266 AÎOTAXS OF ROGER DE HOVEDEÏf. A.D. Π 02. of our Lord, queen Eleanor, mother of Richard, king of England, was at Normandy, at Bonville sur Toke. On the same day of the Nativity of our Lord, Richard, king of England, was in the land of Sulia, at Tours, of Ascalon, intending, after the Nativity of our Lord, to lay siege to the city of Jerusalem ; and, on the day of Saint Hilary, he held a conference there with the Templars and Hospitallers and the whole army, as to besieging the city of Jerusalem. However, they were of opinion that he ought not to move onward, but that he should return for the purpose of fortifying Ascalon ; on which, he proceeded to Ascalon, and fortified it, and in fortifying it expended a considerable time. Eifteen days before Easter, the duke of Burgundy and the Pranks left him, saying that they would stay no longer with him, unless he would supply them with necessaries ; but the king declined to supply them with anything. During Lent, the king of England fortified Blanchward, Galatia, and Gazere ; and on Easter day he held there a general festival, in tents outside of the town. After Easter, he rode through the territories of the pagans, and found their corn ripe; on which, he caused it all to be gathered by the Christians, as forming half their supply of corn. He made a stay on the plains of Ascalon until Pentecost, and, on the last day of Pentecost, rode to Le Darun, a strongly-fortified castle, near the great river Euphrates, and in this excursion took prisoners twenty-four pagans and one Rene, who had formerly been a Christian, and had denied our Lord Jesus Christ ; on which, the king set him up as a mark for arrows, and he was pierced to death. On the Monday after the close of Pentecost, he laid siege to Le Darun, and on the Pridayfollowing took it" by storm, and found there nineteen hundred pagans alive, whom he at once gave to Henry, count of Champagne. In the meantime, after Easter, a great dissension had arisen between the Pisans and the Genoese who were before Acre ; so much so, that they slew one another ; and the duke of Burgundy, at the request of the Genoese, sent to Tyre for the marquis Conrad, wishing to appoint him king. On this, the Pisans sent to the king of England, who at this time was staying at Ascalon, and informed him of the intentions of the duke of Burgundy. Accordingly, the king came to Acre, and demanded of the duke of Burgundy fifteen hundred pounds of silver which he had lent him ; on which, the duke, not having