2779

August 1-10. Acre. King Louis IX of France describes for all his subjects the course of events on his crusade after the capture of Damietta and justifies his decision to stay in the East. He describes the Christian advance to Mansurah (Massoria), the news of the death of the sultan of Egypt, the transfer of government to his son and of command of the Egyptian army to an amir called Farchardinus; the Christian encampment, the revealing of a ford across the River Tanis (fluvius Thaneos) by a Saracen (Sarracenus), the battle of Mansurah; the death of the king’s brother the count of Artois (Atrabetensis comes), who Louis believes to be a martyr; the refortification of the Christian camp; the outbreak an epidemic in the Christian army; the Muslim blockade, leading to a dearth of provisions; and the retreat and the capture of the king, his brothers A. count of Poitou (Pictavensis comes) and K. count of Anjou (Andegauensis comes), and the rest of the army on 5 April. Louis then incorporates the terms of a 10-year truce made with the Egyptians: the release of all captives held by both sides since the truce made [in 1229] between the Emperor Frederick and Sultan al Kamil (Soldanus Kyemel), the grandfather of the present sultan; a guarantee that the Christians should hold the territories in the Levant they occupied at the time of Louis’s arrival; the surrender of Damietta to the Egyptians, together with the sum of 800,000 Saracen besants, to cover the release of prisoners and reparations. Louis states that he has already paid 400,000 besants. The Egyptians promised security of possessions and safe-conduct and protection to all the Christians in Damietta, including the sick. Louis describes the assassination of the sultan, the danger in which the Christian prisoners found themselves and the eventual confirmation of the truce and terms of surrender; the occupation of the city by the amirs, the release of Louis himself, and his brothers, together with the count of Brittany (comes Britanniae), the count of Flanders (comes Flandriae), the count of Soissons (comes Suession), and the barones and milites of the kingdoms of France, Jerusalem and Cyprus. Louis writes of his departure from Egypt for Acre, leaving behind representatives to deal with the release of other prisoners and engines, weapons, tents and horses. He describes his anxiety about these prisoners, the measures he took and his failure to secure the release of more than 400 of an estimated 12,000, while he heard that the Egyptians were forcing prisoners to apostatize. He had already intended to leave for France, but his experience of the amirs and their refusal to abide by the terms of the truce led him seek advice from the barones of France, the prelates, the Orders of the Knights Templar, the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans, and the barones of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Most of these urged him to stay, to strengthen the Kingdom of Jerusalem and secure the liberation of prisoners. Another reason was that war had broken out between the sultans of Aleppo and Egypt, which might be advantageous for the Christians. Louis states that it is his intention to stay in the Kingdom of Syria for some time. He is, however, sending A. count of Poitou (Pictavensis) comes and K. count of Anjou (Andegavensis comes) back to France. He ends by calling for more crusaders, stating that he is particularly addressing [Franks], who are descended by blood from those whom God chose to win the Holy Land [on the First Crusade]. He calls for reinforcements to sail for the East on the coming May or April passage (in 1251), or, if that is too soon, at least by the St John’s Day passage. He calls on the prelates of France to pray for him.