rds there fell sick
and died the said good King Louis with a very great number of counts
and of barons; and an innumerable company of the common folk died
there. Wherefore Christendom suffered very great loss, and the said
host was well-nigh all dispersed, and came well-nigh to naught without
stroke of the enemy. And albeit the said King Louis had not had good
success in his enterprises against the Saracens, yet in his death he
had good success for his soul; and the king of Navarre, which was
there present, wrote in his letters to the cardinal of Tusculum that
in his infirmity he did not cease to praise God, continually saying
this prayer: "Cause us, Lord, to hate the prosperity of the world, and
to fear no adversity." Then he prayed for the people which he had
brought with him, saying, "Lord, be Thou the Sanctifier and Guardian
of Thy people," and the other words which follow in the said prayer.
And at last, when he came to die, he lift up his eyes to heaven and
said: "Introibo in domum tuam, adorabo ad templum sanctum tuum, et
confitebor nomini tuo" [see Ps. v. 7]. And this said he died in
Christ. And when his host heard of his death they were greatly
troubled, and the Saracens greatly rejoiced; but in this sorrow
Philip, his son, was made king of France, and King Charles, brother of
the said King Louis, which had sent for him before he died, came from
Sicily and arrived in Carthage with a great fleet and with many
followers and reinforcements, whence the Christian host regained great
vigour, and the Saracens were afraid. And albeit the Saracen host was
increased by an innumerable company, for from every place the Arabs
were come to succour them, and there were many more of them than of
the Christians, yet they never dared to come to a pitched battle with
the Christians; but they came with ambushes and with artifices, and
did them much hurt; and this was one among others, that the said
country is very sandy, and when it is dry there is very much dust;
wherefore the Saracens, when the wind was blowing against the
Christian host, stationed themselves in great numbers upon the hills
where was the said sand, and stirring it up with their horses and with
their feet, set it all in motion, and caused much annoyance and
vexation to the host; but when water rained down from heaven the said
plague ceased, and King Charles with the Christians, having prepared
engines of divers fashions both for sea and land, set himself to
attac