THE EARL OF SALISBURY 



A.D. 



1248. 



The comming of the Emperour of Constantinople 

 called Baldwine into England in the yere 

 1247, ^^^ ^^ Matth. Paris, & Holensh. pag. 

 239. vol. 2. 



Bout the same time, Baldwine naming himselfe 

 emperour of Constantinople, came againe into 

 England, to procure some new ayd of the king 



towards the recovery of his empire, out of the which 

 he was expelled by the Greeks. 



The voyage of William || Longespee Earle oi\\Or,Long- 

 Sarisburie into Asia, in the yeere 1248, and ^^°^ ' 

 in the 32 yeere of the reigne of Henry the 

 third, king of England. 



Ewis the French king being recovered 

 of his sickenesse which he fell into, in the 

 yere 1234, vowed thereupon for a free 

 will sacrifice to God, that he (if the 

 Councell of his realme would suffer him) 

 would in his owne person visit the Holy 

 land : which matter was opened and 



debated in the Parliament of France held in the yeere 



1247. Where at length it was concluded, that the king 



according to his vow should take his journey into Asia, 



and the time thereof was also prefixed, which should \^^- i- 34-] 



be after the feast of S. John Baptist the next yeere 



ensuing. 



At which time William Longespee a worthie warrior, 

 with the bishop of Worcester and certaine other great 

 men in the Realme of England (mooved with the 

 example of the Frenchmen) prepared themselves like- 

 wise to the same journey. 



It fell out in this enterprise, that about the beginning 

 of October, the French king assaulted and tooke 

 Damiata, being the principall fort or hold of the 

 IV 353 z 



