WILLIAM LONGSWORD. 69

beyond measure, and on the point ot giving way to
despair.

It happened, however, that while Louis was
mourning over the mishap, William Longsword, Earl
of Salisbury, arrived at Cyprus with the English
Crusaders, and administered some degree of conso-
lation. In truth, Longsword was just the man to
explain all in the most satisfactory manner. Having
been accustomed from his youth to cross the narrow
seas, he felt none of that vague terror of the ocean
which made the French knights, when they embarked,
invoke the protection of the saints; and he expressed
his opinion that, in all probability, the missing vessels
were safe on the Syrian coast. But the indifference
which the earl showed for dangers at which the
French trembled had the effect of making him
many enemies, and arousing the natural jealousies
which afterwards proved so baneful to the expe-
dition.

It ought to be borne in mind, that at the period
of St. Louis’s crusade there existed no love between
the nobles of France and the nobles of England; and
it appears that the French were in the habit of
treating the English with some degree of scorn. Nor
was it unnatural that such should have been the case;
for, during half a century, in almost every struggle
between the kingdoms, the French had been victo-
rious. Philip Augustus, after holding his own against
Richard Coeur de Lion, had succeeded in driving
John from the continent; and Louis, when forced to
take the field against Henry, had pursued his royal
brother-in-law from the bridge of Taillebourg to the

E