THE SARACENS RETURN TO CYPRUS.—A BATTLE BETWEEN THEM AND THE CYPRIOTS, IN WHICH THE KING IS MADE PRISONER, AND CARRIED TO THE SULTAN.
About this period, many knights and esquires arrived at Cyprus, in consequence of the king of Cyprus's solicitations, to oppose the Saracens, who were daily expected to return thither. The king collected all the forces within the island, whom he provided with lodging, food and money, as well as he could, according to their different ranks.
While they were thus expecting the Saracens, his army, which was collected from various nations, mutinied, so that the king had much difficulty to keep peace among them, and knew not whom to appoint as commander in chief, who would be agreeable to them. During these dissentions, the Saracens came before Cyprus in prodigious numbers, and landed at Lymeson: they besieged the great tower, and, notwithstanding it had been much strengthened, and was full of men at arms, they took it by storm, and killed the governor, Estienne de Buyserse, and all his men.
The king, hearing of this, assembled his council, and demanded what measures he should pursue. The greater part proposed that he should remain in the town of Nicosia, saying that a country wasted was better than a country lost; but all the foreigners were of a contrary opinion, and advised him to march his army into the plain, and combat boldly an enemy who was destroying his kingdom, and putting to death his subjects. The king, on this, determined to march his army to meet the Saracens; and on the second day after, when he was mounted, his horse, at the first step, fell on its knees to the ground. The prince of Galilee also, his brother, let his sword fall out of the scabbard on the earth: many persons thought these such omens of ill success, that they had but little hopes of victory.
This day, the king advanced three leagues, and fixed his quarters at a very beautiful spot called Beaulieu. On the Saturday following, for on the Thursday, he had taken the field, he marched in handsome array to a town called Citolye[9]. On the ensuing Sunday, the 6th day of July, after the king had attended mass, and was seated at table, and while he and his army were at dinner, a great smoke was seen in different parts not far distant, and intelligence was brought that the Saracens were advancing against him.
The commander of Cyprus, with some of the knights of Rhodes, the lord de Varemboulais, and several gentlemen from France, hearing this, requested the king's permission to go and reconnoitre the enemy. It was very unwillingly granted. They advanced so far that they fell in with the Saracens, with whom they skirmished, and killed a few; but numbers were so much against them that they could not longer resist, and, leaving nearly thirty dead behind them, retreated as well as they could to their army, which they met, with the king, advancing at a quick pace.
The king of Cyprus marched his army without much order for some time, and at last came in sight of the Saracens near to a town called Domy. He had near him his brother the prince of Galilee, the constable of Jerusalem, two german counts, and the flower of his own chivalry. The king charged the Saracens very gallantly and rapidly, insomuch that at the onset they suffered much; but fortune seemed unwilling to continue her favours, for the king's horse fell under him to the ground and burst the girths of the saddle; so that when the king was remounted, and engaged in the combat, the saddle turned, and he fell to the ground: the horse galloped off, and necessity forced him to mount a small horse of one of his esquires, named Anthony Kaire, for the boys had fled for fear with all the war-horses. By reason of this accident, most of the Cypriots believed their king was killed, and were panic-struck. The Saracens were beginning to retreat toward the coast, but, observing some disorder in the enemy's army, recovered their courage, and with their main body charged the Christians with such vigour that the king was obliged to retire to Citolye, whence he had departed; but when almost close to it, he was surrounded by the Saracens, and his entrance cut off.
The Christians were now discomfited, and began to fly on all sides as fast as they could. The king retired to an eminence, alway attended by his brother the prince of Galilee, who said to him, 'My lord, you see clearly that your men are flying, and that all resistance against the enemy is vain: deign, therefore, to save yourself, and take compassion on your kingdom, for should you be made prisoner we shall all be ruined. Take with you therefore some of your most faithful servants, and retire to a place of safety. In the mean time, I will remain here with the banners until I shall be sure that you have escaped, and will then save myself in the manner God shall be pleased to point out to me.'
The king, on hearing these words, looked with much tenderness on his brother, and replied, 'Fair brother, God forbid that I should separate myself from you: go, and comfort and rally my people, and urge them to the assistance of their natural lord and sovereign in his distress.'