104 THE BOY cuxUSADERS.

princely quaternion of brothers which came hither
at this voyage, and exceeded each other in some
quality —- Louis the holiest, Alphonse the subtlest,
Charles the stoutest, and Robert the proudest.’
No fewer than sixty thousand men—twenty thou-
sand of whom were cavalry-—-were now encamped
around the oriflamme; and with such an army, led
by such chiefs, the saint-king would have been more
than mortal if he had not flattered himself with the
hope of accomplishing something great, to be recorded
by chroniclers and celebrated by minstrels. |

And the princes and nobles assembled to hold a
council of war; and Louis, with his crown on his
brow, took his place to preside, with that serenc
dignity which distinguished him. But, ere the pro-
ceedings began, the Earl of Salisbury rose, and inti-
mated his desire to address the king on a subject of
great importance. Louis immediately signified con-
sent; and the earl, raising his hand to ensure
silence, proceeded with a calm but resolute air :—

‘Sire,’ said he, ‘I crave your pardon, and that of
the princes and noble warriors here assembled, for
trespassing upon their time. But I have that to
state which demands your attention and interference,
inasmuch as it nearly concerns the safety and welfare
and honour of the army of pilgrims, of which you
are the recognised chief. Sire,’ continued the earl,
‘however others may plead ignorance of the circum-
stances, you, at least, are fully informed and well
aware that, in taking the Cross, and coming from a
distant land to aid you in the recovery of the Holy»
Sepulchre, I made sacrifices of no ordinary kind.