2772

May 20. B[enedict of Alignan], bishop of Marseille writes to Pope Innocent IV. There have been rumours that the citadel of Cairo had surrendered to Louis IX, but now the Hospitaller preceptor of Marseille has informed the bishop by letter that on 26 January Louis arrived at Cairo which was handed over to him by certain Saracens who had rebelled against their sultan as well as by the master of the Hospital (William of Chastel Neuf (Châteauneuf), a prisoner of war since 1244) and other Christians who were held prisoner there. Two days later the sultan brought up 100,000 (or 200,000) mounted warriors and countless infantry. The king organized four divisions of his army: (1) the count of Flanders with the Templars; (2) the counts of Brittany and St Pol; (3) the king with the counts of Poitou, Artois and Provence, the duke of Burgundy and many others; and (4) the count of Artois, the master of the Hospital and several others. Battle lasted from the third hour until nightfall. Many Saracens massacred; the sultan fled; Christian losses – knights, crossbowmen and squires – less than 1,000. The king, the queen (who is pregnant) and the king’s brothers and their wives are in good health although the count of Artois lay on the field of battle as if dead for a day and a night. The king holds Cairo, Babylon and Alexandria.