The generation of the Arsacide, or Assassins.
An. Reg. 56
¶ There be that write, how prince Edward himselfe, perceiuing the traitor to strike at his bellie, warded the blowe with his arme: and as the Saracen offered to haue striken againe, he thrust him backe to the ground with his foot, and catching him by the hand, wrested the knife from him, and thrusting him into the bellie, so killed him, though in strugling with him, he was hurt againe a little in the forhead: and his seruants withall comming to helpe him, one of them that was his musician, got vp a trestill and stroke out the braines of the traitor, as he laie dead on the ground, and was blamed of his master for striking him, after he saw him once dead before his face, as he might perceiue him to be. Some write, that this traitor was sent from the great admerall of Iapha, on message to the prince Edward, and had béene with him diuerse times before, & now making countenance to take forth letters, got foorth his knife, and attempted so to haue wrought his feat. Whatsoeuer the man was, the prince was in great danger, by reason of the enuenimed knife wherewith he was wounded, so that it was long yer he could be perfectlie whole. These Saracens called Arsacidæ, are a wicked generation of men, infected with such a superstitious opinion, that they beléeue heauenlie blisse is purchased of them, if they can by anie means slea one of the enimies of their religion, & suffer themselues for that fact the most cruell death that may be deuised. ¶ Prince Edward, after he was whole and recouered of his wounds, perceiuing that no such aid came into these parts out of christendome, as was looked for, tooke a truce with the enimies of our faith, and returned towards England, as hereafter shall be shewed.
1272.
Nic. Triuet.
Matt. West.
The decease of the king of Almaine.
His issue.
Edmund, erle of Cornewall.
On the fourth nones of Aprill (as some saie) or in the moneth of Februarie (as other write) in the six and fiftith yeare of K. Henries reigne at Berkhamstéed, died Richard king of Almaine and earle of Cornewall, and was buried in the abbeie of Hailes which he himselfe had founded: he was a worthie prince, and stood his brother king Henrie in great stead; in handling matters both in peace and warre. He left behind him issue begotten of his wife Sanctla two sonnes, Edmund and Henrie. This Edmund was he that brought the blood of Hailes out of Germanie: for as he was there vpon a time with his father, it chanced that as he was beholding the relikes, and other pretious monuments of the ancient emperors, he espied a box of gold: by the inscription whereof he perceiued (as the opinion of men then gaue) that therein was conteined a portion of the bloud of our sauiour.