Algezir 225 



[in encamping] the King of Navarre and the Count of Foix, and 

 they of England and Germany the Earls of Derby and Salisbury, 

 because of the long and great war between the King of France and 

 the King of England, in which the Germans assisted the English 

 king. 



One day at the beginning of August, there entered companies of 

 foot-soldiers from outside the kingdom into the barrier that the 

 Christians had made, and began to fight with the Moors of the city 

 between the villas. Which when the king had seen, he realized that 

 if they were not succored they were in peril of death, for the 

 Moors were numerous, and more were pressing out of the city. 

 Accordingly, he ordered some of his troops to arm themselves and 

 enter the mellay, in order to rescue these men. And those to whom 

 the king gave commandment went thither, but could not effect the 

 rescue, for the Moors fought them as they had done the others. 

 Then the Earls of Derby and Salisbury, with other Englishmen and 

 Germans, being at hand, armed themselves, and eagerly took part 

 in the fray; upon which the Moors of the city, horse and foot, 

 issued forth to the field, and the combat between them was fierce. 

 Now the Christians who engaged did not stand firm with the earls, 

 but abandoned them, like men who had entered inconsiderately into 

 the battle. The king, seing this, commanded that all those within 

 the barrier should arm, and reinforce the Christians; and this they 

 did. After they had come together from each side, the Moors fled 

 into the city, while the Christians continued to fall upon them until 

 they had pursued them inside, and slain many of them in the trench. 

 In this way many of the Moors were killed and wounded; and they 

 fled in such haste, and in such great disorder, that two Christian 

 Englishmen were carried along with them into the city.^ Thereupon, 

 certain Moors who saw them supposed that they were more in number, 

 and were much afraid that they had lost the city. But when they 

 discovered that there were only two, they tried hard to capture 

 them, and placed guards at the city-gates. And the Christians who 

 took part in the combat stayed near the city, and laid waste the 

 fine gardens which the Moors had between the two villas, and which 

 they maintained in great estate. But the king commanded them to 



Kervyn 22. 267). His own physician had insisted on wine and a liberal 

 diet, while those of Alfonso were in favor of keeping him low; and 

 it was the former that he followed. 



^ Cronica, pp. 551-2. 



^ Cf . Jean le Bel i. 49: 'Les crestiens perdoient plus souvent que les 

 Sarrasins aux paletis et aultres armes, car ilz s'abandonnoient trop a la 

 folic pour avancer leur honneur envers les grands seigneurs et les barons 

 qui la estoient venus de tons pays comme pelerins.' 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. XX. 16 1916 



