of the noblest chivalry
of France. His third brother, the Count de Poitiers, remained behind to
collect another corps of crusaders, and followed him in a few months
afterwards. The army united at Cyprus, and amounted to fifty thousand
men, exclusive of the English crusaders under William Longsword. Again,
a pestilential disease made its appearance, to which many hundreds fell
victims. It was in consequence found necessary to remain in Cyprus
until the spring. Louis then embarked for Egypt with his whole host;
but a violent tempest separated his fleet, and he arrived before
Damietta with only a few thousand men. They were, however, impetuous
and full of hope; and although the Sultan Melick Shah was drawn up on
the shore with a force infinitely superior, it was resolved to attempt
a landing without waiting the arrival of the rest of the army. Louis
himself in wild impatience sprang from his boat, and waded on shore;
while his army, inspired by his enthusiastic bravery, followed,
shouting the old war-cry of the first crusaders, Dieu le veut! Dieu le
veut! A panic seized the Turks. A body of their cavalry attempted to
bear down upon the crusaders, but the knights fixed their large shields
deep in the sands of the shore, and rested their lances upon them, so
that they projected above, and formed a barrier so imposing, that the
Turks, afraid to breast it, turned round and fairly took to flight. At
the moment of this panic, a false report was spread in the Saracen
host, that the Sultan had been slain. The confusion immediately became
general--the deroute was complete: Damietta itself was abandoned, and
the same night the victorious crusaders fixed their headquarters in
that city. The soldiers who had been separated from their chief by the
tempest, arrived shortly afterwards; and Louis was in a position to
justify the hope, not only of the conquest of Palestine, but of Egypt
itself.

But too much confidence proved the bane of his army. They thought, as
they had accomplished so much, that nothing more remained to be done,
and gave themselves up to ease and luxury. When, by the command of
Louis, they marched towards Cairo, they were no longer the same men;
success, instead of inspiring, had unnerved them; debauchery had
brought on disease, and disease was aggravated by the heat of a climate
to which none of them were accustomed. Their progress towards Massoura,
on the road to Cairo, was checked by the Thanisian canal, on the ban