CHAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

223

lage in Normandy, he and I had become great, andI held his horse while he retired during someminutes, and on his return, pointing to a corpsethat I had just seen fall, ‘ overheard (he said)his discourse with King Hugh, who bade him notgo on, but join him, for that the Saracens werehastening in at the breach, irresistibly.’ To whichthat black cassock replied, ‘ If you were goingeast, I’d accompany you to death; but since yourface is turned west, I’ll not , 1 but hasten to die withthe defenders of our religion and liberties, andleave you the anathema of a martyred priest.’Nevertheless in our cruelly abandoned situation,by the exertion of the Teutonics, who came to ourassistance, and Templars, we contrived to keepthe post the whole night, and great part of thenext day, under reiterated, or rather, never-ceasingcharges, and after losing half of our small body, itwas only in the afternoon that we were drivenfrom it, but rallied in a street that began with twostrong towers, and a massive chain from one tothe other , 2 which we drew, and manning thetowers, there was a most desperate struggle which,

1 "Which resembles what the French relate more diffusely ofanother, Mathew Villani.—Bib. Crois., ii. 625.

2 Comeri Chron. Eccard.—Bib. Crois., iii. 135. The mainthoroughfare in Acre, leading to St. Anthony’s Gate.