Lord Guy of Mauvoisin

After the troops belonging to the Temple came the troops of my Lord Guy of Mauvoisin; and these troops the Turks were never able to overcome. Notwithstanding the Turks had so covered my Lord Guy of Mauvoisin with Greek fire that his people could hardly extinguish it.

Starting from the place where my Lord Guy of Mauvoisin was stationed, the barriers that defended our camp went down about a stone’s – throw towards the river. Thence the barriers passed before the troops of Count William of Flanders and extended to the river that went towards the sea. In face of the barrier which came from the side of my Lord Guy Mauvoisin was our battalion; and because the troops of Count William of Flanders stood facing them, the Turks never dared to come and attack us; wherein God showed us great courtesy, for neither I nor my knights had our hauberks and shields, because we had all been wounded in the battle on Shrove Tuesday.

The Turks charged the Count of Flanders with great vigour and spirit, and on foot and horse. When I saw this I commanded our crossbowmen to shoot at those who were mounted. When those who were mounted saw they were being wounded from our side, then they took to flight; and when the count’s people saw this, they left the camp, scrambled over the barriers, ran in among the dismounted Saracens, and discomfited them. Many were killed, and many of their targes taken. There acquitted himself right valiantly Walter of the Horgne, who carried the banner of my Lord of Apremont.

Count of Flanders

After the troops belonging to the Count of Flanders came the troops of the Count of Poitiers, the king’s brother. These troops of the Count of Poitiers were on foot, and he alone mounted; and the Turks discomfited them immediately, and led away the Count of Poitiers captive. When the butchers, and the other camp followers, and the women who sold provisions, saw this, they raised the cry of alarm throughout the camp, and with God’s help they succored the count, and drove the Turks out of the camp.

After the troops of the Count of Poitiers came the troops of my lord Josserand of Brancion, who had come with the count into Egypt, and was one of the best knights that were in the host. He had so arranged his people that all his knights were on foot; and he himself was on horseback, as also his son my Lord Kenry, and the son of my Lord Josserand of Nanton, and these he placed or horseback because they were but children. Several times the Turks discomfited his people. Every time that he saw his people discomfited, he set spurs to his horse, and took the Turks in the rear; and oft, when he did this, the Turks left off attacking his people to set upon him.

Nevertheless this would not have availed to prevent the Turks from killing them all on the field of battle, had it not been for my Lord Henry of Cone, who was in the Duke of Burgundy’s division, a wise knight and valiant and of good counsel; for every time that he saw the Turks falling upon my Lord of Brancion, he caused the king’s crossbowmen to shoot at the Turks across the river. Thus did the Lord of Brancion escape from the peril of that day; but only in such sort that of the twenty knights he had about loom he lost twelve, without counting the other men-at-arms; and he himself was so sorely mishandled that never afterwards could he stand upon his feet, and he died of that wound in the service of God.