From the Count of Poitiers

The king had scarcely begun to move when he received several messages from the Count of Poitiers, his brother, and the Count of Flanders, and several other men of worth who had their forces there, all begging him not to move, because they were so hard pressed by the Turks that they could not follow him. The king summoned once more all the right worthy knights of his council, and all advised that he should wait. Shortly after, my Lord John of Valery came back, and blamed the king and his council for remaining where they were. On this all his counsellors advised that he should draw towards the river as the Lord of Valery advised.

At this moment the constable, my Lord Imbert of Beaujeu, came up to him and said that the Count of Artois, his brother, was defending himself in a house at Mansourah, and that he should go to his relief and succour him. And the king said, “ Constable, go before, and I will follow.” I said to the constable that I would be his knight, and he thanked me much. So we put ourselves in the way to go to Man sourah.

Then came to the constable a sergeant, a mace-bearer, all affeered, and told him that the king was stayed, and that the Turks had placed themselves between him and us. We turned, and saw that there were at least a thousand of them, and more, between him and us, and we were no more than six. Then I said to the constable, “ Lord, we cannot get to the king through these people, but let us go upward, and put this ditch that you see here between them and us, and so shall we be able to get back to the king.” The constable took my advice. And you may know that if the Turks had taken thought of us, they would certainly have killed us all; but they gave no thought to any save the king, and the big bodies of men; wherefore they fancied that we were on their side.

THE CHRISTIANS DRIVEN BACK ON THE RIVER BRIDGE DEFENDED BY JOINVILLE RETREAT OF THE COUNT OF BRITTANY FROM MANSOURAH

While we were returning down the bank of the river belween the streamlet and the river, we saw that the king was come nigh to the river, and that the Turks were driving back the king’s other battalions, slashing and striking with swords and maces; and they forced back the other battalions, with the king’s battalions, upon the river. The discomfiture was there so great that several of our people thought to pass over to the Duke of Burgundy, swimming; which they were unable to do, for their horses were weary, and the day had become very hot; so we saw, as we were coming down towards them, that the stream was covered with lances and shields, and wirh horses and men drowning and perishing customized daily istanbul tours.

We came to a little bridge that was over the streamlet, and I said to the constable, “ Let ns stay here, and guard this little bridge, for if we abandon it the Turks will fall on the king from this side, and if our people are attacked from two sides, it will go hard with them.” And we did so. And it was told to us afterwards that we should all have been lost that day, save for the king. For the Lord of Courtenay and my Lord John of Saillenay told me that six Turks had come to the king’s bridle and were leading him away captive, and that he alone delivered himself striking at them great strokes with his sword. And when his people saw how the king was defending himself, they took courage, and many of them abandoned thought of taking flight across the river, and drew to the king’s side to help him.

Right straight upon us, who were keeping the little bridge, came the Count Peter of Brittany, riding from Mansourah, and he had been wounded with a sword across the face, so that the blood ran into his mouth. He rode upon a fine, well- limbed horse. He had thrown the reins on the pummel of the saddle, and held it with his two hands so that his people, who were behind, and pressed sorely upon him, might not hustle him out of the path to the little bridge. Well did it seem how lightly he held them, for as he spat the blood out of his mouth, he said full often: Ha, by God’s head, have you ever seen such riff-raff! ” Behind his men came the Count of Soissons, and my Lord Peter of Neuville, who was called “ Caier,” and they both had received blows endow during that day.