CHAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

231

drawn sword; and Gresli stood a little further off,with his behind him in precisely the same way; andwithin two or three yards of them, was the head ofthe Moslem column, that rushed impetuouslythrough the gate—and by the yellow they were theMameluke horse. So I have no hesitation whateverto assert that all the English died in a corps as atMansourah, and the French also, as well fits thatvaliant nation. The reverse seems to me idlestories, mere ridiculous inventions, as if Englishand French could have been cowards, where somany other nations were so brave. Not a true,but a pretended revelation ; it would appear to me

a trick of the devil!.What if iron

chains and rings had been thrown into the streetsfor the Moslem cavalry? They were now coveredwith corpses, a bitter, albeit rather unsteady footing;and after them, the savage infantry inundated thestreets. Not a palace, or square, or house, but wasa fort, and had to be stormed; not a lane but wasthe theatre of frightful carnage, battles, single com-bats. I cannot exactly tell what day, or if it wasday or night; for the Greek fire never ceasing itsinfernal blaze, it made little difference whether thesun was up or not, for that lurid gleam and thenoises continued the same.”

But here other authorities enable me to come to