CHAP. II.] ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. 151

Damascus. And so, after leaving the Moslem

camp in blood and confusion, Artois galloped intoMansourah; but a few minutes sufficed for theMahometans to observe his slender number, whoimmediately chose Bibars Boudochdar to takeFakr-eddin’s place in commanding them; and thefirst act of Bibars was to have the gates of Mansourahshut, and leaving injunctions to slay or take all thosemad Giaours, he straight led his army to meet themasses of Christian cavalry that were appearingthen on the rising ground. The sounding of thetrumpets, the waving of the oriflamme, and such alarge body of cavalry with the French monarchat their head, all radiant as he was from his goldenhelmet and the dazzling of his armour in the sun,his sword of German steel drawn, and his martialair, was a grand and magnificent sight; “I pro-mise you,” says Joinville, “ there never was ahandsomer soldier seen by me.” And the wholeplain beneath was covered with broken bucklersand cuirasses and the dying and the dead; andthere was a confusion of banners. Drums, kettle-drums, trumpets, Saracen nackers, playing thecharge everywhere—here the Christians were con-querors, here beaten or in flight—here the Saracensthe same, hundreds of small conflicts, single com-bats, no telling which the infidels, which the