impetuous disposition hurried him into many squabbles by the way, and
his knights and followers, for the most part as brave and as foolish as
himself, imitated him very zealously in this particular. At Messina
the Sicilians charged the most exorbitant prices for every necessary of
life. Richard's army in vain remonstrated. From words they came to
blows, and, as a last resource, plundered the Sicilians, since they
could not trade with them. Continual battles were the consequence, in
one of which Lebrun, the favourite attendant of Richard, lost his life.
The peasantry from far and near came flocking to the aid of the
townspeople, and the battle soon became general. Richard, irritated at
the loss of his favourite, and incited by a report that Tancred, the
King of Sicily, was fighting at the head of his own people, joined the
melee with his boldest knights, and, beating back the Sicilians,
attacked the city, sword in hand, stormed the battlements, tore down
the flag of Sicily, and planted his own in its stead. This collision
gave great offence to the King of France, who became from that time
jealous of Richard, and apprehensive that his design was not so much to
re-establish the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, as to make conquests
for himself. He, however, exerted his influence to restore peace
between the English and Sicilians, and shortly afterwards set sail for
Acre, with distrust of his ally germinating in his heart.

Richard remained behind for some weeks, in a state of inactivity quite
unaccountable in one of his temperament. He appears to have had no more
squabbles with the Sicilians, but to have lived an easy luxurious life,
forgetting, in the lap of pleasure, the objects for which he had
quitted his own dominions and the dangerous laxity he was introducing
into his army. The superstition of his soldiers recalled him at length
to a sense of his duty: a comet was seen for several successive nights,
which was thought to menace them with the vengeance of Heaven for their
delay. Shooting stars gave them similar warning; and a fanatic, of the
name of Joachim, with his drawn sword in his hand, and his long hair
streaming wildly over his shoulders, went through the camp, howling all
night long, and predicting plague, famine, and every other calamity, if
they did not set out immediately. Richard did not deem it prudent to
neglect the intimations; and, after doing humble penance for his
remissness, he set sail for Acre.