The Bishop answered that they might kill him ere he would
deny his Creator.
When the Soldan heard that he waxed wroth, and ordered that the Bishop
should be circumcised. So they took and circumcised him after the manner
of the Saracens. And then the Soldan told him that he had been thus put to
shame in despite to the King his master. And so they let him go.
The Bishop was sorely cut to the heart for the shame that had been wrought
him, but he took comfort because it had befallen him in holding fast by
the Law of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and the Lord God would recompense his
soul in the world to come.
So when he was healed he set out and travelled by land and by sea till he
reached the King his Lord in the Kingdom of Abash. And when the King
beheld him, he welcomed him with great joy and gladness. And he asked him
all about the Holy Sepulchre; and the Bishop related all about it truly,
the King listening the while as to a most holy matter in all faith. But
when the Bishop had told all about Jerusalem, he then related the outrage
done on him by the Soldan of Aden in the King's despite. Great was the
King's wrath and grief when he heard that; and it so disturbed him that he
was like to die of vexation. And at length his words waxed so loud that
all those round about could hear what he was saying. He vowed that he
would never wear crown or hold kingdom if he took not such condign
vengeance on the Soldan of Aden that all the world should ring
therewithal, even until the insult had been well and thoroughly redressed.
And what shall I say of it? He straightway caused the array of his horse
and foot to be mustered, and great numbers of elephants with castles to be
prepared to accompany them;[NOTE 4] and when all was ready he set out with
his army and advanced till he entered the Kingdom of Aden in great force.
The Kings of this province of Aden were well aware of the King's advance
against them, and went to encounter him at the strongest pass on their
frontier, with a great force of armed men, in order to bar the enemy from
entering their territory. When the King arrived at this strong pass where
the Saracens had taken post, a battle began, fierce and fell on both
sides, for they were very bitter against each other. But it came to pass,
as it pleased our Lord God Jesus Christ, that the Kings of the Saracens,
who were three in number, could not stand against the Christians, for they
are not such good soldiers as the Christians are.
