ON the Saturday before Pentecost, eighteen hundred vessels, comprising the fleet of St. Louis, most of whose friends had ere this met him at Cyprus, issued gallantly from the port of Limisso, and sailed towards Egypt. " It was a pleasant sight to see," says Join-ville; " for it seemed as if the whole sea, as far as the sight could reach, was covered with cloth, from the great quantity of sails that were spread to the wind."
The voyage of the crusaders did not, however, prove prosperous. At first, indeed, all was promising. But suddenly the wind changed, and blew violently from the coast of Egypt. In vain the Genoese mariners exerted their skill. The fleet was completely dispersed; and when Louis, putting back, reached Limisso, he discovered, with mortification, that scarcely one third of the ships remained in his company.
The king, who supposed the companions of his voyage had been drowned, was grieved beyond measure. But consolation was luckily at hand. Fortunately, while Louis was bewailing the fate of his friends, the Earl of Salisbury and the Duke of Burgundy arrived; and Longsword, accustomed, ere he " had put on his helmet," to the narrow seas, felt none of that vague dread of M the blue above and the blue below," which made the French knights invoke the saints in Paradise when they embarked. The English Earl, in fact, was just he man for the crisis. He could tell how his own father, in returning from the Holy Land, had narrowly escaped shipwreck, and point out that, in all probability, the missing vessels were quite safe on the Syrian coast. Of course, his hardihood only made him enemies; and the French knights, who had been sinking under sea-sickness, trembling for their lives, and wishing themselves back in their own castles, cursed the brave Earl as the worst of "English tails."
Louis, however, became more composed; and, the morning of Monday being fine, he resolved to pursue his voyage. The wind proving favorable, the fleet made for the Egyptian coast, and at sunrise, on Thursday morning, the watch on deck shouted out " Land!" Some doubt appears to have been entertained; but this feeling was speedily dissipated by a pilot, who ascended to the round top of the vessel that led the van. " Gentlemen," he cried, "we are before Damietta; so we have nothing to do but recommend ourselves to God."
A cry of joy burst from a hundred lips; the words flew from deck to deck; and much excitement prevailed throughout the fleet. Immediately the leaders of the crusade hastened on board the King's vessel. " Gentlemen," said Louis, as he received them leaning on his sword, " let us be thankful that we are, at length, face to face with the enemies of Christ."
So far, indeed, as appearances went, the crusaders had reason to believe that they were on the eve of a desperate struggle. The mouth of the Nile was defended by a fleet and by formidable engines of war; an innumerable army of horsemen and footmen covered the shore, as if bent on contesting every inch of ground. At the head of this mighty force, armed in burnished gold, appeared the Emir Fakreddin, whose very name was terrible to Christians; and from the midst of the host, trumpets and drums sounded a stern defiance to the approaching foe.
No impression was produced by this display on the hearts of the crusaders. Undaunted by the evidence of great preparations, they steadily pursued their course; ship after ship moving calmly forward, and anchoring o within a mile of the shore. Four galleys from the mouth of the Nile, advanced to reconnoitre the fleet; but three of them having been sunk, the fourth carried back intelligence that the crusaders were foes to be dreaded.
It was now necessary to form some plan of action; and a council of war was held on board the King's ship. The general wish was to await the arrival of the crusaders from whom they had been separated by the tempest; but the drums and horns of the Saracens had chafed the Saint-king's pride, and he would not hear of delay. "We have not come here," he said, "to listen to the insults of enemies. Besides, we have no port in which to shelter from the wind. A second tempest may disperse what remains of our fleet. To-day, God offers us a victory; another day, he may punish us for having neglected to conquer." Nobody cared to debate the point with their King; and it was resolved that the crusaders should next morning disembark and give the Saracens battle. Meanwhile, strict watch was maintained; and some swift vessels were despatched towards the mouth of the Nile, to observe the motions of the enemy.
When Friday morning dawned, the Saracens still occupied the entire shore, presenting a front as formidable as on the previous day. Nevertheless, the crusaders prepared to land; and getting into their barks, formed into two lines and made for the shore. Nor did Louis, at that hour, appear in any respect unworthy of the regal race of which he was the chief. Preceded by the oriflamme, attended by his brothers, by his chosen knights, and by the papal legate, the King, in complete armor, with his helmet on his brow, his shield on his , neck, and his lance in his hand, figured conspicuously on the right of his soldiers. Each of the barons and knights stood erect in his boat, with his horse by his side, his lance in his hand, and his eyes directed to the shore. Crossbowmen were placed in front and on the wings of the army, to annoy and gall the eager foe.
For a time, the barks moved onward without opposition, and the crusaders drew near to the Egyptian strand. But no sooner were they within bow-shot of the shore, than a shower of arrows and javelins threw them into some slight disorder. Instantly, however, the crossbowmen retaliated on the foe, with a damaging flight of shafts; and the rowers redoubled their efforts to reach the shore. But by this time, the enthusiasm of the crusaders became intense; and the Sieur de Joinville, closely followed by Baldwin de Rheiras, reached the shore. Seeing this, losing patience, and hardly waiting till the oriflamme was landed, Louis sprang from his boat, and leaping into the sea, which came up to his shoulders, struggled ashore, with a shout of "Montjoie, St. Denis!"
No sooner had the Christian King set foot on dry land, than he kneeled down and returned thanks to God, for having preserved him from the perils of the sea. On observing the Saracens, Louis appears to have become so excited, as to propose making an attack upon them forthwith. But the French knights interfered, and persuaded the King to wait patiently till the remainder of his. army had landed.
It was well indeed for Louis, that he allowed himself to be prevailed on, for, at that moment, the Saracen cavalry came down on the crusaders, with an impetuosity which convinced the French that their foes were somewhat formidable. But the valor of the Moslems met with a signal check. Hastily ordering the French to close their ranks, and cover themselves with their shields, Joinville and Baldwin of Rheims contrived to present so impenetrable a front, that the Saracens retired baffled.
But scarcely had this charge been repelled, when the Saracens made ready for a second attack; and King Louis, forming his army into order, prepared for resistance. A confused conflict now took place, and continued till several emirs had fallen. Fakreddin then withdrew his men; and, abandoning his camp, retreated to Damietta.
The King of France, after witnessing the retreat of the foe, ordered his pavilion, which was of bright red, to be set up, and caused the clergy to sing the Te Deum. The French warriors then pitched their tents around the King, and passed the night in rejoicing over their victory.
It soon appeared, that the crusaders were not aware of the full advantages they had gained. Before daybreak, however, columns of flame, rising from Damietta, intimated that something remarkable was occurring; and, when morning dawned, Louis despatched one of his knights to ascertain the cause. On reaching Da-mietta, the knight perceived that the gates were open; and entering, he found the streets deserted and the houses abandoned. Returning at a gallop to the camp, he announced to the crusaders that Damietta might be won without a blow.
The King of France could hardly credit the report brought by his knight, but he gave orders for marching; and the army, moving slowly forward, without opposition took possession of Damietta. Having formed into procession, the King, the Cardinal, and a crowd of clergy, walked to the grand mosque, now converted into a Christian church, and sang psalms of praise.
This ceremony over, the crusaders established themselves in Damietta. The Queen, the Countess of Artois, and the other ladies, who, from their ships, had with breathless anxiety watched the landing of the French warriors, were conducted on shore, and lodged in the palaces of the city; five hundred knights were charged with the duty of guarding the ramparts and towers; the army encamped on the plain, outside the walls; and Louis only awaited the arrival of the crusaders, whom the tempest had driven on the Syrian coast, and of his brother, the Count of Poictiers, with the arriere ban of France, to undertake the great enterprise of conquering Egypt.
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From John G. Edgar
The Crusades and the Crusaders, 1860
