142

THE HISTORY OP THE ORDER OF [book ii.

besides, might have wished to free those of theirorders who pined in captivity, or were besieged inAscalon, since the day of Gaza. Besides they knew,by experience, that the Franks were subject to befeared at first, and begin war with brilliant success,but fall soon into discord and debility, and end withsome huge disaster, and then thought only of gettingback to Europe, and left Palestine Christians to sufferthe full fury of an enemy, irritated by the loss he hadto endure at the commencement. But Louis, ivithall his wisdom, still participating in his army’sfoible, not without superadding a little fanaticism ofhis own, scouted the proposal, and with violentindignation, forbade the grand masters ever againto address him in such a tone, for that it was asbitter an outrage to all Christian warriors, as in-jurious to himself . 1 So the crusade sailed, andbeautiful was their departure from Limisso, ineight hundred or eighteen hundred ships ; 2 at themouth of the harbour falling in with the Duke ofBurgundy’s fleet, which had wintered in the Morea,and bore the then Earl of Salisbury, grandson ofthe beautiful Rosamond , 3 and son of one who, afterhis father’s death, became an Hospitalleress , 4 Long-

1 Michaud : Hist,, iv. 166.

2 Joinville.—Michaud : Hist., iv. 169.

3 Michaud: Hist., iv. 143.

i Mathew Paris: 3.—Bib. Crois., ii. 826.