CHAP. 



V..] 



THE CRUSADES. 



177 



army in closely serried ranks, and avoided the action, 

 until when near Assur, he had drawn the Turkish hordes 

 into a plain cooped up between mountains and a forest. 

 Then he turned at bay, and charging at the head of his 

 English nobles and the whole Christian host, he shattered 

 the Saracen formation, and hewed his way through their 

 thickest ranks. As far as the sweep of his heavy sword 

 reached all went down before it or fled ^-om it. The 

 Turks, unable to get away, were cut down in great 

 numbers, and although they fought desperately, they 

 were completely defeated with immense loss. 



Chivalry reached the zenith of its glory at this period, 

 nor was there, in the long roll of great soldiers connected 

 with it, a more gallant knight than the lion-hearted 

 Kichard. 



A number of crusades took place from time to time, 

 until in the year 1248 Louis IX. (St. Louis) of France 

 led a large army to Egypt and landed near Damietta. 

 The details of this landing are interesting. A number 

 of the knights under Joinville, Baldwin of Rheims, and 

 the Count of Jaffa, went ashore first and drew up in 

 order of battle to cover the disembarkation of the re- 

 mainder. The Saracen cavalry at once charged upon 

 them to drive them into the sea. The tactics employed 

 by the dismounted heavy cavalry to protect themselves 

 were very judicious, and foreshadowed the coming revival 

 of an infantry force armed as pikemen. They formed up 

 in serried ranks, placed their bucklers upright in the sand 

 before them, and, resting their long lances on the top of 

 their shields, presented an impenetrable array of steel 

 points, before which the Moslem horse fell back in con- 

 fusion.' The troops constantly landing from the fleet, 

 formed under the protection of this battalion and effected 

 the movement without loss or annoyance. 



Although the Crusades lasted for over two hundred and 

 fifty years, during which time all the nations of Europe 

 furnished their contingents to the Christian rmies, and 

 although millions of treasure were expendeu and two 

 millions of lives lost, yet we look in vain for any marked 



' Michaud, ii. 382 ; Mackay, ii. 93. 



JS". 



