160 THE niSTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book ii,

tunity presented itself, tidings of the worst naturemade it imperative on him to return to France im-mediately. Not at Acre, but the not distant Jaffa,seeing his confessor and the Papal legate enter, hemistrusted of some afflicting news; so retreatedinto what he called his arsenal against all the mis-fortunes of the world, and when he heard QueenBlanche was dead, calming his torrent of tears, heknelt down before the altar in that chapel, andwith joined hands, prayed fervently: “ 0 my God,who didst vouchsafe me such a mother, I thankthee for thy rnercj 7 . Thou knowest I loved herabove every other creature; but it must be afterall that thy decrees be accomplished: therefore, 0Lord, be thy name blessed throughout the eternityof ages! ’’’ When the excellent Joinville was calledto Queen Margaret in the next room, he who hadfollowed Louis to Egypt and Damietta, and thenceto Palestine, could not but express his surprise,and that he never imagined her crying for theu woman whom she had reason to hate most in theworld.” “ Very true,” replied Margaret; “nor isit for her death I weep, but for the deep grief itwill give the king.” The jealous antipathy betweenthe queen-mother and the queen was of old origin;and the former had acquired such an undue influ-1 Beaulieu: Chron.—Bib. Crois., i. 299.