But This Being Of No Avail, And Very Much Displeased At Being
Deprived In So Cowardly A Manner Of What
He had so adventurously gained,
he made his complaint to the king; and being successfully opposed there
by the pride
Of the Count of Artois, the kings brother, who thwarted his
claims with disdainful spite, he declared that he would serve no longer
in their army, and bidding farewell to the king, he and his people broke
up from the army and marched for Achon[5]. Upon their departure, the
Count d'Artois said that the French army was well rid of these tailed
English; which words, spoken in despite, were ill taken by many good men,
even of their own army. But not long after, when the governor of Cairo,
who was offended with the Soldan, offered to deliver that place to the
French king, and even gave him instructions now he might best conduct
himself to accomplish that enterprize, the king sent a message in all
haste to the Earl of Salisbury, requesting him to return to the army,
under promise of redressing all his grievances; on which he came back and
rejoined the French army.
The king of France now marched towards Cairo, and came to the great river
Nile, on the other side of which the Soldan had encamped with his army,
on purpose to dispute the passage. At this time, there was a Saracen in
the service of the Count of Artois, who had been lately converted to the
Christian faith, and who offered to point out a shallow ford in the river,
by which the army might easily cross over.
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