92 SIEGE AND BATTLE OF JAFFA. 



calls two mounted knights to follow him, and, with a 

 few crossbow-men, immediately enters the walls. Ar- 

 rived at the square, three Emirs, at the head of a con- 

 siderable body of men, meet his sight; to charge them, 

 to kill the riders and capture two horses, and then 

 to disperse the privates, is the affair of a few minutes. 

 The cry of Richard resounds in the streets ; every ene- 

 my flies or is cut down, and the town is recovered. 

 The king now ordered fresh barricades, and placed 

 guards at the gaps in the walls ; then riding to the 

 sea shore, induced the Itahans, who had fled, to re- 

 sume their posts ; and calling all the seamen on board 

 the household galleys, excepting five for each vessel, 

 to land, he secures the avenues of the place, which 

 being performed, he returns to his faithful band, still 

 shewing an iron front to the enemy. 



As soon as he re-appeared the conflict again became 

 animated. Followed by a few knights, lie burst forth 

 from the front and broke through the thickest of the 

 enemy. Those who hitherto had stood collected now 

 shrunk from his approach ; but, closing on his rear, 

 they made incredible efforts to bring him down by the 

 weight of numbers : soon he was out of sight of his 

 own, beset on all sides, javehns, arrows and maces 

 flying at him. On toiled the king, heedless of the mul- 

 titude, which, indeed, always endeavoured to shrink 

 from his arm. Far in the rear, the waving of the tu- 

 mult alone could be seen by his attendant knights, 

 who, being badly mounted, returned to the position, 

 where his absence soon caused the deepest alarm : 

 despair of the king's safety began to spread through 

 every bosom : a little more and even English firmness 

 would have yielded, and, as men in dismay, their troop 

 would have been seen flying into the sea. Richard, 

 with constantly striking dffwn, had at length blunted 

 his sword, when he met with a warrior, one who seemed 

 worthy of his arm : this person was an Emir of sur- 

 passing stature, covered with splendid armour, fierce 

 of aspect and loud in reproaching the cowardice of his 

 own men. Driving his charger with headlong fury upon 



