58 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book i.

wards—that is, on Thursday, the 24th, 1 when thataccursed King Richard had but ten horsemen andsome hundred foot, 2 all lodged in ten tents , thereforeoutside the town, the walls of the town being inruins and of no defence. But though our Moslemsenvironed these few Christians, these stood rootedfirm, grinding the teeth of ward Astonishing! ourcavalry kept cantering round them, without ven-turing to strike a blow, 4 and then returned intoline. It was in the plain, quite close to the ruinsof the walls, and the royal miscreant had marshalledforth his shadow of an army, as regularly facingours in extensive array with the soldan at its head,as if there were a parity. But what struck medumb altogether, was to see a whole division ofours at the sound of a trumpet charge like oneman, and stop all at once, when they got close tothe uncircumcised, as if these were a wall of steel,or something unearthly; their horsemen havingtheir lances couched and vizors closed, but re-maining motionless. And their infantry’s first filewere on one knee, with the ends of the handle oftheir lances fixed in the soil; so that they formedan angle, whose points were elevated a couple offeet, the other file up-standing, as usual; but not

1 Arab Chron., 353. 2 Id., 353.

3 Id., 353. 4 Id., 353.