e and all who landed with him,
to the number of eighty, had been slain, among them being a gentleman
named John, and a Turk to whom the lady of my story had stood godmother,
both of them having been given by her to the Captain that he might take
them with him on his journey. The first named of these had died beside
the Captain, whilst the Turk, wounded by arrows in fifteen places, had
saved himself by swimming to the French ships.

It was through him alone that the truth of the whole affair became
known. A certain gentleman whom the poor Captain had taken to be his
friend and comrade, and whose interests he had advanced with the King
and the highest nobles of France, had, it appeared, stood out to sea
with his ships as soon as the Captain landed; and the Captain, finding
that his expedition had been betrayed, and that four thousand Turks were
at hand, had thereupon endeavoured to retreat, as was his duty. But the
gentleman in whom he put such great trust perceived that his friend's
death would leave the sole command and profit of that great armament to
himself, and accordingly pointed out to the officers that it would not
be right to risk the King's vessels or the lives of the many brave men
on board them in order to save less than a hundred persons, an opinion
which was shared by all those of the officers that possessed but little
courage.

So the Captain, finding that the more he called to the ships the farther
they drew away from his assistance, faced round at last upon the Turks;
and, albeit he was up to his knees in sand, he did such deeds of arms
and valour that it seemed as though he alone would defeat all his
enemies, an issue which his traitorous comrade feared far more than he
desired it.

But at last, in spite of all that he could do, the Captain received
so many wounds from the arrows of those who durst not approach within
bowshot, that he began to lose all his blood, whereupon the Turks,
perceiving the weakness of these true Christians, charged upon them
furiously with their scimitars; but the Christians, so long as God gave
them strength and life, defended themselves to the bitter end.

Then the Captain called to the gentleman named John, whom his lady love
had given him, and to the Turk as well, and thrusting the point of his
sword into the ground, fell upon his knees beside it, and embraced and
kissed the cross, (5) saying--

"Lord, receive into Thy hands the soul of one who has not spared his
life