THE HOST RE-CROSSES THE RIVER SIX OF JOINVILLE’s HEIGHTS PUNISHED FOR THEIR WICKEDNESS
When the king and the barons saw this, they agreed that the king should shift his camp, which was on the side towards Babylon, and move to the camping ground of the Duke of Burgundy, which was on the river that went to Damietta. In order to collect hi people wnh greater safety, the king caused a barbican to be constructed before the bridge between our two camps, in such wise that one could enter the barbican from either side on horseback.
So soon as the barbican was ready, all the king’s host gat to their arms, and the Turks made an attack in force upon the king’s camp. Nevertheless, neither the king nor his people moved till all the baggage had been carried over, and then the king passed, and his body of troops after him, and after them ail the other barons, save my Lord Walter of Chatillon, who had the rearguard. As they were entering into the barbican, my Lord Everard of Valery delivered my Lord John, his brother, whom the Turks were carrying away captive.
The barbican
When all the host had passed, those who remained in the barbican were in great peril, for the barbican was not high, on the eve of Shrove Tuesday I beheld a marvel, of which I will now tell you’; ion on that day was buried my Lord f Hugh of Land Ricourt, who was with me, carrying a banner. There as he lay on a bier in my chapel, six of my knights were leaning on sacks full of barley; and because they were speaking loud in my chapel, and disturbing the priest, I went to them, and told them to hold their peace, and said it was a discourteous thing for knights and gentlemen to talk while mass was being sung. And they began to laugh and told me, laughing, that they were remarrying the dead man’s wife.
And I spoke sharply to them, and told them that such words were neither good nor seemly, and that they had forgotten their companion over soon. And God took such vengeance upon them, that on the morrow was the great battle of Shrove Tuesday, in which they were all killed or mortally wounded, so that the wives of all six were in case to marry again.
Penka's World 