volume one

HISTOEY or THE CEUSADES. 355
He arrived early at tlie spot where lie was to pass the night,
which offered no retreat for his soldiers but woods, ravines,
and barren rocks. At the foot of the mountain they beheld
an extensive and commodious valley ; the day was fine, and
the troops were in a condition to march without fatigue
several hours longer. The comit de JMaurienne, brother of
the king, Queen Eleanor, and all the ladies of her suite, who
had accompanied the vanguard, pressed Greoffrey de Ean9on
to descend into the plain. He had the weakness to comply
with their wishes ; but scarcely had he gained the valley,
when the Turks took possession of the heights he had
passed, and ranged themselves in order of battle.
During this time the rearguard of the army, in which was
the king, advanced full of confidence and security ; on seeing
troops in the woods and on the rocks, they supposed them
to be the French, and saluted them with cries of joy. They
marched without order, the beasts of bui'den and the chariots
were mingled with the battalions, and the greater part of
the soldiers had left their arms with the baggage. The
Turks, perfectly motionless, waited in silence till the Christian
army should be enclosed in the defiles, and when they
thought themselves sure of victory, they moved forward,
uttering frightful cries, and, sword in hand, fell upon the
unarmed Christians, who had no time to rally. The disorder
and confusion of the Trench army cannot be described.
"Above us," says an ocular witness, "steep rocks rose up
to the clouds ; beneath us precipices, dug by the torrent,
descended to the infernal regions." The Crusaders were
upon a narrow path, upon which men and horses coidd
neither advance nor retreat ; they dragged each other down
into the abysses ;
whilst rocks, detached from the tops of the
mountains, rolling do\Mi with horrible noise, crushed everything
in their passage.
The cries of the wounded and the d^dng mingled with the
confused roar of the torrents, the hissing of the arrows, and
the neighing of the terrified horses. In this frightful tumult
the leaders gave no orders, and the soldiers could neither
fight nor fly. The bravest rallied around the king, and
advanced towards the top of the mountain. Thirty of the
principal nobles that accompanied Louis perished by his
side, selling their lives dearly. The king remained almost
Vol. I.— 17