[953] Est., ll. 10576-626; Itin., 393, 394.
[954] Est., ll. 10639-64; Itin., 394, 395.
[955] R. Coggeshall, 39, 40. Ralf says Richard caused Saladin’s captured envoys to be shot to death with arrows by his own servants in the sight of the host, neither portion of it (that is, his own adherents or those of Burgundy) knowing whence the victims came nor why they were thus slain. It seems hardly possible that Ambrose should have omitted to mention so strange an incident if it really was seen by the Crusaders of whom he was one. Ralf further represents Hugh as setting out for Acre with his forces immediately, and Richard with the rest of the host following next day; whereas Ambrose distinctly says that the French quitted Beit Nuba at the same time as the king (Est., ll. 10709-10). The Itinerarium, 397, says the same.
[956] Bohadin, 315.
[957] “Quatre liues,” Est., l. 10690; “quatuor tantum nunc distabant millia,” Itin., 396. Beit Nuba is about thirteen miles from Jerusalem. Seemingly “liues” and “millia” here must stand for hours of march, as Stubbs says they often do in Crusade history.
[958] Itin., 376. This passage follows the account of an event which the same writer dates June 17, and other authorities June 16.
[959] “Par la Porte David estoit la voie qui maine en Belleem. Em mi voie estoit une Esglyze ou Seint Elie fu mananz,” Contin. W. Tyr., MS. Rothelin, Recueil Hist. Occid., ii. 512. R. Howden, iii. 182, calls the place “capellam S. Elyae quae distat a Jerusalem per tres leucas.” As the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem is about six miles, Roger must here have used the word leuca as equivalent to a mile (as the author of the Itinerarium seems to have done frequently). On the other hand, there appears to be a mistake in the passage from the Rothelin MS.; seeing that “David’s Gate” was the west gate of Jerusalem, and that Bethlehem lies south of that city, the natural “way that leads to Bethlehem” would be by the “Gate of Sion.”
[960] Est., ll. 10089-135; Itin., 377, 378. Both writers give the date as “the third day before S. John’s,” and the Latin one adds “die S. Albani,” i. e. June 22. On June 22, however, Richard was, as we have seen, at Galatia. Roger of Howden’s account of the affair (iii. 182) is obviously confused. He gives no date; but in his work, as in the Estoire and the Itinerarium, the story is immediately followed by that of the Egyptian caravan. Probably therefore the true date is Sunday, June 21.
[961] R. Coggeshall, 40, 41.
[962] Joinville, c. 108.