No sooner was King Louis established at Damietta, than he found himself in the midst of difficulties and discord.
After entering the city, the Saint-king resolved that no division of the spoil should be made; but that the provisions should be kept in magazines under the royal officers, and distributed gradually for the support of the army. This arrangement, being contrary to ancient custom, caused much discontent; and John de Valery, a baron of fame and influence, remonstrated warmly with the King. "Never, please God," he exclaimed, "will I consent to alter good customs, and such as our ancestors have followed in the Holy Land. Whenever any city or other considerable booty was taken from the enemy, the King never received more than one third of the riches or goods; while the pilgrims received two thirds." Louis, however, who wished to avoid the inconveniences that had resulted from the system of which John de Valery was the eulogist, remained firm; and the French barons found some difficulty in digestbg their discontent.
Disputes of a more serious kind ere long took place. At that time, there existed no great love between the French and English nobles; and the warriors of the continent were in the habit of treating the warriors of the island with undisguised contempt. In fact, the French had some reason to assume airs of superiority; for, during fifty years, they had been victorious in almost every struggle. On that point there could be no dispute. Philip Augustus had expelled King John from the continent; and Louis had chased King Henry from the bridge of Taillebourg to the gates of Bordeaux. Moreover, while France enjoyed some measure of ecclesiastical freedom, the Pope treated England as a conquered country, and talked contemptuously of the King as his vassal. Such being the case, the French were constantly vaporing about their prowess; and the wretched joke about Englishmen being bom with tails, as a punishment for the murder of Thomas a Becket, was brought forward in season and out of season.
It must "be stated that the English, to their credit, bore the taunts of their continental rivals with a degree of patience which has not always characterized their nation. Even in their humiliation, however, the island warriors could not have relished the disparaging remarks of which they were the objects. It is true that forbearance would have cost them little, could they have foreseen at how early a date the tables were to be turned. A great change, in fact, was at hand; and the Plantagenet prince had already seen the light, who was to make popes, and princes, and peoples bow with awe before the name of England.
For some time, during the stay of the crusaders at Damietta, the English prudently refrained from resenting the insults of their allies. But, at the same time, they do not appear to have complied very readily with the regulations for the government of the camp; and the Earl of Salisbury, in some way, provoked the malignity of the Count of Artois. This, of course, led to such quarrels as none of the crusaders had skill sufficient to prevent. The Earl of Dunbar, indeed, with his sagacity and experience, might have acted successfully as mediator; but it would seem, that the old Scoto-Saxon warrior was among those who perished early in the expedition.
While the Count of Artois and the Earl of Salisbury were on unfriendly terms, Longsword, growing weary of inactivity, and eager for change of scene, donned his chain mail, put on his surcoat, mounted his Flemish charger, and, at the head of his knights, dashed out of Damietta in quest of adventure. The novelty of every-' thing around naturally raised the spirits of the English crusaders; and, panting for action, but not meeting with any enemy to oppose their progress, they laid siege to a castle before which they accidentally arrived. After a bold effort, Salisbury seized the place, and finding it occupied by " the wives of some noble Saracens," gave the alarmed ladies to understand that they were captives of his sword and spear, and brought them off to Damietta.
But the adventures of the English Earl were not ended. While conducting the Oriental beauties in tri-upmh, Longsword fell in with a caravan on its way to Alexandria. Of course, no scruple about spoiling the infidel ever touched Longsword's conscience; so, putting the escort to the rout, he took possession of the caravan; and, congratulating himself on having obtained so noble a prize, continued his march to the crusaders1 camp.
When Salisbury, on his strong charger, came riding at the head of his knights to Damietta, with Saracen ladies, and wagons drawn by oxen and buffaloes, and camels, mules, and asses laden with gold and silver, and silks and paintings, much envy was excited. Perhaps the English did not bear their good fortune quite meekly. In any case, the French gradually became exasperated; and, after some high words had passed, they carried off part of Longsword's booty by force.
On learning what had occurred, and deeming that he had been both insulted and injured, Salisbury hastened to the royal pavilion. Louis was then holding a council; and the English Earl entering, presented himself to the most Christian King.
"Sir King," said Longsword, bluntly, "I took the cross, and came from a distant country to aid you in the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre. I and my countrymen have fought as faithfully for God's cause as any man in your army. Nevertheless, we have been exposed to intolerable insults and injuries. I come here to lav before yon my complaint against your brother, the Count of Artois, who is the head and chief offender; and I promise, that if I am in the wrong, I will give every satisfaction for my fault."
"William Longsword," said Louis, gravely, "the Lord, who is ignorant of nothing, is aware of the injuries you have sustained. But what can I do? You know how serious an affair it would be for me to offend any of my nobles in the position in which I now am.":
"What do you mean, my Lord King!" asked the Count of Artois, who at that moment entered abruptly, flushed and excited. "Do you defend this Englishman and oppose your own Frenchmen?"
"Now, Longsword," said Louis, turning his face to the English Earl, "you hear how easily a quarrel might originate; and God forbid that it should occur in this army. It is necessary, at such a crisis, to endure such things, and even worso things than these, with equanimity."
"Then, Sir," exclaimed Longsword, giving way to indignation, "call yourself no longer King, since you have no longer tho power to administer justice or to punish offenders."
"Frenchmen! what madness excites you? Why do you persecute this man?" asked Louis reproachfully.
"I do it," cried the Count of Artois, " because I believe the French army would be well purged of these tailed English!"
But the Count's words were echoed by none of tbo King's councillors. All men of judgment and experience shook their heads, and intimated, in a manner not to be mistaken, their disapproval of what he had said.
"This is a serious matter," they observed, not even deigning to answer the fool according to his folly." "It is a sad presage of future events; and well will it be if the heavy anger of the Most High is not provoked by such ofience."
The quarrel between the Earl of Salisbury and the Count of Artois, was not the only unfortunate circumstance connected with the stay of the French at Damietta. In fact, the utmost disorder prevailed in the camp. Quarrels and brawls occurred daily and hourly. The crusaders, left to inactivity, appeared to forget the solemn oaths they had taken, and spent their time in not and debauchery. A spirit of gambling and wantonness took possession of the army encamped under the standard of Christ. The rattle of the dice-box was constantly heard throughout the camp. Men with the cross of Christ on their shoulder, had the name of the devil perpetually on their tongues; and women, lost to womanly feeling, plied the most iniquitous of all trades in the immediate vicinity of the Saint-king's pavilion.
Previous article Next article
From John G. Edgar
The Crusades and the Crusaders, 1860
