stance, unwilling to incur the resentment of such a powerful A. C. 1190, prince as Richard, made uncommon advances towards a treaty of peace. This was at length concluded, on condition that Tancred fhould pay to Richard twenty thousand ounces of gold, in lieu of legacies bequeathed to Henry of England, by the late king William II. who had married his daughter; that he fhould beftow one of his daughters in marriage on young Arthur duke of Brittany, whom Richard had declared his fucceffor, in cafe he himself should die without iffue; and that twenty thousand ounces of gold fhould be forthwith depofited as her fortune, to be reftored, provided the marriage fhould not take effect. As for the inhabitants of Messina, Dueto Col. Richard ordered the plunder to be restored; but knowing them to be a faithless mongrel race, descended from Greeks, Lombards, and Saracens, he ordered them to pull down their gates, and deliver hostages for their peaceable behaviour. Then he built a ftrong cattle upon the top of an high mountain that overlooked the city, diftinguishing it by the appellation of Mate-Griffon, or Griffon-Slayer, alluding to the name of Griffons, bestowed as a term of reproach upon the inhabitants of Meffina, Here while he entertained Hugh duke of Burgundy, and a great number of French noblemen, on Christmas-day, he and his guefts were obliged to rife from table and quell a tumult, arifing from a quarrel between fome English and Pifan failors; which was also renewed next day, upon a Pifan's murdering an Englishman at church. Both fides fought with equal fury, and many lives were loft, before the kings of France and England could advance with their forces, and put an end to the battle. Bened. Abb. with Wil In a few days after this disturbance, a trifling incident served Richard's to denote the impetuofity of Richard's difpofition. Having adventure rode out to take the air, accompanied by feveral French and liam de English knights, of which number was William de Barre, Barres. famous for his courage and dexterity; the king, who had formerly taken this cavalier in a skirmish near Mante, perceiving a man leading an afs loaden with canes, distributed these among the company, and they began to tilt at one another in the Moorish manner. In the course of this paftime, William happened to tear the king's coat; and Richard, incenfed at the presumption of a man who had formerly broke his parole with him in Normandy, ran at him with great fury; but, instead of difmounting William, his own faddle gave way, and he came to the ground: a circumstance which piqued the king's pride to fuch a degree, that he ordered De Barre to be gone, and never appear again in his prefence. At the inter ceffion, A. C. 1190. ceffion, however, of the prelates and nobility, he was permitted to prosecute the voyage to the Holy Land, where he fignalized his valour in fuch a manner, as effectually retrieved the favour of Richard. Vinefauf. Perfidy of the French king. Mean while the French king disguised his animofity fo well, that the other never suspected his fentiments, but treated him as a particular friend and generous ally. He prefented Philip with divers English fhips, and half the money he had received from Tancred; and diftributed his treasure among the French knights with fuch profufion, that he is faid to have given away, in one month, more than any of his predeceffors had bestowed in a whole year. At length he vifited the Sicilian king at Catanea, who received him with particular marks of honour and respect, and was so pleased with his open, frank demeanour, that he made him acquainted with Philip's malevolence. This plainly appeared in a letter from the king of France to Tancred, affuring him, that Richard intended to deprive him of his crown, and propofing that the Sicilian fhould fall upon him fuddenly with his forces, in which cafe he would fecond his attempt. The English monarch was confounded at this inftance of perfidy; the truth of which he had no reason to doubt when he faw Philip's fignet, and Tancred offered to prove that he received it from the duke of Burgundy. He carefully preferved this evidence; and having been fplendidly entertained by the Sicilian monarch, to whom he presented the famous fword of Arthur, celebrated under the name of Caliburne, he returned to Meffina, with a hearty contempt of his French ally. Philip could not help perceiving a total alteration in his behaviour, and fent the count of Flanders to expoftulate with him on the fubject, when Richard delivered the letter into his hands, defiring he would prefent it to the king of France, who at fight of it exhibited figns of extreme confufion; though he foon recollected himself, and pretended it was a stratagem, contrived by Richard, Bened. Abb. to avoid his marriage with Adelais, which he now infifted upon with affected warmth. Vinefauf. A. C. 1191. andRichard. Richard had never been affianced to this princess, and never A new con- expreffed the least inclination for the match, except when his vention be intention was to distress his father: for his heart had been tween Philip captivated by the beauty of Berengaria, daughter of Sanchez, king of Navarre; and he had already employed his mother Eleanor to make a journey into Guienne, and negociate a marriage between him and that amiable princefs. The propofal was immediately embraced, and the contract being ratified, the queen-mother and her future daughter-in-law travelled I velled over land to Naples, having been joined on the road by A, C. 1198. the count of Flanders: they were thence conveyed to Brindifi, because Meffina, being already crouded, could not contain them with their numerous retinue. Philip was perfectly well acquainted with all thefe tranfactions, and, threatened loudly to renounce all friendship with the king of England; but the dispute was compromised in another treaty, by which Richard was releafed from all pretended engagements to Adelais, who afterwards married William II. count of Ponthieu, who was the principal hoftage given by Philip for his perfor mance of articles. The French king ceded Gifors, Naufle, Neufchatel de S. Denys, and the Vexin Normand, to Richard, and the heirs male of his body: in default of which they should revert to Philip; and in cafe of his death, without iffue male, be re-united with the domain of Normandy. They agreed that Richard's eldest fon, if heaven fhould blefs him with male offspring, should hold the Norman dominions of Philip in capite; that the English king thould pay ten thoufand marks of filver, at four different payments; and cede the fiefs Yffadun and Graffay, with all that was claimed in Auvergne by the king of France, who, on his fide, fhould yield to Richard Cahors and Quercy, except the two royal abbies of Figeac and Souillac. Rymer. The treaty being figned and ratified, the king of France Richard took his departure from Meffina for the Holy Land; and makes a Richard gave him a fhort convoy with his gallies: then tack-conqueft of Cyprus, and ing about to Reggio, took on board his mother and Beren- marries Be garia, with whom he returned that fame evening to the place rengaria. from whence he had fet fail. Eleanor, in a few days, embarked on her return for England; and the princefs of Navarre remained with Richard's fifter Jane, dowager of Sicily, until he could affemble a fufficient number of veffels for the transportation of his cavalry. Thefe being procured, and every other neceffary prepared, he demolished the fort of MateGriffon, and failed from Meffina with above two hundred fhips and gallies. In two days, the fleet was difperfed in a ftorm, and the king obliged to put into the ifle of Crete, from whence he steered to Rhodes; while two of his large fhips were ftranded on the coaft of Cyprus, and Roger, his vicechancellor, drowned, with several knights and their attendants. Those who reached the fhore were immediately seized, ftripped, and imprisoned by Ifaac, ftiling himself emperor of Cyprus, who would not fuffer a third veffel, having on board the queen of Sicily and Berengaria, to enter the harbour of Limefol. Richard being informed of their diftrefs, advanced to A. C. 1191. to their relief with his gallies, and found them lying at anchor on the open fhore, expofed to all the extremity of the weather. Incensed at the barbarity of this infolent tyrant, he fent a meffage to demand his pilgrims, with all their effects which had been feized; and, receiving an arrogant answer, immediately landed his men. Ifaac did not decline an engagement, in which he was defeated; the town foon capitulated, and the fleet was brought into the harbour. The Cypriots reaffembled another body of forces, and, giving battle the next day to Richard, were routed again with great flaughter. This overthrow determined the fate of the island. All the caftles and towns admitted the conqueror; and Ifaac himself submitted at difcretion. The conqueft of Cyprus being fo. eafily atchieved, the king efpoufed Berengaria, who was crowned the fame day at Limefol, by John bishop of Evreux, affifted by the archbishops of Apamea and Auch, and the bishop of Bayonne. After this ceremony, Richard received the homage of the nobility, and confirmed the laws, cuftoms, and privileges of the Cypriots, who having been oppreffed by Ifaac, hailed the king of England as their deliverer. Nor was their gratitude confined to empty profeffions: they prefented him with a moiety of their effects; and engaged to fend a supply of provifions to the Chriftians, at the fiege of Acon, in which they were at that time employed. Vinefanf. His arrival at Acon, which is taken by the Having regulated the affairs of Cyprus, and beftowed the government of the ifland upon Richard de Camville and Robert de Turnham, the king fet fail for Acon, whither he had alChriftians. ready difpatched the two queens and Ifaac's only daughter, with the best part of his fleet and forces. In his paffage he encountered a prodigious large veffel, equipped by Saladine at Barut, containing fifteen hundred of his choice troops, commanded by feven admirals, and loaden with provifion and warlike ftores for the garrison of Acon. This huge unweildy ship he attacked and deftroyed, and arrived before the place, to the inexpreffible joy of the Chriftian army, and the terror and difmay of the befieged, which increased, even to despair, when they understood the lofs of the veffel, in which all their hopes were centered. The fiege, which had hitherto languished, was now carried on with furprising vigour. Richard's courage, liberality, and magnificence, not only engaged the hearts of the foldiery, but totally eclipfed the king of France, who became envious of his glory, and jealous of his greatnefs. Though Richard had fhared with him the booty and prifoners taken in the carrack, according to a convention made in Sicily, by which they agreed to divide the spoils of the in fidels, fidels, Philip was not contented, but laid claim to one half of A. C. 1191.. Cyprus, and the riches there acquired. To this demand Richard replied, that though their agreement related to Paleftine only, he would divide his conqueft with Philip, provided that prince would act in the fame manner towards him, with regard to the dominions and effects of the count of Flanders, and the caftillan of St. Omers, lately deceased, whofe effects he had seized for his own advantage. This answer effectually filenced the French king, who dropped his pretenfions; and they renewed their agreement about the acquifitions that should be made in the Holy Land, appointing the Knights-Templars and Hofpitallers as umpires of the partition. G. Neubrigę By this time the befieged were reduced to extremity, and Saladine, finding it impracticable to raise the fiege, allowed them to furrender upon the best terms they could procure. The capitulation they obtained did not even fecure their lives; for they obliged themselves to remain in cuftody, until their heads fhould be redeemed, with two hundred thousand Byzantines; and, in failure of this ranfom, within a certain time, they were to be at the mercy of the conquerors. Hoveden. own domi. The city being furrendered, and Philip having taken poffef- The king of fion of his fhare, according to the determination of the arbi- France retrators, he defired Richard would confent to his return, as turns to his the air of Afia did not agree with his conftitution, and he nions. fhould certainly die, unless restored to his own country. Under this pretext, he harboured the design of making himfelf master of Flanders, and perhaps of invading Normandy. All the princes of the army exclaimed againft his deferting them before the crufade fhould be finished; but he perfifted in his refolution, and renewed his demand upon Cyprus, which he thought Richard would buy off with his consent to Philip's retreat. Accordingly he became fo importunate on both fubjects, that the king of England granted his requeft, upon his taking a public oath on the evangelifts, that he would abstain from all hoftilities against the territories of Richard, and even protect them against all invaders, to the utmost of his power. Having thus quieted the apprehenfions of his rival, who accommodated him with two of his best gallies, he fet fail from Acon, leaving his troops under the command of the duke of Burgundy; and, in his paffage through Italy, complained to pope Celeftine III. that he could not act in concert with Richard, whose infolence was altogether intolerable: he therefore defired his holinefs would abfolve him of his original vow, which he had not performed, as well as of the oath he had fworn to the king of England, that he might revenge himself upon that haughty |