222 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book n.

we had to return; and return we did and slowly,in by that same glorious aperture..

“ From that day out, though I. had not the honourto be of the Hospitallers, or even knight, I con-tinued in their corps till I was utterly disabled . 1

“ But the losses of the Saracens were quickly re-medied; those of the Christians were irreparable.After a short respite, also that second wall (ac-cording to one authority there were double wallsand profound ditches, and to another, three wallsand ditches, and the walls so thick that two chariotscould pass each other 2 )was undermined, and then wehad to maintain our post by dint of hard fighting.We always killed many more of our foe than we lostof ours. Still we were at last reduced to a few.What was worse, King Hugh and his Cypriotsabandoned us; it was nightfall, and he said somerepose was requisite for his men, who had neitherslept nor eaten for three days. I thought I might saymore; and my companions, and the marshal, for Ido not know how many, but a great many; but hismajesty never came back, which did not surpriseme, for my right-hand man in the file (a Franklike myself) and my mother were of the same vil-

1 MS. Accon.

2 Eccard: 2, Hermann.—Bib. Crois., iii. 135.—Ebendorfer,3, Poz.—Bib. Crois., iii. 200.