On The Flight Of Earl Robert,
The French Troops Lost Heart, And Began To Give Ground:
But William
Longespee, bearing up manfully against the whole force of the enemy,
stood firm as long as he was able, slaying and wounding many of the
Saracens.
At length, his horse being killed, and his legs maimed, he fell
to the ground; yet he continued to mangle their legs and feet, till at
last he was slain with many wounds, being finally stoned to death by the
Saracens. After his death, the Saracens set upon the remainder of the
army, which they had surrounded on every side, and destroyed them all, so
that scarce a single man remained alive. Of the whole, only two templars,
one hospitaller, and one common soldier escaped, to bring the melancholy
tidings to the king of France. Thus by the imprudent and foolish rashness
of Earl Robert, the French troops were utterly discomfited, and the
valiant English knight overpowered and slain, to the grief of all the
Christians, and the glory of the Saracens; and, as it afterwards fell out,
to the entire ruin of the whole French army.
[1] Hakluyt, I. 70.
[2] Hakluyt dates this expedition in the 32d year of the reign of Henry
III. of England. He mentions, in a former passage, I. p. 59. that the
same Earl of Salisbury, accompanied Richard Earl of Cornwall, in the
23d year of the same kings reign into Syria against the Saracens, with
many other English of note, where they performed good service against
the unbelievers, but gives no relation of particulars.
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