The Knights Templars.

blown , while the Templar ' s were fresh , so that not one of them escaped death , either falling under the charge of the Knights , or being driven into the sea , where they were drowned . The Egyptians had chosen as Sultan , a valiant

and warlike chieftain called Sacednn , who proceeded to concert measures for repulsing the Christians . Louis after marching some days , arrived at Tannis , a branch of the Nile , over which the march lay . The Egyptians , however ,

had possession of the opposite bank , and were prepared to dispute the passage , which could easily haye been done , as the Christians would have required to strip naked to cross the river , and would have fallen before the missiles of the

enemy . The King , by the advice of the Templars , resolved to build a causeway ; and to guard those employed on it , he built two towers called beffrois or chas-chateils . The towers were

finished a week before Christmas , and the causeway was begun in earnest , the Templars setting the example of hard and continuous labour . As fast , however , as they advanced the causeway , the Saracens destroyed it , for they dug on their

side of the river , wide and deep holes in the earth , and as the water recoiled from the causeway , it filled these holes with water , and tore away the banks ; so that what had occupied them a month in constructing , was ruined in a day . Sacedun

sent over a part of his army by a ford to attack the Christians , in which they succeeded , slaying a great number of the soldiers , who were at dinner . The Templars , however , mounting their chargers repulsed them , and re-took several prisoners they

had captured . The Egyptians continued to harass the Christians , and at length by burning with Greek fire the protecting towers , reduced them to despair .

At last a Bedouin , on Shrove Tuesday came to the Constable of France , and offered to show him a safe ford , which could easily be crossed on horseback , if he was given five hundred bezants . These terms were agreed to and the ford was

crossed , not however before some lives were lost , some of the Knights having gone too near the banks of the river , when their horses slipped , were carried away by the water , and the riders drowned . Before setting out to cross the ford ,

the King ordered that the Templars should form the van , and the Count d'Artois , his brother , should command the second division . Three hundred E gyptian cavalry were placed on the

opposite bank , to dispute the passage , and the Count d'Artois having first crossed the ford , without waiting for the Templars , dashed upon the infidel . The Egyptians did not wait his charge , but took and fled in all directions , still pursued

by the Count and his troops . The Templars enraged at these proceedings of the Count , shouted upon him to stop . The Count , however , could not hear what the Templars were calling to him on account of Sir Fonoquault du Melle—who

held the bridle of his . horse—who was deaf , and heard nothing of the cries of the Templars , and consequently drowned their shouts by constantly bawling " Forward , forward ! " When the Templars perceived that no attention was paid to

their call , fearing to be dishonoured if they permitted the Count to usurp their place , in leading the army , they clapped spurs to their horses and dashed forward at their utmost speed , pursuing the Saracens to the town of Mansourah ,

slaughtering all that fell in their way . But the pursuit had carried them far away from the main body , and they got embarassed in the narrow streets of the town , where they had neither room to charge or execute any manoeuvre . Seeing this , the Egyptians rallied and returned to the attack

with large reinforcements . The townspeople moiinted to the roofs of the houses , from whence they rained down upon the heads of the Knights showers of bricks and stones . The archers galled them with arrows , and finally the Christians were

driven out of the town with immense slaughter . The Count d'Artois and Lord de Courcy were slain , with as many as three hundred Knights . The Templars lost , as de Sonnac told Joinville , full fourteeen score men-at-arms aud horses .

The Grand Master himself lost an eye in the unfortunate affair , and cut his way through the infidels to the main body of the army , accompanied by only two of his knights . In spite of his wound , the courageous Grand Master again

took part in the battle , which had rolled towards the King . Several Saracens began to pillage the camp , when he and Joinville charged and drove them away . The King , the Grand Master , and Joinville charged side by side in the battle ,

and all three performed feats of the most daring valour . During the evening of this eventful day de Sonnac sent to Joinville a splendid tent , in token of his admiration of his valour , an acceptable gift , as he tells us , for he was worn out by wounds and fatigue .