Sir knight, I request, on the oath you have sworn, that should the Saracens storm this town and take it, you will cut off my head before they seize my person." The knight replied, that he would cheerfully so do, and that he had before thought of it, in case such an event should happen. The queen was, shortly after, delivered of a son in the town of Damietta, whose name was John, and his surname Tristan,* because he had been born in misery and poverty. The day she was brought to bed it was told her, that the Pisane, the Genoese, and all the poorer commonalty that were in the town, were about to fly and leave the king. The queen sent for them, and addressed them,—"Gentlemen, I beg of yon, for the love of God, that you will not think of quitting this town ; for you well know if you do, that my lord the king, and his whole army, will be ruined. A t least, if such be your fixed determination, have pity on this wretched person who now lies in pain, and wait until she be recovered, before you put it into execution. They answered, they could not remain longer in a town where they were dying of hunger. She said, they should never die of hunger; for that she would buy up all the provision that was in the place, and retain it henceforward in the name of the king. This she was obliged to do ; and all the provision that could be found was bought up, which, on her recovery a little time after, cost her upwards of three hundred and sixty thousand livres to feed these people. Notwithstanding this, the good lady was forced to rise before she was perfectly recovered, and set out for the city of Acre, for Damietta was to be surrendered to the Turks and Saracens. It should be known, that although the king had suffered such a variety of woes, his attendants, when he embarked, had not made any preparations for him on board, such as robes, bed, bedding, and other necessary things. He was thus forced, for six days, to sleep on mattresses, until we arrived at Acre. The king had not any other habiliments but two robes which the sultan had caused to be made for * Tristan died in 1270, at Tunis, aged twenty years.