148 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [hook ii.

of a ford (there were many fords) about a leagueoff; and instead of waiting till next day, when thebridge they were making would be -finished, andtheir entire army might pass, and all Islam irre-vocably be lost (persuasion of even the best Chris-tian authority), they separated the infantry fromthe cavalry, and St. Louis allowed himself to bepersuaded to this instance of monstrous impatience,and lead this entire body of twenty thousand horseto the ford, in the presence of the enemy at broadday, three miles’ distance; for though it was nightwhen they set out, it was sunrise when theyreached the water. After this example of his own,he could not well blame any one else; nor does hein his letter to the queen, but only bewails Artois’death, without accusing him (nor even himself) ofany error. It was the 5th of April. 1 The cavalryhaving come to the ford, the Count D’Artois, withthe vanguard, insisted on his right to pass first,and Louis, knowing his disobedient spirit, madehim swear on the Evangelists to wait for orders,drawn up on the opposite bank, till all the cavalryhad got over; but the moment Artois was there,he ordered his troops to advance. And on thegrand master’s interposing, it was in vain; for all

1 St. Louis : Official Letter to all France, apud Michaud:Hist., iv. 415.