ι.ΐ). 1022.] ι.κττκι: OF DI: ΜΟΝΤΛΟΚΤΚ. Martel, holding the office of preceptor in England, greeting. —Although we have from time to time informed you of the prosperity which attended us in the affairs of Jesus Christ, we now by this present letter relato to you in the order they have, happened the reverses which we, owing to our sin-, nave met with in the land of Egypt. The Christian army after the capture of Dainietta having remained quietly at that place for a long time, the people of our side of the water, as well as those of the transmarine provinces, cast reproofs and reproaches on us on that account; and the duke of l'avaria having arrived, as lieutenant of the emperor, explained to the people that he had come fertile purpose of attacking the enemies of the Christian faith. A council therefore was held by our lord the legate, the duke of Bavaria, the masters of the templars and hospitallers, and the Teutonic order, the earls, barons, and all the rest, at which it was unanimously agreed by all to make an advance. The illustrious kimr ot Jerusalem also, having been sent for, came with his barons, and with a licet of galleys and armed ships to Damictta, and found the army of the Christians lying in their camp outside the lines. After the feast of the apostles Petri- and Paul, then his majesty the king and the legate, with the whole Christian army, proceeded in order both by land and water, and discovered (he sultan with an innumerable host of the enemies of the cross, who however (led before them ; ami so they proceeded without loss till they arrived at the camp of the sultan; this was surrounded by the river which they were unable to cross; the Christian army therefore pitched its camp on the bank, and constructed bridges to cross over against the sultan, from whose camp wc were separated by the river Tatuiis, which is a branch of the great river Nile. Whilst we made sonic stay there, great numbers left our army without leave, so that it was decreased by ten thousand men or more. In the meantime the sultan, by means of a trench constructed previously, when the Nile rose, sent galleyand galliots into the river to obstruct our ship-, that no -applies might come from Damietta tons, we being then destitute of provisions; for they could not reach us by land, athe Saracens prevented them. The road both by - -a ami land, by which necessary supplies could reach n-. being thus