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JOHN LORD DE JOINVILLE Memoirs of Louis IX, King of France

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JOHN LORD DE JOINVILLE
Memoirs of Louis IX, King of France
page 80



una having roused our people, wounded as we were, we drove the Saracens from the engines which they were so anxious to recover. The king, seeing that scarcely any of us had armour on, sent Sir Walter de Chastillon, who posted himself between us and the Turks, for the better guard of the engines. After bir Waltor had several times repulsed the enemy, who made frequent attempts daring the night to carry off these engines, the Saracens, finding they could not succeed, retreated to a large body of their horse, that were drawn up opposite to our lines, to prevent us from surprising their camp, which was in their rear. Six of the principal Turks dismounted, armed from head to foot, and made themselves a rampart of large stones, as a shelter from our cross-bows, and from thence shot volleys of arrows, which often wounded many of our men. When I and my men-at-arms who had the guard of that quarter saw their stone rampart, we took counsel together, and resolved that, during the ensuing night, we would destroy this rampart, and bring away the stones. Now I had a priest called John de Waysy,* who, having overheard our counsel and resolution, did not wait so long, but set out alone towards the Saracens, with his cuirass on, his cap of iron, and his sword under his arm. When he was near the enemy, who neither thought of nor suspected any one coming against them thus alone, he rushed furiously on, sword in hand, and gave such blows to these six captains, that * Anna Comnena, in the 292nd page of the tenth book of her Alexiade, reproaches the Latins for their clergy putting on armour, and with sword and lance hastening to the field of battle when they have bnt just received the order of priesthood, which is directly forbidden by the Greeks. Petrus Diaconus, in the fourth book of the Chronicle of Monte Cassino, makes the same charge. Doubtless it is not without reason that the Greeks have so often made this reproach to the Latins ; seeing that although it has been forbidden by all the coun cils for priests to handle arms, or interfere in battles as combatants, yet notwithstanding they are there to be found fighting like seculars. Thus we read that Ebles, abbot of St. Germain des Près, and Gosselin, bishop of Paris, fought valiantly against the Normans, who had besieged the capital of France. The clergy not only fought against the infidels, but against the Christians ; witness the bishop of Beauvais, who, at the battle of Bovines, struck the earl of Salisbury to the ground with his battle-axe.


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