Chap. 26.

BUt betwixt two Kings the Kingdome went to the ground:* For* Haalon the Tartarian Prince, and late Christian con∣vert, was returned home to succeed his brother Mango in the Empire, leaving Abaga his sonne with competent forces in the city of Damascus, which he had wonne from the Turks. Soon after, Abaga followed his father, aud substituted Guirboca his Lieutenant in Damascus.

This Guirboca, upon the occasion of his nephew rashly slain by the Christians in a broil,* fell off wholly from Christianity, with all the Tartarians his countreymen. The occasion this; The Dutch Christians return with great booty they had taken from the Turks;* Guirboca's nephew meeteth them, demandeth it for himself; the Christians deny him (as souldiers are very ten∣der-conscienced in that point, counting it a great sinne to part with the spoil they are possessed of:) hence brawls, then blows; Guirboca's nephew is slain: Hereat the Tartarians (who were very humorous in their friendship; if not observed to an inch, lost for ever) in discontent, all either reel aside to Mahomet, or fall back to Paganisme.

Herein the Christians cannot be excused: Infant-converts must be well tended. It had been discretion in them, even against discretion to have yielded a little to these Tartarians, and so to continue their amity, which was so advantageous to the Holy Page  214 warre. However, one may question the truth of their conversi∣on, whether reall at first: This spring was too forward to hold; and the speedy withering of their religion argueth it wanted root. And as tame foxes, if they break loose and return wild, do ten times more mischief then those which are wild from the beginning; so these renegadoes raged more furiously then any Pagans against religion. Guirboca sacrificed many Christians to the ghost of his nephew, destroyed Cesarea and burnt it, using all cruelty against the inhabitants.

Nor lesse were the Christians plagued at the same time with Bendocdar the Mammaluke Prince in Egypt; who succeeded Melechem, and every where raging against them, either killed or forced them to forswear their religion. The city of Joppa he took and burned;* and then wonne Antioch, slaying there∣in twenty thousand, and carrying away captive an hundred thousand Christians. But it may justly be suspected that these numbers were written first in figures, and therefore at too much length, when the adding of nothing may increase many thousands.

These wofull tidings brought into Europe, so wrought on the good disposition of Lewis King of France, that he resol∣ved to make a second voyage into Palestine to succour the Christians.

He so fixed his mind on the journeys end, that he saw not the dangers in the way. His Counsel could not disswade, though they did disswade him. First, they urged, that he was old; let younger men take their turns: They recounted to him his former ill successe; How lately had that hot countrey scorch'd the lilies of France, not onely to the blasting of the leaves, but almost wi∣thering of the root? Besides, the sinews of the Christians in Sy∣ria were so shrunk, that though lifted up, they could not stand; That Nature decayed, but not thus wholly destroyed, was the subject of physick; That the Turks had got a habit of conquer∣ing, and riveted themselves into the possession of the countrey; so that this voyage would but fleet the cream of the Kingdome to cast it into the fire.

But as a vehement flame maketh feuel of whatsoever it meet∣eth; so this Kings earnest resolution turned bridles into spurres, and hind rances into motives to his journey. Was he old? let him make the more speed, lest envious death should prevent him of this occasion of honour. Had he sped ill formerly? he would seek his credit where he lost it: Surely, Fortunes lottery had not all blanks, but that after long drawing he should light on a prize at last. Were the Christians in so low a case? the greater need they had of speedy help.

Thus was this good Kings judgement over-zealed. And Page  215 surely though Devotion be the naturall heat, Discretion (which wanted in him) is the radicall moisture of an action, keeping it healthfull, prosperous, and long-lived.

Well, King Lewis will go, and to this end provideth his na∣vie; and is accompanied with Philip and Tristram his Sonnes, Theobald King of Navarre his sonne in law, Alphonse his bro∣ther, and Guido Earl of Flanders. There went also Edward eldest sonne to Henry King of England. It was a wonder he would now adventure his head when he was to receive a Crown, his father being full-ripe to drop down without gathering, ha∣ving reigned longer then most men live, fifty and five yeares. But thirsty was this Edward of honour: Longshanks was he called: and as his strides were large, so vast and wide was the ex∣tent of his desire. As for his good Father, he was content to let go the staff of his age for to be a prop to the Church. And though King Lewis was undiscreet in going this journey, he was wise in choosing this his companion, to have this active Prince along with him; it being good to eye a suspicious person, and not to leave him behind.

With Edward went his brother Edmund Earl of Lancaster, surnamed Crouch-back; not that he was crook-shouldered, or camel-backed: (From which our English Poet most zealously doth vindicate him;

but from the Crosse, anciently called a Crouch (whence Crouched Friars) which now he wore in his voyage to Jerusa∣lem. And yet it maketh it somewhat suspicious, that in Latine * records he is never read with any other epithet then Gibbo∣sus. But be he crooked or not, let us on straight with our story.