RICHARD. 



into the befiegers, and feats of arms were performed under 

 the walls, by Richard and Philip, efpecially by the former, 

 who far furpaffed his rival in military enterprife. The 

 cit) furrendered in July 1191, and immediately there were 

 two competitors for the titular kingdom of Jerufalem, 

 whofe claims were efpoufed by the rival kings. Philip, 

 however, did not remain long in the Eaft ; he returned 

 home, leaving io,coo men with Richard, who marched 

 from Acre with the intent of reducing the other towns on 

 the fea-coaft, while Saladin attended his motions, and gave 

 him frequent affaults, which produced deeds of extraor- 

 dinary valour on both fides, till at length a general engage- 

 ment was brought on, in which, after both wings ot the 

 Chriftian army had been defeated, Richard in the centre, 

 by the mod heroic exertions of bravery, and confummate 

 military lkill, gained a complete vi&ory. This was imme- 

 diately followed by the pofleffion of Joppa, Afcalon, and other 

 places' which Saladin had deferted ; and Richard advanced 

 within light of the holy city ; but the greater part of the 

 allies refufed to concur in the fiege of that capital, and he 

 was obliged reluctantly to return to Afcalon. Here he 

 concluded a truce with Saladin, on the condition that 

 Acre, Joppa, and the other fea-ports of Paleftine, fhould 

 remain in the hands of the Chriftians, and that they fhould 

 enjoy full liberty to perform their pilgrimages to Jerufalem. 

 Richard now prepared to return home, where his prefence 

 was ablolutely neceffary on account of the great diforders 

 into which his kingdom was fallen. Previous to his em- 

 barkation, he terminated the conteft for the crown of 

 Jerufalem, by concurring in the election of Conrad, and 

 bellowing the conquered kingdom of Cyprus upon the 

 dilappointed competitor Lulignan. At this period, Con- 

 rad was murdered in the ftreets of Tyre by two emiffaries 

 of the prince of Affafiins, commonly called the " old man 

 of the mountain ;" and although the deed was clearly tr.-u ed 

 to this fource, Philip was bafe enough to calumniate 

 Richard as the author of it, in order that he might have 

 an excufe for the defigns which he was carrying on again It 

 him in Europe. 



Richard fet fail from Acre in Oftober, 1 192. In the 

 courle of his voyage he was wrecked near Aquileia : thence 

 he purfued his way through Germany, in the difguife of a 

 pilgrim; but being difeovered near Vienna, he was arretted 

 by the orders of Leopold, duke of Aullria, and thrown 

 into prifon. He was afterwards given up to the emperor 

 Henry VI., who had been offended by him. When intel- 

 ligence of this event reached England, queen Eleanor wrote 

 repeatedly to the pope, reprelenting to his holinefs the 

 fcandal and injuilice of felling and imprifoning the moft il- 

 lultrious champion of Chriftendom, whofe exertions for the 

 common caufe were celebrated throughout Europe and 

 Afia ; and claiming, in behalf of the captive king, the pro- 

 tection of the holy lee. Her reprefentations were of no 

 avail : Richard was kept in prifon, and loaded with irons ; 

 which afforded his rival, Philip, full opportunity for in- 

 vading his dominions. He entered into a treaty with John, 

 who readily took up arms againft his brother's government, 

 while Philip was making himfelf mailer of great part of 

 Normandy. Richard, in the mean time, fupported his mif. 

 fortunes and indignities with the molt undaunted courage. 

 The emperor, to jultify his own conduct, produced the 

 royal captive before the diet at Worms, under a charge of 

 fevcral heinous offences ; but Richard repelled the accufa- 

 tions with fo much fpirit and eloquence, that he carried the 

 affembly with him, who loudly exclaimed againft his deten- 

 tion. At length he was liberated, on the condition that 

 i 50,000 marks fhould be paid as a ranfom, He arrived in 



England in March, 1194, to the great joy of his fubje£b 

 in general. 



When Philip was made acquainted with Richard's de- 

 liverance, he wrote to John "to take care of himfelf, the devil 

 being broke loofe." The property of John was immediately 

 confifcated, and his caltle at Nottingham feized. Richard 

 was recrowned at Wellminfter, in the prefence of William, 

 king of Scotland ; and he then began to raife money, that 

 he might take revenge upon his inveterate foe, Philip of 

 France. John threw himlelf at the feet of his brother, im- 

 ploring, in the moft abjedt terms, his pardon. " I forgive 

 him," faid the hero, " and hope I fhall as eafily forget his 

 injuries as he will my pardon." In the enfuing war between 

 Richard and Philip, the former gained fome advantages ; 

 but a truce fufpended farther hoftilities. A peace was ter- 

 minated in 1 1 96 ; but in the following year, the war was 

 renewed, in which much cruelty was exercifed on both 

 fides. 



England, during this foreign contention, had been the 

 fcene of much calamity, partly through diflurbances occa- 

 fioned by the exafrtions of a needy and rapacious govern- 

 ment, and partly by the more grievous calamities of famine 

 and peftilence. A lalling accommodation with France, as 

 preparatory to another expedition to the Holy Land, was 

 in agitation, when the reign and life of Richard were 

 brought to a clofe through his avarice, which is thus re- 

 lated by Hume. 



Vidomar, vifeount of Limoges, a vaffal of the king's, 

 had found a treafure, of which he ient a part to that prince 

 as a prefent. Richard, as fuperior lord, claimed the whole, 

 betieged the vifcount in the caflle of Chalus, near Limoges, 

 in order to make him comply with his demands. The gar- 

 rifon offered to furrender, but Richard was determined on 

 revenge ; and as he was furveying the caille with Marcadee, 

 leader of his Brabancons, he was ilruck by an arrow, aimed 

 at him by Bertrand de Gourdon. The wound was not 

 confidered as mortal : the place was aflaulted and taken, and 

 the whole garrifon executed, except Gourdon, who had 

 wounded him, and who was relerved for a more favage exe- 

 cution. By the unfkilfulnefs of the furgeon, the wound, 

 which was at ftrll but flight, exhibited the moft dangerous 

 fymptoms, and the king felt that his end was approaching. 

 He lent tor Gourdon, and a/ked him what had induced him 

 to make an attempt upon his life ; to which the man boldly 

 replied, " You killed, with your own hands, my father 

 and my two brothers, and you intended to have hanged 

 myfelf: I am now in your power, and you may take 

 your revenge, by inflidling upon me the feverell torments j 

 but I fhall endure them with patience, provided I can 

 think that I have been fo happy as to rid the world of fuch 

 a nuifance." Richard, ilruck with the magnanimity and 

 reafonablenefs of the reply, and probably humbled and 

 penitent by the near approach of death, ordered Gourdon 

 to be fet at liberty, and a fum of money to be given him ; 

 but Marcadee, unknown to the dying king, feized the un- 

 happy man, caufed him to be flayed alive, and then hanged. 

 Richard died in the tenth year of his reign, and the forty- 

 fecond of his age, leaving no iflue behind him. The moil 

 fhining parts of his character are his military talents. He 

 loved glory, and chiefly military glory ; and as his con- 

 duct in the field was not inferior to his valour, he feems 

 to have poffeffed every talent neceffary for acquiring it. 

 His refentmenls were high, and his pride unconquerable. 

 He was diltinguifhed by all the good as well as bad qualities 

 incident to an impetuous and vehement fpirit : he was open, 

 frank, generous, fincere, and brave j but revengeful, am- 

 bitious, haughty, and cruel. His talents were confiderabk- 



in 



