of the enemy,
stood firm as long as he was able, slaying and wounding many of the
Saracens. At length, his horse being killed, and his legs maimed, he fell
to the ground; yet he continued to mangle their legs and feet, till at
last he was slain with many wounds, being finally stoned to death by the
Saracens. After his death, the Saracens set upon the remainder of the
army, which they had surrounded on every side, and destroyed them all, so
that scarce a single man remained alive. Of the whole, only two templars,
one hospitaller, and one common soldier escaped, to bring the melancholy
tidings to the king of France. Thus by the imprudent and foolish rashness
of Earl Robert, the French troops were utterly discomfited, and the
valiant English knight overpowered and slain, to the grief of all the
Christians, and the glory of the Saracens; and, as it afterwards fell out,
to the entire ruin of the whole French army.

[1] Hakluyt, I. 70.

[2] Hakluyt dates this expedition in the 32d year of the reign of Henry
III. of England. He mentions, in a former passage, I. p. 59. that the
same Earl of Salisbury, accompanied Richard Earl of Cornwall, in the
23d year of the same kings reign into Syria against the Saracens, with
many other English of note, where they performed good service against
the unbelievers, but gives no relation of particulars.--E.

[3] The meaning of this term of reproach does not appear; unless,
from some after circumstances, it may have proceeded from their horses
having long tails, while those of the French were dockt.--E.

[4] Probably Aboukir.--E.

[5] St John d'Acre.--E.

[6] This is probably meant for that branch of the Nile which
they had previously crossed on their way to Mansor.--E.

* * * * *

CHAP. XXI.

_Discovery of Madeira_[1].

Although the Era of modern discovery certainly commenced under the
auspicious direction of Don Henry of Portugal, who first conceived and
executed the sublime idea of extending the knowledge and commerce of the
globe, by a judicious series of maritime, expeditions expressly for the
purpose of discovery; yet as Madeira is said to have been visited, and
the Canaries were actually discovered and settled before that era, it
appears necessary to give a previous account of these discoveries, before
proceeding to the second part of this work.

Several authors have left accounts of the real or pretended