Chapter 33 - Page 2

reward of their evil deeds by the
hands of one who would not spare. The third English ship, in which
were the women, having cast out their anchors, rode out at sea, and
watched all things from opposite, to report the misfortunes to the
king,* lest haply, being ignorant of the loss and disgrace, he
should pass the place unavenged. The next line of the king's ships
came up after the other, and they are stopped at the first. A full
report reached the king, who, sending heralds to the lord of the
island, and obtaining no satisfaction, commanded his entire army to
arm, from the first even to the last, and to get out of the great
ships into the galleys and boats, and follow him to the shore. What he
commanded was immediately performed; they came in arms to the port.
The king being armed, leaped first from the galley, and gave the first
blow in the war; but before he was able to strike a second he had
three thousand of his followers with him striking away at his side.
All the timber that had been placed as a barricade in the port was
cast down instantly, and the brave fellows went up into, the city as
ferocious as lionesses are wont to be when robbed of their young.
The fight was carried on manfully against them, numbers fell wounded
on both sides, and the swords of both parties were made drunk with
blood. The Cypriotes are vanquished, the city is taken, with the
castle besides; whatever the victors choose is ransacked; and the lord
of the island is himself taken and brought to the king. He being
taken, supplicates and obtains pardon; he offers homage to the king,
and it is received; and he swears, though unasked, that henceforth
be will hold the island of him as his liege lord, and will open all
the castles of the land to him, and make satisfaction for the damage
already done; and further bring presents of his own. On being
dismissed after the oath, he is commanded to fulfil, the conditions in
the morning. * Richard I. of England. That night the king remained peaceably in the castle; and his
newly-sworn vassal, flying, retired to another castle, and caused
the whole of the men of the land, who were able to bear arms, to be
summoned to repair to him, and so they did. The king of Jerusalem,
however, that same night landed in Cyprus, that he might assist the
king and salute him, whose arrival he had desired above that of any
other in the whole world. On the morrow the lord of Cyprus was
sought for and found to have fled. The king seeing that he was abused,
and having been informed where he was, directed the king of
Jerusalem to follow the traitor by land with the best of the army,
while he conducted the other part by water, intending to be in the way
that he might not escape by sea. The divisions reassembled around