ABOUT the time when the conqueror of Evesham had accomplished the pacification of England, King Louis sent messengers begging Edward to grant him an interview on business of importance, and the Prince, without delay, travelled to Paris to meet his royal relative.
"Sire Edward," said King Louis, embracing the English Prince as the latter presented himself to the royal Saint, " you know that I intend returning to the Holy Land, and I have sent for you to express my wish to have such a comrade in chastising the pagans."
"My Lord," said Edward frankly, " you know that the substance of England has been entirely consumed during the war between King and Barons; and my means are too small to enter upon such an enterprise in your company."
"But," said Louis, " I will lend you thirty thousand marks of good money, or, in fact, I will give you that sum, if you will meet my wishes."
"In that case,11 said Edward, "I see no impediment to my accompanying you."
After this interview with Louis, Edward returned to England; and Ottobon, the papal legate, in a council held at Northampton, exhorted the faithful to save what remained of the Christian kingdom in the East. At the same time the cross was solemnly taken by Edward and his brother Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, as also by Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, and many other knights and nobles.
The Papal Legate having conferred the cross on a hundred and twenty English knights, and the Franciscan friars having persuaded many persons of inferior rank to assume the sacred badge, Edward devoted his whole attention to preparations for the voyage. Louis agreed to furnish Edward with thirty thousand marks; and Edward mortgaged to Louis the customs of Bordeaux for seven years. The royal Saint, indeed, appears to have driven a hard bargain, and to have required ample security. Not only did he require King Henry to sign the bond for repayment, but he stipulated that in the event of its not being refunded, he should be at liberty to seize all Edward's goods within the realm of France. The Warrior-prince, of course, submitted, as poor men are in the habit of doing under such circumstances, and no doubt rejoiced to receive, on any terms, what must have appeared to him an amount quite the reverse of insignificant.
At the same time, a sum of money reached Edward from a quarter, whence it might least have been expected. Between the Prince and the democracy of London, no approaches to reconciliation had yet been made. The quarrel, in truth, was somewhat serious, and the injuries somewhat deep. The citizens liad attempted to drown the Prince's mother at London Bridge; and the Prince had on the downs at Lewes marked out their militia as the object of his fiercest attack. Edward, however, was far too great a man to bear malice towards inferiors; and he was far too proud to deem a deluded democracy worthy of his vengeance. Before leaving England, therefore, he strongly recommended the King to restore the city's charter; and Henry, after some manifestations of reluctance, listened to reason. The charter was accordingly restored; and the citizens evinced their gratitude to the Prince by contributing five hundred marks towards the expense of the crusade.
This dispute having been settled, King Henry, on the 4th of August, 1270, held a Parliament at Winchester, and with much solemnity, delivered to Edward the cross which he himself had taken years before, and which he had since worn. At the same time, the barons present acknowledged Edward's son John as heir to the crown, in the event of the Warrior-prince falling in the East, and the King of the Romans was appointed guardian of the royal boy. Everything being thus arranged, the Prince prepared to set forth.
Years before this period, Edward had espoused Eleanor of Castille, sister of that wise Alphonso, who occupies so conspicuous a place in the history of Spanish law and literature. This Princess was one of the most admirable beings in Christendom, and as beautiful as she was good. A woman of twenty-five, with long rich tresses clustering over a brow that beamed with intelligence, or falling in waves over shoulders fair and faultless; a swan-like neck; an eye rendered thoughtful by the clouds that had hung over her husband's fortunes; delicate features, through which shone sweetness of temper, frequently lighted up with a serene smile; a form somewhat tall and singularly graceful; a manner grave, serious, and with something of that solemnity, which centuries of intercourse with the Moors had communicated with the inhabitants of her native land; such was Eleanor of Castille at the time when her husband was about to fare forth to fight beneath the cross in Palestine.
When Edward was preparing to depart, men of experience strongly recommended Eleanor to remain at home; but the Princess took a different view of her duty.
"Consider, they said, " what are the dangers of a crusade, and recall the peril to which other ladies have been exposed."
"Speak not to me of dangers!" exclaimed Eleanor with animation; "nothing ought to part those whom God has joined; and the way to heaven is as near from Syria as from England or my native Castille."
Eleanor remained firm in her determination to cross the Channel, and, on the 5th of August, Edward bade King Henry adieu; and the father and son parted, never to meet again on earth. On leaving Winchester, the intention of the Prince was to embark at Portsmouth, and pass through Spain, with a view of holding an interview with his brother-in-law, Alphonso of Castille; but, the winds proving contrary, and much time being lost, he abandoned the idea, and turned aside to embark at Dover. -
It was the 20th of August, 1270, when Edward left the shores of England; nor was the heir of the Plantagenets unworthily attended. Gloucester's proud Earl did not, indeed, appear; but warriors as gallant as ever sailed for Palestine arrayed themselves under Edward's banner. Among them were Edward of Lancaster, and Henry of Cornwall, Roger de Clifford, William de Valence, Thomas de Clare, John de Gourney, Robert de Tiptoft, Walter de Molesworth, John de Vesci (Edward's favorite knight), Robert de Burnel (destined, in after years, to figure as his great minister), and Robert de Brus, father of the Hero-king of Scots. Nor was Scotland unrepresented among that martial chivalry. From the north of the Tweed had come a gallant band, conspicuous among whom were David, Earl of Athol, and Adam, Earl of Carrick. What wonder if these crusaders went forth with high hopes! Young, ardent, and enthusiastic, led by a captain who had struck down a mighty oligarchy, and filled Europe with the fame of his knightly exploits, they might well cherish the hope of accomplishing something worthy of being recorded by chroniclers and celebrated by minstrels.
The mariners hauled up their anchors, and spread their sails; and the English crusaders left the white cliffs of their native shore behind. It appears that Edward hoped to make so quick a journey as to overtake King Louis before that royal crusader embarked; but after meeting the Princess who had preceded him to the continent, and travelling through France and along the borders of Spain, our great Prince learned that Louis had already sailed, and also, doubtless to his surprise, that the Saint-king, instead of embarking for Syria, as arranged, had intimated his intention of proceeding to Tunis. Trusting still to join the King of France, ere anything great had been accomplished, Edward, though perhaps not much relishing such a voyage, directed his course towards the African coast.
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From John G. Edgar
The Crusades and the Crusaders, 1860
