it, could no longer endure to be quiet.  So he cried to his brethren, “At them, good sirs, for this is more than can be borne.”  So he spurred his horse, and the other Templars with him, and charged the Turks.  And because their horses were fresh and the horses of the Turks weary, they bore them down.  It was said that not one of the five hundred escaped, many being ridden down, and the rest being drowned in the river.

After this the King encamped between the two branches of the Nile, that which flows by Damietta and that which is the next to it toward the sunsetting.  On the other side of this branch was ranged the army of the Sultan, to hinder the Christians from passing, an easy thing seeing that there was no ford, nor any place where a man might cross save by swimming.

While they were in this strait there came a Bedouin to the camp, who said that for five hundred pieces of gold he would show them a good ford.  When the Constable Imbert, to whom the Bedouin had spoken of this ford, told the matter to the King, the King said, “I will give the gold right willingly; only be sure that the man perform his part of the bargain.”  So the constable parleyed with the man; but the Bedouin would not depart from his purpose.  “Give me the gold,” said he, “and I will show you the ford.”  And because the King was in a strait, he consented; so the man received the five hundred pieces, and he showed the ford to certain that were sent with him.

It was agreed that the Duke of Burgundy and other nobles who were not of France should keep guard in the camp, and that the King with his brothers should ford the river at the place which the Arab should show.  So, all being ready, at daybreak they came down to the water.  A ford there was, but not such as a man would choose save in the greatest need.

The King, having with him the main body of the army, crossed amidst a great sounding of horns and trumpets.  It was a noble sight to see, and nothing in it nobler and more admirable than the King himself.  A fairer knight there never was, and he stood with a gilded helmet on his head, and a long German sword in his hand, being by his head and shoulders taller than the crowd.  Then he and his knights charged the Saracens, who by this time had taken a stand again on the river bank.  It was a great feat of arms.  No man drew long-bow that day or plied cross-bow.  The Crusaders and the Saracens fought with mace and sword, neither keeping their ranks, but all being confused together.

But the Crusaders, for all their valour, could scarce hold their own, because the enemy outnumbered them by much.  Also there was a division of counsel among them.  Also there came a messenger from them that were shut up in Mansoura, telling the King how hard pressed they were, and in what instant need of succour.

And now the Sacarens grew more and more confident, for they were greatly the better in numbers; and if, man for man and in the matter of arms and armour, they were scarce equal to the Crusaders, yet the difference was not so great.  They pushed on, therefore, and drove the Christians back to the river.  These were very hard pressed, and some were for swimming across the river to the camp, but by this time their horses were weary, and not a few perished by drowning.